Former President K R Narayanan, who had been admitted to the Army's Research and Referral Hospital in New Delhi on October 29 in a very critical condition, passed away on Wednesday. He was 85.
Narayanan, who breathed his last at 5.45 pm, had acute artery blockages and had slipped into coma, the hospital announced. He had been put on a ventilator after medical evaluation revealed evidence of pneumonia.
He is survived by wife Usha and two daughters, Amrita and Chitra, who is India's Ambassador to Turkey.
Narayanan, a career diplomat before entering politics in 1984, was the unanimous choice of political parties when he became President in 1997 for a term till 2002. During his distinguished career in foreign service under the tutelage of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, he had also served as Ambassador in China.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh paying his last respect to former president K. R. Narayanan at Kapurthala house in New Delhi on Thursday November 10, 2005. former President died on Wednesday November 9, 2005 in army Hospital.
Photograph: Ranjan Basu/Saab pictures
K R Narayanan on rediff:
The K R Narayanan interview
Narayanan's journey was no less spectacular than Lincoln's