Remembering Motilal Vora: Congress was not a political party but the very purpose of his life

Those who knew Congress veteran and former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Motilal Vora, who breathed his last on Monday, remember him as someone for whom the Congress was not a political party but the very purpose of his life.

One commentator rightly said that he was one of the most important pillars of the old Congress generation. He lived for the Congress and he was ready to die for the Congress.

It is not known to many that Vora started his career as a reporter with Hindi daily Navbharat – one of the most influential newspapers of central India. He was famous among his journalist friends for not using notepads. He was gifted with such a photographic memory that even at the age of 90 he could vividly recall minutes of three decades old meetings. With tea and biscuits, he would share stories of his journalism days with reporters at his room at AICC headquarters.

Born in Rajasthan, Vora received his education in Kolkata during the time of British rule. In search of a job and better life, his father migrated from Rajasthan to present day Chhattisgarh which was then part of the undivided Madhya Pradesh.

Vora started his political career with Socialist Party in the 1960s. After meeting Kishorilal Shukla, a Congress stalwart at the time, Vora joined the Congress in 1970s and remained with the party till his last.

Vora’s stature grew in the party under the leadership of Indira Gandhi. He served as a minister in the Arjun Singh government in MP in the 1980s. 13 years later, he himself became the Chief Minister of the state. He also served as Governor of Uttar Pradesh from 1998-99, before being elected to the Lok Sabha in 2002.

As an MP, he served as a member of the parliamentary committees on railways, energy, Panchayati Raj and youth affairs.

His curiosity for minute details and ability to manage accounts led the Congress to appoint him as Treasurer, a position in which he served for a long time. He also worked as General Secretary in-charge of administration.

Vora held important positions in Associated Journals Limited (AJL) and Young Indian. He was appointed as the chairman and managing director of AJL on 22 March 2002, and was a director in Young Indian.