A President, a Salute, and a Legacy
Saw this today and it made me pause my scroll.
Colonel Rajyavardhan Rathore (the Olympian shooter and former Minister) posted a simple, respectful message in Hindi: “पूर्व राष्ट्रपति डॉ. शंकर दयाल शर्मा जी की जयंती पर उन्हें शत-शत नमन。” (Hundreds of salutations to former President Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma on his birth anniversary.)
It got me thinking. We often remember the more ‘vocal’ figures from history, but the quiet, steadfast ones are the bedrock.
Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma was India’s President from 1992 to 1997. A crazy important time for India. But that’s not even the coolest part.
The man was a legit scholar. Cambridge & Harvard PhD. Barrister. He fought for the merger of princely states into India. He was the calm, constitutional conscience during some of India’s most turbulent years.
Rathore’s salute feels meaningful. It’s a modern leader acknowledging a foundational one. A reminder that our present is built on the principles of intellectuals and democrats like him.
A legacy of integrity. Of putting the constitution first.
Worth a hundred salutes, indeed.
