Mohan Dharia gets Indira Gandhi National Integration award

New Delhi, Oct 31 (PTI) Former Union Minister Mohan Dharia, who was a strong critic of Indira Gandhi in her lifetime, was today given the Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration for his yeoman's service in promoting and preserving spirit of national integration. Receiving the 26th Award, instituted in the name of the late Prime Minister, from Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Dharia acknowledged he had had differences with Indira Gandhi for some time but added he cannot forget her indomitable courage, contribution and sacrifice for the country. 86-year-old Dharia, who stays in Pune and is a Padma Vibhushan awardee, was selected for the 2010 award for his work in promoting and preserving the spirit of national integration in the country. Dharia, a young Turk then, was jailed during the Emergency along with many other former Congress leaders including late Prime Minister Chandrashekhar The award carries a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh and a citation. Besides being a lawyer, Dharia is an environmentalist and runs a non-government organisation, Vanrai. He was elected to Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha and had been Union minister and deputy chairperson of the Planning Commission from December 1990 to June 1991. Before giving the award to Dharia, the Congress President, in her speech, said even those who disagreed with Indira Gandhi on many issues used to respect her from the inner core of their heart and accepted her qualities. Speaking on the occassion, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Indira Gandhi's sacrifice "gives us inspiration to rise above caste, community, religion and language and promote national integration".