Will fly down, ma

Foreign minister S M Krishna venerated Gangubai Hangal, and had promised to see the legend early next month, but that was not to be

Foreign minister S M Krishna venerated Gangubai Hangal, and had promised to see the legend early next month, but that was not to be

External affairs minister S M Krishna, who revered Gangubai Hangal, had promised to meet her after his foreign tour this month.

With her death, both her wish to meet Krishna and Krishna's to witness Hangal being honoured with the Bharat Ratna will remain unrealised.

S M Krishna felicitating Gangubai Hangal File Pic

The last conversation they had was over the phone last month, during which Hangal asked Krishna to visit her and he promised to do so, recalled Deepak Chinchori, leader of the opposition in HDMC (Hubli Dharwad Municipal Corporation).u00a0u00a0

"The meeting never took place," Chinchori, whou00a0 facilitated the call, told MiD DAY.
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Two decades

Krishna's acquaintance with Hangal dates back more than two decades. Music, recalled her relatives, drew them together.

"He was an art lover and revered my grandmother," Gangubai's grandson Manoj Hangal told MiD DAY. Krishna visited her house in Hubli and Bangalore more than a dozen times, enquiring after her health.

In 2005, then chief minister N Dharam Singh drew flak for keeping Hangal waiting for three hours, that too at a ceremony to felicitate her. Krishna then managed to convince her to attend a special felicitation at the Mumbai Raj Bhavan a month after the Hubli incident, as he felt the state had insulted the legendary singer.

Krishna was keen on proposing her name for the Bharat Ratna award. He was also keen that her dream a music university come true.

Their last chat

The last conversation between Gangubai and S M Krishna, held over the phone last month:

SMK: Hegiddiramma? (How are you, ma?)
Gangubai: Chennagidinpa...Yavag barteeya? Bahala divasa aithu nodade. (I'm doing fine. When will you come? It's been many days since we met)

SMK: Barteenamma. Gunamukharagi. Begabarteeni. (I will come, ma. Get well. I will come soon).
Gangubai: Gunamukhavagteeni. Bega ba.
(I will get well soon. You come at the earliest.)

SMK: Barteeni, barteeni. (I will come. I will come)