London, March 05: Veteran British politician Michael Mackintosh Foot, who was a colossus figure for the ruling Labour party, straddled the world of politics, literature, journalism and Byronic poetry and endeared himself to India and its people through his deep love for the country.
A close associate of the Nehru-Gandhi family, Foot, who died here on Wednesday at the age of 96, worked closely with Indian leaders before and after independence, particularly as a leading member of the India League founded by Krishna Menon.
He later courted controversy by backing Indira Gandhi during the emergency, but continued to work as a friend of India in the corridors of power. Soon after India conducted its nuclear tests in 1998, Foot went against the grain of Western condemnation and presented a realistic perspective of India’s decision.
Foot also defended Salman Rushdie when he was under fire for the book ‘Satanic Verses’.
-PTI