Atal Bihari Vajpayee - A Giant among Men
- In Politics
- 07:03 PM, Dec 25, 2015
- Ranabir Bhattacharyya
On 25th December, when the world celebrates the birth anniversary of Jesus Christ, Indian democracy pays homage to the living legend Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Not only in his tenure as Prime Minister of India, but also as a seasoned politician, Atal Bihari Vajpayee is looked upon as the benchmark of Indian politics in post independence period, where coalition and tolerance walk side by side, giving the highest regards to the Indian Constitution and both houses of the Parliament. His biggest political rivals had the highest regard for him. From being a Law school dropout who went to jail for country's freedom to becoming one of the most respected Prime Ministers of India, Atal Bihari Vajpayee stands tall in the Indian polity
Many people still wonder how it was possible for a right wing politician of the calibre of Atal Bihari Vajpayee to form a coalition government at the centre. Interestingly at the beginning of his career, when India got independence Atal Bihari Vajpayee had a brief introduction with communism. Later he joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) which was the turning point in his career. His association with Syama Prasad Mookerjee was a pivotal one. Vajpayee under the leadership of Syama Prasad Mookerjee spearheaded the campaign in Kashmir. The Parliamentary journey of Atal Bihari Vajpayee began when he was elected for the first time in Lok Sabha in 1957.
As a Parliamentarian, Atal Bihari Vajpayee was ahead of others. He served the Lok Sabha 10 times, spanning more than five decades from 1957 to 2009. Post independence it was a myth that no non-Congress government can complete five years of term in the Delhi. Atal Bihari Vajpayee's NDA government broke the myth and reinstated itself as the most credible face of non-Congress nationalist platform in India. The joint leadership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Lal Krishna Advani gave a viable and credible alternative to Congress. Let's also not forget Vajpayee's role in the Morarji Desai government when he was External Affairs Minister. His lectures in the UN Assembly depicting pluralism and integrity of India are still held in highest regard. Vajpayee's golden moment of course came when he became the Prime Minister and steered India through some toughest moments.
The far sightedness of Atal Bihari Vajpayee wasn't restricted to geo-politics or international relations it extended to the commitment to the nation building also. Although the UPA Government under Dr Manmohan Singh introduced the Right to Education Act 2009, it is Atal Bihari Vajpayee's brainchild as he in his tenure started the Sarva Shiksha Abhijyan, including all children in the domain of education between 6-14 years of age. On the economic front, in spite of the devastating earthquake or the two cyclones and drought, India managed to stem ahead with a healthy GDP. Let's not forget the Kargil war where once again the Indian soldiers gained convincing victory over the intruding Pakistani. With nuclear tests in Pokhran, India not only justified its place in the nuclear league but also gave the Indian defence establishment a convincing confidence. One can remember PM Vajpayee saying, ""We have the capacity for a big bomb now. Ours will never be weapons of aggression." The Telecom industry also moved miles ahead with mobile penetration reaching the remotest corners of India. The IT industry also received huge boost and the growth of Indian companies flourished in the international arena with government patronage.
The controversy over the Kandahar plan hijack is still discussed in the political circle. But one cannot ignore the fact that Vajpayee's decision was to ensure the safety of the Indian passengers first. His Lahore bus journey is still considered the symbol of hope, if anything that remains in the future of India-Pak bipartite relationship. The paradigm change was obviously in the Indo-US relationship, which in fact paved the way for the nuclear deal in the UPA era. For more than a decade no US President after Jimmy Carter chose to visit India but it was in Atal Bihari Vajpayee's time, Bill Clinton made his formal visit to India in 2008 as US President. Even the relationship with China, Israel and other countries improved as Atal Bihari Vajpayee gave huge importance to improving relations with these countries paving smooth business relations in the globalised era.
In the present era, PM Narendra Modi is following the footsteps of Atal Bihari Vajpayee with the rationality and motivation of seeing India as a global power. Time and again Narendra Modi refers to Vajpayee as the one who remains a role model to him with the ethics of tolerance and pluralism. Bestowing ailing Atal Bihari Vajpayee the prestigious Bharat Ratna award is indeed a true testimony to Narendra Modi's appreciation of Vajpayee's leadership.
I am reminded of what Atal Bihari Vajpayee said in the Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha Session - 18-19 July, 1970 held at Chandigarh.
"With the banner of Nationalism in our hearts to build up a Mighty India, let us march forward on the path of Duty. This is no time for rest; this is no occasion for faltering. Let us go onwards and onwards, till we reach the Goal." – Yes, when the world sits on a boiling cauldron, let us give peace a chance as propounded by Atal Bihari Vajpayee, a politician of prosaic wisdom and immense sense of humanity.
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