श्रद्धांजली for the अजातशत्रु : Atal Bihari Vajpayee

श्रद्धांजली for the अजातशत्रु : Atal Bihari Vajpayee

The pious month of August - when our tryst with destiny was shaped in 1947- finds a special reverential place in the hearts and minds of every Indians, not just in India but globally. This August, however, has left an indelible mark and taken away three of the leading political lights - Shri M Karunanidhi, Somnath Chatterjee and our beloved former PM, Atal Bihari Vajpayee - who were part of the countless millions from across the country with diverse political ideologies, thoughts, religion, language etc. who shaped our tryst with destiny. They have left us for their heavenly abode bidding adieu to the nation in whose service they spent their entire life. They were, and will continue to be, held in reverence as the statesmen and leading light of the vibrancy of our democracy for which countless million freedom fighters fought, some until the peril of their life, for India’s independence and our cherished democracy.

Among the three stalwarts Atal Behari Vajpayee - former PM, Poet, politician, pragmatist orator and statesman- who passed away at the advance age of 93 on the 16th of August, after a prolonged illness, at the AIIMS, New Delhi, commands a special obituary and here I am, paying my part of the श्रद्धांजलि for the great son of India.

A sea of humanity poured into the precincts of the BJP office in Delhi, where the mortal remains of the अजातशत्रु, our beloved former PM, Atal Ji was placed for our countrymen to pay their last respect to the departed leader. Leaders - cutting across party lines joined hundreds of thousand others to pay their last respect to the departed soul. Not withstanding their opposing ideologies, thoughts, religion, language etc. and at times vitriolic grandstanding, almost every opposition leader joined innumerable BJP Karyakartas and their leaders to pay glowing rich tributes to the one and only Atal Ji. The funeral procession on its way to the स्मृति स्थल, where Atal Ji was cremated with full state honours, was even more momentous. Leading or accompanying the procession, on a four plus kilometres distance, on foot, was his protege, Shri Narendra Modi ji, the Prime Minister of India, who was joined by a galaxy of other distinguished leaders from across the length and breadth of the country on whose faces gloom was palpable. The state funeral was graced by political leaders of all the parties from across India including several international leaders and diplomats who joined the nation in paying their last respect to the departed soul.

Atal Ji, fondly remembered as the Poet Prime Minister of India was blessed with brilliant oratory skills. His words could easily sway hearts and minds of people. It was this oratory skill that had attracted us - Umesh, Sangamnath and I (as college college students) to his election rally in Gulbarga, giving a miss to our classes. We had endured an inordinately long delay of more than 4 hours along with thousand others to listen to him. That was the year 1977, a watershed year for the Indian democracy, which was grievously wounded during the Emergency. Our impatient wait turned out to be one of the most rewarding one, which the three of us, the closest of friends, have continued to cherish till date. Atal Ji’s poetic articulation of his thoughts to critic his primary opponent - the indomitable Smt Indira Gandhi, the then PM of India - was tempered by the good will ofgeniality contrary to what we now see, not just in the electioneering but also in the parliamentary debates. Atalji’ language was as mellifluous as his inimitable oratory skills. There has never been a looking back for my friends, Umesh and Sangamnath, who have steadfastly remained a compulsive diehard BJP supporters ever since, even long after Atalji gave up active politics. Such was the impact of his oration on our relatively young minds and so it must have been for millions of others.

A seasoned politician and an outstanding parliamentarian, contrary to what some - aberration few- may feel, Atal Ji was known for his cultural moderation, liberal views and political equanimity. Vajpayee ji will ever be remembered for his contribution in ushering in the coalition era and stitching disparate alliances to form a government. The coalition era and the alliances - be it NDA or the UPA - that we are witnessing today, largely vow their genesis to Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He was the master of coalition politics who steered his party to garner regional political party’s support that ultimately became the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and Atal Ji deservingly became the first non-Congress prime minister to complete a full five year term in office, a historic accomplishment considering the failed earlier attempts of the non congress governments. Atal ji’s never say quits attitude (फिरसुबह होंगी the film that he and Advani ji saw together post Atal Ji defeat in the by-election) complemented with the efforts of his 65 years friend and fellow compatriot Advani ji, and hundreds of thousands of his party workers has perhaps paved the way for BJP and his protege, Shri Narendra Modi ji, to form the BJP led Government with a majority of its own, just over a decade later. Vajpayee’s legacy and his contribution in ushering in the coalition era and proving that even disparate alliances could serve and survive the entire tenure of a government will continue to be remembered.

Born into a middle class family in Gwalior on yet another auspicious day the 25th December 1924, Vajpayee’s first brush with politics came in 1942 when he joined the Quit India Movement against the British. After completing his education, he became a journalist and then joined the Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS), a fore runner of the BJP, formed by Shyama Prasad Mookerjee in 1951. From being political secretary to Mookerjee, to raising to the pinnacle of Indian democracy of becoming the PM of the largest democracy of the world, Atal Ji has endeared all of it in his long political career during which he was elected nine times to the Lok Sabha and he also served two terms in the Rajya Sabha. He led his party (BJP) to its first national electoral victory in 1996, but his government lasted just 13 days before he resigned as the PM of India in the face of a no-confidence motion. He returned to power in 1998 to once again form the Government and ruled for another brief tenure of 13 months forging an alliance with 22 parties, mostly regional parties, with disparate local appeal. It was during this period that India successfully conducted the nuclear tests at Pokhran and he famously rephrased Lal Bahadur Shastri’s quote जय जवान जय किसान as जय जवान जय किसान जय विज्ञान। He was once again elected to form another Government, which lasted for its full term and he served as India's prime minister from 1999 to 2004.

Atal Ji is survived by not just his adopted daughter and his grand daughter but a nation full of adoring and admiring citizens who deeply mourn and grieve his death. He will forever be remembered with immense respect and gratitude. Long live Atal Ji.