Atal Bihari Vajpayee: Personality, Thought and Services
Abdullah Rafiq Qasmi
Professor of Jurisprudence and Literature, Jamia Abdullah Bin Masood Vijayawada
*Introduction*
Among the personalities who have left deep imprints on the political history of India with their thought, speech, and character, the name of Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee is at the very top. You were a prudent politician, a wise leader, a powerful speaker, a stylish poet, and a peace-loving leader true to your name. A
A beautiful blend of politics and nobility, power and humility, strength and tolerance is seen in your personality.
*Name and Lineage*
Your full name was Atal Bihari Vajpayee. You belonged to a respected Brahmin family. Your father's name was Pandit Krishna Bihari Vajpayee, who was himself an educated and dignified personality.
*Birth*
Atal Bihari Vajpayee was born on December 25, 1924, in Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh). Your birthday is also celebrated as Good Governance Day in India.
*Education and Training*
You received your early education in Gwalior. Later, you received higher education from Victoria College, Gwalior, and then DAV College, Kanpur. You obtained a Master's degree in Political Science. Along with education, your intellectual and literary training was also established on strong foundations.
Practical Services
Vajpayee Sahib started his practical life with journalism and public service. From the beginning, he had a deep understanding of the issues of the nation and the community and had the ability to express himself with both pen and tongue. Therefore, first in 1947 as editor « Rashtra Dharma », in 1948 as editor Panchjanya and in 1952 as editor « Swadesh » remained associated.
Beginning of Political Journey
You entered politics through your affiliation with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Later, you became the founder and leading leader of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh and then the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). You were elected as a member of the Lok Sabha several times and also proved to be an exemplary leader of the opposition. Your political career spans four decades. You were elected nine (9) times to the Lok Sabha (Lower House) and two (2) times to the Rajya Sabha (Upper House). You entered politics in the fortieth spring of your life, then never looked back, always dreaming of progress, dedicating your entire life to political services. You never even got married, remained unmarried throughout your life and completed your political journey as a tireless traveler in this field for a full forty-four years.
Prime Ministership
Atal Bihari Vajpayee became the Prime Minister of India three times,
His first term was for 13 days in 1996, the second time he was Prime Minister for 11 months from 1998 to 1999, and the third time he completed his term from 1999 to 2004, which was a very important period. During this period, he provided a strong, stable and comprehensive development-oriented government.
*Embodiment of Peace and Tranquility
(Lahore Declaration)*
Vajpayee Sahib was a true advocate of peace. In 1999, he made a historic visit to Pakistan by bus and signed the Lahore Declaration. This initiative was a shining example of peace, brotherhood, and mutual trust in the subcontinent.
*Equipped the country with nuclear power*
During your government, nuclear tests were conducted in Pokhran, Rajasthan in 1998, as a result of which India emerged on the world map as a nuclear power. This decision strengthened the country's defense sovereignty.
*Messiah of the Poor*
Atal Bihari Vajpayee launched several schemes for the welfare of the poor and backward classes, including the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana and rural development projects. His aim was to bring development to the grassroots level, which he expressed in his official address
«An important matter is to improve the condition of the poor. Despite having natural resources, the people of the country are poor. Who have been kept away from their better opportunities and they are still victims of poverty. I am also one of them myself. I have gone through that era and I understand their pain very well.
(Atal Bihari Vajpayee p: 48)
*Literary Taste and High and Sublime Poetic Imagination*
The late Atal Bihari Vajpayee was not only a politician but also a sensitive poet. His poetry reflects nationalism, humanism, hope, and the bitter realities of life. His literary taste further enhances his personality.
Sample of Poetry
We will not let war happen
We will not let war happen
We are seekers of world peace, we will not let war happen
Never again will bloody fertilizer flourish in the fields
The crop of death will not bloom in the granaries
The sky will never again spew embers
Nagasaki will not burn again with the atom
Those who have their abode on piles of weapons
Peace in the mouth, bomb in the armpit, a deception
Tell those who sell shrouds by shouting
The world has recognized their true face
We will not let their tricks succeed
We will not let war happen
We want peace, we love life
We want peace, the surgeon is preparing
We have started a war against hunger and disease
The whole world should come forward and help
We will not let the green earth take on a bloody color
We will not let war happen
India and Pakistan are neighbors, they have to live together
Whether they love or attack, both have to endure
We have fought three times, how expensive a deal
Whether it is a Russian bomb or an American one, the same blood flows
What we have gone through, we will not let it happen to the children
We will not let war happen
These verses reflect his hope, courage, and determination.
Important Awards
Atal Bihari Vajpayee was awarded several national and international awards,
There is no award bigger than the prestigious Bharat Ratna in India.
*Major Awards and Honors.*
Bharat Ratna (2015)
Padma Vibhushan (1992)
Outstanding Parliamentarian Award (1994)
*Foreign Awards*
Bangladesh War of Liberation Award (2016)
Morocco Grand Cordon of the Order of Ouissam Alaouite (13) February 1999
Lokmanya Tilak Award
*Illness, Treatment and Care*
In the last years of his life, he remained seriously ill and remained away from practical life for a long time due to illness, he was a diabetic patient. He was kept under treatment at AIIMS Hospital in Delhi.
*Death*
This great leader passed away on August 16, 2018, in Delhi at the age of 93. The whole country mourned his death.
Conclusion
Atal Bihari Vajpayee was such a multifaceted personality who gave ethics, values, and nobility to politics. He taught respect despite disagreement, tolerance with power, and humanity with leadership. His services and thoughts will always be written in golden letters in the history of India.