Here was a PM who stood out for governance, equality, development and making India tall, in the comity of nations. A believer in parliamentary democracy and upholding probity in national life. Ideals that need to be remembered, emulated and brought into prominence among all political classes and parties. It is ironic that Vajpayee’s 100th anniversary falls at a time when such ideals need to be recalled most. By every government, at the centre and in the states, which have a number of regional parties in power, each doing its own bidding.
One of India’s most loved PMs, a statesman more than a politician, a pracharak of the RSS who was more of a maarg darshak for the nation, and truly remains ever so much, today, on his 100th birth anniversary. Atal Bihari Vajpayee was a man of distinction, a poet, a dreamer and a deliverer. A rare combination of traits, who was above all, a transformer for modern India.
All these tributes came out loud and clear in his tribute to the late PM, when PM Narendra Modi penned his thoughts, widely carried in all the newspapers on Christmas Day. Coming from humble roots, Vajpayee realised the struggles of the common citizen and the transformative power of effective governance, Modi said.
“He stands tall as a statesman who continues to inspire countless people.”
“The NDA government under Atal ji made the first serious attempt to make technology accessible to citizens. At the same time, there was foresight in connecting India. Even today, most people recall the Golden Quadrilateral Project which connected the length and breadth of India,” he wrote.
“The Vajpayee government not only boosted economic growth but also brought distant regions closer, fostering unity and integration,” he wrote.
His government’s decision to carry out nuclear tests and its handling of the aftermath provide a wonderful example of his leadership, Modi wrote, and cited how “The world was stunned that India had done the tests and expressed their anger in no uncertain terms. Any ordinary leader would have buckled, but Atal ji was made differently. And what happened? India stood firm, with the government calling for another set of tests two days later, on May 13.”
If the tests of May 11, 1998, showed scientific skill, the ones on May 13 showed true leadership, he wrote.
Modi said Vajpayee understood Indian democracy and also the need to make it stronger. He presided over the creation of the NDA, which redefined coalitions in Indian politics and became a force for development, national progress and regional ambitions.
Vajpayee was not one to cling to power through opportunistic means. He preferred to resign in 1996 instead of following the path of horse-trading and dirty politics, the prime minister said, adding that his government fell by one vote in 1999.
“When it comes to commitment to protecting our Constitution too, Atal ji stands tall. He was deeply impacted by the martyrdom of Syama Prasad Mookerjee. Years later, he was a pillar of the anti-Emergency movement.”
Modi noted that as external affairs minister, Vajpayee became the first Indian leader to speak in Hindi at the United Nations, noting that this shows how deeply rooted he was in the Indian culture. His persona was magnetic and his life was enriched by his love for literature and expression. Whenever the choice came between ideology and power, Vajpayee always chose the former, Modi wrote.