Death and love are the two wings that bear the good man to heaven - Michelangel Every man's life ends the same way. It is only the detail of how he lived and how he died that distinguishes one man from another. Same applies here to immortal Sh. Atal Bihari Vajpayee jee, who just slipped into the galaxy of stars in the Milky Way. The whole nation remained glued to the TV Channels throughout the day on 16 August 2018, with positivity in (almost lost) hopes of getting a positive news of Vajpayee's recovery, believing in miracles, but by 1715 hrs, news that Vajpayee jee breathed his last at 1705 hrs, was not less than a bolt from blue for one and all. Born on 25 December 1924 in a teacher family at Gwalior ultimately took off his eternal journey on 16 August 2018. His activism started with Arya Kumar Sabha of Gwalior, becoming its general secretary in 1944, joining RSS in 1938 at the age of 14, arrested for short spell of 28 days during 'Quit India Movement' of 1942 and becoming RSS 'Pracharak' in 1947. Laterally after formation of Bharatiya Jana Sangh, Vajpayee jee became its national president in 1968. He started his active political career by contesting lok Sabha election in 1957, ultimately landing on PM's chair in May 1996 for 13 days, in 1998 for 13 months and in 1999 for full term in office. He was a multi-talented politician who lived life on his own terms and left an indelible mark on Indian politics. He turned out to be a charismatic personality, superlative poet, greater writer, orator par excellence, good-natured statesman, insightful politician, foreign affairs expert, and much more was a god gift to India. The words are missing from available encyclopedia to put into the script about a person, who is a legendary figure and placed above politic by the politicians them self, rarity in human beings felt by every human beings, and kind heart recognized by every heart. From being one of the earliest members of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, Vajpayee blossomed into a leading opposition MP by the late 1960s, went on to become External Affairs Minister in the short-lived Janata government and, finally in 1999, to head the first non-Congress government to complete a full term in office. He is remembered for his first speech in Hindi as external affairs minister at the UN General Assembly, effectively raised India's stand on key issues like nuclear disarmament, state-sponsored terrorism and reforms at the world body. He has carved his name on Indian hearts, and need not tombstones. A legacy is etched into the minds of one and all sections of the society and the stories they share about him. The vision of Vajpayee jee expressed on various aspects, we come across, and from the history pages of his life career deserve mention here. On wars, he has expressed that we are unnecessarily wasting our precious resources in wars, if we must wage war; we have to do it on unemployment, disease, poverty, and backwardness. On empowering he has expressed; empowering the individual means empowering the nation. And empowerment is best served through rapid economic growth with rapid social change. He always propagated that he has a vision of India free of hunger and fear, an India free of illiteracy and want. He always relied on message to the people and rulers of Pakistan, 'As neighbors', we want peace and friendship and cooperation with you so that together we can change the face of South Asia. He always carried that Indian democracy's greatest strength is that we have always put the nation above politics. He always dreamed of an India that is prosperous, strong and caring, an India that regains a place of honors in the comity of great nations. A poet by heart, Vajpayee articulated poetry as one of the means of expressing himself in any given situation. As a poet he used to say; my poet's heart gives me strength to face political problems, particularly those which have a bearing on my conscience. As External Affairs Minister in the 1977 Janata Party government, Vajpayee pursued the policy of friendly relations with India's neighbors, including Pakistan, on the principle of peaceful co-existence & mutual respect. His famous quote "you can change friends but not your neighbors" went on to become a dictum in the Indian foreign office establishment. The quality that meets or makes great occasions is the definition of great man, and he leaves others at a loss after he is gone and in actuality late Vajpayee jee was a great man. Among countless contributions of Vajpayee jee, some of them India will remember him for, are; the 'Pokhran Nuclear Test' a major achievement for making India a nuclear power from the aspect of power generation. He started 'Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan' one of the largest education programs to provide basic education to every child of India. Vajpayee's most memorable achievement was the ambitious roads projects he launched-the Goldern Quadrilateral and the Pradhanmantri Gramin Sadak Yojna. The Golden Quadrilateral connected Chennai, Kolkata, Delhi and Mumbai through a network of highways while the Pradhanmantri Gramin Sadak Yojna was planned as a network of all-weather roads for unconnected villages. To end the monopoly of Videsh Sanchar, he created 'Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd', Telecom Dispute Settlement Appellate Tribunal. His Telecom Policy unleashed the telecom revolution in India. Who can forget the Operation Vijay undertaken by the Indian Army in Kargil. Besides all these, Atal Bihari Vajpayee Government needs to be credited for creation of new departments like Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Department of North-East Region and converting the Social Welfare Ministry into the Ministry of Social Justice. For his unforgettable contribution on 25 December 2014 President of India announced the Bharat Ratna award, to him and as a rarebits gesture it was presented to him by HE the President of India by personally visiting his Home. His birthday, 25 December, was declared "Good Governance Day" as recognition of his services to the nation.
A number of books on poetry, political aspect and his experience scripted by Vajpayee jee resonates the book world. We turn back to look at some of his works, written in Hindi: Meri Sansadiya Yatra (in four volumes), Sankalap Kaal, Shakti-se-Shanti, Four Decades in Parliament (speech collection in three volumes from 1957 to 1995), New Dimensions of India's Foreign Policy (a collection of speeches delivered as External Affairs Minister during 1977-79), Jan Sangh Aur Mussalman, Marityu ya Hatya, Amar Balidan, Gathbandhan Ki Rajniti, Decisive Days, Nayi Chunouti Naya Avasar, Na Dainyam Na Palayanam, Kucch Lekh Kucch Bhashan, . Poetry collection includes: Kaidi Kaviraj Ki Kundalian (a collection of poems written in jail during Emergency), Amar Aag Hai (a collection of poems, 1994), Kya Khoya Kya Paya, Meri Ekyavan Kavitayen, Twenty One Poems, Chuni Hui Kavetayen, Bindu Bindu Visara, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee- Selected Speeches. We come across a book, Vajpayee: A Man for All Seasons, written by Kingshuk Nag, and it is a definitive account of the life and times of one of India's most illustrious non-Congress leader and includes chapters: The formative years, Getting into politics, leading the Jana Sangha, love, life and poetry, the man and his style, Janata raj and the BJP, Witness to ayodhya, Post ayodhya to Prime minister, Pursuing peace, Dealing with Alma mater, Reviving up the economy, Exiting power, A statesman par excellence.
When we speak of Vajpayee jee in the context of the Jammu and Kashmir, his doctrine on Kashmir called for peace, progress and prosperity in the Valley by imbibing the spirit of Insaniyat (Humanity) , Jamhuriyat (Democracy) and Kashmiriyat (Identity of the people of Kashmir) still resonate as measure to end Kashmir problem. The doctrine was universally acclaimed by all segments across of political spectrum in the state, including the extremist elements in the Valley. A brief outlook of various awards also deserves mention in this tributary such as: 1992 Padma Vibhushan, 1993, D. Lit. from Kanpur University, 1994, Lokmanya Tilak Award, 1994, Bharat Ratna Pandit Govind Vallabh Pant Award, 2015, Bharat Ratna and 2015, Bangladesh Liberation War honor (Bangladesh Muktijuddho Sanmanona).
Concluding let's not wait until the light fades into irreparable loss, but let's stay in the loop and pursue the momentous flow of daily little wonders, the man has left in the human space that has tendered us gorgeous bouquets of sparkling colors, telling signs and rousing episodes. The greatest tribute one can give to Vajpayee jee, is to take up even a drop of water from his oceanic life career to follow his values of life in all aspects of it.
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