Atal Bihari Vajpayee: A Man for All Seasons
Language: English
Pages: 200
ISBN: 8129138832
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
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. That it was a coalition government made the feat all the more remarkable, and testifies to the fact that though wedded to a right-wing political ideology, Vajpayee did not believe in the politics of exclusion. A protégé of Jana Sangh stalwarts like Syama Prasad Mukherjee and Deen Dayal Upadhyaya, Vajpayee won the admiration of Jawaharlal Nehru, was consulted by his daughter Indira Gandhi-whom he never lacked the courage to criticize-and befriended by fiery trade unionist George Fernandes even before they became political allies. He thus displayed an unusual ability to carry along all shades of political opinion-an ability that came to the fore when he headed the National Democratic Alliance government between 1999 and 2004. And behind this public persona was an unusual personal life, conducted with such dignity as to remain free of innuendo. In this book, journalist Kingshuk Nag traces the political journey of this tall parliamentarian of over four decades, who was conferred the Bharat Ratna in December 2014. Atal Bihari Vajpayee: A Man for All Seasons is a definitive account of the life and times of one of India's most illustrious non-Congress leaders.
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Are very few people who can do that.’ Atal is a fine example of a man who went places because of his public oration skills. He was still a journalist (though also a member of the RSS) when he had to stand in for Shyama Prasad Mukherjee at a public function in Gorakhpur in 1951. Since his train was delayed, Mukherjee could not reach on time although the audience had already gathered. In these circumstances, Atal had to keep the audience engaged and, hearing his speech, many important RSS.
Listen to us and sought our point of view. He encouraged us to talk. I found him very endearing,’ says a former civil servant who joined the party in 1991. Some insiders think that Atal also gained because Murli Manohar Joshi was asserting himself as a leader as he had been the president of the party for two years. ‘This meant that Advani had to contend with not only Atal but also Murli Manohar Joshi. The latter was also a hardliner, so his presence tended to challenge in some ways the.
Briefed the top boss. A day later he called on the army chief of staff Pervez Musharraf and also told him about the talks. This was in the first week of April 1999. Incidentally, Musharraf and the chiefs of staff of the air force and navy had kept away from Wagah when Nawaz Sharif had received the visiting Atal. This was to signal that the armed forces were not so enthusiastic about the peace talks with India, although they had conjured up some excuses for their absence. Musharraf had been.
Sixty-five years of existence, can be likened to a football or hockey match, then Atal roughly played in the position of linkman. He was the man who linked the now-past Nehruvian era to the now-upon-us Modi era. He was the link between the first republic that was and the second republic that is in the works. Without someone like him straddling the two eras, the Indian republic would not be what it is now. This in a way is the ultimate tribute to Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the true mark of his.
Was amongst the largest princely states in British India whose rulers were entitled to a twenty-one-gun salute, with only the Viceroy of India being entitled to a higher, thirty-one-gun salute. The rulers lived a life of luxury in Jai Vilas palace, the princes often embarking on shikars. The maharaja had a great fascination for electric trains and in the 1940s, he got 75m-long solid silver rails laid down on a giant-sized iron dining table in his central banquet hall. Trains ran over these rails.