Opinion: Vajpayee will be remembered for grace and civility in public life

It is easy to earn accolades and praise when in power but extremely difficult to be remembered fondly after one’s life time. In this case, Atal Bihari Vajpayee remains an exception. Fondness for him grew after his retirement. In fact, the first year of Modi government was intensely compared with Vajpayee’s tenure. Vajpayee went on to become a larger than life leader.

Vajpayee was many things rolled into one. He was a politician, journalist, swayamsevak, poet, administrator and a foodie. Vajpayee was one of the few politicians who participated in the freedom struggle, sat opposite to India’s first Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru, a contemporary of Indira Gandhi who was respected cutting across the party lines . He was a pillar of Jan Sangh and went on to become the founding president of BJP in 1980.

It is easy to count contribution of any Prime Minister as all of them have large portfolios. Like every Prime Minister, Vajpayee’s contribution to Indian public life was also immense. What made him different was his politics of hope and his unique personality.

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A man known for grace and humour injected civility in the Indian public life. Even biggest of his detractors found it difficult to avoid Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Today, the ruling party and Opposition do not see eye to eye but this would have been impossible during Vajpayee’s tenure. He ruled the country with a big heart and gentle touch. His political approach was expansive and accommodated. It is for this reason Vajpayee is remembered so fondly by an average Kashmiri. Kashmir witnessed brutal attacks during his tenure but he never lost hope. In fact, he did not lose hope even after Kargil.

Vajpayee also never gave up. Despite betrayal by the Pakistani establishment he hoped against hope to normalise India-Pakistan relationship. He was not a weak Prime Minister. He could accommodate multiple views and visions both in his Cabinet and the outside world. Vajpayee had a hardliner Advani in his Cabinet and an outsider like Arun Shourie. He had the ability to invite Pervez Musharaff to India for talks in Agra despite Kargil misadventure by the Pakistani Army. It did not make him feeble. He could launch operation Parakram and still talk to the hostile neighbour. Vajpayee also handled tough situations. Under his tenure, India witnessed first full onslaught of Islamic terrorism. Kandhar hijacking is a case in point. Dreaded terrorists had to be released so that captive Indians could come back. He was criticised over the lapse but the man quickly made up for it. He ordered a full security review of the security apparatus of the country which till today is in force in India.

Vajpayee was able to deliver which no Prime minister could do after Indira Gandhi. He was able to detonate nuclear devices and put into a place a nuclear doctrine which India desperately needed. If Indira birthed India’s nuclear ambition than it was Vajpayee who took India’s nuclear ambition to a logical end. He did not appropriate the success. The detonation was treated as a success of the NDA government. But he never allowed nuclear success to translate in to muscular nationalism. He also never allowed populist politics to dominate the liberal environment of the Indian Parliament. It was because of his personality. He did it despite stiff Opposition from the Parliament.

He was also criticised for his position on Babri Masjid when he had said that dharti samtal karni hogi and also for not taking decision after Gujarat riots when he spoke of Raj Dharma. But it did not stick to him. Controversies around him were frequently discounted even by his political foes. Controversies and criticism did not stick to him.

It was his ability to accommodate multiple interest that Vajpayee was able to run a huge coalition front. He was an old Prime Minister but the first non-Congress Prime Minister the country had. Vajpayee travelled many worlds. The bachelor Prime Minister who was fond of both food and poetry would be remembered for his big heart, grace and civility which most politicians lack today. Indian politics today neither has Vajpayee’s poetry nor oratory. Importantly, it also lacks his imagination and grace which could disarm even opponents.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)