I must say that I was very young, like merely 10, to understand politics, when Atalji became the prime minister. I back then used to spend a lot of time at my grandparents place and thus spent watching parliamentary debates that my grandpa watched. Of course, I understood nothing back then and found it boring, only to realize years later how that discussions in the parliament I was watching then with no clue are shaping my life today in very real and tangible terms. Enormity of those decisions and the path that it took the nation is something beyond words.
As all kids of the 90’s, a young westernized boy, I was a little awkward to see my prime minister walk in Dhoti and speak in Hindi more than English, only to later realize how foolish I was to judge someone so great, by his attire and to mock the magnanimity and the depth of the Hindi language, the Virat and Advitiya Sanksritik heritage that it has and the worldly knowledge it brings. Atlaji taught me to hold pride in the heritage and history, he taught us to proudly embrace our Hinduism and showcase it to the world in true spirit. While doing that on one hand, the economic reforms that he took, the path of privatization adopted under his government made us truly embrace market economics and liberated us from a state controlled socialists order in an unimaginable way, which was of course first ventured by PV Narshimha Rao ji and Manmohan ji (under compulsion) was made a high on which Indian moved into top gear under Vajpaiji .
The Pokhran test must be called the crowning jewel that showed the world that India not just talks Ahimsha but talks it from a position of strength. His almost 65 years in politics and the journey from 2 seats to 272+, is a lesson of his hard work and his persistent attitude. It is what took BJP from scratch to a formidable election machine. A great man, a statesman, a poet, a leader, an architect of modern politics whose words cut through like sword when needed and also felt like cool breeze. Looking at him you realize why pen is mightier than the sword. He by his great oratory, proved that words have the power to shape thousands of lives.
Never to forget that such a great son of India was once called communal, hardliner, anti free speech and freedom of expression by the same people in the “intellectual mainstream” and scripted his fall in 2004 as we learn from the archives of the now powerful social media. The same mainstream which is busy shedding crocodile tears showering flowers of secularism for him today. Finally, as his soul leaves his body I will not utter the words R.I.P, as our INDIC philosophy says that Atma Amar Hai and it takes rebirths. I wish he takes several such rebirths to shape the minds and convictions of millions, make them restless as he was and keep shaping the national discourse towards a truly VIRAT and AJINKYA BHARAT!
I will borrow his words to end this Sharandhajali to him
“Satta ka khel toh chalega, Sarkarein aayengi jaayengi, Partiyan banegi bigdegi, Magar ye desh rahna chahiye, Uska Loktantra amar rahna chahiye”
On a sad part, instead of taking any motivation from the above, the youth these days choose “Bharat tere tukde honge” and “Bharat ki barbadi tak jang rahegi”.
