AA Edit | Vajpayee respected diverse views
Atal Behari Vajpayee, who served the country as the Prime Minister for six years and 80 days, was an Indian statesman par excellence. One of the greatest attributes of Mr Vajpayee was his non-controversial persona, which helped the Bharatiya Janata Party make inroads into new areas and sew a multi-party National Democratic Alliance.
He strengthened the country’s security through the testing of nuclear devices, fast-tracked economic growth and implemented revolutionary welfare schemes like Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, rural roads, midday meals and Antyodaya Anna Yojna among others.
His respect for the Constitution and time-tested parliamentary practices was immense. He was one of few leaders who truly exemplified the BJP’s slogan — nation first, party next and the self last. It was this quality that made then Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao choose Opposition leader Vajpayee to lead the Indian delegation to the UN Human Rights Commission.
True to the Indian Rig Vedic tenet “Ekam Sat Vipra Bahudha Vadanti” (our paths may be different, but our destination is the same), Vajpayee always held his political rivals in high esteem. He never sacrificed the interests of the country either for the benefit of his party or his individual aggrandisement.
It is these qualities that the leaders of today and tomorrow must imbibe from Vajpayee. Though these leaders may continue to promote economic development and welfare policies like Vajpayee and perhaps with even greater vigour, they appear to lack his ability to take everyone along.
For several millennia, India has been a unique example of unity in diversity. If the country loses respect for difference of opinion, this character trait of Indians will die a slow death. India’s history spans several thousands of years, where a decade or more hardly matters. The new-age politicians should, therefore, try to be a statesman and earn a permanent place in history.