Atal Bihari Vajpayee Death Anniversary: Atal Bihari Vajpayee, born on 25th December 1924, was a prominent Indian politician and poet. He held the position of the 10th Prime Minister of India for three distinct periods: initially for 13 days in 1996, then for 13 months between 1998 and 1999, and finally for a complete term from 1999 to 2004. He passed away on 16th August 2018.
This morning, President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Speaker of the Lok Sabha Om Birla, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh paid their condolences to the former PM.
During the period of 1975 to 1995, Atal Bihari Vajpayee played a significant role in Indian politics. He faced arrest along with other opposition leaders during the Internal Emergency enforced by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1975. Initially held in Bangalore, Vajpayee's health issues led to his transfer to a Delhi hospital. In 1976, he directed the ABVP student activists to apologize to Indira Gandhi for their actions, but they declined to comply.
The state of emergency ended in 1977, leading to the formation of the Janata Party, a coalition that included the BJS. This alliance secured victory in the 1977 general elections, resulting in Morarji Desai becoming the Prime Minister. Vajpayee assumed the role of Minister of External Affairs in Desai's cabinet and notably delivered a speech in Hindi at the United Nations General Assembly in 1977.
In 1979, Desai and Vajpayee's resignations led to the downfall of the Janata Party. Subsequently, former members of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh united to establish the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 1980, with Vajpayee becoming its inaugural President.
Atal Bihari Vajpayee chose to remain unmarried throughout his lifetime. He adopted and nurtured Namita Bhattacharya, the daughter of his close friends Rajkumari Kaul and B. N. Kaul, treating her as his own child. His adopted family shared his residence.
In contrast to strict Brahmin practices that abstain from meat and alcohol, Vajpayee had an appreciation for both whisky and meat.
Regarding his poetry, he expressed, "My poetry is a declaration of war, not an exordium to defeat. It is not the defeated soldier's drumbeat of despair, but the fighting warrior's will to win. It is not the despirited voice of dejection but the stirring shout of victory. Apart from his political career, he was a renowned Hindi poet.
His published works encompassed a collection of poems titled "Kaidi Kaviraj Ki Kundalian," which he composed during the 1975–1977 emergency, along with "Amar aag hai."
On the anniversary of Atal Bihari Vajpayee's passing, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to him on Wednesday. He claimed that as a result of his leadership, the country had benefited significantly.
Vajpayee, according to PM Modi, significantly aided the nation's advancement and brought it into the twenty-first century in a number of different industries.
"I join the 140 billion Indians in honoring the outstanding Atal Ji on his Punya Tithi. India reaped enormous benefits from his leadership. In a variety of fields, he was crucial to advancing our country and bringing it into the twenty-first century", the PM stated.
