Atal Bihari Vajpayee showed how a non-Congress government could not only rule the country but also provide a strong and stable alternative, says Sumeet Bhasin
Two consecutive Augusts have brought only bad news for the country, the BJP and thousands of admirers of two of the most sophisticated, refined and respected leaders of our times. One the mentee (Sushma Swaraj) of the other, while the other being a mentor to perhaps thousands of us.
On this day last year, India lost one of its most progressive prime ministers, Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the reformer in chief and the original architect of a 21st Century India. He started his career as a journalist, but destiny had other plans and he found himself in politics. As a parliamentarian, he spent decades in the Opposition, which gave him the unique opportunity to identify and, more importantly, highlight problems successive governments created since Independence.
This experience came handy once he became the Prime Minister. Even though he got the post thrice, and was destined to complete only one of those terms, still, in an era earmarked by coalition politics, he showed how a non-Congress government could not just rule but provide a strong and stable government.
The first time he became the PM, his government lasted just 13 days and during the trust vote he shared an important flaw in India’s public discourse. In his concluding speech, he asked political parties to think about the interest of people and work together in the event of fractured mandates rather than look at petty political interests. He pointed out that parties and governments would come and go but the democratic set-up must be strengthened, even as he resigned.
As no other political party managed to provide a stable government, elections were held again. This time too, the BJP emerged as the single-largest party, and he was re-elected as PM. His short 13-month stint as PM was highlighted by two major achievements. First were the Pokhran-II tests, which were successfully conducted despite international pressure. Though sanctions were imposed on India post the tests, however, he appealed to Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) to invest or remit to India to help mitigate their impact. To the surprise of many, Indians settled abroad rallied to the cause and sent huge amounts of money.
The other achievement was the defeat of Pakistan during the Kargil conflict. Vajpayee became India’s first serving PM to enter an active war zone as he visited soldiers in Kargil to boost their morale.
During the 1999 elections, the National Democratic Alliance, under the leadership of Vajpayee secured a sizeable number of seats and a stable government was formed. Over the course of the next five years, India saw unprecedented focus on developing a strong economy, public infrastructure and rural road networks. Be it the overhaul of the Public Distribution System or the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan, the focus was on making India a modern country. It comes as no surprise that one of the most successful disinvestment drives happened under his leadership.
In many ways, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s programmes are a logical extension of NDA-I. Be it investments in infrastructure, focus on education and delivery of public goods, Modi has amplified the scale of these programmes and strengthened Vajpayee’s legacy. He has re-established ‘good-governance’ in the country. If Vajpayee showed India that a non-Congress coalition could provide a strong government, Modi has shown that a non-Congress government can emerge with a majority on its own and help India attain newer heights.
However, Vajpayee’s most important legacy was in terms of his diplomatic efforts and success in stabilizing South Asia. He made several efforts towards mending relations with all neighbours, including Pakistan, and even Modi, in his first term worked extensively to put in place a dialogue process. The fact that political instability in Pakistan derailed it is a separate issue, but the fact that genuine attempts were made by both will go down in history as a sincere attempt to resolve the 70-year-long conflict. Another parallel can be drawn when one considers the Indo-US relations nurtured by Vajpayee and strengthened by Modi. The fact that these relations were nurtured by Vajpayee despite the US imposing sanctions post Pokhran-II tests reflects his pragmatic foreign policy as he reiterated that US and India were natural allies.
However, Vajpayee was beyond politics and it was perhaps his humble nature combined with classic wit that made him one of India’s most adored leaders. For instance, it was very rare for him to say ‘no’ to matters that were brought under his consideration. His style was to ask others to think more on the subject as he navigated complex issues with ease. Throughout his career, he was known as the right man in the wrong party to which he responded by asking how could he be right if he was in the wrong party and how could the party be wrong if he was right?
A poet, at heart, I remember once we went to his place in the late 1980s as student leaders and he asked if we were hungry. We said yes and to our surprise, he cooked khichdi for all of us; that was his simplicity. In one interview he mentioned Chilli Chicken as his favourite food. The surprised interviewer asked him if it was the most prudent answer given that he was a Brahmin. He replied, “If we aren’t honest to the people, then why are we even in politics?”
After becoming the PM, he became concerned by the number of restrictions on his personal freedom. Fond of street food, it was perhaps this that he missed the most, along with his ability to cycle with his best friend, LK Advani, riding pillion. Post 2004, he retired from active politics and was away from public life from 2008 onwards.
There are very few partnerships in politics that stand the test of time. The dynamic duo of Atal-Advani was one of those where both leaders stood side by side as they built a political movement. They both often disagreed but their political and personal equations remained separate throughout their career. Often when they disagreed during party meetings or later in Cabinet meetings, they’d meet for dinner and discuss movies. The Modi-Shah partnership is very similar to their partnership and has built upon this political movement to make it the world’s largest political party.
The fact that despite Vajpayee being away from public life since 2008, last year saw an entire nation stand still and mourn the loss of the charismatic statesman, speaks volumes about the impression that he’s left on all of us. A careful study of his life reveals how his politics was governed by simplicity, honesty and integrity. While it is rare to find statesmen like him, India would be lucky if more leaders take inspiration from the life and times of Vajpayee.
(The writer is national convenor of Project Samagra Atal ji, director at Public Policy Research Centre and was a member of the social media election committee for BJP in 2019 elections)
