I can never forget that day in the Indian parliament—27th May 1996. I watched the event live on television. Even after so many years, with countless experiences and memories filling the intervening time, the scene remains vividly etched in my mind – Atal Bihari Vajpayee, clad in his trademark kurta and vest, his sage eyes reflecting deep thought and erudition, his hair silvered with age and wisdom, standing tall in Parliament. He had risen to deliver a majestic and pointed address for an hour and a half to his fellow parliamentarians. His Government was about to lose the no-confidence motion filed by the opposition. His thirteen-day government was to come to an end due to the lack of a majority. It was an eventuality that everyone had foreseen, yet when the moment arrived, there was sadness mixed with a sense of premonition that the BJP’s era would return soon. Atalji that day presented a dignified and powerful case in defense of his party’s decision when the President of India invited them to form the government even when they did not possess a clear majority. Composed in chaste Hindi, flawless English, and even Tamil ( he quoted the poet Subramanya Bharati), his speech was a master act on how to present one’s vision with confidence even in the face of defeat, without a sliver of weakness and transform a lost opportunity into a prophetic promise. Only a few statesmen in history have managed to do that. That day, through Atalji’s speech, marked BJP’s maturity and arrival as a national party, a party that could no longer be considered a fringe organization, and a party that looked ripe and disciplined to lead India after decades of building its base. My heart was with the BJP, and it has remained with them since that day.
For forty long years after India’s independence, the Congress Party and its affiliates had assumed an almost invincible grip over the nation. Few, if any, had imagined that a party rooted in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and strongly influenced by Hindutva could rise to eclipse the Congress and emerge on the national stage as the single largest party. Yet, in 1996, the seemingly impossible had happened—even if only for thirteen days. Vajpayee’s speech that day was imbued with the pride and sense of achievement that came with this historic development. He knew, as did many who listened, that the tide of the BJP was unstoppable from that point onwards and that it was merely a matter of time before it would rule with an unequivocal majority. That dream, as we know, materialized in 2014 when Narendra Modi swept the Indian elections like a tidal wave. The small eddy that Vajpayee initiated in 1996 had by then swelled into a surging wave, obliterating opposition and establishing firm command over the nation for the present and the foreseeable future.
Atal Bihari Vajpayee retired from active politics around 2005 as his health declined. By then, he had fulfilled his mission. What an illustrious life! From his participation in the Quit India Movement during India’s struggle for independence to his time in the RSS, his firm opposition to the Emergency of 1975, his efforts to strengthen the BJP’s grassroots, and his remarkable tenure as one of India’s finest foreign ministers, Vajpayee lived a whole and impactful life as an outstanding statesman. His leadership style, which was marked by gentleness and his unwavering commitment to democratic principles, earned him admiration across party lines. The dignity and respect the BJP enjoys today as a national party owes much to Vajpayee’s vision and efforts.
The Greek philosopher Plato once wrote of the “philosopher-statesman,” an ideal leader who should be entrusted with governance. In his magnum opus, The Republic, Plato outlined the essential qualities of such a leader: celibacy, erudition across diverse fields, a natural love for poetry and sensitivity to literature, contemplative wisdom that transcends narrow concerns, moral authority to unify dissenting voices, and, perhaps most importantly, the ability to know when to relinquish power and retire from public life. Atal Bihari Vajpayee embodied these qualities in full measure. He was a thinker, a poet, and a statesman.
By the time Atalji died in 2018 after a prolonged illness, his vision and ideals had found deep resonance in the minds and hearts of every Indian citizen. Bharat had risen, and with it, an undeniable sense of pride in his legacy and civilization. In Narendra Modi, we see the fulfillment of many of the dreams Vajpayee had nurtured. Since those tentative moments in 1996, the BJP has grown into a strong, united force and well-oiled political cadre that has the overwhelming consent and mandate of the Indian people. The opposition to BJP is almost invisible, a mere shadow on the fringes. Some pundits may claim that the 2024 elections were a setback for the BJP in terms of numbers, but I don’t think so. They still are the party with the most significant number of seats. The BJP political machinery played their cards well by declaring they would secure 400 plus seats across the country. When they didn’t, pundits considered that a failure, when in reality, all that the BJP had planned for was to form the next government, which they did with remarkable ease. The few state elections that have followed since the national verdict have amply demonstrated that the BJP is in control. Atalji would have nodded in appreciation.
December 25th this year marks the 100 birth anniversary of this great statesman. We wish that there were many like Atalji. But that is just a pipe dream. Nature doesn’t produce its choicest children by the dozens. Yet, Atalji’s life, philosophy, and bearing are ideals that young politicians can learn from. There is dignity in that kind and quality of statesmanship. One of the first things Modi’s government did when they came to power in 2014 was to declare Atalji’s birthday as National Governance Day – a fitting tribute to a man who valued ethics and the principles of democracy more than anything else in his life.