Alvida Atal: India mourns demise of charismatic former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee; curtains come down on a golden era of Indian politics

16 August 2018 gave a rude shock to the people of India when Atal Bihari Vajpayee, one of the most charismatics political leaders of the country, bid adieu to the world and left for his heavenly abode.  

 

93-year-old Vajpayee, the three-term prime minister, was admitted to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)  on June 11 with a variety of ailments including kidney tract infection, urinary tract infection, low urine output and chest congestion.

 

Vajpayee, the founder-president of the ruling BJP, breathed his last at 5.05 pm on Thursday.

 

With Vajpayee's demise, a golden era of Indian politics came to an end that was defined by the principle of 'mutual respect' even when political leaders had serious ideological differences on issues of national and international significance.  

 

"It is with profound grief that we inform about the sad demise of Former Prime Minister of India, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, at 05:05 PM," the AIIMS said in a statement.

 

It said his condition was stable for the last nine weeks, but "unfortunately, his condition deteriorated over the last 36 hours and he was put on life support systems."

 

"Despite the best of efforts, we have lost him today. We join the Nation in deeply mourning this great loss," said the statement by Dr (Prof) Aarti Vij.

 

Vajpayee, a bachelor, is survived by his adopted daughter Namita Kaul Bhattacharya. He will be cremated tomorrow in New Delhi.

 

“It was Atalji’s exemplary leadership that set the foundations for prosperous and inclusive India in the 21st century,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, leading the nation in mourning the demise of the nationalist stalwart whose popularity cut across party lines.

 

 

 

 

As it became clear that the end was near, a host of politicians and well-wishers began gathering at AIIMS since Friday morning. A pall of gloom descended at the BJP headquarters as soon the news of Vajpayee’s demise broke.

 

Modi said Vajpayee’s passing is a “personal and irreplaceable” loss for him and that his futuristic policies across various sectors touched the lives of each and every citizen of India. 

 

“It was due to the perseverance and struggles of Atal Ji that the BJP was built brick by brick,” Modi said in a tweet. 

 

“He travelled across the length and breadth of India to spread the BJP’s message, which led to the BJP becoming a strong force in our national polity and in several states,” he added.

 

A seven-day state mourning was announced by the government as a mark of respect to Vajpayee.

 

Vajpayee, who joined the Rastriya Swamsevak Sangha (RSS) in 1947 rose through ranks to become a stalwart of the BJP and was the first non-Congress prime minister to complete a full term in office.

 

In the evening, Vajpayee’s body was taken to his residence at Krishna Menon marg in New Delhi where host of leaders cutting across party lines and people from different walks of life paid their last respects.

 

Seen as a moderate face of BJP, Vajpayee’s first became prime minister in 1996, leading a shaky coalition whose members were suspicious of the BJP’s right-wing politics. It lasted for 13 days and collapsed after losing a vote of no-confidence.

 

His second stint as prime minister was in 1998 when the National Democratic Alliance again came to power but that lasted for just 13 months.

 

Finally, the NDA with Vajpayee as PM returned to power in 1999 and was voted out in 2004. 

 

A lifelong bachelor, Vajpayee was first elected to Lok Sabha in 1957 from Balrampur in Uttar Pradesh in India’s second general elections. His maiden speech in Parliament so impressed his peers and colleagues that the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru introduced Vajpayee to a visiting foreign dignitary thus: “This young man one day will become the country’s prime minister.”

 

He remained a member of Parliament for 47 years—elected 10 times to the Lok Sabha and twice to Rajya Sabha.

 

Vajpayee’s signature in politics was achieving pragmatic consensus, and in this process he earned the respect of his party, allies and opponents. Abroad, he projected a harmonious image of India and connected it to the world through his foreign policy outreach.

 

The former prime minister was admitted to the hospital on June 11 with a kidney tract infection, urinary tract infection, low urine output and chest congestion.

 

Vajpayee, a diabetic, had only one functional kidney. He suffered a stroke in 2009 that weakened his cognitive abilities. Subsequently, he developed dementia.

 

Vajpayee was born on December 25, 1924 in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh to a schoolteacher, Krishna Bihari Vajpayee, and Krishna Devi. Today, his birthday is celebrated as ‘Good Governance Day’.

 

After schooling, he graduated from Victoria College in Gwalior, now known as Laxmi Bai College. He did his M.A. in political science from DAV College in Kanpur. Following a brief flirtation with communism, he became a full-time worker of RSS in 1947.

 

In his tribute, BJP president Amit Shah said he was a “rare politician, brilliant speaker, poet and patriot, his demise is not just a irreparable loss for the BJP but also for the entire country.” 

 

Congress president Rahul Gandhi said on Twitter: “Today India lost a great son. Former PM, Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji, was loved and respected by millions. My condolences to his family and all his admirers. We will miss him.” 

 

Manmohan Singh, who succeeded Vajpayee as PM in 2004, hailed the BJP stalwart as a great patriot and among modern India’s tallest leaders who spent his whole life serving the country.

 

Shah said the last rites Vajpayee will take place at 4 pm tomorrow at Rashtriya Smriti Sthal here. The body would be taken to the BJP headquarters at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg at around 9 am and the funeral procession would leave the party office at 1 pm. 

 

(With PTI inputs)