HVK Archives: Bachelor boy's date with destiny
Bachelor boy's date with destiny - The Pioneer
The Editorial
()
March 16, 1998
Title: Bachelor boy's date with destiny
Author: The Editorial
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: March 16, 1998
It will be the second date with destiny for the bachelor boy of
Indian politics who, Jawaharlal Nehru had long ago prophesied,
would hold the high office.
Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the astute parliamentarian- poet
described by some as a tolerant ask of the hardline BJP,
will be sworn in on march 19 as the Prime Minister of India, for
the second time.
Mr Vajpayee was earlier sworn in to the post on May 16, 1996,
but resigned after it became clear that his minority government
would lose the trust vote.
As external affairs minister in the 1977 Janata Party government
and later as leader of the opposition, the 72 Year old Vajpayee
has always held centrestage.
Born on Christmas day, 1926, at Gwalior to school teacher rerun)
Krishna Bihari Vajpayee, his initiation into politics came as a
student when he came into contact with RSS leader Bhaurao Deoras
and became a wayamsevak=94.
A leader with a clean political image, he is credited with
bringing liberal and moderate image to the BJP, which opponents
dub, as ommunal and reactionary=94. The public stand of Mr.
Vajpayee, who once said olitical parties should not identify
themselves with their religious and cultural background=94,
against the Babri mosque's demolition is famous as also is his
questioning party president LK Advani's rath yatra.
Jailed during the 1942 Quit India movement though there have been
allegations that he had been a witness against some freedom
fighters to secure his release MR Vajpayee, a postgraduate in
political science from the Kanpur University, started off as a
journalist with RSS magazine ashtradharam=94.
External affairs Minster in the Janata party government, which
came to power in 1977 in the aftermath of Emergency, he is
credited with taking India's relation with Pakistan to it first
upswing after the 1971 war.
During his tenure, he also set a record of sorts by becoming the
first ever Indian minister to have addressed the UN General
Assembly in Hindi, the national language, to get universal
applause.
A person with a graceful taste for things a political his love
for poetry, music and cinema is too all known to be written
about the much admired orator has also been member of Indian
delegation to many an international forum. with great success.
founder member of Jan Sangh in 1951, the reincarnation of BJP,
and winner of India's second highest civilian award Padma
Vibhushan, Mr Vajpayee led the Indian delegation to the 1993
Human Rights Commission Meeting in Geneva and scored a diplomatic
victory as he put across the country's stand forcefully.
In 1994, he won the Best Parliamentarian award .
A protege of the Jan Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee and
one of the most successful parliamentarians, he once sprang a
surprise on December 8, 1974, to be precise by announcing his
desire to quit Parliament. The reason he cited were that
Parliamentary Democracy was no longer an instrument to serve the
people of India and that the apex house, instead of exerting
itself, had become just a ubber stamp of the ruling party.
In the Emergency that immediately followed in 1975 , the man who
headed the erstwhile Jan Sangh during 1968-73, led his flock to
the Janata party in 1977 and became the first chief of BJP after
the Janata's split. Mr Vajpayee was jailed along with all top
opposition leaders by the then Prime Minster Indira Gandhi.
Ironically, it was his terming her just a few years before that
as the eincarnation of goddess Durga that had put Mr Vajpayee
in the eye of a political storm, his political leanings coming
under the suspicion of partymates.
Mr Vajpayee entered the Lok Sabha for the eighth time with the
just concluded elections. He has also been a member of the Rajya
Sabha twice. His first attempt to enter Parliament was an
unsuccessful one.
Mr Vajpayee entered Parliament for the first time in 1975, when
he become one of the only four Jan Sangh candidates to win in
the general elections.
He defeated Congress candidate Hyder Hussain from Balrampur, but
lost in the other two constituencies he had contested from
Lucknow and Mathura, forfeiting his deposit in the latter . In
1962 , he lost the seat to the veteran Congress leader Subhadra
Joshi, but avenged the defeat in 1967 her by nearly 42000 votes
in a triangular contest. In 1971, he won from his home
constituency Gwalior, and in 1977, riding the crest of the anti
congress wave, defeated Shashi Bhushan of Congress by a big
margin. On 1980, he again won Lok Sabha polls and also became
the BJP president immediately after its formation. In 1984 , he
lost to Madhavrao Scindia in Gwalior, and in 1989 he won from
both Lucknow and vidisha. Since then, he has not lost any
election.
A man of many testes, Mr Vajpayee lists evdas eesri Kasam=94,
orn Free and andhi among his favourite food, hichdi,
Kheer and Malpua among his favourit food, Pandit Bhemsen
Joshi, Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia and Ustad Amjad Ali Khan as
his favourite classical artistes, and S D Burman's re maajhi
among his favourite songs. But these varied interested have not
made him oblivious of his life's mission o play my part
sincerely in every aspect of my life, and to see India take its
place as a great nation."
Back
Top
|
