THE GEM OF INDIA: ATAL BIHARI VAJPAYEE- A FIT CASE FOR BHARAT RATNA

FROM MY COLLECTION OF UNPUBLISHED ARTICLES:

The following article was posted to the magazine "Organiser" on 24th December 2012, but it remained unpublished. I share this article on this occasion.

ATAL BIHARI VAJPAYEE SECTION, NEHRU MEMORIAL, NEW DELHI

TWO PRIME MINSTERS WHO CHANGED THE COURSE OF INDIAN ECONOMY

Last week I traveled from Ahmedabad to Vadodara through the Expressway. This 125 kilometers stretch is fraction of the National Expressway no.: 1, popularly known as the Golden Quadrangle- the dream project of the former Prime Minister of India Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Travelling through the expressway you come across a number of hoardings outlining the importance of such projects. One such hoarding read “Expressway the way to Progress Way”. Very correct. Good roads do supplement the overall progress of a nation. While travelling on the National highways built under this project one cannot but remember Mr. A. B. Vajpayee even though the huge cut outs of him waving at passersby have long been withdrawn. This along with “Golden Cross” connecting Kashmir with Kanyakumari and Dwarka with Imphal were milestone decisions taken by a statesman PM. The rural connectivity project “Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana” connecting the rural Bharat with the urban India was a master stroke to break the isolation of the rural populace. This one decision is was important and kaaljayee enough to place Vajpayee in ranks of other leaders of vision and statesmanship, who have been bestowed with “Bharat Ratna” by the Government of India: whether it be Indira Gandhi who got a “Bharat Ratna” for her 1971 Pakistan victory or Rajiv Gandhi who got it for his vision leading to IT and communication revolution. Yet it is unfortunate that Sri Vajpayee, in the evening of his life, finds himself isolated and forgotten by his nation.

Without deviating from the issue I wish to remind the nation that Sri Atal Bihari Vajpayee goes down in the history as one of the most capable and statesman Prime Minister which India had ever had. He was an outstanding orator who left people spellbound with his oratory skill not only at village level but even at the highest platform such as the United Nations where his skill was utilized even by the Congress Government of the day. Sri Vajpayee accepted this responsibility and rising above petty party politics he represented India at the UNO, keeping the nation above the party.

Indian economy received a boost during his tenure when he took forward the decisions of the Congress Government of Sri Narsimha Rao. His decision to connect the corners of a sub-continental nation through 6 lane roads at par with any developing nation was not only a dream which a statesman like him could dream but a determination to bring out a nations from the bracket of a developing nations. 

The Indian Government has honoured a number of leaders with “Bharat Ratna” posthumously. It is pertinent to point that after their death up to the year when these leaders were finally conferred the honour of “Bharat Ratna” posthumously; they did not contribute in any way for the progress of the nation. Such honours are based on the contribution already made by them during their life time. In other words, award of such an honour posthumously is an acceptance by a nation of correcting a mistake committed by the earlier government. Or how else do we justify award of such honour posthumously. However, such award posthumously is of no meaning to the soul already departed. If such an award is bestowed in one’s life time it would be an acknowledgement by a nation of the achievements of its worthy son. It would instill a sense of contentment of a life lived to the fullest for such a renowned personality. Conferment of "Bharat Ratna" upon Sri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, will enrich the award.

To sum up let us consider these facts which put Vajpayee in a league ahead others and help realize his stature:

-On getting elected to the Lok Sabha in 1957 Vajpayee impressed none other than the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru with his oratorical skills; so much so that Nehru had predicted that Vajpayee would someday become India's Prime Minister.

-In the 1977 as the Minister of External Affairs in the Janata government headed by Morarji Desai, he also became the first person to deliver a speech to the United Nations General Assembly in Hindi. Rising above party politics he led the delegation to UN all the years from 1991-1996.

-Vajpayee was referred to as the Bhishmah Pitamah   of Indian Politics by Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh during his speech in the Rajya Sabha. 

- The National Highways Projects makes him the Sher Shah Suri of the 21^st Century!

- Vajpayee is often regarded as one of the best Prime Ministers of India. In 2012 he was chosen third greatest Indian in a nationwide poll held by History TV and CNN-IBN.

Who else is a better gem of the MOTHER INDIA the real “BHARAT RATNA” if not SRI ATAL BIHARI VAJPAYEE?

It is high time the Government of the day fulfils its obligation and bestows “BHARAT RATNA” upon him.  JAI HIND!  

24th December 2012