In Parliament, he found friends and admirers, not adversaries
NEW DELHI: It was one of those Rajya Sabha debates in which Opposition parties were united in denouncing the prime minister’s newest foreign policy venture.
Finally, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the prime minister, rose to reply. After half-an-hour, as their arguments were demolished by Vajpayee, Opposition leaders had no choice but to laugh heartily; Vajpayee was at his wittiest best.
Kuldeep Nayyar had asked Vajpayee what happened to his promise to move forward. Vajpayee retorted, “Nayyar ji, we met at the stairs. You asked me, where do I want to go? I replied, main aage jaana chahta hoon (I want to go forward).”
His best was reserved for Ram Jethmalani, who launched a bitter attack on Vajpayee’s close friend and then national security adviser Brajesh Mishra. “Ram Jethmalani ji is a senior advocate. He loves to stand up for any case. He fights a case which he understands. He also fights cases he doesn’t understand,” quipped Vajpayee amid roars of laughter.
Arguably the greatest statesman in India’s recent history, Vajpayee showed the country that one doesn’t necessarily need aggression and shrillness of voice to counter Opposition forces. In parliamentary politics, he conquered his opponents, but left no bitter aftertaste. His world was not confined to his own party, he kept the doors open for everyone.
During the second Iraq war, a senior cabinet minister had floated news that India may back US forces against Saddam Hussain. A few days later, Vajpayee invited then Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Harkishan Singh Surjeet and his Communist Party of India counterpart AB Bardhan for tea.
They chatted about the old days until the Left leaders sensed that Vajpayee might have some serious reasons to sit with them. Surjeet thought of the Iraq situation and asked if the government would indeed send Indian troops there. Vajpayee sounded stoic, “I haven’t said it. But what to do? I don’t see any protests against this plan!”
The ace Leftists got the signal. The very next day, the Left launched countrywide protests against sending troops to Iraq, and at the next cabinet meeting, Vajpayee announced that in view of the protests, India could not send its troops to Iraq.
Hours after terrorists attacked the Parliament building in 2001, then Congress president Sonia Gandhi called Vajpayee to enquire about his well-being. Next day, Vajpayee told the Lok Sabha, “When the leader of the Opposition calls the Prime Minister to enquire about the latter’s health, then we know that India’s democracy is in good health.” For many years, Vajpayee’s dear friend, Congress veteran Pranab Mukherjee, used to narrate this anecdote in his speeches to Congress workers to underline the value of Indian politics. He epitomised the ideals of tolerance. The liberal ideal amid many hawks, Vajpayee occupied the high moral ground throughout his life.
One of his finest speeches was the one during the floor test his 13-day government faced in 1996. The first leader to deliver a Hindi speech at the United Nations, Vajpayee’s Hindi became the gold standard of political oratory. In Parliament, he found friends and admirers, not adversaries.