‘Not just my father, he was India’s son’
A DAUGHTER REMEMBERS A day ahead of former Union minister Arun Jaitley’s death anniversary, lawyer Sonali Jaitley pens a tribute to the publicly unknown facets of her father
On the morning of 15th August, I watched as the Prime Minister spoke of the government’s efforts to provide affordable sanitary napkins, emphasising the importance of women’s health in his Independence Day speech. It was inspiring to see our country’s top leader speak freely about these issues, and attempt to make them mainstream in public discussion.
I continued to ponder over progressive thinking, and it struck me — it’s been almost a year since we lost dad. Whether it was his lifelong support for implementation of a Uniform Civil Code, staunch opposition to regressive personal laws or exemplary foresight of the importance of skilling youth — he was undoubtedly the most visionary figure I knew.
You see, the world already knows of Arun Jaitley’s professional prowess. We know how he spoke, we know how he acted. I thus do not wish to eulogise him today, but to simply remember what made him, him.
And as the memories begin to flow, I write not of the astute politician or lawyer — I write of the man who was my father…
He was forged in fire as a young man, imprisoned in 1975 as an ABVP karyakarta for protesting against the Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi. This stint in prison stayed with him forever, permanently impacting his health. However, it never dented his spirit — instead giving him a steely resolve and an iron will. Many friends he made in jail remained close to him till the end.
When I was young, he attended every annual day and parent-teacher interaction at school. This was all the more special because he was at the time a party worker, lawyer as well as India’s ASG (also tasked with investigating the Bofors scam).
Though the country always came first, he never neglected his family. Festivals, birthdays, other essential engagements — he was there every time. Though at the time a senior minister in the Modi government, he made time to personally make all the arrangements for my wedding!
A firm believer in family values, he talked of how elders had made us what we were. As a society, it was thus our duty to be there for them and give them their due. True to this ethos, he introduced several benefits in the 2018 budget such as hiking the exemption limit on income from interest for senior citizens by five times.
He made it a point to never miss important occasions such as weddings or funerals of friends and associates, no matter how busy he was. This was true to the extent that even if there was something going on at our home, he’d still go for a bit.
One of dad’s interesting qualities was that he never forgot a face. He’d remember everything about you, whether you met him the next day or 20 years later!
He cared deeply for his employees, holding their dedicated service equally responsible for his success. As a senior advocate, he created the Arun Jaitley Clerkage Account to cater to their needs. Through this, he paid for the education of their children, which he undoubtedly regarded as crucial to success.
Some of his staff members’ children went to school with me, and many are today successful professionals — having studied in reputed institutions such as New York University and Newcastle University. With great delight, dad would often speak of their success — he even checked up on these young men and women whenever he travelled to their cities.
By the way, this clerkage account’s role didn’t end here. It also paid for his staff’s houses and children’s weddings (Now don’t ask if dad attended, you know the answer!).
All my life, he made sure I took whatever I got without expecting favours. When I began travelling for basketball tournaments, he instilled in me the value of team spirit. Whether it was travelling by second-class trains or eating bad food — I was told to stick with my team without complaining! These values were instilled in me for every activity I did, and they guide me well today.
And when it came down to it, dad practised what he preached. At every party working committee meet over the years, he always stayed in the accommodation given by the party, though he could’ve easily afforded a five-star hotel. This was despite the health issues he faced later in his life. However, he certainly preferred good old Indian food and always tried to have some wherever he travelled — be it France, America or Mexico.
When I opened my law firm, he could have gotten me many clients. But Arun Jaitley did not disappoint! He said: ‘I helped you with an office, but don’t expect anything else from me… including clients! If you depend on me, what will happen when I’m not around?’
However, I must add that dad showed us both sides of the world — the fancy and the simple. We’ve eaten at the best restaurants, but the meals I’ve loved most were those of roti sabzi, sitting at home as a family. He gave us all the luxuries he could. Our family went on some amazing holidays. I’ve watched Wimbledon live, including a heated Federernadal encounter at Centre Court! I’ve also witnessed some memorable cricket matches at stadiums. But honestly, nothing beat sitting on our living room sofa and fervently cheering for Sachin during India-pakistan matches!
One might inquire: ‘Sonali, everyone thinks their father is amazing. What made yours so unique?’ My answer: It’s not what he did, it’s how he did it. Dad went about tasks in a way that often left newcomers in disbelief.
He could literally do 10 things at the same time! Example? His evening routine: Dinner, phone calls, replying to messages, watching the news, having his secretary tell him the next day’s schedule… all at the same time. I’d say his top three TV preferences were cricket, news and old Bollywood songs.
I’ve seen dad churn out some of his best articles while in boisterous conversation with guests and clients. If I pointed them out to you today and told you the environment in which they were written, you probably wouldn’t believe me. Such was the agility of his mind!
Dad was not a career politician — he was first a brilliant lawyer. His secretary once asked him why he entered politics when he could’ve raked in millions through his practice. He just smiled and said: ‘Law is my profession, Politics is my passion!’
It was this passion that gave my father the rare ability to be equally comfortable with both prominent public figures, as well as ordinary people in remote villages of India. Political differences never came in the way, for him friendship was paramount, and cut sharply across ideological lines. He was often known as the ‘Spirit of the Central Hall of Parliament’ — for there, he used to sit and eloquently regale everyone (regardless of party) with interesting observations and anecdotes. This camaraderie combined with keen negotiation skills (honed through his years of legal practice) enabled him to unite opposing blocs — aptly earning him the sobriquet ‘Troubleshooter of the Party’.
A great instance of this troubleshooting was the passage of the GST Bill, which took all his consensus-building talents to ensure full acceptance by all the parties involved.
Though in my eyes, an event 17 years ago really tested dad’s diplomatic skills and brought them to the forefront — the WTO Cancún Ministerial Conference, 2003. An incident during this conference was quite unforgettable: Around 100 countries had formed a coalition for some issues at Cancún. However, word soon spread that a key country was planning to opt out of this coalition. Then, dad got into action and quickly called a press conference — where he ensured that this country’s delegate was put in the media spotlight. Thoroughly basking in the attention, the delegate quickly dropped the idea of leaving.
This was not the only tour de force he pulled off at Cancún. As minister of commerce and industries, he took on developed countries with determination to protect India’s interests.
Soon after, developing countries in WTO started to grow increasingly influential on matters of trade, agriculture and investment! Dad believed in giving back & helping others, no matter when or where. One of his most powerful quotes is still with me — ‘It is easy to be a politician, but a leader is one who nurtures talent and creates future leaders’. Many astute politicians today regard him as an inspiration and guru-like figure. This makes me proud, as he succeeded in doing what he always believed in.
As a three-time MP from Gujarat, dad was always concerned for the state’s wellbeing. In 2014, he adopted the villages of Karnali, Pipaliya, Vadiya and Baglipura under the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojna. Over time, he worked to understand the issues faced by these villages, and subsequently transformed them. He built a bridge, a four-lane ring road, toilets in every household, installed solar lights and made a science lab for rural students — among many other reforms he introduced there.
Apart from these, he brought about significant changes in the fields closest to his heart: health, education and cleanliness. But as I remember all he did, I must mention a regret dad had. He always wanted to hold the portfolio of health minister — and contribute to making healthcare affordable and accessible (Though I’m certain he’d be proud of all that Ayushman Bharat has achieved in that regard). Lifelong, he held that our country’s doctors and nurses were the best. When advised to travel to Singapore for a kidney transplant, he didn’t — trusting Indian doctors more. Dad’s admiration for medical staff and health workers was tremendous, strengthened by his personal interactions. He often said doctors must be respected outright, for they gave it their all to save us. While in the hospital, he expressed sadness at how doctors were treated — as he often came across newspaper reports on violence against medical professionals. He told me that when better, he’d surely pursue legal measures to ensure their safety. Sadly, that did not come to pass.
In April ’20, PM Shri Narendra Modi ji’s government approved an ordinance to ensure stricter punishment for violence against health workers. This would certainly have made dad very, very happy!
The Kashmir issue too was close to his heart, especially since he shared a deep and personal connection to the land. Article 370, he believed, was an impediment to progress.
In his last months, he regularly studied J&K’S constitution to figure out the perfect legal strategy to deal with Article 370. And along with Narendra Modi ji & Amit Shah ji, history was made with its abrogation in August ’19! The region is now steadily on its way to becoming an education and investment hub, and I’m sure this is just the beginning! Dad had a truly outstanding vision for this country, and though he will not be there to witness its fruition, I hope to be there to witness it for him. He wanted India to be equitable and just, with opportunities in health, service and education for all. He wanted the youth to stand up and get involved, just like he did almost half a century ago. Let us aspire to take his vision forward, and never stop trying to bring about change.
As I end, saying that only I miss him would be wrong — there are many across this great nation who do... For Arun Jaitley wasn’t just my father, he was India’s son.