Man who bridged the gap between Bharat and India
when I went to seek permission to leave, Baapji enquired whether I had eaten. I was very busy with the media so had skipped lunch. He ensured that a hot meal was served to me and while I was eating he sat next to me.
The nation will now remember him in many ways — as an orator, statesman, poet, ambassador of coalition dharma and so on and so forth. I will always remember him for the Pokhran nuclear tests in 1998 and for unleashing a series of economic reforms to build a strong India. Being a visionary is one thing, but to translate your vision into reality is something Atalji knew. Imagine the way China flexes its muscle now; if the Pokharan- II tests had not taken place and the world had not known that India also possesses its own strategic deterrent, we would have succumbed to Chinese pressure. India’s response to Pakistan during the 1999 Kargil war was another testimony to Atalji’s determination although he was then the head of only a caretaker government. The decision that Indian troops would not cross the Line of Control and trust in their ability to still push back Pakistani soldiers made the world realise that India was a responsible nation.
Three important diplomatic goals were achieved by Prime Minister Vajpayee — he made India a nuclear state, converted a foreign affairs crisis into an opportunity by building a constructive engagement with the US and the Western world, and compelled China to recognise India’s sovereignty over Sikkim.
Many economic reforms shaping India into a strong nation today are a legacy of Atalji. The monumental divide that existed between Bharat and India has started to narrow because of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government’s policies and programmes — for instance the Golden Quadrilateral road projects, the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (Education for All) and the new telecom policy that unleashed competition and employment.
Atalji will always be my inspiration — the voice that will guide me and speak to me whenever I look for answers.