The child who had hasslefree access to his ‘Baba’ Atal
Vajpayee forged a special bond of friendship with his Lucknow neighbour’s son which continued till his death
LUCKNOW : Atal Bihari Vajpayee shared a special connect with Lucknow, courtesy being fivetime MP from here, but very few know about his “dear young friend” who was issued a special handwritten hassle-free entry pass to Atal’s 6-Raisina Road residence in New Delhi by the latter himself when he occupied the top post.
PM’s special pass to Aradhya Krishna aka ‘Kanha’, who was just 6 then, reads—‘Priy Kanha ko humne milne ke liye bulaya hai, koi inhe roke nahi, aane diya jaye. Ye hamare mehmaan hain.
LUCKNOW: Former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee shared a special connect with Lucknow but very few know about his “dear young friend” to whom Atal issued a special handwritten hassle-free entry pass to his 6-Raisina Road, New Delhi residence, when he occupied the top post.
PM’s special pass to Aradhya Krishna aka ‘Kanha’, who was just 6 then, reads—‘Priy Kanha ko humne milne ke liye bulaya hai, koi inhe roke nahi, aane diya jaye. Ye hamare mehmaan hain (Dear Kanha has been called by me. Please allow him entry as he is my guest).
Issued on April 27, 1996, the handwritten pass bearing Atal’s signature and address of his residence is not the only testimony to the bond Vajpayee had with Kanha. There are scores of photos of Vajpayee with the cute kid, playing, celebrating birthdays and sharing a bond.
So who is Kanha?
He is the son of Alok Awasthi, the next-door neighbour of the former PM during his stay in a government accommodation La Place in Hazratganj, Lucknow. “Atalji was deeply attached to Kanha and adored him for his cute looks and joyful nature,” says Awasthi.
Awasthi said, “Atalji lived in 301 and 302—the two BHK flats that were combined for his accommodation. He had a peculiar habit of boarding the lift from the first floor instead of the ground floor. Many times, while boarding the lift, Kanha called him ‘Baba’ or sometimes ‘Baba aa gaye’ (grandfather you are home) and in return Atalji hugged him and offered him some sweets and this became a routine. This was in 1994 even before he was the PM.
Kanha was just four then.”
Vajpayee often said, “Kanhaji is a saviour, his innocent smile and childish queries help in easing stress,” recalled Awasthi. And so Kanha became Vajpayee’s best buddy.
The bond Atal shared with Kanha continued even after he became PM. “I still remember Kanha calling him from a PCO and him responding to the call. He valued a relationship,” Awasthi added. March 29, 1999 was the most memorable day for the Awasthi family. “Baba was in Lucknow when he came to know about my birthday. I and my family were surprised to see him and state chief minister Kalyan Singh at our place to attend the cake cutting. It was the best possible gift Baba gave me on my ninth birthday,” said Kanha.
“Since then he made it a point to either be in Lucknow or call me and my family to PM’s house to celebrate my birthday. I remember him celebrating my birthday till 2004,” Kanha said.
He said in Vajpayee’s demise, he had lost his loving grandfather. Incidentally, Kanha was also one of the select few who got to visit an ailing Vajpayee in New Delhi.