Poet, politician, Pokhran pioneer – Atal wore many hats
NEW DELHI: One of the tallest leaders in Indian political history left the world on Thursday, leaving behind citizens who remembered his Hindi speeches, poems and the game-changing decisions that brought Bharatiya Janata Party into power.
On Friday, thousands of citizens bid adieu to Atal Bihari Vajpayee with rose petals across the national Capital, including more than 50 students from Saraswati Bal Mandir Secondary School, who waved placards at ITO.
One of the students, Ekansh, told Millennium Post he remembers Vajpayee’s contribution to the Pokhran-ii
nuclear bomb test. “He was a true leader and his different initiatives helped in rapid growth of the country,” he said.
Waving a placard with a poem that reads ‘Tan Atal, Maan Atal, Jiwan Atal Kar Chale Atal’, another boy Sandeep Mishra said that India has
lost a star who only thought of the people.
Meanwhile, in Delhi Gate, 70-year-old Umrawati has come from Gorakhpur to attend her
leader’s funeral procession. The scorching heat forced the old woman to sit near the roadside. “I used to vote for Congress, but when I started hearing him and witnessed his work, I started voting for the BJP. For the party, he was the game changer who brought them into the power,” added the septuagenarian
She also remembers the former Prime Minister’s role during the Jan Sangh days, which made him popular among the people. Umrawati walked all the way from Patel Nagar to Central Delhi.
Yogendra, who came along with his family to witness the last rites, stated, “Atalji was a brilliant wordsmith. Through his poems, he captivated hearts of millions. His political opponents were also fond of his poetic skills.”
“Throughout his life, he focussed on Hindi language and he used it in several public meetings to address people, which made him a special politician among the public,” said the Patel Nagar resident.