Vajpayee, great orator and poet
ON FRIDAY, August 17, I was returning from the outskirts of Mumbai back into the city since my musical event was cancelled.
The mild to heavy rainfall in some parts slowed me down. The streets were busy as usual with traffic and people going about their daily activities.
I stopped for a while at a busy cross-section. My eyes glanced upon a banner of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who held the post (of prime minister) for three non-consecutive terms.
He had died a day earlier at the age of 93. A seven-day state mourning was declared throughout India until August 22. The national flag was at half mast throughout India and all official entertainment during the period of state mourning was cancelled as a mark of respect.
As I continued in the thick of traffic, there were banners at various points offering tribute to him. I switched on the radio to catch the live commentary from Delhi on the last rites. The patriotic cheers of “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and “Vande Mataram” from the crowd could be heard amid the commentary.
The body of the BJP veteran had already left his official residence to the BJP Headquarters in New Delhi. Mourners walking beside the carriage, chanted slogans like “Jab tak sooraj chand rahega, Atal ji ka naam rahega”, (As long as there is the sun and moon, Atal ji’s name will be remembered forever).
Still making my way in the Mumbai traffic, I passed a hoarding on the footpath signed by Vajpayee.
“I dream of an India that is prosperous, strong and caring. An India, that regains a place of honour in the comity of great nations.”
Simultaneously, a mourner on the radio coverage, commented that Vajpayee was responsible for making India a nuclear power and that politicians of his class were rare to find these days. The radio commentary continued while in the background I could hear the Gayatri mantra being played continuously.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP party president Amit Shah were among others accompanying the cortège.
I reached into the heart of Mumbai city and stopped for a meeting at Juhu Beach. What attracted my attention however was the offering by sand artist Laxmi Gaud.
I watched from a distance as she lovingly went about gently shaping her offering of respect to Vajpayee. Her hands moving swiftly. I continued to watch the curious crowds gather around her. Eventually I stepped closer hoping to get more from her on her tribute.
Laxmi Gaud, a humble Indian woman who was reluctant to be interviewed, simply said: “I remember him a lot. I cannot describe in words how much I value what he did for our country and I can only offer this through my art.” The last rites were at the Rashtriya Smriti Sthal, on the banks of the Yamuna, and as I later learnt, it is between the samadhis of Jawaharlal Nehru (Shanti Van) and Lal Bahadur Shastri (Vijay Ghat).
It is a common place for erecting memorials for former presidents, prime ministers and others, with the approval of the Union Cabinet.
The tricolour that was draped over the mortal remains of Vajpayee was folded and handed over to his granddaughter Niharika. The former prime minister was a bachelor. He dedicated his life to the country.
His adopted daughter Namita performed his final rites. Vande Mataram was sung before the last rites were performed. The funeral pyre was lit and a 21-gun salute was accorded to him.
My knowledge of politics being rather weak, I know however in the years that I lived here, that Vajpayee’s involvement spans many decades. He got involved in the Quit India Movement of 1942 and was arrested for it too. He was the first External Affairs Minister to deliver a speech in Hindi at the UN General Assembly and raised India’s stand on key issues.
His long years as a parliamentarian, and with struggles to establish the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, and later the BJP are remarkable.
However, his talent as a great orator and a poet who could captivate his audience with his soulful poetry definitely ran on par with his political achievements.
Taking to Twitter to share his condolences, Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan wrote a moving message about “the poet Prime Minister of our country”.
The former Indian prime minister is credited with penning some unforgettable poems, one of which was adapted into a music video featuring Khan.
The video, titled Kya Khoya Kya Paya, was released as part of a music album called Samvedna, with poems culled from Vajpayee’s book Meri Ikyavan Kavitaayein (My 51 Poems).
The preface is by Javed Akhtar in the voice of Amitabh Bachchan. The poetry is set to music by Jagjit Singh. Director Yash Chopra shot the video that also features Vajpayee.
The album was released in 2002. The former prime minister, in each of the 51 poems in the album, spoke about his experiences ranging from the emergency to his birthday and events in between.
Back in 2002, Jagjit Singh told India Today: “I was overawed by the prime minister as an artiste. He is a sensitive person.”
“Samvedna”, translated in English, is sensitivity. Something that Vajpayee’s poems have time and again reminded his readers. What he says of himself and his long career in India’s public life is probably best encapsulated by some lines from his poem: “Kaal ke kapaal par likhta mitaata hoon, geet naya gaata hoon (I write and erase lines on the forehead of time, I sing a new song).”