Today, December 25, 2023, is former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s 99th birthday. The centennial of his birth will fall on December 25, 2024. During the Janata Party government, Vajpayee became the first Indian to serve as a foreign minister to the UN. He stunned the world by delivering a speech in Hindi and showing respect for his mother tongue. However, PM Modi has travelled to 66 countries so far, revitalizing Indian culture and nationalism and boosting national and international pride in India. To say that this is a genuine homage to Vajpayee would not be an overstatement.
He served as a member of the Indian Parliament for forty years, having been elected twice to the upper house of Rajya Sabha and ten times to the lower house Lok Sabha. Up to 2009, when he left active politics due to health issues, he was the Member of Parliament for Lucknow, [3] Uttar Pradesh. Beginning his career as a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh preacher and vowing to live a single life, Vajpayee became the first Prime Minister of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government. He held the position of non-Congress Prime Minister for five years without any issues. Due to his vow to live an unmarried life, he is also known as Bhishmapitamah.
Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s Early Life & Educational Background:
Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was vistarak-pracharak in his early life. Atal Bihari Vajpayee gained his educational degree from Victoria College, Gwalior which now is known as Maharani Laxmibai Arts and Commerce College. After this college, he further studied law at Kanpur.
Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ji’s Political Journey:
His first government at the Centre was for 13 days, and the second one for 13 months. When his government collapsed, he was taunted by the opposition party. In response to the President’s call for a majority party to form a government, Prime Minister Vajpayee stated in the House that his party had created a common minimum program to avoid the burden of reelection and to have a competent government for the nation. On the opposition side, Vajpayee declared that they would not abandon Article 370, Ram Mandir, Triple Talaq, or the Uniform Civil Code on the day they became the majority.
First BJP Convention in Mumbai:
At the first convention of the BJP held in Mumbai, Vajpayee had said, “Andhera hatega, Suraj niklega, kamal khilega”. Today, PM Modi, as the pradhan sevak of the country, has been able to realize this dream. Vajpayee Ji was known for being a dedicated worker, his kindness, his discipline, and his visits to several countries. He guided the path through his words and effortlessly restored people’s faith in Indian Politics.
Poet and politician Atal Bihari Vajpayee led India’s premiership three times: first, for a brief 13-day tenure in 1996; second, for a 13-month stint from 1998 to 1999; and third, for a complete term from 1999 to 2004. Vajpayee was a prominent leader in the BJP and one of its co-founders.
On account of his birthday, we celebrate his ideology, his belief, and faith. And, we have a firm belief that the promises made in the BJP and Jan Sangh manifestos over the years will materialize by Vajpayee’s ideals. Under PM Modi’s direction, the ideology he promoted—whether it be cultural nationalism, integral humanism, or Antyodaya—is being fervently carried out on Indian soil today.
