Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s birthday is being celebrated across the country as ‘Good Governance Day’. Many remarkable aspects of his extraordinary life are still etched in the minds of millions of Indians. Let’s recall some of these remarkable things; it will be inspiring.
He was the only Member of Parliament in India to be elected from four different states simultaneously: Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat.
• He was born in Gwalior, but his ancestral village, Bateshwar, is near Agra (Uttar Pradesh).
• Bateshwar village was once notorious because of dacoits. Now it is famous for its Shiva temples.
• Even today, Atal Ji’s friends and relatives live in this village situated on the banks of the Yamuna River.
• Atal Ji, the son of Shri Krishna Bihari Vajpayee and Krishna Devi, inherited a love for poetry and literature. Atal Ji himself used to say that poetry was in his blood. His father was a great scholar of Sanskrit language and literature.
• His home’s drawing-room was filled with old books. Wherever he went, he would bring back some literary books. Atal Ji was also well-versed in astrology. People from far and wide would come to him to show him their horoscopes.
• Atal Ji was fond of food since childhood. Whenever he visited a city for the first time, he would make sure to try the best dish of that place. He did not eat the food from the Lok Sabha canteen. Home-cooked food was brought for him. It was his habit to rest for a while after lunch.
• Atal Ji was extremely calm by nature. Hardly anyone ever saw him angry. He never scolded or reprimanded the people who worked with him. However, those close to him could understand from his facial expressions that something had happened that he didn’t like.
• Atal Ji was the first Indian leader to deliver a speech in Hindi at the United Nations General Assembly in 1977. Before him, no other leader had given a speech in Hindi. Atal Ji was instrumental in giving recognition to the Hindi language at the United Nations.
Education with his father: He studied law at DAV College in Kanpur with his father, Krishna Bihari Vajpayee. Due to financial constraints, the father and son lived in the same room in the hostel.
He was the first Indian politician to deliver a speech in Hindi at the United Nations General Assembly, bringing pride to the nation. He was also a journalist and worked as the editor of the magazine ‘Panchjanya’.
The poem ‘Amar Kirti Vijay Pataka’ by Mahatma Ramchandra Veer deeply influenced his life, and he described it as a life-changing poem, as reported by India TV.
Atal Ji did not marry and remained unmarried throughout his life.
He adopted Namita Bhattacharya, the daughter of Mrs. Rajkumari Kaul, as his daughter, and it was Namita who performed his last rites after his death.
• Atal Ji served as the Prime Minister of India three times. He was elected to the Lok Sabha nine times. He was also the longest-serving Member of Parliament and the longest-serving non-Congress Prime Minister after Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi.
• When he conducted the nuclear test on May 11, 1998, it created a stir worldwide. Many countries asked, “How can India do this?” All the developed countries demanded that various sanctions be imposed on India. He took a courageous step for the country’s security by conducting the Agni-II and Pokhran nuclear tests.
• Former Prime Minister Atal Ji had an excellent command over words and language. Even the opposition parties listened to him peacefully. There was certainly bitterness in his words at times, but the opposition still stood by him. He left an indelible mark on politics, literature, and society. He reigned in the hearts of all.
• The speeches delivered during each session, the poems recited, and his inspiring thoughts will always make their presence felt. The opposition also respected him wholeheartedly. No one ever failed to show him respect, regardless of their position.
• He also formed the National Security Committee, the Economic Advisory Committee, and the Trade and Industry Committee.
• He convened the first conference of Chief Ministers to control the prices of essential consumer goods and launched a seven-point poverty alleviation program for the poorest region of Odisha.
• He abolished the Urban Land Ceiling Act to encourage housing construction and launched a rural employment generation program and an insurance scheme for people of Indian origin living abroad.
• The 1999 Kargil War and the 2001 attack on Parliament took place during his tenure.
• Atal Bihari Vajpayee and his close associate Lal Krishna Advani were known as the Ram and Lakshman duo.
• He was first elected to the Lok Sabha from Balrampur, Uttar Pradesh, in 1957. He also contested elections from Lucknow and Mathura at the same time, which he lost.
• He always followed the principle of ‘India First’.
