It was a regular summer vacation day in 1996.
My Thatha (grandfather) was glued to the television that day. This was unusual for the only time he saw TV was the English news on Doordarshan in the night. Apparently, it was not a regular day for India.
As an Indian in my early teens, I was just about taking interest in observing politics.
The BJP had emerged as the single largest party and they did not have a majority in the parliament.
My grandfather was glued to the parliamentary proceedings of the day and he was urging me to watch the television when Vajpayee was speaking. Knowing how proficient my grandfather was in Hindi (He could count from 1 to 10 in Hindi and knew the word "Achcha". He was a scholar in Sanskrit, so, he knew many words in Hindi when they were spoken) , I doubt he understood much of the speech.
So, it was unusual when my grandfather intermittently started saying, "Good", "That's correct" etc. during that speech. I was taken in too by the remarkable oratory I witnessed that day.
And when Vajpayee announced that he would be submitting his resignation to the president of India, my grandfather clapped- I remember, exactly two claps (a rare occasion when he displayed that level of excitement)- Not because Vajpayee could not prove his majority, but for a remarkable speech and for making some extremely relevant points in that speech and for the grace...
This appreciation, coming from a person who was a follower of Mahatma Gandhi and a fan of Jawaharlal Nehru and his kin, was a surprise. And Vajpayee had managed to communicate to people who were not very proficient in Hindi.
I am sure many a households would have experienced this emotion in 1996.
I will remember that day as the day on which my interest in Indian politics was kindled. An interest that remains alive and kicking till this day.
The next remarkable moment I can remember was in May 1998. Those nuclear tests at Pokhran would have been possibly only under an extremely courageous leader and Vajpayee was exactly that.
A recent movie Parmanu captures beautifully the days preceding the nuclear tests. Do watch the movie if you have the time.
My reading of Indian political history tells me that we have never had a more courageous Prime Minister. I think Indira Gandhi would be a close second. Many scholars I know place Prime Minister Shastri in that list too. Unfortunately, Shastri's tenure was too short and my own knowledge on his tenure a bit too inadequate.
I think Vajpayee's greatest achievements after the tests were in the way he handled the sanctions from practically every western or eastern power on the planet. Those dialogues between Jaswant Singh and Strobe Talbott were extremely critical in normalizing relations.
As I look at his career from 1996 onwards, there are many moments that I remember vividly. That speech as Prime Minister in 1996 (especially the last 5 minutes of that speech), or the Lahore trip of 1999. That speech on friendship with Pakistan (Remember, "Itihaas badla jaa sakta hai, bhoogol nahi. Dost badle jaa sakte hain, padosi nahi.") and the Lahore trip or the remarkable grit during Kargil. For my generation that period during the Kargil war was a period which saw spontaneous outpouring of patriotism. He was the perfect person to lead the country during that period.
I remember the focus he had on the development of infrastructure during his tenure. On foreign policy, his efforts on building relationships with Myanmar and Bangladesh, I feel, somehow have not received due recognition. Or on the efforts to take India away from the policy of Non alignment. I think no Prime Minister has done more for Indo-US relations than Vajpayee.
I admired the grace with which he took the 2004 loss. That loss was unexpected for many and his concession speech that was telecast on Doordarshan on the night the election results came out is perhaps the most beautiful example of sportsman spirit and of grace and of complete belief in the democratic process.
The title of this blog entry is from his own poetry- Chhote mann se koi bada nahi hota, toote mann se koi khada nahi hota.
His poetry is great. Greater is the way he recited his poetry. It is a pity that his health has robbed today's teenagers of his oratory. Thanks to youtube, we still have access to some of his great speeches and poetry.
I have never admired any politician as much as I have admired Vajpayee. This is notwithstanding his failings and fallacies as a leader.
In a political system where political opponents treat each others as enemies, he remains an exception. I remember his words, "Mat-bhed ho, mann-bhed na ho" (Differences of opinion is okay. That translating into distances between hearts is not okay). He remains a role model on the use of humour to diffuse tensions or difficult questions. I remember an interview with Rajat Sharma where he was asked about the Advani camp and Vajpayee camp, he said "Maen kisee dal-dal mein nahi hun. Maen auron ke daldal mein apna kamal khilaata hun". People who understand Hindi would understand the pun here.
Or when before a parliamentary session was to begin and a controversial issue was being discussed, he told the media, "Hum khule mann se charcha karenge". The session was over in no time and when the media taunted him, he said something to the tune of, "Maine ye nahi kaha thha ki hum khaali mann se charcha karenge".
Whenever I have felt low in life, his poem "Geet naya gaata hoon" has provided a healing touch. If you have not heard it, you can listen to it on this link here.
He symbolizes the Indian who was not born with a silver spoon, worked his way up by working hard and leveraging his talent, dealt with his strengths and insecurities, won over friends and opponents with his personal maturity and grace, earned respect with his courage and genuineness and earned the love of his countrymen and women with his dedication to the service of the nation.
As news came in of his admission to AIIMS yesterday, he is back in the news. I join crores of fellow Indians in praying for his recovery.
My Thatha (grandfather) was glued to the television that day. This was unusual for the only time he saw TV was the English news on Doordarshan in the night. Apparently, it was not a regular day for India.
As an Indian in my early teens, I was just about taking interest in observing politics.
The BJP had emerged as the single largest party and they did not have a majority in the parliament.
My grandfather was glued to the parliamentary proceedings of the day and he was urging me to watch the television when Vajpayee was speaking. Knowing how proficient my grandfather was in Hindi (He could count from 1 to 10 in Hindi and knew the word "Achcha". He was a scholar in Sanskrit, so, he knew many words in Hindi when they were spoken) , I doubt he understood much of the speech.
So, it was unusual when my grandfather intermittently started saying, "Good", "That's correct" etc. during that speech. I was taken in too by the remarkable oratory I witnessed that day.
And when Vajpayee announced that he would be submitting his resignation to the president of India, my grandfather clapped- I remember, exactly two claps (a rare occasion when he displayed that level of excitement)- Not because Vajpayee could not prove his majority, but for a remarkable speech and for making some extremely relevant points in that speech and for the grace...
This appreciation, coming from a person who was a follower of Mahatma Gandhi and a fan of Jawaharlal Nehru and his kin, was a surprise. And Vajpayee had managed to communicate to people who were not very proficient in Hindi.
I am sure many a households would have experienced this emotion in 1996.
I will remember that day as the day on which my interest in Indian politics was kindled. An interest that remains alive and kicking till this day.
The next remarkable moment I can remember was in May 1998. Those nuclear tests at Pokhran would have been possibly only under an extremely courageous leader and Vajpayee was exactly that.
A recent movie Parmanu captures beautifully the days preceding the nuclear tests. Do watch the movie if you have the time.
My reading of Indian political history tells me that we have never had a more courageous Prime Minister. I think Indira Gandhi would be a close second. Many scholars I know place Prime Minister Shastri in that list too. Unfortunately, Shastri's tenure was too short and my own knowledge on his tenure a bit too inadequate.
I think Vajpayee's greatest achievements after the tests were in the way he handled the sanctions from practically every western or eastern power on the planet. Those dialogues between Jaswant Singh and Strobe Talbott were extremely critical in normalizing relations.
As I look at his career from 1996 onwards, there are many moments that I remember vividly. That speech as Prime Minister in 1996 (especially the last 5 minutes of that speech), or the Lahore trip of 1999. That speech on friendship with Pakistan (Remember, "Itihaas badla jaa sakta hai, bhoogol nahi. Dost badle jaa sakte hain, padosi nahi.") and the Lahore trip or the remarkable grit during Kargil. For my generation that period during the Kargil war was a period which saw spontaneous outpouring of patriotism. He was the perfect person to lead the country during that period.
I remember the focus he had on the development of infrastructure during his tenure. On foreign policy, his efforts on building relationships with Myanmar and Bangladesh, I feel, somehow have not received due recognition. Or on the efforts to take India away from the policy of Non alignment. I think no Prime Minister has done more for Indo-US relations than Vajpayee.
I admired the grace with which he took the 2004 loss. That loss was unexpected for many and his concession speech that was telecast on Doordarshan on the night the election results came out is perhaps the most beautiful example of sportsman spirit and of grace and of complete belief in the democratic process.
The title of this blog entry is from his own poetry- Chhote mann se koi bada nahi hota, toote mann se koi khada nahi hota.
His poetry is great. Greater is the way he recited his poetry. It is a pity that his health has robbed today's teenagers of his oratory. Thanks to youtube, we still have access to some of his great speeches and poetry.
I have never admired any politician as much as I have admired Vajpayee. This is notwithstanding his failings and fallacies as a leader.
In a political system where political opponents treat each others as enemies, he remains an exception. I remember his words, "Mat-bhed ho, mann-bhed na ho" (Differences of opinion is okay. That translating into distances between hearts is not okay). He remains a role model on the use of humour to diffuse tensions or difficult questions. I remember an interview with Rajat Sharma where he was asked about the Advani camp and Vajpayee camp, he said "Maen kisee dal-dal mein nahi hun. Maen auron ke daldal mein apna kamal khilaata hun". People who understand Hindi would understand the pun here.
Or when before a parliamentary session was to begin and a controversial issue was being discussed, he told the media, "Hum khule mann se charcha karenge". The session was over in no time and when the media taunted him, he said something to the tune of, "Maine ye nahi kaha thha ki hum khaali mann se charcha karenge".
Whenever I have felt low in life, his poem "Geet naya gaata hoon" has provided a healing touch. If you have not heard it, you can listen to it on this link here.
He symbolizes the Indian who was not born with a silver spoon, worked his way up by working hard and leveraging his talent, dealt with his strengths and insecurities, won over friends and opponents with his personal maturity and grace, earned respect with his courage and genuineness and earned the love of his countrymen and women with his dedication to the service of the nation.
As news came in of his admission to AIIMS yesterday, he is back in the news. I join crores of fellow Indians in praying for his recovery.
4 comments:
You walked me down through sepia prints of those statesmanesque political years with that post of yours!
Very happy to see you back writing. Well captured. For me, 1996 was the year when Sachin was out stumped to Mark Waugh for 90, and Kambli cried on TV. Do not have insight or depth into understanding of Vaypayee. Corrected a little bit, today, by reading this. Thanks.
Brilliant one, dude. Definitely strong nostalgia.
PS. Read like an obit until I got to the end. Goggled to see that his health seems to be improving!
Keep writing. Enjoy reading your blogs and the sincerity of emotions they reflect
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