Atal Bihari Vajpayee – A Poet, A Legendary Statesman |

India grieves the demise of its beloved former Prime Minster Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ji. On 16th August 2018, India lost its one of the best political leaders in the history. He had been a great leader in the history of India and it was his exemplary leadership that set the foundations for a strong, prosperous and inclusive India in the 21st century.
He was the force behind shaping India’s Democracy and putting India on the road to economic development. His contributions towards the country made him win the hearts of the people of the country.

Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee was born to Krishna Devi and Krishna Bihari Vajpayee on 25th December 1924 in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. He completed his post-graduation with an M.A. in Political Science from DAV College, Kanpur, and was awarded a first-class degree. He joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as a swayamsevak, or volunteer, in 1939. Vajpayee ji started his public life at an early age and his parliamentary career flourished since then. He was elected 10 times to the Lok Sabha and was twice a Member of the Rajya Sabha.

Mr. Vajpayee held the post of Prime Minister of the Country for three non-consecutive terms in 1996, 1998-99, and from 1999-2004. Also, he became the first non-Indian National Congress PM to serve a full five-year term.

His Commendable Works For the Country

He went to jail for 23 days in 1942 during the Quit India Movement.
It was during his reign that the Pokhran-II nuclear tests were conducted in 1998. This test made India a nuclear Weapons Power.
His tenure is also characterized by the 1999 Kargil War, referred to as Operation Vijay, that ended up with India’s victory.
Mr. Vajpayee began a push for a full-scale diplomatic peace process with Pakistan with the historic inauguration of the Delhi-Lahore bus service in February 1999.

He was awarded with Padma Vibhushan in 1992 and Bharat Ratna in 2015 for his contributions to the country. Atal Bihari Vajpayee was a writer at heart. He penned 11 books and a number of poetry collections. We will never forget this legendary leader and his contributions in making India what it today is.

Here are some lines by the Poetic Prime Minister

Daanv par sab kuchh lagaa hai, ruk nahi sakate,

Rook sakate hain magar, hum jhuk nahi sakate

And the great leader kept his words. He fought for one more day and closed his eyes on 16th August because his heart could not let the national flag down.