Historical Figure
Atal Bihari Vajpayee
1924–2018
Prime Minister of India (1996; 1998–99, 1999–2004)
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Biography
Atal Bihari Vajpayee was an Indian poet, writer and statesman who served as the prime minister of India, first for a term of 13 days in 1996, then for 6 years from 1998 to 2004. He was the first non-Congress prime minister to serve a full term in the office. Vajpayee was one of the co-founders and a senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He was a volunteer and full-time functionary (pracharak) of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a right-wing Hindutva paramilitary volunteer organisation. He was also a Hindi poet and a writer. The Sangh's emphasis on self-cultivation and disciplined nation-building left a lasting mark on Vajpayee's early worldview. Scholars have observed that Vajpayee combined cultural nationalism with political moderation, shaping a distinctive strand of post-Independence Indian conservatism rooted in civilisational identity. His speeches and poetry are noted for blending political pragmatism with themes drawn from India's cultural and philosophical traditions.
Timeline
The story of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, told in moments.
Became Prime Minister for 13 days. He couldn't form a coalition. His speech resigning from the floor of Parliament was considered so eloquent that even the opposition applauded.
Ordered India's second nuclear tests at Pokhran, 24 years after the first. Five devices detonated in two days. Pakistan responded with its own tests within weeks. He was PM again by then.
Took a bus from Delhi to Lahore, Pakistan, to meet Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. He signed a declaration of peace at the Minar-e-Pakistan. Three months later, the two countries were at war in Kargil.
In Their Own Words (5)
Our aim may be as high as the endless sky, but we should have a resolve in our minds to walk ahead, hand-in-hand for victory will be ours.
Vajpayee addresses the nation on Independence Day in 2002. Quoted from Vajpayee No More: Here Are His Five Most Powerful Quotes Swaraja, Aug 16 2018, 2002
There are some people who are telling the Muslims not to vote for the BJP whereas the truth is that the BJP has never worked against any minority, including the Muslims.
February 19, 2002, Jaihind . Quoted in Madhu Purnima Kishwar: Modi, Muslims and Media. Voices from Narendra Modi’s Gujarat, Manushi Publications, Delhi 2014., 2002
In our search for a lasting solution to the Kashmir problem, both in its external and internal dimensions, we shall not traverse solely on the beaten track of the past. Mindsets will have to be altered and historical baggage jettisoned.
Quoted in
I have a vision of India: an India free of hunger and fear, an India free of illiteracy and want. 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.
India is not a piece of land, but a living entity.
Artifacts (15)
Selected Poems: Selected Poems by Atal Bihari Vajpayee: Selected Poems - Captivating Verses by Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Shri Atal Bihari Vajapyee has been a patriotic social activist since early childhood, when the country was still under British colonial rule. He started writing poetry during school days. He has...
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