Former Prime Minister of India, Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee was died on 16th August, 2018. He was born on 25th December, 1924 in a Brahmin family in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. He received his school education from the Saraswati Shishu Mandir, Gwalior and did his Bachelor degree from Victoria College, Gwalior. He completed his post graduation in Political Science from Dayanand Anglo-Vedic College, Kanpur. Uttar Pradesh. He was a brilliant student from the beginning.
He was one of the founders of the Bharatiya Jana Sang. He had also served as its national president from 1968 to 1973. In 1955, he contested for the first time in the Lok Sabha elections, but could not get success. He tried again and in 1957, he was elected for the Lok Sabha election from Balrampur of Gonda District, Uttar Pradesh as a candidate of Jan Sangh. From 1957 till 1977 till Janata Party’s establishment, he remained a leader of the Jana Sangh’s parliamentary party for twenty years. In the government of Morarji Desai from 1977 to 1979, he remained foreign minister and shaped and raised India’s image abroad.
In 1980, he left the Janata Party and helped in the formation of the Bharatiya Janata Party. He was handed over the charge of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s chairmanship on April 6, 1980. He was twice also elected for the Rajya Sabha.
It was historical day for India when in 1977 Atal Bihar Vajpayee as India’s foreign minister delivered speech in Hindi in the UN General Assembly. His eloquence and impressive speech is still remembered by the Indians. He spoke like a sage about Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. He had shown the world that he was the leader of first water. By doing this, he elevated the status of India.
He remained the Prime Minister for three times- the first for 15 days, from 16 May 1996 to 1 June 1996, the second for a period of 13 months, from 19 March 1998 to 26 April 1999 and the third for five years, from 13 October 1999 till 22 May 2004.
Vajpayee had a multifaceted personality. He was a journalist, editor, poet, author, and parliamentarian. He was a great patriotic figure who was awarded with Bharat Ratna on 27 March, 2015 for his outstanding services to the nation. He was known for his liberal, social and cultural view. He also edited Panchjanya and Veer Arjuna. He began his life with the determination of living as a pracharak of the RSS, and lived with that determination. This determination took him to reach the highest position of the nation. Vajpayee was the first Prime Minister of the NDA government to complete 5 years of non-Congress Prime Ministership without any major hurdle. He has credit of forming a government with a coalition of 24 parties. It is evidence of his great leadership quality. Now , he is no more but his oratory, liberal views and leadership are still remembered by the people around the world.