India is today celebrating the 97th birth anniversary of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajapayee. He was a persuasive speaker, poet and a prolific writer. Born in 1924 in Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh), he was an active member of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, and was a co-founder of Bharatiya Janata Party.
Vajpayee was elected to the Lok Sabha nine times and to the Rajya Sabha twice. He became the first prime minister from the BJP in 1996, though for a very short period. He was the only non-congress prime minister who completed a full term in office and held the PM post for three terms. He served the nation as PM in 1996, 1998-1999 and a full five year stint from 1999-2004.
As a student, he had keen interest in politics and foreign affairs. During his student days, he had joined the Quit India Movement in 1942. Having keen interest in foreign policy, Vajpayee had given two powerful statements- "Quiet diplomacy is far more effective than public posturing" and "You can change friends but not neighbors".
Vajpayee, a veteran parliamentarian, was known as an active participant in shaping the country's post-Independence domestic and foreign policy. Under his leadership, our country achieved a milestone in 1998 when India carried out the Pokhran nuclear test and in 1999, under his leadership, India defeated Pakistan in the Kargil War.
He held various important portfolios in his political life which includes - Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, Chairperson of various important Standing Committees of Parliament and Leader of the Opposition. He had also received the country's second-highest civilian honour, the Padma Vibhushan in 1992. In 1994, he was named as India's 'Best Parliamentarian'.
Since 2014, Vajpayee's birthday is being celebrated as Good Governance Day. In 2015, he was conferred with India's highest civilian honour, Bharat Ratna. Born on December 25, 1924, the former prime minister breathed his last on August 16, 2018, following age related illness.
