A great harmoniser

The human heart in him got Atalji instantly connected with people. He translated this quality in ensuring cultural, civilizational, spiritual, infrastructural connectivity. Atalji connected people, villages, towns, countries and even diverse political ideologies to stitch a diverse coalition of parties unparalleled in history ushering in a new paradigm in politics, states Dr Murli Manohar Joshi

Atal the Prime Minister, Atal the Foreign Minister, Atal the Orator, Atal the Politician but along with all there epithets, I also know Atal the human being, Atal the harmonizer and Atal who introduced a new paradigm of political conduct based on Humanity (Insaniyat) and Reconciliation both in the national and international arena. He believed in connecting people locally as well as globally.
The human heart in him got him instantly connected with people, and he translated this quality in ensuring cultural, civilizational, spiritual, infrastructural connectivity. Atalji connected people, villages, towns, countries and even diverse political ideologies to stitch a diverse coalition of parties unparalleled in history ushering in a new paradigm in politics.

His views, expressed during the New Delhi conference on the Dialogue Among Civilisations organized by the dialogue based on the recognition of diversity and harmonizing the different viewpoints through reconciliation. I consider Vajpayee - the Harmoniser and Reconciliatier - as one of the greatest leaders of modern India.
Connectivity was the Mantra which Vajpayee used as a great unifier: To connect people, he used infrastructure as a platform to connect the country’s four corners in the form of Golden Quadrilateral project; which is touted as amongst world’s longest people highways project running 5846 km, aimed to connect major agricultural, industrial and cultural centres of India.

Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee with other BJP stalwarts Lal Krishna Advani and Dr Murli Manohar JoshiHis views, expressed during the New Delhi conference on the Dialogue Among Civilisations organized by the Ministry of Human Resource Development in 2003, were an indication of his global concerns, his keen desire to develop a new art and science of dialogue among civilizations as an indispensable instrument for sustainable culture of reconciliation and peace in the world.
Vajpayee believed in creating a vibrant atmosphere of concord and amity among nations, continents, civilizations and peoples of the world. He wanted to create a paradigm of conduct of international affairs through dialogue based on the recognition of diversity and harmonizing the different viewpoints through reconciliation. I consider Vajpayee - the Harmoniser and Reconciliatier - as one of the greatest leaders of modern India.
Connectivity was the Mantra which Vajpayee used as a great unifier: To connect people, he used infrastructure as a platform to connect the country’s four corners in the form of Golden Quadrilateral project; which is touted as amongst world’s longest people highways project running 5846 km, aimed to connect major agricultural, industrial and cultural centres of India.
On one side, was the Golden Quadrilateral project, and on the other side, he gave equal importance to the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna for connecting the rural areas, thereby leading to a major economic boost for the economy. He also created the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region to connect this sector with the rest of the country. To ensure that connectivity was not only limited to hardinfrastructure through highways, he laid the foundation for a ‘Connected India’ through the national opticfiber network; the technology highway. This paved the way for creating the world’s largest and most cost-effective telecom market in the world, thereby giving a major boost to the IT revolution. Today, if India has the second largest mobile subscriber base, it is due to Atalji’s policies that laid the roadmap for the telecom sector.

To connect people, he used infrastructure as a platform to connect the country’s four corners in the form of Golden Quadrilateral project; which is touted as amongst world’s longest people highways project running 5846 km, aimed to connect major agricultural, industrial and cultural centres of India.

PM Vajpayee at the site of the Pokhran blast India has the largest diaspora in the world at 16 million. The Pravasi Bhartiya Divas was the brainchild of Atal Bihar Vajpayee to connect this Indian diaspora across the world and to rekindle their interest for India. This was the most innovative programme to ‘connect’ amongst the globally scattered Indians. This also led to these Indians coming back or / and investing in India. Vajpayee understood the importance of regional diplomacy in ensuring connectivity through the Look East policy; a master stroke of Vajpayee as an effort to cultivate extensive economic and strategic relations with the nations of Southeast Asia in order to bolster its standing as a regional power, and a counterweight to the strategic influence of China. His foreign policy, on one side, looked at cordial relations with the super-powers, but also, gave equal importance to neighbours through the Look – East Policy, and this was also about taking everyone along and keeping the interest of India paramount.

Vajpayee with US President Bill Clinton When it came to ensuring a stronger India, he not only took a decisive step to do the Pokharan but also, stood his ground and raised the stature of India as a nuclear power, something that remained elusive for seven decades. After the Pokharan blast India was threatened by severe global sanctions. With great maturity and skill he steered clear of the situation, signed a vision document with the USA and a Declaration with Russia. Vajpayee also engaged with China to establish a mechanism like SR for peaceful resolution of the border dispute. He was firm in rejecting the US request to send the Indian Army to Iraq.
In implementing antyodaya, he gave farmers a high priority. Farmers’ welfare was close to his heart, and he ensured that credit card was not a rich man’s status symbol but a poor farmer’s basic necessity; kisans also got Kisan Credit cards. Such was the kind of out-of-box thinking Vajpayee brought to the public welfare and governance.

Vajpayee with Russia's President Vladimir Putin Atalji realised the importance of education and technology for development and made education a fundamental right through the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, and connected people via education, and this was the biggest educational programme for the universalization of elementary education. It was during his time as the Prime Minister when for first time Indian Institute of Information Technology was opened in different places and seeds were sown to create a knowledge society. He strengthened Lal Bahadur Shastri's slogan 'Jai Jawan-Jai Kisan' by enhancing to 'Jai-Jawan-Jai Kisan-Jai Vijnan'. Atal’s era fast-forwarded India’s development through his policies and programmes. As a result, India’s GDP consistently grew at eight per cent, which was for the first time in the history of the country, inflation was controlled and foreign

The Atal era marked an allencompassing approach where there could be differences in opinion, but at the end, there was a consensus in approach. He decisively steered the country out of a statusquo that had besieged the nation for decades. Not only he stitched a coalition of diverse ideologies but also carried through major reforms managing a diverse coalition.

exchange reserves kept growing and this was in the times of global uncertainties, and certainly not a small feat during the period of Asian crisis.
The Atal era marked an allencompassing approach where there could be differences in opinion, but at the end, there was a consensus in approach, and he decisively steered the country out of a status-quo that had besieged the nation for decades. Not only he stitched a coalition of diverse ideologies but also, carried through major reforms managing a diverse coalition.
Atal Bihari Vajpayee was a man on a mission, who, through his vision, words and actions, became a great consensus builder; father of coalition form of government, conciliatory politics; and inclusive development. Atalji has shown the world a new paradigm of politics ‘The Atal Paradigm’. Atalji will remain immortal. His contributions have shaped the future of New India. My association with Atalji cannot be described in a single media column. For such a multi-faceted personality - a tall statesman, it is best defined by his vision, thoughts, his style of politics and, in fact, all which gave a lead towards a glorious era.

[Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi, former President of the BJP, had been a close colleague of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and served him as a senior Cabinet colleague]



		EDITOR'S MAIL EDITOR'S COMMENT FRANKLY SPEAKING REALPOLITIK ISI WEB DRUG MENACE IN PUNJAB FARMERS' LOAN WINDOW ON M.P. HIMACHAL AGONY LOOKING BACK SIGNS OF THE TIMES PAKISTAN TODAY DRAGON DRILL IN TIBET MODI'S DIPLOMACY GLOBAL AFFAIRS REVIEW ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS HITS & MISSES DIARY BOOK BAZAAR BOOK BAZAAR CHANGING TIMES THIRD SEX YOGA IN DAILY LIFE A SPRITUAL GURU ART OF LIVING Issue:August' 2018 Subscribe Now	PASSING OF ATAL ERA A great harmoniser The human heart in him got Atalji instantly connected with people. He translated this quality in ensuring cultural, civilizational, spiritual, infrastructural connectivity. Atalji connected people, villages, towns, countries and even diverse political ideologies to stitch a diverse coalition of parties unparalleled in history ushering in a new paradigm in politics, states Dr Murli Manohar Joshi Atal the Prime Minister, Atal the Foreign Minister, Atal the Orator, Atal the Politician but along with all there epithets, I also know Atal the human being, Atal the harmonizer and Atal who introduced a new paradigm of political conduct based on Humanity (Insaniyat) and Reconciliation both in the national and international arena. He believed in connecting people locally as well as globally. The human heart in him got him instantly connected with people, and he translated this quality in ensuring cultural, civilizational, spiritual, infrastructural connectivity. Atalji connected people, villages, towns, countries and even diverse political ideologies to stitch a diverse coalition of parties unparalleled in history ushering in a new paradigm in politics. His views, expressed during the New Delhi conference on the Dialogue Among Civilisations organized by the dialogue based on the recognition of diversity and harmonizing the different viewpoints through reconciliation. I consider Vajpayee - the Harmoniser and Reconciliatier - as one of the greatest leaders of modern India. Connectivity was the Mantra which Vajpayee used as a great unifier: To connect people, he used infrastructure as a platform to connect the country’s four corners in the form of Golden Quadrilateral project; which is touted as amongst world’s longest people highways project running 5846 km, aimed to connect major agricultural, industrial and cultural centres of India. Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee with other BJP stalwarts Lal Krishna Advani and Dr Murli Manohar JoshiHis views, expressed during the New Delhi conference on the Dialogue Among Civilisations organized by the Ministry of Human Resource Development in 2003, were an indication of his global concerns, his keen desire to develop a new art and science of dialogue among civilizations as an indispensable instrument for sustainable culture of reconciliation and peace in the world. Vajpayee believed in creating a vibrant atmosphere of concord and amity among nations, continents, civilizations and peoples of the world. He wanted to create a paradigm of conduct of international affairs through dialogue based on the recognition of diversity and harmonizing the different viewpoints through reconciliation. I consider Vajpayee - the Harmoniser and Reconciliatier - as one of the greatest leaders of modern India. Connectivity was the Mantra which Vajpayee used as a great unifier: To connect people, he used infrastructure as a platform to connect the country’s four corners in the form of Golden Quadrilateral project; which is touted as amongst world’s longest people highways project running 5846 km, aimed to connect major agricultural, industrial and cultural centres of India. On one side, was the Golden Quadrilateral project, and on the other side, he gave equal importance to the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna for connecting the rural areas, thereby leading to a major economic boost for the economy. He also created the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region to connect this sector with the rest of the country. To ensure that connectivity was not only limited to hardinfrastructure through highways, he laid the foundation for a ‘Connected India’ through the national opticfiber network; the technology highway. This paved the way for creating the world’s largest and most cost-effective telecom market in the world, thereby giving a major boost to the IT revolution. Today, if India has the second largest mobile subscriber base, it is due to Atalji’s policies that laid the roadmap for the telecom sector. To connect people, he used infrastructure as a platform to connect the country’s four corners in the form of Golden Quadrilateral project; which is touted as amongst world’s longest people highways project running 5846 km, aimed to connect major agricultural, industrial and cultural centres of India. PM Vajpayee at the site of the Pokhran blast India has the largest diaspora in the world at 16 million. The Pravasi Bhartiya Divas was the brainchild of Atal Bihar Vajpayee to connect this Indian diaspora across the world and to rekindle their interest for India. This was the most innovative programme to ‘connect’ amongst the globally scattered Indians. This also led to these Indians coming back or / and investing in India. Vajpayee understood the importance of regional diplomacy in ensuring connectivity through the Look East policy; a master stroke of Vajpayee as an effort to cultivate extensive economic and strategic relations with the nations of Southeast Asia in order to bolster its standing as a regional power, and a counterweight to the strategic influence of China. His foreign policy, on one side, looked at cordial relations with the super-powers, but also, gave equal importance to neighbours through the Look – East Policy, and this was also about taking everyone along and keeping the interest of India paramount. Vajpayee with US President Bill Clinton When it came to ensuring a stronger India, he not only took a decisive step to do the Pokharan but also, stood his ground and raised the stature of India as a nuclear power, something that remained elusive for seven decades. After the Pokharan blast India was threatened by severe global sanctions. With great maturity and skill he steered clear of the situation, signed a vision document with the USA and a Declaration with Russia. Vajpayee also engaged with China to establish a mechanism like SR for peaceful resolution of the border dispute. He was firm in rejecting the US request to send the Indian Army to Iraq. In implementing antyodaya, he gave farmers a high priority. Farmers’ welfare was close to his heart, and he ensured that credit card was not a rich man’s status symbol but a poor farmer’s basic necessity; kisans also got Kisan Credit cards. Such was the kind of out-of-box thinking Vajpayee brought to the public welfare and governance. Vajpayee with Russia's President Vladimir Putin Atalji realised the importance of education and technology for development and made education a fundamental right through the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, and connected people via education, and this was the biggest educational programme for the universalization of elementary education. It was during his time as the Prime Minister when for first time Indian Institute of Information Technology was opened in different places and seeds were sown to create a knowledge society. He strengthened Lal Bahadur Shastri's slogan 'Jai Jawan-Jai Kisan' by enhancing to 'Jai-Jawan-Jai Kisan-Jai Vijnan'. Atal’s era fast-forwarded India’s development through his policies and programmes. As a result, India’s GDP consistently grew at eight per cent, which was for the first time in the history of the country, inflation was controlled and foreign The Atal era marked an allencompassing approach where there could be differences in opinion, but at the end, there was a consensus in approach. He decisively steered the country out of a statusquo that had besieged the nation for decades. Not only he stitched a coalition of diverse ideologies but also carried through major reforms managing a diverse coalition. exchange reserves kept growing and this was in the times of global uncertainties, and certainly not a small feat during the period of Asian crisis. The Atal era marked an allencompassing approach where there could be differences in opinion, but at the end, there was a consensus in approach, and he decisively steered the country out of a status-quo that had besieged the nation for decades. Not only he stitched a coalition of diverse ideologies but also, carried through major reforms managing a diverse coalition. Atal Bihari Vajpayee was a man on a mission, who, through his vision, words and actions, became a great consensus builder; father of coalition form of government, conciliatory politics; and inclusive development. Atalji has shown the world a new paradigm of politics ‘The Atal Paradigm’. Atalji will remain immortal. His contributions have shaped the future of New India. My association with Atalji cannot be described in a single media column. For such a multi-faceted personality - a tall statesman, it is best defined by his vision, thoughts, his style of politics and, in fact, all which gave a lead towards a glorious era. [Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi, former President of the BJP, had been a close colleague of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and served him as a senior Cabinet colleague]