The death of India’s iconic leader, poet-politician and three-time prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on August 16, 2018 marked the end of an era in the country’s politics. A singular politician-statesman and a stirring orator, Vajpayee inspired respect and admiration from across the political spectrum. Born in 1924 in Gwalior, Vajpayee became the first non- Congress PM to serve a full five-year term as the leader of the world’s most populous democracy (1999-2004).
A man of many parts, Vajpayee will be remembered for his witty one-liners and profound wisdom, as crystallized in his speeches and poems.
Vajpayee, in His Own Words
Here are some of Vajpayee’s oft-quoted sayings that encapsulate multiple strands of his worldview.
Ø 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.
Ø People want government to deliver – here and now.
Ø India has the sanction of her own past glory and future vision to become strong – in every sense of the term.
Ø India is not secular, then India is not India at all.
Ø No guns but only brotherhood can resolve the problems.
Ø I would like that no citizen of the state feels alone and helpless. The entire nation is with them.
Ø 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.
Ø Quiet diplomacy is far more effective than public posturing.
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