A Politician & an Honest Man

By S Narendra

Former adviser to Vajpayee and other PMs

Pic courtesy: www.bjp.org

Indian democracy has lost in Atal Behari Vajyaee’s passing away one of its foremost champions. I had the privilege of working with him when he was the prime minister, the last among the four PMs I served as the Information Adviser. He was enormously courteous, open-minded, patient in his dealing with civil servants like me. Atal ji encouraged us to speak up our minds frankly. In one of my previous posts on PRapport, I have narrated my experience of serving Prime Minister Vajpayee during his 13 days stint in office in 1996. (http://prapport.blogspot.com/2015/09/blast-from-past-vajpayees.html)

Customarily, prime minister’s make a formal TV/Radio broadcast to the nation soon after assuming office. As expected, when Vajpayeeji became PM, I was asked by his close political aide Pramod Mahajan to call the Doordarshan camera person to record the broadcast.

When the TV camera crew was making arrangements in PM’s office, where Vajpayeeji was going through the draft text penned by Mahajan, the prime minister called me and asked: ‘Have you seen the draft’. I had not. Although I had kept a draft ready, Mahajan had told me that my draft was not required.

On the prime minister instructions, I read the draft and hesitatingly give my opinion thus: “Sir, you are a national leader. Somehow, this draft makes you a BJP prime minister. It does not fit your stature.”

Vajpayeeji reread the draft. The broadcast was cancelled.

I had not known Vajpayee ji personally. Some persons in the party and media had conveyed to him that I was a Congress party chela and should be replaced.

Vajpayee ji could be a devastating critic of his political opponents. Verbal attacks were measured and had rapier like sharpness, but always fair, and rarely confrontationist. As a result, in politics he was a consensus builder.

India of the present misses him and his political sagacity.