The world engulfed in the cataclysmic crises from all sides, where Chinese hegemonic jingoism is seeking to re-define the world order, Asia in particular and the world in general today are craving for the statesmanship vision of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Unequivocally, with statesmanship being alien to today’s leadership trait in today’s time, the kaleidoscopic statesmanship vision of Atal Bihari Vajpayee is conspicuous by its absence. Small wonder then, the glaring vacuum of which is so palpably felt in today’s world politics.
Vivekanand Jha Ranchi: The world today is torn by hyper–nationalism on the one hand, and the hegemonic mindset striving to upend hitherto the established world order on the other. China’s ballistic mood to annex Taiwan, has already raised the temperature across the South China Sea. On the other hand, Chinese unrelenting aggression forming its template of browbeating its neighbours into abysmal submission, stands vindicated by its latest manoeuvres in Ladakh on the one hand, and sending its warship in Hambanthota harbour in Srilanka, for conducting surveillance on the missiles testing in India, has already triggered a deep sense of anxiety and concerns in India. Worse still, the footprints of Chinese expansionism is reverberating across Asia, so much so that Japan, a pacifist nation, which had shunned the nuclear weapons, is compelled to revisit its stand brought about by the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, during the second world war. If the latest news is to be believed, Japan is resurrecting its notorious army, Samurai, for defending its sovereignty. Pakistan, always a naughty child, whose raison d’etre and summum bonum is to disintegrate India, is busy importing terrorism to keep India ever on boil. Regrettably, while the world is already witnessing an ongoing prolonged war in Ukraine, the opening of another front in Taiwan strait, appears to plunge the entire world in the irretrievable crises which, if not averted, will invite destruction upon earth, the degree and magnitude of the scale is only to be speculated.
Significantly, when the world is hurtling towards another escalating crises, when the fascism of China is seeking to duplicate Nazism of the second world war, the world today appears completely bereft of any credible statesmanship to avoid this impending trap for humanity. Significantly, with the chances of third world war knocking our door, with NATO forces standing in solidarity with USA and Britain against China, to defend Taiwan if it is attacked, has deteriorated to such an extent that the possibility of third world war conspicuously looms on the horizon. Hence against this backdrop, when the world stands divided–either pro or anti- China–the statesmanship to extricate the situation out of this mess appears to create a havoc on humanity. Further, as the world is torn by the clash of elephantine ego of expansionism, India’s internal situation too appears to be fragile and dishevelled. The religious polarisation brought about by the consolidation of vote bank politics, appears to take the constitutional India further away from its moorings of civilisational Bharat. Unequivocally then, scorched by the internal turmoil and external jingoism, India today, on such a special occasion as the death anniversary of Ataljee, the statesman prime minister of India, whose large heartedness backed by his predilection for serving humanity, is the most sought after leadership skills which is so conspicuous by its absence in India and the world. ‘ You can change your friends but not your neighbours’, this visionary conceptualisation of the importance of neighbour, was distinctively delineated by Ataljee who, despite being cheated scores of times, continued steadfastly with his belief that, a good neighbourly relations between India and Pakistan was the foundation for peace in Asia. Significantly, his Lahore visit, which was sabotaged by Kargil, still was a precursor to Agra Summit, for Ataljee sincerely believed that the key to solution was the friendliness between India and Pakistan. No wonder, the failure of Agra summit, even though was dubbed as a fiasco, nonetheless Ataljee was an eternal believer, whose deep faith that India, Pakistan, despite having become two sovereigns, still needed to live as good neighbours, not as hostile adversaries, far less like enemies.
Even the hijack of IC814 from Kathmandu to Kandahar with Indian passengers on board, contributing to Ataljee’s losing much of his goodwill, yet his absolute faith in humanity was not shattered. His moving positively towards the resolution of Kashmir issue by laying his broad parameters of ‘ Kasmiriyat, Jamhooriyat and Insaaniyat’ enormously resonated with the myriad stakeholders of Kashmir. Ataljee was in favour of working out a holistic package for resolution of issues which continued to inflame passions in Kashmir. Remarkably indeed, presiding over a coalition government, he negotiated with the predicaments from all sides, yet gave India its hitherto the biggest treasure: The status of nuclear power. Ataljee had the magnanimity of taking the most turbulent and unpredictable Mamata on the one hand, and the egoist and supercilious Jayalalitha on the other. Significantly, even while managing a coalition government, Ataljee never compromised on his principles. He was always prepared to exit the government, rather than bend down to compromise with his principles.
Writing a biography on Ataljee, Sagarika Ghose had paid a rich tribute to the former prime minister, dubbing him as India’s most loved prime minister. Paradoxically, despite being a Brahmin, Ataljee was seldom a characteristic Brahmin, worshipping god and embracing vegetarianism; in fact, he was fish loving person, who seldom had any Brahmin like inclination for ritualistic worship. He always strove for consensual leadership, even the continuation of Narendra Modi in Gujarat was on account of lack of consensus for his removal. A man who believed in consensus, would bury his own decision against the consensus in his cabinet. Small wonder then, while seeking the Vote of Confidence, during his first stint for 13 days, almost all spoke against the Confidence, had showered their collective praise on him, while lashing out at his party, ‘ Ataljee is good but his party is not’. ‘ A right man in the wrong part’. Speaking on the Confidence Vote, unequivocally, the best speech ever delivered in parliament, Ataljee had sought to debunk the theocracy as a pattern of governance in India.
Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the first Indian to have delivered his speech in Hindi in United Nations. Notwithstanding the present day rhetorics of BJP, Ataljee was genuinely the one for whom India always came first. His entire life was dedicated to the nation. Small wonder then, when by the grace of divine, I had a chance for his darshan in the January of 2018 while he was confined to his bed, I continued to hum on my way to meet him, yet praying to God that he should be fine so that I could have a glimpse of the Bhisma Pitamaha of Indian politics. ‘ Aap Hain wohi Hind nay jise apna kaha, apna kaha’, I continued to hum this Bollywood song, for none to my mind, ever came so close to the hearts of the people, even though he might never have met him. Standing before Bhisma Pitamaha of Indian politics, as tears gushed out from my eyes , the eternal verse of Bhagvatam could never have come at a more opportune time: ‘ Avashyamev bhoktavyam kriti karma subhashubham’ ( Before the law of karma, even the kings and the beggars are alike). While exiting his room, I wondered, if ever India will produce such a prodigious son for whom the heart of the fellow citizens would so longingly hum the song as I did so evocatively: ‘ Aap Hain wohi Hind nay jisey apna kaha, apna kaha’. Indeed India and the world are missing the statesmanship vision of Ataljee, which is so crucial for the world of today hurling towards an inevitable abyss.
Vivekanand Jha, Author, Academician and a Public Intellectual.
