Shiban Khaibri
Recalling the discussions in the Lok Sabha on May 27, 1996 on the motion of no confidence against the 13 days’ Government headed by Atal Behari Vajpayee, when he was vehemently opposed, criticized and questioned by the vast spectrum of members belonging to other political parties. Even when he rose as the Prime Minister to reply to the two days debate, he was intermittently subjected to interruptions, avoidable remarks and even had to face satires and puns of lesser literally levels. Mr. Sangma was the speaker and hardly any leader of the respective parties in the august House missed the opportunity to try to put Vajpayee in the docks, let alone criticize him on political grounds. Well, that being how democratic system in our country functions where apart from expressing one’s views freely, one could express the same, at times and on opportunistic occasions, on unfounded and unsubstantiated premises. In short, the same fears and apprehensions more or less, were expressed by the members in the House about Mr Vajpayee which, though with added pungency, are being aired against the Prime Ministerial candidate of the BJP Narendra Modi now by other political parties headed by the Congress in run up to the elections going to take place early next month.
It is said that History repeats itself and records every event as it happens for the coming generations to learn and draw lessons. It is aptly said that History is the witness that testifies to the passing of the time, it illuminates reality, vitalizes memory, provides guidance in the daily life and brings us the tidings of the antiquity. It can prove some of the present day decisions and opinions quite wrong later and prescribe no remedy excepting the moral to learn to have judicious, balanced, logical, purposeful and productive approach while deciding or opining about matters of importance to the society and the country. While replying on May 27, 1996 Mr Vajpayee made certain points based on logic, reason, propriety and open mindedness free from the illogical approach of criticizing for the simple reason that criticism has to be made whether warranted or not. Said he, “Governments have come, gone, changed and the process shall continue, what is important is that our democracy has triumphed. We should see that we keep on strengthening the democracy.” He said,” I have myself been criticizing in a democratic and fair manner all these 40 years, and now for full two days I too have been willy- nilly criticized.” Referring to a Sanskrit couplet he said, “One who criticizes must be kept in association and the one who flatters must be kept at a distance.” He said that “the allegations leveled against me, the blames and the accusations have saddened me to the extent of feeling injured at heart. I have had no lust for power and never employed any wrong mechanization to get to power. If people have sent us as the party with more numbers than any other, that should be no ground for accusations and blames against me. It sounds queer if not ludicrous that though the President had given me time up to May 31 to prove majority in the House, the sheer haste in advancing the date by five days of the confidence motion and not even offer thanks to the president on his address to the Parliament looks all premeditated and well planned. I have been repeatedly charged of communalism, fascism and divisive politics by the Hon’ble members most of whom have said that they will not allow the BJP to come to power. I am charged of indulging in double speak as not raking up matters like Mandir, Article 370, civil code and the like.”
How it is that now, one and all right from the Congress Party to even the smallest of Regional Parties are praising Vajpayee as, if not the all time best Prime Minister, but one of the best PMs the country had so far. In 1998, five underground nuclear tests were conducted just a month after his Government had been in power and 12 months later with just one vote short, he was relieved of Premiership as if a reward for his boldest step in the interest of the country’s defence. In castigating Narindra Modi, analogy with the “great Vajpayee” is drawn in resorting to the choicest metaphors against him. Was it not feared that under Vajpayee, the Government would do all wrongs which would take decades for the successive Governments (read Congress) to set right? Was not the fear of worsening of our relations with Pakistan with his being at the helm planted across the country by his opponents? Was not it widely propagated that the economy would get a nose dive and plunge the country in a mess? Have all such fears and apprehensions not proved utterly wrong and even motivated? Does not each and every senior leader in the Congress Party and other “secular” parties hold MrVajpayee in high esteem now though all may not openly fully acknowledge the same in the open?
Referring to our own state of Jammu and Kashmir, not only the main opposition Party but even the separatist leaders are all praises for the work and the sincerity shown for one and all in this country by Mr Vajpayee. Against all apprehensions and fears, Vajpayee Ji took very bold and daring steps to normalize and even strengthen relations with Pakistan within the “ambit of humanity”. He boarded the first bus and was the first passenger in it for Lahore in the name of “peace and lasting friendship”. It is another thing that Pakistan deliberately did not respond positively, instead did a blatant breach of trust. Who knows that Modi, if NDA is voted to power, may prove still better than Vajpayee and all those who presently take turns in accusing and blaming him to the hilt, may perhaps have remorse in the hearts of their hearts in the near future for having accused him in the same way as they or their senior leaders had done against Vajpayee Ji.
It won’t be out of place to mention that the Chairman of Hurriyat Conference (M) Mirwaiz Omar Farooq has expressed the hope that if Narindra Modi becomes the Prime Minister , he will fit in the shoes of former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. He has further said, ” May be it is going to be a blessing in disguise in a sense that if BJP comes to power, you may see more initiative, more gestures towards Kashmir and towards Pakistan, he will surely reach to the people of Kashmir and I think he started it with his speech in Jammu ( Dec 2013).” Criticizing heavily the UPA Government, the Mirwaiz further said that UPA failed to reach out to the people of Kashmir, you had Manmohan Singh as PM and he could have done a lot but he failed. BJP clearly takes the credit of having peace talks with Pakistan, says the Mirwaiz. He further maintains that BJP is better in terms of dealing with problems as compared to Congress and they will like to shun the image that it is a party that is capable of dividing the people on communal lines, doing politics of hate and politics of religion.”
A well known journalist of the country M.J. Akbar while joining the BJP has eulogized Modi saying that his leadership is very essential for the country. He further has said that no politician in the country has been subjected to so much scrutiny during the last 10 years. The veteran journalist further says that Modi was scrutinized by police, central government, CBI, court appointed institutions etc and all those who rake up this issue all the time must read the Justice (VR) Krishna report on Gujarat riots. He says that as against more than 100 being in jail through the legal system in Gujarat, can anyone tell me such numbers as far as the 1984 and 1993 riots are concerned? He hoped that Muslims will join hands with BJP and come out of politics of fear.
Vajpayee has belatedly been accepted as a matured politician, visionary statesman, an able administrator and a person with high human feelings and in the same way, if voted to power, Modi too may prove rather better; till then, the campaign of accusations, blames and personal invectives, even threatening may be replaced by healthy and policy based criticism. People are supreme and can vote any party to power in the ensuing elections, the constitution of the country and the democratic institutions are sacrosanct to all. None can dare violate the provisions of our constitution, not in the least, not in any circumstances.
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