The Unforgettable Leader of India: Late Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Atal Bihari Vajpayee passed away at the age of 93 yesterday i.e. on 16th August, 2018. With the whole nation mourning his loss, let's look back at his remarkable journey as a politician and Indian Prime Minister - three times.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee was born in the year 1924. He was influenced by the world of politics since an early age. After completing his MA in Political Science from Kanpur, he joined Arya Samaj and RSS to climb through his political ambitions. He is often cited as the birth leader of BJP, the incumbent party in India right now, due to his active involvement in its formation, dissolution and at last, reformation in the year 1980. He also played a dynamic role in Quit-India Movement, being influenced by Babasaheb Apte at that time. He and his brother were arrested for 23 days during the movement.

He was the first non-congress PM to serve a full term in the office. His previous two terms - 13 days in 1996 and 11 months from 1989-99 - were put to an end after the party was not able to garner enough majority in Lok Sabha. But his second term holds importance in the history of India due to two primary achievements - first, due to successful nuclear tests despite international criticism and second, the key role he played during the Kargil War.

During his 5-year term, he played quite crucial part in social and economic development of India. His first challenge came during the Indian airline hijack when India had to succumb to the demands of the terrorists in exchange of the passengers. His other challenges included turbulence at the time of 2002 Gujarat riots and 2001 attack on Parliament. Vajpayee played a key role in initiating National Highway Project and introduced many reforms such as boosting private sector and foreign investments, reducing government waste and investing in R&D.

In 2005, Vajpayee announced his retirement from politics. He has remained a bachelor for most of his life. In 2009, he suffered a stroke that led to loss of speech and dementia. He was also suffering from kidney infection, UTI and even respiratory problems. He was admitted to AIIMS  on 11th of June in critical condition and died on 16th of August 2018.

Vajpayee will always be remembered as a monumental figure in Indian politics.