The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) is making sure that the legacy of its one of the tallest leaders lives on. The country lost its beloved leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee on 16th August. The BJP is working very hard to make sure that Atal Ji gets his rightful place in the history of India. The country is in dire need of a new national icon and Atal Ji is the most suitable person for the vacant position. It is clear that the nation is no longer willing to accept icons like Nehru. The larger than life myth of Nehru has been squarely busted, now the nation passionately wants a new national icon one who is accepted by all, admired by all and whose integrity, nationalism and political acumen is beyond reproach. Atal Ji fits this criterion. He is considered to be the ‘Ajatshatru’ of the Indian politics.
The top leadership of the BJP is a roadmap to make Atal Ji the next national icon. According to a The New Indian Express report: “The BJP’s quest to establish Vajpayee as a foremost national icon has just begun. The statewide yatras to immerse ashes of Vajpayee in over 100 rivers across the country are only the beginning. The top leadership of the party will be meeting around Raksha Bandhan to chalk out a plan of action to cement Vajpayee in the minds of the people,” said a top-ranking BJP leader on the condition of anonymity. He further added, “For almost four decades, the Congress reaped political dividends because of the Gandhi-Nehru legacy. Vajpayee is fresh in the memory of the people. We’ve at our disposal rich resources in the form of his speeches on diverse subjects, besides his poetry. That the party is in power at the Centre and in about 22 states will come in handy to execute the plan in the course of the next few months.”
Construction of memorials, renaming cities, naming roads and highways, starting scholarships and awards in Atal Ji’s name are in the to do list of the topmost leadership of the BJP to keep Atal Ji’s legacy alive. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh has already declared that a statue of the former PM will be installed in all the 27 district headquarters of the state. He also declared that the new capital of the state Naya Raipur which is being developed at a location approximately 20 km southeast of Raipur will now be named Atal Nagar, after the late PM. The Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh governments have also announced schemes to pay tribute to Atal Ji and keep his legacy alive. The MP government will include a biography of Atal Ji in school textbooks. The state government announced that it will name cities after Atal Ji.
The BJP leader also said, “The Congress didn’t allow any icons to get their respectful places. Sardar (Vallabhbhai) Patel too wasn’t allowed his rightful place. The table has turned, and now the BJP is in a similar position as the Congress had been in the 1970s.” The anonymous BJP leader has rightly observed, the Congress has always suppressed all other political heroes of India who contributed immensely to the country. It only promoted Nehru because of whom the country suffered a lot. A whitewashing of the highest order has been perpetrated by the Congress ecosystem to promote and establish Nehru as the national icon of India. But now the country wants to get rid of this forced imposition. It wants to embrace Atal Ji as its new national icon. When it comes to contribution to the country, political acumen, love and acceptance among the people of the country, Atal Ji is way ahead of Nehru. Atal Ji thrived in an age of coalition politics. He remained unblemished and untainted throughout his decades-long political career. India achieved new heights under his leadership. He was honest, forthcoming, and a man of character. The BJP is doing its level best to elevate Atal Ji to the status of national icon that he rightfully deserves, and to ensure that his legacy isn’t forgotten. In Atal, the collective conscience of India will be getting an icon that it has longed for. And this icon is not propped up by a coterie but has been built by the love and devotion of Indians. Atal Ji is the ambassador of modern India, a new India, a better India.