Apart from being a celebrated poet, former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was well known for his rhetoric and oratory skills and this craft of his was well reflected in his speeches which acted as milestones in history of Indian politics.
Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee is widely regarded as one of India’s most significant Prime Ministers and political leaders. His tenure and leadership were marked by several notable aspects. Vajpayee was known for his ability to build consensus among diverse political groups. Leading a coalition government, he successfully managed to bring together various parties with different ideologies and create a stable administration.
His government implemented key economic reforms that laid the foundation for India’s rapid economic growth. Initiatives like the Golden Quadrilateral highway project, telecom reforms, and fiscal consolidation were significant achievements of his tenure. In 1998, under his leadership, India conducted nuclear tests in Pokhran, making India a declared nuclear weapons state. This move was met with international sanctions but showcased India’s strategic autonomy and defense capabilities.
In every significant occasions he had delivered remarkable speeches. He was renowned for his eloquent speeches. Here are some of his most famous ones:
1996: Trust Vote Speech
Vajpayee in Lok Sabha when his government faced a trust vote in May 1996 delivered this historical speech.
Whenever, it was needed we helped then governments as opposition. Then Prime Minister Narsimha Rao sent me Geneva as Leader of Opposition to represent the country and Pakistani leaders were shocked. They were asking how is that possible as in their country, the leaders in the opposition always try to bring down the government. This is their nature but not our tradition.
I want such type of tradition to continue in our country as the game of power will go on). Governments will come and go. Parties will be made and unmade. This country should survive, its democracy should survive till eternity.
This discussion will end today but the era will start tomorrow it needs some attention as I believe the bitterness between the government and the opposition should not increase.
1998: Nuclear Tests Speech
Nobody had anticipated what the prime minister had in his mind. But what he announced left everybody sitting there flabbergasted. India had gone nuclear. In the deserts of Rajasthan, India had detonated two nuclear devices and a thermo-nuclear device. The world was shocked and the country was jubilant. Seldom Indians all across the globe had felt so proud of being an Indian.
Following the successful nuclear tests at Pokhran, Vajpayee addressed the nation, emphasizing India’s right to self-defense and its commitment to peace.
Addressing the parliament, Vajpayee said that it is surprised to see that nuclear test was also criticised by the Opposition and we were asked which danger was dangling on the nation so that the tests were done. The nuclear test was a preemptive measure for any danger on the country. The same was also attempted during Indira Gandhi’s government earlier.
The nuclear tests were done for self defence.
“We have been the victims of three attacks. This fate should not repeat. We are not getting ready to attack anyone. We don’t have that intention. I was asked about the connection between Pokhran-2 and the Lahore bus service. They are two sides of the same coin – the strength of our defence and the hand of friendship — the hand of friendship through honesty.” – Mr Vajpayee speaks in Lok Sabha after the nuclear tests in Pokhran.
“The Pokhran-2 nuclear tests were conducted neither for self-glorification, nor for any display of machismo. But this has been our policy, and I think it is also the policy of the nation, that there should be minimum deterrence, which should also be credible. This is why we took the decision to conduct tests,” he said.
1999: Kargil War Speech
During the Kargil conflict in 1999, Vajpayee’s speech to the nation was one of resilience and determination, assuring the citizens of India’s capability to defend its borders.
According to https://archivepmo.nic.in, Vajpayee said “it is a situation that has arisen from one simple fact the decision of Pakistan to cross the Line of Control, to send its men and materials to occupy and territory. No government can tolerate such an incursion – our Government certainly will not. Countries the world over have recognized that we have the full right to evict these intruders from our soil. But for me and for my Government this is not just a matter of our having a tight. It is our duty to rid our sacred Motherland of every single intruder. For this reason, as you have seen, our armed forces have launched a major operation to drive them back.”
He said that no one should entertain the slightest doubt: they shall not stop till they have completely attained their objective. No one shall stop them till they have done so. You know well that our relations with Pakistan, as with all our neighbours, were improving rapidly: The Prime Ministers and other ministers of the two countries were in regular contact.
In the midst of all this, regulars of Pakistan Army and infiltrators have been sent across. Fomenting insurgency here was heinous enough. But this time Army regulars have been sent. They have been sent to occupy our territory. And, having occupied it, to choke off our links with other parts of our country – in particular with Siachen and Ladakh. This step has been taken after a great deal of preparation. It was a pre-planned operation. It is a repudiation of the letter and spirit of the Lahore Declaration. It is a violation not just of one article of the Shimla Agreement, but an eight-fold violation of that solemn Agreement.
“I remain confident that the people of Pakistan too yearn for peace and harmony. They know the possible costs of hostilities — of how these will push economic gains even further beyond the horizon. They know that in today’s world whosoever launches aggression of any kind will get isolated in the international community,” Vajpayee said.
Moreover both India and Pakistan are nuclear powers. So India’s responsibilities in this regard are all the greater.
“Our first thought, and our last thought must be for our jawans, for our airmen and our officers who are fighting back the intruders. I want each one of them to know: the entire country stands with you, every Indian is grateful to you. The whole operation has been thrust upon us. To ensure victory, you would not be wanting in your requirements. Have confidence in the ability of our armed forces. The armed forces shall accomplish this task and ensure that no one dares to indulge in this kind of misadventure in future,” he said.
2003: Speech at the United Nations
Vajpayee’s address at the UN General Assembly focused on global peace, terrorism, and the importance of international cooperation.
One issue on which the UN showed remarkable unanimity after 9/11 was global terrorism. Security Council Resolutions 1373 and 1456 were unequivocal in condemning all forms of terrorism and in calling for united action against support, shelter, sponsorship, arming, training and financing for terrorism or terrorists.
Yesterday, the President of Pakistan chose this august assembly to make a public admission for the first time that Pakistan is sponsoring terrorism in Jammu & Kashmir. After claiming that there is an indigenous struggle in Kashmir, he has offered to encourage a general cessation of violence within Kashmir, in return for ~reciprocal obligations and restraints, he said.
India totally refuse to let terrorism become a tool of blackmail. Just as the world did not negotiate with Al-Qaida or the Taliban, we shall not negotiate with terrorism.
“If we do so, we would be betraying the people of Jammu & Kashmir, who defied a most ferocious campaign of violence and intimidation sponsored from across our borders, and participated in an election, which has been universally hailed as free and fair. This was an unequivocal expression of both determination and self-determination,” he said.
When the cross-border terrorism stops or when we eradicate it we can have a dialogue with Pakistan on the other issues between India and Pakistan, he said adding that “While on this subject, I would also like to point out to the President of Pakistan that he should not confuse the legitimate aspiration for equality of nations with outmoded concepts of military parity.”
2003: Independence Day Speech
On this auspicious day which was also the last Indpendence Day speech of Vajpayee, he delivered a heartfelt speech to the nation. Below are few excerpts:
My greetings to all the jawans of the three Armed Forces and to the security personnel. We gratefully remember those brave soldiers who laid down their lives while guarding our frontiers or in the battle against terrorism.
This year the festival of freedom has arrived bringing the message of good rains in most parts of the country. We hope that the areas, which have not yet received adequate rainfall, would do so.
The last year went by in grappling with the crisis of drought. We assisted all the drought-hit areas to the fullest extent, sent adequate foodgrains there, and ensured that there was no hunger anywhere. We also took care of the mute cattle.
The world is changing. New challenges are emerging before us. We have to make India stronger both economically and socially. In the past five years, India’s prestige in the world has gone up, thanks to our pro-active foreign policy. The international community’s way of looking at us has undergone a big change. The world is now recognizing India:
In recent months, there has been some progress in normalizing relations with Pakistan. Nevertheless, terrorist activities are still continuing. The test of our neighbour’s sincerity lies in whether he is prepared to stop cross-border terrorism totally.
We hope that Pakistan abjures its anti-India outlook. The people of both countries wish to live in peace.
I have been telling our Pakistani friends that we have spent fifty years fighting. How much more blood is yet to be spilt? The two of us need to fight against poverty, against unemployment, and against backwardness.
An India that was perennially troubled by a paucity of foreign exchange, has today accumulated nearly US $ 100 billion of foreign exchange reserves. The prices of essential commodities are under control. There is no shortage of anything in the market. Poverty is declining. It is our resolve to eradicate it faster.
