“Narendra Modi as Prime Minister of India is a success story of Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s political career,” Kabindra Purkayastha

“Andhera Chatega, Suraj Niklega, Kamal Khilga.”

“On April 6, 1980, when Atal Bihari Vajpayee gave this historic speech in Mumbai announcing the formation of the Bharatiya Janata Party, “I was right there, sitting in front of him and getting inspired by each and every word he uttered,” recalls, Kabindra Purkayastha.

This week, on August 16, is the second death anniversary of former Prime Minister of India – Bharat Ratna, Atal Bihari Vajpayee. “It is a day that makes me sad. Vajpayee Ji leaving us forever is something that I never imagined in my life,” says Kabindra Purkayastha who was a Union Minister in Vajpayee’s cabinet.

The veteran BJP leader credits Atal Bihari Vajpayee for his political career. “I got into politics because of him. I still remember, after the first Adiveshan speech in Mumbai on April 6, 1980, he had asked me to meet him. When I went to him in the evening, he said, go straight to Guwahati and start forming a strong BJP,” says Purkayastha.

Purkayastha remembers the days during Kargil War where India took on neighbours Pakistan. “He was clear from the outset that there will be no compromise and India must dominate. That is a war where Vajpayee Ji did not let an inch of India slip away and stood firm throughout,” assesses Purkayastha.

Sharing about Vajpayee’s vision of India, Purkayastha says he always wanted a progressive, shinning India which stays true to the essence of Indianness. “From remote villages to cities, it was all the same for Vajpayee Ji. He believed every Indian citizen is a part of the Indian way of life. He believed Hindutva is a way of life which is every Indian’s way of life,” said Purkayastha.

Encouraging young leaders is one of the many characteristics that Vajpayee had according to Purkayastha. “As a leader, he was a visionary man. It is his vision and dreams that Narendra Modi Ji is fulfilling today as the Prime Minister of the country. Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister of India is a success story of Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s political career,” said Purkayastha.

The recent ‘Bhoomi Pujan’ of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya was a widely discussed event all around the world. “Vajpayee Ji was in no doubt that the temple must be built and must be built in Ayodhya itself. He believed that Ram Mandir in Ayodhya will be a landmark moment for all Indians and not just one particular community,” said Purkayastha.

He concluded by saying that he misses the former Prime Minister very often, “He was a guiding light for me.”