“Vajpayee: The Ascent of the Hindu Right 1924-77”, Abhishek Choudhary’s biography of the late Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, captures his early years and reveals how Vajpayee handled political and ideological issues as well as the blurred boundaries between conservative and liberal politics in the years leading up to and following independence.
Choudhary, like all good biographers, avoids letting biases and prejudices take centre stage and instead gives a very insightful picture of Atal, covering everything from his early Arya Samaj influences to his time as editor of RSS mouthpieces Rashtradharma and Panchajanya, his struggles with Syama Prasad Mookerji, his rise to the position of Jan Sangh president, his voluntary resignation as Jan Sangh chief, his imprisonment during Indira Gandhi’s emergency, and his appointment as India’s foreign minister during the Janata coalition in 1977.
Numerous myths and half-truths around Vajpayee have been dispelled. The book’s opening section, “A Hindu Soul Ripens 1924-53,” opens with an unfolding tale of Bateshwar, the birthplace of Vajpayee, the fifth of seven children, which is 66 kilometres from Agra in Uttar Pradesh rather than Gwalior. The book also discovers that Vajpayee’s profile gets adorned, seemingly with his permission, as he rises to prominence on the right.
Vajpayee’s travels, particularly his overseas trips, greatly expanded his perspective on the world at large. The author describes in great detail his first international travel to the United States, where he was amazed by the country’s multi-ethnic and multicultural society. He wanted to find out what united society. Following that, he toured with nearly every parliamentary delegation. In fact, by the time he was appointed external affairs minister in 1977, he had visited more than 16 nations, which was a significant amount of travel at the time. All of this caused his perspective to broaden, something that did not occur for the RSS.
With his several unsuccessful attempts at editorial activity, Atal momentarily went underground following Gandhi’s killing on January 30, 1948, and the RSS’s subsequent ban. Atal did not leave the Sangh; in fact, his unwavering loyalty to the Sangh Parivar caused his popularity among RSS circles to rise significantly.
The straightforward lifestyle that his boss, Syama Prasad Mookerji, the head of the Jan Sangh, followed impressed Atal. Mookerji seemed at ease travelling in a third-class coach, telling jokes and exchanging personal stories with the young journalist, in contrast to other powerful individuals Atal held in high regard. When writing on Syama Babu, Atal notes: “He patted your back once with love, and you would be ready to die for him.”
When Vajpayee was named Mookerjee’s private secretary in early 1953, his life underwent yet another significant shift. He threw himself into politics, helping to form a party and then standing for elections. However, Mookerjee was in bad health and passed away unexpectedly while being held captive in Kashmir. Vajpayee was then viewed as a protégé by Deendayal Upadhyaya, the RSS-Jana Sangh’s archetypal organisation man. We learn of Vajpayee’s grief at Upadhyaya’s untimely death after he fell off (or was pushed off) a train, and the strong ties between the two are beautifully depicted.
The clear writing of Abhishek Choudhary describes Atal, how the young Pracharak transformed into a politician, and how he changed with time. Atal used doublespeak frequently. Because of this, several people, including Acharya Kripalani, had called him “Nehruvian in Jan Sanghi garb.”
The details of Vajpayee’s private life are unclear and have been kept under wraps. The author gives his protagonist’s personal life more depth by recounting Atal’s connection with Rajkumari Kaul, who attempted to strike a balance between the husband and the lover. Abhishek Chaudhary describes Atal’s romantic relationship that developed within Ramjas College with the warden’s “attractive, affable, kind, articulate” wife—and the careful way each person handled their role.
Abhishek Choudhary is a gifted storyteller. Instead of worshipping heroes, he portrays the people in all their glory and imperfections. Among the best biographies of Indian politicians is this book.
Shahruk Ahmed Mazumdar is a Writer, Columnist
X/Twitter id: @Shahrukhahmedsk
Email Id: [email protected]
