BJP TODAY

September 16--30, 2004 - Vol. 13, No. 18

Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat speaks out on current situation
His "Mahamahim" status restrains the outspoken statesman
By our special correspondent

The Rajasthan farmer now occupying the second highest office in the country, his outspokenness shackled by his "Mahamhim" (His Excellency) status, Bhairon Singh Shekhawat could still pour out his heart on issues that had been dear to him at a ceremony in which he unveiled a volume on Atalji's speeches in Parliament during the last six years that highlighted the efficacy of a coalition system of governance in India.

Touching a wide range of subjects such as farmers' welfare, rural development, ostentatious behaviour of present-day politicians and "institutionalised" corruption, Bhairon Singh Shekhawat's anguish could hardly be overlooked by anyone in the large audience which had gathered on the occasion at the National Museum auditorium on September 2.

On a number of occasions, this rustic farmer from Rajasthan who had finessed in the art of consensus politics both in Rajasthan and at the Centre - he was thrice Chief Minister of coalition governments - had gone to the brink, as it were, of violating the unwritten restrictions placed on his status on such issues at corruption in delivery of assistance to the poor in villages, terming it "delivery of corruption".

In an apparent reference to the practice of political parties to hold their conferences in expensive hotels, Shri Shekhawat recalled an incident during the Jana Sangh days when Deendayal Upadhayaji had ruled that the working committee meeting of the party, for which the Rajasthan unit had chosen Kota as the venue, should be held only a "dharamshala" and no one attending it should stay in a hotel. It is another matter that the time of the year was the height of summer and the "dharamshala" of course had no air-conditioners in operation.

Shri Shekhawat recalled that as early as in 1972, some Pakistani admirers living just across he Rajasthan border had predicted that Atalji would become the Prime Minister of India one day. The occasion was the presence of Atalji at Gadra Road, the last railway station on the (pre-partition) Jodhpur-Hyderabad (Sind) metre gauge section of the Railways. Atalji had gone there in connection with an agitation against the return of several thousand Pakistanis who had crossed the border and had come down to the Indian side during the war. After the Shimla act, it was decided by the Government of India that these Pakistanis would have to be sent back. The Jana Sangh was totally opposed to this had hence the agitation.

When the agitation was on, Atalji was arrested and was to be lodged at a place not particularly will equipped. Upon which, the people living on the other side of the border said they would lodge Atalji at a better place "since he would become the Prime Minister of India one day".

Shri Shekhawat, never lacking the sense of humor, claimed that he was senior to Atalji since he had been elected to a legislature (the Rajasthan State Assembly) in 1952 for the first time while Atalji entered the legislature (the Lok Sabha) only five years later, in 1957.

Besides, Shri Shekhawat said, he missed Atalji's "body language" while going through his speeches in the volume he released.

The Vice President paid handsome tributes to the Golden Quadrilateral and other Highway Projects undertaken during Atalji's Prime Ministership and said that as a result of this, Jaipur and Delhi had almost become one city just like Delhi and Noida as also Delhi and Gurgaon had. Anyone flying low in an aircraft over the Delhi-Jaipur highway would find hundreds of shops on both sides of the highway, providing huge employment to people and route. The Prime Minister's Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) too had brought about such a change, he said.

Shri Shekhawat referred to the Pokaran II explosion and said that Shri Vajpayee had intimated him about the impending event (he was the Chief Minister of Rajasthan then) at about midnight the day before. He obtained confirmation of the event when Atalji spoke after the explosions took place the next morning Pokaran II was an act of great courage, he said.

The Vice President also spoke about the principles of running coalition governments on this occasion.