Vajpayee’s Story About A Nehru Portrait

Brut India

"In Parliament, I had my fair share of arguments with Nehru ji." This Atal Bihari Vajpayee speech was a throwback to the times when Indian politics was far less acrimonious.

Transcript

00:00It is not that Nehru ji was not discriminated against, and discrimination used to arise in debates.

00:10I once told the Pandit ji that you have a mixed personality, and you have both Churchill and Chamberlain.

00:19Congress's friends may not believe it, but there used to be a picture of Nehru ji in the South Block.

00:30I used to see it while coming and going.

00:35There used to be a knock-joke with Nehru ji in the Sadan.

00:41I was new, I used to sit in the back.

00:44Sometimes I had to walk out to speak.

00:49But slowly, slowly, I made space, I moved forward.

00:55And when I became a foreign minister, one day I saw a picture of Nehru ji hanging in the alley.

01:02I said, where did this picture go?

01:07There was no response.

01:09That picture was put up again.

01:13Is there a value for this sentiment?

01:19Is there a value for this sentiment?

01:24It is not that Nehru ji was not discriminated against, and discrimination used to arise in debates.

01:32I said to the priest once that you have a mixed personality and you have Churchill and Chamberlain as well.

01:42He didn't get angry.

01:45In the evening we met at a banquet and he said,

01:49today you have given a very powerful speech.

01:51And he left with a smile.

01:54Don't criticize like this nowadays.

01:57You are inviting enmity.

02:02People will stop talking.

02:06Can't we work together as a nation?

02:12Can't we all face the upcoming crises as a nation?

02:18One century is coming to an end and the second century is standing at the door.

02:26If you want to leave us and try something new,

02:30I have no objection.

02:33But let us succeed in what we are trying to do.

02:37This is what I want to request you.

02:40When our neighbour decided to raise the issue of Kashmir in the meeting of human rights in Geneva,

02:51the Prime Minister of that time, Narasimha Rao,

02:58looked at me and said,

03:00I will go there and represent India.

03:05The people of our neighbouring country were very surprised.

03:11The leaders there were also surprised.

03:14One of the leaders said,

03:18India's democracy is a strange democracy,

03:23that a representative leader goes to Geneva to support his government.

03:30And our representative leader,

03:33who creates difficulties within the country,

03:40creates international barriers.

03:45People said, Narasimha Rao is not a simple man, he is a very clever man.

03:51Don't think that he is only sending people to show the unity of the country.

03:57In some places, it may also happen in their minds,

04:01that if things don't work out in Geneva,

04:04and a proposal is passed against it,

04:07then to make up for the mistakes,

04:09a sacrifice can be made.

04:14I don't believe this.

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