I have very fond memories of Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
A few weeks after he took oath as the Prime Minister for the second time, I received a phone call. The caller informed me that he was speaking from the Prime Minister’s Office. I was surprised and anxious to know why would the Prime Minister’s Office be calling me. My friend, Shakti Sinha had taken over as the Secretary of the Prime Minister. He requested me to come to Delhi in the next few days, without mentioning why.
I arrived in Delhi and I was informed that we are going on a holiday with the Prime Minister to Manali. While Vajpayee took a helicopter, I drove with Shakti Sinha’s family. Atalji’s family owned a house in Manali and I spent a week there. It was a pleasure listening to him talk on varied subjects at the breakfast table. His humility amazed me.
He told me that he loved fish and I offered to cook Goan fish curry for him. Whatever my cooking skills, I can claim that I cooked for the Prime Minister of the country. I made fish curry and fried the local fish, which was delivered by a friend. His companion, Mrs Kaur taught me how to make Kashmiri Mutton Kofta. We called her Bibi Mausi. She was an amazing lady, totally in control of the whole house. Her Mutton Koftas were divine. I still follow the same recipe.
I never felt I was staying at the PM’s home. He exuded a great charm and it was a pleasure to listen to him talk in Hindi. I did not have the opportunity to listen to a poem from the poet PM. However, after a few years, I did receive a book of his poems.I clicked a few pictures when we went for walks. On one occasion I requested him to pose with a waving hand. “Haath nahin dikhayenge, I shall not show my hand. Hand belongs to Congress”. He joked.
Atalji was one of the greatest orators the country has produced, who was even admired by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru for his skills. I have attended his speeches on many occasions. I even heard him speak in Goa, along with my friend, Satish Sonak. One of the speeches I cannot forget is when he shared the dais with another of my favourite speaker, PL Deshpande. The occasion was Vir Sawarkar’s Birth Anniversary. PL spoke on Sawarkar before Atalji. It is not very common that somebody can speak better than PL. His tribute to Sawarkar was masterly.
I had an occasion to have lunch with him again six years ago. By this time his health was deteriorating. Bibi Mausi was already bed-ridden but received visitors. She was still in control, though she could not walk. I suggested that she should write her memoirs, which was never to be.
Inspite of his health, the charm had not faded.
At the end of the lunch, we were offered mangoes. “Kisne Bheje hai?”, Atalji inquired. He was informed that Sharad Pawar had sent them. Even, before tasting them, he commented with his characteristic smile, “Khatte honge!”
If one has to talk about one major contribution of Atal Bihari Vajpayee to Indian politics, I would say that he taught us ‘Coalition Dharma’. He was a statesman, a poet, a great debater, orator and a re-conciliator. Atalji will be fondly remembered by the nation.
