Jana Krishnamurthy known to everybody as Janaji is no more. I was introduced to Janaji sometime in 1969-70 when I visited Chennai on way to Trivandrum for ABVP work. Thereafter my meetings with him were on various occasions.
Janajji had a very clear vision. He was a committed person to the ideology. He did his politics on a very tough wicket. Spreading Jana Sangh ideology in Tamil Nadu was not an easy task but he did it with complete conviction. He was a true RSS swayamsevak. He shifted his Headquarters to Delhi sometimes in 1990. Normally he was staying at 9, Ashoka Road, along with other old guards of BJP. Whether it was a breakfast table or lunch table he received the workers with a smiling face and discuss with them current issues or otherwise. For a short period he was in-charge of Maharashtra BJP and in that context he attended state council meeting at Sholapur and I remember he spoke for an hour in chest Hindi while addressing the concluding session. I was surprised to hear his speech in Hindi. Sometimes in 2001 he was elevated to the position of the president of all India BJP (and one need not mention in what circumstances) being a senior-most vice-president of the party. He was there for a very short tenure but the way in which he functioned, as the president of the BJP certainly deserves to be commended. If he would have been allowed to complete his term probably BJP would not have been required to sit in the Opposition today. When he took over the presidentship of the party he understood the problem of the common cadre of the party as well as RSS swayamsevaks and sympathisers. He realised that dialogue is necessary which will help in clearing certain misgivings since BJP was in power then.
At that time I was in-charge of Madhya Pradesh BJP and I had an occasion to go with him on tour of the state. The workers meetings were organised in each division of Madhya Pradesh. The way in which he was conducting the meetings was very informal. He immediately established rapo with the workers. He asked them very small questions but they were very pertinent questions. During that period I had an occasion to visit four districts of Tamil Nadu and addressed workers? gathering at different places. During my tour I was able to know how workers love Janaji. He was not shy of publicity but was of the opinion that it has its own limits and as far as BJP is concerned it can get success if we are able to establish contact with the BJP workers and hold heart-to-heart talks with them. He was a man of organisation.
I remember one instance in that connection. When we were of tour of Madhya Pradesh at one of the places the banners were put to welcome the national president. In the banners the photos of national president and the local leaders were shown. However the photos of local leaders were in a big size and that of national president was very small. The state leaders were also accompanying with us. When I looked a such photos on the banners, I just asked one of the leaders in a lighter vain whether the tour was that of the national president or that of yours and told him that the workers must be made to understand certain things. My remark was just in a lighter vain but also with a view to pointing out the importance of the matter. Certainly banners were not made on the instructions of that leader, and the gentleman took the thing in the right perspective. When we were returned to Delhi, another leader who was accompanying Janaji spoke to me about my reaction. Janaji immediately said that whatever Arun said is correct. Somebody should certainly point out such things since the workers must also understand the basics of our party. He was very simple in his behaviour always available to workers. He had a clarity of thoughts. He had great faith in the leadership of the party and when Atalji asked him to join his cabinet even though he was reluctant to do so he resigned the presidentship and joined the cabinet as per the wishes of the central leadership.
Bharatiya Janata Party had a galaxy of such leaders. Those leaders had a mission and they worked for it. The party will always remember such leaders who successfully took the ideology to the hearts of the people. In Janaji'sdeath BJP has lost a very constructive leader. May his soul rest in peace.
(The author is a senior advocate and member of the National Executive Committee of BJP.)
