Nationalist Indian politician Lal Krishna Advani was bestowed with India’s highest civilian honour, “Bharat Ratna”, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP Government. India is heartening & elating news for millions of Swayamsevaks in India and abroad. LK Advani has been the epitome of administrative and organisational acumen during the past seven decades of his public life.
Bharat Ratna is an epithet for Lal Krishna Advani. He has been an example of “suchita – sadagi & swachhata” in real political life.
I came into direct contact with LK Advani in 1977 when he became the Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting in the cabinet of Prime Minister Morarji Desai of Janata Party. As President of the Delhi University Students Union, we were always deterred and overshadowed to even request complimentary international film festival tickets from L K Advani, who followed strict principles in public and private life. We knew he would politely refuse; hence, we never dared to request him. That was “A No Nonsense” approach of Lal Krishna Advani. He is my mentor and guide. We all love him.
As a founding member of the BJP, It was LK Advani who allowed me, as President of DUSU in 1980, to address the plenary session (birth-time) of Bharatiya Janata Party at Bandra Reclamation Grounds in Bombay attended by one hundred thousand people. It was a historic moment for me as well as millions of political workers originating from Jana Sangh, Janata Party and which transformed into BJP, led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the first elected President of Bharatiya Janata Party in 1980.
LK Advani was elected to Rajya Sabha in 1970 and served four terms till 1989. He was also elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time in 1989. And served seven terms as a Member of the Indian Parliament until 2019. He is well known for his parliamentary debating skills, choice of exemplary words and matting the Opposition therein. He coined the well-known wordplay “pseudo-secularism” and exposed the Indian political class to appease minorities for their vote bank politics.
During the demolition of Babari Masjid on December 6, 1992, I accompanied L K Advani’s yatra to Ayodhya as Secretary – All India Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha. I was on the Ram Chabootara at Ayodhya along with L K Advani, Ashok Singhal, Dr Murali Manohar Joshi, Rajmata Vijaya Raje Scindia, Acharya Dharmendra, RSS Pracharak H V Seshadri, Uma Bharati, Sadhvi Ritambhara, Pramod Mahajan, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Kedarnath Sahani, B L Sharma ‘Prem’, Vinay Katiyar and my colleague Bhupendra Kansal.
I witnessed L K Advani in an “elated but serious” mood when Hindu kar sevaks demolished Babri Dhancha in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992.
As a chief proponent of the Ayodhya Ram Mandir at the disputed Ram Janmabhoomi site in Ayodhya, it was L K Advani who led the Ram Rath Yatra through PAN INDIA and motivated millions of Indians for Grand Ayodhya Ram Mandir in 80’s & 90’s. And now Pran-Pratishtha of Ram Lalla was accomplished in Ayodhya on January 22, 2024, by Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi.
LK Advani always supported serious and stern looks. But he was a soft-hearted soul. Always cared for his colleagues. You could convince him with your valid arguments even if he initially disagreed. He served as BJP National President for three terms. A true democrat and a firm administrator during his Minister of Home Affairs stint from 1998 to 2004 and as Deputy Prime Minister of India from 2002 to 2004. He was awarded Padma Bhushan, India’s second-highest civilian honour, in 2015. And now the ultimate Bharat Ratna in February 2024. We wish him good health and a happy, long life.
So, the real patriarch of India is Bharat Ratna Lal Krishna Advani.
