Advani's 2001 trip to Nagaland marked a turning phase
'Centre ensured that the Jamir Govt was onboard'
New Delhi
BJP patriarch L K Advani turned 95 on Tuesday, Nov 8, 2022.
He was Deputy Prime Minister under Atal Bihari Vajpayee between mid-2002 to 2004 and held Home portfolio as Vajpayee's powerful No.2 between 1998 to 2004.
The Naga peace parleys are very much in the news today and so are various Naga militant groups.
Led by N Kitovi Zhimomi-NNPG is a political reality. Thanks to the Vajpayee-Advani era of 2000-2001 that the ambit of the peace talks were broad-based.
Some of the initial steps the Government of India and the Home ministry took then were even at the risk of provoking angry protest from the NSCN-IM which was already in negotiations since 1997.
The inclusion of NSCN-K and the Federal Group was initiated at the instance of Advani as the Home Minister.
It was later divulged that the then Home Minister had especially directed senior officials like G K Pillai to ensure that the state government headed by Congress leader S C Jamir too was onboard on the matter.
After a formal clearance from Prime Minister Vajpayee, Home Minister Advani accompanied the then Additional Secretary P D Shenoy visited Nagaland in February 2001. He was also accompanied by a small group of journalists from Delhi. I was nominated by PTI to join the sojourn.
It was a crucial visit. The Budget session of Parliament was on and Advani did not want to share anything formally (to be quoted) saying he has to keep both the Houses informed first.
Even at the civic reception at Kohima local ground, he did not mention anything specific about any group.
He declined to field any direct question on the matter at a small press conference he addressed in presence of Jamir at the ATI building at Kohima.
But there was 'source based' information for us. Advani knew the way journalism worked and so I distinctly
remember telling us in front of Lok Sabha MP, Asunga Sangma at Dimapur airport, -- "....Do not attribute anything to me".
During this visit the 'foundation' for declaring a ceasefire with the NSCN-K was created.
Advani was sincere about resolving the Naga issue. He used to often say that history has given an opportunity to
the BJP to make a mark and a deeper penetration in the north east.
As a die-hard anti-Congress politician, who was jailed during Emergency, Advani
once while traveling in a BSF aircraft to Arunachal Pradesh, had told us how the success of regional parties
like TDP, AGP and various Lok Dal groups had encouraged him (Advaniji) and other BJP strategists to believe
that there was a ‘big vacuum’ and that the people were looking for a genuine alternative to the Congress.
Now, that’s a political vision. And his disciple Narendra Modi is only precisely harping on the same point since
circa 2014. The lesson: a disciple only carries on the legacy of his Guru’s vision.
The Congress-mukt Indian politics is essentially an Advani brainchild. The Naga peace parleys were
not BJP brainchild but Advani and Vajpayee worked sincerely for resolving the issue.
As they say -- the ball is finally in the court of Narendra Modi.
ends
In retrospect when the history of Indian politics is written – the veteran L K Advani would always be remembered for bringing about major transitions. The Hindutva crusade, Ram Temple movement and the need to fight pseudo-secularism --- what I call Sickularism - were a few of them.
PM Modi’s Congress Mukt Bharat is originally a ‘L K Advani vision’
New Delhi
Gujarat is in the news. It's election time yet again. The western Indian state was witness to a fierce electoral battle twenty years ago in 2002 as well.
Some of us were witness to things unfolding which later changed the history of Gujarat and also that of Indian politics.
In more ways than one mentor L K Advani stands overshadowed by the mass popularity of his disciple Narendra Modi.
But the Guru-disciple connection could not be discarded ever.
In 2002, it was Advani who had even chosen KPS Gill as Chief Minister Modi’s Security Advisor and undoubtedly the stint of the super-cop had a soothing impact in Gujarat after the first three-four months of indiscriminate hate campaign and riots.
In 2001 I traveled to India's northeast with Advani, then Home Minister.
In one such occasion traveling with him in BSF aircraft to Arunachal Pradesh, Advani had told us how the success of regional parties like TDP, AGP and various Lok Dal groups had encouraged him (Advaniji) and BJP strategists to believe that there was a ‘big vacuum’ as people were looking for genuine alternative to the Congress.
Now, that’s a political vision. And his disciple Narendra Modi is only precisely harping on the same point since
circa 2014. The lesson: a disciple only carries on the legacy of his Guru’s vision. The Congress-mukt Indian politics
is thus an Advani brainchild.
As an anecdote, I do remember Advani's interaction with us in Gangtok.
At the Chief Minister’s residence when a large table was laid before us – with delicious veg and non-veg Momos
being most attractive of all – minutes later, Advaniji had counseled us: “pet bharna (full stomach eating) is a
misconcept….one should keep enough space for water and air”.
We saw him picking up one roti and two spoons of dal – that was his dinner.
Respected Advani, as I know him, has been a film buff himself. During his days as Home Minister,
in freewheeling interaction as we traveled together at times, Advani used to share about his liking for films.
Thus on December 16, 2014 afternoon, as Advaniji came out of Lok Sabha and walked towards his room
in Parliament House ..…one song that came haunting in my mind was : 'waqt ne kiya, kya haseen sitam
(rendered much deeper meaning than its words by the powerful voice of Geeta Dutt).
Time really does wonders !
During that day, most of our talks were “off-the-record”. Of course, a simple breaking news he shared with
me was then when he said, “I will revive my blogs soon”. But that did not happen either.
Of course, he spoke a bit on the Ethics Committee of Lok Sabha, a panel he was heading as the chairman.
Before moving out of his room, I requested him for a selfie and he readily agreed, saying: “So everyone takes selfie…” – whatever that would mean!
I had enquired about his health and his wife, Madam Kamla. “She has improved now…of course she uses a wheelchair,”
Advani had said, sounding very emotional.
Kamla Advani left for heavenly abode in 2016.
Much before in the 1970s, Advani was among the top national leaders to have been arrested
during the Emergency.
Advani had famously said of the Indian journalism scene that when Indira Gandhi asked them to
bend they preferred to crawl. Media is being debated nevertheless in a vibrant democracy like ours.
It goes without saying that Advani's Rath Yatra had brought a monumental turn in national politics and
enhanced the prospects of BJP's acceptability across India and especially in northern and central India.
Obviously, the awesome tidal wave of nationalism unleashed by the Rath Yatra unnerved the pseudo secularists.
'Jai Shri Ram' became more than a traditional greeting, it became a roaring endorsement of the BJP's view
that secularism does not mean a rejection of our history and cultural heritage".
In a Facebook posting after my meeting with L K Advani on December 16, 2014; I had posed a simple question
whether the not so often said maxim, “the Success is the ultimate failure” would really apply to the BJP patriarch.
This is neither the first time nor the last time these issues are being debated.
But the former Deputy Prime Minister did make a big difference to Indian politics.
Yes, in retrospect when the history of Indian politics is written – the veteran Advani would always be
remembered for bringing about major transitions. The Hindutva crusade, Ram Temple movement and
the need to fight pseudo-secularism --- what I call Sickularism - were a few of them.
ends
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