Atal Bihari Vajpayee Quotes (30 quotes)

Atal Bihari Vajpayee: 30 quotes 1 like

Famous Atal Bihari Vajpayee Quotes

“I think Vajpayee is a dyed-in-the-wool RSS man.”

Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Prof. Paul Brass, as quoted in Elst, K. On Modi Time : Merits And Flaws of Hindu Activism In Its Day Of Incumbency – 2015.

“Kinchit nahin bhaybhit main, Kartavya path par jo bhi mile, Yeh bhi sahi woh bhi sahi
English translation:I am not afraid of defeat and victory, whatever comes my way of duty, I will accept it, because this is true and that is true.”

Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Quoted from The truth according to Vajpayee, 24 November 2009, The Telegraph http://www.telegraphindia.com/1091124/jsp/nation/story_11777931.jsp,

“They who interpret secularism as dharma-nirpekshata fail to understand either dharma or secularism. A secular state does not mean an anti-religious state, nor even an irreligious state. For, in that sense, the people of India just never can become secular. A secular state simply means a state which does not identify itself with any specific mode of worship and holds the balance even between all sects- secularism thus mean sampradayanirpekshata and not dharma-nirpekshata.”

Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha Session, Indore – September, 7-8, 1968
Quotes from ataljee.org

“Hindu body and soul, Hindu life, in every pore my identity is of a Hindu”

Atal Bihari Vajpayee

His poem quoted in "The truth according to Vajpayee".

“I have a vision of India: an India free of hunger and fear, an India free of illiteracy and want. I dream of an India that is prosperous, strong and caring. An India, that regains a place of honour in the comity of great nations.”

Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Vajpayee during his 1999 Independence Day speech. Quoted from Vajpayee No More: Here Are His Five Most Powerful Quotes https://swarajyamag.com/insta/vajpayee-no-more-here-are-his-five-most-powerful-quotes Swaraja, Aug 16 2018

“We are committed to bridge the gap between the city and the village.
We are committed to bridge the gap between capital and the labour.
We are committed to bridge the gap between the citizen and the administration.
We are committed to bridge the gap between the centre and the states.
We are committed to bridge the gap between Linguistic, religious and caste groups.”

Atal Bihari Vajpayee

New Delhi, 15-17 April 1983
Quotes from ataljee.org

Atal Bihari Vajpayee Quotes about people

“The enemy is within our very hearts and minds. It is the cancer of doubts and despair which is overtaking our people. It is the loss of faith in our system, in the very future of our beloved motherland. This creeping rot must end. I am sure that very soon, by the grace of god and the inherent good sense of the Indian people, it will end. But that calls for a great national effort.”

Atal Bihari Vajpayee

New Delhi, 15-17 April 1983
Quotes from ataljee.org

“The question is not of ‘right’ and ‘left’; the issue really is Democracy versus Totalitarianism. The choice is not between ‘progressivism’ and ‘reaction’; the people have to choose between forces uncompromisingly pledged in their loyalty to the nation with extra-territorial loyalties. Differences are bound to remain in the country, but the Indian nation cannot afford to be divided in its basic commitment to Nationalism and Democracy.”

Atal Bihari Vajpayee

16th All India Session- Chanakya Nagar, Patna – 28-30 December - 1969
Quotes from ataljee.org

“Today, to put down Modi, Congressmen don’t tire of praising Atal Bihari Vajpayee as a moderate consensus builder. But while Vajpayee was prime minister he was targeted with as much ruthlessness as Modi—only that it cut less ice with the media or the people at large because Vajpayee was a well known national figure. By contrast, Modi was a relatively obscure regional leader for most Indians, as well as for most media professionals.”

Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Kishwar, Madhu (2014). Modi, Muslims and media: Voices from Narendra Modi's Gujarat. p.174

“There are some people who are telling the Muslims not to vote for the BJP whereas the truth is that the BJP has never worked against any minority, including the Muslims.”

Atal Bihari Vajpayee

February 19, 2002, Jaihind . Quoted in Madhu Purnima Kishwar: Modi, Muslims and Media. Voices from Narendra Modi’s Gujarat, Manushi Publications, Delhi 2014.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee Quotes about reason

“A Sense of oneness, a sense of indianess requires to be created among our youth to halt the mad rush towards an imported five star video culture. We believe that through dedication and perseverance we will realize national unity and create a new India of our dreams. In Delhi, I gave you a slogan: ”Unite and win, today we are achieving unity, tomorrow we will achieve victory", Vandematram.”

Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Indore, 6 - 8 January 1984
Quotes from ataljee.org

“I would like this house to join me in paying fulsome tribute to our scientists, engineers and defence personnel whose singular achievements have given us a renewed sense of national pride and self confidence.”

Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Extract from Suo Motto statement made in the Parliament, after India’s underground nuclear tests conducted on 11 May 1998.[Sujata K. Dass, Atal Bihari Vajpayee: Prime Minister of India, http://books.google.com/books?id=N8wnA7EtB0IC, 1 January 2004, Gyan Publishing House, 978-81-7835-277-0, 39]

“I believe he has a sense of integrity…Relatively speaking he has a cleaner record than most politicians in office.”

Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Shoba De, a columnist quoted in “Atal Bihari Vajpayee: Prime Minister of India" page=38

Atal Bihari Vajpayee Quotes

“Unfortunately, we live in an age of political dwarfs, political managers without vision or courage. But their time is running out.”

Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Vajpayee interviewed by Erich Follath and Tiziano Terzani: “Guru der Nationen”, Der Spiegel, 1996/19, p. 163. quoted from Elst, Koenraad (2001). Decolonizing the Hindu mind: Ideological development of Hindu revivalism. New Delhi: Rupa. p.168
Context: We, the Indians, as Guru of the Nations: yes, I believe in that. We can be—or once more become— the hope of mankind. But that requires efforts and courage to be ourselves culturally. Unfortunately, we live in an age of political dwarfs, political managers without vision or courage. But their time is running out.

Age , Courage , Time

“With the banner of Nationalism in our hearts to build up a Mighty India, let us march forward on the path of Duty. This is no time for rest; this is no occasion for faltering. Let us go onwards and onwards, till we reach the Goal.”

Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha Session- July, 18-19 1970, Chandigarh
Quotes from ataljee.org

Time , Heart

“Secularists like you don’t have to spend sleepless nights over this. I will carry the secular baggage on my broad shoulders.”

Atal Bihari Vajpayee

In reply to question by the correspondent if incidents like the hijack would do irreparable damage to the BJP and his image, the plane flying from Delhi to Lucknow was hijacked quoted in "The truth according to Vajpayee".

Night

“In our search for a lasting solution to the Kashmir problem, both in its external and internal dimensions, we shall not traverse solely on the beaten track of the past. Mindsets will have to be altered and historical baggage jettisoned.”

Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Quoted in [Sumantra Bose, Kashmir: Roots of Conflict, Paths to Peace, http://www.questia.com/read/118148594/kashmir-roots-of-conflict-paths-to-peace, 2003, Harvard University Press, 1]

Search , Problem , Past

“Our National life is full of diversities. We have here a variety of languages, of faiths, of communities, of modes of living, and schools and styles of literature and art. This diversity reflects the abundance of our national life, and need to be preserved and promoted.”

Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha Session, Indore – September, 7-8, 1968
Quotes from ataljee.org

Life , School , Faith , Art

“Russia and India both have a geopolitical interest in a peaceful and stable Asia, which would be relieved of outward pressure and would not harbour and suffer from extremists…. Russia and India must do their best so that international community's efforts in Afghanistan were not futile.”

Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Before signing of declaration on global challenges and threats to international security and stability with Russia's president Vladimir Putin quoted in Putin, Vajpayee to sign declaration on global challenges, 12 November 2003, Pravda http://english.pravda.ru/news/russia/12-11-2003/53753-0/,

Peace , Communication , Effort , Suffering

“India is not a piece of land, but a living entity.”

Atal Bihari Vajpayee

As quoted in Agnohotri, V. (2018). Urban Naxals: The making of Buddha in a traffic jam. Also quoted in Kashmir integral part of India, Article 370 should be scrapped: Vijay Rupani https://indianexpress.com/elections/gujarat-assembly-elections-2017/kashmir-integral-part-of-india-article-370-should-be-scrapped-vijay-rupani-4934767/ Indian Express.

“My poetry is a declaration of war, not an exordium to defeat. It is not the defeated soldier's drumbeat of despair, but the fighting warrior's will to win. It is not the de-spirited voice of dejection but the stirring shout of victory.”

Atal Bihari Vajpayee

New York September 7, 2000 Asia Society Annual Dinner
Quotes from ataljee.org

War , Victory , Fight , Despair

“This terrible tragedy has created the opportunity to fashion a determined global response to terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, wherever it exists and under whatever name. I assured President Bush of India's complete support in this.”

Atal Bihari Vajpayee

After his meeting with George W. Bush in Washington in 2001 A World United, 5 December 2013, The White House http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/national-anthem/newdelhi.html,

Fashion , Support

“India is an ancient nation and not nation in the making. We are not to build a new nation but to make this ancient nation virile to face the challenge of modern times.”

Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha Session, Indore – September, 7-8, 1968
Quotes from ataljee.org

Time

“Politics is a game of compromise.”

Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Quote of the week, 5 December 2013, India Today http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/politics-is-game-of-compromise-says-a-b-vajpayee/1/263190.html,

Game

“We are nations forged from many traditions and faiths, proving year after year that diversity is our strength. From vastly different origins and experiences, we have come to the same conclusions: that freedom and democracy are the strongest bases for both peace and prosperity, and that they are universal aspirations, constrained neither by culture nor levels of economic development.”

Atal Bihari Vajpayee

New York September 7, 2000 Asia Society Annual Dinner
Quotes from ataljee.org

Peace , Faith , Democracy , Freedom

“All democracies, especially in developing countries that have considerable diversities and carry the burden of developmental imbalances, have had to grapple with one paramount challenge and that is : how to harmonies’ the legitimate self – assertion of communities that suffered deprivation and dis-empowerment in the past with imperatives of good governance.”

Atal Bihari Vajpayee

New Delhi, January 22, 2003
Quotes from ataljee.org

Democracy , Communication , Suffering , Past

“Our aim may be as high as the endless sky, but we should have a resolve in our minds to walk ahead, hand-in-hand for victory will be ours.”

Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Vajpayee addresses the nation on Independence Day in 2002. Quoted from Vajpayee No More: Here Are His Five Most Powerful Quotes https://swarajyamag.com/insta/vajpayee-no-more-here-are-his-five-most-powerful-quotes Swaraja, Aug 16 2018

Victory

“He was a person who could bring out the best in others. There are some leaders who bring out the worst in others. He brought out the best.”

Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Arun Shourie. NDTV. "Let's Have Tea": When Atal Bihari Vajpayee Made A Point With 3 Words https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/atal-bihari-vajpayee-death-lets-have-tea-when-atal-bihari-vajpayee-made-a-point-with-3-words-1901754 August 17, 2018

Personality

“Mr Vajpaee, I have not met you before. But I have no hesitation to saying that Pakistan’s relations with India have never been as warm and cardial as they were when you were your country’s Foreign Minister.”

Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Nawaz Shareef quoted in [Sanjay Kaushik, A. B. Vajpayee: An Eloquent Speaker and a Visionary Parliamentarian, http://books.google.com/books?id=0FQKzKEsn08C&pg=PA22, 1 January 1998, APH Publishing, 978-81-7024-976-4, 34]

Relation ships , Country

“He is a young leader of opposition. Who is always criticizing me. But I see in him a great future.”

Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru introducing Vajpayee to the visiting British Prime Minister quoted in "A. B. Vajpayee: An Eloquent Speaker and a Visionary Parliamentarian" p=37

Future