New Delhi: On a cold Christmas evening, Delhiites and a bunch of BJP leaders gave a Ramayana tribute to Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his 100th birth anniversary. Former Congress leader Karan Singh called the event a pleasant ‘triveni’.
“The first triveni is Ramayana, the second is Christmas and the third is Atalji,” said former Rajya Sabha MP Karan Singh at the musical dance event organised by Heritage India Foundation in New Delhi. Singh was joined by Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla, Arunachal Pradesh Governor KT Parnaik, Assam Governor Lakshman Acharya, and former Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel. In the fully packed Bhim Hall of Ambedkar International Centre were former Rajya Sabha MP RK Sinha, BJP MP Manoj Tiwari, and some Delhi BJP leaders.
Vijay Goel recalled his days with Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He called him a person who measured the whole country with “two feet”, referring to the deep connections Vajpayee made during his extensive travels across the country.
“He was not only a poet, an MP, a Prime Minister, an expert administrator but was a good person and a great human being,” said Goel, adding that he ruled the hearts of people and left a mark wherever he went.
The highlight of the evening was a one-and-a-half-hour-long mesmerising theatrical rendition of the Ramayana by the Urvashi Dance Music Art Cultural Society. A sea of colours, music and dance transported the audience to the realm of Ayodhya, evoking the timeless spirit of the Ramayana.

The performance showcased the Ramayana’s most important events – from Sita’s swayamvar and Ram’s exile to Sita’s abduction and Ravan’s slaying. The audience, replete with political leaders, responded enthusiastically with chants of Jai Shri Ram, with some attendees becoming visibly teary-eyed.
“Vajpayee was a symbol of governance and he changed the political instability into stability and gave a new direction to the country,” said Parnaik.
Right before the recital, Om Birla inaugurated a photo gallery about Vajpayee’s life. It showcased rare photographs that documented his childhood as well as his political and parliamentary journey.

“Kadam milakar chalna hoga (we must walk together),” Vajpayee had said during a poetry recital. A video clip of this moment was projected on a screen in the new gallery.
Calling Vajpayee “Sabke Atal (everyone’s Atal)”, Birla said: “Through Parliament, he brought about a change in the socio-economic life of the people, and enhanced the prestige of democracy. His life will continue to inspire us.”
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‘A wonderful person’
Karan Singh, 93, recalled the 1999 Lok Sabha election where he fought against Atal Bihari Vajpayee in Lucknow.
“Our party (Congress) was not able to find any leader. No one had the courage to fight against Atalji because he had won from Lucknow three times,” said Singh, adding that, being a ‘Raghuvanshi (Kshatriya)’ he wasn’t afraid of his opponent’s powerful political stature.
Singh recounted that, during the campaign, Vajpayee had promised that he would not contest more than three terms. “Atalji was a Brahmin. I didn’t want him to break his promise,” said Singh as the audience clapped.
Vajpayee, Singh further recalled, had a witty response for his competitor: “You have a palace and garden in Kashmir. Why did you come here (Lucknow)?”
Singh and Vajpayee “never fought” and maintained “good relations” even after the elections. “He was a wonderful person,” Singh said about the former prime minister.
However, before the Ramayana performance, Singh had a suggestion for the audience. “Only faith in Shri Ram is not enough. The maryada (boundaries) he (Ram) has established, we should remember them too.”
Praising PM Narendra Modi, Karan Singh said he was “trying hard” and “doing a lot” for the country.
“We have to create a new India but this is not the job of a PM only. This is the job of our society,” he said.
(Edited by Zoya Bhatti)