Today marks the 101st birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. To honor Vajpayee's legacy and promote transparent, accountable, and citizen-centric governance, December 25 is celebrated every year as National Good Governance Day, a tradition that began in 2014. Born on December 25, 1924, in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, Vajpayee served three terms as the Prime Minister of India and left an indelible mark on the country's political and diplomatic landscape. Known for his powerful yet poetic speeches, Vajpayee used words to bridge divides and define crucial moments in the nation's history. On his birth anniversary, here are excerpts from five of his most memorable speeches.
Pokhran nuclear tests
"Today, at 15:45 hours, India conducted three underground nuclear tests in the Pokhran range. These tests conducted today were with a fission device, a low-yield device, and a thermonuclear device. The measured yields are in line with expected values. Measurements have also confirmed that there was no release of radioactivity into the atmosphere. These were contained explosions like the experiment conducted in May 1974. I warmly congratulate the scientists and engineers who have carried out these successful tests," the then-Prime Minister Vajpayee announced nuclear weapon tests.
The resignation speech
Atal Bihari's speech during the confidence motion after the fall of his 13-day-old government in May 1996, 'Satta ka khel chalega' (the game of power will go on). Governments will come and go. Parties will be made and unmade. This country should survive, its democracy should survive."
"You want to run the country. It's a very good thing. Our congratulations are with you. We will be completely involved in the service of our country. We bow down to the strength of the majority. We assure you that till the time the work that we started with our bare hands in the national interest is not completed, we shall not rest. Respected speaker, I am going to the President to tender my resignation."
Addresses to the joint session of the US Congress in 2000
"American people have shown that democracy and individual liberty provide the conditions in which knowledge progresses, science discovers, innovation occurs, enterprise thrives, and, ultimately, people advance. To more than a million and a half from my country, America is now home. In turn, their industry, enterprise, and skills are contributing to the advancement of American society. I see in the outstanding success of the Indian community in America a metaphor of the vast potential that exists in Indo-US relations, and what we can achieve together.
As we talk with candor, we open the doors to new possibilities and new areas of cooperation -- in advancing democracy, in combating terrorism, in energy and environment, science and technology, and in international peacekeeping. And, we are discovering that our shared values and common interests are leading us to seek a natural partnership of shared endeavours.
India and the United States have taken a decisive step away from the past. The dawn of the new century has marked a new beginning in our relations. Let us work to fulfill the promise and the hope of today. Let us remove the shadow of hesitation that lies between us and our joint vision. Let us use the strength of all that we have in common to build together a future that we wish for ourselves and for the world that we live in. Thank you."
United Nations speech in 1977
As a foreign minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the first person to speak in Hindi in the United Nations in 1977. In his first speech at the United Nations General Assembly, Atal Bihari Vajpayee touched on the subject of the Non-Aligned Movement and said that India "stands firmly for peace, non-alignment and friendship with all countries."
"The vision of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakum is an old one. We in India have all along believed in the concept of the world as one family. After many trials and tribulations, there are prospects of realizing the dream in the shape of the United Nations, which has reached near universality in its membership, representing 4,000 million people of diverse races, colours, and creeds. However, the United Nations should not function merely as a conclave of governmental delegations. We must see how this assembly of nations can be transformed into a parliament of men, representing the collective conscience and will of humanity."
Independence Day address in 2002
In an address to the nation on Independence Day in 2002, Vajpayee said, "My dear countrymen, on this independence anniversary, we have a message - to come together, to work hard together to realize the dreams of our country. 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. Come, let us strengthen this resolve by the cry of 'Jai Hind'. Join me in raising the slogan - Jai Hind. Jai Hind. Jai Hind. Thank you."
