_The first time I saw Atalji was in 1944. I was a lecturer in Allahabad University when I attended a debate competition. As the debate was going to close, a young man entered the hall and told the judges that he was late because the train that carried him from Lucknow had arrived behind schedule. Since he had come all the way only to participate in the competition, he requested the judges that he be allowed to speak. By that time, the judges had already made up their mind about the winners . But just to encourage the young man, they allowed him to speak.

Atalji began his speech, and within ten minutes the entire audience was enthralled. Atalji was adjudged as the best speaker!Atalji passed his M.A. from D.A.V. College, Kanpur. He was the most popular student leader during those years. I recall a meeting in 1946 in Kanpur. There was a huge gathering at the meeting. Mr Balakrishna Tripathi was to address it. As is the practice, a few young leaders spoke before the main speaker. Among them was Atalji. His speech was so powerful and effective that Mr Tripathi decided not to speak after him. He only said, "this boy has said everything I wanted to speak. I have never heard such a speech before." After doing his M.A., Atalji became a pracharak and was sent to Sandila near Lucknow. In the morning he used to work for the shakha and write poems during the day time. He was always in touch with writers. For about a year, he worked as a pracharak.

In 1947 he started a monthly called Rashtra Dharma from Lucknow because we all realised the need for having a tool for communication. Deen Dayalji was the chief editor and Atalji was joint editor. After the ban on R.S.S. was lifted in 1950, I also took leave from the university and joined as a sahayyak pracharak at the Lucknow headquarters.In 1953 when Vijaya Laxmi Pandit was appointed as ambassador of India in USSR her Lok Sabha seat fell vacant. For the by-election young Atalji was given candidature. He took nearly 150 meetings in a month and became very popular. Congress won the election, but Atalji was in the second position. In 1957 he won from Balrampur, but the people of Lucknow always wanted him to contest from there. Oratory and self-confidence are his great qualities. He criticised and opposed Jawaharlal Nehru on many occasions but Jawaharlalji appreciated him. Once while introducing him to a visiting British Prime Minister, Jawaharlalji said, "he is a young leader of opposition who is always criticizing me, but I see in him a great future."We have all seen him in parliament since 1957. We have also watched him at the helm for a brief spell of thirteen days.These four decades bespeak his immense potential and ability. He is very kind hearted as well as lion hearted. He is very sensitive and gets disturbed on seeing other people's sufferings. He truly believes in s

amajik samarasata and his understanding of world affairs, specially of foreign policies, is great.Secretary of foreign trade, Mr. Mehta happened to be my classmate in Allahabad University. He once said he had worked with several prime ministers but found that the respect and approach of Atalji towards bureaucracy was the best and most effective.Atalji's health is good but not as good as Advaniji's so as to undertake a yatra for 45-odd days, but his hold on people, partymen and workers in various related fields like VHP, Wanwasi Kalyan Ashram is good and he has good rapport with everyone.

His approach towards his rivals and adversaries is also very noble. Recall his speech after the death of Jawaharlalji. He had differences with Indiraji but the way he spoke about her at the time of the 1971 war clearly shows he was a lion hearted man with an open mind. Only such a person can accommodate people of different hues.

I knew his father who was a very strong willed man. He was a teacher. After he retured, he and Atalji studied law together. I think Atalji inherited his strong will from his father.

All the three facets of Atalji's personality - swayamsevak, poet and statesman - are equally fascinating and important. He has enormous respect for Guruji and Balasaheb Deoras. As a statesman he can understand and appreciate the finer things which others may not fathom.

Best equipped to become PM
KhushwantSingh

I have no doubt in my mind that Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee is today the most acceptable politician to be the Prime Minister of this country. When I say this, I have five reasons for thinking so.

Firstly, he is an extremely able man and he is the most honest among the leading politicians of the present times. He is a bachelor and has no relations who may make demands on him for favours.

I know him to be well above any communal prejudices. He had even risked his own life trying to save Sikhs during the 1984 anti-Sikh violence in Delhi. He was also deeply grieved with the destruction of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya.

He is much the greatest orator we have had since independence. Without doubt, he is way above the speaking abilities of any of the preceding prime ministers. And last of all, I think he is a man of vision. He is more of a statesman than a politician concerned with his own party.

Having said that, I can think of only one point on the minus side. That is his being part of the Sangh parivar. Most politicians are ugly and unlovable. But with all my political differences with Mr Vajpayee I find him a handsome and lovable character.

(As told to Milind Kokje)