Remembering Atal Bihari Vajpayee: Statesman par excellence, PM who led from front

In May 1998 five underground nuclear tests successfully took place at Pokharan. Twenty years since then, President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi applauded Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who was the prime minister at that time, for his "courage" to go ahead with the tests. - PTI

While many may see his Lahore trip as a disaster as it was followed by the Kargil War, the fact remains Vajpayee was a gusty leader with pragmatic approach who genuinely tried to resolve the chronic issue of trust deficit between India and Pakistan. Following this period, Vajpayee then invited the then Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf for a joint summit in Delhi and Agra, although peace talks failed to attain the necessary breakthrough. In 2001, he ensured swift action after the December 13 Parliament attacks where the terrorists were killed and were eventually discovered to  be Pakistani nationals. Soon after, the Prevention of Terrorism Act was passed in 2002. - DNA Research and Archives

The credit of taking Hindi to global stage solely goes to Vajpayee. As foreign minister in the Janata Dal government, Vajpayee made his United Nations debut in 1977. He became the first Indian leader to address the United Nations General Assembly in Hindi. At that point, India had a marginal role in a bipolar world and despite a change of regime in the country, New Delhi's foreign policy had yet to witness a decisive shift as a result of which non-alignment was still referred by Vajpayee as "a projection of national sovereignty in international relations" and "its essence" was "not neutrality but freedom". - DNA Research and Archives

Vajpayee also ensured that India’s economy did not crumble, despite a global recession during the 1998-99 period. At the time, India’s GDP was 5,8% and eventually surpassed 7% during his tenure as PM.   The international image of the country improved with modernization of industrial and public infrastructure; increased foreign investments; booming of IT industry; creation of new jobs; industrial expansion; and improved agricultural harvests. The Centre, under his leadership, took bold decisions for strengthening rural economy, building a strong infrastructure and revitalising human development programmes - Satish Bate/DNA File Photo (Research and Archives)

Former Prime Ministers Chandrasekhar, PV Narasimha Rao, and Atal Bihari Vajpayee at a gathering in 1997. Vajpayee had an inimitable style of winning hearts. He has several friends with views diametrically opposite his, but that has never come between him and them when it comes to frank sharing of ideas and feelings. Rarely does one find a leader with such a fine blend of toughness and tenderness. - PTI

Former President of India Pranab Mukherjee confers the Bharat Ratna on Atal Bihari Vajpayee at his residence in New Delhi on Friday, March 27, 2015 - PTI