Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s final journey: All the way from MP, two fans of his politics & poetry

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Amit Shah in prossesion of former Prime Minister Late Atal Bihari Vajpayee at ITO in New Delhi. (Express photo by Renuka Puri)

He had met Vajpayee at his Krishna Menon Marg residence for the first time in 2008. Vipul unzips his backpack to take out a photo of him with the former PM: “I am very lucky that he gave me his blessings that day. He spoke through his smile… did not say a word. Now, he will continue to speak through his poetry.”

“I am not a political person… My association with Vajpayee is apolitical. It is his poetry that has brought me here,” says Vipul. He adds, “Atalji has been chosen as an MP from my state twice. I only wish that I could have personally voted for him. I am proud that his politics has also some roots in Madhya Pradesh.”

Standing opposite Vipul is Vishal. A sports instructor, he loves reciting Vajpayee’s poetry to the children who train under him. “Aadmi na uncha hota hai, na nicha hota hai ; na bada hota hai, na chota hota hai; aadmi sirf, aadmi hota hai,” he recites. He explains, “I keep telling my students that no person is superior or inferior… it is his deeds that define him. This what Atalji told us through his poetry,” says Vishal, from MP’s Datia district.