Atal Bihari Vajpayee Believed in Dialogue, Says Assam Governor

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Aug 27: Assam Governor Prof Jagdish Mukhi led the state in paying rich floral tributes to former Prime Minister Late Atal Bihari Vajpayee at a Shradhanjali progamme organized by the Government of Assam at Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra here on Monday.

Prof.Jagdish Mukhi, while describing him as a towering personality and a powerful national voice, said that he had also played crucial roles even on the international political scene. He said that late Vajpayee ji was a good orator who strongly believed in dialogue. He believed that through dialogue one could solve any problems. Prof. Mukhi, while recalling his days in the Parliament, said that the former Prime Minister had the art of making witty remarks which used to make the entire ambience very jovial.

Prof. Mukhi also said that Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 1977 as India’s foreign minister surprised one and all in the UN General Assembly by speaking in Hindi. The way he conveyed so much in so few words left the world dumbfounded. This speech made many people realize the importance of the native tongue and also placed an Indian Language on the political stage of the modern world for the first time. During his tenure as the Prime Minister he made a bold yet subtle statement regarding India’s nuclear capability by going for Pokhran test thereby helped India to ensure its entry in Nuclear Club.

Among the speakers who spoke on the occasion were finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, former Chief Minister of Assam Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, water resource minister Keshab Mahanta, BJP president Ranjeet Dass, Member of AIUDF Hafiz Rashid Bashir Quasimi, BTC Chief Hagrama Mahilary, president of Axam Xahitya Xabha Paramananda Rajbongshi, Bhabendranath Deka of Srimanta Sankardeva Sangha, leaders from cross sections of the society, Dr. Umesh Charaborty, Dr. Nirmala Choudhury, Niroda Devi, Sukumar Biswas, noted film artiste Pranjal Saikia, chairman Assam Finance Corporation Vijay Gupta, and host of others. More than 50 organizations participated in the Shradhanjali programme. A two-minute silence was also observed in honour of the departed soul.