Bharat Ratna LK Advani Ji at 100: A life of service, ideology and nation-building

Shri Lal Krishna Advani Ji enters his hundredth year today (November 8), with his birthday coinciding with Diwali, a festival associated with Prabhu Shri Ram and the diya. The occasion comes amid celebrations marking 75 years of the Jana Sangh, the 125th Jayanti of Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee and the RSS centenary.

Few people have touched as many chapters of modern India as Advani Ji. Born on November 8, 1927, on Dev Deepawali, he experienced the pain of leaving behind his familiar world in Sindh in 1947. He rebuilt his life from scratch, without bitterness. This ability to build against all odds remained a defining trait, evident in his efforts to strengthen the Jana Sangh and later build the BJP. During his tenures as BJP president, the Congress's tally fell from 400 to below 200 in 1989, while the BJP emerged as the single largest party in 1996. He nurtured generations of Karyakartas and rooted the party in the principle of Nation First.

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Two qualities set Advani Ji apart: ideological clarity and intellectual sharpness, reflected in his speeches, writings and incisive interviews. The Jana Sangh and BJP resolutions he authored remain relevant even today. He also consistently challenged the pseudo-secularism espoused by a large section of the Indian polity.

Advani Ji discharged every responsibility with great diligence. After serving as an RSS Pracharak in different parts of Rajasthan, he moved to Delhi and began working closely with Atal Ji. The two worked together for decades, cooperating without becoming competitors, setting a remarkable example of political partnership and changing the course of Indian politics.

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The Delhi Advani Ji arrived in was still grappling with the horrors of Partition. He immersed himself in strengthening the Jana Sangh. In 1967, he became Chairman of the Delhi Metropolitan Council, working alongside the late Vijay Kumar Malhotra Ji.

Advani Ji's parliamentary innings began in 1970, and his interventions earned appreciation across the political spectrum. He made his mark as an MP, Leader of Opposition in both Houses and later from the treasury benches. Despite his parliamentary commitments, he frequently travelled across the country to meet people.

I vividly recall the 1991 Lok Sabha elections, when Advani Ji contested from two seats, including Gandhinagar. With his father having settled in Kutch after Partition and his earlier stint as a Rajya Sabha MP from Gujarat, it was a homecoming of sorts. I had the honour of helping prepare his papers and assisting him during the campaign. Gandhinagar elected him time and again, and as a voter, I too had the privilege of voting for him on several occasions. His commitment to his constituency remains a lesson in public service.

The Emergency was a watershed moment in Advani Ji's life. He was at the forefront of the struggle to save democracy and protect the Constitution. His experiences were captured in his book, A Prisoner's Scrap-Book. In a section titled 'A Tale of Two Emergencies', he drew parallels between events in India from June 1975 and those in Nazi Germany in 1933.

Advani Ji was a fiery Opposition leader but an equally excellent administrator. In 1977, he became Information and Broadcasting Minister in the Janata government, where his work was widely recognised. As Deputy Prime Minister and one of India's longest-serving Home Ministers, he helped strengthen the country's security apparatus and improve the lives of security personnel. His firm stand against terrorism also led to the enactment of a tough anti-terror law.

An iconic moment in Advani Ji's life was the Somnath-to-Ayodhya Rath Yatra, which changed the course of Indian society. I consider it a privilege to have been involved from its ideation to execution. Being present at Somnath when it began was particularly special. A yatra can be very demanding, requiring long hours, constant travel, and an ability to remain focused despite fatigue. Advani Ji embodied this endurance.

I also have memories of the saddening moments of Advani Ji's arrest in Bihar. Then, in Gujarat, the BJP withdrew support from the Chimanbhai Patel Government. With this, a simple message was given, that when it comes to our ideology and the Ram Temple, there will never be any compromise. Many of our senior leaders and Karyakartas took an oath that, come what may, a Ram Temple will be built. And, years later, with the blessings of the people of India, a grand mandir for Prabhu Shri Ram became a reality in Ayodhya.

There is so much more of Advani Ji that is outstanding. His simplicity, for example. After the Navnirman Movement, Advani Ji had come to Junagadh and stayed for a month as an ordinary Karyakarta, preparing the Party for the Assembly elections in which Congress was rejected. He has always shown what probity in public life is about. He is a voracious reader. Those who have spent time with him know how carefully he goes through newspapers. He is a big fan of cinema and theatre, and has been an enthusiastic film critic. His sense of history and the need to preserve it is visible in his book, 'My Country My Life.'

Advani Ji always remained in touch with Sindhi culture. Another effort he undertook was the popularisation of Sindhu Darshan Puja near Leh. I myself had been to one Puja with Advani Ji and George Fernandes Ji.

Any account of Advani Ji's remarkable journey would be incomplete without mentioning Kamla Advani Ji. She was a constant source of strength and support throughout his public life.

Growing up in Karachi, Advani Ji could hardly have imagined the path his life would take. In an expression of gratitude, the people of India conferred upon him the Bharat Ratna in 2024. As Advani Ji enters the hundredth year of his life, I pray that he be blessed with good health and that he continues to inspire us all as he has always done.

(The writer is Prime Minister of India)