Good Governance Day: Things About Atal Bihari Vajpayee That People Still Love And Admire

Good Governance Day, also known as Susasan Divas, is observed in India every year on December 25, the birth anniversary of former-Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The Day was established in 2014 to honour former PM Vajpayee by fostering awareness among the countrymen of accountability in government. Under the visionary leadership of Vajpayee, efforts to improve governance began to reflect in the lives of the masses.

Born on December 25, 1924 into a Hindu Brahmin family in Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior, Vajpayee is known for his strong speeches, oratory skills, respect for opposition and friendly nature. The former PM was also a poet and a compassionate leader.

Respect For Opposition

He was a strong advocate of peace and always worked for better relations with neighbouring nations. He handled all difficult situations with calmness. With his conduct, Vajpayee taught all political parties and people active in public life that the national interest is always paramount. Therefore he was a "widely accepted" leader who had admirers across the political spectrum.

Despite ideological differences, Atal Bihari Vajpayee had good relations with leaders from all political parties. When he was a part of the opposition for many years, political leaders used to call him 'right man in the wrong party'. During his tenure as the country's prime minister, he began to be called 'Vikas Purush'.

After he retired from active politics, Atal Bihari Vajpayee was known as 'Bhishma Pitamah' of politics. People also called him 'poet-politician', according to Firstpost.

Vajpayee's Major Schemes And Ideas

People-centric initiatives that emerged during his tenure as PM became milestones in India's transformational journey. Schemes and ideas including the Kisan Credit Card, Golden Quadrilateral, Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna, the National Rural Health programme, interlinking of rivers, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, a separate ministry for tribal affairs touched every section of the society, according to The Indian Express.

The nuclear tests in May 1998 made India a nuclear power. The famous Vajpayee doctrine for resolving the complex Kashmir problem echoed the popular wisdom of "insaniyat, jamhuriyat and Kashmiriyat" (humanity, peace, and the sanctity of Kashmiri people). His famous saying, "you can change friends, but not neighbours", continue to guide India's foreign policy. The Vajpayee government had allowed to bring the bodies of martyrs to their homes to enable people to honour the soldiers who sacrificed their for the motherland. He was a man of consensus and pragmatism, which enabled the formation of three new states-Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Uttarakhand in 2000 in a peaceful manner.

Talk Of Good Governance

Vajpayee walked the talk of good governance by undertaking several initiatives at the dawn of the 21st century.

The mantra of "Minimum Government, Maximum Governance" has improved the ease of living of people. The breaking of governance silos through better coordination among various ministries with initiatives like PRAGATI, PM Gatishakti, capacity building through Mission KarmYogi, focused emphasis on simplifying procedures and reducing the compliance burden on businesses, individuals, and other stakeholders ensure better delivery of public services. Implementing GST, Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, labour codes, Mudra, New Education Policy, PM Kisan, PM Awas Schemes, and seamless faceless resolution of tax disputes have strengthened transparency, responsiveness and other dimensions of good governance.

Vajpayee has called for holding simultaneous elections, judicial reforms, a single electoral roll, etc in the country's best interest.

Atalji's vision, leadership, guidance, and invaluable insights will inspire present and future generations.

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