[NomadicLife]

Modelled loosely around the National Highway System of the US, he, in 2001 launched the Golden Quadrilateral and the North-South & East-West Corridor projects to build 4/6 lane highways between four top metropolitan cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata as well as from Srinagar to Kanyakumari and Porbandar to Silchar.

He built India's most famous highway project, started privatisation to cut government's role in running businesses and made big-ticket overseas acquisitions to secure energy supplies - former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was truly a bellwether policy reformer of modern India.

These roads have made possible the innumerable great journeys and equally great Travelogues.

#RIP Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee

[prithm]

Originally Posted by NomadicLife

Modelled loosely around the National Highway System of the US, he, in 2001 launched the Golden Quadrilateral and the North-South & East-West Corridor projects to build 4/6 lane highways between four top metropolitan cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata as well as from Srinagar to Kanyakumari and Porbandar to Silchar.

He built India's most famous highway project, started privatisation to cut government's role in running businesses and made big-ticket overseas acquisitions to secure energy supplies - former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was truly a bellwether policy reformer of modern India.

These roads have made possible the innumerable great journeys and equally great Travelogues.

#RIP Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Absolutely a heavy sad news to bear. He was a visionary & his leadership role in Golden Quadrilateral was eons ahead of his time.

A great orator & a delightful personality.

[Samurai]

A visionary leader and a great orator. I had attended his speech once, way back in 1980. I was only 11 years old, and remember being very impressed by his oratory skills.

[hemanth.anand]

Golden Quadrilateral
Delhi Lahore Bus service
Pokhran tests 1998
Operation Vijay
PoTA
Amazing that he managed to do these and many more gamechanging reforms. A politician with no enemies. The Bharath Ratna title was only befitting. He'll be remembered for all these and many more good deeds of his. He'll live on...

[SmartCat]

Lots of politicians are witty, but their comments are usually at opponents' expense. But Vajpayee's wit was of a different kind - it was sophisticated, self-deprecating and always brought a smile on the faces of both ruling party and opposition members alike.

Mani Shankar Aiyer's tribute to Vajpayee:
https://www.ndtv.com/opinion/my-rapp...-aiyar-1901383

He was, above all, a truly outstanding parliamentarian, so outstanding that soon after he was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1957, Pandit-ji was telling his confidantes within months that young Atal Bihari seemed to have in him the makings of a future Prime Minister.

I expected him to unleash a vitriolic attack on Pakistan. I was astonished but relieved to find I was completely wrong. On his first visit to Islamabad, he chose to give his banquet speech in a delightful mixture of impeccable Hindi and sparkling Urdu - exactly the Hindustani that Gandhi-ji had advocated for independent India - he not only overwhelmed the Pakistanis but also me.

As I took my oath as a cabinet minister in the incoming government, I looked across the floor and saw a beaten man, sunk in a misery of despair and disappointment. I walked up to him and, to the severe disapproval of my leaders, bent to touch his feet to take his blessings as I ventured out fulfill my ambitions at the same time as his had come crashing down. I have no regrets that I did so. For all our differences, he was truly a great man.

[Guna]

Back in 2002, I still remember a small stretch of highway near Sira(KN) on NH4 which was converted in to a 'state of art' 4 lane highway as a kind of a POC for the golden quadrilateral (at least in KN) This had created such a buzz in a world where 2 lanes highway were still order of the day. Now we take 4 lane/6 lane highways for granted but this was possible only due to man man who had the vision.

[dailydriver]

The RIP that we generally use to condole a death assumes an altogether different meaning in cases such as this. Dear Atal Bihari Vajpayeeji, Return If Possible.

In an era when petty politics ruled/s the roost, your statesmanship stood apart as a ray of hope. You won some battles, you lost some too; but you never lost hope. With you, we saw India rising. And as your life sets, the entire nation rises to pay respects to its proud son.

RIP

[Blow Horn Ok]

Rare people get such a respect. And Atalji truly deserved the respect. Words cannot describe his achievements, contributions to the nation and his personality. I loved him.

[aim120]

The best PM of my life time. RIP beloved Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

I liked him, the moment I first heard about him, when I was a 7th grade kid.

It's because of his policies, I am able travel to my village or other cities, faster and more frequently.

[neofromcapone]

During Atal ji's time, India saw an Earthquake, 2 Cyclones, worst Drought in 30 years, Oil crisis, Kargil, USA sanctions, Yet GDP didn't falter in his time. Today we lost one of the best PMs of India, Bhishma Pitamah of Politics.

In 2001, I just been exposed to the US social security number and was glad he started something similar in India ( which is now Aadhaar)

But the first time ABV grabbed my attention must have been 1996 or 1997 (don't really remember) it was Rajat Sharma's show Aap Ki Aadlat.
RS asked ABV, how come he is in politics and said kichad hai yeh toh

ABV smiled and instantly said "issi kichad main kamal khila raha hu."

It was so smoothly done, and conveyed so much more. I was like this man is something.
Thank you for your services to the nation.

Om Shanti... Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ji

[srishiva]

Originally Posted by Guna

Back in 2002, I still remember a small stretch of highway near Sira(KN) on NH4 which was converted in to a 'state of art' 4 lane highway as a kind of a POC for the golden quadrilateral (at least in KN) This had created such a buzz in a world where 2 lanes highway were still order of the day. Now we take 4 lane/6 lane highways for granted but this was possible only due to man man who had the vision.

Well, its surprising but it was done by Karnataka PWD ! Later they wanted to build roads as part of Golden Quadrilateral too but were not allowed.

But again the roads are today what they are because of Atalji. A true leader who did things without doing anything against anyone.

[redcruiser]

I must tell you that his very dear friends Jaswant Singh and George Fernandes are also bed ridden since a long time. But The era of strong leadership has ended.

[suresh_gs]

RIP Atal Ji. I will always remember you as the ATAL man who gave CIA one of it's biggest ever blots in intelligence history. You are irreplaceable.

[kutoos]

A very profound loss, his political acumen, wit and progressive ideas will surely be missed. I had teh opportunity to be in his August presence way back in 1999 / 1998 do not remember the year when he was in Montego Bay Jamaica for a NATO conference. His address to the indian diaspora was short but replete with visions for a better india and our responibilities as NRI's.

We will all miss you Vajpayee ji.

[saket77]

Extraordinary personality, great orator with equally strong grit. A rare politician with no enemies and a common man with a charisma which no one else can replicate.

Leaders like him are not born everyday. Atal ji's name will always be taken with respect and by all.

May his soul rest in peace.