| Pramod Mahajan – Never before, never again! | |||
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By: Ganesh Sovani May 10, 2006 Views expressed here are author’s own and not of this website. Full disclaimer is at the bottom. 
FeedbackThe fact that Pramod Vyankatesh Mahajan, age 56, born at Mehboob Nagar (AP), raised at Ambejogai, in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra and who attained a pinnacle of his political career at New Delhi is no more in existence, is difficult to reconcile to millions of his fans all around the world, ever since the painful news was revealed to all on the 3rd of May around 5 PM to the media by the CEO of Hinduja Hospital. The day since the most and dastardly act took place on the fateful day of Saturday on 22nd April in his Worli apartment, Mumbai, his innumerable fans and also the team of doctors treating him were hoping against hope that they would be able to revive his life. However, the destiny had some other cruel ideas and it robbed of one of the most charismatic political characters from India’s political scene of the post-emergency era. The kind of adulation which Mahajan received ever since he received the bullet injuries and more particularly after his death, cutting across party lines, religious faiths and languages was unparallel of its kind. For twelve days in a row, his well-wishers were chanting mantras during the course of Mahamutrunjaya yagnas all over the country and at least in dozen odd Durgas, chaders were placed by Muslim brethren for his speedy recovery. But that was not to be ! Tears rolled down in the eyes of those who watched his septuagenarian mother Prabhavati inconsolably hugging the coffin of her son, which was destined for the last journey. The crest fallen BJP workers could not control their emotions when his body was finally consigned to the flames as his son Rahul lit the pyre. Mahajan was an icon not only for his followers in the BJP, but also for millions of youths in this country, who account India’s fifty-five percent population. Though he was a perfect RSS activist the core, he had developed an independent personality of his own which was purely based on a pragmatic approach and always willing to accept new ideas or concepts into his fold, which made him a reservoir of knowledge, unlike the RSS which is still grappling with obscure ideologies coupled with an obdurate approach. Precisely for this reason, during his lifetime lots of stories had emanated about his uncertain or a hazy relationship with Nagpur. Mahajan’s versatility was his forte as he could handle many different issues at a time and his ability to assimilate with all kinds of people at various levels was simply immaculate. It was possibly his articulate nature, which enabled him to redefine BJP’s poll strategy which derived lots of dividends, whether it was regaining the power in Rajasthan in 2004 elections or in the tiny state like Goa, where the BJP started from a scratch and it could install its own government not once but twice in the last ten years. Above all, in his own state Maharashtra, his insistence for an alliance with saffron partner Shiv Sena enabled the BJP form a coalition government at Mantralya from 1995 to 1999, which completed its full term. Similarly, on the eve of thirteenth Parliamentary elections in 1999, Atal Bihari Vajpayee could not have sworn in as India’s prime minister for the third time, but for the Herculean efforts made by Mahajan for establishing a pre-poll alliance with nearly two dozen political outfits. It was his uncanny skill to tide over the crisis acquired him an image as a ‘fire fighter’ for the NDA in conjunction with George Fernandes, whenever the mercurial partners like Mamta Bannerji and Jayalalitha were displaying tantrums even on the flimsy grounds. His contribution as an Information & Broadcasting Minister was equally legendary as instrumental in introducing the FM radio in the country, to which today's’ younger generation in India is greatly addicted to, if not just glued. Also a credit goes to him for starting a ‘Sports Channel’ of Door Darshan, which enabled many non- cricketing sports, a medium to expand across the country. Even as a Parliamentary affairs minister his contribution is no less significant as maximum bills were passed during his tenure. His wit and humor excelled not just within both houses of Parliament, but also during the election rallies. He had a terrific observation power and also a presence of mind, which could outwit any seasoned lawyer. Mahajan was a product of thirty years of systematic political upbringing and the BJP now feels dwarfed in his absence. He always believed that politics was an art and not the ways and means of profiteering and he always felt that one could not attain any proficiency even in the field of politics, unless one under goes a comprehensive training in a well defined manners. Rambhau Mhalgi Prabhodini (RMP), which he headed almost for two decades as its chairperson, has now acquired recognition even from the UN. Thanks to the zealousness with which he has nurtured it by the dint of sheer hard work, with lot of planning and thinking and for the manner in which he motivated the activists who are associated with it. As on the date, RMP has become a laboratory of producing skillful activists not only of the BJP, but also to other sister organizations of the Parivar as well. The passing away of charismatic Pramod Mahajan has created a huge political vacuum in the BJP and perhaps it might require one generation to come by to fill this vacuum left behind him. Any debate as to who would succeed him at this juncture is simply presumptuous as no other second rung leader having so many abilities is noticeable in the BJP. When the stalwarts like Vajpayee in his eighties and Advani about to turn eighty next year, all the hopes of the party were pinned on him and after loosing the seat of power in April, 2004 he had virtually become a ‘prime mover’ of the party. The kind of innumerable qualities, which Mahajan had manifested while discharging various duties and responsibilities, makes one wonder whether the BJP would be required to start now with a clean state. In the nutshell, Pramod Mahajan can only be ascribed as a ‘Never before, never again’ kind of political leader in India’s political history and it is agonizing that we would be missing him for ever. Ganesh Sovani
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