5 Timeless Speeches from India's 10th Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee

[{"selector":"#anim-593f908b-77c3-4abd-9c2d-ed9b0dae6f83 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-9.016393442622949%, -9.016393442622949%) scale(0.819672131147541)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":100,"duration":8000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] News

[{"selector":"#anim-726df8ed-0434-4344-b716-0cce028ae034 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":8000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4132583c-c164-46f3-b0fe-8d7a65a54bce","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1500,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-63239b66-db0a-4fda-a489-2641888bbda5","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 474.81563%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":1500,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-47bdbb88-5dc2-4b6a-8343-ff8a5f906693","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1000,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-70f82a06-85ac-4dd8-900e-50c6be58ffc1","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 207.95014%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":1000,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-67e4b99e-cc8d-4ac3-91ac-3e7cbdb1accf","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c9c47107-b659-4a69-b800-c93bf8dbed0a","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(19199.87640%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":500,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Image Credits: Government of India Today marks the 4th death anniversary of Vajpayee — a titan of Indian politics who was renown for defining India through passionate public addresses. Here's a few of his memorable speeches, each of which has stood the test of time.

[{"selector":"#anim-c9f3293b-9d2d-40ee-b950-371bdd6e0bbf [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-0.24251347184599018%, 1.8930294250534907%) scale(0.9615384615384616)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":8000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-00446ddb-f72d-45e1-8438-fc5910d21314","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1500,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ab7ac4d8-dadf-40ea-b7b2-6d94cc812581","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 468.14905%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":1500,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-dfc90828-a333-4e98-925a-956ef045db59","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1000,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a8bcfcae-8715-41f3-9db1-9628054d5d13","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 156.63782%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":1000,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c28ce180-87f0-4cee-9355-129b45107bb1","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-556539b1-3084-4aa7-810e-404f4a739379","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(19199.87640%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":500,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Image Credits: Government of India Resignation - 1996 Forced to throw in the towel after failing to come up with the numbers to retain office, Vajpayee decided to end his tenure with a bang rather than a whimper — delivering an hour-long delivery against what he saw as a flawed opposition and Parliament.

[{"selector":"#anim-8a399809-0734-4d66-8ca6-ac5da0ae0ee0 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":8000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4b92afdb-0369-4447-bc75-e10d59940ed7","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1500,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a3ac7ac9-4d73-4fc0-bff7-d2f89b743844","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 468.14905%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":1500,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-dbebae32-2d11-493d-b50c-09f3b3c9b91a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1000,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e9e46a8d-e373-4e36-b2b9-2d6577301232","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 156.63782%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":1000,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-73513736-8daa-4350-a698-ceb50ea4dacd","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5c8b5d74-caa9-405a-b8a1-25bdb948d2ce","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(19199.87640%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":500,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Image Credits: Government of India Lok Sabha Address - 2003 Speaking to the Lok Sabha in 2003, Vajpayee followed up India's nuclear tests by famously saying “we can change our friends but not our neighbours," urging a discussion on Indo-Pak relations the likes of which we haven't seen since.

[{"selector":"#anim-f29fa5fc-ad57-46fd-b35e-7cf71dae2195 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":8000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-530ab047-11ea-4850-9498-11f5d1f47cea","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1500,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-05df8fbc-311d-4caf-a012-734778f11505","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 468.14905%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":1500,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-745e5196-163e-4e8a-a413-9adb4492e749","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1000,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b3c35051-7081-4761-a405-60d24bcaad93","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 180.01656%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":1000,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-afa92136-e3a3-461c-9c6c-6d1db091e981","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-70ec0e32-4b44-4e0e-988e-5ff9a2d4577e","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(19199.87640%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":500,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Image Credits: Government of India Parliament Address - 1998 Standin g at the turn of the century as nuclear tensions rose, Vajpayee rose beyond mere posturing by saying that India's Pokhran-2 tests weren't about 'machismo' or 'self-glorification.'

[{"selector":"#anim-cae72f63-e352-4e7b-96de-29e734a9f282 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":8000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c1f48be1-a5a2-4580-9a94-020e7773b240","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1500,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-682dafca-9b2b-47ed-a217-e2b42d338423","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 468.14905%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":1500,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7020bb00-ab7a-42ea-880c-1e4000186dc8","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1000,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8106e4b5-d1cc-4504-b9af-f63c8f40be74","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 156.63782%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":1000,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3a8f6e06-809f-47d9-b489-6bee11467578","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-455b0ab2-bc16-4ded-8dbf-ca7fb8a68c11","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(19199.87640%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":500,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Image Credits: Government of India University of Peking - 2003 In this talk, Vajpayee flexed his literary mind with an interesting, poignant, and deeply relevant reference to Robert Frost's Mending Wall . "Before good neighbours can truly fraternise with each other," said the ex-PM, "they must build good fences."

[{"selector":"#anim-f851404b-65d8-4f08-9634-4e5f5e88b55d [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(1.4575923169259148%, 5.249023788282848%) scale(0.78125)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":8000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b05865b8-a245-47cc-9c1a-cf1c7d65df69","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1500,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-144ab896-4107-461a-a1a1-d70ececac2ba","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 474.81563%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":1500,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-20eb60d8-013d-44c7-a48e-37c9128ae0ba","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1000,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9afb3b85-9212-4a08-8dc3-33d195c644ff","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 159.88457%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":1000,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-da7a988b-9a8b-45c4-8eb8-048bf2eec8e2","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e6052fa8-f737-4622-8c07-a950d7a6cc41","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(19199.87640%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":500,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Image Credits: Government of India UN General Assembly Speeches - 1977-2003 It's hard to choose just one from Vajpayee's 7 appearances at the UNGA — from the Cold War era to 9/11, the diplomat carved a reputation for eloquent words — all framed in Hindi, despite his fluency in English.