NEW DELHI: On the occasion of Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s 101st birth anniversary, an exhibition titled ‘Atal Prashasti’ is seeking to bring to life various aspects of the former PM’s life including the many hats he wore, from that of a statesman to that of a poet and orator par excellence.The exhibition, which will be on till Jan 23 at the Prime Ministers Museum and Library (Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya) at the Teen Murti campus, tells the Vajpayee story over three themes: ‘the statesman in action’, roots of conviction’, and ‘words of wisdom’ and follows a descending curatorial narrative.It opens with Vajpayee’s public and political life as remembered by the nation, then delves into the struggles, ideals, and experiences that shaped his convictions, and finally reveals his most intimate dimension as a poet and thinker.Born on December 25, 1924 in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, Vajpayee held office as Prime Minister for three terms. Beginning his career in journalism, he later emerged as a towering political leader and reformer who laid the foundation for important milestones in India’s development.The exhibition highlights Vajpayee multifaceted personality – as a poet, journalist, orator, social worker, and literature, admired across political lines for his intellect, eloquence, and humanism. Besides photographs marking his political journey and time as PM, the exhibition also carries impressions from his days at school and college. The exhibition has been installed at the foyer between Block 1 and Block 2, near Vajpayee’s iconic Ambassador car exhibit. Famous lines of some of his poems that have been inscribed on cloth scrolls welcomes visitors while recordings of his poems in Vajpayee’s distinct voice, with their deliberate pauses, play in the background.As one crosses a scroll highlighting the words from his poem “Bharat ka Mastak Nahin Jhukega”, the wall on the other side captures in pictures Vajpayee and President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin signing the Moscow declaration between India and Russia on international terrorism in Moscow in 2001.A photo of Vajpayee visiting Bhuj after the earthquake and one of him addressing the Army during a visit to Kargil and Srinagar in 1998 also find pride of place. There is also a photo of Vajpayee addressing the nation from Red Fort on the first Independence day of the new century on August 15, 2000.The exhibition also has photos that reflect Vajpayee’s softer side like one where he is seen distributing sweets to children and interacting with them during a visit to Warsaw in June 1979 when he was India’s external affairs minister. Another iconic memory is a striking photo that captures Vajpayee and actor Dev Anand in a Janta Party rally in Delhi in December 1979.Also on display are Vajpayee’s books – his speeches and poems and photos reflecting the many awards and honours he received ranging from the Padma Vibhushan to the Bharat Ratna.At the end of the pavilion is an image that is the highlight of the exhibition – a candid shot that captures Vajpayee stepping out of his ambassador and it is aptly captioned as the “silent companion” and just outside one sees on display his “faithful Ambassador” car.
