Great Story: After assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991, there was a wave of mourning across the country. One Day a journalist asked opposition party leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee to an question about Rajiv Gandhi. Atal ji got emotional. He narrated an anecdote from 3-4 years ago. Atal ji told that if Mr. Gandhi had not treated him at that time, he would not have been alive.
Kidney disease surrounded Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Rajiv Gandhi was Prime Minister of the country during 1984-89. Atal Bihari Vajpayee was a big leader of BJP at that time but was not financially prosperous. In 1988, he was suddenly surrounded by kidney disease.
There was no proper system of kidney treatment in the country then. People with money used to go to America and get treatment. Atal ji was not able to go to America due to weak economic condition. And they could not even ask for help from anyone.
Rajiv Gandhi helped such
Meanwhile, Rajiv Gandhi came to know about Atal ji’s illness. Both were fierce opponents of each other in Parliament. But there was no dearth of human values in the politics of that time and neither was the cruelty like today. Respect for each other and then the politicians knew and also helped when needed.
Sent UN with delegation so that he can get treatment
On learning of Atal ji’s kidney disease, Rajiv Gandhi called him and sent a delegation along with the Government of India to the United Nations so that he could get treatment there. He asked Atal ji to go and get his treatment done in New York. After which Atal Bihari Bajpai went to New York and got his treatment done.
Atal ji’s famous poem ‘Maut Se Than Gayi’ he wrote during this time in a hospital in America. In this way, Atal ji returned after defeating a serious illness.
After returning from there, neither of them ever mentioned this thing publicly. By writing a letter personally, Atal ji thanked Mr. Gandhi. However, as before, both continued to play the role of opposites.
Revealed after assassination of Rajiv Gandhi
Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by LTTE-backed terrorists in 1991. They were angry with Rajiv’s sending of peacekeeping forces to Sri Lanka. The country was immersed in deep mourning. Atal Bihari Vajpayee was in the role of the leader of the opposition.
When a senior journalist asked Atal ji to express his views on Mr. Gandhi, Atal ji became emotional. His eyes filled with tears. Then Atal ji while narrating this anecdote to the journalists said that if Mr. Gandhi had not treated him at that time, he would not have been alive.
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