Shanta Kumar
He always remained above petty political considerations and parochial mindset. The fact that once he agreed to be the chief guest at an RSS function was proof enough of him being anything but intolerant. Neither was his thinking narrow, nor his politics. Despite his royal lineage, he did not have even a trace of arrogance, a trait which made him a leader of the masses. He was a sensitive and compassionate politician who remained active till his last breath.
It was on the strength of his mass popularity that he did politics on his own terms, never succumbing to pressure from his party high command, which could not afford to ignore him. He did not hesitate to speak his mind, even if it amounted to annoying the high command. It was amidst this rift-like situation that he overcame many challenges successfully.
Often accused both by the Opposition and a section of his own party of holding a strong regional bias against lower areas of Himachal, he countered the allegation by bestowing second capital status on Dharamsala. In a private conversation with me, he admitted that the move would no doubt be a drain on the exchequer, yet it was essential to bridge the emotional chasm between upper and lower parts of the state. I, too, was opposed to the move, yet he went ahead with the decision, showing his strong resolve.
His unflinching commitment towards environment protection ensured that polluting industries were kept out in our pursuit for industrial growth. He also laid thrust on medical education and several new medical colleges were set up in the state during his regime. He has many records to his credit, including father-son being members of the Vidhan Sabha. He exhibited excellent administrative skills, which ensured that his vision and development plans got translated into reality rather than remaining a dream on paper.
At one point of time when the Congress high command was hell-bent on making Pt Sukh Ram the Chief Minister, against the wishes of majority of legislators, Virbhadra stood his ground. Despite the high command summoning the newly elected MLAs to Delhi, he along with his loyalist legislators stayed put in Parwanoo, ultimately compelling the high command to bow to the popular choice, the 'Raja'. On his part, he too never failed to back his diehard loyalists, no matter what the circumstances.
Examples of his being very obliging and accommodating towards his political opponents often come to my mind. On one occasion, I requested him to accommodate the daughter-in-law of a close relative in a particular institution, knowing very well that it was difficult as the wife of a very close friend of Virbhadra would have to be shifted out. A few days later, much to my surprise, I learnt that he had acceded to my request and accommodated both in the same institution. Such was the man, very considerate and sympathetic.
He had a tremendous trait of being a very decisive leader and an able administrator. An incident about my dream project, Vivekanand Medical Research Trust at Palampur, which I dreamt of setting up when I became the Chief Minister in 1990, comes to mind. I had plans to develop it into a super-speciality facility. The foundation stone was laid with much fanfare on November 15, 1992, after land was given on lease by the government. A huge amount, running into crores, was collected and it was decided that Apollo Health and the government would jointly set up the facility. It was resolved that Apollo Hospitals would set up a hospital within 24 months.
Work started on a war footing from the day the stone was laid. Least did I know that the dream would remain unfulfilled as exactly 21 days later, on December 6, my government along with four others fell in the aftermath of the Babri Masjid demolition. I was certainly pained at the fall of my government but even more for the fact that my dream of setting up a super-speciality hospital had been shattered. I on my part endeavoured that the Trust remained intact so that in better times the project could be completed.
I met Virbhadra Singh, who was CM then, and told him that Apollo, a big name in the medical field, had agreed to come to Himachal and already several crores had been spent on the proposed hospital. I suggested that the CM and Leader of Opposition could jointly create this facility which would be a boon for the people. He almost agreed and said he would like to discuss the issue with his colleagues. The moment the proposal was out, some Congress leaders from Kangra started vehemently opposing it, sealing its fate. I again met Virbhadra and requested him not to hand over this land, in the name of the Vivekanand Medical Research Trust, to any other organisation.
In a lighter vein, he said, 'How are you so sure that you will come back to power?' I replied that nobody knows what lies in the future. He assured me that the land with the Trust would not be given to anyone else. Circumstances changed and I got the opportunity to realise my dream.
Virbhadra was a born fighter. Perhaps, there has been no other Chief Minister in the country who has ruled the state for such a long stint and that too on his own terms. Such was his tenacity that he managed this feat while opposing his own high command, which was left with no other choice but to install Virbhadra. On almost every occasion, he became Chief Minister on the sheer strength of majority support of not just the MLAs, but more importantly the people of the state.
He was an extremely sensitive politician who remained Chief Minister six times, MP on four occasions and a legislator on nine occasions. He created history by being such a tall leader, a record which will not just be difficult but impossible for anyone to break. A rare feat, which very few Chief Ministers like Jyoti Basu have to their credit.
— The writer is former Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh and former MP