By: Sumit Singh
NEW DELHI: As Arun Jaitley started his political journey with ABVP in Delhi University, he uses to be our first person of choice to approach to request him to visit JNU for the public meetings in JNU during JNUSU elections.
A life well lived…for country, party, family and friends. The ABVP leader, DUSU President in 1974, was the first satyagrahi of 1975 Emergency. The student leader was the chosen coordinator by Jai Prakash Narayan to prepare ground for the battle against Indira Gandhi, then Prime Minister. His role in the famous Ramlila Maidan rally made him the blue-eyed boy of the opposition leadership. It was during this struggle he gained the social and political capital that entrusted him, the trust, of friends across all political parties.
He could not contest the 1977 elections as he was only 24 years old. Atal Bihari Vajpayee wanted him to contest from New Delhi constituency. He focused his energy and efforts towards completing his LLB and becoming a successful advocate. He was a gifted orator. Presenting facts with a mixture of common-sense logic with the necessary emphasis, repetition and pauses along with his pleasing personality helped him in becoming one of the sought-after advocates, thereafter a leader who has been trouble shooter for BJP while in opposition and finally as reformist finance minister of India.
Our interaction started as group of JNU ABVP activists approached him to address the public meetings during JNUSU elections. He had a special place for ABVP and asked us how we are planning to counter the left narrative in JNU? Reading his articles and listening to him on television as Spokesperson of BJP, we learned the art of debate. For, most of the ABVP students’ activists across the country, Arun Jaitley remained the school to learn how to debate effectively? His flawless articulation was natural and he used to share few tips about public speaking during our interactions with him in his official residence 9 Ashok Road or/and in JNU campus when he visited to address public meetings during JNUSU elections. Godavari Hostel, the venue of his public meetings, whole campus would collect in that small mess and many more standing outside. Listening to him was sheer pleasure. He was favourite as he also replied to the questions posed by friends from left at the end of the public meeting. The hostel mess fully packed, no place to stand, most of us, were on windows, mess benches and water coolers. On few occasions, the mess benches broke due to the excessive weight.
There was a campus joke “when Arun Jaitley comes to campus and a mess bench breaks…. ABVP wins a Central Panel seat in JNUSU”. Thank you for giving us such delightful memory.
Today, all students are shocked at his demise. Many students were discussing the interaction we had with him. Leeladhar, a former ABVP Central Panel candidate recalls, “I met Arun Jaitley ji for the first time in 2001 at JNU Campus when I was contesting for JNUSU election. Being from Kerala, I was not out spoken in Hindi but encouragement from friends gave me confidence to start my speech in Hindi but I was struggling to conclude in Hindi, then Arun Jaitley Ji understood my situation and handled it smoothly. I met him several times after that and he always encouraged me.”
Anshu Joshi, a former ABVP Vice Presidential candidate recalls, “Arun Jaitley Ji came and we, the Central Panel candidates, spoke before him. He as usual gave an impressive speech and conquered the audience. I fondly remember his words to me “You spoke very well, don’t worry about victory or loss, give them a good fight. Be a fighter.”
Amrendra Kumar, Sanjay Kumar Srivastav, Sanjeev Sinha, Amba Charan and I at BJP Today, met him on numerous occasions, interacted with him. In all these interactions, he impressed me with his patience. He was a good listener and shall answer once the question is finished. We attended every press conference and listen to his press briefings numerous times on television sets. We undertook this exercise to enrich our knowledge and understanding of the current political discourse and learn to effectively promote the narrative. His first advise was read as much as possible before writing or speaking about any topic. Knowing facts, understanding facts and presenting facts are three different things. Professionally and personally he has been a great impact on our lives by observing him from close quarters.
As a leader who will always be remembered in history for his contribution as a reformer who implemented the GST. Concept of federal democracy has been his centrality while taking policy decisions as a Finance Minister. He made impossible possible by consensus decision making over Goods and Services Tax. He wanted to implement this tax reform immediately and course correction to be done along the way. He was criticized for ill preparation of the implementation but his pro-active changes in the tax structure during the implementation course helped ease the pain of traders, businessmen, companies to change to GST. Today, thankfully, this is done deal and has been hailed internationally. This bold economic reform Indian economy was waiting for last two decades. To be able to build consensus in the GST Council which has Finance Ministers of all the state governments and few of them from opposition parties has been his biggest contribution to Indian economy.
Arun Jaitley was friend of friends. Most of his friends remember him fondly today. Slightest of inconvenience to someone use to pain him and he was eager to come to the aid of his friends. He was compassionate and was personally involve in ensuring quality education of children of his office personnel, their housing and other welfare measures were regular feature.
Millions of activists of ABVP have been influenced and impacted by his way of presenting the facts, his skilful oratory, choice of words. His conduct as a leader, his integrity and commitment to the cause of welfare of people are values of ABVP activists, we learned it too. We shall have these as our sweet memories forever. We feel such a strong connect him that he will always be there within us as part of us.
(The author is a JNU alumni)
