Atal Bihari Vajpayee birth anniversary: 5 famous quotes by the wordsmith

Today is the birth anniversary of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He was born on December 25, 1924 in Gwalior and right after assuming power in 2014, the NDA government declared this day as the ‘Good Governance Day’. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Ram Nath Kovind are expected to attend a prayer meeting at Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s Samadhi near Rajghat today. Vajpayee served as the Prime Minister from March 19, 1998, to May 22, 2004, and for a short period in 1996. In 2015, Vajpayee was conferred the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award. Vajpayee joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh or RSS in 1939 and became a full member in 1947.

ALSO READ | PM launches Rs 100 coin with Atal Bihari Vajpayee's impression

Atal Bihari Vajpayee passed away on August 16 at AIIMS after a prolonged illness. With full state honours he was cremated on August 17.

A day before his birth anniversary, PM Modi launched the commemorative Rs 100 coin in his honour at the Parliament House. The coin weighs 35 gram and has the portrait of the former prime minister with his name inscribed in the Devanagari script as well as English on one side. The bottom of the image on the coin has the birth and death year ---1924-2018 – of Atal Bihari Vajpayee inscribed on it. 

On the other side of the coin, it has a portrait of the Lion Capital of Ashoka Pillar in the centre with ‘Satyameva Jayate’ inscribed below along with the word ‘Bharat’ in the Devnagari script on the left periphery and ‘India’ in English on the right periphery.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee birth anniversary: 5 famous quotes

1. My Lord, never let me climb so high
That I am unable to embrace another stranger.
Deliver me ever from such arrogance!

2. What is the age of death?
Not even a couple of moments.
Life is a progression, it’s not a matter of a day or two!

3. In a deal not so profitable,
All I received were a couple of days
Should I count each moment;
Or just spend it every way?
Which path should I follow?

4. Everything is at stake, there’s no option to stop now
We can break at this point, but we cannot bend now!

5. Let the adversities strike,
Let there be catastrophes dire
Let there be embers under our soles,
Let it shower flare,
With that fire in our hands,
Smiling, we have to burn
We have to move forward, together!