Pracharak to Patriarch: An enthusiasts take on L.K.Advani

 Being defeated is often a temporary condition,

Giving up is what makes it permanant.

L.K.Advani and A.B.Vajpayee

If the man in question that is L.K.Advani would have taken the quote otherwise, i have no reservations to state that this great nation of ours would never have had any formidable opposition to the party (Congress)  that has held the ruling mantle of this great democracy most of the times and the only time a government successfully functioned and operated was the NDA government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which was catapulted to success by Advani who was instrumental in forming such grand alliance of various parties and electing his longtime friend and colleague A.B.Vajpayee as the prime minister of the government that was the first true alternative to the Congress whose evidence is the longevity of that government and the tasks it has accomplished in that period.

The further course will examine the leadership qualities of Advani with relevant observations of such qualities from his real life experiences and challenges.

Honesty, this virtue is one of the primary contributors for the long and illustrious career of Advani. This virtue which is now a rarity in the political landscape of India was always an integral part of Advani's career, the best example of his honesty for me is his leading by example when he resigned and vowed never to contest any polls till he was cleared in the Jain Hawala Case where his name surfaced in a dairy entry. This was a man who stood upto what he said and has contested and led a poll only after being exonerated by the judiciary. This was the honesty that this man had which we wish all the leaders and politicians take a cue from.

Communication, one of the most essential qualities needed to be a successful leader. This quality has always been an important factor in differentiating between the leaders and non-leaders. Advani in his long career beginning from a pracharak till becoming the patriarch of a party was always vocal in communicating the objectives and his thoughts about the task at hand. The best depiction of this is the first yatra undertaken by Advani i.e. the Ram Rath Yatra whose success was evident from the impact that it has created on the politics of India and which acted as a catalyst in the phoenix like rise of BJP in that decade. The success of this yatra was mainly due to the right communication by Advani which struck a chord with the public who could understand the objectives and purpose of the yatra. The role of a leader that Advani played in undertaking this yatra is undoubtedly one of the most profilic leadership acts undertaken by a politician who was hugely successful in attaining his objectives to which the aftermath success that BJP has had is a proof. The main reason of this success is communication skill that he had.

Confidence is the virtue having which you have won before even starting. This is one of the most important qualities that a leader should possess. Advani in building BJP has instilled confidence in all of their cadres at various stages of the party’s growth and at numerous occasions where inspiring and leading with confidence was necessary. One such ocassion was when he took the baton of president ship from Atalji in  1986 as it was a challenge for him to lead the party as it has secured only two seats in the elections concluded before two years where the government of congress had the highest ever majority so far in India's democracy. In such times Advani was successful to a great extent in establishing BJP as a cadre based mass party with his leadership abilities and his unflinching hard work and efforts. He has inspired confidence in their cadres as well as the people by various activities that the party has undertaken which were instrumental in helping them bounce back with great vigor.

Creativity is the key to change and anything cannot be constant even in politics. Change is inevitable and being creative in the turn of a change process is key to success. The political creativity of Advani is one of such qualities that differentiates him from other leaders and politicians. This can be observed from the events of his life where he has displayed this quality from starting a Rath yatra to managing a coalition of almost 23 parties successfully. This quality of his has helped him in being a leader who understood the need of the day. His ability to be creative and to change according to times can be clearly seen from the way he presents his views on wide array of topics through his blogs which he has continuously been writing for over three years now being in his eighties.

As per the words of Mahatma Gandhi, "Politics without principles" is one amongst the seven social sins. Advani is a politician whose life is an example for the commitment that he has had for principles and he has always held them high in his political career spanning more than four decades. His commitment for the cause of nation’s development and his commitment of being a true patriot can be shown from his political career which he has started in 1952 spanning over a period of 62 years the party to which he belonged was in power for a period of 9 years in total. This leaves us with a conclusion that the rest of the 53 years are spent in opposition and strengthening his party brick to brick. This is one of the greatest qualities that he as a leader has for whom staying in power by means whatsoever is not the purpose. In politics power has always been the greatest incentive for one but to this man his unswerving purpose of serving his mother land has been the incentive since the time he has begun his political career. Dedicating his whole life since the young age of 14 for being in the service of his country shows the commitment that he has as a leader.

He is an exemplary leader to whom, we as a nation have to be grateful for showing that congress is not invincible and this country can have a formidable opposition to congress. He is due to contest in the 16^th lok sabha elections, where his victory is certain. He shall be a guide and guru for the next government under the leadership of Narendra Modi and continue to serve our country by building a government that would be rock solid and last for a lifetime.