Pramodji was a solid party man, he was one man for all seasons

It was in July last year that Pramodji, while leaving my room at the Escorts’ Hospital, wished me a speedy recovery and said, “Get well fast, you have to go to Bihar.”

It was in July last year that Pramodji, while leaving my room at the Escorts’ Hospital, wished me a speedy recovery and said, “Get well fast, you have to go to Bihar.”

That was Pramodji, as we all affectionately called him—one man for all seasons. He was a total political being. Even if he had a slight possibility of recovery at the Hinduja Hospital, he would be thinking of his next political assignment. The man had more fire in the belly than any of his colleagues. That’s what made him stand out.

He was a solid party man. The BJP’s interest was the bottomline of his politics. He was the most active participant in any BJP meeting or activity. He always came prepared. At times, with a small notepad, with points written on it. He was made of serious stuff. Nothing was casual or off the cuff. He was never neutral in a debate. He always had a strong viewpoint. He argued his case logically. He was at the centrestage of all party meetings. Without him, the BJP meetings will never be the same again.

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Much that he had a strong viewpoint, he always submitted to collectivism. His shradha for both Atalji and Advaniji was immense. If he realized that either of them had a strong opinion on a subject he yielded to it immediately.

I always got the impression that his real Guru on organizational matters was Bhagwatji from Maharashtra from whom Pramodji learnt his lessons in the act of organizing. He quoted frequently from what his Guru had told him in a given context.

Pramodji was full of anecdotes. A great orator, he combined his ability to turn phrases with anecdotal references. That brought subtle humour in his speeches and earned him huge popularity as an orator.

Some of his speeches in Parliament were a textbook example of how to penetrate a point without annoying even the opposition. He produced some of the best contemporary one-liners.

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He was large-hearted. In complimenting his colleagues. He knew that the act of organization needed to command the goodwill of his colleagues. He would both privately and publicly praise a colleague’s performance—would never hesitate to send a folded slip with a neatly written compliment about a colleague’s performance. He was indefatigable. Unquestionably amongst the most brilliant in his generation. He never followed the beaten path. He was always in search of new ideas and new strategies. He was never afraid of controversies or criticism.

He wasn’t any easy loser. You never lose till you stop trying, he would say repeatedly. That is what the man was. Even with three bullets in his body he did not stop trying—not till the very end. His tragic departure causes a vacuum for both his family and his party. A void which we can never fill. We will live with many memories of Pramodji; and keep quoting them as frequently as he quoted from Bhagwatji.