As the news of the sad demise of the Bheeshma Pitamaha of Indian politics broke, a pal of gloom descended over Mussoorie. In conversations laced with nostalgia, local residents remember the great statesman and a greater leader.
While we all know that Atal ji preferred the climes of Manali in Himanchal but he did make it to the hill-station of Mussoorie on several occasions. Some old timers remember those visits. For instance, 95-year-old Shri Ratan Lal ji one of Mussoorie’s octogenarians, remembers Atal ji’s visit in minute details: “I remember him from our RSS days when we did our OTC training in Nagpur. We became pracharaks together. Atalji visited us thrice and came to Nandvilla our family run hotel-cum-home. He preferred home-cooked food that my daughter-in-law Jaijaiwanti put together. My older son Manmohan Karanwal would drive him around the hill-town.
The last time that Atalji came to Mussoorie was in the month of July in 1994. “He held a meeting in Garhwal Terrace and wrote on their visitors book promising to return,” tells us senior journalist Bijendra Pundir. “He used to stay in Aikant Guest House or Modi Bhawan. He preferred walking around Mussoorie, sitting at local shops while visiting old friends.”
Atal ji left behind fond memories with whoever he met and spent time with. His simplicity, humbleness, hearty laughter and his oratory skills were incomparable. He talked to the Mussoorie Rotary Club, and senior members recall the day with fondness.
Of course, the credit of creating a separate hill-state, then known as Uttaranchal, goes to Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Not only was Uttarakhand created but the new born state was given a Special Industrial Package.
Uttarakhand and its twin hill-stations held a special place in the heart of Atalji and his visits here will go down in the annals of history of the hill-stations golden era.
