There is a sense of disbelief hovering over, following the tragic and untimely death of BJP General Secretary Pramod Mahajan who died at a Mumbai Hospital after battling for his life. As much as the shock that overtook the nation on April 22 when the first flash of news relayed how Mahajan was badly injured when his younger brother Pravin Mahajan shot him at his Mumbai residence, for both the public and media, the realization that Mahajan is no more will only add to the loss and he will be sorely missed for the sheer appeal he brought to newspaper pages and television channels across the country.
Mahajan’s tragic departure from the country’s political landscape is also a sad reminder on the way death has snatched away some of India’s brightest political hopefuls at the time of their peak. The regularity of such political tragedies is itself an ominous sign as much as it remains a mystery of sorts for those who have evinced keen interest in the country’s political history. The three names that come to mind immediately are that of Rajiv Gandhi, Rajesh Pilot and Madhavrao Scindia, all gone tragically at their prime. Though from the BJP Pramod Mahajan’s name will be added to that illustrious list of star politicians who brought their youthful charm and passion to the country’s political centre stage, though for a short period but with a legacy that will endure.
As a leader who understood the mantra of new age politics, Pramod brought to the BJP a sense of political reality that enabled it to adapt to the flexibility as demanded under the coalition culture. His flamboyance, confidence and political networking were qualities that earned for the BJP the goodwill among many of the NDA Allies. These management skills, more than anything else, made him a valuable asset for the BJP. Surely, the loss of Pramod Mahajan is to lose the torchbearer of the next generation of BJP leaders.
For the Naga people, Mahajan more than anything else will be remembered for the confidence he showed on the Naga peace process. During his September 2005 visit to Dimapur, Nagaland, Mahajan when queried by local journalists had no hesitation to publicly state that had the people of India elected the BJP to power for another term, permanent peace could have already become a reality in Nagaland. Mahajan had likewise expressed concern that Nagaland had become a victim to illegal influx of Bangladeshis and he was determined that effective steps had to be taken to contain this menace. On the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act enforced in Nagaland, Mahajan had held the position that the army and the police were not the only answers in the Northeast as the region was facing multi-dimensional problems. There is no doubt that Mahajan can be counted as one of the few national leaders whose take on the Naga issue was forward looking.
