THE life and legacy of Bharat Ratna late Atal Bihari Vajpayee were celebrated in Indore on Sunday during the birth cente nary event titled “From Zero to Century: A Century of Atal India” at Daly College. The ceremony, organised by the Atal Foundation, brought together political leaders, dignitaries, and family members to honor the former Prime Minister’s contri butions to the nation. Vice President C P Radhakrishnan described late Atal Ji as “not mere ly a person, but a mission,” prais ing his ideals, deeds, and vision of good governance as a guiding light for future generations. Highlighting Vajpayee Ji’s achievements—including the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, Golden Quadrilateral, Delhi Metro, formation of new states, and Pokhran nuclear tests—he said these initiatives strengthened modern India. He added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is continuing Vajpayee Ji’s legacy while lead ing the country toward the goal of Developed India–2047.

 

Governor Mangubhai Patel said Atal Ji’s life is like a sacred text, with each page teaching morality, excellence, and devo tion to the nation. He remem bered Vajpayee Ji as a politician, poet, thinker, and self-respect ing patriot whose leadership set high standards for Indian democ racy. CM Dr Mohan Yadav called late Atal Ji a “Yuga Purush”, prais ing his firmness of thought, ded ication to democracy, and serv ice to the nation. He recalled Vajpayee Ji’s tenure as Leader of the Opposition for 50 years, his role in strengthening India’s glob al standing, and his historic address at the UNs in Hindi. Dr Yadav also announced that on December 25, foundation stones will be laid and develop ment projects worth over Rs 2 lakh crore in Gwalior will be inau gurated in the memory of late Atal Ji.

 

Four personalities—poet Satyanarayan Sattan, former Union Minister Satyanarayan Jatiya, former cricket selector Sanjay Jagdale, and Parang Shukla—were honored with the ‘Atal Alankaran’ award. A short film on Vajpayee Ji’s life was screened, and the third edition of the book “Sada Atal Mahagranth” was released along with a calendar. Ceremony was attended by senior leaders including Urban Development Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya, Water Resources Minister Tulsiram Silawat, former Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, MP Shankar Lalwani, and Atal Foundation Chairperson Mala Vajpayee Tiwari.