Presidentil Speech - Part3

Our glorious heritage: Sacrifice of Dr. S.P. Mukerjee and Pandit Deendayal
Upadhyaya

My first duty is to pay my most heartfelt respects to the immortal memory of Dr.Shyama Prasad Mukerjee and Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya, whose life and teachings have inspired us since the beginning of our political journey in 1951, when the Bharatiya Jana Sangh was born. Their vision will continue to guide us forever.

Proponent of the Ekatma Manva Darshan or Integral Humanism, Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay was one of our visionary founding fathers. It was he who established that the spirit of nationalism and upliftment of the down trodden together can evolve a political philosophy and attract all sections of the society. Through his untiring efforts he created a niche for a political party for all patriotic people.

Today I seek the blessings of the two tallest leaders of my party, whom I have always regarded as my ideals Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the Founder-President of the BJP, and Shri Lal Krishna Advani, who has made a seminal contribution to the growth of the party. Respected Shri Atalji can no longer actively participate in party activities due to his age and ill health. However, his legacy of wise and balanced approach to national affairs, his widely adored personality, and his enormous contribution to nation-building as one of Indias best Prime Ministers, make him a source of strength and pride for the BJP. With all of you, I pray for his good health.

It is my good fortune that I can count on Respected Shri Advanijis margdarshan. As someone whose own political yatra began with the formation of the Jana Sangh, and who has witnessed and participated in almost all the major developments in national politics in the past six decades, Shri Advaniji is a rare link which connects the past and the present of the BJP. His dedication, selflessness and tireless service make him a leader to emulate by the younger generation of political activists.

My sincere and respectful thanks to Shri Rajnath Singhji, my immediate predecessor. He ably provided leadership to the Party when our organisation was facing several challenges. On behalf of the entire party, I wish to place on record our appreciation of his service.

Today it is my bounden duty to remember with gratitude many great leaders of the party, who are no more but from whom I received inspiration, encouragement and political training. I offer my deep respects, my aadaranjali to the late Kushabhau Thakre and Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia. I also pay homage to the countless ordinary karyakartas who have sacrificed their lives for the cause of the Party. Thousands of party workers have been working for our Party without expecting any position for years together and I salute them at this occasion.

What I have learnt from the great leaders as well as the ideal karyakartas is the motto that guided their lives: NATION FIRST, PARTY NEXT and SELF LAST. This has been, and will continue to be, our guiding principle. I urge all my party men to follow it, since this alone can enable us to become better servants of the people and make the BJP a better instrument of nation-building. Remember that Nationalism is our inspiration, development through Good Governance for Antyodaya, our ultimate goal.

Presidential Speech - Part 2

Presidential Address By
Shri Nitin Gadkari
All-India PresidentNational Council meeting of the BJP
Indore 18 February 2010

A Party of karyakartas

When I say that I cut my teeth as a ward-level political worker by canvassing for the Jana Sangh, in my early teens I am not telling anything new to you. Many of us have started from activities like wall-painting and poster pasting. Remember, for you and me when we move in cities like Mumbai traveling in crowded trains is a regular affair since we all are common citizens who routinely experience the daily suffering of the common commuters.

The journey of my political life is by no means unique to me. Indeed, all the past presidents of the BJP were committed karyakartas who grew up from the grassroots. Therefore, I regard my becoming the Party’s all-India president as a tribute to the BJP’s proud tradition of being a party of karyakartas. BJP is not aparty controlled by a family or a dynasty and this is what distinguishes the BJP from most political parties in India, where the highest office is being treated as the birthright of members of a particularly dynasty. This is what underscores the BJP’s deeper commitment to the ideals of democracy. This is what we mean when we
say that the BJP is a Party with a Difference.