Mulayam Singh Yadav with Kalraj Mishra in Lucknow. (Express Photo/File)Mulayam Singh Yadav’s demise is the end of an era in politics. He was a genuine person with a very kind heart — a person who took care of a (political) relationship diligently. I do not remember when I first met him, but from my early days in politics, I had a close relationship with him.
Later on, this relationship deepened with love and respect.
We may have held politically divergent beliefs but the affection but the love and respect he gave can never be forgotten. I remember he also suffered a lot during the Emergency and was put in jail.
After the formation of the Bharatiya Janata Party, the National Democratic Front consisting of the BJP and Lok Dal was formed in Uttar Pradesh. Mulayam Singh Yadav was its president and I was the general secretary. We worked together at many levels. I felt closely that not only did he have a geographical and social understanding of UP but his political vision was also very broad.
From the very beginning, I saw his attachment to party workers. Even during elections, he interacted with them now and then, and new avenues always opened up during these discussions. I constantly felt his deep attachment to nationalism. I used to jokingly tell him at times that he should have been in our party, and he used to laugh.
He did not say anything, but I know that at many levels his vision was related to the cultural concerns of the nation and the society.
There are very few grass roots leaders in politics at present, and they are remembered even more at times like these. He was a true grass roots leader who connected with the masses. It was not for nothing that he was called ‘Netaji’ — people believed he had amazing leadership qualities and took everyone along. That is why everyone was ready to work under his leadership.
When Mayawati ji was the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, I was the Minister of the Public Works Department, we got many buildings made by the PWD in Etawah (seen as the Samajwadi Party’s pocket borough). In those days, an all-India conference of the Samajwadi Party was going to be held there, and he had called and requested me to provide those buildings to people coming to take part in the conference and make some other minor arrangements.
There was no question of not accepting his request. I personally went there and made arrangements immediately after asking my principal secretary. He used to mention it whenever we met. Although it was not such a big deal, it was a mark of his personality that he would never forget anyone who cooperated at some level.
When I was the PWD minister, a Samajwadi Party MLA said some things about me during the Budget speech in the House, which were far from the truth. I had resigned then for the sake of my reputation. I remember Mulayam Singh ji called me immediately and said that I should not have resigned directly on this matter. He also reprimanded his party MLA — he said publicly that using such words against Kalraj ji is against the dignity of a person like him.
He was above party politics and did not think twice before doing anything for people close to him, even if it was beyond the party line. There are many such incidents with him in which I gave him some political advice and he accepted it — in fact, at times he used to discuss with me even big decisions.
I remember he would never forget my birthday. Wherever I would be, he would not rest until he found me on the phone and wished me…he was a person who maintained relationships and understood the dignity of relationships. When he was the Chief Minister, whenever he was told about any work, he did it immediately. He accepted my opinion, my words — unthinkable at such levels.
He was deeply interested in the development of villages and in uplifting the poor. Along with the expansion of basic facilities in villages, he was also closely engrossed with the traditional life there. Personally, his relations were so deep that even if his party leaders joined any other party later, they never broke off their ties with him.
So many such memories and anecdotes are flashing in my mind now… I believe the intimacy and affinity that remained with him is an invaluable asset in my life.
His demise, his absence is a personal void that will never be filled.
The writer is Governor of Rajasthan