The Unwavering Vision of Sanatana Culture

'The Unwavering Vision of Sanatana Culture' is not merely a biography or a collection of thoughts of a politician, but a conceptual endeavor to understand Indian civilization, culture, and national consciousness.  Through this book, Vasudev Devnani, the Speaker of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly, has made a meaningful attempt to view the life, thoughts, and works of Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee from the perspective of Sanatana culture. This work elevates Atal Ji's personality beyond political boundaries, establishing him as a cultural and moral paradigm.

The central theme of the book is that Atal Bihari Vajpayee was not just a skilled politician or Prime Minister, but a living embodiment of Indian Sanatana culture. The author believes that the eternal values ​​of Indian civilization—tolerance, harmony, humanity, compassion, and patriotism—are clearly reflected in Atal Ji's thinking, language, behavior, and decisions. The book establishes that Atal Ji's nationalism was not aggressive, but stemmed from cultural self-confidence.

In this book, Vasudev Devnani presents the definition of Sanatan culture, moving beyond a narrow religious framework and portraying it as a comprehensive philosophy of life. According to him, Sanatan means that which is eternal, that which does not change with time, but rather guides time itself. Atal Bihari Vajpayee was a torchbearer of this Sanatan consciousness. Whether it was his historic speech in Hindi at the United Nations or his adherence to democratic principles even while in the opposition, the author highlights glimpses of Sanatan values ​​in every instance.

A major strength of the book is its attempt to understand Atal Ji's key political decisions from a cultural perspective.  The author connects the Pokhran nuclear tests not merely to strategic considerations, but to the nation's self-respect and dignity. Similarly, schemes related to roads, communication, and infrastructure are viewed as a "yagna (sacrificial ritual) of nation-building." The author argues that Atal Ji's development model was not limited to material progress alone, but also gave equal importance to cultural and human development.

In terms of style, the book is simple, fluent, and impactful. The language is neither overly philosophical nor dryly political. This makes the book easily accessible to general readers, students, and the younger generation. The author's experience and intellectual clarity are evident in every chapter. In several places, Atal Ji's thoughts, statements, and actions resonate emotionally with the reader.

Another important aspect of the book is its portrayal of Atal Bihari Vajpayee as an ideal democratic leader. The author explains that even while in power, Atal Ji never allowed arrogance to overpower him. His respect for opponents, his culture of dialogue, and his commitment to parliamentary decorum seem even more relevant in today's political landscape. The book implicitly raises the question of whether today's politics is willing to learn from Atal Ji's values.

However, the book's ideological leaning is clear, and it presents an extremely positive portrayal of Atal Ji's personality. Readers expecting a more critical analysis might find this aspect somewhat limited. Nevertheless, the book's purpose is not criticism, but inspiration—and on this criterion, it is entirely successful.

In conclusion, "Atal's Vision of Sanatan Culture" is an inspiring, thought-provoking, and timely work. This book provides an opportunity to understand Atal Bihari Vajpayee, as well as to gain a deeper understanding of Indian culture and national thought. This book is a must-read for readers who want to understand Atal Ji's thoughts, the values ​​of Sanatan culture, and the soul of Indian democracy. It is not merely a book to remember Atal Ji, but an invitation to internalize his ideas.

This book, "Atal's Vision of Sanatan Culture," written by Rajasthan Assembly Speaker Vasudev Devnani, was grandly launched on December 23rd by the Honorable Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan at the Vice President's Enclave, New Delhi, in a dignified ceremony.  Present on the occasion were Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of State for Agriculture Bhagirath Choudhary, National Convenor of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh Sunil Ambekar, Chairman of the National Book Trust Milind Marathe, Vice President's Secretary Amit Khare, BJP leader V. Satish, former MP from Jaipur Ramcharan Bohra, and many other dignitaries.

The author of the book, Assembly Speaker Vasudev Devnani, says that he was shaped by the Sangh (RSS). He has been associated with education for a long time. Atal Ji's birthday is celebrated as Good Governance Day. Atal Ji was a profound scholar of parliamentary traditions. He inspired me to write this book. He inspired me to view Atal Ji's life in the light of Sanatan culture. He became a Sangh Pracharak (propagator), a politician, and the Prime Minister of the country. The Sangh molds such people. How a person from the Sangh awakens the flame of Sanatan culture is discussed in a separate section of the book. As the Education Minister of Rajasthan, I also worked on revising textbooks. Be it the inclusion of Veer Savarkar or replacing Akbar the Great with Maharana Pratap. I had to face many challenges for this, but I received the inspiration from the Sangh. Atal Ji's speeches in Parliament were spontaneous and simple. He was known as a people's leader. Atal Ji was a complete embodiment of parliamentary culture. He had a deep sense of pride in the Hindi language. He possessed a vision of good governance based on equality.  It is necessary to view Atal Ji's personality in the light of Sanatan culture. This is my first attempt at writing a book.

The book has been published by Prabhat Prakashan, New Delhi, by Prabhat Kumar and Piyush Kumar.