Global tributes pour in; South Asia mourns

Leaders from neighbouring countries, including Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka, attended former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s funeral on Friday, while condolence messages poured in from around the globe.

King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk; Nepal’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Pradeep Kumar Gyawali; Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood; Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kiriella; Pakistan’s Law and Information Minister Ali Zafar; and former President of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, attended the last rites in New Delhi on Friday.

Some countries including the US, the UK and Belgium few their country’s flags at half-mast at their missions in New Delhi, as a mark of respect to the deceased leader.

Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth had earlier announced that the Indian and Mauritian national flags would fly at half-mast from sunrise to sunset at all government buildings in his country.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a statement gave credit to Vajpayee for “recognising early on” that the US and India, based on their shared democratic values, could develop a partnership that would contribute to the economic prosperity and security of the region and the world. “Today, our two countries and our bilateral relationship continue to benefit from Prime Minister Vajpayee’s vision, which helped promote expanded cooperation,” Pompeo said.

The UK High Commissioner to India, Dominic Asquith, said Vajpayee would be remembered as one of India’s greatest leaders. “Shri Vajpayee was much respected in the UK as a statesman par excellence,” Asquith said in his message.

The former PM’s love for poetry and inclination towards intellectual pursuits were also highlighted in a number of messages. “An excellent orator and a poet Shri Vajpayee took significant strides towards acceleration of inclusive economic growth in India,” said Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in her message, also calling him her country’s great friend.

“We knew him also as a poet, a man of knowledge and a true friend of our country, where he is well-known as one of the architects of our long-lasting and time-tested privileged strategic partnership,” said Nikolay Kudashev, Russian Ambassador to India, expressing grief over the death of a ‘great statesman’.

Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, in his message of condolence to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said Vajpayee was a visionary statesman with impeccable integrity and dedication, who will be remembered for his sagacity and exemplary selfless service to the people of India. “In the demise of former Prime Minister Vajpayee, India and the world has lost a towering political figure and Nepal a true friend and well-wisher,” Oli said.

Afghanistan Ambassador to India, Shaida Abdali, said that it was the whole of South Asia, and not just India, which had lost a towering personality and a great statesman. “Atal Bihari Vajpayee has left us with the highest standards of leadership. As we mourn this huge loss with the people of India, I extend our deepest condolences to his family & the entire Indian nation,” Abdali said.

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