Bharat Ratna to Lal Krishna Advani

Lal Krishna Advani was born on November 8, 1927 in Karachi, British India (now Pakistan). He belonged to a Sindhi Hindu family. Advani studied at St. Patrick’s High School in Karachi and later attended D.G. National College in Hyderabad, Sindh. After partition, his family migrated to Bombay where he completed his law degree from Government Law College.

Political Career

Advani joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in 1941 at age 14. He served as secretary of the Karachi unit in 1947. After partition, he worked as a pracharak in various districts of Rajasthan until 1952. In 1980, Advani helped found the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) along with Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Under his leadership, BJP emerged as a major political force based on Hindu nationalist ideology.

Advani served as BJP President from 1986-1991 and again from 1993-1998. He was Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha from 1991-1993. Advani served as Home Minister from 1998-2004 and Deputy Prime Minister from 2002-2004 under Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Contributions and Controversies

Advani is known for leading the Ram Rath Yatra in 1990 which brought the Ram Mandir issue to national prominence. While credited for BJP’s rise, he has also been criticized for his role in the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition. As Home Minister, Advani oversaw responses to national security threats and the 1999 Kargil War. He promoted infrastructure development and economic growth.

Later Political Years

After BJP lost the 2004 and 2009 general elections, Advani stepped back from senior party positions. He served as Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha from 2009-2012. Advani won from the Gandhinagar constituency in the 2014 and 2019 elections before retiring from active politics in 2019 at age 92.

Awards and Recognition

Advani was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 2015.

About the Bharat Ratna

The Bharat Ratna was established in 1954 to recognize exceptional service to the nation. The Prime Minister recommends recipients to the President of India. Up to three awards are given annually.

The original criteria was limited to arts, literature, science and public services. In 2011, the government expanded it to include “any field of human endeavor.”

First Recipients and Notable Names

The first recipients in 1954 were C. Rajagopalachari, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan and C.V. Raman. Later recipients include Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, Sachin Tendulkar, Lata Mangeshkar, Bhimsen Joshi, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, A.P.J Abdul Kalam, Karpuri Thakur among others. The award has been conferred posthumously as well.

Significance of the Award

The Bharat Ratna represents the highest esteem and recognition for exceptional service to the nation. It honours the ideals and values that India strives towards.

List of Awardees