Quotes from Atal Bihari Vajpayee

I have a vision of India-an India free of hunger and fear, an India free of illiteracy and want.

For the Bharatiya Janata Party, Gandhian socialism is what we want to achieve and make society free of exploitation and full of opportunities.

I believe the gun is no solution to problems.

We do not believe that a nuclear war should be fought, and we do not believe that a nuclear war can be won.

In the euphoria after the Cold War, there was a misplaced notion that the UN could solve every problem anywhere.

Declaring victory without war .. the belief that India gave up the option of war under American pressure is totally wrong.

India is a proud and sovereign country. We do not take any decisions under pressure from the U.S. or any other power.

Our nuclear scientists and engineers have done a splendid job, and naturally, the entire nation has risen to salute their professional excellence, discipline, and patriotism. They have had the benefit of having been led in the past by great men like Homi Bhabha and Vikram Sarabhai.

I believe that democracy is the best guarantor for peace and cooperation among nations.

Who can forget that in critical times of war in 1962, 1965 and 1971, Naga underground organisations did not fire on the Indian Army? They showed restraint.

Whatever understanding is reached with Pakistan has to be followed honestly, and everybody will have to rise above party politics and be actively committed to make India prosperous.

India has no dearth of brave young men and women and if they get the opportunity and help then we can compete with other nations in space exploration and one of them will fulfil her dreams.

You can change friends but not neighbours.

It is true that of all the states in India, Nagaland has a unique history. We are sensitive to this historical fact. But this uniqueness has in no way diminished the spirit of patriotism among the Naga people.

If Pakistan had not accepted the demand to stop cross-border infiltration and the United States had not conveyed to us Pakistan's guarantee to do so, then nothing could have stopped a war.

The UN's unique legitimacy flows from a universal perception that it pursues a larger purpose than the interests of one country or a small group of countries.

Creative universities are bedrock of every developed nation's S&T strategy.

No one can be considered untouchable on political grounds.

We have given up office, but not our responsibility to serve the nation. We have lost an election, but not our determination.

My poet's heart gives me strength to face political problems, particularly those which have a bearing on my conscience.

This power of democracy is a matter of pride for our country, something which we must always cherish, preserve and further strengthen.

I dream of an India that is prosperous, strong and caring. An India, that regains a place of honour in the comity of great nations.

The regional parties have emerged as a strong force, and they, too, deserve a place in national politics.

I am often accused of colluding with the British during the freedom struggle. I want to ask, how?