Today is the birthday of Rajasthan’s very own Jaswant Singh, a politician who has held several important portfolios throughout his life. During the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, the politician has served as a Finance Minister, External Affairs Minister, and Defence Minister of India at separate points of time. Apart from this, he is also known for his contribution in skillfully handling the Indo-US relations after the 1998 Indian nuclear tests.
Beginning his career as a cadet in the Joints Services Wing (JSW), he was commissioned as the second lieutenant of Indian Army. Later, he decided to enter into politics and went on to become one of the most senior leaders of BJP.
On the occasion of his 80th birthday, here are some of the lesser-known facts about the leader:
• Born on 3rd January 1938, Jaswant Singh became a cadet at just the age of 15 and was commissioned as second lieutenant in December 1957. He grew up as a confused teenager who wasn’t clear about his goals.
• After serving the army for 9 years, he decided to join politics in the 1980s. BJP stalwart Bhairon Singh Shekhawat became his political mentor and under his guidance, Jaswant was initiated in the Jan Sangh and was later selected as Rajya Sabha member.
• He replaced Yashwant Sinha as the Finance Minister in 2002 and played a crucial role in pushing through the market-friendly reforms of the government.
• In 2009, his book named ‘Jinnah: India-Partition-Independence’, created difficulties for him as he praised Jinnah in the book and claimed that Jawaharlal Nehru centralized policy was responsible for the partition. It even resulted in his expulsion from the primary membership of BJP.
Image Courtesy: Outlook India
• As India’s External Affairs Minister, he gained a lot of appreciation for his skills and efficiency in handling the Indo-US relations that were strained after the 1998 nuclear tests. His diplomat skills and negotiating abilities helped a great deal in easing the relations between the two nations.
• He also received the Outstanding Parliamentarian Award for the year 2001.
