My Take

L.K. Advani's blogs cut across generations: for his contemporaries, they have a recall value. For the young Indian, restless to do his bit in shaping the future of his country, Advani's blogs provide a rare insight into history. They take him through the turmoil and toil of leaders like Sardar Patel and their distinctive contribution in shaping today's India. Advani's blogs have a dual purpose: they mirror an era gone by and yet link its relevance to an India, raring to take on the world. The blogs, therefore, successfully merge two eras: one to which Advani himself belongs with another which sees him as a mentor.That Advani has been a consequential politician is a given. As a protagonist in the political playfield spanning decades, he along with Atal Behari Vajpayee, not only formed the Bharatiya Janata Party but transformed it dramatically. If the BJP is nationally in the reckoning today, it is because of the Atal-Advani vision of bringing it centre-stage from the margins. It is through this journey that he redefined secularism. During his historic yatras including the Ramjanambhoomi and Somnath to Ayodhya, the country was compelled to redefine secularism and distinguish it from the pseudo secularism being handed down by adversaries.But that is only one part. The other and more significant is Advani's contribution in setting and elevating standards in public life and hammering that they be followed. That he has led from the front is well known.The strength of Advani's blogs, like his persona, is that they are direct, candid and forthright. There is no soft-pedaling issues or minimizing the blow as it were. He has stated facts as they are and made no attempt to either underplay or exaggerate any sequence. His writings are as clear as his mind.The blogs offer a wide range: history, politics, books and all else. To those who have a stake in India's political future, Advani's blogs are an effective guide; for others an interesting read.