MALHOTRA: VALUING SERVICE ABOVE SELF

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Vijay Kumar Malhotra, who died recently, led a life of relentless hard work, determination and service.

- NARENDRA MODI

A glimpse of his life reveals the core ethos of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Singh (RSS), the Jana Sangh, and the BJP-courage in the face of adversity, service above self and a deep-rooted commitment to national and cultural values.

Malhotra's family suffered the horrors of partition but the trauma and displacement did not make him bitter. Those were indeed very challenging times. Malhotra, who found his calling in the ideology of the RSS and the Jana Sangh, dedicated himself to social work, helping thousands of displaced families rebuild their lives. This was also the guiding spirit of the Jana Sangh. His fellow Karyakartas in those days included Madanlal Khurana and Kidar Nath Sahni. Such selfless service resonated with the people of Delhi.

In this background, the Lok Sabha and various state assembly elections of 1967 proved to be a shocker for the all-powerful Congress. Notably, the Jana Sangh secured a resounding victory in the first-ever Delhi Metropolitan Council election. L.K. Advani became the chairman of the Council and Malhotra was made the chief executive councillor, a post roughly equivalent to that of a chief minister. He was only 36 then. During his tenure, he addressed the needs of Delhi, especially infrastructure and civic issues.