Arun Jaitley: India’s “Real Chanakya”, we will miss you!!

India’s “precious diamond” or the “real Chanakya” as we came to know Shri. Arun Jaitley in recent times, has been an inspiration to a whole new generation of leaders at the helm of affairs today.

Born on 28th December 1952, Shri. Arun Jaitley was a prominent face in the Jaiprakash Narayan movement and was under preventive detention for 19 months during the National Emergency of 1975-77.

From his initial days in the ABVP in the 1974 DUSU elections, India got one of its tallest leaders who would be seen as the soft face of the new emerging political order. The quintessential master-strategist was to play larger roles ever since, as a craftsman for the huge victories of his party across India who was also the ‘pefect fit’ for the perspective hungry media to understand the rapidly changing political landscape under the leadership of Late Shri. Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Shri. Lal Krishna Advani. Those who saw an unfolding partnership between Shri. Arun Jaitley and Shri Narendra Modi upon the sunset of the Vajpayee-Advani partnership over a decade ago were proved right when Shri. Jaitley emerged as an architect of a stable government in 2014 that led to India getting its most popular Prime Minister of all times in 2019.

His towering influence and deepening contribution to a new India continued on both fronts, firstly as a political strategist responsible for unravelling a string of most challenging and complex electoral battles including Gujarat elections of 2002 and 2007 when Modi had specifically requested for Shri. Jaitley to be made in-charge, continuing up to the recent Karnataka elections and secondly as point man to drive landmark reforms as the Finance Minister of India. His ability to build consensus with reason in complex dispensations include some big-ticket reforms such as Goods & services tax (GST) and the Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code (IBC).

Always a go-to man for both NDA Prime Ministers Shri. Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Shri. Narendra Modi, Shri. Arun Jaitley was the key negotiator on all key and complex decisions. He was also seen as the bridge for all pro-business as well as pro-poor reforms in both dispensations. His ability to win people away from opposition on reason and his unmatched negotiating skills had the present Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman say (about Shri. Arun Jaitley) “The clarity in his thinking & simple articulation are admirable but difficult to match”.

His multi-faceted experience and the ace lawyer in him enabled both dispensation to portray their achievements and defend controversies with vigour and humility, both in Parliament as well as in courts, from articulation of the 2019 election as a choice between stability and chaos to handling of the complexities of discourse of GST, Triple Talaq and Rafael deal. As a leader who symbolised civility & reason, Shri. Arun Jaitley won friends across the political, business and social spectrum.

In a Finance Minister who saw a shining India in the years to come, with his maiden budget said that India cannot afford to lose a historic opportunity that’s knocking at its doors to return to a path of rapid economic growth, India has lost its tallest leader who proved to many that each one can contribute to nation building with calibre, character and by commanding trust.

For all colleagues in the legal fraternity it is a huge loss and a vacuum that will never be filled. My journey and interactions with the noble soul will always be cherished and continue to be a source of inspiration.

Rest in peace Shri Arun Jaitley, you will keep shining and inspiring generations forever!!

Kumar is the founder & managing partner of Hammurabi & Solomon partners and a visiting fellow with the observer research foundation)