In this February 20, 1999 file photo, Pakistani PM Nawaz Sharif, left, receives his Indian counterpart Atal Bi... Read More

NEW DELHI: Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister of the country thrice - for 13 days in 1996, for a period of eleven months from 1998 to 1999, and then for a full 5-year term from 1999 to 2004.

From defining India's relations with Pakistan and strengthening the country to being known as a poet and an orator par excellence, India will remember former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee for many facets of his life. Here are some of the highlights of his tenure:

Kargil war

India won the Kargil war in 1999 and Vajpayee was hailed for his successful handling of the situation. In June 1999, Pakistan's hostilities in Kargil pushed both countries to the brink of a full-scale war. The Kargil victory cemented Vajpayee's reputation as a strong and able leader. Vajpayee never hid his bitterness whenever Kargil was mentioned, but he tried to build peace with Pakistan again by holding a historic summit in Agra with the then leader of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf, in 2001. The summit, however, failed.

Pokhran test

During his second term as Prime Minister, Vajpayee ordered nuclear tests in May 1998, barely a month after the government came into power. He authorised a series of five nuclear tests in the Pokhran desert of Rajasthan. These tests were regarded as a national milestone. The tests were a strategic masterstroke to blunt Pakistan's nuclear ambitions while at the same time announcing a moratorium on future testing.

Delhi-Lahore bus service

On February 19 in 1999, Vajpayee inaugurated the Delhi-Lahore bus service and travelled in the same to meet his counterpart Nawaz Sharif in Pakistan. This step became an iconic symbol of international diplomacy and he was globally lauded for his pragmatism. The two prime ministers agreed on a historic treaty called the Lahore Declaration, on February 21, 1999, under which, among other things, it was agreed upon that the two sides were fully committed to undertaking measures to reduce risks of accidental or unauthorised use of nuclear weapons.

Kashmir policy

Vajpayee's doctrine of 'insaniyat, jamhuriyat and Kashmiriyat' is always remembered by the people of Kashmir as well as politicians of all parties. Vajpayee had used the lines to address the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort to reach out to the people of Kashmir. In his Independence Day speech on Wednesday, PM Modi said he wanted to resolve the Kashmir issue through Vajpayee's doctrine of 'Insaniyat, jamhuriyat and Kashmiriyat'. In Vajpayee, people of Kashmir saw a leader willing to look beyond political calculations in his attempt to solve the vexed problems of the strife-torn valley.

