'Hum Jung Na Hone Denge': Vajpayee's Lahore Bus Ride And His Timeless Dream Of Peace

Atal Bihari Vajpayee's words continue to resonate deeply with Indians, serving as a poignant reminder of his vision for peace and the betrayal that followed. Vajpayee took a leap of courage when he boarded the inaugural Delhi-Lahore, Sada-e-Sarhad, bus on February 20, 1999. The message was clear- it was an act of courage, diplomacy, and poetic idealism in a world at the brink of a war. Yet, amidst the cheers and camaraderie, few anticipated the storm that would soon shatter this historic act of goodwill.

With his feet on the steps of the bus and hope in his heart, he carried a mission to bridge the chasm between two estranged neighbors, India and Pakistan.

"You can change friends, but not neighbours," Vajpayee had once said.

The launch of the Delhi-Lahore bus service on February 20, 1999, was a historic step toward bridging decades of division since the partition of India in 1947. It aimed to reconnect families separated by borders and promote commerce and tourism, following the precedent set by the Samjhauta Express in 1976.

The initiative marked a significant diplomatic effort by the Indian and Pakistani governments to thaw their frosty relations, particularly in the wake of the 1998 nuclear tests conducted by both nations.

Met with fanfare on both sides of the border and global media attention, the journey culminated in the signing of the 1999 Lahore Declaration, a pledge for peaceful resolution of disputes, particularly over Kashmir, and commitments to foster commercial and cultural ties.

The concept of the Lahore bus was envisioned amid mounting tensions, years after the partition had divided a subcontinent. The initiative was a bold move by Vajpayee, signaling India’s willingness to make peace. The backdrop was fraught: since 1947, India and Pakistan had fought multiple wars, and trust between the two nations was at its nadir.

Joining Vajpayee on this historic journey were luminaries from diverse fields, including writers, journalists, scientists, cricketers, artists, and actors. Among his distinguished co-passengers were icons like Dev Anand, Kapil Dev, Mallika Sarabhai, Javed Akhtar, and Shatrughan Sinha, reflecting the spirit of cultural and national unity that defined the moment.

The ‘bus yatra’ was part of a confidence-building measure that both Vajpayee and his then Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif had taken at the SAARC Summit in Colombo in 1998. It was in the aftermath of the nuclear tests that were carried out earlier that year by both neighbours that had sent shockwaves around the world. Pressure was mounting on both the leaders from the international community, especially the US which threatened sanctions on both.

Vajpayee’s arrival in Lahore, Pakistan’s cultural heartland, came with profound symbolism. It was at once a gesture of reconciliation and a defiance of the cynicism surrounding Indo-Pak relations. Despite criticism at home, Vajpayee's response was firm: "If history is to change, someone must write a new page."

Pakistan rolled out a red carpet. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif greeted Vajpayee with warmth, and Lahore’s streets came alive with festivity. Crowds gathered to glimpse the Indian leader who dared to dream of peace. As Vajpayee stepped off the coach just after 4:30 pm, Sharif greeted him with a warm hug. Following Vajpayee, external affairs minister Jaswant Singh emerged from the gold-colored bus. However, Sartaj Aziz, Pakistan's foreign minister, was notably missing at Wagah, as he was in Islamabad attending meetings with Chinese defense minister Gen Chi Haotian.

“It is with a great sense of elation that I find myself on Pakistani soil after a gap of 21 years... I bring the goodwill and hope of my fellow Indians to seek abiding peace and harmony with Pakistan. I am conscious that this is a defining moment in the history of South Asia and I hope that we will be able to rise to the challenge,” he said when he arrived in Lahore.

Here, Vajpayee silenced skeptics with his unequivocal acknowledgment of Pakistan’s sovereignty. "A stable, prosperous Pakistan is in India's interest," he declared, turning a chapter in a history marred by hostility.

Vajpayee’s visit culminated in a grand reception at the Minar-e-Pakistan, the site where Pakistan’s resolution for independence was passed.

At a banquet at Lahore Fort later in the evening, Vajpayee exhorted Sharif to join him in developing “trust, confidence and amity” and noted that his current visit was “only the beginning” and that “we will, together, give direction to our officials to accelerate what we have jointly set in motion”.

As former Research & Analysis Wing (R&AW) chief AS Dulat mentioned in his book, Kashmir: The Vajpayee Years, Vajpayee not just visited the monument, he even wrote in the visitor’s book there: “A stable, secure and prosperous Pakistan is in India’s interest. Let no one in Pakistan be in doubt. India sincerely wishes Pakistan well.”

According to Dulat, Vajpayee had planned to only cross the border by bus, meet and greet Sharif and come back. But Sharif had convinced him to stay back and visit Lahore saying, “Dar tak aye ho, ghar nahin aaoge? (You have come to the door, won’t you come inside?)”

Former foreign secretary Salman Haider said Atal Bihari Vajpayee's contribution to Indo-Pak ties was something that speaks for itself as "he took a great deal of initiative in bringing the two countries into closer proximity with each other".

On Atal Bihari Vajpayee's Lahore bus journey to give peace a chance, Haider said, "I think it was a unique gesture by the prime minister of India and something that does him a great deal of credit."

"He (Vajpayee) gave a speech in Lahore, (it) was very touching because he said that as far as he was concerned, he will not allow a conflict to happen. And that speech carried a huge impact, it was played on Pakistan television," Gopalaswami Parthasarathy, who was India's High Commissioner to Pakistan when Atal Bihari Vajpayee visited Lahore, told PTI.

Not everybody was happy! The excitement was overshadowed by protests from hardline Jamaat-e-Islami activists, who pelted stones at a part of the Indian PM's convoy on its way to the historic Lahore Fort.

The highlight of Vajpayee’s visit was the signing of the Lahore Declaration on February 21, 1999. This accord was a historic agreement aimed at de-escalating tensions and fostering better bilateral relations. It pledged both nations to avoid armed conflict and promote nuclear disarmament in South Asia.

Quoting his own verse, Vajpayee remarked during the signing ceremony: "Hum jung na hone denge, sarhad pe na baajayenge bajne na denge yuddh ke nagade."

The Lahore Declaration acknowledged that “the nuclear dimension of the security environment of the two countries adds to their responsibility for avoidance of conflict between the two countries.” The Declaration recognised that “confidence building measures for improving the security environment” is very important.

Most importantly, the two countries agreed to “intensify their efforts to resolve all issues, including the issue of Jammu and Kashmir” and “refrain from intervention and interference in each other’s internal affairs.” There was also a commitment to “take immediate steps for reducing the risk of accidental or unauthorised use of nuclear weapons and discuss concepts and doctrines with a view to elaborating measures for confidence building in the nuclear and conventional fields, aimed at prevention of conflict.”

It is also to be noted that both countries reaffirmed “their condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and their determination to combat this menace”(India, Ministry of External Affairs 1999).

The declaration embodied the optimism of the moment, outlining confidence-building measures, improved trade relations, and a resolution to resolve issues, including Kashmir, through dialogue.

Barely three months after the Lahore bus ride, the euphoria dissolved into the bitter reality of Kargil. Pakistani soldiers and militants, allegedly backed by the country’s military establishment, infiltrated Indian positions in Jammu and Kashmir, igniting the Kargil War. Vajpayee’s efforts to build peace were betrayed by forces beyond his counterpart’s control.

"The gun can solve no problems. It can only create more," Vajpayee once said.

Former Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri later wrote in his book "Neither a Hawk nor a Dove" that the "solution to Kashmir was in the grasp of both governments" at the Agra Summit, but could not materialise.

"Though, the Agra Summit failed, we gained because we invited him (Musharraf), and he misbehaved," Parthasarathy said.

"He (Vajpayee) was prepared to go the extra mile for peace, but he was also prepared to use military force in defence of the country as he did during Kargil and thereafter the military deployment after the Parliament attack," the former Indian envoy to Pakistan said.

On wars, Vajpayee once said, "We are unnecessarily wasting our precious resources in wars... if we must wage war, we have to do it against illiteracy, poverty, and backwardness."

The Delhi-Lahore bus service remained operational during the Kargil War in 1999 but was suspended following the December 13, 2001, attack on the Indian Parliament, for which India held Pakistan responsible. It was later reinstated on July 16, 2003, after a thaw in bilateral relations.

Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has admitted that Pakistan violated the Lahore agreement that he and Atal Bihari Vajpayee signed in 1999, and indirectly referred to the Kargil misadventure by General Pervez Musharraf as his country’s “fault".

In a meeting with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) general council, Sharif admitted, “On May 28, 1998, Pakistan carried out five nuclear tests. After that, [then Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari] Vajpayee Saheb came here and made an agreement with us. But we violated that agreement…it was our fault."

Despite the short-lived optimism of the Lahore visit, Vajpayee’s bus ride remains an enduring symbol of his determination to forge peace. His approach was not without criticism, but it highlighted his belief that leaders must "keep trying, even when hope appears thin."

In retrospect, Vajpayee’s journey to Lahore was more than a political act; it was an embodiment of his poetic vision. His verses about "breaking walls, not heads" are a reminder that diplomacy—though fraught with setbacks—is a bridge that must be built.

As the centenary of Atal Bihari Vajpayee is reflected upon, the world remembers a leader who dared to dream. His words, "Saanjh-savera, geet sunenge dono deshon mein" (At dusk and dawn, our songs shall resonate in both lands), capture his vision of peace. It was a dream unfinished, yet timeless.

When Vajpayee passed away in August 2018, Pakistan remembered him with these lines from his poem — Hum Jung Na Hone Denge.

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