We asked our cadres to believe in heroes of the nation like Lord Ram, Lord Krishna, Sri Aurobindo, Lokmanya Tilak and Ramakrishna Paramhans. To some extent Gandhiji -- we believed and admired Gandhi's belief in grassroot-level activism. Second, we thought in 1980 that unlike Congress, ours would be value-based politics. Third, we were committed to democracy. Fourth, the BJP believed in positive secularism. And fifth, we wanted to break caste barriers and establish samata [equality] in Indian society. In May 1980, the BJP was born in New Delhi where its name and symbol was decided. Shanti Bhushan and Ram Jethamalani came to attend the launch of the party. Vajpayee was made the working president. The lotus was selected as the party symbol because it represents Hindu ethos. It's a holy symbol. Everyone in rural India understands what it stands for. It is symbolic: It blooms in dirty waters but it is pure in itself. Like the lotus, we thought we will be in politics but we will be not be mired in the corruption around us.
