Meeting
with Hon'ble President of India
16-04-2003 ( 7.15 p.m. to 7.30 p.m.)
I
reached Rashtrapati Bhavan at 6.45 p.m. I was made
to sit in waiting room and offered tea and snacks.
Exactly at 7.15 p.m. I was taken to his chamber. He
was sitting in his chair near his table. He stood
up and welcomed me warmly. He was as simple and as
humble as in the past. As soon as I went, I offered
him bouquet of flowers. He exclaimed, ' How beautiful!'
Then I gifted him a big portrait of Swami Vivekananda.
He took the photo and read out the message - "Arise,
Awake, and stop not till the goal is reached."
Then he offered me basket of fruits. Then we sat down.
I sat in the chair opposite his table. He said, "I
have seen you earlier." Then I said, "Yes,
you had came to Porbandar on 13th February, 2002 to
inaugurate a school building." He immediately
remembered everything and said, "Yes, that day
we had so much discussion during car travel from Rajkot
to Porbandar and again during air travel form Rajkot
to Mumbai. Yes, Yes, I remember everything. It was
a great day."
Then I handed over packet of cashew nuts, packet of
books of Swamiji, CD on his speech at Porbandar and
audio cassettes - (Aratrikam and Kathamrita part 4).
He exclaimed "O, Swamiji, You have brought so
many things!" I said, "What can I bring
you? I am a beggar - a fakeer from - Sudamapuri (Porbandar).
What can I offer to an emperor." He smiled and
said "Swamiji, we both are servants of the same
Emperor. He is the only Emperor." Then I handed
him the file containing text of his speech at Porbandar,
my articles and my letter addressed to him. He carefully
read my letter -and said, he will go through the speech
and send it back so that it can be published. I congratulated
him for his three books and told him that he is becoming
the role model for the youth. When I said, "You
are doing excellent work for the nation" he told,
"Swamiji, you are also doing excellent work;
let us work together." I thanked him for mentioning
about his visit to Porbandar in the book "Ignited
Minds" and requested him to write something on
a copy of the book I had carried with me. He wrote
beautiful lines of compliments as follows:
" A great mission, God given Mission is removing
the Pain of People, mind and body. May God bless you
and the Mission, as you go."-Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam.
I requested him to go through the book "My India,
the India Eternal" and mentioned that some of
these lectures inspired Mahatma Gandhi, Subhash Chandra
Bose, etc. I also mentioned how Swamiji had a vision
that India will become so great that its past glory
will fade into insignificance. He became very much
interested and asked me whether the incident is mentioned
in that book. I said, "Yes." He said that
he will certainly read it.
About
Aratrikam cassette, I told him,"This cassette
contains the prayer composed by Swami Vivekananda
and set in music by him and is very elevating You
were lost in meditation at Rajkot while this prayer
was sung during the vesper service." He said
,"You have already given me perhaps - however,
please give me." I also told him that in many
educational institutions we take the help of this
song " Tujse humne dil ko lagaya" for meditation,
which was a favourite song of Swami Vivekananda and
is a part of the cassette Kathamrit (Part-4)
When I told that people of Porbandar are remembering
you and were happy to know that you have become President
of India and are eager to see you again, he said,
" I will certainly come to Porbandar, the birth
place of Mahatma Gandhi." I suggested that 12th
January (Swami Vivekananda birthday) is celebrated
as National Youth Day. He noted down the date. While
I was going out of the room at 07:30 pm he again said,
"Swamiji, I am coming to Porbandar."
