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."
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