SPECIAL TREATMENT: President Abdul Kalam with some invitees at the `At Home' in New Delhi on Tuesday. - PHOTO: SHANKER CHAKRAVARTY

NEW DELHI: President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam on Tuesday hosted a reception to special invitees on the lawns of the Rashtrapati Bhavan on the occasion of Independence Day.

Top political leaders, bureaucrats and eminent personalities from different walks of life attended it.

If postmen and police constables were special invitees for the `At Home' receptions on earlier occasions, the President extended invitations to about 100 NGOs from 20 States this year.

"Seize the initiative"

Members representing 65 NGOs had an exclusive audience with the President, who told them that voluntary organisations were important as they worked closely with people and knew their pulse.

Mr. Kalam said the NGOs should not await the Government's patronage but take the initiative to reach out to people. NGOs working in sectors such as environment, health, rural areas and education were invited. Among the invitees were Sundarlal Bahuguna from Uttaranchal, who had launched the `Chipko movement' to save trees and protect forests.

Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha L.K. Advani, former Prime Minister I.K. Gujral, Congress President and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, and members of the Union Council of Ministers were also present in the VVIP enclosure.

The President went around the barricaded enclosure greeting invitees, waving at them and even shaking hands with a few. It was Mr. Kalam's last Independence Day reception as his tenure ends July next.

Later, the Prime Minister was also seen brushing aside his SPG security and greeting invitees in the enclosure.

Artistes from All India Radio rendered the Hindi translation of Mr. Kalam's poems. .

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