The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Kalam jogs, jokes and sings

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Dec 19, 2006
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Kalam jogs, jokes and sings

K.V. Prasad

A.P. J. Abdul Kalam

COIMBATORE: The auditorium erupted in a thunderous applause as President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam approached the podium to deliver his inaugural address at the start of a Tamil literary meet here on Monday.

No, he did not walk up to the podium. He jogged. The audience at the Coimbatore Corporation's auditorium roared in appreciation of the septuagenarian President's brisk effort to get his address going.

Mr. Kalam livened up the function organised by the Kalachuvadu Trust and Sri Krishna Sweets by joking about himself and singing along with his scientist-friend Y.S. Rajan. A nearly two-hour wait for the President and the security check seemed to vanish from the minds of the people gathered at the venue when he kept them all engrossed in what he spoke or did.

It all started with the President clapping in mock appreciation of a welcome address that contained words in praise of him. The crowd loved his response. Yet, laced with abundant sense of humour was the message of relentless pursuit of development. But, once again, he himself was the subject of any joke.

"The earth has been revolving non-stop around the sun for millions of years. Our pursuit of excellence should also be like it," he stressed. "I am on my 76th revolution around the sun," he said and paused for the audience's reaction.

"This only means that I am 75 years old," he then said to laughter from the invitees.

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