The Hindu : Front Page : The President springs a surprise

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Saturday, Feb 10, 2007
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The President springs a surprise

SURPRISE VISITOR: President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam at the residence of Khushwant Singh in New Delhi on Friday. - PHOTO: PTI

NEW DELHI: President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam on Friday came calling at the residence of the eminent writer Khushwant Singh who found it hard to believe that the Head of State should ``waste'' his time on a ``pen-pusher''.

The 93-year-old Khushwant Singh nevertheless was excited when President Kalam drove to his Sujan Singh Park apartment in the heart of New Delhi and stayed on for nearly half-an-hour, discussing their common passion -- books -- by a fireplace that had been lit on a cold evening.

It all began a week back when Rashtrapati Bhavan rang up Khushwant Singh on February 2, which happened to be his birthday, to say that the President would like to meet him ``at his convenience''.

``For a while, I believed somebody was pulling my leg. I kept telling him `Who are you?' For two days nothing happened and I was convinced that somebody was making a fool of me. Presidents do not ask for other people's convenience. But when the police started coming yesterday, I believed it,'' said Khushwant Singh after the meeting on Friday.

During an exchange of books authored by them, President Kalam presented his much talked about works, ``Ignited Minds'' and ``Wings of Fire'', to the celebrated author and received from him some of his writings.

``I was pleasantly surprised," said Khushwant Singh later, "that he had read my books. He had read the two volumes of my `History of Sikhs'. I have reviewed his `Ignited Minds' and had written that I was determined to tear him to bits. But when I read it, it was a turnaround. This man is a good writer. He talks common sense.'' - PTI.

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