President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam is carrying a hamper of carefully selected gifts for the heads of the four countries he is calling on. In Berne, the President presented an intricate sandalwood carving depicting an emperor’s procession to President Schmid and small leather handicrafts to a group of Swiss children whom he met this morning. At Moscow, he gifted a marble table to President Vladimir Putin and a silver candle stand to Lyudmila Putin. For the next two stops, Reykjavik and Keiv, President Kalam is carrying silk carpets for heads of government and Pashmina for their wives.Alps more beautiful from satelliteThe President continued to add impromptu items on his schedule in Berne, home to the famous Toblerone chocolates. While comparing the majesty of the Alps and the Himalayas, he went a step forward. Before leaving New Delhi, he had spoken to ISRO for getting a view of the Alps, taken by the Cartosat-I satellite, whose launching he had witnessed just three weeks back. A five-minute 3-D film taken by the satellite on May 21 landed in Berne. The President added the Indian view of the Alps in his presentation before the Salle des pas Perdus (House of Parliament). At the evening banquet, I asked President Schmid how he liked it. ‘‘The Alps look even more beautiful via Indian satellite!’’ he said.Tireless PresidentDespite a punishing schedule in the past three days, Kalam did not want rest even while cruising on a boat in Lake Brienz, one of the most picturesque in Switzerland. So, while the rest of the Indian delegation enjoyed the wine and sunshine, the President got a presentation on disaster management.— RITU SARIN
