Vajpayee goes out in the rain with his Pak olive branch

Braving incessant rain, Vajpayee who spoke to the nation from behind a bullet-proof glass shield, his words matching the dignity and aura of the rain-washed Red Fort in the background.

He celebrated India’s diversity, vowed to protect minorities and refrained from any anti-Pakistan rhetoric—a clear disapproval of the kind of politics which Narendra Modis within his party and the Togadias within his Parivar symbolise.

Though Vajpayee enumerated the achievements of his coalition government and announced a plan for sending a mission to the moon in five years, his 25-minute speech had hardly a pre-poll pitch. Rather than grand promises, he outlined focused schemes: credit for farmers, a ‘‘food-chain’’ revolution that would double the farmer’s income, extension of the mid-day meal scheme to Class X and setting up six new AIIMS-type hospitals in under-developed states. And urged political parties to support the BJP proposal to create additional one-third seats for women in the Lok Sabha.

While Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani, leader of the opposition Sonia Gandhi and former prime ministers V P Singh, P V Narasimha Rao, H D Deve Gowda and I K Gujaral all strove to squeeze themselves in their seats to stay within the protective range of their umbrellas, the Prime Minister remained unruffled by the downpour.

An umbrella held by an aide overhead only partly protected him and Vajpayee appeared totally unmindful of the rain wetting his clothes. He took short, slow and measured steps and read out his address from a prepared text. The text, as is always the case with him, did take its toll and robbed the exercise of his typical flourish.

‘‘Those who wish to divide society on the basis of religion, caste or community are doing harm to the country,’’ he said. ‘‘India is a multi-religious nation. It is against both its nature and culture to practise discrimination or to do injustice to anybody on the grounds of faith. We should always care for the minorities and be attentive towards their welfare.’’

Asking the people of Pakistan to understand the message of love that India conveyed through two-year-old Lahore girl Noor, Vajpayee said: ‘‘I invite Pakistan to walk together with India on the road to peace. This road is decidedly bumpy. There are even mines strewn along this path. Yet, once we start walking, we will find the hurdles getting out of our way…Let us open some new doors, new windows, and new light-holes in the walls that divide us.’’

He made it clear that his ‘‘frequent initiatives to normalise relations with Pakistan are not a sign of our weakness.’’ Recalling his visit to Srinagar a few months back—it was there that he set the peace ball rolling—he said that the ‘‘atmosphere’’ was changing and he would go again at the end of the month.

He said the people of the state had rebuffed terrorism from across the border during elections and they would like to see happiness return to their lives. He said: ‘‘Those people who, while talking about Kashmir, advocate the right to self-determination, wish to divide India on communal lines for the second time. They will not be allowed to succeed in this.’’

Declaring his government’s commitment to fight corruption at all levels, Vajpayee said he had personally brought his office within the ambit of the Lokpal ‘‘so that you can even book your prime minister if he commits any wrong.’’

Regarding the north-east, he said talks were yielding positive results. ‘‘The hands that took up the gun now wish to participate in the development of their region. The government is ready to welcome them.’’