Vajpayee wraps up tour with a feel-good speech

With leaderly insight and grandfatherly wisdom, Vajpayee walked the NRIs through India8217;s still incomplete journey from a middling, hesitant, regionalgiant to a global power of consequence.

8220;Without doubt, there is now a repositioning of India in global and regional affairs,8221; Vajpayee said, in a claim he advanced later in a formal statement to newsmen, ahead of a press conference that was inexplicably cancelled.

Both the Prime Minister and his aides say that repositioning, along with the recognition India is gaining as a responsible and stabilising force inAsia, and the acceptance of its concerns over South Asia, are the principle gains of this landmark visit.

Speaking seated at the Indian community event in the capacious Constitution Hall, Vajpayee had the crowd in raptures with a 45-minute address in Hindi, a language he said he was most comfortable with after some in the audience requested him to speak in English.

That little commotion led him into a philosophical exposition on the nature and importance of all languages. Seguing into the growth of the Indiandiaspora across the world now numbering 30 million, including 1.5 million in the U.S, Vajpayee paid rich compliments to Indian-Americans, counting them as did President Clinton as a major factor for the upswingin Indo-US relations.

8220;Those who came as labourers are now legislators Jo mazdoor ban kar aaye they, who ab shaasak ban rahe hain,8221; the Prime Minister said in possibly the most elegant expression among the several he used in an inspiring address.

Much to the delight of the audience, Vajpayee also made the other feel-good comment that is an Indian staple now: Countries that had once declined visas to Indians were laying out the welcome mat.

But it was his disquisition on relations with Pakistan and the problems in Kashmir that brought the roof down. Vajpayee detailed the peace moves he had made towards Pakistan, the Kargil war, and how international public opinion was solidly behind India and believed in its pacific outlook.

8220;Pakistan thinks it can take Kashmir from us by force. That can never happen,8221; Vajpayee said to a standing ovation from the largely pro-BJP crowd.

The Prime Minister8217;s reference to Pakistan and its perfidy in repudiating existing peace agreements followed quiet endorsements from the Clintonadministration that a bilateral track is the best way to tackle issues and 8220;South Asia8217;s problems are best addressed by South Asian nations.8221;

In fact, the Clinton administration8217;s use of the expression talks 8220;at an appropriate time8221; and its stress on the need to create a conducive atmosphere, appear to subscribe to the Indian insistence that Pakistan should publicly renounce jihad and reiterate a commitment to the existing covenants repudiated by the military regime.

Earlier, the Prime Minister met a group of Indian-American entrepreneurs, mainly hi-tech types, and told them his government wanted 8220;many Bangalores to bloom in India.8221;

8220;Our dream is to create world-class conditions and facilities in India, so that talented Indians can achieve the same success while living and working in India as they do when they come to the United States,8221; Vajpayee said.

The Prime Minister will be honoured with a state dinner banquet at the White House on Sunday night and will emplane for India via Frankfurt shortly beforemidnight Sunday.