Indians in Greece want second term for Kalam

Athens, Apr 28: The fan club of President A P J Abdul Kalam has transcended beyond the country's sea shore with many Indians in Greece wanting a second term for him in the Rashtrapati Bhawan.

Dr Kalam, whose term is coming to close a few months later, leaves for home today after a three-day visit to Greece.

The President charmed the Greeks and the Indians living here alike, which was quite evident at a reception hosted in his honour by the Indian Ambassador to Greece.

He freely interacted with the Indians here, who were eager to know whether he would be going in for a second term for Presidentship, a question which Dr Kalam deftly diverted sometimes with silence and at other times with some witty remark.

However, a number of Indians told sources that they wanted to see President Kalam in office for much more years.

''We want Kalam for many more years, not just for another term'' was the common reply among a young Indian student Omkar Patel, a resource manager in a software company Vishal Nigam, housewife Charu Batra and a company executive Sarita Vasudev.

Ms Batra said Dr Kalam's personality and thinking was a balancing factor in a country of such a diversity as India.

Patel said the President's vision for the development of the country was so inspiring to the young generation that ''we really need him to be in office for many many more years''.

Nigam said, ''We have for the first time a person in the country's highest office who has such a clear blueprint for the development of India. ''We need him forever, not just for a second term.'' Ms Vasudev sees in Dr Kalam the synthesis of science and religion, a man who she said was needed by the modern India.

Dr Kalam, in his address to the Indians living here, urged them to work for the development of Greece with full devotion and hard labour.

He said he was exteremely happy to be among them. When asked for his message to the Indians in Greece, he said, ''If you are living here and working, give the very best of you to this country.''

UNI