The Hindu : Presidential saloon rolls again

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, May 31, 2003

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National

Presidential saloon rolls again

Photo: Ranjeet Kumar

The President, A.P.J Abdul Kalam, boarding the special train to return to Patna, after laying the foundation stone for a railway maintenance coach factory at Harnaut, on Friday. The Railway Minister, Nitish Kumar, is also seen.

Harnaut (Bihar) May 30. Coach numbers 9000 and 9001 are not ones, which are put on the tracks by the Indian Railways on a routine basis.

Popularly known as the President's Saloon and lying stationary for 26 years, the twin coaches today once again rolled down the tracks, with the President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, boarding it here on an hour-long 60-km journey to Patna.

As the twin coach vintage saloon and six other bogies, that comprise the President's cavalcade, chugged out of the station on a journey that had ignited the imagination of the people, Dr. Kalam became the first President to board it after the 1977 ride of former President, Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy.

Attired in a light-coloured Prince suit, Dr. Kalam, who was here to lay the foundation stone for a rail coach maintenance workshop, boarded the saloon, which has all the trappings of regal splendour and modern-day travel comforts, at about 6-30 p.m.

Also travelling in the train were the Chief Minister, Rabri Devi, the Railway Minister, Nitish Kumar, the Ministers of State, Bandaru Dattatreya and A. K. Moorthy, senior officials of the State Government, and the 29-member delegation that had accompanied the President.

A group of 10 vice-chancellors were on board with the President in his saloon. Known for his penchant for academics, the `missile man' had wanted to travel from Harnaut to Patna with the Bihar vice-chancellors.

Sangeeta, a school student from the State who could not make it to Delhi when other students had called on the President, was also allowed to travel in the saloon. For a battery of mediapersons, a special coach was attached to the rake.

Security personnel had lined up along the 60-km route, and the train reached Patna without a stop at any station en route. Soon after boarding the saloon, Dr. Kalam waved to people, and then the door was shut as he busied himself in a pursuit that he likes best — holding discussions with academics and scientists.

The eagerness of the President to discuss the education scenario in Bihar could be gauged from the fact that the officials accompanying him had sent a message to State Governor, Vinod Chandra Pande, to call all the vice chancellors to Harnaut itself. — UNI

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