NEW DELHI , 26 December 2002— Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee celebrated his 78th birthday on Christmas Day with the launch of a program to provide clean drinking water to rural India.
The ambitious scheme seeks to provide drinking water to all 600,000 villages across the country by 2004.
The day was marked with celebrations at Vajpayee’s official residence at 7 Race Course Road.
Schoolchildren, the physically-disabled, MPs, and ministers, including Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani, a close associate of over half a century, queued up to offer birthday wishes to the prime minister.
"I have turned 78 today, I have two or four more years left," Vajpayee told reporters with his typical earthy humor. "The love and affection of the people of India is my greatest treasure."
He later witnessed cultural programs including a play titled "War and Peace."
Born in Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh in 1924, the poet-politician has been a Member of Parliament since 1957.
Vajpayee’s engagements yesterday began at 9.45 a.m., when Advani and other senior political leaders began arriving at his residence to wish him.
A short while later, Vajpayee launched "Swajaldhara", a grand water project involving grass root communities and village councils.
Vajpayee launched the scheme from his official residence here in a videoconference with functions at villages in Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh states.
"We shall come and go, but it is essential that people receive basic needs like drinking water," Vajpayee said.
The prime minister then received members of the public, who thronged his residence for another three hours. Carrying flowers and bouquets, people in large numbers visited his residence that was opened to the public amid tight security.
