Srinagar: Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on April 18 received thunderous
applause from 30,000-strong crowd at a rally in Srinagar when he recited a couplet
of famous Kashmiri poet Mehjoor.
"Wala ho baghawano, nav baharuk shaan paida kar, pholan gul gath karan bulbul, timay
saman paida kar (let us build an atmosphere where flowers bloom, birds chirp and
play and it will be a paradise)," Vajpayee said during his 20-minute speech at the
Sher-e-Kashmir stadium.
The couplet was written by Mehjoor for former Chief Minister Sheikh Mohammed
Abdullah after the Dogra rule had ended in the state and he had taken over reins of
the administration.
As Vajpayee completed the couplet in Kashmiri and began its translation, thunderous
applause greeted him with people raising slogans "Atal Behari Vajpayee zindabad."
"Din badle, mausam badle, baharen phir aayengi (days have changed, weather has
changed and now spring will come soon)," said Vajpayee when he sought co-operation
of youths in re-building the state.
PTI
