Surat: Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee has created a 'new feel good factor' in the Indo-Pak relationship at the just concluded SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) Summit and his five and a half year term would go in the history as a 'historic tenure', Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani said in Surat today (Jan 7, 2004).

"Year 2003 was a feel good year. But this (term) was referred in economic sense. Before the ending of the first week of 2004, Vajpayee has created a new feel good factor in the relationship between India and Pakistan at the historic SAARC summit in Islamabad," Advani said after laying the foundation stone of a medical college.

The Deputy Prime Minister said never before such relationship of `feeling good' prevailed between the two countries before this SAARC Summit.

"Looking at the prevailing mood (between the two countries) there is no shadow of doubt that Vajpayeeji's five and a half year reign will go into the Indian history as a historic tenure," Advani said.

Referring to the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, Advani said his party would place before the masses a 'blue print' to ensure that India did not remain a 'developing country' but figure in the list of 'developed nations' like the US, Japan, Germany, Canada and others.

"We will place before the masses the works of Vajpayee Government in the past five and a half years and also the blue print for next five years. India's name would figure on the list of developed nations if we get the mandate," Advani said.

The Deputy Prime Minister took strong exception to India being labelled as a developing nation saying that the term actually implies that our country is still under developed.

Advani agreed with noted economist and noble laureate 'Amartya Sen's view that 'India had not progressed despite having tremendous potential and remained a developing nation due to improper economic strategies adopted in imitation of erstwhile USSR'.

The Deputy Prime Minister said that the health and education sectors needed special focus for growth if the country is to progress with its optimum potential.

Later, Advani also inaugurated "Udyog 2004" --a five-day "International Industrial Exhibition", organised by South Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry before his departure for Delhi.