Manali, May 15: "Absolutely illiterate" the Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee replied jokingly to inquisitive school children who asked him about his educational qualification. "Kala akshar, bhains barabar" (absolutely illiterate), he said using the Hindi idiom smilingly at an interaction with children of a local school in Pirni village on his first outing today ever since he arrived here on Tuesday on his holiday. "Maine thodi bahut padhai ki hai (I have had some education)," Vajpayee said and added that he belonged to a poor family and in the absence of electricity, studied in the light of a kerosene lamp. "Par maine lagan se padhai ki hai aur awal ata tha (but I studied hard and used to be the topper). You can also become a big man by studying with interest," he added. At the end of all this he asked the children "do you feel, I am educated." Vajpayee took all the queries amid laughter and replied in his typical witty style. "When will you show us the Lok Sabha?", the children asked. "Whenever you want. But for that you will have to come to Delhi," the Prime Minister said. Asked to recite a poem, he replied "I have written a poem on Manali describing its beauty. But I don't remember it now." The children then asked him to recite any poem he remembered and Vajpayee said: "kadam milakar chalna hoga. Badhain aati hain aur aati rahengi. Ghor ghatayen ayengi aur sar pe barsengi jwalayen. Par age badhna hoga, kadam milakar chalna hoga. (We have to walk together despite hurdles. There may be dark clouds and rain of fire but we have to move on together)". Vajpayee then asked the children to sing a song for him and they sang a local song for him. Praising the beauty of Manali where he has built a house, the Prime Minister said: "Maine socha sar chupane ke liye ek jhonpadi honi chahiye. Par mere paas paise kum the. To maine ranjan se kaha muje udhar do aur main wapas kar doonga (I thought I should have a cottage for shelter. I asked Ranjan (son-in-law) to lend me some money which I would return later)". Displaying his humour, Vajpayee said he had become prime minister after 50 years of "continous effort" and "Prini ke chakar laga laga kar" (by making rounds of Prini)".

Bureau Report