The children asked Shri Vajpayee a lot of questions on various issues, including the childhood of the Prime Minister. A physically challenged child asked the Prime Minister that when will all the physically challenged children all over the country will receive proper facilities to lead a normal life. The Prime Minister said that this is our pledge that all such children should get opportunities to lead a normal life without any discrimination. Likewise, a girl asked for government's plan for street children like her. The Prime Minister said that we are trying to take India into a direction where no child remains without an opportunity to study. In a reply to a question regarding pressure of modern education system and lack of time for sports or other recreational activities, Shri Vajpayee remembered his student days when pressure was not that serious and there was enough time for sports.

    The interview mainly centred around children's queries regarding the Prime Minister's childhood. When a child innocently enquired if the Prime Minister had been canned in his childhood, the peels of laughter drowned the entire atmosphere. The Prime Minister answered that he was not canned, however, his ears were regularly twisted. Shri Vajpayee also added that he was not a naughty child. Shri Vajpayee told the children that as a child he was not just a bookworm, but also a part of school hockey team. In fact a discussion on mode of punishments in classroom broke the ice and set the ball rolling for the interview. The Prime Minister told the gathering that he knows that canning has been stopped in the schools.

    When children asked whether he has written any poem for children, the Prime Minister replied that he wrote a poem when his puppy Babli got lost and was found on the occasion of Diwali. He narrated the entire incident of search of Babli to the interviewing children. The Prime Minister also recalled the incident when he nearly drowned in a river as a child. The Prime Minister told that his ideal was Swami Vivekanand. He also quizzed by the children regarding his favourite dishes. The Prime Minister was so engrossed in the conversation with the children that he exceeded the time allotted for the recording. After he answered the queries of the children he asked them if they were aware about the latest in Kashmir. He mentioned about the peace process started by India along with resolve to defend the country.

    It may be noted that the first Prime Minister of India Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru visited AIR Delhi Studios to talk to children. Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee's this conversation with children will be broadcast today at 9.30 AM on Delhi ‘A' i.e.366.3.meters and RN 2cs5, and again on the National channel of AIR at 9.30 PM today.

PANEL DISCUSSION ON DELHI URBAN VISION 2021 INAUGURATED

    Shri Jagmohan said: "It is only from a beautiful and balanced landscape that a beautiful and balanced city could emerge. It is necessary to initiate a movement, a sort of city-renaissance, which would give rise to a new awakening and create an overall climate of honesty, dedication and dynamism. Then alone civic values and work-culture would become healthy and would strike roots and spread to the common folk".

    Shri Jagmohan said: "The crisis through which the city is passing is not merely of governance; it extends to the governed as well. It is a crisis of character, commitment, conscience and creative and constructive sense of the community as a whole. I have no doubt that if the present trend and attitudes persist, both physical and mental pollution would increase, productivity and peace would suffer a further decline and the future of Delhi would be sealed".

    Shri Jagmohan presented a number of slides to show how ugly is the face of Delhi becoming, how contaminated is the blood streams with which it is fed, how polluted is the environment within which it functions and how poor is the motivation and commitment of those who should be looking into its ailment and treating them.

    Shri Jagmohan said: "Delhi has already earned the dubious distinction of having become the third worst polluted city in the world. 50 million gallons per day of industrial waste is going into the Yamuna and what is seen flowing in it today is nothing but sewer and industrial waste. In Okhla alone, for instance, during March – April 2000, the Bio-Chemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) level in the river was about 70 miligram per litre as against a standard of 3 milligram per litre, that is, 25 times more than the permissible level. Every year there are about 15,000 fire incidents in Delhi, killing over 300 persons. This number is more than the combined number of Mumbai, Calcutta and Chennai. Delhi also tops the list for the highest number of road fatalities in the world".

    Shri Jagmohan stressed the need for development of National Capital Region. Shri Jagmohan said: "National Capital Region holds the key to the future of Delhi. It is our national commitment to develop this region. I have little doubt that if illegal activities are to be condoned in Delhi and huge industrial complexes are allowed to emerge out of residential areas, then it would be better to abandon the pretence and posture of developing it as a balanced and harmonious pattern of human settlements. Estimates show that if the present attitudes and practices persist, Delhi would run the risk of having as many as 30 million people in the next few years and becoming an ugly, unhealthy, unworkable and unlivable city. In the process, a fatal blow would also be dealt to the development of National Capital Region which comprises a substantial part of three important neighbouring States of Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. It is for the first time that three neighbouring National Capital Region States – Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh – are feeling that their legitimate interests are being safeguarded, both in letter and spirit. Shri Om Prakash Chautala, Chief Minister of Haryana, in his letter of November 30, 2000, to me, has said: "I am writing to express my deep appreciation of the stand you have taken on the issue of relocation of non-conforming industrial units in Delhi. I have no doubt in my mind that if the National Capital Region is developed in right earnest, you will be remembered for your far-sightedness and these very people who are opposing the move will be grateful after experiencing the excellent services in Haryana".

    Shri Jagmohan emphasised the need for formulating an integrated policy for human settlements and also simultaneously evolving a corresponding human settlement technology. A sense of history, respect for heritage and regard for sustainable development have been built in the pattern and principles of planning for future Delhi. It was also absolutely necessary to resettle lakhs of squatters who are living in hundreds of haphazard clusters which are a menace to health and habitation of inhabitants as well as people around. The river front has also to be cleaned and a new type of landscape reflecting our ancient values and culture as well as our future aspirations must be created between Yamuna and the existing habitation of Delhi".

    Shri Jagmohan also underlined: "Planning is one thing, implementation quite another. Howsoever good planning and building laws may be and howsoever comprehensive and sound blue-prints for future Delhi may be, citizens of Delhi would be rendered useless if there is no political and administrative will to implement them or if the general ethos of the nation are not permeated with the culture of care and commitment and if the citizens show no love and regard for Delhi or are otherwise short-sighted and violate laws for personal and petty gains".

    Shri Jagmohan appealed to the Architects to join hands in building a Delhi of peace, productivity and safety, of balance beauty and elegance, and not a city of slums, semi-slums and super-slums with brutalised mindscape and poisonous environment.

'16'

BRAZIL KEEN TO SOURCE TEXTILES FROM INDIA

    Feedback on visit of departmental stores' delegation from Brazil has been very positive and the visit has generated a lot of enthusiasm amongst the exporting community. Several exporters got confirmed orders during the BSMs. Consequent to the visit, trade is likely to go up particularly between India and Brazil and with the Latin American Countries (LAC) in general.

    The BSMs received an overwhelming response from the Indian side. About 40 exporters participated in BSM at Mumbai, 47 at Chennai and more than 90 at Delhi. The Indian exporters appreciated the initiative on the part of the Government in inviting departmental stores' delegation from the LAC. This is the first time that a delegation of departmental stores has been invited to visit India.

    After the successful visit of delegation from Brazil, Indian exporters indicated their keenness to join hands with the government in inviting more such delegations from the LAC, such as Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela and Chile.