New Delhi: A P J Abdul Kalam may be leaving a sweet after-taste at the end of his tenure as India’s President, but at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the tastes haven’t changed much.
From south Indian delicacies idli-dosa to a north-south combination of uthhapam-dal, the transition in the Presidential menu will have one constant – it will remain vegetarian.
Rashtrapati Bhavan insiders say through his five-year tenure, Kalam’s food of choice remained the humble idli, dosa and sambhar, besides an occasional bowl of curd-rice with pickles.
The 75-year-old outgoing President was a habitual late-night eater and skipped lunch for fruits. He also insisted on his food being prepared in the same kitchen as the staff’s instead of the Presidential pantry.
"Anything that was seasonal would satisfy him. We had created a Verandah garden for him in which Citrus japonica (China orange) grew,” Officer on Special Duty Brahma Khan recalls in a statement to PTI.
"Though tasting very bitter, the President used to have them because of its rich Vitamin-C content," he said.
The family kitchen specially meant for the President was never operational as well. The space was not even put to use even when 50 of his relatives came visiting to the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Instead, Kalam insisted that he make the payments for the expenditure incurred during the stay of the relatives.
"He was a no requirement man," recalls his press secretary S M Khan in a statement to news agency PTI.
His successor, 72-year-old Pratibha Patil, is known to love utthapam and dal but avoids spinach and potatoes. "She prefers a very simple food with less oil and spices," says Kailash, her butler at the Governor's residence in Jaipur.
The people’s President also stopped the practice of attendants waiting on him while he ate. Instead, sources say he insisted on holding back only one person to warm his meals, which he ate well past midnight.
He would retire around 1:30 am and used to get up at around 6:30 am. He was the only President, whose daily list of engagement would have at least 10 items listed.
Known to have never followed a protocol, Kalam would occasionally not bother his aides for small jobs and would pick up the phone and directly seek the information he required.
Recounts his Secretary P M Nair about his experience four years back. "It was the morning of July 14, 2003. 8:40 am. The RAX in my office rang. It was the President at the other end." In his usually cool and composed voice, Kalam told him "Mr Nair, last night I could not sleep because my bedroom was
leaking. "I froze. Any other President, and my head would have rolled, though no fault of mine," Nair said in his 'Thank You' note to officials of Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Sensing his embarrassment, the rocket-scientist spoke in a comforting tone. "Don't worry, I know you will immediately set things right in my bedroom but I am worried about those houses in the President's Estate where they may not have a second bedroom to shift to when the only one that is available leaks."
Nair responded saying, "Sorry Sir, I shall act just now."
(With PTI inputs)
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