Deserted platform inspires poet in Vajpayee

The sight of a deserted platform on Friday instilled in Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee a desire to write poetry.

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"Soona soona platform yeh kavita likhne ke liye acchha samay hain (This deserted platform is a good place to write poetry)," Vajpayee said referring to an empty platform at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus. He was in Mumbai to flag off the Deccan Odyssey, via video conferencing from the Darbar Hall of the Raj Bhavan.

Admiring the luxury train, which will take tourists around western Maharashtra and Goa, Vajpayee regretted being unable to undertake the tour.

The prime minister's recollection of his experience of rail travel had the distinguished gathering in splits. "Train ane se pehle besabri hoti hain, ane ke bad bekarari hoti hain (to get a seat), aur bad mein fauzdari shuru hoti hain (people bully each other to secure a seat)," he said.