President gets a hero's welcome in Uzhavoor

There is no place like home. Just as there is no welcome like the one from your own.

On Friday, President K R Narayanan had a taste of both when, for the first time since assuming office, he visited his native village Uzhavoor, 30 kilometres from Kottayam in Kerala.

The President travelled in an open jeep, meeting villagers on his way to his sister Gouri's home. While the President, wife Usha and other members of the family had lunch in the small-tiled house, arrangements were made in her neighbour's compound, across the road, for serving lunch to the rest of his team.

Narayanan's last visit to Uzhavoor was in February; he was then India's vice-president.

Children, who had assembled in the nearby school (which, incidentally, has been rechristened the K R Narayanan Government L P school) in good strength foregoing their Onam holidays, clutched the President's hands when he walked through the barricaded lanes to meet them.

Kerala Education Minister P J Joseph announced five scholarships of Rs 500 each for three years in Narayanan's name. A boy and a girl scoring the highest marks in the fourth standard, and another two from the scheduled caste/tribe category and a student from the economically backward section would be eligible for the scholarships.

The President had to give up the visit to his thatched ancestral home, hardly a kilometre away from his sister's, because of security reasons.

UNI

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