KING OF HEARTS: With his human touch and statesman-like approach Kalam turned his Gujarat visit (above) into a national hit

This time, freedom was less than formal at the Independence Day reception at Rashtrapati Bhavan, sartorially at least. Much to the relief of the guests, the invitation card didn't carry the lounge suit dress code for the At Home on the humid Thursday afternoon, though the host himself, known for his casual intimacy and nervous energy, was in a grey Nehru jacket. Ah, the exigencies of the highest office of the nation. Still, President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was at home-and truly presidential with a personal touch.

Three weeks into his presidency, Kalam has already established himself as a President with a difference, and it is not about his hair style alone. Or call it the Kalam cult with a growing fan following. He refuses menial help to fetch his shoes; he eats simple vegetarian meals with his fingers and shares them with his personal staff; the President seeks broad bandwidth for speedier Internet connectivity; he runs up flights of stairs with so much ease; an emerging Chacha Kalam whose best friends are children-the Kalam lore is turning out to be an engrossing text. "He has covered the 330 acre of the President's estate on foot," says an aide in awe.

AT HOME: Kalam takes the trappings of power in his stride as was evident during the Independence Day reception

"The President cannot be a prisoner of Rashtrapati Bhavan." R. Venkataraman, Former President

The People's President is on the march. Take that image of Kalam in Gujarat. It was a national hit. As he listened to and interacted with the riot victims, the endearing image was of President as friend, healer and counsellor. The humane show even prompted his immediate predecessor to announce how he too had felt helpless during Gujarat riots.

The Gujarat visit lent Kalam what he badly needed: political savvy. It briefly raised hopes among opposition parties that he would be an independent President. When a presidential press release announcing his visit declared that Kalam would "use the opportunity to personally learn about the rehabilitation measures undertaken by the state Government in the wake of recent disturbances", certain political sections expected the presidency to embarrass the state Government. Some even went to the extent of comparing his visit to Giani Zail Singh's trip to Golden Temple after Operation Bluestar and Dr Rajendra Prasad's visit to Somnath against Jawaharlal Nehru's advice.

Those who thought Kalam would do a Lyngdoh (remember the chief election commissioner's administration-thrashing tour through the relief camps) were hugely disappointed. There was no public inquisition of officials. When he asked the state Government to redress the grievances of riot victims, the manner was truly statesman-like. Chief Minister Narendra Modi reciprocated the gesture by describing the presidential visit as one that touched "a chord in every heart".

If the Kalam-Modi cordiality came as a surprise, it is because few knew that the President was not an unwelcome guest. Modi had specially flown his chief secretary to Delhi to discuss Kalam's itinerary with presidential aides the moment the President expressed a desire to visit Gandhi's land. The Opposition's response was predictable. "Since it was a structured visit, Kalam had limited interaction," said AICC General Secretary Kamal Nath.

Even as Kalam's visit to relief camps for the riot-hit passed off uneventfully, political circles continue to debate the advisability of the President directly assessing public grievances. Congressmen conceded that they would not have easily countenanced a President straying into the executive domain. They also did not appreciate his enthusiasm to communicate with members of Parliament beyond a customary joint address to both Houses at the beginning of the year.

Former President R. Venkataraman, however, found nothing improper in Kalam's conduct. He recalled how during his own tenure he was distressed by the anti-Mandal agitation and had summoned the then prime minister V.P. Singh for a discussion. "The President cannot be a prisoner of Rashtrapati Bhavan. He is bound to be agitated and concerned by events. However, what follows from his care and concern is a matter governed by the Constitution." He feels presidential visits like Kalam's would help restore public confidence.

Former Lok Sabha secretary-general Subhash Kashyap agrees, "The President is free to visit any part of the country. The situation in disturbed areas may actually improve with his presence. Every constitutional functionary should be active. Our Constitution does not envisage a passive functionary." Constitutional experts and bureaucrats see no reason for panic over an active presidency. There are anyway adequate safeguards in the Constitution to control an errant President. And Kalam, one of India's most popular scientists, has no political agenda; unlike most of his predecessors, he has never been a politician. Former presidential secretary P. Murari says the nation needs to focus on the refreshing change Kalam has brought to his office. "Kalam has shown that he is not bound by the traditions and frills and pomp of the office." Secretary to the President P. Madhavan Nair says Kalam is so attuned to duty that he is not overwhelmed by any trapping of power.

After all, he is the moderniser. He even wants to modernise the functioning of Rashtrapati Bhavan and has appointed Technology Interface Director Shiv Kumar to establish a paperless office. As scientist and teacher, he still has his students, and to reach them at the Anna University in Chennai, video-conferencing facilities have already been set up. "We intend to put up 100 interactive centres to enable students from all over the country to reach him," says Kumar.

While the architectural wonder of Rashtrapati Bhavan has filled its previous occupants with awe, Kalam found the 56 Kbps Internet connectivity at Raisina Hill woefully inadequate and has ordered it be made foolproof with a load of 2 Mbps. If you wonder why the cyber-savvy President enjoys getting wired, the reasons are not far to seek. He recently floored the wife of the visiting Ghana President by quoting from the brilliant speech she made to schoolchildren some months ago. Obviously, the President had done his home work and downloaded all the necessary information about his first foreign guests from the Net.

The mind of A.P.J. Abdul Kalam is far from being spartan.