• But your decision to go to Gujarat as a president was unusual. What made you think of doing it?

Because that was the current problem. When I went there, there was a great debate going on, and great suffering was present everywhere. But anyway the wound is healing now. Let us not get more into the problem. But I definitely realised that our billion-strong democracy, multi-religious, multi-lingual, and multi-cultural, is a very rare society. Nowhere in the world will you see a billion democratic people together. So it's a unique system we have.

• So when you did that, did you face a dilemma: as a president, should I do this? There was a lot of politics around Gujarat at that time.

Normally, I consult my own thinking capacity and I also have good friends around. So we had a brainstorming session. Then we felt that at that time visiting Gujarat was a very important decision. And I did that and I didn't repent for that because I was in a position to see people, see the leadership. And finally I was also able to see that the repair process was progressing.

• What was the reaction from Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee (who was then the prime minister) and his government? For they were on the defensive on Gujarat.

One good thing is that, whether it was Vajpayee and his regime or Manmohan (Dr Manmohan Singh, the current prime minister) and his regime, I was at home with both of them. Periodically, he (Vajpayee) would come and brief me. And during his time, a lot of things happened. I worked closely with him and also with Manmohan Singhji. Each of them has a unique core competence. I was in a position to work with both of them.

... contd.