APJ Abdul Kalam is greeted by officers and soldiers of the Indian Army at Humar Post, Siachen Glacier, in April 2004. (Agence France-Presse)
In April 2004, President APJ Abdul Kalam became the fist Indian President to visit the Siachen glacier, the highest battlefield in the world.
It would be no ordinary trip - travelling to the base camp of the Siachen glacier in early April means being exposed to extremely cold, sometimes sub-zero temperatures during the day time.
For days, we had prepared for the arrival of President Kalam, having been nominated by Army Headquarters as the television news team that would cover the visit. We felt the visit was important for us to broadcast live, something that had never been done from those forbidding heights.
As we struggled to lock on to a satellite signal, jawans of the Indian Army helped ensure we had uninterrupted power supply in what was essentially a war zone. Back in those days, we also occasionally used satellite phones to communicate with our office. As I logged on to the sat phone network, the display read "Location: China," a clear indicator of just how far North we were, squarely in the middle of a sliver of land wedged between Pakistan to the West and Aksai Chin in the East, which India disputes with China as its territory.
President Kalam would be arriving here as supreme commander of the armed forces to speak to jawans about the dangers of environmental degradation on the 72-km glacier. Kalam first flew into the Indian Air Force's Thoise airbase near the Siachen Brigade Head Quarters in Partapur, located in one of the most beautiful areas on Earth - the confluence of the Shyok and Nubra rivers which lies North of the Khardungla Pass, well North of the town of Leh in Ladakh.
When President Kalam flew into the Siachen base camp by chopper from Thoise, we were waiting for him, microphonoes at the ready. We were told he would speak to us a little while later. Worried that we would be brushed aside by the President's Protocol Officers, I followed the President around the base camp looking for an opportune moment to intercept him for a sound byte.
Finally, we made eye contact. He smiled at me. And I knew that was the time to get my mini-interview.
My question to Dr Kalam was rather elementary - "Sir, why has it taken so long for a President to visit the Siachen glacier?" Looking at me straight in the eye, the President approached me and said, "Son, let me ask you something." Surprised at this situation and worried that I had offended the President of India, I quietly murmured, "Yes, Sir." To which the President said, "Young man, tell me, what have you had for breakfast?" "Sir?" I replied hardly being able to believe what he asked. And so he asked again. "Young man, what did you eat for breakfast?" "Sir, I ate toast and an egg," I replied. At which the President launched into a 30 second-speech on the importance of eating well. "Good, eating a healthy breakfast is important. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It gives you the energy for the rest of the day and it's important that you pick and choose what you eat for breakfast."
Completely stumped, I nodded politely and let the moment pass. The President had converted a reporter's news-opportunity into something that he was more interested in talking about. And he decided to convey his views through his usual, extremely disarming style - with a smile on his face and a glint in his eye.