The poet in Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee re-surfaced on Monday as he urged the Indians settled abroad to rise above narrow divides.

Welcoming him to a gathering of the Indian community in New York, a group of children sang Kadam Milakar Chalna Hoga, a poem penned by the prime minister.

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Concluding his speech, Vajpayee appreciated the musical rendition of his poem and said, "Nothing is more fulfilling for a poet than hearing his own poem being recited in his presence."

Referring to two of his famous poems Geet Naya Gata Hoon and Kadam Milakar Chalna Hoga, he said they appealed to the spirit of togetherness, 'to rise above regionalism, caste, racial and religious divides'.

"In India, we are trying to stamp out the evils but you, living far away from your land, at least should try to rise above all these divides and uphold a distinct Indian identity," the prime minister exhorted.

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