Castro posed with PM for 1 bn Indians

On Board PM’s Special Flight: "I want a photograph with you so that one billion people can see us together."

Uttering these words, 80-year old Cuban President Fidel Castro, who is recovering from an intestinal surgery, got up to pose with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh when he called on him on Saturday night in the Communist party office in Havana.

Singh was one of the rare visitors he received during the NAM summit that concluded Saturday night.

Speaking about his meeting with him, the Prime Minister said it was a memorable 40-minute meeting with him in which they covered a whole range of issues from the future of international financial system to the role of future of NAM.

India's development prospects, its food, energy and population problems came up at the meeting which, he said, "I will always remember."

"I felt I was in the presence of one of the greatest men of our times. He recalled his affection for Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi," Singh said adding he had gone to\ greet him but the ailing leader engaged him in an intense discussion putting questions on problems faced by India.

Asked about his health, the Prime Minister said Castro was weak but was sitting and for 40 minutes was engaged in a very intense challenge.

At the end, he said if the NAM meeting had been held two days later, he would have chaired it.

When Musharraf let Manmohan pass

If it was Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who was made to wait till Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's aircraft cleared the way for his at the Havana airport, it was the latter's turn to wait at a different venue.

After the joint press interaction between them in a hotel in Havana on Saturday, Musharraf would have gained precedence in protocol to leave the venue. But he was made to wait for Singh's departure because his cavalcade got stuck somewhere.

However, his wait did not go in vain for Indian journalists who could get some reaction from him on the talks he had with Singh.

On his trips abroad, Singh prefers vegetarian food and for that he also takes his own cook from India.

Sources close to the Prime Minister said that during his visits, he generally prefers light vegetarian food and does not want to take risks with non-vegetarian food.

A frugal eater, Singh prefers dal, lentils with rice, vegetables and fruits. If he does not take a cook, food is arranged from the local Indian Ambassador's house.

(With PTI inputs)