L K Advani's Bharat Suraksha Yatra is politically not as marvellous as his Ram Janambhoomi Yatra of 16 years ago. But now that he is 16 years older, he does attract sympathy from the crowds on that single count.

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi in fact introduced Advani in some dozen meetings as the "old man" who is worried about "national security”.

Even his detractors’ heart would melt to see the 78-year-old atop his rath and addressing people in nooks and corners of the countryside under a scorching sun that can blister his bald head.

His tenacity to bear with all kinds of physical odds while touring in the rath is not just surprising, but evokes sympathy.

Everyday, between 10.30 am and 10 pm, every 30 minutes he gets up from his seat, goes up to the top the rath and addresses people for anywhere from five to 15 minutes. Everything goes according to plan normally, but the summer factor remains the biggest odd.

In a day around four to five public meetings are held for which he alights from the rath, otherwise he addresses the people from the top of the rath.

So far, in Gujarat and Maharashtra, his party machinery has worked overtime to make sure that Advani gets the crowds. Although most of the people at the meetings are his party cadres, Advani knows that onlookers and even his own cadres must recognize him and identify with him.

For this he never wears a cap on his head while standing on top of the rath, even between noon and 5-30 pm, when the Indian summer is at its peak. He does not cover his head or face with a scarf or his palm.

His colleagues claimed that while having a people to people contact in such yatras, the “voters” must "recognize" their leader without difficulty so Advani bears the Indian sun without complaint.

But Advani's daughter Partibha has no such compulsions. She is not a politician, true, but it seems she doesn't want to "identify" with the people either. Although rumours have been rife for many years that she is “interested” in a political career, neither she nor Advani has given any such indication.

While accompanying her father on the Suraksha Yatra she wears attractive diamond ear-rings, sports colours on her hair, and wears stylish clothes all of which add to her sophistication. In fact, at a meeting near Dakor in Gujarat, a farmer pointed to her and asked, ‘Who is that heerewali? ( who is that diamond studded person?)’

For understanding the Indian psyche especially when it comes to small things in life, kudos to Advani.

“In my entire political career I have never seen a government, where the prime minister is not on the driver's seat. The PM’s role is trying to press the accelerator while Sonia Gandhi drives.”

He continues, “This government can not survive without support from the left. The left's role in the truck seems to be pressing the brakes.”

“Nahi to gaadi khadde mein gir jaayegi.”

And the audience laughed.

But before he starts on the joke, Advani appeals to his “Muslim brothers to not expect reservations for yourself or your community.” I want you to make your Sania Mirza your role model, he exhorts them and launches into his favourite target, former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav. “Did you know that through his election campaign he had an Osama bin Laden lookalike with him,” he asks the crowds. “I request Indian Muslims to marvel at the bowling of Munaf Patel — the fast bowler from Gujarat — a boy from a small village who has impressed all of India. Look at him, emulate him, make him your role model, not Osama.”

This narration creates a good impression among the crowds wherever he goes.

But all this is in the way of preface only, to the SMS joke. Not many know it, but 4-5 regions in Gujarat have the highest cell phone density, and SMS lingo is extremely popular here. So Advani moves on. “These days I am getting an SMS joke that says he wants Justice U C Bannerjee (who in his one-man commission report said the fire onboard the Sabarmati Express at Godhra in 2002 in which kar sevaks were killed, was an accident). Why does Osama want Bannerjee? Because after proving Godhra was an accident, Osama wants him to prove that 9/11 was a result of drunken pilots.”

By the time he finishes this, the crowd is roaring with laughter.

Early on Thursday morning, L K Advani visited Kirti Mandir, the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi to seek blessings.
He stayed here for less than 30 minutes and the response was nothing hot.
In fact, he was greeted by protests by the local fisherwomen. Though Advnai did not spend much time with them, the fisher folk's woes did not go unnoticed.
They complained about the Pakistan coast guard hassling them almost on a daily basis.
More than 527 fishermen have been captured by the Pakistan coast guard and 290 boats have been impounded.
Apart from the fisherwomen, workers from the Birla soda ash factory, which was recently bought by the Nirma group, protested outside Kirti Mandir.
The factory has been closed down and more than 2000 workers have been rendered jobless.
Instead of addressing these women or sympathising with them, Advani, who in the past would have patiently listened to their woes, spoke about the 1857 revolt against the British.
Can somebody tell us just what is happening to Advani?
– Paresh Parekh in Porbandar