Indian High Commissioner Santosh Kumar, who handed over the cheque to Mandela Thursday, told IANS it was in keeping with a promise made by President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam during a visit here two months ago.

At the time President Kalam had expressed deep appreciation of the exemplary work carried out by the Nelson Mandela Foundation and conveyed India's decision to donate an amount of one million rands for carrying on with its activities.

"When I met the president, he told me that I must redeem that pledge soon after I arrive in the country," said Kumar, adding that it had been a special privilege that Mandela was the first dignitary he had met since arriving here a fortnight ago.

John Samuel, the chief executive of the Foundation, told IANS: "This is very important because it is going to support two critical areas of our work."

The high commissioner also presented Mandela with an extract from a book titled "Heart To Heart" by K. Natwar Singh, who is currently India's external affairs minister.

The book contains an entire chapter dedicated to Mandela. Titled "Giant Amongst Men", Singh recalls in it his meetings with Mandela and research that he did from letters that the former South African president wrote to Indian leaders.

Mandela was delighted at the presentation, joking that that he would hand it to his grandchildren, who believed that he was now a "has-been".  

Mandela also said he had been delighted to meet Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi in Bangkok recently and was looking forward to her visiting South Africa soon.

This is not the first time the government of India has extended its support to the Nelson Mandela Foundation. In February 2002, it donated $1 million as financial support for its peace, reconciliation and justice programme.

Copies of a newly launched comic depicting the life and times of Mahatma Gandhi's tenure in South Africa was also presented to the Foundation for use in its schools.

--Indo-Asian News Service