And fifth, we wanted to break caste barriers and establish samata [equality] in Indian society. In May 1980, the BJP was born in New Delhi where its name and symbol was decided. Shanti Bhushan and Ram Jethamalani came to attend the launch of the party. Vajpayee was made the working president. The lotus was selected as the party symbol because it represents Hindu ethos. It's a holy symbol. Everyone in rural India understands what it stands for. It is symbolic: It blooms in dirty waters but it is pure in itself. Like the lotus, we thought we will be in politics but we will be not be mired in the corruption around us. Then, in Bandra [a western suburb of Mumbai] we held an all-India conclave and we named it Samata Nagar. About 55,000 workers came to Mumbai. They had great enthusiasm. We had five kitchens with five types of Indian cuisine. The ambience was so simple. We spent Rs 60 lakh [Rs 6 million], most of which we collected by selling coupons. There were very few big donators; people didn't donate much because we had broken away from the Janata Party and no one saw a future for our party. There were no Ambanis lining up to fund the party. Vajpayee was accommodated at party leader Vedprakash Goyal's home and Advani stayed with his relative in Mumbai. Most leaders camped on the ground itself. Simple living and high thinking was our motto.
