<P> According to Mangeshkar, "I suggested we format the song into a duet with me and my sister Asha (Bhosle). Pradeepji wanted it to be a solo . I insisted that we do it as a duet . In fact, Asha had even rehearsed for the song . Then, days before we were to fly to Delhi, she came to me and said,' Didi, I'm not coming to Delhi .' I tried to convince her to change her mind arguing that her name had even been printed in the newspapers as one of the singers . But she was adamant . Composer - singer Hemant Kumar had actually orchestrated the whole project . I told Hemantda about Asha's decision to not accompany us to Delhi to perform the song . Hemantda also tried to convince Asha . Lekin who nahin manee (But she didn't relent). Then it was left to me to rehearse alone for the song ." </P> <P> In January 2013, Lata Mangeshkar told a TV channel that initially she had declined to sing the song as she had not enough time to rehearse it . "It was Pradeepji, (Kavi Pradeep) the poet, who wrote the immortal lyrics, who came to me and asked me to sing the song . I declined, because there was no time to rehearse . You see, at that time I was working round - the - clock . To give special attention to one song seemed impossible . But Pradeepji insisted," Lata said, admitting that she was very nervous before the performance . Kavi Pradeep, the man who penned lyrics of the song, couldn't witness the event . "My regret is that Pradeepji had not been called for the Republic Day function where I sang the song . If he was there, he would have seen with his own eyes what impact' Ae mere watan ke logo' had," Lata told . </P> <P> The song was first performed live on 27 January 1963, by Lata Mangeshkar at an event at the National Stadium in New Delhi in the presence of President S. Radhakrishnan and Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, on account of Republic Day (26 January) 1963, which was just two months after the end of the war . Mangeshkar sang two songs at the event, opening with the bhajan (devotional song) Allah tero naam followed by Ae mere watan ke logon . The performance of the latter song moved Nehru to tears . "Those who don't feel inspired by Aye mere watan ke logo don't deserve to be called a Hindustani", said Nehru, who was visibly moved by the song . </P> <P> The event raised ₹ 2 lakh (equivalent to ₹ 1.2 crore or US $180,000 in 2016) for the Army Welfare Fund . The song's lyricist, Pradeep, was not invited to the performance . Pradeep performed the song for Nehru on 21 March 1963 at a function at R.M. High School in Mumbai . He also presented Nehru with the original handwritten lyrics of the song . </P>

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