For two years the National Security Counsel turned down permission for the Chinese cargo airliner Great Wall to operate from Chennai and Mumbai on the grounds that it was partly owned by the Chinese Army, and nuclear installations were close to the cities where landing rights were sought. However, the government suddenly changed its mind and granted clearance to the Great Wall in just three days. The hasty turnaround was in the hope that the Chinese would as a reciprocal gesture grant Naresh Goyal’s Jet Air landing rights in Shanghai. The Chinese, however, refused to oblige. The expected clearance for Jet during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to China failed to materialise. After all, the Union commerce ministry’s request on behalf of Jet was less than a week old. Unlike the Indians, the Chinese follow due procedure and cannot be hustled into taking decisions.

First to invite

The Union ministry of external affairs is still waiting to decide what courtesies are to be extended to Carla Bruni during French President Nicholas Sarkozy’s visit to India for Republic Day. Union Commerce Minister Kamal Nath has, however, already invited the glamorous Bruni for a private lunch which he is throwing for the benefit of France’s Minister for Economy,

Finance & Employment Christine Lagarde.

Eating out of her hands

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati is one of the few politicians who can get away with keeping the entire press corps of Delhi waiting for almost an hour. For her 52nd birthday, she was not just 45 minutes late, but even after her arrival, she concentrated first on her birthday festivities rather than the scheduled press conference. The media watched patiently as Mayawati’s kin, which included her father, mother and two brothers and their wives, as well as the family of her close lieutenant Satish Chandra Mishra, sang ‘Happy Birthday!’ and each one popped a piece of cake into the Uttar Pradesh czarina’s mouth. Mayawati’s diamond necklace, diamond earrings and gold bangles glittered and Mishra’s wife was equally sparkling in diamonds. Even the long row of key officials from Lucknow who were flown down just for the occasion were dressed in their Sunday best, contrasting with the casually dressed media contingent. Every lamppost on the road from Mayawati’s bungalow on Humayun Road to the conference venue at the Taj Hotel had a big photograph of “messiah Mayawati” radiating light with her arm outstretched. No one from the national media asked any probing questions about the cost of Mayawati’s birthday extravaganza to the state or why public funds should be used for her personal glorification. The national media let Mayawati do most of the talking.

... contd.