M A I N   N E W S

Sidelights

Measured responses

The swagger of Agra in 2001 had given way to a sombre mood and measured responses. This was a much-mellowed Pakistan President. Though he does not like to miss one opportunity in facing a battery of TV cameras, the art of diplomacy appears to have caught up with Gen Pervez Musharraf. He has been a trifle guarded on Indian soil this time. After the disaster at Agra, he began this trip after a gap of four years by fulfilling his cherished desire of paying obeisance at the Dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti at Ajmer. His theme this time — he has come with a message of peace from the people of Pakistan. He fervently hoped that his prayers at Ajmer for peace and amity would be fulfilled. Host Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s studied and soft-spoken approach of taking political initiatives for a soft border with Pakistan and outlining his vision for an economically strong South Asia with the two neighbours being in the vanguard appears to have made a lasting impression on General Musharraf.

President’s counsel

President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, who hosted a luncheon for General Musharraf, said India and Pakistan should not allow any third party to affect their bilateral ties and economic progress. When General Musharraf’s wife Sehba asked Mr Kalam about the most influential person in his life, he replied it was the Sufi saint Jalaluddin Rumi.

Musharraf moved!

General Musharraf was touched by Dr Manmohan Singh’s gestures. First, Dr Manmohan Singh presented to the Pakistan President three birth certificates in brown leather folders. It was that of General Musharraf himself, his elder brother and sister. It took a whole day for the NDMC to locate these certificates. Then there was the beautiful painting of the Neherwali haveli in Chandni Chowk where the Pakistan President’s family had lived before migrating to Pakistan when General Musharraf was only four years old. Just last month when General Musharraf’s mother had visited this country, she visited the Lala Girdharilal Maternity Hospital in the crowded Kamal Market and wanted to know if she could get hold of the birth certificates of her two sons and a daughter.

Bollywood numbers!

Songs with peace themes from Bollywood replaced the usual classical music played at Rashtrapati Bhavan today as the President hosted a lunch for the visiting President. As General Musharraf turned up at the Raisina Hills for talks and lunch today, Rashtrapati Bhavan reverberated with peace numbers from Bollywood and Hollywood. “Mit gayi dooriyan...” from “Veera Zaara” and other peace songs were played by the military band as the delegates relished the lunch, comprising Kashmiri and South Indian delicacies. Mr Yash Chopra, producer of Veera Zara, and Rani Mukherjee, who featured in the film, were also present at the lunch. The band also played hit songs “pyar hua ikrar hua ...” and “choo kar mere mun ko....”

Media blamed

Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri criticised the media for creating tension between the two countries through their mischievous reportage. He exhorted the media to desist from inaccurate reporting in their bid for one-upmanship. He wanted the media to behave in a responsible manner and help resolve problems. He insisted that Pakistan was not in the game of one-upmanship and desired that the two countries adopt a realistic approach aimed at resolving all outstanding issues.