Sunday, September 2, 2001		VIP Toon Tales

Jiang Zemin
by Ranga

THERE was tight security around the Chinese President, Jiang Zemin, when he was on a state visit to Delhi some time ago. He was received at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan after inspecting the guard of honour and drove straight to Rajghat to pay homage to the Father of the Nation. It was at this place that I had managed to draw his sketch. As he finished the formality of signing the visitors’ book, I placed before him the sketch for getting his autograph on it. The Chinese officials who were escorting their President were puzzled. However, the picture got into the hands of the visiting dignitary and he held it for some time, wondering what to do with it, until someone told him in Chinese that it was meant for him to sign on it. Even then he was silent till one of the Rajghat officials made it clear that it was a simple drawing which needed only his autograph on it That’s when he took my pen and signed on the picture.