Call of the south

It’s that time of the year when birds fly south to warmer climes. President Pratibha Patil is in a similar mood. She has planned an almost two-week-long tour during the latter part of December. She will be visiting Hyderabad, Tirupati, Puducherry and then the Andamans. The buzz is that her family may join her in Hyderabad though it is an official visit. But she’s not the only head of state longing for clement weather. Singapore President SR Nathan too will be in India for a fortnight on a personal visit, again largely travelling in the south.