Desi mela kicks off with nostalgia

For the Pravasi Bharatiya, the welcome home was typically Indian. Queuing up on a cold, grey morning, they warmed up to Delhi’s securit...

For the Pravasi Bharatiya, the welcome home was typically Indian. Queuing up on a cold, grey morning, they warmed up to Delhi’s security drill by dumping cellphones, bags and trying hard not to squirm as securitymen ran fingers all over to certify them safe. Inside the venue, where chairs with a view were up for grabs, the less exhausted of the lot wore triumphant looks.

If gaining entry into Pragati Maidan’s Komgata Maru Hall — the very name had Canadian Indians, led by British Columbia’s former premier Ujjal Dosanjh, recalling this slice from history, the grim story of a shipload of Indians denied entry in 1914 by a racist dominion — was an exercise in sapping energy and the start the Divas didn’t need, it fell on Pandit Ravi Shankar and Ustad Bismillah Khan to warm hearts and lift spirits.

Performing together for the first time, the two legends cut across nationalities, languages, moorings to cast a spell that left the audience mesmerised and gasping for more.

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The invocation over and the cheer back, the Ustad and Pandit retired to make way for the star speakers: ‘‘Aap khush ho gaye, hamaara dil khush ho gaya. Itne saal baad, Ravi Shankarbhai aur hum pehli baar ek saath baithe hain (It gives me great pleasure to see you happy. It’s the first time Ravi Shankar and I have performed together),’’ said Bismillah Khan.

For External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha — his ministry and FICCI hogged the limelight as organisers of the NRIs-love-India show, shutting out the CII attempt a day earlier to share the spotlight through an interface with the Mauritius Prime Minister — this was a big, big day and he was making most of it: ‘‘The colours of our passports are different…Phir bhi dil hai Hindustani.’’

While this went down very well with the diaspora, there was none around to explain to two US delegates why Bhishma Agnihotri, whose appointment as ambassador-at-large raised hackles in the Foreign Office, was not seated on the dais. In another corner, a Fiji Indian — many in the delegation are upset over the buzz that deposed PM Mahendra Chaudhry was ruled out for the Pravasi Samman because he represented working-class interests — almost walked out when he was shooed away from the enclosure meant for delegates.

Anerood Jugnauth of Mauritius had Vajpayee, Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi applauding and nodding in approval when he gave English a break and spoke in Hindi.

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That over, he set everyone in the audience thinking when he reminded them ‘‘while we did not have control over our past, we certainly hold the future in our hands.’’

And when it was Vajpayee’s turn, there were shouts of ‘‘hear, hear’’ as he announced his government’s decision on dual citizenship. Through with the prepared text of his speech, the PM suddenly broke into poetry to bowl over the audience. ‘‘Jab jee chaahe tab aa jana, sada khulen hain dwar (come when you feel like, the doors are always open)’’ was his way of saying Welcome Home.

As he finished his speech, people headed for the exits. Only to be told you can’t leave till the PM leaves. Homecoming’s reality check was in many ways quite tiresome.