Mamma mia, Just snatched a few minuti to dash off this note to you, carissimo, dearest, Mamma. Have been as usual molto occupato, very busy, so occupato that We couldn’t even spare even a momento to fill you up with the latest. But, Mamma, let us tell you one thing, the Great Unwashed still love tua figlia, your daughter. Went to the state of Narendra Modi (si Mamma, that same Narendra Modi) the other day. The folla, crowd, Mamma, you should have seen the crowd tua figlia attracted. They filled an entire colina, hill. Went to Amethi earlier, it was the same storia. The Great Unwashed could not have enough of Us, they wanted to give Us flowers, hold our hand, talk to Us. And in Mumbai, once again, the Shivaji Park was pieno, full, of gente, people. They wanted to place heavy floral tributes around Our necks and We could not refuse. Mamma, tua figlia will end up with spondyloso this way, realmente!Anyway, we have served notice mamma, to those two orrible uomini, horrible men: Narendra Modi, who thinks he has Gujarat in his tasca, pocket, and Mulayam Singh Yadav, who thinks everybody in Uttar Pradesh is inamorato di, in love, with him. Ha, let them dream on, Mamma, but tua figlia has just served them a realta verifica, reality check. We are, or so various surveys tell us, the most popolare, popular, person in India, more popolare than that vechhio, old, Vajpayeeji. And to think, Mamma, that that uomo, man was once voted India’s favourite! We could never understand why. Realmente! Really! We always knew that the most popular people in this country have to be from the Nehru-Gandhis. First it was Our grandfather-in-law, then Our mother-in-law, then Our Marito, dearest Rajiv, now Us. Tomorrow, it will be Rahul’s turn to be the most popular person of India. Dear boy, he is learning fast. Whenever he speaks, the gente look upon with so much amare, love. Make no mistake, the Great Unwashed love him very much, mamma, but We have to constantly push him into the limelight, he is so shy and modesto.But We don’t say that this business is a gioco da ragazzi, a cakewalk, We have to do lots of molte difficile, very difficult, things to remain popular with the Great Unwashed. Remember last time, during the last Kumbh festival six years ago? Remember how tua figlia gave an attacco cardinco, heart attack, to all those who thought they could accuse her of not being Hindu? First, We went in a small batello, boat, and put Our feet into the acqua. Then we went into the water up to our waist and that was all the jiornales, newspapers, wrote about for days! Now they are asking us to take an immersione, dip, again because that orrible Mulayam Singh Yadav took one recently (what a commedia, that was, his dip). But Mamma, now they want Us to do it, to win hearts and minds in Uttar Pradesh. What can We say? We can’t pretend that it is a facile, easy, experience. For one, the acqua is not just freddo, cold, it is molto freddo, very cold. It is also molto sporco, dirty. Ah, how poor Rajiv worked to clean up that fiume, river, by introducing the Ganga Action Plan! But did they listen to him? Of course not! The water is still molto, molto sporco. And We will have to pour it over Our head! Verismo, the things we have to do in politics! You will not capisce, understand.Life is going to be molto difficile for Us now, Mamma. We have to gear up for the Uttar Pradesh elezione, and you know the rest of the Congress Party is not popular like Us. This is only something We can tell you, carissimo, carissimo, dearest, dearest Mamma. The party is full of stupidos. But what can tua figlia do? We have to go with what we have and try and get at least some seats in the state. Sometimes, Mamma, We feel so indifeso, helpless. Verismo, how long can the party go on the strength of one donna, woman, even if that woman is the legatee of the Nehru-Gandhis and is famous the world over? The bambini, children, are fine. That was a great New Year holiday we had with you in Lakshadweep. Everything on those islands reminds me of Rajiv, especially the delfino, dolphin. Remember how he lovingly returned one back to the water that last time? Lots of love, mamma, and do hope you still get to make your spaghetti alla carbonara. It’s simply divine! Ti amo, Sonia
