Soni de nakhre

There8217;s something about Union Culture and Tourism Minister Ambika Soni and her overseas trips. Last October, when she was to visit New York for the Incredible India 60 celebrations, her ministry8217;s affidavit on the Ram Sethu case in the Supreme Court transmogrified into a political bomb and her US trip had to be called off. Last week, she was in Singapore for the second leg of the same celebrations, but a series of unfortunate events dogged her visit, most of them of her own making. Kicking off an Indian cultural fest with her local counterpart at Singapore8217;s High street, Orchard Road, Soni left many red faces when she said, 8220;When economics and politics fail, culture and tourism can succeed.8221; Perhaps she did not realise that political and economic ties between the two countries couldn8217;t be warmer. That very evening, at a cultural dinner, she meandered again. After exhorting foreigners to consider India as a destination for short holidays, she spoke about her government8217;s Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and mid-day meal programmes, leaving most of the audience puzzled. Incidentally, that same evening, another part of Singapore hosted an interesting Punjabi dance party, which was titled Soni De Nakhre.