Not at Home

chillibreeze writer — Sreelata Menon

This year the Republic Day ‘At Home’ celebration at Rashtrapati Bhavan (official residence of the President of India) was, to say the least, a peculiar affair. There was the inevitable but necessary security drill at the gates, then after the long trudge through the beautiful, though dry, flower beds, the lovely red tulips notwithstanding, one arrived at an ornamental cord arranged in a semi circular fashion which cordoned off a section of the lawn. Within this semicircle was yet another cordon and within that were placed a few sofas and chairs under a canopy. The band, a phalanx of photographers and a table with what looked like innumerable umbrellas and a counter with liveried bearers and refreshments formed the backdrop. One gathered that this was the sanctum sanctorum and presumably it was out of bounds because many had taken up positions near the cord, as if on a first come first basis they were waiting for a show. And sure enough, while these special invitees comprising the top echelons of the bureaucracy, diplomats and a few sundry ministers stood around outside of the cord, mingling and greeting old friends and new, the President was escorted in with much fan fare into the center of the inner cordon under the canopy. The national anthem was played and the ‘at home’ program began.

While the President sat with a chosen few super VIPs (very important persons), including the chief guest from our neighboring kingdom, the rest of us just milled around outside the cordoning rope and tried to play ‘spot famous personalities’ game! A few determined souls queued up to get into the enclosure for a self conscious namaste to the seated VIPs, while we were being directed to the tea tables, which as luck would have it, were arranged almost halfway back, towards the entrance! So, another long trudge for sustenance and then yet another walk back to the cord area for more hanging around watching and waiting.

The national anthem was played and the host left and taking the cue, the other dignitaries too just melted away. As for the rest of us it was once again the same long trudge back plus the hunt for our cars, which took quite as much time as we spent inside.

Needless to say that at this ‘at home’ one didn’t quite feel at home!

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—About our writer:

Sreelata says, " was an erstwhile asst editor on onlooker aeons ago, oh yes i did a stint in an ad agency, mother of two grown up boys, a bureaucrat's wife... I put pen to paper the moment I feel strongly about something(My letters to the editor will bear witness)...."

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