As the colours of pop patriotism engulfed the large Indian-American community gathered here to honour poet-Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee on Sunday evening, the Prime Minister gently reminded the warring NRI factions that they should set aside their differences in favour of an overarching Indo-American identity. Then the poet kicked in. ‘‘You just recited my poem, Kadam milakar chalna hoga (We Must walk together), so you must listen to its spirit as you live so far away. Prant, jaati, dharm, mazhab, rangbhed ke khanon mein na baten. Yeh kuritiyan Bharat mein hai, hum unhe mitane ki koshish mein hain. ‘‘Do not divide yourselves into categories of caste, creed, religion, colour, province. We face these problems back home, but we are trying hard to erase them. You should rise above these differences and forge an identity of Indianness,’’ Vajpayee added. Supporters of the Overseas Friends of the BJP (OFBJP) rent the enormous convention centre hired at enormous government expense with cries of Bharat Mata Ki Jai, a refrain that was enthusiastically taken up. Ambassador-at-large for NRIs Bhishma Agnihotri, the man behind the crowd control, smiled benignly from his vantage seat next to Vajpayee. Certainly, this was Agnihotri’s show, and he had ensured that loyalists from the OFBJP not only got prime seating, but also that volunteers from the Akshardham Pravasi Sangh were sprinkled throughout the auditorium. Many had not been invited. Others like the handful of Dawoodi Bohras sitting towards the back, in their white round hats and the women in white colours of hejab, welcomed the PM’s message. One pointed out that Agnihotri’s office had ‘‘rightfully’’ created categories of Indian-Americans on the basis of ethnic groups, not religion. Then, he mutinously added: ‘‘But aren’t there any Muslims in Gujarat and Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh? If they had been invited, they would have been called.’’ OFBJP leaders said they had no idea what happened to Indian Christians and Muslims and why they had not come for the function. ‘‘They were there in the first meeting,’’ one said. Outside the auditorium, about 300-400 Sikh men raised slogans for fairness and justice back home in Punjab. Inside, the PM had been feted by young Patel and one Modi — boys singing a welcome song and then a welcome dance. His own poem had been set to martial music. New York, New York! Patels, Modi fete Vajpayee When India’s ambassador-at-large Bhishma Agnihotri throws a bash, he calls all the Patels — and one Modi — to account. And so the ‘‘Swagatam’’ number at the public reception to fete Prime Minister Vajpayee over the weekend at an enormous convention hall in New York was tripping over with little boys in white kurta-pyjama and tika. The kids, it turned out, were like their parents, firm believers in the Swaminarayan sect (the same whose Akshardham temple was targeted by terrorists) in Gujarat. While Mom and Pop in Gujarati-American accents did the honours ushering in the 4,000-odd people into the centre, all the little Patels (and one Modi) were on stage. The background music was too loud, but so what, the effort was quite sweet. It was another matter when the bigger boys took over the stage. Dressed up in cardboard crowns and dhotis and carrying the colours of the flag, the older children attempted some form of a welcome dance. Often, in their zeal, they would raise one foot a little too high and once in a while it would be in the PM’s face who just sat behind on stage. By the end of the evening, Master of Ceremonies Agnihotri had established he is ‘‘The Face’’ of at least the Indian-American community in NY. For someone, who barely a year ago, had to pick up the microphone and say: ‘‘I am Bhishma Agnihotri’’ to the Indian media, the transformation is complete. Ringleader Agnihotri Love him or hate him, you certainly can’t dismiss Agnihotri anymore. The function to felicitate the PM was intended to display the 34 Indian-American associations (Jat Association of America, Uttaranchal Association of America, the Overseas Friends of the BJP, the very powerful Association of American Physicians of Indian Origin, etc), along with the subliminal message that the ringleader of them all was Agnihotri. You had to give it to him last night. He had ensured that the Jacob K. Javits centre became the Boat Club of New York for one evening. The hall was jampacked with throaty supporters of the BJP from all the ethnic communities as well as key businessmen who could now nicely come to the aid of the party back home. Indian ambassador Lalit Mansingh, also sitting on stage, was forced to grimly watch the proceedings. Agnihotri had neatly slipped the carpet from under his feet and he hadn’t even known. It was a classic display of power and the IFS, once again, had refused to stoop to the occasion just in case it got its hands dirty. The rumour after the function that Agnihotri was a serious contender for the job of India’s ambassador to the US — once Mansingh gives over in February — almost became a credible one. Can’t keep Gen down Indian officials were preening on Sunday as the New York Times slammed General Musharraf in an editorial that will be taken seriously by millions of Americans, on Pakistan’s barely secret help to the Taliban-Al Qaeda, Kashmir terrorists and a continuing nuclear programme. But the feisty Musharraf was back on his feet on Monday having spoken to the NYT barely hours after he had landed. He was defending himself with front and back punches, praising the Americans for partnership on terrorism, criticising the Indians for their Brahmanical refusal to engage in minor dialogue and generally, showing once again that he could never be ignored by Washington. Since comparisons are inevitable in the minds of most mortals — like journalists — the fact remains that no such publicity has been attempted for the PM so far. By Monday morning, he has been in New York for the entire weekend and he will stay here for the rest of the week. Neither the Indian Embassy in Washington nor the many contacts that Indian diplomats often flaunt in the US media have delivered. If you ask why, the common answer you will get is, ‘‘Oh, we don’t engage in tit-for-tat behaviour.’’ Clearly, the IFS hasn’t read its Julius Caesar. It’s not enough to show that your facts are sound, they must like Caesar’s wife also seen to be so. —JYOTI MALHOTRA
