NEW DELHI: When State visits occur back-to-back, they can only spell trouble for the Protocol Division of the Ministry of External Affairs.
For the past two weeks, protocol officials have found themselves serviced like never before, first preparing to receive the British Prime Minister, John Major, and then the Russian President, Boris Yeltsin, with not even a day to recover, (Yeltsin flew in within hours of Major’s departure).
The short interval between the visits has meant simultaneous planning for all the paraphernalia Of such events security, cars, menus, accommodation, communication setups and so on. But the most tricky part has been handling two advance teams, one from London and the other from Moscow, at the same time, each with a different set of demands to keep their leader happy.
And what anightmare it has been, 4, dozen or so Englishmen and Scores of four Russians have been prowling around Rashtrapati Bhavan South Block and a host of other venues to be used at some point or another during the visits, checking and re checking what has already been double checked by the Indians.
AS If this was not overbearing enugh, the Russians compounded it by flying in four planes carrying Sty bullet proof black limousines and communication equipment for their leader to talk to Moscow, Washington or anywhere else in the world.
Old habits obviously die hard. After all, Yeltsin will be bringing with him the little black brief ease containing the dreaded nuclear button. Naturally security for him cannot be less than what the late Leonid Brezhnev had. So what if the Cold War has ended?
Article extracted from this publication >> February 5, 1993
