WASHINGTON: Clearly joint sessions of Parliament do not mean the same in the US as they do in India where all MPs dutifully turn up Indeed only MPs can sit in the chambers of Parliament for joint sessions.
Not so in US where to save embarrassment to the visiting dignitary they back the chambers with all and sundry as senators and representatives as not turn up on such occasions.
Thus Prime Minister Narasimha Raos address to the joint session of the US Congress was described by a columnist of The Washington Post as sparsely attended but responsively received.
The columnist further said No one knew if the aides and pages who were quickly busted into the rows of empty seats led the applause but the Prime Minister was obviously pleased at the frequent interruptions
It would seem that in Raos case only 18 Senators and 20 Congressmen turned up for the joint-session. Asked where the rest of the people who filled the chamber had been bussed in from an informed source said that the Congressmen had distributed passes to their constituents to Come and attend the session. The suggestion that the page-boys of the House of Represent a lives were the ones Who had helped fill the Chamber and led with the well-timed applause were not dismissed by anyone out of hand
Then there was the diplomatic corps which also contributed by filling up some seats The Visitors Galleries had been packed by Nonresident Indians and the large sized pany accompanying the prime Minister.
A notable absence among diplomats was Pakistan Ambassador Matleeha Lodhi.
Article extracted from this publication >> May 27, 1994
