Traipsing Around

Traipsing Around

FPJ BureauUpdated: Saturday, June 01, 2019, 03:10 AM IST
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To enjoy a free trip through foreign climes, take to politics. Nothing is as good, not even journalism, for though a reporter or a news analyst may sometimes wangle a trip, his is a “janata” jaunt, without any of the pomp and circumstance, the fol-de-rol and the hysteria that accompanies a genuine, 24-carat State Visit.

Nowadays there is a rigid code in such matters. If X invites Y, the latter can be dead certain that friend X will soon be getting his official papers ready for a return visit. In the old days Heads of State considered it infra dig to go traipsing around. But not now. Today no President or Premier worth the name would dream of delegating globe-trotting to his underlings!

The procedure is fairly simple. First comes the invitation. This initial overture must always be refused – politely. Finally a second call arrives, is accepted, and the caravan is ready to set forth. In the matter of globe-trotting Indian governmental bigwigs are mere beginners. The real champions are the Russians and the Americans. Nikita Khrushchev (the current record-holder), is once again “leaving town” this time for Ghana.

We have always admired Nikita for this – since, come hail or high weather, K, like the obliging Barkis, is ever willing to pack his bags and set forth to peddle the advantages of the Russian way of life. All this makes us uneasily suspicious. Has anybody noticed how these V.I.P. journeys always follow close on the heels of alarms and excursions of various kinds? The matter is worth pursuing. Who knows, these high-placed travel-lovers might even be stirring up the locals so they can wangle a peace-trip gratis! If so, 0ne of the surest ways of ensuring world peace would be to compel foot-loose politicians to indulge their hobbies—if they must—out of their own pockets.

(EDIT, June 23, 1960.)

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