Diwali festivities kick off in style

Smita Sharma

IT is a pre-Diwali week and dance and diyas are being weaved into diplomacy. To mark the celebrations, the ICCR organised the 4th International Folk Dance and Music Festival in the Capital where Bangladesh's popular folk singer Kiran Chandra Roy along with a musical troupe from the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy enthralled the audience with Lalon songs. Sri Lankan artistes from the University of Visual Performing Arts also added to the charm. The Central Province National Dance Troupe from Sri Lanka also won hearts at the IIT-Delhi annual function with spectacular performances, including Ves, mask dancing, Gini Sisila (fire dance).

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Dutch Ambassador Fons Stoelinga, along with the Embassy staff, decided to spice up the celebrations by learning to play drums in the Kerala style. 

Jinney Amritsar nahin vekhya...

Irrespective of the roller-coaster nature of the India-Pakistan relations, development in either country continues to attract much attention. Days after new High Commissioner of Pakistan Sohail Mahmood presented his credentials to President Ram Nath Kovind, India announced a plan to shift Indian High Commissioner in Pakistan Gautam Bambawale to China.

For career-diplomat High Commissioner Mahmood, this is his first posting in India. Since March when it was decided to move him from Turkey, he began preparing for the new posting by reading daily despatches from the mission in Delhi — having easier access to these now through digital tools instead of diplomatic snail mail bags.

In the short duration that Mahmood spent in Delhi, the new envoy has been able to pay obeisance at Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah, a few places that work takes him and transited through Amritsar en route to Lahore. A proper visit to the city, once part of the twin cities, remains high on his to-do list. With due apologies for altering an old time saying “Jinney Amritsar nahin vehkya to kya ...”

Bonanza for ‘one-day’ envoys

Envoys and diplomats of various embassies in Delhi came together to celebrate International Day of the Girl Child. They gave up their role to young girls from underprivileged background for a day. For the girls, who donned the diplomatic hat for a day, the smile on their faces looked a pre-Diwali bonanza. 

Have a safe Diwali and happy diplomacy to all!