Trivial pursuits

The President's At Home on Independence Day saw unprecedented jostling among the invitees who were eager to shake hands with Narendra Modi. The prime minister, who easily stole the show, readily signed autographs and responded to greetings but was not as obliging with the media. When journalists asked about when exactly he proposed to implement the initiatives he had announced in his maiden speech that morning from the ramparts of Red Fort, his answer was a gesture that implied "far sightedness". Asked why he had the customary bullet-proof enclosure on the dais removed, he told journalists not to focus on such trivial details. That echoed an opinion he had expressed in his speech when he said he was surprised to see media make headline news about his move to ensure that government servants make it to office punctually. "Is that the job of the media?" he had asked.