This refers to the report "Mittal seeks state support to take Chinese competition abroad" (November 11) where Airtel's Sunil Mittal said businessmen accompanying the prime minister have to wear badges that say "coinciding with visit of PM". This is an absurd situation. The world over, businessmen are treated as key elements in delegations accompanying heads of governments. In February 1994, when Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao visited Germany, anticipating this problem I had asked him directly if the businessmen travelling with him should be treated as part of his delegation. He replied: Of course, what is the problem? True enough, on the eve of the visit I was told by New Delhi that the official formula was that the businessmen "just happened to be in Germany". I protested, and cited the PM's approval. The response: You do what you like in Germany, but this is our formula.
Clearly, things have not changed. Surely, Narendra Modi would not countenance such sophistry, which is a hangover of the pre-reform official mindsets towards business.
And why shouldn't businessmen travel on the PM's aircraft, when this is practical and convenient? That, too, is international practice.
Kishan S Rana New Delhi
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