Storm in a coffee cup

The Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC), which is playing host to the World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC) 2010, was abuzz with activity on Monday. While the state police and HICC security staffers were busy frisking everyone, what made news was HICC’s hospitality. A reporter belonging to an English-language financial daily, accompanied by a dozen other journalists, went to a coffee-making machine to have cappuccino. The steward, however, said, “Sorry sir, this coffee is only for foreign delegates and not for Indians.” Later, the organisers made things worse by asking the media to cover the event from the audience gallery on the first floor. When the mediapersons threatened to boycott the event, the organisers allowed them to enter the main convention centre.