Meeting the President of India

I was in Delhi yesterday August 19, 2013, with a delegation of Rajasthan Forum member artistes to meet the President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee. I had met the President a month ago at a dinner hosted by Rajasthan Governor Smt Margaret Alva in Jaipur.

This was one of the biggest delegations of artistes from Rajasthan in recent memory to call upon the President of India. We were all charmed and touched by the warmth of the Hon’ble President who offered us tea. After that few members from the delegation were taken on a tour of the President’s house including the Mogul Gardens which was a very memorable experience for all of them.

Leading artistes in the field of music, art, literature, theatre, dance, performing arts, sculpture and others, all members of Rajasthan Forum, were a part of the delegation. On behalf of the delegation, Pt Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, along with this year’s best child artist, Virendra Singh Rathore, who got the award from the President himself at the 60th National Film Awards, presented the Rajasthan Panchranga Safa to the Hon’ble President of India on the occasion.

Singer Manesha Agarwal presented her Padaro Mhare Des CD and DVD to the President, Padmashree sculptor-artist, Arjun Prajapati, an idol of Gandhi ji to the Hon’ble President. Others presented books and artwork to the President.

Child artist from Rajasthan, Virendra Singh Rathore, who won the best Child Artist Award this year for his role in the film Dekh Indian Circus was also a part of the delegation.

Rajasthan Forum, which is a non-profit umbrella organization espousing the cause and promotion of art and culture, also gave a representation to the President on the embarrassing incident which happened with the child artist and his parents at the 60th National Film Award.

The child artist and his parents, who had gone to Delhi to receive the Award, had a harrowing experience for reasons beyond their control and perhaps due to a glaring oversight and poor management by the authorities entrusted with the conducting of the National Film Awards.

I landed in Kolkata back from Delhi yesterday night itself as Prabha Khaitan Foundation (PKF) is today hosting an art exhibtion at the ITC Sonar Art Gallery. ess bee