Long after Bush departed for Pakistan and back for Washington since, Srinadh says, we are left with one unanswered question: What did President Bush eat for lunch when he was in Hyderabad?

How and why did the media miss out on this one? Did the CM of Andhra, YSR, feed him anything? I mean, were the Hyderabadi chefs unable to tickle the President's taste buds or what? Surely, if that was the case, this is an insult to the land of the Biryani. The most powerful man in the world comes calling and the journalists did not even report what he had for lunch?

Contrast that with the news from the previous day in Delhi, where we read about how Chef Oberoi put out an opulent platter featuring delicacies like Khumbi-ka-ras, Zaffrani Ghosht, Tandoori Salmon and Masala Chai Creme Brulee, among other things at Taj Palace. In fact, apparently, Bush approved of the food so much that he forgot to eat dessert because he was so busy thanking the chef for the outstanding food!

If that was lunch, dinner in Delhi was not to be left behind. Unlike previous state dinners, we are reliably informed, Rashtrapati Bhavan's chefs seem to have got their act together that night, serving up one appealing dish after another. The President and the first lady looked mighty pleased with the chow. And all this from a man who is not known to usually venture into ethnic fare.

Don't moments such as these make us all proud? Whether congress approves the nuclear deal remains to be seen, but for now, Bush's approval of desi food will do.

Beyond the nuclear deal and where the sniffer dogs and security men were put up and what the Prez had for lunch/dinner, there were some other stories that were featured as tier-2 news items. For example:

** There was this story about how several Members of the Lok Sabha who staged a dharna to protest against Bush's visit in the well of the Lok Sabha on Thursday morning were also spotted at the Purana Qila on Friday evening to hear the President speak.

** Then, there was this story about how US embassy officials acted high handed with prominent members of the Indian press at Hyderabad house. Evidently, the journalists in question refused to comply until someone from the Ministry of External Affairs in the Government came to request them.

** The "beggar story" was also buried underneath the main headlines and pictures of Bush with farmers and artisans at the N G Ranga Agricultural University (axe, basket, straw hat and all). The story goes that several thousand beggars were "shifted" out of Hyderabad by the Government due to a perceived security threat that they posed to the most powerful man in the world and his world class security cordon around him.

** And finally, the protests. While news about the ceremonial parade, the 21 gun salute, the parleys at Hyderabad House and the press conference thereafter was being belted out on the networks, hundreds of thousands of people were protesting against Bush, some protests even leading to injury and two deaths.

These tier-2 news stories might have led to some debate. They might have even evoked passions and a diverse range of opinions.

In the meantime, I am sure someone will tell us what Bush ate for lunch in Hyderabad.

This article appears on Srinadh’s blog: srinadhm.blogspot.com
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