What you do on December 31, I have been told often, is a sign of things to come. I guess the potency of that is magnified at least tenfold if the year concerned is 1999! Anyway, one person who has had an extremely interesting turn of the century is former Parliamentarian and Mumbai Regional Congress Committee president Murli Deora. The Deoras, you see, spent the said December 31 in the company of the most powerful man in the world, the president of the United States. Yes, yes, the one who goes by the rather longish name William Jefferson Clinton but is popular as just 'Bill' or 'Clinton'. A meeting with Deora, I decided hence, would be of great interest. And so it was. Deora was glad to tell me about the White House and Clinton. He told me about-- never mind, you can hear it from the horse's own mouth... "December," Deora began, "is always that time of the year when social engagements seem to overflow -- everyone who is anyone seems to be hosting some kind of an occasion. "But the one invitation that separated the wheat from the chaff was 'Dinner with spouse. At the White House. Hosted by Bill and Hillary Clinton. The occasion: The Millennium Gala.' "Now that's an interesting addition to my must-attend-appointments book! The fact that I'm the only Indian political dignitary invited to join the festivities feels good too! Hema and the children would be thrilled! With mounting excitement I started thinking of the necessary arrangements to be made. "I spent December 29 wrapping up my work here and preparing for the big event. Got the clothes ready as well. The attire was black tie," he told me. At 6 pm American time on December 31 the Deoras were at the White House. "Hema and I were among the 15-odd couples that met the President for an hour. Each couple spent three to four minutes with him," Deora continued. "I emphasised that India was keen that he visit. He expressed the same desire. "We spoke of our respective nations' commitment to democracy and freedom. I spoke about India as a nation where 450 million people go to vote at a time when the country is fighting a neighbour's military onslaught... such is her obligation to upholding democracy," he said. An hour on, it was dinner time. It was a sit-down affair, Deora recalled, and he could see many familiar faces... Familiar not because he knew them personally, but because they all had carved a niche in the hall of fame. "There was Sophia Lauren, Jack Nicholson (wearing his famous dark glasses), Elizabeth Taylor and Mohammad Ali among many others," Deora listed. "Rosenberg, the famous artist, was seated next to Hema. This was a historic occasion indeed." And dinner? It sure must have been an affair to remember. "Dinner was an exotic affair," Deora agreed, "of caviar, lobster and lamb, with champagne and chocolate winding up the meal. There was special vegetarian food for those who did not eat meat. "The president gave an inspiring speech on America, her achievements and commitments. There is so much to learn from this nation, be it in the areas of infrastructure, science, technology, medicine, power, transport, there is no end to it. On the other hand, I think the strength of India lies in her strong value system and deep-rooted culture," he said. By 2300 hours, Deora had made up his mind that the evening just couldn't get any better. But it did! Listen to him: "After dinner we went to the Lincoln Memorial to witness a phenomenal performance by Quincy Jones and George Stevens Jr in The Unfinished Journey. The president delivered a speech to the thousands of Americans gathered there. "There were huge screens everywhere so everyone could clearly witness the proceedings... Spectacular lights and fireworks were a befitting end to the show. The celebrations really were a suitable way of ushering in a new era, a new period in history," Deora stopped for a breather. "What really amazed me," he continued, "was that the president was moving about freely and mixing around. There were no crowds of security personnel around him. The whole atmosphere was one of informality, relaxation and celebration." Deora managed to meet the president at the Lincoln Memorial again. "I requested a picture with him for the sake of posterity!" he laughed. Forty-five minutes past midnight the celebrations started drawing to a close. The guests returned to the White House for breakfast. "There were different kinds of music in various rooms. Some had jazz, some rock, and so on," Deora said. "I went into a couple of rooms to sample the sounds! There was a main hall with a band playing. The president and Chelsea made a sudden appearance at 0300 hours and danced for a while. That was entertaining to watch! It was a good note to end the night with." Deora also exchanged a few words with Madeleine Albright. Would she accompany the president on his impending visit to India, he asked. Her answer was noncommittal, though she expressed a keen desire to visit. "We spoke briefly about India and Pakistan. She mentioned that she had grown up with the Kashmir issue since her father was a member of the Union Commission for Kashmir," he said. Memories of the millennium night brought to Deora's mind his first trip to America, way back in 1963. He had written an essay on civil rights, on reading which the then attorney general Bob Kennedy invited him to the US. "Now, more than three-and-a-half decades later, I spend the New Year's eve with the American president himself!" Deora obviously hasn't still come to terms with that. "Talk about coming a long way! Who knows who I'll spend the next New Year's eve with!" Hard-working Aparajita Saha, too, hopes to go places...
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