Of Copenhagen and saris!

Shailaja Chandra

THE PM’s recent visit to Denmark reminded me of my own short stay at that magnificent European capital, Copenhagen. Twenty years ago, three sari-clad movers and shakers of the Delhi Government set out to see the city’s fabled recycled roads and wind farms. I was accompanying CM Sheila Dikshit as Chief Secretary. The CM’s secretary completed the female trio. The only exception was Arvinder Singh Lovely, a 30-something MLA.

We flew to Paris and boarded another flight to Copenhagen. Our welcome was warm and cheerful. The Indian ambassador was HK Dua — better known as the media adviser to two PMs, a veteran journalist and later an MP. Affability is Dua’s middle name — but despite his congeniality, when we checked into the hotel, the body language of the embassy staff showed something was amiss. Our bags had not arrived with us, although the baggage had made it to CDG airport at Paris.

The ambassador’s skills were now put to test. Hearing a muffled knock, I opened the door to see his retreating back perambulating down the hotel corridors, duffel bag slung over one shoulder. He was personally offering an array of his wife’s crisp, dry-cleaned silk saris to the female contingent. But as any woman accustomed to public appearances would confirm, a sari by itself is meaningless, minus a matching fitted blouse, elegant shoes, Indian accessories and a coat or Pashmina shawl. The generous offer was politely declined.

CM Dikshit had come to Copenhagen not to flaunt saris but to learn about Denmark’s forays into renewable energy and recycling construction waste. The ambassador had arranged the visit with care. Still clad in our Delhi attire, we embarked on what turned out to be a windy excursion. While Lovely wore walking shoes, we three suffered the Danish gales lashing our ankles. Our saris billowed around us like sails and focusing on pulverised waste and far-away wind farms was becoming tough.

The embassy, meanwhile, had been solving the mystery of the missing baggage. Only in the evening did news finally come that the efficient French officials and the embassy staff at Paris had tracked the truant baggage and dispatched it to Copenhagen. But as if to test our patience even further, the first consignment arrived the next morning and brought only Lovely’s bag! No wonder he could sport a crisp mustard safa and a big smile at the ambassador’s luncheon in the CM’s honour!

Sheila Dikshit must have been calling her fixers back home. One such courtier leaked the news and a sarcastic story on our travails was published by the Statesman. Fortunately, she was not meeting Queen Margrethe II of Denmark; and our Danish guides had eyes only for their precious wind farms and waste crunchers. Even Lovely’s striking safas went unnoticed!