Bommai To Inaugurate India Festival In Russia

Instead, human resources development minister S R Bommai, who also happens to be a senior leader from Gowda's home state Karnataka and has been a former president of the Janata Dal, will lead the Indian team to Moscow.

Even though Gowda's visit to Moscow had not been officially announced, both sides had been looking at the possibility of using the mini Indian festival, called the Days of Indian Culture in Russia, as the occasion for making his first major visit abroad.

It was being argued in the external affairs ministry that the Indian Prime Minister's trip to Russia, especially in the wake of New Delhi's refusal to kowtow to western powers on the CTBT, would send an important message on the international front.

 

But Yeltsin's continuing bad health has made it impossible for a prime ministerial visit to take place now, high-level sources said.

The sources added that the Russian side could not confirm whether their president would be in Moscow to receive the Indian prime minister around September 16 when the festival opens.

New Delhi, therefore, did not want to take any chances not only with the prime minister but also dispelled the thought of sending external affairs minister I K Gujral, a well-known Russia hand, as the prime minister's representative to Moscow.

The sources felt, however, that Bommai was a good replacement : He is a good choice at many levels. He heads the culture department, is a former chief minister of Karnataka as well as a former president of the Janata Dal, one source said.

Yeltsin's bad health has been attributed in the Russian media to alcohol consumption and the president, who was elected for a second five-year term only last month, has spent large chunks of time in sanatoria and health resorts recently.

A Gowda visit to Russia, at a time when Russians are becoming increasingly dispirited with the breakneck pace of economic reform, would have gone a long way in cementing the bilateral relationship.

India still remains one of the largest buyers of Russian armaments and the trade relationship is on the upswing, even though many problems need to be ironed out. The mini-festival will be spread over two weeks in 10 Russian cities and will consist of the performing arts, folk and modern dance ensembles, theatre, a book exhibition, an exhibition of contemporary Indian art and even a small food festival.

This will be the first Indian show in Russia since the grand extravaganza was held in 1988, said the director of the Indian Council of Cultural Relations,

Meera Shankar, and both sides recognise that such a hiatus shouldn't be there. We need to revive and strengthen cultural relations on an enduring basis.