Ettiquette of inviting the PM : No official response till date
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: November 10, 2014 -

It is official. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to take part in the Hornbill Festival at Nagaland on December 1.

It is unofficial but most likely the Prime Minister too is likely to attend the closing day of the Sangai Festival at Imphal on November 30.

An observation based on a report from Delhi which stated that the Prime Minister is scheduled to visit Guwahati for the DGP conference and then proceed to Manipur and Nagaland.

The ‘unofficial’ part is based on the same report which has so far not said anything about the Prime Minister attending the closing day of the Sangai Festival but which co-incides with his visit here one day before he is set to visit Nagaland.

This much has been spelt out clearly in the report which was carried in a Kolkata/Guwahati daily prominently a few days back.

If Mr Modi is here on the last day of the Sangai festival then in all probability he will make it a point to attend the closing day of the State level festival here.

A feather in the cap of Chief Minister O Ibobi, by default, if one may add.

Much before any news of the Prime Minister’s itinerary was heard here, the State Government had made it clear that an invitation would be extended to the Prime Minister, either on the opening day of the festival on November 21 or the closing day on November 30.

From the announcement of the State Government it became public knowledge that the Prime Minister has indeed been invited to attend the Sangai Festival.

That was the last thing that was officially heard.

No word on whether the Prime Minister had accepted the invitation or not and it was only a couple of days back that news was received that the Prime Minister will indeed be visiting Manipur on November 30, as part of his plans to visit the North East States.

No official report on whether the Prime Minister is going to attend the Sangai Festival or not, but more than clear that he will be here on November 30.

Not yet explained but there must surely be a reason why nothing official has been said on the invitation to the Prime Minister, though he has officially accepted the invitation from the Government of Nagaland to attend the Hornbill Festival.

In the absence of anything official from the office of the Prime Minister, it would be premature to say anything but it is nonetheless important to keep certain things in mind.

In the first place, the importance of the Prime Minister’s Office must be kept in mind.

Invitations may be sent, but it is equally important to keep in mind that the manner in which the invitation is extended is not something which can be done casually.

A point borne out by the fact that Nagaland Chief Minister TR Zeliang personally extended the invitation to the Prime Minister at Delhi.

Not sure why such an example was not followed here.

What stopped Chief Minister O Ibobi from personally inviting the Prime Minister ?

Inviting the Prime Minister through a third or second party is certainly not an ideal way of inviting the first among equals of the Lok Sabha and Parliament.