New Delhi: Drummers, dancers, sloganeers, firecrackers, an inspired band of cheerleaders sporting Sonia T-shirts and aspiring leaders with bouquets and banners - a typical Congress carnival at 10 Janpath on Saturday morning, to celebrate Congress President Sonia Gandhi's 60th birthday -- all far removed from the low key affair that she has been asking for.
Says Congress leader, Tom Vadakkan, "Mrs Gandhi has been insisting that her birthday should be a low key affair but this is something we have no control over. People from all over the country are here to wish her.''
And these well wishers travelled long distances to make it in time for December 9. Like R Sindhlingaya from Karnataka who danced for over six hours with his 70 member troupe only to wish the Congress President. And there were others who worked to bring in special gifts for Mrs G.
Says Jammu and Kashmir Congress Worker, B S Sambyal, "We have got her saplings from the Congress Seva Dal.''
And much as party leaders denied that the celebration had signs of age old Congress sychophancy and that it was just their love for their President, the party itself got Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to present their tribute to their president -- a special volume full of rare photographs, speech excerpts and personal messages to Sonia Gandhi.
The book was aptly termed In Appreciation.
When it comes to the Gandhi family, celebration and fanfare can't be far behind and despite Sonia Gandhi's emphasis on keeping celebrations low key, gatherings like these are perhaps also a chance for Congress supporters to establish all over again that Sonia Gandhi is the star of this big political show.
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