Calcutta gears up for world dignitaries -- and Mother's funeral

Never has Calcutta seen arrangements of such scale. And never will it, for a long time to come.

As over 25 heads of state and nearly 12,000 others from the world over will converge in the West Bengal capital to attend Mother Teresa's funeral on Saturday, September 13, the city will, naturally, witness unprecedented security arrangements.

For which, right now, the Calcutta police, in consultation with the army, the paramilitary organisations and the intelligence agencies, are slogging overtime.

"We are providing each dignitary with personal security officers who will accompany them till they leave the country," Calcutta Police Commissioner Dinesh C Bajpayee told Rediff On The NeT in a telephone interview.

In addition to the 'normal' security around the funeral procession (which, at 0900 hours on Saturday, will start from the St Thomas Church to the Netaji indoor stadium), the police have assigned 1,000 plainclothes personnel too.

The dignitaries who have confirmed their visits include American First Lady Hillary Clinton and the presidents of Ghana, Denmark, Venezuela and Italy.

"Hillary Clinton will leave immediately after the funeral. She will not meet any Indian leaders," US embassy officials said.

South African President Nelson Mandela and his French counterpart Jacques Chirac are yet to confirm their visits. Both the French and South African embassies have not received any official intimation. ("We know only through newspapers that they are coming.")

Besides the Hotel Taj Bengal (where Clinton is tipped to be staying), the dignitaries would be accommodated at the Grand Hotel, the Park and Raj Bhavan.

A Missionary of Charity spokesperson said Pope John Paul II will not attend the funeral. "The Holy Father has already held a special mass. He is sending a high level delegation to attend the funeral," the spokesman said.

The queens of Jordan and Spain, former Philippines president Corazon Aquino, a high-level delegation from Germany and Pakistan's women affairs minister are also tipped to be in Calcutta on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the St Thomas church authorities denied that Mother's body is decomposing. "The body is being examined by experts every evening. Great care is taken to see that no harm is caused to it," they said.

In another statement, Calcutta's Vicar-General Monsignor Francis Gomes said the decision to bury the Angel of Mercy at Mother House, 54 A, A J C Bose Road, was taken by the sisters of her organisation.

"We did not question the decision," he said adding that the Mother had no desire to be buried in any particular church.

In the United States, meanwhile, the senate voted unanimously to observe Saturday as a national day of mourning.

"Last week we lost a saint when she passed away,'' said Republican senator Sam Brownback, "We are poorer, but heaven is richer.''

With inputs from UNI

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