The economy class of the Delhi-Jammu flight was a flurry of activity. Snoops as we are, we soon found out Jammu and Kashmir's Minister for Health and Medical Education Mangat Ram Sharma was our co-passenger.
The aircraft crew was just doing its bit to please the honourable minister.
He sat within eavesdropping distance. His personal assistant V C Kapoor sat next to me. Ten minutes before takeoff, another VIP, Chaudhari Lal Singh, Congress parliamentarian from Udhampur, arrived to exchange pleasantries with netaji.
'You are our senior and most respected netaji,' Lal pleaded with Sharma as only thoroughbred politicians can. 'How can I taalerate [tolerate] you sitting in economy class and myself cosying up in the J class?'
Somehow, I felt Mr Lal was not persistent enough with his exchange-seat offer.
Soon Mr Sharma started talking to the man next to him -- a total stranger, Mr Kapoor told me later -- and when the flight landed at the smallish but heavily guarded Jammu airport at around 1.55 pm, the minister and the man had exchanged business cards.
I asked Mr Kapoor why Mr Sharma did not avail of a business class seat. Pat came the reply: 'Our netaji is a humble man.'
Text and Photographs: Prasanna Zore
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