895 (First of 10 series) FREE things which are illusory and imaginary in Capitalism can become REAL only with GREAT EFFORTS AND FORESIGHTED PLANNING

We come across Presidents, Prime Ministers, Provincial Governors, Governors of States in India, Chief Ministers of States in India, Collectors (District Administrators) of approx. 800 Districts in India, who else not, giving banquets, lunches, dinners to hundreds and thousands of guests, at Public Expense inviting VIPs (Very Important Persons) as guests. In such feasts and parties, there may be several courses, can be even a 1000 in number, and nobody cares about their expenses, both in affluent countries, and poverty-stricken countries. In India, we may not be able to get information on such lavish expenditures from the concerned Government Offices, even under Right to Information Act.

In United States, there seems to be some transparency in such matters. Here is a link to a beautiful report in Times of India dated Barack Obama's dinner for PM Manmohan Singh most expensive since 2009: Report PTI 13th Feb. 2014 Click here to go to http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Barack-Obamas-dinner-for-PM-Manmohan-Singh-most-expensive-since-2009-Report/articleshow/30298497.cms. This was before the 2014 Parliament Elections in India, i.e. when Mr. Manmohan Singh was Prime Minister, and Mr. Narendra Modi was still awaiting in queue for PM gaddi (seat).

In response to a Freedom of Information request to which it took the state department 13 months to respond, CBS News has obtained the Office of Protocol's expense calculations for the first five state dinners of the Obama presidency.

The Obama administration spent $572,187.36 for the State Dinner for PM Manmohan Singh at the White House on November 24, 2009.

Obama hosted Mexican President Felipe Calderon on May 19, 2010 at a cost of $563,479.92.

He held his third State Dinner on January 19, 2011 for Chinese President Hu Jintao at a cost of $412,329.73.

Obama held the fourth State Dinner on June 7, 2011 for German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the cost was $215,883.36.

The fifth State Dinner was held on October 13, 2011 for South Korean President Lee Myung-bak at a cost of $203,053.34, the CBS report said.

ybrao-a-donkey's personal views which are not intended to be imposed on others

How much Mr. Manmohan Singh might have, in reciprocation, spent on dinners to various visiting international functionaries, during his tenure as PM, between 2004 and 2014? Nobody knows. Amounts can also vary on method of computation, question of-- whether any particular item of expenditure is to be included/counted under varios heads.

Many people hailed Mr. Barack Obama as a sort of messiah, when he got elected twice, as a 'Black' President, who has taken an incarnation to resurrect the suffering masses, particularly the blacks. Mr. Obama as a President of United States, led with a charismatic personality. But his eight years rule, might not have brought any significant change in the lives of poor Americans. By and large, a status quo ante was maintained.

Now, Mr. Donald Trump has come as the New President. How much he is going to spend on State banquets, lunches, and dinners, tea parties? Considering the flamboyance of Mr. Trump, I cannot think of any tangible figure in advance. We have to wait and see.

To continue. सशेष. ఇంకా ఉంది.