Delhi:The Commonwealth Games Federation appears to have settled a diplomatic feud over the opening of the New Delhi event: Both Britain's Prince Charles and Indian President Pratibha Patil will officiate.
With Queen Elizabeth II skipping the October 3-14 event, the prince is scheduled to speak on his mother's behalf at Sunday's opening ceremony.
The federation said in a statement that the prince "will read The Queen's message, which ends the opening of the games."
However, the federation also says the president of India will "then deliver her address and signal the commencement of the games."
Stand in
A spokeswoman at Clarence House, Charles' official London residence, said on Monday both president and the prince would play a role but insisted that Charles would formally open the games as the official stand-in for his mother, the queen, who is the head of the Commonwealth. "Both the Prince of Wales and the President of India will have a prominent role in the opening ceremony in Delhi," a Clarence House spokeswoman said. "The Queen has asked the Prince of Wales to represent her at the opening of the Commonwealth Games. The 84-year-old queen had cited her hectic schedule as the reason for not attending the Games, which she traditionally opens, but the move drew criticism in India.
Meanwhile, it's not just the Commonwealth Games facilities that India's embattled government is trying to spruce up. It's the whole country.
Modern face
India wants the Games to highlight the modern face of this ancient land — new highways, a metro extension, sports venues and a $2 billion (Dh7.34 billion) international airport.
On Monday, authorities took more than 1,000 old and rickety buses off the roads. These packed, fast-moving vehicles are infamous for their record of running over pedestrians, sparking a media campaign against them, but their removal infuriated many residents, stuck from getting to work.
In fact, the whole clean-up campaign has been met with disdain by some Delhi residents.
