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He said it
What's R.K. Laxman doing at a credit card launch?
Frankly, he doesn't know. At the unveiling of MasterCard's electronic card in Delhi last
week, India's best-known cartoonist stole the show from compere-for-the-evening Laila
Rouass (lovelier than he by any standards) and drummer-jazz-honcho duo Sivamani and Louis
Banks. And he did it with a short speech. Sharing the stage with P.V. Jayakrishnan,
secretary, it Ministry, and a couple of bigwigs from Citibank and MasterCard, Laxman
cocked a snook at the entire lot. "MasterCard made a mistake calling me as guest of
honour here," he announced. "I'm not an industrialist. I'm not a banker. I'm a
cartoonist." Then perhaps remembering that Jayakrishnan had in his own speech averred
that "this ministry will be different", he added a discourse on how money in
India does not go where it ought to. As the trio of hot shots looked visibly
uncomfortable, he wound up with his vision of a cartoon for the year 2000. A Merc stops at
a traffic light. A beggar walks up. "I don't have change," says the man in the
Merc. "That's okay," comes the reply. "I accept MasterCard." He said
it.
-Anna M M Vetticad
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He said it
