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I heard this story from a dear friend.It at best is a half truth.Please apply your judgement.The year is 2001. The city is Varanasi.The story is about the then 85 year old,Ustad Bismillah Khan.The Good NewsOne day in the month of April, Ustad’s grandson Banda Ali received an elaborate telegram from the Rashtrapati Bhavan - asking if Ustad will be interested in being present at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on a particular date, to receive the Bharat Ratna from the President of India.Wheelchair bound and very ill Ustad Bismillah Khan, facing a severe financial crunch, had tears of gratitude in his eyes. He replied in affirmative.One Small IssueAs soon as this news spread - Congratulatory calls and messages started streaming in - Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam and Madhya Pradesh, Celebrities, Old colleagues, Officials, Media anchors - everyone wanted to personally congratulate the humble Ustad for this achievement.Being ever gracious, Ustad obliged everyone, thanked everyone - but failed to mention to any of them an issue which was causing him grave distress.He didn’t have any money to travel to New Delhi.The D-DayFinally, the morning of the day, when he was supposed to receive the highest award of the land arrived.He still had no money. No tickets.While he was half contemplating on an idea to play severely ill - saving himself from the embarressment, he heard a little commotion coming from his living room.A few men that he’d never seen, had arrived to take him and his wheelchair to the airport. Outside his house - the whole street was full of proud faces, mostly unknown - everyone had come to see off their hero, the newest Ratna of Bharat.He thanked his God, and decided to play along. He instructed his grandson Banda Ali and Nephew Mumtaz to pack a pair of fresh kurta for him and accompany him to the Airport.The Twist.Once at the airport, he was greeted by an even greater sea of unknown but proud faces - someone was trying to touch his feet, someone gave him a garland, there were smiles all around.Now before he could instruct his grandson to figure a taxi while he feigned an excuse of illness to return back home - a new twist arrived.Senior representatives of a few airlines appeared out of nowhere, pleading for him to choose their flight to travel to New Delhi. There was one manager smarter than others, who carried three tickets instead of one - Ustad said a yes to him. Now It was time for Banda Ali and Mumtaz Hussain to get excited as well - they were all going to New Delhi.He was personally welcomed inside the airport by the senior most officer of the Airport Authority of India - His bag containing a kurta was picked up and carried by the head of the Airport security himself - the pilots and crew members welcomed him at the tarmac - the other passengers clapped and cheered while he got seated.As the flight took off - a tear dropped from Ustad’s eyes.He wasn’t that poor afterall.The Welcome.The news of him taking off from Varanasi, reached New Delhi much before the Ustad himself. There were thousands of people who had come to see him. Hundreds wanted him to come along with them and stay in their house - but he chose to go with a guy, specially sent for him by the Rashtrapati himself.He, his wheelchair and his best Kurta in a bag, thus spent an afternoon, in the greatest presidential house in the world, hosted by a much grateful Shrimati Usha and her husband, Dr. K R Narayanan, the President of India.Bharat Ratna Ustad Bismillah Khan.In the evening, Ustad was presented with the highest civilian honor, in front of an august gathering of dignitaries.Everyone present in the room was smiling.A few had tears in their eyes.It is difficult to tell though -If Ustad was more overwhelmed then,or you perhaps are, right now :)‘This’, cannot be bought with money or coerced through power.‘This’, can only be earned through a lifetime.‘This’, is greatness.Thank you for reading. Cheers and peace.

AIR INDIA ONE, the Presidential Aircraft of India ( Call sign Air India one or AI-1) being escorted by two Su-30MKI Flanker of the Indian Air Force.In case of a state visit, the fighter aircraft of the host country will be receiving the Presidential aircraft as soon as they enter their air space.It goes something like this :AAF: "Air India One, Welcome to the Republic of Austria. This is Guardian 31 of the Austrian Air force. Its an Honor to be escorting you until your arrival at the Salzburg air base.”AI-1: “ Guardian 31. Its nice to be escorted. Its a beautiful day to be flying in your air space. Air India one thanks you for the kind gesture.”Usually when the Presidential aircraft is in the international or foreign airspace it is provided the best and safest route possible. The other air traffic within the vicinity at that time are carefully monitored to make sure that they do not deviate from their flight path and also make sure that the Presidential Aircraft is in the safe distance from the rest of the traffic. The foreign defense department is also notified about a VIP movement and they also keep their front line fighter aircraft on standby just in case it needs to be escorted to the nearest airport or to fend off any threat. The flight path is usually classified and masked with a decoy. The presidential aircraft flies at the maximum altitude to avoid any threat from the AA guns ( Anti-Aircraft guns) and the SAM’s( Surface to Air Missiles).‘Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR)’ is usually enforced which halts all the incoming and out going air traffic for about 30 minutes prior to the Presidential Aircraft’s arrival or departure and will be awarded a priority take-off and landing clearance. The Indian Naval fleet along the path in International waters also monitors the Presidential Aircraft.As soon as the Presidential Aircraft leaves the foreign air space :AAF: Air India one, You are now about to enter the foreign air space. Have a safe flight.AI-1: Guardian 31, Copy that. Air India One thanks you for the hospitality. We hope to see you again.”This is not just a mere diplomatic gesture. The security of the visiting dignitary is the responsibility of the host nation. The presidential aircraft is defensive in nature. It can shield itself from the missiles, electromagnetic pulse bomb and even from the shock of a nuclear blast by employing EMP Shields, counter measures, chaffs, flares and other classified measures. But it cannot counter attack. So they will be accompanied by the fighter aircraft when deemed necessary.In the domestic air space, It is usually a protocol to receive the Head of the State and the Indian President’s aircraft – Air India One – as it enters the national air space but is also adds an important layer of security for the president. These jets carry out this task as part of their air surveillance role, guaranteeing the safe arrival of the president.AIR INDIA ONE on the TarmacEdit 1: More about the security of Air India One:Protection :The Self-protection suites of Air India One include radar warning receivers, missile-approach warning and counter-measure systems. The aircraft has the capability to shoot chaff and flares to deviate radar-guided and heat-seeking missiles off their track along with other security tools. The other classified security instruments are undisclosed by the Indian Air Force.The on-board electronics include about 383 Kilometers of wiring. Heavy shielding is tough enough to protect the wiring and crucial electronics from the electromagnetic pulse associated with a nuclear blast.It also has highly trained commandos from the elite branches of the SPG and the Indian defense forces to protect the executive onboard. A few of them are disguised as the Press Information Bureau members for keeping a close eye on the people on board. The SPG commandos in suits are stationed near the executive area and all the area’s with access to the executive area. The remaining members of the SPG and the defense forces along with a bomb disposal squad are stationed in a holding pattern in the back of the aircraft in full combat readiness. They will have tailor made plans to manage the situation in every scenario. Yes, even if the Air India One crashes into the sea or a desert etc. Protecting the executive on-board is their priority even if they have to sacrifice a few of their own.Standby :The SPG and the IAF at all times will keep an aircraft on standby at the “Air Headquarters Communication Squadron based at the Palam Air force base (IAF)” in New Delhi. If the Air India One faces a glitch, the next one will fly to take over the duty.This happened once when Prime minister Modi is on a tour in Germany in the month of April,2015. The Air India One’s engines faced a problem. A soon as the message is received, The standby aircraft along with the a team of engineers flew to Berlin to take over the duties.Prime Minister Modi on Air India One:

On July 26, 1968, President Johnson invited then candidate Nixon to the White House for an intelligence briefing on the Vietnam War. RN said LBJ “spoke feelingly of the men who were serving in South Vietnam and the letters he had to write to the next of kin of those who died.”Quite cordial and respectful. One wishes that our current politicians could have the same relationship with those on the opposite side of the aisle.Roger Stokes states “On May 13, 1958, while on a trip to Latin America, Vice President Richard M. Nixon found his limousine under attack by an angry mob in Caracas, Venezuela. The incident was so provocative that President Eisenhower ordered elements of the 101st Airborne Division to mobilize, as well as sending an aircraft carrier to Venezuelan waters. When the Vice President landed at Washington National Airport a few days later, he and his wife Pat were met by a crowd of more than 15,000 well-wishers, led by the President himself, plus members of the cabinet and congress.”“Significant among the throng was Senate Majority Leader Lyndon B. Johnson (D-Texas), who threw his lanky arms around Nixon in a Texas-size hug.”“A few years earlier, in July of 1955, Mr. Nixon had visited Bethesda Naval Hospital to see this same tall Texan, a man whose life and career had already intersected with his, though the most significant parallel remained a matter for the future. Johnson had suffered a serious heart attack while visiting friends in Middleburg, Virginia. It rocked his world. He was only 46 years of age and was facing the fact that his ambitious career might be over. He was very depressed.”“Richard Nixon had planned to spend only a few minutes in Johnson’s room, but wound up staying for over an hour. Their conversation became serious after initial pleasantries. They had a friendly and animated conversation about a wide range of subjects. Though the two men had served together in the House of Representatives in the years immediately following World War II, and then later in the Senate, something changed that day. One LBJ biographer wrote decades later that this particular moment marked “the beginning of a close relationship between two future presidents which is only now beginning to be glimpsed by historians.”“Indeed.”“Last December, David and Julie Nixon Eisenhower appeared at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. to promote their book, Going Home to Glory: A Memoir Of Life With Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1961-1969. Seated near the front of the very full auditorium were Charles and Lynda Bird Johnson Robb—he a former U.S. Senator and Governor (D-Virginia) and she a daughter of President Johnson. Julie and Lynda Bird greeted each other like long lost friends, not to mention heirs to two political giants who had towered over their turbulent times.”“RN and LBJ had many things in common and many other things in contrast. Both were self-made men, rising from humble beginnings to the pinnacle of power. Both received a great deal of criticism and harsh treatment from segments of the public and press. Both men were Cold Warriors, having shared the common generational experience of service in the Second World War, Johnson as a commissioned officer in the Naval Reserve and Nixon commissioned as an officer in the United States Navy. Both men lead the country during the years when the Vietnam War tore away at the national fabric. Both men received monumental political affirmation through record electoral landsides. Both men believed in the art of personal diplomacy often conducted far from the daylight of public scrutiny.”“And both men left office as widely unpopular figures, looking forward to the more objective verdict of history.”“On the other hand, they were fiercely partisan and espoused quite different philosophies when it came to domestic policy. Johnson was the unrepentant New Dealer. Nixon set out to dismantle many of his predecessor’s Great Society dreams and schemes, though he was by no means a textbook economic conservative. There was enough difference between their words and deeds to demonstrate a clear contrast.”“They never became “buddies”—for a variety of personal and professional reasons. But they were much more than mere acquaintances. They were two men propelled into the limelight by patriotism, ambition, and the call of unique and compelling times. More than one-dimensional political strange bedfellows, they managed to maintain a personal connection that transcended the political realities and vicissitudes of the times that tested them.”“When the January opening day arrived for the beginning of the Senate’s work in 1956, there was a glimpse of that connection. With more than ninety Senators on the floor, Lyndon Johnson—just back to work following a lengthy recuperation—rose to be recognized after the chaplain’s prayer. Vice President Nixon, in his constitutional role as President of the Senate acknowledged the Texan, remarking: “The Chair knows that he expresses the heartfelt sentiments of all the members of this body when he says that we are most happy to see the senator from Texas back in his accustomed seat.” There was applause and LBJ said, “You don’t know how glad I am to stand at this desk again.” A bit later, as Johnson posed for pictures in the lobby, Richard Nixon put his arm around the majority leader.”“Some of this was politics as usual, of course, but the two men destined to share common glory seemed to connect on a personal level. And the fact is that, as Senate Majority Leader, Lyndon Johnson cultivated and enjoyed a warm and constructive relationship with the Eisenhower White House, during a fascinating era of actual bi-partisan cooperation.”“Of course, the 1960 race for the White House put RN and LBJ at obvious odds, with Nixon capturing the GOP nomination and Johnson pursuing an ill-fated stutter step campaign for the Democratic nod that led eventually to the Vice Presidential slot under John F. Kennedy. Though they were direct political opponents that year, Johnson and Nixon shared a common rivalry—with Kennedy.”“During the fall campaign in 1960, Richard Nixon’s pledge to visit all 50 states was put in jeopardy after he injured his knee on the door of his limo in Greensboro, North Carolina. The wound became seriously infected and the Vice President was forced to spend several days at Walter Reed Hospital. Among his visitors was Lyndon Johnson—a classy thing to do.”“Candidate Kennedy sent a brief telegram.”“During the Kennedy-Johnson years (1961-1968), Richard Nixon was the voice of the loyal opposition, his gubernatorial loss in California in 1962 and the Goldwater campaign of 1964 notwithstanding. This, of course, meant that the public relationship between the two men, who added the commonality of U.S. Vice Presidency to their relationship resume, was primarily adversarial. There were, however, numerous behind the scenes evidences that they maintained a friendly personal interaction, in spite of occasional blow-ups such as their highly public feud during the waning days of the 1966 midterm election campaign.”“One key to their relationship was that both men counted Evangelist Billy Graham as a dear personal friend. And as the 1968 race moved forward, with Nixon as the GOP nominee running against Johnson’s Vice President, Hubert Humphrey, RN asked the Reverend Graham to deliver a personal message from him to President Johnson.”“The date was September 8, 1968, and Billy Graham told LBJ that Mr. Nixon had high respect for the man he described as “the hardest working president in 140 years.” He pledged to never embarrass the President and, if elected, to task him with important work and make sure LBJ got proper credit when Vietnam was settled. Johnson was very moved by this and asked the evangelist to repeat a few of the points, and remarking, “If Mr. Nixon becomes the president, I will do all in my power to cooperate with him.”“The spirit of this back-channel communication between the two men was tested in the final days of the campaign that year, in the fog of events surrounding potential negotiations in Vietnam, but whatever heat this generated between the two men quickly cooled off.”“Of all Billy Graham’s interactions with Presidents, probably none rivaled that interesting moment when the Johnson Presidency gave way to the Nixon Presidency. Lyndon Johnson invited Billy Graham to spend his last weekend in the White House with him January 18-19, 1969. One evening they all watched a movie, The Shoes of the Fisherman, starring Anthony Quinn. When the president dozed off mid-film, Billy quietly went to the projectionist and asked him to keep the reels around, thinking Nixon would like it.”“Johnson and Graham went to church together on Sunday, January 19th. The next day, during the inauguration of the 37th president, the evangelist delivered the invocation. Then, following Nixon’s address—and as the Johnson’s quietly left the stage—the now ex-president’s daughters kissed the preacher. And Billy went back to the White House and spent the night with the Nixon’s on January 20th. The following Sunday, President Nixon began a custom of holding worship services in the White House. The first clergyman to officiate was, of course, Billy Graham.”“Johnson lived out his retirement days watching Richard Nixon’s presidency from afar. In May of 1971, Nixon traveled to Texas to participate in the dedication of the LBJ Library in Austin. In his remarks, Nixon meant to say that Lyndon Johnson had just finished “showing” him through the library, but the words came out “throwing” him through the library. They had a good laugh. Everyone knew that Johnson’s famous treatment had likely involved a “throw” or two over the years.”“Lyndon Johnson died on January 22, 1973. The very next day President Nixon announced to the nation, “we have concluded an agreement to end the war in Vietnam.” Toward the end of this historic address from the Oval Office, he said:Just yesterday, a great American, who once occupied this office, died. In his life President Johnson endured the vilification of those who sought to portray him as a man of war. But there was nothing he cared about more deeply than achieving a lasting peace in the world.I remember the last time I talked with him. It was just the day after New Year’s. He spoke then of his concern with bringing peace, with making it the right kind of peace, and I was grateful that he once again expressed his support for my efforts to gain such a peace. No one would have welcomed this peace more than he.RN and LBJ—An Overlooked Relationship » Richard Nixon Foundation