Mr Gupta, food festival not for all

THE EDITOR: Please permit me space in your editorial to view my thoughts. I read recently in the newspaper that the Indian High Commissioner, Mr Gupta requested that Air India or rather airlines look into the matter of reducing their fares to India to enable visitors to travel there and experience the warmth of that lovely country. I agree whole-heartedly, since I myself have visited that exotic country on three occasions and have found India to be enchanting. I, however, was a bit perturbed to read in another advertisement His Excellency Mr Gupta in conjunction with Air India and Hilton Hotel is hosting an Indian Food Festival and are inviting people to attend this dinner to experience and enjoy the cuisine of India, at a cost of $245 plus 10 percent service charge per person ($24.50) and 15 percent VAT ($40.42). Total cost per person works about $309.92 per person. If I decide to go to this dinner, I will of course go with my husband, and that would cost $618.84. 

Granted the price of things has escalated in the last year, astronomically, but Mr Gupta, with all due respect to you Sir, this food festival is only catering for a certain sector of the smaller man who is not so travelled and who would relish the idea of tasting foods that are indigenous to India. Give them the taste of India, those who cannot afford to go there.  Touch their lives. Please Mr Gupta think about having the dinner next year maybe at the Nagar Site or elsewhere at an affordable price. Have both individual prices and family prices so that entire families can enjoy. I am sure the turn out will touch your heart.

R BOODAN
Valsayn