Well these are election times and the other day I was wondering whether the political parties are considering email as a medium of canvassing. Today I received a spam from, as it is signed, Narendra Modi the Gujarat CM, as many of you also might have received. The mail has possibly been distributed using private mailers and is targetted at the NRI or NRGs (non-resident Gujaratis) for “making the Uttarayan and Kite Festival an internationally known icon of Gujarat”. Excerpts from the mail:

As in case of Navratri Festival, we are planning to build up this Kite Festival during Uttarayan as an international event. We want to use the occasion of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas oqganized by Government of India and FICCI to invite the Mon Resident Indians and more specifically the Non Resident Gujaratis to Gujarat. We are planning a 3-day programme between 12th and 14th January, 2004. On 12th January, we will have a Convention of NRIs/NRGs for sharing of views and exchange of ideas and technologies. On 13th January, we are planning tourist circuits so that the visitors could be taken to various tourist places and developmental projects of the State for a first hand exposure. On 14th January, the guests will get a feel of the Uttarayan and Kite Festival when the blue sky is full of kites of different colours and sizes.