The fuss over the formality of declaring the upcoming Commonwealth Games open is getting curiouser and curiouser. First, it seemed the media had got it wrong when it reported that both Prince Charles and President Pratibha Patil wanted to be the one to delcare the games open. Given the state of preparations, with the organisers hell-bent upon restoring India's traditional image as a land of snake charmers and other such exotic spectacles, it seemed the reverse would be closer to the truth. Surely, it stood to reason, that both Prince Charles and President Patil would urge the other to do the dubious honours. Now, however, comes the news that Prince Charles is indeed going to be the one to shoulder the responsibility.

At a time when nothing seems to be going according to plan at the Commonwealth Games village, with Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit stretching her self-declared deadline for completion of preparations yet again, shouldn't we be grateful to Prince Charles for even associating with such an event? Instead of crying foul, and describing the arrangement as India's surrender to Britain, as a section of the media is doing, shouldn't we be grateful to Prince Charles instead for not pulling out of the show on some pretext?