Queen Maxima mesmerises Meerut villagers

Meerut: Queen consort of the Netherlands, Queen Maxima, on her four-day visit to India, on Tuesday, came to Meerut amidst tight security along with the Netherlands embassy officers posted in India, welcomed by hundreds of villagers in the quaint village. People agog with the Queen's visit, threw open a red carpet, to welcome her to a small factory in the by-lanes of the Liasri, manufacturing cricket balls.

Sagar Sports, a small and cottage unit manufacturing cricket balls, owned by Dhiraj Singh of Lisari village, took a small loan from a finance company, headquartered at Gurugram and having office a branch office at Meerut as well, extends business loans to the micro and small enterprise (MSEs). Maxima, who is visiting India in capacity as UN Secretary's General Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development (IFD and also serves akin role as honorary chairwoman of the G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion, is also associated with this finance company which extended loan to this factory.

Flanked by her security guards and the local police along with PAC (provincial armed constabulary), Maxima, and spent time with the ball manufacturing workers and learned about the intricacies of ball manufacturing. The cricket ball is still handmade besides the sewing part. The villagers and other galaxy of people present at Lisari were mesmerised by the exuberant personality of Maxima, and as it, she is known for her outsized fashion, globally, and even admired by the royal watchers. The royalty having no holes-barred mixed with the women of the village and exchanged dialogue through her interpreters, and was

also intrigued with the people and surrounding of the village. A lady was heard saying that aap ke aane se hamarey gaon ka naam duniya mein roshan ho gaya.

Meerut, pre-dominantly known for the manufacturing of high-class cricket bats, balls, cricket gear and accessories, exported all over the globe to the cricket playing nations, international cricketers every now and then are seen dotting their personal presence at factories here. Nagendra Singh, a professional and stays nearby Liasri, says, "We are all excited and Queen Maxima is the talk of the town. It is seen for the first time that any royalty visiting a cricket factory in Meerut, and at least in my memory, I have not heard of any such visit. The residents of the area were excited with her visit."

One of the officers, who is posted in the Embassy of the Netherlands and did wish to be named, proffers, "Maxima have been an investment banker and hold a degree in economics, the same also earned her an appointment for IFD with UN secretary general as her special advocate. In this appointment she also promotes universal to access to credits." She is also scheduled to meet the interim Union finance minister, Piyush Goel, the Niti Aayog representatives and host of other dignitaries in New Delhi and Mumbai.