'First name calling' by K.J.S.Chatrath

Indian Prime Minister Modi addressing the American President as 'Barak' was splashed over Indian Tv channels. It reminded me of an old whisper which used to be told about the imperial sounding late French President Francois Mitterand.

As the story goes, President Mitterand was not fond of being called by his first name. So when a person asked him 'Est-ce que on peut tutoyer?', his reported reply was a wry 'Si vous voulez'!