The Woman behind his success

Its much-assertive coalition partner BJP is embattled in infighting over forced resignations and induction of others in cabinet berths. In fact,the BJP made no noise this time when power tariffs once again shot up and hit its votebank of urban consumers and industries. Better still,months before state goes to polls,an upbeat-looking Opposition Congress — which seemed all set for a comeback — is firefighting its own leaders as a fallout of the reconstituted Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC). Yet,the Akalis are not amused. The mood in the major alliance partner in Punjab is sombre because of the critical health of Chief minister’s Parkash Singh Badal’s wife Surinder Badal. In fact,neither CM nor son,Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal,have bothered to comment on developments within the two parties,leaving it to the CM’s aide,Daljit Singh Cheema,to respond. Taking a cue,the family rebel,Manpreet Badal too has toned down his attack on the Akalis and twice visited his aunt at PGI with father Gurdas Badal. But just as rumour mills were abuzz with possibility of a reunion,Gurdas Badal’s personal assistant Satinderjit Singh Manta was arrested by the state vigilance on graft charges — the fourth among their aides to be “framed” ever since Manpreet parted ways. Whether it was the proverbial silence before the storm remains to be seen.

No English please

The Punjab Civil Secretariat is an unwelcoming territory for those who don’t know the language of the land — Punjabi. With every signboard and nameplate in Gurmukhi,many feel like a babe in the woods trying to decipher what the boards say until someone comes to their aid. Or find one that speaks the Queen’s language. But going by how they speak it,its best they stick to their own. The case in point is a board near the under-repair elevators at the Secretariat that says: “Sorry for inconvenient”. And before you frown,a nearby board explains the slip. “Punjabi bolo,Punjabi likho,Punjabi pado (speak,write and read Punjabi)”. See it as an apology,if you please. But a simple thing like having bilingual boards may save the government from such embarrassments in future.

Media ‘matters’

When it comes to choosing the “right” words to grab media attention,Youth Congress president and MP Ravneet Bittu knows the trick. All through the youth leader’s recent activism — first a padyatra in November,then a march to Chandigarh that turned violent and recently the indefinite fast for ending drug menace in Punjab — his media team kept dishing out a minute-by-minute updates from the ground. Sample a few: “Bittu had severe headache in the afternoon,doctors requested for blood samples and urine samples. But Bittu refused to give them and told the officials that he will faint but not give his samples.” Then came another one: “The condition of Bittu is now stable after he slept for more than two hours in the day. But the condition of other youth activists is deteriorating day by day,hour by hour.” And the most recent one said: “Bittu is severely ill due to the hungerstrike of seven days. His body is not accepting regular diet. If there are no signs of improvement in the coming days he may have to shift to a hospital.”

HUDA and Hooda

The Haryana Urban Development Authority,more popularly known by its acronym HUDA,is a much maligned organisation mainly on account of several dissatisfied urban plot allotments. And its own officials admit it with glee. A senior HUDA official says the allotments have even created a rather uncharitable full form for the acronym. “HUDA stands for “harassment until death of allottee” . This was the old full form. The new addition to this is “harassment until death and after”,the official adds. Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda should probably know. Because in most of his public appearances and rallies,Hooda repeats this one-liner — “HUDA is the Haryana Urban Development Authority while HOODA is Haryana’s Overall Development Authority”. Your own officers do not seem to agree,Sir.

Cong game of ‘checkmate’

As it tries to stem rebellion within the party in wake of the new PPCC list,the newly appointed Congress team of office bearers seem to have been checkmated by rebels. New PPCC vice-president Lal Singh showed the stick to two rebel MLAs — Sukhpal Khaira and Surinderpal Singh Sibia — for going to the media,instead of airing differences within the party forum. But he was checkmated by the firebrands who told the high command in New Delhi that the news of showcause notice was first leaked to the media before it reached them. Now Lal Singh too has been asked to explain the whys and hows. As they try to outwit each other,one man is at his wits end. Punjab affairs in-charge Gulchain Singh Charak has seen no chain (peace) ever since he was made the in-charge. First,the tiresome job of “accommodating” various factions within the state unit in the list and now this. No wonder,all he tells the media and himself is “all is well”. Now,you know why they chose him to calm down Punjabi tempers.