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Journalism of Courage
Vice-president Hamid Ansari, who is chairperson of the Rajya Sabha, is keen to emulate Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee. He wants the Rajya Sabha TV channel to remain on air even when Parliament is not in session. His predecessor, Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, had felt it was a waste of public money for parliamentary channels, which were started with the specific purpose of giving citizens an opportunity to watch Parliament proceedings, to be converted into full-time channels. Today, most programmes on the Lok Sabha channel are not parliamentary debates, but feature a variety of unrelated subjects, from tribal dances to time zones and tendu leaf plantations, along with numerous re-runs.
The announcement of a full-time Rajya Sabha channel is expected soon and trial signals were beamed after Parliament adjourned recently. DTH and cable operators will compulsorily have to include the channel in their bouquets. Poor viewership rating is not a handicap since these channels are dependent on public funds and not advertising revenue, though public sector undertakings are major contributors. Heartened by the example of the Parliament channel, five ministries from the social sector have reportedly put in requests for running TV channels.
Just desserts
The policy for the Republic Day Awards is that around one per cent should be for foreigners. In the past eminent names such as Jeffrey Sachs, Norman Borlaug, Frank Pallone, Benjamin Arthur Gilman, and John Kenneth Galbraith have been bestowed this honour.
Since French President Nicholas Sarkozy is to be the chief guest at this year8217;s Republic Day function, the MEA feels that India should make a gesture by honouring a prominent French citizen with a Padma award.
The obvious candidate is the best-selling author Dominque Lapierre, three of whose works are on India and who has popularised Kolkata internationally. Lapierre runs several charities in India and is a regular visitor to Kolkata, of which he has been made an honorary citizen. Lapierre has received some 50 awards from across the world, but he does not hide the fact that a Padma award from India is what he really covets.
Caked in controversy
Union Minister for Telecommunication A. Raja hosted a big party at his official residence in Delhi on October 26 for his 12-year-old daughter8217;s birthday. Practically everyone in the ministry, including senior secretaries, gardeners, clerks, and peons, was invited. Perhaps somebody felt that it was a trifle inappropriate for the ministry to be celebrating the little girl8217;s birthday, so two birthday cakes were brought out. The host explained that both he and his daughter shared the same birthday. The small riddle is that according to the Lok Sabha Who8217;s Who, Raja8217;s birthday is listed as May 10, 1963.
Star-crossed parties
Telugu superstar Chiranjeevi8217;s lawyers have been consulting the Election Commission in Delhi to find out the procedure for registering a new party and getting a name and an election symbol. This has rattled all other political parties in the state, which fear that Chiranjeevi plans to follow in the footsteps of other southern stars like MGR, N.T. Rama Rao and Jayalalithaa. Apart from his box-office appeal, Chiranjeevi8217;s strength is that he belongs to the Kapu caste, which so far, despite its numerical strength, has been overshadowed by Reddys and Kammas in the state8217;s politics.
Indefensible delay
A governor has written to Defence Minister A.K. Antony protesting that the Indian Army has not renewed the contract of some 30 lecturers who give discourses on various aspects of the Hindu religion to army jawans in different parts of the country. The system of organising religious lectures for jawans in forward areas to help them destress was started several years ago. Preachers belonging to the four major faiths 8212; Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, and Sikhism 8212; are trained at the National Harmony Centre in Pune. Antony has replied to the governor to say he is examining the matter. But eight months have passed and none of the lecturers on Hinduism have been taken back into service.
