Department of No Culture

It’s called the Department of Culture, but culture is the one thing the department’s babudom sadly lacks. What else explains the s...

It’s called the Department of Culture, but culture is the one thing the department’s babudom sadly lacks. What else explains the shabby manner in which Dadasaheb Phalke award winner Bhupen Hazarika was treated at the end of his five-year term as chairman of the Sangeet Natak Akademi in December? When he landed in Delhi for a farewell visit, the Akademi staff refused him the official car and bluntly said there was no need for a formal goodbye.

Ironically, he was supposed to oversee preparations for a function at which Atal Behari Vajpayee was scheduled to release a stamp marking 50 years of the Akademi, a function the prime minister had agreed to attend at Hazarika’s personal invitation. Instead, the well-known artiste was told his services were not required and he should go back to Mumbai. All this was done apparently to please the Akademi’s new chairperson, Sonal Mansingh, and keep the spotlight on her.

Ultimately, the political bosses had to step in to make amends. The day before the ceremony, Vajpayee discovered Hazarika’s name was not on the programme. He telephoned the artiste in Mumbai late at night and insisted he fly down to Delhi for the function. Vajpayee assured him he would be given a worthy farewell.

Sure enough that evening Hazarika was lauded not only by the prime minister, but also by Communications Minister Arun Shourie and Culture Minister Jagmohan. The latter went a step further and wrote a personal letter apologising for the behaviour of the babus of his ministry and the Akademi.

No holidays in poll season

With all indicators pointing to an early general election, probably in late April, the Big Three, Vajpayee, L.K. Advani and Sonia Gandhi, have scrapped their winter holiday plans. They’re doing some hectic politicking instead. Vajpayee was slated to spend three days in Rajasthan but after heavy fog forced him to spend six hours on the road because his Lucknow flight could not land in Delhi, he decided to stay put in the capital. He was busy strategising for the upcoming elections as well as the SAARC summit.

Advani was toying with the idea of spending December 31 in Jaisalmer. Sonia was said to be thinking of escaping to the warmer climes of Lakshwadeep. Both ended up rallying allies for the polls.

A wing and a prayer

There are countless ways of saying thank you but Uma Bharati came up with an innovative one last week. During her election campaign in Madhya Pradesh, she had visited innumerable temples in the state and asked for blessings.

Story continues below this ad

Now she’s going back to each one to express her gratitude.

Her most recent visit was to Ujjain, where she performed a yagna at the Shiv Mandir. The next stop was the Bhooki Mata ka Mandir in rival Digvijay Singh’s constituency, Raghogarh. But the yagna took longer than expected and by the time her helicopter took off, it was dark and the pilot expressed reservations about landing in Raghogarh.

No problem, said Uma. And ordered him to do a parikrama of the temple in the air. The chopper circled seven times while Uma offered quick prayers from above. Then she was on her way back to Bhopal.

The South Delhi plot

Is the Congress’ youthful and most promising leader in Delhi, Ajay Maken, on his way up or down? Jealous rivals ensured he didn’t get a berth in Sheila Dixit’s cabinet, although he had proved his worth during the campaign by getting at least half a dozen party nominees elected. Instead, he was appointed speaker of the Delhi Assembly.

Story continues below this ad

That’s put him pretty much on the margins. As an impartial legislative referee, he cannot attend party meetings or get involved in strategy sessions. He’s out of the loop. Now, however, there are whispers he may be fielded as the Congress candidate from the high-profile South Delhi seat, against incumbent MP and BJP spokesman in Parliament Vijay Kumar Malhotra. The speculation has sent shivers down Malhotra’s back.

But there’s a catch. Maken will have to quit the speaker’s post, although he need not give up his assembly seat. If he loses the Lok Sabha election, he may find he’s well and truly out in the cold. If he wins, his opponents will have to come up with another plot.