From Buddha, a Durga

Though Gorkhaland National Liberation Front supremo Subhash Ghising isn’t softening his stand yet about elections in the hills, Chief ...

Though Gorkhaland National Liberation Front supremo Subhash Ghising isn’t softening his stand yet about elections in the hills, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee gave him an ‘‘interesting’’ parting gift towards the end of their meeting in Writers’ Building on Tuesday. The Marxist CM gifted Ghising an idol of Durga, saying: ‘‘I don’t believe in God but since you do, I am gifting you this.’’ Maybe the CM was silently praying that Ghising will, in turn, allow polls in the hills before the March 23 deadline.

Steve Wonder back

Ex-skipper of the Australian cricket team, Steve Waugh, is arriving in Kolkata on Wednesday night, primarily to attend fund-raisers for tsunami victims. At a charity dinner on Thursday, Waugh will auction cricket memorabilia. He will also make his presence felt at a city concert and at an art do. The inmates of Udayan—the home for children of leprosy patients supported by Waugh—are also hoping their favourite cricketer will drop in for a visit.

On the rocks again

Infighting within the Left parties has raised its ugly head again with Kamal Guha, chairman of the All India Forward Bloc and the state Agriculture Minister, threatening to pull down all new liquor shops in the state, saying these were corrupting youth. The veteran leader also lashed out against online lotteries at this meeting. This led CPI(M) state secretary Anil Biswas to say that Forward Bloc leaders were beginning to sound like Mamata Banerjee.

Compiled by NANDINI GUHA