Great Wall entry

For two years the National Security Counsel turned down permission for the Chinese cargo airliner Great Wall to operate from Chennai...

For two years the National Security Counsel turned down permission for the Chinese cargo airliner Great Wall to operate from Chennai and Mumbai on the grounds that it was partly owned by the Chinese Army, and nuclear installations were close to the cities where landing rights were sought. However, the government suddenly changed its mind and granted clearance to the Great Wall in just three days. The hasty turnaround was in the hope that the Chinese would as a reciprocal gesture grant Naresh Goyal8217;s Jet Air landing rights in Shanghai. The Chinese, however, refused to oblige. The expected clearance for Jet during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh8217;s visit to China failed to materialise. After all, the Union commerce ministry8217;s request on behalf of Jet was less than a week old. Unlike the Indians, the Chinese follow due procedure and cannot be hustled into taking decisions.

First to invite

The Union ministry of external affairs is still waiting to decide what courtesies are to be extended to Carla Bruni during French President Nicholas Sarkozy8217;s visit to India for Republic Day. Union Commerce Minister Kamal Nath has, however, already invited the glamorous Bruni for a private lunch which he is throwing for the benefit of France8217;s Minister for Economy,

Finance 038; Employment Christine Lagarde.

Eating out of her hands

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati is one of the few politicians who can get away with keeping the entire press corps of Delhi waiting for almost an hour. For her 52nd birthday, she was not just 45 minutes late, but even after her arrival, she concentrated first on her birthday festivities rather than the scheduled press conference. The media watched patiently as Mayawati8217;s kin, which included her father, mother and two brothers and their wives, as well as the family of her close lieutenant Satish Chandra Mishra, sang 8216;Happy Birthday!8217; and each one popped a piece of cake into the Uttar Pradesh czarina8217;s mouth. Mayawati8217;s diamond necklace, diamond earrings and gold bangles glittered and Mishra8217;s wife was equally sparkling in diamonds. Even the long row of key officials from Lucknow who were flown down just for the occasion were dressed in their Sunday best, contrasting with the casually dressed media contingent. Every lamppost on the road from Mayawati8217;s bungalow on Humayun Road to the conference venue at the Taj Hotel had a big photograph of 8220;messiah Mayawati8221; radiating light with her arm outstretched. No one from the national media asked any probing questions about the cost of Mayawati8217;s birthday extravaganza to the state or why public funds should be used for her personal glorification. The national media let Mayawati do most of the talking.

Address, the problem

Union Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh is back in the prestigious Congress party committee on future challenges, which is believed to have been set up at Rahul Gandhi8217;s initiative. The reason for Ramesh8217;s sudden removal as convener of the committee continues to be shrouded in mystery. It is suspected that his real crime was that he distributed Rahul Gandhi8217;s private e-mail address to the members. The e-mail address, incidentally, carries his mother8217;s maiden name, Maino.

Double standards

It was a curious argument for the DMK government to offer in its review petition to the Supreme Court challenging the Madras High Court8217;s ban on Jallikattu, the cruel Pongal rite involving the torture of bulls. The state government counsel pleaded that Jallikattu be permitted as it was an age-old religious practice and attracted many devotees whose religious beliefs would be hurt if the festival was stopped.

Justice Raveendran, who was part of the three member bench, wondered if Tamil Nadu was wise in proffering such an argument, because he could recall another case coming up in the Supreme Court where the same government had filed the exactly opposite point of view relating to the religious views of a huge number of people. He was referring, of course, to the Setu Samudram case, where the DMK has shown scant concern for the religious sentiments of those who believe in the existence of Ram Setu.

Hey Ram

Union Tourism 038; Culture Minister Ambika Soni, who was in the doghouse for the Ram Setu affidavit which denied the existence of Lord Rama, has recently placed a small statuette of Ram, Lakshman, Sita and Hanuman in the cupboard facing her office table. She wants the world to know that she too is a believer.