Homing in on the wrong house

Combat tactics

The IAF is hoping to get the Ministry of Defence to change its promotion procedure by adding a clause that the Air Chief has perforce to be a fighter pilot. Since Independence all 20 chiefs of the air staff, including the present incumbent Air Chief Marshal S P Tyagi, have been combat pilots so the clause was not required, although it is mandatory for the vice-chief of air staff to be a fighter pilot.

But after Tyagi retires in March next year, the seniormost candidate for the top job would be Eastern Air Commander Air Marshal Fali Homi Major, who is a helicopter pilot. The other contender for the chief’s post is South West Air Commander P K Mehra, who is a fighter pilot. Although both men retire on April 30 next year, Major has an edge in seniority since he took charge of one of the six commands before Mehra.

Combat pilots constitute less than half of the Air Force strength, which includes helicopter and transport pilots, but they have always considered themselves the creamy layer of the force. This is resented by others who point out that the skills of a fighter pilot are not the same as those required to lead a modern air force where planning strategy and man management skills are crucial for the job. The MoD will have to decide on the sensitive issue of whether seniority principle should be tampered with to uphold the IAF’s well-entrenched caste system.

Seating spaces

Since her electoral defeat, the former czarina of Tamil Nadu has got off her high horse and is not as imperious as before. As chief minister whenever she presided over a function a single chair was kept on the stage for Jayalalithaa and all others had to stand. But during the recent anti-petrol hike demonstration in Chennai there were six chairs on the dais. Jaya’s political allies, including the MDMK’s Vaiko and the leader of the DPK Panthers Party, also got to sit. Although the haughty Jaya is known for keeping her distance from lesser mortals, on this occasion she even joined hands with presidents of all five parties in the anti-DMK front in a show of solidarity.

Role reversal

When it comes to the CPI(M) leadership, the Congress looks upon Prakash Karat as the more difficult partner to deal with in comparison to Sitaram Yechury. Karat digs in his heels on issues concerning economic liberalisation or the US influence on our foreign policy, whereas Yechury is more accommodating. But at a UPA coordination committee meeting a fortnight back to discuss the implementation of quotas for OBCs in higher education, the Congress high command was taken aback to see a role reversal.

Sharad Pawar suggested a phased implementation of quotas keeping in view the lack of infrastructure and the sentiments of the upper castes. Karat, who spoke after him, went along with this pragmatic and measured approach and Congresspersons, including Sonia Gandhi, breathed a sigh of relief. They did not brgain that on this issue Yechuri would take an intransigent line and demand immediate implementation of quotas. With Yechuri taking such a hard line, OBC allies like Lalu Yadav and Ramadoss were encouraged to follow suit.

Rising bills, falling amount

In view of his bitter experience with the Enforcement Directorate, Natwar Singh plans to move a private member’s bill making the ED more accountable by appointing an apex body to monitor its activities. Singh complains that the ED has been leaking false documents and information to the media to justify its failure to make a breakthrough in the Volcker investigations.

Interestingly in media reports quoting ED sources, the amount paid to Jagat Singh in the oil-for-food scam has been steadily declining. First it was 40 per cent of Rs 8 crore, then it was Rs 1.5 crore, and the latest reports quote a figure of a mere Rs 19.8 lakh. At the same time, the ED’s own expenses in investigating the case keep mounting. With the team making over half a dozen trips abroad to London, New York, Switzerland, Jordan, Cyprus and Iraq, the bill is estimated at well over Rs 20 crore.

In-tent on politics

Late Pramod Mahajan’s protege Sudhanshu Mittal is irked by disparaging descriptions of himself as a tent house owner since he would prefer to be taken seriously as a politician. Mittal’s proficiency in his original calling was on display at the press conference held by Rahul Mahajan on Thursday.

Newspersons who came a little early for the press conference at 7, Safdarjung Road, found almost no arrangements other than two wooden platforms. But the moment Mittal arrived on the scene he made a few telephone calls. Within minutes there was a total transformation. An army of workmen descended on the lawns carrying chairs and tables. Sofas were covered with white cloth, frills placed over the platform to hide the wooden legs, screens erected and so on.

Although Pramod Mahajan was responsible for boosting Mittal’s position in the party, in one area Mittal may have actually helped open doors for Mahajan. In the early nineties Mittal arranged birthday parties for Vajpayee’s foster granddaughter, at a time when Mahajan was still on Advani’s bandwagon, with the Ayodhya Rath Yatra.

–coomi.kapoorexpressindia.com