Inside Track

Juel in BJP crown

Tribal Affairs was previously just a tiny department in the Ministry of Social Welfare with a budget of a mere Rs 50 crore out of the ministry’s total of Rs 1700 crore. But while the rest of the Social Welfare ministry is still under the charge of a minister of state, the new Minister for Tribal Affairs Juel Oram has beengiven cabinet rank, with the high-profile Bhure Lal as his secretary in the ministry.

Some suspect that the RSS’s campaign against the conversion of tribals by Christian missionaries is connected to the new government’s decision to carve out a separate ministry. But Oram, a four-time legislator from Orissa, denies this emphatically pointing out that he has Christian relatives and there is no ill-will between the two religions in his region. Incidentally, Oram’s first name, Juel is not a version of the Christian name Joel, but the word `jewel’ spelt phonetically. Apart from Oram, there are two tribal ministers of state, Kagan Singh Kulaste and Babulal Murande, indicating the importance the BJP attaches to wooing the tribals who for decades have been among the most loyal voters of the Congress.

Sonia’s choice

Sonia’s decision to become leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha as opposed to her holding the largely ceremonial post of chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary party is an error ofjudgment. The job description requires years of parliamentary experience, knowledge of parliamentary procedures, sitting endlessly through debates and attending meetings of the business advisory committees, etc.

Sonia’s first day in Parliament was indicative of the pitfalls ahead. There were any number of eager-beaver Congress MPs keen to show her the ropes; in fact, six Congress veterans squeezed into a space which fits only four in the bench next to Sonia so that they could guide their leader. Nevertheless a nervous Sonia forgot to sign the register after taking her oath.

If Sonia relegates all the work to deputy leader, Madhavrao Scindia, her opponents will question whether she would be a dummy as PM as well. If she attempts to meet the exacting demands of her new job, it is not just her inexperience which will be on public display, her mystique and her image of self-sacrifice will be further eroded thanks to the televised screaming matches in Parliament.

Pestering pays

Maneka Gandhi hasbeen a minister under three prime ministers — V.P. Singh, Chandra Shekhar and A.B. Vajpayee — and has twice held independent charge of her ministries. She has gained recognition for commitment to her portfolios and innovation in reforming her ministries. Her political clout has been demonstrated by her ability to keep winning with huge margins from Pilibhit, despite the handicap of being an independent. So why has Gandhi once again been appointed simply a minister of state, when others with less experience, ability and clout have been accommodated in the Cabinet? It is not just a case of gender bias, but also a question of how loudly you scream and shout to get your way. Perhaps Gandhi could learn a lesson or two from the noisy Janata(U) Bihar brigade who dug in their heels and made themselves universally disliked, but with their Lohiaite methods managed to increase their quota in the government from 3+1 (three cabinet ministers and one MOS) to 4+2.

Role reversal

Vasundhara Raje Scindia was tohave been allotted personnel affairs and the glamorous tourism portfolio in the new government. But Vasundhara, who demonstrated in the last government that there is much more to her than just a pretty face with a regal bearing, was unhappy since she felt that the tourism minister was largely a figure head. Uma Bharati on the other hand was discontented with her proposed portfolio of small scale industries. The portfolios were swapped by the two women ministers to their mutual satisfaction. Vasundhara has shrewdly realised that small scale industries portfolio has far more potential and she gets an opportunity to help her constituency as well.