It’s all in the name, silly

It seemed inexplicable that Deepender Hooda, son of Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, and state Minister Randeep Surjewala should suddenly think it fit to pay homage to the country’s first parliamentarian couple, Joachim Alva and Violet Alva. Joachim was elected to the Lok Sabha in the general elections of 1952, 1957 and 1962. Violet was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 1952 and continued to be the member of the Upper House till 1969. When a portrait of the couple was unveiled in the Lok Sabha last week, these new-generation Congressmen from Haryana issued advertisements in newspapers hailing the Alvas. As in most things political, their interest became apparent later. They apparently wanted to catch the eye of another Alva—Margaret Alva. The AICC general secretary, daughter-in-law of the MP couple, is in charge of Haryana.