For once youngsters in Gujarat celebrated Valentine’s Day without worry about moral policing by the Sangh Parivar. Though the celebrations were low-key, some people from Rajkot to Surat and Vadodara to Ahmedabad made the most of February 14. Even Narendra Modi cracked a joke the day after, while inaugurating a ‘national design business incubator’ at the National Institute of Design. He described how Indians were ahead of times: ‘‘We celebrate Children’s Day on November 14, exactly nine months after the Valentine’s Day.’’Cong turns to GandhiThe Gujarat Congress seems to have finally found its voice in the run-up to the re-enactment of the Dandi March, slated to begin next month from the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad. The party even held a convention of all its wings. It’s not often that the faction-ridden PCC comes across as a cohesive unit in a state where it plays second fiddle to the BJP. The convention, in Vadodara, managed to re-appropriate Mahatma Gandhi to the oldest national party, which has found itself on the backfoot in Gujarat following the post-Godhra riots and its inability to take a position on it.Calling all GujaratisGujaratis are known for their love for travel and their deep pockets that set them apart at tourist places across the country. No wonder tourism officials from different states make it a point to come to Gujarat to woo more tourists. The J-K Tourism Corporation decided to leave no stone unturned when it came calling to Ahmedabad. It decided to showcase the best the state has to offer by organising a food, craft and art festival. Tourism Minister Ghulam Hasan Mir refused to entertain any questions on militancy but dangled a small carrot before Gujarati tourists: a free ski training facility when they are in the Valley!Complied by MILIND GHATWAI
