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Journalism of Courage
Two months ago, the authorities at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi tested a cutting-edge X-ray machine which scans those who pass through it and shows them in the buff on a monitoring screen. It is meant to reveal guns, weapons, drugs and other contraband. The machine is simultaneously being tested in Phoenix, Arizona. But unlike the US, where passengers are given the option of passing through the machine or opting for a full body strip search, in India nobody informed unsuspecting passengers that they were being viewed in the nude. After a week the machine was hastily removed and put away in a corner of the airport. It seems some ethical questions were raised. Besides, the process was slower than a manual search.
Discordant notes
Whip, but no lash
The Congress disciplinary committee, which met last week, was expected to expel Natwar Singh. Instead, it suspended Kuldip Singh Bishnoi. Bhajan Lal8217;s feisty younger son broke the Congress8217; cardinal rule. He referred to Sonia Gandhi specifically while attacking the Bhupinder Hooda government in Haryana. The party is in no hurry to expel either Natwar or Bishnoi, for they would then be free to remain in Parliament and float their own regional parties. At present, they have to perforce adhere to the Congress whip in Parliament or forfeit their seats. Obviously, the Congress would not allow the two rebels any time to speak in Parliament. That gag order, however, is not much of a handicap, since they freely speak to the media and criticise the party. Bhajan Lal has indicated that he is backing Bishnoi even as his elder son Chandra Mohan continues as deputy chief minister in the Haryana government. The Congress is now unable to figure out what to do with Chandra Mohan.
Stargazing
Former Information 038; Broadcasting Secretary Ratikant Basu was much in the news when he took over as the high-flying head of Rupert Murdoch8217;s TV operations in India more than a decade ago. But once he quit Star and started his own Tara TV channels, Basu disappeared from public view. His channels did not live up to the much-hyped expectations. The Tara channel in Bengali has turned into an ardent supporter of Mamata Banerjee8217;s Trinamul Congress of late. Cynics speculate that Tara8217;s all-out support for Mamata may be because Basu has political ambitions. Indeed, there is some talk of his replacing Dinesh Trivedi in the Trinamul Congress8217; Rajya Sabha seat when fresh elections are due.
Kalam willing
The impression that President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam is not interested in a second term in office arose because of the misinterpretation of a remark he made to a delegation of students.
Asked what he would do when he left Rashtrapati Bhavan, Kalam replied that he would be happy to go back to teaching. But that8217;s not the same as declaring that he does not want to continue as president. Those who know him well feel that if he were to be the unanimous choice again, Kalam would be happy with a second term.
