No. 1 says no No. 2

Sonia Gandhi8217;s grave admonishment to zealous promoters of SEZs to slow down on acquiring productive farmlands has also put the brakes on the Commerce Ministry, which has received up to 200 requests for setting up SEZs all over the country. Now, everyone is wondering how Commerce Minister Kamal Nath is going to break the bad news to hopeful corporate houses. However, the Congress Party is convinced that farmers8217; sentiments are going to be a decisive factor in the state elections in UP and Punjab, and is not willing to take any risks. It remains to be seen if Nath is convinced he can sell the new prototype for SEZs.

Royal pursuits

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh lives life king-size, even at official dos. He arrived in Nainital for the CMs8217; conclave with a royal entourage of family members and relatives after a relaxing detour to Jim Corbett Park where he had a drive in the woods. In Nainital, the organisers had decided that Amarinder and six other chief ministers would be accommodated at Balrampur House, the palace of an erstwhile landlord near Gonda. But that was not good enough for the erstwhile Maharajah of Patiala, who swished out and checked in at Naini Retreat, keeping all eight rooms.

NCP8217;s spartan side

It8217;s hard to believe this but those who accuse the Nationalist Congress Party NCP of being a party of moneybags and high spenders may think again8212;the party8217;s 3rd national convention in Dehradun last weekend was a practice of austere living and ascetic lifestyle. The food was purely vegetarian, and alcohol was a no-no. The venue did not even have fans, and delegates had to sweat it out. Journalists8212;used to many indulgences at party conferences that are usually extravagant8212;learnt a lesson or two in simple living. But not necessarily of high thinking.

No house in sight

The latest on the jinxed and yet-to-be-opened Pakistan Consulate in Mumbai: blame it on real estate agents. It8217;s been a year and the Pakistanis are still confounded by their misfortune, from reluctant landlords who change their minds at the last minute, to exorbitant rents. So much so, the MEA cannot open its consulate in Karachi, being a reciprocal affair, and has even posted its Consul-General candidate to Karachi, to South Africa. 8220;We can8217;t keep him waiting forever,8221; said an MEA official. But there8217;s a creeping suspicion now8212;is the delay a deliberate ploy?

Left speechless

One would imagine the Left parties would be jubilant the UPA Government is ready to respond to important questions on policy matters they had raised three months ago. But no, and don8217;t blame the carping comrades this time. They are terrified of facing Home Minister Shivraj Patil again, who will be among UPA leaders like FM P Chidambaram, fielding questions from them at the next UPA-Left coordination meeting, likely to be held on October 9. At the last meeting in July, during his brief on internal security, Patil went into a lengthy discourse for over two hours, numbing Left leaders with number crunching statistics, but saying little else. When he finished, they fled 7, Race Course Road without bringing up any other issue. The prospect of having to brave a similar session is not sending them back in a hurry.

Word perfect

It8217;s a lesson in plain talking8212;just ahead of the Congress Chief Ministers8217; conclave in Nainital, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh asked the Planning Commission to prepare a brief background note on the agriculture crisis in the country. With no action taken on his plea two years ago that the agricultural crisis needed an area-specific approach, the PM was keen to drive home the point, so that at least Congress states implement the UPA8217;s agenda more seriously. So, he directed Yojana Bhawan babus to prepare the background note in 8216;simple and non-technical language.8217; The CMs lapped up the simple note addressing causes for the agrarian crisis and steps that can be taken by states. Perhaps it8217;s time the Planning Commission began speaking in real terms.

Limelight in Beirut

There8217;s one non-diplomatic channel opening out to the Hizbollah in Lebanon, and it is Asaduddin Owaisi, the Hyderabad MP, who had a tryst with the Shiite militia in Lebanon last month. Owaisi, the Lok Sabha MP of the Majilis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen MIM, who has a law degree from London University, was in Lebanon to express his solidarity with the Lebanese people against 8220;Israeli aggression8221;. Owaisi visited South Beirut and other areas but his great moment was when he was interviewed exclusively on Al- Manar television run by the Hizbollah. He also met Hizbollah8217;s southern commander Hasan Hubullah and its research and development organisation8217;s chairman, Dr Ali Fayad.

Ghost who stalks

Poor LK Advani, the Jinnah ghost continues to spook him, or else why has he remained mum on the joint Indo-Pak statement from Havana? It was not the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha but other members of the BJP who took up the issue. When general secretary Arun Jaitley suggested that Advani should take on the Prime Minister, he declined saying Jaitley should put forth the party8217;s view in the media. Obviously Advani does not want to run the risk of facing the media over Pakistan for the simple reason8212; the debate is bound to drift toward the Jinnah issue.

Questionable process

An otherwise media savvy and straight-talking Panchayati Raj Minister Mani Shanker Aiyar follows a frustratingly meticulous approach when it comes to giving appointments to journalists. A letter must be faxed listing issues to be discussed and only then will you stand a chance of getting an appointment. But it8217;s not just Aiyar, even bureaucrats in the ministry now insist on a questionnaire that must be sent at least three hours in advance. The joke doing the rounds is that panchayats too may soon be asked to follow the practice. What8217;s this self-censorship all about, Mr Aiyar?

All for own

Colonel R S Guleria, commanding officer of the 33 Rashtriya Rifles, who was recently transferred from his post in Doda for 8220;inefficiency8221; has not got the punishment posting one would normally expect in the circumstances. He is now a colonel GS as the Western Command HQ in Chandigarh, by no means an undesirable posting. It emerged that the regimental clique may have helped work the system. Like him, his new boss is from the Gorkha Rifles, as is the outgoing military secretary, Lt Gen Richard Khare, the point man for appointments at Army HQ. As they say in the regiments, look out for your own.

Right track

Flush with his success with wide-eyed undergrads of IIM-A, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav is now riding another wave after getting a pat on the back from none other than UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi. Rail Bhawan officials tell one and all how Gandhi has sent a letter to Yadav complimenting him on the Railways8217; turnaround story. 8220;Soniaji has congratulated and complimented Laluji on the wonderful work he has been doing,8221; they gush. Sonia is also learnt to have showered praise on Lalu for the Dedicated Freight Corridor project, which the PM will set rolling this week. The Lalu PR train is also planning to come out with lavish print advertisements citing the letter8217;s contents.

Tailpiece

In the GoM meeting on foreign universities last week, there was one poser from a Union Minister which left all foxed: Do we have provision for a Pakistan university if it wants to set up a campus in Delhi? But HRD Minister Arjun Singh grabbed the opportunity and promised to work out a mechanism, with the help of MEA. Who can beat this for secular schooling?