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Journalism of Courage
It was meant to be a festival with a difference, marking the 350 years of Taj Mahal. The celebrations were grand. For only those who turned up for the fest were VIPs. With entries only on invitation — and all invitations reportedly circulated among bureaucrats — not a single tourist reached the monument on September 27 celebrations, for which the government had spent 21.50 lakh, in a single day. The international affair was attended by only three foreign tourists — the Ambassadors of Uzbekistan and Pakistan and one of their secretaries. Only some 500-odd bureaucrats and their families had the privilege of witnessing the celebrations.
Wait and watch power
This time, it is none other than CM Mulayam Singh Yadav committing to make the state self sufficient in power production. He has been harping on the benefits of roping in Reliance and the Tatas. During the last decade, the state has witnessed several futile attempts in this direction. Several companies had been roped in at different times. Take the case of AV Birla group which was called in for privatisation of the Roza power station. A decade later, the company was again wooed by UP — that only after K.M. Birla was made member of UP Development Council. Last heard, the power purchase agreement was being finalised. What will come up is yet to be seen.
Wait for better days
More than Sonia Gandhi and the Congress, it is Ajit Singh who has become a pain the neck for Mulayam Singh Yadav, notwithstanding the fact that the Rashtriya Lok Dal chief was the CM’s alliance partner. Not only has ‘Chhotey Chaudhari’ made it a point to visit Lucknow every fortnight, his outbursts on the sugarcane arrears and Harit Pradesh have become a major source of embarrassment. Now, it seems, Yadav is holding back till the results of the Assembly come out before he can settle scores with Ajit.
Mulayam ‘forgives kids’
‘Goondas’ are who you would associate the Lucknow University with of late. And that, after Mulayam Singh Yadav allowed restarting of elections —banned in the university by the non-SP governments — after he came to power. The student leaders enjoy police security and flash pistols — they are equipped with gun licenses. Incidentally, all top names associated with cases of attempt to murder and blowing crude bombs on the campus owe allegiance to the Samajwadi Party. The CM, meanwhile, brushes aside the talk of his party sheltering criminals as students. ‘‘They are kids, forgive their small misgivings,’’ the CM said lately at a function of the Lucknow University students’ Council.
Helmets come handy
It seems DM Aradhana Shukla has learnt a lesson from the September 3 lawyer-police clash. Some lawyers took the liberty of pushing her and SSP Kamal Saksena. Both officials, wearing cricket helmets, were seen bravely convincing the lawyers to end the clash. The other day, we managed to peep into the DM’s Ambassador and guess what we found: Cricket helmets again. — Compiled by Raman Kirpal
