I had the opportunity to watch the recent Lahore one-dayer between India and Pakistan with President Pervez Musharraf. The avid cricket fan that he is, Musharraf spent more than two hours enjoying the game in its final overs. He appreciates the finer nuances of the game, and is a true sportsman. There was an old rumour that being the patron of the country’s cricket board, he would sack any player who did not perform well enough for Pakistan. But I found him quite bipartisan, as he is among the rare breed of fans who can rise above national affiliations in enjoying a good game of cricket. His entourage of senior officials was enraged but President Musharraf didn’t mind clapping generously — holding a long Cuban cigar between his fingers — to fours and sixes hit by Sachin, Yuvraj and Dhoni. In fact, he is remarkably well informed about the individual strengths and weaknesses of the Indians. When Pakistan’s defeat became a certainty, there was a loud buzz in the VIP enclosure that the president should leave before the embarrassing conclusion arrived. Nobody could muster courage to speak to him, and it fell upon Pakistan’s information minister, Sheikh Rashid, to whisper advice to a lieutenant general sitting next to Musharraf. Musharraf sensed it and balked at Rashid’s suggestion, “Sheikh Mian, don’t lose your heart, I am not going to leave such an interesting game,” he said. When the game ended, he asked me in a lighter vein as to who deserved to be man of the match. When I suggested Shoaib Malik for his gritty century, he said there could not be a more deserving contender than Dhoni. Laloo’s on track Laloo Prasad Yadav was never short of critics of his governance as chief minister of Bihar, but his performance as railway minister has won him friends and admirers cutting across party lines. He has turned the traditional economy of Indian railways upside down. He has already green-lighted a scheme to utilise thousands of acres of railways property. He is set to become the first railway minister in public memory to reduce passenger fares. The forthcoming railway budget will see new schemes and further reinforcement of a revolutionary revenue model. Laloo has given complete freedom to his team to come up with new ideas. He is fortunate to have a pragmatic IAS officer in Sudhir Kumar who knows enough tricks of revenue generation. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh too is quite happy with the minister’s performance. Rail Bhavan is totally clear of contractors and suppliers these days. His own brothers-in-law are also not seen anywhere near the ministry. That is the reason why the BJP has mounted no attack on the minister so far. Restore and befriend The town of Gujranwala in Pakistani Punjab was an important stop on my itinerary this time. While Pakistanis remember Gujranwala for its food — quail and some migratory birds from Russia are favourite hunts — the town holds eminence as the birthplace of Sher-e-Punjab Maharaja Ranjit Singh. I was shocked to discover that his birthplace has been converted into a police station. Within the premises, a beautiful gurudwara made of white marble serves as the daroga’s (station in-charge) office. Guru Atma Ram’s Samadhi has been removed from its place where a lock-up has been constructed. Though there are remaining hints of its glorious past, the entire structure is crumbling after years of neglect. Chaudhry Parvez Elahi, chief minister of Pakistani Punjab, is a liberal and largehearted person who has taken personal interest in restoring ancient Hindu monuments in Pakistan. He earned praise for his efforts in restoring the famous Katasraj temples of the Pandav era; and he even ensured resumption of the daily pooja by the local priests after 57 years. Indian Punjab’s Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh is a personal friend of his. I hope the captain will take up the issue of restoring the birthplace of Maharaja Ranjit Singh with his counterpart in Pakistan. Rajiv Shukla is a Congress MP in Rajya Sabha
