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Journalism of Courage
In the shift from defence to external affairs, Pranab Mukherjee was accompanied by his faithful retainers, including M K Mukherjee, Pradyut Guha, Pradip Gupta, Ameeta Paul and Randir Singh. Even two of the peons serving tea to visitors in his new office look distinctly familiar.
The minister8217;s personal staff has, however, still to adjust to the new environment, since the snooty mandarins of South Block tend to make 8216;outsiders8217; feel unwelcome.
A group of journalists8212; who mostly work for Kolkata based newspapers and are regulars on the Pranabda beat8212;have also transferred their interests from defence to foreign affairs.
To sweeten Mukherjee8217;s transfer, the government plans to introduce new rules, presently before the Cabinet Committee on Security for approval, allowing the foreign minister the use of the eight-seater IAF jet that was earlier reserved exclusively for the defence minister.
Singh8217;s new song
Natwar Singh is a prolific writer who has published eight books, four in India, three in New York, and one in London. He is now working on his ninth book, which could turn out selling the most. Singh will recount major events in his life.
Singh has always maintained an 8220;irregular diary8217;8217;, and has an excellent memory. He is confident that no one can trip him up on the facts and figures he presents. Singh is talking to several publishers. He says the book will be out 8220;sooner than you think.8221;
In view of his recent showdown with his former mentor, Sonia Gandhi, the autobiography could well include anecdotes which may prove embarrassing to the Congress president.
Mutual fan club
Priyanka Vadra was a guest at a party hosted by Shah Rukh Khan8217;s in-laws in Delhi to celebrate his wedding anniversary. She also attended a private screening of Shah Rukh8217;s latest movie Don along with her husband and Rahul Gandhi. The friendship between Priyanka and Shah Rukh developed after a visit to Mumbai, on which her favourite movie star took her on a tour of Film City and screened his film Paheli for her.
Shah Rukh, unlike several other film stars, from Jaya Bachchan and Raj Babbar to Amir Khan and Hema Malini, has kept away from politics and political issues.
If he and Amar Singh are not on the best of terms it is simply because of professional rivalries in Bollywood, since Singh is firmly in the Big B camp.
Gandhigiri with a difference
The chairperson of the Khadhi Village Industries Commission Kumudbhen Joshi has a concept of Gandhigiri that has not gone down well with Union Minister for Small Scale Industries Mahabir Prasad.
At a KVIC meeting, Joshi adopted a resolution sanctioning the purchase of a Baleno car worth Rs 6 lakh for the chairperson instead of the Ambassador car used presently.
Prasad felt that since the KVIC is meant to promote Gandhian concepts at the rural level, an air-conditioned car was not a good advertisement for the chairperson.
Joshi, however, had her way.
