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Journalism of Courage
Hey Ram!
There8217;s one thing about Urban Development Minister Ram Jethmalani. He may not be very discreet, but he8217;s exceedingly generous. Especially with those in the Opposition. While moving the Bill repealing the Urban Land Ceiling and Regulation Act ULCRA, Jethmalani thanked various people who played a role in formulating opinion and policy in favour of it. Top of the list was ex-finance minister P. Chidambaram8217;s adviser, Jairam Ramesh. With Chidambaram8217;s blessings, Jairam was widely seen as the man who actually chased the ULCRA file between ministries. Jethmalani then went on to thank Manmohan Singh for advocating the repeal and getting the Congress to back the proposal. There was a little nod to economist John Maynard Keynes, too. Why? Well, as Jethmalani explained, it was Keynes who had propagated expenditure as a cure for economic recession. Anyone he left out? Do write in.
Love8217;s Labour
You can count on the ebullient Farooq Abdullah for a good quote. The good doctor makes it apoint to be present at all the cultural soirees to 8220;unwind8221; after a hard day spent setting Jammu and Kashmir right. It8217;s another matter that the burden is exceedingly light. Recently, when an angry legislator pointed out to him in the Assembly that a woman police officer a Hindu had eloped with her male colleague a Muslim, he silenced the critic by invoking Ghalib8217;s couplet: Ishq par jor nahin, hai yeh voh aatish Ghalib, jo lagaye na lage, aur bujhaye na bane One has no control over love. It8217;s that fire which can neither be kindled when sought, nor doused when desired.8221; Now if only governance were that easy.
Male Bonding
While most people believe that the Shiv-Sena BJP alliance in Maharashtra has been plagued by infighting for the past four years, Bal Thackeray thinks otherwise. According to his perverse logic, the combine8217;s much better off than the alliance in New Delhi. 8220;We have fewer internal differences compared to those dogging the Centre,8221; he told a gathering near Punerecently. But guess what the secret of the BJP-Shiv Sena success is? 8220;The biggest reason is that there are no trouble-making women to deny us our sleep. We8217;re blessed not to have Mamata and Jayalalitha,8221; Thackeray rationalised. What8217;s a tiger compared to the Bengal Tigress or the Iron Lady?
Guessing Game
Haryana Chief Minister Bansi Lal is a self-proclaimed artful dodger. Not only does he avoid reporters, but he also loves to keep his ministers guessing. The septuagenarian leader admitted a penchant for 8220;springing surprises8221; after a sudden ministry reshuffle on Wednesday, catching both ministers and reporters off guard. He inducted four new ministers, dropped two, and changed portfolios of 11 others. Even the invitation cards were distributed barely four hours before the swearing-in. 8220;I really enjoy keeping the media guessing,8221; gloated the CM, who rarely speaks to the media. So much for the promise of transparency made by his Haryana Vikas Party in its 1996 manifesto.
AbleStudent
Maharashtra Chief Minister Narayan Rane may be his mentor Bal Thackeray8217;s man, but he8217;s keen to learn more than just responding to the remote control. Quite in awe of his Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh counterparts 8212; Digvijay Singh and N. Chandrababu Naidu 8212; Rane is planning to spend a few days each in Bhopal and Hyderabad to get first-hand experience of how these two chief ministers run their states. That8217;s not all. From Singh, Rane also hopes to take lessons in how to win elections under adverse conditions, and from Naidu, on how to get projects cleared by the Centre. With just under a year to go before elections and the picture looking far from pretty for the Shiv Sena-BJP combine, Rane will have to be a very good student to pass the test.
Making Light Of Politics
Manohar Joshi may have ceased to be chief minister and MLA, but he retains his sense of humour. Noted for his obsession with punctuality during his tenure at Mantralaya, Joshi was so particular about getting thingsstarted on time that bureaucrats would rather not go at all than go late. Such being his track record, the Mantralaya Reporters Association, which recently invited him for a chat on the political situation, expected him to be anything but late. Not only did Joshi not disappoint, but he surprised everyone by being a full 20 minutes ahead of schedule. When the hacks asked him why he was so early, Joshi, the jester, took over: 8220;After laying down office, I leave home well ahead of schedule to maintain punctuality. When I was Chief Minister, the traffic would stop for me. Now, I have to stop with the traffic, for I can8217;t jump a red light anymore.8221;
Shetty8217;s Soft Spot
Actor Sunil Shetty seems to have a soft spot for children. As a fond father of two, he8217;s concerned about today8217;s MTV-fed generation. 8220;I8217;d prefer that my kids watch Discovery and National Geographic, but not violent serials. Sometimes, I feel even cartoons have a very negative impact because of the violence and negative attitudes theyoften portray.8221; Shetty also strongly advocates 8220;gulli-danda, kabaddi, cricket8221; 8212; games he played when he was young. 8220;Today, children just want to sit at home and watch television,8221; complained the restaurateur-turned-actor, who was in Pune last week to give away mementos to his Shetty brethren. Like most concerned parents, Shetty imposes strict restrictions on television viewing at home. Pure entertainment is allowed once in a while. Presumably, his songs?
