Tags:
Journalism of Courage
On Borrowed Time
This is for those who feel that the Congress Party8217;s joint secretary in charge of economic affairs, Jairam Ramesh, is living on borrowed time, especially with Arjun Singh consolidating his hold in the party. Jairam8217;s living and talking on borrowed time, air-time that is, for the past two weeks. With his cell-phone filched from his office at AICC headquarters, Jairam8217;s been forced to borrow a spare instrument and SIM card from a friend.
Soul Talk
It was the Haryana Assembly session and the debate veered around the concept of atman soul. The Congress leader Birender Singh said: 8220;BJP and Bansi Lal had talked about their coalition as atman ka milan meeting of souls. But this happens perhaps only after one dies, he observed and questioned what had happened to their souls, much to the amusement of everyone. But the BJP was not one to be left behind. BJP leader Ram Bilas Sharma said 8220;Atman remains, but has merely changed the body which inhabits it8221;referring to shift in loyalty from Bansi Lal to Om Prakash Chautala.
The otherwise tense session was however laced with typical Haryanvi humour. The condition of Haryana roads came in for a snide remark from Chautala. 8220;While driving, the moment you suddenly jump and your head strikes the roof of your car, you know you8217;ve reached Haryana,8221; he quipped leaving all wondering whether the frequent trips of Haryana politicians between Delhi and Chandigarh have had an impact on what goes on in their heads all the time.
Ageing Fleet, Ailing Chiefs
Indian aviation doesn8217;t just have to contend with the ageing fleet of the two national carriers, it also has to cope with ailing bureaucrats running the Ministry. This week, the head honcho of a national carrier developed alarmingly high blood pressure 8212; possibly the result of coping with pressure being put by the Union Minister, Ananth Kumar to short-circuit the purchase process of some controversial aircraft. Another top official involved in the samepurchase process succumbed to fainting fits. However, the two instead of being allowed to recuperate peacefully at home were forced to attend meetings at the Minister8217;s behest. The fur flew in the meeting where in a rare display of temper the two went for each other. After an unexpurgated version of the proceedings, Kumar has now decided to chair all the meetings on purchases.
Performing Minister
It was an unusual singer who won the loudest applause at a programme of Shauryagan8217;, which was held in Ahmedabad last week to pay tributes to the brave soldiers fighting at Kargil. The singer was none other than Mahendra Shantilal Trivedi, Gujarat8217;s youthful Minister of Cultural Affairs, whose department had organised the evening. And by all accounts, it was a good performance. What is more, Trivedi himself had composed the song he sang. For many, it was a pleasant surprise. Those who know Trivedi, however, say that he is an expert in singing different tunes at different times. Be it an election rally, ora youth festival, Trivedi never misses an opportunity to entertain the gathering by belting out popular Gujarati songs. Incidentally, Trivedi was Home Minister in the first BJP government which was formed in 1995. Did Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel shift Trivedi to cultural affairs because of his love for singing? But the Cultural Affairs Department has certainly got a performing minister.
Taking A Ride
Jammu and Kashmir8217;s flamboyant Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah8217;s love for hitch-hiking tinsel beauties seems to be over now. Once known for a mobike ride with Shabana Azmi as pillion, the greying Farooq is now revelling in his new avatar as a chauffeur. Taking the wheel, he drove down Defence Minister George Fernandes and Union Home Minister L. K. Advani in bullet-proof Ambassador cars during their recent visit to Jammu. He also gave away the comfort of his Tata Safari only to drive home the point that he has come of age. However, it remains to be seen whether he would be able to fulfill his longcherished desire to see Madhuri Dixit as his co-passenger. Have faith, Farooq, when M.F. Hussain could do it with Gajagamini, why can8217;t you?
Premiere Security
The release of Smita Thackeray8217;s debut production Haseena Maan Jayegi had to be a high-profile considering the clout the Thackerays have over Bollywood. Naturally, the first thing that hit the eye outside Mumbai8217;s Minerva cinema on Thursday was a swarm of policemen scrutinising everyone getting into the hall and those waiting outside. So much so, that even the man who arrived with the film8217;s print wasn8217;t let in because he didn8217;t have a badge! While the invitees were asked to be there by 7.30 p. m. nobody seemed in a hurry to start the screening. However, once Chief Minister Narayan Rane arrived at 8.20 p. m. the film got underway. While director David Dhawan and lead actors Sanjay Dutt and Karisma Kapoor failed to show up, presenter Bharat Shah and actress Pooja Batra were there to greet the guests. Among those who representedthe industry for the do were Shammi and Rajiv Kapoor and Jackie Shroff 8212; who stood at the hall8217;s entrance recieving people like it was his own film and even gave television interviews on the Kargil crisis. Govinda, the eternal late-comer strolled in with wife and kids at 9.00 pm. But for once he was outdone: the last to arrive, even later than Govinda, was hostess Smita Thackeray 8212; dressed in a cream coloured gown laden with heavy zardozi.
8212; Sunil Jain and Swati Chaturvedi in Delhi, Pawan K. Pandita in Jammu, Bajinder Pal Singh in Chandigarh, Mukesh Shah in Mumbai and Tanvir Siddiqui in Ahmedabad
