Age old Question

THE desire for home food ensured that the Indian and Pakistani delegations for the Shanghai Cooperation Summit in China last week checked into the same hotel. The S M Krishna-led Indian delegation and President Asif Ali Zardari-led Pakistani team both decided to stay at the same Raffles Beijing Hotel on 33 East Chang An Avenue in Chinas capital. One of the key reasons for the choice of this hotel,it is reliably learnt,was that the hotel employs a good Indian chef who is much sought after by both the Indian and Pakistani embassies in Beijing.

Unsporting Views

IT seems to be a case of the pot calling the kettle black. The ruling Trinamool Congress which gathered the entire might of the West Bengal government to organise a massive felicitation ceremony for IPL winner Kolkata Knight Riders last month,has dismissed past attempts to honour sportspersons during the Left Fronts rule in the state as staged shows. And,described the victory celebration for the KKR as spontaneous. An editorial in party mouthpiece Jaago Bangla seems to run down Sourav Ganguly as well. Ganguly was felicitated several times by a former minister whose constituency lies in North Bengal,something that the paper has decided to take a dig at. 8230;such lifeless functions were always organised to benefit a certain politician and a certain party in a particular constituency,unlike the spontaneous victory celebrations for the KKR, the editorial says. And it does not forget to cite KKRs victory as an example of poriborton change that the party has promised in Bengal.

Moving House

PUBLIC broadcaster Prasar Bharati,which is housed in the PTI Building on Parliament Street,has plans to shift across the road into the building of All India Radio. Apart from the fact that it would be a sort of homecoming,the shift would also result in saving the huge rent that Prasar Bharati pays. Apparently,there is space available in the AIR building but it needs to be cleaned up and renovated. Since it is a heritage building,the renovation can happen only through authorised agencies. Prasar Bharati is learnt to have sent a proposal to the Ministry of Culture asking it to get the place renovated. The ministry,however,has remained unresponsive despite a few reminders. Interestingly,the person who heads Prasar Bharati,Jawhar Sircar,happened to be the Secretary in Culture Ministry till his retirement and appointment in the current assignment.

Strategic Race

A RACE seems to be on amongst the officers of the National Investigation Agency to grab a berth in the Indian delegation going to the United States for the strategic dialogue. During the security component of the talks,the Indian side will ask for access to Mumbai terror accused Tahawwur Rana and the wife of his colleague,David Coleman Headley both of whom are in US custody for questioning. The presence of NIA officials would be necessary to assist the Home Secretary who would hold the talks on security. It is not yet decided whether the NIA would need to send two SPs with the delegation or one IG level officer. Grapevine has it that even NIA director general S C Sinha might be asked to join the delegation.

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