Birth anniversary

February 29 happens to be the birthday of former Prime Minister Morarji Desai

Birth anniversary

February 29 happens to be the birthday of former Prime Minister Morarji Desai. So after a gap of four years,Lok Sabha will play host to a function to commemorate the anniversary of the leader. But with most politicians,including those who were associated with the Janata Party regime,busy with Uttar Pradesh elections,it remains to be seen how many MPs or former MPs turn up at the event.

WAIT GETS LONGER

It has been more than three months since a high-level expert group submitted its report on bringing in Universal Health Coverage. While the Health Ministry has tried to take some steps to prepare the ground for the launch of the ambitious programme,the actual implementation is still to begin,one reason being that the National Advisory Council has not yet given its view on it. The Sonia Gandhi-led NAC was scheduled to discuss the report on February 17 but could not do so,apparently because of electoral commitments of the Congress president in Uttar Pradesh. The NAC is now likely to take it up on March 21. So more wait for what is said to be another of the UPA governments showpiece programmes.

READY WITH COUPLETS

FOR her recent trip to Pakistan,Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar had not just taken special lessons in Urdu but also kept a list of couplets ready to be used at suitable occasions. Like this one which she used in one of her speeches: Tum aao Lahore se le kar chaman bardosht,hum aayein Banaras ki roshni le kar,Himalaya ki tazagi le kar,aur phir poochhein ki kaun dushman hai.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

WHILE there was little cheer for the visiting Italian delegation in negotiating the release of its Navy personnel accused of killing two Kerala fishermen,the Indian side went out of its way to ensure that it is kept satisfied at least in matters related to food. The Hyderabad House chefs prepared pizzas and pasta for the visitors,a marked departure from the repetitive cuisine that ITDC offers. Whether that provided any succour to the disappointed Italian delegation is not known.

NET RESULT

MUCH emphasis is given to place original records in court litigation,and VHP leader B P Singhals lawyer,fighting the Delhi High Court judgment de-criminalising homosexuality,could not get anymore original than he did on Tuesday. While regaling the court with scholarly quotes from the Manusmriti,the Bible,the Book of Genesis,the Quran to bolster his clients case,the lawyer would constantly stop in the middle to remind the Bench that he was reading straight from the original text. At one point,Justice G S Singhvi asked him where he got these original versions from. Pat came the reply: Google,Your Lordship.