Keeping Track

On some occasions at least,the Foreign Ministry establishment moves with alacrity and proactively in its diplomatic efforts

On some occasions at least,the Foreign Ministry establishment moves with alacrity and proactively in its diplomatic efforts. A few days back,former President of Maldives Maumoon Abdul Gayoom was in India for his wifes medical treatment at a Bangalore hospital. As soon as it got to know of it,the South Block swiftly asked for a meeting between Gayoom and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Gayoom,the man behind the present regime in Maldives headed by Mohamed Waheed,reciprocated positively and flew to Delhi to meet the PM. Having hosted ousted Prime Minister Mohammed Nasheed as well as Waheed in recent months,New Delhis consultations with Gayoom were part of its outreach efforts with political groups of all hues in the island country that is of considerable strategic importance in the Indian Ocean region.

Wrong Focus

WHILE taking keen interest in other ministries like Finance,Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh seems to be have forgotten about some of the pro-poor schemes of his own ministry. At the state revenue ministers conference here last week,the minister was visibly upset when a Dalit land rights activist complained about the non-implementation of a scheme providing for Rs 10,000 to landless people for house sites under the Indira Awaas Yojana. Ramesh appeared to be clueless about the scheme as he was seen instructing his officials to find out about it. The activist turned out to be better-informed about his ministry.

Poll Problems

AN unintended consequence of the split between Mamata Banerjee and the Congress party is the uncertainty over the fate of President Pranab Mukherjees son Abhijit who is contesting as a Congress candidate in the Lok Sabha by-polls for Jangipur,the seat vacated by his father. The Trinamool has maintained,even after the split,that it would not put up a candidate against him,but even then his victory is not guaranteed. And even if he wins,his Lok Sabha stint could be short lived in the event of an early general election. Pranab Mukherjee,in fact,is learnt to have advised his son against contesting for Lok Sabha this time because of these calculations and asked him to gain some more experience as an MLA first. But Abhijit is said to have been insistent. What is worse that Trinamool is unlikely to be generous to him in future,making it more difficult for him in Jangipur the next time he contests.

Naming Issues

HAVING forced the Centre to set up two central universities in Bihar,while other states are getting only one,Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has now told HRD Minister Kapil Sibal what the names of the two universities should be. In a letter to Sibal,Nitish has said that there has been well known demand of naming the university to be set up in Motihari after Mahatma Gandhi. It would,therefore,be proper that it be called Mahatma Gandhi Central University or Bapu Central University. The one being set up in Gaya can be named Bihar Central University,Gaya,Nitish has suggested. Meanwhile,some Bihar MPs are now pushing for a central university status for Patna University as well. Some meetings have already been held though the HRD Ministry has been firmly opposed to all such proposals.

Telangana Roadblock

THE fresh effort from the Centre to resolve the statehood demand for Telangana has hit a roadblock,once again,on the old question of the fate of Hyderabad. Telangana supporters are said to be sticking to their firm opposition to make Hyderabad a Union Territory,which is what the Centre has been proposing as a possible way out. Hyderabad would fall in the proposed Telangana state,and is the biggest bone of contention between those in favour of a united Andhra Pradesh and those who want a separate state of Telangana. The Centre in the meanwhile is continuing to burn midnight oil in order to find a solution which is the last hope of the Congress to revive its fortunes in a state where it has faced huge electoral reverses of late.