Opinion Missing invitations

In the CVC’s absence

WORK at the Central Vigilance Commission has come to a standstill with the removal of PJ Thomas. It is not just vigilance case files which are waiting to be disposed of,but several promotions in the CBI have been held up as well. The vacancies include: three additional directors,four DIGs,five SPs and a special director. The government has taken a policy decision that the vacancies will be filled only once the new CVC is appointed. To compound the delay,the secretary to the CVC,KS Ramasubban,has completed his tenure and the government feels that in the absence of a new secretary to the commission,a new CVC cannot be appointed.

Dancing to her tune

Leela Samson’s appointment as chairperson of the Censor Board has raised the question as to whether the well-known Bharatanatyam dancer will have time to devote to her new assignment. Last year,Samson was appointed chairperson of the Sangeet Natak Akademi,another prestigious position. The academy is the apex body for the performing arts. Samson is also ex-officio head of the south zone cultural centre. Apart from these commitments,she has a full-time job as director of Kalakshetra in Chennai. Samson,who was once Priyanka Gandhi’s dance teacher,has no particular connection with the world of cinema. After her appointment,Samson candidly admitted that she seldom watches films.

Red carpet unwelcome

IN the wake of the uprising in Libya,there have been many stories of Muammar Gaddafi’s eccentricities and megalomania. Back in 1984,even Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had first-hand experience of the Libyan dictator’s self-obsession,recalls

Dr Anuradha Kunte,a French professor at JNU,who often accompanied Gandhi as interpreter. Indira Gandhi was actually scheduled for a tour of Egypt and Algeria,but the policy planning cell of the MEA suggested that Libya also be included as India needed to woo Gaddafi. The PM was persuaded to include Tripoli in the itinerary,but she was annoyed when she learnt that the host country insisted she cover her arms. Gaddafi,already ten years at the helm,received Gandhi at the Tripoli airport where a red carpet was spread on the tarmac for the Indian Prime Minister. The only problem was that Gaddafi hogged the entire carpet with his flowing cloak and Gandhi per force had to walk on the bare tarmac.

Opportunistic response

Arun Jaitley badly embarrassed the Congress and the government over WikiLeaks. So when Jaitley’s own name figured in one of the leaks,with an American official quoting him as describing Hindutva as “an opportunistic issue”,the Congress went into overdrive in retaliation. On the first day,Kapil Sibal,Janardan Dwivedi and Shakeel Ahmed,personally contacted television channels,asking them to send TV crews so that they could react to Jaitley’s “opportunistic” remark. On day two,Ashwini Kumar added his bit and,by day three,Manish Tiwari and Anand Sharma joined the chorus. The AICC even sent letters to Congress chief ministers to bring out statements against Jaitley. Haryana Chief Minister Bhupendra Hooda and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy promptly obliged. The reaction in Jaitley’s party was interesting. While party president Nitin Gadkari came to Jaitley’s defence,S Gurumurthy wrote to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat suggesting the need for serious introspection when a BJP leader can dismiss the Hindutva plank so lightly. However,RSS spokesperson Ram Madhav,known to be close to Gurumurthy,issued a counter statement,presumably on instructions. Madhav stated there was no point taking the controversy further in view of Jaitley’s clarification.