Editorials

India Today, March 8, 1999
March 8, 1999

Vajpayee's Prickly Partner

Naidu's every crisis is a bargaining chip approach to politics.

Vajpayee's Prickly Partner It wouldn't be too much of an exaggeration to label N. Chandrababu Naidu, chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, the most media-savvy politician in business. Naidu's formidable public-relations skills and assiduously cultivated image of a techno-friendly moderniser have saved him from being classified alongside Jayalalitha and Mamata Banerjee as the prime minister's difficult ally. Yet, the three are guilty of the same crime: taking political negotiation to the level of bazaar bargaining. Jayalalitha has been placated by the supersession of the special courts trying her for corruption. Mamata too is considerably happier after the economic package for West Bengal. Put bluntly, their methods have been crude-but at least they have been transparent. Naidu has been more subtle-but his politics of brinkmanship is no less sinister. There is a tiresome sameness to the Telugu chieftain's approach. Before every major parliamentary vote, he becomes incommunicado, encourages the most imaginative speculation in the media and quietly extracts his price-even if it be the Bharat Ratna for his father-in-law.

In its initial days, the Naidu strategy drew admirers. It was felt he was using his grip on Atal Bihari Vajpayee's regime to win concessions for his state. Also, he seemed a pleasant change from the usual rhetorical politician. The problem is Naidu has overplayed his hand. His calculated silences-evident yet again before the Lok Sabha voted on President's rule in Bihar-are now evoking disgust. With Jayalalitha and Mamata quiet, Naidu is in danger of becoming the ruling coalition's spoiler. To an extent, the man's indecisiveness is understandable. He faces assembly elections in November and is unsure whether an alliance with the BJP will work to his advantage or otherwise. Even so, the key to a juggler's art is knowing when to stop. If Naidu feels the BJP is too much of a hot potato, he should drop it-unless he wants to go to the polls with vacillation as his one-point manifesto.

Sport as Unifier

Why India was the biggest medal-winner at Manipur's National Games

Sport as Unifier There are two ways of looking at the National Games that concluded in Imphal on February 25. India's perennially complaining classes will hasten to point out that the standard of competition was way below global standard, that unhygienic conditions at the athletes' village rendered many athletes sick, that typically Indian hamhandedness was everywhere. Why, one participant was even accused of molestation. Yet, to those who shun such perverse reductionism, the games, warts and all, were a celebration of India. True, the requisite infrastructure in, say, Delhi is better. Nevertheless, the spontaneity with which the people of the state adopted and participated in the sporting carnival more than made up. To take India's largest athletic festival, the cream of its youth-forget where they stand, or don't, in comparison to world champions-to Manipur has done more to give the state a sense of belonging than any antiseptic policy papers Delhi has framed.

Politics, sport-admittedly, largely cricket-and cinema are the three biggest social phenomena in India. The first is all pervasive, the third makes its way to even rural theatres thanks to an enterprising distributor network. Sport, however, has remained a big city preserve. While the Union government is enthusiastic about using it as a diplomatic weapon-whether it was the visit by the Israeli tennis team in 1987 or by Pakistani cricketers in recent weeks-it is chary of recognising sport's potential as a centripetal force. This is not to suggest that unwilling sportspersons should be forced into every decrepit mofussil stadium. It is equally important to create the necessary facilities before the actual event. These of course will be of enduring benefit to local residents and expand the social base of Indian sport. In regions like the North-east, as Manipur has shown, they will double as an advertisement for the Republic of India.

ment, not efface it. That apart, the Government's reputation for talking first and acting later -- if not never -- will be further strengthened. Some months ago, the finance minister promised a recovery "by September", the economy is still waiting. Early in 1999, the prime minister promised a cabinet expansion -- only to postpone it to "end January" and finally develop amnesia. Should the people of Bihar similarly renounce hopes of a responsive ruler?

Issue Contents | Write to us | Subscriptions | Syndication