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Newsnotes
Delhi: High and Mighty
Prime ministers will be prime ministers and are wont to be late, even if it is for
luncheons they are hosting. And the guests, no matter how high and mighty, have little
choice but to wait patiently. Diplomatic niceties demand it. Not so, if you are Sitaram
Kesri. At a recent lunch hosted by Prime Minister I.K. Gujral for Belarus President
Alyaksandr Lukashenka, the Congress chief arrived on time, as did the rest of the
invitees. But unlike others, he did not stay on to make polite conversation, till the
distinguished host arrived -- a full 90 minutes late. Known neither for patience nor
diplomatic niceties, but well-known for shooting from the hip, "kingmaker" Kesri
was the only one who left before Gujral arrived. The only one, some say, who can afford to
twist the Prime Minister any which way he likes.
Bhopal: Winning Friends
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijay Singh needs no lessons in the art of winning
friends and influencing the influential. With elections to the state Assembly just a year
away, he acknowledges the need to cultivate the media. Unfortunately for him, the Madhya
Pradesh High Court has ordered restrictions on the allotment of government houses to
journalists. But then Digvijay has found a way around that one too -- build an entire
complex in the heart of the state capital to house newspaper offices. Since the days of
Arjun Singh's first tenure as chief minister, journalists in Bhopal have been a pampered
lot. Digvijay is merely ensuring continuity. And though prime land has already been
identified in the heart of the city, a ticklish problem persists: which among the
newspapers will get the allotments. And Digvijay knows too well that hell has no fury like
a newspaper baron scorned.
Delhi: Wasted Effort
As external affairs minister, he had made his mark in the capitals of the world. But
New York was the first time I.K. Gujral was meeting US President Bill Clinton, that too as
prime minister of India. And he was taking no chances. Assisted by a battalion of senior
officials of the Ministry of External Affairs and the Prime Minister's Office, Gujral was
ready to pre-empt every uncomfortable subject and scenario that Clinton might bring up at
their meeting. He met former foreign secretaries M.K. Rasgotra, J.N. Dixit and Salman
Haider and even joined heads with Centre of Policy Research chief Pai Panandikar. But
Gujral, it now seems, burnt the midnight oil in vain, because the feared encounter with
the head of the world's only superpower turned out to be a friendly tête-à-tête.
Delhi: Plum Postings
One thing you can never accuse I.K. Gujral of is not taking care of his friends. Since
he moved into South Block, many fellow members of the Saturday Club have found comfortable
perches for themselves. Former Jawaharlal Nehru University professor S.D. Muni is the new
ambassador in Laos while professor Jaspal Singh and social activist L.C. Jain are the new
envoys to Mozambique and South Africa, respectively. Career diplomats may not have grudged
them these postings, but they surely will if Gujral persists with doling out plum postings
to a favoured few. If reports from London are true, it would appear that L.M. Singhvi has
finally decided to pack his bags and return home. The problem, however, is that the high
commissioner's post is a cabinet-level post which the politicians have considered their
preserve.Yet, some, like Ronen Sen, currently ambassador in Moscow, have tried
unsuccesfully to get the job. Kuldip Nayar too would love to return to the post he once
held, but now seems to find the Rajya Sabha more attractive. Bets are now on Salman
Haider, the phlegmatic former foreign secretary.
Mumbai: Perfect Notes
S. Jaipal Reddy cut a fine figure in Mumbai recently. The information and broadcasting
minister's witty repartees floored all, whether it was air and Doordarshan staff or
hawkish presspersons. Reddy held forth at Raj Bhavan, telling of the Government's position
on the direct-to-home controversy or explaining the intricacies of the Prasar Bharati Act.
The meat, however, was saved for the last. And this had nothing to do with his official
portfolio. As spokesman of the knobble-kneed Government, Reddy claimed that the United
Front only appeared unstable. That, in reality, it was solid as rock. Before the audience
could digest that, Reddy threw in another hard-to-swallow bit. "The Government is
like an orchestra; there are different voices but it's a great symphony." What about
the discordant notes? asked a guest. "No orchestra is perfect, is it?" the
minister shot back. Well, it largely depends on the conductor, doesn't it, sir?
Lucknow: Quick Retaliation
With Mayawati's departure as chief minister, officials who were close to her are on the
run. Within a week of taking charge, Kalyan Singh has already shunted more than 50 ias and
ips officers who were "behenji's men". But the recent transfer of two senior
Doordarshan hands -- Lucknow Kendra Director R.K. Sinha and Joint Director (News) P.K.
Sinha -- indicates that Singh is not the only one cracking the whip on pro-Mayawati
officials. Sources say the two dd officicals were merely paying the price for
"keeping the cameras focussed on Maywati" for all of six months. As soon as
Mayawati handed over charge the man at the receiving end, Defence Minister Mulayam Singh
Yadav, was on the phone to Information and Broadcasting Minister S. Jaipal Reddy. When
Mulayam proposes, rarely does Reddy fail to dispose.
Thimpu: Trans-Border Militant Hunt
When Indian Foreign Secretary K. Raghunath went to Thimpu last month, it seemed that he
was on a routine visit to provide economic assistance to the Himalayan kingdom. But he had
a far more important task on his agenda: get the Bhutanese Government's cooperation to nab
Bodo and ULFA militants based in the jungles that dot eastern Bhutan. India had cause for
optimism since in mid July Bhutan's National Assembly had adopted a resolution to
"restrict such intrusions and deport those who were already inside".
For India, it is imperative to check the militant groups because they cross the
unguarded border into Bhutan after striking in Assam's Darrang, Nalbari and Kokrajhar
districts. But it is wary of deploying the security forces (even though some are based in
Bhutan) since other powers in the area could interpret it as bullying a small country.
"We are cautious about misinformation campaigns," says Daleep Singh Mehta,
India's ambassador to Bhutan.
One boost for the Indian Government is that the Bhutanese have realised that the
militants could turn against them in the long run. Also, with the Bangladesh Government
turning cold to the ulfa leaders based in that country, it has become that much easier to
turn the heat on the North-east's most feared killers.
Shimla: High Anxiety
Politically, it has been a hot season for Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra
Singh. If arch-foe Sukh Ram's exit from the Congress was some comfort, it was followed by
a more daunting challenger in former chief minister Ram Lal. The rebels' leader, Lal's
shenanigans forced Singh to seek the high command's nod to crack the whip. The PCC
suspended two rebel MLAs but spared Lal. "Anyone violating party discipline will not
be dealt with kid's gloves," says Singh. The chief minister, who enjoys the support
of 52 MLAs in a House of 68, is now trying to patch up with other detractors like senior
leader Vidya Stokes to fortify his defence against Lal and the rebels.
Bhopal: Relief Pressures
With the Union Carbide-funded Rs 250-crore hospital for gas victims in Bhopal nearing
completion, the Madhya Pradesh Government is heading for a confrontation with Sir Ian
Percival, a member of the privy council of the Queen of England and the sole trustee of
the hospital. He has taken exception to the understanding reached recently between the
state and the Central Governments that a committee would take over the hospital once it is
ready early next year. "They have no power to do that," says Sir Ian, insisting
that he will be forming the committee in consultation with the Supreme Court and that
"politicians would be the last persons to get a nomination". However, Bhagirath
Prasad, secretary for gas relief, says, "I am amazed that a foreigner has been
entrusted with the work. He should withdraw once the hospital is ready."
The ultra-modern hospital is expected to provide the much-needed specialised care to
the survivors of the 1984 gas disaster. Last week, some of the victims protested outside
the chief minister's residence that medicine stocks in government hospitals had run out.
Indeed, the Government's indifference is showing: two big public hospitals remain
uncommissioned for want of money to buy equipment.
Ahmedabad: Miracle Man
The unassuming, balding 1976 batch ias officer may not look like a hero. But for the
citizens of Ahmedabad, Municipal Commissioner Keshav Varma is definitely one. The
Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) was saddled with losses of Rs 35 crore when Varma
took charge in 1994. In 1996, it reaped Rs 86 crore. The amc earned kudos from the World
Bank and was the first municipal corporation in Asia to be rated by crisil.
Varma's magic wand has touched hospitals, slums and basic civic services. The results
include new water pipelines, modernisation of the four municipal hospitals and a Rs 300
crore slum development scheme involving the private sector, ngos and the slum dwellers
themselves. Observes industrialist Sanjay Lalbhai, who at Varma's behest invested Rs 5
crore in the city's urbanisation drive: "Varma's greatest achievement is his success
in instilling a sense of pride among both the rich and the poor in Ahmedabad's
development."
The miracle man now has a plum posting with the World Bank. Varma's successor, B.K.
Sinha, will now carry on the good work. Admits Sinha: "It's an onerous task. But
there shouldn't be a problem as the foundation has been effectively laid."
Calcutta: Festival Demand
Puja shopping in Calcutta is becoming a risky business. Reason: the unauthorised
pavement shop-keepers -- hawkers in local jargon -- are on the warpath, demanding their
space back. Evicted in a much-hyped operation called Sunshine last November after the
ruling Left Front decided to clean up Calcutta's streets, the hawkers were promised a
breather during the puja season by the anti-Jyoti Basu faction within the CPI(M). But the
police, under Basu's heir apparent Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, would have none of it. Result:
Gariahat, a shopping paradise, has become a virtual war zone, with agitating hawkers
blocking the big stores, holding demonstrations and threatening to wreck shoppers' cars.
Stoking the flames, as usual, is firebrand Trinamul Congress leader Mamata Banerjee, who
has threatened to become a hawker herself. Meanwhile, the hawkers took out a demonstration
last week wearing only 'lungis'. If the impasse continues, shopping could become a
nightmare during the puja week. |
