The Importance Of Being Brajesh
The Opposition and the Sangh Parivar launch an attack on the Prime Minister's Office by targeting the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Brajesh Mishra. The Vajpayee camp finds itself fighting a grim political battle to retain credibility even as the Establishment tries to discredit the Tehelka allegations. An analysis.

Supercrat In His Labyrinth
There are 240 secretaries to the Government, but N. K. Singh is always a cut above-in style, networking, and power. The economic policy wizard gets defensive.

The Ways And Means Of Ranjan
Ranjan Bhattacharya's role as nursemaid to Atal Bihari Vajpayee gives the fun-loving foster son-in-law
the image of one who dabbles in government decisions.

Congress' Coalition Flight Grounded
With sceptic constituents, Congress President Sonia Gandhi's
plan to form an alliance just before the assembly elections in five states, may backfire.

Desperately Seeking loopholes
The Bharatiya Janata Party and Samata Party find discrepancies
in the charges levelled against them by Tehelka. But it's just details.

Nursery Of Hate
The week-long violence in Kanpur has cooled down, but the spectre of the Students Islamic Movement of India still looms large. A look at the reach of India's in-house Taliban.

Vroom Service
The four-stroke motorcycle overtakes middle-class India's greatest icon since the valve radio set, as sales of the doughty old scooter stagnate in spite of a spirited fightback.

George Cross
The FIR against Sonia Gandhi's private secretary is a plain corruption issue says the CBI. But, an embarrassed Congress complains of vendetta.

Nothing Official About It
The payment crisis is temporarily stemmed, but clandestine financing ticks like a time bomb.

NEWSNOTES

Tamil Maanila Congress leader P. Chidambaram feels the party will ditch the AIADMK after the assembly polls.

Q. Why do you feel the TMC will return to its 1996 line?
A. The party workers cherish the desire to share power. They will not accept the current stance of being part of the AIADMK combine without holding power. The leadership has to turn around after the polls.

Q. Will your rebel forum also field candidates?
A. Some of my friends have expressed a desire to contest. We haven't taken a decision. The forum will campaign by saying that a single-party government of the AIADMK cannot give good governance.

Q. Will you campaign against TMC President G.K. Moopanar?
A. I don't think there is a clash of personalities. Moopanar continues to be my leader. Some people have taken advantage of the fact that he has been ill and is unable to devote time and attention to the party.

Q. Are you moving closer to the BJP?
A. I am part of the TMC and will continue to be part of it.

Q. What about expulsion?
A. I am prepared for that too, but no party can afford to expel workers in villages. There is dissension in the party and it will stay that way for the next two months.

-Arun Ram

MetroScape
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When Kitsch Kitsch Hota Hai opened to an overflowing house at Delhi's India Habitat Centre last week, people didn't quite know what to expect.
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Looking Glass


Delhi Exhibition: Unbuilt India-Vision 2001

Delhi Music:
Shriram Shankarlal Music Festival, 2001

Delhi: Showroom
Interiors Espania

The 457-acre estate of the Roerichs near Bangalore is in a pathetic condition. But does anyone care, asks INDIA TODAY's Principal Correspondent Stephen David in Despatches.