Superstition Or Superscience?
Amid accusations of having saffronised higher education of the country, the Centre approves the teaching of astrology in universities.
Is the Government promoting a
science or a sham?

Science Or Sham?
Even as stargazers claim their knowledge has an empirical basis, scientists debunk it as mumbo-jumbo.

PM's Point Man
Sidelined two years ago, he has bounced back to become one of the most powerful ministers in the NDA.

Diverging Tracks
The Gormu-Lhasa railway line will significantly improve China's military logistics capability and exert strategic pressure on India.

Plane Pique
The Gujarat Government resents the CAG indictment for the purchase of an aircraft.

STATES: TAMIL NADU

THE MAN WHO WOULD BE HEIR

Govindavasan's elevation to the TMC hotseat was easy but his tenure is likely to be turbulent

For a man who was denied a Rajya Sabha seat because his father felt "he should rise the hard way", G.K. Govindavasan has seen a facile elevation to the post of Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) chief. Ironically enough, it was the death of his father G.K. Moopanar on August 30, 2001 that led to the move.

It may have been the party's unanimous decision but the coronation hid many compulsions. In a party teeming with senior leaders like S.R. Balasubramanian, Peter Alphonse and Jayanti Natarajan but without any clear consensus, propping up the 35-year-old political minnow seemed inevitable. Says TMC General Secretary Peter Alphonse: "A leader should be acceptable to everyone and be able to influence everyone. Vasan is just that."

The smooth transition, however, belies the pulls and pressures the party is likely to face in the future. The Congress has already stepped up pressure for a merger. "TMC's merger with the Congress was Moopanar's dream," says AICC General Secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad. But for the TMC leaders, a reunion with the overcrowded and squabbling TNCC is clearly not an attractive proposition.

On September 2, Sonia Gandhi sent a sterner message. The Congress nominated five trustees to the TNCC Charitable Trust that manages vast real estate, including the Sathyamurthy Bhavan, which the TMC controls. The fresh nominations are being seen as a conscious effort by the Congress to press for a merger. But what has surprised the TMC is Sonia's decision to include TMC leader Jayanti Natarajan as a trustee. Natarajan is believed to be veering towards the Congress and could be used by Sonia as a pawn. Though Natarajan refused to comment on her nomination, she has affirmed full faith in Govindavasan.

The new TMC chief has his task cut out for him. He will face his first test in the run-up to the October local body polls during negotiations with Sonia and J. Jayalalitha. Moopanar had earned the trust of Sonia as well as that of his partymen. Govindavasan enjoys neither. That hasn't stemmed optimism within the TMC that he will fit into Moopanar's shoes. Till that happens, the fate of the party will continue to hang in the balance.

—Arun Ram

MetroScape

Looking Glass

Chennai Restaurant:
Beijing Blues

Delhi Contemporary Crafts: The Craft Workshop

Delhi Restro-bar: 4S