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Media Pulse The New Fashion Mantra: Bye More, Wear Less Frequent-flier Miles: a New Currency |
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THE MELLOWING OF MULAYAM You can be either rigid or a politician but not both at the same time. Mulayam tried to do so in the past but seems to have failed. Now he has chosen the latter. That is why he publicly declared Sonia to be a full-fledged Indian. He was one of the three main leaders to refute Sonia’s ‘Indian-ness’ when she trying to occupy the prime ministerial chair as part of the longest-ruling ‘dynasty’ in the country. He had then claimed that he had saved the country from going into foreign hands. Now he himself is vouching for her ‘Indian-ness’. It seems that the pressure mounted on him by Mayawati has ‘converted’ him and forcing him to seek the help and support of all, ‘friend or enemy’. So the only alternative for him was to put Sonia in the ‘swadeshi’ mould. Mulayam’s volte-face reminds me of the film Sleeping with the Enemy. | |
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I AM YOUR SONIA A meeting of Congress Chief Ministers from different States with Congress President Sonia Gandhi was held in Kashmir. “This is to show our solidarity with the people of Kashmir,” said Sonia Gandhi. She touched the hearts of the people with an emotive speech in which she recounted her visit to the Valley with Rajiv Gandhi. She was dressed in a richly-embroidered Kashmiri gown locally called phiran. She distributed cheques as relief and assurances of employment to victims of terrorist violence. The Congress President spoke in favour of the ‘healing touch’ of the Mufti government. Sonia identified herself with the people of Kashmir when she said that she too was a victim of terrorism as she had lost her mother-in-law and husband to terrorism. | |
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THE SURPRISING SANYASIN Uma Bharti never ceases to surprise with her gimmicks. The BJP temporarily has given up their hawkish demeanour due to the upcoming state assembly elections in four major states. But Uma has again raked up the Bhojsala temple (Kamal Maula Masjid) issue despite party bigwigs like Arun Jaitley and Pramod Mahajan saying that poll campaign would focus on development. MP Chief Minister Digvijay Singh had cautioned his party men to keep a watch on any communal trouble which would go in BJP's favour. Uma had earlier celebrated Hanumanji's birthday by lighting candles and cutting a cake in a temple at Chhindwara. The latest cracker might be an indication that she is trying to follow Modi's footsteps. Can the Sanyasin surprise us on the MP elections? Just wait and watch. | |
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POLL POLICY Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee
recently, during a visit to Kashmir, announced that he was ready to
extend the hand of friendship to Pakistan. But hisoffer was conditional.
He said he was ready for talks only if Pakistan stopped cross-border
terrorism. | |
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FORCED BACHELOR Govindacharya has finally admitted that he had wanted to marry Uma Bharti but was not accepted by her. One wonders what made Govindacharya reveal this secret now. We tried to find out. It seems that the recent observation by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijay Singh that the country faced drought conditions because many of its leaders including the President of India and the prime Minister preferred not to take a spouse provoked Govindacharya to state that he had tried but failed. That is why Govindacharya does not want to join the Bachelors Club (11 Ashok Road). | |
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MAMTA'S HEARTLESSNESS Despite being crushed heavily by the CPI(M) in the Panchayat elections in West Bengal, Mamata has not forsaken her blackmailing. Vajpayee tried to woo her with a cabinet berth during his latest ministerial reshuffle but she not only turned the offer down but vented her ire on all and sundry sparing no one her rantings. She was upset when the Coal Ministry was offered to her and wanted the Rural Development Ministry instead. Mamata wants to choke the CPI(M) in West Bengal by throttling the inflow of funds into the State. The BJP is afraid of losing its ally in West Bengal and is all set to appease her all over again. Another reshuffle is likely on the cards just to induct Mamata, provided she comes to terms at last with the reality of her situation. But with Mamata no one can be sure; she is so unpredictable that her next step cannot be guessed. She has yet to learn the lesson that a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. | |
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HEALTH OF MPs It was so hot in Delhi, we are talking of climate, not politics, that our honourable politicians of all shades found it too hot for comfort. So, with the taxpayers’ money being used in abundance, they made a beeline for cooler climes. And where else? There was no colder or cooler spot in the country than Leh in far-off Ladakh. Their decision proved good for the country. Because, the health of our politicians came into focus when it was found that they could not stand the low-oxygen high-altitude. So while some of them caught the next flight to Srinagar, the others returned to Delhi. While it is unfortunate the Leh could not play the host to so many of our honourable politicians, the country has been benefited, as the subsequent health and medical checks will help our leaders to get back into the pink of health and will be able to receive more of their wisdom and politics. | |
