As soon as a politician gets into a seat of power, he spares no effort and no time to adorn himself with the trappings of the post, probably in a bid to project himself bigger than he actually is. The need for symbolism to assert himself sometimes goes to ridiculous lengths. Like every Tom, Dick and Harry wanting ‘Black Cat’ security even though no one in his senses would even touch him with a bargepole.

Recently, Sonia Gandhi who, as leader of the opposition, can rightfully claim many of the trappings, did the opposite—she did away with them. She spent a short vacation in Kasauli without any additional security. In fact, she did not even inform the Government of Uttaranchal, even though the State was being ruled by her own party. Obviously, she did not want her presence to create discomfort for the common people of the town and throw daily life out of gear. She used a car without a red beacon light and had no escort cars. When will our other politicians, who claim to be ‘leaders of the people’, realise that they too are just one of us and live likewise?

Digvijay Singh is preparing to fight the fundamentalist BJP in Madhya Pradesh with its own weapons. He beat them at their own game by inaugurating a Hanuman temple in the premises of a hospital. The other Hanuman temple controversy in which Uma Bharti celebrated the deity’s birthday by cutting a cake (eggless?) inside the temple premises is still strong in public memory and Digvijay Singh seems to making inroads into the traditional BJP vote bank using the same methods but modified to conform to sanctity, and sanity. This moderate Hindutva is more acceptable to the people rather than the militant RSS form. Digvijay has also shown his liberalism in reserving seats for different classes and communities. He is thus emerging as a secular politician, the need of the hour and a rare commodity. Now the Congress cannot be accused of being pseudo-secular and the BJP cannot claim to be the only national party representing the political cause of the Hindus.

Sonia Gandhi, say Congress inner circles, has set the SPG to cut to size those Congress leaders who get too big for their boots. And that has also set off an inner party war between the Punjabi Khatris and Brahmins. The Khatri triumvirate comprises R. K. Dhawan, Kamal Nath Malhotra and Ambika Soni. And they have tried their best to vanquish the Brahmins who once dominated the Congress. Among the vanquished are already many Tewaris, Tripathis and Sharmas within the party. Brahmins are however Brahmins and have now chosen to strike back to ensure that once what was once called the Brahmin Congress maintains its class character. Their specific attack is now on the SPG member considered the closest to the Congress President. They have been digging up political dirt on her including skeletons from the past like her deposition against Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi before the Shah Commission and her saying good bye to the Congress and joining the Congress(S). But will they get Ambika? And what has the SPG got to do with Congress politics? No, this SPG is not that SPG which is controlled by the government. According to well-informed Congress cynics, it is short for "Sonia Pallu Group", or those who hover around the Congress President all the time.