Winner nonetheless

So you thought words like Rahul and Sonia and Gandhi spell magic in a village called Amethi? Think again. Amethi recently went to polls to elect its civic body, and guess how many seats the Congress won? One out of four. Amazing, did you say? Hold it, some more amazing things are yet to come. Amethi was promptly clubbed with neighbouring Rae Bareili, so that the Congress tally became an impressive seven out of eleven. Congress leaders fished out every cover-up strategy from their books to make Amethi’s MP, Rahul Gandhi, look victorious instead of foolish. Uttar Pradesh Congress chief, Salman Khurshid, even went to the extent of absolving the young Gandhi of all responsibility on the ground that top leaders like him, as a matter of Congress policy, do not campaign or make an appearance before local-body polls. Thoughtful indeed, the policy is. One only wishes that the same ‘principle’ had been thought of before heaping all the credit on Rahul Gandhi following his mother’s win in Rae Bareili not so long ago. Perhaps, the Congress would do well to publicly lay down another of its policies: No brickbats for the Gandhis, only bouquets are welcome.

After such humiliation

Here’s how honour was restored to the Maratha farmer-cum-cricket-administrator after he received a nudge that launched a thousand reactions. Sharad Pawar’s ‘men’ apparently worked overtime to ensure that the push did not go unavenged. One NCP minister is known to have been particularly active. Calls were made to London, Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney, and the responses were along satisfactory lines. But many in the NCP were still unhappy, it seems. For them, the umpteen repeats of the unsavoury incident on the TV channels had done more harm to their leader’s image than Ricky Ponting’s half-hearted apology could ever salvage.

Lyrical outpourings

Maybe he has been inspired by a former prime minister, or maybe he has woken up to the fact that there is more to life than rocket science. But APJ Abdul Kalam, the president, is cultivating a new passion for poetry (or was it always there, and we didn’t know?). On the eve of the sixth birth anniversary of Chhattisgarh, Kalam couldn’t help scribbling a few lines at the Raj Bhavan in Raipur. Here goes: “I moved and move many times,/ In the dense forests of Chhattisgarh,/ The heartland of the nation/ It was indeed a beautiful and memorable mission.

“Joy entered into me to be part of fragrant flowers and music of Chitrakote falls,/ Beauty penetrated into me and cheered with happiness/ Again my heart blossoms to see you friends/ On this great foundation day.

“Let me salute the martyrdom of Veer Narain Singh on this day/ In this great land unfolded the revolution Bhoomkal/ Born was the peace mission and unity of minds of Guru Ghasidas/ Khoobchand dreamt a prosperous land.

“In the valley of Mahanandi/ I see a developed India, happy India emerging/ Sweat of the hardworking people/ Radiating in the lotus heart of this land/ Glory to the great people of Chhattisgarh.”

Face watch

One of the oldest clubs in the capital, a favourite haunt of civil servants, has introduced photo identity cards with electronically verifiable signatures for its members. Even children and spouses of members would now have to flash their new ID cards if they want to make use of the services offered at this famous address. The whole idea was to prevent the misuse of club facilities on the part of unscrupulous members. And there was no shortage of such mischief. Apparently a member, who was away from the capital for many years, was handed a bill for a face massage, shampoo and hair colouring. It turned out later that the culprit in this case was the wife of a retired army officer who had given the wrong membership and even forged our man’s signature just to look good for a while.

It’s all about the money

Brinda Karat and Sushma Swaraj may be patting themselves after the passage of the domestic violence bill. But the world is still an unequal place for women. For instance, a state provision says that the widow of a government employee has to forfeit her claim on the family pension upon remarriage. As a result, scores of women have to put up with the humiliation of sniggering babus demanding annual notarized certificates before handing out paltry family pension cheques. A change in the law will not only end this, but also encourage widow remarriage. After all, the prospects of men marrying widows will improve if the women have an assured source of income.

Two is better than three

The good times keep rolling for Pranab Mukherjee. A change in ministries has done nothing to reduce his clout in the government. And his new position comes with some handsome perks as well. Mukherjee will soon have a small aircraft for his personal use. A special duty officer has also been appointed to help him with sundry tasks, another proof of his elevated status. The number of his personal staff has also leapt. What’s more, the prime minister seems to never have enough of his Number Two. Manmohan Singh, who is scheduled to visit Philippines and Japan in December, wants Mukherjee to accompany him. But this has set tongues wagging in Raisina Hills. Apparently, not many are willing to let the two top leaders of the country go away at the same time, especially in the absence of a dependable Number Three. But then 10 Janpath has been silent on such an appointment. Such a move, Madam knows well, will start a fresh power struggle, spelling disaster for both the party and the government.