Missing in inaction
Former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh is missing in action from his own constituency — Patiala. Already posters have been put in Patiala announcing reward for anyone who has information about Capt Amarinder Singh’s whereabouts. The poster strategically put up by rival SAD offers Rs 21,000 for anyone who arranges telephonic conversation with him and Rs 25,000 for a meeting with him. The posters have come up when the parliamentary polls are just about a year away and his wife Preneet Kaur is a Member of Parliament from Patiala parliamentary constituency. Capt Amarinder Singh has been out of scene ever since he was removed from the post of state party president. The posters are being seen as a direct attack on the “omni-absent” senior Congress party leader. He has earned for himself the reputation of a non-playing captain, and needs to play the game of politics to break free from the image. Remember Capt, a miss is as good as a mile.
Babus with Delhi durbar backing
Himachal Pradesh Secretariat is nowadays abuzz with talks of babus with Delhi durbar connections. Gossiping has reached to such a level that warring groups are rubbishing claims of each other group leader’s backing from influential Delhi durbar. “leave, apart Delhi backing, he does not even enjoy backing from local Durbar,” said one Babu about one of the top notch babu who had served for years at Delhi. The chit-chat fight in babudum is reaching to an interesting level in Himachal Pradesh Secretariat with no one leaving a stone unturned to undermine a rival.
Not unfurling of tricolor but prestige that matters
Every year the media gets the photographs of the Governor, Chief Minister, Chief Justice or Cabinet Ministers unfurling Tricolour during Independence Day and giving a speech. But when one gets the picture and news brief of newly-elected ruling party MP unfurling a Tricolour at New Delhi, questions are bound to be raised by other MPs of the State. “Why, did not we unfurl the tricolor flag on Independence Day, why is a single MP was being favoured,” said one annoyed parliamentarian. Some days back, one Cabinet Minister had objected for not being allowed to unfurl the Tricolour flag in his home constituency.
You reap what you sow
Few days of rains may have sent the mercury down but the spirit of the city denizens have soared so high that they have taken it for granted that it do rain water. On one hand Municipal Corporation of the city has lost all its hope, even after levying heavy fines, to stop people from wasting water. The people on the other hand are in a jovial monsoon mood and they don’t want any corner of their house, sedans and Suv’s to be left unwashed from the daily supply water only to stay thirsty for the summers. It seems they don’t pay a heed to the saying “you reap what you sow.”
(Contributed by Monika Malik, Manohar lal, Nitindra Bandyopadhyay)