Perfect match
Senior advocate Gopal Subramanium is no cricket player but the game has followed him in the Supreme Court ever since it is hearing the case to reform BCCI. Earlier, he appeared for the Justice Mukul Mudgal Committee that examined the flaws in the IPl. And now, the Bench which is to implement the Justice lodha Committee reforms in BCCI, has engaged Subramanium as amicus curiae to assist the court in arriving at a conclusion. Grapevine has it that cricket has followed Subramanium since his young days. He used to give commentary in cricket matches played at college-level.
Off-track NGOs
Former Supreme Court Justice and NHRC member Cyriac Joseph doubts NGOs in Gujarat engaged in activities related to food security and public distribution system have grassroot experience. Presiding over a session of a two-day NHRC conference on food security recently, he said as much. His advice: Instead of conducting surveys and sending reports to the Centre and NHRC, focus on working at the ground level and help inform the potential beneficiaries about the benefits they are entitled to and forums where they should go.
Kabul’s Bharat prem
Afghanistan and India share a special relationship and warmth, reflected in diplomatic ties as well as during get-togethers and meetings. During a bilateral meeting between Indian Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Khalil Karzai, the visiting dignitary conveyed to his host that Indians are so loved and respected in Afghanistan that during a recent survey they voted India as the most favourable nation. A group of visiting journalists during a dinner with their Indian counterparts had more interesting stories to tell. One is that Indians are safer in Kabul than any other nationals. So much is the respect for Indians that some of the Pakistanis travelling to Kabul identify themselves as Indians in order to get favourable response from local population, because Pakistan is among the “most hated” nations for Afghans. In the same survey where India was rated favourable, Afghans rated Pakistan lower than even ISIS.
Green poll campaign
Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar is turning electoral campaigns too into a green campaign, sagaciously promoting green issues side by side with poll issues. Javadekar, who is also BJP in-charge for Tamil Nadu affairs, was recently campaigning in the State for the upcoming elections. In between the party’s poll promises, he did not spare an opportunity to make a “green attack” on the AIADMK. This was on Tamil Nadu’s pending submission of opinion on Kasturirangan Committee’s report on Western Ghats, sought by his Ministry. When Kerala, Karnataka and Maharashtra have already made their submissions, why is Tamil Nadu not following suit, questioned the Minister.
Uma’s ‘Mulayam’ punch
As Union Minister Uma Bharti was asserting that the Ganga would be nirmal (clean) by July 2018, SP leader Mulayam Singh Yadav interjected and sought to give a simple solution to the problem. “Saare sewer lines ko Ganga se kheton ki taraf mod do, khaad banegi zyada, fasal hogi aur Ganga saaf bhi ho jayegi,” he said in his inimitable style. Known for her counterpunches, Bharti lost no time to retort: “Mulayam Singhji, Mathura-Vrindavan project in Uttar Pradesh has not got NoC for three months, kindly, clear that first.”
Chaiwala brings down temp
Witness to acrimonious scenes last week, the Rajya Sabha had its moments of banter too with Prime Minister Narendra Modi having a good laugh. Criticising Right to Information Act (RTI), NCP leader Praful Patel said even a “paanwala or a chaiwala” can demand information about some technical parameters of a missile. He then realised that Modi used to sell tea in his younger days and immediately turned towards the Prime Minister and with folded hands apologised. Modi along with members of nearly all parties be it the Opposition and Treasury burst out laughing.