Though a media group accompanied the prime minister on his brief trip to Russia, Manmohan Singh refused to interact with journalists on the plane as he does normally. Singh is chary of speaking to journalists ever since his recent sharp remarks on political opponents triggered angry responses, aggravating the political crisis. During the official press conference in Moscow, the combined Indian journalist contingent was permitted to pose only one question to the prime minister. A very senior editor-proprietor who stood up at the press conference was not allowed to speak. He vented his anger on National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan on the return journey, since the prime minister himself remained incommunicado on the plane. Unaided airline If Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel wants to spread AIDS awareness, surely there are better ways to do so than at the expense of our national carrier. Patel has ordered repainting of all the interiors of Air India planes on the domestic route so that a logo of the anti-AIDS campaign can be put next to the aircraft door. The cost to the airline for this tokenism of demonstrating corporate social responsibility will be around Rs 3 crore. Each aircraft has to be taken off its normal route for nearly 45 days for repainting. With the fleet already overstretched, this will only add to delays and hold-ups. Cynics point out that rather than spreading the message in the skies it makes more sense to spread AIDS awareness at major trucking depots such as Vishakhapatnam and Sriperumbadur, that have the maximum incidence of AIDS. Extending a handSome interpret the prime minister’s recent conciliatory gestures towards both the Left and Right as an attempt to deflect the impending storm on the nuclear deal in the current Parliament session. In Nandigram, the central forces were ordered not to move into the troubled zone until the trigger-happy CPM cadres were firmly in control. In Karnataka the BJP was permitted to form its first government in the south, despite the fierce objections of the Congress state unit. Of course IOUs are not publicly acknowledged in politics. In fact L.K. Advani, when queried by a journalist, maintained that the prime minister was doing them no special favour; it was the BJP’s right to form the government and if the governor had not allowed Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa to be sworn in, the party would have gone to court. Planetary influences Indira Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru set the benchmark for successful politicians in India. Since they were both Scorpios, there is a belief that those born under this astrological sign make the best politicians. Scorpios are characterised by their inclination to put down ruthlessly anyone who crosses their path and they guard their territory zealously. Present-day Scorpio politicians, who celebrate their birthdays this month include L.K. Advani, Arjun Singh, Ambika Soni, Kamal Nath, and Priya Ranjan Das Munsi.Booking his birthdayThe relationship between the leader of the opposition and the president and prime minister has not been very cordial lately, but both sent flowers and conveyed greetings to L.K. Advani on his 80th birthday last week. Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s failure to wish Advani was therefore noticeable. Advani’s re-emergence as the unquestioned supremo in the BJP, after the Jinnah hiccup, was evident from the turnout on his birthday. Four BJP chief ministers flew specially to Delhi to greet him and even Murli Manohar Joshi and Yashwant Sinha, who have foiled Advani’s efforts to soften the BJP stand on the nuclear deal, were present. Many guests eschewed the customary bouquets in favour of books, as Advani is known to be an avid reader.Some of the invitees did not reckon that they would have to sit though an hour-long film on Hanuman produced and directed by Advani’s daughter Pratibha. The talented director had put together her film by compiling every possible clip of the monkey god from Bollywood movies. Her sources ranged from Mr Natwarlal to Sampoorna Ramayana. Pratibha had earlier produced a film on similar lines on Vande Mataram.
