Cong cell lends ear to griping MLAs

Meghalaya legislators clamour for berths

Meghalaya chief minister D.D. Lapang with Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia during a meeting in New Delhi on Thursday. (PTI) Shillong, Aug. 28 : The Meghalaya unit of the Congress has activated its political affairs committee to address the grievances of party legislators, amid their clamour for induction of more Congress members into the ministry. The committee, chaired by PCC president Friday Lyngdoh, comprises chief minister D.D. Lapang, deputy chief minister Mukul Sangma, former chief minister S.C. Marak and PCC working president Deborah Marak among others. The names of former Lok Sabha MP from Shillong P.R. Kyndiah and PHE minister Prestone Tynsong were added to the list of committee members yesterday. Deborah said the committee would be a co-ordinating body to bridge the gap between the party and the government. “We are also committed to address the grievances of Congress legislators,” she added. A source in the Congress said after the party recently won the Laitumkhrah bypoll, raising its tally to 27 in the 60-member House, a section of its legislators suggested that more senior party legislators should be accommodated in the Congress-led Meghalaya United Alliance (MUA) ministry. A Congress legislator pointed out that despite having 27 legislators, the party has only six cabinet berths, including the chief minister. In the 12-member ministry, the United Democratic Party (UDP) has got two cabinet berths, the Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) one and Independents three. While some legislators suggested that the two UDP legislators be dropped, others said two of the three Independents could be dropped to accommodate two Congress legislators. The MUA coalition comprises the Congress with 27 MLAs, the UDP with nine MLAs, the Hill State Peoples’ Democratic Party (HSPDP) with two MLAS, KHNAM with one MLA and five Independents. The lone BJP legislator in the House has also extended support to the MUA. Deborah ruled out the possibility of betraying coalition partners, especially the UDP, which had extended support to the Congress during the formation of the MUA government. Of the three Independents, IT minister A.T. Mondal was loyal to the Congress till the formation of the government. If at all there is a reshuffle, it would involve the other two Independents, Ismail Marak and Limison Sangma, who are also ministers in the MUA. The Congress source said if there is a change, it could take place next week after Lapang returns from Delhi after consulting AICC leaders.

READ MORE - Cong cell lends ear to griping MLAs

Centre aims to complete Universal ID in five years: Rahul

Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh, Aug 21 : Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi today claimed that Centre's ambitious scheme for providing every citizen with a Universal ID would serve as a medium for identifying every citizen as truly Indian.

Mr Gandhi, who took part in the National Students' Union of India programme at the local Ayushman Mahawar Bhavan here on the first day of his two-day visit in the state, said the Centre was aiming to complete the ID within five years.

He said India could march forward towards a developed and happy country if it was devoid of any discrimination of caste, creed and religion and all citizen should be treated as true Indian.

The Congress leader said that due to lack of development the insurgency was flourishing in the state and alleged that the state government failed to utilise the funds allotted by the Centre and it did not reach to the people properly.

Mr Gandhi alleged that the state government was neglecting the development of the tribal-infested areas and the tribals' education was affecting for the lack of teachers and principals in the schools and colleges.

He also expressed concern over lack of participation of triabls in the politics and appealed the tribals to take more interest in politics.

During the interaction, students drew the attention of Mr Gandhi that the administration was demanding fifty years old documents of land for issuing caste certificate for the scheduled tribes, scheduled casts and the backward classes. Mr Gandhi assured them to look into the matter after gathering proper information.

READ MORE - Centre aims to complete Universal ID in five years: Rahul

Congress wins Meghalaya by-poll

SHILLONG: Congress nominee and Meghalaya education minister Ampareen Lyngdoh on Friday won the by-poll to Laitumkhrah constituency defeating the United Democratic Party
(UDP) candidate Malcolm Tariang by a margin of 2,327 votes.

Lyngdoh polled 5,800 votes, while Tariang bagged 3,473 votes. The lone women legislator increased her winning margin from 1,593 in the 2008 assembly elections to 2,327 this time.

In 2008, Lyngdoh, then a member of the UDP, had defeated Tariang who had contested as independent candidate.

The four other candidates - Stephen Nongbet (BJP), Remeo Phira Rani (Hill State Peoples Democratic Party) and two Independents, George Garry Lyngdoh and Andrew Aibok Jyrwa, forfeited their security deposit.

"I won despite personal attacks by my opponents. I must say they are yet to learn the game (of politics)," Lyngdoh said after emerging victorious.

She was under attack by her opponents who branded her as a "betrayer" after she resigned from the UDP and the Assembly on March 31 before joining Congress, necessitating the by-poll.

Laitumkhrah constituency has always been considered as the strong hold of Lyngdoh family. Before Ampareen, the seat was represented by her brother Robert G Lyngdoh and their father late P G Marbaniang.

READ MORE - Congress wins Meghalaya by-poll

Cong jittery after RPI seals poll pact

Mumbai: After nearly two decades, Republican Party of India (RPI) factions have decided to part ways with the Congress, giving the latter the shivers. On Tuesday, 12 factions of RPI decided to come together to contest the October assembly elections under one umbrella, leaving the Congress and its alliance partner, Nationalist Congress Party, out to fend for themselves.

Ramdas Athavale, who spreadheaded the united RPI show, said, "We will show our power. We will decide the fate of the next government and the chief minister of Maharashtra".

Dalits constitute 10.5% of the total vote bank, with potential to upset Congress calculations by playing spoilsport in at least 60 assembly segments.

Athavale said, "We are thoroughly disenchanted with the (Congress) neglect of the dalit community."

Noted dalit writer Arjun Dangle said, "The pressure for us to come together emanated from the grassroots workers."

The developments have made the Congress jittery. Top leadership of state Congress is going that extra mile to break dalit unity, wooing individual leaders with promises of getting them elected to the state legislature council and Rajya Sabha.

The biggest drawback for RPI, however, is the refusal of Prakash Ambedkar, Bharatiya Bahujan Mahasangh chief, to join it.

READ MORE - Cong jittery after RPI seals poll pact

NC Hills thorn pricks Cong balloon

- PM rap leaves Assam shaken

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh greets the gathering at the inauguration of the chief ministers’ meet in New Delhi on Monday, as home minister P. Chidambaram looks on. (PTI) Guwahati, Aug. 19 : The ruling Congress in Assam was a shaken house today after both the Prime Minister and the Union home minister ticked off the state for not handling the insurgency situation, particularly in the North Cachar Hills district, efficiently. The virtual mend-your-style-of-functioning notice from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and home minister P.C. Chidambaram came at a meeting of chief ministers on internal security in New Delhi yesterday. Party insiders said the Centre’s observations could once again give a handle to Tarun Gogoi baiters in the Assam PCC, who have otherwise been lying low for some time in the face of the party’s successive creditable electoral performances. The official admission about the ineffectiveness of the Gogoi government and his team has made the case of the Gogoi baiters stronger, the party insiders contended. They said now the party high command, too, would be forced to hear out the “justified” dissent against Gogoi and his team. “Only last month, 27 MLAs had submitted a memorandum to Gogoi to drop non-performing ministers to shore up the administration before the 2011 elections. Nothing came of it because of the party’s impressive showing in the municipal and town committee elections. But the Centre’s open criticism will give a boost to this lot’s demand to clip the wings of Gogoi and his team. For the first time in eight years, they have got a potent weapon to use against Gogoi and his team,” one of them said. Neutral Congressmen, too, admitted that the public observations were “unprecedented” and reflected the ground realities that had hampered development in certain pockets of the state. They also felt that the observations were based on feedback from the ground and not on what Dispur must have been “feeding” the Centre. “The observations are a cause for worry because the rap has come from two senior Congress leaders. It surely must have the tacit approval of the party high command which would like the chief minister and his team to pull up their socks to set things right. It is not only about law and order but also about execution of development projects. After eight years in power, expectations are high from the Gogoi government to deliver. It is clearly a wake-up call,” a party insider said at Rajiv Bhawan this afternoon. Singh had said the situation in Assam, Manipur and Nagaland remained “problematic and worrisome” with Assam and Manipur accounting for a disproportionately large number of violent incidents reported from the Northeast. Chidambaram said these three states were most affected vis-à-vis insurgency and he would draw up state-specific plans with them to deal with militant groups. Singh even expressed displeasure over the “unsatisfactory” utilisation of the Rs 750 crore sanctioned by the Centre for the development of the Bodo belt and rehabilitation of those affected by violence there and in North Cachar Hills district. A very guarded Assam PCC general secretary, Haren Das, who is in-charge of the media, said the party had taken note of the observations as it had been widely published in the media. “The problem should be addressed in such a manner that things improve. Our government and the party, both at the state and Centre, are trying to improve things,” he added. The Opposition AGP was quick to pounce on the observations. Its chief spokesman Atul Bora said the Centre should either issue a strict directive to set things right or simply dismiss the “failed” Gogoi government. “We have been proved right about the Gogoi government being an utter failure on all fronts,” he said. AUDF’s working president H.R.A. Choudhury said the Gogoi government was more interested in power than improving law and order or working for development. State BJP vice-president Palit Bora said the observations were a true reflection of the state of affairs. “Coming from a Prime Minister who represents Assam, it only indicates that even a Congress-headed Centre cannot protect a Congress-headed state government any further,” he said.

READ MORE - NC Hills thorn pricks Cong balloon

Now time for Rahul to woo Dalits in UP

New Delhi, Aug 14 (PTI) After Congress President Sonia Gandhi, it is now time for son Rahul to reach out to the Dalits in Uttar Pradesh and galvanise the party to take on the Mayawati government.

Rahul's visit to his Amethi Lok Sabha constituency from Monday assumes significance as it comes close on the heels of his mother's visit to Rae Bareli where she walked the extra mile to listen to the problems of Dalits.

Sonia visited over a dozen Dalit villages during her three-day tour from August 10 and mingled with Dalit women, even entering their huts to see for herself their pathetic living conditions.

During his earlier visit this month, Rahul had spent a night with a Dalit family, and had once taken British Foreign Secretary David Milliband to a Dalit village in his constituency.

READ MORE - Now time for Rahul to woo Dalits in UP

Sonia holds court in Rae Bareli village, wins Dalit man freedom

Rae Bareli : On the second day of her three-day visit to Rae Bareli, her constituency, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi inspected the under-construction Rail Coach factory. The facto-ry, said to be one of her dream projects, has been a bone of contention between the Centre and the state government.


During inspection, Gandhi found that only the boundary wall has been constructed and work on a power station and a tubewell was underway.

Since only workers and junior staff were present on the site, Gandhi called senior officials, including D Anand — the Chief Executive Officer of the factory — for a meeting.


As on Monday, when she had gone to as many as 17 villages and listened to the problems of the villagers, Gandhi visited a number of villages on Tuesday as well.


In Sarayen Digonsa village, Gandhi stopped to listen to the complaints of the members of the Pasi community.
An elderly woman, Chanda Pasi, fell on Gandhi’s feet and sought her help to free her husband Chedi Lal, a Dalit. Chanda alleged that the police had picked up her husband in the morning and were torturing him.


Gandhi asked the police officer accompanying her to look into the matter. After speaking to the police station in-charge, the officer reported that Chedi Lal has been picked up by mistake. He was released in the evening.
Gandhi also visited Ahar village where NREGA work was in progress to level the fields for the benefit of the SC/STs.


She personally checked the muster roll and asked the official on site to call those marked as present.
When some of the workers complained about delay in payment, Gandhi demanded an explanation from the engineer.


Earlier on Tuesday, Gandhi inaugurated Rajiv Gandhi Boys Hostel at the premises of Firoze Gandhi Institute of Engineering and Technology.


Cong chief’s visits an ‘eyewash’: BSP

The BSP on Tuesday described Sonia Gandhi’s visits to Dalit houses as an “eyewash”. “If UPA chairperson Sonia had any concern for the Dalits of her constituency, she would have formulated special schemes for their economic development,” said a party statement.

According to the BSP, Sonia Gandhi was misleading Dalits in Rae Bareli. “After Independence, Rae Bareli has been represented by the members of Gandhi family or its close associates, but it has seen little development,” the statement added.

READ MORE - Sonia holds court in Rae Bareli village, wins Dalit man freedom

Sonia reaches out to Dalit hamlet

Photo : Sanjay
Congress president and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi listens to the woes of the villagers during her three-day visit to Raebareli on Monday. Rae Bareli (UP): Like Kalavati, turned overnight into a mascot of the underprivileged by Rahul Gandhi after he narrated her plight in Lok Sabha, another poor woman Vidyavati on Monday had Sonia Gandhi coming to her aid when the Congress president visited a Dalit hamlet in her constituency.
Clasping Ms. Gandhi’s hand, the middle-aged woman took the Congress chief, who interacted with residents of Aghoura village here on the first day of her three-day stay, to her dilapidated hut which didn’t even have a charpoy.
After the woman narrated her woes, a visibly moved Ms. Gandhi asked her representative to ensure that the woman gets an Indira Awas house and other benefits. All the while Vidyavati held Ms. Gandhi’s hands while cameras clicked on.
Dressed in a striped brown sari with her head covered, Ms. Gandhi, who is affectionately called ‘Bahu’ (daughter-in-law) by elderly women in her constituency, frequently got down from her vehicle to accept their greetings.
“Where is the ADM?” Ms. Gandhi asked when the women pointed to the anomalies in various schemes and complained that they were not getting food grains.
With her party locked in a turf war for Dalit votes, Ms. Gandhi mostly chose to hold the ‘chaupal’ meetings at the houses of Dalits, sitting on a charpoy amid men and women and chatting about their day-to-day problems.
The Congress president also visited the house of Rameshwar Pasi in the same village, where the conditions were no different.

READ MORE - Sonia reaches out to Dalit hamlet

Rahul Gandhi's aide appointed advisor to Meghalaya CM

Shillong, Aug 11: Meghalaya Chief Minister D D Lapang has appointed electronics and telecommunication engineer Anish Gandhi, a close aide of Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi, as his advisor.

A member of the Youth Congress and part of the 'Rahul brigade', the 34-year-old will advise Lapang on key issues, especially development, official sources said here today.

Anish, who had earlier served as the advisor in the Panchayati Raj and Rural Development Ministry, is on a familiarisation trip to Shillong after he took charge yesterday.

He holds a rank equivalent to that of a secretary in the union government.

"Gandhi was instrumental in the introduction of rural and terrestrial satellite communication solution in various parts of the Northeastern region and village public telephone across the country," an official said.

Appointed on an honorary basis, he will get a token salary of Re 1 per month.

READ MORE - Rahul Gandhi's aide appointed advisor to Meghalaya CM

Cong wary of NCP challenge

AICC envoy in Arunachal

Itanagar, Aug. 11 : Alarmed at the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)’s bid to pose a challenge to the ruling Congress in Arunachal Pradesh, the AICC has rushed its general secretary and Arunachal in-charge, V. Narayanaswamy, to oversee party affairs in the state which will go to the polls in October. Narayanaswamy, who is also the Union minister of state for parliamentary affairs and planning, arrived on a three-day visit to Aru-nachal Pradesh on Saturday to monitor the poll preparedness and soothe frayed nerves over the issuance of tickets to the aspirants within the party. Addressing the media today, he spoke about the AICC’s move to crack the whip on “dissident” partymen, particularly MLAs, who defied party diktat in recent times. He also scotched rumours that the NCP would cash in on the internal feud within the Congress. “I am here to oversee the poll preparedness of my party with the Assembly polls just two months away in the state. The party high command gave me a free hand to handle dissidence so that the party’s prospects to win the polls do not receive a setback. The party would not hesitate to act tough on MLAs who worked against the party. We will never allow any party — be it the NCP or any other — to derive mileage because of a rift within our camp,” Narayana-swamy said. He said the NCP, which has been making claims that this election would see the end of the Congress’s “hegemony” in the 60-member Assembly, would not be able to put up a fight given the organisational strength of the ruling party. The AICC leader refuted the NCP’s claim that it has gained ground with the support from disgruntled Congress members in the state. “A party like the NCP does not have any mass base here in Arunachal Pradesh and is not in a position to topple the ruling Congress government nor form a government in the state. Though NCP general secretary P.A. Sangma recently expressed his party’s keenness to go for post-poll alliance with the Congress in the state, we do not need such an alliance as the Congress will go it alone in Assembly polls,” Narayanaswamy added. He indicated that party would give priority to youth and women when it comes selecting candidates. He said loyalty, ability to win and merit will be taken into consideration and no nepotism and favouritism will be entertained. Mentioning different meetings held at Khonsa and Kanubari in the troubled Tirap district during his visit yesterday afternoon, he said he had urged the misguided youths of these areas to shun the path of violence. Narayanaswamy expressed the hope that the Congress would retain all 60 seats in Assembly polls.

READ MORE - Cong wary of NCP challenge

Cong to contest Arunachal assembly polls on its own

Itanagar: The ruling Congress in Arunachal Pradesh has nothing to do with the NCP in the state and will contest the assembly elections, due in October, on its own.

"The state unit of Congress has decided to go it alone and will field candidates in all the sixty seats. We have nothing to do with the NCP in the state," AICC General Secretary and incharge of the state, V Narayansami, said here today.

"We may have NCP as an ally at the Centre and in Maharashtra, but the relation varies from state to state. In Meghalaya, NCP fought against us and are in the opposition," he said.

Narayansami's comments came in the wake of statements from local NCP leaders that Congressmen who felt neglected were joining it and that the Congress president has a soft corner for NCP as the party is its ally at the Centre and in Maharashtra.

He also had an interaction with the state party leaders and said prospective candidates would be finalised shortly.

READ MORE - Cong to contest Arunachal assembly polls on its own

Cong sees no threat of Dalit alienation

NAGPUR: All India Congress Committee secretary Mohan Prakash, in-charge of the party affairs in the state, sees no threat of Dalit alienation from the Congress ahead of the assembly polls. Dismissing fresh efforts at unification of all factions of Republican Party of India as a challenge, Prakash said the Congress was a century-old national party and support of all classes and sections was its inherent strength.

Prakash was in the city to get a feel of the party's preparedness for the elections. AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh and Prakash, along with K Rehman and Madhusudhan Mistry, have been asked to study the political situation in all 48 Lok Sabha constituencies of the state. While Prakash is focusing on assembly seats in Nagpur district, Singh will be in the city on August 18 to meet leaders and party activists regarding the six assembly seats in the city.

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of the party meeting held at the Ganeshpeth office, Prakash said the decision on renewing alliance with the NCP was likely within a week. Once that is done, the party would concentrate on other traditional allies like the RPI. Asked about the growing disenchantment amid Dalit leaders like Ramdas Athavale who are busy uniting all RPI factions to consolidate the Dalit vote and even chart out a new course, Prakash said the Congress would not be cowed down by any threats. "The Dalits trust the Congress. In the Lok Sabha elections four important Dalit candidates - Sushilkumar Shinde, Mukul Wasnik, Eknath Gaikwad and Jayant Awale - were elected comfortably from the state. This shows the immense popularity that the party enjoys.

He said the BJP-Shiv Sena would be the main rival for the Congress which was very confident of getting back to power. Asked if issues like skyrocketing prices of essential items and foodgrains could cost the party dear in polls, Prakash said the government was taking firm steps to arrest price-rise.

The district Congress meeting where prospective candidates and their supporters were given a chance to speak witnessed some heated exchanges when Ramtek seat was under discussion. As former chairman of municipal council Deorao Mahute started pleading the case of Mohite, supporters of Chandrapal Choukse rose in protest. The district Congress is divided over the Ramtek candidate with growing demand for a local' candidate that would naturally disqualify Mohite who is otherwise seen as a strong contender having won the Lok Sabha seat twice albeit on a Sena ticket.

READ MORE - Cong sees no threat of Dalit alienation

Rahul dines with Dalits in Amethi

LUCKNOW: While in Lucknow he may have resisted all suggestions to visit Rita Bahuguna Joshi's house to avoid locking horns with the BSP supremo, back to Amethi the same night Rahul Gandhi once again waved out a red cloth before chief minister Mayawati by dining with Dalit women in Kansapur, a small hamlet in his constituency.

Rahul reached Kansapur, nearly 9 km off Amethi, along with his friends at 10.30 pm. Though their host at the dinner at a short notice was a `savarn' (upper caste) Diptika Srivastava, who heads a women self-help group in the area, all invitees who joined in the community feast were Dalits from the neighbourhood.

The number approximately 50 stayed up till late as the Gandhi scion exchanged views with them. The conversation veered around a little bit of Maya bashing with Rahul telling women how the chief minister did not accord any priority to Amethi for any developement projects.

Rahul has lauched a similar self-help group in Budelkhand also, party sources told TOI and Amethi group has been frequenting the region to teach them the nitty-gritty of the project.

The MP shared their experiences and gave suggestions. The visit lasted approximately five hours. Rahul and his cronies got back to the rest house only after 3:00 am. It is his second visit to dine with Dalits in Kansapur, sources claimed.

READ MORE - Rahul dines with Dalits in Amethi

Congress sweeps civic bodies polls in Assam

GUWAHATI: The congress party in Assam has swept the civic bodies polls. The party has almost captured 80 per cent of the municipal boards (MB) and town committees (TC).

The party had suffered loss of two seats in this year’s Lok Sabha elections. Congress had won seven Lok Sabha seats out of 14 in Assam, two less than the 2004’s tally.

Asom United Democratic Front (AUDF) did not contest the MB and TC polls.

The party feels it will boost the morale of the party ahead of the state assembly polls slated for 2011.

Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Bhubneswar Kalita on Tuesday said that out of 645 ward members, Congress has won 405. This is the best ever performance of the party in the civic polls.

According to the party, out of 68 MB/TC Congress has clear majority in at least 54.

Mr Kalita added "This is unprecedented. In the Lok Sabha elections in some towns and cities, we got fewer votes. However, people have reposed faith in the developmental works initiated by Congress. We will initiate housing schemes for homeless in towns and cities
and a provision for the same is made in this year’s budget,"

He added, "Our door to door campaigning strategy has yielded dividends. AGP-BJP which jointly fought elections failed miserably. We are hopeful that we will able to repeat the same in the Assembly polls."

READ MORE - Congress sweeps civic bodies polls in Assam

A weighty issue for Rahul Gandhi

New Delhi, Aug 2 : That Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi is playing a key role in revitalising the party is known. And despite a demanding schedule, he keeps fit by exercising regularly. During the rigorous Lok Sabha election campaign, he took to boxing. Now he is keen to see that the party’s youth brigade also puts a premium on health-along with political work.

Indian Youth Congress president and new MP Ashok Tanwar was gently pulled up by Gandhi recently. When Tanwar became MP, Gandhi approvingly told him that he (Tanwar) had lost weight and told him to keep up the exercise regimen. But during the budget session, Gandhi noticed that Tanwar had put on weight and wanted to know why. Tanwar got the message: he has now promised to pump iron to burn out the extra flab.
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New work ethic irks babus

Government officials who used to saunter in and out of North Block offices are in for a rude shock. A biometrics based attendance and access control system to monitor the entry and exit time of babus in the ministries of home and finance and the department of personnel and training has been readied. Home Minister P. Chidambaram is keen to ensure punctuality. He wants all officers to report at 9 a.m. and not leave before 5.30 p.m. The move has caused resentment among sections of babudom but the home minister is undeterred. The system apparently has the capacity to store data of 100,000 people and is tamper proof.
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India looms large on London’s agenda

British MP Keith Vaz, chairman of the House Select Committee on Immigration, was in New Delhi to invite Congress bigwigs for his Labour party’s annual conference at Brighton in late September. Labour is hoping that Rahul Gandhi will attend or the Congress will depute a high-profile leader. Curiously, when Vaz, whose parents hail from Goa, was here, a group of Tory MPs was also in Delhi at the invitation of the public diplomacy division of the external affairs ministry. The Friends of India group was led by Indian origin MP Sailesh Vara. Among its six members was another Indian-origin MP, Sandeep Verma. Evidently, India figures large on Britain’s political agenda. The coming months will see a string of high-profile visits from Britain. Indian President Pratibha Patil goes there in October on a state visit at the invitation of Queen Elizabeth II.
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Sibal to do away with Arjun’s quotas

Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal, who advocates fundamental reforms in education, is fed up of fielding requests for admissions to Kendriya Vidyalayas (central schools). Each MP gets to recommend two admissions in Kendriya Vidyalayas. The minister can recommend a whopping 1,200! But his predecessor, Arjun Singh, has exhausted virtually the whole quota before his term ended. Sibal believes that this system has to go.
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Azhagiri realises only Tamil won’t do

At 58, Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister M.K. Azhagiri (spelt Alagiri in the official website) began his government career with a bang-as a cabinet minister. Initially, insiders say, he was struggling to find his feet and often called up his cousin Dayanidhi Maran, the textiles minister, for help. But in two months he has grown in confidence. In addition, Azhagiri, the eldest son of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Muthuvel Karunanidhi, is learning to speak Hindi from a teacher he has engaged, realising that only Tamil and English wont do in Delhi. The buzz is also that he is also brushing up on his English.

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‘Be careful what you tell journalists’

Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad gave a piece of his mind to Health Secretary Naresh Dayal in full public view. At the centenary celebrations of the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (now called National Centre for Disease Control), Azad asked one of his staff members to summon Dayal who was busy talking to the media. Admonishing him, Azad told Dayal not to go exceed the brief as journalists often tend to deviate rather than concentrate on the issue at hand. Curious scientists who missed out the action were keen to know what happened, but a chastened Dayal kept mum throughout the function.

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Now the group of vulnerables

Global warming leads to rise in sea levels, threatening countries like the Maldives, an atoll nation. In order to make the world take note of their plight, these countries have formed a group called V10 - V for Vulnerable. Leading the pack is Bangladesh, which has a long coast. Others include Kiribatu, Vanuatu, Liberia and Cape Verde. Maldives Foreign Minister Ahmed Shaheed, on one of his visits to Delhi, tried to sensitise Indian policy makers and experts about the seriousness of their case. Can India help?

READ MORE - A weighty issue for Rahul Gandhi