Art in politics
One of the major attractions at the three-day-long Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Odisha was the sand sculpture of Lord Jagannath which featured the prime minister, Narendra Modi, paying obeisance to the god. Several Bharatiya Janata Party leaders made a beeline for the sand artwork, which adorned the entrance to the exhibition on the Ramayana, to take a selfie with it. Among the top BJP leaders who took photographs with the sculpture was the Union minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, who hails from Odisha and is considered to be close to the Union home minister, Amit Shah. He is also known to enjoy the blessings of Modi. The chant, ‘Jai Jagannath’, reverberated throughout the convention with almost every speaker, including the PM and Union ministers, beginning their speeches by chanting the name of the god. This, they obviously thought, was the best way to strike a chord with the people of the state where the presiding deity is Lord Jagannath whose 12th-century abode is located in Puri.
Luxury on wheels
A controversy erupted when a luxurious vanity van was spotted while the poll consultant-turned-politician and Jan Suraaj Party leader, Prashant Kishor, was fasting unto death at the Gandhi Maidan in Patna recently to demand the cancellation of the preliminary test conducted by Bihar Public Service Commission. The van had a plush bedroom, a modern washroom, padded chairs, and other facilities to accommodate a couple of people. Everybody started asking about the need for such an opulent vehicle close to the protest venue. Although the ownership of the van was traced to the family of the former member of Parliament from Purnia, Pappu Singh, Kishor seemed to be using it.
Poll strategist Prashant Kishor speaks to the people at a meeting on inviting them to join his political movement 'Jan Suraaj' which is scheduled to be launched this year on 2nd October (Gandhi Jayanti), in Patna on Wednesday. Sourced by The Telegraph
The JSP leader finally had to clarify that the van served practical necessities. “If I go home to relieve myself, the journalists will ask whether I went to take food or a nap,” Kishor said. He added that some people were alleging that the van was worth
Rs 2 crore, with a rent of Rs 25 lakh daily. “Let this van be taken away. Give me Rs 25 lakh per day in return and provide me an alternate space to be used as a washroom,” he said. The transport department has seized the vehicle for allegedly flouting several rules. “Kishor is a follower of Mahatma Gandhi. Imagine Gandhi using such facilities during his satyagraha! The British would have never left the country. He should ponder over these issues that take away the sheen of his good intentions,” a JSP leader quipped.
Praise and jibes
Fulsome praise can sometimes invite sharp criticism. Take the example of the chief minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar. During his ongoing statewide Pragati Yatra, he made it a point to meet the ‘Jeevika Didis’, women of self-help groups that were connected to State-sponsored rural livelihood projects. While on the tour, Kumar asserted that he launched the scheme in 2006 and pointed out: “Now see, how good their [the SHG workers’] faces look! Were there such faces earlier? They speak so well.” The Rashtriya Janata Dal leader, Tejashwi Yadav, who is also the leader of the Opposition in the Bihar assembly, was quick to slam the CM. “Did anybody have a face before 2005 [when Kumar came to power]? He gave them good faces after that. Did anybody speak earlier? He taught them how to speak,” Yadav said. The controversy is a reminder of the comment made by the RJD chief, Lalu Prasad. He had said that Kumar was going on a tour to ogle at women. Unfortunately, Kumar has faced flak several times in the recent past for making objectionable comments about women.
Many tongues
The Odisha CM, Mohan Charan Majhi, stole the show during the inaugural session of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas and silenced his critics by delivering a speech in three languages. Majhi began his speech with “Jai Jagannath” and spoke the first few lines in Odia. This was greeted with thunderous applause by the Odias present at the venue. He then switched to Hindi to welcome the PM and other dignitaries, impressing the crowd of non-resident Indians and members of the Indian diaspora, who clapped enthusiastically. Majhi finally surprised everyone by speaking in English, highlighting the achievements of his government and the state’s march towards progress under his watch. He was again applauded, particularly by the pravasi Bharatiyas. The way he interacted with the NRIs and demonstrated Odisha’s potential to them impressed all. Majhi made a favourable impression on a big stage. What won over the Indian diaspora was the ease with which he switched to Hindi and asked them to enjoy Odia delicacies like dalma, rasgulla and chhenapoda.