Proud moment
The chief minister of Tamil Nadu and the leader of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, MK Stalin, inaugurated the party’s Delhi office yesterday amidst much pomp and splendour. The palatial building is being seen as the epitome of Tamil sub-nationalism. Social media in Tamil Nadu is abuzz with pride at the white fort-like structure which has been named Anna-Kalaignar Arivalayam. Some have even hailed the building as Tamil Nadu’s embassy in India. This comparison is not without reason. The ‘embassy’ tag has been attached with the DMK since its members of Parliament and the legislative assembly went to countries bordering Ukraine to assist with the rescue of stranded students from the state. DMK supporters have covered Delhi with banners of their leader, perhaps surprising the visiting Russian foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, with a deification of Stalin not seen since the end of the Soviet Union.
Painted red
Bharatiya Janata Party members, led by the Karnataka MP, Tejasvi Surya, ‘attacked’ the home of the Delhi CM, Arvind Kejriwal, this week to protest against the latter calling The Kashmir Files a ‘fake film’. The BJP has widely promoted the film with tax waivers and screenings in the states in which it is in power. The manner of the agitation was reminiscent of propaganda art used by Naxalites. BJP workers splashed red paint and palm impressions on the boundaries of the bungalow to symbolize the killings of Kashmiri Pandits by insurgents. Red handprints were in vogue after the former Naxalite, K. Ajitha, allegedly printed an impression of her palm dipped in the blood of a slain cop after storming a police camp in Kerala in 1968 to protest against the eviction of peasants by temple authorities. Ironically, BJP leaders have dubbed Kejriwal a “Naxalite” in the past.
Costly slip
Sirajuddin Ajmal, an MLA in Assam and the younger brother of All India United Democratic Front chief, Badruddin Ajmal, created a flutter during an interaction with the media on the loss of the joint Opposition candidate in the Rajya Sabha polls. The former Lok Sabha MP, now in his sixties, said he does not know Assamese when prodded by reporters of TV channels to speak in Assamese for the general viewers and that as an “international figure” people will not understand what he was saying if he doesn’t speak in English. “Do people know Assamese across the world... I don’t know Assamese... That is why I am speaking in English... I don’t know Assamese,” he said smilingly. Prodded further, he added, “So one or two people speaking less (in Assamese) is alright... I am an exception... AIUDF is a national party and my brother, Maulana Badruddin Ajmal, is an international figure so everybody should know English... Please don’t be judgemental. It is my choice, I can speak any language!” Playing down the incident, an AIUDF MLA said his colleague was trying to convey that he was comfortable in English. There were not many takers for this theory, though, with a Twitter user saying it was an insult to Assam and that Ajmal should offer an unconditional apology for crossing the line. Intentional or in jest, most believe Ajmal’s revelation will return to haunt the AIUDF, accused by the Congress of betraying its candidate, Ripun Bora, and favouring the ruling BJP in the polls.
Tough syllabus
As Pariksha pe Charcha by the prime minister, Narendra Modi, came to an end, the head of a Centrally-funded educational institution in Bihar slumped in his chair. His colleagues also started relaxing instead of running up to him and clapped that the event was over. Nobody was in a mood to move, but did gather the strength to talk about their ordeal. They had been on their toes for three days in the run-up to the event, submitting reports to their higher-ups right up to Delhi. They had been made to tweet about the event, run publicity campaigns, arrange for attendance, instal projectors to beam the event live at the institution and do everything to ensure that the students and teachers could watch Modi smoothly. Press releases were made and digitally dispatched with photographs to newspaper offices.
“The authorities had made it mandatory for us to do all these. They had created a bogey around the event. Though the prime minister did say useful things, we could have utilized the time in other important matters. Besides, what is the point in having such functions when our institutions lack several things pertaining to infrastructure and manpower,” they said. The teachers also argued that one of the main reasons for exam-related stress was insecurity and uncertainties about higher education and employment, which need to be addressed properly.
Blind faith
Ugadi festivities at Andhra Pradesh Bhawan in Delhi include free consultation with astrologers to obtain almanacs. Activists in Andhra Pradesh have long demanded anti-superstition laws like those in neighbouring Karnataka and Odisha. The previous Telugu Desam Party government had organized prayers to a snake god in 2018 after several cases of snake bite were reported.
Footnote
Sections in the BJP have suddenly found a liking for the former CM, BS Yediyurappa. Not that Yediyurappa’s time as the CM was free of controversies,
but the inefficiency of Basavaraj Bommai in reigning in the saffron brigade which was on the loose has made the former look more sensible. As a leader who has never refrained from consulting minority religious heads, Yediyurappa certainly has some goodwill among Christians and Muslims.
