When Union parliamentary Affairs Minister Pramod Mahajan held a special session for MPs to familiarise them with the utility of e-mail, it was long overdue.

Despite the fact that all members have an e-mail id, not to mention laptop computers, hardly a handful of them put electronic mail to any use. In fact, a petition sent by e-mail to your local MP may only elicit a deafening silence. Pramod Mahajan's initiative, however, got some powerful support. Even Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, not exactly known for his familiarity with modern gadgetry and the wired world, dropped in to check out the proceedings and get a crash course on how e-mail works. At the end of his visit, he actually tapped out a few lines and clicked on "Send". Who he sent the e-mail to was not disclosed, but it is unlikely he was sending Id greetings to President Pervez Musharraf.

In the prime minister's case, he doesn't really need to personally use modern technology. His e-mail is monitored by a dedicated staff, not to mention security agencies, who screen all messages sent to his address. Any one interested in sending the prime minister an e-mail can do so at pmosb@pmo.nic.in and vajpayee@sansad.nic.in.

-Rajeev Deshpande

Protest at NALCO office

Congressmen's crusade against nalco's privatisation would seem more credible if they stopped battling each other. In Delhi to demonstrate before Parliament, the Orissa Congress leaders ended up fighting among themselves. First, two rival office bearers came to blows in Orissa Niwas and a legislator was assaulted when he intervened. Peace prevailed only after the police stepped in.

But worse was to follow. An aicc leader's mobile phone went missing after the Orissa delegation had come calling. The leader was heard muttering darkly about there being no honour among thieves.

CONFESSIONAL

LALOO PRASAD YADAV
The RJD president spoke to Editor Prabhu Chawla on Seedhi Baat on his party's changing political ideology

Q. You have failed to establish Ramrajya in Bihar.
A. Our concept of Ramrajya is equal status to everybody and things like this.
Nothing is safe under bjp rule, neither temple nor mosque.

Q. But aren't Pakistani terrorists to blame for these?
A. What is the Government doing to stop this?Why did they let them enter the country and do such things?

Q. You have a horse named Chetak. Is Maharana Pratap your hero?
A. Yes. Chetak is famous for its bravery and loyalty.

Q. Maharana Pratap fought against Akbar, whom are you fighting against?
A. I am fighting against communal forces-organisations like the vhp and the rss.

Q. You are behaving like the upper class-keeping a horse, heading cricket associations ...
A. People used to say that I like games popular among the poor like gilli-danda. Now they are accusing me of taking interest in cricket. I have kept a horse for the security of 100 cows I have in my house. It is said that the presence of a horse prevents entry of ghosts.

Q. These days you are less a Congress friend than enemy of Mulayam Singh. Why?
A. Basically Ram Vilas Paswan, Sharad Yadav, Nitish Kumar, Mulayam Singh and I believe in the same ideology. But these leaders have changed tack.

Q. People are calling you an agent of the Congress.
A. I am not afraid of such things. The bjp is the enemy No. 1 not only for Laloo Yadav but the millions of Indians, and to fight against them we have to be with the Congress.

Seedhi Baat is telecast on Aaj Tak on Wednesdays at 9.30 p.m.
and on Thursdays at 12.30 a.m. and 4.30 p.m