Vis-a-Vis

JYOTI BASU CPI(M) politburo member versus PRAKASH KARAT CPI(M) general secretary

"The prime minister's statement in Parliament on the Indo-US nuclear deal is generally all right."

"The CPI(M) has reservations on the deal. We will focus on what is harmful in it for the country's strategic and security interests."

EPILOGUE: A common minimum programme ought to be in place within the CPI(M).

VOICES

"During my US trip I saw how much the world looks up to India as a laboratory for the successful functioning of a democracy."

Manmohan Singh, prime minister

"Think beyond our planet. The developed countries are moving to Moon and Mars. India has the capability to establish industries there using space technology."

A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, President

"Pandit Nehru was influenced by western education and that's why he paid attention to materialistic development alone. His policies resulted in the country's social decline."

Shyama Charan Shukla, senior Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister

"I have played under other captains, so it should be no problem."

Sourav Ganguly, former Indian cricket captain

"Ladies' man? Give me my motorbikes and male co-stars and see how happy I am."

John Abraham, actor

THE BUZZ OF THE WEEK

The probe into the security breach at Naval Headquarters points to commercial espionage. The secret data stolen was related to planned purchases, and leading arms dealers are under scrutiny.

PICTURE SPEAK

ROYAL SNUB TO INDIA: King Gyanendra

DELHI India's relationship with Nepal is again on the brink, with King Gyanendra doing a volte face on India's UN Security Council bid. Nepal, which had earlier committed its support to India's candidature, now wants a quid pro quo whereby India will offer it arms in exchange for its vote. Even as it publicly endorsed Japan's candidature, Nepal conveyed to Minister of State for External Affairs Rao Inderjit Singh on his recent visit to Kathmandu that it was studying the issue vis a vis India. Singh's mission to Kathmandu had been to seek Nepal's assurance on its commitment to India but the King's turnaround came as an unpleasant surprise. Besides Nepal is also seeking support for its own candidature for the non-permanent category in the Security Council in 2007-8.

While it is unlikely that South Block will oblige the King on arms, especially when he seems to be in no mood to restore democracy, India faces a dilemma. While putting pressure on Kathmandu to restore democracy it also realises that in its UNSC mission, every vote counts. Now it will have to weigh its options.

-By Saurabh Shukla

DELHI Poor Mani Shankar Aiyar. It is not enough that the Union petroleum minister's pipelines are turning into pipedreams but his constituency is undergoing an identity crisis of sorts. There is a proposal before the Delimitation Commission to merge his constituency Mayiladuthurai in Tamil Nadu with two assembly segments of a neighbouring constituency, Chidambaram.

But that is not Aiyar's worry. The commission is also seriously considering renaming Mayiladuthurai as Chidambaram. Which means Aiyar may soon have to stand up and declare, I represent Chidambaram. Considering his turf war with the Union finance minister that will indeed be sweet music for Palaniappan Chidambaram.

-By Priya Sahgal

HONOURED: V. Shantha, physician and chairperson of the Cancer Institute in Adyar, Chennai, with the Magsaysay Award, for public service.

DIED: Bikash Chaudhary, 72, veteran trade unionist and CPI(M) leader. Chaudhary was Lok Sabha member from Asansol, West Bengal.

DIED: Narayanrao Vishwanath Tarte, 92, veteran RSS pracharak and journalist, who was instrumental in bringing former prime minister A.B. Vajpayee into the Sangh shakha in 1937.

WON: Sahaj Grover, the world title in the under-10 section, and N. Srinath in the under-12 section, of the World Youth Chess Championship at Belfort, France.

SELECTED: Margaret Alva, Congress leader and former Union minister, for the first Nelson Mandela Award for Minority Empowerment, for her advocacy of minority causes.

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