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MAMATA BANERJEE Trinamool Congress chief versus JYOTI BASU CPI(M) leader

"If there is political will there’ll be a way. Farmers’ land in Singur must be returned. Our stand cannot change everyday."

"Return of land to farmers is not possible. She must be aware of the legal complexities involved. Work has already begun there."

EPILOGUE: This, even after the so-called ‘historic’ meeting and pleasantries exchanged.


VOICES

“I have always said that do not judge people when they are in Opposition but judge them when they are in the seat of power.”

Manmohan Singh, prime minister

“They (the United States of America) say that they have some problems. We say do not transfer your problems to us.”

Pranab Mukherjee, Union minister for external affairs

“People of Jammu and Kashmir have equivalent rights over the nation’s resources. Nobody can deny them that. What we get from Delhi is our due, not any khairat (dole).”

Mehbooba Mufti, Peoples Democratic Party president

“In Bihar, Yadavs attain wisdom at the age of 60. Now I am wise.”

Lalu Prasad Yadav, Union minister of railways, on his 60th birthday

“At one point there were 3,500 cases against me. Of them, 900 were from Goa and 1,200 from Maharashtra. I should have been in the Guinness Book of World Records.”

M. F. Husain, painter

THE BUZZ OF THE WEEK

Prashanti Nilayam, Sathya Sai Baba’s ashram at Puttaparthi, is all agog at the prospect of Shivraj Patil, an ardent devotee, becoming the country’s President. The last high-profile believer was the late P.V. Narasimha Rao.

CONFERRED: On Bollywood actor Dharmendra, the Lifetime Achievement Award, by the Indian Film Academy Awards in Sheffield, UK.

ARRESTED: Gangster Santokben ‘Godmother’ Jadega, by the Junagarh police, for allegedly sheltering two accused in the rape-cum-murder of two girls in Girnar hills.

ARRESTED: Bharat Inder Singh Chahal, media adviser to former Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh, in a case of attempt to murder and land-grabbing.

WON: By Vijender, the silver medal at the 24th Asian Boxing Championships in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, in the 75-kg category.

PICTURE SPEAK

NEW RECRUIT: Anthony (far left) with Prabhakaran

In the first confirmation that he’s joined the family business, LTTE’s military spokesperson Rasaih Ilanthirayan told india today from the Tiger’s Wanni stronghold, “He’s been inducted into the organisation and he is doing well. I am not authorised to give you any details.”

Lankan sources filled in the details. The 22-year-old Anthony—named after one of Prabhakaran’s closest associates killed in 1983—left the country in 2003 to study aeronautical engineering at a European university. He returned to northern Sri Lanka three months ago. His choice of subject became clear on March 26 when the Air Tigers used two light trainer aircraft to attack the Kattunayake airbase in Sri Lanka. Anthony is believed to have worked on the aircraft’s relatively sophisticated bomb release mechanism.

Prabhakaran’s family moved abroad soon after peace talks with the Sri Lankan authorities began in 2001, possibly using the sea route to travel to a third country to emigrate to Europe. Indian intelligence officials call Anthony a latter day Prince Harry deployed in combat—of tremendous propaganda value, showing the Tiger supremo dedicating his own son to the cause, thus justifying more young recruits into the LTTE’s 30-year-long struggle for a separate homeland. It could also be the supremo laying down a succession plan like any other South Asian political dynasty. “Prabhakaran knows that the movement will collapse if he is killed. So this is his Plan B,” says an intelligence official.

The tragic Lankan conflict shows no signs of ending. It’s now moving to Gen Next.

-By Sandeep Unnithan

PICTURE SPEAK

TAKING STOCK: Rajnath

But seasoned party watchers tend to believe that in the true tradition of the BJP, fireworks will be put on hold and matters are more likely to be brushed under the carpet as leaders ready themselves for the next round of elections.

Better still, party leaders who want to avoid responsibility for the successive defeats should perhaps adopt Gujarat dissident leader Keshubhai Patel’s formula. At the recent Patel convention in Gujarat, organised purely as a show of strength by his supporters against Chief Minister Narendra Modi, the dissident leader was missing.

Well, at least the BJP is willing to introspect its loss, unlike the Congress, which is yet to discuss its poor show in the Hindi heartland. The official line, as stated by both Sonia Gandhi and heir apparent Rahul, has clearly blamed the state organisation for the party’s lacklustre performance. No one has questioned Rahul’s handling of the election campaign in spite of the fact that the Congress had fielded him as its mascot and left the entire campaign to him. In fact, at a Congress Working Committee meeting, the party even discussed the Gurjar uprising in BJP-ruled Rajasthan but Uttar Pradesh never figured.

After all, it’s so much easier to discuss someone else’s problems. In the Congress, some things never change.

-By Priya Sahgal

PICTURE SPEAK

COVER-UP: Badal

The state prosecution department, which had put up a challan against the Badals leading to framing of charges against them in March, has now developed cold feet. The administration has also removed seven special public prosecutors who had prepared and followed the chargesheet against the Badals.

Even more galling is a volte face by vigilance officials with regard to the IT department’s assessment reports that gave Badal and his family a clean chit in the disproportionate assets case. Before the sad-BJP combine came to power, the department had dismissed the bureau reports as “irrelevant”. But soon after the change of guard, the state investigating agency has changed its stance, accepting the same reports as the grounds for further probes.

-By Ramesh Vinayak

HARRY WINSTON EXCENTER PERPETUAL CALENDER WATCH
Rs 24.50 lakh

The automatic Excenter comes in a 41 mm white gold case. Its lightly engine-turned anthracite or silver dial creates a moiré or watered silk effect while the chapter rings ensure that the indicators are absolutely clear. The face presents the moon phases and leap-year cycle as planets eclipsing the chapters of the hours and months. The moon, floating in its constellation of stars, has been designed to wax and wane in a circular aperture. No special stylus is required to set the date and month; one need only unscrew the button located at the 8 o’clock position and press down.