Pull vs push

The Bombay-based firm Nimbus Communications has grabbed the coveted Rs six lakh a day contract with Doordarshan News for producing six hours of live news coverage. The powerful ANI news service, which assumed that it had more friends in high up places than anyone else in the business, was taken aback at being pipped to the post by a channel known more for its entertainment and sports coverage rather than current affairs. Besides Nimbus is technically listed as a defaulter with Doordarshan.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Sushma Swaraj was herself kept in the dark. Frantic inquiries are now being made at Prasar Bharati to figure out how the deal came about. The Director General News Deepak Sandhu, whose appointment predates Swaraj’s and is on her way out, seems to have acted on her own. No doubt she was aware that a senior employee of the firm is a relative of the PM’s Principal Secretary Brajesh Mishra. Perhaps Swaraj should extend her probe to find out why almost all those who have been awarded programmes on this practically invisible channel, which has a budget of Rs 41 crores and virtually no revenue, have exploited VVIP connections to grab them.

Transfer of power

Those who met Vajpayee before his departure to Manali were struck by his relaxed manner despite his having to contend with major issues such as the Kashmir ceasefire and the Samata Party’s threat to quit the government. At a lunch at Race Course Road to discuss the Manipur imbroglio, the prime minister enthusiastically tucked away at his cholesterol rich meal, while most guests weighed down by political uncertainties could do no more than nibble at the lavish spread. Vajpayee’s body language indicated that he was in a holiday mood, after Manali he leaves for Bombay for his knee operation, and for the moment at any rate he has abdicated a large part of the business of governance to his home minister.

L K Advani addressing two important press conferences on Wednesday appeared to be on a new high. Significantly the GOM’s recommendations on national security call for a major expansion of Advani’s own home ministry which is to appropriate national disaster relief, a large portion of the census operations, the Assam Rifles and the narcotics division, presently all under the charge of other ministries. The vibes between Advani and Jaswant Singh, once regarded as exclusively the PM’s man, were excellent reaffirming the old adage, an enemies enemy is a friend.

The common enemy in this case being Brajesh Mishra, who is to retain his dual charge at least temporarily. But Mishra’s bearing is no longer that of the second most-powerful man in the country. Contrary to inspired reports, Mishra till now a key player in Kashmir affairs, was not present at the Race Course Road lunch at which the crucial decision to revoke the ceasefire was taken. During the PM’s recent visit to Malaysia, Mishra uncharacteristically kept his distance from the media, so much so that even though a chair was kept vacant for him during the PM’s media briefing on board the flight, Mishra did not show up.

Restless moves

George Fernandes’s movements suggest an underemployed man who is getting restless. Fernandes has been spending his time reading the proofs of an academic treatise on the railway strike of 1974. On Wednesday when momentous decisions were being taken in government, Fernandes, who was earlier at the hub of things, flew off to Mumbai. Small wonder that the Samata Party has given notice privately that in another two months it expects the Venkatswamy commission on the Tehelka matter to exonerate Fernandes so that he can be taken back in the Cabinet. Whether the commission which has yet to finish setting up its infrastructure will oblige the Samata Party by acting so fast is another matter.

Meanwhile, Ajit Panja’s periodic intemperate outbursts at his party boss Mamata Bannerjee suggests a man in a hurry to be expelled so that he can be sworn in as cabinet minister. Panja has so far been unable to persuade Krishna Bose to join him in splitting the Trinamool Congress. And Ajit Singh’s actions, holding parleys with both the BJP and the Congress, suggest as usual, a very confused man!

Flying too high

The enthusiastic new chairman of Indian Airlines Sunil Arora should learn from the example of suspended Air India chairman Michael Mascarenhas, who took up cudgels against his minister Sharad Yadav for having awarded bilateral agreements to private airlines on the eve of the sale of the national carrier.
Arora, an IAS officer, similarly seems convinced that there are powerful forces at work to sabotage IA in order to benefit the competition. Arora has ruffled feathers by ordering a vigilance inquiry to pinpoint those on the staff who have been deliberately delaying flights.

IA has also been making inquiries with the home ministry whether the rival Jet Air has been cleared by internal security agencies.

Arora should not forget that Jet Airway’s dynamic chairman Naresh Goyal has powerful well wishers other than the civil aviation minister. He was part of the CII delegation of leading businessmen which accompanied Prime Minister Vajpayee to the US and recently to Malaysia.

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