On whose side?

Ottavio Quattrocchi has appealed in the Kuala Lumpur high court against the lower court’s verdict upholding the Indian government’s plea for extraditing him to India. What is curious is the additional material that Quattrocchi has appended in his appeal. An affidavit from his lawyer Dinesh Mathur is understandable, but the Bofors-accused has also produced a testimony on his behalf from senior journalist Prem Shankar Jha, stating that the Italian businessman is being hounded for political reasons as the BJP-led government wants to get at Sonia Gandhi. In addition, Quattrocchi has attached a certified copy of the letter written by Ram Jethmalani to Prime Minister Vajpayee urging clemency on behalf of the Hinduja brothers. Jethmalani’s letter implies that the Bofors chargesheet has been filed improperly by the CBI. Quattrocchi is using the former law minister’s claims against the Indian investigations and legal system in his own defence.

Politicisation of posts

Sharad Yadav’s legacy continues to haunt Indian Airlines. As civil aviation minister, Yadav even introduced patronage in the promotion policy for pilots. Earlier senior captains were promoted to the post of deputy general manager purely on the basis of seniority. Yadav changed the rule making length of service the only basis for elevation to the rank of DGM. At the same time the ministry did not specify the new criteria. Normally a few days after the interviews the list of the new DGMs is put out, but this time two months have lapsed but the names are yet to be released. Behind the scenes a lot of manipulation is going on. Even a junior pilot is being considered for the DGM’s rank. So far the new minister, Shahnawaz Khan, has not tried to undo the damage set in motion by his predecessor, only the number of DGM posts has gone up from 12 to 16. Surely past experience should have taught the beleaguered airline that the last thing it needs at the moment is the pilots on the warpath.

Maneka’s cleansing

The new culture minister, Maneka Gandhi, wants to put the Indira Gandhi National Centre of the Arts (IGNCA) for the Performing Arts in order. The minister believes that the centre, flush with funds, was misused to provide sinecures for those close to the Congress party and Sonia Gandhi during Kapila Vatsayan’s long tenure. Of the 300 employees in the IGNCA, only around 30 are qualified research officers, the rest are mainly clerical staff. Even the bonafides of some of the scholars are suspect. A former CPWD engineer, for instance, was selected for a scholar’s post. Large amounts of a UNESCO grant of Rs 7.5 crore for microfilming rare old Indian manuscripts were misused to microfilm Russian documents which an academician needed for research on his thesis. A huge expense of some Rs 73 crore on books is questionable.

Introducing a new spirit of cost consciousness, the minister has frozen the Rs 640 crore allocated for building construction since already Rs 150 crore has been spent on the new IGNCA complex. A proposal to air condition the new centre at a cost of Rs three crore has also been put on hold.

Standby’s bit part

The new chief minister of Tamil Nadu, O Paneerselvam, has been selected on two counts. He was approved by Sasikala since he belongs to her thevar caste and few even knew of the existence of the obscure MLA turned minister, so that he poses no political threat. Nevertheless a suspicious Jayalalithaa ensures that the CM doesn’t forget his place. Instructions have been issued that his picture is not to be hung in offices. Party workers have been told not to garland him, or to present him shawls or invite him on tours of the state.

The poor man is permitted to utter freely only two sentences, ‘‘Amma will return’’ and ‘‘Amma will decide.’’

Bare with us

Air passengers returning from the US have harrowing tales to relate about over-zealous security frisks, baggage searches and delays of flights which sound rather familiar to Indian passengers, experienced by now with anti- terrorism drills. A first class British Airways traveler was astounded when after the cumbersome search through hand baggage for sharp edged instruments, the stewardess on the plane handed her a toilet kit bag with a razor. Air India’s reacted faster. It withdrew its steel cutlery which it normally provides to the first class passenger and handed out the same plastic cutlery used in cattle class. The only mix-up was the spelling. The slip for downgrading the cutlery read, ‘‘Please bare with us.’’

Parting affection

Maneka Gandhi is not considered a popular minister to work with because of her sharp tongue, exacting ways and tendency to blow up. But despite the many differences she had had with the social welfare ministry bureaucrats they recognised her dedication to her pet causes. She was accorded a farewell party by her ministry. The staff even pooled together to buy her a gift, a painting of the tribal artist Shyam Singh Jangarh, who died tragically in Japan this year.

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