Periscope

Telangana Tangle

Confusion at the Centre prevails over formation of  Telengana. While the region burns the ruling government of  the day continues to dither.  The home minister, Sushilkumar  Shinde continued to delay the inevitable by saying “no decision has yet been taken and it  will take time.” Sensing the consequences of his remarks the Congress quickly tried to do  some damage control. Amid mounting pressure, Congress said  it was not against  formation of Telangana and the government is in  the process of taking a decision.  “Congress is not against the formation of Telangana state. We are in the process of taking  a decision but then formalities have to be completed,” party spokesperson P C Chacko  said. Chacko’s initial response was that the party’s position on Telangana is well known  and that “it’s only a question of time” when the decision will be announced. Asked  specifically whether he meant to say a separate state of Telangana will be announced and it  is just a matter of time now, the Congress  spokesperson responded by saying, “You are  right. We have taken a position. Our party position is very clear..But whatever decision  has to be taken has to fulfill some constitutional obligations.”

Kamal's ire

Angry over the controversy and banning of his film Vishwaroopam’ in Tamil Nadu, Kamal  Hassan has threatened to exile himself from the state.  Noted actor and film maker Kamal  Hasan suffered a setback when the Madras High Court stayed the release of ‘Vishwaroopam’ in Tamil Nadu even as he agreed to make changes in deference to Muslim  sentiments. The relief given to the actor by Justice K Venkataraman was short lived as a  division bench comprising acting Chief Justice Elipe Dharma Rao and Aruna Jagadeesan  quashed it, effectively stalling its release.  Karunanidhi  also cited reports suggesting that a TV channel close to AIADMK wanted to buy the film  but that the producers had refused saying they had spent over Rs 100 crore. Even as the  judicial proceedings were on, an emotional Hasan addressed a press conference in which  he threatened to leave Tamil Nadu in search of a “secular” place, citing M F Hussain’s  exile. “…But I believe that along with my Muslim friends, I have been instrument in a political  game. I don’t know who is playing and not even hazarding the guess. The fact remains that  my history has proven that I have been neither leaning to the left or right but trying to  maintain my position,” Hasan said. He said he has pledged all his property including the  house where he grew and where he was holding the press conference and that he would  go bankrupt if his lenders take over these properties in case of a delay in the release of the  film.

Thought police all

After Kamal Hasan it was the turn of Salman Rushdie to face the brunt of the minority  community. The visit of Booker Prize winning author Salman Rushdie to Kolkata where  he was expected to participate in the promotion for Deepa Mehta’s film Midnight’s  Children on January 30 was abandoned apparently due to security reasons as the Mamata  Banerjee government did not want to take risk of a law and order trouble amidst protests  by Muslim organisations. The movie is an adaptation of Rushdie’s award-winning novel of  the same name. This was the second time that the famous author’s visit was cancelled at  the last moment in an Indian city. Strong protests by Muslim organisations had kept him  away from the Jaipur Literature Festival in January 2012. His visit with Ms Mehta and  actor Rahul Bose, included a day’s stay in the city featuring his film promotion and a news  conference. Anticipating his arrival in the morning, a group of around 100 members of  two Muslim organisations staged a demonstration with posters and shoes at the Kolkata  airport. All India Minority Forum leader Idris Ali who had earlier spearheaded protests  against Bangladeshi author Tasleema Nasreen’s book said, “We will not allow him here.  All Muslims all over the world hate him.” Well, cultural terrorism continues unabated.

Samajwadi gag

To discipline its cadres, the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh has decided to initiate  action against party workers who have refused to obey the party’s directives.  The party  has drawn up lists of nearly 4,000 party workers who have been violating the party’s  directive, despite repeated assertions by party president Mulayam Singh Yadav and chief  minister Akhilesh Yadav. The SP leaders have been regularly pointing out to party cadres  that their unrestrained behavior was tarnishing the image of the party but the warnings have apparently had no bearing on over-zealous party workers. Mr Akhilesh Yadav, soon after being sworn in as chief minister, had issued a circular specifying the party leaders  who were entitled to put up the party flag on their vehicles. He had said that no other  party leaders— except those named in the circular— would be allowed to put the party flag on their cars. However, this had little impact and party workers of all sizes and statures were seen flaunting the party flags and bulldozing their way around. Those who did not put up flags on their cars, put up large stickers along the windscreens with the slogan — “Vijay 2012— Lakshya 2014”— and photographs of Mr Mulayam Singh and Mr Akhilesh Yadav. Even senior leaders like SP general secretary Ram Asrey Kushwaha got their supporters to put up hoardings proclaiming him as ‘cabinet minister’ when he was appointed chairman of the Science and Technology Council.

Mahatma's letters

Over six months after the Indian government got hold of letters between Mahatma Gandhi  and his close friend Hermann Kallenbach (1871-1945), a German-born South African  architect and a Jew, the letters were put up for public display at the National Archives.   The letters not only show Gandhiji’s close links with Hermann Kallenbach but also his  equally close relationship with his brother Simon Kallenbach and niece Hana Lazar.While  negotiations between the government and the Sotheby’s auction house had started over  five years ago, the culture ministry finally obtained the correspondence in July 2012.