Off The Record: Minister's naming spree and a lotus history

On a naming spree

Junior Environment Minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey is on a naming spree these days. Last week he dashed into Delhi zoo where he named two female Asiatic lions as Maha Gowri and Shailja and a male lion as Maheshwar. The names were chosen keeping the Hindu festival Navratri in mind. The minister also named two four-year-old tigresses as Aditi and Siddhi. Incidentally, the naming of the big cats occurred days after Choubey’s effort to rename Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand getting nixed by the hill state. The Union minister was in favour of renaming the tiger reserve as Ramganga, which was one of the older names of the protected forest. He also signed the visitor book describing Corbett national park as Ramganga, but Uttarakhand Forest Minister Harak Singh Rawat said there was no question of a name change as Jim Corbett was a legend, who inspired people across the globe.

Kalyan Ray, New Delhi

Lotus history

The BJP has embarked upon an exercise to document the contribution of Jan Sangh and BJP activists in the incidents that shaped India’s destiny. The initiative – Kamal Pushp – seeks to highlight their stories of “selfless sacrifice” without seeking any limelight. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked his supporters through the NaMo App to share such stories by way of website or video links, old newspaper cuttings, old photographs or by penning their contribution and uploading it on the App. The NaMo App has documented contributions made by S Mallikarjunaiah, Devendra Shastri, Amar Shaheed Babu Hit Abhilashi, Chaman Lal Gupta who helped build the Jan Sangh in Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir respectively.

Sagar Kulkarni, New Delhi

No more questioning

For the last few months, a new breed of politicians is joining the Peoples’ Conference led by Sajad Lone in Jammu and Kashmir. Interestingly, most of them have been facing charges of financial embezzlement or other offences. Till some time ago, such politicians would be questioned by the government agencies for their allegedly dubious activities. Some of them were even detained or arrested. But after joining the Peoples’ Conference, such politicians seem to be enjoying impunity for their past conduct. They are neither being questioned nor being summoned by government agencies. Many are asking whether Sajad owns a washing machine that can wash away charges against such new entrants in the party.

Zulfikar Majid, Srinagar

‘Man of letters’

The Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra which kept the BJP out of power is set to complete two years in office in November. Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis has shot off 231 letters in these two years to his political friend-turned-foe and chief minister Uddhav Thackeray. The information was gathered by activist Prafful Sarda, through RTI queries to the CMO. In the 22-month period from November 2019 to September 2021, roughly 10 letters have been written every month, or nearly three per week, according to Sarda, who calls it a ‘record’. “He should be called a ‘man of letters,” he said.

Mrityunjay Bose, Mumbai

Cong finally in training mode

In a first-of-its-kind, Congress is turning into training mode from next month. The leadership is going in for a massive training programme from top to bottom for its leaders and workers at all levels. This won’t be a one-off affair. It is going to be a regular and continuous exercise. The decision comes as Congress finds that many of its leaders and active workers lack the required finesse in political work. The workers will now be trained in party ideology, policies, expectations from a Congress worker, grassroots messaging, election management, amplifying the failure of the Narendra Modi government and countering propaganda, especially the Hindutva variety. As a first step, Congress will conduct an orientation camp for state trainers and in-charges at Sevagram in Wardha from November 12 to 15, which will be followed at the state, district and block levels. It is said Sachin Rao, a close confidante of Rahul Gandhi has worked behind the scenes to develop a curriculum for the programme by interacting with a number of leaders and academicians.

Shemin Joy,
New Delhi