Off the record: September 13

Guests requested to maintain time

The traditional Kashmiri wedding is quite a sophisticated affair. It consists of a series of traditions that are religiously followed by both the bride and the groom and their respective families. Kashmiri weddings are as surreal and vibrant as the Paradise on Earth - Kashmir. The traditions and cultures are full of love and acceptance. And experiencing a traditional Kashmiri wedding is no less than living in a fairytale. But one thing is common in most Kashmir marriages: Lunch is served at dinner time and dinner sometimes is served at midnight even after the invitation card mentions in bold letters “guests are requested to be on time.”

Zulfikar Majid, Srinagar

Small step towards a healthy trend

People and media were in for a shock when they saw the certificates awarded to beat performing teachers last week were plain with no photograph of Chief Minister Stalin. For over a decade, the certificates featured the chief minister’s face. However, this year, the instructions not to carry his face came from none other than incumbent CM M K Stalin. The CM is particular that his face should not be featured on certificates. He has also instructed officials not to carry his photos on school bags or kits distributed to people. Though partymen are unhappy over the decision, Stalin seems to have won over the hearts of several people.

E T B Sivapriyan, Chennai

Contention on quota

Not all in the BJP are happy with the recent Constitutional amendment that empowered states to draw their own lists of Other Backward Classes (OBC). At the sidelines of a recent event attended by Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, a senior BJP leader rued how the constitutional amendment, supported by almost all major parties, had the potential to trigger discord in various states of the country. "There are demands from various groups to include them in the list. Now, as the Centre puts the ball on the court of various states, communities with significant political representation can pile pressure on state governments and demand OBC status," he said. This, according to the senior leader, had the potential to trigger unrest, especially in the volatile region of North India. “It could well be a recipe for disaster, as there are several communities who won’t think twice about hitting the streets to be included in the list,” he said, adding that it will have ramifications for groups that benefit from reservation.

Akram Mohammad, Bengaluru

Tripura media faces election heat

Media organisations in poll-bound Tripura are literally feeling the heat of Assembly elections slated in early 2023. Media organisations and journalists are coming under attack during the increasing incidents of violent clashes between workers of the ruling BJP, Opposition CPI(M) and Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC).

In a letter to the Press Council of India on Saturday, the National Union of Journalists said suspected BJP supporters vandalised the office of a local news channel and a Bengali daily in state capital Agartala on September 8, before they attacked the office of CPI(M), burning vehicles and injuring workers of the left party. "The media persons in the state are so much panicked that none is ready to move out after sunset,” the Union said while calling for urgent steps to ensure the safety of journalists as such attacks are likely to increase as the election nears.

Sumir Karmakar, Guwahati

CM Bommai receives appreciation

Chief Minister S R Bommai’s quick decision-making process has received appreciation from Union ministers. The Karnataka government in 2019 had agreed with the Union Road Transport Ministry to share the cost of land acquisition for the proposed Satellite Town Ring Road around Bengaluru connecting Dobaspet to Hosur. However, the state government decided to share the cost. When Bommai earlier this week met Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari to discuss the ring road project, to be built by the National Highway Authority of India, Gadkari pointed out the pendency of the decision on the state's side. Immediately, the CM asked Karnataka Chief Secretary Ravi Kumar, who was with CM, to hold talks with the concerned joint secretary of the Ministry and prepare a minute of the meeting and sign it. By the same day evening, minutes of the meeting were prepared and both Chief Secretary and Joint Secretary signed it. Appreciating the quick decision of the CM, Gadkari asked Bommai to complete the land acquisition soon and assured of starting the work in six months. In the recent casual meeting with some of the Union ministers, Gadkari recalled Bommai’s skill of taking quick decisions on pending proposals and appreciated it.

Ajith Athrady, New Delhi

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