Comments
Be it sport, politics, films or other matters, Twitter is fast catching up as a forum for airing everything from dissent to support, and frustration to glee. The media, too, has been keeping regular tabs on tweets by celebrities and politicians or popular sentiments on various issues.
Here's a Twitter one-liner on India's batting collapse after the blistering 111 knock by Sachin Tendulkar against South Africa: “The Indian cricket team is like the Congress party: it depends on one person.” Referring to the match, another genius had tweeted: “When their chokers play our jokers, sometimes it is the chokers who win and sometimes it is the jokers.”
No statutes or statues
The ‘million march' in Hyderabad by pro-Telangana activists showed scant regard for statutes or statues. First, the protesters gave prohibitory orders the complete go-by. Then, some elements amid them vandalised 16 of the 33 statues of legendary Telugu personalities that lined the tank bund, which links Hyderabad and Secunderabad. As these symbols of history crashed to the ground, the authorities were found dismally wanting in action despite the heavy bandobust. Defacing statues of bigots or dictators is common, but destroying iconic figures who have contributed to art, culture and science is hurtful. The statues can be re-built, but the scars will remain.
Just in time
The Commerce Ministry must be thanking its stars that the inking of the India-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) went off without a glitch last month. The person who signed the pact for Japan, Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara resigned for allegedly accepting illegal donations from a Korean national. Now, Japan is rocked by a devastating earthquake-triggered tsunami. Had the CEPA not been signed last month, it would have been delayed indefinitely, sources said.
God only knows…
Politicians in Chennai are busy making the rounds of places of worship, seeking divine blessings to get party tickets for the Assembly elections. Of late, many of these hopefuls can be spotted in temples clad in spotless white shirts and dhotis, with some of them even performing special poojas before going for the interview. It's almost akin to school children seeking divine blessings before taking their board exams. The question is: Who will be the lucky ones? Only God, Kalaignar or Amma can tell.
Eat and prey
At a recent press conference in Bangalore, the use of the word ‘consume' left a different taste in one's mouth. The chief of a company spoke at length about his product, but journalists kept badgering him even after the Q&A session was over. Requesting the reporters to accompany his chief outside so that the room could be used for other purposes, a company official asked the scribes to go out and ‘consume him'. Now, we know that a journalist needs to be as aggressive as a lion, but throwing one's boss to the wolves is surely not such a wise move.
There for you, always
If you think Central Industrial Security Force personnel handling security at major airports are a bunch of stone-faced sentries out to harass passengers, you couldn't be more wrong.
The other day a colleague flew into Delhi, picked his bag off the conveyor belt and was half way home when he realised that the bag was not his. He went back to return it. The CISF staff at the entry not only allowed him through after checking his boarding card but also directed him to the lost/left baggage counter.
This when the general impression is of security forces harassing instead of helping.
PM for PM
Pranab Mukherjee is now widely seen as the most effective and important Minister in the UPA-II government. The veteran Congressman from Bengal not only heads 15 GoMs (Group of Ministers), but is part of at least 34 GoMs.
The question is: Will his party ever allow him to become Prime Minister? Or, will he have to be content being just Pranab Mukherjee?
No poverty?
CPM leader Brinda Karat's speech on the Budget in the Rajya Sabha, March 10: “I was going through the Budget Speech and it was striking that in the entire document the word ‘poverty' does not exist.”
Tailpiece
Bumper sticker on a car: ‘Don't steal. Government hates competition'.
Comments
COMMENT NOW
Comments
Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.
We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of TheHindu Businessline and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.