Below the line

Campus suicide politics

Rohith Vemula’s suicide in Hyderabad Central University has kicked off a major nationwide debate on issues relating to the researcher’s death in the campus and whether he was being discriminated for being a Dalit.

Starting with Congress (I) vice-president Rahul Gandhi, leaders, including Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, have made a beeline to the HCU campus in Hyderabad. However, the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh N Chandrababu Naidu could not make it as he was away at Davos to take part in the World Economic Forum and Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has still not visited the campus. An odd situation given that law and order is a State subject.

Lose-Lose

It is common knowledge in Tamil Nadu that government projects wait to be formally inaugurated by chief minister J Jayalalithaa. This makes information sharing a touchy subject for officials. At a recent meeting, an official responded to a question by saying, “Those are in the future. Why talk about them now?” When he was told that it is news because they are “in the future,” the irritated official said they will have to be inaugurated by VIPs and then formally announced. OK, next question, he demanded.

How about a status update on a recently concluded project asked the journalist. The reply? “These are completed projects, why write about them now?”

Direct transmission

When auto companies launch new products, their competitors are rarely if ever referred to directly. Mahindra & Mahindra chose to be different when it launched the KUV1OO, which is clearly aimed at luring first-time buyers away from popular hatchbacks. With a visible twinkle in the eye, executive director Pawan Goenka said, “Let me be a little bold and say that we will take on the Maruti Swift and the Hyundai Grand i10 as well as super compacts like the Maruti Dzire.” Plain-speaking indeed.

Cheers to that

The Kerala State Beverages Corporation, affectionately called ‘ Beverages’, would like to see itself as a responsible corporate citizen. At an event last week, Beverages gifted over 200 Braille laptops and over 300 white canes to the visually challenged.

The project utilises the CSR funds of Beverages, which is one of the very few profit-making public-sector enterprises in the State. It is also one of the three top contributors to the State’s exchequer. When a consumer spends ₹500 on a bottle, roughly ₹400 goes into the government kitty.

But the philanthropic Beverages Corporation has an ultimate social goal: an ‘alcohol-free Kerala.’ Cheers to that?

Why no start-ups at Davos

India’s technology representation this year at Davos was lukewarm. This year Infosys is represented by Vishal Sikka, Wipro by the CEO designate Abidali Neemuchwala and HCL Tech by Ananth Gupta. One wonders where the start-up CEOs are, considering that India is now home to the second largest start-up base in the world.

Indigo Fever

Kolkata and its suburbs are in the grip of “indigo fever”. It isn’t a body ailment that we are talking about. It’s a superstitious practice that has gripped the city and surrounding areas.

The practice involves hanging a bottle of indigo laced water on the main-door and windows of the house to prevent stray dogs and cats from defecating near the doors or beneath windows. People seem to be convinced that strays are afraid of indigo.

Overheard

Joke about the hard sell of insurance products. A man entered a private bank with a gun and told the manager that he has ₹2 lakh which we wants to invest in a fixed deposit and not be sold an insurance product.

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