The curious case of Sanjay Jha
Last week the Congress removed the Mumbai-based entrepreneur Sanjay Jha from its panel of spokespersons. What led to this decision was a column penned by Jha where he lamented the lack of a forum within the Congress to encourage a free and frank exchange of ideas. As he writes, “The Congress has demonstrated extraordinary lassitude, and its lackadaisical attitude towards its own political obsolescence is baffling.” Of course being the Congress, such a free and frank airing of views was quickly dealt with and Jha was shown the door. Certainly if a party spokesperson doesn’t stick to the party line then what will the others do? Jha is also known to be a protégé of Shashi Tharoor, though one wonders if the two share more than just a penchant for penning down one’s thoughts. Tharoor has been vocal of late in asking for internal elections, and there are those within the Congress who feel that this articulate leader should be given more responsibility, at the very least make him the party’s leader in the Lok Sabha. Well, now with Jha having been silenced, let’s see what others—Tharoor included—do.
Tips for air travellers
With the international commercial airlines still to begin operations in India it is the Vande Bharat flights that are the lifelines of those stranded abroad, as well as those who live abroad, but got stuck here before the lockdown. However, with the pandemic still very much in the air, here is a quick check list of what to expect during the flights, and some helpful tips. First of all, one thing that’s of paramount importance during any journey—the food. Don’t worry, you will not have to pack parathas as you would on a road trip, but don’t expect any in-flight service either, no matter if you are in first, business class or economy. Food packets will be left for you in your seats, packed in cardboard boxes along with juices and soft drinks. No alcohol or hot drinks will be served, even on long haul flights; neither will there be any in-flight entertainment, so carry your own downloaded shows and magazines. Ditto for duvets and blankets, so carry an extra jacket or a shawl. You are also advised to carry gloves for those trips to the lavatory, though masks, shields and sanitizers will be provided. As will a PPE suit for those on aisle seats/middle seats. These flights have only one agenda—which is to get you to the other end safely. Other perks of flying high will have to be put on hold—as with most things—for never forget, this is the Age of Corona.
Amit Shah as the next Defence Minister?
A campaign of sorts has begun to lobby for Amit Shah as the next Defence Minister, post the latest round of atrocities by the Chinese. While there is some merit in this, any move in this direction will put Shah directly in a turf war with the National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. The two have shared turf earlier whether on removing Article 370 in Kashmir (where Shah was said to have played a larger role) or the post CAA Delhi riots (where Doval was called in to walk the capital’s streets). So if such a move is considered, it would be interesting to see how the Doval-Shah equation plays out.