IPL GOES TO GUWAHATI
The IPL season is almost upon us but this time round Barsapara stadium in Guwahati as one of the 12 venues to host the matches. Rajasthan Royals are slated to play two matches here. This is the first time that Guwahati will host a match as this region does not own an IPL team. But for Himanta Biswa Sarma, hosting the match in Assam is in line with the Prime Minister’s vision of integrating the Northeast with the rest of India. Along with Ranjit Barthakur, Executive Chairman and part owner, Rajasthan Royals, the duo have been campaigning for the last 15 years to bring IPL to the state; and now along with Devajit Saikia, joint secretary BCCI, they have managed this feat. An emotional Barthakur said this is a sort of homecoming for the Royals and added that “It’s key to the integration of the country to host the greatest watched sport here and don’t forget that the Northeast is the biggest medal getter in individual sports that too by women”. In fact last year, while speaking at the India News “Mukhyamantri Manch”, when asked which was his favourite IPL team, Himanta had replied Rajasthan Royals—because it is owned by an Assamese, but he was also quick to add that this is until Assam gets its own team. But until then, the intrepid HBS has found the next best way out.
THE LAST INFORMATION REPORT
Kiran Bedi’s latest book focuses on her stint as Lt Governor of Puducherry. Entitled “Fearless Governance”, it was launched last year by Indira Nooyi and Prof Debashish Chatterjee. But that was during the lockdown period and in a way the physical launch of the book is taking place now as the Ramon Magsaysay Award winner is in high demand at colleges, Rotary clubs and other institutions all over the country to talk about her book and her take on governance. In fact the book invites have taken her outside India as well, to New York, Chicago and Iowa amongst other places. Prof Debashish was right when he commented at the launch that the legend of Kiran Bedi will live right through the pages of this book long after she calls it a day. Indira Nooyi had referred to Bedi’s governance matrix as “an example of CEOish and leadership in action”, adding that “as Kiran Bedi says whether you work for a company or a country there are some universal principles that you follow—work for the people and be humble.” Apart from anecdotes of her stint as governor, including both the civic challenges as well as run-ins with the then political establishment, for as she herself states she was not the “rubber stamp” that the political establishment was expecting but a “fearless voice” in the office of the LG. Those who know this feisty former IPS officer, know by now that she has never been a rubber stamp. The book is very new-age in its presentation. There are QR codes at the end of chapters that take you to videos and documents that support the text. So as Bedi says the book is “evidence based”. In police lingo, it is not an FIR but a thorough investigation written in very easy readable style, with lots of bullet points (there we go talking police again).
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Mahesh Jethmalani, Rajya Sabha MP from the BJP and a senior advocate (SC) has been taking on Congress general secretary and fellow MP Jairam Ramesh on social media for being pro-Chinese and lobbying for Chinese investment (including Huawei) during his stint as minister in the UPA. He even referred to the Congress leader as Comrade Jairam. In return, Jairam had shot back with a questionnaire to Jethmalani asking the latter to refute the BJP’s own pro-China stance. All of which created quite a buzz on Twitter. When asked why he was singling out Jairam when the BJP’s larger target is Rahul who still remains the de facto Congress chief, Jethmalani retorted that Rahul is the figurehead, Jairam is the strategist. Jethmalani cited instances in the media that showed Jairam silencing Digvijaya Singh and helping Rahul answer questions at press conferences on the party’s line on Kashmir. Well, he could have a point, for Jairam’s stock is certainly very high these days, post the success of the Bharat Jodo Yatra and also for the way he is handling the party’s communication strategy. Rahul does seem to give his advice due weightage; but then again, isn’t this the same position of a mentor that Ashok Gehlot had occupied not too long ago? And before him, Digvijaya Singh?
WILL YOGENDRA YADAV JOIN THE CONGRESS?
There is a buzz in the Congress that Rahul Gandhi’s second most favourite yatri (after Jairam Ramesh) could be joining the party soon. Yogendra Yadav was seen by Rahul’s side almost throughout the yatra, much to the chagrin of some Congress leaders who are not too happy with the ultra-left jholawala brand of optics that Yadav brings along with him. Add to that Yadav’s own dire predictions in the past about the Congress where he had once famously stated that Congress must die if it can’t counter the BJP, and even during the yatra, in his role as a psephologist he had not been very optimistic about the Congress party’s chances in the recent state elections. True that he was speaking as a psephologist, but given the fact that he was seen next to Rahul during the yatra, this did not make for very reassuring optics. And there is a section of the Congress that is not too keen to welcome the brand of politics Yogendra Yadav brings with him. But when has that stopped the party leadership?