Regional Journal: Untold stories from the states
Only Amul
Union Minister Rajiv Rajan Singh recently delivered a 40-min speech crediting Rajya Sabha MP George Kurian for establishing Amul, a leading company of dairy products. Except that Kurian has no connection with 'the Taste of India' company. The function to mark the National Milk Day on November 26 in fact marked the birth anniversary of Dr Verghese Kurien, who established Amul and revolutionised India's dairy industry. Interestingly, Kurian shared the stage with minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh at the event. Neither George Kurian nor officials from the animal husbandry ministry corrected the minister for the wrong statement.
Himachal power
Former Congressman Harsh Mahajan, who won the Rajya Sabha election as a BJP nominee from Himachal Pradesh, is giving sleepless nights to the saffron party leadership in the state. Even the top brass of the state BJP is heard approaching him to connect with the Delhi party power centre. Once a close confidant of former Congress CM from Himachal Virbhadra Singh, Mahajan is today seen in the inner circles of Amit Shah. His fresh claims of Congress MLAs being in touch with him are said to be making his former partymen uncomfortable.
Doaba’s poll code
There has been no time without elections in Doaba this year. The poll code was in place for at least 200 days this year. It began in mid-March for the Lok Sabha election. A few days after the declaration of the result on June 4, it was time for the bypoll for Jalandhar West in July. Barely a month and a half passed when panchayat elections were announced in mid-September. This was followed by the elections to the Chhabewal constituency in November. And now the municipal elections are upon the region.
Punjab CMO incumbent
The recent superannuation of VK Singh, Special Chief Secretary to Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, has led to much speculation about his successor, but it seems the government is not very keen on filling the vacancy. This means the charge of the CMO will continue to be held by Special Principal Secretary to CM Ravi Bhagat. Meanwhile, Singh, whose expertise in the cooperative sector saw the financial turnaround of Milkfed a decade ago, is hoping to use some of his experience in his hometown back in Muzzafarpur, Bihar. In his personal capacity, Singh has helped Bihar set up contract manufacturing units for garments there, which now work with the biggest garment exporters of the country.
Christian challenge
After decades of brooking no resistance from the public, the crop of controversial Christian ministries in Gurdaspur, who offer miracle cures for life-threatening diseases like cancer and AIDS, may have finally met their nemesis. A Punjab-based rationalist ground, Tarksheel Society, recently challenged the claims of these pastors by telling them to produce scientific evidence or be ready to face the music. The latest news is that the Christians have now gone into a huddle wondering how to deal with the Tarksheel challenge. Roshan Joseph, a senior community leader and ex-chief of the Gurdaspur Congress Committee, rubbishes the rationalists. "Those challenging our principles and standards should know that there is a thing called faith healing. Faith is akin to taking the first step even when you do not see the entire staircase," says Joseph.
Military fest might
As usual, the annual Military Literature Festival in Chandigarh attracted hordes of residents eager to get a glimpse at the nation's might. But what was largely missing were the men in uniform at sessions on defence subjects. As domain experts, many of them senior retired officers, put across their perceptions and understanding of geostrategic affairs and matters military, several veterans opined that serving officers, especially the junior and middle rung, should be encouraged to attend such events as it would give them more food for thought and broaden their professional horizons.
Contributed by Aksheev Thakur, Pratibha Chauhan, Deepkamal Kaur, Ruchika M Khanna, Ravi Dhaliwal and Vijay Mohan
