In a milieu where public figures measure their status by how much security bandobast they have, former President APJ Abdul Kalam again proved himself a touch different. On Wednesday, Delhi?s Khel Gaon Road was surprised to see him walking his self-assured way down to Siri Fort Auditorium. Kalam was headed there to release a book written by opposition leader and BJP?s PM-hopeful, LK Advani, My Life, My Country. It wasn?t the case, though, that Kalam had given up on motorised transport. Khel Gaon Road was jammed bumper-to-bumper, and Kalam calculated that his punctuality would be better assured by putting foot to tarmac. On reaching the venue, he described the scenario outside as an ?Advani Jam?, claiming that it was ?not me? who was responsible for all the latecoming that evening.
History, who?
An English news channel recently hosted a live ?debate? on India?s mute official response to the violence in Tibet. A Congress party representative repeatedly referred to the ?1999? Tiananmen Square incident, with the TV anchor nodding along. The respective purposes of their presence on air were all too apparent. The Congressman was accusing the NDA of daring not raise a voice against the violence then, whilst in power. The show anchor was animatedly pressing forth her point about the muffled response from India. It was the Samata party representative who spoiled the fun by suggesting that 1999 was perhaps a decade too late for the NDA to have protested. But then, all those viewers sending SMS responses to the onscreen poll in this wondrous display of telecracy wouldn?t quite care either.
