Innovative management has new proponents in Kolkata. If caught far from the airport in the midst of a quasi-uprising over some surreal issue with only minutes left to catch a must-not-miss flight, do what a senior executive with a Kolkata-based business house did. This executive needed to reach Chennai for some urgent business, and was on his way to the airport?only to discover that street protestors armed with stones and bottles had plans much too uncivil for the achievement of any such objective. With his watch ticking away, the executive had a brainwave?he leapt out of his vehicle and hired an ambulance. And so, with wheeing siren and overhead flashbulbs did he reach his destination in the very nick of time. To complete the ruse, he even wore a white coat. ?At this rate,? he told Eavesdropper, ?we should have more ambulances than taxis on the streets.?
Draft dodging
Few doubt that the heart of PMK leader and Union health minister Anbumani Ramadoss beats for India?s uncared-for rural multitudes. However, over-affection can land even ministers in soup. Ramadoss junior?s suggestion of a compulsory one-year rural service stint for all medical graduates drew such howls of protest that even politicians joined medicos in their street demonstrations. The final blow came when Tamil Nadu CM M Karunanidhi met the agitating medicos and assured them that he would intervene on their behalf to resolve the issue to everyone?s satisfaction. The minister may have to go back to twisting the ears of actors for public smoking.