A sharp shower in Ranchi last Monday virtually washed out the Independence Day celebrations. NCC cadets and children stood at attention in the open, getting drenched as it rained steadily.

But the VIPs, who were to hoist the flag, were thoughtfully provided with umbrellas. Much of the gravitas associated with the Independence Day had already been robbed by the morning newspapers, which were obviously tickled by Shekhar Suman?s show on Star News.

Quizzing youngsters and showing up their ignorance about the freedom struggle has been in vogue around this time of the year; but Shekhar?s show, Pol Khol, sensibly decided to target ministers and politicians this year. They were asked to differentiate between the national anthem and the national song; those who managed to answer the question were then asked to recite the lines from the national song and sing it.

Politicians in Delhi, UP, Bihar and Jharkhand fared equally ?virtually none of them knew the difference. The only politician from Jharkhand to figure in Shekhar Suman?s programme, Subodh Kant Sahai, stumbled badly because after confidently asserting that Vande Mataram was the national song, he began to sing but failed to proceed beyond the first line. The newspapers followed up the idea and buttonholed ministers and politicians in Jharkhand with great glee. Judging by the reports, only the HRD minister, Pradeep Yadav, remembered the entire song. Yadav understandably defended his colleagues and wondered how many journalists knew the national song by heart.

At many I-Day functions, the dignitaries stood at attention during the national anthem. But one of their arms was holding the umbrella. It was a sight and one could not help wondering if the rules permit people to do so during the national anthem. Ignorance about the rules is all-pervasive.

For instance, if this writer remembers correctly, the instruction at school was that unless one had a cap or a hat covering the head, one was not allowed to salute the national flag. That?s why most politicians would put on a Gandhi cap while taking the salute. But with Gandhi falling out of fashion among politicians, it is now common to see chief ministers and others taking the salute with their head bare. Does it make a difference? One is no longer sure. Perhaps not, judging by the patriotic exuberance of Americans who do not mind their under-wears made of the national flag. Here in India, however, it would still cause a riot but possibly not for long. There was also considerable confusion whether this year was the 58th anniversary of Independence or 59th. The chief minister, while recording his message for the local DD Kendra, made the faux pas of saying that it was the 59th anniversary. The mistake was pointed out much later, forcing the chief minister to change his dress and record the message all over again. Officials who witnessed the scene recalled the chief secretary telling the CM that the local DD Kendra had obsolete editing equipment and perhaps the state government should volunteer to equip it with more modern gadgets. It would just cost the state Rs 15 crore, he is reported to have remarked. While the chief secretary must have made the comment lightly, it caused quite a stir.

Even more sensational was the chief minister?s speech distributed on the occasion. Disheartened by the low attendance, inclement weather and vacant chairs, he did not read out the speech. It was deemed to have been read. Printed on glossy and expensive art-paper, the ?colourful? speech was apparently ?read? only by the handful of reporters. But most of the media missed out the fine-print, which declared the government?s intention to distribute computers free to undergraduate girl students in the state.

The obvious question that arises is why the benefit should be confined to only undergraduate students. Surely the present bunch of postgraduate students, too, can make use of computers. The next question would be why is the government going to confine the scheme to only girls? Another disturbing aspect is that with the state facing an acute shortage of power, it is doubtful how useful the computers will be, presuming the government plans to distribute table-top sets. The state, which cannot computerise its universities in five years or pay university teachers on time, is all set to become one of the hottest markets for computers. While critics may carp about corruption, the optimists will still see a silver lining. Free distribution of bicycles to girl students in schools, they would point out, has liberated the girls. Free distribution of computers might now give them the freedom to dream.