Politicians’ blogs get lost in cyber space

The blogs of politicians often get lost in cyber space. There was so much hype and hoopla over the blog of RJD chief Lalu Prasad when he was the railway minister. He claimed that he started the blog for an “interaction with railway commuters”. The blog died a natural death with praise and abuse hurled at him. hief minister Nitish Kumar also started a blog in which he expressed his views on various issues. But the last post on his blog was on October 5, 2010. “I write a blog when I think there is an issue to write on,' he said. Nitish's political opponents appeared unconvinced with his explanation, though.” A lot of earthshaking incidents have happened after October,' said an RJD leader. Almost all politicians, irrespective of their party affiliation, agreed on one aspect. “Politicians took to blogging after Hollywood stars like Amitabh Bachchan started it. But the politicians are so busy that their blogs have to be ghost-written,” said a senior politician. If a VVIP politician’s blog gets lost or delayed, one can assume the ghost-writer has either gone on leave or has quit, he argued.

Sattu drink in demand

The distribution of sattu drink among the large number of complainants pouring in at the chief minister’s janata darbar triggered varied comments. “See, sattu is a sure food for saving people from heat stroke,” said a complainant waiting for his turn. Another complainant was heard suggesting that the drink should have had more sattu and less water. As complainants gulped sattu drink glass after glass, an official said: “Instead of mixing sattu in buckets of water, we should have used a washing machine. It would have made our task easier.” His colleague agreed. “It would have been more hygienic also,” he added.

School matters

A girl in one of the chief minister's janata darbars told Nitish Kumar that she wanted to be like him. Nitish told her: “I read in a school where I had to sit on a chataiyee (mat). Not in a public school like you.” Onlookers said he thought of introducing the Right to Education Act in public schools of Bihar struck Nitish then. “But the fact remains that most of our leaders, including alu Prasad and Ram Vilas Paswan, went to chatiya pathshalas (nondescript primary schools where students sit on mats) and not expensive public schools,” said n official.

Visitors welcome, not foreign visit

The external affairs ministry is keen on sending virtually every foreign visitor or delegation to Bihar. A delegation from the European Union will be visiting Bihar on Wednesday. Earlier this week, the ambassador of Indonesia, Andi M. Ghalib (in picture), spent three days in the state. The American ambassador, a French delegation, visitors from Germany and people from China visited Bihar in the past few months and praised the changes taking place in the state. But a state government official was quick to recall that the external affairs ministry refused to grant permission to chief minister Nitish Kumar to go abroad. Last year it refused Nitish permission to go to Nepal. He wanted to attend the birth anniversary of late prime minister of the neighbouring country, G.P. Koirala. “Changing is a good showcase for the external affairs ministry, but they do not want to showcase Bihar chief minister,” he said.