Rush to pay ‘rich’ tributes

Whenever a distinguished person passes away, media houses are flooded with statements of politicians mourning the death irrespective of whether they know the person or not. The sad demise of distinguished historian R.S. Sharma was no exception. A former RJD MP told his journalist friend that he wanted his name to figure in a daily mourning the death of “a great trade union leader”. “Which trade union leader?” asked the amazed journalist. The former MP’s reply was Sharmaji. It is clear that the young politician had never prepared for UPSC when he was a student and if he did history was not his subject,” a passerby said. In the past, deaths of prominent personalities have been used by some politicians just for the sake of getting their names included in the list of mourners in the newspapers. “I recall a prominent Hindi novelist’s death. There were not enough persons to take his body to the crematorium. But the next morning statements of hundreds of mourners appeared in dailies,” a Hindi litterateur said. Around a decade ago, an MLA became the target of jokes when he issued a press note mourning the death of a politician and declaring that he participated in his last rites. The only thing was that the politician had not died and survived the illness that time.

Beg to differ

While the BJP is going all out to support Anna Hazare, their Bihar party chief Dr C.P. Thakur does not share the enthusiasm of his party. “Annaji’s movement against corruption appears to have caught the imagination of the people. But his battle will fizzle out,” he told journalists recently, stressing that it was the BJP’s battle against corruption that would last. Thakur did concede that the BJP’s battle against corruption had “strayed”. “But we will get it right,” he said. A senior BJP leader said: “It’s a case of jealousy. The party knows that the agenda it should have scored with has been hijacked and it could do nothing about it.”

Independent Jaya Prada

Amar Singh and Lok Sabha MP Jaya Prada were gifted swords at a function in Patna. But the sword offered to Bollywood star of yesteryears refused to come out of the holder. Amar offered to help Jaya Prada. But the former actress refused to take help. After a prolonged struggle she succeeded in pulling out the sword and pose for lensmen. “Well, there are at least some things she can do without Amar,” an onlooker said, recalling that the actress had followed the footsteps of Singh on the political turf.

Dull I-Day at RJD office

The state party president of the RJD, Ram Chandra Purbey, hoisted the National Flag at his party’s office on Beer Chand Patel Path on August 15 but forgot to salute it. When a party worker reminded him, he salutes the flag. Purbey obliged. “After the defeat in the Assembly polls, the functions at the RJD office have become lacklustre affairs. It is not surprising that Purbeyji forgot the formality of saluting the Tricolour,” said another RJD worker. Incidentally, party MP Ram Kripal Yadav charged his former friend and currently JD(U) minister Shyam Rajak with insulting the National Flag by putting it on the wrong side of his car. There is politics even over the National Flag here, a senior RJD leader said.