DIARY - Friday, March 24, 2000
Dr. Jai Maharaj
Editorial
The Pioneer, via http://www.mantra.com/newsplus
Division of duties
While the US securitymen accompanying President Bill
Clinton have had their way everywhere, they had to take a
backseat at Parliament. The central hall was crawling
with black-suited watch and ward staff while there were
only a handful of secret service personnel.
And even behind the dais where Clinton sat, stood a
turbaned staffer of Parliament who even offered a bottle
of distilled water to the President who put it beside his
chair. When a US official inspected the earphones, the
staff politely pointed out that separate remote earphones
had been arranged for the dignitaries.
But, when Clinton was literally mobbed by MPs, it was
left to his men to pull him through no Parliament staffer
was going to risk the wrath of an MP by pushing him out
of the way.
At their best
When it comes to projecting India's international image,
our political parties often go overboard in trying to
present a happy family picture.
At a Press conference after the Congress delegation led
by party president Sonia Gandhi met US president Bill
Clinton, party leaders tried to project themselves as
responsible opposition. Visibly gleeful spokesman Pranab
Mukherjee said, Soniaji had a very cordial meeting with
the visiting US President and conveyed to him our
perception on the nuclear issue , as if the party's stand
had little to do with the official line.
But then these are the very leaders who also pretend all
is well with the party when internal disarray is quite
evident, and when the last few Congress Working Committee
meetings have been far from cordial.
Amending the release
Members of the National Review Commission, after their
first headbanger on Thursday, were at pains to explain
that their job was to simply review the working of the
Constitution and not to review the sacrosanct text
itself. But, in spite of protestations, they still got
all mixed up in the Press release.
Post-meeting, the panel prepared a draft which read, The
commission generally discussed the areas of immediate
contemporary concern which it proposes to examine, such
as ...Constitution and pace of socio-economic change and
development: Removal of poverty; literacy; employment and
social security.
When they realised the gaffe, amendments were made. This
time it read ...promoting literacy, generating
employment, social security and removal of poverty.
Mercifully, the first draft didn t get widely circulated.
Different genre
How does Samantha Morton feel about getting an Oscar
nomination? She admits that she is pleased. But I m
shocked more than anything. I didn t go to America and
sell myself to secure a nomination, like some actors.
They think they have to go over there and be celebrities.
I didn t, so I thought there wouldn t be a chance in
hell. At 22, the versatile Morton has made five films,
among them Woody Allen's bittersweet comedy, Sweet and
Lowdown, which won her that Oscar nomination. I hadn t
seen any Woody Allen films, Morton says, disarmingly.
I had heard of him. But I m 22. He is a different
generation. Her favourite director is the late Alan
Clarke, a British director known for grim social realism
So you wouldn t put him and Woody in the same breath, she
pipes.
Friday, March 24, 2000
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