Often, people end up shooting the messenger. Recently, Housing Minister M.H. Ambareesh and Information Minister Roshan Baig — who tried to troubleshoot the Sandalwood crisis — found themselves in the muddle. Mr. Ambareesh, who wields considerable clout in the Kannada film industry, tried to make peace between warring artistes and producers, but the producers raised slogans against him. A miffed Mr. Ambareesh stepped back. When the crisis deepened, president of Kannada Film Producers’ Association, Muniratna, roped him in again to solve the imbroglio. While addressing a press conference and asking producers to initiate a dialogue with actors, his comment “beggars cannot be choosers” stirred up the hornet’s nest. The producers took umbrage at being likened to beggars, attacked the Minister and demanded an apology. In the other episode, Mr. Baig — who was called upon by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to resolve the matter — invited reporters to his chamber. He later changed his mind and got into an exchange of words with them when they came in. This ended in Mr. Baig ordering them out and abusing a media person, who was a tad late in leaving. Later, the Minister’s media managers tried to pacify an irate media lot, but the news conference remained boycotted.
MLA’s royal repast
With elections to the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike likely to be held next month, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is keen on launching a slew of infrastructure projects, besides announcing new ones. On June 19, he and his entourage of Ministers and legislators traversed the city to ‘inaugurate’ many works — among them three police stations, two flyovers and two skywalks. A posse of reporters were witness to the launches.
After cutting the ceremonial ribbons at different functions, Mr. Siddaramaiah left without interacting with reporters as is the routine. While officials close to him promised that he would brief the reporters at his home office ‘Krishna’ (it never happened), the journalists were taken aback when the convoy stopped at city MLA Byrathi Basavaraj’s palatial house on the city’s outskirts. The MLA used the occasion to host a royal feast for more than 20,000 people in his constituency, even forcing a reluctant media to have the repast. In the end, everyone, including the Chief Minister, was treated to a feast along with a variety of sweets that were served in special crockery, including a spoon that had a design similar to the State emblem.
Not a word
against yoga?
Does a farmer tilling his/her two-acre plot in a village or a domestic help in an urban home dedicate an hour every day for yoga?
This might sound like an absurd question, but all hell broke loose when Social Welfare Minister H. Anjaneya said yoga was not for those whose livelihood depended on hard physical labour.
His remark in the run-up to the International Yoga Day that the regimen is for “lazy and rich people” drew a barrage of angry comments from not only the Opposition leaders but also his own Cabinet colleagues. One Opposition leader uploaded a picture of Mr. Anjaneya in a yoga posture with a “caught you in the act” glee. The beleaguered Minister had to go to great lengths to explain that his aim was not dismissing yoga, but to state that it was essentially tailored to suit the more privileged sections of society.
While hailing the health benefits of yoga is one matter, the moot question remains as to why any so-called adverse comment is looked upon as nothing short of sacrilege and even an anti-national act.
Friends beyond
their parties
It was interesting to witness the cordial bonds maintained by BJP national vice-president B.S. Yeddyurappa and veteran Congressman and Speaker of Legislative Assembly Kagodu Thimmappa, despite their different political affiliations.
Their camaraderie was evident during a programme organised by the Veerashaiva Vidyabhivruddhi Samsthe in Sagar of Shivamogga district. Mr. Thimmappa appreciated the struggles launched by Mr. Yeddyurappa during his stint in the Opposition to protect the interests of bagair hukum farmers and bonded labourers. He even went on to say, “Mr. Yeddyurappa should become the Chief Minister again.”
Mr. Yeddyurappa, in return, showered eulogies on Mr. Thimmappa for his interest in getting the Forest Rights Act and the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme implemented.
He noted that Mr. Thimmappa regularly visited remote places in the Sagar Assembly segment and kept up close contact with the people there. He said Mr. Thimmappa had maintained the dignity of the Speaker’s office and was a role model for young politicians.
Muralidhara Khajane,
Chitra V. Ramani,
Bageshree S., and
Veerendra P.M.
