To start off, it's kudos to Salman. No, no. Not the Salman of Bollywood but the Salman of Indian politics... Salman Kursheed, to be precise, who is presently minister of state for corporate affairs and minority affairs (Independent Charge), in the Dr Manmohan Singh government.
Kudos to him, for having the courage (he's perhaps the only politician to have done it) to question the 'vulgar salaries' paid out by Corporate India.
At a time when drought has dried up a large part of India and everybody from Sonia to Rahul to the lowest Congressman is talking and seemingly walking austerity, Salman Kursheed pushed the argument into the turf of India's head-honchos. Terming salaries paid out in the upper echelons of India Inc as 'vulgar', Kursheed advocated that it's time to shed some of this vulgarity.
The response from India Inc was quick, and expectedly, not in the least approving of Kursheed's suggestion.
"Let market forces decide the salaries" was one from a leading industry association.
"Government has no business in this," was the response of another leading industry collective.
Why then, Dear FICCI and Dear Assocham, should the government have any role to play in tackling the recession, all of which is the making of very 'vulgar' salary-drawing Ramalingas from Leihmanian companies? Shouldn't it be the 'market forces' that should be dealing with the downturns instead of governments pumping in billions to insulate the 'vulgar' salaries of the tie-and-suit-boot-wallahs?
By the way... Salman Kursheed has a Goa connection. He's the grandson of India's third president, Dr Zakir Hussain and the son of Kursheed Alam Khan, who was Goa's Governor in the early 1990s.
Policing the politicos
There are just two politicians I know in Goa, who when in power, love to take on the 'criminals' in politics depending on which side of the political fence the 'criminal politicos' are sitting -- current Home Minister Ravi Naik and former Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar.
In the past, Churchill, Mummy and her son Rudy have tasted, through their days at Aguada, Ravi's penchant for action against politicos perceived to be in conflict with the law. More recently in the early years of this decade, Narvekar, Zuwarkar and Mauvin tasted Manohar Parrikar's love for 'teaching them a lesson'. Only, the trio learnt the trick to make their chests pain and spend time on a hospital bed instead of a jail until they got bail!
So, why am I throwing up a tantrum about it?
Because, it's some down and some more to go. At a recent press conference, Ravi spilled the beans when he indicated that Mickky wouldn't be the last of the politicians that the police will act against. There are some more lined up with pots of evidence lying in police files.
Ravi it is, who can be trusted with this one. When half-a-dozen ministers and MLAs dashed to the sprawling bungalow of a top minister as a show of solidarity when cops went hunting for his kin, Ravi was unmoved and let the 'law will take its own course' cliche, play out.
Lucky Canacona?
Everyone and sundry is taking to charity for Canacona. Our correspondent deputed to this southernmost taluka hit by floods following the wettest Gandhi Jayanti of my memory reports that aid is flowing in at least some of the areas, both in cash and kind.
Meanwhile, many have launched Canacona Charity Funds and we've lost count of how many such funds have been floated. On Sunday, a group of students in uniform from a prominent city school, came knocking at my door with a donation box for Canacona. Hope of hopes that all of it really reaches the many marooned Kankonkars.
And oh! How could I forget the philantropic gestures of Digambar and Co.? The next two months' salary is what all our ministers are going to contribute to the CM's Relief Fund. Wouldn't it have been great for Canacona if all the 'cuts' were also committed to the CM's Relief Fund?
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