Karnataka   

Art-warming story

Sometimes bureaucrats take time off to share their interesting experiences, like the story narrated Chief Secretary Sudhakar Rao.

Mr. Rao wanted to know about the Mysore Palace artist, the late Y. Subramanya Raju, and summoned a junior official from the Information Department to prepare a note for him on the man.

He was surprised when the official briefed him on the spot and gave copious information. Pleasantly surprised at the knowledge of the junior official, he asked how she knew so much on that subject.

She told Mr. Rao that Raju was her mother’s teacher. Her mother, who was a professional artist, had funded her entire education, she informed. “How can I forget the artist who taught my mother about the Mysore art form which helped me to complete my education,” she asked.

Mr. Rao concluded: “We do not know what helps whom and where; every facet of life is important.”M.

Kannada Development Authority Chairman Mukhyamantri Chandru was full of characteristic theatricality at a programme organised to felicitated judges who write judgments in Kannada.

His “method” in enforcing use of Kannada, he said, was of taking one careful step at a time. “First I beg people to use Kannada. Then I give instructions. Only then do I get tough and take strict action,” he said. One smart Alec in the audience asked: “If all fails, to resign would be the next logical step?” The outspoken member of the audience was either not loud enough for Mr. Chandru to hear. Or perhaps the theatre personality-turned-politician chose not to.

The Corporate Bhavan, situated in a multistoreyed building on M.G. Road became a “temple” on the occasion of its inauguration recently. Union Minister for Corporate Affairs Prem Chand Gupta, who inaugurated the Bhavan by cutting a ribbon, later performed a puja along with Union Secretary for Corporate Affairs Anurag Goel. The ministry officials spread a piece of cloth on the floor for the Minister and the secretary to sit and perform the puja, which they did under the direction of two priests. After the mangalarathi, one of the priests offered it to the staff of the ministry who dropped coins and currency notes to the plate, just as they do in temples.

At a book launch that involved the who’s who of Indian writing in English, a young journalist who contributed to the book, which was a first-ever AIDS anthology in India, was asked some thought-provoking questions regarding the role of the media, particularly the print media, in the awareness raised about HIV/AIDS. The space for a more elaborate kind of journalism in newspapers was also spoken about, where one is able to present a more nuanced story.

Another probable first was that along with the press kit, journalists received a condom too.

RAGHURAM, BAGESHREE S., KRISHNAPRASAD,

DEEPIKA ARWIND

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Karnataka police team to undergo training in Singapore
Bal Bhavan to be built in a year
People not willing to move out of village
‘Bagina’
Mini-Vidhana Soudha soon in Davangere
Snap strike by corporation officials
‘Act against erring headmasters’
Probe into illegal mining promised
Go on leave, district surgeon told
Action yet to be taken against terrorism: MP
Gathering support
Arrested
State Bank officers strike work
Only invitees going for AKKA event, says Government
‘Milk price hike inevitable’
100 days in office: BJP plans a campaign
Gowrishankar, Katti join BJP
All district roads to be widened
Art-warming story
Water adalat
Conference

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu