By George! Still a dynamite

Careless Whispers

Standing tall: Former union minister George Fernandes is not keeping well for some time but has refused crutches Pics and videos/Rajeev Tyagi

No, thanks
What Indira Gandhi, Emergency, IBM and Coca Cola could not achieve, age has done to the dynamite of Indian politics George Fernandes.

But the man who was trained to be a priest still refuses to acknowledge defeat. A young politician met him at the Parliament, expressing concern over what senile decay has done to trade unionist who inspired a whole generation of Indian politicos. One of the Fernandes aides shot back, "Sahab still doesn't need any crutches."

The young Congress neta may not have got the import of the quote but his elders would tell him that Fernandes, who fought against the Congress throughout his political career, still doesn't need the grand old party's sympathies.

W(o)rming up to journos
The scribes are as notorious for their tribes as eating fancy food at product and service launches. At a recent function, a journalist pointed out a worm in his curry yet the voracious newspersons gave a damn and continued to hog. Talk of professional hazards.

See how fit I am: Indian National Lok Dal Secretary General Ajay Chautala

Subtlety pays, Mr Chautala
It took a witty journalist for the Indian National Lok Dal's Secretary General Ajay Chautala to recall what kept his father at the pinnacle of power. Chautala, who has done an Adnan Sami by reducing 40 kgs of flab around his huge frame, was caught off the guard by the sudden mention of the notorious Green Brigade. Incidentally, Chautala was telling the student wing of his party that they should return to the green the colour of the party to make a mark in the student's union elections in Delhi University. But, even before he could put the message across to the students, a journo among the crowd got it. Even otherwise too, it

Stop sign: Lion's Club officials launching the anti-anaemia campaign in New Delhi

really looks odd for a neta promoting environment at a political meet, isn't it?

Hog(ging) the limelight
Pigs are the in things these days, thanks to swine flu hitting international headlines. The virus has made the animal one of the biggest villains facing mankind. Suddenly the whole world is after the meek, pony-tailed animal. Pigs desperately need some good PR and Lion's Club is going to do exactly that. The NGO has added pigs to its mascot the lion for a campaign against diabetes. Now, if you are too lazy to hit google for searching what pigs have got to do with diabetes then here is the gyaan. Pig insulin is used as the replacement for human insulin in managing diabetics. The campaign also aims to focus on anaemia in children at municipal schools in Delhi. Most of these don't derive their iron from Horlics and some fancy breakfast meal and certainly need some nourishment.