Cong Gets A New Address, 9A Kotla Marg

The Congress will finally have its own premises in New Delhi. Never mind that it is coming 15 years too late. At least it has come up in the midst of Delhi Assembly elections which the party is fighting with renewed vigour. The foundation stone of Indira Bhavan (IB) was laid by Sonia Gandhi, as Congress President, on the party’s 125th anniversary in December 2009. On the auspicious occasion of Makar Sankranti, January 15, she will be launching IB as CPP chairperson. Party sources said MCD clearance had delayed IB’s opening by four months. The Congress led by Indira Gandhi had moved into 24 Akbar Road office — a Type VII Lutyens bungalow — in 1978 when the party was out of power for the first time since Independence. It was offered by a Lok Sabha Dalit MP from Telangana. Ironically, when it is moving out of the bungalow, the party is also out of power. Nevertheless, there is a lot of confidence among Congress leaders that the party could see a comeback. Much hope is riding on Priyanka Gandhi, as she is a MP now. Meanwhile, to avoid having the BJP icon in its address, the Congress chose to have its front gate on Kotla Marg, which is essentially the rear of the plot. As a result, 9A Kotla Marg will become its new address. This is the fourth time Congress will be moving its party’s office since independence. From 7 Jantar Mantar Road to 5 Rajendra Prasad Road in 1971 and then to 24 Akbar Road in 1978. In 2015, the Centre cancelled the allotment of 4 bungalows given to the Congress — including 24 Akbar Road. In contrast, the BJP built its headquarters in 6A Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg in a record time of 18 months in Feb 2018. (By Lakshmi Iyer)

Sunil Gavaskar Delights One And All At The Wankhede Again!

Sunil Gavaskar dressed in a pistachio China collar gave a pleasant surprise to the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) president Ajinkya Naik and its Apex Council by gracing the Wankhede Stadium Golden Jubilee inauguration on January 12. The MCA had invited the batting maestro and legend for the big celebration on January 19 when the association will felicitate the India captains from Mumbai. Upon being called to the stage after the MCA Apex Council match against the Sports Journalists Association of Mumbai on Sunday — a 10-over thrash — Gavaskar said: “I got myself invited for today’s function because I was captain of Bombay (Mumbai) first before leading India. So I decided to invite myself.” The MCA was naturally excited at its illustrious son of the soil cricketer turning up at the Wankhede where he has scored 1122 runs in 11 Tests at 56.10 with five centuries including a high of 205 against the West Indies in the 1978-79 series. He had missed a century in the first Test at the Wankhede against the West Indies in January 1975. He scored 86 in the first innings. Gavaskar led India for the first time in January 1976 against New Zealand in Auckland, several months after he led Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy season of 1975-76. Gavaskar led Mumbai to three Ranji Trophy title wins; in April 1977 against Delhi at the Kotla, in April 1984 against Delhi at the Wankhede when he scored an unbeaten 206 and in April 1985 against Delhi at the Wankhede. No wonder he arrived at the historic venue on Sunday, January 12, to the delight of one and all! (By G Viswanath)

Will Birlas Rechristen India Cements?

What’s in a name? Who cares for longevity? Time just sweeps everything aside. Well, the year just went by was significant for this iconic name in the city of Chennai. N Srinivasan-owned The India Cements Ltd (ICL) has changed hands. And, the Birlas have become the new owner of the company. No doubt, change is the only constant in this world. But this change was totally unanticipated. At the employee-level, this change has come as a bolt from the ICL blue. Srinivasan has always been known to be a caring and employee-friendly owner. To be sure, the entire ICL team rallied around him through thick and thin. That bonding with his employees stood Srinivasan out in this highly competitive cement business. But he had little choice but to ship out. It was a bold call from an aging owner.To quit or hold on. That was a tough decision to make. In the end, Srinivasan chose to go out. It requires an extraordinary courage to give up something you were passionate about and something you nurtured all along with sweat and toil. In the end, he chose to call time so that the organisation could continue and become robust. One can debate until the cows come home as to what caused this change. As the new owners – UltraTech Cement — takes charge at ICL, speculations are rife. Will the new owner keep the identity of ICL? Will ICL remain a Chennai company? Well, imaginations are running amok at the moment. One thing is sure, however. For Chenniates, it is hard to see ICL slipping into a new hand. (By KT Jagannathan)

At 70 Rekha, Still Chased By Paparazzi

Come to think of it, one does not really see yesteryear popular stars like Reena Roy or Jaya Prada getting publicity…save for some guest appearances on reality shows. The same cannot be said of the 70-year old husky sexy popular star Rekha. From time to time she is visible in the social media space and makes dramatic appearances at the big event. The paparazzi loves her because she has struck a good chemistry with them…goes that extra mile to pose for them. But ironically, she is not friendly with any journalists. That’s why you only see her…don’t read her interview. An insider said, “She is a costly affair when she agrees to participate in an event or award function and goes into details like Amitabh Bachchan.”  Rekha who has acted in more than 180 films is nostalgic, mystical and continues to have a big draw wherever she goes. Just recently she was spotted at Raj Kapoor’s 100th birthday celebration. Here too the actress pleased all the paps… even gave Raj Kapoor a photo a sweet kiss. Sources say she is keen to get back to acting. Any Bollywood producers listening? By Our Entertainment Editor

RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat Plans 10-Day Visit To West Bengal To Placate Hindus

The situation in Bangladesh has become a matter of grave concern, particularly for the Hindu community, which is reportedly facing severe persecution with alleged administrative complicity. In light of these developments, RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat along with nine senior leaders, is scheduled to visit Bengal for 10 days from February 7 to 16. This visit is being viewed as unprecedented, with no recent parallel in the state, according to sources inside the RSS headquarters. The RSS is celebrating its centenary this year, and officials have stated that the visit is primarily for organizational meetings and discussions on the various events organized across the country for the occasion. Bhagwat and other leaders will be in Kolkata for three days of closed-door meetings, followed by a visit to Bardhaman, where they will engage with regional leaders about the RSS’s activities in central Bengal, particularly in tribal and Kurmi-dominated areas. The visit has attracted significant attention from political analysts and international relations experts, especially given the current geopolitical dynamics. In neighboring Bangladesh, the Hindu community continues to face increasing violence, and the political instability has ramifications for India. Additionally, the presence of radical Islamic groups in eastern India has heightened concerns over internal security, leading to increased vigilance from central agencies. Inside RSS circles, however, some see this trip as addressing deeper concerns about the organization’s presence and influence in Bengal. A senior RSS member noted that while Hindu assertiveness has grown significantly in northern and central India, Bengal has lagged behind, prompting the leadership to focus on the state’s socio-political landscape. (By Tanya Bagchi)

National Award Winner Nithya Menen Says She Doesn’t Like The Filmi World

Old timers may still reminisce about that 1964 runaway Tamil comedy hit, Kadhalikka Neramillai. Tamil audience is in for yet another namesake of this film, Kadhalikka Neramillai, directed by Kiruthiga Udhayanidhi, wife of Tamil Nadu deputy CM, to be distributed by husband’s Red Giant Movies. So when the film’s cute heroine Nithya Menen said in the music promo and trailer event, “I just don’t like the filmi world I am in. Just when I decided to quit and look for another career (pilot), destiny dropped the National Award for best female lead in Thiruchitrambalam, in my lap”. An award she richly deserves. Even as she goes from strength to strength as a bankable actress, she wonders why she continues … .no freedom to move, an image to be kept up. How many aspiring leading ladies would happily exchange places with her! Nithya comes from an agnostic family based in Bengaluru. But now she strongly believes that there is a “supreme power and destiny that presides over our lives”. She admits that she has turned into a believer. Is she practising the essence of Gita philosophy? Do your duty to the best of your ability, be detached and don’t depend on outcomes. She is sought after in all South Indian languages, delivers the best that a character demands. Her all-time favourite is the 2023 Kolaambi. O Kadhal Kanmani brought her many accolades. This sparkling lady is sure to find “kadhalikka neram” soon.  (By Padma Ramnath)

Poor Event Management Skill Evident At The 18the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas In Odisha

Not surprisingly, the 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas organised in Bhubaneswar, Odisha between January 9 and 11 did not get that kind of national media coverage across the country as it normally does. Going by the local media, the event organised for the first time in Odisha and inaugurated by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi seems to be badly executed with too many obvious misses. To start with, the name and picture of Mahatma Gandhi was conspicuous by its absence. It may be mentioned that the event was organised from 2003 on January 9 was to commemorate the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa. Organised at the cost of Rs 125 crore the turnout was poor and reportedly there were hundreds of empty chairs. Different people threw different numbers on NRI turnouts; Odisha chief secretary said 3,000 NRI’s attended, while BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi said there were 5,000 delegates, a TV channel said 7,000. Other misses were the State song Bande Utkal Janani not being played at the event and local Odia cuisines not served. Net, net the event reflected poor organising skill of the Majhi government. But, the chief minister on his part was happy as his State has received Rs 2.5 lakh crore investment commitment by the Indian diaspora. (By Sangram Mohanty)

CongressIndian cricketIndian DiasporaMCAMohan BhagwatN Srinivasannational politcsnew HQSunil Gavaskar