Wednesday, June 3, 1998
Girls not wanted
A farmer, well past 60, and his wife, 60, wanted a child of their own. Not just any child, a male child who would be heir to their 150 acres. Their eldest son (24) is physically and mentally disabled, a daughter (23) has been married off and their youngest son (23) died of brain tumour. So they chose to go for a male child to inherit their land. Medical help was easily available to them at Ludhiana -- complete with an ultrasound test confirming that the foetus was male.
Very crude, Minister
The morning after the Budget presentation, and the finance minister is seen scrambling on the floor of the House to explain what can only be termed as a crude blunder. True, mathematics and politics do not easily go together, especially in these days when popular votes are so closely linked to the price of essential goods, but the least the country can expect of its finance minister is that he gets his sums right.
Soaring in adversity
The Finance Minister hasn't taken any cognisance of sanctions,'' Sharad Pawar huffed from the steps of Parliament House after the Budget was presented. ``We regard it as an interim Budget.'' With minor changes, the same note was struck by the rest of the malcontents on the opposition benches.
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