Fading Red
Is finance minister Asim Dasgupta a lesser communist than his other cabinet colleagues? The question cropped up in people’s minds last week when ministers paid their last respects to their colleague Mrinal Banerjee who died of cancer last week. As the body was brought to the Writers’ Buildings, the ministers led by Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee lined up to pay homage. Except for Dasgupta, all others gave Banerjee the red salute. Dasgupta instead offered his namashkar to the departed soul.

Going with the flow
It seems the Kolkata police, apparently the only trusted force of the chief minister, have started tilting towards the Opposition after realising that the change in power is inevitable in the 2011 Assembly elections. There were media reports earlier that a few IPS and IAS officers have started getting closer to Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee. At present, according to sources, a few senior officers of Kolkata police have started sending cards and greetings to the Kalighat residence of Mamata. When asked, a senior police officer said that after Banerjee told a senior IPS officer that she would not spare the police commissioner and his associates after she comes to power, the officers of Kolkata police are keen to break the ice and save their neck.

Manners please
Indian bureaucrats are not known for their good manners but this surely takes the prize, of course for bad manners. At a press conference, which was held to announce a film festival recently and where the director of Kolkata’s most important cultural institutions was present, a Scottish actor had to undergo some “difficult” moments. When the foreign actor was speaking to mediapersons, the bureaucrat insisted on carrying on a rather loud conversation over the phone, much to the embarrassment of everyone around. The Scottish actor however, was grace personified. He unflinchingly continued with his speech without showing any kind of indignation.

Now, Dalmiya-isms
After all these years, the Maidan has become used to Jagmohan Dalmiya and his Dalmiyaisms - the 67-year-old cricket administrator’s malapropisms. But with the one that he unleashed last Thursday, the CAB president even bettered himself. “It is nothing but a ‘filament’ of your mind, my friend,” chuckled Dalmiya as he responded to a question from a reporter at Eden Gardens when asked to comment on the intensifying rivalry between him and Kolkata police Commissioner Gautam Mohan Chakrabarti. Those who don’t know Dalmiya well enough were left stumped and those who know him instantly understood what he tried to say —possibly that the theory of a rivalry is just a ‘figment’ of imagination!

Chowmein Mexicana!
The favourite food court of the Kolkata Book Fair has gone in for a make-over. In one corner of the marble-glass wonder stands a man before trays of food. A banner behind him proudly declares it to be the Mexican Food Corner. But when asked what ‘Mexican food’ they served, a family was politely informed that the stall had the city favourites — chowmein and chilli chicken. And what about the Mexican specialties? “Oh! they are yet to arrive,” the stall owner told them.

Search for Hindi Guru
Senior Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee is keen to improve his Hindi. At a recent programme in his constituency, he was taken aback by SBI chairman O P Bhatt’s fine flawless speech delivered in Bengali. Apparently the SBI chairman has taken proper classes in the local language from a Bengali teacher. After listening to him, the Union finance minister told the gathering that he sincerely yearns to have a Hindi teacher much like Bhatt’s Bengali teacher, so that his Hindi can improve and he can attempt to address people in Hindi.

Didi sees red
Congress working president Subrata Mukherjee’s sudden visit to Kalighat resident of Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee not only generated speculations and a slew of questions from media but also made the Railway Minister lose her cool.
During a recent interaction with the press where Mamata was present with Subrata, mediapersons lobbed a series of questions to the Congress leader — “Are you leaving Congress once again and joining Trinamool?”, “Did you come here to become the Mayor?”
But all these queries did not go down well with Mamata who lost her cool and said: “Who do you think you are? You are a reporter and therefore you can say anything you please? He is a leader of our alliance partner. How dare you ask such questions?”
While Mamata was at the top of her voice, Subrata remained calm and kept on smiling. “If I leave the party I will let you know,” was the only reply from the Congress leader. Trinamool leaders had to rush in to pacify Mamata, who was still shouting, and they led the reporters out of the room.