Third Eye: Volunteers in White at BRICS Summit

During the BRICS Summit, one sight was common to Xiamen airport, bus stands, railway stations, hotels and conference centres: Local college students in all-white attire. The provincial government recruited student volunteers to assist the delegates and media from the five member countries. These volunteers were chosen based on their familiarity with BRICS countries and their English. They were also taught English names of cuisines and greetings in Hindi, Russian, Portuguese (Brazil) and the languages of South Africa.

CPM Factions Just Can’t Agree on Cong Alliance
As the CPM politburo meeting on drawing up the party’s draft political resolution for the next party congress, the West Bengal party leaders, backed by general secretary Sitaram Yechury, are arguing that the party must do a ‘pragmatic review’ of its projected ‘touch-Congress-not’ line. Citing the efforts to prop up an anti-BJP grand alliance of over a dozen Opposition parties under the leadership of Congress, the Bengal Marxists argue if party doesn’t change accordingly, it may find itself in no-man’s land in national coalition politics. No prize for guessing the counter argument of Prakash Karat & Co.

Turning Green With Envy
Newly appointed Union tourism minister Alphons Kannanthanam seems to be on a roll. As an icing on his ministerial cake, Kannanthanam has now been made BJP’s in-charge for the poll-bound Meghalaya, a state that has considerable Christian community. For somebody who had networked so hard in Delhi’s BJP circles close to a decade to find a footing in the leadership, this is nothing but a double bonanza. And those who think of Kerala BJP leaders, may also think of the phenomenon of ‘turning green with envy’