Two Home Ministers and a Quake

One Home Minister was busy changing his suits, it is said, when Mumbai was under siege of terrorists. He eventually lost his cabinet berth and occupied a workless place worth plenty of privilege and protocol.

Another was probably polishing his parliamentary speech for the day when the Delhi High Court suffered a sledge-hammer punch. The bomb-blast took 11 lives and wounded about 70 people at a fairly early hour in the morning.. The Home Minister was at pains to explain that the country was saddened by this grievous attack, although it was doing its best to prevent such events. Among the major measures undertaken to prevent terrorist strikes were:

1. Scrutiny of tenders to buy CCTV cameras for installation at the High Court;
2. Refining ones English –speaking skills to condemn such attacks in more sophisticated ways;
3. Conducting research into the Opposition party’s record of handling such events when they were last in power;
4. Appearing more concerned than the last time on TV and in the parliament
5. Sounding a Red Alert all over the country.

Excellent, Mr. Home Minister. The terrorists are beginning to quake in their shoes. Their fear showed that night at 11.28. Delhi and other places recorded 4.2 on the Richter scale.

The Home Minister had earlier reacted quickly to the demand for a separate Telangana. That also led to a quake, of a different kind ,though. The after-shocks have not ceased yet. But his alacrity in response has been noticed by one and all. Time he got his reward, too--- a guv’nor’s post and relief from the responsibilities of the Home Ministry.

The PM faces a tough task. Who should be appointed Home Minister?

General Musharraf. He knows all about plotting for bomb blasts; so he’ll be able to monitor the suspicious movements and control the mysterious ways of terrorists.

***Unny's Cartoon in today's Hindu newspaper With Chidambaram watching his reflection in the mirror to find Shivraj Patil was an apt comment.