The world -- as we seldom notice it, has had scant residual memory of Mumbai's recent agony. It hasn't helped that no one has claimed responsibility for the recent horrific blasts
The worldu00a0-- as we seldom notice it, has had scant residual memory of Mumbai's recent agony. It hasn't helped that no one has claimed responsibility for the recent horrific blasts. And, in a cruel irony, no one locally seems to be in substantive charge of the investigations either.
But while the bomb blasts brought back memories of past horrors, the nation was first bemused and then baffled by the bevy of VIPs from Dilli who dutifully descended on Mumbai to score some brownie points off the tragedy.
BJP leader L K Advani inevitably was first off the block, perhaps because he is unencumbered by sarkari responsibilities.
And then security forces were kept busy as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi swooped in to visit the victims and their families, young Rahul Gandhi chimed in from afar with his own take on terror.
Home Minister P Chidambaram's trip capped this series of VIP visits. Call it strange d ufffdj vu, but it seems nothing much has changed since 2008.
Fuel politicsDilli is watching with a level of fiscal anxiety how states are competitively and compulsively reducing price of LPG as also the accompanying political games.
Mumbaikars, for instance, have an occasion for some cheer since Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan declared a percent reduction in VAT on diesel and kerosene.
Not surprisingly, the UPA-ruled states have jumped at Pranab-da's suggestion to reduce state levies.
In West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, has already reduced prices of some petroleum products as have other state governments, including some ruled by the BJP and its allies.
In UP Mayawati feels she cannot accept the suggestion because opposing the Congress comes naturally to her.
But Dilli is bemused by the BJP's reaction which is touchingly contradictory. It has not asked its chief ministers to cut taxes, but some have done so on their own.
Those still holding out too may ultimately fall in line when they realize that petulance is not exactly a poll-winning virtue.
