BaMBoo greetings froM gadKari
No, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not created a new “Bamboo Ministry” and made Nitin Gadkari its head. But many have started dubbing Gadkari as the Bamboo Minister, seeing his growing love for bamboo. Gadkari is holding charge of Ministries for Road Transport and Highways, Shipping, Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation.
At a simple Diwali evening get-together for the media at his house’s sprawling lawns, an excited Gadkari talked about the virtues of bamboo. He showed very light-weight bamboomade white shirts, which, he claimed, contained 30% cotton. “Yes, yes, it is a bamboo shirt,” he said, although some were not ready to believe this. Then, like a good magician, the Maharashtrian host produced some light-weight trays, which, he said, with a twinkle in his eyes, “are made from bamboo and your newspapers”. Asked which newspaper he found “strong” in the making of these trays, Gadkari smiled.
Another guest wanted to know whether he was also learning, like some of his Cabinet colleagues, how to bamboo his rivals. Gadkari replied, laughing, “I am neither a bamboo man nor a Rambo…I don’t like to bamboo anyone.”
Gadkari is on record saying that the government is likely to bring a policy to promote bamboo cultivation which could be used to harness bio-fuel. Gadkari learnt about bamboo qualities from some NGOs and his China visit, where bamboo shoots are a delicacy. In India, bamboo pickle is also a delicacy.”
When a print journalist wondered whether or not there were firecrackers at his party, the minister said, “The Supreme Court has banned the sale.” Told that there was no ban on bursting them, he commented in a lighter vein, “Now the courts tell us what we should do and don’t do.” He then nudged the guests to enjoy the Maharashtrain delicacies prepared by cooks brought from his hometown Nagpur.