The conductor

At the press conference of the Social Editors’ meeting, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh was fully in charge. When an official from the Press Information Bureau asked Ramesh to give an overview first, the minister was quick to ask, “Does anyone need an overview here? Let’s start with the Q&A itself.” When a journalist from Allahabad asked him a question, Ramesh said: “Aap hindi mein baat kijiye na ... aap toh Allahabad se hain (you’re from Allahabad, why don’t you speak in Hindi?)”. To another journalist from Noida, the minister said, “Aap toh ghar ke hain yaar. Outstation journalists should ask first.”