Mind and body experience

A ceremony to award innovations in low carbon technologies last week saw Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar visibly in a rush. His address was scheduled for 4 p m but he was heard urging the organisers to advance the timing. The reason: he was urgently needed in Parliament. Javadekar is an MP from the Rajya Sabha, the upper House where the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party lacks a majority, and as he explained candidly later, "In Parliament, the battleground is now the Rajya Sabha where we are in a minority. From today, I have decided not to schedule any programme during House hours because every time I come out, something happens there." As he put it, "Mann udhar hai, tann idhar hai" [my mind is there, but my body is here] so it becomes pretty difficult. No wonder the next event - the IPCC 5th Assessment report - that the minister is supposed to address today is scheduled at 9 a m, fully two hours before Parliament opens for business.