The mere mention of the name of Lalu Prasad, India's irrepressible Railway Minister, sparks off either a smile, or a guffaw or a smirk (depending upon how you take to him). His rustic humour and witticisms that he delivers with a deadpan face have made him the darling of the masses. He has his fair share of detractors, too, but seems quite unfazed.
Tuesday, however, was Lalu's day as he unveiled his 'basket of comforts' for the common man in his fifth Railway Budget. True to form, his Rail Budget speech was full of some shers (couplets). Check them out, and also a down-to-earth interview with him on his latest effort.
Ujra chaman jo chhod gaye thay, humarey dost,
Ab baat kar rahe hain, wo fuslay bahaar ki.
(My friends (read the previous NDA government), who had left behind a barren garden, are now talking of the bounties of spring.)
Nayee kathni, nayee karni, nayee ek soch laye hain,
Tarakki ki nayee parasmani hum khoj laye hain.
(We have brought about a new work ethic, a new thought process, in doing so we have found the answer to progress.) Read on...
Image: Railway Minister Lalu Prasad and his grand-daughter watch the Heritage Parade of Steam Locomotives in New Delhi.
Photograph: Raveendran/AFP/Getty Images
Also read: The Railway Budget 2008-09: Complete Coverage
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