Under fire for allegedly tampering with the Supreme Court monitored CBI status report on alleged irregularities in allocation of coal blocks between 1994 and 2008, Law Minister Ashwani Kumar was kind enough to show us in track change mode the changes he had made to the report.
It is hoped that after going through the changes incorporated by Ashwani and his cabinet colleagues including the PM and UPA chairperson, Smt Sonia Gandhi, the reader is able to satisfy herself that the Law Minister acted most honourably by not just contributing to the cause of English literature by rectifying the sloppy grammar and bad prose of the report but also improving its veracity with apposite embellishments.
Original (CBI’s) draft:
After coming to power in 2004, the UPA government under Manmohan Singh decided to continue the earlier policy of allocation of coal blocks to favoured companies in a completely opaque, discretionary manner without any bidding. The exchequer did not get any revenue from the allocation of these blocks. Manmohan Singh, who was also the then Coal Minister, was a mute spectator to the proceedings.
Ashwani Kumar’s draft (first iteration):
After coming to power in 2004, the UPA government, under Manmohan Singh under the enlightened and visionary leadership of Smt. Sonia Gandhi, after thorough deliberation, decided to continue the earlier policy of allocation of coal blocks to favoured companies in a completely opaque, discretionary manner that entailed no bidding. It was felt that only such a secular policy could keep communal forces at bay and ensure inclusive growth.The exchequer did not get any revenue from the allocation of these blocks. Manmohan Singh, who was also the then Coal Minister, was a mute spectator to the proceedings.
Manish Tewari’s draft (second iteration):
After coming to power in 2004, the UPA government, under the enlightened and visionary leadership of Smt. Sonia Gandhi, after a holistic and thorough deliberation, decided to continue the earlier policy of allocation of coal blocks to favoured companies in a completely opaque, discretionary and holistic manner that entailed no bidding. It was felt that only such a secular policy could keep communal forces at bay and ensure inclusive, holistic growth.The exchequer did not get any revenue from the allocation of these blocks. Manmohan Singh, who was also the then Coal Minister, was a mute spectator to the proceedings.
Manmohan Singh’s draft (third iteration):
After coming to power in 2004, the UPA government, under the enlightened and visionary leadership of Smt. Sonia Gandhi, after a holistic and thorough deliberation, unleashed a series of economic reforms that firmly propelled the nation towards double digit growth. GDP was 8.1%, up from 3.9% in 2001, representing a CAGR of 27% which is a tremendous achievement. Inflation was low, and IIP was high. Investor sentiment was on the upswing, all indicating that the country would go on to achieve double digit growth in the coming years, an expectation borne out by facts. As far as the coal blocks were concerned, the government decided to continue the earlier policy of allocation of coal blocks to favoured companies in a completely opaque, discretionary and holistic manner that entailed no bidding. It was felt that only such a secular policy could keep communal forces at bay and ensure inclusive, holistic growth. The exchequer did not get any revenue from the allocation of these blocks and neither did Dr. Manmohan Singh Manmohan Singh, who, as was also the then Coal Minister, was a mute spectator to the proceedings maintained a dignified and discreet silence. Theek hai?
Sonia Gandhi’s (and obviously the final) draft:
After coming to power in 2004, the UPA government, under the enlightened and visionary leadership of Smt. Sonia Gandhi, after a holistic and thorough deliberation, unleashed a series of economic reforms that firmly propelled the nation towards double digit growth. GDP was 8.1%, up from 3.9% in 2001, representing a CAGR of 27% which is a tremendous achievement. Inflation was low, and IIP was high. Investor sentiment was on the upswing, all indicating that the country would go on to achieve double digit growth in the coming years, an expectation borne out by facts. As far as the coal blocks were concerned, the government decided to continue the earlier policy of allocation of coal blocks to favoured companies in a completely opaque, discretionary and holistic manner that entailed no bidding. It was felt that only such a secular policy could keep communal forces at bay and ensure inclusive, holistic growth. The exchequer did not get any revenue from the allocation of these blocks and neither did Dr. Manmohan Singh who, as the then Coal Minister, maintained a dignified and discreet silence was a mute spectator to the proceedings. Theek hai?