On Your Marks

With Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh a year away, political parties are scurrying to woo voters. Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav being no different has made religious endowments. These include a subsidy of '50,000 for pilgrims of the Kailash-Mansarovar yatra and '10,000 on the Sindhu yatra. With the arrival of the NDA at the Centre, even traditionally Muslim-friendly parties are ignoring them to capitalise on the Hindu vote. Such are the compulsions of political victory.

Raman Chaudhary

New Delhi