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Off the Record
Cook dismissed for exposing Rao's eating habits
NEW DELHI. Prime Minister Narasimha Rao dismissed -cook not because of his recipes but because he told the wo: )c what the Indian leader ate. a newspaper reported says Af
Govlndan Nair was asked to leave the prime minister -kitchen last month after he gave an interview to the Times ’ India daily describing how Rao savored roast gram- with salt" and traditional south Indian delicacies a newspap'r Wednesday,
"He had no business talking to the press about the prm-minister." a spokesman in Rao's office said Thursday condition of anonymity.
The news of Nair's removal was reported on the front pagr by Wednesday's edition of Newstime, a daily published fro. Hyderabad, the capital of Andhra Pradesh. Raos home stau
Nair had not been sacked but transferred to the st . -government's guest house in New Delhi, the spokesman san in an interview.
Nair, who cycled daily to the prune ministers of':' residence In central New Delhi from his home about kilometers ('12 miles) in a poor suburb, a I wavs irivri.r abroad with Rao.
But he was asked to leave as he was packing foods'uf: Rao's visit to Singapore and Vietnam last month Newstn- -said.
Due to dowry demands .. .
NEW DELHI: A New Delhi school teacher has shot mo -headlines and won praise by cancelling her weddinc -hours before the ceremonv because of last minute dema" 1 for a higher dowry, reports AFP
Mlnoo Duggal. the 25-year old daughter of a Ueuiena: Colonel In the Indian Army, had been scheduled to ma • Arun Gulati, a 28-year-old army captain, here Saturdav
But Just two hours before the Hindu ceremonv was ■ begin, her family tot'd the grooms parents the marriage » off, newspapers reported Wednesdav
A notice was posted at the hall where the nuptials were have taken place informing guests- 'Todays marriu.' cancelled due to dowry demands. Inconvenience regretted
The Duggal family's dowry difficulties have tornse.: attention on what ts widely considered one of the m -serious ills plaguing Indian society.
Some 5,000 dowry-related murders are commit ted India each year, according to government statistics and -practice of giving exorbitant dowries leaves thousand* families on the brink of bankruptcy -
The Duggal's story is not untypical — except for then unusual decision to call off the wedding
Lt Co) Vijay Sagar Duggal. the brides father said u marriage, as is common in India, had been arranged throng!, a newspaper matrimonial column
He said that in discussion with the groom s faintly be had agreed to spend 200.000 rupees (6.650 dollars) on ' • wedding and dowry, virtually the entire life savings of a -.s. earning around 10.000 rupees (330 dollars! a month
"Indecent haggling and other demands followed :tv officer said, and he reluctantly agreed to throw mulir 25.000 rupees (830 dollars) into the pot
On the eve of the wedding the groom's family alleged!, asked for more, including a steel wardrobe a television sc and another 100.000 rupees. Duggal said
"I told them that I had already crossed nn budget but was prepared to give another 20,000 for a television set be san'
"But the demand for 100.000 rupees was too much ' kr.ru my daughter could not be happy because the demands twi.' continue." he told the Indian Expt ess.
Cat runs up large phone bill
BRISBANE: A Siamese cat ran up a large bill by kn«x king t telephone receiver off its cradle and then hitting the rediai button, an Australian newspaper reported on Thursdav reports Reuter
But the cat's owner did not have to pay the bill because Australia s telephone ombudsman ruled that communications laws did not provide for animals making calls Brisbane « Courier mail said
Crush on crustacean
LOS ANGELES The latest celebrity on Sunset Boulevard Is a live Maine lobster weighing 12 5 pounds (5 5 kilograms! that a probably headed for hot water, reports AP
But diners and workers at Gladstone's 4 Fl ah haw a crush on the crusthcean — recently named Spike — and are pleading for his life
We came in and saw him last Friday fell in low with him and |uat kind of adopted him. said waitress Julie Gleason She added that Spike Isn't prone to making snappv comebacks at servers who occasionally pull him out of his tank for a closer Ipok
Spike la believed to be about 65 years old but his days may lie numbered. His date with fate Is November I when he will be given away during a drawing
I hope whoever gets him doesn t kill him Gleason said , I mean, he » survived two wars