CHENNAI: The fight between the National Knowledge Commission (NKC) chairman, Sam Pitroda, and vice chairman, PM Bhargava, seems to be getting more bitter by the day. Bhargava has reportedly decided to boycott a function in which Pitroda is scheduled to submit the commission's 'report to the nation' in the presence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi on January 12.
"I will be in Delhi on that day. But I'll not attend the function. I have the national security advisory board's meetings and some others, which I have already intimated the commission in advance. This 'report to the nation' is nothing but a compilation of various letters and reports already sent to the PM and reported widely by the media," Bhargava told DNA before leaving for Delhi on Tuesday.
Though the report is a compilation of reports sent to the PM, it includes papers that have not been made public, Pitroda said. "It'll also be a presentation of our (commission's) accomplishments in 2006, the first year of operation," he added.
Countering Pitroda's statement that all letters were circulated among the members, Bhargava said: "I repeatedly wrote to the chairman that the papers on higher education need to be discussed further. But they were sent to the PM without my knowledge. When I brought it to his notice, Pitroda dismissed it saying he didn't know anything about them."
Bhargava retorted: "This is not a fight between Bhargava and Pitroda, but between the truth and the false. Knowledge is truth and the knowledge commission chairman should not take resort to lies. If he was a murderer or a rapist, I would have expected such a reaction. But he is a distinguished and knowledgeable person."
As the chairman and the vice chairman fight it out, other members prefer to remain silent. When contacted, NKC member and Infosys CEO Nandan Nilekani refused to answer specific questions. But he said: "Pitroda is the chairman and spokesperson for the NKC. I consider it a privilege to serve in the NKC under his leadership."
