Round The States

New Delhi, 10 December 2008

Poll In Five States

Voters Positive, Show Maturity

By Insaf

Excitement generated by the Assembly polls in five states is over. Thoughts are now turning to the object lessons to be learnt from the elections, viewed widely as the semi-finals to the next general election to the Lok Sabha, due sometime in April-May. What is it that enabled Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit in Delhi to score an unprecedented hat-trick, surprising one and all, especially the BJP High Command? What is it that helped Chief Ministers Shivraj Singh Chauhan and Raman Singh to win handsomely in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh respectively, proving all the pollsters and the Congress High Command wrong? What upset Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje’s applecart in Rajasthan, enabling the Congress to come within a whisker of winning a clear majority on its own, with 96 seats in its kitty out of a total of 200 seats? Again, what enabled the Congress and its former Chief Minister, Lal Thanhawla, to dislodge the Mizoram National Front, founded by the Mizo icon, Laldenga, by winning a record 32 out of 40 seats!

India’s voters clearly want dedicated and accessible leaders and a better quality of life. At the same time, they maturely want good, honest governance, which takes care of their day-to-day needs. This is the message that comes out loud and clear from the election results in the five states. The BJP’s attempt to build a national campaign around the issues of terrorism, inflation and a deepening agricultural crisis as a run up to the Lok Sabha election, largely failed to click, at best working only partially. Local issues of governance won the day hands down, as reflected in Shiela Dikshit’s record crushing victory which gave her as many as 42 out of 69 seats. BJP’s hope of capitalizing on the anti-incumbency factor too failed. Shiela Dikshit’s accessibility, caring motherly image and record of governance over the past ten years gave her an unrivalled popular image. Commented Ajay, son of BJP’s Chief Ministerial candidate, V.K. Malhotra: “The people of Delhi have voted for Sheila Dikshit. Anyone would have lost against her!”

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All the five north Indian states saw a positive vote for or against the Chief Ministerial nominee, over-riding familiar talk of anti-incumbency as the most important determining factor. If in Delhi, it was a stand-off between Sheila Dikshit and Vijay Kumar Malhotra, in Chhattisgarh it boiled down to a choice between the soft spoken Raman Singh and the controversial Ajit Jogi. In Rajasthan, the Congress successfully concentrated on Vasundhara Raje’s alleged imperious style of functioning while in Madhya Pradesh, the unassuming and humble Shivraj Singh Chauhan became a match-winner against the Congress’ Suresh Pachauri, hand-picked by Sonia Gandhi for leading the Pradesh Congress. In Mizoram, it was a head-on fight between the MNF Chief Minister Zoramthanga and former Congress Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla. The Congress won 32 of 40 seats, routing the MNF and creating electoral history. Each leader stood from two constituencies. Zoramthanga lost from both while Lal Thanhawla won from both.

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Corrupt MNF Rule

Zoramthanga has described the party’s rout as the result of a “strong anti-incumbency wave.” He argues: “In Mizoram, the people always want a change in Government after one-party rule in the State irrespective of whether it performed well or badly. Since we stayed in power for ten long years, the anti-incumbency factor crept in”. Yet the truth is otherwise, as spelt out by Lal Thanhawla as the PCC Chief and former Chief Minister. Describing the party’s landslide win as “the peoples’ victory,” Lal Thanhawla told the media that the people of the state wanted an end “to corrupt rule of the MNF” and therefore voted the Congress back to power…. During the last ten years, the poor became poorer and there was no development as funds provided for development were swindled.” In 2003 Assembly polls, the Congress won 12 seats and the MNF 21 seats. Zoramthanga then stood from Kolasib and Champhai constituencies and won both.

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“Chawal Baba” Scores

What has specially helped both Shivraj Singh Chauhan and Raman Singh, an Ayurveda graduate, are their clean images, genuine and transparent humility and their commitment to serving the downtrodden at the grass roots with dedication. Raman Singh’s master stroke was his “food security scheme”, launched earlier this January. The scheme provided 35 kg of rice at just Rs.3 per kg to 34 lakh families below the poverty line and earned him the nickname of “Chawal Baba.” As Raman Singh predicted, the scheme became the party’s “lifeline” in the elections, especially since he ensured that the rice actually reached the masses, instead of being siphoned off by corrupt officers. (The Centre and various states are eager to get a blue print of his scheme.) Another thing that helped “Dr. Clean”, as he is popularly called, was his tough stand against Naxalism and, over the past three yeas, his full support to the anti-Naxalite movement, Salwa Judum, openly showing solidarity with the Congress veteran Mahendra Karma over the armed campaign led by the villagers.

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Mayawati And Her Elephant

One question remains. What about Mayawati and the BSP’s elephant? Will they have to wait before the party becomes a major player outside UP?  Mayawati and her elephant have not done as badly as many of her critics would have us believe. She has improved her performance in Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, though she will have to wait until the next elections to play kingmaker in these states. The party has doubled its vote share in Delhi and opened its account for the first time in the capital. It has also registered its presence in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. It won seven seats each in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh and two seats each in Delhi and Chhattisgarh. Moreover, it has increased its vote share in Delhi by 8.5 per cent to nearly 14 per cent, in Rajasthan from 3.9 per cent to 8 per cent and in Madhya Pradesh from 2 per cent to 8.35 per cent. The BSP failed to win any seats in Chhattisgarh. However, its poll per centage went up from 2.5 to 6 per cent. The elephant is surely progressing!

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Kerala To Promote Monitor Boats

Wiser by the tragic experience of Mumbai, the Kerala Government has decided to ensure better monitoring of sea-going vessels. It has proposed fixing tamper-proof number plates on all such vessels, chiefly fishing boats registered in Kerala. The decision to fix “high security registration plates (HSRP) initially was prompted by warnings from intelligence agencies that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE) was sourcing small sea-going vessels from Kerala for possible use as light gun boats. Urgency to the proposal has now been lent by reports that Pakistani terrorists responsible for the Mumbai mayhem hi-jacked a fishing boat to reach their destination Cost Guard had earlier reported that unregistered fishing boats and those displaying fake registration numbers, often scrawled in paint on the hull, were being used for criminal activities. HSRPs will be uniform in pattern and will be designed to protect against counterfeiting. ---INFA

 (Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)

Round The States

New Delhi, 3 December 2008

Mumbai’s Wake-Up Call

STATES PRIOROTIZE INTERNAL SECURITY

By Insaf

Internal security is receiving at long last due priority across the States, thanks to the chill winds blowing from the barbaric mayhem in Mumbai. The Centre’s decision to set up a federal investigating agency and to strengthen anti-terror laws has been welcomed enthusiastically by all the Chief Ministers. So also the decision of Shivraj Patil, Vilasrao Deshmukh and RR Patil to own moral responsibility for the terrorism in Mumbai and resign. But that by itself is not considered enough. Prima facie there have been failures at various operational levels. The warnings conveyed, for instance, by RAW (Research Analysis Wing; India’s external intelligence agency) were ignored. More heads must roll once the investigations are complete. The State chiefs are happy that the Prime Minister convened an emergency all-party meeting to consider the horrendous development. They would now like the PM to call an early meeting of Chief Ministers, as proposed by the BJP, to thrash out future action.

Meanwhile, the demand for National Security Guards, whose commandos rendered glorious service in Mumbai, has snowballed. The Prime Minister had announced that the NSG would in future be located in four hubs and not just at Manesar, near Gurgaon. This was generally taken to imply location of the elite group in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai. But other States have also come forward with demands. Karnataka has not only sought a unit of the NSG in Bangalore, but has also decided to take an all-party delegation to New Delhi to back its claim. In a letter to Dr. Manmohan Singh, the Chief Minister, B. S. Yeddyurappa, has stated: “You are aware of the economic and global importance of Bangalore, which houses a large number of defence organizations, prestigious research and development institutions, well-known information technology and biotechnology units. Hence, Bangalore needs the immediate attention of the Centre.”

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Karnataka Pushes Ahead

Happily, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have simultaneously decided to move ahead. Karnataka’s Chief Minister has announced the constitution of an Internal Security Wing, comprising around 750 personnel of the State police. Four existing wings --- Anti-Terrorist Cell, Anti-Naxal Force, Coastal Security Force and a section of the State Intelligence --- will be brought under the Internal Security Wing. Simultaneously, a State Security Commission would be constituted under the Home Minister and measures adopted to provide greater security to the aam aadmi. At present, the State has an average of just 92 police personnel for every one lakh of population. This is proposed to be increased to 150 policemen for every one lakh of people. In neighbouring Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister Karunanidhi has asked for a detachment of NSG to be stationed in Chennai. He also wants the Centre’s help in acquiring sophisticated weapons and gadgets for the Tamil Nadu Commando Force, which presently has 290 well-trained men.

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Kashmiri voters have done it for the third successive time. Ignoring boycott calls by the separatists and anti-national elements, the voters of Kupwara, Ground Zero of Indo-Pakistan hostilities, came out in a big say last Sunday to record a 67 per cent turnout in phase three. Voting in the first two phases was 68.9 and 67 per cent. Voting has so far been completed in 21 of the 87 constituencies. This leaves a balance of 68 constituencies, which will go to the polls in four remaining phases. The turnout thus far has understandably gladdened New Delhi and the nationalists. But one thing needs to be noted. The polling so far has been in the easy part of the State even though the separatists had a strong base in some of the 21 constituencies. There are many more separatists- dominated regions in the remaining 68 constituencies. These include areas like Sopore to which Hurriyat leader Ali Shah Geelani belongs and Soiberg from where Hizbul Mujahideen Chief Syed Salahauddin hails. The tough part is yet to poll.

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DMK Gains In Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister, M. Karunanidhi and his DMK have reason to heave a sigh of relief and rejoice. The 18-month long bitter fighting between the DMK’s first family and the Maran brothers, owners of the powerful Sun TV network, has ended, following a dramatic patch-up. In fact both families smoked the proverbial peace pipe at a get-together at the residence of the party patriarch on Monday. The feud between the two families intensified in May 2007 when the Maran family-owned Tamil daily, Dinakaran, published a popularity rating on Karunanidhi’s possible successors, giving poor rating to his eldest son, M.K. Azhagiri, and his poetess daughter, Kanimozhi, promoting the patriarch’s second son, M.K. Stalin. This led to a violent attack, allegedly by Azhagiri’s supporters on the Dinakaran offices in Madurai and eventually to the resignation of Dayanidhi Maran, grand nephew of Karunanidhi, as the Union Telecom and IT Minister. The patch-up will ensure that the DMK faces the next general election to the Lok Sabha  unitedly and in full strength.  

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Anti-Sikh Riots Of 1984

Bitterness continues among the victims of the anti-Sikh pogrom of 1984 in Delhi following Indira Gandhi’s assassination which led to the massacre of some 3,000 people. They have expressed their anger this time by voting in large numbers against the Congress in the recent election to the Delhi Assembly, having chosen earlier to boycott successive elections. The victims see a new hope in an independent candidate for the Tilak Vihar constituency in West Delhi, the scene of barbaric murders 24 years ago. Fresh anger against the Congress has been fuelled by the party’s decision to field a retired police officer, who according to the riot victims, helped the 1984 rioters. Said a prominent Sikh: “We have lost hope in the present Government and are, therefore, backing a candidate who understands our grief. The Congress initially baled out its guilty leaders like HKL Bhagat, Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar by giving them senior positions. Now they have given a ticket to a police officer involved in the riots. Hence our decision to punish the Congress.”

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Journos Pay Ultimate Price

Unknown to fellow countrymen elsewhere, journalists in the insurgency-afflicted north east regions are having to pay the ultimate price for upholding the finest traditions of their profession. Time and again, they find themselves hemmed in by the insensitive policies of successive Governments and aggressive demands of the militants, who want their anti-national propaganda published verbatim on the front pages of the newspapers. Unidentified gunmen shot dead Kokrajhar district correspondent of a leading Assamese daily Amar Asom, Jagjit Saikia, on November 22. Earlier on November 17, Konsam Roshikanta, a sub-editor of the Imphal Free Press, an English daily, was abducted, blind folded and taken to a deserted hillock and then shot dead. Since 1991, 16 journalists have been killed in Assam, according to the Journalists Action Committee of Assam. Five journalists have been gunned down in Manipur for refusing to toe the militants line. Tragically, the Manipur Government has done little so far to punish the killers.  ---INFA

 (Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)

Round The States

New Delhi, 27 November 2008

It’s War On Mumbai

UNPRECEDENTED TERRORISTS ATTACKS

 By Insaf

 Maharashtra has been hit once more as never before --- this time by an unprecedented monstrous terrorism on a balmy Wednesday night. No bomb blasts, but terrorists using heavy duty guns including AK-47 and grenades to strike at the city’s most high-profile and popular targets --- CST, Rail Terminus, five star hotels Taj and Oberoi at Gateway and Nariman Point, domestic airport at Santa Cruz. If this was not enough, they also struck at Kama and GT Hospitals like they had in Ahmedabad. The attacks were so sophisticated and coordinated on a scale never seen before. Till the time of writing late evening, the terrorists continued to hold hostages at all locations even as Navy commandoes, army sharp shooters, anti-terrorists squad and the National Security Guards work over time to bring this horrific crisis to an end without any loss of life. So far, nearly 100 people have been killed including the ATS Chief and two other sharp shooters and over 500 injured. None has a clue as to where these terrorists came from. Unconfirmed sources averred that they came by sea in speed boats. 

Clearly, this is virtually a war on the Indian State. An unknown outfit call the Deccan Mujahideen has taken responsibility for these horrific attacks. According to eye witnesses, the terrorists are tech-savvy educated youngsters. No doubt, all the stops have been pulled out by the Central and State Administration to bring the situation under control and maintain calm in this hour of crisis. The Prime Minister has held an emergency Cabinet meeting and the State Home Minister R.R. Patil is continuously monitoring the situation. The Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil flew into Mumbai and the Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh cut short his visit to return to Mumbai. Unquestionably, the writing is on the wall for not only Maharashtra but the Indian State. Several questions need to be addressed on a war footing: Was there intelligence failure? Who is accountable for this? What action is the State going to take to erase the image of being a soft target for terrorists?

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All Not Well In Orissa Coalition

All is not well with the decade-long coalition partners in Orissa. True, the under-currents of tension between Naveen Patnaik’s BJD and the BJP was open knowledge in the State Capital Bhubaneswar. Particularly, post the killing of the VHP leader Swami Laxmannanda Saraswati. But all were surprised by the sudden jolt given by the BJP when it boycotted the BJP-BJD joint Legislature Party meeting for its failure to nab Saraswati’s killers on Tuesday last. In fact, many BJP leaders are getting suspicious about Naveen’s intentions towards the Saffron Sangh especially against the backdrop that in their perception Saraswati was killed because the Government failed to provide security to the Swami.  A ‘surprised’ Naveen is now leaving no stone unturned to appease his Saffron partners.

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Bihar Government Celebrates Three Years

In these days of short-lived Government’s, Bihar’s Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has much to be pleased about. Proving his detractors and soothsayers wrong, his Government has completed three years in office. Any wonder that the Chief Minister made the occasion special as he went about releasing the NDA Government’s report card early this week. An electoral promise he has scrupulously upheld since taking charge of the State in November 2005. However this has not gone down well with his bête noir RJD’s Lalu Yadav who too annually releases his own report to chargesheet the Government for its ‘failure on all fronts.’ No matter, that his taunts of bringing down the NDA Government mid-way has turned out to be a damp squib, what with Nitish Kumar moving from strength to strength tightening his hold on the State  along with continuing development activity at an accelerated pace. Clearly, the twin plank of development and politics are a feather in the Chief Minister’s cap.

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Peace Bonus For Arunachal

The estranged North East which is oft synonymous with terror has charted a new serene path on the peace road. Arunachal Pradesh has earned the distinction of being the most peace-loving State among the seven sisters of this far-flung region. Towards that end, its Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu has sought an Rs 500crore peace bonus from the Centre for maintaining tranquility in his State. Importantly, unlike its neighbours’ Assam and Nagaland, Arunachal also boasts of being bereft of any local militant outfits. Happily his plea for a reward has met the approval of the Union Finance and Home Ministries which have set up a committee to ascertain the State’s revenue generation and the short-fall which would be funded by the Centre. Indeed, it pays to be peace loving.

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Karnataka Hit By Beijing Slowdown

Karnataka and its iron-ore capital Bellary have been hit hard by a slowdown in Beijing following the global meltdown which has led to worldwide cuts in steel production. Bellary is known for its high quality iron ore pellets of grade 62 and above. The demand for these has slumped heavily as a result of which the number of trucks leaden with iron-ore passing through the town everyday has plunged to barely 200 from the 15,000 and odd in September. This is, indeed, a killer drop provoking the Bellary Lorry Owner Association President to say: “You have heard of farmers’ suicides; soon you will hear of truckers’ suicides.” In fact two truckers have already committed suicide in Chitradurga and Devanagere. Many of the Bellary truckers were farmers till they decided to hitch themselves to the booming Iron-ore exports. Which brought the mining business in the State profits of some Rs.3,600 crore per year. As many as 1,000 lorries have already been seized and 300 truckers are facing seizure of their vehicles purchased with sizeable loans.

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Women Voters Outnumber Men In Mizoram

Mizoram is one up on other States and Union Territories once more in one sensitive area: the fair sex! Women voters in the State outnumber male voters by over 6,000 in the upcoming Assembly elections. Of the 6,11,124 voters eligible to vote in the December 2 poll for the 40 member Mizoram Assembly, 3,08,884 are women and 3,02,240 men. Sadly, however, very few women in the State have ventured into active politics despite the fact that the literacy rate in the State is the second highest in the country. There are only nine women in the list of 240 candidates for the 40-number Assembly, despite a campaign by the Women Welfare Front, constituted by women members of the Village Councils, for more women candidates. Al the three major parties --- the MNF, Congress and UDA --- have nominated only once woman each. Tradition is perhaps mainly blame. Women have generally been confined to the role of a homemaker. But the younger generation appears determined to break with tradition in an era when the whole world is talking about women’s empowerment. ---INFA

 (Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)

Round The States

New Delhi, 19 November 2008

First Phase Poll In J&K

KASHMIRIS GREATLY SURPRISE ALL

By Insaf

Kashmiris have greatly surprised all, including themselves and their leaders, defying boycott calls by the Hurriyat and other separatists and the harsh winter to vote heavily in the first phase of polling in Jammu and Kashmir.  Polling averaged 69 per cent, way above the voting in 2002.  It was 57.24 per cent in Bandipora as against 31 per cent in 2002.  Again it was 74.38 per cent in Surankote against 40.  In Poonch-havell it was 74.46 against 60 in 2002.  Former Chief Minister and National Conference Chief Ministerial candidate Farooq Abdullah, believes the voting has shown that “democracy has taken roots” and the voters want a Government that will work.  His bitter rival, Mehbooba Mufti of the Peoples’ Democratic Party however, has another take.  The people, according to her, came out in large numbers to ensure the defeat of the National Conference.  She has stated: “They were apprehensive that the low turnout would help the National Conference and that is why they thronged the polling stations. NC was counting on people’s non-participation.”

All this does not, however, justify euphoria seen in some quarters as also in some sweeping comments.  Many have chosen to describe the heavy poll as a slap in the face of the separatists and a major rebuff to the Hurriyat and other anti-national leaders demanding azadi or a link-up with Pakistan.  As Farooq Abdullah himself stated: “People have voted heavily.  That’s a good thing.  But lets not go beyond that.  This is only the first phase. There are many stages still to cover.”  Said separatist leader Sajjad Lone : “Just three valley constituencies went to polls on Monday. It is too early to get excited.  There are seven phases in all. We have to wait for the whole process.  Remember, the separatists were not allowed to campaign as most of them are under arrest.”  The Hurriyat leaders ditto what Lone has stated. But that does not change one basic fact.  The Hurriyat and the separatists, aided by Dukhtaran-i-Millat, (Daughters of Islam) have been campaigning all along for a poll boycott.  That their leaders are under arrest should have given an edge to their boycott call.  Instead, the people rejected their call and came out in large numbers to vote as never before!

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Of interest and relevance to the J & K election is the overall view of the Election commission.  The Chief Election Commissioner, N. Gopalaswami, visted the State four days ahead of the first phase of polling and emphasized that “nothing less than free and fair polls will be acceptable to us.”  On being asked whether security forces would compel voters to vote on the polling day, Gopalaswami replied the police, the Army or any other security agency would never be allowed to coerce voters.  Importantly, he clarified that a low turn-out was no issue for the Election Commission and added: “We are not concerned about the meagre poll percentage.  Our aim is to hold a free and fair poll.  For us, the weather is a big challenge.”  The CEC was also asked about the arrest of separatist leaders for mounting a poll boycott campaign.  Sajjad Lone, Chairman of the People’s Conference, who had been under house arrest for five days had denounced the arrests and security restrictions as “undemocratic”. Gopalswami merely replied; “We want a free, fair and peaceful poll. The law will take its own course.

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Maoist & Naxal scare

Maoist dominance over Chhattisgarh is widely known.  Twelve of the States’s 18 districts are facing Maoist onslaughts.  In the past two years alone, the Maoists have killed 538 civilians and security men and has itself lost 143 cadres. But one aspect of the poll campaign in South Chhattisgarh has not received the attention it deserves.  One witnessed in the area a conspiracy of silence about the most important issue in the region: the Maoists.  Not one candidate spoke a word about the Maoists or the Naxalites no matter to which political party they belonged.  They did not even try to persuade voters to disregard the call to boycott elections that the Maoists had given.  On Sunday last, two senior BJP workers in Bastar’s Dantewada district were brutally killed by the Maoists.  But the BJP candidate from the region refused to condemn the killing.  He only spoke about Chief Minister Raman Singh’s development initiatives arguing: “Development will render the Maoists irrelevant.” Clearly, people are scared. Remarked an independent candidate: “Who wants to risk his life!”

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Mizoram’s Grand Old Man

Mizoram’s grand old man, Brig T.  Sailo, is poised to make history once more by plunging into the latest electoral battle for the State Assembly.  Brig. Sailo, who will soon be 87, had retired from active politics five years ago, making way for younger people.  But he has felt compelled to return to active politics because of the sorry state of affairs.  A veteran of World War II, Sailo asserts:” The people are fed up of corruption.  First, it was the Congress Government.  And then ten years of MNF misrule.  It has disgusted and frustrated the people like never before.”  In 1975, Sailo set up the People’s Conference and was swept to power in the 1978 Assembly election.  He was Chief Minister for the full term but lost to the Congress thereafter.  This time, a new non-Congress outfit by the name of United Democratic Alliance has projected the Brig as its candidate for the State’s chief ministership.  Incredibly enough, Sailo is campaigning seven to eight hours a day for himself and others, boosting enthusiasm and morale all round.

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Cosmopolitan Mumbai

Overwhelming opinion at the Centre and across the States strongly favours steps that would ensure that Mumbai retains its cosmopolitan character.  They are one with India’s Vice President, Hamid Ansari, who recently made two forceful points.  First, “Mumbai represents the cosmopolitan spirit of India.  Any other depiction of Mumbai would be to lessen it and deny its history and its ethos.”  Second, 50 per cent of India’s population would be living in the cities by 2050.  There would be no place in these urban conglomerates, which would be attracting people from different geographical, linguistic and religious backgrounds, for “cultural chauvinism and linguistic jingoism.”  It was for cities like Mumbai to take the lead in what Nehru called the emotional integration of India.  Importantly, veterans recall that at the time of the reorganization of the States in 1956 there was a serious move to make Mumbai a Union Territory to ensure its cosmopolitan character.  The proposal was eventually dropped and Mumbai became the capital of Maharahstra when Maharashtrian leaders solemnly assured that the city would remain cosmopolitan.

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Temples Razed In Modi’s Gujarat

Narendra Modi’s Gujarat is widely acknowledged for giving its people good governance, as reflected in the State’s popularity for major investors, both Indian and foreign.  It can now also stake a claim to good secular governance, at least in enforcing the law.  Incredible as it may seem, Gujarat’s capital, Gandhinagar, has recently witnessed 80 temples or their boundaries razed to the ground or demolished as part of a drive against illegal encroachments.  The campaign, which started on October 13, went into top gear on Wednesday last when 15 small and medium temples were demolished on two roads.  What Gandhinagar has done should be a lesson for its twin city of Ahmedabad.  It has yet to carry out a Gujarat High Court directive against shrines obstructing traffic in the city.  Interestingly, Saudi Arabia enforces its laws sternly and ensures that neither masjids nor graves are allowed to come in the way of widening of roads and other development plans. As Insaf learnt on a visit to Riyadh, a formal notice is served on those concerned and stern action follows by the end of the month. ---INFA

 (Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)