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Open Forum
Prachanda’s Visit:PRELUDE TO TIES WITH "NEW NEPAL", by Monish Tourangbam,30 September 2008 |
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Round The World
New Delhi, 30 September 2008
Prachanda’s Visit
PRELUDE TO TIES
WITH "NEW NEPAL"
By Monish Tourangbam
School
of International Studies,
JNU
Recently, India
hosted an exceedingly diplomatic Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal,
rather than his better known alter ego, guerilla leader 'Prachanda-the fierce
one.' This became known with his handling of the ongoing concerns in Nepali
politics vis-à-vis India
over the relevance of the 1950 Indo-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship. His studied
response: Kathmandu wanted a change, but was
not blaming anyone or arguing that the existing agreements were all bad.
Last month, Nepal's
first Maoist Prime Minister Dahal undertook his "goodwill" visit to India, heading a
44-member delegation, including four Ministers, government officials, heads of
industry associations, business federations and journalists. The agenda
included among other issues the Maoist government’s concern over the Indo-Nepal
treaty, which it feels is skewed in India's favour. It sought a review
of all bilateral agreements between the two neighbours.
On its part, India
accepted the long-standing concern and both the countries have agreed to take a
fresh look at the 58-year old treaty, taking into account changes
internationally and regionally, including the birth of a new model of
governance in Nepal.
It is worth remembering that both India
and Bhutan
had renegotiated their 1949 treaty last year after Thimpu sought changes that
included more freedom in areas of foreign policy and defence.
Giving India's
position, Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon said New Delhi was ready to "update" the
treaty and that this had been conveyed to PM Dahal. Quizzed about whether India would
accept any fundamental change in the treaty, he said, "Both sides should
sit together to review…to reflect today's realities. By updating, I am not
limiting our options." Asked to comment on the same issue, Prachanda said significant
changes have taken place in all fields over the years and there was need to
grasp the dynamics of change and move ahead. And, he wasn’t going to blame
anyone
He said, "The 1950 Treaty has brought us this far…If
someone says it has only worked against Nepal, this will not be a correct
analysis. But, now it needs a change, to help the relationship get stronger,
based on the new ground realities. The Task Force which India and Nepal had decided to set up would
examine the issue." However, both sides have considered it prudent not to
comment on which portions of the Treaty they would revise. This apart, no
timeline has been set for the meeting between the two Foreign Secretaries in
the joint statement by Prime Ministers Manmohan Singh and his Nepalese counterpart.
The efficacy of the 1954 Kosi Agreement too came into
question after the devastating floods caused by a breach in Kosi embankment in
Nepal, which have left over 100,000 homeless in Nepal and affected over three million
lives in Bihar. As such, the two sides agreed the need for proper
implementation of the Agreement to prevent such catastrophe in future. As part
of an immediate package to help Kathmandu, New Delhi has agreed to release Rs.20 crore
for the Nepalese victims and continue with supplies of petroleum products,
wheat, rice and sugar before the festival season.
Intending to expedite work on the outstanding water projects
between India and Nepal, both
sides agreed to set up a three-tier joint water management mechanism. This will
comprise of a ministerial-level Joint Rivers Commission, including a
Secretary-level Joint Committee and a project-level technical committees for
each project. This was agreed upon at a bilateral meeting between Nepal's Water
Resources Minister, Bishnu Prasad Poudel and Union Water Resources Minister,
Saifuddin Soz. This apart, other water resources projects were reviewed in
detail, with an immediate focus on the Sapta-Kosi high dam project, Sunkosi
diversion scheme and the Kamla dam project in the backdrop of the recent
devastating floods affecting both the countries.
On the trade front, both the sides have agreed to look into
areas of concern and take up corrective measures. Nepal assured to provide a
conducive environment for Indian business, which has complained of security
issues and labour problems. India,
on the other hand will seek to reverse the erosion of gains to Nepal under the
1991 trade treaty. New Delhi has agreed to take
a serious view of the present mechanism of trade and transit, in an effort to
promote industrialisation in Nepal
and create a system of sustainable and complementary bilateral trade between
the two neighbours.
During Prachanda's visit, New Delhi
took the opportunity to express serious concerns about Nepal's territory being used by forces inimical
to India's
interests. To this, Prachanda assured that his government intended to be even
stricter than its predecessors. "We cannot do magic overnight, but we are
taking this very seriously," he said. Asked about the links between his
party and the naxalites in India,
he said there are "ideological relations." But, at the same time he
hinted at the different and more practical path that the Maoists in Nepal had taken
by fighting elections and eventually leading the government.
The former guerilla leader said that Nepal could
serve as a reference for revolutionaries and Maoists elsewhere. On his arrival
in Kathmandu after his visit, Prachanda had said, "I did not go to India to
establish Maoist doctrine there. I did not meet the leaders of any Indian
Maoists party during my visit. I went there as the elected Prime Minister of a
democratic federal republic carrying legitimate national interests at heart as
advised by a national coalition government." Asked about contradictions
between his party's official line which regards India
as an "expansionist" nation and his upbeat views about New Delhi, he said,
"Please don't mix ideology with bilateral relations."
Other than official meetings in Delhi, Prachanda was also the chief guest at
a lunch hosted by the India-Nepal Parliamentary Friendship Forum, which was attended
by political leaders cutting across party lines. Here too the Nepalese PM
reflected on the traditional and historic ties the two countries shared and
reiterated India's
positive contribution toward the political transformation in his country.
Interestingly, he downplayed his recent visit to China, which broke the tradition of Nepal's top leaders first visiting India after
taking office. Prachanda said it was a visit to attend the closing ceremony of
the Olympic Games, clearly attempting to allay India's
apprehension about growing proximity between Nepal
and China.
Kathmandu’s relationship with India,
he said was "unassailable" and could not be compared with any other. Time
will tell, whether Nepal’s
efforts to package ‘diplomat’ Prachanda's visit to India as his "first formal
political visit" to any country pays dividends. ----INFA
(Copyright,
India News & Feature Alliance)
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Poll In Five States:Voters Positive, Show Maturity, by Insaf,10 December 2008 |
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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!”
* * * *
Vote For Or Against
CMs
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.
* * * *
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.
* * * *
“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.
* * * *
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!
* * * *
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)
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Mumbai’s Wake-Up Call:STATES PRIOROTIZE INTERNAL SECURITY, by Insaf,3 December 2008 |
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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.”
* * * *
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.
* * * *
J&K: Tough Poll
Ahead
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.
* * * *
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.
* * * *
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.”
* * * *
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)
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It’s War On Mumbai:UNPRECEDENTED TERRORISTS ATTACKS, By Insaf,27 November 2008 |
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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?
* * * *
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.
* * * *
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.
* * * *
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.
* * * *
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.
* * * *
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)
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First Phase Poll In J&K:KASHMIRIS GREATLY SURPRISE ALL, by Insaf,19 November 2008 |
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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!
* *
* *
Low Turn-Out No Issue
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.
* *
*
*
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!”
* * * *
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.
* *
* *
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.
* * * *
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)
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