ROUND THE STATES

New Delhi, 31 January 2008

BJP, Congress Strategies

STATES READY FOR POLLS

By Insaf

The six BJP-ruled States have begun preparations for the 10 Assembly polls and next year’s General Election. Reinvent and repackage was the sum and substance of the Party’s National Executive conclave held last week in Delhi. On the anvil was a resurgent Hindutva jazzed up with a heavy dose of development and welfare schemes. All modeled on Brand Modi, the success story scripted by the Gujarat Chief Minister in the recent Assembly polls. Along with a macho response to terrorism, a robust foreign policy and forward-looking economic programmes. It is attempting to position itself as a middle class and aam aadmi friendly Party. Both crippled by the soaring-price levels, high-cost education, sky-scraping cost of health care and high-cost housing.

Accusing the UPA of jeopardising national security by viewing it through the prism of vote-bank politics, the Saffron Sangh buttressed its concern by reeling of figures of the terrorists spreading their tentacles from J& K to the North East, UP, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and even Kerala. In fact, J&K recorded only 1,092 terrorism-related incidents and 271 deaths compared to the North-East which had 1,316 incidents and 501 deaths in 2007. Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand were the two States worst hit by Left-wing extremist violence in 2007, together accounting for 68.16 per cent of the incidents and 76.42 per cent of the killings. Moreover, while admitting that there were several States where neither its coalition partners nor it had a presence it called for the need to broadbase the NDA.

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Congress Plays Dalit Card

The Congress too is not lagging behind in poll preparedness. After minority appeasement it’s the turn to reach out to the Dalits, specially in UP. The Gandhi scion and General Secretary Rahul Gandhi led the reconciliation efforts by making an unscheduled night stop, eating and sleeping in the house of a Dalit villager in Jawaharpur in his constituency, Amethi last week. The outreach effort is significant as the UP Chief Minister, BSP supremo and Dalit icon Mayawati, has emerged as a strong rival for the community’s votes in several States where the Congress is in power. In the recent Gujarat polls not a few Congress candidates lost thanks to the BSP eating into its vote share. Recall, since Independence the Muslims and the Scheduled Caste and Tribes comprising an 18 per cent vote share have been the raison d atre for the Party lording over the country for over 45 years. Will it strike rich?

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Arunachal Gets Security Makeover

Arunachal Pradesh is all set to get a security makeover. The appointment of former Army Chief J.J. Singh as the State Governor stands testimony to New Delhi’s intentions of tackling the insurgency problem and growing activities across the border by the Chinese in all seriousness. The Prime Minister too has just returned from a long overdue two-day visit to the strife-torn State. Especially against the background of increasing actions by the Chinese across the border. Reportedly, Beijing has built roads, rail link and a township along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Also, the Chinese have made plain their intention that they consider Arunachal as part of their country. Only a fortnight back, the Congress MP from the State had accused the Chinese army of destroying a Buddhist statue in the Tawang region. The Congress has mooted the idea to immediately create the North-East Indian Border Regiment with local youths to tackle insurgency in the sensitive region which has become a safe haven for anti-terrorist elements.  All fingers are crossed that the new Governor will succeed in crying a halt to both the problems.

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J&K Govt Corrupt Travails Continue

The corruption travails of the Ghulam Nabi Azad Government in Jammu & Kashmir continue. Barely had the unseemly controversy over the resignation of Education Minister and PCC chief Peerzada M Sayeed died, that the State has been rocked by another scandal. The National Conference has now demanded the scalp of two PDP ‘tainted’ Ministers Qazi Afzal and Tariq Hamid Karra, in the forest scam. With the State slated to go to polls later this year, the Chief Minister finds himself squeezed between a rock and a hard place. If Azad refuses to relent, the NC will not let the House function. If he accepts their demand, he will have to prove corruption charges against the PDP duo, something that the B R Kundal panel report on forests has not done. And if he sacks them, his Government fall. As for the NC, after hitting the Congress in the belly over Sayeed, it is now keen to see that the PDP does not survive unscathed as it has emerged as its alternative. It remains to be seen who will have the last laugh!

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Kidney Scam Shakes Up Health Ministry

If nothing else, the 100-crore kidney scandal in Gurgaon has made the Union Health Ministry sit up and rethink its organ transplant policy. Gurgaon has hit the headlines for over a week following the unearthing of the kidney racket in which about 600 poor labourers were made victims by Dr Santosh Raut alias Dr. Amit Kumar, who is on the run. The doctor largely catered mainly to the rich and foreigners, who paid Rs 18-25 lakh per kidney, whereas the donor may have got Rs 50,000. This is so because while 1.5 lakh patients need kidney transplant every year only 3,500 manage to get it. Not only has the Health Ministry been forced to re-look its Transplantation of Human Organs Act, whereby only near relatives can donate kidneys, but it has started thinking of incentives for organ donations, such as free education and health insurance. Ministry officials have made various trips overseas to study best practices in organ donations. It’s time they start acting or else another Gurgaon-like scandal can play merry hell with the lives of the poor.

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Bastar New Haven For Maoists

The Chhattisgarh government of Dr. Raman Singh can no longer sit pretty to a glaring threat of extremism. Its territory is being used as training ground for Maoists cadres, with Bastar being the new haven. According to intelligence reports, the People’s Liberation Guerilla Army (PLGA) is running four camps in the jungles of Bijapur and Dantewada districts and Abujhmarh forests. At any given time about 1,500-2,000 cadres from various States are being trained for carrying out attacks and handling sophisticated arms and explosives. In all 186 districts in the country are affected by Maoist violence and 39 per cent of all such incidents are reported from Chhattisgarh. The extremists, it may be recalled carried out one of the worst attacks in the State last March, killing 55 policemen in a camp. The Union Home ministry needs to push Dr Singh’s government to formulate a strategy to quell the Maoists rebellion, as done by Andhra Pradesh, lest the Maoists support base continues to grow.

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Ashes Immersed, Few Remember Bapu

It was a historic moment. But only a few hundreds in Mumbai chose to witness it. Sixty years after the Mahatma’s assassination, the last consignment of his ashes was immersed in the sea off South Mumbai on Wednesday. The journey started at Gamdevi’s Mani Bhavan with a morning prayer and the urn containing the ashes was then taken in a mini truck to Chowpatty, where the Gandhi family, led by Nilamben Parikh, great granddaughter, carried out the final ritual. Unfortunately, the meager gathering of the common man en route and at Chowpatty, which otherwise witnesses’ mammoth crowds during festivals, was a pointer to a disturbing thought that the father of the nation is forgotten. Can Munna Bhai please do something? ---INFA

 (Copyright India News & Feature Alliance)

ROUND THE STATES

New Delhi, 6 February 2008

Regionalism To Fore

MAHARASHTRA FIRST TO BE HIT

By Insaf

All States are on alert following the banner of regionalism unleashed in Maharashtra by the little-known Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), launched by Raj Thackeray, Shiv Sena ideologue Bal Thackeray’s nephew after he fell out with the parent Party in 2006. His out-of-the-blue bellicose war cry of “Maharashtra for Maharashtrians” and “throw out the North Indians” let loose violence not only on the streets of India’s commercial Capital, Mumbai but also in other parts of the State last week. Non-Maharashtrians were singled out and beaten in trains, their taxis and cars smashed. Even Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan was not spared and his house attacked. Significantly, the MNS outburst seems to have struck a chord with the locals, who feel marginalised by the influx of people from Bihar and UP in the State. Wherein, the police too are chary of taking action against the MNS, notwithstanding the arrest of 93 MNS and Congress clashing workers.

Shockingly, the Centre turned a virtual blind eye to the MNS attacks and the Congress-NCP State Government made half-hearted attempts to contain the violence. Asserted Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, “Violence against any community will not be tolerated….Cooperate with the Government and let the law take its own course.” The Shiv Sena, the original protagonists of the sons-of-soil theory, felt betrayed by Thackeray Jr’s attempt to appropriate the Marathi constituency. Now with other parties like Mulayam Singh’s Samajwadi and Laloo’s RJD taking up cudgels for people from their respective States, the issue of regional biases promises to snowball into a major controversy. Clearly, the last word on regionalism has still to be said.

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Karnataka New Terror Hub

Little did the Karnataka police know that the arrest of three Islamic militants would lead them to the chilling evidence of a massive terrorist operation in the dense forest area bordering Dharwad district in the State. The forest was being used as training camps to train militants in the use of firearms and latest techniques under fluttering Pakistani flags. True, the State has always been considered a safe haven for terrorists for the past 10 years, but it is the first time that a terrorist camp has been unearthed.  In fact, sleeper terror cells are giving the State police sleepless nights. Recall, the terror trail started with the Deendar Anjuman sect unleashing a series of blasts across North Karnataka in 2001. Since then many more terror outfits have mushroomed and set base in the State resulting in terror attacks on the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, the Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad and elsewhere. Thus, exposing a serious chink in the country’s security and intelligence armour, no matter loud and empty rhetoric of snuffing out terrorism with an iron hand!

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UP Governor Brazenly Partisan

Governors are turning brazenly partisan, if one goes by the conduct of T V Rajeshwar in Uttar Pradesh. In fact, the Governor who is answerable only to the Constitution is being seen more as a Congress Party spokesman answerable to the Party High Command. When he came out in defence of two IAS officers, placed under suspension by the Chief Minister Mayawati recently for ‘glorifying’ members of the Gandhi family. Not only did Governor Rajeshwar disapprove the action, but made it public! Mayawati is correct and rightly objected by asserting that the Governor should have spoken to her instead. Remember it’s not the first time the former Intelligence Bureau Chief has played Party politics. It is high time a model code of conduct is put in place for Governors!         

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Arunachal Cannot Trust Centre?

All is not well in Arunachal Pradesh. On the heels of the Prime Minister’s visit to the State, the All Arunachal Pradesh Students Union (AAPSU) has insisted that it be included in the negotiations, if any, with China, over the border issue. Besides, it has warned that it would not tolerate any compromise of its territory. In its memorandum to the PM, the AAPSU has also opposed the NSCN’s claim over two districts of Tirap and Changang. Moreover, it has made plain its opposition to these districts being traded during a possible settlement. Also, it has called for the setting up of another Central Boundary Commission to resolve the boundary dispute with Assam, as it does not recognize the Bordoloi Committee report. The demands, if carefully viewed suggest that the people of Arunachal don’t trust the Centre.  

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West Bengal In North-East!

A map showing West Bengal as a part of the North-East has rung warning bells in various quarters of the region. Drawn by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the map was displayed at the North East Investment Summit in Guwahati, hosted by Assam and sponsored by the Department of North-East Region (DONER) last month. Be it the North-East Students’ Organisation, the North Eastern Tea Association and the North-East Chamber of Commerce — all saw it as a “diabolic attempt to deprive the North-Eastern States of their due” and “a conspiracy by the CII, West Bengal and Central Government to extend DONER initiatives and funds to North Bengal!” According to the CII State Council much was being read into a simple “mistake.” Well, investments will reveal whether it was deliberate or a faux pas.

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Madhya Pradesh Leads In Child Marriages

If regional bias is the flavour in Maharashtra, caste rules the roost in Madhya Pradesh. Scandalously, more than 77% of various castes and communities continue the horrific practice of  marrying of children with all the pomp, customs and traditions in the State  compared to 41% in Rajasthan and a mere 10% in Uttar Pradesh. These shocking revelations came to the fore in a survey by the Delhi-based Centre for Social Research. But more disturbing was the fact that over 71% of the respondents were aware of the illegality of child marriages and were conversant with the Child Marriage Prohibition Act. Besides, most child marriages took place among the upwardly mobile social groups and were not registered. It is another matter that the Supreme Court has asked all States to frame rules for mandatory marriage registration. But this was more an exception than a rule.

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Women To The Fore In Meghalaya

Women power has come to the fore in Meghalaya. Women voters outnumber men, according to the latest electoral rolls published by the State Election Commission. In an electorate of 12,30,152, over 6,25,545 women voters compared to 6,04,607 men are expected to exercise their vote in the forthcoming Assembly elections slated for early March. Given Meghalaya’s matrilineal society women are reportedly more conscious about their political rights and take an active interest in the in the electoral process. In fact, unlike other States notorious for female infanticide, the mortality rate among infants here has decreased and women are given preference over men. Also, among the Khasi tribe there is no sex discrimination as in other parts of the country. Will other States please take note. ---- INFA

(Copyright, India News & Feature Alliance)

ROUND THE STATES

New Delhi, 3 January 2008

CRPF Camp Attacked

UP IS JIHADIS NEW TERROR GROUND

By Insaf

Terror struck once more in UP with deadly vengeance --- this time at the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Group Centre in Rampur, on a cold wintry Sunday night. Leaving eight policemen dead, the jihadis again sent a chilling reminder that they mean business. Clearly, the terrorist had done their homework, given the fact that the Rampur CRPF hub serves as the logistical and administrative backbone to five battalions posted in Jammu & Kashmir and the North-East. This attack, the seventh since 2000, comes two years after the failed attack on the Ram Janamabhoomi complex in July 2005 and exposes the unprepardness of the security forces in dealing with terrorism. UP Chief Minister Mayawati promptly tried to wash her hands of the dastardly attack by accusing the Central forces of laxity as these had already been warned.  But she herself has been accused by the Congress of being “soft on terrorists.”

The State has been on the fiyadeen’s radar for the last 14 years. In fact, after Jammu & Kashmir, UP has been the worst affected terror-afflicted State. Borne out by the fact that in the last three years alone, 80 terror modules have been neutralized by the security forces. Interestingly, these modules, off-shoots of the dreaded Harkut-ul-Ansar, had made western UP their base after inheriting the infrastructure from it in 1993.  Shockingly, the State security forces which are wholly dependent on the Central forces, have been unable to make a dent in the jihadis network, which has grown many-fold in the last five years. Worse, time and again, it has not followed effectively the vital leads, resulting in cases being closed. Thanks to this lackadaisical approach, it has uptill now failed to prosecute any of the arrested terrorists, who were able to obtain bail and then disappear. Clearly, it is time for the Centre to bring in another POTA.

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Nitish Knocks Down Lalu

Bihar’s Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar, has special reason to rejoice. He has won hands down a virtual “referendum” against the RJD Supremo, Lalu Prasad, in the Bikramganj Lok Sabha byelection, which his JD (U) candidate bagged by over 31,000 votes. Remember, Nitish has won all byelections since he came to power two years ago.  The outcome dashes all hopes of Lalu derailing Nitish, his bete noire in his home State in the near future. Needless to say, this poll should serve as an eye-opener for Lalu to realize the extent he has lost ground in Bihar, over which he lorded for 15 years. Specially as the by poll was a contest between him and Nitish Kumar with Lalu banking on the Yadav-Khushwaha-Muslim alignment. True the margin of victory was slim. But that was thanks to a low voter turnout. A visibly happy Chief Minister appropriately chides his arch rival: “Now people will only vote for development. Voting on cast lines is getting passé!”

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Heartbreak For Mayawati

In neighbouring UP, it was double heartbreak for Chief Minister Mayawati in the byelection for the Ballia Lok Sabha poll. One, her BSP candidate had to eat the humble pie by over 1.31 lakh votes. Two, he was defeated by her arch rival Mulayam Singh’s Samajwadi Party, which had fielded former Prime Minister Chandrashekhar’s son Neeraj. Mayawati and her ministerial colleagues had made the poll a prestige fight and put up Vinay Shankar Tewari, son of Gorakhpur’s dreaded mafia don, Hari Shankar Tiwari. Nevertheless, this is BSP’s first defeat in the State since Mayawati came to power. Last year, it won all the three previous Lok Sabha bypolls. The result has also dashed the hopes of the BJP riding the crest of its Gujarat and Himachal victories in the Hindu heartland as also the Congress’ expectations of reviving itself in the State. Shamefully, the candidates of both the national parties forfeited their deposits.

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CPM Wins But Warned

Traditional supporters of the CPM in West Bengal have clearly warned the party not to take their support for granted. Borne out by the decreased victory margin of nearly 8,000 votes for its candidate in the Balagarh Assembly seat in Hooghly. This is less than half the margin in the last election. Exposing that Singur and Nandigram have had a ripple effect all over the State, including the CPM’s rural strongholds. Coupled with the CPM’s pro-farmer posturing which took a beating. Most farmers continue to be fearful of losing their land. Spiraling prices also caused strong reaction, forcing loyalist cadres to go in for a serious rethink of what is best for them. In fact, had the Opposition combined to take on the CPM, it could have snatched the seat from the Red party. The total of the Trinamool (51,691) and the BJP (8,833) a former ally of Mamata Banerjee’s party, together polled more votes than CPM’s 60,101. The CPM is clearly in trouble.

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Goa Governor Blows Bugle

Goa’s Governor, S.C. Jamir, former Chief Minister of Nagaland, has blazed a new trail: playing the role of an elder statesman and candidly sharing his thoughts about the State, its people and their future. Goa, he lamented in Panaji, had become oversensitive and, in the bargain, Goans had developed a negative mindset. “Everything is being politicized and, as a result, nothing moves.” Goa, he added, should be helped to develop “a balanced mindset” and a polity that was stable and a people and politicians committed to an ideology. Jamir also blew the bugle against the prevalent electoral practices, wherein candidates “bribed their voters with drinks and money” to get elected. Such candidates, he warned, would not make good leaders. Jamir said much else that was of interest, including his opposition to SEZs in the State.  Importantly, he urged the Government to give up thoughts of making Goa another Hong Kong or Dubai and let it remain what it is --- Goa!

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President’s Rule In Nagaland

The Centre has decided to impose President’s rule in Nagaland on second thoughts. Notwithstanding, that the Assembly poll is just a month away. New Delhi was forced to rethink when 30 Congress MLAs called on President Pratibha Patil and claimed that they had won the no-confidence motion against the Neiphu Rio-led Democratic Alliance of Nagaland by 31-23 votes in the 60-member Assembly with an effective strength of 55 members. Recall, the Speaker had surprisingly barred nine MLAs from voting and declared the motion lost. Expectedly, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and his colleagues are livid. They have denounced the Centre’s decision as “murder of democracy.” The BJP, a partner in the Neiphiu Rio Government, too has criticized the Centre’s decision as “against all political ethics.” But New Delhi is clear that the DAN Government had lost its majority and Central rule was necessary on two counts: First, to stem further deterioration in the law and order situation in which militants are now ruling the roost. Two, ensure a truly free and fair vote!

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Now Incredible Ladakh

Incredible India. And now incredible Ladakh. An anti-corruption drive in picturesque Ladakh has got an icy response from the local community. Six months, 18 raids in which 31 Ladakh residents, including 14 shopkeepers, were held by the J&K police investigating large-scale theft of supplies meant for Indian troops on the Siachen Glacier has led to strong protests. Specially as the pilfered supplies are seen as subsidies, not as corruption. Each winter, when night temperatures drop below -25⁰ Celsius, local residents  are forced to depend upon fuel and food filtered from the Army since transportation costs of normal supplies are prohibitively high. As an MLA explained: “We get just 10 litres of subsidised kerosene per head per month. This is barely enough to keep one home warm for a day.” Also the allotted 1.5 kgs of daily food for those guarding Siachen is more than what is required. Thus, the locals feast on chocolates and dry fruits meant for the Army--- and protest angrily against the Government’s anti-corruption drive.---INFA

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)

ROUND THE STATES

New Delhi, 10 January 2008

ID Cards Storm

STATES ARE UP IN ARMS

By Insaf

All the States and Union Territories are up in arms against an order of the Delhi Lieutenant Governor, Tejendra Khanna, last week. One, making carrying of identity cards mandatory for people in the Capital from January 15. Two, requiring people with driving licences from other States to get them revalidated in Delhi. Little did Khanna realise that his well-intentioned order designed to “step up security in the wake of recent terror attacks” would snowball into a major controversy. Wherein faced with an angry backlash from various Chief Ministers, he was forced to beat a hasty retreat. A livid Bihar Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar termed the move as “unconstitutional and anti-Biharis” as they comprised almost a third of Delhi’s total population together with the people hailing from eastern UP. Similar  anger was expressed by the BJP, JD, BJD and UP’s Mayawati who called it “anti-Dalit” and used it to up the ante against the Congress.

True, Delhi’s Lt Governor may have been forced to backtrack on his ID cards order. Nevertheless, he has once again spotlighted the dire need for all Indians to carry proof of their identity, especially now that factories of terrorism have made India their favourite hunting ground. Recall, since the sixties the Election Commission has been crying hoarse for the need of multi-purpose identity cards for all citizens. In fact, two Chief Election Commissioners, SL Shakhdar and Peri Shastri had even worked out the proposal which would have cost the national exchequer Rs 100 crore then. But successive Governments have slept over the proposal even as the amount has increased manifold. Today, with terror becoming a byword of modern life, Khanna’s proposal should be considered seriously instead of being used as fair-game of vote-bank one-upmanship!

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NSA’s Red Alert To CMs  

More so, after the National Security Advisor, MK Narayanan has sounded a ‘red corner alert’ to all the Chief Ministers in the country, following former Pakistan Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto’s assassination. In a letter to them, he has warned that the jehadis outfits are now posing a major threat to key political leaders and advised them to beef up their security. Especially as the terrorists were using “new wave” tactics. This includes a “great deal of planning, studying the habits and activities of their targets, more sophisticated techniques and the vulnerability of the security forces.” Following this missive, the Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit’s security has been upgraded. Surprisingly, however, the Union Home Ministry has rejected the UP Chief Minister, Mayawati’s request for SPG cover as there was a threat to her life on the facetious plea that her security was adequate!

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Politics Hits New Violent Low In UP

Politics has hit a new low in UP. If the criminalization of the polity was not bad enough the latest head-on confrontation between Chief Minister Mayawati and her bete noire, Samajwadi Chief Mulayam Singh, has brought violence to the centre stage of the political theatre. True, we are accustomed to elected legislators coming to blows in various State Assemblies. However, this is the first time that one has witnessed the BSP and SP cardres clashing in several towns and cities in the State, leaving one dead, three injured and many buses burnt . The provocation? The Samajwadi workers’ demand for the students union poll. All hell broke lose when Mulayam’s brother, Shivpal, and son, Lok Sabha MP Akhilesh, were slapped. Sadly, this in not the end. Mayawati has notified Mulayam to behave or he too would not be spared. Clearly, if this continues, brutality would become a byword for UP!  .

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BJP’s Kisan Yatras

A two victory-flush BJP is now busy readying for bigger electoral battles that lie ahead in 2008-09 ---- 9 State Assemblies and the Lok Sabha elections. Towards that end, the BJP President, Rajnath Singh, plans to make kisans one of the USPs of his campaign strategy. He is now undertaking a two-day kisan yatra to spotlight the burning issue of farmers’ suicide in Maharashtra’s Vidarbha region, which continue till date, notwithstanding the Prime Minister’s relief package of thousand of crore rupees. Shockingly, a recent survey on the farmers’ plight has exposed that a mere 16 per cent of the relief percolated down to the farmers. The rest was taken away by financial and land sharks. What makes the BJP Chief’s yatra all the more significant is that it is taking place at a time when strains have developed among the ruling combine, Congress and NCP, with each accusing the other of not doing enough.

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CPM: Goodbye Socialism, Hello Capitalism

Winds of change are blowing across ‘Red’ West Bengal.The Communist CPM is busy humming a new song: goodbye socialism, hello capitalism. The CPM old warhorse, Jyoti Basu took not only his comrades but also votaries of reform by surprise when he contended that capitalism was the only way to industrialise West Bengal. This has no doubt come as a shot in the arm for Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, who has been the lone torch bearer for economic reformation of the State steeped under the burden of antiquated socialist models of economic governance. But it has left the CPM’S Front partners seething. They are aghast that the veteran leader is speaking the language of Manmohan Singh (read reform). Either which way, there is no gainsaying that capitalist winds of change are blowing over Red Bengal!

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Maya Dissolves Bhaichara Samitis

Is UP Chief Minister Mayawati’s honeymoon with the Brahmins over? Though it’s too early to say anything, signs of her getting wary are there. The BSP President has dissolved all Brahmin and Vaishya Bhaichara Samitis, formed last year to bring the Upper castes, closer to the BSP. And these did, as the UP Assembly elections proved. However, the defeat of its candidate Vinay Shankar Tiwari in the Ballia byelection last month has made Mayawati angry. At a recent party meeting she blamed the Brahmins for the party’s defeat in the Ballia byelection. Moreover, she has announced a reshuffle in the State unit and appointed State coordinators. Significantly, not a single Brahmin has been included. Is Mayawati going back to her party’s roots — the Dalits? Time alone will tell.

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Goan Feni To Get Patent

The New Year has good news for the Goans. Its famed Kaju Feni shall soon “get patent and we will easily be able to export it,” says the Feni Producers’ Association. Goa is the only place in the world where Feni (liquor) is produced from the juice of cashew apple. Though the process was introduced in Goa nearly 450 years ago by the Portuguese, nowhere in Portugal, or anywhere else is feni produced from Kaju fruit. Goa has over 2,000 distillation outlets and factories working overtime. A team of officers from the Geographical Indications Registry, Chennai were recently satisfied with the Association’s claim and the Government expects certification by early May. The GIR will publish the information on the “World Trademark’ journal inviting objections. A period of four months hence should see the Kaju Feni, in all probability, patented to the joy of the Goans!. ---INFA

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)