Round The States

New Delhi, 12 March 2009

Fillip To Third Front

ORISSA, UP, ASSAM CHANGE EQUATIONS

By Insaf

Developments in Orissa, Uttar Pradesh and Assam have thrown up new challenges for the two National parties, the Congress and the BJP, in their latest bid for power at the Centre. With D-day not too far, old alliances appear to be crumbling, breathing fresh life into the so-called Third Front. The BJP has suffered a severe jolt in Orissa, with Naveen Patnaik’s BJD breaking its 11-year-old alliance on Saturday last. In fact, Patnaik went a step further and tied up with the Left parties, after the BJP withdrew support in retaliation. The BJD supremo has been successful in getting the requisite support sans the BJP and won the vote of confidence in the 147-member Assembly, on Wednesday last. While the developments, which will affect 21 Lok Sabha seats, may have taken the BJP by surprise, many know that Patnaik had long made up his mind. Not only had the BJP’s vote share been declining in the State, but the party had become a liability after the Kandamahal anti-Christian riots last year. The BJD has kept its option open for joining the Third Front.      

The BJP has sought to cut its losses by entering into a seat--sharing arrangement with the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) in Assam, both for the ensuing Lok Sabha and Assembly elections due in 2011. While it may not help the BJP make up the loss in Orissa, the move has rattled the Congress. In a resolution at its workers’ convention the party admitted that the “unholy alliance” between the BJP and the AGP had thrown up “new challenges”. Assam has 14 seats in the Lok Sabha. However, the Congress has suffered its biggest jolt with the Samajwadi Party refusing to agree to its terms for an alliance in Uttar Pradesh. On Sunday last, Mulayam Singh Yadav announced that the party would contest all but six of the 80 seats in the State. It dubbed the Congress’ list of 24 candidates as the “obituary of the alliance”. Given the situation, UP Chief Minister and BSP supremo not only gets an advantage, but encourages her to keep her options open for joining the Third Front. The BSP could win up to 45 of UP’s 80 seats in case the SP and the Congress fail to come together.     

*                                 *                                   *                                               *

J&K To Curb Police Firing Killings

Omar Abdullah has taken a welcome initiative which should be of great help to all the States of the Union. The Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister proposes to approach foreign governments for a more effective strategy for crowd control which would enable the State government to end “bullet-for stone” approach and thereby curb killings of protestors by security forces. Sadly, for the past two decades there has been little emphasis on new methodology for crowd control. Worse the J&K police has not been utilizing its annual quota of teargas shells purchased. In fact, stones have become more lethal than bullets for the local police, as the gun-wielding cops have to change gear, show restraint and initially depend on cane charging and teargas shells to curb protestors before resorting to firing. But that does not always happen, as was witnessed in the recent incident. One protestor was killed and 43 others injured when the CRPF men opened fire at a protesting crowd in downtown Srinagar on Friday last, resulting in an angry popular agitation. .

Clearly, people are becoming more assertive and agitations are now a daily feature, not only in J&K but all over the country. Handling situations such as stone-throwing by protestors would need application of different strategies. As a rule the police should first use tear gas, then water canon, then fire in the air, and if that doesn’t quell the crowds it could resort to firing, but first only below the knees. However, in J&K the security forces are prone to fire bullets whenever protestors pelt stones. Thus, the government proposes to seek the help of UK to train special police contingents in modern crowd control techniques as it has done substantial research. The government may introduce “Skunk”, a specially developed spray that drenches protesters with a foul-smelling liquid and “Scream”, a noise machine that makes protestors giddy and forces them to disperse without injuring them. Perhaps, equipped with non-lethal tools, the J&K police may have less blood on its hands. 

*                           *                                   *                                               *

Gorkhaland Talks After Polls

The demand for a separate Gorkhaland through violent agitations appears to have been put off until after the Lok Sabha elections. The UPA-led government at the Centre has made known that it is keen to find a solution to the Gorkhaland issue and will soon appoint an interlocutor to hold talks with the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) and other groups spearheading the movement. However, the Home Ministry has clarified that the talks will be held only after a new government is sworn in. The last round of tripartite talks between the GJM, the West Bengal Government and the Centre were held on December 29 last. Meanwhile, the GJM leaders, who were in the Capital to garner support for their demand with both UPA and NDA leaders, appear to have found a sympathizer in the BJP. While the GJM will not be putting up a candidate, it has decided to support the party which supports its demand for a separate Gorkhaland, comprising areas of Darjeeling Hills, in its manifesto.  

*                       *                                   *                                               *

Karnataka Snub To HM

Even as Karnataka recovers from the controversial issue of ‘moral policing’, it finds itself embroiled in yet another prickly controversy-- this time with the Centre. Union Home Minister P Chidambaram had to cancel his meeting with Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa to review the security situation on Saturday last week as the latter was “intending to go to his constituency”. The meeting, first suggested for Wednesday was put off for the “third time in four days”, said a Home Ministry statement. The CM, however, rubbished the allegations as “baseless” saying that he had conveyed in advance his inability to attend and that the state Home Minister V S Acharya had been deputed for the talks. It was Chidambaram who cancelled his visit, as the State government had not only prepared a memorandum but that Acharya was back in the Capital after cancelling all pre-scheduled programmes. Whatever the claims and counter claims, at the end it was  security that became a victim and suffered.     

*                     *                                   *                                               *

Expelled For Praising Modi

Praising Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s development policies can prove costly. Who better than two-time MP from Kannur, Kerala AP Abdullakutty would know this? The Marxist Young Turk was expelled from the party on Saturday last for praising a “class enemy”. He had been under suspension since January 2008 for having exhorted party-ruled Kerala to emulate the development model of Gujarat. In fact, this perhaps was the last straw as Abdullakutty had spoken against the culture of bandhs, had performed pre-Haj Umra at Mecca without party sanction and turned to astrology, which the Communists are ideologically opposed to. While, Abdullakutty stands by his statement on Modi, he says “the party is like a father who tortures his son after giving him food,” and that “two or three persons” were behind his expulsion. His next move is awaited with interest. ---INFA

 (Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)