Round The States

17 December 2009, New Delhi

Telangana Crisis

STATES EYE DEVELOPMENTS

By Insaf

Telangana continues to dominate the headlines at the Centre and in all the State capitals. New Delhi’s decision to initiate the process of formation of a separate State and then to pass the buck on to the Andhra Pradesh Assembly to “first” adopt a resolution for the bifurcation has plunged the State into a crisis. Expectedly, the developments are being keenly watched in the other States, especially those where demands for separate statehood have been hanging fire. How Sonia Gandhi’s Congress is going to wriggle out of the mess will be a cue for many. More so, as Andhra is in the throes of violent protests by forces both for and against Telangana. Worse, with a large number of MLAs, including those of the ruling Congress and the opposition Telugu Desam Party, threatening to resign and a divided Andhra Cabinet staring the ruling Congress in the face, the State Assembly was adjourned sine die on Monday last.

Clearly, the issue of Telangana State has once again got consigned to the backburner, thanks to the typical game of one upmanship played by the political parties. While in Andhra, Chandrababu Naidu has done a turnaround with his TDP in the forefront of protests against the partition, the Congress is embarrassed by its MPs, particularly former Chief Minister YSR Reddy’s son Jaganmohan Reddy, joining the TDP members in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday last demanding a “united Andhra”. This apart, its partners in the UPA-II -- the Trinamool Congress, the DMK and the NCP-- questioned the Government’s “hasty” decision on Telangana at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs in the Capital. The matter, the allies feel, needs careful study since any decision taken in a hurry would trigger demands for creation of other smaller States.  As a top Congress leader confided: “If we create Telangana we lose. And, if we don’t create Telangana, we lose! What do we do?”

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Impetus For Gorkhaland

The aforementioned fears are not unfounded. For one, the demand for Gorkhaland, comprising Darjeeling, Dooars and Siliguri in West Bengal has got fresh impetus. A week ahead of the second round of tripartite talks between the State Government, the Centre and the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), the latter took a cue from TRS chief  K Chandrashekhar Rao and has its members go on a hunger strike. Mercifully, it decided to withdraw its 96-hour total bandh in the hills and instead called for a shutdown of State and Central government offices, following appeals from Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, the BJP and former governor Gopal Gandhi. It also agreed to join the talks and its President Bimal Gurung is willing to wait till December 2010, the deadline for the creation of the State. However, a question mark has gone up on whether the talks will be held on Monday in Darjeeling, as the State government too has decided to put pressure. The situation is not conducive for talks with GJM’s hunger strike still on, said the State’s Home Secretary Ardhendu Sen before leaving for Delhi for preparatory discussions. 

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Mayawati For Poorvanchal

At the same time, the Telangana developments could not have been at a better time for Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and BSP supremo Mayawati. It has provided her an opportunity to neutralize Congress’ yuvraj Rahul Gandhi’s efforts towards making inroads into her territory. Behenji promptly grabbed the moment to write to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to advocate once again the creation of Poorvancahal and state that any such initiative from the Centre “will be supported by the BSP”. Emphasising that the region was the “most backward” and the situation was fast deteriorating, she reminded him that she had written to the Centre about it in March 2008. This apart, the BSP has also backed the demand for carving out Paschimanchal (Harit Pradesh) and Bundelkhand. It is now threatening to launch an agitation for its demand by holding dharnas and hunger strikes, preferably from Bundelkhand. Recall, only last month, the Centre had released a Rs-7,266 crore special development package for the drought-hit region at Rahul’s bidding. 

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Carving Bihar Too

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar too has joined the bandwagon for smaller States, even as he demanded on Monday last the re-merger of Jharkhand, which was created by bifurcating Bihar in 2000. In fact, he even went to the extent of saying “why only Jharkhand. The proposed Poorvanchal State out of UP should also be merged with Bihar!” Nevertheless, he spoke strongly in favour of small States, including the creation of Bundelkhand. Meanwhile, demands have cropped within Bihar of carving out Mithilanchal, Bhojpur and Seemanchal States. The latter particularly is hotting up with its first mover, former Union Minister Mohd Taslimuddin saying “It is the right time to raise the issue.” The demand for Seemanchal, comprising Purnia, Ariria, Katighar, Kishanganj, Bhagalpur, Supaul and Khagaria districts was made in early 90s. The justification?  “More funds and speedier development.” It was also argued that since it would be along the border with Nepal, Bangladesh and West Bengal, “it would help curb activities like smuggling etc”

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Another First For Modi

It will be yet another first for Narendra Modi’s Gujarat. His BJP government proposes to make voting compulsory in all local body elections in the State. According to the proposed Gujarat Local Authorities Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2009 to be introduced, it will be mandatory for residents of the State to vote in elections to a local self-governing body, including municipal corporations, municipalities and panchayats. Once the Bill is in place, election officers will be entitled to declare those who fail to vote as “defaulter voters.” The penalty could amount to being deprived of below-the-poverty line card, government service or subsidized loan. However, the defaulters will be served one-month notices seeking reasons for their failure to vote. If the voter fails to respond, or the officer is not satisfied with the reply only then will he/she be declared a defaulter. At the same time, there is an exempted category: if the voter is physically incapable, or ill or away from the country or the State at that time. If all goes well, the first-ever compulsory voting in the country will take place next year in Gujarat.

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Freebies In Tamil Nadu Poll

Voters continue to have it good in Tamil Nadu. It’s raining freebies for them even in an Assembly byelection.  With the AIADMK vying for the seat in Vandavasi, which fell vacant due to the death of the sitting DMK member, the voter finds himself being bestowed with gifts, including money in envelopes, dhotis, sarees and booze bottles by the candidates. The cash offerings have ranged between Rs 500 and Rs 200 and the voter is expecting a second round on the polling day, this Monday. A family of five voters thus would make anything between Rs 6,000 to Rs 8,000 this month, besides the goodies coming its way. Other than money, one political party has generously distributed quarter bottles of whiskey supplemented with biryani feasts. Though the electoral officer says that on getting complaints they send squads, observers note that by the time they arrive the party is over! ---INFA

 
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