Round The States
New Delhi, 27 January 2011
BJP’s Tiranga Yatra
UNFURLS STORM IN KASHMIR
By Insaf
India’s National flag, the symbol of
unity and integration created a storm in Kashmir.
Thanks to the main Opposition party BJP’s plans to unfurl the Tiranga at Srinagar’s Lal Chowk on Republic Day. Its
efforts to do so came to naught with an adamant Chief Minister Omar Abdulla
refusing to allow it. Towards that end, the States borders were sealed to
prevent the BJP yatris from
proceeding to Srinagar
on the fallacious plea that it would disturb the return of normalcy after
months of strife. The leaders of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha
Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley were arrested at Jammu
airport, sent to jail on the Punjab border and
released only once the Republic Day celebrations were over. Abdullah may have
notched a victory. But in the process he may have complicated the Kashmir imbroglio further.
Importantly, the reasons for disallowing the flag unfurling
seem trite. How does peace get affected if the National flag is hoisted? Also,
if the Separatists can raise the ante against India in the Union Capital Delhi
and get away with it, why can’t a party proclaim its allegiance to the Indian
Constitution by unfurling the National Flag? By its action has not the State
Government played in to the hands of the Separatists who are demanding Independence? Needless to
say the battle lines between the pro and anti-India groups have sharpened and
not a few observers state that inadvertently Abdullah acted hastily by
arresting the BJP leaders and played into the terrorists hands leaving its
‘handlers’ in Pakistan pleased as punch. All eyes are riveted on the BJP’s next
move.
* * * *
Karnataka’s Royal Battle
Karnataka’s Governor H R Bhardwaj who has been having a
running battle with the State Government has done it. Adamant, he has sanctioned
prosecution proceedings against Chief Minister Yeddiyurppa for his involvement
in the infamous land scam. Notwithstanding the State Cabinet’s advice to the
Governor to drop the proceedings, Bhardwaj shot back that he needed no lessons
on the Constitution and his decision was based on a 2004 Supreme Court judgment
of a five-judge Bench headed by present Karnataka Lokayukta N Santosh Hegde,
which while deciding a request for grant of sanction to prosecute the Chief
Minister said: the Governor would “as a matter of propriety, necessarily act in
his own discretion and not on the advice of the Council of Ministers”. Turning
deaf to the State Government’s plea that he was acting as the Centre’s agent.
As a rebuff to Bhardwaj, the Karnataka cabinet boycotted the ceremonial tea
party on Republic Day. Also, the BJP has petitioned the President to recal the
Governor. It remains to be seen who will
have the last word!
* * * *
Chhattisgarh’s New
Plan
A strange phenomenon is being witnessed in Chhattisgarh.
Whereby all State Government proposals have to be approved by the Maoists. In a
bid to woo the people through development projects and thereby dent the Maoists
dominance, the Raman Singh Government has launched a new plan, Integrated
Action Plan to fast track growth in 60 backward districts in the 4000 sq km
Naxal belt. But its implementation depends on winning the minds of the
Guerrillas. Only after they have whetted the ambitious projects can work be
carried out. Else the structures are brought down without warning. Already 200
school and panchayat buildings have been destroyed in the last decade. Now the
State has decided to play safe and only when they get ‘Andar se permission’ read Maoists are the works carried out.
Indeed, a noble way to better the lives of the tribals.
* * * *
New Red Corridor
Worse. Emboldened Maoists are now trying to create a new Red
Corridor through Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Jharkhand and West
Bengal to counter pressure from the security forces. Towards that
end the Naxalites have zeroed in on contiguous dense forests which link all the
States to provide them cover to move fast and unnoticed. In fact, the Maoists
have made Bastar their main battle ground and deployed half of the military
strength there which includes nine out of 19 military companies each which have
three light machine guns, 15 automatic rifles and assorted weapons in addition
to mortar, crude rockets and grenades. However, the rebels’ grandiose plans
would come to naught if the people across the States do not co-operate with
them.
* * * *
Maharashtra’s Fuel Mafia
Maharashtra notched up another strike in the
corruption index. Shockingly, an honest Additional District Collector of
Malegaon, Yashwant Sonawane, was burnt alive by the kerosene mafia in Manmad in
Nasik District as he tried to prevent them from adulterating the fuel. That too
on the eve of Republic Day. True, the 11 perpetrators have been held for the
Collector’s murder and the Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan has promised to
come down heavily on the petrol and diesel mafia in the State. But this is
easier said than done given the fact that one of the culprits who set the
office aflame was roaming free notwithstanding that he had seven cases of fuel
theft registered against him since 2001. In his death the courageous collector
exposed over Rs.10,000 crore fuel black market which thrives on the largesse of
a benevolent polity and bureaucratic nexus. Who will bell the corruption cat?
* * * *
Manipur’s Unusual
First
For strife-torn Manipur this indeed is an unusual first. A
young Manipuri school boy is the first Indian to win the UN international peace
poster contest. Showcasing a message that peace ultimately wins, the poster
depicts a dove removing a dark covering featuring guns and explosives from the
earth. Call it coincidence or what you may the young lad comes from remote
Moirang, the place where Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s Indian National Army had
hoisted the Tricolour for the first time on Indian soil. It remains to be seen
whether the poster that got the 11-year-old class V student the award will be
the torch bearer for peace to return in the State.---INFA
(Copyright,
India News and Feature Alliance)
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