Round The States

New Delhi, 31 March 2011

Assam Tea Garden Hold Key

BJP, ULFA MAR CONGRESS CHANCE

By Insaf

All is not well for the Congress in the upcoming State Assembly elections in Assam. Both the BJP and the ULFA may spoil the grand dame’s tea party. Given that the BJP has made inroads in to the Congress’ pocket borough, the tea-rich upper Assam Districts by cornering the labourers working in the tea gardens. Importantly, the labourers account for over 30 of the 126 Assembly seats. Adding to the Congress woes is that the ULFA’s anti-talk faction led by Paresh Barua has issued a threat of marring the polls. Accusing the Congress of dividing the ULFA, Barua’s men triggered a blast at the Party’s headquarters in Guwahati. In this milieu, the Asom Gana Parishad is busy trying to cause a split in the tea labourers votes between the Congress and the BJP by offering them Schedule Tribe status and a wage hike. On his part, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi does not seem unduly bothered. Asserts he: “militants always target the Congress”.  All parties have their fingers crossed.

In secular progressive Kerala, religious groups are busy playing politics. Whereby the Hindu, Christian and Muslim religious outfits are busy submitting their choice for candidates for the Parties to cede to their wish list. Notwithstanding, that both the Left Democratic Front and the United Democratic Front have taken care to pick nominees from the communities dominating a particular area. Muslim leaders have been accusing the Congress for neglecting the community by not giving adequate representation which the LDF has done. The Church too is not far behind, three catholic dioceses and the non-Catholic Malankara Orthodox Church have openly stated that they have submitted a list of candidates to the Congress. On the other side, Hindu organizations are protesting the growing influence of minority groups in the Congress. Asking the Party to explain why there is no Hindu leader, a la Muslims and Christians. Who says religion and politics don’t mix?

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UP Farmers’ Stir

In Uttar Pradesh, land acquisition has hit a major road block. For over two long months farmers in the State’s Mirzapur district are busy agitating against the State Government’s land acquisition policy. The farmers have been demanding compensation at the rate of 90% of the residential plot rates for their acquired land. They also demand that only 50% of their land should be acquired and rest should remain with farmers for agriculture use. However, Mayawati’s Government has a contrary view. Leading to the protests turning violent whereby the farmers blocked traffic and set vehicles on fire in Greater Noida, braving rubber bullets of security forces trying to calm them down. It remains to be seen who will blink first-- the farmers or the Government?

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Orissa Is Odisha

Orissa is the latest to join the ranks of States with a penchant for renaming its State and its capital. Whereby, the State will hereafter be called 'Odisha' and the Oriya language will be known as 'Odia'. Thanks to MPs belonging to the ruling BJD, Congress and BJP in Parliament giving its approval to the amendment of the Constitution and passage of the Orissa (the Alteration of Name) Bill. Recall, the British rulers had changed the original names of various Indian States and cities during the process of de-colonisation. Needless to say the BJD felt it was a great moment for the State’s people to get back their pride and a sense of history. There have been many cities and States that have been renamed after Independence. Thus Trivandrum is Thiruvananthapuram, Bombay Mumbai, Madras Chennai, and Calcutta Kolkata, Poona Pune, Cochin Kochi and Bangalore Bangaluru.  But as Shakespeare said what’s in a name. Will the rose smell different if it wasn’t called a rose?

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AP Assembly Fracas

What afflicts State Assemblies in the North has now become the new fashion in Southern Andhra Pradesh. In a shocking sequel to UP, ruling Congress and main opposition Telugu Desam MLAs came to near blows inside the Assembly on Monday last. It all started when Agriculture Minister Y S Vivekananda (brother of the late Chief Minister YSR Reddy) heckled two TDP MLAs holding placards that denigrated his late sibling. In the ensuing fracas Congress MLAs raised slogans for the creation of Telengana while the Majlis Ittehadul-e-Muslimeed legislators trooped into the well of the House and raised the demand for the constitution of a Joint Legislature Committee to probe "illegal allotment" of Wakf land for industries and other purposes. Leading to the adjournment of the House. With tempers running high it is a moot point on how the Centre will tackle the Telengana genie which is fast spiraling out of control.

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Trouble In Nagaland 

Trouble continues to play havoc in Nagaland. In the latest long series of problems afflicting the State, the Chairman of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang faction) S S Khaplang has asked all the 12 elected legislators of the Tirap and Changlang districts of Arunachal Pradesh to quit the ruling Government or face consequences. However, reacting to the NSCN-K diktat, Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu accused the NSCN leaders of 'blatantly violating' the ceasefire ground rules and made plain that he would go all out to implement his Government’s development agenda notwithstanding the threat. Recall, the NSCN-K has demanded the incorporation of Arunachal’s Tirap and Changlang districts wherein it has a major influence with the so-called Greater Nagalim. Meanwhile the Centre is following the developments very closely and keeping its fingers crossed.

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Jats’ Stir Reprieve

State Governments of Haryana, UP, Rajasthan, J&K, Punjab, Delhi and Uttarakhand can finally breathe easy. Thanks to the Akhil Bharatiya Jat Arakshan Sangharsh Samiti suspending their three-week long agitation for inclusion of Jats in the OBC quota in Government jobs. This followed intense negotiations by Haryana Chief Minister Bhupender Singh Hooda and UP’s Principal Secretary (Home). Both promised that the Central Government would take a call on their demand by September 13, whereby it would formulate and work out the modalities for the community’s inclusion. Recall, the Jat community refused to even heed the Supreme Court and High Court’s diktat of clearing rail tracks which led to the cancellation of over 700 trains in the affected States.  Has the Centre merely bought time or does it mean to uphold its promise?

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)