Round The States
New
Delhi, 6 July 2012
Chhattisgarh Orders
Probe
NAXALITE NEW BASE
IN TAMIL NADU
By Insaf
Chhattisgarh is once again caught in the cross hairs of
Naxalite killings. This follows the death of 20 militants in anti-Naxal
operations by the CRPF last Saturday. Instead of earning kudos for a job well
done, the security forces have been accused of murdering innocents including
women and children. Forcing much-harassed Chief Minister Raman Singh to order a
judicial inquiry to put a lid on Opposition charges of a “fake encounter”. Notwithstanding
the probe, the CRPF and Naxalites engaged in another encounter on Thursday in
the same village where the earlier incident took place. Raising a moot
point: If every encounter leads to a cross-fire accusations and demands for
investigations, how will it ensure the end of Naxal menace in the country?
Worse, Naxal trade
unions have ‘incognito’ established a foothold in Tamil Nadu, a State which was so far removed from Maoist extremism. The
modus operandi is simple, getting their cadres infiltrate factories as
labour in the State’s key industrial belt. Needless to say, the Maoists
presence and the associated fear of violence is a setback to the State,
whose fortunes hinge on it’s over 21,100 industries. The state is home to the
most number of factories (more than 21,000). Meanwhile, in Odisha’s Maoist-affected Malkangiri’s district the militant’s
off-shoot Chasi Mulia Adivasi Sangh, are forcing 35 Panchayats members to
resign from their posts, ostensibly over the non-construction of the
Kartampalli-Manyamkonda canal to irrigate tribal farmlands and motorable roads.
Leaving a non-plused State Administration to douse the ‘relinquishment’ fire.
* * * *
New
Scheduled Tribes Commission
Good news for the
tribal infested States. The Centre is setting up the Third Scheduled Areas and
Scheduled Tribes Commission soon to
formulate new legislation to protect tribal land and examine issues of
development and welfare, especially primitive tribal groups. It would also examine if another Schedule
should be added in the Constitution to recognise traditional tribal governing
institutions. This measure
has been mooted to develop remote,
tribal-dominated districts and stem the Naxalite menace. So far primitive tribal groups have resisted panchayats
instead demanding their traditional councils be integrated with the State's for
governance. Also on the anvil the Commission would explore the option of
greater role for the Centre in tribal areas administration and the desirability
of a uniform framework for scheduled and unscheduled tribal areas.
* * * *
Change
Of Guard In Karnataka
Finally, a respite seems to be in sight for the beleaguered
BJP in its first Southern bastion Karnataka. A change of guard is in the offing
with former Chief Minister Yeddyurappa finally getting his way. According to
the peace offering brokered by the Central leadership following the resignation
drama by 9 Ministers, the State Rural Minister Jagdish Shettar is likely to replace
11-months Sadananda Gowda as Chief Minister. While
the Party would not like to rock the State’s boat till after the 19 July
Presidential polls, it might be forced to pre-pone its decision as the Assembly
begins Monday next 16 July. The
Hindutva brigade is also mulling the option of appointing
two Deputy Chief Ministers. Recall, Gowda
was Yeddyurappa's choice to replace him last year but he now wants Shettar, a
Lingayat like him. However, this may be easier said than done as Gowda has
upped the ante over his removal by asserting the people would teach the Party a
lesson. A Catch 222 situation.
* * * *
Congress Ex- CM In Adarsh Net
The Congress too is busy fire fighting in Maharashtra. Where the ruling party has cut a sorry
figure after its former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan’s chargesheet among 13
others in the Adarsh Housing Society scam for a quid pro quo allotment of two flats for his
kin. Besides approving additional Floor Space Index (FSI) for a five star
hotel. Worse, the Party is facing acute embarrassment with the outbreak of a
blame game between Chavan and his predecessors Union Ministers Vilasarao
Deshmukh and Sushilkumar Shinde vis-à-vis the irregularities in the 2002
allotment of prime South Mumbai land to Kargil
War heroes. A much harried Chavan has lashed out against the 'conspiracy'
hatched by his colleagues, leading to a piquant situation where present Chief Minister
Prithviraj Chavan is busy fire fighting Opposition tirade. Clearly, the Congress
needs to get its act together before Assembly poll in 2014.
* * * *
Yadav Again In Eye of Storm
Barely has the
dust settled on UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav’s U-turns on SUVs for MLAs out
of their Development Fund and shutting down of malls at 7 pm, that he is amidst
another controversy namely the extension granted to the State Lokayukta Justice
N.K. Mehrotra for another six-year tenure. A petition has been filed in the
Supreme Court challenging this as it was in contravention of the UP Lokayukta
Act, 1975 which debars a second term for the incumbent. Interestingly,
Mehrotra’s re-appointment was the country’s youngest Chief Minister’s first
decision. But the Governor did not
approve of it. Three days later, the Lokayukta file was again sent to him who
gave his assent. All eyes on Yadav’s next move.
* * * *
Dress Code In J&K
The travails of
strife-torn Kashmir continue. In a busy
tourist season with influx of a record number of holiday makers the militant
Jamaat-e-Islami issued a dress code diktat for tourists: No skimpy clothes.
Warning of dire action, the terrorist outfit has asserted that it would not
tolerate short mini-skirts and
other objectionable dresses as it spread immorality among the people. For
reasons best known to him, the State Administration and tweet-prone Chief
Minister Omar Abdullah are silent on the Jamaat-e-Islami threat. It remains to
be seen whether the spoil sport action will be heeded by holiday makers?---INFA
(Copyright,
India News and Feature Alliance)
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