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Round The States
New Delhi, 2 May 2013
1984 Riots Resonate
Anger
in Delhi, Jammu
By Insaf
The Sikh community is seething with anger, especially in Delhi and Jammu. Their hope of getting justice after 29-long
years was dashed following the acquittal of Delhi Congress leader Sajjan Kumar
in the 1984 anti-riots case by a trial court on Tuesday last. While a protestor
chucked a shoe at the judge after he gave Kumar the “benefit of doubt” and
dismissed the witness’ claim of the leader “instigating a mob…,” Sikh
organisations held vociferous protests in both cities. In Delhi,
they demonstrated outside Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s residence, blocked
traffic in West and Northwest Delhi and even sat on the metro tracks affecting
services, in Jammu,
they blocked the Jammu-Kashmir
Highway. With the Sikhs threatening to launch more
protests, the two State governments have beefed up security at senior Congress
leaders’ houses. The CBI’s assurance that it would appeal against the trial
court order has been no solace to the Sikhs. Indeed, the ghost of the 84 riots
case shall continue to haunt the Congress till the victims get justice.
* * * *
Kerala’s
Troubles
Kerala has more trouble in hand than expected. While it is
gearing up to face the impending crisis of expatriates being forced to leave
the Gulf, it is at a loose end of tackling the malnutrition predicament in the
tribal area in Palakkad district. Beginning this month, the State Government
has kicked off its survey of non-resident Keralites, to extend benefits and
facilities planned for them in case a large work force is sent back from Saudi Arabia,
following a change in the country’s employment rules. Not only will the State
lose out on the huge remittance it received but would need to work out job
opportunities for those back. At the same time, it is caught in a bind with
malnutrition figures among children going up in the Attappady tribal belt. In
the past 15 months, of the kids born underweight, 35 have died due to
malnutrition. Worse, the CAG report notes that malnutrition among children
below six years remains at 27-39 per cent, suggesting that health
infrastructure has failed miserably. The
severe drought in the State along with a large number of women having no work
is adding to its woes. Clearly, it’s tough summer ahead for Chief Minister
Oommen Chandy.
* * * *
Fund Crunch In
Naxal Zones
Development in Chhattisgarh’s Maoist-affected areas seems to
be jinxed with two big Central Government initiatives in trouble. While the
Union Road Transport Ministry has washed its hands of two schemes: The road
connectivity project after the Government earmarked a measly Rs 5,400 crores
against Rs 16,000 crores required for roads in the Naxal districts. Second, the
Integrated Action Plan (IAP) to provide basic infrastructure facilities to the
poor tribals as the Centre had slashed funds. Shamefully, only Rs 1,000 crores
has been doled out for targeted development, less than half of Rs 2,400 crores released
yearly to 82 districts under the IAP. Questionably, sans money how will the
State win the trust of the people? And,
for how long more will the bullet win over the ballot?
* * * *
Corporate Push In
Karnataka poll
The Karnataka polls will go down in an electoral history for
being the first in citizen participation. There are 14 individuals out of 270
candidates in the poll fray in Garden city Bangalore who are trying their best to make a
difference in the State. They are ably supported by an eminent Party-agnostic
and personality centric citizens group Bangalore Political Action Committee
(BPAC), which is going all out to persuade the educated 9 million middle class
to back its ‘clean candidates’. Conceived by business tycoons Biocon chairman
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Infosys founder Narayana Murthy and Mohandas Pai, the BPAC
aims to establish good governance and improve the flagging infrastructure in
the city. This is not all. The group will not just back these candidates in
debates, but also fund their campaign up to Rs 5 lakh per candidate from an Rs
1-crore pool generated through public donations. Fingers are crossed these
candidates succeed.
* * * *
Meghalaya University Probe
A private University set up in 2009 in Meghalaya has created
a record of sorts: by awarding 434 Ph.D. degrees this year, that too when only
10 of its faculty members have doctorates. Equally disgraceful, one can get the
university’s Ph.D. degree from a dental clinic in Haryana’s Panchkula district.
An aghast Meghalaya Governor R S Mooshahary has asked the University to
withdraw all degrees awarded till date.
Terming the admission of over 3,300 students as “illegal”, Mooshahary
has not only directed the University not to enroll new students until a new Chancellor is appointed according to
University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations but also wants a thorough probe
of the University’s where-with-all. But what of the students who lost their
monies and are without degrees?
* * * *
Bad News For Gujarat
There’s bad news for Gujarat.
Its Chief Minister Narendra Modi should give up hope, if any, for the visa ban
to be lifted by the US.
On Tuesday last, US Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), an
independent body set up by the Congress, maintained that there was “significant
evidence” linking Modi to the violence (read riots) in Gujarat
in 2002. Thus, in its annual report it states that a visa “would not be
appropriate.” The panel has apparently been keeping a tab on ongoing riot cases
and has made a note of the fact that in the past two years while some 100-odd people
have been convicted of various crimes, an equal number or more have been
acquitted because of lack of evidence, witnesses refusing to testify etc. What
should be most disquieting for Modi is that he is the only individual against
whom the US
has so far used its visa ban provision related to religious freedom! Clearly,
no feather in his cap, Modi should say a long goodbye to the US. There’s
much happening on the home front.
* * * *
Rs 65 for cattle,
Rs 21 for kids
Maharashtra’s priorities are hard to digest.
Shockingly, while the State dishes out Rs.65 per day per animal as subsidy for
fodder to fully grown cows and buffaloes in fodder camps, it provides a paltry
Rs 21 per day per head as grant-in-aid towards meal expenses, totaling Rs.635
per month for 80000 kids housed in 1100 shelter homes. Less than the Rs.32 per
day designated by the Planning Commission to keep body and soul together, the
Rs. 21 is supposed to stretch for four hygienic meals in adequate quantities
with the right nutritional value. Worse, a panel headed by the Chief Secretary
for increasing the food grant by another Rs.200 has been hanging fire for
nearly two years. More scandalously, in
sharp contrast, the fodder subsidy has been reworked four times and the amount
increased thrice. Seems animals in India lead a better quality of life
than Generation X!---INFA
(Copyright,
India News and Feature Alliance)
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