|
Round The States
New Delhi, 28
November 2013
Goa Outrage
UNTHIKABLE TEHELKA
FEST
By Insaf
Goa has hit the headlines,
this time round for the right reasons. The Tehelka
sexual assault case has literally created a “stir” in the media industry across
the nation. With TV channels and newspapers going to town about high profile
former Editor Tarun Tejpal and former Managing Editor Shoma Chaudhary’s
arrogant mishandling or cover-up of a very grave case of sexual assault of one
of its staffer’s, this time around it cannot be termed as an unjust media trial
or undue sensationalism. In fact, thanks to the Goa
police taking suo moto action, the shocking incident on its territory has
unwittingly put the focus on two important issues which were being paid
lip-service-—sexual harassment at the work place and the rot that has set into
the fourth estate. Not only has the case made organisations wake up to the fact
that sexual harassment committees on the lines directed by the Supreme Court
should be put into place, but that the media is no holy cow. There is need for
introspection within and that the fraternity must bring a halt to this growing dangerous
trend of profit-making becoming the motto of the media groups, relegating
public interest to the back seat. At the same time, the political parties,
particularly the Congress and the BJP must refrain from trying to score brownie
points by ‘politicisation’ of the sexual assault. The Goa CM has shown interest
in the case but he cannot be faulted. Importantly, the young lady victim has
shown the courage to seek justice. Will she get it? Hope the woods are not
missed for the trees.
* * * *
Gujarat Takes On Centre
The Gujarat Government has
taken on the Centre head on. It has decided not to mince any words and openly
question the UPA-II appeasement policy towards the Muslims. In its affidavit
before the Supreme Court, the State has countered New Delhi’s accusation that the Modi
Government was to blame for the deteriorating conditions of the Muslims by
stating that the PMO was ignoring other religious communities. The case
pertains to its appeal against the Gujarat High Court order ratifying the
pre-matriculation minority scholarship. In fact, it has slammed the Sachar
Committee report as being “unconstitutional” and stressed that its “target was
to only help the Muslims”. What about the others—Sikhs, Buddhists, Christians,
Parsis, the State sought to know. And warned that if benefits were extended on
the basis of religion, there would be further alienation of these religious
minorities. The Gujarat government has thus
demanded that the scheme be struck down. It appears adamant notwithstanding the
fact that the timing, in the midst of elections, may not have been the
best.
* * * *
Mamata In Saradha
Mess
The Saradha chit fund saga continues to haunt West Bengal Chief Minister
Mamata Banerjee. The arrest of suspended Trinamool MP and CEO of Saradha media
outlets group Kunal Ghosh has made the case murkier for Didi. Will there be a
CBI inquiry? Kunal has claimed that top TMC leaders, including the Chief
Minister, knew about the Saradha group's irregular operations but chose to sit
pretty and not warn anybody. Worse, he alleged that the Party readily accepted
benefits offered by the group. To give credence to his accusations, Kunal
asserts that Mamata sat on a letter by the Centre way back in February warning
her of irregularities in Saradha and some other companies and questioned “who
is responsible?” Well, Mamata would need to answer many more questions and
can’t get away with her pet excuse that the Left parties are behind the plot.
Importantly, she needs to worry whether the UPA-II will yield to the demand for
a CBI inquiry and seek its pound of flesh.
* * * *
Rude Shock to
J&K HC
Jammu & Kashmir High Court has reason to be gravely upset. Its
refreshing judgment is sadly going to be challenged as threatened by the
Court’s Bar Association. In an order last month, the court had directed both
the Centre and the Election Commission to take action against all those
politicians seeking votes on grounds of religion. It observed: “In our
constitutional philosophy there is only one ism i.e. Indianism. All other isms
are sworn enemies of Indianism.” Accordingly, any claim of being a Hindu,
Buddhist, Sikh, Muslim or Christian nationalist is not only working against
Indianism but the very thought of India, it asserted. Instead of
getting kudos for the path-breaking judgement, Justice Muzaffar Hussain Attar,
is going to see Bar Association appeal against it. The latter convened a
meeting of religious scholars and concluded that that the order “impinges on
the rights of the people to practice, profess and propagate their faith and
belief”! Let’s keep fingers crossed that the appeal fails to get admitted.
* * * *
Trouble ‘Brewing’ In Tripura
Big trouble is brewing for the
Tripura Government. Its proposal to ban cultivation of rubber on land meant for
tea estates has led to protests from all quarters. This has put a question mark
on the fate of the Tripura Land Revenue and Land Reforms Bill (10th
amendment), moved by the Mani Sarkar Government, which is presently before the
Assembly’s select committee. Not only is the Opposition crying foul but an
unprecedented number of people--1,184 people and 40 organisations, have filed
their objections. Their reasoning is that tea planters since the 90s have been
forced to move to rubber cultivation to offset the slowdown in the tea
industry. Further, it is argued that of the 14,000 hectare earmarked for tea
cultivation only one-third is covered with tea bushes. If a kg of tea fetches
Rs 103 when Rs 100 is spent to manufacture it, how can the planter’s survive,
is something the Government needs to address. Will it see reasoning or wish the
protests away, the coming weeks are worth a watch?
* * * *
Bihar’s Reality Test
The shocking state of affairs in Bihar’s education system has punctured
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s report card 2013, claiming fast strides on the
path of development. While on the one hand he trumpeted his government’s
achievements in infrastructure such as roadways, doubling power supply,
increasing footfall in Government hospitals etc, on the other side statistics
revealed that of the 43,000-odd contractual primary and middle school teachers
appointed by the Government, over 10,000 failed in the “competency test”!
Worse, these appointees couldn’t even pass the test based on the syllabi of
Class three to five, as against the claim of the administration of having made
efforts to ensure “quality education”. Obviously, Nitish doesn’t see the young
generation of Bihar as priority. His efforts,
other than praising himself, are to woo the present vote bank, largely dalits
and the Muslims, with fresh schemes. Wonder now whether the education mess will
prove Nitish’s claim that “the Bihar model of
development is fast catching up the imagination of other States and also by
foreign countries,” wrong.---INFA
(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)
|
Archives 
