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Round The States
New Delhi, 20 February 2014
House Tamasha
UP, JK FOLLOW LOK SABHA
By Insaf
Where is democracy heading is a question worth asking in
both States and the Centre. Having seen
the new depths to which the Lok Sabha has sunk this past week, State Assemblies
are not too far. Two States, Uttar Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir have put
many a legislator to shame. On Wednesday last, two RLD members staged a
half-naked protest, when the Governor sought to make his address to the
joint-sitting of the House. They took off their kurtas, stood on their chairs
holding posters protesting against the SP Government apathy towards the
problems of sugarcane growers including non-payment of arrears. The live
telecast sadly did not deter them. Worse, the Parliamentary Affairs Minister
instead of condemning the shameless display sought to trivialise the matter by
taunting, “Why only naked torsos? Take off the other clothes as well!” One
shudders to think, what if they had taken the taunt seriously. In another
incident, the PDP member in J& K Assembly slapped a marshal, after the
Speaker asked the staff to remove him forcibly. The MLA was demanding relief
for the Kashmiri pundits and accusing the NC Government of protecting a former
Minister in a sexual assault case. While
the Governor had to end his speech midway in the UP Assembly, the marshals had to
forcibly evict the member in J&K Assembly. But can the matter end here?
Surely, while New Delhi
and State Governments need to introspect, the people too should think twice who
they send as their representatives. May is not too far.
* * * *
TN Vs Centre
Tamil Nadu is reeking of bad politics. It’s Chief Minister J
Jayalalitha has invited wrath from many quarters, outside the State. Her
Cabinet’s decision to release all seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi
assassination case, just before the Lok Sabha elections smacks of distressing
vote politics over the dead. Worse, it’s the way she has gone about it. On
Wednesday last, she informed the State Assembly of the decision and that the
Centre had been given three days to respond, after which the AIADMK Government
would “exercise its powers.” However, her assertion has fallen flat, thanks to
the Supreme Court. Hearing an urgent petition from the Centre, the apex court
stayed the release of three convicts, whose death sentence it had commuted. It insisted
that while it was not underestimating the State’s power, remission is not
automatic and that every State is obligated to follow the procedure before
releasing any convict. She obviously needs to do her homework, before the next
date of hearing, March 8. Till then, will she reach out to the parties in the
State, including arch rival the DMK, which are supporting her move, to whip up
the Tamil fervour and raise the pitch.
* * * *
Telangana
Shrill Birth Pangs
The ugly drama over the formation
of the 29th State, Telangana will be remembered in the annals of
parliamentary history. Additionally, it has shown the main political parties,
the Congress and the BJP in poor light, leave aside the emotional MPs from .
The former when it came to passing the Bill in Parliament as well as in the
State. A day after the Lok Sabha passed the Bill to split Andhra Pradesh its
Congress Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy kept his promise. He submitted his
resignation to the Governor and quit Congress saying he was “pained” by the
division of Telugus for “the sake of votes and seats.” Emotions apart, Reddy
asserted that the decision was “unsupported by any policy, for no stated
reason, rejected by the State Legislature, without following any conventions,
laid-out procedures and not in conformity with the constitutional provisions”.
And therefore, “patently arbitrary, unreasonable and unconstitutional…” Well
many including the CPM and TMC would agree with him, but could do precious
little. In any case the dye had been cast. The BJP aided the Congress and
agreed to pass the Bill in the Rajya Sabha with a voice too, without amendments
and accepting the Prime Minister’s assurance on a special package for
Seemandhra. The birth pangs of the new State are indeed jarring.
* * * *
TMC Gets Anna Support
West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool
Congress is upbeat. None other than social activist, Anna Hazare, who has been
the mentor of AAP’s Arvind Kejriwal, has pledged his backing to the party’s
supremo Mamata Banerjee for the ensuing Lok Sabha elections. On Wednesday last,
Hazare was all praise for didi’s lifestyle--of shunning luxury and leading a
simple life, and said that “somebody like her who understands the value of
sacrifice can bring change in the country!” This apart, the Chief Minister was
the only one who responded to his 17-point economic agenda. Other than
campaigning for her, Anna shall also advice on the selection of seats in
States, other than what TMC has zeroed in on. But the support is limited-- till
the polls, for after that his ultimate goal is to launch a “people’s outfit”,
which would field at least 100 “independent” candidates in Lok Sabha 2019. Till
then, Banerjee is hoping to get Hazare to give her party a national profile. As
of now, the TMC has decided to contest all 42 seats in the State, some others
in the North East, and is expected to add more as per Anna’s advice. The big
question: Will Anna’s magic work for Mamata as it did for Kejriwal?
* * * *
Bihar Ups The Ante
All is not lost for Bihar.
Its long-pending demand of being granted special status got a fillip in the Lok
Sabha on Thursday last with both the JD (U) and BJP MPs speaking in one voice!
While the two may have parted company, the ensuing elections have got them to
train their guns, not at each other but at the Centre. Leaders from both
parties took the floor to slam the UPA for cheating the State by delaying the
decision. Indeed, injustice was being meted out, they argued. The State, it was
pointed out did not have a single IIT, no IIM, no National Law University and
worse even though the committee headed by Raghuram Rajan had recommended
granting special status to Bihar, the Centre was sitting pretty. With the
future of 10 crore people at stake, the two parties demanded the Finance
Minister come clean and explain the delay. While it’s unclear whether the
Centre would take the bait, the BJP is hopeful that its prime ministerial
candidate Narendra Modi may just do the trick if voted to power. Will the JD
(U) take note and rethink on going back to the NDA? It has time. ---INFA
(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)
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