Round The States
New Delhi, 21 August 2014
PM-CMs Collision
CENTRE-STATE PROTOCOL HIT
By Insaf
Prime Minister Modi’s
visit to poll-bound States has raised a big stink. Not only is he and the BJP
being accused of using public functions for political gains but of having party
cadres humiliating the Chief Ministers by hooting and booing them down. In
fact, the Congress has sent an advisory to its CMs not to attend the public
functions of Modi and give him only the basic protocol courtesy such as
receiving him at the airport or attending official functions. This follows the
nasty experience Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda had at a
stone-laying ceremony at Kaithal, where the crowds shouted him down. Promptly,
Hooda’s counterpart in Maharashtra, Prithviraj Chavan announced that he would
not be attending an event at Nagpur
scheduled with PM Modi for the foundation-laying ceremony of Nagpur Metro. He
further justified saying he already got a taste of this stage-managed heckling
by the BJP cadres at an earlier event with the PM in Solapur.
However, Jharkhand Chief
Minister and JMM leader Hemant Soren, heading the coalition Government, failed
to heed to partner Congress’ advice and at a rally and had to face a jeering
crowd in Ranchi, where he had accompanied Modi to lay a transmission line.
Soren too is peeved because he had got an assurance that he would not be
embarrassed. At its end, the BJP claims that Modi and the party have no hand in
the crowds showing their anger. Why can’t the Chief Ministers realise and admit
that it is public anger against their governance, the BJP argues. While both
the sides argue it out in this Assembly election season, sadly the casualty may
well be country’s federal structure.
* * * *
Assam-Nagaland Row
The Assam-Nagaland
tension at the border has sadly got entangled in a political blame game. With
the number of people killed in the border clashes going up to 14 and over
10,000 forced to flee their homes and shift to relief camps in Uriamghat, Assam
Chief Minister has put the blame on Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh for the
violence, saying Assam-Nagaland border is a disputed subject and the area is
controlled by the Centre with CRPF’s help, which has failed to provide security
to the people and properties there. However, New Delhi contests the charge. Minister of
State Kiren Rijiju who has been sent to review the situation hit back saying law
and order is a State subject, “we only end Central forces and it is the State
government which regulates them.” Not just this, apparently the Ministry of
Home holds the opinion that dissidents in Gogoi’s party are fanning the
protests! Both sides should realise that accusing each other doesn’t help
matters. The problem, which started over a minor land dispute between a Naga
and an Assamese tribal at the border, has now blown into a major confrontation
with involvement of the Adivasi Nagaland Liberation Army and NSCN-IN cadres on
either side. Efforts should be made to restore peace and normalcy at the
earliest and not seek to score brownie points.
* * * *
Bengal Woos Foreign Investment
West
Bengal has made its first major move to reach out for overseas investment.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has decided to opt for the “Look East policy”
too and chose Singapore
as her first foreign destination in the last 15 years. But Didi would have to
do aggressive hard selling. This she did. Her Government she told Prime
Minister Lee Hsein Loong has brought down loss of mandays from 78 lakhs to
zero, there is big scope for tourism and that a two-and-a-half hour time
difference would be an important advantage for business. On queries about MNCs
working in Bengal, the Chief Minister is said
to have given him the real picture. Wonder whether she actually did, as it is
well-known that the industry is wary of investing in the State. However, in a
Facebook post an upbeat Mamata boasted: A promising 13 business dealings have
commenced between Singapore
and West Bengal. Are times changing? Will the
firebrand leader’s “bigger dream to have local roots with global pursuits and
make ‘Biswa Bangla’ brand resonate
beyond borders,” come true? Time will only tell.
* * * *
Telangana Survey
Hyderabad, the joint capital of Telangana and
Andhra Pradesh seemed to have turned into a ghost town on Tuesday last.
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao ensured that his first pet project
takes off smoothly. The ‘Telangana survey’ of 8.4 million households had people
staying indoors with business establishments, school and colleges, banks, shops
and even petrol pumps remaining shut in view of the declared public holiday.
While the survey was declared a success, its use is going to be under close
watch. There are apprehensions that it would be used for ethnic profiling and
keep out people from regions of coastal Andhra and Rayalseema from State
welfare programmes. However, KCR insists the nativity clause was dropped and
that the survey’s aim is to prevent people from misusing welfare schemes as has
been borne out by the exercise undertaken. For example, while there are 8.4
million households in Telangana, 10.7 million ration cards have been issued in
the State! The data collected is going to be computerised and according to KCR
shall ensure there is “no pilferage of a single paisa.” Will other Chief
Ministers take a cue, as he suggests?
* * * *
Goa Bans Ram Sena
Goa government seems to be
adhering to the adage—a stitch in time saves nine. It has banned the Hindu
right-wing Ram Sena from entering the BJP-ruled State.
So stated Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar in the Legislative Assembly on
Wednesday last. The action has been taken to stop the Sena from setting up a
branch in the State in September as announced by its Chief Pramod Mutalik in
June. It was feared that if the Sena made an entry then Mangalore-like violence
against women going to night clubs and pubs some years ago, would be re-enacted
at this international tourist destination. While representatives of the tourism
industry, women organisations among others who had petitioned banning the Sena
would be relieved by the announcement, whether Parrikkar would rein in his
ministers from moral policing is also doing the rounds. Just the other day his
PWD Minister had hit the headlines asking for a ban on bikinis in public
beaches!
* * * *
Toilet Target
The Centre’s ambitious
100-day target for constructing separate toilets for girls in schools doesn’t
seem to have many takers. According to the Ministry of Drinking Water and
Sanitation about 17 States are lagging behind in this aspect of Nirmal Bharat
Abhiyan. These include BJP-ruled States of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat,
north-eastern States of Tripura, Mizoram,. Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland,
Congress-ruled States of Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Assam,
Uttarakhand among others. What would be more distressing for New Delhi is that the BJP-ruled States are also
in the red when it comes to
achieving 100 days target in constructing individual household latrine. Goa, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan figure in this list.
Where lies the problem would be a worthwhile exercise for the Ministry. Is the
message to the States to reach out to corporate to help achieve the target
being taken lightly or is the latter unwilling to oblige?
(Copyright, India
News and Feature Alliance)
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