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Gujarat Anti-Terror Bill: All EYES ON RASHTRAPATI BHAVAN, By Insaf, 3 March, 2015 Print E-mail

Round The States

New Delhi, 3 March 2015

Gujarat Anti-Terror Bill

All EYES ON RASHTRAPATI BHAVAN

By Insaf

 

Gujarat tries its luck yet again. Notwithstanding that its anti-terror law, passed by the Assembly in the past has been rejected not once but thrice by the President, the State Government is adamant to push it through. Perhaps in the backdrop that with the NDA government at the Centre, it may just get the elusive nod. It has thus passed the Gujarat Control of Terrorism and Organized Crime Bill 2015 (GCTOC), which according to the Opposition and human rights activists is undeniably draconian like TADA and POTA and poses threat to fundamental rights of the citizens. The State, however, insists that it is important to check organised crime and that a similar Bill, the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) is in force since 1999. However, what it doesn’t admit is that it gives sweeping powers to the Police, it is in variance with the Centre’s Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and that similar laws have not yielded any major gains to fight organised crime or for terrorist activity. Importantly, the Opposition has urged President Pranab Mukherjee to reject the Bill on grounds that it contained anti-constitutional provisions.  Undoubtedly, there will be a political hue and cry in the coming days. All eyes will be on Rashtrapati Bhavan. Will it oblige this time or will the Bill meet the same fate? 

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W Bengal-Centre Spat 

The cat-and-mouse game between West Bengal and the Centre is never-ending. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is peeved with Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s recent visit to Tin Bigha and adjoining enclaves-- Chhit Mahals, near Indo-Bangladesh border, without prior information. She has charged New Delhi of gross impropriety, on grounds that Singh’s visit was without any consultation or discussion, which amounts to ‘violating’ the principles of federal structure. However, the BJP has rubbished the charge saying North Block had duly informed the State government of the two-day visit and that administration offricials were present during his tour. It charges Mamata of unnecessarily politicising an issue of national security. At the same time, it accuses the ruling Trinamool of playing the ‘minority card’ by banning VHP’s International working president Praveen Togadia from entering the State, notwithstanding that two other States have done the same. The move it claims is with an eye on the civic polls to woo her vote bank, the minorities. The antics from both sides promise to be interesting this local poll season.

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Punjab To Check Misuse

Punjab is trying to find ways to curb misuse of reservation benefits. While many eyebrows are being raised about the aim, the Punjab State Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes Commission is undeterred and has set in motion the process to check whether Christians and Muslims are holding ‘illegal’ SC certificates and availing benefits not meant for them. The Commission has launched an awareness drive in panchayats, municipal corporations and even colleges asking people from SC communities to register complaints about ineligible individuals who are digging into their benefits. However, many see the move as promoting the RSS agenda of “ghar wapsi’ (home coming) wherein lower caste Muslims and Christians who convert back to Hinduism can avail SC benefits. The Government, however, does not want the move to be seen as a RSS agenda and has in the past spoken against ‘ghar wapsi.’ Therefore, the Commission would need to tread carefully. While it is determined to send a stern message that cheating by obtaining fraudulent certificates would not be tolerated as per the law, its action should not be seen as anti-Muslims/ Christians. Of course benefits should go to the deserving only, but politics and wanton misuse should not cast a shadow on the move meant to set the system right. 

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Rajasthan Ban on Witchcraft

Rajasthan has set the ball rolling to check the shocking and inhuman practice of witchcraft. Concerned over large number of cases hitting headlines, the Vasundhra Raje Government has introduced in the Assembly the Rajasthan Prevention of Witch-hunting Bill, which makes witchcraft and similar practices as punishable offences. The State obviously is following the footsteps of Maharashtra Government, which has been the first to ban black magic, witchcraft and other superstitious practices. Taking a cue, now Jaipur seeks life imprisonment if witch-hunting causes death, a fine and imprisonment for five years for practicing witch-craft etc. Importantly, the Bill seeks to involve the people against the practice and imposes a collective fine on those who abet the crime, suppress evidence or help the offenders, among other actions. The fine in all cases will be used to rehabilitate and resettle the victims. The Bill is very comprehensive and its passage is only a question of time. Will Rajasthan too soon be on the road to a new progressive era?

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Kannada In Karnataka

Karnataka plans to reach out to all Chief Ministers, other than the Centre to help it achieve its dream. It aspires to enforce Kannada in all schools, in fact make it a compulsory language. Towards this end, the Assembly on Tuesday last adopted two Bills—Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Karnataka Amendment) Bill 2015 and Kannada Language Learning Bill 2015.  While the former seeks to provide primary education in class one to five in the child’s mother tongue or in Kannada, the other seeks to make it mandatory for students in class one to ten to be taught in Kannada as one of the compulsory languages in all schools in a phased manner from 2015-16.  With the first step taken, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is planning to take an all-party delegation to New Delhi to impress upon Prime Minister Modi to bring an Constitutional amendment to enforce Kannada as medium of instruction for primary education. The State’s earlier attempt to have a language policy in place was turned down by the Supreme Court. Once bitten twice shy, doesn’t seem to deter the legislators. This time around, they seem to have done their homework to make the case watertight. The big question is whether other Chief Ministers will readily oblige?      

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J&K Spirits Dampened

The weather is playing spoilsport for the Jammu & Kashmir Government. In fact, the people’s spirits too are dampened by the incessant rains. While both were gearing up for a good tourist season this summer, after the floods played merry havoc seven months ago, news from tour operators is disheartening. This follows, an advisory from the Mufti administration declaring the Valley as a ‘flooded’ region. A large number of tourist bookings have thus been cancelled. While the Government has rightly done its duty following the month of March being the wettest in 100 years and the State staring at another round of flooding, the tour operators say signs of water receding are there and another advisory needs to be issued. The tourists should wait and watch and not rush into cancelling their bookings. Will the Centre, which is also monitoring the situation advice likewise? The tourism industry cannot take another severe hit. But above all, the weather God must oblige. ----INFA    

 

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)

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