Round The States

New Delhi, 28 May 2015

Tripura Repeals AFSPA

OTHER N-E STATES TO FOLLOW?

By Insaf

The people of Tripura have reason to cheer. After 18-long years, the draconian act—the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA)—has finally been withdrawn from the entire State. This follows the security forces recently reviewing the law and order situation and giving a positive report of insurgency in the Left Front-ruled Stated having ebbed. Chief Minister Manik Sarkar and his Cabinet thus lost no time in repealing the Act, which gives sweeping powers and immunity to the Army, in force since February 16, 1997 and reviewed, extended every six months. This apart, the government decided to extend the timing of vehicles plying along the Assam-Agartala National Highway 44 from 10 pm to midnight.  Clearly, the ‘taming of terrorism’ in Tripura, is bound to have a rippling effect on other States in the North-East which may too renew their reasons for demanding the removal of the Act in theirs. These include Arunachal Pradesh, where only recently the Centre extended the act to all districts of the State that borders Assam by another year, Manipur, where barring the Imphal Municipal Council area it is in force and has Iron Sharmila fasting for 14 years demanding its withdrawal, in Nagaland where the Government has asked the Centre to withdraw it and in Assam where it has been in force since 1990. Will the Union Home Ministry have a rethink in the ‘conflict-ridden’ States and oblige to their demands?  

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Special Status Dilemma

While AFSPA will be a talking point, the North-Eastern States are equally in a quandary over another critical issue. Having gone through the 14th Finance Commission recommendations and the Union budget for the current fiscal, Chief Ministers of the eight States have got a nagging feeling that the special category status that they enjoy will be discontinued. Thus, the concerned lot recently passed a resolution urging Prime Minister Modi to retain the special status, to ensure that they continue to avail Central financial help and assistance of 90:10 ratio to help bring the backward mountainous States at par with the others. The initiative taken by Manik Sarkar, got the approval of Tarun Gogoi of Assam, Okram Ibobi Singh of Manipur, TR Zeliang of Nagaland, Lal Thanhawla of Mizoram, Mukul Sangma of Meghalaya, Nabam Tuki of Arunachal Pradesh and Pavan Kumar Chamling of Sikkim. Importantly, barring Nagaland where BJP is an ally, all these States have non-BJP governments and the fear of discontinuation of the status has put a big question mark on Modi government’s much publicised “Look East” policy and prioritizing development in the north-east. Will the Centre ensure that the fears expressed are ill-founded and provide special dispensation to the region languishing in industry and infrastructure?

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Corruption-Free Odisha?

Odisha’s fourth-term Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is dreaming bigger. After putting his dream of “a hunger free Odisha” into top gear he now yearns for a ‘corruption-free’ State. Recall in 2008, the State launched a scheme for subsidised rice at the rate of Rs.2 per family to about five million people, and again in 2013 it started Rs 1 per kg rice scheme in the Maoist-dominated districts. Now, the endeavor is to fight corruption, as the State was too hit by the chit fund scam, like West Bengal. The CM has thus dedicated a helpline number (1064) and a Facebook page to report allegations of corruption or give feedback to the vigilance department. Not only can the younger generation report bribery and corruption activities through the Facebook page, but citizens can also narrate positive experience,” he stated while launching his new initiative. Importantly, the information collected from the complaints can be periodically monitored to be made available to public to specifically make them aware about corruption challenges. The aim obviously is to ensure “accountability at every level of hierarchy in public administration.” Will words translate into action, is what remains to be seen. Patnaik may well be on the right track, as Insaf on a visit this week to Bhubaneswar was pleasantly surprised with the strides the capital has made in roadways and infrastructure. Indeed, if there is a will, there is a way.   

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Rajasthan Gujjars Stir

Rajasthan’s BJP government finds itself on the back foot again. The Gujjar agitation for five per cent reservation in Government jobs within the 50 per cent legal limit is revived leaving Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje helpless so far as talks have made little headway. Worse, the administration is unable to get the agitating Gujjars from lifting their blockade of the Delhi-Mumbai rail tracks and Agra-Jaipur Highway since over a week, despite the High Court demanding a progress report on the talks and maintaining peace in the State. The government’s inability to accede to the demand on grounds that such a move would have an adverse impact on social harmony in the State, has no takers. The Gujjars are also unwilling to go along with the administration’s assurance that reservation may be granted beyond the 50 per cent of legal limit and that any legal hurdles would be removed. Recall that in 2010, the High Court had stayed the 2008 quota in jobs and educational institutions in the State for Gujjars and economically backward classes as the reservation ceiling had exceeded the cap of 50 per cent laid down by the Supreme Court. What formula will get both sides a win-win situation is anybody’s guess, but hope is not lost. 

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Transgender Becomes Principal

A new lexicon has been added to the college dictionary. World history was created when West Bengal’s capital Kolkata got its first transgender college Principal in free spirited Manabi Bandopadhyay. She takes charge of a women’s college. The State Education Minister is backing the Professor of Bengali and hopes that the new principal with succeed in changing the mindset of her young students. This comes on the heels of Chhattisgarh’s Raigarh district anointing another transgender as the Mayor of city. In fact, India came to understand transgender in 1998  when lovable Sahbnam Mausi who captured the hearts of Madhya Pradesh residents as MLA from 1998 to 2003 followed by the unforgettable Kamala Jaan who became the Mayor of Katni in Madhya Pradesh. Clearly, the stigma surrounding the transgenders will now be relegated to history.

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University’s Den of Homosexuality

On the flip side trust a Professor at the Aligarh Muslim University in Uttar Pradesh to kick up a storm by demanding that Madrasas be banned as they had become the den of gays and rampant homosexuality. Worse, he has put the Maulanas in the dock for being party to such activities. Notwithstanding the Maulana back tracking on the plea that his Whats App had been hacked. Predictably, the students have taken up cudgels against the Professor and vociferously condemned him for tarnishing the University’s image. Needless to say the ongoing fracas is music to the Hindutva brigade who is beating its chest by asserting ‘I told you so’.---INFA

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)