Round The States
New
Delhi, 20 August 2015
Bihar
Battleground
SOPS
SHOWERED ON VOTERS
By Insaf
It’s raining projects in Bihar. With the Election Commission close to announcing
the dates for the Assembly elections, both Prime Minister Modi and Chief
Minister Nitish Kumar are trying to outdo each other in wooing the voter with
tall promises and ribbon-cutting. After the debacle in Delhi, Modi desperately needs to win this
battle, which is getting murkier. And even though he may roar at the rallies,
his extraordinary Rs 1.25 lakh crore package for the State reveals a nagging
unease and nervousness in the BJP camp. The bonanza announced covered
everything--farmers’ welfare, education, electricity, rural roads, highways,
railways, airports et al with thousands of crores to each sector. While the big
question is when and how the package would be budgeted, it sent Nitish into a
spin. He rubbished it as ‘repackaging of old projects’, and went on his spree
of inaugurating projects and laying foundation stones. This apart, he went to Delhi to participate with
Kejriwal in Bihar Samman Sammelan for the Poorvanchalis vote. Indeed, for team
JD(U)-RJD and Congress it is a do-or-die battle. With the stakes high this poll
for both contenders, the gimmickry may well bemuse the voter, wondering if only
the term of the Assembly was shorter the poll bonanzas would ensure Bihar wouldn’t have to go with a begging bowl for special
status!
* * * *
Gujarat Stir
Gujarat is in the throes of an
agitation sending the BJP government into a tizzy. The youth of Patidar
community which uses the surname of Patels are demanding OBC status and 27 per
cent reservation in government jobs and higher education. The stir which
started last month by the Patidar Ananat Andolan Samiti is growing menacingly,
notwithstanding Chief Minister Anandiben being a Patel and the Government
having about half a dozen Patel Ministers! On Monday last, a crowd of over 4.5
lakhs had gathered in Surat
and a bigger rally is planned next week in Ahmedabad. Though the Patels, around
20 per cent of the State’s population are economically and politically
influential, the youth claim that a vulnerable section has for decades suffered
due to reservation for other communities. They demand the same and their leader
Hardik Patel warns: “Patels can make and break governments.” Which of the
Patels—in Government or on the streets-- will blink first? Or will it be a
win-win situation for both? Much depends on how
the high-level committee set up to look into
the demands pans out.
* * * *
Delhi’s Power Theft
Delhi discoms’ jugglery may
well open a Pandora’s Box. The CAG’s audit report on Monday last is damning for
the three private power distribution companies, including Relaince. It states
the firms inflated their dues by nearly Rs 8000 crore to be recovered from
consumers! The audit which was ordered by the previous Government of Arvind
Kejriwal on allegations of inflated and unjustified tariffs has vindicated his
stand, and this time around it can go all out for drastic cuts in tariff ‘with
good reason’ and not as per whims and fancies. The companies are accused of manipulating
consumer figures, buying costly power, suppressing revenue and giving undue
favours to group firms—actions which make the consumer see red. While Delhi is rearing to
rectify the grave anomaly, the CAG’s report should send electric shocks across
the nation. In all probability there would be demands for similar audits in
other States. The Government agencies and private companies had better put
their house in order.
* * * *
Manipur’s
ILP Stir
The Congress-led government in
Manipur would need to think out-of-the-box. A solution to the ongoing agitation
for introduction of the Inner Line Permit system continues to elude it. Rather
it finds itself in a Catch 22 situation. The people in the Valley, the Meiteis
are insisting on its implementation to protect ‘identities of the indigenous
people’ and halt entry of the outsiders, particularly labourers, whereas those
in the hills, Nagas and Kuki are vehemently opposed to it. And, just when the
Valley was limping back to normalcy after a month-long siege by the Meiteis
following a student’s death in police firing during the protests, the hills are
on fire. The Hill Tribal Council of Moreh, Indo-Myanmar border town, opposed
the rally called by the Meitei Council on Wednesday last, which led to clashes
between the two communities. Fear is the agaitation would further widen the
rift between the Hill and Valley people. Will the 13-member committee of all
political parties, be able to reach out to the Joint Committee on Inner Line
Permit System, spearheading the agitation? An early resolution looks difficult,
locals told Insaf in Imphal. Sister
States of Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh have implemented the IPL
system, so why not here, is the big question.
* * * *
Aswachcha Bharat Mission
Prime Minister Modi’s
much hyped pet project of Swachch Bharat seems to have hit a dirty snag
notwithstanding his tall claims of building toilets in every school in the
country from the ramparts of Red Fort on Independence Day. An internal assessment by the Union Urban
Development Ministry reveals the filthy and grimy side of urban India whereby 14 States and Union
territories have yet to start construction of toilets. Nitish Kumar’s Bihar,
Mamta’s West Bengal, Gogoi’s Assam
alongwith three other North-eastern States are among others who have yet to
start building, household and community toilets. This despite the Centre having
released the first tranche of funds towards that end. Till date only 4.35 lakh
toilets have been constructed in urban areas. The less said the better of rural
India.
So much for ingraining cleanliness, personal hygiene and making India open –
defecation free by 2019.
* * * *
Think Rape, Think India
It has been over two and half years
since the brutal Nirbhaya gang rape case happened. Alas! nothing has changed in
Mera Bharat Mahan India
wherein a rape occurs every minute. Shockingly, the Union Capital has been
officially declared as the country’s ‘rape capital’ with nearly 1900 cases last
year of a total of 36700. Add to this, another 2300 cases of gang rapes across
the nation. Leading the pack is Ulta
Pulta State
with over 570 cases in 2014. More scandalously, instead of increasing vigilance
and making the safety of a woman paramount in the State, the Samajwadi supremo
Mulayam Singh pooh-poohed these brutal
statistics by asserting that rape by four persons was ‘not practical’ as only
one man could commit rape but four are named to ‘settle scores’. Earlier too,
while opposing capital punishment for rape he sparked outrage by stating “ladke, ladke
hain...galti ho jati hai (boys will be
boys...they commit mistakes).” In fact, this is the only tip of the iceberg as
many youngsters and women do not report cases for fear of social stigma and
ostracization. Indeed a sad reflection on India’s law and order alongside
underscoring that respect for women is at an abysmal low.---INFA
(Copyright,
India News and Feature Alliance)
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