|
Round The States
New Delhi, 24 September 2015
Centre-States On
Notice
Stop
Criminal-Neta Nexus
By Insaf
The days of criminal politicos roaming free may well be
numbered as the Supreme Court grapples with two key questions: Why offenders
enjoy political patronage and two, how to stop these elements from dictating
terms? Towards that end, it has sought replies from both the Central and State
Governments. The matter came to a head with the Uttar Pradesh Government
appealing against an Allahabad High Court order constituting a committee of eminent
people to check criminalisation of politics and find answers why politics seems
to have become a more attractive and lucrative proposition than crime.
Secondly, the reason for the spate in criminal numbers, how to check the law
breakers entry and measures to expedite investigation and trials of offenders enjoying
political patronage and protection.
Recall, the Apex court has been seized of this burning issue
for over 14 years. In a landmark judgment in 2002, it made it mandatory for
candidates to declare their criminal antecedents. Last year too, the court
underscored that the Constitution demanded the Prime Minister and Chief
Ministers desist from selecting persons who had a history of crime in their
Council of Ministers. Undoubtedly, it is an open secret that the bane of
politics is the high expenditure incurred in fighting elections which forces
leaders to take the help of muscle man and convicts to garner black money etc
to ensure their victory. It remains to be seen if our leaders will bite the
bullet!
* * * *
Education, Criteria
For Polls
Besides this vexatious issue, the court is also busy
deciding the validity of the Haryana Government’s decision mandating minimum
educational qualifications for fighting the Panchayat elections. Till it
decides, the Apex court has postponed the poll. Under the new proviso males
contesting needed to be tenth class and women class eight pass to qualify. The
State has already refused to buckle under pressure, notwithstanding the
contention of the petitioners that over 83 per cent rural women above 20 years
and 67 per cent in urban areas would be disqualified from the polls if the Court
upheld the State’s order. That the matter is sensitive is obvious, as it casts
serious doubts over the Constitutional validity of such a provision. Will
education become a poll leveler?
‘Murdering’ Women
Power
What is with Maharashtra
which tops the list of women held for murder? Apparently, Indrani Mukkherjee,
the high profile ex-media tycoon recently accused for murdering her daughter Sheena in Mumabi is not an
isolated case. But as statistics reveal over 579 women have been arrested for
murder in the State last year alone. This is not all. More shocking, according
to the National Crime Record Bureau, Maharashtra also tops all States and Union territories wherein the fairer sex has been
embroiled for other types of offences. From murder, attempt to murder, culpable
homicide, rape, kidnapping, rash driving or road rage et al you name it the female gender stands guilty. Ulta Pulta UP is next with 472 murders
involving women followed by Karnataka 330, West Bengal
317 and Madhya Pradesh 316. From Femme
fatale to killers, what next?
* * * *
Car Free Day In
Gurgaon
Call it a future trend but Gurgaon has shown the way of transportation
tomorrow. In a path breaking out-of-the-box move, the NCR district has put the
brakes on cars every Tuesday. The novelle
experiment took off Tuesday which stood testimony to ten thousand fewer private
vehicles on roads. Adding to city denizens joy, a happy fallout was the
reduction in the air pollution levels by 21 per cent! An enthusiastic public
either cycled, took public transport or walked to their places of work or for leisure.
The city police alongside various multi-national companies, corporate houses,
schools and RWAs ditched their personal vehicles to ensure the success of this
programme. Seeing the fervor and success, Delhi
too has announced a car free day from next month and earmarked Dushera for the
flag-off. How well this will accelerate in the future only time will tell.
* * * *
Family Rules Roost In
Bihar
It is raining sons, daughters, bahus and damads in
poll-bound Bihar. The first of the mark
obviously is RJD’s Lalu, who has rewarded his two laadlas (sons) with Assembly tickets. Ditto is the case with his
senior colleagues Prabhunath Singh and Taslimuddin who too have ensured a berth
for their progenies. The RJD Chief has
also bestowed favours on other MLAs’ brothers, wives, sisters etc. Not to be
left behind, the BJP has followed suit by distributing tickets to sons of
senior leaders while the LJP’s Ramvilas Paswan has fielded his brother and
nephew. But it is not a happy family scene all the way. Paswan’s and HAM’s
Manjhi’s sons-in-law are upset for having been denied tickets and are
threatening to join their Sasur ji’s rivals. Family reins supreme in the State.
* * * *
No Ban On Right
Wing Organisation
The Goa Chief Minister Parsekar has thrown a life line to
the right wing Sanatan Sanstha by refusing to ban it in the State. Pertinently,
the organisation is under the police scanner for the murder of CPI leader
Pansare. The reason cited for letting the organisation off the hook is that it promotes
dharma and culture. Additionally, the State has passed the buck to neighbour Maharashtra as the incident took place there and it was
for its Administration to conduct an enquiry. Adding to controversy Parsekar’s
colleague, PWD Minister asserted that not only did the BJP-MGP Government regularly
advertise in the Sanstha’s magazine but also his wife has been associated with
it to promote customs and religion. Clearly, the last word is still to be said.---INFA
(Copyright,
India News and Feature Alliance)
|
Archives 
