Round The States

New Delhi, 16 October 2016

Religious Festivity

POLITICS TAKES OVER

By Insaf

Nasty political overtone to religious festivity is the flavour of the season. In some States, outright anger against the evil neighbour Pakistan was seen with Nawaz Sharif and Hafeez Saeed’s face superimposed on Ravana’s effigies on Dussehra. Understandable alright. However, in Delhi, NSUI students affiliated to the Congress chose to burn effigies of Prime Minister Modi and BJP President Amit Shah, in the now famous JNU campus. In BJP-ruled Jharkhand, a poster in a prominent area in capital Ranchi, depicting Goddess Durga slaying three demons—Congress’ Rahul Gandhi and Sanjay Nirupam and Delhi’s Chief Minister Kejriwal, got the opposition seething with anger. In Uttar Pradesh, a number of districts including Pilibhit, Rae Bareli and Amethi were simmering with communal tension after members of two different communities clashed during Muharram procession and Durga idol immersion. While police arrested two dozen odd people, the local BJP and VHP leaders are up in arms alleging the action by the police was one-sided and action was being taken against the Hindus only. Add to this BSP supremo Mayawati’s pot shot at Modi’s Lucknow visit to celebrate Dussehra. It’s ‘politically motivated’ and the event should have been toned down in the backdrop of the soldiers who lost their lives in Uri. Mix of religion and politics is indeed getting toxic, marring the festive spirit. Guess, there will be more fireworks this Diwali.

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Kashmir Paradox

The militant attack in Pampore, begs special attention in paralysed Kashmir Valley. While security forces were able to clear the Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI) building on Wednesday last, after killing the two militants, the question is why was there a replay within a span of just nine months? Recall in February, three security personnel, including two captains, and three militants were killed in a similar encounter, same building, 16 km from Srinagar. The Army says this encounter took three days as it didn’t want collateral damage and it took time to clear every of the “60 rooms”. This raises a bigger question: what is the future of this enormous building? Has it promoted enterprise among the youth, and how many projects so far? It is clear that big money was spent on it, is it serving any purpose? Answers would reflect on the bigger issue of development in the troubled Valley. Funds are being doled out to the State, economic packages are announced, future of the youth is said to be a key factor et al. What result? Do we blame Pakistan now for lopsided planning?  

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TN Suspense Lingers

Tamil Nadu’s Finance Minister O Panneerselvam having been asked to take over ailing Jayalalitha’s portfolios and high profile visits of BJP and Congress leaders to the hospital, has heightened the nagging suspense over the Chief Minister’s health. It made DMK supremo Karunanidhi question with ‘surprise’ over Governor Rao allocating the portfolios “as per her advice” and whether she had actually signed the file. While legal arrangements now seem in place for administrative functioning, for how long is anybody’s guess. Recall, 30-odd years ago, when Jayalalitha’s mentor and Chief Minister MGR had been flown to the US after suffering a stroke, his portfolios were given to two Cabinet senior Ministers. He was able to resume work only after six months; Jayalalitha is hospitalised for three weeks now and is expected to stay longer. Paneerselvam, say observers may only be able to hold on for a short term and that power politics is bound to raise its head. Does this explain the Delhi visits?   

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Political Warfare In Kerala  

The BJP’s bid to expand its presence in Marxist stronghold, Kerala is ‘bloody’ tough. The party called for a Statewide bandh on Thursday last to protest the latest killing of its young worker by a group of CPM cardes, in Chief Minister Pinarayi’s village. The party has demanded a CBI probe. The murder is said to be in retaliation for the killing of a CPM worker some days ago. Barring stray incidents, no major violence was reported from the State, suggesting it’s not easy to make a dent in the Marxist bastion. However, clashes between Marxists-RSS are growing and Kannur district has witnessed seven political murders this year alone. Worse, the blame game is never ending. While CPM seeks to give a communal touch saying its supporters are attacked because they continue to protect Muslims, the BJP counters alleging the killings are sponsored by Marxist cadres with active patronage of the CM. The helpless police wish for political will to quell violence in God’s own country. Will there be a miracle? 

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Uttarakhand Dalit Tragedy

It is now the turn of Uttarakhand to shame modern India. A Dalit was killed by an upper-caste government school teacher in Bheta-Karadiya village, Bageshwar district, for allegedly rendering a flour mill “impure”. With protests erupting in the district and Dehradun, the Congress government went into damage control. The incident happened when the dalit refused to allow the teacher to break the queue in the mill to buy the flour. Enraged the teacher abused him and his caste, and slit the dalit’s throat with a sickle. While the teacher has been arrested and charged under relevant sections of the SC & ST ribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, Chief Minister Rawat visited the Dalit’s home. He gave cheques worth Rs 10.65 lakhs from Centre and State to the family, promised a job to his wife and shall open a small anganwadi centre in the village. According to reports, there is a clear divide in the village: 17 SC families live in Bheta, while 20 Brahmin and Thakur families live in Karedia. While physically the two are divided by a small stream, the SC families have had to face the Brahmins ire and rebuke and their children discriminated in the school. 

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Credit Goes to Bihar!

Does Bihar have anything to do with the RSS changing its attire? If one goes by what its maverick leader Lalu Prasad says then yes and the credit must go to wife Rabri Devi! Absurd as it may sound, that is what he tweeted: “We forced RSS to wear trouser. Rabri Devi had rightly said that they [RSS men] do not have wisdom. Elderly cadres roam freely wearing half pant without shame.” On Dussehra, which is also the RSS foundation day, its cadres did away with their trademark attire, the khaki shorts and donned dark brown trousers instead. Not only during a ceremony in Nagpur, but in other State headquarters. Many see this alteration, after nine decades, as heralding a generational change in the outfit. What other rebranding takes place, time will tell. But Lalu has his plans: “Right now we have forced them to wear trouser from short. Likewise we will get their mind also become full...not only trouser but their thinking also needs a transformation...we will force them to shun weapon and would not allow them to spread venom.” Hilarious, to say the least. –INFA

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