Round The
States
New Delhi, 4 August 2018
Assam NRC Row
BRAZEN VOTE BANK POLITICS
By Insaf
Till yesterday not
many had heard of the National Register of Citizens (NRC). Today it has raised
a huge controversy with the Opposition up in arms in Parliament with Bangla
Chief Minister Mamata Bannerjee warning of a “bloodbath and civil war”. All
over 40 lakhs people being left out of 3.29 crore
applications who applied for recognition as Indian citizens in the
second and final draft of Assam’s NRC. Pertinently,
even as the NRC has raised political temperatures, many forget the NRC was
first prepared in Assam in 1951 following immigrants from then East
Pakistan. It was challenged in the Gauhati High Court in 1970 which ruled that
it was not admissible as evidence of citizenship.
Following the All Assam Students Union (AASU) agitation in 1985 then
Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi promised identification
and deportation of illegal immigrants under the Assam Accord.
For
over three decades the issue continued to be political fodder and finally in
2015 the Supreme Court directed the Government to update the NRC in a
time-bound manner under the Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of
National Identity Cards) Rules 2003. The process took off only in 2016 under
the BJP Government. Undeniably, the BJP
intends politically milking the issue and corner the Congress and Trinamool’s
Chief by accusing them of indulging in minority appeasement. Moreover,
Modi-Shah plan to extend the issue beyond these two
States to send out multiple messages. One, showcase the Party as tough, led by
a macho and decisive leader who is not afraid of taking difficult decisions.
Two, use it to change the political discourse from the agrarian crisis,
economy, unemployment and return to its communal agenda. More important, use it
to show the Opposition in poor light majority Vs minority appeasement for
vote-bank politics. As this stand the Supreme Court will have the last word!
OBC
Status For Marathas?
Maharashtra is in the
throes of a violent agitation gripe:
Maratha’s want a slice in the reservation pie in educational
institutions and Government jobs, primarily as they account for 33 per cent of
the population. With an eye on the polls next year and not wanting to rock the
boat, Chief Minister Fadnavis last month declared 16 per cent reservation for
them in Government jobs but for reasons best known to him reversed the order.
Livid Marathas under the banner of Maratha Kranti Morcha are now protesting for
Other Backward Classes (OBC) status, not reservation as they realize a quota is
difficult to implement if it exceeds 50 per cent and is invariably struck down
by the courts. Once accorded OBCs status they naturally come under the
reservation purview given to backward classes. Adding to Fadnavis woes not only
have the protests turned violent across the State, but ally Shiv Sena along with
Opposition’s Congress and Nationalist Congress Party are fanning the protest.
Who will have the last quota laugh, Marathas, Fadnavis or Opposition?
* * * *
Bihar’s
Shame
Bihar is under siege.
And rightly so, as Muzaffarpur must make the Nitish Kumar government hang its
head in shame. Investigation into a shelter home for girls has shocking and
distressing revelations of sexual abuse and worse the authorities turning a
blind eye. Of the 34 minors, 29 inmates were over months drugged, sexually exploited
and brutally beaten, even when the DM’s attention was drawn to the scandal in
November last year. With the Opposition both in the State and Parliament
voicing strong protest, Nitish has recommended a CBI probe, but so far not said
a word. The Supreme Court has stepped in issuing notices to the State
government and the Centre. The government’s assertion it has acted promptly
--arrested at least 10 people, including owner and prime accused Brajesh Thakur
and closed down four shelter homes, is a tragic claim. The probe must provide
answers as to why the government chose to sit over the TISS report in April
alleging sexual exploitation of the inmates; why none from the administration,
including a minister, have been made answerable; what political clout does
Thakur enjoy, etc. There can be no sheltering the guilty.
* * * *
Women
Rights Threatened
The Khasi women in
Meghalaya are desperately knocking on the government’s door. ‘Don’t allow our
rights to be taken away,’ is what they seek from the Conard Sangma government. Block
a bill passed last month by the Khasi tribes governing body, which would deny
them their tribal status and rights,
including inheritance of land if they marry a non-Khasi. Remember, Khasis,
along with two other tribes in this north-eastern State are among a few
matrilineal societies in the country, wherein children take their mother’s
name, and daughters inherit property from their mothers. The justification for
the bill, says the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council is to protect the
group’s indigenous identity by stopping mixed marriages. However, many
activists frown saying the bill is a dubious way to take away more land from
the women, as the Khasis since time immemorial have inter-married! Will the
government pay heed and stop passage of the Bill or will patriarchy pervade?
* * * *
Andhra
Job Dole
Unemployed youth
would make a beeline to Andhra if there was a choice. But unfortunately a major
scheme is only for those without jobs in the southern State. Despite a huge
fiscal deficit, the TDP government of Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday last
decided to pay Rs 1,000 unemployment allowance to its youth. While many would
call this chicken feed, the State exchequer would undertake an additional
burden of Rs 8,000 crore. But the scheme could do wonders for Naidu as the
assembly elections are due along with the Lok Sabha polls next year. The scheme
is for the unemployed, who hold degree or diploma and are aged between 22 and
35 years. The allowance money will be credited to the bank account of the
beneficiaries within 15 days after the registration, which should start as
early as this month’s third or fourth week. To top it the allowance would be
paid ‘irrespective of the number of unemployed in a family.’ So what if the
Centre hasn’t kept its word of giving the State special status, at least Naidu is
finally fulfilling a promise he made in his election manifesto—of 2014. He can justify
it with ‘better late than never’! ---INFA
(Copyright, India
News & Feature Alliance)
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