Round The States

New Delhi, 30 May 2007

Rise In J&K Infiltration

NO WITHDRAWAL OF TROOPS

By Insaf

Jammu and Kashmir is again causing concern to New Delhi, notwithstanding the ongoing peace process and the confidence-building measures. Infiltration from across the border has greatly mounted over the last two months. The Army intelligence has reported a three-fold increase in April itself, putting the number of successful infiltrations at 79, against 27 this month in 2006. This is despite reports that the Army has foiled several attempts to infiltrate almost daily at several points along the LoC. Mercifully, the rise in infiltration is not accompanied by any increase in violence. Two theories are doing the Army rounds on this trend: bigger infiltration and fewer incidents. One, the Army apprehends that this could be a precursor to a repeat of the Kargil-like situation in 1999, when the enemy sneaked in and quietly prepared for a massive attack.

Two, the infiltrators are perhaps deliberately lying low  as part of their diabolic gameplan to step up pressure on the Centre and ensure troops reduction and redeployment, as repeatedly demanded by the PDP of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. The militants would then have greater freedom to strike at a time and place of their choosing. Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has however, seen through the motives of the militants and ruled out any troops cut. Much in the future will depend upon the alertness of the State Government and the Army in tackling one crucial aspect of militancy which has not received adequate attention: dealing with self-proclaimed “innocent” people who extend vital support to the militants by harbouring them. This enables them to suddenly emerge from nowhere in Srinagar and elsewhere and indulge in murder and mayhem.

*                             *                                               *                                          *   

Increasing ULFA Blasts In Assam

Increasing insurgency in Assam is also causing great concern to the Centre and the State Government. At a time when the Congress Government, led by Tarun Gogoi, was busy celebrating its one-year in office on May 26, the underground United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) struck in a big way. Seven persons were killed and more than 30 seriously injured in a bomb blast at a crowded place in Guwahati, even as a bigger tragedy was averted at the Kokrajar railway station when the police recovered a deadly suitcase bomb. The ULFA strikes are continuing almost regularly since then, tearing a gaping hole in the Centre’s strategy to contain militancy. New Delhi has evidently failed to give clear signals to the security forces, including the Army to control the terror group which continues to operate with a degree of defiance. There have been as many as seven blasts in May alone, taking a heavy toll of life and property.

*                       *                                               *                                          *

Uttar Pradesh and its fourth time Chief Minister Mayawati continue to attract attention not only in the country’s largest populated State but nationally too. Several questions are being raised about her policies, plans and approach to democratic governance since her BSP is the first party in the State to have received absolute majority in the Assembly after a gap of 16 years. Her actions and words are being followed closely and questions asked: will she match her performance with her promises? Will she conduct herself arbitrarily as in the past or will she turn a new chapter? Happily, she has promised to put an end to what she described as “transfer udyog” (industry) in vogue under her predecessor’s Government. She has also claimed to have shed her power to look into transfers and postings, except those of the Chief Secretary and the Police Chief. But will she really do so? Remember, she has made all these welcome noises after undertaking mass transfer of more than a hundred bureaucrats within a day of her taking over as the Chief Minister!

Equally of interest is her welcome decision to strictly follow established administrative norms of honouring executive orders of the previous Government. But this comes with a rider: decisions considered “anti-people and irregular” would nevertheless be reviewed.  Mayawati has undoubtedly given the marginalized sections of the society a voice. But reviews of business decisions in public interest should not appear to be spurred by vendetta, as is suspected in regard to the cancellation of a SEZ project of Anil Ambani group at Noida in a hurry and without hearing the affected party. Since Mayawati has already decided to constitute a committee to review SEZ projects in the State, the Ambani group’s case could well have waited for the proposed committee’s consideration. This raises another basic issue: Is she going to adopt the same feudal approach she has fought against?

*                                *                                               *                                          *

Free & Fair Poll In Goa

Like in U.P. recently and earlier in Bihar, the Election Commission has taken all possible measures within its control to ensure a free and fair Assembly poll in Goa today, June 2. Strict vigil was kept throughout the campaigning in all the 40 constituencies by the Central Observers and the State’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO). For the first time in the State’s electoral history, two senior police officers were suspended in the St. Cruz constituency for their failure to obey the directions of a poll Observer and to take necessary action to prevent violation of the code of conduct. For the first time again, Goa remained sober for another reason. The State remained dry because the liquor traders and bar owners went on strike in protest against the order to enforce a 10 p.m. deadline to end all parties in the State. A series of raids were organized on bars and cases registered even against those who were found with empty bottles.

*                               *                                               *                                          *

Towards Farm Growth In States

The States have unanimously demanded more Central funds and credit for the agriculture sector. Almost all the Chief Ministers or their representatives forcefully raised the demand at the National Development Council meeting in New Delhi earlier in the week. Their requirement is based on the ground that the debt burden on farmers has gone up considerably, despite the fact that the farm credit has more than doubled in the last three years. The farmers are increasingly suffering due to erratic rains and uncertain market. Also, as Maharashtra’s Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh pointed out, farmers are facing problems because more people are working in agriculture than the sector can take care of. In Andhra Pradesh, where thousands of farmers have committed suicides in recent years, Chief Minister Rajasekhar Reddy has also demanded that the farmers should be given credit at the interest rate of three per cent, instead of the current seven per cent. .

*                                *                                               *                                          *

Gurjjar’s Violent Protest In Rajasthan

Gurjjars in Rajasthan are up in arms against the State Government’s failure to implement the ruling BJP’s pre-poll promise in 2003 to give the community the Scheduled Tribes status. They want to move from the category of OBC to the Scheduled Tribes. After failing to get their demand conceded, the community got violent on Tuesday last. At least 14 persons were killed and nearly one hundred injured in clashes and police firing in three Gurjjar-dominated districts of Dausa, Tonk and Karauli. The crowd then got restive, damaged public property and disrupted traffic on the Jaipur-Agra Highway. Sachin Pilot, the young Gurjjar leader and Congress MP from Dausa has stated that “the administration has been totally callous on the issue. It set up a high-power Committee to look into the demand one-and-a-half years ago, but the panel has not even been notified.  Our people refuse to be taken for granted any more.”

CPM Sets An Example In Kerala

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has shown how a well-organised, cadre-based political outfit should function: party first, individuals later. The leadership unprecedentedly suspended from the CPM Politburo Kerala’s Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan, an old warhorse of the party, and the State Unit Chief Punarayi Vijayan. The reason? They “violated the norms of the party” by airing in public open criticism against each other, obviously for power. It is another matter that the CPM itself was born decades ago after parting company of the parent organization, the Communist Party of India. The veteran leaders will, however, continue to “discharge all their other party responsibilities until the issue is finally decided by the party’s Central Committee, later this month. Significantly, the performances of both have been appreciated by the Politburo. ---INFA

 (Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)