Round The States

New Delhi, 12 July 2007

Presidential Elections

STATES BRACE UP FOR D-DAY

By Insaf

The States are busy bracing up for the controversial Presidential poll on 19 July. Hectic activity is in full swing in various Capitals from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and Maharashtra to West Bengal and the North East. The High Commands of the Congress and its coalition partners as also the BJP and its allies have directed their respective State units to ensure cent per cent presence of all its MLAs, MLCs and MPs in the State Capitals prior to the polling date. Nothing is being left to chance. Notwithstanding, the Election Commission’s decision to allow MLAs to vote at State capitals other than their own in special cases. Some parties have even requested the MPs to be present in Delhi. In fact, meetings of some of Parliament’s Standing Committees have been scheduled to coincide with the polling date to ensure the MPs presence in the Union Capital.

Meanwhile, the UPA Presidential candidate, Pratibha Patil continues to busily criss-cross the country to solicit votes. She has already toured most of the important State Capitals. Even as her rival, Vice President Bharion Singh Shekhawat ‘connects’ with his friends, cutting across party lines, via a private telephone installed at his official residence in Delhi. He is also using private stationary to write letters to MPs and MLAs. The BJP on its part, has sent an emissary to Chennai to try and cut a deal with the AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa and her friends in the newly formed United National Progressive Alliance to back Shekhawat. Recall, the UNPA, comprising 9 regional parties, has decided to maintain equi-distance from the UPA and NDA’s candidates, following President Kalam’s decision not to contest.

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Karnataka New Hub Of Jehadi Network?

Bangalore, prided as India’s IT capital and garden city, has earned the ignominous distinction of being dubbed as the new hub of Jehadi network. Following the shocking disclosures that the failed terror attack on the Glasgow Airport in Scotland, was allegedly the handy work of two Indian doctors hailing from Karnataka. Both Kafeel and Sabeel Ahmed, according to the State Police, were part of a large radical gang, operating in the State. During a raid at their residence in Bangalore, the police found three CDs containing inflammatory speeches and bomb manuals on Kafeel’s computer. A massive manhunt has been launched to find others in the terror net who were in touch with the brothers.

The Karnataka Police has begun running a fine toothcomb through several coastal and border districts on Sunday, hunting for affluent, radical young men who could provide key links in the global investigation into the failed terror attacks in the U.K. Not just Bangalore and Mysore but also towns like Gulbarga, Chintamani and Mulbagal have of late been infiltrated by militants from Kashmir. Clearly, from being a “safe hideout”, the city is now being seen as a “breeding ground” for terrorists, who have roots in the Middle-East. Needless to say, the arrest of Kafeel Ahmed, Sabeel Ahmed and Dr. Mohammed Haneef marks a change in the way intelligence agencies worldwide view Bangalore on the terror circuit.

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NEC Charts A New Path

The North East appears at long last to be set for all-round development of the sensitive and strategic region. According to the Union Government’s Vision Document, a supplement to its Look-East Policy, the North East Council (NEC) has now put in place a roadmap for growth and infrastructure development. Importantly, the NEC, according to the Meghalaya Governor, B.L. Joshi, will now play a more proactive role than work as a mere loan disbursal agency.  It is being geared up to be target-oriented having a specific timeframe for implementation of each plan. As pointed out by the Governor Joshi, lack of connectivity in the north-east had not only created a sense of isolation among the people but also added to the transportation cost, making trade and investment uncompetitive in the region. If Joshi has his way, all this should become past history.

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Gujarat Pre-poll Games

Gujarat is in the throes of pre-poll games. With five months left before the Assembly elections, the arch rivals in the State, the Congress and the BJP are trying to get the better of the other. Taking a lead, the Congress has started its poll preparations in full swing. Its state unit has started distributing application forms among the State’s tribals, exhorting them to claim their right on forest land (over land, minor forest produce, etc) as provided under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006. In the hope that this will enable the Congress to expand its reach among the tribals, who have a sizeable strength in the State. The Congress’s optimism stems from the fact that the draft rules to implement the Act, are to be finalized and enforced shortly by the Centre.  Meanwhile, Sonia Gandhi has started touring the State.

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Terror Continues In Chhattisgarh

Chhattisgarh continues to be in the grip of Maoists terror. Carrying out another big strike in the State, the extremists killed over 23 security personnel and critically injured another 12 in the forest near Errabore in Dantewada district on Wednesday last. This comes on the heels of last week’s hacking of two farmers in the insurgency-affected Bijapur district. Their fault? Defying the extremists diktat instructing tribal villagers to desist from farming in the Bastar area to avoid exploitation of the State’s natural resources by the Government. Moreover, the Maoists also imposed a two-day economic blockade to reiterate their seriousness. Notwithstanding, a major breakthrough by the Chhattisgarh Police in nabbing three top Naxals leaders.

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Haryana-Punjab Water War Intensify

Punjab and Haryana, which share a long love-hate relationship over the sharing of river waters, are once again in a confrontation mode.  The water war between the two States seems all set to intensify with the Prakash Singh Badal Government deciding to move the Supreme Court on the construction of the Rs. 260-crore Hansi-Bhutana Branch Multipurpose Canal by Haryana. On the ground that it would result in displacement of over one lakh people in 70 villages due to flooding and over 29,000 acres of fertile land would be submerged. It would also lead to a disruption of the existing canal irrigation system in Punjab as the new canal would draw water from the Beas to irrigate farmlands in Bhiwani and Mahendragarh districts of Haryana.

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Maharashtra Village Seeks SEZ Status

Amidst the raging controversy over the setting up of the Special Economic Zones, a Maharashtra village, Avasari Khurd, has charted a new inspiring story. Around 1500 farmers from the village on Thursday passed a unanimous resolution seeking Special Economic Zone status for their village which is located about 20 kilometers from the proposed international airport at Rajgurunagar. They have also sought necessary permission and recommendations from the State and the Central Governments. No matter that farmers across various States, specially Haryana and Punjab, have revolted against the SEZs.

 (Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)