Round The States
New
Delhi, 24 October 2007
States Alerted
Again
TERROR STRIKES IN
FESTIVE SEASON ?
By
Insaf
All the States have been put on a red alert by the Centre
once again, following unprecedented terrorist violence and turmoil in Pakistan. The
Punjab Police have strongly cautioned their counterparts in Jammu and Kashmir that the militants are
reportedly planning attacks on the shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi and Jammu
Railway Station. The self-styled Commander of Lashkar-e-Taiba, Karim Ansari is
stated to have been directed to launch attacks not only on the sacred shrine
and the Jammu station but also on cinema halls
in Jammu as in the recent case of Ludhiana. Reports from
Punjab also indicate that Kashmiri terrorists in league with Punjab rebels may
trigger blasts in various towns of Punjab, including Ferozepur, Patiala, Bhatinda and
Phagwara. Punjab terrorists, backed by Pakistan, are clearly trying to
revive old links with the Kashmiri rebels.
Meanwhile, New Delhi has got
all the States to join a virtual nationwide hunt for tracing unauthorized and suspicious purchase of SIM
cards because of their crucial links with the Ajmer
and the Mecca Masjid blasts in Hyderabad.
The Harkat-ul-Jehadi-i-Islami (HUJI) is said to have zeroed in on the mobile
phone trigger mechanism to carry out such explosions in preference to using the
common alarm clock. In fact, this mechanism was used in the Mecca Masjid blasts
and now in Ajmer Sharif. What is more, the two accused in the twin blasts have
disclosed in their narco-analysis that they had helped obtain 50 to100 SIM
cards over a period of time. These SIM cards have yet to be located by the
Hyderabad Police. Hence the Centre’s plea to the States to take the disclosures
“very seriously” and somehow trace the lethal SIM cards.
* * * *
Army’s Olive Branch To ULFA
The Army has extended an olive
towards the militant ULFA in Assam if it agrees
to come to the negotiating table without preconditions. Significantly, this is
the first time that the Army itself has not set any precondition. Stated the Army Chief: “The Army is willing
to go back to the barracks.” Adding that if the Bodoland Liberation Tigers and
the National Liberation Front of Bodoland (NDFB) could come to the negotiating
table “then why not the ULFA”. At the same time, he has warned that Pakistan’s ISI
under the directions of the Muslim fundamentalists is becoming increasingly
active in the State. Reportedly the ISI had a hand in the recent bomb blasts in
Guwahati and other places in the State. No matter that the ULFA continues to
keep the police and security forces on their toes.
* * * * *
TN Reservation For Minorities
Post Ram Setu controversy, Tamil Nadu is back to the
politics of reservation. The Tamil Nadu Assembly
on Monday last passed a Bill, to
replace an ordinance, providing for 7 per cent reservation for minorities --- 3.5
per cent reservation each to backward Muslims and Christians in government jobs
and in all educational institutions in the State. The new separate quota will
be within the 30 per cent reservation already being provided to the backward
castes in Tamil Nadu, where there is a high percentage of reservation of 69 per
cent including 20 per cent for the Most Backward Class
(MBC); and 19 per cent for Scheduled Castes and Tribes. It is another matter
that a petition challenging the inclusion of the 69 per cent reservation in the
Ninth Schedule of the Constitution is still pending before the Supreme Court.
* * * * *
BJP Taking On Mayawati
The BJP is finally getting its act together in UP for taking
on Mayawati and regaining its hold on the upper caste Hindus. As a first
measure, the Saffron Sangh is preparing to lash out against the Chief Minister for
glorifying Periyar, the Southern Dalit
reformer known for his highly objectionable statements and abuse against the
Hindu Gods and hatred for Hindi. In his book Sachchi Ramayana, Periyar presents a diabolically distorted view of
the epic, including extremely offensive references to Lord Ram and Sita. This
book is not only being freely doled out by the BSP offices across the State, but Mayawati is also installing a
number of Periyar statues. To stall her bid and wean back the upper caste
Hindus, specially Brahmins, to the Party fold, the BJP is preparing to awaken
and ignite the electorate with many of Periyar’s “inflammatory” statements.
Will Lord Ram oblige the BJP once more?
* * * * *
EC Makes Modi Wary
Elections are no cakewalk but a bed of thorns, as Gujarat
Chief Minister Narendra Modi is slowly but surely finding out. What with the
Election Commission busy breathing
down his neck with a long list of dos’ and donts’. In its concerted bid to
conduct free and fair elections in the State, the EC has decided to send three
Special Observers to supervise the observance of the model code of conduct by
the political parties. Another three teams of officials are set to oversee poll
readiness in Baroda,
Surat and
Ahmedabad. Coming on the heels of the transfer of senior Police and IAS
officials by the EC, Modi is busy ensuring that he does as he is directed, lest
he earn the wrath of the EC. As matters stand, the rebellion within his flock
is already giving him sleepless
nights along with renewed carping by the TV channels about Godhra and its bloody
aftermath.
* * * * *
Dussehra in Kashmir
Kashmir once again resounded to the burst
of fireworks on Sunday last, though with a crucial difference. This time it was
the effigy of ‘God of Evil’ Ravana which went up in flames. After a gap of 19
long years, Dussehra was celebrated
with gay abandon in Srinagar.
What made the exercise most nouvelle,
memorable and important was that hundreds of Muslims joined their Kashmiri
Pandit brethren and others at the Mata Shiva Bhagwati shrine for the
traditional havan. The last havan was performed in 1988.
Pertinently, this is the tenth religious place to be reopened in the
strife-torn State. Clearly, winds of
peace and brotherhood are blowing across
the Valley. Dussehra. Remarked a Kashmir watcher: “It remains to be seen whether Dussehra and its spirit, which signifies the victory
of good over evil, will pervade all over the State.”
* * * *
Sanyas Lessons For Kerala Clergy
Winds of change are also sweeping across
the Syrian Christian clergy in Kerala. Where the Syro-Malabar Church
--- regarded as the oldest in the country --- has reportedly decided to embrace
the Hindu tradition of sanyas. This
and other cultural aspects like bhajans are
becoming a part of the new curriculum for training the Christian clergy in the
Church. Explained the Church Spokesman: “As priests have to work in the Indian
milieu, it is necessary that they
learn about India’s
strong spiritual foundations like the Gurukul system, Sanyas, and Varnashram”.
The curriculum called the ‘Charter for priestly formation in the Syro-Malabar Church’ includes an introduction to
Hinduism and lessons preparing
students for an ascetic life with the help of Sanyasis. Moreover, the priests
are said to be most impressed by
other good ideas in the Indian way of life and are busy imbibing the rich
Indian traditions. The Church calls it “Indianisation”! ---INFA
(Copyright,
India News and Feature Alliance)
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