Round The States

New Delhi, 15 November 2007

Nandigram Festering Violence

CPM Reveals Stalinist Streak

By Insaf

West Bengal’s showcase of liberalization with its SEZ, started ten months ago in Nandigram, today resembles a war-ravaged graveyard. It has become a tussle for might and power between the ruling CPM, Congress, Mamata’s Trinamool and the Bhumi Uchched Pratirodh Samiti. With one and all, accusing the other of inciting violence. While Mamata, who resigned her Lok Sabha seat in protest, denounced the Stalinist streak of the CPM cadres “capturing” and preventing the CRPF from entering the area, the Left parties accused the State’ s stormy petrel of taking the help of the armed Maoists squads to create lawlessness. For the Congress licking its nuclear deal wounds, Nandigram spells sweet revenge for having put the red brigade in the dock. Not to be left behind, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, L.K. Advani, has demanded President’s rule or imposition of Article 355 in the State. 

Significantly, Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi, grandson of the Mahatma, showed uncommon courage to publicly indict the State Government for the “unlawful and unacceptable” manner in which the CPM cadres had laid siege and recaptured the villages, turning the district into a “war zone”. He also called upon CPM patriarch Jyoti Basu to help restore peace, confidence and security in the State. Even as the CPM supremo Prakash Karat defends his cadres for their action and justifies “recapture” of the area, the farmers have vowed afresh to drive out the CPM “mercenaries”. No matter that a besieged Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has asked the police to apologize for assaulting intellectuals and artisans led by Medha Patkar and Aparna Sen. At another level, the continuing strife in Nandigram has caused the first crack in the Left Front. The CPM’s partners --- RSP, Forward Block and CPI --- have expressed their unhappiness over their ally’s version of “restoration of peace”, aptly described by I&B Minister P.R. Dasmunshi as “politics of annihilation and revenge”.

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Relief On Rural Debt

The States have much to smile over the Centre’s decision to urgently rework the Rs.17,000 crore relief package on rural debt. This follows the findings of the Radhakrishna Committee on rural indebtedness which has criticized tardy implementation of the Prime Minister’s package for 31 farmer suicide-hit districts in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Kerala. Towards that end, the Economic Advisory Council of the Prime Minister is scheduled to meet shortly to take up specific tangible action points for implementation and finalize a coordinated approach. It would also look into the setting up of the agriculture development fund to finance special agricultural development programmes in 100 agriculturally-distressed districts based on the Radhakrishna report. Also, on the anvil is the creation of a Rs.100 crore fund as a one time measure of providing long-term bank loans to farmers to enable them to repay their debts. All are keeping their fingers crossed in the hope that this will put an end to the agony of the farmers.

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Naga Peace Talks Log Jammed

Nagaland peace talks continue to surprise the nationalists across India and tire out their patience. Aimed at ending the decades-long insurgency in the Naga Hills, the dragging talks with the NSCN-IM General Secretary Thuingaleng Muivah do not seem to be making much headway. The Naga rebels are now talking in terms of a “federal” relationship between the federation of Nagaland and India. Rejecting New Delhi’s formula under Article 371-A of giving a special status to Nagaland, Muivah has asserted in an interview to a national daily that his outfit is looking at the Indian Constitution in the area of defence and external affairs to see what parts could be acceptable to them. Muivah’s latest thoughts are disturbing against the backdrop of one major development in the State which has not received the attention it deserves. The NSCN-IM is in de facto power in Nagaland today. As a former CM told Insaf, the rebels are in total control over all matters --- political, economic and financial!

No Third Party In Gujarat Polls

Gujarat never stops surprising. Incredibly enough, the State is poised to emerge as a classic example of a bi-polar polity. Unlike all the other States, it has only two parties in the overall sense of the term. In fact, the polorisation in the society is so complete that the State’s electoral landscape comprises only the Congress and the BJP. The 2002 Assembly elections bear this out. The BJP polled 49.85 per cent of the votes, with 127 seats and the Congress 39.28 per cent of the total votes cast, which gave it a tally of 51 seats in the 182-member assembly. Significantly, there are hardly any “others”. The JD (U) won two seats and the Independents two despite 344 in the poll fray. The other parties including the NCP, Samajwadi Party, BSP, CPM & CPI all drew a blank. Proving beyond doubt that there is little space for a third party.

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UP Congress Breath Of Fresh Air

The Congress in Uttar Pradesh is all set for a make over if its newly appointed General Secretary Rahul Gandhi has his way. For the first time, an AICC leader has acknowledged that the party is in shambles in India’s most populous State which accounts for 80 Lok Sabha seats and where it ruled the roost for over two decades. Moreover, the Gandhi scion, while rejecting both the Samajwadi and the BSP as rivals, stated that the challenge lay within the State party machinery. Shockingly, even the record keeping and membership drive was in total disarray. He voiced serious concern over the inability of the grand dame of Indian politics not only to attract the youth to its fold but also its failure to “connect and represent” the aam aadmi and the poor. It remains to be seen whether this candid breath of fresh air can provide the much-needed aphrodisiac to the comatose UP Congress unit.

Bihar Amidst ‘Development’ War

Bihar is in the throes of a political war on development. What with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his bete noir Union Railway Minister Laloo Yadav firing salvoes at each other to underscore their commitment to progress in the State. While the RJD supremo has accused the State of not providing land for a host of Railway projects, the Chief Minister has countered it by asserting that the State would have to review its commitment for land and water for the proposed mega thermal power plant at Nabinagar in Aurangabad district, a joint venture between the NTPC and the Railways, unless Bihar got at least 10 per cent of the power produced by the plant. Worse, the State Government has red signalled the Railways pet Laloo-Rabri rail link connecting the Railway Minister’s native village with that of his wife. The war continues.

Gandhigiri Gets Divine Touch

Gandhigiri has been given a “divine touch” in a village in Tamil Nadu. Senthapalayam village, close to the infamous Veerappan territory, is perhaps the only village in India that has a temple of the Mahatma. For the last 11 years, the villagers have been praying at this temple where the main ‘deity’ is the two-foot tall idol of Gandhiji and in another enclosure that of his spouse Kasturba. The Mahatma may not have approved of this. Yet, there is no protest from the devout when the local Poossari (priest) performs the sudhangam pooja in which you can hear the name Gandhi instead of a God. Importantly, on Gandhi Jayanti and the Mahatma’s death anniversary special abhishekhams are performed with holy water and even milk. Gandhiji’s angavastramas and towels are changed every day. Gandhigiri indeed! --- INFA

 (Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)