Round The States

New Delhi, 6 November 2007

Chinese Claims On Arunachal

NEW DELHI NEEDS TO ACT FAST

By Insaf

Sadly, India’s sensitive and strategic North-East is still not receiving due attention of the Central Government.  More so, against the backdrop of China’s repeated incursions and loud declarations that Arunachal Pradesh is its territory. Bringing things to such a pass that the people of this vital frontier region are worried over New Delhi’s poor response. In fact, Arunachal’s Chief Minister, Dorjee Khandu has now publicly demanded that the Government of India should firmly make it clear to Beijing that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India and that it should stop making territorial claims on it. This, he added, was necessary “to dispel all doubts and apprehensions in the minds of the Arunachalis.” Recall, only last week, the Congress MP from the State, Nabam Rebia, created a stir in the Rajya Sabha when he disclosed that the Chinese army had demolished last month a Buddha statue in the picturesque Tawang district, bordering China’s Tibet region. Notwithstanding, New Delhi’s denial.

Clearly, New Delhi can no longer wish the Arunachal problem away. Specially, as the Chinese have entrenched themselves firmly across the Sino-Indian border by building a vast network of roads, townships and various facilities. Making the Union Defence Minister A.K. Antony, on a visit to Sikkim, Nathula Pass and the Sino-Indian border to openly confess that all-round development in the region by Beijing was an “eye opener”. Needless to say, India would have to work doubly hard to dramatically improve its road network in the border areas if it has to keep pace with its neighbour’s “superior” infrastructure. However, it is to Antony’s credit that he is the first Defence Minister to visit the Line of Actual Control (LAC) since trade through the Nathu La Pass resumed in July last year, after 44 years. There is no gainsaying that New Delhi has to get its act together --- and fast if it is to keep enjoying the confidence of the Arunachalis, who generally speak Hindi and feel one with the rest of India.  

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Nandigram: People Still Scared

Fear continues to stalk Nandigram. The deep scars left by the barbaric police firing on March 14 last and all the mayhem that followed will take a long time to heal. This was the sum and substance of the impression gathered by the West Bengal Governor, Gopal Krishna Gandhi, from his welcome visit to the strife-torn district since a modicum of peace has been restored there. It is now for the local administration to erase the scare among the people and ensure a fearless environment. Importantly, the Governor did not spare the Left cadres and told them candidly that “fear has no colour…but it is harmful”. He wants those responsible for the violence to be shown the door. The Governor’s visit was all the more significant against the backdrop of his severe indictment of the State’s CPM Government’s “recapture” of Nandigram as “unlawful and unacceptable”. Happily, he visited both sides of the divide. This has helped to put at rest earlier talk of a rift between him and the Left Government.

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Bhajan Lal Floats New Party

Old Congress warhorse and former Haryana Chief Minister Bhajan Lal has parted ways with the Congress to form his own party, Haryana Janhit Congress. The split, however, was no surprise. The Haryana strongman has been hurting for over three years for having been denied Chief Ministership of the State following the Congress victory in the Assembly polls. Moreover, his younger son Kuldeep, an MP from the family stronghold of Bhiwani, was suspended from the Congress by its High Command a few months ago for raising the ante against Chief Minister Bhupinder Hooda. No matter, that Bhajan Lal’s elder son Chander Mohan remains firmly ensconced as Deputy Chief Minister. However, Hooda is not unduly perturbed. In a chat with Insaf, he asserted that the rally was around only 70,000  strong and not in lakhs, as claimed. It comprised mainly of Bhajan Lal’s Bishnoi community, brought across from neighbouring Rajasthan.

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Karunakaran-Son Split In Kerala

Down South, in Kerala too another former old Congress warhorse K Karunakaran fell out with his son Muraleedharan last week. The raison de atre? The father’s plans to return to the Congress after having formed his own regional Party, DIC (K) three years ago. Calling it an “act of betrayal,” a livid Muraleedharan lambasted Karunakaran publicly for “ditching” his “supporters in the mid-sea”. Thus, signaling a parting of ways. Recall, the veteran Congressman had floated his regional outfit after cutting the umblical cord with the Congress. Only to merge his Party with Sharad Pawar’s National Congress Party (NCP) recently. Karunakaran’s reaction is still awaited to Muraleedharan’s assertion that he would not be a part of his father’s “political games” and would remain firmly with the NCP.” Interestingly, Muraleedharan confirmed that Karunakaran had not been invited by anyone to join the Congress, adding: “I have no faith in the central leadership of the Congress, that ditched those who stood loyally by it.”

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Gujarat Campaign Gets Bitter

Poll campaigning in Gujarat is getting vitiated by the day with both the Congress and the BJP indulging in a vicious no-holds-barred slanging match against each other. The ball was set rolling by Congress President Sonia Gandhi at her huge public rally of tribals at Jasdan, Rajkot wherein she denounced the BJP Chief Minister Narender Modi as a maut ke saudagar and promised to "throw the cheats and liars out of Gujarat." Only to earn bitter expletives from Modi, who retaliated sharply, asserting: “Italian mud will not stick on me. It is they who are hand in glove' with maut ke saudagar and the terrorists. Why is the Congress Government trying to save Afzal Guru, who masterminded the attack on Parliament in 2001”. But there is no answer. Only deafening silence. Nevertheless, the Congress seems to have improved its prospects in the past week and more. Even senior BJP MPs are now putting the odds at fifty-fifty!

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Empty Coffers & Promises

Prakash Singh Badal’s Government in Punjab has run into a major insurmountable hurdle. It came to power on a slew of populist promises. But its grandiose plans have been hit hard by the “near-empty coffers” inherited by the Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP Government. It bemoans that it does not have enough funds to even pay salaries, let alone  carry out much-needed development work. (The Government owes over Rs.2,700 crores to the Punjab Electricity Board alone). Expectedly, the Congress leadership has denied the charge. Former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh asserts that while he had inherited empty coffers he had ensured that his successor does not face the same problem. No one yet knows the truth about the rival claims. One thing alone is clear. The aam aadmi will not get all the exciting goodies he was solemnly promised!

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Gogoi Bashes Budha

Assam and its Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi, have every reason to be livid with West Bengal and its Chief Minister, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee --- and even to go for him. The reason? Buddhadeb’s tongue-in-check statement last week that “he would not allow an Assam-like situation to prevail in West Bengal.’ Appropriately, Gogoi called a Press conference and justifiably asserted that there was no comparison at all between what happened at Nandigram for months together and the incident last week at Dispur in Guwahati (involving the adivasis) that was brought under control within a few hours.” The CPI(M’s) conduct in Nandigram, he added, was in utter disregard of democracy and all it stood for. Even the media was barred from entering Nandigram. In sharp contrast, Assam did not hide anything about the incident. In fact, it is eager to get at the whole truth through a CBI probe. ---INFA

 (Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)