Round The States
New Delhi, 17 October 2020
‘Secular’ Row
maha Impropriety
By Insaf
The word ‘secular’ has led to a storm in
Maharashtra. New Delhi is being asked to sack Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari,
as he has ‘undermined the dignity of the high constitutional office. Chief
Minister Uddhav Thackeray took grave umbrage to Raj Bhavan writing to him officially early this week inquiring
about immediate reopening of places of worship and asking whether he was ‘receiving
any divine premonition to keep postponing the reopening of the places of
worship time and again or have you suddenly turned ‘secular’... Uddhav replied
tersely: “Do you mean that opening up religious places is Hindutva, and not
opening them means being secular? Secularism is a crucial base of the oath you
took as Governor. Do you not believe it?” Hard hitting indeed! Deserving can we
say, as its quite obvious, Koshyari was following a political agenda given that
the BJP has been holding protests seeking opening of places of worship. But the
government is not yielding till SOPs are in place.
The SS, Congress, NCP and CPM, CPI among
others have jumped on the opportunity provided by the Raj Bhavan. They have minced
no words, warned him such as : once you take Governor’s oath, you are no longer
a member of the party... you must abide by the Constitution and by mocking ‘secularism’,
one of Constitution’s fundamental principles, you have committed constitutional
proprietary...etc. Sounds familiar? Recall the Governor had installed the
BJP-led government last year in the wee hours of the morning, which couldn’t
survive and was accused of being “Governor of BJP”. But it wasn’t happening the
first time in this regime, there are other cases, remember Manipur, Goa etc.
However, let’s not forget that the days of the Congress government were no
different. “Pliant Governors” were alleged to be very much around then too. Therefore,
be it the UPA or the NDA regime, sadly Raj Bhavans have and are increasingly
getting embroiled in controversies. And we can’t and shouldn’t say— so be it!
* * * *
Action
In J&K
Freedom at last spurs activity in J&K.
Just 48 hours before the next hearing in Supreme Court where PDP leader
Mehbooba Mufti’s 14-month-long detention was being challenged, the J&K
government blinked and released her on Tuesday last. Within next 48 hours, of
her, last mainstream political leader, to be set free, the Valley leaders chose
not to waste any more time. They, ‘signatories of the Gupkar Declaration’
promptly held their first meeting on Thursday last, and set up a new alliance
to battle for restoration of J&K’s constitutional status since August 5
last year. The ‘People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration’, includes the NC,
PDP, CPM, PC, JKPM and ANC among others and favours initiation of dialogue
between all stakeholders for resolution of J&K issue. In fact, NC leaders
Farooq Adbullah and son Omar had called on Mehbooba to cement her support. So
far they are on the same page, as she had on return set the tone in her audio
message to the people “...we will have to take back what New Delhi snatched
from us illegally, undemocratically and unconstitutionally...we will have to
continue our struggle for resolution of Kashmir issue...” It’s obvious the two
arch rivals realise their political survival is at stake. They need to ensure
the Alliance works. The catch word being ‘stay united’, which administration
knows is the weak spot. With no power goals in sight, can the leaders change
things for the better? Time will tell.
* * * *
Kerala
Political Switch
The grand old party suffers a setback in
God’s own country. A faction of Kerala Congress (M) led by Rajya Sabha Member
Jose K Mani quit the Congress-led United Democratic Front and switched to ruling CPM-led Left
Democratic Front. The timing doesn’t bore well either, just before the polls --local
civic body this year and Assembly in 2021. While an elated Chief Minister
Vijayan saw the move as the fall of the UDF, Opposition Congress felt betrayed but
claimed it will make no difference. While only time will tell whose right, the
switchover appears to be a fallout of ‘power struggle’ within the Kerala
Congress (M) itself. Jose felt senior party leader and MLA Joseph and the UDF
had betrayed him by getting his nominee for Pala bypoll constituency, held by
his father late KM Mani for five decades, defeated. He was unwilling to take
any more ‘insults from Congress’ quarters and its attempts to ‘politically
annihilate the Kerala Congress (M)”. Haven’t we heard something similar before?
Same story elsewhere too, when will Congress learn?
* * * *
Goan
Tourism Vision
No more haphazard tourism, says the Goa
government. On Wednesday last, it approved much-awaited Tourism Policy 2020, envisioning
to becoming the “most preferred destination around the year for high-spending
tourists” in 2024. It’s a 25-year long-term plan, with a new Tourism Board ‘to
be backbone for all decisions’-- planning, development and marketing; strengthen
tourism assets, expand job opportunities and tourism infrastructure ‘from the
footfall heavy beach belts to eco-tourism initiatives in the hinterland.’ This so
after realising that 89% of all tourist arrivals, largely domestic, are spread
between October-December, “putting immense stress on Goa’s ecology,
infrastructure and tourism assets”. The plan is to do away with past models
where many government bodies took independent decisions “without any holistic,
long term vision”, and even misused tourism budgets reportedly towards
beautifying constituencies! The big question is whether it will meet infrastructure
creation timelines, involve private participation and go beyond coastal belts? It’s
not enough to have a vision, action and not words should speak.
* * * *
Rain
God Fury
The rain god’s fury in Telangana, Andhra
Pradesh and western parts of Maharashtra across Solapur, Sangli and Pune is
witnessed by way of torrential rains and flash floods. Worse, capital city of
the southern States, Hyderabad goes through what is pretty familiar such times across
the country— knee jerk reaction. The flash floods reported in 125 plus areas in
and around Hyderabad, led to several parts plunging into darkness, eater
flowing into homes, flooding of low-lying areas, severe damages of wall
collapses and deaths, forcing the administration to declare a two-day holiday
for government offices and private institutions. Reportedly, most areas
submerged in the city’s south zone are said to be Muslim-dominated localities,
where homes have come up on water bodies or nullahs
(drains) that were filled up and encroached upon. With streets becoming rivers,
entire housing societies went under 10-15 ft of rainwater. And, as known disaster
management teams come into play, relief camps spring up, Chief Ministers demand
immediate funds from Centre for relief work, et al. Will we ever learn? ----INFA
(Copyright, India
News & Feature Alliance)
|