Round The States

New Delhi, 20 August 2022 

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Convicts Set Free

GUJARAT’S ERROR OF REMISSION?

By Insaf

 BJP government’s action in Gujarat is outrageous, to put it mildly. The remission of life imprisonment sentences for 11 men convicted of rape and murder in the 2002 BilkisBano case has got not only women and human rights activists up in arms in Gujarat but there’s anger  across the board. Worse, insult has been added to injury, when the 11 men were garlanded and given sweets on their release on Independence Day and a BJP MLA, part of government panel which recommended remission quoted as saying some of the convicts are “Brahmins” with good “sanskaar”(values) and it’s possible they may have been fixed due to their past family activities. Bizarre and unacceptable to at least 6,000 citizens, who in a joint statement on Thursday last urged the Supreme Court to revoke the remission as it will have a ‘chilling effect’ on every rape victim who is told to ‘trust the system’, ‘seek justice’, and ‘have faith’. The action has been sharply criticised by Opposition parties. But the government’s review panel is adamant saying: “We took the decision on basis of a Supreme Court order. We were asked to look at their (convicts’) behaviour and decide (on their early release) as per the State’s 1992 remission policy.” The jailer is said to have told them “their behaviour was good in the prison...” For any right thinking person, the reasoning is warped, an error of remission. Will, as Bano asks, the harm be undone?

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J&K Voter Row

New Delhi’s surprises don’t end for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. On Wednesday last, came the latest,wherein J&K Chief Electoral Officer said the UT is likely to get around 25 lakh additional voters, including “outsiders”, as people ordinarily residing here even for work purpose can cast vote in the next Assembly polls. The inclusion of outside voters has made political parties see red. It’s a misplaced interpretation of ‘ordinarily residents’ category,says the Congress and asks: Will the J&K residents or outsiders elect their representatives?,  How and why the provision is being misused to enrol those as voters, who are otherwise not eligible?”It seems to provide an answer: it demonstrates that BJP has lost local support, so it wants outside voters to be enrolled to defeat the mandate of the people. The National Conference views the exercise as “clear-cut de-franchising” of people of the erstwhile State, saying no outsiders should be allowed to vote just because they come here temporarily.The PDP the move was the “last nail in the coffin of democracy here.” An-all party meeting has been called on August Monday for future course of action. But the centre is firm: “With the abrogation of Article 370 and applicability of RPA 1950 and 1951, any citizen of India who has attained qualifying age and ‘ordinarily residing’ at a place is eligible to get registered in the electoral roll of that place, if not disqualified otherwise.” Winds of change are indeed blowing in J&K, but the big question is whether in the right direction!

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AIADMK ‘Unity’

There’s jubilation in the O Panneerselvam AIADMK camp. On Wednesday last, the Madras High Court declared as not valid the AIADMK General Council resolutions of July 11, which had among other, done away with the dual leadership and ‘expelled’Panneerselvam and picked Edappadi K Palaniswami as the party’s interim General Secretary. Then an upset OPS had said there had never been an issue with the earlier dual leadership and the ‘joint leadership’(OPS, Coordinator and EPS joint coordinator) was brought in to steer the party in the absence of late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa. A day later, he extended an olive branch to EPS and urged “let bygones be bygones”and let’s run the party together. However, EPS has rebuffed the move blaming OPS for the party’s defeat in the 2021 Assembly elections and has challenged the  order, saying it interfered with GC meetings in contravention of a Supreme Court order. However, OPS is determined and has even reached out to ousted AIADMK leader VK Sasikala and her nephew TTV Dinakaran. The big question is whether the two will bury the hatchet and extend cooperation rather than indulge in bickering. Will the movement of 1.5 crore party workers get ‘united’?

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Hounding Delhi Govt

The Centre-Delhi row gets murkier. With Lt Governor V K Saxena recommending a CBI probe into Kejriwal’s AAP government’s Excise Policy 2021-22, the national investigation agency got cracking. On Friday last, it carried out searches at the residence of Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodiaand IAS officer AG Krishna, among 21 locations in Delhi-NCR. It has registered an FIR viz alleged violations of rules and procedural lapsesin formulation and execution of Policy out in November last. CBI officials claimed there were “deliberate and gross procedural lapses” to provide post-tender “undue benefits to liquor licensees.” Sisodia, has hit back saying the CBI was welcome and that allegations “against both of us are lies. Truth will come out in court.” The CBI’s action, he claimed was as a reaction to the “excellent work done by Delhi government in both health and education Sector.”Till now, he added, there have been “many cases against me but nothing came out. Nothing will come out in this also.” Recall,  Health Minister Satyendar Jain was earlier arrested by the ED in a money laundering case.Plus, the past few weeks have seen Kejriwal upping the ante against the Modi government over the freebies row. To what extent the Centre will go is anybody’s guess. It’s a big fight.

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Tragic Rajasthan

Making a mockery of the Indian Constitution. The death of a dalit student in Congress-led Rajasthan is yet another and recent most case of wherein abolition of untouchability sadly remains on paper. The NHRC sent notices to Gehlot government andDG of Police, on Friday last seeking a detailed report. But is that enough? The 9-year-old SC student, in class three of Sarasvati Vidyalaya, Jalore district,was beaten up by the headmaster on July 20 for allegedly touching a drinking water pot, meant for the upper castes.The boy sustained grievous injuries and died in a Ahmedabad hospital on August 13. The accused teacher was arrested, Rs 5 lakhs to be given to the family from CM Relief Fund and another Rs 20 Lakh announced by the State Congress chief. Money, they fail to realise would not bring back their son. The fact is that such incidents, which hit headlines repeatedly need to be checked. Laws are not enough. The community needs to be given confidence and it’s the ruling dispensation which has to do so. Resigning from his post, as an MLA has done and another 12 councillors, is certainly no balm. The atrocities against Dalits are on the rise. Stern action is critical against perpetrators. But playing the caste card garners votes for the kursi. Damn humanity!Top of Form

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‘Notorious’ Cabinet

Shocking, to say the least. The new JD(U)-RJD government in Bihar has a record to reckon with. According to an analysis by Association for Democratic Reforms and Bihar Election Watch, over 70% of the newly sworn-in Cabinet has declared criminal cases against themselves, including Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his Deputy Tejashwi Yadav. The duo expanded the Cabinet on Tuesday last by inducting 31 new ministers. The self-sworn affidavits reveal 23 ministers (72%) have declared criminal cases against themselves and 17 ministers (53%) have declared serious criminal cases. Of the 32 ministers, 27 (84%) are crorepatis and the average assets of 32 ministers analysed is Rs 5.82 crore. In the total assets category, the highest is of a minister with assets worth Rs. 24.45 crore and lowest declared total assets is assets worth Rs 17.66 lakh. A total of 23 ministers have declared financial liabilities, with the highest being Rs 2.35 crore. As for educational qualifications, eight ministers (25%) have declared to be between 8th and 12th standard, whereas 24 (75%) are graduates or above. Talk about money and muscle power, Bihar on this front is certainly not lagging behind. ---INFA

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