Round
The States
New Delhi, 14 July 2023
WB Panchayat Polls
VIOLENCE SCARS TMC SWEEP
By Insaf
The dominance of ruling TMC over West Bengal politics
is once again vindicated in the results of the Panchayat elections. The party swept
the polls winning a majority in all three tiers with arch rivalBJP a distant
second: 2,552 out of 3,317 gram panchayats (BJP 212), 232 panchayat samitis
(BJP 7), and 12 of 20 zilla parishads. Expectedly, the polls were scarred with
45 killed in violence during the democratic exercise, having the Calcutta High
Court putting a question mark on the final results. Dealing with petitions
alleging largescale violence, electoral malpracticesand demand for repoll in
50,000 booths, the Court on Wednesday last said: the elections and declaration
of results will be subject to final orders and directed the SEC, State and
Central governments to file affidavits dealing with all allegations. The
violence has caught the concern of thinking people across the country about the
standards of our democracy. Panchayats are supposed to be embodying the
participation of citizens at grassroots in democratic decision making.
It is true that Bengal has a tradition of violence from
the halcyon days of the Communist rule that lasted over three decades. The
general impression is that the TMC supremoand Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee
has also ‘risen with the sword’ as she had to pay the Communists in their own
coin. And now the guns are trained against the BJP.The aftermath has seen the
usual pow-wow between the two parties, with the BJP accusing the TMC of
throttling democracy and its hooliganism crossing all limits. The latter hits back
saying BJP was spewing baseless accusations while conveniently ignoring the
cesspool in its own backyard. Expectedly Raj Bhavan took the first opportunity
to take a swipe at the TMC with Governor Ananda Bose saying “political parties
should realise elections are not grounds to examine physical strength…Now is
the time for introspection. Democratic elections are friendly contests that
shouldn’t generate hatred or violence”. Isn’t he asking for too much or rather
talking of an era long gone? Wake up to the new harsh reality!
* * * *
Devastating Rains
The rain God has played havoc with North India. Heavy
rains and floods have wreaked destruction in Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh,
Punjaband Uttarakhand, with death toll crossing 50.The disaster management
teams have had to work round the clock and at places the IAF has had to step in.Himachal
remains the worst-affected with majority of people dying and hundreds,
including tourists stranded, several bridges and houses washed away and roads
caving in. In Punjab and Haryana, the farmers have been the worst hit with
wheat and paddy crops damaged.The IMDhas said the situation is likely to
improve. In Delhi, the Yamuna breached the 45-year high with thousands of
people evacuated to safer locations.While authorities focuson providing relief,
more needs to be done as rain patterns over past decade have shown a distinct
change. Government, both at Centre and States must heed to the warning signals
and ensure a proactive policy against climate vagaries. Other than town
planning, the fragile geology of Himalayan States must be respected, and the
mindless excavation of hills halted, or at least expert opinion be taken.
Remember, a stitch in time saves nine.
* * * *
J&K Finally on Radar
Beginning next month, all eyes particularly in Jammu
and Kashmir will be focussed on the Supreme Court, which after a long haul of
four years will finally start daily hearing of petitions challenging the
Centre’s decision to do away with the State’s special status and dividing it
into two UTs on 5 August 2019. Importantly, the SC is not going to rely upon North
Block’s 20-page fresh affidavit of Tuesday last claiming J&K is “witnessing
unprecedented era of peace, progress and prosperity”. The court said “it has no
bearing on the constitutional challenge” to abrogation of Article 370. Moreso,
as petitions have challenged the Centre’s ‘unilateral’ move to impose curfew
and undo the federal structure by dividing J&K‘without taking consent from
people’and ‘overnight abrogating their democratic rights and freedoms
guaranteed.’The Centre has countered August 5 order has become ‘fait accompli’!
What is significant is the claims made in the Centre’s affidavit that: ‘life
has returned to normalcy in the region after over three decades of turmoil’, the
‘street violence’ engineered by terrorists/secessionist networks havingbecomea
“thing of the past”, organised stone-pelting incidents, having come down, bandhs
and hartals becoming a distant memory etc. If that is the case, then why the
wait in holding elections? Note it has been five long years since J&K has
been without people’s representatives, with Raj Bhavan yielding all the powers.
Now that the Centre has given itself a pat in the back of ‘restoring normalcy’
no further delay in holding the democratic exercise should be condoned.
* * * *
Monitoring Manipur
The situation in strife torn Manipur has come under the
Supreme Court’s gaze, asking both Centre and Biren Singh government on Tuesday
last to “make sufficient arrangements to ensure protection of lives and
property of all citizens and residents.” It is over two months now since
violence broke out in the NE State causing deaths, destruction and
displacement. With restricted access and internet shutdown, it’s hard to draw
definitive conclusions on either the breadth of violence or its origin. It’s
neither communal, although there’s certainly a religious dimension, nor was it
spontaneous, nor ethnic. It seems to be all of these. The causes of violence
could be traced to an untangled web of disputes on land, resources, ethnic animosity
and presence of religious fanatics and militants. Meities, the majority
community was averse to the growing mobility and exposure of Kukis on account
of the affirmative policies of the government. Consequently, there are clear
indications that ethnic and economic disputes were weaponised against the
constitutionally avowed principle of pluralism and the right of individuals to
free worship. At the same, the religious angle is manifested in destruction of
churches belonging both to communities. At any rate, there’s a wider perception
of inaction and inability of State government, and ‘indifference’ of Centre to
restoring peace and normalcy. With the top court ‘monitoring the situation’,
there’s hope. Urgently, however, is the need to upgrade relief camps and fast
forward compensation to victims. A small but critical step. ----INFA
(Copyright, India News & Feature Alliance)
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