Home arrow Archives arrow Round the States arrow Round the States 2006 arrow Terror in New Year:ALL STATES ON HIGH ALERT, by Insaf,4 January 2006
 
Home
News and Features
INFA Digest
Parliament Spotlight
Dossiers
Publications
Journalism Awards
Archives
RSS
 
 
 
 
 
 
Terror in New Year:ALL STATES ON HIGH ALERT, by Insaf,4 January 2006 Print E-mail

ROUND THE STATES

New Delhi, 4 January 2006

Terror in New Year

ALL STATES ON HIGH ALERT

By Insaf

All the State capitals stepped into the New Year on a high alert sounded by the Union Government following reports of increasing terrorist plots across the country.  After the militant strike at a conference of scientists in the Indian Institute of Sciences at Bangalore on December 28, the Centre advised the State Governments to raise their security umbrella, especially over places of higher learning, heritage sites and prominent buildings.  The Bangalore attack in which a former IIT Professor was killed and four others injured, could have turned into a major disaster, but for the failure of the defective grenades used by terrorists.  As many as four grenades thrown at the assembly did not explode, forcing the attackers to flee from the scene.

The Centre’s timely warning to the States has saved many a Bangalore-like situation, as the events in the subsequent days have proved. The Police foiled a plan by a Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed to trigger Delhi-like serial blasts in Hyderabad on the eve of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to the city to inaugurate the Indian Science Congress that began on January 3.  A red alert was also sounded in Kerala, following the recovery of powerful explosives from a bus stand in Kozhikode on Monday last. Investigations following these incidents within a week prove that terrorists have big targets in mind: high-tech cities and police headquarters across the country.

With major Pakistan-backed terrorist groups like Lashkar-e-Toiba, Hizbul Mujahideen and Jaish-e-Mohammed joining hands with the Naxalites and other local militant organizations, the security situation has worsened. They have reportedly worked out a well-planned agenda to cover the entire country.  The intelligence agencies have also found that “sleeper cells” of pro-al Qaeda jehadi groups with bases in Pakistan and Bangladesh are operating in south India.  Bangalore-based General Officer Commanding of the Army Area, Maj-Gen. Shivashankar has expressed concern over “the free movement of Naxals to Bangalore from Jharkhand, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh” and advised additional security for Bangalore where several national level conferences are scheduled during the next few weeks.

*                                     *                                               *                                   *

Left “Poll Machine” Gets Set

Political activity is picking up in the five States where Assembly polls are scheduled this year: West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry and Kerala. The Election Commission has already started its exercise beginning from West Bengal where polling is expected to be held in May-June.  Like it did in Bihar, the Commission is determined to ensure free and fair poll.  It has already undertaken a thorough check of voter identity cards which the State Electoral Commissioner has already issued. Several irregularities have been detected in most of the constituencies.  Nearly two lakh irregular cards have been cancelled so far and a fresh voters list is being prepared for the entire State.

 

Meanwhile, the ruling Left Front has fired its first salvo to retain power and add another five years to its record rule of 29 years.  The Front’s most formidable vote-bank of nearly three lakh government employees held a massive rally in Kolkata on Wednesday last. The Employees’ Coordination Committee pledged its support to the CPM and promised to start “oiling” the party’s poll machine. It announced keenness to see the Left Front back at the helm.  Former Chief Minister Jyoti Basu addressed the rally and stated: “Had the Coordination Committee not been there, we would not have been able to stay in power for 29 years.”  Basu and the Committee leaders joined hands to hit out at the Congress which ruled the State before the Left Front about three decades ago.

*                                               *                                       *                                   *

Gogoi’s Gift To ULFA

Assam’s Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi too is taking steps to ensure that his Congress returns to power once more.  Besides several steps taken to tone up the administration for speedy completion of development projects, Gogoi has given top priority to bring peace to the State.  His first move in the new year is to tackle the dreaded ULFA, which has killed countless innocent people.  Gogoi has given them a new year gift: Safe passage to the ULFA cadres from January 7 to 20 to visit their families or relatives. Announcing his safe-passage decision, Gogoi stated: “If they come they will not be arrested and can visit the places they want to for about two weeks”. The move is expected to soften their mindset against the Government.

*                                               *                                       *                                   *

Poll Moves In Tamil Nadu

The Dravidian parties in Tamil Nadu are girding up their loins for the upcoming Assembly poll.  While the ruling Anna-DMK, led by Jayalalitha, is busy providing relief for victims of the recent flash floods in the State, the DMK Chief, Karunanidhi has called upon the people to oust the ruling party.   He led a massive agitation to condemn the Government for the recent stampede at the MGR Nagar. Karunanidhi and other several leaders also hit out at the Government for detaining the party Councillor Dhanasekaran under the Goonda Act for allegedly spreading rumours that caused the stampede.  The DMK has demanded a probe into the whole issue.

*                                               *                                               *                             *

Kerala CPM On Reforms Path

A wind of change is blowing in Kerala.  Encouraged by its comfortable victory in the recent local body elections, the Left Front is hoping to defeat the ruling Congress-led United Democratic Front in the upcoming Assembly poll.  Importantly, it has decided to reorient its economic policies, with emphasis on foreign investment and reforms as adopted by “big brother” West Bengal. Appropriately, the CPM organized an international Congress in Thiruvananthapuram recently and got the Left’s  “poster boy of reforms”, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee to inaugurate it. The comrades of Kerala, like those of Bengal, are eager to tap the fruits of globalization rather than turn their back on it.  They have now focussed their attention on growth sectors like IT, biotechnology and tourism.

*                                     *                                               *                                   *

Kalam’s Vision of Bihar

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has now got the First Citizen of India as his supporter for the State’s progress. During his visit to Patna last week, President Abdul Kalam expressed his confidence in Nitish Kumar and presented his vision of Bihar to emerge as a developed State under his leadership.  The President appreciated the big responsibility which Nitish Kumar had taken on his shoulders for the State’s progress. The Chief Minister used the opportunity and sought the President’s guidance for his plans to develop the State.  The latter agreed instantly and promised to re-visit Bihar in March to help the CM finalise his roadmap for development: “Bihar Vision: Developed State by 2015”.

*                                   *                                               *                                   *

Raj’s Blow To Shiv Sena

The split in Shiv Sena is now complete, with its former leaders and patriarch Bal Thackarey’s nephew Raj Thackarey drawing a large number of Sainiks to his new party. Raj has received a big boost when over 2,500 Sena activists pledged their support to him. The group is led by two-term Corporator Dilip Lande, who wrote to the Executive President of the Sena, Uddhav Thackarey, that they were quitting the party.  More Corporators, MLAs and MPs have also promised support to Raj. The real picture about Raj’s strength will, however, be known only after the bypolls for the three Assembly seats on January 21.  These vacancies were caused after three Sena MLAs resigned to join the Congress.---INFA

 (Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)

 

 

< Previous
 
   
     
 
 
  Mambo powered by Best-IT