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)
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