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ROUND THE STATES
New Delhi, 3 August 2006
BDR Offensive Alarms
Assam
WAR-LIKE SITUATION
ON BANGLA BORDER
By Insaf
A “war like” situation is prevailing along the Assam-Bangladesh border. In fact, the entire 35-km
international border along the Cachar and Karimganj sectors of Assam is alarmed by the “operations” of the Bangla Desh
Rifles (BDR) during the past about three months. The Opposition in the Lok
Sabha has described it as a “Kargil-like situation”. The State Government has
accused Dhaka of forcibly occupying about 500
sq.km. of land and the BSF has sounded an alert against the massive troop mobilization of the BDR along the Assam-Bangladesh border, which the Army Intelligence has
confirmed. Not only that. The BDR has strengthened its defences across the Karimganj sector by digging trenches and bunkers,
clearly indicating its aggressive
postures, as in Kargil in 1999.
The alarming reports prompted the Centre to rush its Special
Secretary for Border Area Management, B.S. Lalli, over the week-end to Assam
for an on-the-spot assessment of the situation. The development was viewed as grave. As many
as 250 families in the border villages have been evacuated and the schools
closed until further orders. More BSF troops have been rushed. Lalli has also assured
the State Government and the All Asom Students Union (AASU), which was first to
warn the Government of the unabated influx of illegal Bangladesh migrants, that
the erection of barbed wire fencing along the Assam-Bangladesh
border would be completed by December this year. Adequate steps have also been
promised for floodlighting the border areas to check infiltration from across the border.
* * *
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Elusive Naga Peace
Formula
While the Union Government and the NSCN (IM) have extended
the ceasefire agreement for another year, a permanent peace formula remains
elusive even after nine years of negotiations. At the last meeting in Bangkok over the week-end, India’s Ministerial team, led by
Oscar Fernandes, and the NSCN(IM) top leaders, Issac
Swu and T. Muivah, expressed hope of
finalizing the framework for long-term peace in the next few months. The
leaders of the Naga group have submitted their charter of demands, which
include a separate Constitution and flag for Nagaland, as in the case of Jammu and Kashmir. But those two demands for separate
constitution and flag are not easy to meet.
If conceded, they are bound to open a Pandora’s box with some others
like the Mizos and ULFA making similar demands.
Competent watchers of the Naga problem are one with this
scribe in feeling that the unduly soft and indulgent approach of the Government
interlocutors has encouraged the
NSCN(IM) leaders to keep raising their demands.
They feel it is now time to call their bluff. Few NSCN (IM) men now seem
interested in reviving hostilities. Indications available show that they seem inclined
not to persist with their core demand for greater Nagalim. But they have yet to
give up the demand formally. During the
last three rounds, they have concentrated on getting New Delhi to accept a long list of demands,
which include a separate constitution and flag for Nagaland. The Union Government, for its part, has
indicated its willingness to talk about
giving more autonomy and powers to Nagaland and expanding Article 371(a) of the
Constitution.
* * * *
Akalis Stall
Parliament Over MSP
The States are greatly upset by the Centre’s decision to
hike the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for paddy and cotton by only Rs. 10 per
quintal, which they denounce as wholly inadequate. Punjab and
Haryana, both ruled by the Congress,
were the first to raise their voice against the meagre increase. The Shiromani Akali Dal even stalled the
proceedings of Parliament on Tuesday, leading to the adjournment of the Lok
Sabha after the Question Hour. The Akali
Dal MPs interrupted the proceedings of the House, demanding a full-scale discussion on what they believed as “shockingly
inadequate” MSP as well as the causes and ramifications of cases of suicides by
the farmers. Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, too, has expressed his unhappiness
over the petty price increase. He wants it
raised by at least 25 per cent of last year’s MSP of Rs. 570 per quintal.
* * * *
Hooda Wants It
Raised By Rs.50
Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, too, considers
the hike of barely Rs.10 per quintal as wholly inadequate considering the
manifold increase in the cost of production.
He wants the MSP to be raised by at least Rs.50 per quintal. This would
be in the interest of not only the farming community but also of the national
economy, as the produce would be stopped from going into the open market. Chautala’s
Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) also denounced the meagre increase and feels
that it “has added insult to the injury caused by the anti-farmer policies of
the Congress-led UPA
Government”. The farmers are already
smarting under Government’s failure to increase the MSP for wheat, which has necessitated imports at much higher rates.
* * *
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Setback To Buddha’s
FDI Concept
West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharya has been
shown the Red flag once more. His concept of reforms and of inviting foreign
direct investment (FDI) has suffered a setback from within. Several CPM and
Left Front leaders want him to go slow and invite the FDI only in consultation
with the party Secretariat. In a heated
discussion, the Left Front decided
at a meeting last week, that no FDI deal should be finalized until a consensus with
the Front was reached. Immediate provocation for of the anti-FDI forces is the
CM’s invitation to the Salim group of Indonesia. The group is expected to invest in an expressway, two bridges, a chain of satellite townships,
a health city, a special economic zone and a chemical hub. The deal is opposed on the ground that the
prime agricultural land would be lost to the Salim project.
* * *
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Developing
Karnataka Villages
Karnataka can now look forward to a better quality of life
in the rural areas, if the State Government’s plan for the development of the
countryside’s infrastructure is fully implemented. A proposal has been finalized and submitted
to the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) for a Rs.600-crore
assistance for upgrading the
villages. Assistance has been sought
from the 12th series of the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund
(RIDF). Of the amount demanded, Rs.300
crore would be used for the improvement of rural roads, Rs.125 crore for school
buildings, and the remaining amount on minor irrigation works, “Swarna Ane” (bridges)
and health centres etc. Besides this, the State Government too has earmarked
Rs.125 crore for the construction of school buildings and junior colleges.
* * *
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Rain Batters
Gujarat, Maharashtra
Unprecedented second spell of rainfall this monsoon in the
West Coast States of Maharashtra and Gujarat
continuously for four days last week has brought great misery to the people of
the two States. In both the States, thousands of acres of farmland has turned
into rivulets. The situation is worse in
Gujarat. Fifteen people are reported killed in
the flash floods and more than 30,000 people had to be evacuated to safer
places in southern and central parts of the States. High alert has been sounded
in several parts of Vadodara, Anand, Bharuch, Surat and Navsari districts, as more rainfall
is expected in the next few days. In Maharashtra, large parts of Satara and Sangli districts
were inundated and more than 15,000 people in low-lying areas had to be evacuated
to safer places. ---INFA
(Copyright,
India News and Feature Alliance)
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