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Round The States
New Delhi, 30 October 2008
Resolving Kashmir Issue
PDP PROPOSES SHARED
SOVEREIGNTY
By Insaf
Competitive separatism is today the dominant mantra for
mainstream and other political parties in Jammu & Kashmir for the
forthcoming Assembly poll, what with pro-Azadi slogans abuzz in Srinagar and other towns
of the State. The National Conference and its leaders, Dr. Farooq Abdullah and
Omar Abdullah, are once again pressing for restoration of the 1953 status
within the ambit of the Indian Union. This means the State would have complete
control over its affairs barring defence, foreign affairs and communications.
“Autonomy alone offers a solution to the Kashmir
issue,” asserts Dr. Abdullah. But the PDP, which has announced its decision to
fight the poll, has chosen to make a major departure from the mainstream
political discourse by advocating the dangerous concept of “shared sovereignty”
of an integrated and united “Greater Jammu & Kashmir” between India and
Pakistan without redressing the present borders, namely the LOC.
The PDP’s proposal is not new. It was first advocated by the
Kashmiri Study Group launched by expatriate Kashmiri businessman, Farooq
Kathiawari, in the US
1996, comprising leading Americans. This proposed the concept of shared suzerainty
on similar lines. The PDP leaders, Mufti Sahib and his daughter, Mehbooba Mufti
appear to have also taken a cue from Pakistan’s former President, Pervez
Musharraf, who had advocated “joint management” of the entire state of Jammu
& Kashmir by an “over-arching” authority of the two parts of the State. The
PDP claims that its concept of “self-rule is a political philosophy,
articulated around the concept of federalism and confederation that allows for
sharing of power between the two levels of government for the sharing of
sovereignty…with each exercising supreme sovereignty in its constitutional
prerogatives.” The PDP wants abrogation of all powers that vests power with the
Centre to dismiss Governments or with the Indian Parliament to legislate on the
matters of the State and the Governor.
* * *
Kerala’s Terror
Links
The recent terror trail in Kerala has busted its claim of
having no links with Kashmir militants. In
fact, it has sent shock waves in this southern State, which boasts of being “God’s
Own Country.” On Sunday last, of the four militants who were killed by the Jammu
& Kashmir police while trying to cross the LoC, two belonged to Kannur and
Ernakulam. This is in addition to the Kerala police confirming earlier this
month the identity of two terrorists killed in J&K as Malayalees. Worse, the
arrests made so far in parts of the State reveal that youth from Kochi, Kannur and others are being recruited for terror
outfits such as Lashkar-e-Taiba in Kashmir and
that scores of Hindus and Christians had been converted to Islam and
indoctrinated. The militant network, it is said, would take these recruits to Hyderabad for all-round
training envisaged at moulding them into “hardcore militants” and then supply
them to prescribed sources. Intelligence inputs suggest that a senior member of
the LeT had stayed in Kerala for nearly a month to get these recruits.
* * *
Delhi’s Bangladeshi Voters?
Illegal Bangladeshis are stated to have become king makers
in Assam.
Their shadow seems to have fallen even on Delhi
and its forthcoming Assembly poll. This has made the BJP’s senior leader and
Chief Ministerial candidate, Vijay Kumar Malhotra to demand that people living
in the capital should be asked to produce either the voter ID or ration cards
to distinguish between legal citizens and non-citizens --- illegal Bangladeshi
migrants and Pakistani nationals. Malhotra believes that there are at least
four lakh illegal Bangladeshis living in Delhi
today. (The number could be a lot more since the figure was 3 lakh officially
in 1995.) In addition, Delhi could also be playing host to a large number of
Pakistanis. “One lakh Pakistanis have disappeared after they came here with
visas,” says Malhotra. In fact, Malhotra favours a “cut off date” for anyone
who comes to Delhi. Visitors would then be required to tell where they have
come from, where they will live and what work they intend to do. Delhi, he
added, “has become a dharamshala. We
have to check that.”
* * * *
Andhra Cracks On
Corruption
Andhra Pradesh and its Government, headed by Chandrasekhar
Reddy, deserves a hand from all those interested in good, clean governance. An
overdrive by its Anti-Corruption Bureau has sent all corrupt Government
servants scurrying for cover. In the past ten months, it has not only trapped
152 gazetted officers and 293 non-gazetted officers for accepting bribes or
having disproportionate assets but also achieved convictions in 90 of the 100
cases that were taken to court. It also achieved convictions in all the 12
cases of disproportionate assets filed between January 1 and October 25, 2008.
At the same time, 81 officers have been suspended and four dismissed from
service. Wide publicity is given to those caught, which helps to create a lot
of social stigma. What is more, corrupt Government employees are forced to fend
for themselves without one naya paisa
as properties are seized and all bank accounts frozen, thanks to meticulous
investigation. Importantly, no one has been spared in the three-pronged
strategy of traps, punishment and swift prosecution.
* * * *
Orissa To Rebuild
Churches
The Orissa Government under Naveen Patnaik is all set to
apply balm after inflicting wounds on the Christian community, post Kandhamal
riots. In fact, for the first time the State is going to provide financial assistance
to religious institutions damaged during riots. However, it has run into a
problem. It needs a set of guidelines for reconstruction and repair of such
institutions as there is no clarity on the means that should be adopted. The
Orissa Relief Code has no provision for providing such assistance. Following
criticism about its inability to contain the riots, the Government had in
principle, agreed to provide financial assistance in rebuilding over 160
churches and prayer halls damaged. Today, it faces questions whether pastor
training centres, nun’s hostels and prayer houses are to be considered as “religious
institutions”. Besides, the district administration has sought rules to assess
damage done to churches built on forest, public or tribal land! Well, Patnaik
not only needs to answer these, but should be prepared for more from ally, the
BJP which is clearly unhappy. .
* * * *
Pilgrim Town Boasts Development
Religious celebrations can do wonders, if only the example
of Nanded, a pilgrim town in Maharashtra is followed. In the past two years, Rs
880 crore has been spent by the district administration on building up
infrastructure, including bridges, roads, flyovers railway station and even the
airport. All this to mark the 300th year of the consecration of the
11th Guru of Sikhs, Guru Granth Sahib, popularly known as
“Gur-ta-gaddi’ celebrations at gurudwara Takht Sachkhand Hazoor Sahib. Preparations
are afoot to host 15,000 pilgrims daily and in all about 10 lakh devotees
during October 30 and November 3. The event has led to a spur in the
development of the town. It will be visible in another two years in the form of
better health services, transport, large-scale rehabilitation of slum dwellers,
etc. In October 2006, Nanded was incorporated in the JNNURM (Jawaharlal Nehru
National Urban Renewal Mission) and Rs 1,034 crore was sanctioned. By 2011, an
estimated Rs 2,000 crore is going to be spent on development. But for the
celebrations, Nanded would have been like any other town! ---INFA
(Copyright, India News and Feature
Alliance)
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