Round The States
New Delhi, 31 March 2011
Assam Tea Garden Hold Key
BJP, ULFA MAR
CONGRESS CHANCE
By Insaf
All is not well for the Congress in the upcoming State
Assembly elections in Assam.
Both the BJP and the ULFA may spoil the grand dame’s tea party. Given that the
BJP has made inroads in to the Congress’ pocket borough, the tea-rich upper
Assam Districts by cornering the labourers working in the tea gardens.
Importantly, the labourers account for over 30 of the 126 Assembly seats. Adding
to the Congress woes is that the ULFA’s anti-talk faction led by Paresh Barua
has issued a threat of marring the polls. Accusing the Congress of dividing the
ULFA, Barua’s men triggered a blast at the Party’s headquarters in Guwahati. In
this milieu, the Asom Gana Parishad is busy trying to cause a split in the tea
labourers votes between the Congress and the BJP by offering them Schedule
Tribe status and a wage hike. On his part, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi does not
seem unduly bothered. Asserts he: “militants always target the Congress”. All parties have their fingers crossed.
In secular progressive Kerala, religious groups are busy
playing politics. Whereby the Hindu, Christian and Muslim religious outfits are
busy submitting their choice for candidates for the Parties to cede to their
wish list. Notwithstanding, that both the Left Democratic Front and the United
Democratic Front have taken care to pick nominees from the communities
dominating a particular area. Muslim leaders have been accusing the Congress
for neglecting the community by not giving adequate representation which the LDF
has done. The Church too is not far behind, three catholic dioceses and the
non-Catholic Malankara Orthodox Church have openly stated that they have
submitted a list of candidates to the Congress. On the other side, Hindu
organizations are protesting the growing influence of minority groups in the
Congress. Asking the Party to explain why there is no Hindu leader, a la
Muslims and Christians. Who says religion and politics don’t mix?
* * * *
UP Farmers’ Stir
In Uttar Pradesh, land acquisition has hit a major road
block. For over two long months farmers in the State’s Mirzapur district are
busy agitating against the State Government’s land acquisition policy. The
farmers have been demanding compensation at the rate of 90% of the residential
plot rates for their acquired land. They also demand that only 50% of their
land should be acquired and rest should remain with farmers for agriculture
use. However, Mayawati’s Government has a contrary view. Leading to the
protests turning violent whereby the farmers blocked traffic and set vehicles
on fire in Greater Noida, braving rubber bullets of security forces trying to
calm them down. It remains to be seen who will blink first-- the farmers or the
Government?
* * * *
Orissa Is Odisha
Orissa is the latest to join the ranks of States with a
penchant for renaming its State and its capital. Whereby, the State will
hereafter be called 'Odisha' and the Oriya language will be known as 'Odia'.
Thanks to MPs belonging to the ruling BJD, Congress and BJP in Parliament
giving its approval to the amendment of the Constitution and passage of the
Orissa (the Alteration of Name) Bill. Recall, the British rulers had changed
the original names of various Indian States and cities during the process of
de-colonisation. Needless to say the BJD felt it was a great moment for the
State’s people to get back their pride and a sense of history. There have been
many cities and States that have been renamed after Independence. Thus
Trivandrum is Thiruvananthapuram, Bombay Mumbai, Madras Chennai, and Calcutta
Kolkata, Poona Pune, Cochin Kochi and Bangalore Bangaluru. But as Shakespeare said what’s in a name. Will
the rose smell different if it wasn’t called a rose?
* * * *
AP Assembly Fracas
What afflicts State Assemblies in the North has now become
the new fashion in Southern Andhra Pradesh. In a shocking sequel to UP, ruling
Congress and main opposition Telugu Desam MLAs came to near blows inside the Assembly
on Monday last. It all started when Agriculture Minister Y S Vivekananda
(brother of the late Chief Minister YSR Reddy) heckled two TDP MLAs holding placards
that denigrated his late sibling. In the ensuing fracas Congress MLAs raised
slogans for the creation of Telengana while the Majlis Ittehadul-e-Muslimeed
legislators trooped into the well of the House and raised the demand for the constitution
of a Joint Legislature Committee to probe "illegal allotment" of Wakf
land for industries and other purposes. Leading to the adjournment of the
House. With tempers running high it is a moot point on how the Centre will
tackle the Telengana genie which is fast spiraling out of control.
* * * *
Trouble In
Nagaland
Trouble continues to play havoc in Nagaland. In the latest
long series of problems afflicting the State, the Chairman of the National
Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang faction) S S Khaplang has asked all the
12 elected legislators of the Tirap and Changlang districts of Arunachal
Pradesh to quit the ruling Government or face consequences. However, reacting
to the NSCN-K diktat, Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu accused the NSCN leaders of
'blatantly violating' the ceasefire ground rules and made plain that he would
go all out to implement his Government’s development agenda notwithstanding the
threat. Recall, the NSCN-K has demanded the incorporation of Arunachal’s Tirap
and Changlang districts wherein it has a major influence with the so-called
Greater Nagalim. Meanwhile the Centre is following the developments very
closely and keeping its fingers crossed.
* * * *
Jats’ Stir Reprieve
State Governments of Haryana, UP, Rajasthan, J&K,
Punjab, Delhi and Uttarakhand can finally breathe easy. Thanks to the Akhil
Bharatiya Jat Arakshan Sangharsh Samiti suspending their three-week long
agitation for inclusion of Jats in the OBC quota in Government jobs. This
followed intense negotiations by Haryana Chief Minister Bhupender Singh Hooda
and UP’s Principal Secretary (Home). Both promised that the Central Government
would take a call on their demand by September 13, whereby it would formulate
and work out the modalities for the community’s inclusion. Recall, the Jat
community refused to even heed the Supreme Court and High Court’s diktat of
clearing rail tracks which led to the cancellation of over 700 trains in the
affected States. Has the Centre merely bought
time or does it mean to uphold its promise?
(Copyright, India News and Feature
Alliance)
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