Round The States

New Delhi, 26 April 2012

From Killing Fields to Hostage Crisis

NAXALITES CONTINUE TO CALL SHOTS

By Insaf

The Naxalites have thought of a nouvelle way of holding the Government to ransom and getting their way. From killing security forces to taking politicians and officials hostage is now the cause célèbre of these terrorists. Be it in Odisha or Chhattisgarh. In the former, after a nail biting 33 day custody the Maoists released the MLA Jhina Hikaka with ‘a clear dictate that he would resign as a legislature and work for tribal upliftment’. In Chhattisgarh the Naxals kidnapped Sukma district Collector 32 years old Alex Menon Paul during his meeting in a remote area as part of the government's special Gram Suraj Abhiyan. Chief Minister Raman Singh has asked for extension of time as the two interlocutors hold talks for his release. Barely had Hikaka taken steps towards freedom that the Maoists struck again In Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district. After killing two villagers they have now demanded the withdrawal of CRPF forces from the area and a halt to combing operations.

Importantly, the issue is not about the killing-kidnapping-release saga that the Maoists have become adept at. Neither is it that these crisises are going to be the last. What matters is that it exposes the Government’s Centre and States, soft under-belly. the Government is clueless and only reactive in its responses to the extremists. Sadly, as they experience in twenty states and 223 Naxal-infested districts show there is no anti-Naxal policy in place. In fact, the so-called garhs of Maoists in various States is ‘mapped’ by deploying satellites. A classic case of mistaken identity is of a remote area dubbed as a “Maoists camp” which turned out to be a tribal village of Bodiguda’s that fell off the map after the British left, 64 years ago. Whereby the villagers believed the Maoists were the Government. Clearly, the way forward is to correct the distortions in the social system ensure speedy development and enforce law and orders strictly. Will the Chief Ministers heed?

Cracks In Congress & NCP

All is not well between the Congress and NCP in Maharashtra. The regional party has decided to take its battle for supremacy in the State by holding farmers rally in New Delhi mid-May. It has made farmers plight in the State its raisen de atre of its angst with its ally. Asserted NCP supremo Sharad Pawar to Insaf, “this show of strength is to highlight the farmers’ plight vis-à-vis the Central Government’s plan to de-regulate diesel prices, cut the subsidies on power and fertilizers as also the ban on the export of farm commodities namely cotton, sugar and milk products. Predictably, the Congress is very upset given that Pawar is the Union Agriculture Minister. Interestingly, the growing cracks among the allies is due to the outcome in the recent state civic polls wherein the BJP-Shiv Sena came up triumphs. The NCP held the Congress responsible for the poor results even as the NCP emerged as the single largest party in 27 Zilla Parishads and ten municipal corporations. All eyes are now riveted on whether the Congress will call Pawar’s bluff.

‘Blood Money’ Debuts In Kerala

Italy seem to have adopted the US model of paying ‘blood money’ to wriggle out of a protected litigation over the killing of two innocent fishermen by its marines on a ship in the high seas in Kerala. Whereby the Italian government touched a Christian chord and agreed to pay Rs.1 crore each to the families of those killed, earn their ‘pardon’ as  part of the amicable settlement to end the protracted legal battle by withdrawing their petition. Notwithstanding that the case would continue in the Kerala High Court.  Even as the Italian hope that this measure would hold in good stead for the early release of the jailed marines the Kerala police and the Centre have made plain that the jurisdiction of the Indian law would continue until the court decides the case.  Undeniably, money penalty is the new mantra to get out of ‘killer’ cases.

AP Health Care A Burden in five years

As the cause of Telangana reverberates in Parliament House, the state guaranteed health care plan to the needy is proving to be heavy burden on the Andhra exchequer. Dubbed the Andhra Pradesh Rajiv Arogyashri Community Health Insurance Scheme started in 2007 cost the State Rs.50 crores, today stands at Rs.1400 crores providing coverage to 233 lakh BPL families. Pertinently, while the plan fund out let for health grew by about 200 per cent in five years, the RACHIS increases by a whopping 2700 per cent.  Primarily, this is due to the high cost of surgical interventions whereby the scheme covers surgical procedures upto Rs.2 lakhs at the cost of preventive medicine. Clearly, the State needs to adopt a more balanced approach that strives to promote safe high quality treatment through an integrated model encompassing primary, secondary and tertiary care.

Contest For AGP Post

History is repeating itself in North-Eastern salubrious Assam. The ‘freedom’ generation of the mid-1970s who formed the Assam Gana Parishad and rode to power on the wings of the slogan ‘Assam is not for burning’ are today facing the same fate by the Gen-next.  Whereby the AGP’s founder President and two time Chief Minister 60 years old Praful Mahanta is locked in a battle of ballots with young Padma Hazarika, 12-years his junior for the Presidentship of the party. While the young leaders hoot for Hazarika, Mahanta refuses to let go off party reins. Needless to say an election to watch given that this is the first time the regional outfit is facing a tough contest.

Bihar Leprosy Free

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar continues to win accolades. The latest in his long series of improving the quality of life of the people, the State is on the verge of being declared leprosy free with hospitals registering one patient per 10,000 people. Significantly, towards that end, the annual report of the State Health Committee 2011-12 show the State had successfully treated 15.51 lakh patients since 1996 by using multi-drug therapy and reconstructive surgery. Besides this, the State had devoted 47 colonies to take care of leprosy patients across 17 districts with a health officer each. Bihar holds a beacon for other States to follow.

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)