Round The States

New Delhi,15 November 2012

 Tension In AP

CENTRE NEEDS TO WORRY

By Insaf

Developments in Andhra Pradesh should be a cause of worry for the Centre. The capital city of Hyderabad is simmering under communal tension. On Wednesday last, trouble broke out in Gowlipura of old city with members of two communities clashing following an alleged incident of religious flag burning. Earlier, the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM), accused the ruling Congress of being pro-hindutava and harming the interests of Muslim minorities in the State. On Monday last, it withdrew the support of its seven MLAs to the Kiran Kumar Reddy Government and its lone MP to the UPA-II. It did so after its MLAs were taken into custody during their protest at Charminar against the reported expansion of a temple in the vicinity. While its action may affect the Congress, which has a wafer-thin majority (155 members) in the 294 member Assembly, the Government needs to worry about containing the tension.  More so, as the MIM’s decision to snap ties has got ‘wholehearted’ support of United Muslim Action Committee, an umbrella group comprising various Muslim organisations. The Committee has resolved to launch a campaign and “visit every nook and corner of the State to tell people about this communal government.” The coming week shall be keenly watched.     

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Maharashtra Farmers’ Protest

Farmers in western Maharashtra are on a war path. The Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana (SSS) has launched an agitation to seek higher price for sugarcane crop. The protest has, however, turned ugly with farmers resorting to stone pelting, torching of state transport buses and roadblocks in the region. Two farmers have been killed in police firing and three cops injured, after the SSS chief MP Raju Shetty, spearheading the protest, was remanded to 14-day judicial custody in Pune early this week. The Sanghatan is demanding that the cooperative sugar factories in Sangli, Kolhapur and Satara districts give Rs 3,000 per tonne as first advance on sugarcane purchase as against the latter’s offer of Rs 2,300 per tonne. The agitation could, however, take political overtones as majority of the sugar mills are reportedly controlled by the ruling Congress and NCP alliance. The protest in the sugar bowl of western Maharashtra has got Anna Hazare’s support and could add to the woes of Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan whose efforts for a compromise have failed till now. 

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Assam’s Violence

Assam’s communal unrest seems never ending. Kokrajhar town of the Bodoland Territorial Area Districts (BTAD) was yet again placed under indefinite curfew on Thursday last, following continued violence in which two persons died. A day earlier, the Army, was called in to contain the situation, which had flared after unidentified men, armed with sharp weapons, had launched an attack on a weekly bazaar in Kokrajhar and seriously injured a trader, Abdul Kalam. While the Army conducted flag marches in the sensitive areas of the district, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi convened a special meeting on law and order in Guwahati and instructed the State DGP to take tough-most measures to contain the latest spurt in violence. This is because not only has the death toll risen to six, but the fact that the districts had witnessed one of the worst communal clashes between the Bodos and illegal migrant minorities earlier in July-August. Then over 100 people had died and over four lakh people were displaced from their homes. Isn’t it time, that the Government finds a permanent solution than just impose curfews and call in the Army?

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Manipur In Financial Mess

Manipur is facing a major financial crunch. Salaries of Government employees are shockingly pending for nearly two years! Circumstances have now forced them to send out a loud and clear message: Enough is enough. For starters, the staff of Imphal Municipal Council walked out of their offices and launched an indefinite ‘cease work’ campaign, on Monday last. This was to put pressure on the government to at least release some payment before their biggest festival Ningol Chakkouba, wherein married daughters and sisters are invited to a lavish lunch. Sadly, they got no respite as Ibobi is away on a prolonged private visit to Australia. While the administration has sought three weeks time to clear the pending salaries and payments, the employees are wary. They have issued a deadline of November 19 or else staff of five departments — irrigation, PWD, flood control, public health engineering, electricity and minor irrigation have threatened to go on an indefinite strike. With civic amenities hit already, the people shudder to think what more is in store.

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J&K Controversy

Jammu and Kashmir’s National Conference needs to put its house in order. It can ill-afford to have its office-bearers make anti-national statements and get away with it. Worse, when these emanate from within the ruling Abdullah family.  The case in point is of Additional Secretary General and uncle of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Mustafa Kamal who has not only caused embarrassment to the Omar and father Farooq but ruffled feathers in both Congress and political circles in New Delhi. Addressing party workers in Kishtawar on Sunday last, the NC leader accused India (not Pakistan) of being an enemy of J&K if it was not signing a no-war treaty. Further, he alleged that the Army was the “biggest stumbling block” and the entire world was seeking a resolution to the Kashmir issue! With his statement hitting the headlines, Kamal promptly retracted, accused the media for misreporting and claimed he was being targeted by vested elements to weaken the NC-Congress coalition Government. Wonder what he has to say to Omar’s tweet: “Funny thing is I don t need anyone to make things difficult for me when I have relatives to do it for me.”

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Bihar’s Model Panchayat

Panchayats across the country can take a cue or two from one of Bihar’s Madhepura district. After its success in banning liquor, gambling and playing of obscene songs, by way of imposing a Rs 5000 fine, the Mithai panchayat has decided to crack the whip against those branding any woman a witch. Taking a unanimous call that the dignity of women must be protected, the panchayat has warned of imposing a penalty of Rs 2,100 on anyone who indulges in it. At the same time, it proposes to educate the villages against this practice, which has led to harassment and ostracising of women, and even death. With the belief that it needs to be fought collectively, the panchayat hopes its resolution will eventually eradicate  the age-old social evil, which sadly continues despite a law against it over a decade ago. ---INFA

(Copyright, India News and  Feature Alliance)

New Delhi, 15 November 2012