Round The States

New Delhi, 24 April 2015

Farmer’s ‘Suicide’

PETTY POLITICS ENGULFS DELHI

By Insaf

Rajasthan farmer Gajendra Singh’s tragic ‘suicide’ has sadly got entangled in petty politics. On the one hand, the Delhi government and the Centre, read the police under the Union Home Ministry, are busy trading charges at each other. While the latter has filed an FIR against the AAP leaders/volunteers for instigating Singh to commit suicide, the former charges the police for inaction. On the other hand, the Delhi unit of both the Congress and the BJP have held demonstrations against the AAP, accusing it of insensitivity by carrying on with the rally even after he plunged to his death. The Congress has also demanded a judicial probe, saying the Delhi police inquiry would be questionable. In all this tu-tu-mein-mein (blame game) the grave issue of farmers’ committing suicide in the country has been pushed to the background, just the opposite of what Singh had tried to do --draw attention to their plight. The parties are busy vying with each other announcing ex-gratia payment to Singh’s family and sending their members to his family home in Dausa. Would it not be a better tribute to send out teams to the fields and get the ground reality of farmers’ plight in the States affected? A close watch on the case and how soon the parties forget about it, is worth a watch.

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Maharashtra Local Polls

Maharashtra gives a rude shock to the BJP. In the local elections it has become the B-team to partner Shiv Sena, a clear reversal of the General and Assembly elections. The BJP barely managed to win six seats in the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation elections. As against its pathetic performance, its alliance partner, the Shiv Sena is all smiles as it won 37 seats. However, it came second to the NCP, which despite getting a drubbing in the General elections retained its bastion and came out with flying colours winning 53 seats, two short of majority. It should, nevertheless thank the BJP. In the Aurangabad municipal corporation election, both the SS and BJP did well, with 29 and 22 seats respectively. But, the BJP still has reason to worry. It got lesser seats than the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul (AIMIM), which surprised many with a tally of 25. While Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis may want to put up a brave face, the BJP headquarters has reason to frown. Is the Modi magic wearing off?

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J&K Separatists’ ‘Unite’?

The PDP-BJP government in Jammu and Kashmir needs to tread cautiously. Signs of revival of ‘unity’ amongst the separatists could be ominous. On Monday last, Hurriyat leaders, hawk Syed Ali Shah Geelani and moderate Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and JKLF chief Yasin Malik shared the platform at a rally in Narbal in the Valley to protest against the killing of a teenager in police firing, raising many eyebrows. This as per reports is the first coming together since 2008! They all spoke about the need for the “pro-freedom camp” to stand united. Were the leaders following the line given by Pakistan to unite again (they were all together at its National day celebrations recently in Delhi) or do they fear redundancy as by and large people are getting on with their lives? Whatever may be the compulsions, the bigger question is can Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed afford to look the other way? The answer is a categorical no. The ruling alliance had better put its house in order. It can ill afford to talk in different voices (such as the return of the Pandits) and must overcome the teething problems. The State has come a long way since 1993, when the All Party Hurriyat Conference, a conglomerate of 26 separatist groups came together. It’s revival should be a no-go.

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Assam’s Taps Centre

Assam finds itself in a piquant situation. Thousands of illegal Bangladeshi migrants have gone missing. While its police is busy trying to trace them, the State government wouldn’t know what to do with them once they are finally traced. The problem arises as Dhaka refuses to take them back! Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has been pressing New Delhi to talk to the Bangladeshi authorities to tide over the perennial problem, but there isn’t much headway. However, the police doesn’t want to be seen on the wrong side and has reached out to the public seeking help to trace the foreigners. It has been placing advertisements in newspapers with regard to the 38,000-odd illegal migrants, declared as foreigners by the Tribunals. So far, it has published names of 1,600 “untraced declared foreigners” who apparently entered 12 of the 35 police districts of the State after March 1971. Is it worth keeping fingers crossed to find success, as the big question would be what next? While the BJP during General elections had claimed that it would send back illegal migrants, so far the Modi government has done precious little. 

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Bihar’s ‘Dalit Mask’ CMs

Bihar has had its share of Dalit Chief Ministers, but there is nothing to cheer about it. This is so, because former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi says they, like him have been sadly treated as a “pro-Dalit mask” by ‘elite’ political leadership and only during “political instability”! With an eye on next year’s Assembly elections, Manjhi, with his outfit ‘Hindustan Awam Morcha’ has clearly trained his guns against mentor and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and has accused him of overturning his “pro-poor, pro-women and pro-youth’ policies. At a rally in Patna, Manjhi rewound his tenure as CM and told the crowds that for three months he was simply signing files’ sent to him and decided not be Nitish’s ‘yes-man.’ History, he said that shown that economically backward class or scheduled caste Chief Ministers were given the coveted chair only to tide over political churnings. Remember Kapoori Thakur, Ram Sunder Das who were not allowed to complete their terms and then there was Bhola Paswan Shastri, who was interim CM thrice but for a few days or months only. Manjhi thus yearns for a change and wants to provide that alternative. While its uncertain, whether he would tie up with the BJP, political temperatures are indeed rising like the weather, for next year’s Assembly elections. 

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Meghalaya “Beef Party”

Meghalaya has said a big no to BJP’s idea to ban beef and in a novel way. Party President Amit Shah, campaigning in the North-East for ‘Congress-free India’, was welcomed by a ‘beef party’ and a bandh on his first visit to Shillong. Pressure group, Thma U Rangli Juki,  had protestors eating local beef delicacies as ‘feast for rights’ and singing songs outside Raj Bhawan to drive home the point that BJP and affiliates can’t impose ideas on people whose food and culture habits are different. The State, which is predominantly Christian, also had a 12–hour bandh called by armed banned group Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council against BJP’s alleged atrocities against minorities as well the proposed ban on cow slaughter which not only hurts their religious sentiments but would render thousands of tribals jobless. With the ‘welcome’ that he got, Shah was wise enough not to speak about the proposed ban and stuck to development and corruption issues. However, the visit would definitely have left a poor taste no doubt. ----INFA

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