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Round The States
Chinese Claims On Arunachal
NEW DELHI NEEDS TO ACT FAST
By Insaf
New Delhi, December 08, 2007
Sadly, India’s sensitive and strategic
North-East is still not receiving due attention of the Central
Government. More so, against the backdrop of China’s repeated
incursions and loud declarations that Arunachal Pradesh is its
territory. Bringing things to such a pass that the people of
this vital frontier region are worried over New Delhi’s poor
response. In fact, Arunachal’s Chief Minister, Dorjee Khandu
has now publicly demanded that the Government of India should
firmly make it clear to Beijing that Arunachal Pradesh is an
integral part of India and that it should stop making
territorial claims on it. This, he added, was necessary “to
dispel all doubts and apprehensions in the minds of the
Arunachalis.” Recall, only last week, the Congress MP from the
State, Nabam Rebia, created a stir in the Rajya Sabha when he
disclosed that the Chinese army had demolished last month a
Buddha statue in the picturesque Tawang district, bordering
China’s Tibet region. Notwithstanding, New Delhi’s denial.
Clearly, New Delhi can no longer wish the Arunachal problem
away. Specially, as the Chinese have entrenched themselves
firmly across the Sino-Indian border by building a vast
network of roads, townships and various facilities. Making the
Union Defence Minister A.K. Antony, on a visit to Sikkim,
Nathula Pass and the Sino-Indian border to openly confess that
all-round development in the region by Beijing was an “eye
opener”. Needless to say, India would have to work doubly hard
to dramatically improve its road network in the border areas
if it has to keep pace with its neighbour’s “superior”
infrastructure. However, it is to Antony’s credit that he is
the first Defence Minister to visit the Line of Actual Control
(LAC) since trade through the Nathu La Pass resumed in July
last year, after 44 years. There is no gainsaying that New
Delhi has to get its act together --- and fast if it is to
keep enjoying the confidence of the Arunachalis, who generally
speak Hindi and feel one with the rest of India.
* * * *
Nandigram: People Still Scared
Fear continues to stalk Nandigram. The deep scars left by the
barbaric police firing on March 14 last and all the mayhem
that followed will take a long time to heal. This was the sum
and substance of the impression gathered by the West Bengal
Governor, Gopal Krishna Gandhi, from his welcome visit to the
strife-torn district since a modicum of peace has been
restored there. It is now for the local administration to
erase the scare among the people and ensure a fearless
environment. Importantly, the Governor did not spare the Left
cadres and told them candidly that “fear has no colour…but it
is harmful”. He wants those responsible for the violence to be
shown the door. The Governor’s visit was all the more
significant against the backdrop of his severe indictment of
the State’s CPM Government’s “recapture” of Nandigram as
“unlawful and unacceptable”. Happily, he visited both sides of
the divide. This has helped to put at rest earlier talk of a
rift between him and the Left Government.
* * * *
Bhajan Lal Floats New Party
Old Congress warhorse and former Haryana Chief Minister Bhajan
Lal has parted ways with the Congress to form his own party,
Haryana Janhit Congress. The split, however, was no surprise.
The Haryana strongman has been hurting for over three years
for having been denied Chief Ministership of the State
following the Congress victory in the Assembly polls.
Moreover, his younger son Kuldeep, an MP from the family
stronghold of Bhiwani, was suspended from the Congress by its
High Command a few months ago for raising the ante against
Chief Minister Bhupinder Hooda. No matter, that Bhajan Lal’s
elder son Chander Mohan remains firmly ensconced as Deputy
Chief Minister. However, Hooda is not unduly perturbed. In a
chat with Insaf, he asserted that the rally was around only
70,000 strong and not in lakhs, as claimed. It comprised
mainly of Bhajan Lal’s Bishnoi community, brought across from
neighbouring Rajasthan.
* * * *
Karunakaran-Son Split In Kerala
Down South, in Kerala too another former old Congress warhorse
K Karunakaran fell out with his son Muraleedharan last week.
The raison de atre? The father’s plans to return to the
Congress after having formed his own regional Party, DIC (K)
three years ago. Calling it an “act of betrayal,” a livid
Muraleedharan lambasted Karunakaran publicly for “ditching”
his “supporters in the mid-sea”. Thus, signaling a parting of
ways. Recall, the veteran Congressman had floated his regional
outfit after cutting the umblical cord with the Congress. Only
to merge his Party with Sharad Pawar’s National Congress Party
(NCP) recently. Karunakaran’s reaction is still awaited to
Muraleedharan’s assertion that he would not be a part of his
father’s “political games” and would remain firmly with the
NCP.” Interestingly, Muraleedharan confirmed that Karunakaran
had not been invited by anyone to join the Congress, adding:
“I have no faith in the central leadership of the Congress,
that ditched those who stood loyally by it.”
* * * *
Gujarat Campaign Gets Bitter
Poll campaigning in Gujarat is getting vitiated by the day
with both the Congress and the BJP indulging in a vicious
no-holds-barred slanging match against each other. The ball
was set rolling by Congress President Sonia Gandhi at her huge
public rally of tribals at Jasdan, Rajkot wherein she
denounced the BJP Chief Minister Narender Modi as a maut ke
saudagar and promised to "throw the cheats and liars out of
Gujarat." Only to earn bitter expletives from Modi, who
retaliated sharply, asserting: “Italian mud will not stick on
me. It is they who are hand in glove' with maut ke saudagar
and the terrorists. Why is the Congress Government trying to
save Afzal Guru, who masterminded the attack on Parliament in
2001”. But there is no answer. Only deafening silence.
Nevertheless, the Congress seems to have improved its
prospects in the past week and more. Even senior BJP MPs are
now putting the odds at fifty-fifty!
* * * *
Empty Coffers & Promises
Prakash Singh Badal’s Government in Punjab has run into a
major insurmountable hurdle. It came to power on a slew of
populist promises. But its grandiose plans have been hit hard
by the “near-empty coffers” inherited by the Shiromani Akali
Dal-BJP Government. It bemoans that it does not have enough
funds to even pay salaries, let alone carry out much-needed
development work. (The Government owes over Rs.2,700 crores to
the Punjab Electricity Board alone). Expectedly, the Congress
leadership has denied the charge. Former Chief Minister
Amarinder Singh asserts that while he had inherited empty
coffers he had ensured that his successor does not face the
same problem. No one yet knows the truth about the rival
claims. One thing alone is clear. The aam aadmi will not get
all the exciting goodies he was solemnly promised!
* * * *
Gogoi Bashes Budha
Assam and its Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi, have every reason
to be livid with West Bengal and its Chief Minister, Buddhadeb
Bhattacharjee --- and even to go for him. The reason?
Buddhadeb’s tongue-in-check statement last week that “he would
not allow an Assam-like situation to prevail in West Bengal.’
Appropriately, Gogoi called a Press conference and justifiably
asserted that there was no comparison at all between what
happened at Nandigram for months together and the incident
last week at Dispur in Guwahati (involving the adivasis) that
was brought under control within a few hours.” The CPI(M’s)
conduct in Nandigram, he added, was in utter disregard of
democracy and all it stood for. Even the media was barred from
entering Nandigram. In sharp contrast, Assam did not hide
anything about the incident. In fact, it is eager to get at
the whole truth through a CBI probe. ---INFA
(Copyright India News & Feature Alliance)
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