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Round The States
Governance Paralysed
KARNATAKA MESS CONTINUES
By Insaf
New Delhi,
November 03, 2007
Karnataka continues to bleed and suffer ---
politically Governance in the State has been virtually
paralysed for the past many weeks, thanks to the shenanigans
of the politicians, especially the highly discredited Gowda
duo of father and son. Imposition of President’s rule on the
State on October 9 brought a glimmer of hope for the common
people. Yet the mess has continued, this time thanks to the
Governor, Rameshwar Thakur, and the powers that be --- the UPA
Government and its Congress bosses. Both have been
calculatedly dragging their feet in gross violation of the
letter and spirit of the Constitution and the judgments of the
Supreme Court. Otherwise, a BJP-JD(S) Government should have
been sworn-in by now, ending the impasse and the
administrative paralysis.
Governor Thakur should have clinched matters once the BJP and
JD(S) paraded 129 MLAs in support of Yedyurappa as Chief
Minister. But he chose not to do so. Surprisingly, he spoke of
“consultations” with the Centre, which were not required. He
also spoke about stability and horse-trading. In doing so, he
ignored the Supreme Court’s land mark ruling in regard to
President’s rule. In the case of S.R. Bommai, a former
Karnataka CM, it ruled that whether a Government enjoyed a
majority or not was to be decided only on the floor of the
House. Not so long ago, the Supreme Court ruled in the Bihar
Assembly dissolution case that the shifting stand of the
political parties could not be a ground for dissolution of
House. Basically, the Congress has had one clear strategy.
Somehow keep the BJP out and ensure a Congress Government. Or,
dissolve the House and order a fresh poll.
* * * *
Jharkhand Booms To Naxal Terror
Naxal terror struck Jharkhand last week with ghoulish
vengeance. Killing 18 people including former Chief Minister
Babu Lal Marandi’s youngest son Anup. Dressed in CRPF khakis,
they opened fire at the end of a football tournament in
Chilkhari village in Giridih district. Not only did they cock
a snook at the joint operations being conducted by the Bihar
and Jharkhand Governments to flush them out but this is the
first time that the Red Brigade has targeted main line
politicians. Specially against the backdrop that the local
polity have accepted Naxalites as an inseparable part of the
system at the grassroots. So much so that poll-time boycott
calls by the extremists are often “bought off” by candidates,
whatever their party affiliation. Clearly, this holds ominous
portends for the polity as Marandi was the only leading
politician in the forefront of the anti-Maoist campaign in the
State.
* * * *
Nandigram Erupts Again
After a lull of a few months Nandigram once again erupted in
violence last week and turned in to a war zone with battle
lines drawn between the Trinamool Congress and the Left
parties. Four CPM supporters were killed in a bomb blast and
gun shots were reportedly fired at the convoy of the Trinamool
Chief, mercurial Mamata Banerjee. Predictably, this sparked
off fresh trouble all over the State. With accusations and
counter-accusations flung against each other by CPM leaders
and Mamata. Trinamool activists retaliated by blocking roads
and railway tracks in large parts of Hubli and also gave a
bandh call, which paralysed the whole State. Making most of
the war of words between the two political rivals, the Bhumi
Uchchhed Prattirodh Committee paralysed large parts of East
Midnapore by calling a bandh.
* * * *
Nitish Hits Laloo’s Come Back Plan
Bihar once again resonated to the sounds of ‘Jab tak samose
mein aaloo, tab tak Bihar mein Laloo’ as the former Chief
Minister of Bihar and the Railway Minister and RJD Chief held
a massive Chetna Rally in the State. This was Laloo Yadav’s
first trip to his home State after his defeat in the 2004
Assembly polls. A worried Laloo left no stone unturned to make
this rally a resounding success to mark his arrival back in
the State politics. Many special trains ferried people from
all over the State and the neighbouring areas for the rally
held in the Capital, Patna. The NDA Chief Minister Nitish
Kumar didn’t take things lying down either. He announced his
Government’s decision to reserve 50 per cent seats in the
three layers of the panchayati raj system for the most
backward castes’ and thereby not only consolidated his
socio-political base but also hit Laloo’s comeback plan hard.
* * * *
UNPA To Mulayam’s Defence
The newly-formed UNPA has come to the defence of beleaguered
Samajwadi Chief Mulayam Singh in his controversial
disproportionate assets case. Calling it a “politics of
revenge,” the TDP Chief and Convener of the anti-Congress
front Chandrababu Naidu accused the Congress of being vengeful
and victimizing the Samajwadi supremo and his kin.
Notwithstanding the fact that the Supreme Court has issued
notice to Mulayam and his family in the assets case after the
CBI reportedly found evidence of huge property acquisitions.
Needless to say, the action of the premier investigation
agency is bound to further widen the Mulayam-Congress rift.
Even as the CPI (M) Chief Prakash Karat met with SP leaders to
enlist their support for the Left’s opposition to the nuclear
deal.
* * * *
Unprecedented March Of Landless
New Delhi was besieged last Monday when 25,000 landless people
barged into the Union Capital to demand land rights for the
displaced and the landless. Under the banner of Ekta Parishad,
they marched on foot from Gwalior to Delhi, taking 30 days.
Significantly, the marchers included 250 foreigners from 29
countries. Over Rs. 3 crore to 4 crore was spent to feed,
shelter and march the landless poor to Delhi to register their
angst with the top powers that be. An anxious Prime Minister
responded promptly and successfully prevented the marchers
from reaching Parliament Street, the normal venue for rallies
and demonstrations. Two committees were grandiosely announced
at Ram Lila ground on behalf of Manmohan Singh. One, the
National Land Reform Council, headed by the PM himself and two
a committee on State Agrarian Relations & Unfinished Land
Reforms. With the “solemn promise” that these panels would
look into all land-related issues and make appropriate
recommendations. It is a moot point whether these committee
lollypops will sweeten the bitter lives of the landless!
* * * *
Sting Creates Tehelka For Modi
The Tehelka sting has indeed created tehelka for Narender Modi,
who is seeking a third term as Gujarat’s Chief Minister.
Notwithstanding Modi’s decision to brazen out all exposures
with the response: “I will not comment.” The sting operation
purportedly quotes the 2002 Godhra riot foot soldiers (Bajrang
Dal, VHP and Shiv Sena men) disgustingly boasting about having
carried out the killings with State support and having been
sheltered by the Administration against the subsequent
judicial onslaught. As the Congress, various regional parties
and human rights activist up the ante for Modi’s removal,
following the Ahmedabad District Collector “blacking out” the
TV coverage, the sting threatens to boomerang on the Congress.
Reportedly, it has triggered the polorisation of voters in
favour of the beleaguered Chief Minister. Will the polls be
‘hai hai Modi’ or ‘jai jai’ Modi’? Time will tell before too
long.---INFA
(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)
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newseditor@sarkaritel.com
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