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Round The States
States Alerted Again
TERROR STRIKES IN FESTIVE SEASON ?
By Insaf
New Delhi, 27 October 2007
All the States have been put on a red alert
by the Centre once again, following unprecedented terrorist
violence and turmoil in Pakistan. The Punjab Police have
strongly cautioned their counterparts in Jammu and Kashmir
that the militants are reportedly planning attacks on the
shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi and Jammu Railway Station. The
self-styled Commander of Lashkar-e-Taiba, Karim Ansari is
stated to have been directed to launch attacks not only on the
sacred shrine and the Jammu station but also on cinema halls
in Jammu as in the recent case of Ludhiana. Reports from
Punjab also indicate that Kashmiri terrorists in league with
Punjab rebels may trigger blasts in various towns of Punjab,
including Ferozepur, Patiala, Bhatinda and Phagwara. Punjab
terrorists, backed by Pakistan, are clearly trying to revive
old links with the Kashmiri rebels.
Meanwhile, New Delhi has got all the States to join a virtual
nationwide hunt for tracing unauthorized and suspicious
purchase of SIM cards because of their crucial links with the
Ajmer and the Mecca Masjid blasts in Hyderabad. The
Harkat-ul-Jehadi-i-Islami (HUJI) is said to have zeroed in on
the mobile phone trigger mechanism to carry out such
explosions in preference to using the common alarm clock. In
fact, this mechanism was used in the Mecca Masjid blasts and
now in Ajmer Sharif. What is more, the two accused in the twin
blasts have disclosed in their narco-analysis that they had
helped obtain 50 to100 SIM cards over a period of time. These
SIM cards have yet to be located by the Hyderabad Police.
Hence the Centre’s plea to the States to take the disclosures
“very seriously” and somehow trace the lethal SIM cards.
* * * *
Army’s Olive Branch To ULFA
The Army has extended an olive towards the militant ULFA in
Assam if it agrees to come to the negotiating table without
preconditions. Significantly, this is the first time that the
Army itself has not set any precondition. Stated the Army
Chief: “The Army is willing to go back to the barracks.”
Adding that if the Bodoland Liberation Tigers and the National
Liberation Front of Bodoland (NDFB) could come to the
negotiating table “then why not the ULFA”. At the same time,
he has warned that Pakistan’s ISI under the directions of the
Muslim fundamentalists is becoming increasingly active in the
State. Reportedly the ISI had a hand in the recent bomb blasts
in Guwahati and other places in the State. No matter that the
ULFA continues to keep the police and security forces on their
toes.
* * * * *
TN Reservation For Minorities
Post Ram Setu controversy, Tamil Nadu is back to the politics
of reservation. The Tamil Nadu Assembly on Monday last passed
a Bill, to replace an ordinance, providing for 7 per cent
reservation for minorities --- 3.5 per cent reservation each
to backward Muslims and Christians in government jobs and in
all educational institutions in the State. The new separate
quota will be within the 30 per cent reservation already being
provided to the backward castes in Tamil Nadu, where there is
a high percentage of reservation of 69 per cent including 20
per cent for the Most Backward Class (MBC); and 19 per cent
for Scheduled Castes and Tribes. It is another matter that a
petition challenging the inclusion of the 69 per cent
reservation in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution is still
pending before the Supreme Court.
* * * * *
BJP Taking On Mayawati
The BJP is finally getting its act together in UP for taking
on Mayawati and regaining its hold on the upper caste Hindus.
As a first measure, the Saffron Sangh is preparing to lash out
against the Chief Minister for glorifying Periyar, the
Southern Dalit reformer known for his highly objectionable
statements and abuse against the Hindu Gods and hatred for
Hindi. In his book Sachchi Ramayana, Periyar presents a
diabolically distorted view of the epic, including extremely
offensive references to Lord Ram and Sita. This book is not
only being freely doled out by the BSP offices across the
State, but Mayawati is also installing a number of Periyar
statues. To stall her bid and wean back the upper caste
Hindus, specially Brahmins, to the Party fold, the BJP is
preparing to awaken and ignite the electorate with many of
Periyar’s “inflammatory” statements. Will Lord Ram oblige the
BJP once more?
* * * * *
EC Makes Modi Wary
Elections are no cakewalk but a bed of thorns, as Gujarat
Chief Minister Narendra Modi is slowly but surely finding out.
What with the Election Commission busy breathing down his neck
with a long list of dos’ and donts’. In its concerted bid to
conduct free and fair elections in the State, the EC has
decided to send three Special Observers to supervise the
observance of the model code of conduct by the political
parties. Another three teams of officials are set to oversee
poll readiness in Baroda, Surat and Ahmedabad. Coming on the
heels of the transfer of senior Police and IAS officials by
the EC, Modi is busy ensuring that he does as he is directed,
lest he earn the wrath of the EC. As matters stand, the
rebellion within his flock is already giving him sleepless
nights along with renewed carping by the TV channels about
Godhra and its bloody aftermath.
* * * * *
Dussehra in Kashmir
Kashmir once again resounded to the burst of fireworks on
Sunday last, though with a crucial difference. This time it
was the effigy of ‘God of Evil’ Ravana which went up in
flames. After a gap of 19 long years, Dussehra was celebrated
with gay abandon in Srinagar. What made the exercise most
nouvelle, memorable and important was that hundreds of Muslims
joined their Kashmiri Pandit brethren and others at the Mata
Shiva Bhagwati shrine for the traditional havan. The last
havan was performed in 1988. Pertinently, this is the tenth
religious place to be reopened in the strife-torn State.
Clearly, winds of peace and brotherhood are blowing across the
Valley. Dussehra. Remarked a Kashmir watcher: “It remains to
be seen whether Dussehra and its spirit, which signifies the
victory of good over evil, will pervade all over the State.”
* * * * *
Sanyas Lessons For Kerala Clergy
Winds of change are also sweeping across the Syrian Christian
clergy in Kerala. Where the Syro-Malabar Church --- regarded
as the oldest in the country --- has reportedly decided to
embrace the Hindu tradition of sanyas. This and other cultural
aspects like bhajans are becoming a part of the new curriculum
for training the Christian clergy in the Church. Explained the
Church Spokesman: “As priests have to work in the Indian
milieu, it is necessary that they learn about India’s strong
spiritual foundations like the Gurukul system, Sanyas, and
Varnashram”. The curriculum called the ‘Charter for priestly
formation in the Syro-Malabar Church’ includes an introduction
to Hinduism and lessons preparing students for an ascetic life
with the help of Sanyasis. Moreover, the priests are said to
be most impressed by other good ideas in the Indian way of
life and are busy imbibing the rich Indian traditions. The
Church calls it “Indianisation”! ---INFA
(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)
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