By Insaf
The Maha Kumbh in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh is sadly turning out to be a political akhara (battleground). With General elections 2014 on their radar, top BJP and Congress leaders are among others making a beeline to the banks of the sangam presumably to seek the seers’ blessings. However, the pious mela (fair) unfortunately but expectedly appears to have got mired in political one-upmanship. After taking a holy dip, BJP President Rajnath Singh chose to use the VHP sadhus conclave to revive the party’s forgotten agenda– of building a Ram temple in Ayodhya. With Narendra Modi slated to go there on Tuesday, many expect him to use it to boost his ‘national agenda’. The Samajwadi Party for one is planning to play spoilsport and has surprised many with its warning to Modi that should he indulge in politics he will be stopped.
An angry BJP has questioned the SP’s authority saying the Maha Kumbh is neither its property nor can it decide who goes there and doesn’t! In all this tamasha, (drama) the Congress cannot be far behind. Hectic preparations are on to counter the BJP’s hype with Party President Sonia Gandhi and Vice President Rahul slated to go there. However, the Congress has been embarrassed pink after two hoardings depicting Sonia as Rani ki Jhansi and Rahul as Lord Shiva were put up at the site by an enthusiastic party worker. While these were removed and the leader suspended immediately, it is a pointer of how party workers view their leaders’ intentions. Indeed, the other side of the Kumbh mela reiterates India’s tragedy—of political parties and their leaders’ brazenly mixing politics with religion!
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J&K Musical Tragedy
Kashmir was rocked by a fresh controversy when three young school girls’ musical ambitions ended on a sad note. Thanks to a fatwa issued by the grand Mufti (head priest) Bashir-ud-din Mufti to quit music and disband their rock band ‘Pragaash’ on the fallacious plea that it was un-Islamic. Notwithstanding that Islamic countries Pakistan and Iran are famed for their Sufiana music and in fact a women’s group from Iran is performing in Delhi. Indeed, even as youngsters revelled in their music, problems started after they received abusive and threatening online posts and opposition by the Muslim cleric. The Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has come out in the girls support stated that talent should not be stymied by “a handful of morons who are trying to silence them”. The police too has acted promptly and booked the netizens who threatened the band members under the information technology Act. However, the girls’ decision not to play after the fatwa is a sad day for the Valley. Clearly, the State will no longer rock to the musical heartbeats of the young!
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Kerala Rape Case
Kerala is in an agitation mode thanks to far away Delhi. The infamous Suryanelli case, in which a 16-year-old was raped by 42 men for 40 days, has raised its ugly head after 17-long-years in the media and political circles. Encouraged by the Delhi rape case that shook the nation, the CPM-led LDF is demanding re-investigation into charges levelled by the victim that Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman and Congress leader P J Kurien was among those who had raped her. The Opposition has not allowed the Assembly to function rubbishing the Congress-led UDF Government’s assurance that it was awaiting legal opinion on whether it could reopen the case, already discharged by the Supreme Court. On his part, Kurien is refusing to step down saying he has been cleared by the apex court and that the fresh charges were a “political conspiracy.” With The Budget session of Parliament beginning 21 February, the Congress can ill-afford to be vague. It should be prepared to face the heat in the Rajya Sabha as Kurien may well be presiding when the House takes up the recent Ordinance on rape laws. Will it save itself the embarrassment before the situation arises?
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Odisha Posco Protests
The Odisha government is indeed jinxed. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s pet Posco steel plant project has again hit a roadblock. After a lull of some months, early this week protesting villagers stopped the officials, backed by armed police, from uprooting betel vines to acquire the land. While the protestors claim the Government had not got the requisite go-ahead, the latter insists the betel vine clearance was confined to only 1,253 hectares of forest area for which stage-II clearance (diversion of forest land) has been obtained from the Ministry of Environment and Forest. Apparently, the BJD government is running out of patience. It has a fresh MoU from the South Korean firm after the previous one lapsed. Will it be able to sign it or get pressurised by the protesting villagers to let go? The Government’s intentions are keenly being watched.
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Himachal Plea to Centre
The Himachal Pradesh government has hit on a novel way to retrieve pending payments from counterparts. Peeved with the Uttar Pradesh Government for sitting over its bills of Rs 200 crore in lieu of electricity provided, the State has asked the Centre to intervene. In its explanation it stated that Himachal had provided electricity to the UP Power Corporation Limited between April and September 2011. And, though it had sent repeated reminders for the payment the UP administration refused to pay heed. Himachal has therefore urged New Delhi to release the amount directly from the planning fund for Uttar Pradesh. At the same time, the power minister has requested that an immediate payment of Rs 4,249.45 crore from Bhakra-Beas Management Board (BBMB), also be made as it had submitted requisite documents. Will the Centre oblige? If it does, not only would Himachal have got its money but other States too could take a cue from it.
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Madhya Pradesh Loot
Checking corruption appears to be a tall order for the Madhya Pradesh government. In a shocking revelation, assets worth over Rs 70 crore were unearthed from the residence of the Chief Conservator of Forests. On Wednesday last, the Lokayukta superintendent of police gave details of what was recovered in the raids conducted in Ujjain and Bhopal which are worth a read. These included: 250 bighas of agriculture land in villages; a 4,000 sq ft house in Uttar Pradesh, a house built on 10,000 sq ft plot in Varanasi; a 80,000 sq ft wedding venue; a Bharat Petroleum petrol pump and five hotels in Varanasi; fixed-deposits worth Rs 50 lakh, investments worth Rs 25 lakh in LIC and mutual fund schemes, one kilo of gold jewellery, 1.5 kg of silver articles, and Rs 8 lakh in the house; Rs 70 lakh deposited in 15 bank accounts. If this is what a mere officer has acquired over the years in his service, imagine what bigger mortals would have. (INFA)