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Round The States
Floods Play Havoc
BIHAR’S WOES CONTINUE
By Insaf
New Delhi, September 06, 2008
The river God continues on a destruction course. Not only
in Bihar but has engulfed Assam as well. Till yesterday, only
cries of misery rent the air as lakhs watched their homes
submerge in 800 villages in Bihar, left people marooned and
bereft of succor and food, today disease is on a rampage with
death stalking the poor and the destitute. Worse, according to
experts, the Kosi river may have changed course. Its first
eastward shift in recorded history, since it breached its
eastern embankment in Nepal last month. Interestingly, the
current flood zone has reverted to the “Dhusan channel” which
Kosi occupied between 1921-26. Thus, making relief and
reconstruction plans and operations difficult. Given that
nudging the river back on its westward course would only
“postpone the problem.”
If the Kosi river being termed as “mother of all floods” has
left lakhs homeless and changed the map of Bihar, the
Brahmaputra is above the danger mark and has already submerged
60 per cent of the Kaziranga National Park. The world famous
rhino’s habitat has already lost three rhinos to the havoc
wrought by the raising river. Even as most of the rhinos have
shifted to the high lands, a herd of 50 elephants and hog and
swamp deers brought the national highway 37 to a grinding
halt. But this is not all. Sadly, the State Government in its
endeavour to contain the damage suddenly woke up to the rude
fact that 295 out of the 423 river embankments along the
Brahmaputra and its numerous tributaries had ‘expired.’
Shockingly, their efficacy had expired 25 years ago. No matter
that the third wave of floods had already affected over 10
lakh people.
* * * *
Three States Against Order On FIRs
Three States namely Maharashtra, Orissa and Haryana are upset
with the Supreme Court’s directive on registration of FIRs.
Wherein they have been asked to take punitive action against
police officers who failed to register any FIR. The States
have opposed this order on the grounds that it would make it
easier for individuals to file false, frivolous and malicious
cases against innocent persons to settle personal scores.
Instead, the States argued that the FIRs could be registered
after a preliminary enquiry by the investigating officer.
However, their plea fell on deaf ears given that the other
States agreed to comply with the Apex court’s directives.
* * * *
Committee On Jammu’s Discrimination?
Even as Jammu and Kashmir limps back to normalcy after two
months of agitation, there are hints of another stir in the
offing. Monday last saw the Shri Amarnath Sangharsh Samiti
(SASS) agreeing to the State Government’s offer of making
temporary use of 40 hectares of land in Kashmir during the
Yatra period and calling off its agitation. However, after
sustaining the agitation for 62 days, the SASS is talking of
launching another front to tackle what it calls is “the
discrimination meted out to Jammu during the last 60 years by
Kashmir-centric leadership.” Insofar as the separatists in
Kashmir are concerned, Governor NN Vohra is trying to soften
the blow of the agreement and is keen that cross border trade
on the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad and Poonch-Rawlakote roads is
facilitated at the earliest. Meanwhile, the Election
Commission has called an all-party meet on September 8, to
discuss prospects of holding Assembly elections. Though the
term of the Assembly was till November 20, polls can well be
held till January 10, as Governor Rule was imposed on July 10.
When will the State have a popular government again, is the
big question.
* * * *
Orissa Fallout Elsewhere
With Orissa yet “not normal” after ten-days of communal fury,
stray incidents in BJP-led States of Gujarat and Rajasthan
should put authorities on alert. Two Christian missionary
schools in Ahmedabad and one in Jaipur were attacked on
Wednesday night last, by miscreants. While the school
authorities in Ahmedabad felt the attack was a fallout of the
march by Christians against Orissa violence, in Jaipur they
said VHP activists were protesting against the suspension of
few students who had performed Ganesh Puja in school. While no
police complaints have been filed, the situation should be
watched and administration can ill-afford any laxity. More so
in the background that the communal outrage in Kandhamal
district and 10 others in Orissa, has claimed 16 lives so far
and about 558 homes and 17 churches were set on fire. Two
weeks later, the villages wear a deserted look, forcing the
Supreme Court to ask the Naveen Patnaik government to give an
affidavit that it would provide protection to the people and
their property in affected areas. Bring back normalcy, is the
order.
* * * *
Akalis Poll Preparation
Is “Punjabiyat” going to be the buzz word for the Shiromani
Akali Dal (SAD) in the forthcoming Parliamentary elections?
Signs of the SAD seeking to again promote itself as an
orthodox Sikh party are slowly emerging. On Wednesday last,
SAD’s young President Sukhbir Singh Badal had himself baptized
as an Amritdhari Sikh at the historic Takht Keshgarh Sahib.
This apart, the Punjab Cabinet cleared a draft Bill making
Punjabi compulsory in schools up to class tenth in the State.
Further, government officials could be liable for disciplinary
action if they don’t use Punjabi in their administrative
functioning. Add to all this, the State government withdrawing
its consent to make Punjab University a Central university.
While, these signs may be dismissed by party officials as
matter of faith and simple promotion of the mother tongue, a
watch on SAD’s election campaign will reveal if it compromised
with its traditional Sikh vote bank.
* * * *
More Navodaya Vidyalas
The States have reason to rejoice. They are all set to get 20
new Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas in districts with high SC/ST
population following the Centre’s approval. Importantly, this
is the first time since the inception of these schools in 1985
that a district will have more than one Vidyalaya. The
schools, to be set-up at a cost of Rs.430 crores will offer
free education to students selected through the all-India
entrance exam held at the district level. Thus, taking the
total number of Vidyalayas from 400 to 420. Not only that.
Kerala has gone a step further. It has decided to reserve
seats in colleges and universities for the economically
backward students belonging to the forward communities.
Towards that end it had earmarked 10 per cent in universities.
Needless to say this will add impetus to the States policy of
educating India’s Young.---INFA
(Copyright India News & Feature Alliance)
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