Politics Archive

Ballot papers to be used in Madhya Pradesh civic polls

Published: November 3, 2009Posted in: National, PoliticsTags:

Bhopal, Nov 3 – Ballot papers would be used, instead of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), in the civic polls slated before Dec 20 in Madhya Pradesh, the state Election Commissioner said Tuesday.

Election Commissioner A.V. Singh told reporters here that elections would be held in two phases to 268 of the 358 civic bodies in the state and the dates for these would be announced next week.

The elections to the remaining 90 civic bodies would not be held now due to some legal hurdles, he added.

Singh said the voters’ lists and other election-related work would be completed before the announcement of the election dates.

The election code of conduct, he said, would come into effect after the announcement of the date of the elections, he stressed.

NCP will ‘definitely’ join Maharashtra ministry: Patel

Published: November 3, 2009Posted in: National, PoliticsTags:

New Delhi, Nov 3 – Nationalist Congress Party leader Praful Patel Tuesday said his party will ‘definitely’ be part of the Congress-led ministry in Maharashtra, but asserted that the NCP will stick to the 1999 berth-sharing formula.

‘We will definitely be joining the government (in Maharashtra),’ Patel, also the civil aviation minister in the central government, told reporters.

The assurance came hours after NCP leader and deputy chief minister -designate Chhagan Bhujbal said that if the Congress did not agree to the power-sharing formula decided in 1999, the NCP would offer it ‘outside support’ instead of joining the ministry.

Patel said the ‘NCP won’t deviate from the 1999 portfolios’ formula’, according to which major ministries like home, power and finance were with the NCP.

The two parties – the Congress with 82 seats and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) with 62 seats in the 288-member assembly – are locked in a bitter squabble over allocation of portfolios, causing a delay in the forming of the new government.

Central government school’s staff don black bands as protest

Published: November 3, 2009Posted in: Education, National, PoliticsTags:

Lucknow, Nov 3 – The entire teaching and non-teaching staff of the central government’s 586 Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNV) across India has decided to work with a black arm bands to protest the government indifference to their demands.

The symbolic protest started Nov 2 and will continue across the country till Nov 7.

‘All of us, including the teaching and non-teaching staff, are central government employees but we are deprived of the facilities provided to other central government employees ever since the schools came into existence,’ said Jagdish Rai, the president of the Navodaya Vidyalaya Employees Association (NVEA).

A brain-child of former prime minister, late Rajiv Gandhi, the JNVs were established across the in country in 1986 to provide higher secondary education to children residing in rural areas. Currently there are 586 JNVs in the country providing free education to students from classes 6th to 12th.

‘We do not have the privilege of pension after retirement and neither we are eligible to get the 10 percent special allowance announced in the Sixth Pay Commission to our counterparts in the Indira Gandhi National Open University and other educational organisations run by the central government,’ Rai added.

‘We will stage a protest at the Jantar Mantar Nov 9 and will go on a day’s country-wide strike Nov 16. We only demand equality like our counterparts,’ L.B.Reddy, a teacher in a JNV in Hyderabad, told IANS.

Deoband meet urges terrorists, Maoists to lay down arms

Published: November 3, 2009Posted in: Education, National, PoliticsTags: ,

Deoband (Uttar Pradesh), Nov 3 – Urging terrorists and Maoist rebels to lay down arms, an Islamic cleric Tuesday assured them the community would help them take up their cause.

‘If terrorists and Maoists agree to give up violence, they are welcome to join us and I would like to assure them that we will fight for them,’ said Maulana Mehmood Madni, the convenor of the annual convention of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind organised at Deoband seminary here.

The convention also passed a resolution to oppose creation of a Central Madrassa Board, proposed by Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal, with many speakers opposing any efforts by the government to ‘meddle’ with the madrassas and stressing any change in the existing system and structure was ‘totally unacceptable’ to them.

The clerics were not even impressed by the allocation of a Rs.700 crore annual grant proposed for the madrassas by Sibal.

Among the 25 other resolutions passed at the meet was the clerics’ opposition to reciting ‘Vande Mataram’, homosexuality and terrorism.

A resolution also demanded reservation in jobs for Muslims as well as implementation of recommendations of the Sachar Commission and Rangnath Misra Commission, while seeking a new legislation to equate communal violence with terrorism.

Central forces in Kerala to ensure fair polls: Antony

Published: November 3, 2009Posted in: National, PoliticsTags: ,

Kozhikode (Kerala), Nov 3 – Defence Minister A.K. Antony Tuesday said the central forces were sent to Kannur district ahead of assembly polls Nov 7 as the state government had failed to ensure free and fair elections.

Antony was reacting to a comment of Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan during a campaign speech Monday that the paramilitary troopers would have to stay in barracks during the polls.

‘The chief minister and the state government should introspect on why the central forces have arrived. It is because the government failed to ensure a free and fair election,’ said Antony.

Three companies of paramilitary troopers arrived in Kannur district and conducted a route march Monday evening.

Elections take place to Kannur, Ernakulam and Alappuzha assembly seats after Congress legislators from these constituencies got elected to the Lok Sabha in May 2009 general elections.

State Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan Tuesday said: ‘The paramilitary forces are in Kannur on the directions of the Election Commission. They will only be associated with the poll process and will have nothing to do with the law and order situation.’

Swami Ramdev promotes yoga at Deoband gathering

Published: November 3, 2009Posted in: National, Politics, ReligionTags: ,

Deoband (Uttar Pradesh), Nov 3 – Renowned yoga guru Swami Ramdev Tuesday sought to promote his method of keeping fit and dispel misconceptions about it at the gathering of clerics and followers at the historic Islamic seminary here.

Ramdev was the first non-Muslim cleric to address the annual convention of Islamic seminaries under the auspices of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind at the seminary, known for its influence over bulk of the Sunni Muslims across the country.

Emphasising the need for promoting communal harmony, he contended that the unity between Hindus and Muslims was the strength of the nation. ‘It was high time people realized that ‘Ishwar’ and ‘Allah’ were two names of one and the only god,’ he said.

Stressing the need to promote yoga, Ramdev sought to dispel misconceptions about the activity.

‘Yoga is not related to any religion nor is there any underlying idea behind it to promote any religion,’ he said, stressing it was a physical exercise to keep body and mind fit.

He also gave a demonstration of his most popular ‘pranayam’ exercises – ‘kapal-bhati’ and ‘anulom-vilom’.

Home Minister P.Chidambaram, Minister of State for Communications Sachin Pilot, All India Muslim Personal Law Board’s senior vice president Maulana Kalbe Sadiq and social activist Swami Agnivesh also addressed the gathering.

Swami Agnivesh too drew much applause when he talked about banning liquor as well as urging Muslims not to recite Vande Mataram.

Andhra legislator’s arrest in suicide case stayed

Published: November 3, 2009Posted in: National, PoliticsTags:

Hyderabad, Nov 3 – The Andhra Pradesh High Court Tuesday stayed the arrest of a woman Telugu Desam Party (TDP) legislator who was allegedly responsible for the death of an agricultural officer.

The court directed the police not to arrest Sita Dayakar Reddy till further orders. The legislator from Devarkadra in Mahabubnagar district, also the president of the women’s unit of the TDP, faces charges of abetment to suicide in the case of B. Rajeswari, an agricultural officer. Two others were booked with her.

Rajeswari, who was physically challenged, had set herself ablaze on Oct 14 in Mahabubnagar district and died four days later at a Hyderabad hospital.

In her dying statement recorded before a magistrate, she alleged that the TDP legislator and two district and mandal level public representatives were mentally harassing her.

Police booked the legislator, Mandal Praja Parishad (MPP) member Bharathi Reddy and Zilla Parishad Territorial Committee (ZPTC) member Pradeep Goud for abetment of suicide, criminal intimidation and threat of injury to public servant.

Sita Dayakar Reddy, however, has denied the allegations and termed the case as politically motivated.

Congress-called shutdown hits parts of Tripura

Published: November 3, 2009Posted in: National, PoliticsTags:

Agartala, Nov 3 – Over 400 Congress activists were arrested in Tripura Tuesday as they tried to enfore a 12-hour shutdown in parts of the state to protest an alleged attack on their legislator by cadres of the ruling the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), police said.

Many shops and businesses establishments, government offices and educational institutions remained closed, while traffic was thin in Sabroom and Sonamura sub-divisions in south and western Tripura, according to police.

‘The shutdown was more or less total and successful,’ said opposition Congress leader Ratanlal Nath.

Police arrested from various parts of the two districts over 400 Congress supporters who tried to enforce the dawn to dusk strike, said police spokesman Nepal Das.

The Congress alleged that CPI-M cadres attacked their legislator Subal Bhowmik Sunday.

Talking to newsmen in Agartala, Bhowmik alleged that the CPI-M leaders, with the help of the administration, had forcibly taken the possession of a plot of land belonging to three poor tribal families.

‘While I was talking to the affected tribal families, the Left party cadres attacked me and Congress workers accompanying me,’ Bhowmik said.

The ruling CPI-M alleges that the Congress legislator tried to prevent National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) work at Sabroom and assaulted the labourers, injuring six of them.

‘The Congress legislator and his associates managed to escape when the NREGA workers tried to retaliate,’ a CPI-M spokesman added.

Meanwhile, opposition leader Ratanlal Nath sought the governor’s intervention to provide security to opposition leaders, legislators and workers.

Tripartite meeting to resolve Reang repatriation to Mizoram

Published: November 3, 2009Posted in: National, PoliticsTags:

Aizawl, Nov 3 – Officials of the Mizoram government and union home ministry will meet tribal leaders here Wednesday to resolve the longstanding deadlock on the repatriation of 35,000 Reang refugees from Tripura to Mizoram.

The tripartite meeting will see representatives try and hammer out a solution to the repatriation issue that has been hanging fire for 12 years following differences between the migrants and the state government over the rehabilitation package.

The Reang (locally called Bru) tribal refugees have been living in six north Tripura camps for 12 years after they fled Mizoram following ethnic clashes with the majority Mizos.

‘The Mizoram government has been ignoring our demands and has unilaterally prepared a rehabilitation package for the Reang tribals, who are reluctant to return to their home land under this package,’ said Elvis Chorkhy, president of the Mizoram Bru Displaced People’s Forum (MBDPF).

‘The Mizoram government package for the home-bound refugees suggested a Rs.20,000 cash grant instead of Rs.50,000 as promised earlier. The package also recommended a scattered resettlement of the 35,000 tribal refugees in three different districts – Mamit, Kolashib and Lunglei. We want compact rehabilitation of the tribals in two districts in southern Mizoram,’ Elvis told IANS.

Disclosing that a six-member delegation would represent the Reang tribals at the meeting, he added: ‘To avoid ethnic violence in the future, we want deployment of the Central Para Military Force (CPMF) in the proposed resettlement areas instead of state security force.’

According to Elvis, the state government was also yet to fulfil the assurances given to the surrendered Bru militants.

In April 2005, the Mizoram government and the Bru National Liberation Front (BNLF) signed an agreement after 13 rounds of talks to solve the decade-old ethnic crisis. This led to the surrender of almost all the 1,040 extremists of the BNLF and the Bru Liberation Front of Mizoram (BLFM).

Following the advice of the union home ministry, a Bru Coordination Committee (BCC) was formed recently with the leaders of the MBDPF, BNLF and BLFM.

Giving the government’s point of view, Mizoram Home Minister R. Lalzirliana said: ‘Preparations for repatriation of Bru refugees from six relief camps in neighbouring North Tripura district, are almost finalised.’

Lalzirliana told reporters last week that the road map for the repatriation had been submitted to the union home ministry. It included proposals for resettlement of the Brus as well as construction of health centres and educational institutions.

‘We hope that the repatriation process can soon be done after centre provides financial assistance for the proposed expenditure of Rs.258 million for implementation of the repatriation and resettlement package,’ the minister said.

He said the Reang tribals would be settled in different districts where they were living before migrating to Tripura in October 1997 and that they should not be concentrated in one assembly constituency or in a district.

Reacting to Mizoram’s assertion that it would take back only ‘genuine citizens’ of that state, a Tripura minister said: ‘Let the repatriation first start, then we would see how it can be solved.’

‘Due to the long stay of the tribal refugees (since October 1997), Tripura is facing serious socio-economic problems,’ the minister said on condition of anonymity. The central government has so far spent around Rs.1 billion for their upkeep.

Chidambaram in Deoband: Condemn communalism in word and action

Published: November 3, 2009Posted in: National, PoliticsTags: ,

Deoband (Uttar Pradesh), Nov 3 – Emphasising that communalism was against ‘pluralism’ and opposed ‘political freedom to people’, union Home Minister P. Chidambaram Tuesday called for tolerance to ‘strengthen the strands that bind civil society’.

‘Communalism is the negation of pluralism. Communalism also opposes modernity, rejects the idea of civil society, and opposes political freedom to the people,’ Chidambaram told a gathering of clerics and followers at the Deoband seminary here.

More than 500,000 people, including about 10,000 clerics, are attending the seminary’s annual conference in Deoband, about 150 km from New Delhi.

The home ministry reminded the gathering, which had only last year issued a fatwa (decree) against terrorism, that civil society was based on a compact and tolerance was at the core of this compact.

‘The sharper the differences, the greater must be the degree of tolerance. When this compact is eroded, the foundations of civil society are shaken. It is our duty to spread the message of tolerance and strengthen the strands that bind civil society,’ he said.

‘In the final analysis, it is the assurance of political freedom, and all the rights associated with such freedom, that will defeat communalism.’

The home minister condemned all manifestations of communalism and said: ‘The worst kind of communalism is unleashing communal violence. Violence and violent means to achieve any objective is the antithesis of a civilised society governed by the rule of law.

‘The demolition of the Babri Masjid was a manifestation of religious fanaticism and an act of extreme prejudice. Likewise, taking to the path of violence in the name of religion must also be deplored in unequivocal terms.’

Recalling the contribution of Muslims to the freedom struggle and then the building of modern India, Chidambaram said India could not view Islam as an ‘alien faith’.

‘We cannot view Islam as an alien faith. Our Muslim brethren are honoured citizens of India. This is the land of your forbears; this is the land of your birth; and this is where you will live and work. It is a matter of pride for us that all major religions of the world, including Islam, exist and thrive in India.’

‘A nation can ignore its minorities only at its peril. The golden rule in a democracy is that it is the duty of the majority to protect the minority, be it religious, racial or linguistic. It is a self-evident rule. It is a rule that is firmly rooted in the universality of human rights,’ Chidambaram said at the conference being organised by the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind.

Hailing the clerics for their bold declaration denouncing terrorism, Chidambaram said: ‘I regard that decree as a call to duty to not only Muslims but to all right thinking people. I would urge that more voices be raised, loudly and clearly, against terrorism and all forms of violence.’

–Indo-Asian News service

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