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State SentimentsDelhi:
The installation of new governors by the Central Government has raised a storm even in
BJP-ruled states. In Rajasthan, for instance, Chief Minister Bhairon Singh Shekhawat was
upset that Home Minister L.K. Advani didn't talk to him directly and instead sent Jaswant
Singh to discuss the new governor. Though Advani spoke to the other chief ministers
concerned -- as recommended by the Sarkaria Commission -- Singh was entrusted with the
task of speaking to Shekhawat, who wondered whether another power centre was emerging in
the party. This, despite the Centre suggesting a BJP person as governor of Rajasthan. Or
perhaps that was the real problem, for Shekhawat's reaction was nothing short of caustic:
why not have two power centres in the state too. As it is, he had to report to Prime
Minister A.B. Vajpayee and new party chief Kushabhau Thakre. At least let me be the state
satrap, seems to be his feeling.
Religious Recourse
Chandigarh:
Beset with health problems, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal seems to have turned
into an overly religious man -- combining the proverbial dawa (medicine) with dua
(prayers) for his well being. In fact, ever since he returned from the US where he
underwent treatment for a liver ailment, Badal has been on a pilgrimage of sorts. First he
organised an akhand path (non-stop religious chant) at his official residence and followed
it up with visits to the Golden Temple and the Durgiana Mandir in Amritsar. Not only that,
blessings of a local saint and a trip to Ajmer Sharif in Rajasthan were also on his
itinerary. While Badal's aides insist it's a thanksgiving pilgrimage, among those wishing
him a long life are not only his partymen and admirers, but even folk singers. Recently,
at a marriage function attended by Badal, popular Punjabi folk singer Gurdas Mann, who
also hails from Faridkot district, interrupted a hit number of his to break into an
impromptu song wishing the chief minister well. Many in the audience raised their
jal-jeera tumblers as a toast to Badal.
Lobby Manager
Shimla:
As the powerful PWD minister in the BJP-led state Government, Sukh Ram seems to mean
business -- as long as it pertains to his family. Having wrangled a Rajya Sabha berth for
son Anil Sharma, Ram is now using his ministerial clout to shore up Sharma's hotel
business in native Mandi. A public parking lot in front of the hotel was dismantled at his
bidding. The decision, taken without a formal notification, has raised the hackles of
Mandi's shopkeepers who have threatened an agitation against the musical fountain proposed
in place of the parking lot. Ram, of course, is least worried. For it is the BJP that will
face the music during the June 3 Lok Sabha polls for the Mandi seat -- Ram having given up
the seat as part of his deal with the saffron party.
Too Many Cooks...
Delhi: It's
not just Jayalalitha who is proving to be the bane of the BJP-led Government. There are
informal advisers within the party and ministerial circles who have added to its
headaches. For instance, it was Parliamentary Affairs Minister M.L. Khurana who
recommended the name of Ashok Kumar, till recently the special secretary (Home). Kumar
raised the hackles of not only Jayalalitha but also his minister L.K. Advani by giving a
clean chit to the DMK Government on the law and order situation in Tamil Nadu. Following
this, Khurana immediately called on Advani, apparently to apologise for the
recommendation. Not that he needed to. Advani had made up his mind by then: the Planning
Commission could have Kumar.
Quickfix Populism
Shimla:
Even though its coffers are empty, the BJP-led Government in Himachal Pradesh is
in a benevolent mood. Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal, surviving on a wafer-thin majority, has
been bestowing largesse on the tribals living in remote Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur, a cold
desert region usually given the cold shoulder by politicians in power. The chief
minister's large-heartedness has a reason: the region elects four members to the state
Assembly on June 3.
So far, besides holding the Himachal Day function in the
tribal town of Bharmour, Dhumal has hiked the wages of tribal workers by 25 per cent and
offered free education to 1,000 students belonging to the scheduled castes. He has also
inducted Kishan Kapoor, a tribal belonging to the influential Gaddi community, into his
ministry and raised the maximum age limit for entry into government service from 35 to 38
years. Through his quickfix populism, the chief minister hopes to undermine the Congress'
electoral base among the tribals. Unfortunately Dhumal has no magic wand to shore up the
state treasury.
Forceful Promise
Guwahati:
If anybody can be accused of being a turncoat, it is Assam Chief Minister Prafulla
Mahanta. Last week, he proposed a rehabilitation package for militants after having
scrapped in 1996 a similar scheme initiated by his predecessor Hiteswar Saikia on the
ground that surrendered militants do not join the mainstream.
According to the new package, militants will be provided jobs
in the paramilitary forces, an idea close to the heart of Defence Minister George
Fernandes who has promised an increased quota for the North-east. The modalities will be
worked out at a meeting of chief ministers chaired by the prime minister on May 8.
Mahanta, on the backfoot after the Lok Sabha poll debacle, is hoping to regain some
credibility with the rehabilitation package. But will the militants bite the bait?
Hic, Hic, Hiccups
Hyderabad:
When Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu announced the open licensing system for liquor
shops on April 1, the Andhra Pradesh Government expected more revenue from the trade and
beat back smuggling from neighbouring states. But the grand plan is turning out to be a
cruel All Fools' Day joke on newcomers to the business and lakhs of tipplers in the state.
With liquor shops increasing to 9,000 from 3,211 before April 1 when the auction system
was in vogue, and many of them situated close to schools, places of worship and
residential areas, an embarrassed chief minister ordered the closure of 2,000 shops in the
weeks that followed.
"We will pay back the deposits to those who withdraw
voluntarily and cancel licences of others found violating the rules," says Naidu.
Liquor cartels, including one led by history sheeter and Telugu Desam Party member C.
Srisailam Yadav, have allegedly connived with excise officials to retain their grip on the
trade. In East Godavari district alone there are 850 outlets -- one for every 5,290
persons -- while rules permit an outlet for a minimum population of 10,000. "We will
have won the battle if the new licensing system checks the flow of smuggled liquor,"
says Excise Commissioner A.K. Goel. But Naidu's worry is greater: the impact it will have
on ordinary voters.
Blood Mystery in Expert Hands
Calcutta:
Forensic experts in Calcutta had a rather unusual assignment last weekend. They had to
check out "miracles" in that took place in two houses on Amherst Street almost
simultaneously on April 17. First, Ajanta Chatterjee noticed blood oozing from the
fibre-glass figure of Jesus Christ in her house. Almost at the same time, Amalendu Mondal
witnessed a similar happening in his house.
People who made a beeline for the houses on hearing about the
"revelation" believe that the bleeding was a manifestation of Christ's suffering
on the cross, similar to the one that is said to have occurred in Rome some years ago. DNA
tests, to be conducted on blood samples taken from the two figures, are expected to solve
the mystery.
Green Signal to Red Zones
Lucknow:
Pedestrians dreaded them, drivers avoided them and policemen seethed against them. For
long VIP vehicles, red light flashing and siren blaring, were a hazard to Lucknowites used
to shopping leisurely in crowded marketplaces. Last week, the Uttar Pradesh Transport
Department consulted the rule book and decided that too many worthies enjoyed this
privilege. The result: within four days the flashlights were ripped off 700 vehicles,
including those belonging to former chief ministers N.D. Tiwari, Mulayam Singh Yadav,
Mayawati and the 36-hour wonder Jagdambika Pal. Once considered a status symbol, the red
lights are now proving an embarrassment for political functionaries and bureaucrats.
However, liberating Lucknow from this menace is part of the administration's larger goal:
restoring Lucknow's glory. On the anvil are plans to uproot garish hoardings and
signboards, widen roads at a cost of Rs 110 crore and dredge and beautify the Haider
Canal, constructed by a nawab to carry water from the Ganges to the city. What better way
to show Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, elected to the Lok Sabha from Lucknow, that
this government means business. |
