Gl plates slowly replacing WB vehicle registration plates

Photo by Himalaya Darpan

Statehood for Telangana: New Imperatives

By Ch. Hanumantha Rao

THROUGH MR. SRIDHAR DESPANDE, EDITOR, TELANGANA TIMES

A genuine response to the present discontent in Telangana would be to embark upon a fresh round of land reforms and other socio-economic measures.

IN THE recent by-election to the Lok Sabha from Karimnagar constituency in Andhra Pradesh, the voters were confronted with a choice between ‘development’ (within an integrated State) and a ‘Separate Telangana’. The verdict went overwhelmingly in favour of a separate Telangana. By attributing this verdict to the ’sentiment’ (for Telangana), some sections of the political leadership are evading the real issue. There was no religious or ethnic ’sentiment,’ not even of language, at issue in this election. No doubt, some assertion of ‘regional identity’ can be read into the result, but this does not defy rational explanation. The simple and straightforward explanation is that the people perceive that ‘development’ — in the sense of equitable share in water resources, jobs, opportunities for enterprise and career advancement, and adequate voice in political decision-making — is not possible within the integrated State and that separate statehood alone can ensure justice for them.

The demand for separation is far more widespread now than in 1969 when the agitation for a separate Telangana was first launched. It has now engulfed farmers, youth, and women on a much lager scale. The movement of the late 1960s petered out not just because of the opportunism displayed by the leaders of the movement or due to the repressive measures of the state, as is often made out.

It was in the early 1970s that Indira Gandhi’s slogan of ‘Garibi Hatao’ caught the imagination of the poor throughout the country. N.T. Rama Rao was another charismatic leader with a pro-poor and gender-sensitive agenda who virtually took the place of Indira Gandhi in Andhra Pradesh in the 1980s. Their credibility with the common people of Telangana was primarily responsible for sweeping the statehood issue under the carpet for quite some time.

However, the policies initiated by these charismatic leaders could not be sustained for long because of the absence of commitment among their successors. The period following the demise of these leaders witnessed a major shift in socio-economic policies. The neglect of agriculture, rural development, and the social sectors in the post-liberalisation period and the consequent rise in rural distress brought into sharp focus the rise in regional disparities in development.

For example, in the 1980s, the per capita GSDP (Gross State Domestic Product) of the four richest States in the country was 100 per cent higher than that of the bottom four States — Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Orissa. But by 1990s this disparity rose to 200 per cent.

What is true of the rise in inter-State disparities in development would be true of regional disparities within some of the larger States. For, the factors giving rise to such disparities are common.

Stray incidents mark bandh in Telangana region

FROM THE HINDU

HYDERABAD: Stray incidents of burning of buses marked the bandh called by the Telangana Rashtra Samiti across the 10 districts of the region.

While an RTC bus of the Hanamkonda depot was burnt at Godavarikhani, a private bus was set ablaze in Medak district, five buses were damaged in Mahbubnagar district. A former MLA, E. Ravinder Reddy was arrested when he staged a ‘rasta roko’ near Sadashivnagar in Nizamabad. Activists of the TRS were arrested when they staged a ‘rasta roko’ at the RTC Crossroads here as were women when they tried to storm the Secretariat.

Petrol bunk damaged

In Warangal, the bandh turned violent with TRS activities attacking two APSRTC buses and one private bus belonging to a school. In another incident in Narsampet, furious mob damaged a petrol bunk which was open.

A report from Nalgonda said the bandh was near total and peaceful. Agitators damaged glass panes of five RTC buses in Choutuppal, Suryapet, Narketpally, Miryalaguda and Cherlapally. The TRS activists tried to attack a bank in Bhongir which continued its operations.

In the twin cities, 322 people were taken into preventive custody. Most private educational institutions had already declared a holiday.

The bandh was by and large, total with the exception of Hyderabad and Khammam. It was called to express resentment against Congress MPs from the region not doing their bit to pressurise the Centre to take up the issue of a separate State before the trust vote on July 22.

MJF’s Jha elected vice president

FROM SOUTH ASIAN MEDIA NET

KATHMANDU: The run-off election for country’s first President will take place on Monday as none of the three presidential candidates managed to secure a majority vote in the election held today. Presidential candidates Dr Ram Baran Yadav of the Nepali Congress and Ram Raja Prasad Singh, who was fielded by the CPN-Maoist, secured 283 and 270 votes, respectively. One of them had to secure at least 298 votes to get elected.

However, former justice of the Supreme Court Parmananda Jha, fielded by Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum, was elected country’s first Vice-President with a total of 305 votes, defeating his nearest rival Shanta Shrestha, who polled 243 votes. Shrestha was contesting on behalf of the CPN-Maoist. A total of 578 votes were cast in today’s presidential and vice-presidential election. Sixteen CA members, including Arzoo Rana Deuba, did not turn up to cast the vote.

CA members of the NWPP, RPP-N, RJN, CPN-Unified boycotted the election. Keshav Mainali, the only CA member of the Chure Bhavar Ekta Party-Nepal, did not cast vote for the presidential post and cast his vote for Maoists’ vice-presidential candidate. Two other candidates for the VP’s post – Astha Laxmi Shakya of the CPN-UML and Man Bahadur Bishwokarma of the NC — polled just four and two votes, respectively, as their parties had thrown their weight behind Jha.

Another presidential candidate, Ramprit Paswan of the CPN-UML, got no vote, as his party had decided to support NC candidate Yadav. CA chairman Kul Bahadur Gurung said run-off poll for the President would be held on Monday. As many as 25 votes cast for the presidential candidate and 24 for the vice-presidential candidate were found invalid. A CA member said small parties could have deliberately invalidated their votes. Leader of the Tarai-Madhes Democratic Party Hridayesh Tripathi informed that 18 votes cast for Singh and seven votes for Yadav were found invalid.

Nepal House fails to elect first president

FROM THE PENINSULA ONLINE

KATHMANDU: Lawmakers in Nepal yesterday failed to elect the country’s first president and end weeks of political deadlock following the abolition of the Himalayan monarchy, official television said.

No candidate won the 298 votes necessary to become country’s first post-royal head of state, Nepal Television reported after a vote in the country’s constitutional assembly.

The leading candidate, Ram Baran Yadav, was just four votes short of a majority to take the largely ceremonial presidency, the channel reported.

Die-hard republican Ramraja Prasad Singh, the candidate backed by the Maoists, won 282 votes, the channel said. Both men are ethnic Mahadhesis who hail from the troubled lowland area bordering India known as the Terai, where demands for an autonomous federal state have seen frequent deadly clashes

It was not yet clear when a new vote would take place. The new president will take over some of the ceremonial duties previously performed by ousted king Gyanendra.

The hung result further delays efforts by former rebel Maoists, who hold the most assembly seats but not a majority, to form Nepal’s first republican government.

Nepal’s current interim prime minister and head of state is elderly centrist politician Girija Prasad Koirala.

He stepped down after the abolition of Nepal’s 240-year-old monarchy on May 28, but has lingered on as a weak caretaker because nobody has the power to accept his resignation.

In the past seven weeks, as arguing continued over the symbolic post, Nepal has been largely ungoverned.

Voting opened with the dice loaded heavily in favour of a 61-year-old seasoned politician from Koirala’s NC after the party pulled off a last-minute poll pact with two major parties.

Ram Baran Yadav is a medical doctor from Sapahi village in Nepal’s border district of Dhanusha, whose ancestors were from India. The emergence of dark horse Yadav as the new favourite for the fiercely contested post came after the NC reached a hasty agreement with the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (UML) and a bloc of three regional parties from the Terai plains.

Ethnic Madheshi set to be Nepal’s first president

FROM THE NEW NATION

Nepal was set to elect its first president on Saturday, from a marginalised ethnic community whose violent demand for a greater say in running the government once threatened a peace deal with Maoist former rebels.

Nepal abolished its 239-year-old monarchy and became a republic under a 2006 deal with the rebels, who ended their decade-long civil war and scored a surprise win in an election in April for a special assembly to write a constitution.

But the peace pact was threatened by an unrest in the country’s southern plains bordering India, where ethnic Madheshi groups began protesting against their marginalisation. At least 50 people were killed in those protests.

Though a ceremonial post, the election of a Madhesi president is seen as a formula to appease the marginalised group and enlist its support for a new coalition possibly headed by former rebel chief Prachanda.

All three candidates for the post hailed from the Madhesh region, also called the Terai.

Among the candidates is a 73-year-old republican, Ramraja Prasad Singh, who masterminded a series of bomb blasts in Nepal, including attacks on the parliament and the royal palace in 1985.

“Having a Madheshi president is in itself a pride for our community and we feel honoured,” said Rajesh Ahiraj, editor of the weekly Madheshvani. “This is an initial indication that the nation is becoming inclusive.”

Fertile Madhesh, or Terai, is home to nearly half of Nepal’s 26.4 million people and is the impoverished nation’s breadbasket as well as business and industrial hub.

Ethnic Madheshis are culturally and linguistically closer to the Indians living across the border than those coming from Nepal’s hills or mountains.

They say they are discriminated against by the government dominated by the people from the hills in terms of jobs including the army, representation in parliament, judiciary and other state institutions.

Press Club of Sikkim launch Patrakar Kalyan Kosh

FROM SIKKIM EXPRESS

GANGTOK, July 18: The Press Club of Sikkim has launched a “Patrakar Kalyan Kosh,” a welfare fund for journalists under its umbrella. The welfare fund was officially opened during the 6th anniversary function of the Press Club here yesterday.

The minister for tourism, RB Subba, who was the chief guest on the occasion, formally launched the scheme during the function. Mr. Subba contributed Rs. 50,000 as a grant from the Tourism department to the fund, along with Rs. 10,000 as a personal contribution from his side. This scheme would play an important role in providing financial assistance to members of the Press Club in times of need. “This fund has been developed with the view to ensure that the local journalists meet up the financial challenges in times of emergencies like expensive medical treatments or accidents,” Bhim Rawat, the General Secretary of the Press Club said. He also said that a separate account would be maintained for the scheme.

Two journalists injured in the recent attack in the Hamro Prajashakti office-editor and publisher Anjan Upadhaya and reporter Pavitra Bhandari have decided to donate the financial assistance they received from the State Government for medical treatment to the Patrakar Kalyan Kosh.

The Press Club is also planning to stage a play to raise funds. ‘Andha ko Ram Kahani,” a popular play written by imminent playwright from Kalimpong, CK Shrestha, will be staged in August under the supervision of journalist and theater personality, Hemant Giri.

Sonia to consider Gorkhaland issue

FROM THE STATESMAN

DARJEELING, July 19: The UPA chairperson Mrs Sonia Gandhi today assured the Darjeeling Congress MP Mr Dawa Narbula of seriously considering the Gorkhaland issue. “Mrs Gandhi expressed concern with the problems of the Hills and assured to consider the demand for Gorkhaland seriously. She assured of a meeting on the issue after the Trust vote on 22 July,” Mr Narbula said from New Delhi today.

Mr Narbula said he submitted a three-point charter of demands to Mrs Gandhi in her residence. A dialogue with the GJMM leadership and arrangement of a tripartite meeting between the Centre, West Bengal government and the GJMM in New Delhi; constitution of a States Re-organisation Commission and inclusion of Gorkhaland in the list of the proposed smaller states makes up the list of demands.

“Mrs Gandhi assured to arrange a tripartite meeting soon to solve the Gorkhaland issue. She is aware that the BJP is politicking on the issue by extending verbal support to the proposal of smaller states,” he added.

Three elephants killed in a day

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

Siliguri, July 19: Three elephants have been found dead in the Mahananda wildlife sanctuary near Siliguri in the past 24 hours.

There were no external injuries and foresters said they could have been poisoned by villagers wary of marauding herds.

A female aged about 35 and its two-year-old calf were found dead yesterday at the heart of the sanctuary. Forest guards on patrol spotted a four-year-old calf lying dead this morning, about a kilometre away.

“There were no injury marks like those found when elephants die of electrocution or gunshots. After a preliminary probe, we suspect that the elephants died of poisoning but can confirm it only after receiving forensic reports from Calcutta,” said N.C. Bahuguna, the chief conservator of forests in north Bengal.

Vets who conducted the post-mortem said they felt the elephants had been poisoned.

Corn was found in the stomachs of the two animals found dead yesterday. “It is possible that the they were poisoned by tea garden residents desperate to save their property,” said Bahuguna.

Elephants had last week entered Simulbari and New Chumta tea estates, bordering the sanctuary, and injured three garden residents and damaged six houses. In neighbouring Jalpaiguri, two men were killed and several injured.

Conservationist Animesh Bose said: “The Mahananda fringe villagers might have put poison in foodgrain to prevent elephant intrusions.”

Bose added that villagers had to be made aware of the loss that an elephant death brought. “The forest department should also provide them with crackers and searchlights to thwart elephant raids.”