Government Sings MNS Song

As expected, the issue of taxi permits to only those who know Marathi has snowballed into a controversy. Hindi media has in its typical theatrical style found an analogy with the attacks on Indians in Melbourne.

This is the start of the morning and I am watching a Hindi news channel. The reporter is screaming, “Maharashtra government has issued this order on the basis of an old Act.” Probably the reporter or anybody on the editing desk have never heard about the Motor Vehicle Act, 1989 which is still in force. Compared to many laws in India, this Act is fairly new and updated. But the channel has to convey its point to some of equally ignorant audience and has to resort to half-baked information.

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena has got a shot in the arm with the government decision. Raj Thackerey can never thank Ashok Chavan more. The chief minister has handed Raj a perfect toy to play upon which is bound to provide a windfall in near future.

Read More

Gear Changing Politics of Maharashtra

The Congress leadership in Maharashtra have once again demonstrated why the party is able to rule the state even after so many failures on many fronts. The government has succeeded in creating a issue which was non-existent, lending a hand to Maharashtra Navnirman Sena.

Chief Minister Ashok Chavan backtracked from state government's decision of giving licenses only to those taxi drivers who know Marathi.  He said taxi drivers should know any local language including Hindi and Gujarati.

The Congress and Nationalist Congress Party government had decided yesterday to give new taxi licenses to only those well versed in Marathi and state resident the state for at least 15 years.

Yesterday's decision was seen as toeing the line of Raj Thackeray led MNS. That was sure to create harsh reactions, especially from media leading to the backtracking. Now, after CM's volte face, MNS adopted the aggressive posture. Raj Thackerey has threatened that no new taxi will be allowed to come on road if the license is given to non-Maharashtrians.

On the face of it, MNS and Congress will be biggest beneficiaries of the developments arising from this issue. The inherent politics seems push Shiv Sena to more marginalisation as Shiv Sena presents itself as the champion of the Marathi cause. Predictably, it has come with condemnation of CM saying that Chavan has degraded the post. In the days to come, more verbal duel will follow. 

Read More

The Education In Bad Light

It is education which is making news in Maharashtra since last two weeks. There was also a bit of entertainment to it also. First the issue rose up in the form of controversy over a movie, then the talk centred around appointment of head at university and then a deemed university was striped off its status.

Shikshanachya Aicha Gho, a movie directed by Mahesh Majarekar, attracted too much criticism from organisations and educationists. The name is a form of abuse and many people were enraged that a ‘pious’ entity  like education should be subjected to foul language. In the modern tradition of special screenings for the noise making personalities, the director showed the movie to objecting representatitives paving the way for the release of movie with an apology note.

Then the appointment process of six universities in the state became a target of criticism as well as accusation. Selectors are accused of favouritism and discrimination. The process now has reached to court with an organisation approacging the court.

But the bolt came with the declaration that Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth, a deemed university is to be stripped off its status. The announcement has put future of many students in the dark exposing loopholes of the system. The talk will reside with the passage of time but will it address the real problem? That is an open question.

Read More

One More Minister Arrested In Maharashtra

Another shameful incidence in the Maharashtra politics as police registered a case against Maharashtra Tourism Minister Vijaykumar Gavit, MLA Jaikumar Rawal and 41 others for alleged misappropriation of Rs 16 crore from the Dadasaheb Rawal Cooperative Bank here.
fullstory

This is not the first time that ministers and other politicians from the state were in the soup. Surupsingh Naik, the then transport minister was even sent to jail four years ago for contempt of court.  harmrao Baba Atram, the then minister for Adivasi development was arrested on the charges of poaching a Chinkara about two years ago.  At present, Zenda, the Marathi movie directed by Avdhoot Gupte has been withheld from release because of threats from Ritesh Rane, son of Industries minister Narayan Rane.

It has been a sort of ritual for successive governments in the state to have at least one minister making rounds of police stations.

Read More