Unchallenged Power Generates Internal Sparks

NEWS : Rift In Congress, NCP
The exchange of brickbats between Congress and ally NCP provided an added element of entertainment to the public. Added because the public is already burdened with the IPL tamasha and price rise in the market-is that anything lesser than a horror movie?

The inauguration of the additional carriageway of the Bandra-Worli Sea Link on Wednesday only brought to fore what was the  known to wide strata of public for long.  This was not the first time that Deputy Chief Minister Chaggan Bhujbal took potshots at the Chief Minister Ashok Chavan. The language he used at the ceremony was a veiled one. He had used much sharp and toned language during the cabinet meeting.

Bhujbal said that ministers ought to clear files and not sit on them. This was because Chavan had thwarted at least two attempts by Bhujbal to award contracts for big works to his prefered men.  Not a man to take it easily, Chavan retaliated by taking a dig at NCP ministers who headed Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) and said that there seemed to be preferential treatment for road-building in areas like Nagpur, Aurangabad and Beed where they hailed from.

The second leg of Bandra-Worli sea link was inaugurated yesterday. Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan  Superstar Amitabh Bachchan graced the occasion. Keeping in view the relation between Congress leaders and Bacchan family, Chavan took a dig saying, "I feel like coming to a fIlm awards function." The  ontroversy over Bacchan being invited for the inauguration function is still raging.

With opposition parties in Maharashtra more or less in slumber, the members of ruling combination have got a free hand. Not surprisingly, they have started fighting each other. After all, not long ago these two parties were avowing each other's credentials when they were pitted against Shiv Sena, BJP and MNS in the assembly elections. Whatever these senior leaders talked last night at Sea Link, had it any link to the common man?

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What Should One Do With Such News

First the news: Legendary naxal leader Kanu Sanyal dead - Yahoo! India News

What should one do with such news stories? Are they to be celebrated that the end of an old naxal leader will bring much needed peace in my country? Or should we seat to think whether the fight for the justice and equality has suffered one decisive blow to say that any new transformation is ages away.

Ironically, Sanyal’s suicide comes after heavy activities by the naxal activists in many parts of the country. The man who created a path of violence for youngster spanning three generations finally chose a much trodden path. Why he chose to do what he did will be discussed in the days to come.

For the time being,  the question hangs either way.

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Cases Count Too Little Against Raj Thackerey

Raj Thackerey, it seems has become the new obsession of media and police and administration.

PTI has reported that Raj Thackeray. chief of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena is facing as many as 73 criminal cases in various courts all over Maharashtra for allegedly inciting riots which broke out after his arrest in connection with anti-North Indian tirade launched by his party in 2008, police said.

Of the 73 cases, Raj has appeared in six cases and secured bail. In the rest of the cases he has yet to appear in person and get bail, the report quotes.

As the cases are still in the court of law, one can not authoritatively comment on them. But there seems no reason to believe that these cases will cause any damage to his political career. Foremost of all, he is not going to contest a election so he is unlikely to lose something. His erstwhile mentor and inspiration Balasaheb Thackerey, the Shive Sena chief forfeited his right to vote for six years but commands the same authority over his party. Raj can do the same.

The cases, in truly Maharashtra police fashion, are built on some distant relations. Raj can claim he had not directly incited the crowd and whatever happened was a legitimate reaction from his angry followers. If only, the count of cases only provides a relief to the rival parties, which unfortunately includes mediamen.

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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.

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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. 

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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.

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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.
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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.

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