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Politics of Raj Thackeray |
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Written by Pravin Nadkar
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Monday, 27 October 2008 |
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Comparatively weak political forces are useful cards in the hands of powerful lobbies in politics. In the game of cards even a single joker can make a difference for the winning move. It is often not much different in politics too. As Congress party in Maharashtra is facing difficulties in tackling the electoral political challenge from opposition, it is seen to be encouraging Raj politics to its own advantage. Shivsena as a representative of a new force of identity politics in Maharashtra was used to counter the influence of the social democrats and the communists in Mumbai in the sixties in a similar manner. Politics of "Marathi manoos" was made the agenda of Shivsena in Mumbai. It had the background of the struggle for Samyukta Maharashtra movement which was against the move towards the separation of Mumbai from Maharashtra. This agitation was mainly led by the progressive left forces. Powerful leaders from Congress party in Mumbai like S. K. Patil had then became isolated for their opposition to the movement and Congress party itself had to lose political ground to the left in Mumbai. It became imperative for them to use a new force like Shivsena to give a new turn to the movement initiated in the spirit of Maharashtra pride. The legacy of Maharashtrian pride was thus cashed by Shivsena in Mumbai. The target of the struggle was cleverly changed from being against the rulers at the center (Congress party at that time) to just against regional outsiders. The agitation which started in asserting the rights of the state vis a vis the center in the spirit of democracy was diverted to locals versus outsiders in exactly the opposite spirit. As Congress encouraged the Shivsena to change the agenda of the regional movement, it also succeeded in isolating the left forces from this movement. Shivsena was only an emerging force then and Congress could benefit by the isolation of the left forces in Mumbai politics. Today in a different political scenario Maharashtra Navnirman Sena is being used by Congress to isolate Shivsena which has posed a serious challenge to the electoral prospects of the Congress Parties in Maharashtra. The same tactics which helped the Sena to emerge as a political force in Maharashtra are now being used against itself. Politics of Raj derives its strength from such tactics in the game of power politics. Organisations like Shivsena make no bones about the supremacy of the central leader in matters relating to all organizational functioning. As Bal Thackeray has become aged and needs to be replaced, it is obvious that only a single person can hold the ultimate command in his place. Now, we can not forget that such political outfits also have a powerful financial network at their disposal. Therefore the struggle for the leadership of the Shivsena's huge political, organizational network is at the same time a struggle for the corresponding financial gains. As such even when Raj is out of Shivsena, he is still trying to make inroads into the empire of Shivsena by penetrating the various organs like the trade union, student organization, Industrial owners associations et. He is still fighting to cash on the legacy of Shivsena and to isolate Uddhav from the Shivsainiks. As Shivsena has been emphasizing on the hindu identity for national level political milage, Raj has smartly caught Uddhav on the wrong foot by emphasizing on the marathi identity. MNS is still in its formative period and as such has no national level ambitions at this stage. The slogan of Marathi versus Bhaiyas (people of northern origin) serves the purpose of catching the fascination of the jobless Maharashtrian youth and even of the Shivsainiks under the leadership of Uddhav Thackeray. Thus Raj is making his claim to political legacy of Shivsena as well. A perfect card for the congress in the state to be used against its most powerful electoral opponent in the state, Shivsena. |
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Bandh Against Communal Violence in Kandhamal (Orissa) |
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Written by cpimlnd
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Tuesday, 14 October 2008 |
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12-hr bandh in five South Orissa districts affects normal life Normal life was on Monday affected during a dawn-to-dusk bandh in five south Orissa districts called by some Left parties and tribal organizations in protest against the communal violence in Kandhamal district. This bandh call was given in Kandhamal, Gajapati, Rayagada, Ganjam and Koraput districts of south Orissa by CPI-ML (New Democracy), CPI-ML (Liberation), CPI-ML (Kanu Sanyal), SUCI and Samajwadi Jana Parishad . Tribal organization Lok Sangram Manch LSM) supported this Bandh call. Activists of these organizations also held protest demonstrations in Bhubaneshwar and Cuttack. Vehicles went off the road and shops remained closed in Ganjam, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Rayagada and Koraput districts during the bandh. The state-owned Orissa State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC) cancelled all long-distance buses from Berhampur while private bus owners kept their vehicles off the road. Shops and business establishments were closed in Raikia, Daringibadi, Kotagada, Tumudibandh, Nuagaon, Tikabali and Udaygiri areas of Kandhamal. Activists disrupted train movement Khurda road and Berhampore for two hours in the morning through blockades near Rambha and Khalikote in Ganjam district. At least 26 bandh supporters were detained at Rambha in Ganjam while resorting the railway services. Roads were blocked near Aska and Bhanjanagar. In Gnajm district the effect of the bandh was more evident in Sorada, Dharkote, Sanakhemundi and Shergarh blocks. The protesters took out a rally in Berhampur shjouting slogans for communal amity and demanding action against communal forces. In Kandhamal district vehicular traffic was affected throughout the district but effect of the bandh was more apparent in Daringbadi, Raikia, Brahmanigaon areas. At Daringbadi a tussle occurred between the CRPF personnel and the supporters of the bandh. The CRPF personnel resorted to lathicharge. In the afternoon a public meeting was held organized at Daringbadi which was attended by the state secretary of LSM, Kusanath Pradhan and leader of CPI(ML)-New Democracy, Akhil Pradhan. In Koraput district banch affected day to day life in Narayanpatna, Bandhugaon and Laxmipur blocks. The road transportation between Korpaut and Parvatipuram of Andhra Pradesh was disrupted. Road blockades and other other impacts of the bandh was observed in Gudari, Gunupur, Padmapur, Ramnaguda, Bisamkatak, MUniguda areas of Rayagada district. In Gajapati district tress were cut at some places to block roads. Vehicles ramined off road throughout the district. These organizations’ demands including action against organisations instigating violence in Kandhamal in the aftermath of killing of Laxamananda Saraswati and security to the riot victims. (From DD News and The Hindu) |
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THE REALITY BEHIND THE ANTI SIMI CAMPAIGN |
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Written by cpimlnd
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Saturday, 11 October 2008 |
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The Central UPA and State Government are targeting educated Muslim youth for the bomb blasts in various big cities in the country. In this connection governments, police and intelligence agencies claim to possess sufficient evidence of involvement of such youth in ‘terrorist’ activities. After every such incident, on behalf of the police and government, full information about the alleged terrorists is being given via the media. This raises the question that despite such detailed information being available, what has the police system of the government been waiting for, rather than taking preventive action? On behalf of the government, Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) has been accused of being guilty for the bomb blasts in the past few years. The government has banned the SIMI under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Gita Mittal, justice of the Special Tribunal constituted under the above referred Act has raised difficult questions on the entire government propaganda. In her order running into 263 pages and ordering the removal of the ban on SIMI, Justice Gita Mittal has stated that the government has presented no evidence for proving the necessity of the ban even though the government was given opportunity for this many times by the Tribunal. The order has acknowledged that there is no evidence against any activist of SIMI being involved in terrorist activity. The order has exposed the hollowness of the claims of the government. The Central Government appealed in the Supreme Court against this order. The Central Government says that a Cabinet note was presented before the Tribunal but it was not given due importance. Along with the statements of 77 senior officers of the I.B. and other intelligence agencies were given to the Tribunal. Even according to the government’s own claims, the central government could place no evidence before the Tribunal other than the Cabinet note and the statements of senior intelligence officers. According to the petition submitted before the Supreme Court by the Central Government, SIMI is an organization of Muslim students and youth which has been infiltrated by Muslim terrorist organizations of Jammu & Kashmir, like Hizbul Mujhaiddin and Lashkar–e-Tayyaba. After making such claims, the government distanced itself from the answerability of presenting any evidence against SIMI. Even the police of the BJP government of Rajasthan acknowledged before the government that it had no evidence of the involvement of SIMI in the bomb blasts in Jaipur on 13th May 2008.
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Jamia Encounter Questions Raised by Janhastakshep and PUDR |
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Written by cpimlnd
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Saturday, 04 October 2008 |
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Jamia Encounter : Questions Raised by Janhastakshep and PUDR (We are reproducing statement released on September 26, 2008 at a Press Conference addressed by activists of Janhastakshep and PUDR) A fact finding team constituted by Janhastakshep-Campaign against Fascist Designs, and People’s Union for Democratic Rights (PUDR) went to look into the issues being raised in context to an alleged encounter at Batla House, Jamia Nagar on September 19, 2008. Members of the team were : Dr. N.K. Bhattacharya (Jan Hastakshep), Shahana Bhattacharya (PUDR), Dr. Ish Misra (Jan Hastakhep), Prashant Bhusan, Advocate Supreme Court, Mr. N. D. Pancholi, Advocate, Delhi High Court, and Prof. Mir Imtiaz and Sreerekha, teachers in Jamia Milia Islamia. Some of the findings of the Fact finding exercise undertaken on September 21, 2008 1. L-18 Batla house, the scene of the two ‘encounter’ killings of Atif and Sajid, is a four storied building with two flats on each floor and a single stairwell. There is only one entrance to the building. All the other spaces are grilled and cannot be used to get out of the building. The building is abutted on the left and right by two buildings which are only about two floors high. There is a narrow lane to the front and an even narrower lane at the back. 2. Documentary evidence proves that Atif had submitted his correct details to the police in a tenant verification form duly received by the police on August 21, 2008. The form is a printed form which has been countersigned and bears the seal of the Jamia Nagar police station. The form also has his correct mobile phone number. |
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