Red alert in the land of scams

India appears to be now waking up to simmering war within the country. The land of Marxism, West Bengal, is now a stage for deadly battle among different proponents of the Left ideology. Despite more than two decades of rule in the red territory, the proponents of proletariat rule have failed to deliver on the promise. So, a war ensues, with initial shocks already making the establishment shaky.

Interestingly, the CPI (M) general secretary Prakash Karat told the media this week that his government would not be depending just on the policy but the "party cadre would take on the Maoists". It appears that this is the first confession by the comrade that his party has an armed cadre. It is in public domain how the Left rule in West Bengal made the police weaker, as its armed cadre virtually ruled the state by instilling terror among the people. Now that the fruits of power did not flow to the large sections of proletariat they have taken recourse to the most extreme Maoist rebellion, thereby bringing the nation to confront a war within.

After the rout of naxalites, loosely referred as Maoists, in Andhra Pradesh, they appear to have established their turf in the states of West Bengal, Odhisa (earlier Orissa), Jharkhand, Bihar and Chhatisgarh. All these five states have one thing in common: "unchecked poverty" and political conspiracy to loot wealth of states to amass individual assets.

While West Bengal never let progress come to the state, Jharkhand presents a classic case of politicians bleeding white the state. The Enforcement Directorate has just registered case against the former chief minister Madhu Koda, who occupied the high post allegedly by colluding with established parties in an arrangement of loot and distribute, and his ministerial colleagues. Just recently, lakhs of people in Jharkahnd got their land registerd, after offering huge sums to the representatives of the politicians. Koda's alleged asset is reported to be to the tune of over Rs 25,000 crore.          

Given the state of affairs in these five states, it would have been quite unmanly if the people did not take arms to get justice. Wars should be fought on the borders but inside it becomes quite a complicated business. The Maoist rebellion must be taken as a final warning for the political class to stop the loot and work of the progress of all or it will be too late.

Delhi's Diwali dread

Delhi shudders at the thought of Diwali every year. Another one on this Saturday is not likely to be any different. For a month there has been a beeline of people at the doorstep of Delhi's ministers or any politician with connections to get license to sell firecrackers. The decision makers did not disappoint them and a good number of them have got the license. Going by the huge number of retail firecracker sellers, it is to be easily estimated that Delhi will crack for nights before and after Diwali.

There is a palpable double standard on the part of the government, as its stated intent is to improve the environment of Delhi along with a popular discouragement for firecrackers. What the government preaches is seldom practiced, as there is a whole lot of people who need to be obliged, as they happen to have helped the people to come to the power.

A couple of years I just happened to run away Delhi's Diwali dread for a stay in Jaipur, the city of lights. In contrast to Delhi, there was hardly any noise. It was all lights, as if Jaipur was decorated as a bride. Delhi can take some lessons from Jaipur, but it is the people who give a character to a city, which leaves a question mark on the capital.

After staying in Delhi for a decade, I will choose to leave the city for few days during Diwali. I say so, as I along with many have suffered from the thick layers of gases emitted by the firecrackers occupying every space at the places where we reside. We inhale toxic gases, not oxygen on Diwali night and just add the shattering noise booming all night, as if having a good sleep that night is forbidden. If people in their youth are subjected to unbearable air  pollution, just imagine the fate of elders, children, newborns, pregnant ladies, the ill ones and so on. These people just do not have voice to be heard by the herd of merrymakers who think that they can just blast the whole world on the Diwali night.

Irony is that the government spends a good amount of public exchequer to sanitize people against the use of firecrackers through advertisements and campaign. But who ties the hands of the government to just ban the firecrackers in the capital.     

Just hope that Delhi, which is always short on manners, learn a little bit of human sensitivities. Paradoxically, the city of brute, that Delhi is known for, is going to host the Commonwealth Games next year.        

Will Rahul's gamble with Dalits pay?

More on Rahul Gandhi, as he has embarked on an ambitious task to restore Congress to its historical might when the party ruled the whole country with no opposition. Rahul's hunting ground is UP, the Hindi cowbelt, where he is dating the Dalits, which is part of a clear political strategy. The Congress has ruled the country with Brahmin-Muslim-Dalit support base, which, however, suffered chink in the last one and a half decades, with the rise of the BJP and regional parties. Bring back the equation and Rahul can head a Congress government with absolute majority in the next elections appears to be the mantra of the coterie advising Rahul. How far his date with Dalits will go is a matter to look for, though the Muslims appear to be coming back to the Congress in UP after a long break.

The ruling BSP in UP should be disturbed with Rahul's zeal. But the flag-bearers of Mayawati are least concerned. Ask Dara Singh Chouhan, the leader of the BSP in the Lok Sabha, on Rahul's roller-coaster ride with Dalit clusters in UP and he replies nonchalantly that it's all media hype. Congress ek pagal haathi ke tarah kaam kar raha hai (Congress is acting like a mad elephant). Mr Chouhan rather adds that if the media were to give just 25 per cent of the space to the BSP that it gives to the Congress the party will show what it is capable of !!! It is definitely to ponder, as the media itself behaves like a mad elephant wherever Rahul goes. An elephantine question in the real sense of Chouhan's claims.

Rahul has reason to be maddened with the hope that he can bring the Congress to power in UP in 2012 when the next state Assembly polls are due, as he just ensured that his party bagged 21 Lok Sabha seats when all the political pundits were giving the party just around 10 seats. Mission 2012 for UP is high on the agenda of Rahul and Dalits hold the crucial link for its success.

So, staying at Dalit clusters can help you get votes. Not in the real sense, as the voters are much smarter now. They can listen to you with all earnestness that you could be fooled that you got their votes. It just does not happen that ways.

BSP's Chouhan has more to explain, as he says that his party has given the Dalits which no party in the country could give them so far. It is sammaan and aatm-viswas (honour and self-confidence). Mayawati happens to be a protector of their honour.

Stunts may not pay and Rahul will need to ask himself how could he become a protector of the honour of Dalits before he can stake claim for the honours of being a popular leader.

Rahul wants Mahatma's journal

The Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi has decided to acquire

the copyright of "Young India" from National Archives of South Africa. The journal was launched by Mahatma Gandhi during his initial years in South Africa as a mass leader.

For the purpose, the young Gandhi has roped in the Union minister of state for external affairs Shashi Tharoor as the pointsman to liaison with the South African government to acquire the rights of the "Young India". The National Archives of the South African government currently owns the copyright of "Young India".

Sources in the party circle revealed that the Congress general secretary has entrusted the task to acquire the rights of "Young India" to Mr Tharoor, who is expected to initiate negotiations with the South African government soon.

Mr Gandhi intends to relaunch "Young India" as a magazine in India after acquiring the rights, sources added.

Meanwhile, when contacted by this newspaper Rahul Gandhi's office declined to either confirm or deny the young leader's desire to acquire the rights of Young India.

The move comes after Mr Gandhi scrapped the proposed magazine of the Youth Congress, which was named "Youth March". Mr Gandhi had reportedly found the dry run of the magazine dissatisfactory and had told its editorial board that he would revisit the proposal on a later date.

To work on the project to publish a magazine for Youth Congress under the banner of  Young India, the Congress general secretary has constituted a task force, which has been asked to study the journal launched by Mahatma Gandhi and decide on the possible contents, sources said, adding that the proposed magazine will not carry any advertisements.

The plan is to sell the copies only through subscription. Sources also revealed that Mr Gandhi has shared his vision for the new magazine with his team, which includes an objective coverage of social issues. "The proposed magazine will also cover politics but emphasis will be on social issues," sources said, adding that the

professionals from the media industry will also be taken on board.

(The Asian Age. October. 2)

Correction: Mahatma Gandhi had taken over as the editor of "Young India" after the Jallianwalla Bagh massacre. He had not launched Young India. Error is regretted.