Cong, JVM sing different tunes on President’s rule

Vijay Deo Jha | Ranchi| Monday, July 12, 2010

The JVM is Congress’ ally, but often it seems otherwise. Different interpretations of the President’s Rule in Jharkhand by the allies — the Congress and the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM) — have exposed chinks in their relationship.

The altercation between the alliance partners over the continuation of the alliance and the ability of Governor MOH Farook in brining changes was initially restricted among second-rung leadership. But now, the chiefs and seniors of the respective parties have jumped on the bandwagon.

A few days back Jharkhand Congress president Pradeep Balmuchu slammed the JVM for an open criticism of the Congress, and went on to the extent of hinting that his alliance partner was free to part ways.

Balmuchu was reacting to the statements of some JVM leaders, including Samresh Singh, who opened a warfront against the Congress. The Congress strongly objected to the Samresh’s statement: “We are not ready to carry the burden of the sins of the Congress.”

Though, State Congress spokesperson Sailesh Sinha dismissed any confrontation-like situation between the partners saying their solidarity was at best display. “There are some of the leaders who are always ready to create controversies, but senior leadership in both the parties understands the importance of the alliance.”

But then JVM chief Babulal Marandi has made public his dislike to the President’s rule. It has come as jolt to the Congress. Marandi at a programme in Barhet criticised: “Even after one month, the President’s rule has failed to bring any change.”

Marandi was addressing Parivartan Rally and took opportunity to give the Congress a rap on knuckle over the President’s rule. “There is no control over bureaucracy. The middlemen are collecting cuts of around 40-45 per cent on welfare projects,” said Marandi.

Marandi did not talk about the Congress, rather asked people to give mandate to the JVM in the next election. The Congress tactically decided not to pick another battle with the JVM, but senior party leaders are miffed over Opposition-like behaviour of the JVM.

However peacemakers from both the sides are working overtime.

The JVM is looking for a bigger role in the state politics sans the Congress. It may be because the party got less than expected number of seats post alliance. However, the JVM leaders in a meeting with the State Congress incharge K Keshav Rao on June 28 tried to impress upon the immediate benefit that the alliance may reap in case Assembly election is held before that in Bihar. The party leader said the Congress-JVM alliance has every chance to perform better in Jharkhand and it will have impact on Bihar election.

Leaders’ sons, daughters shine in Youth Cong polls

Vijay Deo Jha | Ranchi| Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Son, daughter and close associates of influential leaders of the Jharkhand Congress have grabbed prize posts in the State Youth Congress.

Union Food Processing Industries Minister Subodh Kant Sahay removed all hurdles for Manash Sinha; newly elected president of the Youth Congress. CLP leader Rajendra Singh's son Anup Singh was elected as Vice president of the State Youth Congress.

The victory of Tanveer Alam for the post of general secretary has come at a time when his father Alamgir Alam (former Speaker of the Assembly) has still not recovered from the trauma of his defeat in the Assembly election from Pakur.

So is the case with former Women Congress president Pratibha Pandey, whose daughter Dipika Pandey got an assignment in new dispensation as the member of the committee. A very senior Congress leader, who in the past held important positions in the Youth Congress, termed it a very successful exercise of the senior leaders to manage entry of their relatives in State politics.

In a bid to inject fresh blood in the organisation, the election for the posts in Jharkhand Youth Congress was held on Monday.

Out of 16 candidates, Manash Sinha became the new president of the State Youth Congress by grabbing 216 votes, defeating his nearest rival Anup Singh by a margin of 50 votes. Anup was elected as Vice-president. Tanveer Alam netted 121 votes, Jyotish Kumar with 43 and Jyoti Singh Matharu with 30 votes will be the new general secretary of the organisation.

In an organisational set-up comprising 10 office bearers, Dipika Pandey got 20 votes, Sahida Kamar 19 votes, Balkishore Marandi 17 votes, Rahul Gupta 15 votes and Mahbubur Rahman eight votes. They have been picked as the member of the committee through electoral process.

Out of 810 voters, 786 turned up for voting. For smooth conduction of the election the central Congress had dispatched three of its senior leaders, including Rajiv Satab, national President of the Youth Congress, Sangrur MP Vijay Inder Singhla and Youth Congress incharge Kuwar Jitendra Singh.

The elected members will be imparted training in politics, programme and ideology of the party in different phases. Before the process of the voting a convection of the party leaders and delegates was held where candidates were given opportunity to put their points before the voters.

Although many of them confessed no schooling or formal training in politics to assume a challenging job ahead. But they pledged to carry on the political mission of their icon Rahul Gandhi.

Besides regular call of 'Rahul Gandhi jindabad' there was occasional slogans "Rahul Gandhi ki Jai, Sonia Gandhi ki Jai".

Burying the past practice of the nomination of the president and other office bearers of the youth Congress, the organisation opted for the election process. "It is the vision of Rahul Gandhi. We started it from Punjab…so far elections of the Youth Congress in 18 States have been completed while the elections of another five States are awaited where the membership drive have already been completed," Singhla said.

"Jharkhand is now in the league of the States where the process of democratisation of the youth wing has been successfully completed. You are the future of the State and national politics. Be ready for that,"he said.

"Till yesterday, connection in the power corridor was probably the only criteria to occupy such a post and to rise in politics. Rahulji has changed the thing for you," said Jitendra Singh in a jam-packed auditorium. "Now, a grass-roots worker can be elected and be the part of Rahul Gandhi's team." It is another matter that few grass-roots worker could be spotted on the result sheet.

Tainted JPSC recruits face music

Vijay Deo Jha | Ranchi | Thursday, July 15, 2010

If there can be an apt phrase for 19 officials, who joined State bureaucracy through the second Civil Service recruitment by the JPSC, it could be 'caught between devil and deep sea.'

After Governor MOH Farook's order for inquiry into the conduction of the second JPSC examination held on June 9, these 19 officials --- accused of using unfair means --- were not given the usual official assignments and were attached with the Personnel Department.

Soon after, the State Vigilance named them in the FIR and obtained non-bailable warrant against them. While Personnel Department asked them to report immediately, vigilance sleuths are either looking for tainted officials' whereabouts or lurking outside the Personnel Department with a warrant copy to arrest them.

“One joined a few days back,” said Aditya Swaroop, secretary of the department. But others preferred not to venture around the Personnel Department.

On one hand the department has sought explanation from the new recruits as to why their service should be terminated, on other hand vigilance department has intensified hunt to catch them.

Most of the recruits have reported that they are sick. And in the meantime they are seeking legal opinion to save their skins.

“Sir as I am suffering from jaundice I am unable to join,” writes one official. Another reported to be bedridden after prolonged malaria even after he did not serve in malaria-hit zone of Jharkhand. Doctors well aware of the JPSC scam are very careful in diagnosing their patients.

Personnel Department secretary Swaroop offered a sample of the sick leave application. Sources said a few applications tagged with medical report are so bogus that even a first-year MBBS student will doubt their authenticity.

Prashant Kumar Layak, Radha Prem Kishore, Vinod Ram, Mukesh Kumar (DSP). Kundan Kumar Singh, Rajnish Kumar, Moushmi Nagesh, Sangita Kumari, Harishankar Barik, Kumar Kujur, Shivendra, Kanu Ram Nag, Prakash Kumar, Santosh Kumar Chaudhary, Kumari Gitanjali, Lal Manoj Nath Sahdeo and Hari Oraon are the officials who running from the pillar to the post to evade departmental proceedings and legal action against them.

“How can one join when vigilance is ready with the noose?” Another relative of one such official said. “Once arrested, you cannot do anything for them…till they are out there is hope.”

But the department does not share their concern. “They have been asked to join, it is purely an administrative matter. They have been facing arrest warrant, that is a legal process. Do not mix both. They have been withdrawn from the field service and have been attached with the Personnel department. Do you expect us to go to them to physically complete the process? Do you think we should wait till they are arrested and we visit them in jail to complete the process of their joining to the department?” Swaroop questioned.

He offered no timeline till the department can wait for their joining, just dropping a broad hint: “There is always continuity in the Government job. Must report to the concern department once you are transferred or called back to the parent organisation whatsoever the case is.”

He said legal opinions are being taken from the Law Department for possible actions after the scam report.

“It is a multi-cornered trial…media trial, court trial, vigilance trial and personnel's trial,” said one cursing the Home department for adding the last one. They claimed that Governor in his order did not mention the prosecution of these officials. “And so was Chief Secretary AK Singh in his report sent to the Governor.”

“It was Home Department that ordered to lodge an FIR against them along with former Chairman and members of the JPSC,” said one of them.

Unified command: RSS may back PC

Vijay Deo Jha | Ranchi | Thursday, July 15, 2010

Union Home Minister P Chidambaram can receive a very secret pat on his back from Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for proposing ‘unified command’ for naxal-affected States to tackle the Maoist menace.

Sources in the RSS told The Pioneer that the organisation shares similar concern with the Central Government and Union Home Minister P Chidambaram over Naxal menace.

In a bid to counter Naxal menace, Chidambaram during a review meeting with the heads and representatives of seven naxal States asked the Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa and West Bengal Government to create a unified command for anti-Maoist operations.
One such unified command is headquartered in Raipur (Chhattisgarh) and sources in the Home Ministry said that PC may want a ‘super unified command-and-control room’ in New Delhi.

Though, the RSS sources said no word over current level of offensive against Maoists named as Operation Green hunt and whether not the concept of a unified command will minimise the role of the State Government in security issues.

But in supporting so the sources promptly put the statistics of the collateral damage suffered by the security forces in the past and the way Maoists have been fast covering territory and people on their side.

“RSS is of the view that Naxalism is a national problem,” which is no more a subject of the State Government to deal with after North Block promptly took this matter. “It needs a more resolute step. A unified command will be an effective instrument to sustain a concentrated operation against Naxalites,” he said.

The Sangh’s support to the Government is backed by several reasons apart from its anti-communist approach. In most of the cases in the States like Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Orissa, both RSS and Maoists are feeding their nationalist and revolutionary agenda on the tribal population.

The RSS has been running its pet project of tribal welfare through Vanavasi Kalyan Parishad from 1952. There are around 14,000 such projects running in such States through which the RSS has been providing education to tribals apart from making tribals aware of their right to water, land, forest and others.

“So far no case of any serious confrontation with the Maoist has been reported. Our cadres do not venture in their area…there is an undefined line and a very defined area of our operation. We have largest operation in Jharkhand. But our area of operation has certainly become limited. The level of threat from Maoists has certainly grown. There is a steep decline of the attendance of Swayamsevaks in the morning sakha,” a senior RSS-BJP leader said.

An RSS insider spoke to The Pioneer and named the areas — Gumla, Palamu, Chatra, Chakradharpur, Simdega and others where the growing presence of Maoism has affected the works of the RSS.

Same RSS leader mentioned till a decade back a Maoist did not mind enrolling their children in RSS run school. It is despite Maoists often alleging Vanavasi Parishad and such a camouflage of conversion.

It was another time and another day: Maoism was in the process in emerging as a menace.

Congress protests against arrest of Bokaro unit chief

Vijay Deo Jha | Ranchi | Friday, July 16, 2010

Congress and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) staged a protest demonstration in front of Governor’s House on Thursday.

The Congress agitated against the arrest of its party president of Bokaro Rama Rao on Wednesday after a tiff with an official of Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL). The Congress workers alleged that bureaucracy was reckless under the President’s rule. Those who fumed and delivered dire warning to bureaucracy and police announcing to start agitation in the coming days if Rao was not released were aware the head of the State was a direct nominee of the Congress ruling at the Centre.

The BSP that after distancing itself from Opposition sponsored bandh against the price hike, lately realised the price hike is worth an issue of demonstration. The BSP trying to extend its base in Jharkhand invited some of the party leaders and MPs from Uttar Pradesh to take part in agitation.

Most of the time the BSP leaders targeted the State Government for the price hike, counting failures of the State Government. Around 50 odd BSP workers took part in demonstration while the Congress fold kept swelling till the last.

The agitated voice of the leaders of each camp turned shriller on the megaphone and on some occasion it was very difficult to distinguish who said what and against whom.

While the demonstration of the Congress had the backing and blessing of party’s state president Pradeep Balmuchu to punch President’s rule often labeled as Congress’ rule by the Opposition.

All most all the senior leaders of the Congress participated in demonstration and submitted memorandum to the office of the Governor for an action against officials. Rao was arrested by the police following a successful call for Bokaro bandh given by the district unit on Wednesday after SAIL removed illegally occupied office of the Congress from its quarters.

Knowing the Opposition will score points if they criticise the Government leaders spoke in a close-guarded language. But they had unspent payload of furry against the bureaucracy.

“The way bureaucracy and police have been acting in Jharkhand it reminds me off the Emergency Period.” A Congress leader did not feel shy in mentioning Opposition’s pet word ‘Emergency’ that makes Congress blush, shy and defensive.

American didi raises voices of Ranchi's vendor Bhaiyas

Vijay Deo Jha

Ranchi
Capital’s roads — including one in front of Governor’s house; got a fulsome dose of the pavement on Thursday, and, the pavement a swift pledge from the Governor House.
The roadside and street vendors got an American voice Cheryl Detusceh, working committee member of International Hawkers’ Federation to make the establishment realise the eviction of the vendors was wrong. It was after High Court’s directives to state government to make proper arrangements for street vendors before driving them out to ensure smooth traffic.

On her very first day in Ranchi she got a couple of nicknames — mademji, memsahib and didi — while other gave an uncouth twist to her name Cheryl to Shelly. But the person remains the same.

Within an hour of swarming from the different parts of Ranchi thousands of roadside hawkers under the banner of National Hawker Federation tried to outflank Ranchi’s in traffic forcing establishment to promise a review of its current drive against hawkers.

“Didi ka naam Shelly. America se ayi hai baat karne ke liye. Pata nahi ka ka baat karengi. Angrezi me bolengi to sayad hakim ko samajh ayega. (She is Shelly and has come from America. Do not know what is in her mind. Perhaps bureaucrats will be more convinced when she will speak in English.)” A puzzled vendor of the procession guessed.

Anticipating roadside anger the Congress was quick to join roadside chorus after the party MLA Sawna Lakra joined the delegation that met Sudhir Tripathy, Principal Secretary of Governor MOH Farook. Government retreated quickly enough as he assured the delegation for taking a positive step that includes writing letter to State Urban Development Department and the High Court for a proper settlement of the hawkers.

Detusceh’s had the first encounter with the problems of hawkers in Ranchi after she came down from America some years back to do research on roadside vendors in New Delhi, Mumbai and other cities.

“Hawkers are the part of the economy that caters to small needs of poor at chip price. Policy was formed, court gave ruling but nothing happened. Even prime Minister spoke to the Chief Minister of the State to implement schemes for vendors but nothing happened. I think the problem in Ranchi is grave it needs.

Detusceh is trying learn Hindi, bit nasalized, though. But that is not a handicap for others to understand what she says. And mind she will amaze you by quoting paragraphs and articles out of the voluminous revised Urban Street Vendors Act 2009 to advocate the case very vulnerable vendors of Ranchi and elsewhere.

She is planning to stay in Ranchi to do a survey of the places and the number of hawkers who were evicted by the state government. Federation claims a rough estimate of around 30000 vendors who were forced to backpack their shops in the past couple of months.

Till few months back their agitation remained sporadic; few hands holding placards; few ill-informed speakers trying to get compliance to their complaints from the establishment.

Congress’ Ramdayal Munda and social activist Medha Patekar took leadership of the movement to connect it with the rest of vendor’s India. Detusceh plans to make it make it Transatlantic as she drew a parallel of the problems of the hawkers in Ranchi and California, her home state in America.