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Political Notes

	September 12, 2005

Action plan to tackle Naxalites



The Centre has decided to undertake a comprehensive review of the situation in Chhattisgarh and decide on counter-measures against Naxalites. This follows the landmine attack near Bijapur in which 24 security personnel including 22 CRPF men were killed.



The Chhattisgarh Government, on its part, has decided to impose a ban on the Maoist groups responsible for the landmine attack.



Meanwhile, CRPF Director General J. K. Sinha has said that Left-wing extremism has created a warlike situation in Chhattisgarh. He said in New Delhi on September 7 that there are reports that Naxalite outfits are in touch with organisations outside India. Sinha said that the CRPF has now adopted what he called the Kashmir model of security as part of its changed strategy to tackle the Naxalites.





Nanavati-Shah Commission rejects Presidential privilege



The Nanavati-Shah Commission has rejected the Presidential privilege claimed by Rashtrapati Bhavan while refusing to part with correspondence between the then President K.R. Narayanan and the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee over the deployment of the Army and the handling of the Gujarat riots of 2002. This is perhaps the first time a Commission of Inquiry has overruled a presidential privilege under Article 74(2) of the Constitution.



On an earlier request by the Commission, Rashtrapati Bhavan had refused to furnish copies of letters Narayanan had written to Vajpayee urging “effective” deployment of the Army in Gujarat so that the riots could be effectively controlled.



Upholding the objection filed by Jan Sangharash Manch lawyer Mukul Sinha challenging Rashtrapati Bhavan’s communique, the Commission declared that the presidential privilege was not correct. The two-judge panel observed the contents of Narayanan’s letters to Vajpayee may have facts relevant to the ongoing probe and would not endanger the nation’s security - the ground on which the privilege was reportedly claimed.



Left likely to end boycott of UPA Coordination Committee



The Left parties are likely to end their withdrawal from the UPA-Left Coordination Committee. In a major victory for the Left, the Government appears to have conveyed to them that there would be no disinvestment in Navratna public sector units. CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat said in New Delhi on Saturday, Sept. 10, “We are waiting for a formal communication. We would then go back to the panel.”



He made it clear that the assurance does not mean that the Congress-led Government can breathe easy. He said the Left is bracing to oppose the proposal for FDI in retail.





CPI(M) endorses West Bengal stand on economic reforms



While the CPI(M) has endorsed the stand of West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on economic reforms, it has asked him to be vigilant while taking up issues and not to make statements which could be misrepresented or misunderstood. Politburo member Sitaram Yechury told newspersons in New Delhi on September 4 that the party central committee had articulated the party position on various issues raised by leaders.



On the Chief Minister’s statement about 100 per cent FDI in a greenfield airport project, which raised the hackles of CITU, the CPI(M)’s trade union wing, Yechury said that it was such confusion that the party wanted to avoid. “The law says that you cannot have more than 49 per cent FDI; so where is the question of getting 100 per cent FDI”, he said.





Uttar Pradesh : Speaker upholds split in BSP, jolt for Mayawati



In a setback to Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj party (BSP), the Uttar Pradesh Speaker has upheld the split in the party in August 2003. Speaker Mata Prasad Pande dismissed the BSP petition that sought disqualification of 13 BSP MLAs who had defected to the Samajwadi Party. The decision is seen as a major blow to the BSP that has also filed a petition in the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court challenging the Speaker’s earlier decision in recognising the split. The BSP termed the Speaker’s decision as politically motivated.





Draft curriculum adopted after walkout by BJP nominees



The Central Advisory Board of Education has adopted the national curriculum framework (NCF) even as Education Ministers of BJP ruled states protested and walked out. The BJP Ministers said the curriculum is a document sponsored by the Left and the Government is trying to get their agenda passed. The demands of the BJP Ministers included provision for Sanskrit as the main language and not a classical language and making religion an intrinsic part of the curriculum. The Leftists on the other hand said that national curriculum framework was just a slight improvement upon the NCF adopted during the NDA rule in 2000. They said they opposed the NCF for being soft on communalism. The main features of the new NCF include the proposal to make Class X exam optional and setting up of a monitoring committee to look into the preparation of syllabus.