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Political Notes

	October 23, 2006

George Fernandes attacks Prime Minister on Barak issue



For the first time since the CBI lodged an FIR against the Janata Dal (U) leader and former Defence Minister George Fernandes in the Barak missile deal over 10-days ago, the BJP came out last week in full-throated support of the convener of the National Democratic Alliance. BJP spokesperson Arun Jaitley on Tuesday, Oct. 17 hit out at the Government for what he called targeting Fernandes. He said even present Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee had admitted that there was no complaint about the quality of Barak missile. He claimed that the Government will not be able to bring out any evidence against George Fernandes to prove corruption charges against him.



In the meantime, stung by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s remarks about him on the Barak issue, George Fernandes has written to him calling him a “silent spectator” to the “gross and unprecedented misuse of the CBI.” In the letter, he also claimed that he did not make any derogatory remarks about the President in the Barak matter.



Reacting to a media query on Fernandes’ remarks on Kalam, the Prime Minister had said, “I have no other expectations from him.”



Fernandes claims that the Government and what he called “other powers who control its affairs” had now started to explore other avenues to carry out a witch-hunt against him by misusing the CBI.











Congress-Trinamul to launch movement



In the midst of uncertainty about the future relationship between the Congress and the Trinamul Congress in West Bengal, the Congress has called for the setting up of a secular democratic front against what it termed as the anti-people policies of the Left parties. Observers say that this amounts to indirectly extending the offer to the Trinamul Congress to join it in the fight against the Left in West Bengal.



The Congress said it is determined to launch a joint movement with the Trinamul Congress against the Left parties’ anti-people activities and the acquisition of agricultural land for setting up industries in the state. On its part, the Trinamul Congress said that it is hopeful that Congress President Sonia Gandhi will give the nod to her party to launch a joint movement with it against the ruling Left front. Leaders of the Trinamul Congress said in Kolkata on Oct. 16 that the parties’ secular credentials should not be questioned even though it remains with the NDA led by the BJP.



Congress general secretary Margaret Alva said in Kolkata last week that the state unit of the party has been authorised to join forces with Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamul Congress to protect the interests of farmers at Singur, where land is sought to be acquired for setting up industries. But she said, the Congress will not be a party to any programme that has the BJP’s participation.





PM’s assurance on Agrarian crisis



The Prime Minister has called for a paradigm shift in agrarian policy to tackle the crisis faced by Indian agriculture. He said unless there is improvement in the real income of farmers, nothing much is going to change. Addressing the Second Agriculture Summit, organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of commerce and Industry (FICCI) in New Delhi on October 18, he said agriculture in many parts of the country is being carried out in adverse conditions. He said farmers have to be helped to reap the benefits of new technology, additional irrigation, better infrastructure, improved marketing methods and advanced risk management strategies.



Dr. Manmohan Singh called for a private investments in the agriculture sector to bridge the deficits in infrastructure, market economy, knowledge and credit. He said the real challenge over the next decade is to pull subsistence farmers out of their marginal existence and propel the advanced farmers on to the global platform.



BJP president Rajnath Singh has urged the Prime Minister to call an all-party meeting to discuss the issues confronting farmers across the country.





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Missing Mahatama Gandhi : Nobel’s biggest regret



Norwegian Nobel Committee Secretary Geir Lundestad has admitted that the greatest miss in the 106 year history of the Nobel Prize is that Mahatama Gandhi never received the Nobel Peace Prize.



Gandhi was short-listed five times - 1946, 1947, 1948 and twice before World War II. “But it will remain a historical fact that Gandhi never received the prize,” says Lundestad, sitting in the same room in Oslo where Nobel Committees have decided on the winner for over a century.



Among other factors, he says, a Euro-centric perspective among the Nobel committee members then could have played an important role behind the decision. In fact, there was little appreciation of the freedom struggles in colonies, and despite his nomination, members cited relatively minor reasons - like his “inconsistent pacifism” - to deny Gandhi the prize.



Lundestad adds in a self-deprecating tone that almost sounds like Gandhigiri : “Gandhi could do without the Nobel Peace Prize. Whether the Nobel committee can do without Gandhi, is the question,” Lundestad revealed that the committee had more or less decided to award Gandhi the peace prize in 1948. But he was assassinated.



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Security cover : Sonia to be brought at PM’s level



The Government is reported to be planning to upgrade the security cover of Congress president Sonia Gandhi to the level of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The plan to upgrade her security was discussed at a high level meeting in New Delhi on Wednesday, Oct. 18. The meeting was held in the backdrop of intelligence inputs that Pakistan-based terrorist outfits could target VIPs and vital installations. The meeting also reviewed the security cover of other VIPs including members of the Gandhi family and the Prime Minister. It was chaired by Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil