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Political Notes

	October 29, 2007

Politicians not national assets : Delhi High Court



The Delhi High Court has deplored the practice of politi¬cians moving around with gun-toting security guards which has come to be treated as a status symbol, but causes inconvenience to the public. A Division Bench of the court, headed by Justice T.S. Thakur, said on Oct. 25 that politicians were not a national asset that needed to be protected by so many security personnel. The Bench advised politicians to confine themselves to their homes and offices if they felt threatened by citizens.



The court made the observation while expressing displeasure over the inconvenience caused to the public by the overwhelming presence of security guards accompanying politicians at public places. It was hearing a PIL on police reforms seeking separa¬tion of the police force into two independent wings to deal with law and order and investigations.





Register all marriages : Supreme Court



The Supreme Court has ordered compulsory registration of marriages of couples belonging to all religions across the coun¬try. It directed States and Union Territories which have not enacted rules to this effect as per its 2006 order to frame the necessary rules within three months.



A Bench consisting of Justices Arijit Pasayat and P. Satha¬sivam passed the order on a petition file by Seema, a divorcee, seeking directions for making registration of marriage compul¬sory.



In February last year, the court held that compulsory registration would be a step in the right direction to prevent child marriage still prevalent in many parts of the country. Under mandatory registration, one is obliged to give one’s age at the time of marriage.



The court agreed with the view of the National Commission for Women that compulsory registration would be of critical importance in prevention of child marriage and ensuring minimum age of marriage; prevention of marriage without the consent of the parties; checking bigamy/polygamy; and enabling married women to claim their right to live in their matrimonial houses, and maintenance etc.





Mamata shifts to party office



Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee has quit the run¬down, tiled-roof Kalighat home that has been part of her lore after a quarrel with two of her brothers whom she accused of using her name to strike deals.



The Trinamul Congress chief and her mother Gayatri Devi shifted “temporarily” to the Topsia Road party headquarters, where she has done most of her paintings and poems.



“I was left with no choice but to leave my house to ensure a better environment for my ailing mother,” said the leader known more for walkouts from houses of legislature. “This is a personal matter and has nothing to do with politics.”



Party sources said two of the MP’s six brothers had been pressuring her to help them gain a foothold in the real estate business. A quarrel broke out after one of the brothers insisted she help him with a south Kolkata realty deal.



The sources said Mamata, unhappy also at the way one of the brothers used her name to squeeze money out of people, said she would not compromise her integrity.





TN quota for backward Minorities



The Tamil Nadu Assembly has passed a Bill providing 3.5 per cent reservation in jobs and educational institutions to minori¬ties from the backward classes.



The quota will be part of the 30 per cent reservation alrea¬dy provided to the Backward Classes (BC) in the state.



The new law replaces an ordinance promulgated on September 12 following recommendations of the Backward Classes Commission.



The overall quota in jobs and educational institutions provided by the state government is 69 per cent. It includes 20 per cent for the Most Backward Classes (MBC) and 19 per cent for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.



The main Opposition party, Jayalalithaa’s All India Anna DMK, was absent from the House when the act was passed.



Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi hailed “the golden day in the annals of our Assembly history and a revolutionary day in the history of social justice”.



Cautioning the House against being lulled into complacency, the DMK leader reminded the members that the petition challenging the inclusion of the 69 per cent quota in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution is still pending before the Supreme Court.