Tuesday, November 16, 2010

CPM’s Muslim reservation in West Bengal

CPM’s Muslim reservation in West Bengal
Challenged in Supreme Court
By Asim Kumar Mitra

The State government which has followed the recommendation of Justice Ranganath Mishra Commission Report, is not tenable here for the simple reason that the Commission’s report has only been submitted to the Parliament. But it has not yet been tabled in the Parliament for discussion let alone any decision taken on the matter. When the Central government has yet to take any decision on its implementation, how come that the State government could take any such decision?

PENDING Assembly elections of West Bengal, all political parties including CPM, INC, TMC etc. are busy appeasing the Muslim community in their own way. The ruling conglomerate of the State - CPM-led Left Front has outwitted other parties by offering extraordinary facilities of 10 per cent job reservation in government offices for the Muslims.

This has sparked off a strong State-wide reaction. They are of the opinion that after the judgment of the Apex Court prohibiting reservation on the basis religion in the case of Andhra Pradesh, the West Bengal government cannot take such decision. It is not only unethical, it is illegal.

One Joydeep Mukherjee has gone to the Supreme Court to lodge a Public Interest Litigation (PIL). The apex court has accepted the case. The constitution bench of the apex court headed by the Chief Justice S H Kapadia has admitted this case and they have fixed up the hearing date after Deepavali.

In the meantime State government officials have said that they have not yet received any notice from the Supreme Court. But they have information that such a PIL has been admitted by the Supreme Court. They have said that as they are aware of the judgment given in AP case regarding reservation on religious basis, they have taken all precautions so they could not be caught on wrong foot. They have claimed that the notification circulated by the State government in this regard on 24-2-2010 is a testimony for it. The government has minutely followed the recommendations of Justice Ranganath Mishra Commission report on minority. The State government officials have further pointed out that the Supreme Court, after admitting the PIL, did not stay the notification circulated by the State government.

But Joydeep Mukherjee has demanded that the State government circular has specifically mentioned that out of 108 OBC (Other Backward Classes) groups the State government has chosen only 56 OBC groups for providing with the facility of 10 per cent job reservation, and these groups are essentially Muslims. Of course, mention of one or two other community is also there. But with this they could not hide their ill motive behind this circular.

Mukherjee further mentioned that the State government which has followed the recommendation of Justice Ranganath Mishra Commission Report, is not tenable here for the simple reason that the Commission’s report has only been submitted to the Parliament. But it has not yet been tabled in the Parliament for discussion let alone any decision taken on the matter. When the Central government has yet to take any decision on its implementation, how come that the State government could take any such decision?

Hence it is obvious that the ruling conglomerate of the State is all out to take advantage of the situation without caring the constitutionality of the matter. He is confident that the Supreme Court will not allow this unconstitutional step to be implemented.

Obama visiting Tomb

This is UPA secularism
Veil on Hindu India, minority extravagance
By Dr R Balashankar

Arriving a day after Deepawali, the UPA government could have shown the visiting dignitaries how the festival lights up the city and hearts of people. A trip to Jantar Mantar would have gladdened the President. For a modern architectural wonder, a private initiative, Akshardam temple would have given him the fragrance of India.

THE government’s handling of the visit of US President Barack Obama and his wife set yet another black milestone in the UPA’s track of undermining the Hindu ethos of India.

The government selectively showcased places and people that had no touch of Hindu. The visiting dignitary was taken to a mausoleum first thing when he arrived. Can there be a more inappropriate beginning to a trip? And that mausoleum happened to be that of an invader ruler who laid the foundations of Islamic rule in this country. Was that the reason that spot was chosen? So far we had not heard that Humayun Tomb was such an architectural splendour. Is Humayun’s tomb an architectural marvel or is Humayun considered historically such a tall person? To our understanding neither is the case.

The minister in waiting was Salman Khurshid, again the question why? The answer seems to be that he is a Muslim, more importantly not a Hindu.

In fact, as though to compensate for the UPA’s indiscretion or deliberate ignoring of India’s rich cultural history and heritage, Obama reminded our MPs about the greatness of our nation. ‘You invented the zero’ he said. ‘You unlocked the intricacies of the human body and the vastness of our universe’ he highlighted.

Arriving a day after Deepawali, the UPA government could have shown the visiting dignitaries how the festival lights up the city and hearts of people. A trip to Jantar Mantar would have gladdened the President. For a modern architectural wonder, a private initiative, Akshardam temple would have given him the fragrance of India. The President could have been taken to Chandni Chowk where Guru Teg Bahadur laid his life down in protecting the cause of the Hindus, taking on the emperor Aurangzeb. It would have sent the message of our courage and zero-tolerance to terror.

The list of people who were invited to the official dinner also was queer. Shabana Azmi and her husband Javed Akhtar, A R Rehman, Amir Khan, and the list goes on in these lines. It was as though the government, led by a selected Sikh PM and controlled by a Catholic Christian wanted to give a message to the US President, that India today is dominated in all spheres by non-Hindus.

Obama and his wife were introduced to Indian music, only it turned out to be the Christian choir from Meghalaya.

At the hotel, girls decked up as brides received the President. What a vulgar gesture! Brides are decked up to receive their husbands-to-be, not some stranger, and definitely not a respected visitor. If only someone had told Obama this, he might have had second thoughts accepting the welcome. And the hotel prides itself in ‘reserving’ this welcome to ‘special dignitaries.’

In fact ever since the UPA took over, both its first and second versions, there has been a systematic attempt to deny the nation its Hindu character. Does anyone recall the last time Deepawali and Holi were celebrated in the official residence of the Prime Minister?

On the eve of the Commonwealth games, newspapers took out sponsored supplements on the landmarks of Delhi. All the sites mentioned were mausoleums of known and unknown Muslims. There was not even a mention anywhere that the first city of Delhi was created by the Pandavas or there is a Delhi from which Prithviraj Chauhan ruled.

William Darlymple in his book City of Djinns has wondered why the Archaeological Survey of India never made any attempt to excavate the area that was known as Indraprastha. The Purana Quila region, including where the Pragati Maidan stands today are full of potential archaeological evidences that would throw light on the connection to Mahabharata.

In the last term, UPA closed the Saraswati exploration project. The Dwarka underwater exploration, a pet project of Indira Gandhi was never taken to its logical conclusion.

An on-going exhibition in the heart of the capital, Delhi-The Heritage City has no space for the Hindu heritage. It is full of tombs and mausoleums. Hindus celebrate life, worship the dead in spirit. But never make them a showcase to tread on.