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| Persistence pays. In this case persistent reports in this column as well as some news features, which tried to draw authorities’ attention to the ill-conceived beautification of Karamtoli Pond has, at last, led to some result. Labourers are constructing a culvert near IMA so that rain water from the Morabadi Ground can now enter the pond. Picture by Hardeep Singh |
Jharkhand Mukti Morcha chief Shibu Soren is unfazed by all the uproar in the phone-tapping case.
With Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh, the Tamil Nadu chief minister and former Andhra chief minister along with other political leaders all alleging that their phones were being tapped on the directives of the Centre, Soren so far has been calm and composed about the ruckus. Or is he?
?Who cares? Let people tap my phone. I shall only be amused if people tap my phone. What would anyone get by tapping my phone? (we don?t know sir, you tell us) I have nothing to hide,? Soren repeated over and over again, before going on and on about how he had given his life for Jharkhand and had been instrumental in the creation of a separate state.
?Unfortunately, while I am now forced to lick the dust, others with no background are enjoying the fruits of power,? the JMM chief lamented. Pray, sir, can you explain whether that has anything to do with phone-tapping?
Chief minister Arjun Munda is waiting for the kharmas (inauspicious month) to be over before convening another round of all-party meeting to frame a “suitable” rehabilitation policy for the state.
In December, he had called an all-party meet to discuss the modalities of framing a rehabilitation policy for the state, in the light of the 42 MOUs signed so far and to get all the Opposition to agree on a common agenda. The meet, however, failed to take off following an Opposition boycott. ?I shall have curd and sweets on January 14 on Makar Sankranti and after that the Opposition would come back to the table,? Munda revealed. The Opposition is unlikely to flock to Munda particularly in the aftermath of the Orissa massacre which claimed 12 lives. It seems that Munda?s kharmas is yet to be over.
Fact can have different facets and figures as the recent rescue of bonded labourers from brick kilns reveals. How many were actually rescued by the district officials? The first day’s figures varied from newspaper to newspaper. Prabhat Khabar reported 40 were rescued; Dainik Jagran reported 32; Hindustan reported 50; The Hindustan Times reported 57; and The Telegraph reported 28 families were freed. The second day raids on brick kilns, too, led to release. Once again figures differed. Prabhat Khabar reported 37 were set free; Dainik Jagran reported 55; Hindustan reported 37; and The Hindustan Times and The Teleraph reported 60 were set free. Which of the dailies had the correct figures ? Now that is a million dollar question.
If one had to summarise the protest rally organised by the Adivasi Adhikar Morcha, against the inclusion of the villages in the proposed Jamshedpur municipal corporation, then the popular phrase: ?Khao, piyo aur khisko? (Eat, drink and leave) comes to mind. Those who gathered at Gopal Maidan for the rally headed straight for the food counter and treated themselves to a meal.
Afterwards many decided to make a quiet exit, leaving chief convener Salkhan Murmu shouting requests to villagers to stay back.
The award goes to East Singhbhum deputy commissioner Nitin Madan Kulkarni who decided to leave his chamber in a huff after more than 20 BJP agitators entered it. After all, decorum and rules state that not more than five people are allowed inside the chamber at a
time.
It?s a pity though that Kulkarni calmed down soon enough otherwise we would have had better news to report.
Did the agitators learn anything through this incident? One hopes so.
Recently, JMM workers, led by the local MP, Sunil Mahto, staged a road blockade on NH-33 after an employee of the Subernarekha Multi-purpose Project (SMP) died while working on an electric pole.
The local police officer rushed to Mahto and requested him to withdraw the agitation as a decision had been taken to provide Rs 10,000 as monetary compensation to the bereaved family.
The police officer thought that Mahto would heed to his request and withdraw the stir. ?You are giving just Rs 10,000. Do you know that it is the cost of a hen during any local festival. The worth of the deceased is several times more than a hen,? shot back the MP much to the astonishment of the police officer.
The officer was soon seen leaving the place as he whispered: ?This is beyond my control.?
