Common Bleeding in Irrelevant Captured Geopolitics

Common Bleeding in Irrelevant Captured Geopolitics

Indian HOLOCAUST My father`s Life and Time - One Hundred Fifty One

Palash Biswas



My dear friends! Common masses do bleed in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, three parts of undivided India which got freedom and sovereignity once upon a time forgotten and now succumb under Global World bank, IMF and MNC order!

We enslaved, underprevileged masses all over this subcontinent are destined to be victimised by irrelevant political systems in different captive geopolitics! We do boast of our indigenous roots which are uprooted already! We do identify ourselves with false nationality which has withered away. Political borders do exist only to aliegnate the common people but the ruling classes are never barred anywhere fro anything they want. Some are more equal in this so called democratic setup! We have to make sacrifices for nothing! We live a falsevirtual life irrelevant to realities cruel and crudemost!

KARACHI, Pakistan: Gunbattles and attacks killed at least 19 people and wounded scores Saturday as Pakistan's political crisis descended into violence between rival parties over President Gen. Pervez Musharraf's suspension of the chief justice.Armed men roamed the streets as pro-government and opposition activists fought street battles in at least four parts of the sprawling city, and traded assault rifle fire in a residential area of bungalows and concrete apartment blocks just a half-mile from Karachi's international airport. A private TV network came under fire, but stayed on air as rioters torched vehicles outside.

The fighting broke out as Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry arrived for what organizers hoped would be the largest in two months of rallies by lawyers and opposition parties protesting his ouster. Pro-government parties were responding with their own shows of strength.

The judge refused an offer from authorities to travel to the planned downtown rally by helicopter and was stranded at the airport — as were hundreds of passengers from earlier flights — by the makeshift roadblocks surrounding it, as well as at least one gunfight a half-mile away.


New Delhi:Irom Sharmila, the woman who has been on a fast for the past six years, protesting imposition of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act in the North-East, was granted bail by the Patiala house court.The Delhi Police had slapped a case against her for what they termed was an attempt to commit suicide in October 2006.Sharmila, who was then in the capital, was on a hunger strike at Jantar-Mantar.Sharmila has been fighting not only the Armed Forces Special Powers Act but also a string of cases against her.Sharmila will now be taken back to Manipur where she will be detained further, owing to a number of cases pending against her.


Delhi Police brought Sharmila to Delhi from Manipur on Friday. Speaking to the media after securing bail, Sharmila accused the government of having double standards.

''Last time, they didn't allow me to attend a meeting due to my health condition, but this time they summoned me to be produced before a court from so far away, about 5,000 km away from Manipur to Delhi. I think it is somewhat hypocritical on the government's side. I think so, I think they are not concerned about my health,'' said Iron Sharmila.


''Perhaps she will die on account of legal proceedings. She will not die due to her fast. Both the Manipuri and Delhi police are killing her,'' said Colin Gonsalves, Lawyer.

Stop Hatred Policy against the Muslims of Assam

http://www.petitiononline.com/is12345/petition.html

India & Bangladesh - Migration Matrix- Reactive and not Proactive

by Jyoti M. Pathania

“The massive illegal immigration poses a grave danger to our security, social harmony and economic well-being. We have compromised on all these aspects so far. It is time to say enough is enough.” Recommendation of National Security System, Feb. 2001.

“ The long cherished design of Greater Bangladesh, making inroads into the strategic land link of Assam with the rest of India, can lead to severing the entire land mass of North East from the rest of the country” Lt. Gen S.K. Sinha Report Mar. 1998.

These are serious statements and the time has come for the Government in India to make an overall review of the problem, particularly from the security point of view.
http://www.saag.org/papers7/paper632.html
If you are a Muslim and Bengali is the language you speak, the Delhi police needs no further proof that you are an illegal Bangladeshi immigrant to be summarily deported

The rising tide of fundamentalist forces all over the world has contributed significantly to the erosion of democratic traditions in the name of ‘freedom’ and ‘security’. Fear and paranoia are being instigated and manipulated to subdue societies into obedience and conformity. Cherished ideals of liberty and social and political equality are being undermined. We believe it to be the responsibility of citizens to resist the onslaught of reactionary and anti-democratic forces and to contribute what they can to preserve, protect, and strengthen democracy. The Citizen’s Campaign for Preserving Democracy is, hopefully, one of the many emergent initiatives in this direction within the Indian polity.
http://www.sabrang.com/cc/archive/2005/feb05/hrights.html


Influx of Illegal Migrants in North-East
By: Bobby Sarangthem
http://www.kanglaonline.com/index.php?template=kshow&kid=229&

The present problem facing the northeast is multi-dimensional but a great part of the crises relates with the influx of illegal migrants from her immediate neighbours such as Bangladesh, Nepal and Myanmar and secondly through inter-state migration (it still remains unchecked notwithstanding, the powers and constitutional guarantees given, in order to protect the minority communities residing in the region).

The increasing influx of migration from neighbouring countries and from other Indian states has brought a serious demographic change in the region and has now become a source of irritation in the Centre-State relations. In this article, I am going to focus on the issue of illegal Bangladeshi migrants and its impact on the northeastern states.

The history of migration in this region dates back to the British Raj when the colonial masters encouraged Bengali Muslims and Hindu workers to work in the tea gardens as cheap labourers. Gradually, these migrants began to settle in other states of the region. However, the second wave of migration, which has caused serious social and political upheaval and discord in the region, took place in the early 70s when East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) fought a war of liberation.

As a result of this, the population of the region swelled up with foreigners. Assam faced a sudden rise in the population level during this period. The estimated figure of net migrants in Assam was 1.0 million during 1961-71 (7 per cent of the total population of Assam). Now, the state has more than five million Bengalis staying illegally. The illegal settlers have now become a big vote bank for all political parties in Assam, out of the total 126 assembly constituencies 43 constituencies are their strongholds. They (illegal migrants) have become an important part in wining elections. Whoever comes to power in Assam needs the support of the Bengalis to form a government. The economic power and the political clout of the Bengalis has become a major obstacle in the implementation of the 1983 agreement (Assam Accord).



DHAKA (Reuters) - Former Bangladesh prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia met a visiting former U.S. congressman, her first trip outside her home in more than a fortnight, after criticism the interim government had restricted her movements.Khaleda and her political rival Sheikh Hasina have been targeted by the army-backed interim administration in anti-corruption drive ahead of elections.Khaleda avoided any comment after her dinner meeting with U.S. congressman Gregory Laughlin on Friday at the home of a senior leader of her Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in Dhaka.Laughlin said the current situation in the country was discussed, but did not elaborate.

Bangladesh has been under a state of emergency since January, imposed in the wake of widespread political violence. An election planned for Jan. 22 was also cancelled and all political activity banned.The army-backed interim administration has detained scores of politicians including Khaleda's son Tareque Rahman in an anti-graft hunt.

Media reports said Khaleda herself had been virtual confinement in her home since April 1 while the government sought to persuade her to go into exile. A party leader said there was renewed pressure on Khaleda to leave the country.Local media, quoting her associates and government insiders, had earlier reported that Khaleda had agreed to go into exile in Saudi Arabia in exchange for the release of her son. Khaleda was later believed to have backtracked on the deal.

The government denied any moves to send her into exile and earlier this week the head of the interim government, Fakhruddin Ahmed, told the BBC that Khaleda and Hasina - also a former prime minister - were free.

Hasina, chief of the Awami League, received party leaders at her home on Friday and went out to visit a relative, her associates said.But reporters have not been allowed to meet the two leaders. Security officials did not give any reason.

Hasina was briefly barred from returning from abroad last month "on security reasons". She arrived in Dhaka from London last week.

Hasina and Khaleda: United they stand in turning the politics of Bangladesh.


Friday May 11 2007 14:51:06 PM BDT


Mohammad Gani


In Russia, they eat ice cream in winter because it’s warmer than the weather outside; more or less meaning! Politicians in Bangladesh should now take whatever atmosphere-warming they could get. With the “death on arrival” of Dr. Yunus and apparent pitching and rolling authority of Fakruddin’s Government; these 2 steps sisters (Haisna & Khaleda) shall now put a pause on stepping each other, instead shall embrace closely as good friends as if for ever!

In quest of developing a truculent joint forces to declare crusade against this unconstitutional Government, our secular and democratic champion Hasina and Razakar-BNP gang chair-moon Khaleda (Already in the wheelchair) shall soon make romantic eye contacts with sweet (sweat!) and lovely smiles before happily rocking together in the same swing in this frozen political weather. Moment of this exciting “happy hour” of strategic partnership is just knocking at the doors. They even could coalesce around a “united front” to resist this illegitimate government for the best interest of this impoverished nation, securing people’s democratic rights and freedom of speech; as they have been dedicatedly delivering during their entire lives! We may recall another such glorious era of “common strategic partnership” along with their “part-time uncles” like Golam Azam/Nizami for successfully bringing down our radiant and extra-romantic national hero Alhaj H.M (General) Ershad!

Let us keep aside for moments that if not for 36 years, at least during last 15 years, these 2 step sisters managed to secure and protect our un-dented prestigious image of Bangladesh as “The Bottomless Basket to the World’s Most Corrupted Country”; and turn our attention to their authentic and genuine success story. But for the sagacious, heroic and truly non-violent “Hartal/Aboroth” of “General Hasina”, this nation would have never seen ongoing “positive changes” during this unconstitutional Government. Her unique “States-womanship”, true democratic and patriotic vision in bringing about these positive elements from the crater of an erupting volcano (non-violent hartal/Aborodh) deserves nation’s accolades for ever! I wonder why this stupid and ungrateful nation is applauding Care Taker Government instead of Hasina?

Let our beloved and wounded Khaleda has some extra turn around time to recover from after shock! She deserved it; she rightfully got it and more yet to come! Acquiring her father’s political capital, an enigmatic and loquacious Hasina has been keeping her lips loose and wide everywhere! This “AL chairlady for life” and our imperious national “role model”; has made many spurious and trenchant criticisms against Care Taker Government. She indeed has Awami League in her “head” and “BAKSAL vision” in her “mind”. Surprisingly, neither Hasina nor Khaleda has yet acknowledged any of their mistakes on endemic corruptions, administrative failures and disorderly political behaviors while raising stentorian voice in demanding “fair and free election”, democratic rights, freedom of speech and many more. They are also not talking on party reforms, on getting rid of corrupted politicians, bureaucrats and on introducing any democratic process in their own political party.
http://www.bangladesh-web.com/view.php?hidDate=2007-05-12&hidType=OPT&hidRecord=0000000000000000159659


Street vendors in Ranchi attack Reliance retail chain's stores
Sat May 12, 2007 7:41 PM IST

RANCHI, India (Reuters) - Street vendors armed with iron rods and sticks attacked three stores owned by Reliance Industries Ltd. on Saturday, injuring around a dozen people in a protest against the large food retailer.It was one of the most serious cases of unrest linked to the entrance of large, glitzy retail chains into India's fragmented $200 billion food and grocery sector, which small shop owners see as a threat to their customers.About a dozen vendors and Reliance customers were hurt in Ranchi when around 1,000 vegetable sellers smashed the windows of three of the chain's stores and damaged customers' vehicles.

Police used bamboo canes to chase the protesters away.

Reliance Retail Ltd., a subsidiary of Reliance Industries, is investing $5.6 billion in hundreds of stores. Officials of the firm were not immediately available for comment.The company, already India's top private oil refiner and petrochemical maker, is at the lead of the large chain stores that are storming into Indian organised retail, which now makes up only about 5 percent of the retail market.Since launching its retail operations last year, Reliance has more than 90 fresh vegetable and food stores. It expects to start opening hypermarkets in the next few months.

Other big Indian firms are planning to enter the fast-growing market and foreign players like Britain's Tesco and Wal-Mart are also interested.


No one remebered mangal Pandey or Barackpur Cantt!
India 'neglects' its historic heritage
By Rajesh Joshi
BBC News, Barrackpore

As India celebrates the 150th anniversary of the first uprising against the British, the town where the first shot was fired by sepoy (soldier) Mangal Pandey is witnessing the gradual obliteration of its historical heritage. Mangal Pandey fired the famous shot at a British officer on 29 March 1857 at the Barrackpore parade ground - now on the outskirts of Calcutta. It was an action that stirred up a wave of rebellion in north India against the colonial power, and meant that Barrackpore would be a name always prominent in Indian history books.

But 150 years later, many of the sprawling bungalows and imposing structures from the colonial past have been completely swallowed by wild undergrowth.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6639791.stm

Mangal Pandey
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mangal_Pandey
Mangal Pandey
c.19 July 1827 – 8 April 1857

Place of birth: Nagwa, Ballia, Uttar Pradesh
Place of death: Barrackpore, Calcutta, India
For the Hindi movie of the same name, see The Rising (Indian film)
Mangal Pandey (born: c. July 19, 1827, died: 8 April 1857) (Hindi: ???? ?????), also known as Shaheed Mangal Pandey (Shaheed means martyr in Arabic and Hindustani), was a sepoy (soldier) in the 34th Regiment of the Bengal Native Infantry (BNI) of the British East India Company.

At Barrackpore (now Barrackpur), near Calcutta on March 29, 1857, Pandey attacked and injured his British sergeant on the parade ground and wounded an adjutant with a sword after shooting at him, but instead hitting the adjutant's horse. He was, however, attacked by a native soldier called Shaikh Paltu, who prevented him from killing the adjutant and later the sergant-major.

When General Joyce Hearsay ordered the Jemadar of the troops, a man called Ishwari Prasad, to arrest him, the Jemadar refused, as did the rest of the company except Shaikh Paltu. Mangal then turned the gun against himself and used his foot to try to pull the trigger to shoot himself.

He failed, was captured and sentenced to death along with the Jemadar. Mangal Pandey was hanged on April 8. His execution was scheduled for April 18, but he was summarily executed ten days prior to the date, fearing the possibility of a larger-scale revolt. The Jemadar Ishwari Prasad was executed on April 22. The whole regiment was dismissed "with disgrace" on May 6 as a collective punishment, because it was felt that they harboured ill-feelings against their superiors. Other sepoys of the Bengal Army thought this was a harsh punishment. Shaikh Paltu was promoted on the spot to the post of a Havaldar (native sergeant) by General Hearsay.

Mangal Pandey: The Rising
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rising_(Indian_movie)
Mangal Pandey: The Rising (Indian title) or The Ballad of Mangal Pandey (international title) (released in India on August 12, 2005) is an Indian movie based on the life of Mangal Pandey who is known for his role as a leader in the Indian rebellion of 1857 which led to the downfall of the British East India Company.

Aamir Khan, a leading Bollywood actor, plays the lead role of Mangal Pandey. Mangal Pandey was a sepoy who helped spark the Indian rebellion of 1857. Subsequently the mutiny was called "The Sepoy Mutiny" or "The Sepoy Rebellion" by most of the English-speaking world, while Indians referred to it as the "First War of Independence".

Complete coverage: 1857, the first war of independence
http://www.rediff.com/news/mutiny07.html?zcc=rl


State Bank of India, the nation's biggest lender, plans to raise as much as $1.5 billion selling shares as early as this year to bolster capital and meet growing credit demand.
The Congress-led government in India invited bids from eligible pension fund managers to administer the Centre’s new pension scheme for its employees to enhance the market forces of MNC raj!Bids were invited from public sector funds to be floated by state-run banks, financial institutions and insurance companies which could have foreign investment of up to 26 per cent.
The Pension Funds Regulatory Development Authority, which today posted the invitation for bids, said, “The selected sponsors shall be required to incorporate the fund as a separate public sector company in which direct and indirect foreign investment should not exceed 26 per cent.”
The last date for submitting the expressions of interest is May 25.
The criteria for the bidders are pretty stiff: at least 51 per cent of these funds will have to be controlled by the state-owned entities and the average assets managed by them should not be less than Rs 10,000 crore for the month of March this year. They will also need to have five years’ experience in managing debt and equity funds.

Mayawati is well set to take oath as CM on Sunday!
The new government is expected to take charge of the state within a day or two.
BSP: 206, SP: 97, BJP+: 51, Cong+: 22, Others: 26
Please see:http://www.rediff.com/news/2007/may/11uppoll.htm#mb
Emboldened by the stupendous victory in the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, BSP Chief Mayawati's eyes are on the national scene as she declared on Saturday that it is now 'Target Delhi' for her party.

Mayawati focussed on the need for the BSP to do well in the 2009 Parliamentary elections while addressing the newly elected party legislators at a meeting at the state party office this morning. BSP has 21 MPs in the Lok Sabha.Stressing that the next general elections were crucial for the party, she said an impressive showing would catapult the BSP on the national scene prominently.
The media was allowed very briefly at the meeting during which the procedure of her election as the BSP Legislature Party leader was completed.BSP legislators, who attended the meeting, said that 'behenji' (as Mayawati is popularly called by the party workers) cautioned the newly elected MLAs against influencing transfers and postings.

Brahmin Vote Helps Party of Low Caste Win in India
NEW DELHI, May 11 — In the age-old caste divisions of India, a new political calculus has emerged.The elections in Uttar Pradesh, India’s largest state and traditionally a bellwether of national politics, delivered victory on Friday to a party that champions the interests of low-caste Dalits, led by a schoolteacher-turned-politician who goes by one name: Mayawati.


http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/12/world/asia/12india.html


We know well that the Ruling Classes always do align with the winning side to defend its previleged socio political status and economic interests. It is happeng from the begiining of human civilisation. In Indian history we witnessed it during Muslim Rule and british raj. Brahmins always had been the backbone of the Polity irrespective of color, ideology or religion.Uttar Pradesh’s Brahmins have done it again. Call it political sagacity or sheer opportunism, the Brahmins have shown how to be on the winning side in spite of their modest 13 per cent vote share in the country’s most populous and politically significant state. So they suppoted all the Mughal Empire and sultnats! They supported the British raj! No one cared to remember Mangal Pandey and the disbanded Bengal regiment hundred Fifty years ago. The festival of Independence struggle is celebrated by those who enjoy state power cutting across time and space. These personalities and their forfathers betrayed the masses of this subcontinent most. They get post modern privy purse for their loyality to the rotten brahminical system! No relatives of the Martyres have any link with this sytem!

Mayavati’s first big breakthrough was the induction of Satish Chandra Mishra, an advocate-general in the coalition government she ran with the BJP. He was tasked with appointing district-level Brahmin “mahasammelans” (congregations). Then came other caste congregations to attract the Rajputs, Vaishyas and Yadavs.To the upper castes, which resented the BJP for its dalliances with Mayavati, her gesture meant one thing: the BSP’s rock-solid base of transferable Dalit votes was seed capital to build their electoral fortunes. Even Mulayam Singh could not take risks with his Yadav votes. But Mayavati could count on the Dalits.

As the marginalised BJP and the Congress spoke glowingly of her victory, there was worry about what the victory means for heartland politics. Congress sources admitted that the Dalits in states split between two parties (Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat) would not remain “untouched” and may start considering Mayavati as an option. With the value of the BSP’s votes increasing, her role will now have a bearing on the President polls. Sonia Gandhi has already congratulated Mayavati and reportedly opened a channel of communication on the presidential polls. A meeting is likely next week.


The BSP’s elevation and the BJP’s downslide have upset Mamata Banerjee’s calculations, too.The CPM is in a spot: its crucial secular allies — the Samajwadi Party and the Congress — have suffered setbacks in Uttar Pra-desh and it has never been comfortable with the winner.The Trinamul Congress leader had been trying to renew her old ties with the NDA. Out of the blue, she had landed in Delhi to enquire about the health of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Mamata had expected the BJP to perform well in Uttar Pradesh. A resurgent BJP would have impacted politics at the Centre and been an important ally for her.

The Assembly poll results are a setback to the CPM’s political strategy of keeping the BJP at bay in the states and at the Centre. It has always stood by the Samajwadi Party, regardless of Mulayam Singh Yadav’s erratic behaviour.The CPM would have liked Mulayam to benefit from the BJP’s decline. It always believed the Samajwadi Party to be the strongest secular party in the largest and most volatile state of India.
But its calculations have gone awry as the BSP has eme-rged a clear winner and the seats tally of the Samajwadi Party and the Congress have come down.

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, which unsuccessfully used its full strength to mobilise voters towards the Bharatiya Janata Party in the Uttar Pradesh elections, has blamed the saffron party's debacle in the state on its 'half-hearted' Hindutva campaign.An article in RSS mouthpiece Organiser compared Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati's strategy with the one adopted by late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and said both used 'soft Hindutva line' to woo voters. It noted that the BJP had lost its traditional vote to the BSP, a phenomenon it blamed on what it called a mismatch in the saffron party's strategy.

CNN-IBN
Posco crisis end; farmers free executives
Moneycontrol.com - 8 hours ago
Agitating farmers have released three Posco executives, that were taken hostage to protest the land acquisition by Posco for a steel plant.
POSCO employees taken hostage in Orissa, released KalingaTimes
Angry Indian villagers release POSCO executives Khaleej Times
CM says yes to any peace initiative for Nandigram

Differences within the Left Front over holding all-party state level meetings today cast a shadow on the ongoing peace exercise. Boosting the peace process for Nandigram, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today accepted the wishes of the Left Front partners and the Opposition for a revised modality for holding all-party talks.At an urgent meeting to be held on May 14, the ruling Left Front is likely to decide the date for the proposed all-party talks.
Eventhough it authorised Forward Bloc state secretary Mr Ashok Ghosh to interact with Miss Mamata Banerjee and other Opposition leaders, the CPI-M today seemed to undermine their appointed interlocutor. Sources said that Left Front chairman Mr Biman Bose and peasants’ front leader Mr Benoy Konar want the talks to continue the way they had planned at the district level, despite the fact that it has yielded no results since Trinamul Congress stayed away from all the meetings.

LF Calls For Return Of Evicted People Of Nandigram

A CALL emanated from the meeting of the Bengal Left Front held early in the afternoon of May 7 at the Muzaffar Ahmad Bhavan to initiate efforts for the safe return of all the people who were at relief camps and who had been violently ousted from home-and-hearth during the continuing violence at Nandigram.

The Bengal Left Front has asked the east Midnapore unit of the Left Front to start the political process needed. As already reported, more than four thousand people are now in relief camps, the principal ones are situated at Tekhali and Bahargunj, and the evictees face a tough life in the intense heat of the summer and in the sweep of the evening hail and thunderstorms.

I have already warned you for changing scenerio and equations for the Next President! Remember! comrade Jyoti Basu had been ditched by his party when the Nation wanted him as prime minister! As soon as Basu`s name floated for Rashtrapatibhavan, the Ruling Class changed its stance and floated Pranab Mukherjee, Shushil Kumar Shinde, Dr Karna singh besides somnath chatterjee. No woman has been considered at all! No dalit! No tribal. But an insurrection in UP polls changed the scenerio. Whatevermay come, all those highprofile names do not stand any chance at all now! It is more than clear that none of these names can make it without Mayawati's approval.Mayawati will not only form the next government in Uttar Pradesh but perhaps she will also play one of the most decisive role in deciding who will be the next president of India.

''We will work for a candidate who will have maximum acceptability,'' said CPI-M MP Sitaram Yechury.

But any arithmetic will necessarily have to include Mayawati's newly elected MLAs. An electoral college made up of MLAs and MPs whose total vote strength is about 10.5 lakh votes elects the President of India.

UP alone has about 163,000 votes and most of these now belong to Mayawati's Bahujan Samawadi Party.

The Left parties have already made its position clear to the UPA. They won't support a second term for President Kalam or any other non-political personality.The Congress-led UPA has not announced support for anyone yet but a section of the Congress is keen on Pranab Mukherjee.
Some of the others believe Sushil Kumar Shinde, a dalit with his clean image, fits the bill. Another possible contender is Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee.


Pl see this article for reference!

President sums go awry
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1070512/asp/nation/story_7766968.asp

OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

New Delhi, May 11: Uttar Pradesh has been spared a hung House but the poll results may have thrown up a stalemate elsewhere: in the election to India’s President.

Today’s verdict has upset the United Progressive Alliance’s calculations to get its candidate through, at least for the time being.

The Congress had hoped to get Mayavati on its side by playing “queen-maker” in Uttar Pradesh, but with the Bahujan Samaj Party winning a majority on its own steam, its support is no longer certain.

Right now, the combined vote value of the UPA and its Left allies in the electoral college that chooses the President is 5,34,366. The college’s total vote value being 10,98,882, the ruling alliance-Left combine is 15,076 short of majority.

The BSP, whose stunning victory has increased its tally in the electoral college from 31,110 to 60,854, would have easily filled the gap.

The electoral college is made up of all the elected members of legislatures in the states and Union territories (there are 4,120 seats in all) and the 776 MPs in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.

The vote of each MLA or MP is assigned a value. The value of an MLA’s vote varies from state to state but that of a member of Parliament is fixed.

An Uttar Pradesh MLA’s vote has the value of 208. Together, all the 403 MLAs in the state have a vote value of 83,824.

The Congress must now hunt for support from parties that are neither in the UPA-Left nor in the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance. These parties’ combined vote value is 1,99,944.

One good news for the Congress is the fall in the tally of the Samajwadi Party and the BJP, both of which have suffered major losses in Uttar Pradesh. The Samajwadis’ vote value has declined from 71,111 to 59,671 and that of the BJP from 2,55,229 to 2,48,157.

The Congress’s total has risen marginally from 2,81,691 to 2,82,939 after it improved its seats from 16 (what it was left with after the defections) to 22.

President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s five-year term ends on July 24 and the notification for the election of his successor is expected by the end of this month.


Zone of dispossessed
- In Bengal’s West Asia, mother-to-be spends night on a bridge
IMRAN AHMED SIDDIQUI IN NANDIGRAM

A tiny Palestine here, a little Israel there.

In trying to resist a special economic zone of an Indonesian business group, a 185 square kilometre area of Bengal has turned itself into a war zone where the battle lines are as sharply drawn as in the West Asian conflict, and the borders as blurred.

Above all, it’s a story of refugees — dispossessed in their own land.

The “border” is marked by two bridges (see map) — yes, border is the word both sides use to describe the political loyalty divide, and the geographical split, that separates the CPM from the others.
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1070512/asp/bengal/story_7767359.asp

Peace on every lip
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1070512/asp/bengal/story_7767360.asp

Nandigram, May 11: The Trinamul Congress and the Congress today attended an all-party peace meeting in Nandigram after having boycotted eight of them in a row.

East Midnapore district magistrate Anup Agarwal chaired the meeting, where the Opposition and the CPM agreed to convene gram sansad meetings in every panchayat area to identify and undertake development projects.