The UPA has had a good run so far in its second avatar. But, inevitably, as we have seen in the past, the Prime Minister's long foreign trips often throw up local fracases
The UPA has had a good run so far in its second avatar. But, inevitably, as we have seen in the past, the Prime Minister's long foreign trips often throw up local fracases. His healing type of no-comment very often douses flames before they become conflagrations.
Digvijay's comments from America, while on a personal visit, on Chidambaram's anti-Maoist policy was one such.
It showed the Congress ranks in disarray just a day before and even during the Parliament's discussion on the Dantewada massacre. Because the two leaders are immensely senior and powerful, Delhi's political pundits began to read subliminal messages and made multiple interpretations. Some of that, the party hopes, will die down after the parliament has discussions on it.
As if that is not enough to create nervousness in the Centre, we also have a whole clutch of Union ministers whose Rajya Sabha terms have run out. So, Ministry work proceeds nervously at best while mantris keep a tentative hand on their 'kursis' while signing files with the other. Some are even doing cross-country official trips to woo states which may have spare Rajya Sabha capacities but whose chief ministers are nervous about accommodating outsiders. But all of this surely makes for a government that is nervous.
Tribal tacticsDilli is watching with growing trepidation as both neighbouring Rajasthan and Haryana brace to face the feudal anti-modern face of India. In Rajasthan, the Gujjars have revived their agitation for reservations. The last time around, when the Gujjars went on the warpath, they brought not just their own state but also the capital to its knees by enforcing a rail and road blockade.
Meanwhile Haryana's infamous tribal khap panchayats, far from being chastened by the state high court verdict on honour killings, have decided to challenge the Constitution itself. Since these powerful khaps also hold the key to power, Haryana's netas are already worrying about containing the growing resentment in the Jat community about the secular assault on their 'sacred traditions,' even if these happen to be against India's own laws.
