Opinion Always the capital

“Centenary of the shifting of the capital from Calcutta to Delhi by the colonial rulers is hardly a matter for cheer. If the British were ruling today and they were spearheading the celebrations,one can understand. But now,one can only believe that the present day rulers think that they are only carrying on the colonial legacy and hence the reason to rejoice,” it says.

It claims that the move only underlines the UPA dispensation’s penchant,ever since it has come to power,to assiduously try and cultivate an image of India without its Hindu moorings,ethos and strength. “Whether it was Commonwealth,foreign dignitaries’ visit or celebrating various anniversaries,the emphasis is not on a shared identity but an isolated,exclusive image,” the article says.

Bill of wrongs

The lead story in the Organiser focuses on the Sant Sammelan held last week by the Bharatiya Sanskriti Sabha and attended by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat as well as a host of seers,VHP leaders and politicians like Subramanian Swamy. The key demand of the gathering was to seek immediate dissolution of the National Advisory Council headed by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi,and immediate withdrawal of the communal violence bill.

Appealing to the seers who had gathered,to use their influence in getting the bill abolished,Bhagwat contended that it is not only aimed at minority appeasement,but would also weaken the nation. These seers,including the Kanchi acharya,Swami Jayendra Saraswati,and Swami Satyamitranand Giri Maharaj spoke against the bill and favoured an effective campaign against it,claiming that it went against Hindu society. The gathering also included several former government officials,including a former Punjab DGP,P.C. Dogra,a former chief secretary of UP,Venkat Sekharan and former attorney-general of Rajasthan,Gursharan Gill,who discussed the various provisions of the bill. A resolution adopted by the gathering demanded that the government apologise to Hindu society for bringing such a bill.

Stalling the Lokpal

The Panchajanya lead editorial has attacked the Manmohan Singh government on the Lokpal Bill question,alleging that it is trying to give the impression of being sincere about the legislation,but is in fact looking for ways to extricate itself from the mess it has landed itself in. The article says that on the one hand,Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said his government was committed to bringing the Lokpal,but on the other,Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee refused to commit at the last all-party-meeting to bringing the legislation in this session of Parliament. “On the pretext of finding a consensus on various aspects of the bill,the government is actually trying to stall it”,the editorial claims.

Death wish

The Panchajanya has also commented on the UPA’s failure to hang Afzal Guru,the key accused in the Parliament attack,despite the court having given its verdict five years ago. The article reiterates the charge that votebank compulsions are the main reason behind the Manmohan Singh government’s inability to take any decision on the issue. The argument that the mercy petition is still pending with the Rashtrapati Bhawan will not work,it says,as she will ultimately have to go by the recommendation of the Union cabinet. It alleges that Health

Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and other senior ministers openly caution against any precipitate step,saying that it would lead to trouble in Jammu and Kashmir. This approach only strengthens the impression that the UPA government is unable to fight the battle against terrorism,it says. Only when the UPA government itself is hanged,will justice be done to Afzal Guru,the article says.