Power of English

Perhaps for the first time in Haryana,the Speaker has been conducting the entire proceedings of the Assembly in English.

Power of English

Perhaps for the first time in Haryana,the Speaker has been conducting the entire proceedings of the Assembly in English. In this agrarian state,however,English has been a traditional stumbling block at school; it is perhaps the subject where the majority of students are weakest in. Many Haryana MLAs are struggling to follow the instructions of newly appointed Speaker Kuldeep Sharma. One thing it has certainly ensured,though,is that the Speaker has at times succeeded in intimidating the Opposition, his English overawing leaders who might have otherwise challenged his announcements. English apart,the Budget session has seen the revival of a perennial debate,with the government saying the Opposition has no constructive proposal and the latter saying the government does not allow others to speak.

Old riots,renewed demand

A 27-year-old event has returned to haunt the Haryana government. During the 1984 communal riots following the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi,31 Sikhs had been killed in Hondh Chillar village of Rewari district. The SGPC has now raked up the issue again,both in Punjab and in Haryana,demanding compensation to the families of those killed. Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda stated that the then government did pay compensation to these families,but this has not silenced the demand. The Chief Minister has instituted a commission under retired judge T P Garg to investigate what happened.

Jats back on agitation path

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Last year,Jats agitating for an OBC quota of 27 per cent in state government jobs had threatened to block the road to Delhi and disrupt the Commonwealth Games. They finally agreed to suspend their agitation following an assurance by the government that their demand would be taken care of. Five months on,they have got restless again and have resumed blocking roads and railway tracks. The Chief Minister has since issued a statement that he had already forwarded with a favourable remark their memorandum. The Jats have,however,decided to intensify their agitation.

Opposition within

The governments land acquisition policy is now facing trouble from within. As if the resistance to the policy from the Opposition was not enough,a number of ruling Congress leaders too have started criticising their government about this. Finance Minister Capt Ajay Yadav is at the forefront of the disgruntled camp,followed by Power Minister Mahender Partap Singh. Now,even the Bhartiya Kisan Union has threatened an agitation. Farmers of Ambala,Fatehabad,Gurgaon,Jhajjar have already been opposing the acquisition of fertile land.