The latest issue of People’s Democracy has an editorial on the Gujarat riots in the wake of Tehelka’s sting operation. It says “Today, five years later, the cases of these crimes continue to languish in the courts. This is turning out to be a severe indictment on the efficacy of our justice delivery system. In fact, Babu Bajrangi is on record stating that the CM got him out of jail and kept on changing judges to protect him...”

The editorial argues that the details revealed by the sting operation must be admitted as evidence in court. It urges the central government to intervene to ensure that justice is delivered. “After all, the UPA was formed to protect and strengthen the secular foundations of modern India.”

Back to Nandigram

Nandigram continues to haunt the Left Front government in West Bengal. A report in People’s Democracy says it is the Maoist-Trinamool-Naxalite alliance that’s creating trouble. Says the report “It is now widely believed that the popular resistance that prevents the Trinamool-Maoists-SUCI-Naxalite ‘front’ from occupying newer areas at Nandigram has made the criminals desperate. Even on the day of the bombing of the Sher Khan Chak relief camp, more than 100 people, men, women, and children, defied the ‘ban’ imposed by the forces of reaction and sectarianism on their return to their villages, and marched home, red flags held aloft. The criminals dared not attack these brave and completely unarmed villagers, carrying their meagre belongings on their heads.”

System failure?

People’s Democracy carries an interview with West Bengal CPM secretary Biman Basu. He speaks about strengthening the public distribution system. His comments come in the backdrop of the food riots in the state.

Basu claims “Despite many odds, the public distribution system is being maintained in Bengal and this is not liked by reactionary forces and opposition. They want to disrupt the system as a whole. The party has taken steps to alert the people of this danger through mass campaign.” He says that a meeting was held by the chief minister with the food minister, panchayat minister and finance minister and it took some important decisions. “There will be a public display of the quantum of allocations received by the ration shops. Apart from strengthening the monitoring system, it has been decided that over a period of time all ration cards shall be replaced with the photo identity cards of the voters’ list.”

Sachar in Kerala

There is a lengthy report on what the Left Front government in Kerala intends to do on the Sachar recommendations. At a convention on the Sachar report in the state, “The chief minister V.S. Achuthanandan, declared that a special officer would be appointed to coordinate the welfare measures. Special cells would be organised at the state secretariat and the district collectorates to monitor the measures. A welfare scheme would be evolved in consultation with the state Wakf Board for the benefit of around one and a half lakhs of madrassa teachers of the state.” Achuthanandan criticised the central government of adopting delaying tactics in the case of the Sachar Report. The Left-led governments are going ahead with concrete plans to implement the recommendations, he said.