Chhattisgarh's best known secret has now got the official seal. No less than the Chief Minister Raman Singh confessed that "some 50-odd police stations located in the Dandkarenya forests running through its inter-state borders of Chhattisgarh, Orissa and Maharashtra have to fight the AK-47 and SLR-wielding Naxalite guerrillas with just batons." Adding that the police were denied arms and ammunition because of fear that they may be snatched or looted by the Naxals. Shockingly, the decision not to give arms to certain police stations in the "orange" and "green" zones was justified on two counts. One, it was to ensure fire power availability for the arms-strapped Central forces and the police to take on the Naxalites. Two, the risk of the innocent villager being caught in the crossfire between Naxals and the police was minimised. Never mind, that the State's 'no-arms' policy has cost the State dearly with scores of policemen and innocent villagers being killed by the militants. Even as the State prepares for what could be its biggest counter-operation against Left-wing extremists.

Telangana issue hots up again

The Telangana Statehood issue is hotting up again with Parties gearing up for General elections next year, if not earlier. All four Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) MPs resigned from the Lok Sabha on Monday and 16 of its 26 MLAs and 3 MLCs followed suit the next day. The reason: Sonia Gandhi and UPA Government's "betrayal of promises made to the people of the Telangana region. In the 2004 Assembly elections the TRS President K Chandrasekhara Rao had formed an alliance with the Congress and joined the Government both in the State and at the Centre. In 2006 it withdrew its support to the UPA on the grounds of being cheated and set 6 March as the deadline for the Centre to start the process of carving out a separate Telangana. Will the resignations help the cause? While their numbers may not rock the boat at the Centre and State, it could affect the vote banks in the coming polls. Moreover, it could help the TRS to carve out an alliance with the BJP, which is supporting their demand for Statehood.

Home coming for Pandits

Winds of change are blowing in the Kashmir Valley. After 18-long years, displaced Pandits are finally getting a roof over their heads they can call their own again. On Monday last, 26 non-migrant Kashmiri Pandit families moved into the Valley's first exclusive "safe zone" Pandit's colony in Sheikhpora, on the outskirts of Srinagar. About 200 families would shift into the colony, with 16-feet high walls and guarded, in the first phase of the rehabilitation package of the J&K Government. With terrorism taking roots in 1989 in the State, the minority Pandits were forced to flee their homes and live in wretched dwellings. Migrants in their own country, the Pandits may never get what they lost, but if their Kashmiri Muslim neighbours so desire, their return could be a major step forward towards normalcy.

Nagaland goes to polls

Not only has Nagaland had a record polling of over 85 per cent, but it has been the "most peaceful" election for the 60-member Assembly. The two underground factions of the Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagalim had asked its cadres to keep away from the poll process. The troubled North-Eastern State is poised to have a popular Government again after President's rule was imposed this January. Whether a new Government will help the peace talks between the Centre and the Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN-I-M) is to be seen. Much however, depends on whether the Congress yields on its election promise of integrating all the Naga-inhabited areas or it turns out to be just another poll gimmick? Specially against the backdrop of the Congress President Sonia Gandhi's assertion that there was enough space in the Indian Constitution to find an amicable solution. Rebutting this, the NSCN-I-M argues, "It is the very Constitution which has divided the Naga people," and 10 years of ceasefire has passed "simply like that" without any significant progress.

Mob fury in Bihar

Mob fury is ever-increasing in Bihar. Two boys were beaten and shot dead by villagers as they tried to flee after killing a man in Teka Bigha, in Patna district and a man was lynched by villagers in Munger district after he shot dead a school boy in a drunken state on Monday last. Shockingly, the two boys were lynched just 4 km away from Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's backyard Bakhtiarpur. Recall, in September last 10 suspected thieves were lynched by villagers in Vaishali, another person was lynched ten days later in Gopalganj and yet one more in October. Needless Police enforcements have been sent and patrolling has been intensified, says the Patna Police. The horrific incidents once again underscore that there is no rule of law in the State despite intensification of police patrolling and more forces.

"Dirty" Delhi

It's bad news for Delhi. The country's Capital has been tagged as one of the dirtiest cities in the world. The rating comes from none other than the Forbes magazine. In its report dated 22 February 2008, the renowned magazine rates Delhi as the "24th dirtiest city." Obviously, the "filthy waters of the Yamuna and its unhealthy surroundings" haven't gone unnoticed by the magazine. The report consults Mercer's Health and Sanitation rankings Quality of Life report, 2007 in which Delhi scores a sad 46.6 on health and sanitation index while the most polluted city Baku in Azerbaijan scored 27.6. With Delhi to play host to the Commonwealth Games 2010, its time the municipal authorities clean up their act.

-INFA