C'da, You know the relationship between Tehelka and BJP! This article is too much onesided. She refers to Mani Shankar Aiyer, who is typical congressman (suspeneded, joined opposition, returned to party like Pranab, Arjun).
On the other hand, she has been a BJP worker for long time and being MP for 4 times (including a being minister in the union) before she became the CM. Definitely she would have tilt towards RSS/VHP because of her background! Do you think she will sing Sonia bandana or sing to the tune of communist (What this Tehelka report does). Ganesh --- [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > SAFFRON CHAMPAGNE > A pearls-and-chiffon socialite or a closet fanatic? > Poornima Joshi discovers > the real Vasundhara Raje > > > Desert Queen: Vasundhara in Rajasthani costume > Photo S. Khan > > For the Davis Cup tie on April 29, Vasundhara was to > deliver the opening > address. The match was to start at 9.30am. She > sauntered in only at > 10.45am. Even the world?s third richest man LN > Mittal had to wait for half- > an-hour to meet the CM > >From the tip of a manicured toe to the disdainful > toss of her lustrous mane, > everything about the Maharani of Dholpur aka > Rajasthan Chief Minister > Vasundhara Raje spells arrogance. She is > out-of-bounds and above the > mundane world of governance. Her officers tremble > even as they get her to > do the most basic of a chief minister?s tasks ? like > clearing files. The only > time the maharani switches her regal demeanour is > when she is hobnobbing > with astrologers and pandits, and temple-hopping in > ethnic chic, with dollops > of sindoor for the benefit of her doting praja. > > As most of her contemporaries trample their chances > in the battle for the top > job in the BJP ? Uma Bharti with her tantrums and > Narendra Modi with his > high-handedness ? Vasundhara?s popularity ratings > continue to soar. Even > the most vocal of the Sangh adversaries have only > nice things to say about > her. ?Vasundhara Raje is not Uma Bharti,? wrote Mani > Shankar Aiyar in his > pre-ministerial days, obviously referring to Raje?s > ?liberal? credentials as > compared to the rabble-rousing sanyasin. > > Aiyar is right. Vasundhara is not Uma. The > sindoor-wielding maharani is a far > more circumspect and shrewd politician than poor Uma > who hurts herself > every time she opens her mouth. The two women, who > fought the Assembly > elections in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan in the > same year, have charted > out courses that are similar in ideological essence > but quite different in > presentation. > > So, while Uma prays with sundry sadhus in > Amarkantak, Vasundhara has done > what would keep RSS satraps happy for a long time. > Take a look at the > measures taken to keep the Sangh in good spirits: > > She has not appealed against the lower court order > on the Deorala Sati > incident acquitting all the accused; > The practice of Sati is being glorified. The state > government recently > announced the setting up of a township named ?Shri > Rani Sati Nagar?. After > protests, the government omitted ?Sati? from the > name, letting it remain Shri > Rani Nagar; > The government is encouraging the Vanavasi Kalyan > Ashram, an RSS offshoot, > to open more schools in tribal areas. Even the > Muslim students have to sport > tilaks and recite shlokas in these schools; > There has been a spate of communal incidents in the > state, the latest > erupting in Bhilwara town after the alleged killing > of an RSS activist; > In the areas where communal tension resulted in the > police registering cases > against VHP and Bajrang Dal activists, counter-firs > have been filed against the > victims, mostly Muslims. According to human rights > groups, there are 150 > such counter-firs; > She has lifted the ban on trishul diksha. > In the areas neighbouring Gujarat, incidents of > communal violence are on the > rise. Local activists allege that the RSS, Bajrang > Dal and VHP are inciting > tribals to attack the Muslim population in these > areas. A 5,000-strong mob of > tribals attacked two Muslim localities in Sarada > village near Udaipur late last > year. Timely intervention by the police, however, > prevented major bloodshed. > The government, on its part, transferred Ravi > Prakash Mehta, the officer on > duty who saved many lives. > > The police deny that by transferring Mehta, the > government is sending a > message to the rest of the officers to be lenient > towards the rioters. ?There > have been such > incidents in the neighbouring districts. But after > the Sarada episode, we have > not witnessed any trouble in Udaipur,? says Suresh > Pandya, the additional > superintendent of police in Udaipur. > > Senior police officers reveal state Home Minister > Gulab Chand Kataria, an RSS > pracharak who can still be seen walking around the > Civil Lines area in his > trademark khaki shorts after a round of the morning > shakha, has made it > clear that the Sangh activists are not to be > prosecuted even in a communally > tense situation. ?It is a usual practice nowadays to > book the Muslims after > every incident of communal tension in any area. > Counter-firs against victims, > who are usually Muslims, are routine,? says a senior > police officer. > > THE ROYAL REPORT CARD > SHE SAYS > THEY SAY > ? No overdraft even for a day since February 10, > 2004 ? The > government has failed to provide a single job to > unemployed youth > ? Special focus on women and child development with > specific budgetary > allocations. ? The state crime graph has increased > by 5.23 percent > ? Renewed efforts to boost tourism, including a > liberal excise policyg > ? Rise in incidents of communal violence in > Banswara, Chittor, > Udaipur districts > ? Setting up of a special unit in the CM?s office to > monitor water, > electricity and drought situationn ? Drought and > poverty are forcing > hundreds to commit suicide in > the villages > Local NGOs and civil rights groups allege that the > government has turned a > blind eye to the functioning of communal elements in > the state. According to > Rehana, a social worker with Kala Mandir, an NGO, in > Kotra block of Udaipur > district bordering Sabarkanta in Gujarat, the RSS > has succeeded in > communalising tribals. ?We never had any trouble in > these parts. But now, > these people have slowly spread their network. We > now fear for our lives in > these areas where I have peacefully worked for more > than 12 years,? says > Rehana. > > Rehana, like other Muslims in Kotra, sends her > children to Dr Vijaya Apte > Vidya Mandir, a school run by the Vanavasi Kalyan > Ashram (VKA). Her eight- > year-old son is forced to wear a tilak and recite > shlokas every day. ?When I > complained, they told me I was free to take my son > out of the school. The > problem is, there is no other school here. And these > people take advantage of > the situation,? says Rehana. > > After the 2002 riots in Gujarat, the atmosphere has > been further vitiated. > ?The VKAs and the Bajrang Dal have intensified > activities in Rajasthan. The > Bajrang Dal has an office in the neighbouring > Khedbrahma (Sabarkanta > district, Gujarat) from where they organise > activities in Rajasthan freely,? says > Rehana. > > _______________________________________________ > Assam mailing list > Assam@pikespeak.uccs.edu > http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/mailman/listinfo/assam > > Mailing list FAQ: > http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/assam/assam-faq.html > To unsubscribe or change options: > http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/mailman/options/assam > === message truncated === Discover Yahoo! Use Yahoo! to plan a weekend, have fun online and more. Check it out! http://discover.yahoo.com/ _______________________________________________ Assam mailing list Assam@pikespeak.uccs.edu http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/mailman/listinfo/assam Mailing list FAQ: http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/assam/assam-faq.html To unsubscribe or change options: http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/mailman/options/assam
