Governor skips atrocities

GANDHINAGAR, Feb 23: The Budget session of the State assembly began today with an address by Governor K G Balakrishnan that was totally d...

GANDHINAGAR, Feb 23: The Budget session of the State assembly began today with an address by Governor K G Balakrishnan that was totally devoid of any reference whatsoever, direct or otherwise, to the burning of prayer houses in the Dangs and other attacks on the Christian community that had generated concern both within the country and abrorad.

Incidentally, even President K R Narayanan, in his address to Parliament, had mentioned the incidents and expressed his anguish and concern8217; at them.

The Governor said that Gujarat was 8220;the safest state8221; in the country, and asserted the government8217;s committment to maintain law and order and protect the life and property of all citizens, irrespective of race, caste, religion and political connections. A 8220;special characteristic8221; of the government was that it 8220;does not give shelter to criminals8221;, the Governor said, and proclaimed, 8220;Because of this, the confidence of the common people in the state has been enhanced8221;.

However, even as the Governor made this claim in the House, several NGOs held a dharna in Ahmedabad in protest against intelligence circulars regarding state-wide surveys of Muslims and Christians. They also burnt copies of the circulars.

Within the Assembly, the opposition parties tried to make up for the Governor8217;s omission by holding a demonstration against atrocities on minorities and tribals, and certain other issues. No sooner had the Governor begun to read out his address than members from the Congress and Rashtriya Janata Party and Independents rose to their feet.

They held up placards and shouted anti-government slogans, drowning out the Governor8217;s voice. Balakrishnan read the first and last para of his 64-page address, announced that it should be 8220;treated as read in full8221;, and left. The ritual was over in barely five minutes.

Later, Leader of Opposition Amarsinh Chaudhry said their protest was also against the rise in prices of essentials and misuse of government funds for image-building of Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel. This was a reference to the advertisement taken out recently giving Patel the credit for the Supreme Court judgement allowing construction of the Narmada Dam.

Story continues below this ad

Chaudhry said the address was 8220;misleading8221; as it had been prepared by a government that had not only not taken any action against Sangh Parivar elements responsible for atrocities on minorities and tribals, but had also punished upright officers.

He said while government-sponsored advertisements hailed Keshubhai Patel as 8220;the real Sardar Patel8221;, the fact was that the Bharatiya Janata Party government8217;s mishandling of the Narmada case in the Supreme Court had led to a loss of more than Rs 10,000 crore because of the stay on construction since May 1995.

Before adjourning for the day, the House paid tributes to former Roads and Buildings Minister Savjibhai Korat and former Minister of State for Urban Development Maganbhai Kasundra, both of whom were members of the Keshubhai government, and former MLAs Madinaben Nagori and Ratilal Patel.