145;India Shrinking146;

The lead article in this week8217;s Organiser claims that under the UPA regime, India8217;s influence 8220;is shrinking 8212; both internally and on its external periphery.8221;

The lead article in this week8217;s Organiser claims that under the UPA regime, India8217;s influence 8220;is shrinking 8212; both internally and on its external periphery.8221; According to the author of the article, Bharat Verma, the external strength of a nation is dependent on internal cohesion, and India is becoming increasingly fragmented. 8220;The psychological fragmentation and regionalism primarily due to vote bank politics has resulted in overwhelming regional pressures in determining our foreign policy,8221; he says, adding that 8220;the writ of the state governments is being rolled back towards their respective state capitals by Naxalites, insurgents, and crime mafia.8221;

But the bulk of the article is on India8217;s allegedly dwindling external influence on every front. In the east, 8220;demographic patterns stand subverted and changed8221; in Assam, West Bengal and Northeast because of illegal migration from Bangladesh and 8220;Dhaka8217;s influence and Islamic fundamentalism extends into large Indian chunks of territory diluting New Delhi8217;s hold.8221;

In the west, Pakistan remains a threat despite its talk of peace. 8220;The ill-conceived demand for demilitarisation in the Kashmir Valley can only boost the expanding designs of the terrorist state across the border,8221; warns Verma. As for Afghanistan, 8220;If New Delhi is not willing to flex its military, intelligence, and diplomatic sinews to defend the gigantic re-construction work it has undertaken, it will be muscled out once again.8221;

In the north, a takeover by the Maoists in Nepal is imminent and the sole beneficiary of the churning in the Himalayan nation will be China. 8220;In terms of India8217;s foreign policy, it is blunder of epic proportions. The stark question is if New Delhi cannot handle Nepal then what exactly can it do?8221; The article goes on to say that 8220;while New Delhi8217;s influence continues to shrink due to divisive policies and indulgence in vote bank politics, Beijing with its calibrated and well thought out approach is extending its influence in Asia and consolidating it in South Asia.8221;

And in the south, America and China are fishing in Sri Lanka8217;s troubled waters and 8220;it appears that here too India is being muscled out from its backyard.8221;

Lalu8217;s volte face

This week8217;s editorial entitled 8216;Father of Misa, fan of emergency8217; is on Lalu Prasad Yadav8217;s reported praise of the Emergency despite being jailed under MISA for his role in the JP movement. Although Lalu later said his remarks were taken out of context, the Organiser smells a grave conspiracy.

Describing Lalu as one of Sonia Gandhi8217;s foremost loyalists, it says 8220;The growing anti-establishment atmosphere in the country, repeated Congress defeats in state after state and the unconcealed dynastic ambitions of the Gandhi family make Lalu8217;s pro-emergency sentiments a matter of concern.8221;

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Claiming that the CPIM8217;s 8220;war with both the press and the judiciary8221; reflected the same mindset, it asks, 8220;Is it that the courtier has unwittingly blurted out the secret thoughts running deep inside the Congress charmed circuit?8221;

Uttarakhand8217;s priorities

Uttarakhand chief minister B.C. Khanduri 8220;has assured the saints of bringing cow protection and anti-conversion bills soon in the state,8221; according to a report by the Organiser8217;s Dehradun correspondent. Addressing a large gathering of saints in Haridwar last month, Khanduri asserted that the cow was the backbone of India8217;s economy and revered by Hindus all over the world, and therefore cow slaughter would not be allowed at any cost in the state.

He also assured the assorted sants that the anti-conversion bill 8220;to ban conversions with allurement or fraudulent means8221; would also be brought in the coming session of the assembly.

Talking to Organiser later, he outlined other priorities for the new government. One of them was to check the spiraling prices of real estate in the hill state. According to the report, there has been a phenomenal rise in real estate prices in Uttarakhand, particularly in Dehradun and the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal UKD has all along demanded introduction of Section 371 to check this abnormal price rise.

Compiled by Manini Chatterjee