Mumbai Muslims targeted

Is it a crime to be a Muslim in Mumbai?8221; That was CPM MP Brinda Karat8217;s question in the Rajya Sabha following reports...

Is it a crime to be a Muslim in Mumbai?8221; That was CPM MP Brinda Karat8217;s question in the Rajya Sabha following reports that Muslims were being specifically picked up for interrogation by the police in the aftermath of the 7/11 blasts. Karat, also a party politburo member, later wrote to Home Minister Shivraj Patil: 8220;8230;It is indeed a sad day for India8217;s secular values when the Mumbai police flags and targets all Muslims who have travelled abroad for the sole reason that they are Muslims.8221; The onus of proving themselves innocent had been shifted to a whole community, and her party would protest against it, she said. A report in People8217;s Democracy says that the day after she sent the letter, Maharashtra8217;s deputy chief minister called to say all persons, whatever their religion, who had travelled abroad during the period in question were being investigated. But he had apparently no reply when told that a famous dance choreographer she was referring to Raju Khan, well known choreographer Saroj Khan8217;s son, who travelled with a 30-strong film crew to Dubai, was the only one in the group to be questioned. The deputy CM told her that the Mumbai police commissioner would issue a clarification, the report says.

What the Left is doing right

With nearly three decades of Left rule in West Bengal, the one question Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has to answer 8212; What8217;s the secret of the Left Front8217;s repeated victories in the state? So, when Bhattacharjee went to Chennai as part of the CPM8217;s 8216;August Campaign8217; against the UPA8217;s policies, he said at a rally: 8220;Agriculture is our base and industry is going to be our future.8221; Asked how he balanced the two 8212; proletarian dreams with hopes of an industrialised state 8212; he said: On the one hand, his government gave a dole to all those thrown out of a job due to closure of industries and had introduced welfare sche- mes for workers in the non-formal sector, while on the other, the state was 8220;soliciting8221; FDI for industrialisation. Then, on the subject of the August campaign, he said the rising prices of essential commodities reflected the 8220;total insensitivity8221; of the UPA.Instead of punishing the hoarders, the UPA government had 8220;enabled them to indulge in loot and plunder of the common man,8221; People8217;s Demoracy quoted Bhattacharjee. According to the West Bengal CM, quite clearly the leading voice of the Left, the 8220;earnest effort8221; of the government should be to forge unity with countries like China and Russia to 8220;withstand pressure from imperialist forces8221;.

Students8217; wing for right to education

The SFI, CPM8217;s students8217; wing, has been pushing for legislation on the Right to Education but feels the UPA government is subverting the whole issue. SFI general secretary K K Ragesh says the National Common Minimum Programme promises to universalise access to quality basic education but the Bill had been kept in abeyance because of opposition from the finance ministry and the Planning Commission. He says the model Right to Education Bill, sent to states, proposed that the burden of expenditure would be shared between the centre and the states and this was unacceptable. There were also several dilutions in the draft Bill, said Ragesh, like doing away with 25 per cent reservation for poor students in private schools. To prevent further dilutions and ensure introduction of the legislation, the SFI leader warns that 8220;broad sections of the student community8221; would be organised to take part in agitations on the issue in the days to come.

8212; Compiled by Ananda Majumdar