Opinion Back at you

The editorial in party weekly People’s Democracy recalls that Singh had,in 2005,called Bhattacharjee dynamic and later rated him as one of the best CMs. “Irrespective of the merit of the issues involved,it is clear that praise or condemnation by the prime minister is based on the political alliances that he requires.”

Attacking Chidambaram,who had observed that Bengal is the worst-governed state in India,it says he appeared to be supportive of the Maoist- Trinamool collaboration,incontrovertible evidence of which has been provided not only by the CPM,but also by sitting Trinamool MPs and some Maoist leaders. “The Union home minister will have to answer if he agrees with the PM’s repeated assertion that Maoist violence poses the gravest threat to India’s internal security… If so,how can he share power in an alliance with the Trinamool Congress that is in open collaboration with the Maoists?” it asks.

Forest to market

An article in People’s Democracy analyses environment minister Jairam Ramesh’s recent suggestions on the pricing of minor forest produce. Ramesh has suggested that state governments should notify minimum support prices for the 12 major non-timber forest products and that the fixing of the MSP should be done by a Central committee. Besides,he has sought the removal of monopolies of “any kind (including state agencies)” on the purchase of all forest produce and suggested that state agencies should not only purchase “profitable” forest produce but all other forest produce directly from the gatherers.

The article says that although the suggestions echo some of the concerns raised by the Left,and adopts some solutions recommended by the joint committee on the Forest Rights Act,if the suggestions of Ramesh and that of the committee are implemented,they will have far-reaching consequences for the way in which forest dependent people are integrated into markets.

It argues the proposed policy will denationalise some of the commercially important forest produces notified by different state governments. “This means that it will remove the distinction between nationalised and other produce and introduce competition into the forest produce market… Private traders and industry will be able to buy produce directly from the gatherer. As a consequence,the influence of the market on the determination of prices will be considerably enhanced,” it says.

It says this proposal means that a “bureaucratic and arbitrary central committee” will replace a much sought after forest produce price commission. Given the varied regional and local patterns of forest produce production,harvesting and use,it says it is appropriate that state governments are mandated to have their own lists of essential produce and determine the MSPs of this produce.

Speaking up

The editorial in CPI’s New Age says that Gujarat IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt’s affidavit in the Supreme Court has unmasked the real face of Narendra Modi. It claims that at least two police officers have earlier said that the conspiracy to unleash a state-wide “anti-Muslim pogrom” was hatched at Modi’s residence,and he and his “cohorts personally supervised the mass killing and destruction of properties in Muslim localities.”

It argues that police officers who wanted to perform their duty were clearly told by Modi to allow Hindus to vent their anger,and those who did not fall in line were punished by being dumped in inconsequential posts.

The editorial claims that it is not just top police officers who are emerging from the climate of fear created by Modi,the people are also speaking out. “Despite the deployment of the entire state cabinet and hundreds of BJP leaders from all over the state,the BJP has lost the first-ever election for the newly created Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation…. Now Modi has to face the wrath of the people when the state goes to the polls next year,” it says.