Fear of constitutional crisis with spectre of sacking of Govt. MP CM backtracks fast the fast moveBhopal, February 14 (Pervez Bari): The much publicized and hyped indefinite hunger strike of the Bharatiya Janata Party, (BJP), ruled Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mr. Shivraj Singh Chouhan christened as “Savinay Aagrah Upwas” (modest insistence fast) against the Congress-led UPA Government of meting out "step-motherly" treatment to the state virtually proved to be a non-starter and ended on an anti-climax note. Though Chief Minister Chouhan ostensibly announced that Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh’s assurance to him to sort out the grievances of the state made him drop his fast move fast but political observers feel that in reality the impending constitutional crisis and the spectre of his Government being sacked stopped him in his tracks to venture upon such a risk. Within 20 minutes of the arrival at the fast venue at the BHEL Dussehra ground, after the chanting of Vedic hymns by pundits from Ujjain and much fanfare, Mr. Chouhan announced to the BJP workers, who had assembled in large numbers, that he was calling off the hunger-strike after the Prime Minister had assured him to look into the all the grievances of the state and resolve it amicably. He said the Prime Minister has arranged a meeting with the Planning Commission’s Deputy Chairman Mr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia and other departmental heads for discussion on February 20. Mr. Chouhan had proposed to observe indefinite fast in protest against the Centre ignoring important issues of Madhya Pradesh including the release of relief package for frost-hit farmers.
This abrupt announcement of Mr. Chouhan calling off the fast stunned the party workers for top to bottom as even the state BJP president Mr. Prabhat Jha was also taken aback as he was not in the know of the dramatic developments that took place on the issue since morning. A few moments before Mr. Chouhan’s public declaration Mr. Jha while lambasting the Central Government for ignoring Madhya Pradesh’s interest termed the fast of constitutional right. Before starting his speech he applied Tilak on Mr. Chouhan’s forehead.
The Chief Minister due to the proverbial at the 11th hour confabulations with the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and the state Governor Rameshwar Thakur arrived an hour late at 1 pm at the fast venue which was all spruced up for the big occasion with large number of party workers waiting anxiously for their leader to see him start his arduous task for the welfare of the people of the state. The party workers raised slogans “Shivraj Singh Tum Sangharsh Karo, Hum Tumhare Saath Hain”.
However, maneuvers behind the scene took the winds out of Mr. Chouhan's sail and he had to give up his high profile proposed hunger strike. The state Governor Mr. Thakur played a crucial role in averting a possible constitutional crisis by arranging Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh’s talk with Mr. Chouhan following which the latter backtracked his steps and dropped the plan to go ahead with his indefinite fast against the Central Government. Going on fast was not issue but linking it with his protest against the Centre was.
It may be pointed out here that the Art. 166 (1) of the Constitution of India states that: “All executive action of the Government of a State shall be expressed to be taken in the name of the Governor.” While Art. 167 (a) provides that “It shall be the duty of the chief minister of each state to communicate to the Governor of the State all decisions of the Council of Ministers relating to the administration of the affairs of the State and proposals for legislation.” As per Art. 167 (b): “It shall be the duty of the chief minister to furnish such information relating to the administration of the affairs of the State and proposals for legislation as the Governor may call for.”
According to political pundits if chief minister Mr. Chouhan had proceeded on fast without the Governor Mr. Thakur’s consent then the latter could have easily construed it a constitutional crisis in his report to the Centre.
Apprehending trouble the chief minister consulted his law secretary. Slips were pasted o the particular portion of hoardings in the city overnight, which pronounced that the fast was an agitation against the Centre. Instead, the new announcement said it was to draw the Prime Minister’s attention.
Mr. Chouhan on Sunday morning called on Governor before his proposed fast starting at noon. During an hour-long meeting, the Governor reportedly the chief minster about political, administrative and legal repercussions of his proposed fast. During the meeting Governor facilitated Chouhan’s telephonic talk with the Prime Minister who also asked him not to go on fast while assuring that all his grievances would be looked into. After leaving Raj Bhavan the chief minister reportedly talked to BJP bigwigs like national president Mr. Nitin Gadkari, Mrs. Sushma Swaraj and Mr. Ananth Kumar who all advised him against the fast. This was revealed by the chief minister himself while talking newspersons after calling off the fast.
On his way back to the fast venue Chief Minister once again called on the Governor to inform him that he has heeded his (Governor’s) advice and given up from going on fast and conveyed his decision to defer the fast to the Prime Minister’s Office. As such Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan soon after got a letter faxed to Mr. Chouhan wherein e appreciated the latter’s gesture in not going ahead with his proposed fast. Prime Minister in the letter said: “ Please refer to your letter of February 10, 2011 intimating that you intend to undertake fast to draw my attention to various issues relating to Madhya Pradesh and our telephonic conversation in this regard today (Sunday) morning. As I told you on phone the phone, we will be happy to arrange a meeting between you and the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission to sort out the issues you have raised. This meeting will be arranged within a week. Let me also take the opportunity to thank you for acceding to my request not to proceed on fast.” It may be noted here that after receiving this fax letter that the Chief Minister Mr. Chouhan proceeded to the proposed fast site. The letter explicitly tells that the chief minister decided to withdraw his fast programme before he drove to reach the fast site. So, the much talked about indefinite hunger strike of the chief minister never started as Mr. Chouhan went to the site only to convey his decision to all and sundry in the BJP hierarchy who on hearing the announcement were aghast.
Meanwhile, at the outset addressing the farmers and BJP workers, the Chief Minister said that the decision for the indefinite fast was taken against centre's continued discrimination. He said that he has been drawing attention of the Prime Minister and Union Ministers towards this since 2006. He said that he personally met the Prime Minister and other union ministers but nothing happened. Mr. Chouhan said that the Rabi crops have suffered badly due to recent cold wave and frost. He said that a relief package of Rs. 2440 crore was demanded from the Centre but no action was taken.. He said that Rs. 424.60 crore sanctioned by the Government of India under the State Disaster Relief Fund includes the second installment of Rs. 147.28 crore of the current financial year. It also includes an advance equal to 25 percent of the next year's allocation, which comes around Rs. 77.32 crore. The state was already entitled to this, he added. This also included Rs. 200 out of Rs. 520 crore already sanctioned to the state under Rastriya Krishi Vikas Yojana.
The Chief Minister said that the state is facing continued bias on many issues like negligible target allocation under Indira Awas Yojana, inadequate food grain allocation for BPL families. No new road has been sanctioned under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana this year. He said that the state government sought a package of Rs. 2440 crore so that frost hit farmers get maximum relief, considering farmers as individual unit under crop insurance scheme and announcing remunerative prices instead of minimum support price.
Meanwhile, a major administrative and political exercise carried over a week, elaborate arrangements for the chief minister‘s stay and huge expenses on it went waste in no time as the Mr. Chouhan announced to call off the proposed hunger strike. A big dais, make shift tented rooms for the chief minister, tiled bathrooms and toilets, a well furnished conference hall, several rooms for chief minister secretaries and other officers, wooden floor all over, water supply, electrification, a big pandal to accommodate party workers and others, a media hall etc. were the parts of the temporary structure erected to see the chief minister observe fast for at least a few days. Expenses over the structure were considerably borne by the Bhopal district administration. The BJP also spent some amount for the pandal etc. Expenses of lakhs of rupees was a conservative estimate. Some put the figure roughly at about Rs. One crore.
Mr. Digvijay Singh, general secretary of All India Congress Committee and ex-chief minister of the state, in a statement has expressed his happiness over the fact that good counsel prevailed over Mr. Chouhan and he gave up the fast plan. However, he took strong exception to the squandering of huge amount of public money over the melodrama of fast. He demanded that the whole amount spent on the arrangements made for the fast be realized from the chief minister’s salary and allowances and till then the said amount is recovered all payments which accrue to him be stopped forthwith.
Meanwhile, activists of the Congress party staged a demonstration in Bhopal on Sunday to protest against the neglect of farmers by the state government. Shouting slogans, hundreds of protestors took to the streets of Bhopal demanding 'justice' for the pitiable plight of farmers in the region.
"We are protesting the farce that is being done by the state government with regard to the farmers' issue. Hundreds of farmers have committed suicide till now. They are not being given adequate compensation. Somebody with huge tracts of land is being given merely Rs. 500," alleged Mr. P.C. Sharma, former Congress legislator of Madhya Pradesh. "Till now, Rs. 450 crores have been released by the Central government to resolve the issue. But this money is not being channeled among the farmers. Can't a government, with an overdraft of Rs. 62,000 crores distribute Rs. 2000 crores among the farmers?" he questioned.
While under the leadership of Youth Congress, (YC), convenor Mr. Monu Saxena hundreds of workers holding 1000 balloons in their hand went to the site of Dharna. Slips stating the problems faced by citizens like loot, dacoity, rape, atrocities on women, malnutrition, unemployment were attached to balloons which were written to convey the message to Mr. Chouhan. While the balloons were being released police cane-charged the workers due to which 10 to 12 workers were injured. Congress activists also alleged that government apathy was the root cause of the sharp hike observed in the number of farmer suicides.
According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) of India, 8,360 farmers have committed suicide since 2005. Madhya Pradesh is among the top five states in suicides by farmers.
(pervezbari@eth.net)
PHOTO CAPTIONS: (i) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan addressing newsperson after calling off his fast.
(ii) A hoarding wherein it was inscribed that Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is going on fast against Central Government from February 13, 2011. This was later covered up with slips to obliterate its view.
