India Last Week

National Summary:
Politcs:
Bharatiya Janata Party national president Nitin Gadkari blamed the Congress-led Centre for the price rise and unemployment and the DMK-led State government for the power and water crises in Tamil Nadu. According to him Congress government at the Centre is appeasing the minorities and terrorist organisations for political gain and for vote-bank politics which he said, would endanger the country's unity and integrity. Criticising the Congress and other secular political parties for describing the BJP as a communal party, Mr. Gadkari said the party was for justice for all irrespective of caste and creed.
Chief Election Commissioner Naveen Chawla expressed concern that roughly 700 out of 1,000 registered political parties do not contest polls but said the Election Commission has no power to de-register them.
The involvement of Tharoor in the IPL franchise for, the Kochi team has raised concerns among political circles and even in his own party. Left parties demanded his resignation as, for them, its highly inappropriate for a minister in the Union government to be part of such activities.
Minorities' Isuues:
Muslim groups in Rajasthan have alleged that over a dozen persons accused of carrying out and conspiring in the May 2008 serial blasts in Jaipur were being kept at the Central Jail without basic facilities and forced to make fresh confession despite the completion of investigation.
Hindu Fundamentalism:
Senior BJP leader L K Advani emphasized that the party needs to work to explain to the people that Hindutva and Indian secularism are synonymous. The BJP leader quoted Supreme Court judgment on Hindutva in which the court had observed, “Hindutva is a way of life or state of mind and cannot be understood as religious Hindu fundamentalism.”
Insurgency Movements:
After the government came under opposition attack on the handling of Naxal violence, Home Minister P Chidambaram said that the state governments have the primary responsibility to fight the Maoist menace and the Centre was ready to assist them.
Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee has said there are no Maoists in West Bengal. Banerjee claimed there are about 200 camps of the Communist Party India (Marxist), which have unleashed violence across the state. Criticising the so-called Operation Green Hunt of the government, Banerjee said the operation is being carried out to suppress or kill rural folk in the area.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles successfully flew over the forests of Bastar in the first trial run for anti-naxal operations. The trials, which assumed urgency after the Dantewada massacre in which 76 security personnel were killed by Maoists, were aimed at generating real-time intelligence information to help ground forces in any offensive. The first trial involved an American UAV.
Economy:
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said India was poised to achieve 9-10 per cent economic growth but for this it required protection-free international climate. During the meeting with President Barack Obama, Singh said, there was a need to "rewrite" the architecture of global economic system in which the G-20 could play an important role. Referring to the global economic crisis, Singh referred to role of US in strengthening growth impulses in world economy particularly in developing countries in period after World War II and stressed that that experience should be repeated.
According to the 'ING Investor Dashboard Survey' Investor sentiment in India has been the highest among the Asian economies in the January-March period of 2010 because of robust domestic consumption and expectations of increased stock market activity. The India index, which provides market insights into investor attitude and outlook, has jumped to 174 for the first quarter of 2010, from 169 in the immediate previous quarter. The survey found that a majority of Indian investors (91 per cent) believe the economic situation will improve in the next quarter, signaling continued confidence in the local economy. Also investors are willing to take more risk as the economic outlook turns bullish.
Geo-strategic Developments:
US President Barack Obama has hoped that the controversial nuclear liability bill will be concluded "expeditiously" by the Indian Parliament. The Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Bill, introduction of which was deferred by the government on March 15, figured in the talks Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had with Obama on Sunday. The bill that seeks to limit the liability of a nuclear power plant operator at Rs 500 crore in case of an accident has generated criticism from opposition parties.
India seeks access to David Coleman Headley under the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT), 2005, which binds India and the US to share information and material while pursuing criminal cases.
The Obama Administration has asked the Congress to double its anti-terrorism budget to India to USD 4.5 million for the fiscal 2011.
Social Issues:
s:A Freak storm preceded by hurricane-force winds killed nearly a hundred people in four blocks of North Dinajpur district in West Bengal and Araria, Purnea and Kishanganj districts of Bihar around midnight on Tuesday. While 31 people were killed and more than 50 injured in West Bengal, the toll was around 65 in Bihar. The figure is likely to rise as rescuers are still clearing debris of flattened houses in both states
Regional Summary:
Central India/Hindi Heart Land
Congress and BSP are struggling hard to gain Dalit’s vote bank in UP. Both parties have announced different programmes to celebrate the birth anniversary of Bhimrao Ambedkar. Rahul Gandhi and UP chief minister Mayawati are the main contester in vote bank politics.
Northern States:
Rajasthan government extended a fresh invitation for talks to Gujjar leader Kirori Singh Bainsla, who is spearheading a protest demanding five per cent quota for the community in state jobs. Hundreds of Gujjars led by Bainsla have been marching to Jaipur since April 11 to press for their demand.
Eastern States:
Muslim religious leaders publicly voiced their support for Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee and criticised the CPM for not helping the Muslims in Bengal.

Southern States:
Tamil Nadu government has allocated Rs 1,000 crore for a project of constructing roads of international standard in 11 cities, including Madurai. Discussions were taking place at various levels to build the roads, which would have good lighting facility, footpath, and sign boards, an official release said.
Western States:
The number of suicides in Gujarat has risen by 10.5 per cent in 2008, as compared to 2007, with housewives constituting the highest percentage, according to a National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report. The recently published report titled 'Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India-2008' said the number of suicides in Gujarat has increased to 6,165 in 2008 from 5580 registered in 2007, an increase of 10.5 per cent. The all-India average was recorded at 2.2 per cent. Out of the 6,165 suicides in 2008 in Gujarat, 1,744 (28.3 percent) were housewives. Gujarat, where 4.9 per cent of the total suicides in the country took place in 2008, stands eighth in the list of state after West Bengal, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh, where high suicide rates were recorded.