Summary of Last Week' s Happenings in India ( 12 to 18 June 2010)

Politics:
Congress decided that the government, not the party, would have to clarify on the various aspects of the Bhopal gas Tragedy case, as the facts are only with the government. The party was concerned that the former Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi's image should not be tarnished by the controversy.
Senior leader of the Communist Party of India Gurudas Dasgupta said, the Communist movement in India is at a crossroads and needs a restructuring and greater democratization to bring it closer to the people. Mr. Dasgupta regretted that despite several years at the helm in West Bengal, apart from a few initiatives such as land reforms and the strengthening of the Panchayati Raj system, the Left had not been able to reflect an alternative line.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched a broadside against the United Progressive Alliance government over the Civil Nuclear Liability Bill and accused it of working for U.S. interests. Party says the bill failed to hold American and other foreign suppliers responsible in the event of a nuclear accident.
Minorities' Issues:
Sharp decrease in Muslim community’s support for Left Front causes concerns for the alliance. Muslim voters no more trust their unfulfilled promises. West Bengal government announced to implement Sachar Commission’s suggestions for Muslim backward class but it could not deliver well practically. Muslims constitute the most backward community of Left ruled states. As a result they are moving towards Trinamool Congress and other parties.
Insurgency Movements:
The interrogation of a senior Naxal leader caught recently by the security forces in Bihar has reportedly revealed a link between them and insurgent groups in the Northeast.
India has strongly protested the inclusion of Naxal issue under the realm of an "armed conflict" in a UN report that deals with ‘Children and armed conflicts’ saying the violence being perpetrated by these groups does not make it a zone of armed conflict as defined by international law. The report, which is produced by the office of Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and submitted to the Security Council, highlighted the recruitment and use of children by the Maoist armed group in some districts of the Chhattisgarh. The report also pointed out that the Naxal's had carried out systematic attacks on schools in order to intentionally destroy government structures and to instill fear among the local community.
Economy:
India is quite capable of combating the impact of Eurozone crisis as India's exports to the European Union as a percentage of GDP (gross domestic product) was only 3.4 per cent. Although the stock markets are fluctuating, this is due to the global trends, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said. ADB has projected an 8.2 per cent growth and for 2011 the projection is 8.7 per cent for India.
Stock market benchmark Sensex climbed 273 points to settle at its highest level in more than one month on the back of a smart rally in IT stocks and RIL. Shrugging off concerns over double digit inflation, the 30-share barometer of the Bombay Stock Exchange rose 273.2 points, or 1.6 per cent, to finish at 17,338.17, a level last seen on May 3.
The inflation rate surging into double digits and it touched 10.16 per cent in May, the highest in the last 19 months.
Geo-Strategic Front:
India conveyed its concerns to US for Pak-China nuclear cooperation. India clearly told US that it has objections on such cooperation between China and Pakistan during strategic dialogue with US.
After failing to persuade Pakistan to resolve the Kishenganga hydel project dispute at the government level, India on Wednesday named a judge of the Geneva-based International Court of Justice Peter Tomka and a Swiss international law expert Lucius Caflisch to represent it. India’s greatest effort will go into ensuring that Pakistan should not get a veto on forthcoming water projects in India. Pakistan’s main disputes are first that India’s proposed diversion of the Kishenganga (its called Neelum in Pakistan) to another tributary, Bonar-Madmati Nallah “breaches India’s legal obligations under the treaty.” Pakistan also objects to India’s decision to deplete the level of the reservoir level of the plant to “below the dead storage level (DSL)”. Its reason being that it says the treaty places strict limitations on drawdown of water. Pakistan wants to prevent India from proceeding on the project until the verdict. India doesn’t want to do this because it’s a financial liability and then the project could become threatened. Pakistan also wants a legal declaration that the diversion is a breach of the treaty. Third, that India should not draw down the water level of the reservoir.
India successfully test-fired it’s nuclear-capable, ballistic missile Prithvi-II from a launch complex of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur-on-sea. With a maximum striking range of 350 km, Prithvi-II is capable of carrying a pay-load of 500 kg.
Social Issues:
Britain has launched an inquiry into reports that millions of pounds of aid for education has disappeared into the depths of corruption without any benefit to the poor children the aid was intended for.
India has been ranked as a “Tier II Watch List” country only one level better than worst-performing Tier III countries such as Saudi Arabia and Zimbabwe in the 2010 Trafficking in Persons Report (TIP) compiled by the United States State Department. India ranks among those countries whose governments do not fully comply with the Trafficking Victims Protection Act's (TVPA) minimum standards. The Government of India did not demonstrate sufficient progress in its law enforcement, protection, or prevention efforts to address labour trafficking, particularly bonded labour.