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Shiv Sena schism impacts Maharashtra politics

     Mumbai: The hold of Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray is getting weakened following the party's rank and file rebelling against the perceived introduction of dynastic rule in the right-wing outfit. Following his reported misunderstanding with the Shiv Sena's Executive President Uddhav Thackeray, former Maharashtra Chief Minister Narayan Rane, who was expelled over the weekend, is claiming the support of 42 legislators in the State Assembly. "Twenty-two legislators are with me. Other 20 have phoned me, saying they supported me", Rane said, adding "who enjoys more support would be seen in the legislative assembly". Rane's expulsion comes close on the heels of Sanjay Nirupam's exit from the Shiv Sena and his decision to join the Congress party.

     These developments in the Shiv Sena are likely to have a delibitating impact on by-elections in Mumbai later this year, as it is clear that those removed might possibly link up with the party's opponents to wrest the political initiative from it. The Congress has already announced the name of Priya Dutt, the daughter of the late actor and politician Sunil Dutt, as its candidate for the North Mumbai Assembly Constituency. Within the Thackeray family there is a rivalry brewing between Uddhav (Bal Thackeray's son) and Raj Thackeray, his nephew. Senior leaders of the party say that while they respect Bal Thackeray, they do not accept the leadership of the younger Thackerays. Rane has been expressing his unhappiness over being sidelined for months, and when he openly expressed it before the Shiv Sena chief, he was expelled. On Sunday, Rane accused Uddhav Thackeray, his aide Milind Narvekar and Sena leader Subhash Desai for "conspiring against him for the last four-five years." He went as far as to say that the Shiv Sena had lost its lustre under Uddhav's command." Taking the help of a Marathi proverb `Aitya Bilavar Nagoba' (snake on a readymade burrow) to take a swipe at Uddhav, Rane said he had "toiled for the party. What have Uddhav, Narvekar and Desai done?," he asked. Rane, who claimed that he respected Bal Thackeray, did not spare him either, saying "the love for son (Uddhav) had scored over everything else."

      Bal Thackeray, however, told party legislators and office- bearers in Mumbai that Rane was practicing a form of "gangsterism." and that was why he was being expelled. Rane said he had yet to decide about floating his own party or joining another party. "I still think I am a Shiv Sainik", he told reporters at his official residence as Opposition leader, after he was expelled from the party. Asked about his cordial relations with Bal Thackeray's nephew Raj Thackeray, Rane said "I do not want to make anyone martyr by discussing names of people." Rane said he would quit as leader of opposition on the floor of the House in the monsoon session of the state legislature beginning July 11. "As far as the Sena chief's other order, that of asking me to resign as an MLA is concerned, I intend to do that but not before taking my electorate into confidence as they have elected me on four occasions," Rane said. Asked if he would be in state politics or national politics, Rane quipped "I am looking for an astrologer to decide". Rane said all Sena legislators were unhappy with Uddhav's style of functioning. "Till one and a half years ago, Bal Thackeray's was the last word in Sena. Now, whatever Uddhav decides is final", Rane said. Referring to Bal Thackeray's denial of allegations of party posts being up for sell in lieu of monetary considerations, Rane said "I can cite several such instances with proof if needed".

UK Indians return home to abort female foetuses (Go To Top)
by Mike Lockey

     London: An Indian paediatrician in Britain, Dr. Sudhir Sethi, has recently hit the headlines in Britain by claiming that it is dangerous to tell Indian parents to be what sex their unborn child is. The reason why this is so? Well Dr. Sethi maintains that, all too often, the putative parents are unwilling to accept a female baby, and will therefore travel to India and arrange to have the foetus aborted there. Dr. Sethi should know of what he speaks, since he is in charge of child protection in Leicestershire and a leading light in a UN campaign fighting the practice of aborting unwanted girls. In an interview with British newspaper Eastern Eye, Dr. Sethi said that: "We know that there are a number of Asian women travelling to India to abort unwanted female foetuses. I feel very distressed about this. At present, disclosure of the baby's sex is a matter of parental choice. Making the disclosure not so readily available will make it more difficult for people to engage in this practice." According to Dr. Sethi, a community leader in the Leicestershire area has said that some ten Sikh families have acted in this way to be rid of an unwanted pregnancy. As he says, this is of course a small number, but, there again, even one death is one too many when it has come about simply because of gender. The main problem in all of this is that there are no official statistics; it all sounds more like hearsay, and that kind of so- called evidence can be very dangerous without something more substantial to back it up. Dr. Sethi is the first to admit this: "We need proper statistics to illustrate the problem. Data is useful not only to know the extent of the problem, but also to monitor it on a year to year basis. Presently, what we hear are anecdotes, but these anecdotes cannot be ignored because they are coming from very senior and respectable members of the community, like members of the Leicester Council of Faiths". The problem with that of course, is that, whatever their faith, some people are against abortion full stop, so they may have their own agenda in spreading those anecdotes. Whatever the truth of the matter is though, it is clear that the only way of solving the problem, one way or the other, is more research and more monitoring.

Bhupathi-Pierce lift Wimbledon mixed-doubles title (Go To Top)

     London: Displaying brilliant all-round tennis, Mahesh Bhupathi, partnered by France's Mary Pierce, clinched the Wimbledon mixed-doubles title in their maiden appearance as a duo, defeating Paul Hanley (Aus) and Tatiana Perebiynis (Ukr) 6- 4, 6-2 in only 53 minutes. The Indo-French duo combined aggression with excellent court co- ordination to defeat Hanley and Perebiynis. Hanley, who began the match, held his serve 1-0, while Bhupathi, who looked in ominous form, took the next game at love 1-1. Perebiynis, who had a weak serve, was targeted by Bhupathi and Pierce and was broken in the next game 1-2, while Pierce held her serve 3-1. No more breaks happened further as Bhupathi closed out the set 6-4 in just 28 minutes. The Indo-French duo lifted their games two notches up in the next set and combined well, hitting hits and volleys to perfection. Perebiynis was broken in the third and seventh game of the set, as Bhupathi-Pierce led 5-2. It was left to Pierce to serve out for the match and the championship and she did not disappoint.The set lasted 25 minutes. Earlier Bhupathi and Pierce had hammered the third-seeded duo of Jonas Bjorkman (SWE) and Lisa Raymond (US) 7-5, 6-1 in the mixed doubles semis, while Hanley-Perebiynis had overcome Kevin Ullyett (ZIM) and Liezel Huber (RSA) 6-3, 6-4.

India retains Commonwealth Wrestling Championship title (Go To Top)

     Cape Town: India has once again won the Commonwealth Wrestling Championship title with bagging seven medals, including four gold to clinch the team title in the 2005 Commonwealth Greco-Roman Wrestling Championships in Cape Town, South Africa. India with four gold, two silver and one bronze medal won the 2005 Commonwealth Greco-Roman team title and South Africa placed second, while Canada took the third place. In the preliminary rounds India, South Africa and Canada dominated the Commonwealth Greco-Roman wrestling matches and Australia with three entries fought hard to get one of their wrestlers in the final. India won 16 gold, seven silver and five bronze medals in all the three styles. Earlier, freestyle men made a clean sweep of gold medals in all the seven weight categories along with three silver while women claimed five gold, one silver and one bronze.

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