Monday, 25 November: Data shows that the rate of urban unemployment is receding, says Amar Ujala. This is a welcome sign and gives the country hope amidst the current economic gloom. The government has earlier been pulled up for its unemployment records. The new data brings some relief but it is now imperative that the government finds ways to create more employment in both urban and rural areas.
Wednesday, 27 November: All Hindi dailies are talking of the twists and turns in Maharashtra politics. Amar Ujala says the way Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar took oath of office by “stealth at dawn” was a total breakdown of democratic norms and constitutional principles. On the other hand, the getting together of Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress for power is also an example of political opportunism. What was the desperation of Fadnavis to get on with Pawar, and why was it a must for Shiv Sena to get the chief ministership – all these acts reflect poorly on politicians and their morality.
Dainik Jagran calls it misuse of voters’ verdict. The swearing-in of Fadnavis and Pawar resulted in BJP losing face and also sympathy of the people. And what was the need to join hands with Pawar, whom the BJP had accused of corruption earlier. One cannot ignore the fact that the alliance formed to rule Maharashtra – NCP-Shiv Sena-Congress – is a shameful example of political opportunism. When there is an unclear verdict, may be the best way forward is re-election so that people’s verdict is not made fun of.
Dainik Bhaskar also talks about how the moral compass of politics is missing but the newspaper is more worried about the erosion of constitutional posts. Both the president and the Maharashtra governor turned a blind eye to a very political early morning oath-taking by Fadnavis. Instead of the Supreme Court showing the way, could the constitutional authorities not have taken the right call, it asks.
Thursday, 28 November: Amar Ujala talks of the India Corruption Survey 2018 which reveals that corruption is on a downward slide. But the survey also indicates that till corruption at the lower levels are done away with, the problem will not go away. The statistics show that India’s ranking has improved by three places. Corruption has reduced from 56 per cent to 51 per cent. The survey was done on 1,90,000 people in 248 districts of 20 states. Some 38 per cent respondents said that if they needed to pay a bribe to get work done, they would. Another 26 per cent said if they had to cheat to beat a queue they are okay with it. Despite CCTV cameras, corruption in government offices and at local levels have not come down. Also, people say that there is no forum of complaint against corruption and half the people of the country believe in some form of bribe or the other.
Dainik Bhaskar says that no religion is extremist but it is human thought which is so. A host of intellectuals had appealed to the Muslim community to not file a review petition on Ayodhya. The intellectuals said they were hurt that the Supreme Court kept religion over law. On the other hand, some Hindu students and professors have written to the president and the prime Minister to remove Feroz Khan from the Sanskrit department of BHU. The paper argues that this is a fallacious argument that a non-Hindu cannot teach Hindu rituals or Sanskrit.
Friday, 29 November: Amar Ujala writes on “Ab Thackeray Sarkar“. It says the new Maharashtra government under Uddhav Thackeray will face a new challenge. Thackeray will have to satisfy the workers of Shiv Sena and also create a balance with the NCP and Congress whose ideology is different to that of the Sena. Will the Sena leave its hard-line Hindutva and Maratha regionalism? There is the common minimum programme which will guide this diverse new government, but the million dollar question is will it succeed?