Hindi
23 September, 2019: Amar Ujala says Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Houston event — ‘Howdy Modi’ revealed the popularity of the PM in the US. It also shows the strength of the Indian-American community in the US. The presence of US President Donald Trump at the event showed the importance the US gives to India and to Indians living there. Houston is the fourth largest city in the US and is known as a centre for science, energy, space technology and pharmaceuticals. So, it was an apt location for Modi to show his might.
Trump faces elections next year and it was opportune for him to attend this event with 50,000 Indians in attendance.
Dainik Jagran says that the event was a message to the world that India is on the rise. The importance of the programme increased with Trump’s participation. The US sent out a message to the world that it stood with India. It might be the first time that a US President decided to address a public gathering of another country’s leader. It is opportune as Pakistan has been spreading canards against India with regard to Kashmir.
24 September: Dainik Bhaskar says ‘Howdy Modi’ brought pride to India on the world stage. However, to believe that the American President attended the event just because of 50,000 Indians, who are potential voters, seems a bit far-fetched.
Modi is acknowledged as a positive active force in the world though detractors point to the negative aspect of his tenure. Gone are the days when India went with a begging bowl for PL 480 wheat and an Indian PM had to wait for 45 minutes outside the office of an American President to meet him. This is a turning point in history for a developing nation.
Amar Ujala calls the elections in Maharashtra and Haryana as a test for the opposition. It says these state elections are not a challenge for the BJP but for the opposition. Congress in Maharashtra and its alliance partner NCP seem to be in a shambles with many leaders having quit the party. The Congress has managed to create some coordination between its Haryana leaders but how it infuse vigour into its lethargic cadres has to be seen.
25 September: Dainik Jagran says that the government will have to take some steps to deal with the misuse of social media after the Supreme Court asked why there were no directives for social media. Social media is being misused in the name of freedom of speech. It is not only being used to troll but to spread fake news and hatred. The sensational charges against Cambridge Analytica of stealing Facebook data to rig the US elections cannot be ignored. It would be better if social media self regulates and sets parameters to stop this abuse.
Dainik Bhaskar says interference in the process of selection of the judges impacts the process of justice, which is not good for the institution. This was observed by a Bombay High Court bench, which was hearing a petition by the Gujarat High Court Advocates Association on the delay in appointment of Akil Kureishi to Madhya Pradesh High Court. This happened with Justice Vikram Nath who was to be Andhra Pradesh HC’s Chief Justice but after the government’s objection, he was sent to Gujarat.
Justice Anirudh Bose, who the collegium wanted to send to Delhi before government intervention, was sent to Jharkhand instead.
27 September: Dainik Bhaskar questions the rhetoric of teaching Pakistan a lesson and points out the lack of preparedness of the Indian armed forces. It recalls that Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman entered the Pakistan boundary because the command sent to him was unencrypted and so Pakistan jammed it. Imagine even WhatsApp uses encrypted technology and our Air Force is still using old technology. So much for nationalism and protecting the country. Hopefully with inclusion of Rafale things will change, writes Bhaskar.
Dainik Jagran calls in “faisle ki ghadi” in the Ayodhya case. With the Supreme Court making it amply clear that not a day after 18 October will be given to making arguments in the Ayodhya case, it is apparent that a decision in this case is imminent.
If it doesn’t happen before 17 November when Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi retires, then it will again go through the rigmarole of hearings and that will be unfortunate. This case should come to a conclusion, not just because it is long-pending and an issue of national importance, but also because the court has spent a long time and money on it.
TAMIL
23 September: Dinamani writes on the current state of the Indian economy and the recent intervention of the government with the corporate tax cut. It says, “It is very unusual to see government withdrawing so many announcements from the union budget within two months of it being passed in Parliament. There would not have been such a situation if the budget was prepared with some anticipation and forecasting.”
24 September: Dinamani writes about the recent announcement that Tamil Nadu is introducing board exams for Classes V and VIII. It says, “Board examination for Classes V and VIII will only create unnecessary mental pressure on the kids while also pushing them for an unequal space. It is against social justice to make urban and private-tuition-trained kids and underprivileged/first-generation students compete with each other in this manner…Government should ensure that there won’t be board examinations before Class X.”
25 September: Dinamani writes on the government handling the economic situation of the country. It says, “The government’s hasty reactions on the economic slowdown reflect their own fears…There is a saturation in production. If there is excess supply, let the companies sell at a lower rate. Is this called market economy? Is this what privatisation is called?” It goes on to quote famous Tamil poet Subramania Bharati roughly translated as “(The) heart cannot bear it anymore, (the) heart cannot bear it anymore, Pondering over fickle-minded humans”.
26 September: Dinamani’s editorial is on a recent UNICEF report that stated 10 lakh children under five years of age die due to under nutrition every year in India. It writes, “While India is marching towards the goal of $5 trillion economy, it also struggles to ensure the fundamental necessities like food, water and hygiene for the people.’’
27 September: Dinamani’s editorial is on the recent announcement of the Dada Saheb Palke award to Amitabh Bachchan. It says, “His fight against death, bankruptcy — the hardships and firewalls that he crossed were innumerable. Then, now and forever — in his lifetime, there is no one to take that place. Honoring him with Dada Saheb Palke when he is still unconquered should be welcomed.”
It also mentions that his parents (Harivansh Rai Bacchan and Teji Bacchan) were the ones who gave the name ‘Sonia’ to the Italian daughter-in-law of Indira Gandhi.
I wonder this constant emphasis on “Pride” is any good when 1 in 5 Indian goes to bed hungry every night. Respect is earned, not given. Groups with low self esteem do whine about not getting no respect-RSS for example but whining and claimng pride earned is not answer for 1.3 Billion Indians. Lets focus on keeping our stupid pride on the shelf for a while and work to better the economy first.