Hindi
31 May 2019: All the editorials try to dissect the meaning and messages in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s new cabinet.
Dainik Bhaskar says “Modi ne cabinet ke puraney sathion par bharosa jataya”. It says those prominent people not part of Modi government 2.0 were the ones who had refused to sign up. The PM had said in Varanasi recently that chemistry won over arithmetic — in his cabinet formation, he has taken care of chemistry.
Amar Ujala says Modi has looked at competence, domain knowledge and alliance needs in forming his cabinet — it notes the induction of S. Jaishankar and Amit Shah.
Dainik Jagran says it would have been better if opposition leaders also attended the swearing-in. This event should be above party politics. And, a strong mandate for the ruling dispensation also needs an alert opposition. The entry of master organiser Amit Shah will greatly benefit the Modi cabinet and the new faces will make it a cabinet that delivers.
30 May: Dainik Bhaskar looks east, to China in “Cheen ke saath samvad ki pahal se doosri paari ki shuruat”. PM Modi has reportedly chalked out the roadmap for relations with China with a Wuhan-type meeting with Xi Jinping in Varanasi. India hopes that relations with China improve after Dokalam and China’s stand on JeM’s Masood Azhar. While India has a trade deficit of $60 billion with China, the latter is in a trade war with the US and looks to India for better trade, it writes.
29 May: The suicide of a young doctor Payal Tadvi in Maharashtra due to ‘harassment’ reveals the sick mindset in our society, writes Dainik Bhaskar. In ‘Samajik rugnata ko zahir karti doctor ki atmahatya’, it writes Tadvi had obtained admission in the PG course through reserved quota and was allegedly harassed by three senior students for this. She committed suicide. The poison of caste is so ingrained in the society that for the senior students, Payal’s achievement was not something to be celebrated — given she came from a tribal community but became a cause of spite, writes Bhaskar.
Amar Ujala deals with the Karnataka government targeting the media. After JD(S)’s poor showing in the elections, Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy’s son allegedly created a scene in a five-star hotel and this was reported by a leading Karnataka newspaper. The CM lodged many cases against the daily – a clear misuse of power. Before the election results, the CM had said his government would introduce a law to regulate the media. Instead of curbing the media, Kumaraswamy needs to look at the crisis looming over his government, is Ujala’s advice.
Dainik Jagran says by inviting leaders of countries in Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (Bimstec) to his swearing-in ceremony Thursday, Modi has indicated a look-east policy. By not inviting Pakistan’s Imran Khan, Modi has made a clear statement it is very difficult for India to trust Pakistan.
28 May: Dainik Jagran considers “Congress ki disha”. Alongside the offer of resignation, Rahul Gandhi had accused senior leaders of working to ensure their children’s victories. Internal democracy in parties should not mean leaders do what they feel like, as seems to be the case here. When Rahul became Congress president, he had aimed for greater coordination between the old and new guard. He also tried to build a mahagathbandhan before the elections — neither worked. His moving to Wayanad in Kerala also sent the wrong signals to party members in the north. Congress now needs to give primacy to leaders who have wider support base and must shy away from leaders who propagate a leftist ideology in the party.
Amar Ujala comments on the phone conversation between Pakistan’s Imran Khan and Narendra Modi. It says until Pakistan displays a clear intent to deal with terrorism, bilateral relations would see no significant change. Both leaders might meet in Bishkek on the sidelines of SCO next month and it is for beleaguered Imran Khan to decide how he wants relations with India to develop.
27 May: Amar Ujala calls for introspection in the Congress. Its editorial headline is ‘Atmamanthan ka samay’. The newspaper contrasts Modi’s meeting with new elected NDA members where he gave a new slogan of ‘sabka vishwas’. He also asked them to hit the ground.
On the same day, the Congress Working Committee meeting took place and Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee met her party members. Both Rahul Gandhi and Mamata Banerjee offered to resign. The thought of Congress without Rahul and Trinamool without Mamata is inconceivable. The leaders instead of offering to resign should work to strengthen the organisation and take brave steps to revive their respective parties.
Dainik Jagran talks of Modi’s ‘sabka vishwas’ assurance to minorities. This assurance was necessary because national and international media has raised the bogey that the problems of minorities will grow in the country. Modi has to make sure that incidents like the one in Madhya Pradesh recently where some cow vigilantes beat up Muslims don’t recur. There is no doubt that Modi’s schemes reached everyone, not just Hindu families. So, Modi government has to be more careful that Muslims are not fed this fear.
Tamil
30 May: The Hindu Tamil’s editorial is on lessons from the four states, which went for simultaneous state assembly elections with the general elections — Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim. It says, “This election results also tell us how people are very clear and distinct in their voting when it comes to state assembly election and parliamentary election. Also, if the state leader has great prominence in the region, even the biggest national parties cannot take a chance is very clear from the results of states like Odisha and Andhra Pradesh”.
29 May: The Hindu Tamil’s editorial suggests how the Congress should act in defeat. It says the party is not united ideologically or structurally, but ‘only the Nehru family’ keeps the party united. The family’s service and sacrifice to the country is the only reason that it is left with minimal respect among the people. They are now an impediment for the youth to join the party. New thoughts come with new people, new strategies and new attempts.
28 May: The Hindu Tamil congratulates DMK’s M.K. Stalin for emerging as a new leader in Tamil Nadu. It says, “With the victory, he should weed out and bring change within the party. With this thumping victory, the people have given him new vigour. With only two years for the assembly election, Stalin should realise that this is the right time to modify the party from within. People have come together to end the ‘political vacuum’ argument being heard everywhere. Stalin should save their hopes”.
27 May: The Hindu Tamil’s editorial is on Modi’s historic victory. It says, “Closely looking at the election results, in many places, beyond the majority Hindus even the minorities have voted for Modi and the BJP”. Modi saying “this government will remove the fears of minorities while earning their trust as well” shows that he has rightly understood this as the government’s biggest problem. “The new government has not just won boundless authority, but also a boundless responsibility,” it writes.