Front page
Newspaper headlines of hope earlier turned sober and reflective today after India’s devastating loss in the semi finals of the ICC Cricket World Cup. Reports make you wonder if they’re talking about cricket or a tragic natural disaster.
The Indian Express is harsh with a quote from captain Virat Kohli: “45 minutes of bad cricket” and Hindustan Times is sad in the banner headline “Knockout Blues”. The Hindu gives the news lower billing but writes: “World cup ends in agony for Kohli’s men,” and The Times of India almost blames the opposing team: “Kiwis halt India’s flight”.
HT is melodramatic: “long after the dust had settled”, it writes, “smattering of men and women in blue jerseys could be seen in different corners of Old Trafford, staring vacantly into space, surrounded by a sea of empty bucket seats.” It even calls the stadium the symbol of a “two-day nightmare” for Indians, and the loss a “wicked twist of faith.” A listless K.L. Rahul and Virat Kholi feature prominently in the accompanying picture.
The Express says with the “heartbreaking” loss, the “worst fears come true” and the “dream ends.” The Hindu ditches its prosaic style to describe the match’s ending as “minutes that stretched between agony and ecstasy.” India “suffered” an 18-run defeat to New Zealand, “under dull afternoon skies masked by low slung clouds.” Could the weather have had something to do with it?
TOI, which carries the same image as the Express of two disgruntled Indian fans, is critical of the Indian team, saying: “Confronted with a moving ball and skilled bowlers, the fabled top order froze like a deer trapped in headlights,” adding that after the NZ bowler Martin Guptill “produced a rocket throw,” and he “trudged off the field, possibly for the last time in international cricket, and took India’s hopes with him.”
“The miracle never happened and the defeat became inevitable,” concludes The Hindu.
Karnataka
Newspapers make space for the deepening Karnataka crisis – right next to news of India’s loss, no less – for the fourth time this week.
The “tottering” coalition government “received a fresh jolt” as two more lawmakers quit their positions, reports HT. Ten MLAs moved the Supreme Court “against assembly speaker K R Ramesh Kumar’s decision” to not accept their resignations.
The Hindu writes that the situation turned “tense” as “the corridors of Vidhana Soudha witnessed the unfolding of political drama” triggered by the resignations.
According to the Express, a BJP delegation led by state party chief B. S. Yeddyurappa met Governor Vajubhai Vala, “requesting him to advise the speaker to expedite the process of accepting the resignations of all MLAs”.
TOI claims that “if all 16 resignations are accepted by the speaker”, the strength of the House will “come down to 208”, reducing the “magic figure” from 113 to 105.
Meanwhile “The storm engulfing Congress in Karnataka expanded to Goa”, informs TOI. Goa’s “meltdown” (Express) makes headlines too, with The Hindu quoting an MLA to say: “MLAs decided to join the BJP as development works in their constituencies were suffering since they were in the Opposition.”
Al Qaeda and others
“Al Qaeda Chief Ayman al-Zawahiri calls for jihad in Kashmir to be scaled up” writes HT. It further says: “Ayman al-Zawahiri called on terror groups to inflict “unrelenting blows” on the Indian Army and the government”.
TOI calls him “One of the most wanted terrorists in the world” who has “asked terrorists in Kashmir to step up attacks against India.”
“Suspected to be hiding in Pakistan under the patronage of the ISI, Zawahiri, who seemed to be reading a script from a tele-prompter, said the ‘fight in Kashmir’ was not a separate conflict but instead a part of the global Islamic jihad against several forces,” it writes.
Meanwhile, the Express follows up on yesterday’s front-page report on restricted press access to the finance ministry. Today, it runs another column space report: “Withdraw gag: Editors Guild to FinMin on press entry restrictions”. It reports that the guild has called the order “arbitrary” and “condemned” it.
Opinion
In ‘May we come in’ Express states that despite a “clarification” by the finance ministry about no ban on the entry of media, “it has failed to stem the unease.” A ban was imposed, by an order, on journalists’ access to the North Block for even those having a Press Information Bureau card. Express argues that this sends out an unflattering signal – the government is insecure and does not trust the press or its own officials.
The ban shows a “fundamental misunderstanding of the mandate of the media.” It curbs the people’s right to know as well as puts a stop to the checks and balance system of the elected and the powerful. Further, it states that the move hurts the government more than the press.
The piece ‘Don’t let trade derail strategic relationship’ highlights that US President Donald Trump’s tweet regarding trade tariffs with India is not surprising considering both nations are renegotiating matters of the commerce. The “US president is impolite enough to complain in public,” to probably put more pressure.
Tariffs are “only part, and arguably the least controversial item” in the list of trade problems that the two countries face such as data localisation and America’s unilateral tariff imposition on steel and aluminum. There is a need for introspection about these matters on India’s part as well since they “have contributed to a decline in exports and competitiveness.” US is a major trading partner of India and both nations need to “work out an overall trade agreement that would help stabilise trade and investment relations.”
Prime Time
India’s progress and eventual loss in the World Cup semi finals to New Zealand had news channels glued to the game. NDTV 24×7 kept up a wicket by wicket commentary and analysis. India Today with Rajdeep Sardesai gave the defeat top billing on its 9 pm debate.
However, Karnataka and the defection of Congress MLAs to BJP in Goa brought politics back to the studio soon enough.
Times Now: After Congress protested the defection of MLAs with sit-ins and tried to pressurise them into returning to the fold, anchor Padmaja Jha wondered if Congress can defend such hooliganism.
Madhu Kishwar, editor of Manushi, said, “It is really amusing to see Congress (with) their injured innocence. They keep talking about horse trading, I would like to ask Congress: Why are you producing so many trade-able horses?”
Anirban Banerjee, political analyst, said, “We can sum it up in one term – the BJP has excelled in one game that is called trading horses.”
Republic: “Congress is over,” declared anchor Arnab Goswami after 10 Congress MLAs resigned in Goa.
Subhransh Rai, political analyst, blamed the BJP: “(It) wants power at any cost and today power comes with money only.”
BJP leader Sudhanshu Trivedi was rather smug: “When we lost power in 2004, there was no desertion from BJP.’’
Syed Asad Abbas, political analyst, said, “It is downright disgusting and shameful, poaching and horse-trading is taking place in Karnataka. We the people of Karnataka will never forgive BJP.”
ABP News: To boost the earnings of Indian Railways, the government is considering asking passengers to sacrifice their subsidy on train ticket bookings while politicians continue to enjoy their VIP treatment. Anchor Romana Isar Khan discusses if that means “politicians taking advantage of their power?”
Zee News: RSS enters the history syllabus of Nagpur University. On #TalThokKe, anchor Sachin Arora asked, “Was Rahul Gandhi right when he said that the RSS will soon take over this government?”
Amit Malviya of BJP said, “RSS, in our country, has been around for a 100 years. In 1930, when Congress announced that we will fight for independence, RSS wrote a letter stating that it stands by them. That is the history of RSS. Why should people not know about this?”
“There is no issue if the truth is being taught. It should not be forced.” said political analyst Ashutosh Mishra.
Tweet of the day:
Actor Kangana Ranaut defends her attack on a PTI journalist whom she had “intimidated”:
https://twitter.com/Rangoli_A/status/1149150022698590208?s=20