Front Page
On the first day of the New Year, mainstream newspapers maintain their habit of choosing different leads. Hindustan Times and The Hindu go with the unveiling of national infrastructure pipeline projects worth more than Rs 102 lakh crore by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
The Indian Express opts for the new Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane’s “stern warning to Pakistan” that India reserves the right to pre-emptively strike at sources of terror in the neighbouring country. The Times of India leads with the fare hike by the Indian Railways for the first time in five years.
Infrastructure project: Hindu reports that more than Rs 102 lakh crore will be invested in infrastructure projects by 2024-25 “with the Centre, states and the private sector sharing the capital expenditure in 39:39:22 formula”.
HT quotes Sitharaman as saying that the projects will “serve as one of the key drivers of faster economic growth and the government’s ambition of turning India into a $5 trillion economy by 2024-25”.
TOI notes that “the announcement came at a time when the central government is keen to step up investment and the pipeline is seen to be signalling a step in that direction”.
New Army Chief: HT writes that General Naravane took over as Army chief from General Bipin Rawat, who has been appointed India’s first chief of defence staff. The report says the Army’s structural overhaul is the “most significant change in top military management in the country”. Express writes that Naravane also said the Army “will enhance combat capabilities along the border with China so that it is fully prepared to deal with any challenge”.
Railway fare hike: TOI reports that the Indian Railways has “announced increase in passenger charges that will see ticket prices rise by Rs 55-60” if one travels from Delhi to Mumbai or Kolkata on a Rajdhani. It adds that suburban train fares will remain the same. Hindu writes that the fares have been increased by up to four paise per kilometre.
Kerala vs Centre: “In a strong pushback”, writes Express, “the Kerala assembly Tuesday passed a resolution demanding that the Citizenship Amendment Act, a legislation ratified by both Houses of Parliament and the President be scrapped. It calls this a “faceoff” between Kerala and the central government in the headline. This makes the state “the first to take the legislative route to oppose the controversial law that has triggered violent protests in several parts of the country,” writes HT.
Others: Hindu writes that after 149 days, SMS services on all postpaid connections along with internet facility in all government-run hospitals were restored in Jammu and Kashmir.
TOI writes that four men from UP’s Muzaffarnagar who were “mistakenly arrested” and jailed for 11 days for allegedly participating in the agitation against the amended Citizenship Act were released on 30 December.
Opinion
The Indian Express: In ‘Happy New Year’, Express writes that despite “turbulence” in the past year, the end of 2019 “was enlivened by the voices of young Indians protesting against a narrowing of the idea of Indianness”. The newspaper highlights that the various protests against the CAA “will have forced an arrogant government…to backtrack on an imminent nationwide NRC”. It adds how “immense reassurance” should be drawn from the fact that the Constitution and its Preamble have become emblems of these protests.
Express argues that “solidarities forged in 2019, and the broadening of circles of empathy, are a work in progress”. The newspaper concludes by saying that resistance will have to be accompanied by political and institutional efforts towards making it wider and more inclusive in the years to come.
Hindustan Times: In ‘Agenda 2020: Growth’, HT argues that boosting economic growth should be the government’s “clear objective in 2020”. The newspaper recommends generating mass demand and employment and writes that fiscal policy will help with this. It adds that meeting the fiscal deficit should not “distract” economic policies from these concerns.
While the BJP was given a massive mandate in 2019 despite economic concerns, the subsequent state polls probably indicate that “in a diverse democracy, perhaps it is easier to articulate or pinpoint economic grievances and solutions at the local level than for the entire economy”. It concludes by saying that “India’s economic policy should be more sensitive to regional and sectoral diversities”.
Prime Time
While Indians were partying to ring in the New Year, Prime Time news reflected on the simmering political climate of the country.
Times Now: At the #HinduRashtraRow, anchor Madhavdas Gopalakrishnan debated “Will the opposition end the Hindu rashtra fear mongering?”
Political analyst Tehseen Poonawalla questioned Jaggi Sadhguru’s positive spin on the CAA: “I am one of the people opposing the Act. I have definitely read it and therefore I have gone to the Supreme Court to get a notice against the government…”
Lawyer Shehzad Poonawalla said “these opposition leaders, including the posterboys who appear on television channels for them, are trying to create outrage among the minority.”
“Fear mongering is happening because people like Tehseen think everybody isn’t well read and perhaps they can distort facts,” added BJP’s Nupur Sharma.
NDTV 24/7: Anchor Ankita Mukherjee reminded us of an “out of the ordinary” welcome to 2020 taking place in Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh.
While one of the women protestors lamented the extent of “bloodshed” taking place over CAA, another vowed they won’t disperse until it was repealed. “This will continue till Modiji do not repeal the Act,” said the second woman protester.
CNN News-18: Political editor Marya Shakil asked Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan if he was concerned about voices being raised against CAA across the country.
If the umpteen invocations of Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru this year weren’t enough, they found yet another mention when Governor Khan argued that CAA will fulfill their unfulfilled promises.
“Those who are opposing CAA, want to deny that Mahatma Gandhi had made this promise… they want to deny that Panditji from the ramparts of the Red Fort had made this promise and deny that women like Asiya Bibi were tortured in Pakistan,” Khan said.
ABP News: Anchor Rubika Liaquat questioned the Congress’ remark about the colour saffron. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had recently commented that UP CM Yogi Adityanath, who wears saffron, needs to follow the dharma which the colour represents.
Congress’ Pramod Krishnan said: “…in my view Priyanka Gandhi has said nothing wrong. She has indeed honoured the saffron colour.”
While invoking Sanskrit hymns to rebuke Priyanka Gandhi, BJP’s Prem Shukhla also accused Krishnan of playing the Congress general secretary’s advocate.
Aaj Tak: Anchor Chitra Tripathi on ‘Halla Bol’ sought to decipher the meaning behind Priyanka Gandhi’s “mysterious” tweet featuring a Sanskrit mantra.
While Pramod Krishnan asked BJP to “thank” Priyanka Gandhi for moving closer to Hindutva, UP minister Mohsin Raza criticised the Congress general secretary for breaking the law by not wearing a helmet.
“In UP, Hindutva goons are out on the streets spreading terror,” insisted AIMIM’s Waris Pathan.
Charan Singh Sapra, Congress, said Priyanka Gandhi perhaps wants to remind Adityanath of his duty. “His saffron robe is a symbol of Indian culture and spirituality…and his job is to perform rajdharma and not take revenge.”