Prime Time
Times Now: Anchor Navika Kumar asked whether it is only “Tamil pride or sheer politics” that dictated protests to the three-language policy in the state earlier this week.
BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia defended the policy by saying it’s still a draft, which is open for suggestions from citizens.
“This is only the draft and this is not final policy,” remarked Bhatia.
DMK spokesperson, Savanah Annadurai, was worried: “India is a country which has to celebrate its diversity,” said Annadurai.
“This really is much ado about nothing. It was a draft. Nobody is making Hindi as the only language to learn,” said author Anand Ranganathan.
The debate also went on to be the highlight of 10 pm debate with anchor Padmaja Joshi asked, “After education policy draft amended, DMK demands that Tamil be made mandatory in Central government offices in the State. Is this an attempt to muddy waters?”
Republic TV: Anchor Arnab Goswami trained his attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s dream to become prime minister and how they have been crushed.
BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra agreed: after the elections results, Banerjee’s dreams of becoming prime minister were “choor-choor”, he said.
“Mamata Banerjee before 2019 elections was one of the PM candidates of the Opposition. However, neither could she become the PM, but also she lost 19 seats…” added Patra.
He alleged that Trinamool Congress (TMC) considers Hindus from other parts of country as “outsiders” but considers Bangladeshi and Rohingya “insiders”.
Political analyst Subhajit Ghosh refuted this: “Trinamool has not been made ‘Choor Choor’ in Bengal, this will happen to BJP. It is a slogan; it is not a political statement. BJP has sent outsiders to Bengal who are trying to take law and order into their own hand.”
Political analyst and lawyer M.R. Venkatesh replied, “Mamata Banerjee is not in a position to use idioms. The language she has been using belongs on the streets. Can you believe she is speaking like that? And what’s wrong with Jai Shri Ram?”
Aaj Tak: Anchor Rohit Sardana also discussed Mamata Banerjee, on the show ‘Dangal’ Sardana addressed Banerjee directly: “You want to celebrate Eid, please do but what message are you send out by saying that ‘Ram ki TRP kam ho rahi hai?’”
TMC supporter Monojit Mondal replied, “People from both parties, and more from TMC are dying every day in violence. And when it comes to reaction of Mamata di towards people who say Jai Shri Ram, it is because of the way they say it. There is a way to say Jai Shri Ram.”
“Mamata Banerjee has reduced herself to a joke. There are lot of contradictions in what she says, first she said that it is not right to include any religious statement or things into politics — then why on the occasion of the pious festival, Eid, did she give a political speech and said ‘Jo humse takrayega choor choor ho jaiga’,” claimed BJP’s Sambit Patra.
Zee News: The discussion on here was the final solution to the unrest in Kashmir on its show ‘Taal Thok Ke’. Recently, media reports emerged claiming that Amit Shah in his capacity as the Home Minister conducted five major meetings on the situation in the Kashmir Valley. Following Eid prayers, stone-pelting occurred again in Srinagar.
BJP spokesperson Prem Shukla, said, “It is India’s aim to make Kashmir free from terrorism because until that happens, Kashmir will not develop.”
Activist Shabnam Lodh said, “There is insecurity among the Kashmiris because of the statements that ruling parties make.”
Front Page
Apart from the lead, stories in the newspapers don’t have much in common.
Making big news today is “Govt forms 2 key panels to revive growth, create jobs” (Hindustan Times). It writes, “Concerned about an economic slowdown and growing unemployment”, the government decided to set up two panels: “one to revive growth, and the other to figure out ways to create jobs”.
The Times of India credits Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying he is “signalling his intent to tackle the two critical challenges confronting the economy” by putting the two committees together.
“Modi, who had stayed away from setting up too many cabinet committees during his first term, opted to have dedicated groups for a more focused approach to address growth concerns and jobs deficit,” it adds.
“While an official notification is awaited, multiple sources in the government have confirmed the decision”, notes The Indian Express in “Slowdown, need for jobs on the table, Govt sets up two news Cabinet panels”.
The Hindu, strangely, gives the news only column space on its front page, preferring to focus on “T.N students crack NEET code, 49% of the candidates qualify”.
In its column report, The Hindu adds that “another 10-member Cabinet Committee on Employment and Skill Development has also been formed”.
In its ‘Explained’, the Express says “Economic growth and jobs are key to meet the aspirations of the youth…The two new committees with specific mandate will ensure ministries are on the same page, and expedite decision making.”
World Bank, RBI
Speaking of economic growth, “RBI set to cut rate, but will banks pass it on?” reads another headline in TOI.
“The RBI has reduced its repo rate — the rate at which it lends to banks — from 6.5% to 6% in two stages this year”, it informs, leaving governor Shaktikanta Das with “the tough task of ensuring that banks pass on the earlier two rate cuts to customers”.
HT, however, devotes less than column space to the World Bank’s growth projections for India.
“India’s economy is projected to grow at 7.5% in the next three years, supported by robust investment and consumption,” it finds.
“With this, India will continue to retain the position of being the fastest growing emerging economy.”
Pakistan FS in India
The Indian Express finds that Pakistan’s foreign secretary Sohail Mahmood came to New Delhi this Tuesday in “what sources said was a three day ‘private visit’”. His celebration of Eid over here has “raised hopes of a possible meeting between Modi and Khan in Bishkek, where the Shanghai Corporation Organisation, it writes, adding, “There was, however, no official word from either India or Pakistan on any possible meetings between Mahmood and Indian officials during his stay”.
Others
Photographs of the Indian cricket team reflect its victory against South Africa — The Hindu reserves a substantial part of its front page to report: “India starts off with emphatic win over South Africa.”
Hindustan Times buries a report that finds “India cut malaria cases by half in 2018: Govt data.” Other papers give it a miss.
Opinion
The end of Mandal era in India politics—or at least in Uttar Pradesh – has seen BSP’s Mayawati surprise SP’s Akhilesh Yadav by her decision to go it alone in the bypolls, says TOI in ‘Old Order Changes’. Ironically, BSP was the “only beneficiary” of the alliance going from 0 seats in 2014 to 10 seats in 2019. However, the vote share of both parties remains at roughly 20 % while BJP’s rose from 40% to 50 %. To challenge the BJP, SP and BSP will have to “reimagine their politics”. Caste politics, reservations failed against Hindu nationalism and strong governance and BJP’s popularity with upper casters, non-Yadav OBCs and other castes. SP and BSP need a “counter narrative” to Modi that caste based politics alone cannot answer, says TOI.
HT in ‘A Parched India doesn’t need more bad news’, notes that pre monsoon rain in the country is at its lowest in 65 years according to Skymet, with a deficiency of 25%. Severe drought is one danger with reservoirs down to just 20% in 91 main reservoirs. Also, fires have increased across the country — the Forest Survey of India finds 192 large active fires in the country—this is a result of high temperatures and a shortfall in rain. Whether the pre monsoon delays will have an impact on the monsoon is still unknown, however, a “parched India does not need any more bad news”, HT concludes .
Tweet of the day
Wonderful result for India. Many boxes ticked. Bumrah was magnificent as was Chahal and India will like the solidity from Rahul and Dhoni. And Rohit Sharma was unhurried, his slowest odi century but one that was invaluable
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) June 5, 2019
With inputs from Shailaja Bajpai, Harshit Mansukhani, Triya Gulati, and Ratnadeep Choudhary.