Front Page
For a change, international news is making page 1 headlines. For Hindustan Times and The Hindu, the biggest news of the day is US President Donald Trump’s “historic step into N Korea” (HT) to meet its leader Kim Jong-un in its demilitarised zone. Both, incidentally, run the same wire article by Reuters for their leads.
They note that Trump is “the first sitting U.S. President to set foot in North Korea” even as the two countries “are technically still at war”. The purpose of the visit, which was “spur-of-the-moment” based on Trump’s tweet saying he would like to meet the chief, was to “resume stalled nuclear talks”.
Reports draw a dewy picture of the meet, focusing on the almost endearing “warmth” and “hopes for peace” expressed by both leaders.
The Indian Express carries a New York Times wire and gives the story lower billing, saying Trump was “greeted by a beaming Kim” and engaged in an “unprecedented, camera friendly demonstration of friendship”. According to Express, “Trump said he would invite Kim to visit him at the White House”.
The Times of India saves the story for its inside pages but puts up a photograph on page 1 of the two walking closely together. The headline reads “Historic step for peace”.
Modi call on water
Instead, for TOI, “Modi calls for Swachh-like water conservation mission” is the lead. “With water conservation becoming an urgent necessity in the face of uneven monsoons and climate change-induced extreme weather”, Modi “called for a national effort to protect and augment India’s water resources” on his monthly Mann Ki Baat radio show, it writes.
HT says he wants water conservation to be “made into a mass movement” and “on the lines of his government’s cleanliness drive Swachh Bharat Abhiyan”.
“Modi also spoke about the importance of democracy”, notes the Express, “while raising the issue” — yet again — “of Emergency imposed on June 25 1975”.
Forest officer
Express goes with a report on the beating of a forest officer in Telangana as its lead today. It carries a photograph of her defending herself atop a tractor as a small group attacks her with sticks. The Hindu also carries the story, TOI gives it less than column space, and HT ignores for page 1.
Express writes that FRO C. Anita was “hospitalised with a hairline fracture after she was beaten up by a group, allegedly including Koneru Krishna Rao, the brother of Telangana Rashtra Samiti MLA Koneru Konappa…”
The Hindu doesn’t hesitate to identify “Zilla Parishad vice-chairperson Koneru Krishna and his supporters” and reports that she “had gone to Sarasala to plant saplings as part of the government’s ‘Haritha Haram’ green initiative”.
The daily doesn’t tell us why she was attacked, but the Express suggests it is because “the villagers claimed it was their land” before attacking.
Zaira Wasim
Also making news is Dangal actor Zaira Wasim’s decision to quit acting to preserve her faith. The Hindu runs a feature-type article on the news, and introduces her as an actor who has been “facing trolls and earning accolades simultaneously for the past five years” for her work.
Express largely quotes from her announcement, which says that while acting has given her love and support, “what it also did was lead me to a path of ignorance as I silently and unconsciously transitioned out of imaam (faith)”.
Her decision, writes The Hindu, “saw netizens divided in their opinion”.
“A close relative of the actor told The Hindu that she talked about ‘her incompatibility with the Bollywood lifestyle last year, poor social acceptance in Kashmir and growing depression due to conflicting ideas,’” reports the daily.
Nagaland NRC
The Hindu also reports an important story which doesn’t feature on the front pages of any other paper: “Nagaland to initiate its own version of NRC from July 10”.
“It is aimed at preparing a master list of all indigenous peoples and checking the issuance of fake indigenous inhabitant certificates,” says the report.
Opinion
In ‘Among Members’, the Hindu talks about the recently concluded G-20 summit. Prime Minister Narendra Modi held over 20 meetings including “including nine bilaterals, eight pull-aside engagements, and of the Russia-India-China, Japan-U.S.-India and Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa groupings”. US President Donald Trump’s meeting with India and China over trade disputes was the “most anticipated” one. While the meetings were cordial, they were also inconclusive paving way for further talks.
Modi also raised India’s concerns such as “the need for cooperation on dealing with serious economic offenders and fugitives, as well as climate change funding”. With numerous global challenges, all eyes will soon be on India as it is set to host the summit in 2022.
The Indian Express in ‘Impunity in Indore’ highlights the “disturbing signals” that are being sent out in Akash Vijayvargia’s assault case. Vijayvargia categorically states that he “does not feel either guilty or embarrassed for assaulting” a municipal officer. For him, the attack was in “public interest” and even the local BJP unit celebrated the attack. His defence was “that municipal officials dragged women by their feet” from a building that was set to be demolished”.
Even if his defence is true, which has not been proven, an elected representative should “know that it is for the police and the judiciary to investigate and pass judgment on criminal matters”. Such behaviour sends out a message to other political workers that “the instruments of the state can be subverted for political mileage”.
Prime Time
In their Sunday debates, TV channels discussed the different instances of violence in the country over the last couple of days.
On its show ‘Dangal’, Aaj Tak had a debate among the newly elected MPs and questioned their preparations during the run-up to the elections and the work that lies ahead.
Congress’s Geeta Kora, said, “Our Prime Minister talks about Sab Ka Saath Sab ka Vikas and Sabka Vishwas, but that confidence of people has gone down in Jharkhand, especially in the area I’ve won.”
BJP’s Sanjay Seth quickly retaliated: “They (Congress) won only 12 seats in 2014. Five years ago no one could go to Jamshedpur and other areas after 5 PM. It is a fearless environment now.”
Bhojpuri actor-turned-politician Ravi Kishan said, “What ensured our Prime Minister’s victory in 2019 was the promises he has fulfilled since 2014. I wouldn’t say it was the cinematic charm but the work that was done that ensured our victory, not only in UP but in the entire country.”
Times Now discussed the video allegedly showing a TRS MP trashing a women police officer in Telangana.
Women rights activist Brinda Adige said, “The party themselves do not come out and condemn such acts of atrocity and also do not condemn this as against the law.”
Political analyst Syed Asad Abbas asked whether BJP would condemn and apologise for the incident involving BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargia’s son “In the Telangana case, at least TRS has condemned”.
Slamming the TRS, BJP’s Lanka Dinakar said, “A leader should be the law-protector, he is a lawbreaker.”
Defending his party, TRS Spokesperson Khaleequr Rahman said, “TRS is always against these atrocious incidents.”
Republic TV: Anchor Arnab Goswami asked if “vendetta” has become an excuse for those who want to break the law at will.
AAP’s founding member Ravi Srivastava said, “In 2014, Modi came and said ‘Na Khaoonga, Na Khaane doonga’, ‘I will send corrupt to jail’. Instead, he weakened the system that was detecting corruption.”
BJP leader Tuhin Shah added, “What this government has done in the last 5 years to fight corruption, someone like Arvind Kejriwal can’t even dream of.”
NDTV 24X7: On ‘We The People’, anchor Ankita Mukherjee interviewed BJP MLA Akash Vijayvargia, four days after he was caught on camera assaulting a municipal officer. He said, “I’m not sorry, but will follow Gandhian path in the future.”
Asked about whether he would take the law into his own hands again, he said, “I pray to God that I should not be given another opportunity to bat”.
With inputs from Taran Deol and Rachel John.