New Delhi: While the assembly election results took up much space in the Urdu press’s editorials and front pages, significant coverage was given to the Jammu & Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023, and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which the Lok Sabha passed this week.
During a debate on the bills, Union Minister Amit Shah blamed J&K’s sufferings on India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru. These were because of two blunders of declaring a ceasefire without winning the entire Kashmir and taking the issue to the United Nations, he said.
In its 7 December editorial, Inquilab criticised Shah for the remarks, saying they were a “continuation of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s propaganda” against Nehru.
Calling the remarks “not just unjust but also hypocritical”, the editorial said India was fortunate to have a visionary like Nehru, “whose broad-mindedness, extraordinary courage, and splendid leadership steered a resource-filled but impoverished India onto the path of development”.
“Based on Nehru’s ideals and great values, the BJP has now reached the heights of power in India,” it said. “Taking the Kashmir issue to the United Nations or deciding on a ceasefire was precisely what the global and regional politics demanded at that time. However, today, these decisions are being reconsidered and discussed in assemblies to tarnish the reputation of Pandit Nehru.”
Editorials in all three prominent Urdu newspapers — Inquilab, Siasat, and Roznama Rashtriya Sahara — conducted an in-depth analysis of the election results, which saw the BJP secure a thumping victory in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan. Besides these, the National Crime Records Bureau’s detailed crime statistics for the year 2022 and the flood caused in Chennai by Cyclone Michaung were the other topics covered by all three newspapers.
Here’s a roundup of all the news that made the front page and editorials in the Urdu press this week.
Elections
While the BJP retained Madhya Pradesh with a thumping majority by securing 163 of 230 assembly seats, it wrested Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh from the Congress. The latter, on the other hand, managed to secure a win in Telangana, dislodging the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) under K. Chandrashekar Rao.
In its editorial on 8 December, Inquilab criticised the BJP for targeting Congress leader Rahul Gandhi after the results. Referring to BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya’s post-election tweet, the editorial said the BJP was using the Congress party’s loss in the elections to target Gandhi.
In his tweet on 5 December, Malviya had asked: “Where is Rahul Gandhi hiding?”
According to the editorial, while Malviya’s tweet wasn’t controversial, it sparked unnecessary debate, prompting Congress critics to speak about Gandhi in a mocking tone.
In its editorial on 7 December, Siasat wrote about the challenges facing Telangana’s new Chief Minister Revanth Reddy. Besides facing challenges such as unemployment levels, he also has to fulfill the promises his party made to the public, the editorial said.
The state is burdened with heavy debts, it said, adding that it was essential for the new government to devise a specific strategy to tackle this.
“Fulfilling electoral promises won’t be possible without stabilising the state’s economy. Neglecting people amenities they need shouldn’t be overlooked,” it said. “This is imperative to avoid delays in fulfilling electoral promises because the public has entrusted Congress with power, and meeting the people’s expectations will be the government’s and chief minister’s primary responsibility.”
On 6 December, Siasat’s editorial spoke about how parties are now gearing up for the 2024 general election. Among these are some elements that have suddenly intensified their campaign of spreading communal hatred, it said.
“This attempt was also made during the assembly election campaigns in various states. Although this effort wasn’t made very ostensibly, its impact was noticeable in these election campaigns,” the editorial said, adding that some BJP leaders’ efforts to vitiate the atmosphere before parliamentary elections have “intensified”.
On 5 December — two days after the election results were announced — Siasat’s editorial raised questions on the performance of the INDIA bloc. While the victory in Telangana would come as a relief for the Congress, understanding the reasons behind its losses in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh is essential. Only then can it be understood how much damage the Congress and the INDIA bloc suffered, it said.
The editorial also raised questions about the future of opposition alliances in India.
“Will these parties contest the general election together in 2024? Will they be able to field a single candidate against the NDA’s nominees?” it said.
In its editorial on 4 December, Siasat said that Telangana decisively voted in favour of the Congress. On his part, BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao has announced that the party will conduct a review of the outcome, it said.
“Indeed, each party has to evaluate its shortcomings. The BJP-RSS should also be scrutinised,” it said, adding that KCR had done much for the state in his two terms as CM.
On 3 December — the day of the election results — the newspaper’s editorial stressed the importance of reviewing strategies for all political parties. “The party that the public endorses holds significant responsibility,” it said. “Ensuring the implementation of promises is crucial. No party can achieve success by avoiding contentious issues.”
It also spoke about the BJP’s announcement of “free facilities” before the election shows that “people won’t accept instigation and hate-driven politics anymore”.
“They require serious performances from governments and political parties, not temporary distractions, that divert them from fundamental issues,” the editorial said.
NCRB & crime data
Despite the focus on elections, the NCRB 2022 crime statistics found significant coverage in the Urdu press. In its editorial on 7 December, Inquilab said that instead of banners wishing politicians on their birthdays, political parties must spend money on fostering a sense of responsibility in the public. Unfortunately, one can’t find many banners for this purpose, it said.
“Because discussions on civic responsibilities are not held, encouragement is not given, and there’s no threat of punishment, the issue of rising crimes is not setting off alarm bells despite concerning crime statistics,” the editorial said.
This was the second editorial on the topic in two days. The newspaper dedicated an editorial on the topic the previous day as well, highlighting the pressing need for police reforms to curb the rising crime rate.
“Without reforms, a reduction in crime rate is impossible,” it said. “The country’s highest court has also provided several suggestions for police reforms that need serious consideration.”
(Edited by Uttara Ramaswamy)
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