New Delhi: Although Israel’s bombardment of Gaza and the rising Palestinian toll continued to weigh heavily on the minds of the Urdu press this week, next month’s assembly elections in five states also got significant space on its front pages and editorials.
As elections in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, and Telangana draw near, all three prominent Urdu papers, Roznama Rashtriya Sahara, Inquilab, and Siasat, carried extensive coverage of campaigns by both the BJP and the Opposition INDIA alliance.
An editorial in Inquilab offered a rare criticism of the Opposition bloc, especially in light of the fissures between the Congress and the Samajwadi Party (SP) over ticket distribution in Madhya Pradesh. Titled ‘Is INDIA still on hold?’, the editorial dated 27 October sought to warn the Opposition alliance that it was not as strong as it ought to be to counter the BJP during next year’s parliamentary election.
“Its meetings are not taking place. Are all its activities secret and (if so), will they come to light after the assembly elections of five states?” the editorial asked. “Tensions have been rising (in the alliance) since its joint sessions in Patna, Bengaluru, and Mumbai. A day will come soon when even the name INDIA will disappear from the minds of the people of the country.”
Other issues that received prominent coverage in the Urdu press are the debate on a nationwide caste census and former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s return to the country.
The newspapers also reported Qatar’s death sentence to eight former Indian Navy officers in a case of alleged espionage.
Here’s a recap of all that made the front pages and editorials of the Urdu press this week.
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Elections
In its editorial on 22 October, Siasat called the BJP’s decision to finally give A ticket to former Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje an “attempt to end internal disturbances” and maintain balance within the party. The BJP, according to this editorial, has suffered several losses at a public level and this is an attempt to recoup.
Another editorial in the newspaper, dated 24 October, said the BJP’s “frustration” is causing it to create differences in the Opposition’s 26-party INDIA alliance through the “Godi media”, and praised the Congress for focusing on its election campaign “instead of paying attention to such side issues”.
“Godi media” is a derogatory term that critics of the Modi government use for media organisations they perceive as being partial to the ruling dispensation.
The editorial also referred to the differences between the Congress and the SP over ticket distribution — according to it, there may be “differences of opinion” between the parties, but this does not throw the alliance into a state of disarray.
On 25 October, Siasat’s editorial spoke about wasteful election expenditure and the use of illegally acquired money during elections. What is even more concerning, according to the article, is the public’s willingness to go along with the trend and vote for the candidate who pays more.
Even public-spirited individuals are not untouched by this, the editorial said, adding that whether political leaders, candidates, or the voting public, it’s everyone’s responsibility not to weaken the roots of India’s democracy.
In its editorial on 25 October, Inquilab wrote about the “infighting” in the BJP’s Rajasthan unit. Until a few months ago, the party would not tire of speaking about the battle within the Congress between Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his once deputy, Sachin Pilot, the editorial said. But now, it’s facing the same situation, it added — the party had first announced that it would not give tickets to former contenders, but now, more than 70 percent of its candidates in the state are elderly.
The editorial also puts down the BJP’s decision to give a ticket to the long-sidelined Raje to its “weak position” in the state. The party, according to the editorial, knows that Madhya Pradesh could slip through its fingers and is now pinning its hopes on Rajasthan.
On 26 October, Siasat’s editorial took stock of election predictions. It cited election surveys to say that the BJP could face a crushing defeat in Madhya Pradesh and is making all kinds of efforts to retain power in the state while also unseating the Ashok Gehlot-led government in Rajasthan. But so far, its efforts have had little success, it added.
Israel-Hamas war
Amid apprehensions about an imminent Israeli ground invasion in Gaza and the death toll mounting in the Palestinian territories, the Urdu press continued to focus on the ongoing conflict not only in its front pages but also in its editorials.
Editorials in the three prominent Urdu newspapers questioned the “world’s silence” over the rising death toll in the impoverished Gaza.
The Gaza strip has been under siege since 7 October, when Hamas — the militant organistion that has controlled it since 2007 — attacked Israel. The death toll in Israel’s retaliatory assault reportedly stands at over 7,000.
Sahara’s editorial on 23 October questioned the West for its silence over the mounting humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The West’s support has emboldened Israel, it said, adding that, despite the loss of lives and property, no Western country is ready to come forward to demand a ceasefire.
“How can one expect improvement under such circumstances?” the editorial asks.
In another editorial on 24 October, Sahara analysed the US’ position in the Israel-Hamas conflict. America, according to the editorial, was behaving like Hamas had attacked it and not Israel. The war has also exposed the US’ weakening position in world politics, it said, adding that it could neither hold out in Afghanistan (before the Taliban seized control of the country in 2021) nor directly confront Moscow in the Ukraine war.
It added that if Israel were to launch a ground invasion in Gaza and lose its soldiers in large numbers, the US may have to get directly involved, giving countries like China and Russia a chance to take “advantage” of the situation.
In an editorial dated 26 October, Inquilab said that, in an ideal world, where there’s no hypocrisy, Israel would be tried and punished for war crimes. But Tel Aviv continues to break international humanitarian laws even as major world powers watch silently, it added.
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Pakistan
Former Pakistan PM Sharif returned to the country last week after four years.
In an editorial on 23 October, Siasat said Sharif has made it clear that his daughter Maryam Nawaz Sharif would be his successor. Pakistan, the editorial said, needs strong leadership, especially given its economic situation. It also needs to mend its ties with its neighbours — most notably India, it added.
According to the editorial, Pakistan’s “political and military conflicts” have eroded its position, and without loans, it would be hard for the country to survive.
“Nawaz Sharif, his family, and other political leaders must think carefully in such a situation,” the editorial said. “We (India and Pakistan) must set aside political differences and work together to create a comprehensive plan.”
Caste census
In an editorial on 25 October, Sahara referred to the support for a caste-based census within the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance.
Smaller parties like the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party, the NISHAD party, Apna Dal (Sonelal), and Hindustani Awam Morcha Secular have all voiced their support for a caste-based survey, although ally BJP is still reluctant.
According to the editorial, NDA constituents’ support for such a survey may worry the BJP, which has been surprisingly mute on the issue despite PM Narendra Modi’s wooing of Pasmanda Muslims.
“All these things suggest Mandal-like conditions for the country again. This is just the beginning, but statements suggest it will go far,” it said. “This will become a compulsion for all parties. No one can neglect the OBCs.”
(Edited by Uttara Ramaswamy)
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