New Delhi: Coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war continued through the week in India’s Urdu newspapers, alongside the fallout of Karnataka High Court’s 15 March verdict that declared the hijab to be not an essential religious practice in Islam. Following this week’s fuel price hike, however, concerns of inflation became predominant, to be surpassed only by news of the violence in West Bengal’s Birbhum district.
ThePrint brings you a roundup of this week’s headlines and editorial takes from the Urdu press.
Birbhum killings
The killing of eight people in Birbhum, allegedly over an intraparty power tussle within the Trinamool Congress Tuesday, first appeared on the front page of Inquilab on 24 March, when the paper reported that the the Calcutta High Court had taken suo motu cognisance of the matter, even as political temperatures continued to rise over the “heinous” incident.
In its editorial on 25 March, the paper was critical of CM Mamata Banerjee’s statement that such incidents are more common in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Gujarat. The paper argued that given the fact that she has been criticised for such incidents even in the past, the need of the hour was to take administrative steps to ensure that there is no recurrence of such incidents, rather than making such statements.
Siasat, in an editorial on 24 March, said that regardless of political affiliations, the perpetrators of such a “heinous crime” should be brought to book, because nobody can be allowed to get away with violence as a means to political gains.
Roznama, in its 25 March editorial, wrote that while the statements of the governor and the leader of the opposition in the state may be coloured by their politics, there is no denying the fact that the law and order situation in the districts of West Bengal is not such that the common man can feel safe.
Also read: TMC block chief arrested for Birbhum arson, 3 hrs after Mamata names him as accused
Hijab row
Ripples of last week’s Karnataka High Court verdict continued to be reflected in Urdu papers. On 20 March, Inquilab carried on its front page news of the Muslim Personal Law Board’s decision to challenge the HC verdict in the Supreme Court. The paper reported in an inset that after having been denied permission to wear hijab inside an examination centre, 132 students in Bangalore had refused to sit for the exam.
On 21 March, Siasat carried a lead story about two people who had been arrested in Bengaluru for having threatened to kill the judges who had given the verdict. The paper also reported the decision of the state government to give the judges ‘Y’ category security.
On its front page on 24 March, Roznama Rashtriya Sahara reported the decision taken by the management of a temple in Udupi to not allow Muslims to do business in the temple campus. The decision followed an appeal by some Hindu organisations to this effect.
Concerns over inflation
The lifting of the freeze on fuel prices this week caused much angst in the Urdu press. Apart from reporting about the price hike, Roznama also wrote on 21 March that fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies were preparing to hike prices of daily necessities.
In its 24 March editorial, Inquilab wrote that given the close links between fuel prices and inflation, it is impossible that the upward trajectory in one will not be associated with a similar movement in the other. The rise in fuel prices Tuesday came after 137 days, it pointed out, but the “unfortunate” part is that this will now happen on a daily basis and according to the calculations given out by oil companies, to keep pace with the global crude oil prices, a hike of Rs 19-24 seems imminent, which will send inflation spiralling even higher.
Siasat, in its 23 March editorial, wrote that in view of the five state assembly elections, the government had in November reduced the price of petrol by Rs 5 per litre and diesel by Rs 10 per litre. It seems that the Modi government now wants to make up for the loss of four months by imposing a burden on the people, the paper wrote.
In its March 24 editorial, Roznama wrote that while there is no doubt that India has to import 85 per cent of its fuel from abroad, and the government has no control over the price of oil in the world market, it does have control over taxes levied at home. This option can be used to save the common man from inflation to some extent, but the government does not do that, it wrote.
The Kashmir Files
In an article on 21 March, Inquilab wrote that many political leaders have criticised the BJP government at the Centre and states for using the film Kashmir Files, based on the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the state, for inciting hatred against Muslims and politicising the issue. The paper gave the example of senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, who had objected to the Centre’s promoting of the film, and said the job of a politician is to heal wounds, but they take advantage of the fears in society to divide and rule. The paper also published the statements of various Congress leaders and activist-politician Yogendra Yadav, claiming that this will divide the two communities.
Education issues
On 23 March, Roznama carried an editorial on the saffronisation of education. The paper wrote that the Constitution of India guarantees equality for all and gave right to education to all, without any distinction of religion or gender. Criticising Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu for defending the saffronisation of education in the country — his comments came in the backdrop of the Bhagavad Gita being made a part of the syllabus in all government-run schools in Gujarat — the paper wrote the history of Indian education was replete with incidences of hatred and didn’t allow women and those from the lower strata of society to study. Roznama added that there are also references of an inhuman practice under which women and people from the lower classes had molten lead poured into their ears as punishment for hearing words of wisdom and knowledge, and questioned whether Naidu wanted to bring back those days by the saffronisation of education.
On the same day, Inquilab carried an editorial that pointed to the many Indian students studying medicine in China who were forced to return home at the beginning of the pandemic, and have had to continue their education online since. Now, the war in Ukraine has forced Indian students studying there, many of them medical students, to return home too. But the study of medicine cannot be completed online and needs practical experience. The paper wrote that many of the students who have been forced to return home, have requested that they be allowed to attend practical classes in Indian institutes. But this requires permission from the universities concerned. The paper said the problem of these students need to be addressed.
(Edited by Poulomi Banerjee)
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