New Delhi: “A remarkable declaration of hope, progress and unity”. That’s how Roznama Rashtriya Sahara’s 12 December editorial — one of the most prominent Urdu newspapers in the country — described the Supreme Court’s ruling this week upholding the Centre’s 2019 decision to abrogate Article 370 and 35A of the Constitution.
The editorial, which came a day after the SC ruling, said that the court, “in its profound knowledge, had strengthened the element of unity that we, as Indians, hold above all else”.
“Leaders from Jammu and Kashmir have also expressed their opinions on the Supreme Court’s decision. However, it’s evident that the court has delivered its judgment based on legal arguments, so it’s crucial to understand the basis on which the ruling was given regardless of who is pleased or displeased with it,” it said.
In an editorial the same day, Siasat said that the Supreme Court’s decision should be respected and that the focus should shift to conducting elections in the state. “It’s time to end the prolonged deprivation of democratic rights and empower a newly elected government to work for the region’s welfare,” the editorial said.
But the SC ruling wasn’t the only topic that received wide coverage this week. From the ongoing Israel-Gaza war to the major security breach in Parliament and the BJP’s surprise choice of chief ministers in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh, it was a week of major news breaks.
Here’s a rundown of all the news that made the front pages and editorials of the Urdu press this week.
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Parliament and security lapse
On 13 December, two men entered Parliament and set off smoke canisters, causing panic. Five people have been arrested and one detained in the incident, leading to uproar in Parliament.
In its editorial on 14 December, Siasat said that Parliament is one of our most prestigious institutions with crucial leaders such as the prime minister and other members of the executive, and that any form of negligence or indifference towards their security cannot be tolerated.
“The security of Parliament falls under the jurisdiction of Delhi Police, and the Delhi Police Commissioner is under the central government. In this regard, the central government is accepting its responsibility and there’s a need for a thorough investigation. The truth is that there are conspirators behind this, and their motives should be uncovered and presented in front of the nation,” it said.
Siasat dedicated yet another editorial to the topic on 15 December. This time, however, it addressed the furore in Parliament over the security breach.
Significantly, on 14 December, 14 opposition MPs — 13 in Lok Sabha and one in Rajya Sabha — were suspended over protests in connection with the incident.
According to the Siasat editorial, allowing the Parliament to function is the responsibility of both the Opposition and the government. Members of Parliament are the voice of the people and its job is to highlight the issues faced by the public as well as the failures and shortcomings of the government, the editorial said.
“It’s also true that Opposition MPs should work towards ensuring the functioning of the House and avoid wasting Parliament’s time. But the bitter truth is that the Opposition tends to forget this responsibility. It’s only when they are in power that they remember all the rules and regulations,” the editorial said, pointing out that while managing parliamentary proceedings and instilling confidence in all Opposition parties is the responsibility of the government, supporting the former on important issues is the ethical duty of the latter.
Israel-Gaza conflict
Israel’s war on Hamas and the continued bombardment of the impoverished Gaza Strip continued to get wide coverage in the Urdu press. Earlier this week, Hamas threatened to kill all Israeli hostages unless its demands for Palestinian prisoners to be released were met.
On 14 December, Sahara’s editorial said war has never been a solution. If anything, wars exacerbate the existing economic divides and set back countries involved by decades, it said.
As an example, the editorial cited another ongoing conflict — the one involving Russia and Ukraine. “Reports from American intelligence claim that around 3,00,000 Russian soldiers have been killed and thousands wounded,” it said. “Some reports even claim that the war has set Russia back 18 years.”
Similar reports are also coming from Ukraine, it said. “But no conclusive results have emerged from this conflict yet, and it’s impossible to predict its end. In this light, the war between Israel and Hamas will damage not just in Gaza but also in Israel.”
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‘Revolution’
In an editorial on 13 December titled ‘What revolution awaits?’, Sahara compared India’s current economic situation to pre-revolution France.
According to the editorial, like in France, India is suffocated by an oppressive regime and economic plunder in the name of religion and feudalism. The unholy alliance of state and religion enslaved society, it said.
“Banks are supposedly lending money at the government’s behest, but accumulating profits earned from the toil of common people. They don’t benefit the public. Instead, they serve as facilitators for the wealthy elite. By doing so, banks shield the exploiting capitalists.”
But it also conceded that the economic situation in India isn’t as dire as pre-revolution France. “However, if the government continues to neglect the people’s needs and doesn’t dissociate the state from religion and aggressive nationalism, it (a revolution) won’t come as a surprise to anyone,” it said, adding that if things don’t change, a similar revolution will knock on India’s door.
BJP’s CM choices
The BJP’s chief ministerial choices remained a major talking point in Urdu press, with editorials voicing their surprise at the party’s picks. Significantly, tribal leader Vishnu Deo Sai, OBC legislator Mohan Yadav, and Brahmin MLA Bhajanlal Sharma are BJP’s CM picks for Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan.
In its editorial on 13 December, Inquilab said that after Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, the BJP under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah has surprised everyone in Rajasthan as well by entrusting the reins of the state on a first-time MLA.
It attributed this decision to the infighting in BJP’s Rajasthan unit, saying such a situation was unprecedented in Modi-Shah’s BJP. It added that despite any disgruntlement or rancour caused by the choice of CM, no regional leader has dared to defy the decision.
In its editorial on 13 December, Siasat said that the BJP’s CM choices are because of political considerations. In Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, the party has chosen CMs from the tribal and OBC backgrounds given the proportion of those groups in the population, it said, adding that, on the other hand, the party went with an upper caste CM in Rajasthan.
“The BJP hopes to benefit from these appointments in the upcoming parliamentary elections. Despite the BJP’s control over parliamentary seats in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, the party is working to avoid any losses.”
In its editorial on 14 December, Inquilab said that in Rajasthan, the chief ministerial pick was a “nomination” and not an election “because the party hasn’t followed the democratic process of electing the leader of the legislative party”.
It was referring to the BJP’s decision to pick Bhajanlal’s name as CM at a legislative party meeting held on 12 December. It was former chief minister Vasundhara Raje who read out the name.
“Considering the electoral victories since 2014, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that the BJP, with its consistent wins, has fortified democracy at every level, earning the trust and support of voters. But it’s essential not to be complacent. Unfortunately, this isn’t happening. A new trend has emerged where a former CM announces that a certain legislator will be the CM,” the editorial said.
(Edited by Uttara Ramaswamy)