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Journalism of Courage
Predictably, the PM8217;s speech this weekend at the National Development Council NDC 8212; the missing text and the typo 8212; have been the subject of furious speculation and analysis in Urdu papers. In an editorial dated December 12, National Herald group8217;s Qaumi Awaz writes; 8220;the controversy has arisen because of electronic media showing selective and misleading clips of the PM in such a way that there was a furore.8221; It says the 8220;PM has not said anything that is not in the constitutional scheme of things8230; what the PM has said is valid, as in the past constitutional commitments have been ignored, as is evident from the Sachar Committee8217;s Report 8212; he has only restated those commitments.8221;
Delhi-based daily Hindustan Express writes in an edit on December 11, 8220;the PM8217;s speech is not unprecedented as PMs like Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, V.P. Singh and even Narasimha Rao have made such noises in the past. What is unique is that the PM has said this at the NDC, whose importance and relevance cannot be denied.8221; But the paper writes that 8220;the veracity of the statement will be there only if the NDC gives some importance to this statement while shaping policies.8221; The Daily Hind Samachar, from Jalandhar and Ambala writes on the same day, that 8220;earlier it was the ghost of Jinnah casting its spell on L.K. Advani, and now it is the turn of economist Manmohan Singh to come under its spell.8221; It also says that this divisive statement may alienate the majority community from the Congress.
On madrasa board
Kolkata and Delhi daily Akhbar-e-Mashriq writes in an editorial on December 9, that after Independence, because the way Muslims have been 8220;taken up the garden path8221;, even if a good thing comes up, 8220;it is looked at with suspicion8230; so it is necessary to consider the apprehensions raised. In case the government addresses these, the Board could be a blessing.8221; Hindustan Express reports on December 6, how certain Muslim clerical groups, like those at Dar ul Uloom have criticised the madrasa modernisation programme as a bid to stifle madrasa independence. The news report also writes that the All India Muslim Personal Law Board had said that 8220;luring Muslims with monetary aid, an attempt was being made to control madrasas.8221;
8216;Out of the box8217; Musharraf
Rashtriya Sahara in an editorial on December 8 writes that Musharraf 8216;s formula on Kashmir is full of options difficult to implement. It writes 8220;it is a fact that some new ideas have been mooted and there is nothing wrong in extending the talks further on the basis of these proposals.8221; Qaumi Awaz on December 9 writes that 8220;if they want durable peace, Pakistan8217;s leaders must break away from the clutches of opportunist politics there 8212; and align with peace-loving people8230; Only then can formulae on Kashmir be discussed.8221;
8212;Compiled by Seema Chishti
