‘Indo-Pak talks being derailed’

Last week, while the West Asia crisis and trouble in Lebanon was widely covered in the mainstream Urdu broadsheets on the front pages through news stories and pictures, the editorials and opinion pieces mostly focussed on talks with Pakistan

The National Herald group’s Qaumi Awaz, in its editorial dated July 24, says that ‘‘after the war of words breaking out between India and Pakistan post the Mumbai blasts, not only is the attention on the war against the cancer of militancy and extremism being diverted, the talks between the neighbours, already proceeding at a snail’s pace, are getting further derailed’’. Even though, it adds, “backstage, efforts are on to put the talks back on track’’. The editorial has criticized the “irresponsible and provocative statements by persons like the Pakistani foreign minister and the Pakistani High Commission” and suggests that “instead of statements like these, efforts must be made to break the deadlock.”

‘Restless elements must be happy’

Rashtriya Sahara in its editorial dated July 18, says that ‘‘apart from certain foreign countries, there are certain elements within India who are angered by the economic progress being made here. Some elements in certain political parties turn restless when India tries to establish friendly relations with the neighbours. Such elements must have been very happy with the India-Pakistan foreign secretary-level talks being postponed.’’

‘The roots of the mischief’

The Kolkata and Delhi daily Akhbar-e-Mashriq, in its editorial of July 22, has welcomed the statement made by General Pervez Musharraf last week that Pakistan would assist India in tracking down the culprits. It says that if his word is taken at face value, and we assume that there is no Pakistani hand behind this, ‘‘then who is behind the recent blasts? India has to warn Pakistan, tell them about the roots of the mischief in the light of the proof it has.’’

The conspiracy victimising Muslims

The Mumbai daily Inquilab in its issue of July 23, has a special page called ‘Ehsaas e Jurm mein mubtala karne ki saazish’ (trying to give ‘them’ a sense of being guilty of the crime). In this piece, it has dwelt at length on the Muslim community feeling cornered by being repeatedly labelled as ‘terrorists’. It says that this conspiracy has victimised Muslims ever since it achieved Independence in 1947. It asks, “Why does a Muslim consider himself a ‘criminal’ after every such incident?”

Life in a Muslim state

The Madrasa at Deoband, the Dar ul Uloom, brings out a monthly newsletter called Mahanama Dar ul Uloom. In its most recent issue, the lead article is on the rights of non-Muslims in a Muslim state. Muslim scholar Mohammed Ibrahim Qasmi says that in an Islamic state, all non-Muslim minorities will be assured of the ‘‘right to practice their faith and religion — and their life, property, and self-respect would be guaranteed’’. It goes on to say that they would be equal partners with Muslims as citizens and have all basic rights, on a humanitarian basis. ‘‘All will be treated as equals in the eyes of the law. After they pay the jaziya (the tax levied on non-Muslims) they would have equal entitlements as Muslims.’’