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Journalism of Courage
Matters surrounding the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal continue to dominate the pages of Urdu newspapers as, indeed, is the case in other sections of the press. In its editorial entitled, ‘New political alignments’, Rashtriya Sahara (July 14) says that the matter has been alive for over three years, but the Left suddenly took a very serious step because it had become imperative for it to withdraw support to the UPA government as elections to some assemblies and the Parliament were not far off. It could not have faced voters after supporting a government that has close links with the United States and formalised a nuclear deal with it. On the other hand, the Left — and the BJP — wants to cash in on the inflation and rise in prices that have been of great concern to the people. Jamaat-e-Islami’s organ, the biweekly Daawat (July 13), says that the nuclear deal has become more an issue of ego and political pride than the country’s interests. “All political parties are playing politics unmindful of the sentiments of the people, that has also posed a danger to the government,” it writes. On the issue of Muslim opposition to the deal, well known writer and journalist Hasan Kamal, in his column in Rashtriya Sahara (July 12) says that Muslims are not against America or the Americans, for, otherwise they would not have craved for green cards and jobs in the United States for their children. But “they hate the US President, George …” Hind Samachar, published from Jalandhar and Ambala, writes (July 6) that while the Congress-Samajwadi Party agreement has, in substance, made the path of the nuclear deal smooth, it has also caused new political alignments in the country. The paper anticipates great changes in Indian politics with the SP’s support to the nuclear deal.
The Israel-Iran conflict
Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh’s stern warning to the UPA government at Mumbai on July 13 against any change in its Iran policy under US pressure (almost unreported by the national press), was very prominently displayed by Urdu papers. Not surprisingly, the government reacted very promptly and issued a statement against the US prompting an Israeli attack on Iran. Rashtriya Sahara in its editorial entitled ‘war paranoia of Bush’ went beyond Iran’s nuclear initiative and wrote: “The real problem for the United States and Israel is not Iran’s nuclear project but the strong stand of Iran against the US aggression and Zionist conspiracy… It is the limit of US stubbornness that it is bent on collaborating, for an attack on Iran, with a country that is itself accused of illegally manufacturing nuclear weapons.” Patna and Ranchi-based daily, Qaumi Tanzeem (July 7), has found a ray of hope for reconciliation in Iran’s willingness to consider US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s suggestion for a centre to look after American interests in Tehran. The paper also welcomed the proposal for exchange of educationists and students between Iran and the US and last year’s proposal of US flights to Iran, which it says might end US apprehensions about Iran’s nuclear programme.
Liberhan: 46 and counting!
The forty-sixth extension given to the Liberhan Commission, inquiring into the Babri Masjid demolition (December 6, 1992), has attracted anger and disgust from newspapers. Delhi-based daily, Sahafat, in an article by a columnist (July 6), describes this regular extension, resulting in an unprecedented delay in submission of its report, as “a consistent injustice against the largest minority of the country.” According to the columnist, the perpetrators of the heinous crime being investigated are so well known and familiar to the world that history will not forgive them even if the Liberhan Commission does not submit its report. Daawat, in its lead article on page one, (July 7) wonders how long one would have to wait to know the truth about the Ayodhya demolition. “Only, it is being demonstrated that action is being taken; no time limit is given for how long this action process would continue.” In an editorial entitled, ‘Enquiry is going on’ (Tehqiqaat jaari hai), Qaumi Tanzeem (July 4) has compared Liberhan Commission with the river in the famous poem by an English poet: ‘For men may come; and men may go; but I go on for ever!’ “No government would like to handle the Commission’s report now that elections to some state assemblies and the parliament are near,” the paper writes.
End of the world?
Can scientific observations and predictions about global warming be taken as signs of an approaching doomsday? The eminent Muslim scholar and religious leader, Maulana Waheeduddin Khan, thinks that one should not ignore scientists’ words in this regard, according to a report in Hindustan Express (July 5) on Maulana’s article in his journal Al-Risala. The Maulana thinks that religious assumptions about certain happenings before doomsday may be allegorical, except perhaps the prediction about the angel Israfeel blowing or reciting a religious tune or verse (soor phunknein ka amal). The predicted events of Maseeh descending from sky and appearance of the controversial one-eyed Dajjal, may already have occurred, in an allegorical situation, according to the Maulana.
