Opinion Furore over Telangana

Hyderabad’s leading daily Siasat in its editorial on December 11 writes: “Effort has been made to give a communal colour to the issue (of Telangana) and it has been said that the Muslims do not want a state of Telangana. This is an attempt to distort facts. Muslims also realise the injustices done to Telangana and are active supporters of Telangana. Many Muslims are part of the agitation for a separate state.”

In another point of view,an editorial entitled,“Telangana’s Headache”,Delhi-based daily Hindustan Express (December 12) writes: “On an overview of the process of governance,one does not feel even remotely that the smaller states can be described as prosperous,stable,and an abode of contentment. We have before us the instability of Jharkhand,the extremism in Chhattisgarh and the example of Uttarakhand. So, there is no correlation between smallness of a state and good governance.”

A climate for change

Taking a rather religious view of the dangers of climate change,Jamaat-e-Islami’s official organ,biweekly Daawat,in an editorial on December 10,writes: “Ever since the venerable (sic) human being (Hazrat-e-insaan) has started interfering with nature,this chaos has been created.” Without naming any country,it says: “the share of responsibility should be identified. But certain powers or nations do not want an unbiased verdict in this regard. They want to prove their strength and dominance in this matter as well,and want to be content,putting the blame on others”.

Noted litterateur and journalist Hasan Kamal,in his column “Khari Khari” (bare facts) in the daily Hamara Samaj (December 8) explains the complexities of this conclave for his readers. He also dwells on the politics of the summit: “One had thought that US President Obama’s recent telephone call to Manmohan Singh was regarding Afghanistan. But it now transpires that Obama’s call was to know the stand India would take at Copenhagen and if India agrees with the US proposal. Following the call,the Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh announced that India can make cuts in carbon intensity by 2025. Montek Singh Ahluwalia’s saying that India could cut emission upto 53 per cent too was the result of Obama’s call to the PM.”

Ministering to Muslims

Reacting to Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi’s statement at Aligarh Muslim University that a Muslim too can become the country’s prime minister if he has the capability required for this post,Hamara Samaj,in an editorial entitled ‘Woh din kab aayega?’ (when will that day come?) writes: “Certainly,there are many Muslims who can adorn the office of prime minister. But the question is not of becoming the prime minister or the president. There is a need for putting an end to the conspiracy that was hatched after Independence for isolating Muslims… The prospect of a Muslim becoming the prime minister is quite far-fetched. There are many posts which,following Independence,have neither been given to a Muslim,nor is there any possibility of it being given even in the distance future. For instance,a Muslim was never made the minister of defence of the country”.

Recounting instances when people like I.K. Gujral,Deve Gowda and Chandra Shekhar were made PM according to compromise formulae,Hyderabad-based daily Rahnuma-e-Deccan,in an editorial on December 10,writes: “A Muslim can be made chief minister under a compromise formula but not the PM.”

Sahafat,published daily from Delhi,Mumbai,Lucknow and Dehradun,has in its lead story on December 10,severely criticised Shiv Sena leader Bal Thackeray’s statement outlining “conditions” (connected with the Ayodhya issue,uniform civil code,Vande Mataram,etc.) to be fulfilled by a Muslim to be acceptable to him as the prime minister. “In what capacity is he talking of bargaining with Muslims?” the paper asks.