Opinion From the Urdu Press
A Rashtriya Sahara editorial on November 30 claims that the future of the Saarc does not seem very bright.
SADHVI IN DOCK
Commenting on the language used by Union Minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti at a meeting in Delhi, Inquilab said on December 3 that the minister has abused all Indians who are not BJP followers. “By calling non-BJP leaders haramzade (illegitimate), the sadhvi has revealed what she thinks of Hindu leaders who are with other parties…” In its front page comment, Rashtriya Sahara writes that “because of the sadhvi’s abusive statement, the BJP has been forced on the backfoot in Parliament and on the street”. The comment highlights the prime minister’s warning to BJP MPs not to speak out of turn. But “is an apology enough?” the newspaper wonders.
Describing the sadhvi’s outpourings as a “satanic and poisonous statement”, Roznama Khabrain writes that “the clarification she gave also indicates she knows that no one can do anything to the new Union government and there is no question of a proper apology for the statement…”
AMU’S RAJA
IN A November 29 editorial, Roznama Khabrain writes that the BJP’s campaign on Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh is an attempt to appropriate his legacy, similar to its attempts to appropriate Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel and Subhas Chandra Bose. It argues that the conspiracy to celebrate the raja’s birth anniversary on the AMU campus was about widening the distance between Muslims and Jats in western UP, and to imply that the AMU “hates” him. The editorial recalls that he had defeated veteran BJP leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee in the 1957 general elections. Vajpayee had even lost his security deposit. It also claims that the raja continues to be affectionately remembered at AMU. “The raja had given 3.04 acres of land to the AMU on a token lease Rs 2 per year. The current yearly lease value of the land is Rs 200, which is still paid by the university,” it adds.
In a front-page editorial on December 1, Sahafat writes: “Nothing can be more astonishing and shameful than using the name of a secular nationalist like Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh to disturb communal harmony… The great grandson of the raja, Chhatra Pratap Singh, said in a statement that the name of his illustrious ancestor should not be used to disturb communal harmony.”
Hamara Samaj, in an editorial on December 3, writes: “There are many broadminded people in the BJP. [But] there is a need for the BJP to rein in its mischievous elements and prevent them from playing politics against institutions [such as the AMU], whose only objective is to spread the light of knowledge…”
DEFENDING DIDI
on the tension between BJP leaders and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the editor of Inquilab, Shakeel Shamsi, writes, “It is interesting that in Bengal, one of whose writers’ songs, ‘Vande Mataram’, is sung by BJP members everywhere, the party calling itself rashtravadi has had no impact. But in the last Lok Sabha election, the party got a foothold in the state with the help of the Sangh Parivar… Now, it is moving ahead by making political use of a blast at a house in Burdwan and is using to its full advantage the scam involving the Saradha group of companies. The cause of enmity between BJP leaders and Banerjee is the fact that when a Modi wave was flowing through the country, Mamata did not allow it to reach the banks of the Hooghly.”
The November 24 editorial of Sahafat says: “The BJP is trying in various ways to disturb the present government in West Bengal. In view of this BJP campaign, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has declared war on PM Narendra Modi. It must be mentioned that Mamata, during her recent visit to New Delhi, had met L.K. Advani and Arun Jaitley. Possibly, she is trying to probe the minds of the BJP’s leading lights. Significantly, Mamata has said that Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member Srinjoy Bose’s arrest was the result of political partisanship, and that the people of Bengal know it. The members of her party were being arrested because she had talked of uniting secular parties and attended the international convention on Nehru in Delhi. According to political observers, the BJP is very weak in West Bengal and it would not be able to even gather people to manage polling booths if elections were called now. On the other hand, Mamata can resign and call for fresh elections.”
SLIPPING SAARC
A Rashtriya Sahara editorial on November 30 claims that the future of the Saarc does not seem very bright. It argues that the main reason are the differences between two big and important members (India and Pakistan). “Pakistan has always been a victim of a sense of insecurity, something that was seen even in Kathmandu. Unfortunately, there are differences on various issues between India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka, especially over the Kosi dam, sharing of the Teesta waters and the rights of Sri Lankan Tamils. Since a dialogue on these issues is not part of the Saarc framework, the members give vent to their grievances in other ways. As a result, even talks on trade don’t move forward. Indeed, the smaller members of Saarc have started to feel that their friendship with China could be more profitable than dependence on other Saarc members. Even though China was not present at Kathmandu as a Saarc member, the shadow of China was very visible,” the editorial argued.
Compiled by Seema Chishti
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