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Journalism of Courage
The outcome of the Assembly elections in Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir held multiple takeaways. While reading them, the Urdu dailies underlined that the mandate stunned the Congress, which expected smooth sailing in Haryana and an improved performance in J&K. Apart from scoring a hat-trick in Haryana, the BJP put up a stellar show in Jammu even though the National Conference (NC) scripted an impressive win in the Union Territory with minimal support from the Congress.
With the Maharashtra and Jharkhand polls round the corner, the dailies said the Congress needs to learn lessons from its setback, boost the INDIA alliance, and return to the drawing board to firm up a new game plan for the uphill battles ahead.
Commenting on the Haryana poll results, the New Delhi edition of Inquilab, in its editorial on October 9, writes that everyone believed that it would be a “one-sided affair”, ranging from political experts to exit polls, and Congress members to even a BJP section. “Everyone thought the Congress will romp home in Haryana and form its government. The apparent ground situation also pointed to such a scenario. Among the key poll issues were unemployment, farm crisis, farmers’ movement, wrestlers’ protests, Agniveer, which together, it was claimed, built up anti-incumbency against the two-term BJP government,” the editorial says, noting that the results however sprang a surprise.
The daily says there were several factors behind the Congress’s debacle in the state. “One, the BJP succeeded in ensuring an anti-Jat polarisation in its favour. While the Congress largely got votes in the Jat-dominated belts, the BJP managed to consolidate non-Jats,” it states. “Two, while the Congress claimed that it got 36 biradris on board, it is not borne out by the poll results,” it says, indicating that the Muslim community however rallied round the grand old party.
The editorial says the state Congress has been beset with rampant factionalism and infighting, highlighting the power tussle between the party’s Jat face Bhupinder Hooda and its Dalit leader Kumari Selja, which caused resentment and uncertainty among the party supporters from the backward and Dalit communities. The Congress’s overdependence on Hooda led to him calling the shots in ticket distribution, fielding his loyalists from over 70 seats out of 90. “The BJP and the Congress virtually went head to head in vote share, garnering 39.94% votes (48 seats) and 39.09% votes (37 seats) respectively, but the seat gap between them turned out to be a decisive 11,” the edit notes. It says Haryana has thus become an addition to the list of states where the Congress snatched a defeat from the jaws of victory. “The Congress’s task is cut out now ahead of the Maharashtra polls for which it should redraw its strategies.”
In its October 9 editorial on the poll results, the Hyderabad-based Siasat writes that this round of battle between the BJP and the INDIA alliance ended in a “tie”. While the BJP clinched an “unexpected” victory in Haryana, the NC-Congress alliance registered its win in J&K. Claiming that both sides could draw “consolation” from the outcome, the daily says one of the factors behind the Congress’s defeat in Haryana was the AAP’s move to field its candidates across the state after the two parties failed to join hands despite being part of the INDIA bloc. “The division within the Haryana Congress sealed the party’s fate. Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi tried to get Hooda and Selja onto the same stage just days before the voting, but the damage was done,” it says.
The editorial suggests that the Congress should learn from its mistakes in Haryana and ensure that the INDIA allies close their ranks for the looming battles. In J&K, the NC-Congress combine emerged victorious despite facing a formidable challenge from the BJP, even as the Union Territory has been under Central rule for several years. The BJP dispensation carried out a delimitation exercise in J&K in 2022 to redraw its constituencies, but the NC-Congress alliance still managed to win the polls, the edit says. “The Congress should look towards the future now and make necessary changes in its poll blueprint. The party must avoid past missteps and ensure that the INDIA camp unitedly faces the Maharashtra and Jharkhand polls with purpose.”
Highlighting the Supreme Court’s judgment banning caste-based discrimination in the country’s prisons in various things — such as division of manual labour, segregation of barracks and bias against prisoners of denotified tribes and habitual offenders — the Bengaluru-based Salar, in its leader on October 4, says the court’s ruling holding such jail manual practices as “unconstitutional” was historic.
The daily notes that the top court’s three-member Bench headed by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud directed the Centre and all states to strike off within three months such provisions in their prison manuals, which perpetuate caste discrimination in violation of a host of fundamental constitutional rights (including right to equality under Article 14, right against discrimination under Article 15, abolition of untouchability under Article 17, right to life with dignity under Article 21 and right against forced labour under Article 23).
The editorial points out that the apex court held that the prison manuals of various states discriminate against the marginalised communities by assigning cleaning and sweeping work to prisoners belonging to them while allowing inmates from high castes to do cooking. The court, giving its ruling on a PIL, made it clear that the treatment for prisoners from all communities must be humane and equitable, the edit notes. The court asserted that “the right to live with dignity extends even to the incarcerated”. While India is making strides towards progress and development, our discriminatory prison system must also see reforms, the edit says, adding that the top court’s verdict must be hailed as it would ensure more humane conditions in jails across the country.
