As the campaign for the Lok Sabha elections heated up over the week, the Urdu dailies focused on the decline in the voter turnout in the first phase of polling, held across 102 constituencies in 21 states and Union Territories, seeking to decode its significance for the leading contenders. The dailies also took a dim view of the discourse in the poll fray, particularly Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks regarding the Muslim community, calling them “unfortunate and disturbing”. URDU TIMES Commenting on Modi’s remarks at an election rally in Rajasthan’s Banswara that a Congress government would distribute the nation’s wealth among “infiltrators” and “those who have more children”, referring to the Muslim community, the Mumbai-based Urdu Times, in its April 23 editorial, says that the PM’s “400 paar” claim has eventually boiled down to “Hindu-Muslim politics” and not on his government’s performance over the last 10 years. “The electoral politics remains marked with criticism, allegations, ploys and manoeuvrings, but just to secure your vote bank, the targeting of over 14% population of the country by calling them names undermines the dignity of your high office,” the daily says. “The politics of fear has hit such a low that even the fear of mangalsutras being taken away was whipped up.” The editorial points out that to level his allegation PM Modi referred to former PM Manmohan Singh’s purported statement that “Muslims have the first right on the wealth of the nation”. “The fact remains that during that speech (in December 2006), while flagging the need for judicious use of the country’s resources for equitable development of backward and vulnerable communities, Manmohan Singh had said that the first claim on resources lies with SCs, STs, OBCs and minorities,” the edit says. “India has witnessed many elections and several PMs, but the Banswara remarks clearly marked a new low, which is unfortunate. This is hate speech, but the Election Commission is looking the other way,” it says. “The Muslim community must observe restraint and exercise their franchise prudently, which is ensured by the Constitution on the basis of the fundamental right of equality.” SIASAT Highlighting the importance of South India in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the Hyderabad-based Siasat, in its leader on April 17, writes that this is the “most pivotal parliamentary election” the country has ever seen. “The BJP has established its complete dominance over India’s political system in the last two terms in power, and is now boasting of bagging 400 seats. While it may just be a political claim or a poll ‘jumla (pitch)', this only enhances the significance of the current election, given the prevailing situation in the country arising out of the BJP’s sway over key institutions,” it says. There are indications that the BJP may struggle in replicating its past electoral performance in several states, especially in the heartland, the daily says. “These states include Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi apart from Bihar, Maharashtra and West Bengal,” it says. “In this backdrop, the ruling party is looking to compensate its losses from gaining ground in South India and picking more seats, which would be however an uphill task for the party.” The editorial points out that the southern states have always remained challenging for the BJP, barring Karnataka. The BJP is focusing on all southern states (which together account for 130 seats), even as it has never been a player in Kerala or Tamil Nadu. To make its inroads into Andhra Pradesh, the party is banking on its alliance with Chandrababu Naidu-led TDP and Pawan Kalyan-led JSP, the edit says. “The BJP’s dependence on South is betraying its fears about North.” The daily states that it is imperative for the people in southern states to exercise their franchise with sagacity to uphold the culture and tradition of plurality, communal harmony and peace in the region. “The minorities must also exercise their democratic and constitutional right to vote for the sake of ensuring peace and amity in the country.” URDU TIMES Referring to the results of the UPSC civil services examination 2023, the Mumbai-based Urdu Times, in its April 18 editorial titled “Chale chalo ki woh manzil abhi nahin aayi (Keep marching as that destination hasn’t been reached yet)”, notes that of 1,016 candidates who cleared the exam, there were 51 Muslim aspirants. The daily says this marked a remarkable rise in the number of successful UPSC Muslim candidates, from the average of below 30 over the past couple of years. “The results this time are an encouraging development, signalling the rising interest among the Muslim community in joining the civil services. However, the percentage of Muslim faces in the overall figure of successful UPSC candidates is still low at about 5%, given that the community accounts for over 14% population,” the editorial states. As compared to the performance of students from other communities in such exams, the Muslim success rate is still not impressive, it says. “The point however remains that success is not achieved overnight. It needs sustained hard work over a long period of time. The current UPSC results could prove to be one of the milestones in this long journey, which is uphill and formidable,” the daily says. “So, this is not really the time for celebrations, but an occasion of reckoning. Clearing a competitive exam like the UPSC civil service exam is tough — and for Muslims it is even tougher because of the social, economic and political challenges the community has been facing,” the edit says. “So, Muslim students must work harder than their counterparts from other communities to face these exams. The community should also rise to extend all assistance to such aspirants.”
