As US President Donald Trump announced a “complete and total ceasefire” between Israel and Iran, all eyes will be on whether this uneasy truce holds up. Trump’s dramatic declaration came barely a couple of days after his high-stakes gamble of joining Israel’s war against Iran by sending warplanes to bomb Iran’s key nuclear sites, which led to Tehran launching missiles at the American military base in Qatar. With tensions gripping the Middle East, the Urdu dailies kept their focus on the upheaval in the region, which would have long-term ramifications for the entire world.
With the United States inserting itself into the Israel-Iran war by deploying its B-2 bomber jets to strike at Iran’s uranium enrichment facilities at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan, the Bengaluru-based Salar, in its June 23 editorial, writes that President Trump’s move could have wide-ranging repercussions for the geopolitics of the region and the world. “These attacks on Iranian nuclear sites have pushed not only Tehran but the entire Middle East to the brink of a larger war. While Trump has claimed that the American strikes have obliterated the Iranian nuclear sites, Iran has claimed they have not suffered major damage or any increase in the radiation levels,” it says, adding that Tehran has indicated that it will carry on with its nuclear programme in its national interest.
The editorial says one question arising out of these spiralling hostilities is whether there would be any intervention of major powers close to Iran, such as China and Russia, in the crisis. “Trump took the call to join Israel’s war without authorisation by the US Congress or evolving consensus among his own party leaders or support groups,” it notes. “America might have decided to take the plunge into this new Middle East war in solidarity with Tel Aviv, but its outcome will remain uncertain,” the daily says. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned the US and Israel that Tehran will not capitulate and that the American strike will have “irreparable consequences”. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has also said that the US and Israel have crossed a “very big red line” by attacking his country’s nuclear infrastructure and that Tehran also reserves all options in response.
“Trump has threatened Iran to fall in line, saying either there will be peace or there will be tragedy for Iran,” the editorial states. “Iran may now target American bases in Gulf states or crucial shipping lanes. The upheaval may also see the Islamic Republic adopting a more hardline approach while deepening instability in West Asia,” it says, adding that the American entry into the war may land the world in a more dangerous spot. “The question is not whether the war has flared up. The question is, will anyone be able to control its endgame.”
Referring to the controversy that erupted in the wake of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s remarks that soon a time would come when those speaking English in India would “feel ashamed” and that those who do not speak Indian languages cease to remain fully Indian, the Mumbai-based Urdu Times, in its June 22 leader, says that the row has fuelled the language conflict in the country. “The Urdu language was recently in the crosshairs of some quarters, but it was strongly defended by the judiciary,” it states. The edit points out that English has become a ladder of social empowerment despite having been once considered a symbol of colonialism.
The daily notes that while reacting to Shah’s remarks, Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi has said that English is “not a dam, but a bridge”, “not shameful but empowering”, and “not a chain but a tool to break the chains”. “Rahul has alleged that the BJP-RSS don’t want poor children to learn English because they don’t want them to ask questions, move ahead, and attain equality. He has said that while taking pride in one’s own mother tongue every child should have the right to learn English to get an equal opportunity and compete with the world. His stand is clear — that learning English is not a betrayal of one’s mother tongue but to forge ahead together,” it says. “This is not just a matter of language, it is an issue of India’s future and social and educational equities. And Rahul has reflected it realistically.”
The editorial says the ruling class’s stance on the issue has been “hypocritical”. “While asking people to keep a distance from English, the ruling class sends their kids to Oxford, Cambridge and Harvard universities. Is this just an issue of preserving native culture or an attempt to protect one’s privileges? These double standards have dented our democracy, which could be corrected only by ensuring a level field in terms of policies concerning language, education and development,” it states.
The daily also says that any rejection of English would deepen unease in the South or non-Hindi speaking states, where there have been long-standing concerns over the alleged imposition of the Hindi language. This has been reflected by the row over the three-language norm stipulated by the National Education Policy. “Indian languages are indeed treasures of education, culture and tradition. But, is it necessary to junk English. Or, keeping English at bay is just a political tactic to perpetuate the monopoly of the ruling class. This is clearly a fact that English is the language of business, science and technology in the modern world. For India to remain at its forefront, our youth must be well-versed in English while remaining connected to their roots,” the edit says. “The solution to the language rows is ensuring a balanced approach, which Rahul has proposed. In a linguistically-diverse country like India, it is imperative to embrace all our languages while also taking English on board. Every Indian must decide whether a language should be used as an instrument of prejudice or a tool of empowerment.”
Flagging a raft of new schemes and projects being announced in Bihar by the ruling NDA’s “doubling-engine” government, including the Nitish Kumar-led dispensation and the Narendra Modi government, the Hyderabad-based Siasat, in its June 22 editorial, says that these moves seem to be made with an eye to woo the voters in the state Assembly polls due later this year. Many promises are made in states ahead of elections, several of which are forgotten after securing the mandate, it says, adding that more than ensuring people welfare such pledges are usually aimed at garnering votes.
“Both the Centre and Bihar government have stepped up the politics of sops as they seem to sense anti-incumbency towards Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s long reign. Nitish has been at the helm of the Bihar government for 20 years, which might have caused a fatigue among voters,” the editorial states. “This is a long period for a regime in any state for improving its condition. But the Nitish government appears to have fallen short of putting Bihar on the trajectory of development.”
Referring to Prime Minister Modi’s June 20 visit to Siwan, the daily points out that he inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for projects worth thousands of crores. Nitish has now also announced a nearly-three fold increase in pension for senior citizens, widows and people with disabilities (from Rs 400 per month to Rs 1,100). “These are significant measures for the welfare of people, but they do not reflect a government’s serious, sustained commitment. If public good is the intention behind these steps, they should have been taken long before, and not on the eve of elections, which then look driven by electoral considerations,” the edit says, noting that Bihar has continued to be among the poorest and most backward states.
“It is often argued that political stability ensures development of a state. But this might not have worked in Bihar’s case. Several years of Nitish’s tenure have also been marked by a double-engine NDA government, but that has also not proved a game-changer for the state,” the edit says. For India’s progress, it is crucial that Bihar also accelerates its development. “The point remains that mere announcement of doles at the times of polls could not be a substitute for a well laid-out roadmap for the uplift of people, which requires sustained execution over a period of time. It is now for the Bihar people to determine their future with sagacity.”
