PM Narendra Modi casting his vote in Ahmedabad, during the Lok Sabha elections. (Express photo by Nirmal Harindran)
A win for bigotry
With voting in India culminating on June 1 and results expected on June 4, there has been much speculation about who will form the next government. The general narrative seems to favour the incumbent BJP and current Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The media in Pakistan discusses the stakes, some glaring issues and what a third term for Modi might mean for India.
Express Tribune (May 23) notes a particular “lack of enthusiasm among once-loyal BJP voters”, which may signal that “people are more concerned by his [PM Modi] failure to address pressing issues.” In terms of tangible effects, it says that despite “efforts to gaslight voters into thinking of Modi as a miracle worker, the data shows that under Modi, economic growth has consistently been slower than analysts’ estimates.”
Daily Times (May 23) believes that a third term for Modi means that “the real winner in the so-called secular state would be bigotry… Indian voters would scream out their preference for vigilante identity over the ideals of modern India.”
Speaking for those voting for the other side, however, the editorial points out how “voter suppression, manipulation, and violence remain the nauseating themes as all brazen attempts to silence opposition parties by branding them ‘traitors’ have become the new norm.”
An Orwellian law in Punjab
Earlier this week, the Punjab Assembly passed the Defamation Bill 2024 amid protests from both journalists and the opposition. According to Dawn, “The draft law proposes a special tribunal to try those involved in drafting, publishing and/or airing ‘fake news’.”
Terming it an “Orwellian law”, News International (May 23) says, “It only empowers those in constitutional positions while there is a danger that media channels or even private social media accounts can be shut down by the government without giving the other party any chance to prove their innocence.” NI’s view on this Bill can be summed up by the 1984 quote the editorial concluded with: “In the end, we shall make thoughtcrime literally impossible, because there will be no words in which to express it.”
Dawn (May 22) focuses on the “forced passage” of the Bill saying, “The journalists’ community had merely asked the Punjab government for a week to reconsider the law… Meanwhile, the opposition had suggested certain changes… That it [Punjab government] chose to push them aside suggests a disinclination to honour the democratic principles of the legislative process.”
The editorial demands that the Punjab government “withdraw this dangerous bill and engage with other stakeholders. There is still time.”
ICC arrest warrant for Netanyahu: Justice is served
On Monday, May 20, the prosecutor of the UN’s International Court of Justice (ICC), Karim Khan, issued arrest warrants against Hamas leaders for the October 7, 2023 attack, and against Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for the genocide in Palestine thereafter. The five individuals have been charged with crimes against humanity and war crimes. Netanyahu claimed the arrest bid was “absurd” and that Khan was one of the “great anti-Semites in modern times”.
Daily Times (May 22) says, “Justice is served.” The Nation (May 22) comments on the US response to this warrant saying, “Pro-genocide politicians and leaders can express their anger all they want… Now when it is time for some self-accountability, there is only outrage from the US. This is essentially saying that we do not abide by any international law or convention.”
Rising electricity cost
The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (NEPRA) proposed charging customers an additional Rs 1.45 per unit of electricity for the next three months to recover Rs 52 billion, which is a portion of the Rs 1.3 trillion that remains unpaid from defaulters. There is outrage among the public for having to bear the cost of others’ lapses.
Dawn (May 19) condemns this proposal and says, “Our authorities frequently run colourful campaigns about the government’s ‘zero-tolerance policy’ towards power theft. Why should the people suffer if they have been unable to translate their words into action?” Slamming the government, it insists, “The public cannot afford the government’s incompetence anymore. It should make the defaulters pay. There is no way around this.”
The Nation (May 19) believes, “A top-down shakeup with a strong emphasis on accountability is crucial… NEPRA’s current strategy is not only detrimental to consumers but also counterproductive to its goals.”
adya.goyal@expressindia.com
