People's Budget

Fri, Mar 14 03:13 AM

The Rail Budget and the annual Budget have been subjects of some extraordinary and possibly unprecedented interest in the Urdu Press. First, the Rail Budget.

Akhbar-e-Mashriq, a daily based in Delhi and Kolkata, in an editorial on February 28, 'Lalu Ki Rail Chali Jaae Re', says the Railway Minister has once again surprised everyone with his budget. It writes: ''It is said that in India the price of anything never comes down after once going up. Lalu, by reducing the passenger fare and leaving the freight charges untouched has, in fact, created an ulti Ganga".

Sahafat, published simultaneously from Delhi, Lucknow, Dehra Dun and Mumbai, in its editorial on March 1, says, ''Undoubtedly Lalu's Rail budget has come as a relief... But Lalu's political adversaries will be able to find fault in this budget too because they believe in opposition for the sake of opposition.''

Hyderabad-based Rahnuma-e-Deccan, while praising the Rail Budget, says in its editorial on February 29, that big business houses should be made to pay more for the services provided to them. Finance Minister P. Chidambaran's budget too has received its share of praise. The editorial in the Patna and Ranchi-based daily Qaumi Tanzeem (March 2) has described it as a ''super dream budget.'' It has welcomed the increased allocation for the welfare of minorities. Lucknow-based Qaumi Khabrein (March 2) calls it an 'Inquilabi Budget' (revolutionary budget). It says: ''Two pillars of the economy-farmers and minorities-have been given special attention because these two sections have lagged behind in the race for development. Jamaat-e-Islami's mouthpiece, the bi-weekly Daawat, says (March 4) it will take more than the budget to solve the problems of minorities. ''An indication of the government's seriousness, intentions and determination with regard to the development of minorities has become clear due to the procrastination on the implementation of Sachar Committee's recommendations.'' National Herald group's Qaumi Awaz (March 3) says that ''to maintain the popular character of the budget, all allies of the UPA government would have to compel the bureaucracy to sincerely implement the budget recommendations. ''

Jamiat's split reaction

The split in Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind resulting in the controversial removal of Maulana Arshad Madani as its president by the dominant faction led by his nephew and its general secretary, Maulana Mahmood Madani, and his replacement by his brother-in-law, Qari Mohammad Usman, a senior functionary of Darul Uloom, Deoband, has created a stir in the Urdu Press. In a page one editorial on March 3, editor of Rashtriya Sahara Azeez Burney wonders whether it is a split or a change of leadership. ''God forbid, if it is a split based on conflict, it is no less important for the Indian Muslims than the partition of the country.'' According to him, Jamiat has not only been guiding the Muslims since 1919, but has also played a role in resolving the problems faced by the country. ''It would be the desire of the community that if there is any discord, it should be settled behind closed doors''.

Delhi-based Hindustan Express (March 6) says: ''It is unfortunate that this war is being fought not at the organisational level but at a family level.'' Akhbar-e-Mashriq in its editorial (March 8) says; ''Maulana Mahmood Madani is young but is rich in experience as well. He would be a better leader. On the other hand, Maulana Arshad Madani is an educator and a preacher and is not adept in management matters. What is more, he has the tendency of acting according to his own whims and fancies.''

Common platform

Commenting on the three-day long 20th session of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board at Kolkata (February 29-March 2), Hyderabad-based Siasat (March 4) says the special feature of this session was that representatives of all groups of Muslims shared the same platform and that is the symbol of the ''community's consciousness'' and ''unity'' of Muslims. Describing the session as ''a great success,'' Akhbar-e-Mashriq (March 4) dealt with the various resolutions adopted by the Board. In a nutshell: Muslims should be true to the Shariat and attain complete unity in the community, the government of India was exhorted to come to the aid of the oppressed and avoid siding with the oppressors, it condemned the "unrealistic" attitude of the United States, particularly with regard to Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran and India's growing relations with Israel.

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