Caste Codes; Hurt Healing; Akashvani AIR
Opinion Watch
Caste Codes
The Pioneer has welcomed the decision of the Patna High Court to stay the caste-based survey in the state at a cost of Rs 500 crores. The daily justified the anger of the judiciary against the Bihar government for making a mockery of the right to privacy, as the data of the survey has to be shared with leaders of political parties.
The Noida-based daily urged upon the political actors rooting for caste-based survey to stop whipping a dead horse. It noted that the Mandal politics is now part of the political history.
The Bihar caste census wasn’t questioned by the stakeholders enough timely for failing the objective test and also burning the money of the state exchequer. All states have built strong data of other backward castes after issuing caste certificates for years. An IT graduate could have saved Rs 500 crores of the Bihar government. But by doing this, the Nitish Kumar and Company wouldn’t have been able to showcase Mandal nautanki at a time when governance is in abyss.
Hurt Healing
Reconciliation can be an important element in the pursuit of justice, opined The Telegraph in a long Editorial on Germany preserving Second World War memorials, while examining Germans preserving artefacts which glorified Soviet excesses. It argued that the employment of guilt is central to imbibe bitter lessons from the past so as not to repeat the same blunders in the future.
The Kolkata-based daily also mentioned the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of South Africa to stress on efforts for healing wounds and restorative justice. Amritsar’s partition museum, it said, also serves the same purpose.
The context of the Editorial was Russia-Ukraine War, and tales of crimes against humanity committed by the Russian forces in Ukrainian cities are numbing. For medieval history not repeating in its gory details, rules of law seek the strength of arms of the law-abiding nations. Multilateral institutions have been found to be moth-eaten to the task to discipline the authoritarian rulers in parts of the world, including Russia, China, Iran and Afghanistan.
Akashvani AIR
The Indian Express has advised the Prasar Bharti to allow the use of ‘All India Radio’ coexist with ‘Akashwani’, while delving in messages. Akashwani is more top down and authoritarian, opined the Noida-based daily, adding that All India Radio in contrast serves the diversity of the country.
The daily also argued that the English name, AIR, is not divorced from local cultures, having been a benign way of establishing national symbols. All India Radio can be all for India, added the daily.
India only yesterday pressed for English as the working language of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation at the meeting of the foreign ministers in Goa. English is more Indian now, and thus AIR should coexist with Akashvani.
About The Author
