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Indian Express

From the Urdu Press: ‘Pakistan in perennial denial mode… must pay for Pahalgam', ‘Foil terrorists' communal designs'

As the terror attack on tourists at the Baisaran meadow in South Kashmir's Pahalgam convulsed the nation, the Urdu dailies captured the outrage among people cutting across all communities throughout the country. While flagging some questions raised by the Opposition about the 'security and intelligence lapses' that enabled the attack, the dailies kept their focus on the groundswell of support for bipartisan politics and unity for the cause of victims, tracking the growing demand for bringing the perpetrators and their cross-border patrons to justice. SALAR Highlighting India's full-scale diplomatic crackdown on Pakistan after the Pahalgam terrorist attack that killed 26 people, the Bengaluru -based Salar, in its April 26 editorial headlined 'Aar paar ki tayyari (preparations for the decisive battle)', writes that Pakistan has been rattled by these actions. 'This has been a known fact that Pakistan has always been involved in orchestrating terror attacks in India. The Narendra Modi government took several measures to combat terrorism, ranging from demonetisation in 2016 to the bombing of a terror base in Pakistan after the Pulwama attack in February 2019,' the editorial says, adding that the government also abrogated Article 370 in August 2019 that gave Jammu and Kashmir special status. However, it could not prevent what was an unprecedented terrorist strike on tourists in the Valley. The daily points out that New Delhi has suspended the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), reduced mission strength by half, cancelled almost all types of visas granted to Pakistan nationals, and shut the Attari-Wagah border. Stung by these actions, Islamabad moved to close its airspace to all Indian airliners and put all bilateral agreements with India, including the Shimla Agreement, in abeyance. 'The point remains that Pakistan has been sponsoring terrorism in India for a long time. Rather than shame about its role in this regard, the neighbouring country has sought to brazen it out, as indicated by its counter-measures against India,' the edit says. Pahalgam reflects a desperate terror agenda that did not spare even tourists seeking to spend some pleasant moments with their families in a picturesque meadow, the editorial notes, adding that the attack also sought to devastate a resurgent Kashmir economy that critically depends on tourism. 'The question is, on whose behalf these terrorists were operating? India has always put Pakistan in the dock at various international fora for fuelling cross-border terrorism in India, giving huge dossiers as evidence. Pakistan has perennially been in a denial mode, washing it hands of these grave charges,' the editorial states. India has turned the screws on Pakistan by pledging to stem the flow of Indus river water to that country, it says, adding: 'New Delhi's IWT move is a clear signal to Pakistan that it should be ready to face the consequences of its support to terror outfits targeting innocent people as part of its bid to destabilise India.' SIASAT In its April 26 leader, the Hyderabad -based Siasat, writes that the entire country is gripped by anger and grief following the Pahalgam attack, with the people pressing for elimination of terrorists and uprooting of their havens. 'All sections of our nation have taken to streets to hold protests against the perpetrators and conspirators of the Pahalgam attack,' the editorial says. The Modi government has held an all-party meeting to share its assessment of the attack with the leaders of the parties to forge a political consensus on the issue. The Opposition has given its full support to the government in whatever actions it may take. The daily points out that the survivors of the Pahalgam attack, including the relatives of the slain tourists and the injured, have thanked and lauded the courage, compassion and hospitality of the Kashmiri people — including local residents, tour guides and pony wallahs — for protecting their lives, even at the risk of their own, and sheltering them. 'Amidst such a crisis, the entire country is witnessing a positive atmosphere of unity, which must be acknowledged and encouraged. However, even in these difficult times some quarters seem to be bent on driving a wedge between the communities on religious lines,' it states, adding that by falling in the trap of the terrorists' communal designs, these divisive forces are making unholy attempts to disrupt the rising spirit of our brotherhood and solidarity. 'This is extremely unfortunate. Such forces must be exposed, isolated and curbed. Their attempts must be thwarted as they are damaging the unity and harmony of the country for their narrow political dividends.' A section of the media is also cynically fuelling this 'polarising play on the Hindu-Muslim line', the editorial says, adding that 'such elements always try to vitiate the atmosphere for their petty gains'. 'The Pahalgam attack is a crime against humanity. All sections are unitedly rallying against it. People at large could also see through the divisive game plan of communal forces. This is a positive sign emerging in the aftermath of the Pahalgam tragedy,' the edit notes. 'No one should be allowed to create communal discord in the country. We must maintain our national unity at any cost, which is also imperative for foiling the evil designs of our external enemies.' ROZNAMA RASHTRIYA SAHARA Referring to the current agitation of the teachers and non-teaching staff of state schools in West Bengal, who lost their jobs in the wake of a recent verdict by the Supreme Court, the multi-edition Roznama Rashtriya Sahara, in its April 24 editorial, says the crisis has snowballed due to alleged corruption, negligence and dubious policies of the ruling dispensation for years. 'This is unfortunate that Bengal's educational system has been plagued by systemic irregularities and chaos leading to an atmosphere of uncertainty for young students,' it says. In its April 3 ruling, the Supreme Court upheld a Calcutta High Court order, annulling the appointments of 25,753 teachers and non-teaching staff as it found large-scale irregularities in the recruitment process conducted by the state School Service Commission (SSC) in 2016. Referring to these judicial verdicts, the daily says the Trinamool Congress-led state government has now proposed to move a review petition before the apex court. 'The SSC job scam has taken a huge toll on many deserving teachers who were not recruited. On the other hand, many got the job due to bribery, nepotism or political connections,' it charges. 'The entire scandal has shaken public trust in the state's school system while putting the teachers under a cloud.' The editorial says the protesters are justified in demanding that the lists of 'tainted' and 'untainted' candidates should be transparently compiled and released. 'While the TMC government has pledged its support for the sacked teachers and Group C and Group D non-teaching staff, its credibility has taken a severe beating,' the edit notes. 'This is not a temporary row but points to a larger crisis afflicting the state's education sector. If the government is serious about the future of the students, it will have to ensure that merit, probity and transparency remain the pillars of the state's education system.'