T his column will carry a brief report and analysis of the editorials, carried by major newspapers during the preceding month to understand on what issues the media most commonly commented upon, which were part of the national discourse and how human rights or rights perspective reflected in them.
During the month of November, 2017 one of the most common subjects of the editorial comments was over the opposition to the film 'Padmavati' by a section of people, bordering on the right to freedom of expression; its extent and the aspects of hurt sentiments. At least 9 major English Newspapers commented upon the issue, broadly saying that the decisions of Central Board of Films Certification, CBFC in such matters should be respected and the political parties should not bow to the unwarranted pressure by the agitating sections of the people. This yardstick also applied to the two other films 'Nude' and 'S Durga', which, after having being cleared by CBFC, were not shown in the Indian panorama section of International Film Festival of India. The Hindu wrote "the Chief Ministers cannot sight law and order threats as an excuse to curve free expressions" on the face of mobocracy. The Times of India said, respect the law and beware of mobocracy; the Pioneer said, stifling Padmavati undermines the artistic liberty; the Indian Express called the protests as infinite regression.
The second most commonly commented upon topic, with 7 editorials, was 'Delhi's pollution crises', seriously impacting rights to health and life. The Hindustan Times, in fact, carried maximum 3 editorials followed by Pioneer, Indian Express and Millennium Post one each. Citing the pollution as a major health hazard, the crux of almost all the editorials was that the problem of air quality is also a problem of unplanned extensive urbanization, made more complex by a cocktail of crop-burning, smoke, construction dust, vehicular pollution for which, the Centre and the neighbouring States needed to put together a plan of action to ensure that the health costs do not increase and the image of country at international level is not dented due to 'Delhi's Annual Bad Pollution' with diplomats running for cover.
The third most commented subject, with five editorials, was on the credit rate agency Moody's up- gradation of India's sovereign rate by a notch after a gap of almost 14 years. The issue had no apparent direct link to human rights but if the health of the economy of a country is in a good shape, the living standards including the situation impacting various rights also gets better. By and large, the newspapers heralded this development but also cautioned that the Centre and the State Government needed to ensure that they continue with the reform story to actualize the potential of Indian economy by paying more attention to the issues of immense wealth disparity, jobs and salary growth and shattered domestic informal sector. Generally, they were of the view that the governments will also need to sustain country's credit rating by ensuring macroeconomic stability by being cautious on taking populist measures impacting the economy. The Pioneer said, they needed to temper our exuberance over the development; the Hindu said, the development underscores the need to stay on the reform course; the Times of India described it as a mood lifter; the Tribune said, beyond this obsession of global ratings, governments must take steps to revive the shattered domestic informal sector for the jobs.
Some other issues with the rights perspective, which were commented upon, in one or two newspaper editorials, included Union Government's decision to set up a ministerial panel to draft a bill providing for punitive action against triple talaq following the Supreme Court decision; prison reforms; digital blackboards, poor infrastructure and shortage of teachers in schools.