One month after the US-Israel unleashed attacks on Iran, the asymmetric war now seems to be at a tipping point which, if not stopped urgently, may have catastrophic consequences not only for West Asia but the entire world. A measure of global outrage against this conflict was reflected by “No Kings” protests held by millions of people across the US and Europe over the weekend. The pages of the Urdu dailies have remained overwhelmingly dedicated to the coverage of the war as they try to make sense of its thickening fog.
Commenting on the hostilities in West Asia, the Srinagar edition of Kashmir Uzma, in its March 28 editorial, says that while the war was arbitrarily imposed by the US- Israel on Iran, the American and Israeli leaders have remained equally “clueless” about its outcome. “Evidently, whatever plans or strategies the US-Israel might have made before starting this war, they have come a cropper,” it says. “In contrast, the manner in which Iran stood up to defend itself did not betray a knee-jerk reaction but showed patience, sagacity and long-term planning. That explains why the Iranian drone and missile systems have now become part of a global discourse, turning into a symbol of that country’s national honour and self-reliance as well as military capabilities.”
The editorial states that instead of ensuring security in West Asia, the US-Israel policies have destabilised the region. In America, President Trump has drawn heat from the Opposition besides sections of the American people, it says. “This shows that the traditional concept of power in geopolitics in changing with public opinion assuming more significance.”
The daily points out that the missile strike on a primary school in Iran’s Minab, in which scores of girl students were killed, highlighted the collapse a moral order. It says the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has also shaken up the world, adding that his replacement with his son Mojtaba Khamenei renewed the Iranian people’s resolve to protect their country. “The Middle East politics has been marked by historical complexities. Any conflict in the region could not be just about a military face-off but also a struggle between regional interests and varied ideologies and identities,” it notes, adding that Tehran’s political power is underpinned by its ideological positioning. The balance of power seems to be shifting in the world with several observers holding that the era of America’s superpower hegemony is now drawing to a close, which would clear the way for a new global order, the edit says. “Time will tell how this West Asia war will play out, but one thing is clear: The world has entered a new era with several old geopolitical assumptions being busted.”
Qaumi Tanzeem
With the stage set for the Assembly elections in four states – Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal – and the Union Territory of Puducherry in April, the Patna edition of Qaumi Tanzeem, in its March 25 leader, points out that the outcome of these polls would not only be crucial for these states, but also determine the roadmap of the BJP and the party-led central government. “While the BJP is in power only in Assam on its own, it seems to be ahead of its rivals in poll preparations in other states too,” the editorial says, noting that the party is in alliance with Chief Minister N Rangaswamy-led All India N R Congress (AINRC) in Puducherry.
Underlining the significance of the Muslim vote in these polls, the daily states that the Muslim community accounts for about 35% of population in Assam, 27% in both Bengal and Kerala, and 6% in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. “The BJP is again heading into these polls with polarisation as its main plank. In Bengal, the BJP’s main issue is infiltration even as it has accused the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC of appeasing and protecting ‘Bangladeshi infiltrators’, declaring that it would drive them out after
coming to power,” it says. “The BJP CM in Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma, has been regularly indulging in hate speech and dog whistling against Miyas — a pejorative word for Bengali-speaking Muslims — in a bid to polarise the electorate and garner Hindu votes,” the edit states. In 2023, the delimitation exercise carried out in Assam led to slashing of Muslim-dominated seats from 30 to 22, while also reducing the number of constituencies where the Muslim vote played a decisive role, it notes.
The upcoming polls may have a far-reaching impact on national politics, says the daily. “Its ramifications could be first felt in seven states slated for polls in 2027. Of these, the BJP is in power in five states — UP, Manipur, Uttarakhand, Goa and Gujarat – with Punjab and Himachal Pradesh being ruled by the AAP and the Congress respectively,” the edit says, adding that if the BJP gets an upper hand in the next month’s polls, in contrast to its 2021 performance, it may prove to be a game changer for the party. “The BJP’s real aim in the April polls is not just to retain Assam, but clinch Bengal and even Tamil Nadu while strengthening itself in Kerala. This is why the party has doubled down on fighting these polls.”
Munsif
Referring to the “No Kings” rallies held by millions of people across the United States and Europe to protest the war against Iran and various other actions and policies of President Trump, the Hyderabad-based Munsif, in its March 30 editorial, says these rallies highlighted the protesters’ moral awareness and collective power while underlining that democracy is about the will of the people. It notes that a flagship event was held in Minnesota, which had been a flashpoint in the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigrants. “The protests saw large crowds taking to the streets to assert that they will not remain silent when human rights, freedom and civil liberties face a threat from the dispensation,” it says, adding that the people sent out a clear message that democracy is antithetical to authoritarianism.
The daily notes that these protests were bigger than the previous iterations of “No Kings” last year, which had drawn 5 million people in June and 7 million in October. “More than 3,100 events across all 50 US states signalled the deepening disquiet among the people, even though the White House and the Republican camp dismissed them as ‘leftist funding networks’ and anti-America rallies,” it says, noting that most of the protests took place in small cities including those in conservative-leaning states.
The editorial points out that protesters also rallied outside the US – from London, Paris and Rome to Australia and Latin America, which make it clear that “people have transcended their borders to rise unitedly against the evils of wars, imperialism and discrimination”.
