follow us: saturday, august 21, 2021 Mumbai City Edition thehindu.com 14 pages ț ₹10.00 facebook.com/thehindu twitter.com/the_hindu

GTA chief Anit Thapa China approves RBI, IRDAI approval Sathiyan and Manika to form new party three­child policy to mandatory for FDI in become first Indian duo in Darjeeling hills arrest dip in birth rates bank­led insurance to win a Pro Tour title page 9 page 11 page 12 page 13

Printed at . Chennai . Coimbatore . Bengaluru . Hyderabad . Madurai . Noida . Visakhapatnam . Thiruvananthapuram . Kochi . Vijayawada . Mangaluru . Tiruchirapalli . Kolkata . Hubballi . Mohali . Malappuram . Mumbai . Tirupati . lucknow . cuttack . patna NEARBY Reign of terror is always Opposition leaders call for unity BJP leader tries to hold banned race PUNE After virtual meet, joint statement from 19 parties calls for protests next month Defying the Supreme Court’s temporary, says Modi ban on bullock cart races, Sandeep Phukan should “forget who is the farmers in Sangli’s Zare New Delhi village staged a race after ‘Somnath temple is leader as the people of India heeding to a call by BJP the best example Top Opposition leaders will lead” the fight against leader Gopichand Padalkar came together on a virtual the BJP. amid police deployment. and an assurance’ platform on Friday to give a Maharashtra Chief Minis­ NEWS Ī PAGE 10 call for unity and working to­ ter Uddhav Thackeray en­ DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD Mahesh Langa gether for the “ultimate dorsed Ms. Banerjee’s views AHMEDABAD goal” of defeating the Bhara­ and Tamil Nadu Chief Minis­ At a time when the world is tiya Janata Party (BJP) in the ter M.K. Stalin raised the is­ anxiously concerned about 2024 Lok Sabha election, sue of the Centre “under­ the Taliban’s seizure of pow­ and providing a government mining” federalism. er in Afghanistan, Prime Mi­ that believes in the values of Former Congress chief Ra­ nister Narendra Modi, on Stories in stone: The Somnath Exhibition Centre that was the freedom movement and Congress president Sonia key issues that affect the pe­ hul Gandhi suggested that

the occasion of launching inaugurated by Narendra Modi on Thursday. * ANI the principles enshrined in Gandhi, who convened the ople, and said parties that the Opposition parties offer new projects at the historic the Constitution. virtual meeting, said the op­ are not aligned to the Con­ an alternative vision to coun­ Somnath temple on Friday, manent, citing the example dominate for some time, but The leaders of 19 parties, position parties simply had gress should also be invited ter the vision offered by the reminded the world that the of Somnath temple, which their existence is never per­ who participated in the vir­ “no alternative to working as “every Opposition party BJP­Rashtriya Swayamsevak reign of terror is always tem­ was razed and plundered manent as they cannot sup­ tual meet, issued a joint cohesively together” and should be brought into the Sangh (RSS). porary and cannot be per­ several times in the past and press humanity forever,” he statement that called upon needed to rise above “com­ fight against the BJP”. In what appeared to be a manent. resurrected every time with stated. The Somnath temple “the people of India to rise to pulsions in the interest of the show of Opposition strength The Prime Minister, in a greater glory. was the best example and al­ the occasion to defend our nation”. Mamata’s call and forging of unity, 19 par­ subtle message, said “des­ “Forces that strive for des­ so an assurance to the secular, democratic Republi­ West Bengal Chief Minis­ Addressing a key point that ties including the Congress tructive and terror forces” truction and those who fol­ world, he pointed out. can order” and announced ter Mamata Banerjee sug­ often comes in the way of were part of the meeting. may become dominant tem­ low the ideology of creating joint protest action between gested the formation of a forging Opposition unity, porarily but were not per­ empires out of terrorism can CONTINUED ON Ī PAGE 8 September 20 and 30. core committee to focus on Ms. Banerjee said parties CONTINUED ON Ī PAGE 8 Ajit Pawar: administering second J&J seeks nod for vaccine Delta variant driving infections dose of vaccine priority in Pune trials on adolescents in India, says lab consortium Special Correspondent in a statement, said: “We are NEW DELHI committed to facilitating Jacob Koshy report by the consortium, of variant is the major VoC in 70 lakh people in district have received at least one dose so far NEW DELHI U.S. pharma major Johnson global equitable access to the 49,867 coronavirus sam­ India now. Continuing out­ Staff Reporter the last month alone. The & Johnson (J&J) has applied COVID­19 vaccine and re­ The Delta variant remains ples analysed, about two­ breaks are attributable to Pune number of patients in Pune for permission to conduct cognise the unmet needs of most responsible for the thirds — 30,230 — were Delta, a susceptible popula­ Maharashtra Deputy Chief has been consistently declin­ clinical trials of its single­ children. On August 17, 2021, continuing spread of among the interna­ tion, reduced vaccine effec­ Minister Ajit Pawar on Fri­ ing in the last four weeks. We shot COVID­19 vaccine on we submitted an application infections in India, ac­ tionally classified var­ tiveness in blocking trans­ day said that priority would are also ensuring that oxy­ adolescents aged 12­17 years to the CDSCO to conduct a cording to a weekly iants of concern or mission, and opportunities be accorded to administer­ gen supply remains suffi­ in India. study of the J&J COVID­19 update from the India variants of interest for transmission. Vaccina­ ing the second dose of CO­ cient in every taluka of the The company has moved vaccine in India in adoles­ Sars Cov2 Genome (VoC/VoI). tion continues to be very ef­ VID­19 vaccine to people, af­ city and district keeping in an application to the Central cents aged 12–17 years.” Consortium (INSA­ Of these, nearly fective in reducing severe ter which new recipients mind the possibility of the Drugs Standard Control Or­ COG), a repository of 20,000 were the Del­ disease and death,” said an would receive the first jab. third wave,” he said. ganisation (CDSCO) seeking CONTINUED ON Ī PAGE 8 labs tasked with monitoring ta variant (AY.2) and about accompanying note. “Many are waiting for the Ajit Pawar approval. ZYCOV-D VACCINE FOR THOSE the coronavirus variants. 5,000 its associated lineages second dose. According to Spikes in rural areas A J&J India spokesperson, ABOVE 12 APPROVED Ī PAGE 10 According to an August 16 (AY.1 and AY.3). “The Delta CONTINUED ON Ī PAGE 8 experts, if the second dose is been vaccinated with at least The rural regions of the dis­ given late its effect won’t last one dose till now, while ob­ trict, which have been re­ for long. Hence, we have de­ serving that a steady decline porting case spikes, have the cided to first complete giving in new cases had been re­ highest case positivity rate at Recoveries continue to outpace case surge in Maharashtra the second doses. Once that ported across the district. 3.9%. Mr. Pawar said the go­ is completed, the first doses “Pune city’s case positivi­ vernment was trying to pro­ Staff Reporter With 105 deaths, the cum­ “Of a total of 5,19,21,798 cases, taking its total cases to rose to 3,077. Six fatalities will be administered,” said ty rate is 2.5% and the fatali­ cure the maximum number Pune ulative toll has risen to laboratory samples tested 11,08,547, while three deaths took the toll to 15,941. Mr. Pawar, who is also ty rate is 2.3%, while Pimpri­ of vaccines and private hos­ As many as 6,384 patients 1,35,672, while the case fatal­ thus far, 64,15,935 have re­ pushed the toll to 18,560. As The Brihanmumbai Muni­ Pune’s Guardian Minister. Chinchwad’s case positivity pitals left with excess doses were discharged across Mah­ ity rate stands at 2.11%. The turned positive, with more per district authorities, the cipal Corporation said its Taking a review of the stands at 3.1% and the fatali­ that may expire soon had ex­ arashtra on Friday, while total cases have reached than 2.07 lakh samples being active case tally stands at a vaccination drive would res­ pandemic situation in the ty rate at 1.4%. More than 70 pressed interest in sharing 4,365 new COVID­19 cases 64,15,935, while cumulative tested in the last 24 hours,” little over 8,200. ume at civic and State­run district with senior authori­ lakh people have been vacci­ them with the State govern­ were recorded, causing the recoveries have risen to said State Surveillance Offic­ Mumbai reported 319 new centres in Mumbai from Sa­ ties, Mr. Pawar said 70 lakh nated with at least one dose, ment until fresh vaccine State’s active case tally to 62,21,305, with the recovery er Dr. Pradeep Awate. cases to take its tally to turday as fresh stock of over people in Pune district had with 16 lakh vaccinated in stock could be procured. further decline to 55,454. rate standing at 96.97%. Pune reported 882 new 7,40,608, while active cases 1.6 lakh doses has arrived.

CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC AHAR begins Remembering martyrdom vaccine drive for hotel staff in Mumbai

Staff Reporter Mumbai The Indian Hotel & Restau­ rant Association (AHAR), the apex body of the indus­ try, on Friday kicked off a vaccination drive for hotel employees in Mumbai. Organised in association with SRCC Children’s Hos­ pital, the drive aims to ad­ minister COVID­19 jabs to over 20,000 employees. Shivanand Shetty, presi­ dent, AHAR, said, “With no income for months, the employees had to endure a lot during lockdown. This drive is to enable them to get back to work in a secure way. We are thankful to those who got vaccinated for their co­operation, and request those who are yet to take their vaccine to Day of mourning: Police personnel provide security to a Muharram procession in Mumbai on Friday. The Bombay High Court come forward and make had recently allowed the participation of 15 fully-vaccinated people each in seven trucks for three hours. * EMMANUAL YOGINI CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC this drive a grand success.” Mr. Shetty said AHAR was grateful to SRCC for helping conduct the drive Environment Dept. offers internship programme and ensuring that hotel staff are fully vaccinated from graduates, postgrad­ coalitions on climate change. informed are ready to take and get back to work soon. Applications invited uates and research scholars The department has de­ action for our mother na­ The drive is being car­ for 20 positions enrolled in recognised un­ signed the internship pro­ ture. I am extremely delight­ ried out by adhering to CO­ iversities and institutions gramme to focus on waste ed that our government is VID­19 protocol and avoid­ Press Trust of India across India or abroad for management, biodiversity, able to provide such intern­ ing crowding, he said. The Mumbai the six­month internship. renewable energy, water ship opportunities to the registration information The Maharashtra govern­ Twenty internship posi­ conservation and creating youth,” Mr. Thackeray said. and data for the camps are ment’s Environment and Cli­ tions have been announced social awareness on climate The details of the intern­ being collected in advance mate Change Department is by the department headed change in over 3,500 urban ship programme are availa­ to avoid wastage of vaccine offering internship positions by Environment Minister and rural local bodies in ble on the official website of doses. The camps will be to suitable candidates under Aaditya Thackeray. Interns Maharashtra. “With the the Environment and Cli­ conducted on a daily basis its Climate Fellowship Pro­ will gain exposure to the changing landscape of our mate Change Department: at various locations in the gramme 2021­22, an official functioning of the depart­ globe and with the youth tak­ envd.maharashtra.gov.in. city. A total of 400 vaccine said on Friday. The depart­ ment, understand its units ing more onus to the climate The last date to submit appli­ doses will be administered ment is inviting applications and assist in international change topic, the young and cations is August 31. daily at each camp. CM A BM-BME YK EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

MUMBAI THE HINDU 2 SHOWCASE SATURDAY, AUGUST 21, 2021 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

yarn it! The next hit

bloodshed and swear words that you only need five mi­ India Couture Week web series nutes of actual sto­ ry. Bet we could The 14th edition is here and, for the second year, it is a draw Three Little digital affair. Bollywood favourite, Manish Malhotra, will Reptilian eye muscles and empty closets Pigs into a 3­season kickstart the proceedings and 18 of India’s finest couturiers — if you have them, do apply 30­episode tearjerk­ will follow during the week­long event. Last year saw er. And given the glo­ these designers present fashion films set in luxury resorts bal­warming effect on and their own farm houses. Wonder where they will take us :: Jane De Suza this time? August 23 to 29. fdci.org gone for a hygiene the wolf’s lungs, he break. could huff and puff for Since our most committed relation­ An empty closet: another 10 episodes ships of late have been with web se­ When a cheating couple without blowing the ries through the lockdown, surely is about to get caught, the house down. we’re experts at what makes one man hides in a closet where Put a Pankaj Tri- now? his phone must ring. I don’t pathi in. Even better! Bullet-proof chest: Everyone know which house has a closet He’s so good, you won’t else gets shot and killed in every ac­ not stuffed with wedding saris and even need the story. tion scene. The hero clings on. The gifts to recycle. Mine has clothes I A red herring: The murderer bad men are bad shots. Everyone resolve to one day fit back into. I is the only one who has no misses the hero. Worrying about mean — who has an empty closet? motive or means, until him in any episode is useless be­ A second empty closet: the last scene where he cause he has to survive till the end Screen women shower a lot. Whe­ Illustration: gets mind­boggling mul­

of the series. Even if he’s killed in never the villain enters, the woman Sreejith R. Kumar * tiples of both. You’ve the first scene as Ganesh Gaitonde must be showering. The villain watched so many Swedish is in Sacred Games, he still lives hides in the empty closet too. If the noir web series that you now sus­ Protest art through 16 episodes till that point. villain and the cheating man jump told it didn’t exist, they began to do and heroines could be selling their pect the first one in the first episode Reptilian eye muscles: Before into the same closet together, it their own espionage, calling in ter­ mother’s gold bangles because they who has no means or motive, even Amid reports of artists taking their work and chat each break, the camera freezes on may turn into quite another story. rorist threats from old women’s are so desperately poor, but you if it’s the fish in the fishbowl. messages off the internet and the questions asked by someone’s face. They never blink. Almost — but never — solve it: grocery bags and pigeon poop on soon suspect that’s because they I’m opening auditions for my director Sahraa Karimi comes this thought­provoking Often with tears that never spill. So that your viewers binge­watch windowsills. blow it all on designer wardrobes new web series. Those with repti­ image from Afghanistan’s first female street artist, Don’t pretend you’ve never seen themselves into paranoia. After the Feeble family trees: The actor through 10 colourful episodes. lian eye muscles may apply. Shamsia Hassani. It is titled ‘Death to Darkness’. She took Sony Crime Patrol. This look is sup­ Family Man, hordes of people be­ will be paired with a mother and Less story per story: If all else up graffiti and street art in 2010 and gives voice to the posed to convey deep meaning. But gan to plead to join the Threat And father who look as different from fails, do a Narcos. Fill each episode Where Jane De Suza, author of Flyaway experience of Afghan women. you suspect the cameraman has Surveillance Cell of the NIA. When him as geese from a rhino. Heroes with so much violence, orgies, Boy, pokes her nose into our perfect lives.

Pick of the week

A mix of in-person and Madras Day 2021 Alternative rakhi Apurba Nandi’s crowds Craft crusaders Korea calling Blooms and gold lamps Tracking diamond routes online events and workshops While in­person walks might be Just in time for the gifting Raising crucial questions on After a long gap, over 100 craft If Korea has been on your Flowy dresses, kaftans, and To mark World Photography limited, children can still season comes Jaipur Watch contemporary urbanism, artist groups and artisans have radar thanks to K­dramas, this suits in chiffon and cotton Day (August 19), De Beers commemorate the founding of Company’s Pichwai Collection. Apurba Nandi’s solo show: A returned to the capital for course on Korean culture is for feature in designer Ritu Forevermark released a set of this beloved city by The unisex watches have Parade of Uncertain Dastkar’s ‘Comeback Bazaar'. you. Courtesy of a Kumar’s Autumn Winter ’21 exclusive photographs from participating in a virtual tour of intricate dials with lotus, cow, Destinations is at Palette Art Aimed at reviving their collaboration by Korea collection, Vintage Soiree. their diamond natural Marina Beach organised by and peacock motifs. Painted Gallery, New Delhi. Through his livelihoods, the event will Tourism Organization and The recently­launched outfits reserves. Seen above is a shot heritage platform Madras by miniature artists in art, viewers can ‘witness the feature everything from craft international start­up in geo­retro prints come in of giraffes at the Venetia Inherited. August 21, 5 p.m. Rajasthan, each design takes flow of innumerable human and home decor to apparel. CulturaGo, it’s for those celebratory shades of Limpopo Nature Reserve, themadrasday.in over a week to be made. bodies on canvas, concealing Until August 30, at Nature planning to travel to the scarlets, deep blues, South Africa, which is part of Tomorrow, general managers of ₹15,000 on jaipur.watch. Pair the markers of caste and Bazaar. dastkar.org. At The country for work, study or mustards, greens and teals. the brand’s diamond route. city hotels will be riding to this with the Delightful Bites religion’. Till September 11 on Crafts Council of India, travel. Approx ₹2,400. Approx ₹1,700 onwards on Covering over 32,000 spread awareness for a safe Box by Mad Over Donuts, paletteartgallery.com. nominations are invited for english.visitkorea.or.kr aarke.in. In Jaipur, Himanshu hectares, it belongs to the return to the hospitality sector. launched for Raksha Bandhan. ‘Through the Eyes of the Kolis: their annual Kamala Awards’ Conclude the Onam festivities Jangid of Cartist — that Mapungubwe National Park. ‘Rediscover Chennai, Rediscover Comprising 18 bite­sized A reflection on Mumbai’s past, 2021 edition to ‘recognise at the DakshinaChitra Heritage designs furniture using Other images released were of Life’ will begin at E –Hotel, donut variants, from double present and future’, is a digital outstanding merit in the field Museum with a virtual upcycled automobile parts ­ zebras from Jwana Game Park, Royapettah and conclude at trouble to blueberry and photography exhibition curated of traditional Indian conversation on flowers, has launched a new range of Botswana, and rough Kovalam, passing by the scenic KitKat. ₹800 onwards. by Bombay61 Studio. handcrafts’. Mohiniyattam performances, table lamps, chairs and decor diamonds from Namibia, to Marina Beach, OMR, etc. madoverdonuts.com theheritagelab.in craftscouncilofindia.in and more. dakshinachitra.net accessories in ‘gold’. cartist.in name a few. debeers.com

madras week

A Madras Week event that answers all your NFT questions and the city connection (Clockwise from right) A poster; and stills from Wings of Desire Chennai’s NFT stars and Bridge of Spies.

* SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT Next week, watch musician and author of Masala Lab, Krish Ashok, interview the city’s NFT biggies — Twobadour, cluding recently, Steven Spiel­ Metakovan, and 13­year­old berg’s Bridge of Spies (2015). Laya Mathikshara — at ‘From Chennai This can in no way be a com­ to Christie’s’, a virtual session prehensive look at films set in organised by Madras Musings as part of Berlin, so after a quick hat tip to Madras Week events. “NFTs are expected Wim Wenders’ Wings of Desire to do to the business of art what (1987), I’ll confine myself now to smartphones and digital photo editing the various iterations of Berlin software did to photography. Digital art is by Alexanderplatz, named after the nature copyable and, well, fungible. This is what makes the vast square in the heart of the ci­ NFT phenomenon fascinating. As an artist/creator as well as a ty. In 1929, Alfred Döblin wrote techie who does not understand NFTs beyond its 20,000 ft Berlin Alexanderplatz, about a definition, the conversation will span the cultural and technological sides,” says Ashok, who will address crypto­ small­time criminal who has just investments, networks, and concerns around the rise of NFTs. in Berlin , I launched into my A key sequence in Victoria been released from prison after On August 25 at 7 p.m. on Zoom. musings about films set in this takes place at Checkpoint Char­ being involved in a murder and Summer in magnificent city without much lie, that hallowed gateway bet­ finds himself in the big, bad city, delay. Leni Riefenstahl’s Olym- ween the erstwhile East and and inevitably is drawn to those pia (1938) in two parts — Festival West Berlin which has been refe­ of his own ilk. The book was of Nations and Festival of Beauty renced in countless novels and adapted as a film as early as 1931. — her document of the 1936 Ber­ movies. I duly visited the place The most comprehensive adap­ lin Olympics, is correctly derid­ which now also has a harrowing tation of the book is Rainer Wer­ ed as Nazi propaganda, and she exhibit detailing the history of ner Fassbinder’s sprawling 14­ was subsequently disgraced. Ho­ Berlin from 1933­45. Martin Ritt’s part 1980 television series. In Berlin wever, there is no denying her The Spy Who Came in From the preparation for this trip, I pulled immense cinematic talent and Cold (1965) opens at Checkpoint out my hitherto unwatched blu­ Be it Leni :: Naman Ramachandran the films are beautiful to look at, Charlie, James Bond crosses ov­ ray of Burhan Qurbani’s 2020 though the politics and underly­ er in Octopussy (1983) and the adaptation, which changed the Riefenstahl’s And so, my peregrinations bring ing social history cannot and locale and indeed the Berlin Wall lead character to an illegal immi­ Olympia or Steven me to Berlin, for the first time in should not be denied. has been featured time and grant from Bissau, West Africa, summer. I’d only been here for There is of course Sebastian again in many films dealing lending layers of complexity to Spielberg’s Bridge the justly celebrated Berlin Film Schipper’s pounding Victoria with the Cold War in­ an already dense tale. The of Spies, several Festival, which is held during the (2015), where a young Spanish film is three hours short winter and the act of rushing woman in Berlin is caught up in and is another breathtak­ films explore the from screening to screening events beyond her control. Set ing ode to the city that city’s history and keeps you warm at what is truly across one night in the city, has and will continue to a miserable time, weather­wise, Victoria is one of those give to cinema. landmarks in this great metropolis. Sum­ one­shot films featuring mer in Berlin, on the other non­stop exhilarating hand, is a glorious time. The sun action with nary a is shining, Covid is at bay, and pause for breath. A vaccinated people are back at ci­ dazzling technical nemas, museums, galleries and achievement which restaurants. was duly recog­ Pausing only to meet a few nised at the Berlin filmmaker friends who are based festival. CM A BM-BME YK EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

THE HINDU MUMBAI SATURDAY, AUGUST 21, 2021 NORTH 3 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Timings MUMBAI SATURDAY, AUG. 21 Panel on oxygen­scarcity deaths AAP govt. notifies policy to be RISE 06:21 SET 19:02 RISE 18:30 SET 04:57 SUNDAY, AUG. 22 self­reliant in medical oxygen RISE 06:21 SET 19:01 rejected by Centre again: Sisodia RISE 19:16 SET 05:58 MONDAY, AUG. 23 It incentivises early investment in production, storage RISE 06:22 SET 19:01 Allegations by Delhi govt. draw strong criticism from L­G office, Opposition BJP RISE 19:56 SET 06:56 Special Correspondent the production capacity of Special Correspondent Centre is saying there should mitted its interim report and New Delhi existing units. New Delhi be no probe into such is working on the final re­ The Delhi government on It also seeks to facilitate The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) deaths. During April­May, port, the sources added. Friday notified the Medical storage and transportation government on Friday the gross mismanagement of The L­G and the Union Oxygen Production Promo­ of medical oxygen, and set­ locked horns with Raj Niwas oxygen by the Centre, Health Minister had reiterat­ tion Policy of Delhi, 2021, ting up of liquid oxygen ma­ and the Delhi BJP over oxy­ whether deliberate or unin­ ed that this panel should be with an aim to make the city nufacturing facilities of mini­ gen­scarcity deaths in the tentional, is a matter of in­ “allowed to do its work” and self­reliant in the production mum 50 MT capacity, up to a national capital during the vestigation,” he added. that setting up another com­ of medical oxygen. total of 100 MT, and of non­ second wave of COVID­19. “The Centre is responsi­ mittee for the same purpose According to the govern­ captive oxygen generation Deputy Chief Minister ble for the mismanagement “will only create confusion”. ment, the policy will ensure <> The policy will help plants of minimum 10 MT Manish Sisodia said the of oxygen. Today, it is trying Responding to this, the time ­bound fulfilment of the us tackle the and maximum 50 MT capac­ Centre had yet again reject­ Manish Sisodia to hide the facts by avoiding Delhi government alleged it requirement of medical oxy­ problem of oxygen ity, up to a total of 100 MT. ed the high­level committee a probe,” said Mr. Sisodia. was clear that the L­G’s of­ gen by incentivising early in­ shortage in the of medical experts set up by ven to the families of the vic­ fice, “under Centre’s pres­ vestment in the production future and avert a Cryogenic tankers the Delhi government to get tims, but the Lieutenant­ All for probe: Raj Niwas sure”, was trying to scuttle and storage infrastructure crisis like we saw in Captive oxygen generation to the bottom of the matter. Governor has yet again re­ Sources from Raj Niwas, ho­ any probe into the deaths. for medical oxygen. the past plants of minimum 500 LPM Raj Niwas termed Mr. Si­ jected this committee,” Mr. wever, sought to clarify that “The scope of the panel “The Aam Aadmi Party (flow rate) capacity at hospi­ Satyendar Jain sodia’s allegations “mislead­ Sisodia told reporters. neither the L­G nor the set up by the SC is only to government is committed to­ Delhi Health Minister tals and nursing homes to ca­ ing” while the Delhi BJP ac­ The L­G is of the view that Centre had said that deaths look at oxygen supply issues wards strengthening its ter to their peak demand for cused the AAP government no oxygen­scarcity deaths due to oxygen shortage in Delhi, not to probe the ox­ healthcare infrastructure The Delhi government is pre­ medical oxygen up to a total of floating conspiracy theo­ occurred in Delhi, so there is “should not be probed.” ygen­scarcity deaths,” the and has a vision to make Del­ paring to combat any future capacity of 200 MT will also ries to hide its own failure no need to form an inquiry In both instances related Delhi government alleged. hi self­reliant in times of cri­ waves of COVID­19 on a war­ be set up, the government 0 when it came to ensuring committee, he alleged to the formation of an inqui­ “Why is the Centre on the sis. The policy provides sev­ footing and is devoted to­ stated. It will also seek the DISCLAIMER: Readers are requested to adequate supply of oxygen Mr. Sisodia said that on ry panel by the Delhi govern­ one hand asking us to submit eral incentives to the private wards ensuring that it is bet­ setting up of cryogenic tank­ verify and make appropriate enquiries to satisfy themselves about the veracity of during the second wave. the one hand, the Centre ment — first on July 6 and data on the deaths, and on sector to set up oxygen pro­ ter equipped for any such ers of minimum 10 MT ca­ an advertisement before responding to any published in this newspaper. THG “The Delhi government was asking States for details then on August 8 — the AAP the other hand using the L­G duction plants and storage crisis,” he added pacity for exclusive purpose PUBLISHING PVT LTD., the Publisher & Owner of this newspaper, does not vouch has constituted a panel to on oxygen­scarcity deaths, government was told that a office to stop us from compil­ facilities,” Health Minister The objectives of the poli­ of ferrying liquid medical ox­ for the authenticity of any advertisement or advertiser or for any of the advertiser’s probe the number of and on the other was not ap­ panel constituted as per Su­ ing this data? Why is the Satyendar Jain said. cy include making Delhi self­ ygen (LMO) up to a total ca­ products and/or services. In no event can the Owner, Publisher, Printer, Editor, Dir- deaths... so that the reason proving the inquiry commit­ preme Court directions was Centre so desperate to hide “This will help us tackle reliant in medical oxygen pacity of 500 MT and LMO ector/s, Employees of this newspaper/ company be held responsible/liable in behind these deaths could tee to investigate the matter. already looking into the mat­ the truth regarding these the problem of oxygen shor­ production and supply by storage tanks of minimum 10 any manner whatsoever for any claims and/or damages for advertisements in be investigated and compen­ “It is a matter of shame ter, said Raj Niwas sources, deaths” the Delhi govern­ tage in the future and avert a setting up new manufactur­ MT capacity up to a total ca­ this newspaper. sation of ₹5 lakh could be gi­ that in the 21st Century, the This committee has sub­ ment demanded. crisis like we saw in the past. ing enterprises or expanding pacity of 1,000 MT. Nod for CBI probe into DTC scam BJP robbed civic bodies of ₹2,640 crore, says AAP Special Correspondent and every resident is a wit­ kar Kapoor said Mr. Bhard­ scam,” Mr. Kapoor said. spells downfall of AAP govt.: BJP New Delhi ness to their scams. Most of waj had raised the issue to Meanwhile, former North The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) the hoardings, especially the try and shift focus from the Delhi Mayor Jai Prakash ac­ on Friday accused the BJP of ones put up on municipal “burning topic” of the CBI cused the Delhi government Gupta seeks removal of Transport Minister, erring officials having “robbed” the Capi­ sites, belong to the BJP ,” Mr. inquiry being initiated in the of having “consumed” wheat tal’s civic bodies of ₹2,640 Bhardwaj said, adding: Delhi government’s alleged and rice meant for students Special Correspondent House he was not allowed to crore by using the advertise­ “These hoardings are put up DTC bus purchase scam. studying in municipal New Delhi speak. “From the very begin­ ment sites under them with­ at municipal sites, which are “It will be better if Mr. schools. “It is the responsi­ The Delhi BJP on Friday said ning, the Kejriwal­led go­ out “paying a penny”. supposed to be paid for, but Bhardwaj, instead of raising bility of the Delhi govern­ the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) vernment had been trying to AAP spokesperson Sau­ they don’t. Crores of rupees, frivolous issues, tells the pe­ ment to provide wheat and Delhi reports is “neck­deep in corruption’ suppress the issue,” Mr. Bid­ rabh Bhardwaj said each which can be earned from ople of Delhi how the DTC rice to corporation schools and that the Centre’s nod for huri said. hoarding costs around ₹1 these hoardings, are robbed caravan has been looted in in the dry ration kit. The zero deaths, a CBI probe into the alleged Mr. Gupta, who filed a lakh­₹2 lakh to put up and by the BJP. The BJP politi­ the last seven years. The pe­ North body has been contin­ ‘multi­crore DTC scam’ was complaint related to the case the BJP had installed count­ cians don’t pay a single pen­ ople of Delhi are not interest­ uously writing letters to the 57 fresh the beginning of the AAP go­ on the basis of which the CBI less hoardings “for free”. ny for these hoardings.” ed in frivolous issues but Delhi government since vernment’s downfall. probe has been ordered, al­ “Every road of Delhi bears In response, Delhi BJP want to know the Delhi go­ April 6 to provide wheat and infections State unit president Adesh leged that when the entire proof of BJP’s corruption spokesperson Praveen Shan­ vernment’s reply on the DTC rice,” Mr. Jai Prakash alleged. Gupta said the Ministry of Adesh Gupta country was grappling with Home Affair’s recommenda­ the pandemic, Mr. Kejriwal, Special Correspondent tion for a probe by the CBI Mr. Gupta said, adding that Deputy Chief Minister Man­ NEW DELHI was “not an ordinary thing” Mr. Gahlot and all officials ish Sisodia and Mr. Gahlot The Capital recorded no as there was a similar CBI responsible for the scam were hatching a conspiracy deaths due to COVID­19, ac­ probe which had led to the should be sacked before the to take out ₹3,500 crore from cording to the health bulle­ discovery of the Common­ agency begins its probe. the State exchequer in the tin released on Friday. This wealth Games scam in 2010. name of maintenance of bus­ is the eleventh time since “There are direct charges ‘Suppressing issue’ es. “It is for the first time that the start of the second against Transport Minister Leader of Opposition in the a politician was made the wave of the pandemic in Kailash Gahlot. People will Delhi Assembly Ramvir head of DTC so that the si­ Delhi that zero fatalities surely throw this govern­ Singh Bidhuri said when Ro­ phoned off money in this have been logged over a 24­ ment out in next year’s mun­ hini BJP MLA Vijender Gupta manner could be easily dig­ hour period. icipal corporation elections,” had raised the matter in the ested,” Mr. Gupta said. A total of 57 new cases were reported, taking the tally to 14,37,274 on Friday. As many as 73,718 tests were conducted over the past 24 hours and the test positivity rate was 0.08%. The death toll remains at 25,079. Over 14.11 lakh pa­ tients have recovered from the virus and there are 459 active cases in the city, up from 448 on Thursday. The number of people under home isolation is 135, and the number of containment zones has gone up to 237. On Thursday, only 25 new cases of COVID­19 were reported — the lowest since April 15, 2020. Since April 19, 2021, both daily cases and single­ day deaths count had been spiralling up, with over 28,000 cases and 277 deaths recorded on April 20; rising to 306 fatalities on April 22. On May 3, the city registered a record 448 deaths. However, the num­ ber of cases have shown a downward trend and the positivity rate too has been shrinking in the last several weeks. The number of deaths per day, has also been showing a decline in the last several days.

Vaccination drive Under the vaccination drive on Friday, 1,44,929 beneficiaries were vacci­ nated over 24 hours out of which 1,06,733 received their first dose. A total of 1,21,00,127 beneficiaries have been vaccinated out of which 34,29,474 have re­ ceived both doses. The government said the vaccine stock will last two days and that it has 2,04,990 doses of Covaxin and 2,02,280 doses of Cov­ ishield left as on Friday morning.

Published by N. Ravi at Kasturi Buildings, 859 & 860, Anna Salai, Chennai-600002 and Printed by N. Vaidyanathan at Dangat Media Pvt Ltd, No. 22, Dighe MIDC, Vishnu Nagar, TTC Industrial Area, Dighe, Navi Mumbai-400701 on behalf of THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD., Chennai-600002. Group Editorial Officer: Krishna Prasad. Editor: Suresh Nambath (Responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act). MAHENG/2015/69444 ● ISSN 0971 - 751X ● Vol. 7 ● No. 199

CM A BM-BME YK EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

MUMBAI THE HINDU 4 NORTH & EAST SATURDAY, AUGUST 21, 2021 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE Saini release: BJP unable to tolerate Five die as Minister seeks 2 protesting farmers charged soil collapses removal of AG, criticism, says Gehlot in Rajasthan vigilance chief ‘It is destroying democratic institutions’ with sedition in Haryana Special Correspondent jaipur Press trust of india Special Correspondent Chandigarh 136 others booked under various IPC sections, Home Minister tells Assembly Four labourers and a minor JAIPUR girl were killed when a re­ After the Punjab and Harya­ Rajasthan Chief Minister Ash­ SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT suppress all the scams in­ taining wall and a portion na High Court ordered re­ ok Gehlot on Friday said the CHANDIGARH cluding liquor, registry, min­ of soil collapsed on them lease of former Punjab DGP Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Haryana Home Minister Anil ing, electricity meters and during digging of land for Sumedh Singh Saini in a was unable to tolerate criti­ Vij on Friday informed the paddy purchase. “The go­ construction of a water cheating case, State Cabinet cism because of its “inherent State Assembly that during vernment also wants to cover tank in an industrial area Minister Sukhjinder Singh anti­democratic character”, the ongoing agitation against up the recruitment paper near Bhagli village in Rajas­ Randhawa on Friday sought which had led it to believe agriculture laws in Haryana, leak scam, but the Congress than’s Jalore district on removal of the Advocate that any disagreement with two farmers have been demands that there should Friday. General, Home Secretary its ideology amounted to se­ booked for sedition, while be a CBI inquiry into the mat­ The labourers, who were and Vigilance Bureau chief dition. Such an approach Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot 136 other protesters have ter under the supervision of digging the land at six­foot for their “professional in­ would only weaken the coun­ been booked under different the sitting judge of the High depth to lay the tank’s competence.” However, try’s democratic traditions, the present government [at sections of Indian Penal CM Manohar Lal speaks in the State Assembly on Friday. * PTI Court,” he said. foundation in a granite fac­ Chief Minister Amarinder he said. the Centre] is playing the Code (IPC). tory, were buried under a Singh, while responding to Addressing a virtual event game of toppling the govern­ This information was gi­ ty Speaker of Haryana Vid­ led by former Chief Minister ‘Bid to stop Cong. MLAs’ huge mound of soil after Mr. Randhawa’s sharp re­ marking the 77th birth anni­ ments in the States by unfair ven by Mr. Vij in a written han Sabha. The second case, and Leader of Opposition “Ii is the responsibility of the the retaining wall col­ marks, asked the Ministers versary of former Prime Mi­ means,” he said. reply during the first day of registered on January 15, Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Opposition to raise the voice lapsed. and party colleagues to nister Rajiv Gandhi, Mr. Geh­ monsoon session of the State 2021 in Bahadurgarh of Jhaj­ the issues of paper leak of the public from the street Three­year­old Anushka, “check facts” before making lot said the BJP government Rajiv Gandhi praised Assembly. jar, was based on a video scam, atrocities on farmers, to the House on issues of pu­ daughter of one of the la­ any statement. at the Centre was destroying Addressing the event, titled According to the Minister, uploaded on social media by rising unemployment, infla­ blic interest. The govern­ bourers, who was accom­ The High Court on Thurs­ democratic institutions and “Rajasthan innovation vi­ two FIRs were registered un­ the accused who is seen say­ tion and rising crime graph ment does not want the Op­ panying the group, was bu­ day night had ordered re­ targeting the Opposition par­ sion: IT for good gover­ der Section 124­A (sedition). ing that if the government in the State. position to raise public issues ried along with them. lease of Saini, who was ar­ ties. “Ironically, the BJP came nance”, Sam Pitroda, who One case was registered on did not pay heed to the prot­ The party MLAs raised slo­ in the House and hence to­ A Disaster Response rested on charges of to power through democracy served as advisor to Rajiv July 11, 2021 in Sirsa, and ac­ esting farmers, he would at­ gans against the BJP­JJP go­ day an attempt was made to Force team, which rushed cheating, forgery and cor­ [which was] kept intact by Gandhi, said India had made cording to the complaint re­ tack the government with a vernment and displayed stop the Congress MLAs by to the site, extricated the ruption among others. Congress.” Mr. Gehlot said. progress in telecommunica­ corded by the duty magis­ cannon. placards. putting up barricades far victims. They were pro­ “In view of the fiasco in “It is very easy to ask what tion, literacy, immunisation trate, the agitating farmers Earlier Congress MLAs Mr. Hooda said the pre­ away from the Assembly,” he nounced brought dead at Sumedh Singh Saini case, I the Congress did during its and education and marched attacked the convoy of Depu­ marched to the Assembly, sent government is trying to alleged. the Jalore district hospital. urge chief Minister 70 years in power. My reply is ahead through e­governance @capt_amarinder to imme­ that the Congress kept the as a result of Rajiv Gandhi's CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC diately remove Advocate country united and streng­ vision. He said the BJP go­ General, Home Secretary thened the roots of democra­ vernment was discouraging 3 PoK boys and Chief Director Vigi­ cy... Unlike Pakistan, India scientific temperament and Flood fury lance, for their professional did not fall under military suppressing the civil society repatriated incompetence,” said Mr. rule,” Mr. Gehlot said. groups. Special Correspondent Randhawa in a tweet. The Chief Minister said In­ Mr. Gehlot launched a Ki­ Jammu The Jails Minister also dia had got independence as san Sathi portal for the con­ tagged Congress leader Ra­ a result of sacrifices made by venience of farmers and re­ Three boys from Pakistan hul Gandhi and Punjab Con­ the Congress leaders. “The leased an e­book prepared occupied Kashmir (PoK), gress chief Navjot Singh governments in the country by the Agriculture Depart­ who crossed the Line of Sidhu. keep coming and going. But ment. Control (LoC) inadvertent­ ly on August 18, were repa­ triated on Friday at the Pir Panjal valley’s Poonch district. “The children were treated very humanely and compassionately, behold­ ing the finest traditions of the Indian Army. They were safely repatriated to PoJK on Friday,” Army spo­ kesman Lt. Col. Devender Anand said. They were apprehended after the Army spotted them “through a well­coor­ dinated and effective sur­ veillance network”. The children were from Chhatra and Troti Dharm­ shal across the LoC and claimed to be labourers ex­ cavating sand from river and nallah beds. “They

had crossed the LoC for A family takes shelter on the rooftop after their house got submerged in floodwaters in Sahibganj district of Jharkhand. * PTI fishing,” the Army said. CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC OBITUARY & REMEMBRANCE COVID-19 patient missing from hospital since 3 months DEATH For enquiries on Obituary Announcement / Allahabad High Court fumes at apathetic condition of Prayagraj hospital with non-functional CCTV Death Anniversary, Omar Rashid of hearing, August 27, and Prayagraj district administra­ Police, Prayagraj, in his per­ The DM Prayagraj, in a LUCKNOW Please mail your query at : submit a report. tion nor the police or the sonal affidavit also indicated personal affidavit, informed The Allahabad High Court The family of Ram Lal Ya­ hospital appeared “to be se­ the apathetic condition of the court that a fact­finding [email protected] has raised concern over the dav, formerly a junior engi­ rious about the missing of the T.B. Sapru Hospital...wh­ inquiry had been set up on Fixed Rate for Mumbai : “apathetic condition” of a neer in the Electricity De­ the person although more ere even CCTV cameras are August 18 under the City Ma­ hospital in Prayagraj and the partment in New Delhi, had than three months have non functional,” the court gistrate Prayagraj to enquire Rs. 40/- per sqcm. “gross negligence” of its doc­ filed a habeas corpus peti­ passed” since the missing re­ said in an order dated August into the matter and submit a Minimum size of tors and staff in the disap­ tion seeking his release from port was registered. 19. report within a week. pearance of an elderly CO­ the custody of the T.B Sapru A division Bench of Justic­ The court also directed 3.5 cm (w) x 5 cm (h) VID­19 patient whose Hospital in Prayagraj, where es Surya Prakash Kesarwani ‘Dereliction of duty’ the government to imme­ Log on to whereabouts are unknown he was admitted after testing and Piyush Agrawal said it Not only it was a case of de­ diately ensure that all infras­ www.thehinduads.com ever since he was admitted positive for COVID­19. was as “a matter of serious reliction of duty and gross tructure facilities and securi­ there more than three He went missing from his concern that gross negli­ negligence but also “indi­ ty equipment, safety and For Placing months ago. bed since the morning of gence” was prima facie cates total carelessness in security measures of high Advertisement Online The court directed the Ut­ May 8, as per a report of the shown by the officers, doc­ treatment, look­after and sa­ standards be installed with tar Pradesh government to hospital’s Chief Medical tors and staff of the hospital. fety of COVID patients” at inbuilt provisions of its regu­ ensure that the patient was Superintendent. “The facts stated by the the hospital, the Bench lar maintenance and period­ traced before the next date The court said neither the Senior Superintendent of noted. ical audit.

In memory of your loved ones To dedicate a space in this section, Please mail your query at : Taj Mahal [email protected] For placing advertisements online reopens for log on to www.thehinduads.com night viewing DONATE EYES - GIFT SIGHT press trust of india Agra After remaining closed for over a year for night view­ CLASSIFIEDS MART ing, the Taj Mahal will open from August 21 for TO ADVERTISE: visitors who want to ex­ plore the marble monu­ www.thehinduads.com ment under moonlight, of­ ficials said on Friday. Night viewing of the monument had closed on EDUCATIONAL March 17, 2020 during the first lockdown due to COVID­19. ASI Superintending Ar­ chaeologist (Agra Circle) Vasant Kumar Swarnkar said that night viewing will be allowed on August 21, 23 and 24 as the monu­ ment is closed every week on Friday and the lock­ down is in effect on Sunday. He said there are three time slots for visitors. From 8:30­9 pm, 9­9:30 pm and from 9:30­10 pm.

CM A BM-BME YK EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

THE HINDU MUMBAI SATURDAY, AUGUST 21, 2021 SOUTH 5 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

A.P. man sets Weather Watch ablaze his Palm oil plan enthuses Kerala farmers Rainfall, temperature & air quality in select metros yesterday girlfriend Cultivators of sector, but even before that the situation was not good. Coconut STAFF REPORTER rubber evince But now rubber farmers VIZIANAGARAM interest in making seem interested in switching farmers will A man allegedly doused his to oil palm and the new girlfriend with petrol and a switch scheme will attract more. I be hit: Cong. set her ablaze at Chowduv­ think all these new develop­ da village of Pusapatirega NAVAMY SUDHISH ments will definitely revive Special Correspondent mandal of Andhra Pra­ KOLLAM the sector by 2022,” says Vi­ Thiruvananthapuram desh’s Vizianagaram dis­ The National Mission on Edi­ jayan Kunissery, former Kerala Pradesh Congress trict on Friday. ble Oils­Oil Palm (NMEO­ chairman, Oil Palm India Committee (KPCC) presi­ The woman was admit­ OP), a ₹11,040 crore project Limited. dent K. Sudhakaran, MP, ted to hospital with about by the Union government to Oil Palm India Limited said the Centre’s push to 40% burn injuries, where maximise cultivation and maintains a 3,500 ha planta­ ramp up palm oil industry her condition is said to be production, is expected to Promising sector: Oil palm plantation under Oil Palm India tion in the State while Planta­ would sound the death stable. bring in remarkable growth Limited at Yeroor in Kollam district. tion Corporation of Kerala knell for coconut farmers According to the police, prospects for the palm oil in­ has a 705­ha estate. While in Kerala. Rambabu, 26, of Narava dustry in Kerala. The NMEO­OP proposes ing as well. Reportedly, the NMEO­OP offers a special as­ The Centre’s refusal to village, reportedly was in a While both farmers and to extend cultivation of oil State government was consi­ sistance for the rejuvenation promote coconut oil pro­ Temperature Data: IMD, Pollution Data: CPCB, Map: INSAT/IMD (Taken at 18.00 Hrs) relationship with Ramu­ refiners find the scheme ex­ palm, considered a top oil dering some projects to ex­ of old gardens, it is also ex­ duction has hit farmers in Forecast for Saturday: Heavy/very heavy rainfall likely at isol- lamma, 21, for the last two tremely encouraging, it can crop, to an additional 6.5 pand cultivation even before pected to generate more em­ Kerala hard. The Centre ated places over Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, west Uttar Pra- years. Both their family also revitalise the estates run lakh hectares so that the the scheme was announced. ployment in the sector. has already earmarked desh, Sikkim, Bihar, Gujarat, west Madhya Pradesh, coastal members had agreed for by the Oil Palm India Limited crude palm oil (CPO) pro­ “In Kerala, we have plan­ ₹11,040 crore for the Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karaikal, Kerala and their marriage and the date and the Plantation Corpora­ duction touches 11.20 lakh Sites identified tations, factories, seed farms project. Mahe. Thunderstorm with lightning likely at isolated places over for the marriage was about tion of Kerala. Since India is tonnes by the 2025­26 finan­ Potential sites for cultivation and research facilities, but so Coconut prices have Punjab, Haryana, Jharkhand, Telangana and Yanam to be fixed in the fourth heavily dependent on im­ cial year. were identified in Wayanad far the Centre had opted to plummeted over the years. city rain max min city rain max min week of August. ports when it comes to crude In the total financial out­ and Palakkad districts while neglect the State. With adeq­ Pest infestations and the Agartala...... 5....32.2....25.6 Kozhikode...... 0.2....32.0....24.4 Ahmedabad...... —....29.7....25.7 Kurnool ...... 2....32.1....24.3 Rambabu allegedly re­ and refined palm oils, the in­ lay of ₹11,040 crore, the projects to rope in more uate support from the high cost of production Aizawl...... 2.8....27.0....19.5 Lucknow...... 14.2....32.8....26.6 fused to marry her, accus­ dustry stakeholders believe share of the Centre will be farmers are also being dis­ Centre we can produce oil plagued coconut farmers. Allahabad...... —....34.3....26.4 Madurai...... —....36.8....25.6 ing her of talking to other that the current develop­ ₹8,844 crore while the State cussed. required for at least four Bengaluru ...... 7....28.6....20.5 Mangaluru ...... 2.2....28.8....23.9 The Centre was unwilling Bhopal ...... 12.2....27.5....22.4 Mumbai ...... 21....27.6....23.4 youngsters. The girl’s fami­ ment will be highly benefi­ share of ₹2,196 crore in­ “COVID­19 had affected States,” says S. Jayamohan, to waive the debt incurred Bhubaneswar.... 25.6....30.7....25.4 Mysuru ...... 7....30.2....21.0 ly approached the Pusapa­ cial for the sector. cludes the viability gap fund­ the industry like any other trade union leader. by coconut farmers. Chandigarh ...... 21....30.3....24.6 New Delhi ...... —....32.8....27.3 tirega police, who coun­ Chennai ...... 11....33.2....24.0 Patna ...... 44....34.2...... — Coimbatore ...... —....32.2....22.4 Port Blair...... 9....31.3....23.8 selled him and made him Dehradun...... 26....25.4....23.6 Puducherry ...... 0.1....31.6....24.6 agree for the marriage. Gangtok...... 59....20.0....17.7 Pune...... 1.4....27.1....21.3 Rambabu, who was al­ Goa...... 4....30.5....24.1 Raipur ...... —....31.2....25.8 Greater Hyderabad Municipal Minister’s faux pas puts Guwahati ...... 2....32.4....25.6 Ranchi...... —....30.4....23.6 legedly manhandled in the Hubballi...... —....28.0....21.0 Shillong...... —....25.0....18.1 police station, reportedly Hyderabad ...... —....28.7....23.0 Shimla...... 30....21.4....16.1 wanted to take “revenge” soldier’s family in a fix Imphal ...... 14....28.1....21.0 Srinagar...... —....31.9....17.7 Jaipur ...... —....35.1....27.6 Thiruvananthapuram...... —....32.1....24.7 on the woman and alleged­ Corporation certified Water Plus Kochi ...... 2....30.2....24.2 Tiruchi...... —....35.1....25.2 ly poured petrol on her He offered martyr’s solatium to them Kohima ...... 9....24.2....17.6 Vijayawada ...... —....31.6....27.4 and set her ablaze. Ramu­ Special Correspondent Kolkata ...... 16....29.6....25.4 Visakhapatnam ...... 10....28.8....24.2 lamma’s sister and her son, HYDERABAD Special Correspondent reached Mulagund. (Rainfall data in mm; temperature in Celsius) who tried to save her, suf­ The Greater Hyderabad HUBBALLI Visiting the house of sol­ Pollutants in the air you are breathing Yesterday CITIES SO2 NO2 CO PM2.5 PM10 CODE fered injuries. Municipal Corporation In a faux pas, Union Minis­ dier Ravikumar Kattimani, Ahmedabad...... — .46 .14 ....75 ...92 ....* The police took the ac­ (GHMC) has been certified as ter of State for Social Justice who is deployed in Kashmir, Bengaluru ...... 14 .16 .31 ....57 ...52 ....* In observation made at Chennai ...... 13 .11 .37 ....10 ...69 ....* 4.00 p.m., Ambala, Haryana cused into custody. Water Plus by the Ministry of and Empowerment A. Na­ the Minister enquired about recorded an overall air Delhi ...... 30 .58 .26 ....90 .137 ....* quality index (AQI) score of “The incident shocked Housing and Urban Affairs rayanaswamy promised a the condition of the family Hyderabad ...... 66 .24 .23 ....34 ...56 ....* 215 indicating an unhealthy everyone. Fortunately, we (MOHUA) on Friday. It has government job and land to members. And much to the Kolkata...... 13 .20 .16 ....37 ...41 ....* level of pollution. In Lucknow...... 3 .46 .48 ....70 ...92 ....* contrast, Shillong, could ensure timely medi­ become the first local body an ‘in­service’ soldier in Ga­ shock of the family mem­ Meghalaya recorded a Mumbai ...... 20 .40 101 ....25 ...52 ....* healthy AQI score of 16 cal aid for the woman . We of Telangana to achieve this dag district of Karnataka, bers, he announced that a Pune...... 28 .22 110 ....60 ...52 ....* have shifted her to Visak­ coveted status in the Swachh thinking he had been mar­ government job would be Visakhapatnam 16 .48 .55 ....44 ...69 ....* hapatnam for better treat­ Bharat certifications, a state­ tyred. Later, it turned out provided to one of the fami­ Air Quality Code: * Poor * Moderate * Good (Readings indicate average AQI) ment. The police have ment from the GHMC said. Neat job: GHMC workers cleaning a drain. * G. RAMAKRISHNA that the statement was the ly members, apart from SO2: Sulphur Dioxide. Short-term exposure can harm the respiratory system, been directed to speed up The certifications ranged result of a miscommunica­ land. making breathing difficult. It can affect visibility by reacting with other air particles to form haze and stain culturally important objects such as statues investigation,” Deputy from ODF (Open Defecation against nine indicators, res­ ery, grievance redress me­ tion between him and local Realising the faux pas by and monuments. Chief Minister Pamula Free), ODF+, ODF++ and Wa­ pectively with regard to safe chanism, and establishment BJP leaders. the Minister, a party worker NO2: Nitrogen Dioxide. Aggravates respiratory illness, causes haze to form by Pushpa Srivani said. ter+, of which the GHMC had discharge of sewage, safe of sanitation authority and As per the Minister’s itin­ immediately made a video reacting with other air particles, causes acid rain, pollutes coastal waters. CO: Carbon monoxide. High concentration in air reduces oxygen supply to Meanwhile, the TDP already achieved ODF++ sta­ cleaning practices, mechani­ response units. erary, he was to visit the re­ call to Mr. Kattimani and critical organs like the heart and brain. At very high levels, it can cause staged a protest , alleging tus. cal equipment support, The GHMC statement has sidence of a soldier at Mula­ asked the Minister to speak dizziness, confusion, unconsciousness and even death. PM2.5 & PM10: Particulate matter pollution can cause irritation of the eyes, that there was no protec­ For this certification, the treatment capacities, reuse attributed the certification to gund. Mr. Narayanaswamy, to him. An embarrassed Mr. nose and throat, coughing, chest tightness and shortness of breath, reduced tion for women under the GHMC was assessed through of treated water, mainte­ the 25 sewage treatment who was behind schedule, Narayanaswamy felicitated lung function, irregular heartbeat, asthma attacks, heart attacks and premature YSRCP’s rule. third party inspections nance of drains, cost recov­ plants. was in a hurry when he the family and left. death in people with heart or lung disease

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE WEST EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Six arrested for cheating 13 labourers killed, two MUMBAI ‘I have been made a scapegoat Dabholkar murder: hearing on Six people have been arrested hurt as truck overturns for allegedly duping people on framing of charges postponed the pretext of helping them in phone call leak controversy’ Press Trust of India renew insurance policies. PTI Defence counsel seeks Mumbai IPS officer Rashmi Shukla has moved High Court to quash FIR Thirteen labourers were killed and two others copy of forensic report injured after a tipper truck carrying them along Special Correspondent tion. He said the intercepted submitted by CBI with steel overturned due to a pothole in Buld­ Mumbai calls were about the transfer hana district of Maharashtra on Friday, the pol­ IPS officer Rashmi Shukla of 150 police officers of Staff Reporter ice said. told the Bombay High Court whom nine postings were Pune The incident occurred near Dusarbid village on Friday that she was made being bargained through A special court on Friday ad­ at Tadegaon Phata on Sindkhedraja­Mehkar a scapegoat in the alleged brokers. Mr. Jethamalani journed till September 3 the hear­ road around 12 p.m. when the labourers were leak of phone calls regard­ will continue his arguments ing of arguments on the framing of being taken to work of the Nagpur­Mumbai ing transfers of police on Saturday. charges in the Dr. Narendra Dab­ Samruddhi Expressway project, an official said. officials. holkar murder after the defence A total of 16 labourers, including a girl, were A Division Bench of Justic­ Letter by Fadnavis counsel submitted that the CBI had travelling in the vehicle. “The tipper was speed­ es S.S. Shinde and N.J. Jama­ The case dates back to not furnished the accused with a Narendra Dabholkar ing and it overturned due to a large pothole on dar was hearing a criminal March, when Leader of the copy of the 2017 report from the the road,” Buldhana Superintendent of Police petition filed by Ms. Shukla Opposition Devendra Fad­ Gujarat Directorate of Forensic special court. Arvind Chavria told PTI. seeking to quash the FIR Bombay High Court navis in Maharashtra cited a Science (DFS) which had analysed “We brought it to the court’s not­ and charges against her un­ letter allegedly written by the firearm retrieved from one of ice the Bombay High Court’s order der the Indian Telegraph to her transfer. Mr. Jethama­ Ms. Shukla to the then Mah­ the alleged shooters in the case. of January 20, 2017, pertaining to Act and the Official Secrets lani said, “I have not chal­ arashtra Director General of Advocate Prakash Salsingikar, the Gujarat DFS’ report and sub­ Act. The FIR filed by an un­ lenged that, but I am point­ Police Subodh Jaiswal about counsel for Sanatan Sanstha mem­ mitted that the CBI must clarify its identified person has ing this out to show mala alleged corruption in police ber Vikram Bhave, one of the five position on whether or not it was booked Ms. Shukla for leak­ fides. Ms. Shukla has not transfers. The letter is be­ charged accused, submitted an ap­ relying on this report. The CBI it­ ing confidential documents been paid since January. lieved to have relied upon plication before the court of Spe­ self had earlier pointed to contrad­ related to corruption in pol­ This is the treatment meted leaked conversations by Ms. cial UAPA Judge S.R. Navandar ictions between the ballistic report ice transfers in Maharashtra. out to one of the most Shukla. seeking the Gujarat DFS report, from the Gujarat DFS and that re­ Senior advocate Mahesh upright officers.” Thereafter, Maharashtra which the CBI had submitted to the ceived form the Forensic Science Jethamalani, representing Mr. Jethamalani said she Chief Secretary Sitaram Bombay High Court in January Laboratory in Mumbai,” Mr. Salsin­ Ms. Shukla, contended that was made a scapegoat for Kunte, in a report to Chief 2017. gikar told The Hindu. she was illegally transferred this alleged leak. The whole Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Advocate Mr. Salsingikar said The judge asked CBI’s counsel from the State Intelligence reason for filing this FIR was alleged that Ms. Shukla had neither was a copy of the report gi­ Prakash Suryawanshi about the re­ Department as Director to prevent transfer of docu­ leaked the confidential re­ ven to the accused as per the Bom­ port, to which the latter said he General Civil Defence, a ments from the State to the port to Mr. Fadnavis which bay High court directions nor was would consult the investigating of­ post that did not exist prior Central Bureau of Investiga­ led to the FIR. it submitted by the agency to the ficer and make a submission. 6 contestants to battle it out at Schedule for Rajiv Gandhi award announced BusinessLine Quiz tomorrow Maharashtra govt. will present the award in five categories to IT firms

Special Correspondent the six cities — Chennai, Ben­ Staff Reporter phasised on the dissemination of five categories: IT Engineering Mumbai Mumbai galuru, Kochi, Hyderabad, science and technology, informa­ Service Software, IT Enabled Ser­ The Mumbai regional round Mumbai and Delhi. The Maharashtra government on tion technology tools and its ef­ vices (BPO/KPO), IT Infrastruc­ of the BusinessLine Quiz, For the Mumbai regional Friday announced the procedure fective use in the nation’s deve­ ture (Data Centre), Most Promis­ Cerebration 2021, one of In­ round, the six participants and schedule for Shri Rajiv Gand­ lopment,” said Congress leader ing Startups and special award dia’s premier corporate quiz will battle it out and only one hi Excellence Award to honour and Minister of State for Informa­ for contribution to Maharashtra. championships, will be held of them will qualify for the the organisations that have ex­ tion Technology Satej Patil. Mr. The award consists of a memento at 4 p.m. on August 22. This grand finale on August 28. celled in the field of Information Patil claimed that the decision on and a certificate of excellence. time, the 18th edition of the Quiz enthusiasts can wit­ Technology. The Maha Vikas award was taken much before The advertisement will be pu­ quiz competition is being ness the Mumbai regional Aghadi governmentannounced the Centre’s announcement of blished on MahaIT website held in a virtual format. round by registering at the award days after the Central renaming the Khel Ratna award. (www.mahait.org) and the last The quiz is designed for https://bit.ly/BLQUIZ21 or government renamed the Rajiv He said the State would ho­ date for submission of nomina­ corporate executives, busi­ scanning the QR code. Gandhi Khel Ratna award as nour IT companies from various tions will be September 15. The se­ ness professionals, B­school The title sponsor of event Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award. categories which had achieved lection committee’s final meeting students, and MBA aspi­ is Union Bank of India. The “The use of science and tech­ targets such as to increase entre­ will be held on or before October rants. The preliminary event is powered by CFA In­ nology for the social and eco­ preneurship, to encourage use of 20. Mr. Patil said the award would round was held from August stitute and being held in as­ nomic development of the coun­ IT in society, to create more jobs be announced in the last week of 4 to August 11 to shortlist top sociation with ManageEn­ try is the focus of modernisation. and to conserve environment. October and the award ceremony six contestants from each of gine & BSE IPE. Late Shri Rajiv Gandhi had em­ The award will be presented in would be held in the same week.

CM A BM-BME YK EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

MUMBAI THE HINDU 6 EDITORIAL SATURDAY, AUGUST 21, 2021 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE The fall of Kabul, the future of regional geopolitics The post­American power vacuum in the region will aid China and shape India’s strategic choices and behaviour axis, might decide to explore new tan Prime Minister Imran Khan north­western landmass, its focus ways of working with them to sta­ refers to them as a force that has is bound to shift more to the Indo­ bilise the region, if it desires to do ‘unshackled the chains of slavery’ Pacific even though a maritime Reboot to reset so, and remain relevant there. If or the country’s deep state consid­ grand strategy may not necessarily With Indo­U.S. trade deal off, it is time India indeed that happens, could it re­ ers them as a strategic asset, the be an answer to its continental sult in a potential softening of the reality is that many anti­Pakistan challenges. Second, New Delhi reorients its global economic engagement Happymon Jacob American rhetoric against China, terror organisations would be em­ might also seek to shed the arro­ ndia’s largest trading partner, and one with whom it Pakistan, Russia and perhaps even boldened as well. gance it displayed towards its has a significant trade surplus, the U.S., is no longer Iran? More so, what would that smaller neighbours during Modi he fall of Kabul in the wake of mean for India? While a healthy Impact on regional interests 1.0 and cultivate friendly relations interested in securing a bilateral free trade agree­ I the American withdrawal conversation among the great The return of the Taliban to Kabul with them. Myanmar is a case in ment (FTA), as per indications from the Joe Biden admi­ Tfrom Afghanistan will prove powers — the U.S., China and Rus­ has effectively laid India’s ‘mission point. India has already indicated nistration. An official acknowledgement of this, from to be a defining moment for the re­ sia — on global and regional chal­ AP Central Asia’ to rest. If New Delhi that it would not challenge the jun­ Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, suggests that years of gion and the future shape of its ge­ lenges is a good sign, India is neith­ Kabul, things are bound to change. could not find its way to Central ta on the coup and it s widespread negotiations towards a ‘mini­trade deal’ followed by a opolitics; it would be as defining, if er a great power nor present at the The visuals of the Taliban releas­ Asia with encouraging partners human rights violations. This poli­ full­blown trade pact that Mr. Biden’s predecessor over­ not more, as the Soviet interven­ table. New Delhi must ensure that ing terrorists from Afghan jails such as Iran and the Hamid Karzai/ cy is likely to continue even if the saw may well be infructuous now. The Government will tion in 1979 and the American one it does not become a casualty on would send a powerful message to Ashraf Ghani governments, the Joe Biden administration seeks in 2001. While a lot depends on the south­western Asian geopoliti­ their fellow travellers, handlers, possibility of New Delhi doing so New Delhi’s help in turning up the now seek to work on market access issues on both the Taliban’s actual conduct both cal chessboard. and sympathisers in the region. now is next to nil. India’s diplo­ heat on Myanmar’s generals. The sides, he said, adding that lowering of non­tariff bar­ domestically as well as on the While the neighbouring coun­ matic and civilian presence as well last thing New Delhi needs now is riers, mutual recognition pacts and adopting common southern and w estern Asian geo­ Advantage China; extremism tries are also worried about terro­ as its civilian investments will now an angry neighbour rushing to quality standards can also help Indian exports in the in­ political chessboard in the months The post­American power vacuum rism emanating from Afghanistan, be at the mercy of the Taliban, and China. terim. There is a possibility that even these issues, ahead, the Taliban are likely to in the region will be primarily ad­ the reality is that they are busy to some extent Pakistan. If there is which include long­festering dissonances over provid ­ continue as a ‘useful villain’ in the vantageous to China and its grand making their own private deals a concerted effort by China, Pakis­ India-Pakistan ties ing access to U.S. agricultural products or easing import unfolding great power competi­ strategic plans for the region. Beij­ with the Taliban to not host terror tan and the Taliban to erase the In­ Third, the developments in Af­ tion. For New Delhi, the fall of Ka­ ing will further strengthen its ef­ organisations targeting them. dian presence from Afghanistan, ghanistan could nudge New Delhi duties on automobiles and Bourbons, would have to be bul is a moment of reckoning and forts to bring every country in the There is little appetite for a region­ there is little India can do about it. to seek stability, if not peace, with discussed afresh. On Friday, the U.S. envoy to India met it must rethink its regional strate­ region, except India, on the Chi­ al approach to curbing terrorism Had New Delhi, as I had argued Pakistan. While there is little de­ Mr. Goyal for what he said was a parley on attaining the gies and options. Unfortunately, of nese Belt and Road Initiative band­ from a Taliban­led Afghanistan. earlier, cultivated deeper relations sire in New Delhi today to reopen a $500 billion bilateral trade vision of the U.S. President. the latter, it does not have many. wagon, thereby altering the geo­ This enables the Taliban to engage (which by no means would have broad­based dialogue process The trade target, set when Mr. Biden was the Vice Presi­ political and geoeconomic in a selective treatment towards meant recognising the outfit) with with Pakistan, even a ‘cold peace’ dent in the Barack Obama regime, remains unchanged, A vacuum foundations of the region. More terror outfits present there or they the Taliban, Indian interests would be in India’s interest. For but the tools for achieving it are no longer clear. India What is most disconcerting is the so, the much­feared Chinese encir­ have relations with. Moreover, gi­ would have been more secure in a Pakistan too, such a ‘cold peace’ was pulled out of the U.S.’s Generalised System of Prefe­ regional power vacuum in the Eu­ clement of India will become ever ven that the international com­ post­American Afghanistan. New will help it to focus its energies on rasian heartland created by the ha­ more pronounced. Having been munity may have no choice but to Delhi’s lack of strategic foresight consolidating its interests and rences (GSP) that granted some tariff relief to its exports phazard manner in which the Un­ further emboldened by the U.S.’s recognise the Taliban regime — UN will prove to be costly. gains in Afghanistan. As a result, by the Trump government in 2019, and hopes of its ited States withdrew from withdrawal and in stamping its Security Council members such as What is perhaps not yet under­ both sides might refrain from in­ reinduction through a mini­trade deal now appear Afghanistan and its potential writ on the region, Beijing is likely China and Russia have already in­ stood is how the rise of the anti­ dulging in competitive risk­taking bleak. While India was expected to gain from the Sino­ knock­on effects. An axis of re­ to become less accommodative to­ dicated their intent to do so — America axis (China, Russia, Iran, unless something dramatic hap­ U.S. trade wars under the Donald Trump administra­ gional powers such as China, Pa­ wards India including on the Line would also mean that the Taliban Pakistan and a Taliban­led Afghan­ pens which is always a possibility tion, its retaliation to the GSP status revocation with kistan, Russia, and the Taliban, of Actual Control. Even in trade, would hold more power in a bar­ istan) and anti­American senti­ between the two rivals. That said, hiked tariffs on U.S. products had led to frictions that have already started filling this given the sorry state of the post­ gain on the terror question. Sanc­ ments in the region would impact stability between India and Pakis­ power vacuum, shaping, thereby, COVID­19 Indian economy, India tions are unlikely to deter an outfit India’s regional interests given that tan depends a great deal on how perhaps stymied the conclusion of a mini­trade deal be­ the contours of the region’s geo­ needs trade with China more than that does not need to bother about it has become closer to the U.S. politics in Kashmir plays out, and fore the change at the helm in the White House. politics based on their individual the other way round. Unless New the next election. than ever before in its history. We whether New Delhi is able to paci­ The U.S.’s no­go stance on the FTA implies ambitions and common interests. Iran might Delhi can find ways of ensuring a It is unlikely that the Taliban have to wait and see what this mis­ fy the aggrieved sections in the may have to be pared down but also provides an oppor­ also jump on this opportunistic rapprochement with China, it will proactively export terror to match between the region’s mood Valley. tunity for India to holistically review its stance on global bandwagon under the Chinese lea­ must expect Beijing to challenge other countries unless of course and India’s strategic choices would The lesson for India in the wake trade. It is refreshing that Mr. Goyal has signalled a re­ dership. India on occasion, and be pre­ for tactical purposes by, say for in­ mean for the country. There is lit­ of these developments is clear: It vamped approach towards FTAs and reminded Indian What is abundantly clear is that pared for it. stance, Pakistan against India. The tle doubt that because of these de­ will have to fight its own battles. So each of these countries harbour The bigger challenge for India real worry, however, is the inspira­ velopments, India’s regional ambi­ it must make enemies wisely, industry there cannot be one­way traffic. This needs to deep anti­American feelings in va­ though would be a near­certain in­ tion that disgruntled elements in tions will take a major hit in the choose friends carefully, rekindle be matched by actions that start unwinding India’s rying degrees which will further crease in terrorism and extremism the region will draw from the Tali­ months and years ahead. flickering friendships, and make creeping walls of import tariffs. The Atman irbhar Bha­ shrink the American influence in in the region. The U.S. presence in ban’s victory against the world’s The fall of Kabul and the conse­ peace while it can. rat campaign has further exacerbated that view — as the the Eurasian heartland. While it is Afghanistan, international pres­ sole superpower. quent knock­on effects in the re­ advent of a protectionist ‘closed market’ project. Stren­ too early to determine whether sure on the Taliban and Financial To that extent, the triumphal­ gion will have several potential im­ Happymon Jacob is Associate Professor, uous exhortations that the self­reliance drive is one that what these countries have on their Action Task Force worries in Pakis­ ism in Pakistan over the Taliban’s plications for India’s foreign policy Centre for International Politics, seeks to integrate with global value chains can only go hands is an opportunity or a tick­ tan had a relatively moderating ef­ victory in Afghanistan could even­ and its strategic choices and beha­ Organization and Disarmament, School ing bomb, the U.S., as a direct con­ fect on the region’s terror ecosys­ tually become counterproductive viour. For one, given the little of International Studies, Jawaharlal so far. Trade policy cannot be perpetuated in isolation sequence of the formation of this tem. With the Taliban now back in for Pakistan itself. Whether Pakis­ physical access India has to its Nehru University, New Delhi and, in fact, affects investments too. Having walked out of RCEP, India needs to demonstrate to its potential FTA partners, including the EU and the U.K., with which riv­ als like Vietnam have already sealed a deal, that it is a In battleground Uttar Pradesh, a churn in Dalit politics viable alternative to China in a post­COVID world. To be a major trading and manufacturing nation, India can ill­ The marginalised are ready for their share in developmental opportunities, which the BJP has recognised afford to keep sending mixed signals. Karya (the social service project of change and became visible in ensure their share in power by the Sangh) — is growing by the day States such as Uttar Pradesh and providing them space in the polit­ in Uttar Pradesh. The slums and Bihar; the Kanshi Ram initiated Ba­ ics of the BJP. There are also a few Faith and marriage bastis inhabited by the migrant hujan movement which later other political options in the form Dubious legislation cannot be allowed poor, mainlyDalits, are evolving emerged as the BSP in the n orth­ of Samajwadi politics (in U.P.) into a centre of activities of Sangh­ ern part of India especially in Uttar which also offer them space in the to criminalise inter­faith marriages Badri Narayan inspired organisations who are Pradesh was an example of this. It democratic politics of the State. regressive and patently unconstitutional feature working for their education, is true that in the beginning of the of recent anti­conversion laws enacted by diffe­ health and microfinance. Various 1990s, the Ram Janmab hoomi Other factors Arent States is the criminalisation of inter­faith n an emerging and new situa­ governmental schemes of the BJP RAJEEV BHATT movement attracted a section of Another side of this growing hete­ marriages by treating them as a means to convert one of tion, the political mobilisation government, at the Centre and in from the right, left or centre. marginalised communities to­ rogeneity in terms of their political Iof Dalits and the marginalised the State of Uttar Pradesh, are im­ Those who have to ‘dig a well ev­ wards Hindutva mobilisation. mobilisation is the result of con­ the parties from one religion to another. While anti­con­ in Uttar Pradesh is now becoming pacting the BSP’s vote base and ery day to drink water ( roj kuwan stant changes that are taking place version laws, euphemistically called in some States as complex. It is no longer simple finding resonance among the mar­ khodana, roj pani pina )’ are more Centres of mobilisation in the making of the community. laws on ‘freedom of religion’, have always sought to cri­ and unidirectional as it was in the ginalised communities of the aware now, which the middle class The RSS’s work among these com­ The impact of the liberal economy, minalise conversions obtained through fraud, force o r decades of the 1990s. State. The Pradhan Mantri Awas with facilities and access to the munities, in the form of seva karya the rise of the Dalit middle class, allurement, the recent enactments or amendments During my visits to various Dalit Yojana (affordable housing), the power of social media may not be (opening schools, hospitals, high­ and exposure to the mainstream have created “conversion by marriage” as one of the il­ bastis (hamlets) in and around Al­ Pradhan Mantri Ujjawala Yojana able to comprehend. One should lighting sanitation and cleanliness and alternative media have en­ legal forms of conversion. In its interim order prot ect­ lahabad, Banaras/Varanasi and a (LPG connections to women of Be­ not perceive the Dalits and the and other support services), and couraged aspiration among the few other district towns nearby, I low Poverty Line families) and va­ marginalised as a vote bank for a their cultural project to provide marginalised and subalterns and ing parties to inter­religious marriages from needless met several people who are Sche­ rious cash transfer schemes are ra­ certain kind of politics. The shift in cultural and religious dignity, of­ working as a motivational force to harassment, the Gujarat HC has made it clear that th e duled Castes (SCs) and who used pidly changing the politico­socio their voting patterns in the last few fered the Hindutva stream as search for ways to ensure their de­ “rigours” of the State’s amendments introduced earlier to, for years, cast their votes in fa­ landscape of the Dalits and margi­ years shows that considering them another alternative for Dalits and velopment and empowerment. this year will not apply to marriages that do not involve vour of the Bahujan Samaj Party nalised communities. The strate­ as a homogeneous vote bank of a subalterns in a State such as Uttar Dalit mobilisation in Uttar Pra­ any fraud, force or allurement. So, it has stopped the in­ (BSP). They were staunch BSP sup­ gies of the Uttar Pradesh Chief Mi­ particular political party may be a Pradesh. So, the Bahujan and Hin­ desh is undergoing a big churn . itiation of criminal proceedings against those who have porters, and without doubt, its nister, Yogi Adityanath, to focus myth. They are open to any politi­ dutva are the two centres of mobil­ One can easily see how multiplici­ married across religious faiths, unless there was any of vote bank. But things have developmental initiatives on the cal party which may offer them an isation that have emerged in the ty is emerging in their political changed after the advent of the Se­ most marginalised communities appropriate package which ena­ socio­cultural and political arena choices. This is the result of va­ these illegal elements. A Bench has rejected the State va project of the Rashtriya such as the Mushahars and B an­ bles them to partake in the coun­ of Dalits in Uttar Pradesh. Both are rious changes taking place in the government’s attempt to adopt an innocent reading of SwayamsevakSangh (RSS). They tangiyas are evolving new consti­ try’s developmental projects and reshaping Dalit aspirations in their social­political and developmental the provisions of the Gujarat Freedom of Religion have begun to admire the RSS, tuencies for the BJP among Dalits representation in democracy. own way. The Bahujan position­ mobility of the community and (Amendment) Act, 2021, by claiming that inter­faith with some of them even beginning and the marginalised. In the decades preceding the ing, which was earlier a socio­pol­ the constantly changing nature of marriages that did not involve fraud or coercion and to send their children to the Saras­ 1990s, the dreams that the nation­ itical project, has now been re­ politics in Uttar Pradesh in recent leading to conversion would not attract the penal provi­ wati Shishu Mandir, the Vidya Bha­ Real empowerment al freedom movement evoked duced to political campaigns that times. sions. The argument is obviously contrary to the word­ rati­run chain of schools in India. The marginalised need empower­ more or less worked as a binding try and create aspirations among The section that is being in­ ment in a real sense beyond ideol­ thread by keeping them mobilised the marginalised for their share in Badri Narayan is Professor and Director ing of the amendment, which makes conversion “by fluenced by the Hindutva mission ogies and political positioning. towards the Congress despite be­ power. In contrast,Hindutva mo­ at the G.B. Pant Social Science Institute, marriage” or “by getting a person married” or “by aid­ — which is reaching to them either They are ready to receive their ing let down at times in terms of bilisation is trying to provide them Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. He is the author ing a person to get married” an offence. The court said, through the politics of the Bharati­ share in developmental opportun­ meeting their aspirations. socio­cultural religious dignity in of the recently published book, ‘Republic “A plain reading of Section 3 would indicate that any ya Janata Party (BJP) or the Seva ities be it in the form of support Gradually, things began to various ways and also working to of Hindutva’ conversion on account of marriage is also prohibited.” It is regrettable that Hindutva votaries continue to LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters emailed to [email protected] must carry the full postal address and the full name or the name with initials. believe in medieval­minded laws aimed at curbing in­

ter­faith marriages. Despite clear Supreme Court rul­ To read more letters ings that it is no more constitutional to police private Afghan policy that August 14 would would only accentuate the the public in general and whether the objective behind online, scan the QR code Let not India be led by the henceforth be known as communal divide and domain experts in particular, marking the day is really lives and beliefs, sections in the polity still believe that reactions of the western “Partition Horrors consolidate communal as to the purpose, manner about atonement, a healing mockery of our democracy. inter­religious marriages are aimed at religious conver­ nations towards the regime Remembrance Day” lacks forces, which will not help and nature of marking that of wounds and ensuring that Mani Nataraajan, sion, that they have an adverse impact on public order change in Afghanistan. It statesmanship let alone in nation building. day. As for Partition itself, it such violence is never Chennai and invariably involve coercion or deceit. It was always needs a fresh draft on political marksmanship. It No nation can be built on is not certain whether and repeated. Or is it to keep clear to the secular minded and legal experts that con­ foreign policy towards the is hardly the expression to hate and divide. The indeed why people burning the embers of hate Guide to health stitutional courts will not see such marriages as events new dispensation in Kabul. use, and will be counter Government rather than geographically and and violence? Though the Mahatma’s that impinge on public order, and that making their so­ If history is a teacher, it productive. indulging in such gimmicks historically removed from Firoz Ahmad, experiments with truth are shows the very same On the eve of should spell out its the horrors should hold New Delhi known, we are hardly aware lemnisation a ground for prosecution under anti­con­ western blocs who are now Independence day, the constitutional ideals and similar emotions about it as of his tips on health and version laws was unlikely to be upheld. It is clear that making a U­turn as far as Prime Minister is expected work towards consolidating held by the people from Decorum in Parliament hygiene, and treating the Gujarat law’s provisions “interfere with the intrica­ the Taliban are concerned. to remind people of the the nation, and not the regions and communities Much has been written about common ailments (OpEd cies of marriage” and an individual’s right to choice, India is caught between the struggles and sacrifices party in power. directly affected by the the irreverent acts of some of page, “A Hundred Years Ago thereby infringing Article 21 of the Constitution. T he power sharks and should made in securing freedom N.G.R. Prasad, violence. Indeed, it is unfair our learned MPs in – August 20, 1921”, August principle that the right to marry a person of one’s tread cautiously. Our stakes from colonial exploitation. Chennai and absurd to expect the Parliament. Much of the 20). As the simple guide is choice is integral to Article 21 flows from the verdict in in Afghanistan are already Only this would consolidate same response to the event hand­wringing later can be said to be based on his in peril. the spirit of freedom­loving ■ A democratic polity would from an inhabitant of the averted if a code of knowledge of treatises and Shafin Jahan vs Asokan. The order stalling criminal ac­ Sivamani Vasudevan, people in building a new require any declaration such Andamans or Bastar as behaviour is evolved. his own experience, it would tion against those entering into a valid inter­faith mar­ Chennai India. Far from it, as instituting August 14 as would perhaps emerge Our elected MPs are prove invaluable in the midst riage constitutes a significant judicial pushback against reminding the people of the ‘Partition Horrors among those coming from expected to bring repute to of the pandemic. One hopes disconcerting attempts by various States to foment Day of remembrance horrors of Partition and the Remembrance Day’ to be the Punjab, Bengal or even Parliament. But it is pathetic that the book is republished. communal divides through dubious legislation. The statement of Prime massacres of and atrocities based on long, informed and the erstwhile United to note that some of them N. Rama Rao, Minister Narendra Modi committed against millions open debates, both among Provinces. One wonders are bent on making a Chennai

CM A BM-BME YK EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

THE HINDU MUMBAI SATURDAY, AUGUST 21, 2021 GROUND ZERO 7 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE The rumbling hills of Himachal Pradesh In a State where hydro power projects, dams and construction activities are increasing, landslides too are becoming common. Vikas Vasudeva reports on the concerns of the people in the fragile Himalayan region

The landslide in Batseri village in Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh on July 25 destroyed a bridge on the Baspa river. (Below): Several youth from the district hold a meeting at Kalpa to voice their concerns to the authorities over the new hydel power projects coming up in and around the district. * V.V. KRISHNAN

t was a relatively warm monsoon af­ are likely to occur in the region. ment Research and Action Collective, under the three categories of hazard is forest land and 25.5 ha private land. ternoon on July 25 when Arjun Devi, an advocacy and research group work­ proneness viz. low, medium and high The construction of the dam will result I65, was sitting outside her house, In a state of denial ing on issues of environmental justice hazard. Most of the area under... Hima­ in the submergence of about 156.2917 ha legs stretched out. Her house is located Urni, a tiny village along National High­ and forest rights in the Himalayan re­ chal Pradesh is under high hazard.” of land of which 143.2093 ha is forest in the middle of an apple orchard in way 5 in Kinnaur district, witnessed a gion, says the climate crisis has exacer­ There are 932 hydropower projects land and 13.0824 ha private land. Batseri village in Kinnaur district of Hi­ major landslide in 2014 which resulted bated the frequency and intensity of dis­ in Himachal Pradesh, which include mi­ Abhishek Wazir, 25, of Moorang vil­ machal Pradesh. It was a picture of calm in the erosion of several bighas of agri­ asters over the past few decades. “But ni, small, large, and mega projects. Most lage says this is a “fight to save ‘Zangti’ and quiet when suddenly, Devi sprang cultural land and cracks in many hous­ the most critical factor that gets hidden of these projects are in Kinnaur, Cham­ (golden water) of Sutlej River.” up in alarm hearing a rumbling noise. es. Ramanand Negi, 77, of Urni village, behind the label of ‘natural calamities’ ba and Shimla districts. Asher says there Dinesh Negi, 32, from Kanan village, She hurried upstairs. From her rooftop says the signs of ecology degradation is the kind of development model that is plenty of evidence on how these ca­ remarks that this is more that that; it is a she watched transfixed as boulders are clearly visible, yet successive go­ we have adopted. It has led to deforesta­ lamities are not natural but such evi­ fight for survival. “The indigenous pine came rolling down from the steep hill­ vernments have been in a state of de­ tion, increased erosion and slope desta­ dence is not fed into policy decisions. nuts (chilgoza) trees are under threat top at great speed, not too far from her nial. “The key problem is that the go­ bilisation which not just trigger more This is why governments continue here. As transmission lines of hydro house. They crashed into a mini­bus on vernment is quick to declare landslides disasters but multiply the damage pushing for more hydro power projects projects pass through forests, trees are Sangla­Chitkul road, killing nine people, as natural disasters. But these are man­ caused. The State Disaster Management and four­lane highways, she says. cut. This impacts not only the environ­ all tourists, Devi learned later. The boul­ vernment to review its policy on hydro made disasters. In July 2014, a big por­ Authority report on Landslide Hazard ment but our livelihoods too,” he says. ders severely damaged the Sangla­Chit­ power projects. “These incidents are a tion of our village was destroyed and so Risk Assessment 2015 stated that 90% of Protests against projects “We have to save Kinnaur at any cost, kul and Sangla­Batseri link roads. They wake­up call for us. The dams and hy­ were several acres of agricultural and the State is in the high­risk zone. Areas Several residents of the tribal districts and so we are mobilising the youth. We destroyed a bridge on Baspa river, on dro power projects have brought pros­ horticultural land including the or­ like Kinnaur, Chamba and Lahaul­Spiti are now up in arms against the setting will make it a mass movement,” says the banks of which Batseri is located. perity to the region, but they have also chards of over 20 families. The liveli­ are particularly sensitive. Yet, the focus up of new power projects. Many assert Bharat Bhushan, 35, of Kalpa. Several mature trees that got in their brought suffering. During the construc­ hoods of people are at stake,” he says. of policymakers and government de­ that the projects severely impact the fra­ Jiya Negi, a Kinnaur­based environ­ way fell like ninepins. All this happened tion of these power projects and dams, People now live in fear, he adds. partments is on management rather gile mountain slopes and cause signifi­ mentalist and activist, says the entire in just a few minutes. the use of rock blasting and heavy ma­ The government gave relief to the af­ than prevention,” she says. cant loss to life and property. As Kin­ stretch of the Sutlej is filled with debris “I have never seen such a horrific chinery in construction sites, besides fected families, but they have have been The State’s 2015 Landslide Hazard naur continues to bear the brunt of that is thrown into the river from con­ scene in my life,” says Devi. “The pre­ tree felling, have damaged the fragile demanding compensation , Negi says. Risk Assessment report, which Asher catastrophes, a group of youngsters at struction sites of power projects, dams vious day too, some stones fell down the hills,” he says. “The administration maintains that refers to, reads, “Hilly areas of Hima­ Kalpa gathered for a meeting on August and roads. No one, he says, bothers to hill, but July 25 was different. When I Om Prakash, who has been working flood irrigation could have triggered the chal Pradesh are vulnerable to land­ 10 to craft a strategy to intensify their ensure the scientific disposal of debris. heard the loud noise and went to the at a tourist camping site in Batseri since landslide, but we don’t have any natural slides due to geological, meteorological State­wide campaign of creating aware­ Deputy Commissioner (Kinnaur) rooftop, I saw huge rocks come thun­ the late 1990s, says landslides used to water sources here, so how can we use and anthropogenic factors. Several de­ ness against the setting up of new hydro Abid Hussain Sadiq says the administra­ dering down. They fell some distance occur earlier as well but their number the method of flood irrigation? Our vil­ vastating landslides have occurred in power projects in the district. tion is always there to look into the con­ away from my house. Only when they and intensity have increased in recent lage is situated right above the intersec­ Himachal Pradesh... The hydro­meteor­ “There should be a ban on such pro­ cerns of people. “The decision to set up stopped falling did I heave a sigh of times. “For the tourism sector to flour­ tion of the flushing tunnel, head race ological conditions and fragile structu­ jects. Already substantial damage to the power projects is taken in national inter­ relief.” ish here, road connectivity is key, but I tunnel and two Adit tunnels of the 1091 ral fabric of geological strata of Hima­ fragile ecology is visible, yet the govern­ est, but at the same time there’s no This wasn’t a one­time calamity. Na­ feel that converting single roads into MW Karcham Wangtoo project built on chal Pradesh increase the possibility of ment in the name of national interest is doubt that the concerns of people are to ture unleashed its fury again on August double lanes and more is not a good the Sutlej River (commissioned in 2011). landslides. Anthropogenic factors such continuing to play with the lives and li­ be understood and addressed. A ba­ 11 in Kinnaur, this time in Nigulsari vil­ idea. When roads are constructed, de­ These tunnels were constructed using as removal of vegetation cover, over­ velihood of locals. Today, we have gath­ lance has to be struck between national lage. Twenty­eight people lost their bris is thrown into the valley and falls in­ heavy machinery and rock blasting. We loading of slopes by debris also contri­ ered here to discuss the proposed con­ interest and the concerns of the local lives that day when a State transport to the rivers. The government should fo­ used to feel the vibrations when the bute to a great extent. Development ac­ struction of the Jangi Thopan Powari people. We are always willing to work bus, a truck, and three small vehicles cus on the maintenance of existing blasting was done,” Negi says. He drops tivities like construction of roads, hydroelectric project plant of 804 MW towards that,” he says. were completely damaged after they roads instead of opting for unregulated his head in despair as he points to the tunnels and excavation for hydro pro­ capacity near Jangi village. This project, A power sector expert and head of were hit by boulders and mud on Na­ development. Scientific disposal of de­ damaged portion of the hill slope. jects have further accentuated the pro­ to be built by SJVN, will impact people the Jangi Thopan Powari hydroelectric tional Highway 5. Such was the force of bris is very important,” he says. Sita Ram, another resident , says he blem.” The report was prepared by the and natural resources of at least six pan­ project, Roshan Negi, asserts that the the landslide that the bus rolled down These are not mere observations of was a sub­contractor on the Karcham Disaster Management Cell of the De­ chayats — Spillow, Kanan, Moorang, Jan­ construction of tunnels does not dam­ several feet towards the Sutlej river, residents. In its 2012 State Strategy and Wangtoo project. “During construction, partment of Revenue. gi, Akpa and Rarang. Our purpose is to age the ecology as the work is done in a along with the debris. Action Plan on Climate Change, Hima­ blasting was done for digging tunnels in It adds: “Most of the area under... Hi­ create awareness in all the villages scientific manner. “All the necessary The residents of Kinnaur are scared, chal Pradesh’s Department of Environ­ the mountain. Cracks developed as a re­ machal Pradesh is under threat of land­ about this upcoming project and others precautions are taken while we con­ angry and frustrated. Such incidents are ment, Science and Technology had sult, and the soil got eroded. Later, slides. It is the topographical profile of as well. Any decision on the commis­ struct tunnels. If the environment was becoming common, they say, thanks to pointed out that deforestation, land­ when heavy rain struck the region, the state and the extreme climatic con­ sioning of a project should be based on at risk of damage, the Government of In­ the development model adopted by suc­ slides, land degradation, desertification there were landslips,” he says. ditions which makes it susceptible to discussions with the gram sabhas,” says dia would have not allowed the setting cessive governments. Reports urging a and Glacier Lake Outbursts Floods are Manshi Asher, an environmentalist landslides. Hazard risk map of the state Sunder Negi, a member of the group. up of these projects. However, I believe rethink of the development model are some of the common but critical envi­ associated with the Himdhara Environ­ depicts that the area of the state falling Negi says the group got in touch with that there should always be a consensus frequently brought out but they lead to ronmental issues in the Himalayan re­ youth clubs of different villages. with the locals before setting up a pro­ little change. The beautiful Himalayan gion. The environment is facing major Through regular meetings, they are con­ ject. The projects that have been set up region is only becoming more fragile challenges given the escalation of such veying these villages of the “ill­effects of and the allied activities have given a and susceptible to disasters, they say. issues due to changes in the atmosphere power projects”. He believes that peo­ boost to the local economy and infras­ and interferences by man, it said. ple should be aware about the impacts tructure. They have benefited the resi­ A double-edged sword “Himachal Pradesh, though a small of such projects on water, forest and dents over the years,” he says. In the last two months alone, several Himalayan State, is nevertheless playing land and should come forward to speak All these explanations don’t make landslides have been reported in Hima­ a very crucial role in sustaining the live­ up their mind “before it’s too late”. much sense to Devi. She doesn’t know chal Pradesh, especially in the tribal dis­ lihoods of downstream areas. The con­ The Jangi Thopan Powari hydroelec­ why, but she knows that landslides in tricts of Lahaul­Spiti and Kinnaur which servation, sustenance of these ecologi­ tric project envisages the construction the Sangla Valley have been increasing have seen incessant rains. From June 13 cally fragile regions is the biggest of a concrete gravity dam of 48­metres over the years. “For some 30 years it to August 12, as many as 248 people lost challenge being faced at the moment high from the level of the riverbed used to snow heavily in this area, but in their lives in various incidents relating which can get further aggravated due to across the river Sutlej near Jangi village recent years I have seen more rain than to heavy rains. Chief Minister Jai Ram financial constraints and limited re­ and an underground powerhouse on snow. At the same time, many dams and Thakur, who visited Nigulsari to oversee sources... Therefore, it can be safely the right bank upstream of Tehsil boun­ roads have come up and landslides have the rescue work after the incident, said stated that climate change will manifest dary (Kashang Nallah). It proposes to ex­ become common. Our rivers are turn­ the State government would conduct a most in Himachal Pradesh,” it noted. cavate a circular­shaped head race tun­ ing muddy as they carry debris. The go­ geological survey of the area. The report also stated that warming, nel of 9.40­m wide and 12­kilometres vernment must take steps to preserve Jai Vijender Negi, 45, an orchardist at erratic rainfall and rainfall changes, long using tunnel boring machine. The our mountains. Development is wel­ Batseri, says development has become a floods, and change in precipitation pat­ tentative land requirement for the pro­ come, but not at the cost of human double­edged sword. He urges the go­ terns are commonly observed events or ject is 295.93 ha out of which 270.43 ha lives,” she says.

CM A BM-BME YK EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

MUMBAI THE HINDU 8 NEWS SATURDAY, AUGUST 21, 2021 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE FROM PAGE ONE Arrest is not always a must, says Supreme Court Opposition leaders Bench says provision in the law does not mean that govt. can use power indiscriminately to crush personal liberty raise a call for unity Krishnadas Rajagopal Kishan Kaul and Hrishikesh Echo Park and Noida Am­ ‘arrest’. NEW DELHI Roy said. bedkar Park. The FIR alleges Agreeing with the senior However, the Samajwadi Freedom Movement and in The Supreme Court has held A distinction must be a loss of ₹ 14,000 crore to the lawyer, the Supreme Court Party (SP) dropped out at the principles and provi­ that merely because law al­ made between the existence public exchequer. clarified that “the word ‘cus­ the last minute, with party sions of our Constitution,” lows arrest does not mean of the power to arrest and tody’ appearing in Section chief Akhilesh Yadav in­ she said. the State can use the power the justification for exercise ‘Wrongly interpreted’ 170 does not contemplate forming that he was in “an “We all have our compul­ indiscriminately to crush of it, it noted. Mr. Dubey argued that his either police or judicial cus­ interior part” of Uttar Pra­ sions, but clearly, a time has personal liberty. “If arrest is made routine, client had joined the seven­ tody but it merely connotes desh and could not join. come when the interests of “We may note that perso­ it can cause incalculable year­old investigation. There the presentation of the ac­ Sources claimed though our nation demand that we nal liberty is an important as­ harm to the reputation and was no need for his custodial cused by the Investigating Of­ the Bahujan Samaj Party rise above them,” Ms. Gand­ pect of our constitutional self­esteem of a person. If the interrogation. There was no ficer before the court while was sent an invite, there was hi added. mandate. The occasion to ar­ Investigating Officer has no apprehension that he would filing the charge sheet”. no response; the Aam Admi rest an accused during inves­ reason to believe that the ac­ abscond or tamper with evi­ “The trial courts are stat­ Party, however, was left out 10 demands tigation arises when custo­ cused will abscond or dis­ filed by businessman Sidd­ spiracy and criminal breach dence. Mr. Dubey said Sec­ ed to be insisting on the ar­ by the Congress. As reported by The Hindu dial investigation becomes obey summons and has, in harth, represented by senior of trust involving former mi­ tion 170 of the Code of Crimi­ rest of an accused as a pre­re­ Apart from Chief Minis­ earlier, the joint statement necessary or it is a heinous fact, throughout cooperated advocate Pramod Kumar Du­ nisters and high­ranking offi­ nal Procedure (CrPC) has quisite formality to take the ters of some of the Opposi­ which touched upon a host crime or where there is a with the investigation we fail bey and advocates Ravi Shar­ cials in relation to a project been wrongly interpreted by charge sheet on record in tion­ruled States including of issues, put forward 10 de­ possibility of influencing the to appreciate why there ma and Rahul Shyam Bhan­ initiated by the Uttar Pra­ the police and trial courts to view of the provisions of Sec­ Jharkhand’s Hemant Soren, mands. However, Ms. Ba­ witnesses or accused may should be a compulsion on dari. The Allahabad High desh government in 2007 to make arrest of the accused tion 170 of the CrPC. We con­ other top leaders included nerjee suggested that the abscond. Merely because an the officer to arrest the ac­ Court had rejected his bail build parks and museums, mandatory at the time of fil­ sider such a course mis­ Sharad Pawar (NCP), Farooq demands be reduced to five arrest can be made because cused,” the court observed application in July. including the Ambedkar Sa­ ing of the charge sheet. He placed and contrary to the Abdullah (National Confe­ key issues including a judi­ it is lawful does not mandate in its recent order. The case concerns an FIR majik Parivartan Asthal, argued that the word “custo­ very intent of Section 170 of rence), Mehbooba Mufti cial probe into the Pegasus that arrest must be made,” a The order was passed in a registered against him for al­ Kashiram Smarak Asthal dy” in Section 170 had been the CrPC,” the court laid (PDP), Sitaram Yechury snooping controversy, vac­ Bench of Justices Sanjay plea for anticipatory bail legedly entering into a con­ Gautambudh Nagar Upvan wrongly interpreted as down the law. (CPI­M), D. Raja (CPI), Tejas­ cination for all, repeal of the wi Yadav (RJD) among three farm laws, ₹7,500 others. monthly cash transfers to Ms. Gandhi set the tone those outside income tax for the meeting by pointing bracket and the immediate TRS’ Dalita Bandhu scheme flayed out that Opposition unity rollback of the hike in fuel was in full display during and cooking gas prices. the monsoon session of Par­ After the meeting, CPI(M) It is ad hoc and reactive to political situations, says BJP’s Muralidhar Rao liament. “I am confident leader Sitaram Yechury that this unity will be sus­ said, “The new India is a Nistula Hebbar self, the pilot project envis­ forward in such an ad hoc tained in future sessions of Modi project which is based New Delhi ages scrutiny of 20,929 fami­ manner,” he said. Parliament as well. But the on disruption and destruc­ The Telangana government’s lies for benefits under the Madhu Goud Yaskhi, cam­ larger political battle has to tion of the Constitution and House disrupted: A scene in the Rajya Sabha on August 11, income support scheme for scheme. paign committee chairman be fought outside it. Of erecting the RSS’ intolerant when many protests were held. * PTI farmers, the Rythu Bandhu for the Telangana Congress course, the ultimate goal is Hindu Rashtra.” scheme, received universal Plan extended said that his party, too, had a the 2024 Lok Sabha elec­ At the meeting, CPI’s D. acclaim and was even repli­ Later, on August 8, the problem with the manner in tions for which we have to Raja too talked at length Venkaiah in a fix over cated at the Central level, scheme was extended to Mr. which the scheme had been begin to plan systematically about RSS ‘redefining’ the but its scheme for Scheduled Rao’s adoptive village of Va­ brought in. “If you go by past with the single­minded ob­ notion of the Indian State Caste communities, the Dali­ salamari in Yadadri district, promises made by the TRS jective of giving to our coun­ and democracy. complaints against MPs ta Bandhu scheme, has led and a sum of ₹7.60 crores government, Dalit communi­ try a government that be­ (With inputs from Sobha- to criticism from all quarters was set aside for it. The over­ ties are owed ₹1 crore indivi­ lieves in the values of the na k. Nair) of the political spectrum, all State­wide budget for the dually as the government Discrepancies exist between two lists not least because the pilot K. Chandrasekhar Rao scheme is pegged at had promised three acres of project has been launched in ₹80,000­₹1,00,000 crore. land, scholarships for Dalit Sobhana K. Nair while the opposition re­ a bypoll bound Assembly K. Chandrashekhara Rao Former national general students and other benefits New Delhi Reign of terror is always fused to settle for anything seat. wasted no time in announc­ secretary in the BJP, P. Mura­ before every poll. We de­ The complaint filed by Lead­ less than repeal of the three The Huzurabad Assembly ing the Dalita Bandhu lidhar Rao, says that the mand that the government er of House in Rajya Sabha farm laws. On August 11, the seat was vacated after form­ scheme, touted as one of the scheme is being criticised by fulfil all promises made to temporary, says Modi Piyush Goyal for disruptions government pushed for The er Health Minister in the Te­ biggest direct cash benefit his party for the ad hoc way the Dalit community,” he caused on the last two days General Insurance Business langana Rashtra Samithi schemes in the country, the in which it is being imple­ said. “This temple was des­ generations would remain of the Monsoon session has (Nationalisation) Amend­ (TRS)­led government, Eata­ pilot project for which mented. “The Rytha Bandhu The Election Commission troyed, its statues were bro­ connected with India's his­ put Chairman Venkaiah Nai­ ment 2021 even when the la Rajendra, quit and joined would be launched in the scheme had a policy archi­ is yet to notify polls in Huzu­ ken but it was resurrected tory, its traditions and its du in a difficult position. entire opposition wanted the Bharatiya Janata Party Huzurabad Assembly seat, tecture that was robust. This rabad, but going by the way again as many times as it heritage, he noted. The government com­ the bill to go to a select com­ (BJP) a couple of months ago. bypolls for which are due. scheme is reactive to politi­ the TRS has taken on the exit was razed, because terro­ The reconstruction of the plaint lists 18 opposition mittee including the BJP Belonging to the Backward The scheme provides fi­ cal situations and Dalit com­ of Mr. Rajendra, it will be a rism cannot suppress the Somnath temple to grand MPs while on directions of friendly parties. The bill was Class community, his exit nance of up to ₹10 lakh to Da­ munities deserve better than tough contest, and hanging faith,” Mr. Modi observed. renovation was due to cen­ the Chair 40 opposition passed in an extraordinary created some discomfort in lit families under 30 diffe­ to be made a beneficiary in a in balance would be the sup­ The Prime Minister, who turies of strong will and ide­ members have been named situation even as the opposi­ the TRS. Following Mr. Ra­ rent projects without bank scheme that has been port of 18% of Dalit voters in is also the chairman of the ological continuity and con­ for “persistently and willful­ tion MPs were having a tuss­ jendra’s exit, Chief Minister linkages. In Huzurabad it­ launched and is being taken the State. Somnath temple trust, em­ tribution by great men like ly obstructing” the proceed­ le with the Parliamentary phasised the need to streng­ Rajendra Prasad, Sardar Pa­ ings of the House, leaving security officials who had then religious tourism, cit­ tel and K.M. Munshi, who Mr. Naidu with the question swarmed the Rajya Sabha CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC ing examples of the Ram had to face difficulties for on whom to punish and chamber. Facebook temple in Ayodhya, the this campaign even after In­ which members to con­ Remembering a leader Somnath temple and other dependence, the Prime Mi­ done. Record of events takes down landmark religious and pil­ nister said. On Friday, the Rajya Sab­ The Rajya Sabha Bulletin 1 grimage centres. “We need Among the projects he in­ ha secretariat sent out a that publishes a record of post by Rahul to strengthen religious tou­ augurated or laid founda­ draft analytical status note the day’s events in the rism,” he said. tion for include a Somnath to Mr. Naidu, citing prece­ house also names the mem­ Special Correspondent Religious tourism and pil­ Promenade, a Somnath Ex­ dents and the action that bers who caused disrup­ New Delhi grimage would provide new hibition Centre, and the re­ has been taken in such cas­ tions. Social media giant Face­ employment opportunities constructed temple pre­ es. The members have been book has removed the post and ensure that the future cinct of Old Somnath. There are a few key dis­ named for “entering the by former Congress presi­ crepancies between the two ‘Well’ of the House, display­ dent Rahul Gandhi that lists for example, Samajwadi ing placards, shouting slo­ identified the family of a Party’s Vishambhar Prasad gans and persistently and nine­year­old victim of al­ J&J seeks nod for vaccine Nishad who has been listed willfully obstructed the pro­ leged rape and murder in out by the Rajya Sabha, does ceedings of the House,”as Delhi as it violated the plat­ not figure in the govern­ per the bulletins of the two form’s policies. trials on adolescents ment complaint. CPI (M) days. August 10 bulletin The social media giant Elamaram Kareem does not names 34 members while informed Mr. Gandhi, as “To ultimately achieve herd VID­19 vaccine equitably ac­ figure in the Rajya Sabha the August 11 names 33 well as the National Com­ immunity, it is imperative cessible for all age groups,” list, while he has been members. There are 27 mission for Protection of that COVID­19 vaccine clini­ said the statement. named in Mr Goyal’s com­ names which are common Child Rights (NCPCR), of cal trials continue to move Previously in August, plaint. to these two bulletins. the removal of the posts forward in this population, J&J’s single­dose COVID­19 The last two days of the Many opposition MPs too from Facebook and and we remain deeply com­ vaccine had been granted monsoon session of Parlia­ meanwhile have filed coun­ Instagram. mitted to the critical work emergency use approval ment on August 10 and Au­ ter complaints alleging that In an emailed reply to a needed to make our CO­ (EUA) in India. gust 11 the opposition prot­ they were manhandled by query, a Facebook spokes­ ests turned violent. On the Parliamentary security person said, “We have ta­ August 10, when the govern­ officials. They have further ken action to remove the ment pushed through a de­ alleged that male marshals In memory: Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi content as it was in viola­ Delta driving infections bate on “the agricultural have assaulted the women interacting before paying tributes to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his birth tion of our policies.” problems and solutions” members. anniversary at Parliament House in New Delhi on Friday. * PTI According to Facebook, CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC in this case, the family has in India: lab consortium pleaded for their safety in the court, and in view of Cong. forms party­govt. panel Chhattisgarh Cong. gets their safety and to main­ tain the dignity of the vic­ tim, the company decided new offices in six districts to take down the content for coordination in Punjab from its platform. CM inaugurates the premises The social media com­ pany’s action followed the Friction between Amarinder and Sidhu still remains Special Correspondent being renovated. The party NCPCR’s direction to Face­ New Delhi will soon begin construction book to take appropriate VIKAS VASUDEVA Group’,” said an official Chhattisgarh Chief Minister in another five districts and action against Mr. Gandhi’s CHANDIGARH statement, Bhupesh Baghel inaugurat­ land is being acquired for Instagram profile over the Punjab Chief Minister Ama­ To be headed by the Chief ed Congress offices in six another three. Party offices violation of provisions of rinder Singh and his detrac­ Minister, the group will have districts on Friday, coincid­ will also be constructed at Acts such as the Juvenile tor Navjot Singh Sidhu, the Local Government Minister ing with the birth anniver­ four newly minted districts. Justice Act, 2015, the Pro­ new State Congress presi­ Brahm Mohindra, Finance sary of former Prime Minis­ Mr. Baghel said on the oc­ tection of Children from “Public health measures to from only two States: Kerala dent, on Friday agreed to set Minister Manpreet Singh Ba­ ter Rajiv Gandhi. casion, “The organisation Sexual Offences (POCSO) reduce transmission and and Maharashtra. up a 10­member ‘Strategic dal and Social Security Mi­ On August 20 last year, plays an important role for Act, 2012, and the Indian vaccination remain critical,” “Vaccination break­ Policy Group’ to further ex­ nister Aruna Chaudhary as former Congress president any party to win the elec­ Penal Code. says the note. throughs (or infections after pedite the implementation members, along with Mr. Rahul Gandhi chaired the tion. And a party office Earlier, on August 7, Globally, there are be­ two vaccine doses) are com­ of various government pro­ Sidhu, the four party work­ foundation­laying ceremony helps an organisation to Twitter too had locked Mr. lieved to be 13 sublineages mon during Delta outbreaks grammes in the State. The ing presidents — Kuljit Singh for these party offices and function more effectively.” Gandhi’s account, and sub­ of Delta with characteristic and are expected in India as move comes even as recent Nagra, Sukhwinder Singh renovation of the existing The new headquarters of sequently several other genetic mutations. AY.1, AY.2 well. Concern regarding ap­ appointments by Mr Sidhu Danny, Sangat Singh Gilzian ones. the Chhattisgarh Pradesh handles associated with and AY.3 are the predomi­ pearance of new variants strongly indicate his unre­ and Pawan Goel — besides The ceremony of inaugu­ Congress Committee in Rai­ the Congress, for posting/ nant ones and also found in should be calibrated in the lenting slant against the Navjot Singh Sidhu, left, Pargat Singh. ration of the offices at Kori­ pur was constructed when sharing a photograph of India. AY.3.1 is a recently context of such data. As of Chief Minister. with CM Amarinder Singh The decision was taken ya, Surguja, Durg, Dhamta­ the party was in the Opposi­ the parents of the 9­year­ classified sublineage of AY.3 now sequencing of vaccina­ “To ensure better coordi­ when Mr Sidhu, along with ri, Jagdalpur and Sukuma tion. It was inaugurated in old victim. A week later, on in the United States. AY.12 is tion breakthroughs in India nation between the ruling tives, Punjab Chief Minister Mr Nagra and Mr Pargat, was attended by State in 2018 by Mr. Gandhi. August 14, Twitter restored a sublineage of delta recent­ is also showing a very high party and the State govern­ Captain Amarinder Singh called on the Chief Minister charge P.L. Punia and na­ “The new Rajiv Bhawan Mr. Gandhi’s account, after ly classified from Israel. proportion of Delta variant. ment, and to further expe­ and Congress president Nav­ to discuss Punjab related is­ tional secretary Chandan played a positive role in our the company claimed that India is currently adding Investigations for any new dite the implementation of jot Singh Sidhu on Friday sues and steps to strengthen Yadav. campaign for the Assembly the Congress leader had about 35,000 new cases a variants are ongoing,” their the various government pro­ agreed to set up a 10­mem­ party­government Another 10 offices are un­ elections,” Mr. Baghel stat­ submitted a consent letter day, with about 75% coming note adds. grammes and reform initia­ ber ‘Strategic Policy coordination. der construction and four ed. from the victim’s family.

CM A BM-BME YK EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

THE HINDU MUMBAI SATURDAY, AUGUST 21, 2021 NEWS 9 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

CBI seeks details from Elopements most prosecuted Bengal DGP

Special Correspondent under child marriage law: study NEW DELHI The CBI has written to the But forced weddings often go unpunished in the country West Bengal Director Gen­ eral of Police seeking de­ SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT tails of the cases of alleged NEW DELHI murder and sexual abuse Legal proceedings against of women, in compliance child marriages are com­ with the Calcutta High monly undertaken against Court directive on elopements whereas forced Thursday. child marriages often go un­ The court has ordered a punished, finds a new study. CBI probe into such cases The report — “Child Mar­ in connection with the al­ riage Prosecutions in India” leged violence that fol­ — brought out by Partners lowed the Assembly elec­ for Law in Development tions earlier this year. It (PLD), a Delhi­based legal re­ has earlier urged the Na­ source group, analysed 83 tional Human Rights Com­ high court and district court mission (NHRC) to consti­ verdicts in cases relating to tute a committee for an child marriage from 2008 inquiry into the and 2017. allegations. It selected for analysis judgments and orders in Probe suggested which child marriage was On July 13, the committee specifically mentioned. Quota benefit can’t be availed submitted a report suggest­ These included cases filed ing a CBI investigation. under the Prohibition of proached the legal system for elopement versus forced dren who were kidnapped In its order, the court Child Marriages Act, 2006, with a complaint. A total of and arranged child marriag­ for the purpose of marriage. simultaneously in 2 States: SC said: “All the cases where, as well as legal action initiat­ 56 of the 83 cases, or 67.4%, es were hugely dispropor­ as per the report of the ed under other laws in rela­ were initiated by parents or tionate. Corrective action committee, the allegations tion to child marriage such relatives. These included The former could invite a “The unintended harm of Court clarifies on reservation in reorganised States are about murder of a per­ as Protection of Children cases where parents sought punishment of 10 years to the law needs to be correct­ son and crime against wo­ from Sexual Offences Act custody of their daughter life imprisonment if convict­ ed. Law reform in this area Press Trust of India proof showed that he was a men regarding rape/at­ (POCSO), 2012, and the In­ who had eloped or to prose­ ed for rape under the IPC or must aim to shield the young New Delhi permanent resident of Pat­ tempt to rape, shall be dian Penal Code (IPC). cute the husband. a jail of 20 years to a maxi­ in self­arranged marriages, The Supreme Court has na, Bihar. referred to CBI for investi­ The study found that legal mum punishment of death while activating the frontline ruled that a person belong­ “It is made clear that per­ gation. The committee, prosecution of child mar­ States reluctant under the POCSO Act, whe­ workers and child protec­ ing to a reserved category is son is entitled to claim bene­ NHRC, any other Commis­ riages was twice as much Only 7% of the cases were in­ reas the latter under the tion system against forced entitled to claim the benefit fit of reservation in either of sion or Authority and the against elopement or self­ar­ itiated by a child marriage PCMA comes with no mini­ marriages. The empower­ of reservation in either of the successor State of Bihar State shall immediately ranged marriages by girls prohibition officer — the mum sentence and a maxi­ ment of the girl, recognition the successor States of Bihar or State of Jharkhand, but hand over entire record of with such cases accounting State functionary designat­ mum sentence of imprison­ of her voice and affirmative or Jharkhand, but cannot tegory without claiming the will not be entitled to claim the cases entrusted to the for 65% ( 54 out of a total 83 ed for implementing the law. ment for two years and/or a action to secure girls at risk claim benefit of the quota si­ benefit of reservation and benefit of reservation simul­ CBI for investigation.” cases) of the total cases stu­ Another 7% of the cases fine. The study terms this with educational and liveli­ multaneously in both the vice versa. taneously in both the succes­ died. were filed by a third party, “weaponisation of the law to hood opportunities must be successor States upon their A Bench of Justices U.U. sor States and those who are Four teams Only 30% of the cases including an NGO, or suo settle family dishonour”. at the heart of responses to reorganisation in November, Lalit and Ajay Rastogi decid­ members of the reserved ca­ The agency has set up four were those of arranged child moto action by the court. That the law is tilted child marriage,” says Madhu 2000. ed the “peculiar question” tegory and are resident of teams, each headed by an marriages, and a mere 5% Girls accessed the law on against older adolescents is Mehra, the lead author of The top court also held after a resident of Jhark­ the successor State of Bihar, official of the Joint Director were forced child marriages their own the least, with on­ also borne out by national the study and Head, Re­ that members of the re­ hand, Pankaj Kumar, a mem­ while participating in open rank, to conduct the court­ (such as those that involved ly 3.5% of the cases filed to crime data. In 2019, 525 cas­ search and Training, at PLD. served category, who are re­ ber of a Scheduled Caste, selection in State of Jhark­ monitored probe under kidnapping, enticement or seek the nullification of their es were registered under the She adds that the POCSO sidents of the successor filed an appeal against the hand shall be treated to be the supervision of an Addi­ forcible marriage by arranged marriage or to in­ PCMA, compared with must be amended to de­cri­ State of Bihar, while partici­ 2:1 majority High Court or­ migrants and it will be open tional Director. parents). itiate criminal legal action 6,590 children who were minalise non­coercive con­ pating in open selection in der, denying him appoint­ to participate in general ca­ The court has also di­ An analysis of who initiat­ against their parents for ar­ “deemed” to have been kid­ sensual sexual relations bet­ Jharkhand, shall be treated ment in the State Civil Ser­ tegory without claiming the rected the CBI to submit a ed the legal proceedings ranging an underage napped on account of an ween peers, by recognising to be migrants, and they can vice examination of 2007, on benefit of reservation and status report on its findings shows that it was primarily marriage. elopement or love relation­ consent under these condi­ participate in the general ca­ the ground that his address vice­versa,” the Bench said. within six weeks. the parents of girls who ap­ Further, the punishment ship and 12,724 cases of chil­ tions between 16­18 years. NIA inquires into explosives­laden tiffin box

Special Correspondent stance weighing over 2 kg, a the explosions at the Jammu Air elements to transport weapons, NEW DELHI switch and a remote control dev­ Force station on June 27, which ammunition and drugs from The National Investigation Agen­ ice in Amritsar on August 8. were carried out using drones. across the border. Some drones cy (NIA) has initiated an inquiry The police suspected that it In the past couple of years, se­ were also shot down. The go­ into the dropping of a tiffin box was dropped by a drone operat­ curity forces have come across vernment has been exploring va­ containing five hand grenades, ed from across the border in Pa­ several instances of drones hav­ rious technological solutions to 100 cartridges, an explosive sub­ kistan. The NIA is investigating ing been used by Pakistan­based counter the threat from drones. Hizb ‘hit squad’ members killed

One among the duo was involved in recent killing of a civilian: IGP

Peerzada Ashiq Srinagar Two Hizb­ul­Mujahideen mili­ tants were killed in an encounter in Pulwama’s Khrew area on Fri­ day morning. “The duo was a ‘hit squad’ of the Hizb. They were responsible for civilian killings in south Kash­ mir. One of them, Musaib Mus­ taq, from Khrew, was involved in the killing of Javid Ahmad Malik, a peon in a school in Pastuna [on July 23, 2021],” Inspector Gener­ al of Police Vijay Kumar said. They were encircled in a joint anti­militancy operation. An Ar­ my spokesman said, “The opera­ tion was launched at 1 a.m. The The aftermath: People inspecting a damaged house near the search party drew heavy volume encounter site in Pampore area of Pulwama. * NISSAR AHMAD of fire from the terrorists hiding in the village at 2:40 a.m.”. the troops but was neutralised. so neutralised,” the Army said. The intermittent exchange of The second terrorist continued The police said one AK­47, one fire continued throughout the to fire but was contained in the pistol and other war­like stores night. “At 6:30 a.m., one terro­ house by the troops. By 9:15 were recovered from the terro­ rist tried to escape by firing on a.m., the second terrorist was al­ rists. GTA chief to form new party

Anit Thapa says people need pragmatic and practical option

Shiv Sahay Singh an almost 100­day violent eco­ the hills to have the option of Kolkata nomic blockade from June to “practical and pragmatic polit­ In a significant development that September 2017 over the de­ ics”. “From 1986, the people of may have a long­standing impact mand for a separate State of the hills have been fooled by lo­ on the Darjeeling hills, Anit Tha­ Gorkhaland in the Darjeeling cal leaders on the promise of a pa, chairperson of Gorkhaland hills. separate State of Gorkhaland. Territorial Administration The emotive issue of Gorkhaland (GTA), on Friday announced that Gurung exit is still important but there are is­ he will be setting up a new party. After Mr. Gurung left the hills, sues like jobs for our youths, the Mr. Thapa, who has been head­ Mr. Thapa and Binay Tamang, water crisis in Darjeeling, and ing the GTA, a regional autono­ another GJM leader, entered in restoring the glory of Darjeeling mous body in the hills, said that talks with the West Bengal go­ so that we can realise our full po­ the details of the party will be vernment and normalcy gra­ tential as an important tourism brought before the public in the dually returned to hills. destination,” he said. first week of September. Both of them announced While emphasising that by Mr. Thapa emerged in the pol­ themselves as the leaders of the setting up a new party, he was itical scene of the Darjeeling hills GTA and expelled Mr. Gurung giving an option to the people of in 2017, when Gorkha Janamukti from the party. Speaking to The the hills, Mr. Thapa maintained Morcha (GJM) president Bimal Hindu Mr. Thapa said that the that there is a need for holding Gurung had to flee the hills after time had come for the people of elections to the GTA.

CM A BM-BME YK EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

MUMBAI THE HINDU 10 NEWS SATURDAY, AUGUST 21, 2021 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

IN BRIEF ₹3.2 crore­aid for children ‘Govt. jobs for Zycov­D, first non­injectable kin of slain who lost parents to COVID policemen’ Kerala issues guidelines for assistance vaccine for all over 12, gets nod SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT Staff Reporter collected the details. GUWAHATI Polygamy has no place in Thiruvananthapuram modern Arunachal: CM DNA­based vaccine developed by Ahmedabad­based Zydus Cadilla group The government had is­ Assam Chief Minister Hi­ GUWAHATI The Kerala government has sued an order stipulating manta Biswa Sarma on Fri­ SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT Arunachal Pradesh Chief pendent Data Safety Moni­ sanctioned ₹3.2 crore as fi­ the guidelines for sanction­ day marked the comple­ NEW DELHI Minister Pema Khandhu has toring Board (DSMB),” the nancial assistance for 87 ing the financial assistance. tion of 100 days of his sought a social awakening The Drug Controller General Department of Biotechnolo­ children who have lost their Children who had lost both government by handing ov­ against polygamy and a has granted emergency ap­ gy said in a statement on parents/guardians to parents to COVID­19, those er appointment letters to proper debate on property proval to the Zycov­D, a CO­ Friday. COVID­19. whose parents had become the kin of six policemen rights for the girl child. VID­19 vaccine developed by The vaccine has been de­ In a statement here on COVID negative but had killed in firing on the Polygamy is prevalent in the Ahmedabad­based Zy­ veloped in partnership with Friday, Minister for Women died owing to related health State’s boundary with Miz­ several of the 26 tribes and dus Cadilla group, on Friday, the Department of Biotech­ and Child Development Vee­ problems within three oram on July 26. more than 100 sub­tribes in making it the first vaccine in nology under the ‘Mission na George said funds for a months, those who had lost Dr Sarma’s Bharatiya Ja­ the frontier State. Mr. India that can be adminis­ COVID Suraksha’. The three­ ₹3­lakh fixed deposit and a one parent earlier, and had nata Party­led coalition go­ Khandu said polygamy tered to adults as well as dose vaccine once adminis­ monthly payment of ₹2,000 lost the remaining parent to vernment had taken needed to become obsolete those 12 and above. It is also tered produces the spike till the time the children COVID­19, children who had charge on May 10. in the modern world. the only DNA­based vaccine Safer times: The vaccine can be administered without a protein of the SARS­CoV­2 vi­ turned 18 had been sanc­ been abandoned by one pa­ “The government jobs

Assam Rifles seizes in the world and can be ad­ needle, purportedly minimising chances of reactions. * AFP rus and elicits an immune tioned. Besides this, educa­ rent and had lost the re­ given to the next of kin of cigarettes worth ₹6.5 cr. ministered without a needle, response. tion expenses till the chil­ maining parent to the dis­ the deceased police per­ NEW DELHI purportedly minimising matic RT­PCR positive cases. immunogenicity and tolera­ “The plug­and­play tech­ dren graduated would be ease, those whose parents sonnel is under an excep­ In a major recovery of chances of reactions. bility and safety profile in nology on which the plasmid met from the CM’s Distress had died or abandoned tional circumstance, not to smuggled items in Mizoram, Interim results from Largest trial the adaptive Phase I/II clini­ DNA platform is based can Relief Fund. them and who were living be cited as an example,” the Assam Rifles has seized Phase­III Clinical Trials, in “This has been the largest cal trials carried out earlier. be easily adapted to deal Ms. George said Integrat­ with relatives but their guar­ the Chief Minister told 502 cases of foreign origin July, in over 28,000 volun­ vaccine trial so far in India Both the Phase I/II and with mutations in the virus, ed Child Development Ser­ dians had succumbed to CO­ journalists. cigarettes in Champhai teers, showed a primary effi­ for COVID­19. This vaccine Phase III clinical trials have such as those already occur­ vices personnel had con­ VID­19 would be given assis­ The State government district with an estimated cacy of 66.6% for sympto­ had already exhibited robust been monitored by an inde­ ring,” the DBT noted. ducted house visits and tance. had also provided an ex­ market value of ₹6.5 crore. In gratia amount of ₹1 lakh to another incident, a major haul each of more than 40 poli­ of arms and ammunition was CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC cemen who were injured in made in Lawngtlai district. Naveen launches smart health the border skrimish bet­ Two adult elephants Moulding a message ween the two States. electrocuted in Assam GUWAHATI COVID-19 relief Two adult female elephants card for the poor in Odisha Listing the government’s were electrocuted in achievements during the north­western Assam’s Baksa 100 days, the Chief Minis­ district on Friday night. About 3.5 crore poor people will benefit from the system ter announced a one­time Officials said frequent COVID­19 relief of ₹15,000 man­animal conflicts were Special correspondent without any hassle. It is a each for the heads of reli­ common in the area. The BHUBANESWAR first of its kind service in the gious institutions and elephants had come into Odisha Chief Minister Na­ country.” ₹10,000 each for bus driv­ contact with a live electric veen Patnaik on Friday Mr. Patnaik gave the first ers, conductors and han­ fence installed around a launched the distribution of smart health card to Sukri dymen in the State. paddy field. a smart health card, which Dhangda Majhi from Bonda, He also said the State Ca­ will help families get treat­ a Particularly Vulnerable binet on Friday approved Curfew in Shillong ment up to ₹5 lakh per an­ Tribal Group, at Malkangiri, to increase the monthly al­ relaxed for 13 hours num. 650 km from the State capi­ lowance given to more SHILLONG About 3.5 crore poor peo­ tal. In Malkangiri alone, 1.55 than 2.2 million women in Meghalaya CM Conrad K. ple will benefit from the lakh families will benefit by the State as part of the go­ Sangma on Friday said no major untoward incident was State­funded health debit the card. vernment’s Orunodoi reported in the capital during card system. Naveen Patnaik Mr. Patnaik had an­ scheme from the existing the past 24 hours and curfew nounced the scheme on the ₹830 to ₹1,000 with imme­ was relaxed for 13 hours ‘No frill system’ about 200 hospital chains in occasion of 75th Indepen­ diate effect. The Cabinet al­ during the day. Curfew was Under the Biju Swasthya Ka­ the country, including Od­ dence Day. The card will be so approved the inclusion imposed in Shillong on lyan Yojana (BSKY), women isha. given to the beneficiaries of Indian and Assam histo­ August 15 following the members of the family can According to the govern­ phase­wise. Beneficiaries of ry and geography as com­ violence that erupted during get treatment up to ₹10 lakh ment, “in this no­frill sys­ the national and State food pulsory subjects in the syl­ the funeral of former militant In tune with the times: Clay artist Indrajit Paul making an idol of a demon on the theme of the in a year. With this card, pe­ tem, a person will simply go security schemes, Annapur­ labus of classes 9 and 10 in leader Cheristerfield Delta variant of coronavirus, ahead of the Durga puja festival in Kolkata, on Friday. * PTI ople can avail themselves of to a hospital with the card na and Antyodaya yojanas, all government schools in Thangkhiew. PTI CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC quality healthcare service in and get all the treatments will get it. the State.

Jewellers plan BJP leader tries to hold banned race protest against GSI lists geo­tourism sites shows the sentiment of all hallmarking Some try to evade farmers who are badly hit by in NE to visit after ‘unlock’ the Supreme Court’s ban… I police by holding could not reach the spot as Special Correspondent it in the morning the police had completely MUMBAI blocked­off roads around a Jewellers have decided to Dip in positivity and rise in vaccination behind the move Shoumojit Banerjee 30 km radius. Respecting the go on a nationwide token Pune appeals of the authorities to RAHUL KARMAKAR strike on Monday, August GUWAHATI Defying the Supreme Court’s prevent mobbing, we had 23, 2021 to protest against ban on bullock cart races, decided to cooperate with what they called the ‘arbi­ The Geological Survey of In­ farmers in Sangli’s Zare vil­ the police,” Gopichand Pa­ trarily implemented man­ dia (GSI) has identified cer­ lage reportedly staged a race dalkar said. datory hallmarking pro­ tain geological sites across after heeding to a call to hold Mr. Padalkar said he was cess’ by the Bureau of the Northeast for promotion the same by BJP leader Gop­ Animal activists said only a handful of errant persons held a least concerned if the State Indian Standards (BIS). of geo­tourism as some ichand Padalkar amid heavy few rounds of bullock cart race. * FILE PHOTO government decided to take The strike call has been States in the region prepare police deployment through­ action against him for incit­ given by the National Task to ‘unlock’ from September. out the district. ry for the farmers while urg­ had earlier challenged the ing farmers to stage bullock Force on Hallmarking Sikkim has already The races were reportedly ing the ruling Uddhav Thack­ government and the State cart races in violation of the formed by 350 Associa­ opened for tourists while As­ held early morning to avoid eray­led Maha Vikas Aghadi police machinery, announc­ court order. tions and Federations of sam and Nagaland are plan­ This site in Unakoti district of Tripura has numerous rock­cut the police from cracking (MVA) government to con­ ing the race would be held Animal activists on the jewellers. ning to withdraw COVID­19 sculptures and temples. * FILE PHOTO down on the ‘errant’ organ­ test and get the ban lifted in come what may. other hand claimed that it The jewellers are upset restrictions from September isers. the Supreme Court on could not be called a ‘com­ that despite 10 meetings in view of the dip in the pos­ the 32 approved geo­tourism Of the 12 sites, three are in While Mr. Padalkar, along grounds that it was baneful ‘Unfazed by action’ petition’ in any sense. Only a held, no relief has been of­ itivity rate and an increase in or geo­heritage sites in the Meghalaya, two each in As­ with other BJP leaders, were to the rural economy. “I have heard through media handful of errant persons fered in writing by BIS or the number of vaccinated country. These are scenic sam and Tripura, and one stopped by the police well Mr. Padalkar, an MLC and reports that some farmers had staged a few rounds of Ministry of Corporate Af­ people. places that can be top attrac­ each in Arunachal Pradesh, ahead of the chosen spot, he an influential Dhangar com­ escaped the police blockade race using bullock carts, fairs on the Hallmarking “Twelve locations in the tions,” a GSI official said, de­ Manipur, Mizoram, Naga­ claimed the races as a victo­ munity leader from Sangli, and held races. This only they said. Unique ID (HUID) issue. Northeast are included in clining to be quoted. land and Sikkim.

DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

SCAN TO PLAY Display keystrokes of genius. SUDOKU FAITH + Type the answers into our online grids. 13332 @ https://qrgo.page.link/jjpTn (set by Hypatia) The Highest Truth 13 According to Spooner, spew insult to get angry (4,1,4) The very first verse of the Bhagavata Purana is invocatory in 15 Ships rejecting black grains (4) tone and unfolds the nature of the Supreme Brahman by the skilful use of scriptural terms, words and phrases, pointed 16 Just getting loud for quiet couple (4) out Sri B. Sundarkumar in a discourse. It says, “Satyam Pa­ 17 Vaccinated Hypatia’s thought about India... moving back (9) ram Dheemahi.” “We meditate on that Truth Supreme, S a­ 21 Rude fellow with insolence, starting to provoke soldier (8) tyam Param.” By this is meant the Highest and Absolute 22 Relieve former parliamentarian visiting Egypt on vacation (6) Brahman whom the scriptures describe as the One with no 24 Risk and Monopoly council overseeing India review images (5,5) second, ‘Ekameva Advitiyam.’ The uniqueness of the Highest Truth is that it exist s and 25 Bold kid’s retro clothes (4) remains unchanged at all points of time. Scriptures then ex­ 26 Bear skin in exhibition near Reading? Just about (6) plain this truth from the angle of the world of creation and 27 Director accepts student for University — a high flyer! (6) its relation to the Supreme Brahman. This prapancham is superimposed on the Supreme Brahman, that is, Brahma n ■ DOWN has created this wonderful prapancham. But this prapan­ 1 Warn criminal cutting fine portion in tusker (7) cham does not qualify to be the Highest Truth as it does not 2 Tree built regularly around country (5) exist always, though it is created and supported by Brah­ man, and also attains laya in Brahman. It is subject to 3 Untie cats (4,3) change. 5 Ivan the Terrible quietly shows Peter out? (6) The term ‘Vyavaharika Satya,’ is used in this context to Solution to puzzle 13331 Solution to yesterday’s Sudoku 6 Two little kids wearing a hat, hit boxer in a stage show (9) refer to the intermediary state of reality of the jagat in rela­ 7 Those who go fast just to lose? (7) tion to the Absolute Reality of Brahman. The validity of exis­ tence of the jagat depends on each one’s awareness o f this 8 Simultaneously running the teammates collect single (2,3,4,4) ■ ACROSS relationship. It is possible for the mind to err with regard to 14 Softly spoke about his agent returning married (9) 1 See water mostly melted? (6) many issues in daily life. Is not one led to believe a piece of 16 Whole calculation, per auditor is over the top (7) shining nacre on the seashore as a piece of silver? Or to ima­ 4 Excited First Lady welcoming fine daughter (6) 18 Instrument engineer unties with a bit of luck (7) gine a rope to be a snake owing to lack of knowledge and to 9 Stall pirate (4) continue to live in a state of fear until such time the truth is 19 Revolutionary city clothing for each king (7) 10 Birds building nest at site (10) made clear by some means or other? These states are real as 11 Wooster’s greeting fictional doctor sporting head gear (4,2) 20 Harry royal supporting terrible company (6) long as the misconception is present. So this prapancham is 12 Pawns in Soho stage shows (8) 23 Goaded horse entering river (5) satya to one who is not realised. But realised souls continue to live in this world and know prapancham as non­existent.

CM A BM-BME YK EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

THE HINDU MUMBAI SATURDAY, AUGUST 21, 2021 WORLD 11 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

INTERVIEW | LISA CURTIS ‘Both Trump and Biden administrations responsible for Afghan situation’ It was an extremely hasty withdrawal, and the move to withdraw 16,000 contractors, all at once, literally was pulling the rug out from under the Afghans, says Curtis

Sriram Lakshman So, I think that there are a differing voices within the U.S. would represent Afghan American soldiers and their a small CT (counterterro­ lot of things that have contri­ Trump administration. Why interests. But unfortunately families. What would you rism) presence there, while A concerted international commitment is necessary to prevent buted. Not to mention the Ta­ did they end up pretty much this is not what happened. have suggested, in terms of not solving the problem com­ a humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, says Lisa Curtis , form­ liban safe haven in Pakistan cutting out the Afghan What we saw was a consis­ an exit? pletely, it would have at least er South and Central Asia Director of the U.S. National Secur­ all these years. No U.S. admi­ government from those talks tent undermining of the Af­ protected fundamental U.S. ity Council, says. In an interview, Ms. Curtis, who is currently nistration — going back four and is what we’re seeing ghan government. It was ea­ I personally think that the national, counterterrorism Director of the Indo Pacific Security Program at the Center for administrations — was ever today a natural sier to extract concessions U.S. could have kept a limited interest.dd New American Security, discusses what led to the current sit­ able to do anything about consequences of that? from the Afghan government presence. There are some uation with the Taliban, the U.S.’ counterterrorism interests, that safe haven. So, that’s cer­ and give concessions to the 3,500 troops when Biden Speaking of safe havens for and the future of U.S.­Pakistan ties. Excerpts from the tainly contributed to the Tali­ ■ Well, the decision to hold Taliban. Unfortunately, there took office in January, along terrorists, what’s unfolding interview: ban’s ability to make these ra­ <> Taliban safe havens direct U.S.­Taliban talks and was not a balanced handling with the 7,000 to 8,000 NA­ in Afghanistan is a gift of pid military gains. in Pakistan certainly not insist to the Taliban that of that process, it wasn’t a TO troops that were also will­ sorts to Pakistan, and Prime I wanted to talk to you about Ghani to release 5,000 Tali­ So there’s a combination contributed to the the Afghan government be ‘peace process’. We neither ing to stay. And I think that Minister Imran Khan has not Afghanistan. Very broadly, ban prisoners, before the Ta­ of factors that have led us to insurgents’ ability to there, which is what the U.S. got peace from the Doha there are ways to protect hidden his appreciation for what went wrong? Could liban had even really com­ this point. And I think what is make these rapid was doing in previous years Agreement, nor did we get a those forces. When I engaged the turn of events. How do anybody have foreseen that mitted to a genuine peace important now is that we re­ military gains (the Taliban did not want the clean break from terrorism. with senior military leader­ you think this is going to the Afghan security forces process. So, I think that con­ locate as many Afghans as Afghan government at the ta­ We didn’t get the Taliban ac­ ship before the decision was impact America’s would not really fight back? tributed to undermining the possible, resettle them in the Taliban, any diplomatic re­ ble, said they were illegiti­ tually breaking from al­Qae­ made to go to zero, they had relationship with Pakistan? legitimacy of President Gha­ U.S. These are people who cognition should be condi­ mate) — and the U.S. had res­ da. The only thing the U.S. assured me that there were ■ Well, look, I think there are ni, as well as the U.S. negotia­ have helped us, who sup­ tioned on human rights, wo­ pected that for many, many got out of the Doha Agree­ capabilities, there were ways ■ Like I said earlier, it’s a fun­ several factors that have con­ tor talking about an interim ported the mission in Af­ men’s rights in particular, years — the decision was ment was the fact that Tali­ to protect U.S. forces, and al­ damental failure of U.S. poli­ tributed to the disaster that government, of which Ghani ghanistan, we have a moral and counterterrorism. And made in 2018 by the Trump ban did not shoot at U.S. forc­ so to respond. It’s not as if the cy that across four adminis­ we’re seeing today. And I would not be a part. So, I responsibility to take care of until we see action, not just administration to allow the es as they were departing the U.S. were sitting ducks — we trations, we were not able to think both the Trump and think that fuelled the politi­ them. Second, we need to words, but action on these is­ U.S. to engage directly with country. So it really should had ways to respond to the deal with the Taliban sanctu­ the Biden administrations cal divisions that were alrea­ prevent a humanitarian dis­ sues, they certainly don’t de­ the Taliban. The U.S. felt that be [called] the Doha Withdra­ Taliban. So, that would not ary inside Pakistan... I don’t bear responsibility for the dy there among the Afghan aster. This will require a con­ serve international its hands would forever be wal Agreement, not the have been a solution that foresee any reinvigoration of way things are playing out. political elite. The second certed international commit­ recognition. tied and it would not be able Peace Agreement. would defeat the Taliban, it the relationship or any great First, there was a very weak factor is the way in which the ment to making sure that the to reach any kind of political would have largely been a efforts made to try to re­esta­ agreement that was negotiat­ Biden administration with­ people of Afghanistan are The Trump administration accommodation, without be­ Officials in the Biden holding position just a way blish an alliance or anything ed with the Taliban during drew. It was an extremely fed, that they find places to was and is being criticised ing able to engage directly administration have said for the U.S. to continue to with Pakistan. I don’t see the the Trump administration. It hasty withdrawal, and the stay. There’s a lot of IDPs, in­ for, by and large, leaving out with the Taliban. The idea alternatives to the way in protect its counterterrorism relationship plummeting, undermined the legitimacy fact that they thought neces­ ternally displaced people, so the Afghan government from was always that eventually which the exit was actually interests, and give the go­ either. I think it will just prob­ of the government, by being sary to withdraw 16,000 con­ that has to be dealt with. And its negotiations for a the Afghan government conducted would have come vernment, an opportunity to ably remain rather stagnant weighed very heavily toward tractors, all at once, it literal­ lastly, I don’t think that the settlement in Afghanistan. It would be brought into those with their own human costs perhaps negotiate a better over the next several years. the Taliban. The U.S. forced ly was pulling the rug out international community sounds like based on what talks. And I think there also borne largely in these deal with the Taliban. I think (Full interview is available at [Afghan President Ashraf ] from under the Afghans. should rush to recognise the you’re saying, there were was an expectation that the counterfactual situations by the thinking behind keeping https://bit.ly/LisaCurtisTH) Reports of targeted Taliban NATO urges Taliban to allow evacuation Facing sharp criticism on handling of Afghan situation, Biden will make remarks

Agence France-Presse take to resolve the crisis. zens, Afghan staff and their being caught unaware by the killings spark Afghans’ fears Brussels “We call on those in posi­ families out of Kabul since rapidity of the Taliban take­ NATO on Friday called on tions of authority in Afghan­ the weekend, when the Tali­ over but his low profile ever Militants tortured and killed Hazara men in Ghazni province, say eyewitnesses the Taliban to allow people istan to respect and facilitate ban overran the capital and since. being evacuated to leave Af­ their safe and orderly depar­ regained power. Mr. Biden is scrambling to Associated Press killings may have gone unre­ ghanistan, and vowed that ture, including through Ha­ While thousands have change the political narra­ Kabul ported because the Taliban the allies would remain in mid Karzai International Air­ been evacuated so far, NATO tive — while also managing Reports of targeted killings cut cellphone services in ma­ “close coordination” while port in Kabul,” they said. chief Jens Stoltenberg said the situation unfolding at Ka­ in areas overrun by the Tali­ ny areas they’ve captured. operations continue. “As long as evacuation op­ that foreigners and Afghans bul’s airport. Later Friday Bi­ ban mounted on Friday, Separately, Reporters The joint declaration by erations continue, we will were struggling to reach Ka­ den was scheduled to make fuelling fears that they will without Borders expressed NATO’s 30 member coun­ maintain our close opera­ bul airport. televised remarks from the return Afghanistan to the re­ alarm at the news that Tali­ tries was made following an tional coordination through President Joe Biden is also White House. pressive rule they imposed ban fighters killed the family emergency video confe­ allied military means at” the set to speak on the U.S. evac­ This will be only his se­ when they were last in pow­ member of an Afghan jour­ rence of their Foreign Minis­ airport. uation from Afghanistan. cond speech on the crisis er, even as they urged imams nalist working for German’s ters to discuss evacuation ef­ The U.S. and NATO allies Critics are piling on, at­ since the Taliban capture of to push a message of unity at Deutsche Welle on Wednes­ forts and the next steps to have been flying their citi­ tacking Mr. Biden not just for Kabul last weekend. Friday’s prayers. day. The broadcaster said Terrified that the militants For a way out: Afghans gathering near the airport in Kabul on fighters conducted house­to­ would commit such abuses Friday, hoping to get on a flight to flee the country.* AFP house searches for their re­ and despairing for their porter, who had already re­ country’s future, thousands its researchers spoke to eye­ Taliban and who made ma­ located to Germany. have raced to Kabul’s airport witnesses in Ghazni pro­ jor gains in education and Meanwhile, RHIPTO Nor­ and border crossings. Others vince who recounted how social status in recent years. wegian Center for Global have taken to the streets to the Taliban killed nine eth­ The brutality of the kill­ Analyses, which provides in­ protest the takeover. nic Hazara men in the village ings was “a reminder of the formation to the UN, said it An Amnesty International of Mundarakht from July 4 to Taliban’s past record, and a obtained evidence that the report provided more evi­ 6. It said six of the men were horrifying indicator of what Taliban have rounded up Af­ dence on Friday that under­ shot, and three were tor­ Taliban rule may bring,” said ghans on a blacklist of peo­ cut the Taliban’s claims they tured to death. Hazaras are Agnes Callamard, the head ple they believe worked for have changed. Shia Muslims who were pre­ of Amnesty International. the previous administration The rights group said that viously persecuted by the It warned that many more or with U.S.­led forces. ELSEWHERE China formally passes Beijing passes tough online three­child policy into law privacy law Move is aimed at boosting birth rates Agence France-Presse Ananth Krishnan Chinese press. Beijing The changes come in the China passed a sweeping Malaysian King picks ex-Deputy PM as leader China’s legislature on Friday wake of China’s once­in­ten privacy law aimed at pre­ KUALA LUMPUR formally amended the coun­ year population census that venting businesses from Malaysia’s longest­governing try’s family planning rules recorded rapidly declining collecting sensitive perso­ political party reclaimed the to allow couples to have birth rates over the past de­ nal data on Friday, as the premiership it lost in a shock three children, also an­ cade. The National Bureau country faces an uptick in 2018 election defeat, after nouncing a number of poli­ of Statistics said on May 11 Internet scams and Beijing the King on Friday named its cy measures aimed at boost­ that 12 million babies were targets tech giants hoover­ candidate, Ismail Sabri ing declining birth rates. born last year, the lowest ing up personal data. Yaakob, as the country’s new The Standing Committee number since 1961. Under the new rules , leader. Mr. Ismail was the of the National People’s State and private entities deputy Prime Minister under Congress, or Parliament, ‘Biggest challenge’ handling personal infor­ the government of passed an amendment to The census said China’s mation will be required to Muhyiddin Yassin, who the Population and Family population was 1.41 billion reduce data collection and resigned on Monday. AP Planning Law, state media in 2020, an increase of 72 obtain user consent. said, adding that the amend­ million since the last census The Chinese state secur­ Japan battles worst wave ed law calls on the authori­ in 2010. The census record­ ity apparatus will maintain of COVID-19 infections ties to "take supportive mea­ ed 264 million in the age access to swathes of perso­ TOKYO sures, including those in group of 60 and over, up nal data, however. Japan plans to dramatically finances, taxes, insurance, 5.44% since 2010 and ac­ ramp up daily COVID­19 tests education, housing and em­ counting for 18.70% of the as it battles its worst wave of ployment, to reduce fami­ population. Those in the 15­ infections, mainly driven by lies' burdens as well as the 59 age group were 894 mil­ ‘Israeli strikes the Delta variant. New cost of raising and educat­ lion persons, down by infections exceeded 25,000 ing children.” 6.79% since 2010 and ac­ on Syria kill on Thursday for the first time, The ruling Communist counting for 63.35% of the a tally by national four fighters’ broadcaster NHK showed, Party announced in May population. China’s work­ that couples in China would force in the 15­59 age brack­ with the surge mainly among Agence France-Presse those in their 40s and 50s, for the first time be allowed et peaked at 925 million in Beirut most of whom are to have a third child in a re­ 2011, the Ministry of Human unvaccinated. laxation of family planning Resources and Social Securi­ Israeli air strikes on Syria rules. In 2016, a “two­child ty said previously. That have killed four pro­Ira­ Merkel asks Putin to free policy” was introduced that number was down to 894 nian fighters allied to the Kremlin critic Navalny largely failed to boost birth million in this census and Damascus regime, Britain­ MOSCOW rates. would drop to 700 million based Syrian Observatory German Chancellor Angela China’s regulators in re­ by 2050. for Human Rights said on Merkel asked Russian cent weeks have taken dras­ Huang Wenzheng, a fel­ Friday. President Vladimir Putin to tic measures to reduce edu­ low at the Center for China Syrian state media ear­ free his jailed opponent cation costs ­ cited in many and Globalisation, in Beij­ lier said its air defence sys­ Alexei Navalny on the surveys as a main reason ing, told China Global Tele­ tem engaged “hostile tar­ anniversary of a nerve­agent why many couples prefer to vision Network (CGTN), an gets” over the capital attack on the politician, whose life was saved by have only one child ­ includ­ official broadcaster, follow­ Damascus on Thursday. Berlin doctors. “I demanded ing by overhauling the ing the release of the census “Our air defence res­ from the Russian leader that booming private education that the ageing crisis “might ponded to the missiles and he free Navalny,” Ms. Merkel industry, which may be or­ be the biggest challenge the shot most of them down,” a said, standing next to Mr. dered to go non­profit ac­ Chinese nation faces in the military source told state Putin in Moscow. AFP cording to reports in the next century.” news agency SANA. CM A BM-BME YK EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

MUMBAI THE HINDU 12 BUSINESS SATURDAY, AUGUST 21, 2021 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

market watch RBI, IRDAI nod must for 20-08-2021 % CHANGE Sensex dddddddddddddddddddddd 55,329 ddddddddddddd-0.54 MPC’s Varma flags risks of policy stance US Dollardddddddddddddddddddd 74.39 ddddddddddddd-0.20 Gold ddddddddddddddddddddddddddd 46,353 ddddddddddddddd0.05 FDI in bank­led insurance Brent oil ddddddddddddddddddddd 65.96 ddddddddddddd-4.71 Positing COVID may linger ‘for 3­5 years’, he says ‘keeping policy accommodative for long is difficult’ Regulators will ensure compliance NIFTY 50 Special Correspondent sembling a ‘neutron bomb’, Emphasising that infla­ PRICE CHANGE MUMBAI he said the ability of mone­ tionary pressures were be­ PRESS TRUST OF INDIA Adani Ports...... 687.20...... -18.20 Monetary Policy Committee tary policy to mitigate a hu­ ginning to show signs of NEW DELHI Asian Paints...... 3112.95. .... 111.40

Axis Bank ...... 740.25...... -14.15 (MPC) member Jayanth Var­ man tragedy of this nature greater persistence than an­ Applications for foreign di­ Bajaj Auto ...... 3751.50...... -81.55 ma has expressed serious re­ was very limited as com­ ticipated earlier he said, rect investment in an insu­ Bajaj Finserv...... 14978.55...... -27.80 servations about the RBI’s pared to its ability to contain “There are indications that rance company promoted Bajaj Finance ...... 6661.10. .... 117.00 Bharti Airtel ...... 613.70...... -9.25 protracted “accommoda­ an economic crisis. inflationary expectations by a private bank would be BPCL...... 455.20...... -8.30 tive” policy stance in light of “The possibility that CO­ may be becoming more cleared by the RBI and IR­ Britannia Ind ...... 3895.95. .... 175.20 uncertainty about the dura­ VID­19 will haunt us (though widely entrenched. Most DAI to ensure that the 74% li­ Cipla ...... 890.85...... -18.00 Coal India ...... 135.60...... -2.75 tion of the ongoing COVID­19 with lower mortality) for the worrying of all, there is now mit of overseas investment Divis Lab ...... 4818.70...... -91.75 pandemic, contending that next 3­5 years can no longer a reduced degree of confi­ is not breached. Dr Reddys Lab ...... 4556.00. .. -131.05

Eicher Motors...... 2601.65...... 12.00 the forward guidance and be ruled out. Keeping mone­ dence that demand side in­ The changes took effect Insurance Act, 1938 was last Grasim Ind ...... 1484.65...... -16.55 stance were becoming tary policy highly accommo­ flationary pressures would following amendments to amended in 2015, raising HCL Tech...... 1117.35...... -16.90 “counter productive”. dative for such a long hori­ remain quiescent.” the Foreign Exchange Man­ the limit to 49%, resulting in HDFC ...... 2722.05...... 11.30

HDFC Bank...... 1514.75...... 1.75 “By creating the errone­ zon is very different from Mr. Varma also argued agement (Non­debt Instru­ foreign capital inflow of HDFC Life ...... 667.85...... -3.20 ous perception that the MPC Long haul: COVID­19 is looking more and more like TB which doing so for what was earlier that the reverse repo needed ments) Rules, 2019, as per ₹26,000 crore over 5 years. Hero MotoCorp ...... 2697.50...... -66.10 is no longer concerned about kills a large number of people every year, says Mr. Varma.* AFP expected to be a relatively to be raised from 3.35% so as the gazette notification is­ “Applications for foreign Hindalco ...... 403.65...... -23.30

Hind Unilever ...... 2619.40. .... 133.35 inflation and is focused ex­ short crisis,” he said. to allow the MPC room to sued by the Finance Minis­ direct investment in private ICICI Bank ...... 680.70...... -7.60 clusively on growth, the MPC mously to hold the policy re­ ing” meriting a hard look at Arguing that monetary keep the policy repo rate at try on August 19. banks having joint venture IndusInd Bank ...... 979.45...... -10.20 may be inadvertently aggra­ po rate and by a 5­1 majority the stance, Mr. Varma said. policy was much less effec­ 4% for a longer period. “These rules may be or subsidiary in insurance Infosys ...... 1732.95...... -0.50

Indian OilCorp...... 103.50...... -2.70 vating the risk that inflation­ voted to continue with the tive than fiscal policy for pro­ “At a time when the eco­ called the Foreign Exchange may be addressed to the Re­ ITC ...... 208.90...... -0.05 ary expectations will be dis­ accommodative stance as ‘Neutron bomb’ viding targeted relief to the nomic recovery is still nas­ Management (Non­debt In­ serve Bank for considera­ JSW Steel...... 684.60...... -52.85 anchored,” he was cited as long as necessary to revive Contending that COVID­19 worst affected segments of cent, it is extremely impor­ struments) (Second Amend­ tion in consultation with the Kotak Bank ...... 1703.55...... -46.15

L&T...... 1593.60...... -39.25 having said at the August 4­6 and sustain growth, with Mr. was beginning to look more the economy, he said: “mo­ tant that monetary policy ment) Rules, 2021,” it said. Insurance Regulatory and M&M ...... 785.65...... -5.70 meeting of the central bank’s Varma the sole dissenter. and more like tuberculosis netary accommodation ap­ serves as an anchor of ma­ In March, Parliament Development Authority of Maruti Suzuki ...... 6850.90...... 10.80 rate­setting panel, the mi­ “As the pandemic conti­ which kills a large number of pears to be stimulating asset croeconomic stability. That passed a bill to raise the fo­ India (IRDAI),” to ensure Nestle India Ltd...... 19571.25. .... 660.25

NTPC ...... 114.15...... -2.40 nutes released by RBI on Fri­ nues to mutate, it appears to people every year without price inflation to a greater ex­ would reduce the inflation reign direct investment that the foreign investment ONGC ...... 110.20...... -3.00 day show. me that the balance of risk inflicting major damage to tent than it is mitigating the risk premium” and stabilise (FDI) limit in the insurance limit is not breached, the PowerGrid Corp ...... 178.60...... -2.00 The MPC decided unani­ and reward is gradually shift­ the economy, and thus re­ distress in the economy”. long­term rates, he said. sector from 49% to 74%. The notification said. Reliance Ind ...... 2148.25...... -24.40

SBI Life ...... 1125.30...... 11.25

State Bank ...... 406.70...... -13.00

Shree Cement ...... 26291.15...... -36.15 Sun Pharma ...... 761.15...... -21.75 TTK Health Natco shares Tata Consumer SFL plans to raise exports Products Ltd...... 847.30...... 5.90 Eicher shareholders reject Tata Motors ...... 283.10...... -10.25 eyes higher slip 4% on U.S. Tata Steel ...... 1375.60. .. -124.85 TCS ...... 3559.50...... -1.05 to 50% of turnover Tech Mahindra ...... 1399.20...... -13.30 sales volume reappointment of Lal as MD court order Titan ...... 1876.80...... -3.50 UltraTech Cement...... 7493.35. .. -108.10 Will focus on EV components: Krishna UPL...... 728.25...... -33.95 Special Correspondent Special Correspondent CHENNAI HYDERABAD Wipro ...... 620.05...... -9.35 Special Correspondent Proposal fails to win 75% votes, remuneration seen as issue CHENNAI TTK Healthcare Ltd. is eye­ Natco Pharma shares fell EXCHANGE RATES Sundram Fasteners Ltd. ing higher sales volume in Special Correspondent proposed remuneration in 4% to ₹925.60 apiece on Indicative direct rates in rupees a unit New Delhi except yen at 4 p.m. on August 20 (SFL) is planning to increase the current fiscal as it ex­ the notice for the AGM, Eich­ Friday in the wake of a U.S. CURRENCY TT BUY TT SELL exports to 50% of the total pects a revival in demand. Shareholders of Eicher Mo­ er had said the total remun­ District Court ruling

Euro ...... 86.57...... 86.95 turnover by focussing on Despite the disruption tors, the manufacturer of eration payable to Mr. Lal for against the drugmaker and British Pound...... 100.94. ... 101.38 electric vehicle (EV) compo­ during most part of Q1 due Royal Enfield motorcycles, any financial year ‘shall not its marketing partner Alvo­ Japanese Yen (100) . .. . 67.59...... 67.91 nents, said chairman Suresh to the COVID­19 second have voted against the reap­ exceed 3% of its net profits’. gen in a patent litigation re­ Chinese Yuan ...... 11.41...... 11.46

Swiss Franc ...... 80.8...... 81.15 Krishna. wave, revenue from opera­ pointment of Siddhartha Lal According to the compa­ lated to AbbVie subsidiary Singapore Dollar ...... 54.42...... 54.66 “The newly commis­ tions grew to ₹171 crore as managing director (MD) ny’s annual report for 2020­ Pharmacyclics’ anti­cancer Canadian Dollar...... 57.47...... 57.74 sioned unit in SEZ Sri City is from ₹116.40 crore. of the company. 21, the total remuneration drug Imbruvica. Malaysian Ringitt ...... 17.5...... 17.58 Suresh Krishna totally committed to ex­ Though the second According to a regulatory for Mr. Lal, who is credited Natco said in a filing: “A Source:Indian Bank ports,” Mr. Krishna told sha­ ports of total turnover from wave did have an impact in filing, the special resolution Siddhartha Lal with turning the company U.S. District Court has is­ reholders. the existing 40%, as it would Q1, the firm is on course to to consider and approve Mr. around, stood at about ₹21 sued a decision in favour of Facebook rolls out loan “We are also getting sub­ provide tremendous deliver an improved per­ Lal’s reappointment for a passed, 75% votes need to be crore for the financial year Pharmacyclics (a subsidi­ initiative for SMBs stantial orders from major amount of cushion for the formance in the year, said period of five years and pay­ in favour of the resolution. ended March 31, 2021. This ary of AbbVie), the brand NEW DELHI customers outside of India company in case of a down­ chairman T.T. Jagannathan ment of remuneration, included salary of ₹7.38 owner of Imbruvica, in a Facebook India on Friday Institutional investors announced a lending for EV components,” the ward trend in the domestic while addressing sharehol­ failed to muster the requisite crore, commission of ₹6.7 Para­IV litigation involving initiative to help small and chairman added. market,” the chairman said. ders. Engaged in pharma, majority at the 39th AGM. More than 70% of institu­ crore and perquisites of the product.” medium businesses that During FY21, SFL export­ “During FY21, SFL in­ consumer products, medi­ A total of 21,74,67,139 tional investors who partici­ ₹7.04 crore. Natco said it would re­ advertise on its platform to ed products worth ₹1,010 curred a capex of ₹140 crore cal devices, protective dev­ votes were cast for this spe­ pated had voted against the Meanwhile, a separate or­ view the judgment with Al­ access credit via lending crore that accounted for for existing and new pro­ ices and the food business, cial resolution, of which on­ resolution, likely due to the dinary resolution to reap­ vogen Pine Brook LLC, partners. The company said 34% of the total turnover. In ducts. The capex was in­ the company reported re­ ly 15,88,49,543 votes (73%) proposal relating to Mr. Lal’s point Mr. Lal as a director which is its marketing India is the first country to Q1 of FY22, exports grew by curred in tandem with the venue from operations of were in favour of the resolu­ remuneration. was passed with more than partner in the U.S. for the see the roll­out of the ‘Small 39% to ₹356 crore. production plans of key cus­ ₹637 crore in FY21 com­ tion, with the rest against. While the company did 86% shareholders voting in product, and evaluate op­ Business Loans Initiative’. “We will reach 50% of ex­ tomers,” he added. pared with ₹646 crore. For a special resolution to be not specify details of the favour of the resolution. tions to appeal.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE SPORT EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE TV PICKS Two FIA­backed events to Ankita loses in AFC Cup 2021: Star Sports 1, Jagan Kumar clinches pole 2 & 3 (SD & HD), 4.30 p.m. & quarterfinals 9.30 p.m. make their debut in India Premier League: SS Select 1 Sports Bureau Allwin Xavier to start in the front row in the Novice category Chicago (SD & HD), 5 p.m., 7.30 p.m. Press Trust of India Indian Championships, & 10 p.m. MOTORSPORTS 2. Deepak Ravikumar (TVS Rac­ Mumbai which will be based on F3 Mona Barthel and Yu­ Bundesliga: Sony Ten 2 (SD ing) (1:58.043s); 3. Senthil Ku­ The FIA­backed Formula Re­ cars, are both certified by Chieh Hsieh defeated Anki­ & HD), 7 p.m. & 10 p.m. Sports Reporter mar (Idemitsu Honda SK69 gional Indian Champion­ the FIA. ta Raina and Ekaterine Chennai Racing) (1:59.309s). ship and Formula 4 Indian In a first for India, FIA Gorgodze of Georgia 7­5, IN BRIEF The seasoned Jagan Kumar Novice (Stock 165cc): 1. All­ Championship are set to Super License points will be 6­2 in the doubles quarter­ of TVS Racing began his title win Xavier (Sparks Racing, make their debut in the given to winners of these finals of the $115,000 WTA Thrissur) (2:09.552); 2. Udayi defence in the premium Pro­ country. championships. tennis tournament here. Prakash (Rockers Racing, Coim­ Stock 165cc Open category batore) (02:09.556); 3. Sarvesh Hosted by Racing Promo­ Additionally, Indian Rac­ by clinching pole in the MRF Hanumannavar (Sparks Racing, tions (RPPL), the champion­ ing League will run as a sup­ MMSC FMSCI Indian Nation­ Hubballi) (02:09.580). ships will commence in Fe­ port race to Formula Re­ PKL Season­8: al Motorcycle Racing Cham­ TVS One-Make Champion- bruary 2022, across four gional and F4 India. It is also pionship 2021 here on Fri­ ship – Open (Apache RR 310): 1. cities — New Delhi, Chennai, expected to act as a feeder 59 players Aditi starts steady day. Navaneeth Kumar (01:56.916); Coimbatore and Hyderabad. series to promote talent to at British Open Meanwhile, Sparks Rac­ 2. Yashas R.L. 01:57.130); 3. Ja­ The F4 Indian Champion­ the two FIA licensed cham­ retained CARNOUSTIE ing’s Allwin Xavier, put in Good start: Jagan Kumar began his title defence by clinching gadeesh N. (01:57.741). ships and Formula Regional pionships. Aditi Ashok opened the Girls (Apache RTR 200): 1. some consistent laps in the the qualifying session on Friday. * SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT Press Trust of India women’s British Open golf qualifying session, to grab Baddam Deepika Reddy MUMBAI (02:14.675); 2. Rakshita Srihari with a steady one­under 71 to pole position, clocking categories were Navaneeth mat from Bokaro Steel City A total of 59 players have lie tied 22nd at the Dave (02:15.381); 3. Adlin Seles 02:09.552 in the Novice Kumar from Puducherry (Idemitsu Honda India Ta­ been retained ahead of challenging Carnoustie Links (02:18.090). Paine backs Langer (Stock 165cc) category which (TVS One­Make Champion­ lent Cup, CBR 150). Season­8 of the Pro Kabad­ here. Aditi scored four birdies Idemitsu Honda India Talent ship, Open), Baddam Deepi­ against three bogeys. The will see 39 riders taking the The results (Qualifying): Cup – CBR 150 (Novice): 1. Pra­ di League (PKL), which will Indian is four shots behind start in Saturday’s race. ka Reddy from Hyderabad National Championship: Pro- kash Kamat (02:11.914); 2. after ‘robust discussions’ take place in December, or­ the three co­leaders — Nelly Also qualifying for pole (Girls, TVS One­Make Cham­ Stock 165cc Open: 1. Jagan Ku­ Rakshit S. Dave (02:12.157); 3. ganiser Mashal Sports an­ Korda, Sei Young Kim and positions in their respective pionship) and Prakash Ka­ mar (TVS Racing) (1:57.043s); Vivek Gaurav (02:12.469). nounced on Friday. Madelene Sagstrom, who all “A total of 59 players had a matching five­under 67 were retained with 22 in in the opening round. PTI the Elite Retained Players Miracle should win Deccan Fillies Championship Stakes (ERP) category, six in the Lahiri keeps his Retained Young Players hopes alive HYDERABAD: The 3­year­old filly 1. FALCON EDGE, 2. PEAKY Ashad Asbar 54.5, 10. Mireya (9) 1. Alicia (4) Zervan 56, 2. Beastia (RYP) category, and 31 in JERSEY CITY Miracle, who is in great heart, B.R. Kumar 54.5, 11. Shelly Anne BLINDERS, 3. FRANCIS BACON (5) Bhawani 56, 3. Limoncello (8) should win the Deccan Fillies (13) Santosh Raj 54.5, 12. Thanks NAWAB MEHDI JUNG BAHADUR Akshay Kumar 56, 4. Miracle (6) the New Young Players Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri Championship Stakes (Gr.3), the (7) Neeraj 54.5 and 13. Total Darc MEMORIAL CUP (1,600m), P.S. Chouhan 56, 5. New Look (2) (NYP) category as the carded a two­under 69 in the first classic of the Monsoon racing 5 (10) Afroz Khan 54.5. rated 60 to 85 (Cat. II) — 3.15: 1. Nakhat Singh 56, 6. Ohanna (7) season here on Saturday (Aug.21). 1. THANKS, 2. GALWAN, 3. TOTAL teams begin assembling opening round of The Havelock Cruise (3) Deepak Singh Neeraj 56, 7. Pecanwood (3) Rails will be announced one hour DARC Northern Trust to keep alive 60, 2. Reno Star (1) Abhay Singh Ashad Asbar 56 and 8. Scintillat­ their squads for Season­8 before the first race. ing Lass (1) Sandesh 56. his hopes of extending his run SANDOWN PARK PLATE (Div. II) 58.5, 3. Sovet Pride (6) Sandesh slated to take place in De­ OCEAN STAR PLATE (Div. II) (1,200m), rated 20 to 45 1. MIRACLE, 2. ALICIA, 3. in the FedExCup Playoffs 3 58, 4. Strategist (4) Afroz Khan 53, Clearing the air: Tim Paine says the team is looking forward cember,” said a release (1,400m) 5­y­o & upward, rated (Cat.III) — 2.05: 1. All Time Legend 5. Ashwa Yashobali (5) Gaurav LIMONCELLO 1 * here. The 34­year­old needs to the next six months with Justin Langer. GETTY IMAGES from the PKL. 20 to 45 (Cat.III) — 1.00 p.m.: 1. (3) A.A. Vikrant 60, 2. Loch Stella Singh 52.5, 6. British Empress (7) OCEAN STAR PLATE (Div. I) to jump inside the top­70 this Max (7) Abhay Singh 61.5, 2. Mind (11) B.R. Kumar 59.5, 3. Different Akshay Kumar 52 and 7. Long 8 (1,400m) 5­y­o & upward, “The non­retained week and his cause was Reader (6) B.R. Kumar 61, 3. Call (1) Md. Ismail 59, 4. Blue Range (2) B.R. Kumar 52. rated 20 to 45 (Cat. III) — 5.00: 1. Indies and Bangladesh. players, including all squad Of The Blue (5) Deepak Singh Valentine (8) Surya Prakash 58, 5. 1. SOVET PRIDE, 2. BRITISH CRICKET helped with a solid showing Angel Tesoro (9) Gaurav Singh Paine told national sports players from PKL Seasons 60.5, 4. Blickfang (10) Mukesh Ku­ Fatuma (6) Ajeeth Kumar 57, 6. EMPRESS, 3. ASHWA YASHOBALI 61.5, 2. Once More (8) Nakhat at Liberty National Golf Club mar 59.5, 5. Ashwa Arjun (9) Whiskey Martini (10) Zervan 56.5, Singh 61.5, 3. Linewiler (10) Abhay radio network SEN he held 6 and 7, will go under the Gaurav Singh 58.5, 6. Brisbane (3) 7. Star Dancer (7) Kiran Naidu 55, SANDOWN PARK PLATE (Div. I) Agence France-Presse in New Jersey. PTI (1,200m) rated 20 to 45 Singh 61, 4. Dunkirk (11) Akshay an emergency meeting with hammer at the auctions in Surya Prakash 57, 7. Solo Winner 8. Art In Motion (2) N.B. Kuldeep 6 Kumar 60.5, 5. Rhythm Selection Sydney (1) R.S. Jodha 56.5, 8. Star Racer 54.5, 9. Armani Candy (9) Santosh (Cat.III) — 3.50: 1. Castlerock (2) vice­captain Pat Cummins, Mumbai from August 29 to Kapur, Chawrasia begin Ajeeth Kumar 60, 2. Big Brave (11) (1) Mukesh Kumar 59, 6. Dillon (5) (4) A.A. Vikrant 55.5, 9. Silver Set Raj 53, 10. Crackershow (4) Ajit Singh 57, 7. Nearest (Ex: Cin­ Test skipper Tim Paine on limited­overs skipper Aaron 31.” well at Czech Masters (8) Md. Ismail 53 and 10. Hashtag Rafique Sk. 53 and 11. Team Player S.S. Tanwar 57.5, 3. Appenzelle (6) Akshay Kumar 57, 4. Painted cia Azzurra) (7) G. Naresh 56.5, 8. Friday backed embattled Finch and Langer. “We’ve Defending champion PRAGUE (2) B. Nikhil 52. (5) R.S. Jodha 52.5. Green Turf (2) B.R. Kumar 54, 9. 1. MAX, 2. STAR RACER, 3. CALL OF 1. ALL TIME LEGEND, 2. BLUE Apache (1) Surya Prakash 57, 5. Australian coach Justin Lan­ had some really robust con­ Bengal Warriors has re­ Shiv Kapur & S.S.P. Chawrasia Red River (4) C.P. Bopanna 53, 10. THE BLUE VALENTINE, 3. WHISKEY MARTINI Blissful (3) Nakhat Singh 56.5, 6. ger after “robust discus­ versations amongst our tained captain Maninder produced a matching Blink Of An Eye (10) Afroz Khan Sun Dancer (6) N.B. Kuldeep 52 RAZIA SULTANA PLATE NEWBURY PLATE (1,600m), and 11. Sputnic (3) Ajeeth Kumar sions” among senior leaders in the last few days Singh along with Mo­ two­under 70 in the opening 55, 7. City Of Passion (8) Ashad As­ 2 (1,200m) (Terms) Maiden, 3­ 4 rated 40 to 65 (Cat.II) — 2.40: bar 54, 8. Space Walk (5) C.P. 50.5. players amid dressing­room and we’re really looking for­ hammed Esmaeil round to lie T­18 at the D+D y­o only (Cat.II) — 1.30: 1. Bandit 1. Peaky Blinders (7) Sandesh 60, 1. LINEWILER, 2. SPUTNIC, 3. SUN Bopanna 52.5, 9. One For All (4) leaks and reports of discon­ ward to the next six months Nabibaksh. REAL Czech Masters golf. King (11) G. Naresh 56, 2. Novem­ 2. Mark My Word (3) R.S. Jodha Rafique Sk. 51, 10. Top In Class (9) DANCER ber Rain (2) Ajinkya 56, 3. One 59.5, 3. Falcon Edge (5) Akshay Santosh Raj 51 and 11. California Day’s Best: MIRACLE tent over his management with JL,” he said. Pawan Kumar Sehrawat Ajeetesh Sandhu was More Time (4) Nakhat Singh 56, 4. Kumar 57, 4. Crazy Horse (1) A.A. two­over 74. Maverick Beauty (7) G. Naresh 50.5. Jackpot : 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8. style. “It was important that has been retained by Ben­ Star Cruise (6) Mukesh Kumar 56, Vikrant 56, 5. Dandy Man (2) 1. APPENZELLE, 2. BLISSFUL, 3. Antcliff and Henrik Stenson 5. Cosmic Run (1) Kiran Naidu Ashad Asbar 55.5, 6. The Special Mini Jackpot: (i) 2, 3, 4 & 5. (ii) 5, Langer has come under a myself, Aaron Finch, Pat galuru Bulls for a second PAINTED APACHE 6, 7 & 8. shared the first­round lead 54.5, 6. Exotic Dancer (8) Md. Is­ One (6) Koushik 54.5, 7. Francis barrage of scrutiny in the Cummins and the leaders of consecutive season while mail 54.5, 7. Galwan (3) Akshay Bacon (4) Nakaht Singh 53.5 and DECCAN FILLIES CHAMPION- Treble: (i) 1, 2 & 3. (ii) 3, 4 & 5. (iii) after carding five­under par Kumar 54.5, 8. Inception (5) Ajit 8. Red Snaper (8) Ajeeth Kumar 7 SHIP STAKES (Gr. 3) (1,600m) 6, 7 & 8. wake of consecutive white­ Australian cricket got Naveen Kumar has been re­ rounds of 67. PTI Singh 54.5, 9. Mehrnoosh (12) 53.5. (Terms), Fillies 3­y­o only — 4.25: Tanala: All races. ball series losses to the West around him.” tained by Dabang Delhi.

CM A BM-BME YK EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

THE HINDU MUMBAI SATURDAY, AUGUST 21, 2021 SPORT 13 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE Sathiyan and Manika bag mixed doubles crown Rafael Nadal ends season because of foot injury Become the first Indian pair to win the title on the Pro Tour with a resounding win in the summit clash

WTT CONTENDER With Sathiyan’s deft receives, a morale­booster. “We will an attacking forehand, and next play in the WTT Doha K. Keerthivasan nimble­footedness backed event and the Asian TT by Manika’s attacking fore­ championships,” he said. . Sathiyan and Manika hand and the backhand “I am very happy to win GBatra couldn’t have pushes and jabs on the long­ my first mixed title for India asked for a better beginning pimpled rubber, they were on the ITTF Tour,” said Mani­ to their preparations for the hardly challenged. In the ka, who is expected to return next Olympic cycle. four rounds, they had lost to India on Saturday. After announcing that just three games. they would compete as a duo It was clear within mi­ Singles loss till the 2024 Paris Olympics, nutes into the summit clash Late on Thursday, Manika’s Sathiyan and Manika made it that Madarasz was the weak­ singles campaign ended in Tough times: Nadal skipped Wimbledon and the Olympics a memorable outing at the er link. the semifinals as she lost to before making a return to Washington. * AP World Table Tennis Conten­ She doesn’t possess any Russia’s Elizabet Abraamian, Agence France-Presse der, Budapest, on Friday, by particular armour to win ranked 415th in the world. “Honestly, I've been suf­ clinching the mixed doubles points, which puts more Paris fering a lot more than I The 18­year­old, the reign­ crown, with a resounding pressure on Ecseki and he Rafael Nadal will miss the should with my foot for a ing European youth (u­19) 11­9, 9­11, 12­10, 11­6 win over wilted under it making quite US Open after announcing year and I need to take some champion played an attack­ Nandor Ecseki and Dora a few errors. on Friday that he is ending time to resolve this problem ing game to down Manika Ba­ Madarasz of Hungary in the In the third game, the his season because of an in­ or at least improve the situa­ tra, the sixth seed, 12­10, 11­9, final on Friday. They became Hungarians had a game jury to his left foot that has tion (if I want to be able to 12­10, 10­8. the first Indian pair to win a point at 10­9 but couldn’t troubled him since his de­ play) the next few years.” The results: Women (semifi­ mixed doubles title on the convert. That was the only What a start! G. Sathiyan and Manika Batra made their first campaign together on the Pro Tour a nals): Elizabet Abraamian (Rus) feat in the semifinals at Ro­ Following his defeat to Pro Tour. time they came close to win­ memorable one. * TWITTER bt Manika Batra 12­10, 11­9, 12­ land Garros in June. Novak Djokovic at Roland ning a game. 10, 11­8. “Hello everyone, I want­ Garros, Nadal skipped Wim­ Hardly challenged Sathiyan and Manika to be this good! We just had a play, and her much­im­ World No. 7 and the top­ Mixed doubles (final): G. Sathi­ ed to inform you that unfor­ bledon and the Olympics Sathiyan and Manika com­ gained 400 points each and day to practice. proved forehand enabled us seeded duo of Lubomir Pistej yan & Manika Batra bt Nandor tunately I have to end the before making a return to bined wonderfully well a total amount of $3000. “It “My quickness on the ta­ to win the tournament,” said and Barbora Balazova of Slo­ Ecseki & Dora Madarasz (Hun) 2021 season,” the Spaniard the courts in Washington throughout the tournament. was great. We didn’t expect ble and Manika’s intelligent Sathiyan. He said beating the vakia in the quarterfinals was 11­9, 9­11, 12­10, 11­6. wrote on Twitter. earlier this month. India will win at least 15 Jhajharia hopes to Shaili tops qualification round medals: Chef de mission emulate Neeraj Chopra Stan Rayan Press Trust of India Jhajharia, the first Indian haili Singh, one of India’s PARALYMPICS New Delhi Paralympian to win two Sbrightest prospects for Two­time gold medallist De­ gold medals at the Paralym­ the 2024 Paris Olympics, en­ Press Trust of India vendra Jhajharia is aiming to pic Games (Athens 2004 tered the women's long NEW DELHI build on the unprecedented and Rio 2016), said Neeraj jump final after topping the Gursharan Singh, Chef de gains made by javelin throw has brought respect and re­ qualification round with Mission for the Tokyo Para­ at the upcoming Paralympic cognition to the sport. 6.40m at the World Athletics lympics, said India will come Games, following Neeraj “With Neeraj’s historic under­20 championships in up with its best ever perfor­ Chopra’s landmark gold at gold, everyone is talking Nairobi on Friday. mance, returning with at the preceding Olympics. about the javelin throw sud­ The 17­year­old from Jhan­ least 15 medals including five His gold medal with a denly,” said Jhajharia, who si, coached by Robert Bobby gold. world record in the 2004 competes in F46 events. George at the Anju Bobby India will field 54 athletes, Athens Paralympics had al­ “I know that after the Centre of Excellence in Ben­ Sailing through: Shaili’s leap of 6.40m was the best of the day its largest ever contingent, in most gone unnoticed but Olympic gold, everyone galuru, opened with 6.34m, and carried her to the final. * TWITTER/SAIMEDIA nine sports — para archery, Jhajharia is happy with the would be looking at me to narrowly missing the auto­ para athletics, para badmin­ The new normal: Flame­lighting ceremonies were held hype before the Tokyo win a third paralympic matic qualification mark of in her women’s 100m hur­ men’s 200m first round. His ton, para canoeing, shooting without spectators across Tokyo on Friday. * AFP Games. gold,” said the 40­year­old. 6.35. Saili then produced dles semifinal in 14.16s. She 21.33 for the fifth spot in his para sport, para swimming, her best in the last round. was 19th overall. She had heat (23rd overall) was not para powerlifting, para table gold. We have high medal the para high jumper to Sweden's under­20 Euro­ clocked 14.18 in round one. enough. tennis and para taekwondo. hopes in para athletics, para clinch his second gold. pean champion Maja Askag, In men’s 110m hurdles, Frenchman Erwan Ko­ “I am confident that these badminton, para shooting India’s other medal hope­ who won the triple jump on Tejas Shirse was fifth in his nate (long jump, world­lead­ would be our best ever Para­ and para archery.” fuls include the para javelin Friday with an effort of heat in 13.87s and crashed ing 8.12m), Belarus’ Matvei lympic Games. India has won 12 medals, throwers, led by two­time 13.75m, was second in quali­ out. Pooja was far away from Volkov (men's pole vault, “Our Para­athletes have including four gold, in 11 Paralympic champion De­ fication with 6.39. her personal best (4:19.58s) 5.45m), Czech Republic’s Jan worked very hard and appearances. vendra Jhajharia (F46). While Shaili was flying in the women’s 1500m heat, Dolezalek (men’s hammer shown great results in inter­ The first batch of the In­ Reigning world champion high, another medal hope clocking 4:37.85, and fin­ throw, 77.83m), host Kenya’s national competitions. They dian team, led by PCI presi­ Sundar Singh Gurjar and Kunwer Ajai Raj Singh Rana ished 11th in her group and Jackline Chepkoech (wo­ are raring to go,” the secre­ dent Deepa Malik, arrived in Ajeet Singh (F46), world (73.68m) was fifth in men’s 19th overall. Sunil Joliya was men’s 3000m steeplechase, tary­general of the Paralym­ Tokyo. champion and world record javelin while teammate Jay also 11th in the men’s 3000m 9:27.40s) and neutral athlete pic Committee of India said T. Mariyappan, who will holder in F64 Sandeep Shah (70.74m) was sixth. steeplechase heat (22nd ov­ Violetta Ignatyeva (women's in a release. be the flag­bearer, also ar­ Chaudhary and Navdeep Finland’s Janne Laspa won erall) with 9:49.23s. Shan­ discus, 57.84m, born in Rus­ “We are expecting around rived in Tokyo and there will Singh (F41) are the others to Expectations high: Jhajharia will be aiming for a third gold at the gold with 76.46m. muga Srinivas was below his sia) won the other golds on 15 medals including five be a lot of expectations from watch out for. the Paralympic Games. * AP Nandini Asagara was sixth personal best (21.03s) in the Friday. ‘Chris Cairns Kohli, BCCI brass chat Maximum of 20 players and 10 The plan to confuse off life support’ ‘informally’ over roadmap opponents worked: Ashok Press Trust of India support staff in each squad: BCCI Sydney HOCKEY Former New Zealand all­ The u­19 one­dayers will kick start the domestic season round Chris Cairns is off S. Dinakar life support and is recover­ AGENCIES taq Ali Trophy. der­19 one­dayers (Vinoo CHENNAI ing following a heart sur­ NEW DELHI The Vijay Hazare Trophy Mankad) on September 20 A penalty corner combines gery, his lawyer said on Each squad can have a maxi­ (National one­dayers) will be and will be followed by the delicate touch and accuracy Friday. mum of 20 players for the played from December 1 to under­19 Challenger Trophy with brutal power. In other Cairns had suffered a upcoming domestic season, 29 while the senior women for women and men from words, it is a tango of a ballet major medical emergency the BCCI has informed its will play their first tourna­ October 25 and 26 and a boxer’s sledgehammer — an aortic dissection — State units. The number of ment — National one­dayers respectively. blow. earlier this month and was support staff has been — from October 20 to No­ The under­25 one­dayers The Indian men excelled put on life support. capped at 10. vember 20. will be held from November at penalty corners during Aortic dissection is a se­ The Ranji Trophy, which For the Ranji, Vijay Ha­ 9 to December 10 while the their memorable bronze rious condition in which a wasn’t held last season due zare and Syed Mushtaq Ali C.K. Nayudu Trophy (also medal run at the Tokyo Ashok. tear happens in the inner to the COVID­19 pandemic trophies, the 38 teams will under­25 from previous Olympics. layer of the body’s main and the logistical obstacles be divided into six groups. year’s under­23) will begin The side’s video analyst C. night. Even then, our senior artery. in having an extended bio­ There will be five Elite on January 6. Ashok Kumar told The Hin- players would be waiting for “I’m pleased to advise bubble for 38 teams, will run Groups with six teams each At the under­25 level, du, “Everyone knew Rupin­ me to give inputs and watch that Chris is off life support from January 5 to March 20. and one Plate group with there will be five Elite der Pal Singh and Harman­ the videos of our opponents. and has been able to com­ Way to go: Saurav Ganguly may have provided a broad The senior men's pro­ eight teams. Groups of six teams each preet took our penalty “Britain had two players municate with his family direction to Virat Kohli on the T20 World Cup. * FILE PHOTO gramme will begin on Oc­ The season starts with the and one Plate group of se­ corners. But, by adding Va­ who took penalty corners from hospital in Sydney,” tober 27 with the Syed Mush­ women’s and men’s un­ ven. run Kumar and Amit Rohi­ and each one would hit to a his lawyer Aaron Lloyd T20 WORLD CUP it will not be fair to divulge das to our list of potent pe­ different part of the cage. I said in a statement. the finer details of the dis­ nalty­corner takers, we told Sreejesh about this Press Trust of India cussion. But with very little managed to confuse our op­ ahead of the quarterfinal New Delhi time left for the T20 World ponents. They could not and it worked.” The Indian team is fully fo­ Cup and India not having Silver for Sanju Devi, Bhateri plan. The video analyst said he cused on winning the ongo­ any games prior to the (IPL), “Our penalty corners had had one­on­one sessions ing Test series in England discussion was more about Sports Bureau speed, accuracy and power. with the players on strategy. but both skipper Virat Kohli the roadmap going into the UFA (RUSSIA) We tried different variations “The weather was hot and and the BCCI mandarins are event,” a senior BCCI official India claimed two more sil­ and were quick on re­ humid and we could not go also discussing the roadmap said on conditions of ano­ ver medals after Sanju Devi bounds,” he added. all out in those conditions. for the upcoming T20 World nymity. With India playing and Bhateri lost their respec­ Having worked with the We had to hold the ball,” Cup, which will be an acid the Test series till Sept. 14 tive final matches at the men’s and women’s junior said Ashok. test for the captain himself. and then the players to be World junior wrestling National teams, the 30­year­ He felt that the team erred The Test win at Lord’s has busy with the IPL, time is of championships here on old Ashok, a defender who by going defensive after hav­ certainly released a lot of essence. Friday. represented Nilgiris in hock­ ing the better of the ex­ pressure off Kohli but he is Sanju was beaten 10­0 by ey apart from being a quali­ changes till half­time against

Chris Cairns. * FILE PHOTO well aware that his captain­ Cause for concern home wrestler Alina Kasa­ fied umpire, joined the se­ Belgium in the semifinal. cy future hinges on the Under Kohli, India has lost bieva in the women’s 62kg nior team in 2019. Ashok was, however, re­ team’s performance in UAE in the 2017 Champions Tro­ summit clash. Following Ashok said the role of the lieved that the side picked it­ where they start against phy final, 2019 ODI World Sanju’s passive approach, “first rusher” was most cru­ self up for the bronze Hakim critical arch­rival Pakistan. Cup semifinal apart from Alina employed two leg at­ Sanju and Bhateri added to India’s medal tally. cial in stopping penalty cor­ playoff. It is learnt that BCCI presi­ this year’s WTC final. Not be­ tacks to amass points com­ * TWITTER/SAIMEDIA ners. “He has to give the “We were spot on with Special Correspondent dent Sourav Ganguly, secre­ ing able to clear ICC semifi­ fortably and win the bout on drag­flicker as little time as our tactics against Germany. HYDERABAD tary Jay Shah and vice­presi­ nal or final hurdle has been a the basis of technical supe­ However, the Moldovan opening period when her possible. Then, of course, Whenever they raised the Football Olympian S.S. Ha­ dent Rajiv Shukla had an cause for concern. riority in the first period. was too good with her at­ right knee got awkwardly our goalkeeper Sreejesh was tempo and attempted to kim has been admitted to a informal meeting with the With the team selection Bhateri lost to Irina Ringa­ tacks to establish a 10­point twisted due to an attack by outstanding.” play fast hockey, we slowed hospital in Gulbarga fol­ captain during the second slated for next month, there ci of Moldova 12­2 in the 65kg lead and win the bout with the Russian. She was stretch­ Providing an insight into down the game. This denied lowing a cardiac arrest on Test match at Lord’s and va­ are multiple issues that final. Bhateri defended well technical superiority. ered off the mat. the team’s commitment, them rhythm while we could Friday. rious aspects related to T20 needs to be sorted out in­ after conceding four points Saneh retired midway Five Indian Greco­Roman Ashok said, “I would be off still hit them on the break.” The 82­year­old son of World Cup came up for cluding bowling workloads, inside the first 30 seconds through her 72kg bronze wrestlers in action crashed every morning at 7 a.m. and The man from Nilgiris the legendary football discussion. all­rounder’s position, wrist and closed the gap to two medal match against Rus­ out of the medal race after would return to the room was delighted that Indian coach S.A. Rahim is said to “Yes, BCCI top bosses did spinners and the like­for­like points through a takedown sian Mariam Guseinova. The facing defeat in initial late. We had to watch all the hockey reached great be critical and in the ICU. meet Kohli but let’s say that replacements. early in the second period. Indian was trailing 0­3 in the rounds. matches, well past mid­ heights in Tokyo.

CM A BM-BME YK EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

MUMBAI THE HINDU 14 SPORT SATURDAY, AUGUST 21, 2021 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE IN BRIEF Chelsea to unleash Lukaku on Arsenal Bayern’s new-look Liverpool and Manchester United will look to build on a promising start defence shows promise PREMIER LEAGUE craves for Saturday’s visit of Norwich. Agence France-Presse Guardiola’s men should New role for London be much stronger for an ex­ Lalremsiami Arsenal’s miserable start to tra week’s training with the AIZAWL the Premier League season likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Indian hockey player could get even worse as Chel­ John Stones, Kyle Walker, Ro­ Lalremsiami, who was part of sea unleashes record signing drigo, Oleksandr Zinchenko the women’s team which Romelu Lukaku for his debut and Aymeric Laporte in con­ finished fourth at the Tokyo on Sunday, while Liverpool tention after starting on the Olympics, has been and Manchester United look bench against Spurs due to appointed as the chief coach, to build on a promising start their limited pre­season after a group­A post, under the to their title challenge. reaching the latter stages of Mizoram sports and youth A good buy: Bayern Munich’s Dayot Upamecano in action services department. The The Blues believe the Bel­ Euro 2020. against Monchengladbach on the opening night. * AFP Mizoram government on gian striker can be the final Thursday offered the weapon needed to turn a Full house Group­A post to Lalremsiami squad that already won the Sean Dyche’s men return to BUNDESLIGA departures of double Cham­ as an appreciation for her Champions League last sea­ Anfield in very different cir­ pions League winners Je­ performance at the son into a Premier League tit­ cumstances this weekend in Agence France-Presse rome Boateng and David recently­concluded le contender. front of the first full house for Berlin Alaba. quadrennial event. PTI Lukaku is already in the a Premier League game since After thwarting Dortmund Having wobbled on occa­ top 20 all­time Premier before Liverpool ended a 30­ star Erling Braut Haaland, sion in last Friday’s 1­1 draw League goalscorers with 113 Back in the mix: Romelu Lukaku, who did not have a good time with Chelsea earlier, will be year wait to win the title in Bayern Munich’s new at Monchengladbach, the to his name for West Brom, eager to turn it around. * FILE PHOTO 2020. centre­back pairing Niklas duo earned praise from Everton and Manchester Un­ In front of a home crowd, Suele and Dayot Upameca­ Bayern coach Julian Nagels­ ited. season. City’s title defence Kane remains unhappy at the second time this month. Klopp’s side has not lost a no can help the defending mann after victory at Dort­ got off to a faltering start with Spurs chairman Daniel Le­ City’s bid for the England league game since 2017. champion claim its first mund in the German Super Under pressure a 1­0 defeat to Tottenham last vy’s stubborn stance to not captain could go as high as United will also be confi­ Bundesliga win this season Cup. “We defended very Manager Mikel Arteta is un­ weekend with the future of negotiate with City despite £150 million before the win­ dent of building on its open­ at home to Cologne on Sun­ well and were very aggres­ der pressure after a 2­0 de­ Harry Kane still hanging over the English champions’ wil­ dow closes, but Pep Guardio­ ing 5­1 win over Leeds when day. The pressure was on sive. Niki and ‘Upa’ were ve­ Komal Thatal joins feat to newly­promoted both clubs. lingness to break the Premier la will have to continue with­ the Red Devils travel to Suele and Upamecano to ry stable in the back four ,” Jamshedpur FC Brentford to open the new According to reports, League transfer record for out the number nine he Southampton on Sunday. forge a partnership after the said Nagelsmann. JAMSHEDPUR Komal Thatal, one of the stars of the 2017 FIFA U­17 World Cup Indian team, has signed a three­year deal with Roma’s Mourinho leads a manager Barcelona continues post-Messi era rebuild Jamshedpur Football Club (JFC) ahead of the upcoming Indian Super League (ISL) merry-go-round in Italy Atletico and Real will also aim to continue winning ways season. The 20­year­old will be with JFC till May 2024, a SERIE A Conte and has a job on his LALIGA rard Pique, who scored last release from the club said on hands to defend Inter’s Serie weekend, could miss out Friday. PTI Agence France-Presse A title after the departures of Agence France-presse with a calf problem against Milan Romelu Lukaku and Achraf Madrid Athletic. Jose Mourinho is the biggest Hakimi. Barcelona faces Athletic Bil­ Diego Simeone’s Atletico name to arrive on a Serie A Luciano Spalletti inherits bao on Saturday in its first on Sunday welcomes Elche bench this summer but the a talented Napoli squad away match since the de­ to the Wanda Metropolita­ once Special One’s shock which missed out on Eu­ parture of Lionel Messi, no, where fans will be pre­ move to Roma is one of 12 rope’s top competition by a hoping to back up a promis­ sent to celebrate its 2021 tit­ managerial changes in Italy’s single point and will again ing LaLiga opener last wee­ le triumph. top flight in a chaotic sum­ be a serious contender for kend, while Real Madrid Benzema signs contract mer. The two­time Cham­ the top four positions. and Atletico Madrid also Plenty of change extension with Real pions League winner’s arriv­ After Maurizio Sarri’s ar­ look to notch second Real has also seen plenty of MADRID al came like a bolt from the Jose Mourinho. * AP rival at Lazio, Rome derbies straight wins. Strike force: Barcelona will need Martin Braithwaite, change in the close­season, Karim Benzema has signed a blue for Roma’s trophy­ will have an interesting clash The Catalan giant is also Memphis Depay and Antoinne Griezmann to fire. * AP with coach Zinedine Zidane contract extension with Real starved supporters, who tinue his streak of league tit­ of styles now that ‘Sarriball’ still without injured winger departing the club to be re­ Madrid through 2023, the reacted to the shock ap­ les after guiding the Old La­ will face off against arch Ousmane Dembele and last Sunday by grabbing a need to step up without placed by former boss Carlo Spanish club said on Friday. The 33­year­old France striker pointment as though they dy to four straight league pragmatist Mourinho. close­season arrival Sergio brace, while Memphis De­ Messi. “We no longer have a Ancelotti. has helped Madrid win four had signed a superstar and cup doubles between He has talent at his dispo­ Aguero as it looks to pay impressed on his debut player who can decide the Ancelotti brought Gareth Champions League titles and striker. 2015 and 2019. sal with the likes of Sergej rebuild. after joining from Lyon. fate of matches on his own Bale back into the fold for a three Spanish league titles Massimiliano Allegri re­ Simone Inzaghi — a Lazio Milinkovic­Savic and Luis Al­ Martin Braithwaite Koeman admitted after — now it will be a collective 4­1 thumping of Alaves last since he joined from Lyon in turns to Juventus legend — jumped into the berto backing up Italy for­ stepped into the six­time the win over Sociedad that effort,” said the Dutchman. week when Karim Benzema 2009. Benzema became the and will be looking to con­ huge hole left by Antonio ward Ciro Immobile. Ballon d’Or winner’s shoes other players in his team Veteran centre­back Ge­ netted a double. main attacking threat for Madrid when Cristiano Ronaldo left in 2018. AP BFC will be keen to put behind loss to ATKMB Back-to-back success LeBron James fuelled by To lock horns with BPL champion Bashundhara Kings is what ATKMB seeks poll snub AFC CUP Our plan will be to maybe go Press Trust of India opponent and develop our backwards a bit and create Male (Maldives) football on the pitch. You Agence France-Presse Sports Bureau space behind them to score On a high after a clinical per­ could have one bad day or Los Angeles goals and create chances.” formance in its opener, ATK situation that could change LeBron James is taking is­ Pulisic tests positive engaluru FC will be keen Pezzaiuoli felt that the de­ Mohun Bagan (ATKMB) will the outcome.” sue with a pre­season poll for COVID-19 Bto put behind the open­ feat to ATKMB would not set eye back­to­back success that doesn’t give him a LONDON ing­day loss to ATK Mohun the team back, more so and move closer to qualify­ Intensity vote in the discussion Chelsea winger Christian Bagan (ATKMB) when it when the squad has seen sig­ ing for the knockout stage The Spaniard said the team about who is the NBA’s Pulisic has tested positive for takes on Bashundhara Kings nificant upheaval in the sum­ when it faces Maziya Sports has to play with intensity best player entering the COVID­19 less than two in an AFC Cup Group D clash mer. “I choose to take the & Recreation of Maldives in throughout. 2021­22 campaign. weeks before United States in Male on Saturday. positives. We had almost the AFC Cup here on “We know how Maziya An ESPN survey of 10 players are due to report for Kings, the Bangladesh 70% ball possession. I think Saturday. Sports & Recreation played camp ahead of their 2022 NBA executives and scouts World Cup qualifying Premier champions, are we only need to improve in The Kolkata side defeated with other teams, but we was evenly split between campaign. Chelsea manager coming off a 2­0 win over certain aspects. We want to Bengaluru FC 2­0, register­ have to see how they will Kevin Durant of the Brook­ Thomas Tuchel said on Friday Maziya S&RC in their first better our free­kicks and cor­ ing more shots on target perform against us, because lyn Nets and Giannis Ante­ that the 22­year­old group stage game. ners, and create better despite having only 32% maybe they might play tokounmpo, who led the American had tested positive “We’re up against a team chances and finish them.” possession. differently.” Milwaukee Bucks to their and was in self­isolation, that scored 55 goals in the The Kings made their AFC A victory on Saturday The home side is coming first NBA crown in 50 ruling him out of Saturday’s League and are champions,” Cup debut last season in a could put ATKMB on the into the match after a 2­0 years. game against Arsenal. AP said BFC coach Marco Pez­ campaign that was cut short verge of a knockout berth defeat at the hands of Ban­ “THANK YOU!” James zaiuoli, ahead of the match. by the COVID­19 pandemic from Group D. gladesh’s Bashundhara tweeted on Thursday. “As “They conceded only nine and retained the 2020­21 Habas said: “We are going Kings, but head coach Risto if I didn’t need more to goals in the League, and won Bangladesh Federation Cup from match to match and Vidakovic is hoping to build (fuel) ME!” with a gas their first group game 2­0. in January, and this season we have another opponent on the second­half perfor­ pump emoji symbolising They are compact at the the team scored 67 goals in Star player: BFC forward Sunil Chhetri will hope to come good waiting. It’s the same idea. mance to upset ATK Mohun the snub’s energising im­ back and counter very well. all competitions. against Bashundhara Kings. * SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT Give absolute respect to the Bagan. pact.

Arsenal completes Odegaard signing ‘I gave an outlet for athletes to We are gathering momentum nicely: Morgan LONDON Arsenal completed the Continuously trying to get better, says England skipper ahead of T20 World Cup signing of midfielder Martin speak up about mental health’ Odegaard from Real Madrid CRICKET runner­up as Carlos Brath­ on Friday. The 22­year­old Biles has no regrets in opting out of Olympics midway waite smashed four consecu­ Norway international was on Press Trust of India tive sixes off Ben Stokes in a loan in the second half of last London dramatic last over of the final season and returns on a GYMNASTICS England captain Eoin Mor­ to take the West Indies to a long­term contract after Associated Press Arsenal paid a fee reported to gan says his team is “gather­ title triumph. Washington be €35 million ($41 million). ing momentum nicely” as AP Simone Biles didn’t plan for the last edition’s runner­up Hugely significant her second Olympics to be­ hopes to improve on its “The evolution of T20 crick­ come a flashpoint in the showing in the upcoming et and the role it’s played in evolving conversation about T20 World Cup. our great game is hugely sig­ the role proper mental Moved out of India due to nificant for the development health plays in all levels of the threat posed by the CO­ of the game and the popular­ sports. VID­19 pandemic, the mega Vital element: Eoin Morgan reckons consistency is England’s ity of the game. It’s huge. It’s Then again, she’s hardly event will be held in the UAE strength. * GETTY IMAGES been a long time coming. We complaining. If anything, and Oman from Oct. 17 to haven’t had one since 2016,” she’s leaning into it. Nov. 14. “I think in T20 cricket be­ one of the key factors for said Morgan. The American gymnas­ Morgan, whose team won cause the game can change them in the tournament. South Africa and Australia Vinales and Yamaha Steadfast: I wouldn’t change anything for the world, says part ways tics star has no regrets about Simone Biles. * REUTERS the last edition of the tourna­ quite quickly, I think every “I think we’re gathering join England and the West PARIS her decision to opt­out of ment in 2016, has stressed game is important to us,” momentum nicely, and the Indies in Group 1 of the Sup­ Maverick Vinales, who has five of the six finals in Tokyo who left Japan with a silver person) first before the ath­ on the importance of conti­ said Morgan during a chat important side to that from er 12s along with the two yet­ already signed to ride for because of a mental block, medal from the team com­ lete.” nuing to play in the manner with the ICC on Friday. our perspective is that we’re to­be­determined qualifiers Aprilia next season, will leave calling it a small price to pay petition and an individual Asked if she had any clar­ it has in the last two years. continuously trying to get from Round 1 for this year’s the Yamaha MotoGP team if it lets others realise they bronze on balance beam. ity on what might have Key factor better and learn as we go on, men’s T20 World Cup. with immediate effect retain the right to say “it’s “I gave an outlet for ath­ brought on “the twisties,” Biggest strength The 34­year­old skipper feels simply because the tourna­ England will open its cam­ following disagreements OK not to be OK” no matter letes to speak up about their Biles thinks it may have “I think our biggest strength adapting to the conditions in ment is held away from paign in the 2021 edition of between the two, the how bright the spotlight. mental health and their been the build­up of various is the consistency with the UAE, where England home. We’re really looking the tournament against the Japanese manufacturer said “I wouldn’t change anyth­ well­being and learn that issues she’s faced over sever­ which we’ve performed at have not played a T20 Inter­ forward to it.” West Indies in Abu Dhabi on in a statement on Friday. AFP ing for the world,” said Biles, you can put yourself (as a al years, she said. over the last two years. national since 2015, will be In 2016, England finished October 23.

CM A BM-BME YK