Can't be pushed into a decision: Speaker - SPLessons

CMYK

friday, july 12, 2019 Delhi

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Former BJP MP Solanki

sentenced to life for

RTI activist’s murder

page 9

U.S. offi��cials to meet

Piyush Goyal today

to end trade impasse

page 13

Iranian boats tried to

block British tanker in

Persian Gulf, says U.K.

page 14

Halep sets up

showdown with Serena;

FedererNadal semifi��nal today

page 18

FRIDAY REVIEW A 8 PAGES

(TABLOID)

Hours after the SupremeCourt on Thursday askedKarnataka Speaker K.R. Ramesh Kumar to meet 10 rebellegislators from the Congressand the Janata Dal (Secular)and take a decision on theirresignations, he held a meeting with them.

However, Mr. Ramesh Kumar insisted that he had aresponsibility to understandwhether the resignationswere genuine and voluntary,as prescribed in the Constitution, and said the processcould not be rushed. “In thecurrent political situation, Ihave to enquire whetherthey are voluntary. If I do notdo it, I would have committed a mistake,” he told journalists after the nearly hourlong meeting with the rebellegislators, who fl��ew to Bengaluru from Mumbai andrushed to his chamber justafter 6 p.m, following thecourt order.

Article 190Mr. Ramesh Kumar cited Article 190 of the Constitutionas the basis for his decisionto follow the procedure toenquire whether the resignations were genuine and voluntary.

“I am not responsible forit, nor am I connected withthe political instability inKarnataka... I am not underanybody’s obligation. I amobligated to the people of theState and the Constitution,”

he said, adding that he couldnot specify a time frame for afi��nal decision on theresignations.

Mr. Ramesh Kumar confi��rmed that all the 10 freshresignation letters tenderedby the rebel legislators werein accordance with Rule 202of the Rules and Procedureof Conduct of Business in theAssembly. He, however, saidhe had not given dates forhearing to these legislators.

“During the session, I willask the Deputy Speaker to sitin the chair during afternoonsessions to hear the rebel le

gislators,” he said. Earlier in the day, the Su

preme Court became the siteof the latest faceoff�� betweenthe Speaker and the rebel legislators.

Hours after a Bench, ledby Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, asked Mr. RameshKumar to meet the 10 rebelMLAs and take a decision ontheir resignations “forthwithor in the course of the remaining part of the day”, theSpeaker urged the court torecall its order.

In an urgent applicationfi��led in the afternoon, the

Speaker said the court couldnot ask him to decide on theresignation of the legislatorsin a particular manner. Mr.Ramesh Kumar said the order hindered his probeagainst the MLAs under theantidefection law.

However, the Chief Justiceof India said the Speaker’sapplication would be heardon July 12. The court hadfi��xed the July 12 hearing to beapprised of the Speaker’s decision on the resignations.

Can’t be pushed into a decision: Speaker Ramesh Kumar meets 10 Karnataka rebel MLAs following the Supreme Court’s direction

Special Correspondent

New Delhi/ Bengaluru

Rush hour: Byrathi Basavaraj, one of the rebel MLAs, rushing to the Speaker’s chamber inBengaluru on Thursday to meet the 6 p.m. deadline set by the Supreme Court.

ASSEMBLY SESSION A PAGE 8

CONTINUED ON A PAGE 12

A Constitution Bench, ledby Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, on Thursday decided to commence hearingthe Ayodhya title dispute appeals tentatively from July25 on a daytoday basis incase a conclusion isreached, on the basis of amediation committee report, that the talks with Hindu and Muslim parties toheal minds and hearts ismaking no headway.

The Bench asked JusticeF.M.I. Kalifulla (retired),heading the courtappointed mediation committee, tosubmit the report on theprogress made so far by July18, the next date of hearing.The court’s order in a wayjumpstarts the Ayodhyacase. The committee hadbeen granted time till August 15 to engage in talks.

No headway: petitionerThe immediate trigger forThursday’s hearing is an urgent plea made by a claimant to the disputed RamjanmabhoomiBabri Masjidland that the mediation proceedings were making noheadway whatsoever.

The mediation committee is in the thick of its second round of talks. It fi��n

ished the initial round andfi��led an interim status report dated May 7 in thecourt, seeking more time.

On July 9, however, an application fi��led by GopalSingh Visharad, an originalclaimant to the disputed sitewho fi��led a title suit wayback in 1950 through hissurvivor Rajendra Singh,said the mediation was making no progress.

Visharad asked the CJI tostop the mediation and startadjudication on the appeals.The appeals have beenpending in the court for thepast eight years. Visharadsaid, “He is entitled to off��erworship without any obstruction according to therites and tenets of his religion at the birthplace ofLord Shri Ram Chandra”.

SC likely to hearAyodhya appealsfrom July 25 Seeks report from mediation panel

Krishnadas Rajagopal

NEW DELHI


The ongoing political dramatook a new twist with JD(S)leader and Minister Sa.Ra.Mahesh being spotted withBJP national generalsecretary P. Muralidhar Raoand the party’s senior leaderK.S. Eshwarappa at agovernmentrun guesthouselate on Thursday.

While both parties andleaders, including ChiefMinister H.D.Kumaraswamy, described itas a “chance meeting”, theincident set off�� speculationthat there could be backroom negotiations betweenthe BJP and the JD(S), evenwhile the latter appeared tobe fi��ghting toothandnail tosave the coalitiongovernment with theCongress.

Sources said the JD(S) wasexploring “Plan B”, giventhe precarious position ofthe coalition government.

After visuals of themeeting were aired ontelevision channels, Mr.Muralidhar Rao told TheHindu that it was a “merecoincidence” and deniedthat any politics wasdiscussed.

Speculation asMinister meetsBJP leader Special Correspondent

Bengaluru

JOINT PROTEST A PAGE 12

Election of Vardhan,Hans challengedNEW DELHI

The election of Union

Minister Harsh Vardhan, BJP

MPs Hans Raj Hans and

Meenakshi Lekhi to the Lok

Sabha was challenged before

the Delhi High Court on

Thursday on various grounds,

including giving false

information in their affi��davits.

The three separate petitions

came up for hearing before

three judges. While notices

were issued to Dr. Vardhan

and Mr. Hans, the plea

against Ms. Lekhi’s election

has been listed for further

hearing on August 18.CITY A PAGE 2 DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

NEARBY

BJP MLA’s daughtermoves HC for protectionDELHI/LUCKNOW

The daughter of a BJP

legislator from U.P. on

Thursday sought protection

from the Allahabad High

Court, alleging a threat to her

life from her father after her

marriage to a Dalit man.The

judge posted the next

hearing for July 15 since the

couple was not present in

court. NORTH A PAGE 5 DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

The CBI on Thursday conducted searches at fi��ve places in Delhi and Mumbai inconnection with a case of analleged Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA)violation by the LawyersCollective (LC), its presidentAnand Grover and others.

After CBI offi��cials concluded the search at their Nizamuddin East residence inDelhi, senior advocate Indira Jaising said she and Mr.Grover were being targetedfor the human rights workthey had been doing for thepast several years.

“The searches have been

carried out on the residential and offi��cial premises ofMr. Grover in Delhi andMumbai,” said a CBI offi��cial,clarifying that it was notagainst Ms. Jaising.

The CBI registered thecase last month on a complaint from the Home Ministry. It invoked IPC provisionsrelated to criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trustand cheating, besides criminal misconduct under thePrevention of CorruptionAct. The LC, which was earlier registered under theFCRA, had received ₹��32crore in foreign donationsbetween 2006 and 2015.

CBI teams search premises

of Lawyers Collective FIR fi��led for FCRA violations

Facing the heat: Anand Grover’s premises in Delhi andMumbai were searched on Thursday. * REUTERS


NEW DELHI


England qualifi��ed for theWorld Cup fi��nal in emphaticfashion. In a lopsided semifi��nal here at Edgbaston onThursday, Eoin Morgan’s mendefeated defending champion Australia by eight wickets with 107 deliveries tospare. Yet to win cricket’s premier trophy, England lastplayed a World Cup fi��nal inthe 1992 edition at Melbourne, and will now take onNew Zealand in the summitclash at Lord’s on Sunday.

Trailing Australia’s 223, England posted 226 for two in

fra Archer extracted tentativeshots and the visitor’s decision to take fi��rst strikebackfi��red.

Much hinged on formercaptain Smith who, besidesthe England attack, had tocontend with an aggressivecrowd booing him. Smith remained oblivious to the pressure and his 85, along with a103run fourthwicket standwith Alex Carey, lent somerespectability to the Australian total. But in the end, itwasn’t adequate to preventEngland’s regal march.

32.1 overs. Openers Jason Roy(85) and Jonny Bairstow set afrenzied pace through their124run partnership in 17.2 overs. Be it pace or spin, Royplundered fi��ve sixes and Australia’s hopes waned. MitchellStarc, Nathan Lyon and SteveSmith were caned, and the resultant momentum wasenough for the host to cruisedespite the dismissals of Bairstow and Roy.

Earlier, the Australian innings suff��ered a crisis as skipper Aaron Finch, David Warner and Peter Handscomb fellwithin the fi��rst 10 overs. ChrisWoakes (three for 20) and Jo

England dethrones Australia, roars into the fi��nalRoy powers the hosts to victory after Woakes and Archer put the skids on the Aussies

One step closer: England produced a clinical display todethrone Australia with an eightwicket win in the secondsemifi��nal at Edgbaston, Birmingham, on Thursday. * DAVID

ROGERS/GETTY IMAGES

K.C. Vijaya Kumar

Birmingham

ENGLAND RIDES ON ROY’S

ASSAULT A PAGE 17

Watching, possessing or circulating animations or cartoons that depict a minor engaging in a sexually explicitconduct could land you injail.

The Cabinet has approved

a new defi��nition for childpornography in its amendments to the POCSO Act,which is likely to be introduced in Parliament nextweek.

The new defi��nition reads,“Any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involv

ing a child which includephotographs, video, digitalor computer generated image indistinguishable froman actual child and an imagecreated, adapted or modifi��ed but appear to depict achild.”

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

NEW DELHI

Centre redefi��nes child porn, moots stiff�� penalties

DETAILS ON A PAGE 9

A ND-NDE

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DELHI THE HINDU

FRIDAY, JULY 12, 20192EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

CITY

Plea against St. Stephen’sinterview panel rejectedNEW DELHI

The Delhi HC on Thursday

dismissed a plea challenging

the inclusion of a Supreme

Council member of St.

Stephen’s College here in the

interview panel for admission

of Christian students to the

institute. Justice Anu Malhotra

dismissed the plea by three

professors of the college. PTI

IN BRIEF

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed theGhaziabad authorities tofurnish a report on the status of encroachments nearHindon Bird Sanctuary.

A Bench headed by NGTjudicial member JusticeRaghuvendra S. Rathore directed the District Magistrate to refer to previousjudgments and fi��le an affi��davit pertaining to the status ofcompliance of orders.

Action plan“It was incumbent upon[authorities] to have fi��rstgone through the [September 2016] judgment andthen proceed for executionof the same…we have notedthat the respondents havenot even noted the area inquestion and the directions

given by the tribunal whichare required to be compliedwith,” the Bench observed.

The Bench, also comprising NGT expert member S.S.Garbyal, further sought aschedule or action plan for“fully executing the judgment of the tribunal”.

Hearing pleaThe directions came whenthe green panel was hearinga plea moved by Ghaziabadresident Sushil Raghav whosought implementation ofthe 2016 judgment.

The petitioner had contended that the construction of the sixlane Hindonelevated road, which fallsunder the Hindon BirdSanctuary, was started without obtaining the requisiteclearance from the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority.

Raps Ghaziabad DM for non-compliance

Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI

Hindon sanctuary: NGT seeksreport on encroachments

BJP MP Parvesh Verma onThursday called on LieutenantGovernor Anil Baijaland submitted a list of 54mosques and graveyardswhich allegedly existed in anunauthorised manner on government land across hisconstituency of West Delhi.

Mr. Verma had, in a letterto Mr. Baijal last month, alleged that mosques and graveyards were mushroomingon government land, roadsides and vacant spaces anddemanded immediate action in this regard.

Conducted survey“The LG has assured me ofaction at the earliest and, inmy presence, issued ordersfor the survey I have beendemanding to establish thecircumstances on theground,” Mr. Verma said.

In a memorandum whichhe submitted to the LG, theWest Delhi MP said he personally conducted a survey ofsuch areas where graveyardsand mosques had come upon government land.

The land originally be

longs to departments suchas the Delhi Urban ShelterImprovement Board (DUSIB), the Gram Sabha, FloodDepartment, Delhi Development Authority (DDA) andmunicipal corporations,meant for community facilities such as parks and publictoilets, Mr. Verma said.

Mr. Verma reiterated hisdemand for the formation ofdedicated committees withdistrict magistrates and offi��cials concerned for conducting offi��cial surveys in thisregard.

Taking cognisance of Mr.Verma’s charge, the DelhiMinorities Commission(DMC) had on June 24 set upa fi��vemember factfi��ndingcommittee headed by socialactivist Ovais Sultan Khan tocrosscheck his claim.

The other members of thecommittee include Gurmindar Singh Matharu (Member– SGPC), Dr. Denzil Fernandes (social scientist), Ankur Otto (human rights activist) and Raees Ahmad(journalist).

DMC chairman Zafarul Islam Khan, in a statement,had said that illegal constructions on governmentlands is an old problem inDelhi.

“DMC does not support illegal occupation of government lands. The way this issue has been raised, itappears to be an eff��ort tobuild an atmosphere“against a certain community” which is not acceptable,”Dr. Khan had said.

Reiterates demand for formation of committees for surveys

Staff Reporter

New Delhi

BJP MP calls on L-G, submits list ofmosques on government land

<> The L-G has assured

me of action at the

earliest and issued

orders for the

survey I have been

demanding to

establish the

circumstances on

the ground

Parvesh Verma

BJP MP

Talk: Book discussion on “Lakshmithe Rebel: Culture, Economy andWomen’s Agency”, authored byBidyut Mohanty. Discussants: Prof.Malashri Lal, former Professor, Dept.of English, University of Delhi; Prof.Raj Kumar, Head, Dept. of English,University of Delhi; and Dr. SukritaPaul Kumar, poet, critic and academ-ician. Chair: Prof. Patricia Uberoi,Honorary Fellow and Chairperson,Institute of Chinese Studies at Con-ference Room – I, India InternationalCentre (IIC), 6.30 p.m.

Talk:Dance discussion on “Relook ata Kathak Master: Mohanrao Kalyan-purkar” by Sunil Kothari and SubhashChandra at Seminar Rooms II-III,Kamaladevi Complex, IIC, 6.30 p.m.

Exhibition: “Colouring the WoundsAway” a solo paintings show by Se-her Hashmi Raza, Academy of FineArts & Literature (AFAL), 4/6, Siri-fort Institutional Area, 11 a.m.-7p.m.

(Mail your listings for this column [email protected])

DELHI TODAY

On an average, B.Com courses at Delhi University saw themost number of admissionsunder the second list, ananalysis of the data showed.Coming in a close second isB.A. (Honours) politicalscience.

For the 42 B.Com coursesoff��ered at various colleges ofthe university, 4,194 students have been admitted.But, the number of studentsadmitted under the diff��erentcombinations of B.A. Programme is far higher at8,847.

It should be noted that 421such combinations are offered at the university. Thisbrings down the average

number of students in B.A.Programme courses to about21. Comparatively, there isan average of 100 students inB.Com.

At the second place is B.A.(Honours) political sciencewhich has an average of 93students admitted in 43courses. At several colleges

the cutoff��s for the coursewas pegged very high. Forinstance, in Hindu College,the cutoff�� was 99%.

B.Com (Honours) at DUhad the third highest averagenumber of students at 77 forits 49 courses.

Likely to increaseAmong all courses, SRCC hasthe most number of studentsadmitted to B.Com (Honours) with 465 students thisyear.

The current analysis hasbeen carried out on the basisof data of the number of students admitted to DU as onMonday. The number of students admitted will increaseafter admissions under thethird list are over.

B.A. (Hons.) political science and B.Com (Hons.) occupy second and third spot

Sidharth Ravi

New Delhi

B.Com most popular course under DU 2nd list

Delhi University has uploaded an ‘objection tracker’ forstudents to challenge anydiscrepancies in the examinations (DUET2019) to itsentrancebased courses heldbetween July 3 and July 8.

The fi��rst lot of objectiontrackers were put up on theuniversity’s website on July9, the day after the completion of the exams. The second lot of trackers for up to63 courses were uploaded

on Thursday morning. The ‘master question pap

ers’ for various examinations that have taken placehave been uploaded alongwith the answers.

The processTo raise issues related toanswers, applicants are required to submit it throughan ‘objection form’ in whichthey are required to enterquestion IDs and an optionID. Challenges raised areplaced before a subject exp

ert whose decision will be fi��nal. Following this, a ‘fi��nalkey’ will be uploaded and results will be complied basedon this. The link to the tracker will remain available for48 hours.

The objection tracker hasbeen made availablethrough the National TestingAgency (NTA), which is conducting the entrance testsfor the fi��rst time. The agencyalso carries out other nationallevel examinations suchas NEET and IITJEE.

Master question papers put online along with answers

Staff Reporter

New Delhi

‘Objection tracker’ to challengediscrepancies in DUET uploaded

The election of Union Minister Harsh Vardhan, BJP MPsHans Raj Hans and Meenakshi Lekhi to the Lok Sabha was challenged beforethe Delhi High Court onThursday on variousgrounds, including givingfalse information in their affi��davits.

The three separate petitions came up for hearingbefore three judges. Whilenotices were issued to Dr.Harsh Vardhan and Mr. Hansseeking their replies, theplea against Ms. Lekhi’s election has been listed forfurther hearing on August18.

‘Corrupt practices’Justice Navin Chawla askedDr. Harsh Vardhan to respond to the petition whichhas sought that his electionto the Lower House of Parliament be declared as void.The matter was listed forhearing on September 24.

The plea moved by ArunKumar, who claims to be avoter of Chandni Chowkconstituency, alleged that

the BJP leader had indulgedin corrupt practices by notdisclosing the real cost of aresidential apartment inDwarka that was bought byhis wife.

Mr. Kumar fi��led his petition through advocate Surender Singh Hooda.

In the Lok Sabha electionheld in AprilMay, Dr. HarshVardhan won the ChandniChowk seat defeating theCongress’ Jai Prakash Agarwal and the Aam Aadmi Party’s Pankaj Gupta.

In the plea fi��led againstMr. Hans, Justice Jayant Nathhas also asked the ElectionCommission (EC) to preserve the documents fi��led bythe BJP leader at the time of

nomination and listed thematter for further hearingon September 18.

The plea was fi��led by Congress candidate Rajesh Lilothia, who had contestedthe election from the NorthWest Delhi parliamentaryconstituency against Mr.Hans. The petition, fi��ledthrough advocates VikramDua and Sunil Kumar,claimed that Mr. Hans hadregistered affi��davit with falseinformation with his nomination for the 2019 generalelection. It alleged that thesingerturnedpolitician hadmade false declarations withregard to income of his wife,having liability of ₹��2.5 croreand about his education.

Petitions in HC challenge LS election of BJP leadersHarsh Vardhan and Hans Raj Hans get notices

Press Trust of India

New Delhi

Harsh Vardhan (left) and Hans Raj Hans.

A delegation of Delhi Congress leaders submitted amemorandum to LieutenantGovernor Anil Baijal’s offi��ce on Thursday alleging “irregularities andcorruption” in the recruitment for various posts ofthe Delhi Waqf Board.

Timebound probeLevelling allegations of nepotism against Aam Aadmi Party MLA Amanatullah Khan, who is also thechairman of the board,the Delhi Congress leaderssaid that the party willsoon hold a “dharna” to“expose the corruption”.

The Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee said thatthe LieutenantGovernor’s offi��ce has assuredthe delegation of a “timebound probe” into thematter.

The delegation comprised DPCC spokesperson Harnam Singh, ParvezAlam and Delhi CongressMinorities Cell chairmanAli Mehndi among others.

“The Delhi Congresswill take this matter to theMuslim community acrossthe Capital to show as tohow the Waqf Board is being misused by Mr. Khanfor personal gains insteadof serving the cause of thecommunity at large,” saidMr. Mehndi.

Norms fl��outedThe DPCC in a statementsaid that in the memorandum submitted, partyleaders have alleged that“all norms” were fl��outedin 33 appointments madeto the Board.

The delegation has alsosought removal of Mr.Khan as the chairman ofthe Board to “ensure transparency and a fair deal inthe functioning” of theDelhi Waqf Board.

Delhi Cong.calls on AnilBaijal overcorruption inWaqf Board

Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI

Jamia Millia introducesfour new courses NEW DELHI

The Jamia Millia Islamia on

Thursday introduced four new

courses under

Entrepreneurship

Development Programmes.

The courses have been

introduced in collaboration

with the National Small

Industries Corporation and the

Ministry of Micro, Small and

Medium Enterprises. PTI

Hearing for disqualifi��cationof rebel AAP MLAs DevenderSehrawat and Anil Bajpai,for allegedly joining the BJP,began in the Delhi Assemblyon Thursday, with the duodemanding crossexamination of the petitioner.

AAP legislator and spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj had moved the petitionfor disqualifi��cation of Mr.

Sehrawat and Mr. Bajpaiclaiming that they hadjoined the saff��ron party during the Lok Sabha polls inMay.

“They have said in an affi��davit that they have notjoined the BJP and are withAAP. They also said that allnews reports on them joining the BJP are fabricated.On July 20, the next date forhearing, editors and reporters of fi��ve newspapers

would be crossexamined bythe Speaker. If they [editorsand reporters] stand by theirnews reports then Sehrawatand Bajpai would be disqualifi��ed,” Mr. Bharadwaj said.

However, Mr. Bajpai, theMLA from Gandhi Nagar segment, denied having said soin his affi��davit.

Mr. Bajpai said that he hasdemanded crossexamination of Mr. Bhardwaj on July20.


New Delhi

AAP rebel MLAs demand cross-examination of petitioner

CMYK

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THE HINDU DELHI

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IN BRIEF

Lok Adalat to be held inGurugram tomorrowGURUGRAM

More than 6,000 cases,

mostly related to accidents,

traffic challans, Excise Act and

family disputes, will be heard

at a Lok Adalat to be

organised by the District Legal

Services Authority on Saturday

(July 13). Ten benches will be

constituted to hear the cases.

Those who have been issued

challans for traffic violation

can come to the Lok Adalat

with the challan and pay the

fine to close the case.

The Delhi DevelopmentAuthority will launch a webportal to facilitate citizensapply online for mutationrelated issues, said senior offi��cials on Thursday.

The portal that is likely tobe launched soon is a moveto ensure transparency, theysaid.

“Earlier people had tophysically approach the DDAand submit documents formutation purposes. However, with the launch of theportal, they can apply for theprocess themselves and notwait for any other offi��cial,”said a senior DDA offi��cial.

While the pilot projectwill entail emutation of residential plots only, it would

soon be extended for commercial plots as well, the offi��cer said.

“The website is ready andinterested stakeholders canlog in directly and feed relevant data, including the plotnumber, and so on and ap

ply for the mutation process,” the offi��cial explained.

Senior DDA offi��cials alsoadded that depending on thesuccess of the project, further benefi��ts like econversionof leasehold plots to freehold plots will also be

introduced.“After submitting the ap

plication, the web portal willalso help people track theirfi��les and keep a tab on thestatus of their applications.It will reduce the unnecessary hassle that people facedearlier,” the offi��cial added.

‘Go paperless’The urban body also said theinitiative is a part of its venture to go “paperless” whereno “physical fi��les” arerequired.

“This will ensure ease ofaccessibility and preventfraud as there will be a centralised research and development [R&D] facility andall records will be maintained in a centralised manner,” the DDA said.

DDA to launch online portal for emutation of residential plotsThe pilot project will soon be extended to commercial plots, say offi��cials

Shinjini Ghosh

New Delhi

A 20yearold aspiring doctor and her accomplicehave been arrested for allegedly making extortioncalls to a businessmanthreatening to abduct hisminor son and seeking ₹��1crore, the police said.

They were nabbed whileplanning a recce at the businessman’s house in Sector 14 to abduct the child,they said.

Nasreen alias Fiza Khanfrom Uttar Pradesh’s Mathura stays in Gurugram onrent and was in need of money to pay donation for admission to a medicalcollege.

Alumni of a renownednursing college, Nasreenhad attended to the ailingmother of the businessmanfor around 25 days, whichwas 10 months ago. Shehad a hint that a huge sum

of money could be extortedfrom the businessman.

She then hatched a planto abduct his son and alsoroped in Mustkim, a juicevendor, to help her.

Mustkim (33) from UttarPradesh’s Sambhal, stayson rent in Delhi’sSeemapuri.

On June 8, she called the

businessman, who owns anelectrical equipment manufacturing unit, and demanded ₹��1 crore.

She threatened to abduct his son in case the money was not paid.

The businessman reported the matter to the policeon Wednesday followingwhich offi��cers were deployed at his house in plainclothes.

Several teams, includingCrime Branch, were involved in the investigation.

Crime Unit Sector 17 arrested Musktim at IFFCOChowk on Thursday.

He then allegedly toldthe police that Nasreenwould come to meet him inSector 14 market followingwhich she was nabbed.

Nasreen said she was inneed of money to fulfi��l herdream to be a doctor. Shehad off��ered Musktim ₹��20lakh for the job.

Demanded ₹��1 crore; ‘had to pay donation at medical college’


GURUGRAM

Musktim was off��ered ₹��20 lakh for the job.

* SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Woman, accomplice held for makingextortion calls to businessman

A businessman and his private security offi��cer allegedlyshot at a man, also workingas PSO, during an argumentin northwest Delhi's ModelTown, the police said onThursday.

Aashutosh (23) fromBaghpat is said to be critical.

After the incident, the businessman, Ritanshu Mahendru from Model Town,and his PSO Vikrant Singhfrom Baghpat rushed thevictim to a nearby hospital.

‘False PCR call’On the way, Mahendrumade a false PCR call regarding a fi��ring by a few unidentifi��ed men at G.T. Karnalroad.

On Tuesday at 5 p.m., thepolice were reported regarding fi��ring at GT Karnalroad.

The victim who is under

going treatment at a hospital is critical, Deputy Commissioner of Police(NorthWest), VijayantaArya said.

No witnessThe victim is unfi��t for treatment and the police havenot found a witness, said theDeputy Commissioner ofPolice.

A case has been registered, she added.

Mahendru and Singhhave been arrested, the offi��cer said.

During interrogation, theduo confessed to the crime,the police said.

However, the reason forthe quarrel will be ascertained only after the victimgives his statement, the offi��cer said.

One empty cartridge andfi��velive cartridges were recovered from the spot, thepolice added.

Duo took victim to hospital: police

Staff Reporter

New Delhi

Businessman, PSO heldfor shooting at man

A 30yearold man wasstabbed to death allegedlyby two men during an argument in northeast Delhi’s Jafrabad on Thursdaymorning, the police said.

One person has been arrested in connection withthe case, they said.

Deputy Commissionerof Police (NorthEast) AtulKumar Thakur said Om Palfrom Welcome worked as adriver.

“A PCR call was receivedat 5 a.m. regarding the incident. On reaching the spot,the police found the manlying dead with multiplestab injuries. He wasrushed to Jag PraveshChandra Hospital where hewas declared broughtdead,” said a senior offi��cer,adding that the body wasshifted to Guru Teg Baha

dur Hospital forpostmortem.

Petty issueDuring investigation, it wasrevealed that Pal wasstanding on the streetwhen two persons unknown approached himand an argument startedbetween them over a pettyissue.

“Both the sides were asking each other why theywere standing on thestreet. The accused thenstabbed him and fl��ed thespot,” the offi��cer said.

A case has been registered under Section 302(punishment for murder)of the Indian Penal Code.

Mr. Thakur said raids arebeing conducted to nab thesecond accused. The victim had two criminal caseson charges of theft registered against him.

1 on the run; victim had criminal cases

Staff Reporter

New Delhi

Man stabbed to deathafter argument; one held

A 33yearold man and histhreeyearold niece wereinjured after they allegedlyfell off�� Badarpur Flyover onThursday evening, the police said.

DCP (SouthEast) Chinmoy Biswal said a PCR callwas received at 7 p.m. regarding the incident.

“On reaching the spot,the police found that the locals had taken the injuredpersons to Apollo Hospital.A damanged bike was alsofound at the spot,” the offi��cer said.

The victims have beenidentifi��ed as Mohan fromInderpuri, and his nieceDipti. “Statement of the injured persons is being taken and action will be taken accordingly,” Mr.Biswal said.

The offi��cer said preliminary investigation revealed that the injured persons were not hit by anyvehicles.

Man, niece falloff�� fl��yover, hurt

Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI

The Delhi High Court on Thursday directed the Delhi government to urgently look into the matter of regulating the sale and consumption ofecigarettes.

It is an “eburning issue” as damage was being caused to childrenwho have started consuming theseproducts.

A Bench of Chief Justice D N Pateland Justice C. Hari Shankar questioned the government as to what itwas doing for the last one year sinceit had informed the court that it wasinitiating steps to ban ecigarettesand whether the authorities werelooking into the matter or not.

‘Content of nicotine’“Are you doing something? look thedamage it is causing to our children.Is anyone looking at this matter... Seethe urgency. Look at the content ofnicotine in them... It is an eburningissue,” the Bench said.

The court, which was hearing aplea seeking to regulate the sale andconsumption of ecigarettes, was informed by the petitioner’s counselthat nowadays, schoolchildren havestarted consuming ecigaretteswhich also contains nicotine.

To this, the court asked the government counsel Sanjoy Ghose tofi��le an affi��davit through the Chief Secretary detailing the steps taken by it

for formulating a policy to banecigarettes.

The Delhi government had lastyear informed the court that it has initiated steps to completely ban theproduction, sale and supply of ecigarettes and steps were being taken tocreate public awareness.

Mr. Ghose told the court that it wasin the process of banning it and hewill convey the court’s concern to theauthorities.

Ecigarettes are devices whichhelp to create the feeling of tobaccosmoking.

Various makers of the device saythe eliquid inside the device heatsup when activated and creates an aerosolised vapour which provides afl��avour similar to tobacco.

The court was hearing a plea fi��ledby Seema Sehgal, a homemaker, whohas sought directions to the government to formulate a policy and guidelines for advertisements and regulation of sale, production and supply ofthe product.

During the hearing, her counseltold the court that there is no healthwarning/ advisory given on the packing of ecigarettes and there shouldbe some regulation to govern it as itcauses health problems.

He added that there is no data toshow that ecigarettes, which comesin fl��avours like mango and strawberry are better that the normal onesand helps in quitting smoking.

Urgently look into sale, regulation,consumption of ecigarettes: HC Govt. asked to fi��le affi��davit on steps taken to ban it

Staff Reporter

New Delhi

The Delhi Cabinet has given itsnod for the procurement of 1,650lowfl��oor buses by the DelhiTransport Corporation (DTC)and the Delhi Integrated MultiModal Transit System (DIMTS)Ltd., said Deputy Chief MinisterManish Sisodia on Thursday.

‘Electric buses in August’The government is now movingahead with the procurement of4,000 buses that will arrive bymid2020 with a tender for 1,000electric buses scheduled to openin August and their arrival expected to begin from Januarynext year, he said, adding thatthe entire batch of new buses isexpected to be on the roads byApril next year.

The meeting, which waschaired by Chief Minister ArvindKejriwal, also approved awarding concessions to successful bidders for 650 lowfl��oor buses un

der the Cluster scheme run byDIMTS, he said. Currently, thereare around 5,500 public transport buses that include 3,900being operated by the DTC andover 1,600 under the Clusterscheme by the DIMTS.

The Cabinet also gave its nodto the proposal to offi��cially closedown the Rajghat Coal Plant,which is nonfunctional since2015 and will now be convertedinto a 5,000 KW solar park.

“The government has been

preparing for the procurementof new buses for the past twoyears. No new buses could beprocured by the DTC in the last910 years. Besides 1,000 lowfl��oor DTC buses, the process forprocurement of another 3,000buses, which will arrive by MayJune 2020, is also under way,”Mr. Sisodia said.

“The Cabinet decisions takentoday are a major boost for public transport. With the decisions taken today and those ta

ken earlier and in the pipeline,Delhi will have 9,500 buses plying on the roads by May 2020,”Mr. Sisodia added.

The 1,000 airconditionedlowfl��oor buses to be procuredby DTC will start rolling out fromJanuary 2020 and the entire fl��eetwill be on the roads of the city byMay that year, he said.

In addition, he said, 1,000standard fl��oor buses under Cluster scheme will start arrivingfrom this month and by December, the entire fl��eet will be rolledout, he added.

According to Mr. Sisodia, theprocess for procurement of1,000 lowfl��oor buses under theCluster scheme is also on. Thefl��eet of 650 buses whose tenderwas cleared by the Cabinet, willstart rolling out from Decemberand the entire fl��eet will arrive byApril 2020; the tender for the remaining 350 buses low fl��oor buses under cluster scheme will beopened this month.

Govt. gives nod for procurement of 1,650 lowfl��oor buses

Conversion of Rajghat Coal Plant into a 5,000KW solar park also approved

Staff Reporter

New Delhi

The National Commissionfor Safai Karamcharis whichfunctions under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has directed theChief Secretary of Delhi tofi��le a report on sewer deathcases continuing unabatedin the Capital despite the government's “claims ofmechanisation.”

In a letter to Chief Secretary Vijay Kumar Dev on July 9, Narain Dass, Secretary,National Commission forSafai Karamcharis, alsosought a report on steps being taken by the government to stop such deaths re

sulting from the manualcleaning of sewers and septic tanks. “Please refer tonews reports of frequentdeaths of sanitation workers in Delhi while manuallycleaning sewers withoutprotective gear...The Commission has gathered thatgovernment had procured200 sewer cleaning machines to ensure mechanised system of sewer cleaning...” Mr. Dass wrote.

“...However, the regularoccurrence of sewer deathcases in Delhi seems to betray the suggestion of mechanisation. Over 15 sewerdeaths have been reportedduring last oneandahalf

year in Delhi, which has dismayed the Commission andit is compelled to understand that mechanised system of sewer cleaning is stillnot being executed completely...” the Secretaryadded.

‘Pursuing each case’Mr. Dass said the Commission was pursuing “eachcase” of deaths in sewerswith police stations investigating them and urging theoffi��cers to invoke the “stringent provisions of the Prohibition of Employment asManual Scavengers andtheir Rehabilitation Act,2013” in relation to these.

‘Mechanised system of sewer cleaning not being executed completely’

Staff Reporter

New Delhi

Commission for safai karamcharis asksgovt. to fi��le report on sewer deaths

Over 400 school buses andvans were issued challansin Noida and Greater Noidaon Thursday for not havingadequate safety measureson board, the police saidon Thursday.

The action was carriedout as part of ‘OperationClean’, a special initiativeof Gautam Buddh Nagarpolice to make roads safer,they said.

The campaign was carried out on vehicles linkedto 129 schools and began at6.30 am, a spokespersonsaid.

“During the campaign,427 school buses and vanswere issued challans afterthey were found not havingadequate safety measuresand not fulfi��lling the safetycriterion. Another 702 buses and vans were let off��with a warning to adoptproper safety measureswhile having children onboard,” the spokespersonsaid.

₹��26,700 collectedAround ₹��26,700 was collected in fi��nes during the11th edition of the “Operation Clean”, he said. Gautam Buddh Nagar SSP Vaibhav Krishna said the actionwas taken after a numberof complaints were received about school busesand vans violating traffi��crules. “There have beencomplaints that these vehicles get overloaded withchildren, run on wronglanes, risking lives of kidsand other commuters. Sothis campaign was to sendout a message that you arebeing watched when youviolate rules. There is nogetting away from the law,”Mr. Krishna said.

Over 400 schoolbuses fi��ned forinadequatesafety measures


Noida

With the arrest of two persons, the policeon Thursday claimed to have solved acase of cheating of ₹��37 lakh.

The arrested — Shivam Kayasth (26)from Greater Noida and Ishvender Singhfrom Dehradun — used to target those persons who want to go abroad and settlethere. They promised them that they willtake money only after the victims boardtheir fl��ights.

“During the same period of time, theysent their another team at the hotel forconducting fake raids from where theykept the money and other belongings ofthe relatives of their customer/victim.Even they also kept the DVRs of the hotelsto evade their arrest,” the statement said.The police said they received informationthat the accused were staying in a hotel inSector 55. “A raid was conducted and theaccused were nabbed from there,” said asenior offi��cer.

Duo held for cheatingpeople of over ₹��30 lakh


New Delhi

Dust storm likely tosweep city todayNEW DELHI

It was a hot and humid day in

the Capital with the maximum

temperature settling at 39.2

degrees Celsius on Thursday.

The weatherman predicted

partly cloudy skies along with

dust raising winds for Friday.

The maximum and minimum

temperatures are likely to

settle around 39 and 31

degrees Celsius respectively.

There is no possibility of rain,

a Met official said.Secuirty personnel keeping vigil at the Red Fort. * SUSHIL KUMAR VERMA

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Security blanket

CITYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

DELHI THE HINDU


A 30yearold woman wasshot at allegedly by two unidentifi��ed bikeborne assailants on a busy road in Dwarka Sector 12 on Thursdaymorning, the police said.

The victim, identifi��ed asKiren, has sustained injurieson her neck and her condition is stated to be critical, apolice offi��cer said.

The incident took placearound 8 a.m. at a roundabout near Radisson Blu Hotel when Kiren was returning home after dropping herson to school.Shewas shot atby twobike borne men whowere chasing her car, thepolice said.

The victim works as aparttime property and fi��nance dealer, they said.

Preliminary investigationrevealed that the womanwas involved in a family dispute, the offi��cer said, addingthat the police are scanningthe footage of the CCTVcameras installed in the areawhere the incident tookplace.

A few detainedA few suspects have been detained in connection withthe case, the police said.

An autorickshaw driver,who is an eyewitness in thecase, said he thought it wasthe sound of a bulletmotorcycle.

“Later when the [woman’s] car hit the divider, Irealised that someone hadfi��red from a gun. I saw twobikeborne assailants andthe pillion rider was brandishing the gun while theywere fl��eeing the spot,” hesaid.

Bullet injury on neckOffi��cials at VenkateshwarHospital said that she wasbrought to the hospitalaround 8.15 a.m. with a bullet injury on the neck.

“The bullet was removed.Her condition is, however,

critical and she is in ventilator,” the offi��cial said.

The family members ofthe victim and the policesuspect the involvement ofthe her husband Varun Yadav in the incident.

Troubled marriage “Kiren and Varun got married around 10 years ago andwere having matrimonial issues. Since the last oneandahalfyear, he [Varun] didnot give a single penny to mysister due to which she hadto start a small fi��nance business in Dwarka,” said PankajBajaj, the victim’s brother.

“He [Varun] had been illtreating my sister. He used tostay away from the housewithout informing anyone.We suspect his involvementin the incident,” said thebrother.

“My nephew, who is inClass IV, was not present inthe car during the incident.Otherwise the results couldhave been more dangerous,”Mr. Bajaj added.

“Doctors have informedus that the condition of thewoman is very critical. Theyhave removed the bulletfrom her neck but she is notfi��t to give a statement,” said asenior police offi��cer.

Woman driving car shot atby bikeborne men, criticalKin, cops suspect her husband’s involvement in the incident

Kiren *

STAFF REPORTER

NEW DELHI

The All India United Muslim Morcha, which worksfor the empowerment ofthe community, on Thursday, staged a daylong sitin protest at Jantar Mantar, demanding incidentsof mob lynching acrossthe Capital be stopped.

Inclusion in SC/ST ActThe Morcha, in a statement, said it also demanded the inclusion of minorities in the SC/ST Actconstituted under Article341 of the Constitution.

“Like the Ayodhya dispute, the issue of DalitMuslim reservation is alsoin the apex court, waitingfor its fi��nal verdict. As

both the issues are standing since 1949 and 1950,therefore the fi��nal verdicton both should come together otherwise it will bea great injustice with themarginalised Muslimmass, that is Dalit Muslims, who are the victimsof the Ayodhya case,” saidthe Morcha’s nationalvicepresident KamalAshraf.

Terming mob lynchingsa “new technique” of accelerating “the wave ofcommunal politics in India”, Hafi��z Gulam Sarwar,the national spokespersonof the outfi��t, urged the inclusion of Dalit Muslimsunder the SC/ST Act in order to “erase the fear psychosis” among them.

Muslim Morcha demands

end to mob lynchingStages protest at Jantar Mantar

Staff Reporter

New Delhi

A Motor Accident ClaimsTribunal on Wednesdayawarded a compensation of₹��18.97 lakh to the wife andfour children of a DTC busconductor who was killedafter being hit by a car innorthwest Delhi’s Najafgarhin 2015.

Evidence by an eyewitness, who was returningfrom work at the time of theincident, proved that theman on the wheels was atfault. The victim was walking when the accidenthappened.

The witness stood herground even when she wascrossexamined by thecounsel for the insurancecompany with which the offending vehicle was insured.

The driver and the ownerof the car opposed the claimpetition stating that the detailed accident report fi��ledby the police was false andaimed at harassing them.

Claiming that the vehiclewas not involved in the accident, they urged the courtto dismiss the claim petitionfi��led by the wife and thechildren of the deceased.

The insurance companyalso opposed the claim plea.Its counsel argued that thevictim had sustained the injuries due to falling on theroad in an intoxicatedcondition.

The tribunal’s PresidingOffi��cer, however, dismissedtheir arguments. “Havingregard to the fact and circumstances of the presentcase, it is evident that deceased Suresh sustained fatal injuries and died in a motor vehicle accident dated20.11.2015 due to rash or negligent driving of vehicle DL8CT 3439 which was beingdriven by Sanjay, owned byDinesh Kumar and insuredwith Bharti AXA General Insurance Company Ltd.,” hesaid.

“An award for a sum of₹��18.97 lakh along with interest at the rate of 9% p.a.from the date of fi��ling of thepetition, i.e 24.10.2016, tillrealisation is passed in favour of the petitioners andagainst the respondents.The compensation amountshall be payable by BhartiAXA General InsuranceCompany Ltd., to the petitioners,” Mr. Singh said.

Accident death: victim’sfamily gets ₹��18.97 lakhHe died after being hit by a car in 2015

Nirnimesh Kumar

New Delhi

A Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) delegation on Thursday carried out an inspection at Trilokpuri SarvodayaBal Vidyalaya where a ceilingfan had fallen on a student’shead fracturing his skullhere a day before.

After the inspection at theschool, BJP leaders also wentto GTB Hospital and enquired about the conditionof the injured child.

“The condition of the student continues to be serious.Being a public representative, I came here to inspectthe school as this is a seriouscase. This incident is verytragic. It is the responsibilityof all of us to prevent such incidents from happeningagain,” BJP Delhi unit chiefManoj Tiwari said.

Quality of construction“Apart from the cost of construction of the school building, the question on thequality of construction nowarises. It appears that thequality of construction fromthe door to the ceiling is substandard which resulted inthe ceiling fan falling on astudent, injuring him seriously,” Mr. Tiwari said.

The BJP has been claimingthat the construction of thesaid school building is partof a scam under which each

school room was allegedlyconstructed at a cost ofaround ₹��25 lakh.

Arguing that an “earthquakeproof school building” could have been constructed with the amountspent on the construction ofthe school where the incident occurred, Mr. Tiwarireiterated that “corruptionhas been committed on alarge scale”.

Tiwari slams SisodiaMr. Tiwari also took the opportunity to attack Education Minister Manish Sisodiawho, he said, “talks aboutconstruction of worldclassclassrooms” at governmentrun schools.

“The children cannot beleft in the schools constructed with stone slabs and Tiron as it may pose danger to

them,” he added.Leader of Opposition in

the Delhi Assembly, VijenderGupta, who was also part ofthe delegation, said, “I wantto ask [Chief Minister Arvind] Kejriwal if these are theworldclass classrooms forwhich the public money hasbeen wasted on a large scale.Kejriwal will have to replyonthis as money paid by croreof taxpayers in Delhi havebeen looted in this scam. It isalso a fraud.”

Fan mishap: BJP delegation inspects schoolBuilding part of scam under which each room was built at ₹��25 lakh, says party

The BJP delegation at the school on Thursday. (Below) Part ofthe ceiling fan which fell on the student. * SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Staff Reporter

New Delhi

Stating that the incidentshowed the “true picture”of government schools inthe Capital, the NationalHuman Rights Commissionon Thursday issued a notice to the Delhi governmentover the incident of a ceiling fan falling on a studentin a classroom a day before.

Taking suo motu cognisance of media reportsabout the incident, theNHRC sent notice to theChief Secretary, seeking areport in four weeks.

“The Commission hasfurther observed that theschool authorities, beinglawful custodian of the students, are liable to ensuretheir safety during schooltime. The incident is shocking, giving true picture ofthe State infrastructure andmaintenance of the governmentrun schools in Delhi,”an NHRC statement said.

The uncle of the 13yearold student reportedly alleged that niether anyteacher nor the schoolprincipal had accompaniedthe victim to the hospitalon the day of incident.

NHRC issuesnotice to govt.


NEW DELHI

Deputy Commissioner ofPolice (New Delhi district)and Delhi Police Public Relation Offi��cer (PRO) Madhur Verma has been transferred to ArunachalPradesh on Thursday withimmediate eff��ect.

The transfer order,which arrived in the afternoon from Ministry ofHome Aff��airs, stated thatMr. Verma “stands relieved” with eff��ect fromThursday itself to join hisnew posting.

In a similar Home Ministry’s order, Mr. Verma’swife, Niharika Rai, a 2005batch IAS offi��cer, has alsobeen transferred to Arunachal Pradesh. Her ordercame late in the evening.

Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (NewDelhi) will look after theduties of the DCP (NewDelhi) until the name ofthe new DCP is announced, said a senior police offi��cer.

A 2005batch IPS offi��cer, Mr. Verma has served asthe Deputy Commissionerof Police in various policedistricts and crime branchfrom June 2013 to July2019.

Mr. Verma was the social media face of the Statepolice.

Madhur Vermatransferred toArunachal

STAFF REPORTER

NEW DELHI

CMYK

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THE HINDU DELHI


Published by N. Ravi at Kasturi Buildings, 859 & 860, Anna Salai, Chennai-600002 and Printed by S. Ramanujam at HT Media Ltd. Plot No. 8, Udyog Vihar, Greater Noida Distt. Gautam Budh Nagar, U.P. 201306, on behalf of THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD., Chennai-600002. Editor: Suresh Nambath (Responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act).

Regd. DL(ND)-11/6110/2006-07-08 ● RNI No. UPENG/2012/49940 ● ISSN 0971 - 751X ● Vol. 9 ● No. 165

0DISCLAIMER: Readers are requested toverify and make appropriate enquiries tosatisfy themselves about the veracity ofan advertisement before responding toany published in this newspaper. THGPUBLISHING PVT LTD., the Publisher &Owner of this newspaper, does not vouchfor the authenticity of any advertisementor advertiser or for any of the advertiser’sproducts and/or services. In no event canthe Owner, Publisher, Printer, Editor, Dir-ector/s, Employees of this newspaper/company be held responsible/liable inany manner whatsoever for any claimsand/or damages for advertisements inthis newspaper.

DELHI Timings

Friday, July 12

RISE 05:32 SET 19:22

RISE 15:20 SET 01:47

Saturday, July 13

RISE 05:32 SET 19:22

RISE 16:19 SET 02:27

Sunday, July 14

RISE 05:33 SET 19:22

RISE 17:17 SET 03:12

Taking cognisance of incidents of mob lynching, including those by cow vigilantes, the Uttar PradeshLaw Commission has submitted a draft Bill recommending up to life imprisonment for the crime.

Commission chairmanJustice (retired) A.N. Mittalsubmitted a report on moblynching, along with thedraft Bill, to Chief MinisterYogi Adityanath onWednesday.

The 128page report citedvarious cases of lynching inthe State and recommendedimmediate enactment of alaw as per recommendationsmade by the Supreme Courtin 2018. The commissionsaid the existing laws to combat lynchings were notsuffi��cient.

It recommended a punishment ranging from sevenyears to life imprisonmentfor the off��ence.

Suggesting that such a lawmay be called the Uttar Pradesh Combating of MobLynching Act, the commission specifi��ed the responsibilities of police offi��cers andDistrict Magistrates and speltout the punishment for failing in their duty.

The panel said the lawshould also provide for compensation to the family ofthe victim for grievous injuryor loss of life and property.

There should also be provisions for the rehabilitation

of the victims and their families, it said.

Suo motu studyAccording to data availablefrom 2012 to 2019, 50 incidents of mob violence havetaken place in the State. Eleven of the 50 victims havedied in the attacks. Twentyfi��ve of these were cases ofmajor assault, includingthose by cow vigilantes.

“In the backdrop of thissituation, the commissiontook up the study suo motuand accordingly recommended the State government the need for having acomprehensive law to combat lynching,” said Law Commission secretary SapnaTripathi.

The report said only Manipur has made a special lawagainst lynchings and, as permedia reports, the MadhyaPradesh government is soongoing to enact one.

It referred to various casesof lynching and mob vio

lence in the State, includingthe 2015 killing of Mohammed Akhlaq in Dadri onsuspicion of beefconsumption.

It also mentioned the killing of Inspector SubodhSingh on December 3, 2018,in a clash between policeand Hindutva groups in Bulandshahr after cattle carcasses were found in a fi��eld.

“Incidents of mob violence have taken place inFarrukhabad, Unnao, Kanpur, Hapur and Muzaff��arnagar districts. Police are alsobecoming victims as peoplehave started thinking ofthem as their enemy,” JusticeMittal said in the report.

The panel studied laws ofdiff��erent countries andStates, and decisions of theSupreme Court while preparing the draft Bill.

It suggested punishmentfor conspiracy, aid or abetment in such cases, as wellas for obstructing the legalprocess.

U.P. Law Commission pushes for life term in lynching casesSubmits draft Bill to State govt.; suggests separate law to deal with mob violence


Lucknow

The draft Bill was submittedto CM Yogi Adityanath.

Sugarcane farmers wait for customers at a roadside wholesale market in Jammu on Thursday. * PTI

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Sweet deal

The Congress government inRajasthan has blamed theCentre for not releasing ₹��932crore for rural electrifi��cationworks under the Deen DayalUpadhyay Gram Jyoti Yojanaand the Saubhagya Scheme,designed to provide continuous power supply to villagesand hamlets. The State hasrequested for release of theCentral funds by thisyearend.

‘Debt burden’Energy Minister B.D. Kallasaid in the State Assemblyduring the ongoing budgetsession that while the Central funds were still awaited,the State was reeling underthe debt burden of ₹��62,422crore shifted from the powerdiscoms under the UjwalDiscom Assurance Yojana

(UDAY). The discoms are paying

an interest of ₹��11,000 croreannually on the loans.

UDAY implementationChief Minister Ashok Gehlothad also said in his budgetspeech that the previous BJPregime had implementedUDAY without considering

its impact on the State’s fi��nancial position. The Statewas trying its best to achieveUDAY’s target of reducingaggregate technical andcommercial losses in thepower sector to 15%.

Selfsuffi��ciencyMr. Kalla said 2% reductionin losses had been achievedsince December 2018, whenthe Congress governmenttook over in the State. Hesaid 76,432 agricultural power connections had been released during the last sixmonths. The Minister said21,770.64 MW of power wasbeing produced in Rajasthanat present, gradually makingthe State selfsuffi��cient in thesector.

The State was also promoting solar power, windenergy and renewable energy sources, he said.

Centre not releasing funds forrural electrifi��cation: Rajasthan‘2% reduction in power losses had been achieved’


JAIPUR

CM Ashok Gehlot. *

Haryana Director General ofPolice Manoj Yadava onThursday said the policewould not stop vehicles inHaryana for checking ofdocuments if motoristsabide by traffi��c and road safety rules on the roads.

“Instructions have beengiven to all Commissionersof Police, IGP Traffi��c andHighways and District Superintendents of Police to stopchecking for documents if avehicle has not visibly violated any rules,” Mr. Yadavasaid here in a statement.

However, he said thatdocuments would bechecked and subsequentlychallan will be issued in caseany driver is found to havecommitted a traffi��cviolation.

“The objective of implementing this initiative is tomake motorists follow traffi��c rules, to ensure road safety to the maximum and tocurb violations on theroads,” the DGP said.

“Our key purpose for rou

tine traffi��c checking is to ensure that road and traffi��crules are followed as well asto educate and make peopleaware about having a safeand secure journey. Henceforth, no unit of the districtpolice, including the traffi��cdepartment, would conductchecks solely for the purpose of ascertaining whether the driver has completedocuments. Safe driving byfollowing traffi��c rules wouldalso help in preventing roadaccidents,” he added.

Mr. Yadava said driver’s licence and vehicle registration, however, would bechecked by the police forcrime prevention duringarea sealing after heinouscrimes as well as duringnight domination exercises.

‘Cars won’t be stoppedfor document checking’ Haryana DGP’s bid for road safety


CHANDIGARH <> The objective of

implementing this

initiative is to

make motorists

follow traffi��c rules

and ensure road

safety

Manoj Yadava

Haryana Director General of Police

In a speedy judgment, aBhopal court on Thursdayawarded death sentence toa 35yearold man for raping and killing a minor girllast month.

Special Judge (for POCSO cases) Kumudini Patelpronounced the punishment to Vishnu Bamora ontwo separate off��ences under IPC Sections 302 (murder) and 376AB (raping agirl of 12yearold andbelow).

Bamora was pronounced guilty on the basis of reports of the DNAtest conducted by the Bhopal and Sagarbased forensic science laboratoriesand taking into accountother vital aspects.

The judge examined 30prosecution witnesses before awarding thepunishment.

Man gets deathsentence for rapemurder

Press trust of india

Bhopal

A speeding car rammed agroup of people doing yogaby the roadside in Rajasthan’s Bharatpur district onThursday morning, killingsix men, police said.

The accident occurred onKumherDhanwada highway

when the car driver lost control over the vehicle.

The group of six men wastaking a morning walk andhad stopped on the way for ayoga session, Kumher SHORaghbeer Singh said.

Nobody in the group survived. Four men died on thespot and two other suc

cumbed to injuries later, theoffi��cer said.

The victims were identifi��ed as Raghubar Baghel(62), Nirotilal Saini (65),Makhan Lal Kathik (60), Harishankar Tamboli (65), PremSingh Baghel (55) and Rameshwar Baghel (45), theSHO said.

Car rams men doing yoga, six killedPress trust of india

jaipur

The Punjab and HaryanaHigh Court on Thursdaygranted bail to ShiromaniAkali Dal president SukhbirSingh Badal and party leader Bikram Singh Majithia ina criminal case fi��led againstthem by Justice (retired)Ranjit Singh for allegedlymaking derogatory remarksagainst him.

A.P.S. Deol, the counselfor the petitioner, told reporters that the singleBench of Justice Amit Rawalordered both Mr. Badal andMr. Majithia to furnish a personal bond of ₹��1 lakh eachfor the bail. The next date ofhearing has been fi��xed onAugust 21 and both the leaders have been asked to bepresent in the court.

Justice Singh headed aonemember commissionset up by the Congress government in 2017 to investigate the incidents of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahiband other religious textsduring the SADBJP rule in2015. The commission’s re

port was tabled in the Punjab Assembly last year.

In his complaint, fi��led under Section 10A of TheCommissions of InquiryAct, 1952, Justice Singh alleged that both Mr. Badaland Mr. Majithia made derogatory statements againsthim to bring disrepute tohim and the commission.

‘Waste paper’He referred to an incidentwhen the two leaders, during a public protest, described his inquiry report as“waste paper, deserving tobe relegated to the trashbin”. In May, the HC had issued notices to the Akalileaders to appear before it.

(With PTI inputs)

Sukhbir, Majithia get bailin case fi��led by exjudgeBoth told to attend next hearing


Chandigarh

SAD chief Sukhbir Badal.

An Alwar court has accepted the police plea to investigate further a cow smuggling case against a truckoperator and the two sonsof Pehlu Khan, who waslynched two years ago forallegedly transporting theanimals illegally.

While the Rajasthan police had registered a case ofmurder soon after the Haryana resident’s death inApril 2017, it was also investigating the cow smugglingcharge.

The Ashok Gehlot government faced criticismrecently after a chargesheet was fi��led againstKhan’s sons, Irshad and Aarif, and truck operatorKhan Mohammad.

Mr. Gehlot had then saidthe police could reinvestigate aspects of the cowsmuggling case, registeredwhen the BJP governmentwas in power. Days later,the police fi��led an application in court seeking permission to conduct a further probe.

Nod to pursuecase againstPehlu’s sons

Press trust of india

Jaipur

Sakshi Misra, the daughterof a BJP legislator who hadclaimed a threat from him toher life because of marryinga Dalit man, moved a petition in Allahabad High Courton Thursday seeking protection. The 23yearold, whosefather Rajesh Misra is theMLA from Bithari Chainpurin Bareilly district, haduploaded a video on socialmedia on Wednesday declaring her marriage withAjitesh Kumar, 29. In another video, she appealed to herfather to stop opposing herlove marriage and call backassociates he had allegedlyset upon them.

In the petition fi��led incourt, the couple repeatedthe allegation and sought security. The petition claimedthat Mr. Misra is unhappy ashe is a Brahmin and his soninlaw a Dalit. The judgeposted the next hearing forJuly 15 since the couple was

not present in court.Stung by the embarrass

ment, Mr. Misra told reporters on Thursday that the allegations against him were“false”. He said his daughterwas an adult and “has theright to decide for herself”.

“I have not threatened tokill anybody, neither haveany of my men or family. Nobody faces any threat fromme,” the MLA said, addingthat he was busy with themembership drive of hisparty.

Bareilly Senior Superintendent of Police Muniraj G.said the police came to know

of the matter through socialmedia and assured the couple of protection if theywrote seeking security. “Wehave put Ajitesh’s house under roundtheclock security. We are trying to trace thecouple and assure them regarding their safety,” saidthe SSP.

Family leaves homeHarish Kumar, Mr. Ajitesh’sfather, alleged that his familyis getting threats from people close to the BJP MLA.The family left their houseon July 5 for an undisclosedplace. “I have approachedthe local police, media andthe BJP MLA and apprisedthem of the situation and also shown them the marriagecertifi��cate. The issue is between two families and wecan sort it out,” said Mr.Harish.

In short videos shared onsocial media, Ms. Sakshi saidher family led by her fatherand his aides were after thelife of her husband and her.

BJP MLA’s daughter movesHigh Court for protectionFather denies threatening to kill her for marrying a Dalit

Saurabh Trivedi

Omar Rashid

Delhi/Lucknow

Sakshi Misra and husbandAjitesh Kumar. *

EASTEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

DELHI THE HINDU


Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has asked hisministerial colleagues to undertake extensive fi��eld toursto know about the work being done by their respectivedepartments in diff��erentparts of the State.

Addressing a meeting ofthe Council of Ministers atthe State Secretariat here onThursday, Mr. Patnaik alsoasked the Ministers to makesurprise visits to diff��erent offi��ces and institutions. Suchvisits will add impetus to service delivery, he added.

The Chief Minister alsothanked the Ministers forsubmitting the monthly reports on the work done bytheir respective depart

ments. Mr. Patnaik had on June 4

asked the Ministers to submit the reports with his offi��ce by the seventh of everymonth.

In his address, Mr. Patnaik also advised his Ministers to directly meet people,understand their problemsand take feedback from the

benefi��ciaries of diff��erentwelfare schemes being implemented by thegovernment.

5T formula

The Chief Minister reminded his colleagues of his 5T(transparency, technology,teamwork, transformationand time) formula to makethe government bring aboutchanges in the lives of thepeople. ”You have to paypersonal attention to this,”he told the Ministers.

Emphasising that computerisation was essential fortransparency and effi��ciency,the CM asked the Ministersto ensure that all offi��cialwork was done through theOdisha Secretariat Workfl��owAutomation System .

The new Council of Ministers, which held its fi��rstmeeting on May 29, hadadopted the Biju Janata Dal’selection manifesto as theState government programme for the next fi��veyears.

At that meeting, the ChiefMinister had told the Ministers that the State government would have to apprisethe people of the implementation of the promises madeby the ruling party beforethe elections.

The BJD has been in power in the State since March2000. It won 112 seats in the147member State Assemblyin the elections held earlierthis year and Mr. Patnaik became Chief Minister for afi��fth consecutive term.

Undertake fi��eld tours, Naveentells his Cabinet colleagues'Take feedback from benefi��ciaries of diff��erent welfare schemes in the State'


BHUBANESWAR

Naveen Patnaik

Trinamool Congress chiefMamata Banerjee on Thursday directed her party MLAsnot to yield “even an inch”of political space to the BJPand take up programmes tocounter its activities in theirrespective areas.

Addressing party MLAs atthe party headquartershere, Ms. Banerjee askeddistrict leaders not to frequent Kolkata and asked thelegislators to form fourmember teams in every areato remain abreast of developments. The team shouldcomprise two boothlevelworkers, one social mediaactivist and a districtlevelfunctionary.

Party sources said during

the closeddoor meeting,Ms. Banerjee stressed theneed to eff��ectively counterthe BJP in every constituency in the runup to the 2021Assembly polls.

“Don’t yield even an inchof space to the BJP. If the BJPtakes up any programme inyour area, take up a programme the very next day tocounter it,” a source quoted

her as saying.Ms. Banerjee said the dis

trict leaders should notcome to Kolkata all the time,but instead stay rooted intheir districts in order to establish good mass contacts.“Spend more time in localtea stalls to understand thepeople’s pulse. Try to devisenovel ways of mass contact,”she said.

Ms. Banerjee has been devoting more time to the party organisation since the LokSabha election, where herparty suff��ered serious setbacks. Its seat tally camedown to 22 from 34, whilethe BJP came up with a stunning performance bagging18 seats.

The BJP had won only twoseats in 2014.

‘Form teams in every area to remain abreast of developments’

Indo-Asian News Service

Kolkata

Mamata Banerjee

Don’t yield an inch to BJP,Mamata tells party legislators

A Delhi court on Thursdaysummoned Abhishek Banerjee, West Bengal ChiefMinister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew and Trinamool Congress MP, on acomplaint alleging that hehad fi��led a false affi��davit regarding his educationalqualifi��cations while submitting his nominationpapers for the 2014 generalelection.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate SamarVishal directed Mr. Banerjee, who represents Diamond Harbour in the Lower House, to appear beforeit on July 25. “The respondent, Abhishek Banerjee,is summoned for commission of off��ence of underSection 125A of the Representation of People Act,1951,” the judge said.

Court summonsfor Mamata’snephew


New Delhi

A Supreme Courtappointedcommittee on road safety hasobserved that Odisha lacksroad signage, markings andtraffi��c signals conforming tothe Indian Road Congressspecifi��cations.

The committee headed byJustice K.S. Radhakrishnanmade the observations basedon a report of Institute ofRoad Traffi��c Education,which had conducted training on road safety for traffi��cpolice personnel deployed inBhubaneswar, and for civilengineers on standard installation of traffi��ccontrol devices, types of road traffi��c viola

tions and identifi��cation ofblack spots.

Although the IRTE conducted the survey in Bhubaneswar, the committee wanted the Odisha government to“treat it as a sample studyand implement the recommended actions throughoutthe State”.

11% rise in fatalities

The committee’s observationbecomes signifi��cant as therehas been a rise of 11% in roadaccident fatalities in Odisha.According to State Road Safety Council, which met hereearlier this week, 5,315 people were killed in road accidents in Odisha in 2018, 525

more than 2017 when 4,790people lost their lives. The average growth in road accident fatalities in the countryhas been below 1% in thisperiod.

“A large percentage ofroad signage, road markingsand traffi��c signals do not conform to IRC specifi��cations,”the SC committee said in aletter to the Stategovernment.

“Police personnel werenot fully conversant in MotorVehicles (Driving) Regulations, 2017. These regulationshave been notifi��ed by the Ministry of Road Transport andHighways on June 23, 2017,and have superseded the

rules of the Road Regulations, 1989,” the letter addressed to the State Transport Secretary said.

The committee recommended that all the road signage, markings and traffi��csignals should conform to theIRC specifi��cations.

“Traffi��c police, transportoffi��cers and road engineersshould be imparted trainingin Motor Vehicle Acts, 1988,Central Motor Vehicles Rules1989 and all the rules and regulations made thereunder,” itadded. Enforcement of traffi��claws by the State agenciesshould be as per the extantlaw and evidence, the committee emphasised.

Says most signages, markings, signals do not conform to IRC specifi��cations

Staff Reporter

Bhubaneswar

SC panel asks Odisha to plug road safety gaps


THE HINDU DELHI


CMYK

WEST

Heavy and incessant showers in the catchment areas inPune district over the past 72hours have fi��lled up the Khadakwasla dam — the city’spotable water lifeline — tofull capacity, prompting amassive discharge of waterinto the Mutha river by theirrigation department.

The other three dams supplying water to the district —Panshet, Varasgaon andTemghar — too are fi��lling uprapidly, helping reduce thecity’s water woes.

Authorities said that whileKhadkwasla had fi��lled up toits capacity of 1.97 tmc (thousand million cubic feet), thefour dams had recorded acollective storage of of 11.5tmc, which is 40% of thecumulative storage capacity.

“We have opened fi��vesluice gates of the Khadakwasla dam and have discharged 3,500 cusecs of water into the Mutha river tillThursday. The continuousrainfall led us to begin theprocess of discharge fromWednesday itself. If the raincontinues like this, all fourdams will soon fi��ll up to theircumulative capacity of 29.15tmc,” said Pandurang Shelar,Executive Engineer, Khadakwasla Irrigation Division.

Mr. Shelar further saidthat the present storage capacity in Khadakwasla wasenough to fulfi��l the city’sneeds for the next eightmonths.

The irrigation departmenthad alerted the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) before the discharge so that thecivic body could take requisite safety measures forthose living along the river

front and for commuters using the roads and bridges over the Mutha for travelling.

While the Khadakwasladam is 100 % full, the Panshet dam has fi��lled up to 45%of its capacity while the Varasgaon and Temghar damsare fi��lled to 32% and 17% oftheir total capacitiesrespectively.

Soaring mercury levels inthe summer months had

seen reserve water stocksplummeting in these fourdams, causing it to fall below3.25 tmc of their cumulativestock. The water crisis hadled to more than 1,000 tankers servicing the Pune andNashik divisions throughoutthe summer months and inJune with the water crisisprolonged by the delay inmonsoon.

Showers bring relief from water woes Fill up Pune’s dams, prompting discharge from Khadakwasla dam

Overfl��owing: Water being discharged from Khadakwasla dam in Pune on Thursday after heavyrainfall in the region. * MANDAR TANNU

Shoumojit Banerjee

Pune

Calling for universities tonot merely function as institutions doling out degrees,Chief Minister DevendraFadnavis on Thursdayurged varsities to buildthemselves into centres ofinnovation.

“We see universities ashubs of innovation and notmerely as institutions givingout degrees. If we fail togenerate merit in our varsities, then we will not be ableto build a competent human resource force. Hence,I appeal to all universities tofocus more on skill development,” he said, pointing outthat the service sector wasset to grow in the near future owing to a number ofprovisions in the recent Union Budget.

Mr. Fadnavis was speaking in Solapur at the groundbreaking ceremony for thenew administrative buildingand exam centre of Punyashlok Ahilyadevi HolkarSolapur University.

“It is the responsibility ofa university to churn out a

skilled workforce to buildthe economy,” said theChief Minister, who also approved of setting up of achair named after Ahilyadevi Holkar, the legendary 18th

Century queen. Mr. Fadnavis also per

formed the ground breaking ceremony for a housingscheme project for journalists in Solapur.

“Our government has already extended the coverage of Mahatma Phule JanArogya Yojana tojournalists and now, a pension scheme for them will

be implemented in amonth’s time,” he said.

He said his governmentwas working extensively toimplement housingschemes for all sections ofsociety.

Mr. Fadnavis was in thedistrict ahead of the annualworship of Lord Vitthal inthe temple town of Pandharpur. Mr. Fadnavis willoff��er prayers early on Friday morning. Last year, thereservation agitation by Maratha outfi��ts had compelledMr. Fadnavis to cancel thisannual event.w

Says the need is to build a competent human resource force Shoumojit Banerjee

Pune

Universities need to be hubs of innovation, said Chief MinisterDevendra Fadnavis in Solapur on Wednesday. * FILE PHOTO

Universities must not fail togenerate merit: Fadnavis

The State government has issued bylaws for the smoothredevelopment of old housing societies. The new rulesare likely to streamline disputes in societies and encourage redevelopment ofthousands of old structures,offi��cials said.

The changes were madefollowing complaints of nontransparency, disputes onappointment of contractors,violation of the redevelopment rules, delays in tendering, among others.

The rules, issued by theMaharashtra Cooperation,Textiles and Marketing Department this week, have reduced the consent clause to51% from 70% of societymembers. The governmenthas already relaxed the consent clause in other redevelopment schemes such asthat of a slum, but it has beendone for housing societiesonly now.

The bylaws also list theprocedures and modalitiesfor the managing committeeof a society, streamliningprocedures for conductingmeetings to granting sanc

tion to redevelopment. Thebylaws have fi��xed the minimum quorum required for ameeting of the managingcommittee at onefi��fth of themembership strength. A special general body meetingmust be called within twomonths of receipt of the application for redevelopment,and its minutes circulatedamong all the members within seven days.

The redevelopment blueprint needs to be be uploaded by all societies and mailedto members. Similarly, once

the contractor and architectare appointed, they must begiven an appointment letterin less than 30 days.

Experts and citizens arehappy with the new rules. “Iwelcome this progressive decision of the chief minister. Itwill help streamline disputesin societies and encourageredevelopment of old, dilapidated buildings for safe habitation,” said Manoj Kotak,Bharatiya Janata Party MPfrom Mumbai North East,who has been receiving lot ofcomplaints.

However, some still feelthe rebate in cess given to oldstructures under Rule 33 (7)of the Development ControlRules in the island city mustbe extended to structures inthe suburbs. “The government has taken the onus ofrepair of cessed structures inthe island city, but in suburban areas, the buildings donot pay cess and come underRule 33 (7). The governmentmust remove this injusticeagainst old buildings in thesuburbs,” said Parag Alavani,MLA from Vile Parle.

Redevelopment bylaws to easefriction, streamline processConsent reduced to 51% of society members; blueprint to be circulated among all

Sharad Vyas

Mumbai

Way forward: The new rules list procedures for the managing committee of a society toconduct meetings for granting sanction to redevelopment. * FILE PHOTO

Going to school everymorning has become aHerculean task for childrenfrom a tiny village in Gujarat’s Chhotaudepur districtas they have no option butto cross a river, which is inspate after torrential rains.

Rolling up their trousers, these children, mostlytribals, aged between fi��veand 10 years, have to wadethrough the waters of thefastfl��owing Orsang riverpassing through the Bokadiya village, where theroad leading to their governmentrun school hasgot submerged.

They take at least 20 minutes to cross the river andreach the primary school,located about one km awayon the other side of the river, said village sarpanch(head) Naarsing Rathwa.

“Most of the time, thesechildren cross the river byforming a human chainwhich prevents them fromfalling into the water.Those still quite young siton their parents’ shouldersto reach the school,” ac

cording to Mr. Rathwa. He said the district auth

orities and the State government earlier promisedto construct a bridge forthe safety of the children.

The primary school’sprincipal Bhavesh Makwana said children were fi��nding it quite diffi��cult to wadethrough the water to attendclasses every day.

Ghanshyam Rathwa, aClass V student said he wasscared of falling whilecrossing the river.

Another villager saidthere were snakes in the

river, which was also acause of concern.

“Crossing the river toreach the school is a bigproblem for the children,”the sarpanch said, addingthat even getting an ambulance in case of an emergency was diffi��cult becauseof the fl��ooded village road.

Rajya Sabha MP Naransinh Rathwa (Congress),who hails from Chhotaudepur, said he has appealedto the Gujarat governmentand the Centre to facilitatespeedy construction of abridge on the Orsang river.

Children in this Gujarat village face a precarious journey everyday


Vadodara

The government has promised a bridge for children to go toschool safely. * PIC FOR REPRESENTATION PURPOSE

When reaching school isfraught with danger

Senior BJP leader ShivrajSingh Chouhan said onThursday that Rahul Gandhiresigning as Congress president was akin to captain ofthe ship jumping out whenit is sinking.

Addressing a press conference here, the former Madhya Pradesh chief ministersaid, “The Congress president has rendered his resignation. I had heard thatwhen a ship sinks, its captain tries to save it till theend. But here the captainhimself has jumped out.”

“Mahatma Gandhi hadsaid immediately after Independence that the Congress’ objective was to gainfreedom and now it shouldbe dissolved.

“I think after Gandhi,Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru also said so. Now, the fakeGandhi will certainly fulfi��lthe dream of the real Gandhi and will fi��nish off�� Congress,” Mr. Chouhan said.

The BJP did not waste

time in rejoicing after theLok Sabha victory but started working on expandingthe organisation with amembership drive, he said.

“This is not for electoralgains. The BJP is not an electionoriented party. The BJPis a campaign for nationalrejuvenation. While we areworking on expansion of theorganisation, parties likeCongress are on ventilator,”he said.

“When one should dig inand work hard, the president of that party (Congress) is missing from action,” he added.

Asked if his party willhave the Congress government in Madhya Pradeshdissolved, Mr. Chouhan saidthe BJP was not toppling governments anywhere.

“There is no one in Congress who will do crisis management. Who would Congress MLAs go to as there isno one to listen to them? If itfalls under its own weight,what can we do?” the BJPvicepresident said.


Nagpur

Rahul is like captainwho jumps out whenthe ship is sinking: BJP

Operations at the Vaitarnahydro power plant in Igatpuri tehsil of Nashik districtwere aff��ected following alandslide at its entrancegate, the police said.

Nobody was injured inthe incident, they said.

“The Vaitarna power station is surrounded by hills.On Wednesday morning,rocks and mud came crashing down on the main gateof the power plant. Although nobody was hurt inthe incident, power generation was suspended,” a police offi��cial said.

The landslide wreckedtwo police chowkies locatednear the main gate. Someweapons of the police personnel posted there andsome motorcycles got buried under the rubble, hesaid, adding that eff��orts areon to clear the path.

The power plant is builton Vaitarna dam, which islocated around 45 km fromNashik city.

The region has been experiencing heavy rains forthe last few days. Accordingto the weather department,Igatpuri recorded 172 mmrainfall in 24 hours ending 8a.m. on Wednesday.


Nashik

Landslide at Vaitarnapower plant’s main gatehits operations

A 26yearold man, driverof NCP leader Parth Pawar,alleged on Thursday thathe was abducted by twounidentifi��ed men fromMumbai last week.

Manoj Satpute, the complainant, claimed the culprits assaulted him inside acar before dropping him

by the roadside in Ahmednagar district, 230 kmfrom Mumbai, accordingto an offi��cial of Pune RuralPolice. Mr. Satpute, resident of Shirur, works asdriver for Parth Pawar, sonof former Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar. On July 5, two menapproached him in Colaba, Mumbai, he said.

Parth Pawar’s driver alleges abduction Press Trust of India

Pune

A team of police commandos and naxals exchangedfi��re in Gadchiroli district onThursday morning.

The skirmish took placein BurgiPipli forest nearHalewada in Etapalli tehsil,a police offi��cial said.

The rebels opened fi��reon the police team when itwas patrolling in the area,leading to a shootoutwhich lasted for a few minutes, he said.

The naxals then fl��ed intodeep forest, he said. Policerecovered arms and ammunition from the spot and aresearching for the rebels.

Police, Naxalsexchange fi��rein Gadchiroli


Mumbai

OBITUARY &

REMEMBRANCE

DEATH

The sessions of the Karnataka Legislature, in the recentpast, have not been withoutdrama, but the one commencing on Friday promisesto have more of it.

The governing Congressand JDS coalition is struggling to hang on despite thenumber of MLAs plummeting — 100 at last count — witha slew of resignations, whilethe opposition BJP is bent onbringing down the government, arguing that it hasbeen reduced to a minority.

The session begins amidwhips issued by the Congress and the JD(S) to its legislators to attend the proceedings of the Housewithout fail and SpeakerK.R. Ramesh Kumar seekingmore time to scrutinise theresignation letters of the 16MLAs (13 from the Congressand three from the JDS).

These legislators, whowere facing the threat of disqualifi��cation, appeared before the Speaker on Thursday as per the directions ofthe Supreme Court to resubmit their resignation letters.The Speaker said he cannotdecide on them in a hurry,making their futureuncertain.

Will they, won’t they?As 20 MLAs had skipped theCongress Legislature Party(CLP) meeting on Monday,the question is whether agroup among them, allegedly staying at a hotel in Mumbai at the behest of the BJPsince Saturday last, would attend the session on Friday.The whip issued by GaneshHukkeri (Congress) is awarning to the MLAs thatthey would be disqualifi��edunder the Antidefection lawif they skip the legislature

proceedings. Though theLower House listed its agenda for Friday as “offi��cial” business, the House is unlikelyto run smoothly, given thecharged political atmosphere.

Members of the governingand Opposition parties areexpected to press their viewsand blame each other for theongoing political stalemate,unless the House is adjourned after the obituaryreference.

Meanwhile, leaders of thecoalition, at both the State

and national levels, havebeen exploring options before them to save the 13monthold government. TheCabinet, which met onThursday, held discussionson the political crisis and thestrategies that are possible.

Joint fi��ghtUnlike in the previous cases,the Cabinet took note of theseriousness of the politicalcrisis this time and all Ministers pledged to fi��ght collectively to save the government. “This is the BJP’s sixth

attempt to topple the government in the last oneyear and we have exploredvarious options before us,”Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat RajKrishna Byre Gowda said.

Meanwhile, the government, whose actions are being closely monitored by Governor Vajubhai R. Vala,seems to be in no hurry tomove a trust motion on thefl��oor of the House. Instead, ithas decided to face a noconfi��dence motion from the BJPif one comes. The BJP isclearly in a hurry to securepower, allegedly by luringcoalition MLAs. “If necessary, we will move the confi��dence motion,” Mr. Gowdasaid.

The government has expressed its readiness to follow all directions and advicegiven by the Governor in accordance with the Constitution. The BJP is expected toseek a division of votes onBills or on the Finance Bill.

Karnataka Legislature set tomeet today amid uncertainty Congress, JD(S) issue whips to legislators to attend proceedings of the House

Nagesh Prabhu

Bengaluru

Bumpy road ahead: Arrangements being made at the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru for Friday’s session. * V. SREENIVASA MURTHY

CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

CMYK

A ND-NDE


DELHI THE HINDU


SOUTH

Uniform fees soon in A.P.engineering collegesVIJAYAWADA

All engineering colleges in

Andhra Pradesh will have a

uniform fee structure soon,

said HRD Minister A. Suresh,

on Thursday. The new fee

structure would be

implemented from the

current academic year. At a

meeting, the Minister said

the aim was to prevent

commercialisation of

education. Constitution of a

Fee Regulation Commission

was one of the promises

made by Chief Minister Y.S.

Jagan Mohan Reddy, he said.

IN BRIEF

Commissioner seeksdirective to TDBKOCHI

The Advocate Commissioner

appointed by the Kerala High

Court to conduct a survey of

the land of the Travancore

Devaswom Board (TDB) at

Sabarimala has sought a

directive to the TDB to

protect Sree Rama Padam at

Pampa and convert it into a

place of pilgrimage. In a

report submitted before the

High Court, Advocate

Commissioner A.S.P. Kurup

said Sree Rama Padam

needed to be protected as

per an Ashtamangala

Devaprasnam held last July.

Tiger killed in territorialfight in BandipurMYSURU

A male tiger aged around 8

died owing to injuries

sustained in a fight with

another tiger in the Maddur

range of the Bandipur Tiger

Reserve on Thursday.

T. Balachandar, Conservator

of Forests, said the tiger was

sighted a few days ago during

routine monitoring and it was

found to be in bad shape.

There was maggot infestation

on its wounds, he said. “The

death was due to natural

causes and there was no foul

play,” said the official. A

postmortem was conducted.

Amid the crisis, KarnatakaChief Minister H.D.Kumaraswamy said therewas “no question of himresigning”.

“Did B.S. Yeddyurapparesign during a similar crisis

in 2010, when 18 MLAs,including eight Ministers,rebelled against hisgovernment? Why should Iresign now? There is noquestion of me resigning,”he told the media onThursday when asked if hewould resign.

Why should I quit, asks CMSpecial Correspondent

Bengaluru

The Supreme Court has rejected a petition fi��led by aprivate builder to review itsMay 8 order to demolishapartment blocks at Maradupanchayat in Ernakulam district in Kerala for violatingstringent coastal zoneregulations.

Deciding in their chambers, a Bench of JusticesArun Mishra and Navin Sinha stood fi��rm by its decisionto raze the fl��ats where over400 families stay.

“Applications for oralhearing/hearing in opencourt are rejected. Havingperused the review petitionsand the connected paperswith meticulous care, we donot fi��nd any justifi��able reason to entertain the reviewpetitions. The review petitions are, accordingly, dismissed,” the July 10 orderconcluded.

Residents criticisedRecently, Justice Mishra orally launched a stinging criticism against the residentsfor approaching anotherapex court Bench to get astay on the demolition oftheir apartments on the sly.

On May 8, the Bench ledby Justice Mishra orderedthe fl��ats to be demolishedwithin a month. However,on June 10, residents approached another VacationBench of the apex court ledby Justice Indira Banerjee toget a stay. The residents hadcomplained that they werenot heard by Justice Mishra’sBench before the demolitionorder was passed.

A livid Justice Mishra hadcalled the act of the residents to pit the order of oneBench against another as an“absolute fraud” committedon the court.

The judge had even threa

tened contempt against thelawyers involved. Finally,the residents had to withdraw their plea.

On June 10, the Justice Banerjeeled Bench put onhold the demolition of thebuildings for six weeks afterthe hapless residents pleaded that they were not evengiven an opportunity to beheard before the apex courtpassed the order to raze thefi��ve apartment blocks at Maradu in Ernakulam.

Fundamental rightOne of the grounds of reviewfi��led by Alfa Ventures Pvt Ltdwas that the courtappointed threemember committee had not given them aproper hearing on the showcause notice pertaining toviolations and therefore thedemolition order violatedtheir fundamental right.

The plea had alleged thatthe court was misled by theKerala Coastal Zone Management Authority (KCZMA) into passing the May 8 decision. The threememberpanel’s report had concluded that the buildings fellwithin the CRZIII limits.

The committee had stated

that as per CRZ notifi��cationof 1991 and Kerala CoastalZone Management Plan1996, the area in questioncame under CRZ III. As perthe CRZ notifi��cation 1991, noconstruction was permittedwithin 200 metres from thecoastal line in CRZ III.

‘Unscrupulous trespass’The review plea had submitted that the KCZMA hid a vital fact from the apex court— that is, a more recent Coastal Zone Management Plan(CZMP) prepared pursuantto a 2011 CRZ notifi��cationwas approved by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) on February 28,2019 by which the Maraduarea of Ernakulam was categorised under CRZII.

The May 8 judgmentblamed the “devastating effects” of unbridled construction activities in ecosensitive areas with natural waterfl��ow. It said illegal constructions on river shores and“unscrupulous trespass” into the natural path of backwaters have led to naturalcalamities like the recentfl��oods in Tamil Nadu, Keralaand Uttarakhand.

400 families stay in blocks built in violation of CRZ normsLegal Correspondent

NEW DELHI

Hopes shattered: Holy Faith apartments and Alfa Ventures(right) are among the fi��ve buildings at Maradu in Ernakulamthat were ordered to be razed. * THULASI KAKKAT

SC rejects appeal againstdemolition of fl��ats in Kerala

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddyhas announced a calamityrelief fund with a corpus of₹��2,000 crore to providecompensation for crop losscaused by drought and cyclones.

He has also announced aprovision of ₹��1 crore to eachMLA, irrespective of partyaffi��liation, for addressing thedrinking water problem intheir respectiveconstituencies.

The CM also announcedthe release of ₹��2,000 croretowards agricultural inputsubsidy, which according tohim should have been disbursed by the previous dispensation, and the establishment of laboratories in allconstituencies for testing thequality of farm inputs. Be

sides, a market stabilisationfund of ₹��3,000 crore is beingcreated, and MLAs are beingappointed as honorarychairpersons of AgriculturalMarket Committees to enable the farmers to realise better prices for their produce.

Debt burdenThese are some of the majorand immediate steps beingtaken by the government formitigating the impact ofdrought, Mr. Reddy said,while blaming the previousTelugu Desam Party government for the farm debt risingfrom nearly ₹��87,612 crore to₹��1.49 lakh crore.

Intervening in a discussion on drought in the Assembly on Thursday, Mr.Reddy said the State received 70.1 mm rainfallagainst the normal 135.5 mmbetween June 1 and July 10,

and sowing was completedonly in 3 lakh hectares, instead of 9 lakh hectares.

Help for familiesDuring the last fi��ve years,1,513 farmers allegedly committed suicide. But ex gratiawas paid to the kin of only391 farmers. The government decided to give compensation to the families ofthe 1,122 farmers, to whomthe TDP government had notpaid a single paisa, he said.

An ex gratia of ₹��7 lakh hadalready been announced inrespect of the farmers whomet with accidental death,or had ended their lives dueto fi��nancial distress, he said.

A sum of ₹��300 crore wasreleased for clearing paddyprocurement dues out of thetotal outstanding amount of₹��900 crore, the Chief Minister said.

A.P. government readies

safety net for farmersAnnounces ₹��2,000 cr. each for calamity relief, input subsidy

Staff Reporter

Vijayawada

Farmers performing ‘Varuna Yagam’ for rain at Budharam village in Nalgonda district of Telangana. * SINGAM VENKATARAMANA

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Common cause

The Telangana government’s decision to shift theSecretariat paving the wayfor the construction of a newstateoftheart complex isturning out to be a challengefor at least one departmentlocated in the existing complex — the Interim Repository of the Telangana State Archives and ResearchInstitute.

The interim repositoryhosts several records of theState, including the historical records, in its possession. Spread in over 20 lakhfolios, these records, alreadybrittle and dilapidated, re

quire adequate precautionsfor shifting to a new locationwithout much damage. “Unlike the documents of otherdepartments which can be

bundled with ease, thesedocuments require specialattention,” a senior offi��cialsaid.

Nizams’ letters in folioIn addition to the documents relating to the StateSecretariat from 1969, therepository contains personalcollections of several eminent people, including somecommunications of Nizamsof the erstwhile HyderabadState that have been classifi��ed as confi��dential.

It boasts of the Indianephemeris, a collection ofdata giving calculated positions of celestial objects,from AD 700 to 1779.

In Telangana, shifting ancientdocuments poses a challenge As govt. moves Secretariat, one department needs extra care

M. Rajeev

HYDERABAD

The Interim Repository ofthe Telangana StateArchives. * G. RAMAKRISHNA

The Kerala government hasdecided to establish a permanent hub in Palakkadfor handling interState river water disputes. The InterState River Water Hubwill become a reality inthree months.

The decision was takenat the trimonthly reviewmeeting of the IrrigationDepartment convened byWater Resources MinisterK. Krishnankutty here onThursday. The facility willbe constructed at a cost of₹��1.5 crore.

The meeting decided toplan new irrigationschemes for the growth ofthe agriculture sector. Aspecial panel of expertswill be formed for the planning process.

The Irrigation Department plans to introduce aunifi��ed software for all itsoffi��ces to ensure speedymovement of fi��les.

Inter-StateRiver WaterHub in Kerala


THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

The sighting of newmenhirs, perhaps thelargestever recorded inKerala, on the Pothamalahills in the Udumbancholataluk on the KeralaTamilNadu border, has thrownlight on the possibleexistence of a majorprehistoric necropolis there.

The menhirs wereidentifi��ed by a team ofhistorians led by RajeevPuliyoor, assistant professorat the Government Teachers’Training College, Elanthoor,near here, during a visit toShanthanpara village onTuesday.

Mr. Puliyoor told The

Hindu that the Pothamala

hills housed hundreds ofcobbled stone structures,pointing to the existence of astructured graveyard of aprehistoric civilisation.

He said the largest menhirfound was 20 feet tall and 6feet wide, with a thickness of5 feet.

Harikrishnan M., JomonJose and M.S. Jayan, assistantprofessors at theNedumkandam B.EdCollege, were the other teammembers.

Special patternThe menhirs were planted ina specifi��c geometricalpattern on a cluster of hills,Mr. Puliyoor said. He saidthe exquisite natural settingsof the hills and dales at

Pothamala made the yettobe explored megalithic sitediff��erent from similar sitesspotted in other parts of theState. Most of these

structures were oriented inthe eastwest direction.

The megalithic stonesentinels at Pothamala mighthold the key to the hitherto

unexplored facets of acivilisation that dated backaround 3,000 years, said Mr.Puliyoor. He urged theArchaeological Survey ofIndia and the ArchaeologyDepartment to conduct afullscale excavation anddetailed study of thismegalithic site withoutdelay.

70 sites spotted earlierSeventy megalithic sites havealready been identifi��ed indiff��erent parts of Idukki byresearchers and historians,including 40 megalithic sitesin the Udumbanchola talukitself. But no seriousattempts have been made tounderstand theirdistribution pattern.

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Pothamala menhirs stand guard on ancient necropolis

RADHAKRISHNAN KUTTOOR

PATHANAMTHITTA

The stone structures in Udumbanchola, some up to 20 ft tall, are among the largest found in Kerala

Reinforcing the past: The Pothamala hills have many stonestructures, pointing to a structured graveyard.


THE HINDU DELHI


CMYK

NATION

Weather WatchRainfall, temperature & air quality in select metros yesterday

Temperature Data: IMD, Pollution Data: CPCB, Map: INSAT/IMD (Taken at 17.00 Hrs)

Forecast for Friday: Heavy to very heavy rainfall over SubHimalayan West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya, Bihar, Konkan,Goa, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, east Uttar Pradesh andArunachal Pradesh

city rain max min city rain max min

Agartala.............10.8.... 29.0.... 26.0 Kozhikode ...........12.0.... 33.0.... 23.0

Ahmedabad............ —.... 38.0.... 27.0 Kurnool ................... —.... 36.0.... 28.0

Aizwal ..................73.... 26.0.... 20.0 Lucknow............121.6.... 29.0.... 24.0

Allahabad ..........59.4.... 30.0.... 25.0 Madurai.................0.2.... 37.0.... 26.0

Bengaluru .............. —.... 29.0.... 20.0 Mangaluru.............1.9.... 28.0.... 21.0

Bhopal................... —.... 32.0.... 24.0 Mumbai...............50.2.... 29.0.... 24.0

Bhubaneswar ......... —.... 33.0.... 25.0 Mysuru.................... —.... 30.0... 19.0

Chandigarh ..........9.6.... 33.0.... 28.0 New Delhi ............... —.... 39.0.... 31.0

Chennai ................. —.... 35.0.... 28.0 Patna ..................35.6.... 29.0.... 25.0

Coimbatore............ —.... 33.0.... 22.0 Port Blair ................ —.... 32.0.... 26.0

Dehradun.............0.3.... 32.0.... 25.0 Puducherry..........17.2.... 34.0.... 25.0

Gangtok.............26.8.... 20.0.... 18.0 Pune ...................31.8.... 28.0.... 22.0

Goa ...................99.6.... 26.0.... 22.0 Raipur ..................... —.... 32.0.... 26.0

Guwahati .............5.5.... 32.0.... 26.0 Ranchi..................... —.... 33.0.... 24.0

Hubballi................. —.... 23.0.... 21.0 Shillong.............101.9.... 23.0.... 18.0

Hyderabad ..............1.... 35.0.... 25.0 Shimla..................... —.... 25.0.... 18.0

Imphal....................1.... 30.0.... 23.0 Srinagar .................. —.... 32.0.... 20.0

Jaipur .................... —.... 38.0.... 29.0 Trivandrum ...........1.1.... 31.0.... 24.0

Kochi.................11.8.... 32.0.... 24.0 Tiruchi .................... —.... 38.0.... 26.0

Kohima..............11.4.... 26.0.... 18.0 Vijayawada .............. —.... 39.0.... 26.0

Kolkata...................1.... 33.0.... 27.0 Visakhapatnam ......... —.... 32.0.... 28.0

(Rainfall data in mm; temperature in Celsius)

Pollutants in the air you are breathing Yesterday

CITIES SO2 NO2 CO PM2.5 PM10 CODE

In observation made at4.00 p.m., Baghpat,Uttar Pradesh recordedan overall air qualityindex (AQI) score of 416,indicating severe. Incontrast, Chandrapur,Maharashtra, recorded ahealthy AQI score of 23

Ahmedabad ...... 84 128 .56 ....83 .....— ....*

Bengaluru......... 35 .39 .62 ..... — .100 ....*

Chennai ............ ..4 .37 .39 ....74 .....— ....*

Delhi ................ 10 .72 .52 ..174 .412 ....*

Hyderabad ........ 13 .44 .15 ....34 ...54 ....*

Kolkata............. ..6 .60 .17 ....75 ...91 ....*

Lucknow........... ..4 .37 .49 ....89 .....— ....*

Mumbai ............ ..— .17 101 ....27 ...53 ....*

Pune................. 83 ...8 .22 ....30 ...30 ....*

Vishakhapatnam 10 .44 .29 ....41 ...99 ....*

Air Quality Code: * Poor * Moderate * Good (Readings indicate average AQI)

SO2: Sulphur Dioxide. Short-term exposure can harm the respiratory system,

making breathing difficult. It can affect visibility by reacting with other air

particles to form haze and stain culturally important objects such as statues

and monuments.

NO2: Nitrogen Dioxide. Aggravates respiratory illness, causes haze to form by

reacting with other air particles, causes acid rain, pollutes coastal waters.

CO: Carbon monoxide. High concentration in air reduces oxygen supply to

critical organs like the heart and brain. At very high levels, it can cause

dizziness, confusion, unconsciousness and even death.

PM2.5 & PM10: Particulate matter pollution can cause irritation of the eyes,

nose and throat, coughing, chest tightness and shortness of breath, reduced

lung function, irregular heartbeat, asthma attacks, heart attacks and

premature death in people with heart or lung disease

More than 4.23 lakh peoplehave been displaced byfl��oods that aff��ected 17 of Assam’s 33 districts. Torrentialrain wreaked misery elsewhere in the northeast, claiming the lives of two 10yearold girls in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang after a wallcollapsed on their hostel.

Offi��cials of the AssamState Disaster ManagementAuthority said the rising waters of river Brahmaputraand at least six of its tributaries made 4,23,386 peopleabandon their homes andmove to shelter on highergrounds. But only 1,834 people, including 281 children,have moved into 53 reliefcamps that the local admi

nistrations have opened forthe fl��oodaff��ected people.

Offi��cials estimated cropdamage on 16,730.72 hectares of farmland, breachingof fi��ve major embankmentsin as many districts, and river erosion threatening theexistence of 19 villages. Asmany as 64 roads and a dozen bridges have either beendamaged or submerged.

In Tawang, bordering Tibet, local offi��cials reportedthe death of two girls after awall collapsed on theirschool hostel. “Torrentialrain loosened the earth andthe wall, which was built ona slope fell on the hostelbuilding around 3 a.m. Thegirls were identifi��ed as Rinchin Lhamu and GendenWangmu,” an offi��cial said.

Floods displace over 4 lakh in AssamTwo girls killed in a wall collapse caused by heavy rain in Arunachal Pradesh

Survival instincts: Girls rowing a makeshift raft in a fl��oodhit village in Karbi Anglong district of Assam on Thursday. * REUTERS


Guwahati

Former Bharatiya Janata Party MP Dinu Solanki and sixothers were on Thursdaysentenced to life imprisonment in connection with thebrutal killing of a Right to Information (RTI) activist AmitJethwa in 2010.

The special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)court had held the seven accused guilty in the murdercase on July 6, and had reserved the pronouncementon the quantum of sentence.

The special CBI court hasfound all the accused — DinuSolanki, his nephew ShivaSolanki, Sanjay Chauhan,Shailesh Pandya, Pachan Desai, Udaji Thakore and police constable BahadursinhVader — guilty under Section302 (murder), Section 201(causing disappearance ofevidence of off��ence), Section120B (criminal conspiracy)of the IPC, and Section 25(1)of the Arms Act for illegalpossession of arms or ammunition.

The court held that themurder was a premeditatedact and also convicted theaccused for criminal conspi

racy. Special CBI judge K.M.Dave in his verdict orderedproceedings against all the105 witnesses who turnedhostile during the trial.

Family to get ₹��11 lakh Judge Dave imposed a totalpenalty of ₹��59,25,000 on allconvicts. Out of the total penalty, the court held that ₹��11lakh shall be dedicated tothe family of the murdered.Accordingly, a fi��xed depositof ₹��5 lakh in a nationalisedbank in the name of Jethwa’swife and ₹��3 lakh each fortwo of Jethwa’s young sonshave been provided.

Earlier on July 6, the court

had found Solanki, his nephew Shiva Solanki, and fi��veothers, guilty of murderingAmit Jethwa in 2010. In 2013,he was was chargesheetedin the murder case as thekey conspirator.

Illegal miningIn July 2010, Jethwa waskilled outside the GujaratHigh Court as he was fi��ghting against illegal mining activities in and around the Girforest, abode of Asiatic lionsin Gujarat, where Solankiand his extended familyhave interests in limestonemining. Jethwa had fi��led aPublic Interest Litigation inthe High Court against illegalmining in the region.

“The court today has heldseven people including themining mafi��a and former BJPparliamentarian Dinu Solanki guilty in the murder of RTIactivist Amit Jethwa,” saidnoted lawyer Anand Yagnik,who has been fi��ghting thecase on behalf of BhikhabhaiJethwa, father of the deceased.

The Gujarat High Courthanded over the case to theCBI after the Gujarat policegave Solanki a clean chit.

BJP ex-MP awarded lifeterm for killing activistDinu Solanki, six others convicted for Amit Jethwa’s murder


AHMEDABAD

Dinu Solanki

A total of 180 complaints ofCentral government residential quarters being sublet have been received in2019, till June 30, Minister ofState (Independent Charge)for Union Housing and Urban Aff��airs Hardeep SinghPuri told the Lok Sabha onThursday.

This was in response to aquestion by BJP MPs fromUttar Pradesh UpendraSingh Rawat and Kaushal

Kishore. “On receipt of complaints, 119 governmentquarters were inspectedduring the said period and74 quarters were found to besuspected sublet. Noticeswere issued in all cases. Allotment of 22 quarters hasbeen cancelled due to subletting and 11 cases wereclosed since subletting wasnot proved,” Mr. Puri said.

Of the complaints, thehighest pertained to quarters in R.K. Puram (46 complaints) and M.B. Road (45).

Centre got 180 plaints ofquarters being let outSpecial Correspondent

NEW DELHI

but appear to depict a child.”Neither Section 67 of the

IT Act nor Section 293 of theIndian Penal Code defi��nechild pornography. Its defi��nition, derived from what constitutes pornography, reads,“any material which is lascivious or appeals to the prurient interests or if its eff��ectis such as to tend to depraveor corrupt the minds of

Act, which is likely to be introduced in Parliament nextweek.

The new defi��nition reads,“Any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a child which includephotographs, video, digitalor computer generated image indistinguishable froman actual child and an imagecreated, adapted or modifi��ed

Watching, possessing or circulating animations or cartoons that depict a minorengaging in a sexually explicit conduct could land youin jail.

The Cabinet has approved a new defi��nition forchild pornography in itsamendments to the POCSO

those who are likely to see,read and hear the same.”

According to the spokesperson of the Women andChild Development Ministry,the law will also apply to pornographic content whereadults or young adults pretend to be children. “It is theWCD Minister's (Smriti Irani's) initiative that from nowthere will be zero tolerance

for child pornography andfor that reason the defi��nitionof child pornography was essential as defi��nition leads tosetting the context of thecrime. Only prescribing punishment leads to possibilitythat the case may get entangled in inconclusive legal battles,” the Ministry spokesperson said.

The Cabinet has also en

hanced the fi��ne for possessing child porn to₹��5,000 from the earlierproposal of ₹��1,000.

Some of these provisions were also containedin the Protection of Children from Sexual Off��ences(POCSO) Amendment Bill,2019, during the interimBudget session of Parliament, but the bill lapsed.

The amended law will also apply to animated content depicting children and videos where adults pretend to be children


NEW DELHI

Centre redefi��nes child porn, moots stiff�� penalties under POCSO

A 32yearold man committed suicide here by jumping in front of a train allegedly after being harassedby sons of former UttarPradesh lawmaker VishnuSwaroop, police said onThursday. Rajesh Singhtook the extreme step onWednesday. A case of abetment to suicide was registered against Sanjay Swaroop Bansal and AshutoshBansal, police said.

Harassed byex-MLA’s sons,man ends life Press Trust of India

Muzaffarnagar

Vistara to start globalservice from next monthNEW DELHI

Tata SonsSingapore Airlines

joint venture Vistara on

Thursday announced the

launch of its international

operations with flights to

Singapore from Delhi and

Mumbai next month

from August 6 and 7

respectively. Vistara has

inducted at least 10 of these

planes from aircraft that Jet

Airways’ lessors were

forced to ground.

IN BRIEF

FIR fi��led against fakeforms for PMAY schemeNEW DELHI

The Delhi police on Thursday

fi��led an FIR on a complaint

from the Union Housing and

Urban Aff��airs Ministry that

fake application forms for

the Pradhan Mantri Awas

Yojana were being sold by

unknown persons in New

Delhi. The complaint said a

large number of people were

approaching the Nirman

Bhawan offi��ce as well as the

Prime Minister’s Offi��ce

(PMO) to submit the “forms”.

Woman raped in Odishapanchayat offi��ce BHUBANESWAR

A woman was allegedly raped

by two persons, including the

husband of a sarpanch, when

she came to collect her quota

of subsidised rice from a

panchayat offi��ce in Odisha’s

Sundargarh district. The

victim was reportedly raped

by the two persons inside the

Jhirpani Gram Panchayat

godown on July 4, said the

police on Thursday.

ED attaches ₹��24.77 croreassets of Mehul ChoksiNEW DELHI

The Enforcement Directorate

has attached assets worth

₹��24.77 crore of Mehul Choksi,

the diamond merchant who is

wanted for his alleged

involvement in the Punjab

National Bank fraud case. .

The attached assets include

three commercial properties

in Dubai, valuables, one

Mercedes Benz E280 and a

fixed deposit account.

The SeraikelaKharsawandistrict administration hassought to take action againstthe police and doctors aftera probe held them negligentin the Tabrez Ansari lynching case in Jharkhand.

“I have received the report of the probe carried outby the SubDivisional Offi��cer(SDO). The report says thatdoctors failed to diagnosethe health condition of Tabrez Ansari properly and the

police did not respond intime. I have written to boththe Health Department and

Superintendent of Police totake action against those responsible,” SeraikelaKharsawan Deputy CommissionerAnjaneyulu Dodde said onThursday. The administration instituted a probe afterthe incident came in forwide condemnation.

Gross negligenceSources said the report described how the policegrossly neglected the incident and reached the spot inthe morning, despite receiv

ing information soon afterTabrez was picked up by themob late in the night. Doctors who attended to Tabrezneglected his injuries andmade superfi��cial observations, the report said.

24yearold Tabrez, whoworked as a daily wager inPune, succumbed to his injuries on June 22 after hewas beaten up by a mob inDhatkidih village in Jharkhand, which forced him tochant ‘Jai Sri Ram’ and ‘JaiHanuman’.

Police neglected the incident and reached the spot late, SDO’s report says

Staff Reporter

BHUBANESWAR

A protest in Thane after thelynching. * VIBHAV BIRWATKAR

Probe fi��nds negligence in Tabrez case

A threeyearold boy isfeared to have drowned after falling into an openstorm water drain at Ambedkar Chowk in Malad Easton Wednesday night. Theincident took place around10 p.m. and the search operation continued onThursday.

“The boy, identifi��ed as Divyansh, was strolling outside his house when he fellinto the drain near GoregaonMalad Link road,” the

Disaster Management Unitof the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation said.

‘Drain cover removed’The civic body said that thedrain cover had been removed by some individuals.Due to the heavy fl��ow of water in it, the boy is feared tohave been washed away, theoffi��cial said.

However, the locals saidthe drain had been opensince a long time and the offi��cials did not respond totheir requests to cover it.

Boy missing after fallinginto drain in MumbaiPress Trust of India

Mumbai

The Madras High Court onThursday directed theState government to banmultilayered plasticwrappers in which consumables such as milk, oil,biscuits, snacks, chocolates and medicines aresold.

It also ordered eff��ectiveimplementation of theban already imposed bythe State on products suchas plastic bags.

Ban plasticwrappers, HC tells T.N.Mohamed Imranullah S.

CHENNAI


DELHI THE HINDU


CMYK

A ND-NDE

EDITORIAL

The fi��ndings of the latest employment survey, called thePeriodic Labour Force Sur

vey (201718), are a cause for concern as the scenario is still far fromanything that would denote decent employment. The two biggestissues here are: the shrinkingshare of the labour force; and therising unemployment.

The labour force participationrate (% of people working or seeking work in the above15 years agecategory) in the earlier survey of2012 was 55.5%. This has shrunk to49.7% in 2018. There is an absolutedecline in the number of workersfrom 467.7 million in 2012 to 461.5million in 2018.

Multiple dimensionsRecent attempts by some to createan impression that selfemployment has not been captured by theNational Sample Survey is absolutely false since the defi��nition of‘employment’ includes in itself

‘self’ as well as ‘wage employment’. Within the category of ‘selfemployed’, the survey also countsthose engaged in ‘unpaid family labour’.

The fi��gure for the overall unemployment rate at 6.1% is 2.77 timesthe same fi��gure for 2012. A few experts have raised doubts aboutcomparability of estimates between the two periods though wefeel that they are not substantial issues that prevent anyone from ajudicious comparison.

The rise in overall unemployment has both locational and gender dimensions. The highest unemployment rate of a severenature was among the urban women at 10.8%; followed by urbanmen at 7.1%; rural men at 5.8%;and rural women at 3.8%.

When we ignore the location ofresidence, we fi��nd that severe unemployment among men at 6.2%was higher than among women at5.7%. However, given the sharp decline in women’s labour force participation rate, they have been losing out heavily due to the doublewhammy of exclusion from the labour force and an inability to access employment when includedin the labour force. The decline inwomen’s labour force participation from 31% to 24% means that

India is among the countries withthe lowest participation of womenin the labour force.

The issue of educated unemployment, given its link with notjust growth but also with transformative development, has neverbeen as acute as at present. Defi��ned as unemployment amongthose with at least a secondaryschool certifi��cate, it is at 11.4%compared to the previous survey’sfi��gure of 4.9%.

But what is signifi��cant is that the

unemployment rates go up as levels of education go up. Amongthose with secondary school education, it is 5.7% but jumps to10.3% when those with higher secondarylevel education are considered.

The highest rate is among thediploma and certifi��cate holders(19.8%); followed by graduates(17.2); and postgraduates (14.6%).

Of course, educated persons arelikely to have aspirations for specifi��c jobs and hence likely to gothrough a longer waiting periodthan their lesseducated counterparts. They are also likely to beless economically deprived. Butthe country’s inability to absorbthe educated into gainful employment is indeed an economic lossand a demoralising experienceboth for the unemployed andthose enthusiastically enrollingthemselves for higher education.

Burden more among womenHere again, the burden is the highest among urban women (19.8%)followed by rural women (17.3%),rural men (10.5%) and urban men(9.2%). Among the educated, women face a more unfavourable situation than men despite a low labour force participation rate.Compared to the earlier 2012 sur

vey, unemployment of educatedmen has more than doubled inboth rural and urban areas and inthe case of women, the rate hasnearly doubled. However, it is important to remember is that therate was higher for educated women, when compared to educatedmen, in both the periods.

It is almost scandalous thatyouth unemployment rate (unemployment among those in the 1529years age category) has reached ahigh 17.8%. Even here, the womenstand more disadvantaged thanthe men, especially urban women,whose unemployment rate of27.2% is more than double the2012 fi��gure of 13.1%. The rate forurban men, at 18.7%, is particularly high as well.

The overall conclusion here isthat the trend of ‘jobless growth’that was till recently confi��ned largely, if not only, to the organisedsector has now spread to othersectors of the economy, making itmore generalised. This calls for athorough reexamination of themissing linkages between growthand employment.

K.P. Kannan is a former Director, Centre

for Development Studies. G. Raveendran is

a former Additional Director General,

Central Statistical Organisation

Jobless growth becomes more systemicEarlier confi��ned largely to the organised sector, it has now spread to other areas, as revealed by the latest survey results

K.P. Kannan

G. Raveendran

more letters online:

www.hindu.com/opinion/letters/

On July 3, a shortdurationdiscussion in the Rajya Sabha on electoral reforms at

tracted my attention. It was initiated by Trinamool Congress (TMC)MP Derek O’Brien, with the backing of as many as 14 Oppositionparties. I have been extremely passionate and vocal about the issuethroughout my years in offi��ce aswell as after, and it was hearteningto see political parties across theideological divide trying to pushthe subject of how to make elections freer, fairer and more representative.

The TMC MP touched on six major themes — appointment systemfor Election Commissioners andChief Election Commissioner(CEC); money power; ElectronicVoting Machines (EVMs); the ideaof simultaneous elections; the rolesocial media (which he called“cheat India platforms”); and lastly, the use of government data andsurrogate advertisements to targetcertain sections of voters.

Appointment processOn the issue of appointments ofElection Commissioners, Mr.O’Brien quoted B.R. Ambedkar’sstatement to the Constituent Assembly that “the tenure can’t bemade a fi��xed and secure tenure ifthere is no provision in the Constitution to prevent a fool or a naiveor a person who is likely to be under the thumb of the executive.”

The demand for revisiting theissue was supported by the Communist Party of India (CPI); theCommunist Party of IndiaMarxist(CPIM); the Dravida MunnetraKazhagam (DMK) and the Bahujan

Samaj Party (BSP), all of whom demanded the introduction of a collegium system. As regards thechronic problem of the cripplinginfl��uence of money power, Mr.O’Brien spoke about various reports and documents — a 1962private member’s Bill by Atal Bihari Vajpayee; the Goswami committee report on electoral reforms(1990); and the Indrajit Guptacommittee report on state fundingof elections (1998). Congress MPKapil Sibal, citing an independentthink tank report on poll expenditure released in June, discussed atlength the regressive impact ofamending the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) andremoving the 7.5% cap on corporate donations.

Congress MP Rajeev Gowdatermed electoral bonds “a farce”and gave a proposal for state funding (of political parties) based oneither a National Electoral Fund orthe number of votes obtained bythe respective parties. He also proposed crowdfunding in the form ofsmall donations. He said that thecurrent expenditure cap on candidates is unrealistic and shouldeither be raised or removed to encourage transparency.

The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) supported capping the expenditure ofpolitical parties in accordancewith a 1975 judgement of the Supreme Court on Section 77 of theRepresentation of the People Act(RPA), 1951. The Samajwadi Party(SP) suggested that expenditure onprivate planes etc. should be added to the candidates’ accountsand not to those of the party. Banning of corporate donations waspassionately advocated by the CPIand the CPI (M).

The old issue of returning toballot papers was raised by severalparties. The TMC said that “whentechnology doesn’t guarantee perfection, you have to question technology.” On the other hand, the

BJD, the Janata Dal (United) andthe Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) asserted that EVMs have reducedelectionrelated violence in Stateslike Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. TheBJD said that to strengthen publicfaith in VoterVerifi��ed Paper AuditTrails, fi��ve machines should becounted right in the beginning.The BSP added that postal ballotsshould be scanned before counting so as to increase transparency.

On simultaneous electionsMany BJP MPs highlighted issueslinked to electoral fatigue, expenditure and governance and also reports of the Law Commission andNITI Aayog to push for simultaneous elections.

Vinay Sahasrabuddhe of the BJPsaid that Prime Minister NarendraModi’s proposal should be seenwith an open mind and made asuggestion that it should be understood as a call for minimum cycleof elections rather than “one nation one election”.

But the TMC said that the solution lies in consulting constitutional experts and publishing a whitepaper for more deliberation. Simultaneous elections were vehemently opposed by CPI MP D. Raja, who called them“unconstitutional and unrealistic.”Quoting Ambedkar, he said thataccountability should hold prece

dence over stability. Internal democracy within political partieswas also mentioned by a couple ofspeakers. The BJD suggested thatan independent regulator shouldbe mandated to supervise and ensure innerparty democracy.

For improving the representativeness of elections, the demandfor proportional representationsystem was put forth by the DMK,the CPI and the CPI (M). The DMKcited the example of the BSP’s performance in 2014 Lok Sabha elections, when the party got a voteshare of nearly 20% in Uttar Pradesh but zero seats. A number ofMPs argued for a mixed system,where there was a provision forboth First Past the Post and Proportional Representation systems.

The important issue of the “fi��delity of electoral rolls” was raisedby the YSR Congress Party(YSRCP). The idea of a commonelectoral roll for all the three tiersof democracy was supported bythe BJP and the SP.

For remedying the ‘ruling partyadvantage’ in elections, SP MPRam Gopal Yadav made a radicalsuggestion that all MPs/MLAsshould resign six months beforeelections and a national government should be formed at theCentre. He said States should beruled by the Governor who wouldhave to follow the binding advice

of a threemember High Court advisory board.

Advocacy over the yearsI have long been an advocate of anumber of these reform recommendations. Some proposals that Ihave elaborated upon in detailthroughout the years include — reducing the number of phases inelections by raising more securityforces; depoliticisation of constitutional appointments by appointingCommissioners through a broadbased collegium; state funding ofpolitical parties by means of a National Electoral Fund or on the basis of the number of votes obtained; capping the expenditure ofpolitical parties; giving the Election Commission of India (ECI)powers to deregister recalcitrantpolitical parties; inclusion of proportional representation system;and revisiting the InformationTechnology Act, to strengthen social media regulations.

Hence, the parliamentary debate was music to my ears. But Indian politics has been suff��eringfrom a wide gap between thoughtand action. The governmentsshould also rise above their obsession with immediate electoralgains and think of longterm national interests. The TMC MP wasright in saying that Parliamentmust not only urgently “debateand deliberate but also legislate”on electoral reforms. The time hascome to fi��nd and enact concretesolutions in the national interest.Having heard a number of practical and constructive proposalsraised in the Rajya Sabha lastweek, I remain hopeful that Parliament will take it upon itself to enable the world’s largest democracyto become the world’s greatest.

The writer is former Chief Election

Commissioner of India and the author of

‘An Undocumented Wonder — the Making

of the Great Indian Election’

A welcome debate on electoral reformsA number of practical and constructive proposals were raised by Opposition parties in Parliament last week

S.Y. Quraishi

Party hoppingIt is very disheartening tosee some legislators leavingtheir original party andjoining another en masse(Front page, “10 CongressMLAs join BJP in Goa,” July11). This totallyunprincipled defection iscrass opportunism and aslap in the face of voterswho elected the MLAs ontheir party tickets. Thepresent antidefection lawcannot rein in suchdefectors and it needs to bedrastically amended. Anylegislator who leaves hisparty and joins anothershould be disqualifi��ed and anew candidate should bechosen in his place.Matthew Adukanil,

Tirupattur

Nehru’s Kashmir moveIt is preposterous andchildish to argue thatliberation of Pakistanoccupied Kashmir (PoK)

would have relegatedHindus in Jammu andKashmir even more to aminority, engenderingdisastrous consequences(OpEd page, “Nehru andthe Kashmir quandary,”July 11). Even the beststatesmen can commit anerror of judgment andJawaharlal Nehru erred onthe Kashmir problem. HadPoK been liberated, theregion would have beenmuch more peaceful thanat present. Also, thewriter’s tracing of thegenesis of crossborderterrorism to the preIndependence days is waytoo farfetched. Further, toargue that the main task ofNehru, after the Maharaja’ssigning of the instrument ofaccession, was to secure thesafety of Hindus is tounderstand Nehru in a verynarrow sense. Kosaraju Chandramouli,

Hyderabad

Not under productionThe news that theproduction of more trainsets of the Vande BharatExpress has come to a haltis disappointing (TamilNadu page, “ICF told toscrap tenders for Train18rakes,” July 11). The fact thatthe train set was deliveredon schedule within 18months and the inauguralrun was fl��agged off�� by thePrime Minister after passingstringent performancetrials is a uniqueachievement in the annalsof India Railways. It will beextremely shortsighted andunfortunate if a witchhuntis launched to establishmalafi��de intentions in thetendering process. Anyproject of this complexityand magnitude executed ona ‘mission mode’ wouldhave required cutting outred tape. It is likely that inthe process certainboundaries of

departmental silos werebreached to speed updecisionmaking. TheSreedharan Committee hasmade widerangingrecommendations fordevolution of fi��nancialpowers, many of whichhave been accepted. It willbe unfortunate if at the fi��rstdemonstration of thesereforms, the reaction is tolaunch an inquiry. Nothingcan be more demotivating.K. Balakesari,

Chennai

Exit IndiaAgonising as it is, India’sexit from the Cricket WorldCup does not needhindsight. Contrary to whatexperts had been harpingon, India went to Englandwithout a permanent No. 4batsman. Ambati Rayuduwas unceremoniouslydropped and all sorts ofexperiments were carriedout with team selection.

■ Millions of Indian fans were

disappointed. Universallyacclaimed fi��nisher M.S.Dhoni should have been sentat No.5, which would havehad a calming eff��ect on thelikes of Pant and HardikPandya. Sending him at No. 7was a tactical blunder.Ravindra Jadeja, though notin the playing 11 in many ofthe matches, showedextraordinary prowess withboth the bat and the ball,apart from displaying someexcellent fi��elding. This is notto take anything away fromNew Zealand’s brilliantperformance. Matt Henry’sspell and Jimmy Neesham’scatch were the highlights.D.S. Rajagopalan,

Chennai

Rishabh Pant, who wasdrafted in only afterShikhar Dhawan suff��eredan injury, should have beenincluded in the originalsquad. When Vijay Shankargot injured, Rayudu’sinclusion should have beena nobrainer, as he was inthe offi��cial list of reserves.But Mayank Agrawal wascalled in, without any pastODI experience. Over thelast two years, a number ofplayers have been tried andnot allowed to settle downat No. 4. And India paid aprice for this misadventure.In the end, it was a perfect,threedimensionalperformance from New Zealand on Wednesday.Saurabh Sinha,

Bhilai

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters emailed to [email protected] must carry the full postal address and the full name or the name with initials.

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has

put 52 producers, brand owners and importers,

including big online retailers such as Amazon

and Flipkart, and companies such as Patanjali Ayurved

and Britannia, on notice, for failing to take responsibil

ity for their plastic waste. These and other entities with

a large plastic footprint need to respond with alacrity. It

is eight years since the concept of Extended Producer

Responsibility (EPR) was incorporated into the Plastic

Waste Management Rules, but municipal and pollution

control authorities have failed to persuade commercial

giants to put in place a system to collect and process the

waste. Tighter rules in 2016 and some amendments two

years later put the onus on producers and brand own

ers to come up with an action plan for the retrieval of

waste within six months to a year, but that too failed to

take off��. Mountains of garbage with a heavy plastic load

have been growing in suburban landfi��lls, out of sight of

city dwellers. Without determined steps, the crisis is

certain to worsen. It should be noted that the retail sec

tor expects ecommerce to grow from about $38.5 bil

lionequivalent in 2017 to $200 billion by 2026. Given

the role played by packaging, the waste management

problem is likely to become alarming. There is also a big

opportunity here, which the trade, municipal govern

ments and pollution control authorities need to see.

The two prongs of the solution are packaging innova

tion that reduces its use by using alternatives, and up

scaling waste segregation, collection and transmission.

Recovering materials from garbage should be a high

priority, considering that India is the third highest con

sumer of materials after China and the U.S.; the Eco

nomic Survey 2019 estimates that India’s demand for

total material will double by 2030 at current rates of

growth. Plastics may be less expensive than other in

puts in manufacturing, but recycling them into new

products extends their life and provides a substitute for

virgin material. Keeping them out of the environment

reduces cleanup and pollution costs. Unfortunately, in

spite of legal requirements, municipal and pollution

control authorities fail to see this and mostly pursue bu

sinessasusual waste management methods. Recycla

ble waste is rendered useless when it gets mixed with

other articles. Online retailers have not felt compelled

to take back the thousands of polybags, plastic enve

lopes and air pillows used to cushion articles inside

cardboard boxes. This is in contrast to more developed

markets where they are trying out labels on packages

with clear recycling instructions. These companies can

form waste cooperatives in India, employing informal

wastepickers. In such a model, consumers will res

pond readily if they are incentivised to return segregat

ed plastic waste. Making municipal and pollution con

trol authorities accountable is also equally important.

Picking out plastic Recycling is integral to addressing the

problems posed by plastic packaging material

As part of its commitment to simplify and consoli

date labour rules and laws under four codes, the

Union Cabinet has cleared the Occupational, Sa

fety, Health and Working Conditions Code, a week after

it approved the Code on Wages Bill. The latter seeks to

include more workers under the purview of minimum

wages and proposes a statutory national minimum

wage for diff��erent geographic regions, to ensure that

States will not fi��x minimum wages below those set by

the Centre. These steps should be welcomed. The Code

on labour safety and working conditions include regu

lar and mandatory medical examinations for workers,

issuing of appointment letters, and framing of rules on

women working night shifts. Other codes that await Ca

binet approval include the Code on Industrial Relations

and the Code on Social Security. Unlike these pending

bills, especially the one related to industrial relations

that will be scrutinised by labour unions for any chang

es to worker rights and rules on hiring and dismissal

and contract jobs, the two that have been passed

should be easier to build a consensus on, in Parliament

and in the public sphere. Organised unions have vocif

erously opposed changes proposed in the Industrial Re

lations code, especially the proviso to increase the limit

for prior government permission for layoff��, retrench

ment and closure from 100 workers as it is currently, to

300. The Economic Survey highlighted the eff��ect of la

bour reforms in Rajasthan, suggesting that the growth

rates of fi��rms employing more than 100 workers in

creased at a higher rate than the rest of the country af

ter labour reforms. But worker organisations claim that

the implementation of such stringent labour laws in

most States is generally lax. Clearly, a crossState analy

sis of labour movement and increase in employment

should give a better picture of the impact of these rules.

Simplifi��cation and consolidation of labour laws

apart, the government must focus on the key issue of

job creation. The Periodic Labour Force Survey that

was fi��nally made public in late May clearly pointed to

the dire situation in job creation in recent years. While

the proportion of workers in regular employment has

increased, unemployment has reached a 45year high.

The worker participation rate has also declined bet

ween surveys held in 201112 and 201718. The govern

ment’s response to this question has either been denial,

as was evident after the draft PLFS report was leaked

last year, or silence, after it was fi��nally released. In such

a situation, the government should be better off�� build

ing a broader consensus on any major rule changes to

existing worker rights rather than rushing through

them for the sake of simplifi��cation. The consolidated

code bills should be thoroughly discussed in Parliament

and also with labour unions before being enacted.

Tread with caution The consolidated codes on labour laws need a

thorough vetting and discussion in Parliament

corrections & clarifications: >>The caption in the photograph that accompanied the lead story (front page, July 11, 2019) erroneously identifi��ed Milind Deora as Murli Deora.

The Readers’ Editor’s office can be contacted by Telephone: +91-44-28418297/28576300;

E-mail:[email protected]


THE HINDU DELHI


CMYK

A ND-NDE

OPED

In reference to Mr. Gandhi’s fresh resolve torenew the Satyagraha campaign, Sir Narayan Chandravarkar, exJudge, BombayHigh Court, and a Moderate Leader, throughthe medium of the press, makes a strong andearnest appeal to Mr. Gandhi [from Bombay,on July 11] to desist from starting the campaign. He says that Mr. Gandhi’s advice tothe people to make no disturbance in casehe is punished for off��ering civil disobedience as a protest against the Rowlatt Actand such pious advice condemning lawlessness and violence fail as the country knowsto its cost and pain, because ignorant peopleare unable to distinguish between civil disobedience to laws, of a harmless character,and violent defi��ance of law and authority. InSir Narayan’s opinion the real reason is afforded by the actual fact of revolutionarycrime in India with which he became offi��cially familiar in the course of his examination of the 806 cases of Bengal internments.He found to his amazement that the revolutionary organisations educated their members in certain literature of political dacoities, murders and other acts of violence.

A HUNDRED YEARS AGO JULY 12, 1919.

Civil Disobedience.

Some argue that Narendra Modi asPrime Minister has brought dynamism to India’s foreign policy, evident by his frequent visits abroad.However, no theory in foreign policyresearch suggests that the higher thefrequency of headofgovernment visits to foreign nations, the greater thesuccess in foreign policy outcomes.The most enduring foreign policyoutcomes are accomplished by quietdiplomacy engineered by professional bodies. That is why heads of government of China, France or evenIsrael, to name a few, are selective intheir visits. But Mr. Modi’s foreign visits and diaspora meetings have aspectacle of dynamism and generated an image of him as a world leaderamong his followers. Compared tosplendid foreign policy accomplishments of leaders such as former U.S.President Harry Truman, who laiddown the institutional arrangementfor the U.S. to operate as a globalpower, or Chancellor Helmut Kohl’spolitical wisdom that led to Germanunifi��cation, the foreign policy accomplishments of Mr. Modi remainedmodest during his fi��rst term.

A paradoxHowever, Mr. Modi has been able tobring about a paradigmatic shift to India’s foreign policy at least in one regard. His regime has demonstrated amajoritarian character in the domestic arena, as seen in the formulationof the Citizenship Bill for instance,but secular tendencies on foreignpolicymaking. He has strengthenedties with West Asian countries, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE.Acceptance of Saudi Arabia’s prominent role in the deescalation processduring the postPulwama tensionsand the UAE’s decision to present thehighest civilian honour, Zayed Medal,to Mr. Modi are signs of a special relationship that his regime has built upin recent years.

The Modi regime’s attempt to enable the Indian state to grapple withparadoxical ideologies — domestically majoritarian and secular in the foreign policy arena — is a departurefrom India’s traditional foreign policyparadigm. Pakistan, Saudi Arabia

and Israel have governed their countries with majoritarian ideologiesand have pursued their national interests through secular alliances withforeign nations. By implication, thereis a fair chance that future violationsof human rights and minority rightsin India could be fi��rewalled as an internal matter. This would weaken theglobal voice for India’s minorityrights and human rights. Ironically,the Modi regime’s response to theRohingya issue or the Christchurchattack in New Zealand indicates thateven the socalled secular approachin foreign policy has a majoritarianspin.

Arms dealThe Modi government’s ability totake prompt decisions over an armsdeal, such as Rafale, is argued as asign of robust security policy. Butmere accumulation of cuttingedgeweapons is no guarantee for a coun

try’s security. Countries such as Iraq,Libya and Syria were some of the toparmsimporting nations during theearly 1980s, according to a report bythe International Institute for Strategic Studies, London. The powerful nations that sold pricey weapons tothese countries also played a decisiverole in bringing these countries tothe position they are in today. Themighty Soviet Union disintegrateddespite possessing stockpiles of cuttingedge weapons, mainly owing toits failure to deal with its domesticeconomic crisis. Dynamism in foreign policy may have few substantialdomestic consequences unless it isaccompanied by a reduction in India’s mass unemployment.

Shaikh Mujibur Rehman teaches at JamiaMillia Central University, New Delhi

Majoritarian here, secular there Modi has been able to bring about a paradigmaticshift to India’s foreign policy in one regard

Shaikh Mujibur Rehman

PT

I

A fresh weather map of India will be prepared every six hours with the help of amodern electronic computer to be installedin the Meteorological Offi��ce in Delhi. Anagreement for the acquisition of the computer was signed today [ July 11] between Dr. P.K. Koteswaram, DirectorGeneral of Observatories, on behalf of the Government andMr. A. L. T. Taylor, Regional General Manager of I.B.M. Dr. Koteswaram told a Press conference that computerised weather forecasts would be a signifi��cant development inthe fi��eld of meteorology in India. It would bea big leap forward from the traditional andsubjective forecasts. The computer to be installed in the Meteorological Offi��ce is model44 of I.B.M.’s latest computer ‘360’ whichmakes about one million calculations in a second. It would be manufactured in India,Mr. Taylor said. According to a spokesman ofthe Meteorological Department, the acquisition of the computer was the natural consequence of a global project named WorldWeather Watch (W.W.W.). The decision toparticipate in this project was recently approved by the Government of India.

FIFTY YEARS AGO JULY 12, 1969

Forecasts with aid of computer

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FROM

ARCHIVES

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced an additional income tax exemption of ₹��1.5 lakh forpurchasers of electric vehicles inBudget 20192020. She also saidthat the GST rate on electric vehicleswould be lowered to 5%. Can Indiamake a smooth shift to electric vehicles? G. Ananthakrishnan explores the options with Ashok Jhunjhunwala and Tarun Mehta. Editedexcerpts from a conversation:

What do you think will be theimpact of the Budgetannouncement of a tax breakfor electric vehicle purchases?

Ashok Jhunjhunwala: Electricvehicles are very important for thecountry. I think this is the fi��rst defi��nite statement made by the Government of India in that direction.Some companies have been resisting the change, but it will happenhowever much you resist it. It is amatter of time. But by slowing it [thetransition] down, India will get hurt,and will be dependent on outsidersfor the technology. This Budgetclearly indicates that the government will go all out for it, and it isbest that companies prepare andtake advantage of it. It is giving specifi��c breaks in the beginning, but fi��nally India has to win with electricvehicles even without any subsidyor concession. It is time for the autoindustry, researchers and everybody working towards the development of next generation products tomake up their mind that it is goingto be electric vehicles.

Tarun Mehta: The tax concessionis positive as a Budget announcement, but in terms of numbers GSTis a bigger benefi��t. From a marketshaping perspective, incentivisingEMI purchase of electric vehicleshas a big impact. There are twothings. Today, the market does nothave many fi��nancing options forelectric vehicles. By incentivisingEMI purchases, the government hasensured that [for] every customerwho wants to go in for them, therewill be a lot of interest from banksand NBFCs to create relevant products. The second advantage is thatelectric vehicles need more fi��nancing options. Because you want to

take the upfront sticker shock out ofthe battery, motor, etc. Today, a lotof customers may not consider fi��nancing options and hence are dissuaded by the upfront price. Incentivising makes the customers do themathematics with fi��nancing inmind, which makes them realisethat for electric vehicles the overalltotal cost of ownership is so muchbetter.

Where does India stand on theglobal scene on electric twowheelers?

AJ: We have just begun. Frankly, wedon’t stand very far up. But there isnothing in this technology that wecannot do ourselves. We have started making batteries. I have seen inmany places that motor controllersare in the fi��nal stages of design anddevelopment. The rest, we can do:the body, tyres. Of course, some improvements can be there. In thenext one or two years, a huge push[will be witnessed] and that’s whereIndia will be not just on par [withother countries] but will start leading in the technology.

The key concern for me will bewhether we import everything fromChina or make it ourselves. If our industry is not to be aff��ected, and jobsare not to be lost, there is huge employment in the auto sector. If thetraditional internal combustion engine (ICE)based vehicle is goingaway, we will have a huge crisis withmany losing jobs. The only way theywill continue to have jobs, or thenumber of jobs can be increased, isto start making every subsystem ofelectric vehicles.

We have to beat China on performance and price. That needs to bedone in the next couple of years.That is what the Centre for BatteryEngineering and Electric Vehicles atIITMadras has been working on forfour years. It has actually done somuch to convince India that yes, wecan do it ourselves. And there are anumber of incubated companiesworking closely, getting these thingsdone. Twowheelers and threewheelers will start scaling up in ayear. This year you will see plenty ofit, and next year it will really scaleup. Two years down the line, it willstart edging out ICE vehicles.

There are only some smallplayers now. A large number ofsmall players and some big playersmust get into it in a fullfl��edged way.Customers don’t want only a singletype of vehicle, [they have to be] indiff��erent sizes, with diff��erent power,battery sizes. These are all going tocome in the next two years.

TM: China is a very interestingplace. Just in sheer volume terms,India is far behind. However, Indiahas a far stronger twowheeler industry, and a very capable assemblyand component manufacturing ecosystem. Indian component manufacturing for twowheelers is evenmore price competitive than China,which is a very rare thing to achieve.In China, there are no credibleplayers. There is a very large marketbut no credible players and very little real R&D for electric twowheelers. There are a lot of commoditycomponents being manufacturedthere. In India, local market andlarge players can create a strongR&D base, leverage our local demand to create economies of scale,a strong supplier base, and take aleadership role in twowheeler electrics globally.

Is there a time frame by whichwe can do that?

TM: Most larger twowheeler original equipment manufacturer (OEM)players today have ₹��10,000 crore to₹��20,000 crore of deployable capital, and the electrifi��cation processwill take only a fraction of it. Indianindustry can invest, and our suppliers can make the transition. Wewill create more jobs, high qualityjobs. From assembling mechanicalcomponents we can move to manu

facturing PCBs [printed circuitboards], assembling electronicboards, and bring battery manufacturing to India.

Do we have suffi��cient batterycapacity to meet risingdemand?

AJ: Four or fi��ve years back, we werenowhere in battery manufacturing.I had gone to labs in China, the U.S.and Germany. The Germans wereby far the best. But in the last four tofi��ve years, we have started makingbattery packs as good as those madein Germany, probably better. Thishas happened through startups.We have a startup at IITMadras,Grinntech, and we have a numberof manufacturers who have jumpedinto it. As electric vehicles grow,batteries will be made in India.

There are three parts to batteryproduction. One is battery pack development, which we will do immediately. Number two is cell manufacturing. On this a number ofcompanies are setting up cell manufacturing units in India as a jointventure. It will take two or threeyears to start cell manufacturing.The third is raw material. Lithium,cobalt, manganese, nickel — for thatwe need to recycle old batteries.Even cell phone batteries, which islithium ion. We throw away 300 million cell phone batteries. If we recycle and extract, we can expect [torecover] 90% of lithium, cobalt,

manganese, nickel and graphite.And there are small companies thathave the technology.

Battery technology will continueto evolve. There is no question of limits. The cost falls as better technology starts coming in, giving us higher energy density. More energy perkilogramme of material. There willbe continuous work on that, at leastover the next 10 years.

TM: Capacities will have to be installed now. All of us building battery packs are now in the process ofinstalling more capacity quickly. Wedon’t have cell supply in India today, but cells are abundantly available in the global supply chain.Which is what we will have to tap into to build battery packs. As our volume rises, as we start topping a fewgigawatts in capacity, cell manufacturing will come to India.

What will drive adoption anduse of electric vehicles from apolicy perspective?

AJ: Basically governments have tothink of phasing out [ICE vehicles].For example, the amount of pollution that we have, we cannot continue to live in that kind of pollution.We are importing all the oil; we cannot continue to import all that oil.City after city may say, no more ICEtwowheelers or threewheelers andfourwheelers from this date onwards. This is what China is doing.And we have to move in that direction. Enough time has to be givenfor change.

TM: The Budget incentivises the demand side. We need a few policiesaround the supply side and on infrastructure. We need to incentivisebattery pack and cell manufacturing. Rebates around setting up battery plant capacity, manufacturingof battery packs in India in the next1824 months will help. On the infrastructure side, the governmentcan come up with requirements tohave charging points in every parking location. We don’t need charging hardware that OEMs and othercompanies can bring, we only needaccess to an electrical socket.

There are inbetween segmentslike electrically poweredbicycles. Will they becomemore popular?

TM: Micromobility is a new, emerg

ing segment. I am not sure whatform factor will be suitable there —electric cycles or electric stick scooters or something which is a smallerversion of the bicycle. But I am pretty confi��dent that real micromobility within one km sort of travel willfi��nd interesting solutions beyondscooters and bikes in the next fi��veyears.

AJ: Let the manufacturer fi��nd customers and if they like it, let them gofor it. We should do minimum regulation.

What about the EU model of alaw for automobile companiesto cap total emissions acrossproducts to spur electricvehicle growth?

AJ: All that should be done. Step bystep. Don’t give too many shocks.Already the auto industry is nervous. Convey to them that this is going to happen, give them time andmake it happen. For threewheelersand twowheelers, they have suggested [a shift by] 2023 and 2025[respectively] for new vehicles to be100% electric. That is a very goodwindow. In due course we can defi��ne this for cars.

TM: It makes a lot of sense for aplace like India. However, placeslike Europe and the U.S. have beenimplementing policies like that foralmost a decade, but we would nothave the luxury of 20 years to implement them.

Should taxation ofconventional fuels have a roleto play?

AJ: Finally, at some point of time,conventional fuel vehicles have tomove out. I am open to time frames,we should have a discussion withthe auto industry and fi��gure outwhat is doable. In the meantime,support electric vehicles as much aspossible, so that they can become acommon thing.

TM: You can use capital created bythe United Nations and still tax polluting vehicles to generate a balanceto fund cleaner transport. We don’thave the time to wait to do only ahandful of things. We should do everything we can. Funding factories,funding lithium cells, electric infrastructure, vehicles and subsidisinguser behaviour.

Can India make the transition to electric vehicles?India has taken some baby steps but more needsto be done to improve demand and supply

Tarun Mehtais cofounder and

CEO, Ather Energy

Ashok Jhunjhunwalais professor at the

Department of

Electrical

Engineering, IIT

Madras

Scan the QR code tolisten to the fullinterview online

PARLEY

BIJ

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GH

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<> Governments have to think

of phasing out internal

combustion engine

vehicles. This is what China

is doing. And we have to

move in that direction.

used to say that there aretwo kinds of stories. Thefi��rst is the kind that everyone chases but nobodygets. The second is whatthe government wants us topublish. For the fi��rst, weneed sources; the second issimply public relations.

Sources are built overmany inconsequential conversations. Reporters andsources talk about theweather, discuss moviesand parenting woes, listento one another’s small victories and frustrations.There was a Police Commissioner in Delhi who wasan avid cricket fan. Beforeentering his room, crimereporters used to go armedwith cricket anecdotes.

And tea is an importanttool in newsgathering. If abureaucrat off��ers tea, itmeans you sit. It buys youtime. It also means that thebureaucrat wants to talk.And when tea is not offered, we sometimes askfor it to get bureaucratstalking. It’s not as if most of

The Finance Ministry hasdecided not to let journalists, even those with PressInformation Bureau (PIB)accredited cards, enter itspremises without prior appointment. The Ministryhas benevolently arrangedan “airconditioned waitingroom” for reporters withregular supply of “water,tea and coff��ee” outsideGate 2 in the beautifulNorth Block. This is wherereporters are apparently tostay put till a bureaucratagrees for a meeting.

If only the life of a reporter were so easy that merely waiting outside roomscould get us sources andstories. We stalk corridorsand wait outside rooms fora living. We knock at doors,reach out to disgruntled babus, and ambush senior offi��cers and Ministers to askthem uncomfortable questions — all to gather littlebits of information.

A former Editor of mine

us enjoy that milky sweetconcoction — it’s more aprofessional hazard!

Simply put, a bondneeds to be built that isstrong enough for offi��cersto part with that one noteor report that the government is trying to suppress.And it’s a twoway street.Offi��cials equally use reporters as a sounding board tofi��netune an idea that is stillon the drawing board.

The accreditation cardissued by the PIB is seen asan entitlement by many.It’s as much an ‘entitlement’ as is a ticket to acricket match for an average spectator. After all,scribes are really the fi��rstspectators of any government. We record what wesee and hear. Without thatsmall, rectangular card,getting access to government offi��cials every day islike running a hurdle race.

Routine visits to offi��cialsgive reporters a peek intotheir eccentricities and habits. One Minister I know

rearranged her offi��ce forvastu purposes using taxpayers’ money. One had apenchant for taking selfi��esin front of elaborate fl��owerarrangements in his offi��ceduring lunch breaks. Oneloved cats so much that hisoffi��ce would stink of catpoo. These might be trivialbits of information for thereaders, but for us, each bitof information helps uspiece together the entirepuzzle. You never knowwhich one of these couldcome in handy and when.

On one visit to ShastriBhawan, I stumbled upon astory during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s fi��rstterm. A Cabinet Ministergot her door sealed andconstructed a wall in itsplace. The entrance to herroom was rearranged, according to the directions ofher vastu consultant. It’sanother matter that despiteall the vastu, she could notstay on in her post for toolong due to the controversies she generated.

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NOTEBOOK

Why access to offi��cials is so important for reporters

Every bit of information, whether crucial or trivial, is a piece of a large puzzle

Sobhana K. Nair

CMYK

A ND-NDE


DELHI THE HINDU


NEWS

FROM PAGE ONE

MLAs want to resign. Theydo not have to give a reasonfor their resignation. Allthey need is a formal acceptance by the Speaker oftheir resignation... They donot want to defect, theywant to go back to the people,” Mr. Rohatgi submittedto the court in the morning.

In his application to theSupreme Court, Mr. RameshKumar said the Tenth Schedule or antidefection lawcasts a mandatory duty onthe Speaker to decide applications for disqualifi��cation.Thus, the Speaker has tofi��rst enquire into whetherthe 10 MLAs concernedhave incurred any reasonfor disqualifi��cation prior tothe submission of their resignation letter on July 6.

The court had fi��xed the July12 hearing to be apprised ofthe Speaker's decision onthe resignations. In his application, the Speaker criticised the MLAs for castingaspersions on his dignity.

The battle for power inKarnataka reached the Supreme Court fi��rst on July 9when the Congress and JD(S) MLAs jointly accused theH.D. Kumaraswamy coalition government of scamsand maladministration.They also blamed the Speaker for delaying acceptanceof their resignations in a bidto prolong the life of the ruling coalition.

In fact, the SupremeCourt had fi��xed a specifi��ctime (6 p.m.) for the meeting only after senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, for the10 MLAs, said the Speakerwas “in the habit of makinghimself scarce” wheneverthe spectre of MLAs wishingto resign comes into hisview.

“And tomorrow ( July 12),the Karnataka Assembly session starts. A whip has beenissued by their parties, ifthey violate the whip, theyface disqualifi��cation... The

Cannot be pushed intodecision: Speaker tells SC

K.R. Ramesh Kumar

was then the United NationsSpecial Rapporteur on Rightto Health. The FIR allegesthat he appeared in the Novartis case in the SupremeCourt by spending foreigncontribution.

Funds were also spent onair travel and other expenses of employees or workersof other organisations andforeigners for attendingconferences in Kathmandu,Malaysia, Kenya, Vienna,Austria Mission, USA Consultation, Section 27 Conference, Moscow Consultationand Bangkok Meeting, as alleged in the case.

In a statement, after theCBI registered the FIR, theorganisation and its trustees, including foundingmembers Mr. Grover andMs. Jaising, expressed outrage and alleged that thecharges had no basis.

The FIR mentions that afterprima facie alleged violations were noticed, the Ministry got an inspectiondone in January 2016 andsought explanations.

Not satisfi��ed with the replies, it cancelled the registration in November 2016.

Inspection reportThe inspection report,which is part of the FIR, listsalleged violations on 14counts. They include alleged participation in political activities, diversion ormisuse of foreign contributions, and their use on airtravel and other activitiesfor draft legislation meetings, dharnas and advocacywith MPs.

One of the chargesagainst the LC is of receivingforeign funds specifi��callymeant for Mr. Grover, who

CBI searches premises of Lawyers’ Collective

advocate Rajeev Dhavan, forthe Muslim appellants,questioned the purpose ofthe application fi��led byVisharad.

“This is just to intimidateus. Very serious mediationis going on. This application(Visharad’s) should haveideally asked the court to direct the mediation committee for a status report; instead it wants the court toentirely scrap the mediationprocess. Unhappy partieslike them want to scrap themediation eff��orts,” Mr. Dhavan submitted. To this, theCJI said since the court hadconstituted the mediationpanel, the court itself wouldask the committee for a report. “We are entitled toknow what is happening,”Chief Justice Gogoi addressed Mr. Dhavan.

He said not much progresshas been made by the apexcourtappointed panel ofmediators, including formerapex court judge, Justice Kalifulla, spiritual leader SriSri Ravi Shankar and senioradvocate Sriram Panchu, apioneer in alternative dispute resolution mechanisms in the country.

Senior advocate K. Parasaran, for Visharad, said it is“diffi��cult to settle disputeslike this and the SupremeCourt should authoritativelydecide the matter.”

“The suit was fi��led in1950, even before the Constitution came into existence. Sixtynine years havepassed since,” Mr. Parasaransubmitted, highlighting thesupposed futility of eff��ortsto settle the dispute.

Countering this, senior

SC likely to hear Ayodhyaappeals from July 25

Senior Congress leader P.Chidambaram said on Thursday that the crisis in Karnataka and Goa might appear tobe “political upmanship”,but it had a “damaging impact on the economy”.

Mr. Chidambaram said foreign investors, rating agencies and international organisations did not read Indiannewspapers or watch the“tamed” Indian TV newschannels, but “what theyread and hear about politicalinstability and political chicanery will have an impacton the economy.”

Participating in the discussion on the Union Budget inthe Rajya Sabha, Mr. Chidambaram said the GDP pro

jection was perplexing andthe Budget did not chalk outa clear road map to take India on the path of high economic growth and lackedbold steps and structural reforms. He termed Finance

Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s speech “insipid”, andsaid the Budget did not haveany steps to propel investments and savings.

Mr. Chidambaram said thegovernment’s call of making

India a $5trillion economyby 202425 was simple arithmetic as the fi��gure doubleditself in six or seven yearsdue to the “magic of compounding” and did not require a Prime Minister or aFinance Minister.

“There is this goal of a $5trillion economy. Good, verygood. I will give you bettergoals. In 199091, India’s economy was $320 billion, itdoubled to $618 billion in200304. Then UPA government came and from $618billion, it doubled to $1.22trillion in four years. It doubled again to $2.48 trillion inSeptember 2017. It will double to $5 trillion in the nextfi��ve years. It does not requirea Prime Minister or a Finance minister. It will dou

ble. That is the magic of compounding. Ask any moneylender,” he said.

The size of the economywas currently estimated at$2.7 trillion and was growingat a nominal growth, he said.

Macro dataHe said the Finance Ministerdid not present macro economic data, including of revenue receipts, in her Budget speech.

“I cannot recall a Budgetspeech so bereft of macro data,” he said, and urged theMinistry to ensure importantdata get mention in the Budget speech in future.

Mr. Chidambaram said heexpected the government tocome back and tell whatstructural reforms and what

bold steps it would take orhow it would improve investment, which was the onlyengine available to spur India’s growth to 8% this yearand to 10% the next year.

He said that at one placethe GDP growth had beenprojected at 7% and at another, 8%.

In an apparent jibe atformer Finance MinisterArun Jaitley, Mr. Chidambaram said Ms. Sitharaman inherited a “wobbly economy”, and accused thegovernment of waiving corporate loans worth ₹��5.55lakh crore. A total of 46members spoke on the Budget during the 10hour debate. The discussion willcontinue on Friday. TheHouse adjourned past 9 p.m.

Political crisis will mar economy: ChidambaramFormer Minister says in the Rajya Sabha that foreign investors and rating agencies will look at instability and chicanery


New Delhi

Against crossovers: Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and otherCongress MPs protesting outside Parliament. * SANDEEP SAXENA

Goa Chief Minister PramodSawant on Thursday met BJPpresident Amit Shah alongwith the 10 MLAs who haddefected from the Congressto the saff��ron party. He laterheld deliberations with Mr.Shah on a reshuffl��e of theState Cabinet.

Mr. Sawant, who arrivedin New Delhi with the MLAs,met BJP working presidentJ.P. Nadda who formally welcomed the new entrants intothe BJP.

A Cabinet reshuffl��e is likely in Goa in the next fewdays, two party offi��cials saidon condition of anonymity.Mr. Sawant would have todrop current Ministers, many of whom are from BJP allies and whose support wascrucial to the government’ssurvival, to accommodatethe defectors from the Congress, the offi��cials added.

The BJP’s strength hasnow gone up to 27 in the 40member in the Goa Assembly and it is no longer dependent on the support of allies

such as the Goa ForwardParty or even Independents.

Mr. Sawant said the legislators’ decision to join theBJP was entirely “voluntary”with no prior promises.

Chandrakant Kavlekar,who was the Leader of theOpposition in the Assemblybefore he joined the BJPalong with nine other MLAs,told presspersons that thelegislators wanted development work in their constituencies. “It was not possible while we were in theOpposition,” he said.

Amit Shah and Nadda welcome them into the party


NEW DELHI

New home: BJP working president J.P. Nadda with Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant andrebel Congress MLAs in New Delhi on Thursday. * PTI

Goa Congress rebels join BJP,to fi��nd place in State Ministry

In a joint letter to the PrimeMinister Narendra Modi,Opposition parties stronglycondemned the searchesin the houses and offi��ces ofsenior advocates IndiraJaising and Anand Grover.

The letter signed by theCongress, the Trinamool,the two Left parties, theAam Aadmi Party and others said the searches werethe latest in a long line ofcoercion and intimidationof Ms. Jaising and Mr. Grover. It was “nothing short ofa brute show of intimidation as well as gross abuseof power”.

“This is especially sosince both advocates, wellknown for their pioneeringwork in the fi��eld of humanrights, have fully cooperated with the authorities ever since criminal chargeswere fi��led against them inthe alleged FCRA violationcases,” the parties said inthe letter. They have demanded that the government halt such “act of coercion and intimidation.”

CPI(M) general secretarySitaram Yechury in a seriesof tweets accused the government of targeting Ms.Jaising and Mr. Grover.

CBI searchesact of coercion:Opposition


New Delhi

West Bengal Chief Ministerand Trinamool presidentMamata Banerjee spoke tobeleaguered KarnatakaChief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Wednesdayevening, paving the way fora joint Opposition protest inParliament over the crisis inthe southern State.

After the conversationbetween the two leaders,the Trinamool worked thephones to call other partiesto arrange for a joint protest. It was attended by theSamajwadi Party, the CPI(M), the CPI, the RashtriyaJanata Dal, the Aam AadmiParty, the Nationalist Congress Party and others.

Armed with posters thatsaid “Stop bulldozing Stategovernment” and “BJP killing democracy”, the Opposition leaders shouted slogans against the rulingparty.

“On my behalf and on behalf of my party, I am happyand indebted to all the Opposition parties who supported and protested in Parliament today for Karnatakaand against the undemocratic behaviour of the BJP,”

Janata Dal(S) MP Prajwal Revanna said.

The Congress, the JD(S)ally in Karnataka, joined theprotest a little later.

UPA chairperson SoniaGandhi and outgoing Congress president Rahul Gandhi were present at the protest. The Congress alsofl�agged the mass desertionof its legislators in Goa. Theparty leadership hasblamed the saff��ron party forthe desertions from itsranks in both the States.

Mamata helps bring parties together


New Delhi

Opposition holdsjoint protest

<> I am happy and

indebted to all the

Opposition parties

who supported

and protested in

Parliament today

for Karnataka

Prajwal Revanna

JD(S) MP

Outgoing Congress presidentRahul Gandhi attacked theModi government on issuesrelated to farmers, statingthat it had given them no relief unlike to businessmenwho got loan writeoff�� running into crores — a statement strongly denied by Defence Minister Rajnath Singhwho squarely blamed previous Congress governmentsin not dealing with the issue.

Mr. Gandhi was speakingduring Zero Hour in the LokSabha on Thursday, his fi��rstsuch intervention in the 17thLok Sabha. In a speech thatwas focussed mainly on Kerala with a specifi��c referenceto his constituency Wayanad, he said farmers weresuff��ering throughout thecountry and were in a terrible condition in Kerala with

one farmer having ended hislife in Wayanad.

“Farmers have been facing threats of immediate eviction from their properties,”he said, adding that this wasso as banks from which theyhad taken loans had begunthe recovery process. “Eighteen farmers in Kerala havecommitted suicide due tothis,” he said. No relief has

been given to farmers by thegovernment, he said claiming that businessmen havebeen granted concessions of₹��4.3 lakh crore and loanwaivers of ₹��5.5 lakh crore.

Mr. Singh countered Mr.Gandhi’s charge in Lok Sabha, and blamed the long ruleof the Congress for the plightof farmers.

In his reply, Mr. Singh said

the government’s move togive ₹��6,000 a year as incomesupport to farmers wouldlead to a rise in their incomeby 2025%, and said thatmore farmers committedsuicide before the BJPleddispensation came to power.

“The amount of increasein MSP (minimum supportprice) that our Prime Minister has eff��ected has not beendone by anybody in independent India’s history,” Mr.Singh said.

As soon as Mr. Gandhi fi��nished his speech, other Congress leaders wanted to raisethe issue of desertions ofMLAs from their party ranksin Karnataka and Goa, forwhich they blamed the BJP.

With the Speaker not permitting them to speak on thematter, they staged a walkout and were joined by other Opposition parties.

Rahul, Rajnath lock horns on farm crisisCongress leader says farmers worse off��; Minister blames previous governments


New Delhi

Heated exchange: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, left, andCongress leader Rahul Gandhi speaking in the Lok Sabha. * PTI

The Centre has proposed amodel tenancy law thatStates and Union Territoriescan enact to regulate renting of premises, includingsetting a maximum of twomonths’ rent as security deposit, a threemonths noticefor raising the rent and appointment of rent authorities. The draft of the ModelTenancy Act, 2019, wasplaced in the public domainon Wednesday by the UnionMinistry for Housing and Urban Aff��airs (MoHUA), an offi��cial said, adding that comments had been soughtfrom the public, after whichthe draft would be sent tothe Cabinet for its nod. Astatement by MoHUA onThursday said commentswere invited till August 1.

Finance Minister NirmalaSitharaman had said in herBudget speech on July 5 thatthe government would becoming up with a model tenancy law.

“It [model law] will enable creation of adequate

rental housing stock for various income segments ofsociety including migrants,formal and informal sectorworkers, professionals, students, etc. and increase access to quality rented accommodation, enablegradual formalisation ofrental housing market. Itwill help overhaul the legalframework visàvis rentalhousing across the country,”the statement read.

Advance security depositfor residential propertieswould be capped at twomonths’ rent and onemonth’s rent for nonresidential properties.

“After coming into force,no person shall let or takeon rent any premises exceptby an agreement in writing.Within two months of executing the rental agreementboth landowner and tenantare required to intimate tothe Rent Authority aboutthe agreement and withinseven days a unique identifi��cation number will be issued to both the parties,”the statement said.

Draft tenancy law caps security deposit Comments invited till August 1


NEW DELHI

“Modernisation of the railways does not matter if theemployment of manual scavengers continue. There areabout 95,000 people engaged in the work throughcontractual employmentwithout any safety gear,”said DMK MP K. Kanimozhi .

She was speaking during adiscussion in the Lok Sabhaon the demand for grants forthe Railway Ministry201920.

She quoted a railway committee report that claims ac

counting in railways is neither scientifi��c nor accurate.

“Will private sector invest

if this is the case. There is notrack record of PPP modelworking. Southern Railwaysis neglected and this is evident by the fact that there isa gap of ₹��1,290 crore in allocated and received funds.There is also an urgent needto complete the line alongthe eastern coast announcedin 2011, and 12 other projectsthat lay abandoned including the renaming of theErode railway station toThanthai Periyar railway station,” she said.

Stating that even amongthe southern States Kerala is

neglected, P.K. Kunhalikuttyof IUML said: “Even if Keralais not a part of your politicalmap, it should be so on therailway map. The issue ofKanjikode coach factory,which is in a limbo, must beaddressed.”

‘Puri devastated’“Cyclone Fani has devastated the city of Puri. Its railwaystation is also devastated,”said BJD MP Chandra SekharSahu.

He sought urgent intervention of the Central government.

Kanimozhi says 95,000 people engaged in the work on contract employment

K. Kanimozhi


New Delhi

End manual scavenging in Railways: DMK MP

India has urged the Commonwealth to expeditereadmission of the Maldivesas a member country. External Aff��airs Minister S. Jaishankar conveyed India’sstand at the 19th Commonwealth Foreign Aff��airs Ministers Meeting in London.

“The External Aff��airs Minister... congratulated themember countries on the70th anniversary of theCommonwealth. He alsonoted that India is well onthe path to fulfi��l all the com

mitments made by PrimeMinister Narendra Modi atthe Commonwealth Headsof Government Meeting2018. The Minister called forfasttracking of the processof readmission of the Maldives to the Commonwealth,” the Ministry of External Aff��airs said.

The support came weeksafter Mr. Modi visited Malein his fi��rst overseas trip afterhis reelection. The Maldives withdrew from theCommonwealth during thetenure of President Abdullah Yameen in 2016.

Readmit Maldives intoCommonwealth: India Kallol Bhattacherjee

NEW DELHI

CMYK


THE HINDU DELHI


NEWS

Visiting U.S. trade offi��cialswill meet Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyalon Friday, after two days oftalks with a “composite delegation” from the Commerceand External Aff��airs Ministries, the fi��rst formal eff��ort toresolve the recent trade impasse.

“Since India’s election period has now passed, USTRoffi��cials are visiting India forrelationship building with Indian government counterparts, including introductory meetings,” said aspokesperson for the UnitedStates Trade Representative(USTR). The U.S. delegation

is led by the Assistant USTRfor South and Central Asia,Christopher Wilson, and anAdditional Secretary fromthe Commerce Ministry isleading the Indian side.

On Thursday, the twosides met for “informal”talks, and “comprehensive”formal talks will begin on Fri

day, offi��cials said. The USTRvisit was agreed upon byPrime Minister NarendraModi and U.S. President Donald Trump when they metin Osaka on the sidelines ofthe G20 summit.

“Our approach is to engage [with the USTR team]constructively, in a positive

manner,” External Aff��airs Ministry spokesperson RaveeshKumar said on Thursday.“Many of these issues werediscussed by PM and President Trump and we look forward to resolving them...many are technical in naturelike tariff��s, we will have towait and see how they will beaddressed, and what is theoutcome of the talks.”

Tariff��s likely in focusThe two sides will discussthe issue of tariff��s, whichhave been raised on bothsides in the past year, andregulatory changes by Indiaon data localisation, ecommerce and import curbs,which the U.S. has protested

against. Mr. Trump tweetedtwice in the recent past, before and after his meetingwith Mr. Modi, and on bothoccasions criticised India onhigh tariff��s. Since he took offi��ce in January 2017, Mr.Trump has consistentlypushed for India to cut tariff��son HarleyDavidson motorcycles to zero to matchAmerican duties on Indianmotorcycles, but there hasbeen no indication that NewDelhi is prepared to obligeyet.

The Ministry spokesperson declined to commentspecifi��cally on which issueswere being discussed onThursday and Friday, including whether the U.S. objec

tions to Chinese telecommunications company Huaweibeing considered for 5Gtrials was among them, butsaid the “entire gamut of issues related to trade will beon the table”.

Larger meetingThe two sides are also expected to set a date for ameeting between Mr. Goyaland U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer in thenext few weeks, when tradetalks will be formally resumed after they collapsed inNovember, and the standoff��escalated after the U.S. withdrew India’s Generalised System of Preferences (GSP)trade status this year.

U.S., India to begin formal talks on trade todayThe two sides will discuss regulatory changes by India on data localisation, e-commerce and import curbs


NEW DELHI

CPI(M) Polit Bureau memberBrinda Karat has termed theamendments to the IndianForest Act repressive, andsaid they will criminalise allaspects of tribal life.

In a letter to Union Environment Minister PrakashJavadekar, she said the 1927Act had served as an instrument for the British colonialists to establish governmentownership of forests and declare tribal communities encroachers, giving legal sanction to the historicalinjustices meted out to thetribal communities. “Youhave sought to play downthe extremely repressivemeasures proposed in theAct and have entirely ig

nored the bulldozing of therights of tribal communitiesin particular,” she said.

She said the amendmentscriminalised every aspect ofthe tribal life, giving “untrammelled powers” to theforest bureaucracy to arrestwithout warrant and usearms to implement the law.“The 91 clauses in the

amendments now proposed, including the entirelynew sections, go beyondwhat the British dared to do,by militarising forest conservation.”

The amendments, shesaid, “are a blueprint forcentralization, commercialization and criminalization”.“The amendments extinguish the existing rights oftribals and other traditionalforest dwellers, includingthose recognized in the Forest Rights Act, the Wild LifeProtection Act as amendedin 2006, the Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas)Act, the Land Acquisitionand Resettlement and Rehabilitation Act, 2013, as wellas the constitutional provisions in Schedule 5 and 6.”

Amendments to Forest Actrepressive, says Brinda Karat‘They criminalise all aspects of the tribal life’


New Delhi

Brinda Karat

The Nagaland governmenthas said that guidelines forimplementing a localisedversion of the National Register of Citizens — being updated in Assam — will beframed in consultation withcivil society groups and traditional tribal bodies.

The decision follows remarks from organisationssuch as the Naga Hoho, theapex body of all Nagaland’stribes, that the Register ofIndigenous Inhabitants ofNagaland (RIIN) was premature and could have seriousramifi��cations. Other groups,including the Naga Students’ Federation, said the

survey should be restrictedto nonlocals.

The RIIN exercise waslaunched on Thursday withdesignated teams surveyingpeople living in every villageand urban ward to prepare alist of indigenous inhabitants who would be provided a certifi��cate.

Nagaland’s Home Commissioner R. Ramakrishnanon Thursday said the concerns and observations ofdiff��erent sections were awelcome development.

“The State government isof the opinion that the present exercises are new initiatives and need consultationswith participation from allstakeholders,” he said.

Nagaland to frame RIINnorms after consultation Call for restricting survey to non-locals

special correspondent

GUWAHATI The Assam government willestablish 200 Foreigners’Tribunals (FTs) for handlingcases of people to be excluded from the fi��nal NationalRegister of Citizens (NRC).July 31 is the deadline for publishing the NRC.

These FTs would be in addition to the existing 100 andare part of the 1,000 that theCentre has decided to helpAssam set up in view of thepressure anticipated in disposing of cases of people tobe left out of the NRC.

Offi��cials in the State’sHome and Political Department said the new FTswould be distributed amongsix districts. Kamrup (Metro

politan) district, which covers Guwahati and its outskirts, will get 67 of these,followed by Nagaon with 39,Jorhat with 31, Bongaigaonwith 22, Sonitpur with 21,and Cachar with 20.

“Apart from the cases ofpeople left out of the NRC,the new FTs will deal withthe regular cases of Dvoters[doubtful voters],” a senioroffi��cer said.

Organisations represent

ing Bengalispeaking Hindusand Muslims feel more FTswill bring more misery unless the tribunals are madefully judicial bodies. Morethan 80% of the 41.09 lakhpeople put in the two exclusion lists belong to these twogroups.

Those left out, however,were provided windows toget back in the NRC after resubmitting admissible citizenship papers.

According to the All Assam Minority Students’ Union (AAMSU), the FTs andthe border wing of the Assam Police “are foreignerproducing factories”. Theborder wing picks suspectedforeigners and refers theircases to the FTs.

More Foreigners’ Tribunals in Assam200 to be set up in addition to the existing 100 to handle NRC cases after July 31

Deadline pressure: Offi��cials checking documents at an appealhearing on the NRC, which will be out on July 31. * AFP


GUWAHATI

The Automated Facial Recognition System (AFRS)will not violate privacy of citizens and is only being developed to help the law enforcement agencies identifycriminals, missing childrenand unidentifi��ed bodies in ascientifi��c and speedy manner, a senior government offi��cial said on Thursday.

The AFRS, being implemented by the NationalCrime Records Bureau(NCRB), is a component ofthe Crime and CriminalTracking Network and Systems (CCTNS), a national database of crimes and criminals.

An offi��cial said the database would be accessibleonly to law enforcementagencies.

Privacy concernsThe NCRB last week invitedbids for the AFRS that wouldeven “capture face imagesfrom CCTV feed and generate alerts if a blacklist matchis found”, triggering privacyconcerns.

At present, there are 7.71lakh cases of missing persons in the CCTNS databasethat includes 98,000 children, the offi��cial said.

“This software will beused only in respect of suchpersons who fi��gure on theCCTNS data base — accusedpersons, prisoners, missingpersons, unidentifi��ed deadpersons – and is not going tobe used on any other database,” the offi��cial said.

The AFRS will add another information layer to investigation by allowingmatching photograph ofsuspect or missing personwith the database of CCTNS.“This is already done manually,” the offi��cial said.

‘Facial-recognition systemwill not violate privacy’ Centre says it will aid law enforcement


New Delhi The Centre has proposedto relax the General Financial Rules (GFR) to enableall government organisations to accept “untestedinnovative goods and services solutions from startups”.

The government plansto do away with “competitive tendering” while placing orders from such startups as it amounts to competition between“established and new business entities”.

The plan proposes that aminimum 2% of the procurement budget of a Ministry or department maybe “earmarked for procurement of such goods orservices which are yet to betested or evaluated andbrought to market as acceptable commercial product service ortechnology”.

In her Budget speech onJuly 5, Finance MinisterNirmala Sitharaman announced easing tax scrutiny for startups and thoseinvesting in such fi��rms.

To help outstart-ups, govt.to buy goods

Vijaita Singh

New Delhi

The Supreme Court on Friday will hear a group of social workers, academics andrepresentatives of the Muslim community who haveappealed against a BombayHigh Court decision upholding a “oneperson or onecommunity” Maharashtralegislation providing reservation to the Maratha community in education and public employment.

The petitioners, led byMohammad Sayeed NooriShafi�� Ahmed, say the Maharashtra legislation is againstthe very tenets of equalityenshrined as a fundamentalright in the Constitution.

A Bench led by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi will consider the case of the group,represented by senior advocate S.B. Talekar and advocates Vipin Nair and Madhavi Ayyappan, who said theHigh Court decision was seriously erroneous and basedon incomplete data.

The Bench is also scheduled to examine a separatepetition fi��led by NGO Youth

for Equality through its representative Sanjeet Shukla,which said the 12% and 13%quota to Maratha community had breached the 50%cap on reservation fi��xed bythe Indira Sawhney judgment of the apex court.

52 Muslim communitiesThe appeal by Mr. Ahmedand others meanwhile saidthe high court judgment, onJune 27, had led to hostilediscrimination by not addressing the issues raised by52 leastdeveloped Muslimcommunities in the State inneed of social and educational uplift.

The High Court judgmenthas worked to favour onlythe Maratha community forquota benefi��ts in educationand public sector jobs.

Petitioners narrated howMaharashtra had issued anordinance for providing 5%reservation to 52 Muslimcommunities in 2014. However, the ordinance hadlapsed and Maharashtra didnot take any steps to legislate to provide reservationto the communities.

Maratha quota is a ‘onecommunity’ law: pleaSC to hear petition challenging quota

Krishnadas Rajagopal

NEW DELHI

Centre committed toprivatise Air IndiaNEW DELHI

The government is

committed to disinvestment

of Air India but wants the

national carrier to remain in

Indian hands, Civil Aviation

Minister Hardeep Singh Puri

informed the Lok Sabha on

Thursday. He said the

previous attempt to disinvest

the carrier could not succeed,

but now the government has

learnt its lessons. PTI

IN BRIEF

India hands over body ofPoK boy to Pakistan SRINAGAR

Three days after the body of

an eightyearold boy from

Pakistanoccupied Kashmir

was fished out from the

Kishenganga river in

Kashmir’s Gurez, it was

handed over to the family as

Indian and Pakistani Armies

decided to set up a new

exchange point, in a rare

move. The body was handed

to the Pakistan Army at 2

p.m. at a point on the

Chorwan border.

Sikhs for Justice spreadshate, says MEANEW DELHI

Canadabased advocacy

group, Sikhs for Justice (SFJ),

which is campaigning online

for Khalistani cause, is a

fringe group without support

from the global Sikh

community, said the Ministry

of External Affairs on

Wednesday.“We have taken

up this matter very strongly

with Canada. The Sikhs for

Justice has supported anti

India activities and violent

forms of extremism in Punjab

and elsewhere,” said Raveesh

Kumar, MEA spokesperson.

Speaker of the U.S. Houseof Representatives NancyPelosi has said the U.S.Congress was, and continues to be, concernedabout the treatment ofMuslims in India.

Ms. Pelosi’s commentscame during a conversation with Chairman of theU.S.India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF)John Chambers at a Forumevent in Washington DC.

“We were proud to welcome him [Prime MinisterModi] …to a joint session ofCongress [in 2016]. We hadsome concerns about thetreatment of Muslims in India — I have to mention it —then and now,” Ms. Pelosisaid at the conclusion of atalk.

Ms. Pelosi, however, alsopraised Mr. Modi’s oratorical skills, calling a speechhe gave during her visit toIndia with former U.S. President Barack Obama, “oneof the most fantasticspeeches” she had everheard.

Ms. Pelosi dwelt on thevalues that anchored tiesbetween India and theU.S., speaking of MahatmaGandhi’s infl��uence on thecivil rights leader MartinLuther King Jr.

U.S. concern attreatmentof Muslims

Sriram Lakshman

Washington DC

CMYK

WORLDEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

DELHI THE HINDU


A British warship forcedthree Iranian boats to backoff�� after they sought to blocka British tanker from passingthrough the Strait of Hormuz, the Defence Ministrysaid on Thursday, in the latest escalation of tensionsbetween Tehran and theWest.

“Contrary to internationallaw, three Iranian vessels attempted to impede the passage of a commercial vessel,British Heritage, through theStrait of Hormuz,” the Britishgovernment said. “We areconcerned by this action andcontinue to urge the Iranianauthorities to deescalate thesituation in the region.”

Iran denied any attemptto stop the tanker, accordingto Iranian news agencies.

The dispute on Thursdayis the latest complication in athreeway drama involvingIran, the United States andEurope that has played outsince last year, when President Donald Trump abandoned the 2015 nuclear deal

with Iran and restored sanctions that had been suspended under the deal.

Last week, British forcesseized an Iranian tanker off��the coast of Gibraltar boundfor Syria, on suspicion that itwas violating European Union sanctions, which Irancalled an act of piracy. SomeIranian offi��cials spoke of retribution, and an offi��cer inIran’s elite RevolutionaryGuard, Mohsen Rezaei,wrote on Twitter that if thetanker were not released,Iran “will be dutybound totake reciprocal action andseize a British oil tanker.”

Iranian President HassanRouhani derided Britain asrecently as Wednesday for itsdecision to send its warshipsto escort commercial vesselsthrough the Gulf. Calling Britain “scared” and “hopeless,” Mr. Rouhani warnedthat, “You, Britain, are theinitiator of insecurity andyou will realize the consequences later.”

In its statement on Thursday, the British governmentsaid three Iranian boats hadattempted to stop the BritishHeritage in the early morning as it headed toward theStrait of Hormuz, a vital

channel for international oilsupplies.

A British warship, theMontrose, had been escorting the tanker to guardagainst Iranian interference.After a short standoff��, theBritish warned the three Iranian boats to back away andthey did, the British government said in its statement.“H.M.S. Montrose wasforced to position herselfbetween the Iranian vesselsand British Heritage and issue verbal warnings to theIranian vessels, which thenturned away,” the DefenceMinistry said in a statement.

Iranian boats tried to block ourtanker in the Gulf, says U.K. Forced to back off�� by a British warship, Defence Ministry says; Tehran denies it

David D. Kirkpatrick

London

Keeping watch: A fi��le photo of the H.M.S. Montrose, whichwas accompanying the British tanker. * NYT

The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesdaypassed (36565) the Fairnessfor HighSkilled ImmigrantsAct of 2019, which increasesthe annual limit of familybased green cards off��ered tocitizens of each country andeliminates the countrywisecap on employmentbasedgreen cards.

This will have a signifi��cantimpact on nationals of countries such as India, in whosecase demand for immigrantvisas (which convert togreen cards upon admissionto the U.S.) exceeds the number of visas available eachyear, resulting in wait timesthat could run into decades.

Indians to benefi��tIndians account for an overwhelming majority (around75% in fi��scal year 2017) ofH1B visas, which are a pathway to green cards.

The version of the Billpassed by the House increases the percountry cap on familybased green cards fromthe current 7% of all greencards issued in any year to15%.

The Bill altogether elimi

nates employmentbasedgreen card caps. As of November 2017, China, Indiaand the Philippines, in thatorder, accounted for the topthree countries whose nationals got approved for employmentbased greencards.

The House Bill also provides a transition periodfrom fi��scal year 2020 to 2022by reserving a percentage ofemployment visas — in theEB2 (exceptional ability),EB3 (skilled workers) andEB5 (investors) categories —for individuals who are notfrom the two countrieswhose nationals claim mostof these visas.

This mechanism has pre

sumably been incorporatedto help ensure that no person who is already in line fora green card is going to bemade any worse off�� with thepassage of this law. For instance, those in line fromcountries that do not use uptheir yearly cap, will waitlonger once the per countrycaps are adjusted or re

moved. This transition mechanism presumably allowsthose already in line fromcountries with lower greencard demand to be clearedbefore caps are liberalised oreliminated.

Critics of a capfree system argue that caps keep afew countries from dominating the employment–immigration route.

Now that the House haspassed a law changing oreliminating caps, the Senatewill need to pass a comparable Bill before it can becomelaw.

“This isn’t the fi��rst timethis Bill passed the House ofRepresentatives by an overwhelming bipartisan majority — it happened in 2011, butthe Senate did nothing. Thistime there’s momentum inthe Senate, though, becausecertain Senators wrote insome tighter H1B rules theyhave wanted for a long time.So supporters of this Bill canbe cautiously optimistic,”Doug Rand, formerly an immigration policy offi��cial atthe Obama White House andcofounder of Boundless, afi��rm specialising in greencards and U.S. citizenship,told The Hindu.

Bill to relax green card cap passedHouse removes countrywise cap, increases annual limit of familybased cards

Next step: The Senate will now need to pass a comparable Billbefore it can become law.

Sriram Lakshman

Washington

<> This time there’s

momentum in the

Senate, though,

because certain

Senators wrote in

some tighter H-1B

rules they have

wanted for a long

time

Doug Rand

Former White House offi��cial

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursdayinsisted she took care ofher health after remaining seated during national anthems at an offi��cialceremony, in a rarechange of protocol apparently to prevent a repeatof uncontrollableshaking.

With questions swirling about Ms. Merkel’shealth after she suff��eredthree episodes of shakingin public in less than amonth, the veteran leader opted to play safe.

After greeting Denmark’s new Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen atthe portico of the chancellery, a smiling Merkel

walked her over to a podium where both leaderstook their seats beforethe anthems played.

Asked by journalists ifshe had seen a doctor over the shaking incidentsand about the results ofany medical checks, Ms.

Merkel declined to givespecifi��cs.

“You can assume thatfi��rstly, I know the responsibilities of my offi��ce andthat I therefore act accordingly with regard tomy health,” Ms. Merkelsaid at the joint news con

ference with Ms. Frederiksen. “And secondly,you can also assume thatas a person, I have astrong personal interestin being in good healthand that I take care of myhealth.”

Standing next to her atthe press conference, Ms.Frederiksen said shefound the Chancellor “asstrong and competent asbefore I came to Berlintoday.”

‘Live with it’ The unusual decision touse seats came a day aftera similar ceremony whenthe German Chancellorwas seen shaking involuntarily for the thirdtime. On Wednesday, Ms.Merkel began trembling

as national anthems werebeing played at the reception of Finnish Prime Minister Antti Rinne. Justover an hour later, she attended a press conference as planned andtold journalists that herhealth was no cause forconcern.

She explained that shewas simply still in a phaseof “processing” a previous shaking spell, butthat “there has been progress”. “I will have to livewith it for a while,” addedMs. Merkel, who turns 65next week. “Just like howit has come, one day itwill go away too.” Theshaking on Wednesdaywas visible although lesssevere than during thefi��rst episode in June.

German Chancellor has suff��ered three episodes in public in less than a monthAgence France-Presse

Berlin

Playing safe: Chancellor Angela Merkel and Danish PMMette Frederiksen sit during the anthems. * AP

Merkel sits during anthems after shaking spells

Police arrest Indiancaptain of Iran tankerGIBRALTER

The police have arrested the

Indian captain and chief officer

of Grace 1, the seized Iranian

tanker, Royal Gibraltar Police

said on Thursday. The Gibraltar

police are interviewing both

men, who have “been accorded

their legal entitlements and

access to consular

representation,” a statement

said. AFP

DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

A trust vote on the government presented by the Opposition Janatha VimukthiPeramuna ( JVP) in Sri Lankan Parliament was defeatedon Thursday with a majorityof 119 legislators in the 225member House votingagainst it.

The leftist JVP or Peoples’Liberation Front, an Opposition party, on Wednesdaysubmitted a motion accusingthe ruling coalition of failingto prevent the April 21 Easterterror attacks despite the“fact that proper information had been made available regarding suicide terrorists.” Its leader AnuraDissanayaka said the attacksoccurred because of the government’s failure to fulfi��l itsresponsibility, adding: “people have no confi��dence inthis government.”

Following a twoday debate that ended on Thursdayevening, a total of 92 lawmakers from PresidentMaithripala Sirisena’s SriLanka Freedom Party(SLFP), which pulled out ofgovernment last October,the coalition backing formerPresident and Leader of Opposition Mahinda Rajapaksa, and the JVP voted in favour of the noconfi��dencemotion.

Muslim MPs, who had resigned protesting “demonisation” of the communityfollowing the Easter attacksand the Opposition TamilNational Alliance (TNA) voted in favour of the government. From April last year,Prime Minister Ranil Wickre

mesinghe has won multipletrust votes with the supportof minority Tamil and Muslim parties, without whomhis party may not have beenable to garner a majority.

‘Cheap triumph’Intervening in Thursday’sdebate, All Ceylon MakkalKatchi leader and lawmakerRishad Bathiudeen said theallegations levelled in theJVPled noconfi��dence motion against the governmentwere ‘on target’, but said hedecided to vote with otherMuslim MPs, in favour of thegovernment.

Referring to attacks unleashed on him by some MPsbacking Mr. Rajapaksa following the Easter bombings,linking him to the terrorplot, he said: “Hurling theseincriminating accusations ata time when the country wason the brink, the Oppositionsought cheap triumph bymaking me their main prey.”

Further, referring to astring of violent incidentstargeting Muslims, the former Minister said, “29 mosques were attacked, a Muslim father was murdered

while his entire familywatched in shock, 900 Muslim houses were damaged —these took place while lawenforcement idly stood by.”

Both the Muslim MPs andthe main Tamil party appearto have decided to vote forthe government, to avoidgiving the Rajapaksa campin Opposition an advantage.

Addressing the House,TNA Leader R. Sampanthansaid the minorities had a reason to vote the way they didin the 2015 election, inwhich former President Rajapaksa was defeated.

“The eff��orts of this government may not be to ourcomplete satisfaction, butthey are certainly betterthan the former regime,” hesaid.

Further, raising questionsabout the policy that an alternative government wouldadopt, Mr. Sampanthansaid: “Minorities suff��eredimmensely under the Rajapaksa regime. While voting,we have to be conscious ofthe fact that we don’t knowwhat their policy might be ifthe government were tochange.”

Noconfi��dence motion againstSri Lanka govt. defeated JVP moved the vote, saying it failed to stop terror attacks

Meera Srinivasan

COLOMBO

A test passed: A December 16, 2018, photo of Sri Lankan PMRanil Wickremesinghe, centre, with loyal lawmakers. * AP

North Korea on Thursday said SouthKorea’s planned deployment of newU.S. stealth fi��ghter jets was an “extremely dangerous action” thatwould compel it to use “special armaments” to shoot them down.

South Korea, a major U.S. ally, received its fi��rst two F35A jets — oneof the world’s most advanced military aircraft — in March under a $7billion contract signed in 2014. Thecountry plans to deploy 40 jets bythe end of 2021, with around a quarter of those expected to be operational this year.

South Korean authorities “knowwell that the bringingin of the fi��ghters would prove to be an extremelydangerous action which will triggerour reaction,” an unnamed researcher at the Institute for Ameri

can Studies of North Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Aff��airs said in astatement carried by state newsagency KCNA.

“We... have no other choice butto develop and test the special armaments to completely destroy thelethal weapons reinforced in SouthKorea,” it said.

North Korea warns of militaryaction against South’s F35A jets ‘We’ll have to test weapons to shoot them down’

Agence France-Presse

Seoul

The F35A is one of the world’s mostadvanced military aircraft. * REUTERS

Bangladesh’s antigraft offi��ce hascharged the former Chief Justicewith corruption nearly two years after he fl��ed the country saying he wasforced to resign, an offi��cial said onThursday.

Surendra Kumar Sinha, who hadled the South Asian nation’s Supreme Court to a landmark verdicton judicial independence that wentagainst the government, left Bangladesh in late 2017 amid widespreadallegations he had been pressuredto step aside.

Opposition groups raised fearsthat his departure was a blow to thecredibility of the judiciary in theMuslimmajority country, ruled by

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’sAwami League party since 2009.

On Wednesday, the AntiCorruption Commission (ACC) fi��led a lawsuit against Mr. Sinha and 10 others,including a former bank chief executive on charges of graft, moneylaundering and abuse of power.

They were charged with usingfake credit papers to launder 40 million taka ($475,000) and transfer itto the account of Mr. Sinha, ACC secretary Dilwar Bakht said.

“The case was fi��led at the districtoffi��ce of the ACC yesterday (Wednesday),” he said.

This is the fi��rst time in Bangladesh’s history that a former ChiefJustice has been charged with anyoff��ence.

Bangladesh charges formerChief Justice with corruption Surendra Kumar Sinha fl��ed Bangladesh in 2017

Agence France-Presse

Dhaka

16 killed, over 80 injuredin Pakistan train collisionLAHORE/ISLAMABAD

At least 16 passengers were

killed and more than 80

others injured on Thursday

when an express train

rammed into a stationery

freight train in Pakistan’s

Punjab province, officials

said. The Quettabound

Akbar Express collided with

the freight train at the

Walhar railway station in

Sadiqabad tehsil of the

province, Dawn quoted

officials as saying. The freight

train was on the loop line

when the speeding passenger

train, instead of running on

the main line, entered the

wrong track. PTI

IN BRIEF

CMYK

BUSINESSEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

THE HINDU DELHI


NIFTY 50

PRICE CHANGE

Adani Ports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 412.90. . . . . . . . . 7.90

Asian Paints. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1332.45. . . . . . . . . 9.50

Axis Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 766.40. . . . . . . . -2.85

Bajaj Auto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2711.70. . . . . . -28.70

Bajaj Finserv. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7645.70. . . . . . -12.50

Bajaj Finance . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 3451.05. . . . . . . 22.00

Bharti Airtel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360.75. . . . . . . . . 2.20

BPCL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350.55. . . . . . . . . 0.95

Britannia Ind . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 2765.15. . . . . . . . -4.40

Cipla . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 552.40. . . . . . . . . 7.45

Coal India . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234.90. . . . . . . . . 1.55

Dr Reddys Lab . . . . . . . .. . . . 2653.05. . . . . . . 68.40

Eicher Motors. . . . . . . . .. 19034.15. . . . . 283.15

GAIL (India). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147.45. . . . . . . . . 2.50

Grasim Ind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 919.25. . . . . . . . . 5.80

HCL Tech. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1020.80. . . . . . . . . 1.90

HDFC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2261.90. . . . . . . 34.15

HDFC Bank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2407.15. . . . . . . 18.40

Hero MotoCorp . . . . . .. . . . 2507.80. . . . . 107.80

Hindalco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198.45. . . . . . . . . 4.80

Hind Unilever . . . . . . . . .. . . . 1730.90. . . . . . . 12.30

Indiabulls HFL . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 672.15. . . . . . . 12.55

ICICI Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 426.55. . . . . . . . -4.35

IndusInd Bank . . . . . . . .. . . . 1541.25. . . . . . . 54.00

Bharti Infratel . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 264.90. . . . . . . . . 4.95

Infosys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 721.50. . . . . . . . . 4.25

Indian OilCorp . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 147.90. . . . . . . . -0.25

ITC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275.65. . . . . . . . . 2.50

JSW Steel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267.30. . . . . . . 12.40

Kotak Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1484.95. . . . . . . . . 9.10

L&T . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1495.20. . . . . . . . -4.35

M&M . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 634.15. . . . . . . 12.50

Maruti Suzuki . . . . . . . . .. . . . 6031.20. . . . . 103.30

NTPC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128.95. . . . . . . . -0.10

ONGC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153.10. . . . . . . . . 1.45

PowerGrid Corp . . . . .. . . . . . 208.60. . . . . . . . . 3.30

Reliance Ind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1281.55. . . . . . . . . 2.70

State Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363.20. . . . . . . . . 9.00

Sun Pharma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 398.15. . . . . . . . . 5.95

Tata Motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156.80. . . . . . . . . 5.15

Tata Steel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 462.00. . . . . . . . . 7.20

TCS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2102.55. . . . . . . . -5.65

Tech Mahindra . . . . . . .. . . . . . 665.70. . . . . . . . -9.15

Titan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1097.00. . . . . . . . -4.20

UltraTech Cement. .. . . . 4539.10. . . . . . . 58.40

UPL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 631.25. . . . . . . . -3.60

Vedanta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163.65. . . . . . . . . 3.65

Wipro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267.75. . . . . . . . . 0.80

YES Bank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92.45. . . . . . . . -0.55

Zee Entertainment . . . . . . 354.80. . . . . . . 22.05

EXCHANGE RATES

Indicative direct rates in rupees a unitexcept yen at 4 p.m. on July 11

CURRENCY TT BUY TT SELL

US Dollar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 68.24. . . . . . . 68.56

Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 76.91. . . . . . . 77.27

British Pound. . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 85.70. . . . . . . 86.13

Japanese Yen (100) . .. . 63.10. . . . . . . 63.40

Chinese Yuan . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 9.94. . . . . . . . . 9.99

Swiss Franc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 69.21. . . . . . . 69.54

Singapore Dollar . . . . . . .. . 50.34. . . . . . . 50.58

Canadian Dollar. . . . . . . . .. . 52.27. . . . . . . 52.52

Malaysian Ringitt . . . . . .. . 16.58. . . . . . . 16.67

Source:Indian Bank

BULLION RATES CHENNAI

July 11 rates in rupees with previousrates in parentheses

Retail Silver (1g) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41.3. . . . . . . . . . (41)

22 ct gold (1 g) . .. . . . . . . . . . . . 3330. . . . . . (3270)

market watch

11-07-2019 % CHANGE

Sensex dddddddddddddddddddddd 38,823 ddddddddddddddd0.69

US Dollardddddddddddddddddddd 68.44 ddddddddddddddd0.20

Gold ddddddddddddddddddddddddddd 35,800 ddddddddddddddd2.67

Brent oil ddddddddddddddddddddd 66.78 ddddddddddddddd0.58

Shares of InterGlobe Aviation Ltd.(IGAL), the company that owns and operates IndiGo airline, plunged for thethird consecutive day with both sides —RG Group and IGE Group — adopting ahardline stance.

During intraday trade, the stockplunged nearly 9% to close at ₹��1,354.85,down 3.07%, on the BSE.

Meanwhile, the government wantsmarket regulator SEBI to probe the roleof all board members and entities associated with the two main promotergroups for all wrongdoings, offi��cials said.

The stock exchanges would collate data for all suspicious trades over the pastone year, especially of those associatedwith all board members, they added.

(With PTI inputs)

Promoters’ feud:

IndiGo shares fall for

third straight day


MUMBAI

The Dow Industrialscrossed 27,000 points forthe fi��rst time and the S&P500 was near record highson Thursday, lifted by technology and healthcarestocks and raised bets of aninterest rate cut followingFed chief Jerome Powell’sdovish remarks.

Shares of health insurersincluding Cigna Corp andUnitedHealth Group Inc.jumped 13.74% and 4.74%,while drug distributorssuch as McKesson Corprose 3.85% after the Trumpadministration withdrew arule aimed at eliminatingdrug rebates from its Medicare health plans.

The healthcare index,which is the worst performing S&P sector thisyear, rose 0.29%.

Mr. Powell, who beganhis second day of testimony before the Congress,had said that the centralbank stood ready to “act asappropriate” to support record U.S. economicgrowth.

Dow crosses27,000 pointsfor fi��rst time

Reuters

Reliance Infrastructure Ltd.has signed an intercreditoragreement (ICA) with 16 lenders, getting a 180day standstill from the banks.

This comes when AnilAmbani’s Reliance Group isplanning to raise as much as₹��21,000 crore by monetisingits assets starting from roads,to its corporate offi��ce, radiounit to holdings in the fi��nancial services business to reduce debt.

As per the RBI Circular ofJune 7, 2019, the resolutionplan of Reliance Infrastructure is to be implementedwithin 180 days.

“Reliance Infrastructure isconfi��dent of implementingits resolution plan well before the 180day deadlinebased on advanced progressof its various asset monetisa

tion initiatives,” said thecompany in a statement.

As per the RBI framework,resolution plan has to beagreed to by 75% of the lenders by value of debt and60% by number of lenders.

Reliance Infrastructurehad already announced thesale of the DelhiAgra toll

road for an enterprise valueof ₹��3,600 crore.

With this transaction, thecompany’s debt would decline more than 25% to justover ₹��4,000 crore.

Reliance Infrastructure also plans to monetise its 7lakh sq. ft Reliance Centre inSantacruz by way of long

term lease. Reliance Infrastructure’s subsidiary Reliance Power, had recastloans of ₹��2,430 crore ($347million) from U.S. Exim Bankfor its Samalkot project.

While the repaymentschedule, which was amortised, had been converted into bullet payments, the fi��nalloan maturity had been extended to June 2022 at an interest rate of 2.65% per annum, said Reliance Power ina fi��ling with the exchanges.

Reliance Power, with anoperating portfolio of 5,945MW, is in advanced stages ofdevelopment of the Bangladesh project and is relocating its Samalkot modules tothat country. Shares of Reliance Infrastructure rose10.98% to ₹��51.05 on the BSEin a fl��at market on Thursday,valuing the company at₹��1,342.56 crore.

Reliance Infra in pact withlenders, gets 180day standstill Anil Ambani’s Reliance Group plans to sell assets worth ₹��21,000 cr. to repay debt

Piyush Pandey

MUMBAI

Selling spree: The infrastructure company also plans tomonetise its 7 lakh sq. ft offi��ce space at Santacruz. * REUTERS

Diversifi��ed resources majorVedanta Ltd. plans to spendas much as ₹��55,000 crore($8 billion) in the mediumterm to boost output acrossits businesses, chairman Navin Agarwal informed theshareholders.

Addressing the company’s 54th annual generalmeeting (AGM) on Thursday,he said the companyplanned to invest ₹��25,000crore in the zinc business,₹��20,000 crore in oil and gas,and ₹��10,000 crore in the aluminium business over thenext three years.

“Looking at the mediumterm, our plans include a total capital investment of₹��55,000 crore to increaseproduction by about 50%across our businesses whichwe expect to fund from internal cash fl��ows,” said Mr.Agarwal.

On the energy business,Mr. Agarwal said, “India currently imports around 80%

of its oil and gas requirements, amounting to $150billion. As India’s largestprivate sector oil and gasproducer, the company aimsto double its current contribution of 27% of the nation’sproduction.

“The company is now, also, the largest privateacreage holder in the country with the acquisition of 53new blocks under the new licensing policy.”

One of India’s largest aluminium producers, Vedantaplans to enhance production capacity by 50% to produce three million tonnes ofintegrated aluminium.

“Our growth plans willsee us become the world’slargest zinc producers andone among the top three silver producers globally.

“We successfully built andcommissioned the Gamsberg mining complex in SouthAfrica, this year, which is theworld’s largest undevelopedzinc deposit,” said Mr.Agarwal.

Vedanta plans to invest₹��55,000 cr. to up output Eyes world’s ‘largest zinc producer’ tag


MUMBAI

Walmart told the U.S. government privately in January that India’s new investment rules for ecommercewere regressive and had thepotential to hurt trade ties,a company document seenby Reuters showed.

The lobbying eff��ort yielded no result at the time — India implemented the newrules from February 1 — butthe document underlinesthe level of concern at Walmart about the rules. Diff��erences over ecommerceregulations have become

one of the biggest issues infrayed trade ties betweenNew Delhi and Washington.

“It came as a total surprise ... this is a majorchange and a regressive policy shift,” Walmart’s SeniorDirector for Global Government Aff��airs Sarah Thorntold the Offi��ce of the UnitedStates Trade Representative(USTR) in an an email onJan. 7.

Just months earlier, Walmart had invested $16 billion in Indian ecommercegiant Flipkart, its biggest ever acquisition globally.

In a statement to Reuters

on Thursday, Walmart saidit regularly off��ers input tothe U.S. and Indian governments on policy issues andthis was a “past issue andWalmart and Flipkart arelooking ahead”.

In the January letter tothe USTR, Walmart said itwanted a sixmonth delay inthe implementation of therules, but that did not happen. Washington did raiseconcerns about the policywith New Delhi, but Indiagave a noncommittal response, an Indian trade Ministry offi��cial told Reuters atthe time.

Indian ecom rules regressive,Walmart told the U.S. in January Firm fl��agged to USTR potential of norms to hurt trade ties

Reuters

NEW DELHI

Insurance regulator IRDAIhas clarifi��ed that the longterm motor insurance products it had permitted general insurers to off��er whileimplementing the SupremeCourt’s directions in a caselast year, applied only tonew private cars and newtwowheelers.

“These products shall notbe off��ered for renewal of existing policies or for old vehicles,” new Member (Nonlife) T.L. Alamelu, whojoined the authority earlierthis month, said in a circularon Thursday.

A senior executive of aprivate general insurancecompany, who did not wishto be identifi��ed, said the circular cleared the confusionamong some intermediarieswhether the longterm policies could be issued to oldvehicles too.

“It is hereby reiterated

that long term motor productpermitted under para 2 (i), 5(i) [in the August 2018 circularissued as part of implementation of the Apex Court order]shall be off��ered only to newprivate cars and new twowheelers,” the circular said.

Last year’s circular hadsaid that with eff��ect from September 1, 2018, insurers willoff��er only threeyear motorthird party (TP) insurancecover for new cars and fi��veyear motor TP insurance policies for new twowheelers.

With regard to (own dam

age) OD cover, IRDAI hadsaid with the introduction oflong term TP cover for newcars and new twowheelers,two options may be given tothe insured.

Two optionsOne would be in the form ofa longterm package covercomprising TP and OD insurance for three years or fi��veyears as the case may be;and the other a bundled cover with a three or fi��veyearterm for the TP componentand a oneyear term for OD.

Coming weeks ahead ofthe renewal of the one yearOD component of the longterm policies issued to newcars and twowheelers lastyear, the circular is bound toprovide clarity.

For owners of old cars,this means they will able torenew their policy, comprising the mandatory TP andthe optional OD for one yearat a time.

Longterm motor insurancecover only for new cars, bikesCircular clarifi��es products won’t be off��ered for renewals

N.Ravi Kumar

Hyderabad

* GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCK

A consortium of 27 lenders,including State Bank of India (SBI), has signed a pact,known as intercreditoragreement (ICA), to restructure the debt of troubledmortgage lender DewanHousing Finance Corporation (DHFL).

Banks had extended closeto ₹��40,000 crore loans tothe home fi��nance company,and there is a similaramount that DHFL hadraised through debt instruments like nonconvertibledebentures (NCDs).

Among lenders, SBI hasthe largest exposure ofabout ₹��11,000 crore toDHFL.

Banks want the NCDs tobe a part of the resolutionplan. “We will request NCDinvestors, since their moneyis involved, to be a part ofthe plan, so that a comprehensive resolution can beexecuted smoothly,” a banker involved in the resolutionplan said.

Among the 27 banks,most have signed the ICA,with a few remaining due toapprovals pending from therelevant authorities. Bankshave 30 days’ time to signthe ICA, according tonorms.

According to bankers,DHFL has been given sevendays to prepare a resolutionplan which will be scrutinised by the banks.

Bankers said the idea wasto execute the resolutionplan by the end of September by changing the management, so that the account does not becomenonperforming.

To be sure, DHFL has not

defaulted on bank loans tillnow. Still, banks can goahead with a resolution planif there are signs of stress inthe borrower account, according to Reserve Bank ofIndia guidelines on stressedasset resolution.

In case DHFL fails tobring in a new investor, thedebt will be restructured,which is essentially givingmore time to the companyto repay. However, in casethe debt is recast, bankshave to classify the loan asNPA.

DHFL has been scoutingfor a strategic partner sinceFebruary. While DHFL hasbeen in discussion withsome investors, nothing hasbeen fi��nalised till date.

‘More clarity’“There is more clarity to investors on DHFL books nowas we have done a detailedanalysis. So, we expect tobring in a new investor bySeptember,” said a top offi��cial of a public sector bank.DHFL plans to raise ₹��7,000crore to ₹��8,000 crore fromthe new investors.

The signs of stress became visible after DHFL delayed repayments to NCDholders, which led to a rating downgrade to ‘default’by ICRA.

“It was a positive outcome on being part of theICA…want resolution planto be a collaborative approach for maximisation ofvalue for all stakeholders,”DHFL sources said, addingthat the lenders had appreciated the company’s intenton meeting obligations foralmost nine months withoutany fresh borrowing and business.

Plan to execute resolution by Sept.

MANOJIT SAHA

Mumbai

DHFL has been given seven days to prepare a resolution plan which will be scrutinised by banks. * REUTERS

Lenders sign pact to recast DHFL’s debt

The quarterly residentialasset price monitoring survey (RAPMS) of the ReserveBank of India (RBI) hasshowed that the housing affordability has worsened inthe last four years.

“Housing aff��ordabilityworsened over the pastfour years as the houseprice to income (HPTI) ratio increased from 56.1 inMarch 2015 to 61.5 inMarch 2019,” the surveysaid.

Mumbai remains theleast aff��ordable city in India, while Bhubaneswar remains the most aff��ordablecity, the survey noted.

LTI ratio “The movement of medianloan to income (LTI) ratioalso confi��rms worseninghousing aff��ordability as itmoved from 3.0 in March2015 to 3.4 in March 2019,”the RBI said.

‘Housingaff��ordabilityhas worsened’


Mumbai

BUSINESSEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

DELHI THE HINDU


The government’s decisionto increase duties on goldcould result in 2.4% declinein the global demand for theprecious metal in 2019, whilethe longterm demand in theIndian market could fall byaround 1% every year if theduty becomes permanent,according to the World GoldCouncil (WGC).

“... we estimate that therecent announcement of a2.5% increase to gold’s import duty by the Indian Ministry of Finance may resultin a reduction in 2019 demand of approximately2.4%. And that, if the higherlevy were to become permanent, it could reduce longterm Indian consumer demand by slightly less than 1%per year,” stated a report by

the global organisation. While presenting the Bud

get on July 5, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposed increasing thecustoms duty on gold andother precious metals from10% to 12.5%.

Incidentally, the AllIndia

Gem and Jewellery DomesticCouncil had sought a reduction in import duty on gold,in its prebudget recommendations submitted to the Finance Ministry.

Meanwhile, WGC is of theview that broad structuraleconomic reforms that are

being implemented in bothIndia and China are likely tosupport longterm demandfor gold. The global body also expects central bank golddemand, led by emergingmarkets, to remain positivein the near future.

Overall demand ‘robust’“For the rest of the year, webelieve that consumer demand may be soft and speculative activity could amplifyprice movements but, overall, it is likely that investmentdemand will remain robustand central banks will continue their net purchasingtrend,” added the report.

According to WGC, overthe next 612 months, fi��nancial market uncertainty andaccommodative monetarypolicy are likely to supportgold investment demand.

‘Global gold demand may fall 2.4%’World Gold Council cites Centre’s decision to raise duty on yellow metal

Reforms being implemented in India and China are likely tosupport long-term gold demand, says WGC. * REUTERS


MUMBAI

A joint venture of a Kalyanigroup fi��rm and Israel’s Rafael Advanced Systems hassecured a $100 million contract for manufacturing1,000 Barak8 MRSAM missile kits.

Kalyani Rafael AdvancedSystems (KRAS), the jointventure, in which the Indianpartner’s holding is 51% andthe rest is with Rafael, willmanufacture the kits at itsproduction facility nearHyderabad and supply themto Bharat Dynamics forfurther integration. Eventually, the product will beused by the Indian Army andthe Air Force.

A crucial component, thekits in the midsection of themissiles will contain all control and automation, a senior executive of KRAS toldthe media here on Thursday.The fi��rst set of the kits, under the nearly fouryear delivery schedule, is expectedto begin from the fourthquarter this fi��scal.

Receiving the contract,Kalyani Group chairman Baba Kalyani said the orderwas a testimony to the capabilities existing in the Indianprivate sector and how theycould be utilised to achieve

the Make in India dream.“We are confi��dent of executing many more such orders.”

He said Rafael was sharing all the technology tomake this product at theplant in Hyderabad that wasinaugurated in August 2017.“Going forward [we] will beactively engaged in manufacturing and supply ofsome of the advanced systems of Rafael portfolio tofriendly nations from Hyderabad. Also plan to leveragethe engineering expertise ofexisting KRAS team towardsintegration of weapon platform,” he said.

Second facilityAs the production expands,the capabilities would alsoexpand, Mr. Kalyani said, adding there were plans forputting up a second facility.

The joint venture manufactured several productsand its exports were worth$15 million. KRAS is expected to ramp up the headcount to 300 technical experts by 2023.

Rafael executive VP andgeneral manager of Air andMissile Defense Systems Division Pini Yungman emphasised KRAS’s commitment tothe operational readiness ofthe Indian Army and IAF.

Delivery may begin from Q4 this fi��scal


HYDERABAD

Rafael’s Pini Yungman (left) and chairman of Kalyani GroupBaba N. Kalyani in Hyderabad on Thursday. * NAGARA GOPAL

Kalyani JV gets missilekits order for $100 mn

The Centre on Thursday invited bids for selling its entire stake of 51% in PawanHans Limited in its third attempt at divesting its stake inthe chopper fi��rm. PawanHans is a 51:49 venture between the Ministry of CivilAviation and ONGC, and hasa fl��eet of 43 helicopters.

The successful bidder willhave the option to buyONGC’s stake of 49% in Pawan Hans. The governmenthas sweetened the deal byreducing the net worth criteria for bidders to apply, from₹��500 crore to ₹��350 crore.

It has also off��ered to indemnify the successful bidder of 51% of the liabilitiesrelated to tax and statutorydues of ₹��576.99 crore, whichwas among the reasons why

the last two attempts at disinvestment failed, accordingto sources.

August 22 deadlineThe company’s capitalstands at ₹��560 crore as onMarch 31, 2019. Interestedentities are required to submit bids by August 22, andthe Centre will announcethe shortlisted bidders bySeptember 12.

Shortlisted bidders will be

required to submit a fi��nancial bid in the form of priceper share for acquiring 51%Government of India stake.

The successful bidder willbe required to lockin its shareholding in Pawan Hans forthree years. It can’t sell,transfer or mortgage thecompany’s assets for twoyears or terminate any of thepermanent employees forone year from the completion of the transaction.

The heliport owned bythe fi��rm in New Delhi is notpart of the stake sale, thoughthe selected bidder will havethe right to use it for the fi��rsttwo years. Employees andmanagement of Pawan Hanscan also bid either independently or in consortium oras a joint venture along witha bank, venture capitalist ora fi��nancial institution.

Bids invited for Pawan Hans Centre aims to sell 51% in chopper fi��rm in third attemptSPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

NEW DELHI

The Indian Tea Association(ITA) has sought exemption from the Centre’s budgetary proposal of 2% taxdeducted at source forcash withdrawals of morethan ₹��1 crore annually.

The association said thatbanking infrastructure inareas around tea estatesand villages where workerslived, was not adequate.

The total annual wagepayout for the 9 lakh industry workers is about₹��8,000 crore in Assam andNorth Bengal. During demonetisation, servicingthem proved to be a problem as neither the bankswere adequately staff��ed tohandle payment volumes,nor were proper ATM services available, it said.

‘Exempt teasector fromTDS on cash’


KOLKATA

Londonbased De BeersGroup, that specialises indiamond exploration, mining, retail, trading and industrial diamond manufacturing, has embarked on a$10 billion fi��veyear globalmarket and mine expansiondrive.

Stephen Lussier, executive vicepresident — marketing, De Beers Group andalso chairman of Forevermark, the group’s diamondbrand, told The Hindu thatthe group had chalked out amajor global expansion planthat would include a combination of inorganic and organic activities, technologyupgradation, adding moremining ships to its existing

fi��ve such vessels plus expanding existing key markets, including China, India, the U.S. and Japan.

“We are investing $10 billion towards various globalexpansion activitiesplanned for the next fi��veyears.

‘Add more ships“Our mandate is to expand’the life of existing minesand make them technologically advanced. We will alsobe adding more miningships, each at a cost of $500million. We are focussingon future smart mining toimprove overall safety indiamond mining. With this,locating pure and naturaldiamonds will also comeeasy for us,” he said.

De Beers to invest $10 bnfor global expansionTo expand in China, India markets

Mini Tejaswi

Bengaluru

Less than a week after thegovernment proposed a20% tax on share buybacks, a listed companyhas cancelled its buybackas the tax liability wouldmake the off��er size gobeyond the limit approvedby the board and theshareholders.

“We hereby inform youthat we have today fi��ledwith SEBI our communication conveying that the increase in the amount ofbuyback obligation due tothe tax proposal in the Finance Bill 2019 was neithercontemplated nor prevailing at the time of the consideration and the approvals of the board andshareholders,” said KPRMill in a statement to thestock exchange.

KPR Millcancels buy-back


MUMBAI

Axis Bank joined StateBank of India by going public with its displeasure onthe recent NCLAT judgment putting secured creditors at par with the operational creditors.

“The NCLAT order doesbeg the question if this ishow the proceeds will beshared, then secured creditors will ask what is theneed to go to the IBC andnot wait for liquidation,”Axis Bank MD and CEOAmitabh Chaudhry said.

He said it was still unclear on what was the formula that was adopted bythe NCLAT while approving ArcelorMittal’s₹��42,000crore bid.

NCLAT orderon Essar Steel:lender protests

PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

MUMBAI

Minutes after New Zealandscripted a sensational triumph over India in theWorld Cup semifi��nal at Manchester’s Old Traff��ord onWednesday, the customaryhandshakes between therival units occurred. Thevictor’s camp muted its joyand the losers kept a lid ontheir emotions, it was apoignant moment in whichmutual respect lingered.

The special bit was whenKane Williamson and ViratKohli met. They shookhands, hugged and the NewZealand skipper put an armaround his Indian counterpart’s shoulder. Words wereexchanged and it was oneman understanding the anguish of the other.

Later Williamson said:“There is obviously a hugeamount of respect for India

and I certainly hope thattheir fans are very much behind them and respect thatthe game of cricket can be atough one on a number ofoccasions.”

But once it sunk in thatIndia, one of the pretournament favourites hadcrashed, Twitter and themedia space wavered between the sighs of supportand the sounds of knives being sharpened. The fi��rstpart was essential but thesecond segment proved tobe unedifying.

India had a phenomenalrun at the World Cup, scripting seven wins while losing

that one game to Englandbesides encountering awashout in the league joustinvolving New Zealand. Being a tabletopper with 15points was a validation ofthe team’s strengths. Resilience was evident too fromthe way the injuryenforcedabsence of Shikhar Dhawanand Vijay Shankar, was accepted. But it wasn’t as ifthere were no fl��aws.

Just as the Black Capswere scripting an upset, astatistic popped on television — India’s toporder hadcontributed 69% of its runsand among the rest, themiddleorder off��ered just 30

and the tail a forgettableone!

Delaying the inevitable

As long as the top troikafl��ourished, things were going extremely well andequally much hinged on thespeedsters where JaspritBumrah (18 wickets) prospered.

But once New Zealanddismissed Rohit Sharma(648 runs and fi��ve hundredsin this World Cup), Kohliand K.L. Rahul, through afi��ne exposition of fast bowling, India had a tough act tofollow. The middleorderstruggled and all that Ravin

dra Jadeja and M.S. Dhonicould do was to delay the inevitable loss.

Questions have beenraised about the alleged presence of six fi��elders outsidethe 30yard circle againstthe norm of having only fi��veat the time Dhoni got runout and whether it constituted a noball. But if thatwas the case isn’t a run outthe only dismissal allowedfrom a noball? Then thewhispers were about whydid Dhoni come in at No. 7.To be fair to the thinktank,there was a rainthreat andan eye had to be kept on theDuckworthLewis par score.

With Dhoni’s explosive skillson the wane, Rishabh Pantand Hardik Pandya werebacked to hustle the runseven though it was a steepclimb.

Fitting the template

And in a classic case of being damned if you do anddamned if you don’t, therewas heartburn over Dhoni’srelatively slow batting (50,72b) when compared to Jadeja’s fl��aming eff��ort (77,59b). Yes, the former skipper’s strikerate was sedatebut it fi��tted into the template of resuscitating a scorecard that had slumped to

92 for six in 30.3 overs whilechasing New Zealand’s 239for eight. Overall, India wasthe standout squad in theleague phase, but in thesemifi��nal New Zealandproved to be the better outfi��t. It is time to accept that

and move on. Yes, Dhoni'sfi��nishline is closer and theNo. 4 spot is a work in progress. But there are enoughsigns to show that the Menin Blue will continue to be apotent threat in globalchampionships.

Despite loss, Men in Blue will continue to be a potent threat The No. 4 spot continues to be a work in progress; the middle-order yet again failed to take India through

K.C. Vijaya Kumar

Birmingham

Tame end: Virat Kohli’s men topped the league table but faltered in the semifi��nals after the toporder collapsed. * AP

INDIA REVIEW

CMYK

A ND-NDE


THE HINDU DELHI


SPORT

England fans with their ‘weare bringing it home’ slogansspecifi��c to the World Cup,had plenty to cheer at apacked Edgbaston here onThursday. Eoin Morgan’smen dished out a commandperformance in the semifi��nalagainst old foe Australia. Aneightwicket victory wassealed and New Zealandawaits in the fi��nal at Lord’son Sunday.

Chasing Australia’s 223,which largely rested uponSteve Smith’s 85 (119b, 6x4),England scored 226 for twoin 32.1 overs with Jason Roy’smarauding 85 (65b, 9x4,5x6) headlining the triumph.

Disdain

England’s pursuit soaredupon its regular template ofmuscular batting exemplifi��ed by Jonny Bairstow andRoy. The openers gauged thebowlers before Roy dismantled the Australian attack.Two fours were pounded inan over off�� Mitchell Starc anddisdain emanated fromRoy’s blade as he movedacross and fl��icked a six off��the speedster over fi��neleg.

Bairstow played his part,mostly secondfi��ddle, but itswas Roy’s day. Nathan Lyonwas greeted with a thunderous six and when Australiancaptain Aaron Finch gambled on Smith, the parttimer was hoisted for threemammoth sixes in an overthat yielded a bountiful 21.Finch swapped his bowlersand changed the fi��eld butnothing could stymie Roy’s

aerial assault.

Wasted review

If there was a worry, itcentred around Bairstow,who slipped and hurt his leg.In a while, he perished toStarc but by then the fi��rstwicket pair had added 124 in17.2 overs. The batsman, ho

wever, wasted a review andthat came back to hauntwhen Roy was wrongly adjudged out caught behind toPat Cummins, by KumarDharmasena. There was noedge but Roy could not seeka review as Bairstow had fi��nished the quota.

But England stayed unruffl��ed as Joe Root got quicklyoff�� the blocks, whipping andcutting while Morgan survived the customary barrageof bouncers and essayed hisimpetuous strokes. Andwhen the winning strikecame, the skies opened upon cue and a drizzle commenced.

Earlier, after Finch elected to bat, he immediately became part of the batting horrors. Shaping to defend,

Finch got trapped in front byJofra Archer. The captainsought a review but found norelief.

Early troubleDavid Warner lashed twofours but failed to withdrawhis bat in time when ChrisWoakes (three for 20) extracted some lift from thesurface. The edge was takenand England supporters,who previously had booedthe opener, now bellowedfrom the stands. The speedster then castled Peter Handscomb and Australia was 14for three in the seventh over.

If Australia partiallyshrugged that initial skid andwent past the 200mark, credit is due to Smith and theway he guided a few partner

ships. First, he linked withAlex Carey in a 103run alliance for the fourthwicket.The fi��rst steps were lacedwith fear and some blood asArcher slammed one into Carey’s helmet and the southpaw suff��ered a cut on hisface.

Medical aid was providedand Carey wrapped a long

bandage around his face.The nerves were eased whenhe drove Woakes and Smithpulled Ben Stokes. The tworemained industrious andCarey drove and swept. Fidgety before the ball is released but always in a stateof zenserenity when theprojectile heads his way,Smith drove Liam Plunkettstraight down and allseemed fi��ne with theuniverse.

But as it happens when apartnership ebbs, wicketsfell in clusters. LegspinnerAdil Rashid scalped Careyand Marcus Stoinis and Australia wobbled at 118 for fi��vein the 28th over. Smith,though, remained unfettered and added valuableruns with Glenn Maxwell

and Starc. Smith succumbed in the

slog as he failed to beat wicketkeeper Jos Buttler’s throwand walked away to boosfrom an audience keen to remind him of last year’s balltampering crisis. At thebreak, Australia’s totalseemed reasonable but itproved illusory as Roy seizedthe clash with his inimitableaggressive style.

England rides on Roy’s assault, sets up summit clash with New Zealand Woakes and Archer deal the early blows before Smith wages a lone battle and lends substance to the Australian totalK.C. Vijaya Kumar

Birmingham

Beaten all ends up: Peter Handscomb’s defence is breached by Chris Woakes, leaving his stumpsin disarray. * AP

<> Our performance in

the last three games

got better and better

and we took it one

step further.

Everybody out there

loved every ball that

was bowled and we

had a bit of a day out.

Eoin Morgan

<> We were totally

outplayed. We came

here expecting to

win. We trained well,

we had enough

breaks and we are

disappointed. It was

tough conditions at

the start and we had

to fi��nd a way for a

platform.

Aaron Finch

DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

Roy fi��ned

B England’s Jason Roy hasbeen fi��ned 30% of hismatch fee for showingdissent to the umpire uponhis dismissal

B Two demerit points havebeen added to hisdisciplinary record. Heescaped suspension

DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

AUSTRALIA

David Warner c Bairstow bWoakes 9 (11b, 2x4), AaronFinch lbw b Archer 0 (1b), SteveSmith run out 85 (119b, 6x4),Peter Handscomb b Woakes 4(12b), Alex Carey c sub b Rashid46 (70b, 4x4), Marcus Stoinislbw b Rashid 0 (2b), Glenn Maxwell c Morgan b Archer 22 (23b,2x4, 1x6), Pat Cummins c Root bRashid 6 (10b), Mitchell Starc cButtler b Woakes 29 (36b, 1x4,1x6), Jason Behrendorff b Wood1 (4b), Nathan Lyon (not out) 5(6b); Extras (lb6, w10): 16;Total (in 49 overs): 223.

FALL OF WICKETS

14 (Finch, 1.1 overs), 210(Warner, 2.4), 314 (Handscomb, 6.1), 4117 (Carey, 27.2),5118 (Stoinis, 27.6), 6157(Maxwell, 34.5), 7166 (Cummins, 37.4), 8217 (Smith, 47.1),9217 (Starc, 47.2).

ENGLAND BOWLING

Woakes 80203, Archer100322, Stokes 40220,Wood 90451, Plunkett 80440, Rashid 100543.

ENGLAND

Jason Roy c Carey b Cummins85 (65b, 9x4, 5x6), Jonny Bairstow lbw b Starc 34 (43b, 5x4),Joe Root (not out) 49 (46b,8x4), Eoin Morgan (not out) 45(39b, 8x4); Extras (lb1, w12):13; Total (for two wkts. in 32.1overs): 226.

FALL OF WICKETS

1124 (Bairstow, 17.2 overs),2147 (Roy, 19.4).

AUSTRALIA BOWLING

Behrendorff 8.12382,Starc 90701, Cummins 70341, Lyon 50490, Smith 10210, Stoinis 20130.

Toss: Australia.

MoM: Woakes.

England won by eight wicketswith 17.5 overs to spare.

SCOREBOARD

CMYK

A ND-NDE


DELHI THE HINDU


SPORT

SUDOKU

Solution to puzzle 12675 Solution to yesterday’s Sudoku

DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

If Adi Sankara’s life typifi��es the true import of renunciationas stressed in the sastras, his works are equally helpfulguides that initiate one towards seeking salvation, pointedout Nannilam Sri V. Rajagopala Ganapadigal in a discourse.It is held that Siva incarnated as Adi Sankara for the purposeof imparting the highest knowledge by which man can attainsalvation from the cycle of births. Adi Sankara accepts sanyasa at a tender age and shows through example how totread the path of renunciation. Through Viveka Chudamaniand other granthas he tries to dispel the ignorance thatbinds mankind to samsara. It is only natural to seek happiness in life and worldly attractions beckon all people to seekthe joy and happiness in these. But if one spends his lifetimein seeking these such as name, fame, wealth, relationships,etc, then it is all the more diffi��cult to give up all these.

Since it is a great challenge to give up the diff��erent kindsof happiness that life aff��ords, scriptures and sacred textsreinforce the truth that these joys that we expect or experience are full of faults. Unless one understands with fullforce this truth, it will be diffi��cult to renounce these. For instance, if one sees a lizard in the food he has been lookingforward to eat, would he have any second thoughts in rejecting the food? Being aware of the ephemeral quality of life’sjoys can help one to cultivate the spirit of renunciation. Withthis knowledge one can cultivate detachment to objects,places and people and gradually learn to renounce these.The knots of desires that spring in the human heart are onlythe eff��ects of ignorance. So the important factor is to cut off��desire. Then the senses can be subdued. The end of renunciation is when the desires that have already subsided do notrise again as also the sense of I and Mine.

FAITH

Path of renunciation4 Ship carries American Indian

director on long passages (7)

5 Catapult is in middle of dance

by Territorial Army (8)

6 Sergeant Major's old gun's

initial pollution (4)

9 In literature, gloomy doctor

has an organ (5)

13 Real confusion about boy and

fi��tter (5)

15 Wildly Voltaire drops vat for

fl��ower (5)

17 Rod's aunt goes round round

buildings (8)

19 LIC aides transferred and

relieved from clerical duties

(8)

20 Ships containers (7)

22 After loss of shoe in

playhouse, threw onehanded

basketball shot (32)

24 Fold crown with no difficulty

(6)

26 Large gun's spoilt air pump

(4)

28 Secure coil of hair (4)

14 Outer layer of eye's clear,

going around (6)

16 State "Last month Lear

collapsed" (7)

18 Shoot! Al cried shudderingly!

(7)

21 Drink real cocktail in court (6)

23 Congregation of leaders of

European church clergy, laity

(excluding spokespeople) in

America (8)

25 Hurricanes and calamitous

storms initially crossed

devastated Ceylon (8)

27 Sweet Eric travels around Los

Angeles (6)

29 Touring places around tavern?

That's tops! (9)

30 150 notes produce musical

symbol (4)

■ DOWN

1 Stretch one leg at jumping (8)

2 Met founder purchasing eleven

electric lamps, for starters (4)

3 Sal DNA produces a different

tree (6)

(set by Incognito)

■ ACROSS

7 Hint: Violent uncle ejects fi��rst

niece (4)

8 Famous aircraftsman rigs

medical (9)

10 Nude relative dumps the

French boy (6)

11 7 goes: "Bad poems"(8)

12 Shackled, Mandela walks

around Cape (8)

THE HINDU CROSSWORD 12676

The last time Roger Federerplayed Rafael Nadal on thehallowed grass at Wimbledon, the latter still wore pirate pants and sleevelessshirts. In the 2008 fi��nal, under fading light and fl��ickering fl��ashbulbs, Federer’ssoaring grasscourt majestywas stopped in its tracks by arelentless Nadal as he completed the fi��rst French OpenWimbledon double amongmen since Bjorn Borg in1980.

It was supposed to signalthe changing of guard, froma 26yearold 12time Majorwinner to a 22yearold whohad just won his fi��fth. But inthe decade since then, thetwo have proved that it wasanything but that.

Federer completed hisown double a year later andadded eight Grand Slamswhile Nadal morphed into anallcourt warrior and increased his by 13.

Modernday rivalryOn Friday, the two will meetfor the 40th time in tennis’mostcelebrated modernday rivalry.

While the overall numbersare heavily skewed in favourof Nadal — he leads Federer

2415 — grass is Federer’s territory and he is ahead 21. Onnonclay surfaces, Federerholds a 1310 advantage, including fi��ve wins in the lastfi��ve. It was evident in the waythe Swiss positioned grass as

“his court” and clay as “Rafa’s court” after the win overKei Nishikori on Wednesday.

Of late, Federer has alsosignifi��cantly tweaked hisgame — aided by a bigger racquet head — to better coun

ter Nadal’s high, top andsidespun forehand into hisonehanded backhand. Itwon him the 2017 AustralianOpen fi��nal and helped snap asixmatch losing streakagainst the Spaniard at

Slams. It was no surprise thatFederer picked the Melbourne match as the reference point ahead of thesemifi��nal rather than FrenchOpen contest he lost fi��veweeks ago.

Yet, as Federer acknowledged, the gap isn’t verywide. After going fi��ve yearswithout making a singlequarterfi��nal at SW19 (20122017), Nadal has impressedin reaching two successivesemifi��nals.

“He has improved somuch,” Federer said. “He’splaying also very diff��erentthan he used to. I rememberback in the day how he usedto serve, and now how muchbigger he’s serving and howmuch faster he fi��nishespoints. He can really hurtanybody on any surface. He’sthat good. He’s not just a claycourt specialist.”

Diff��erent takeNadal’s take was slightly different. “I don’t think we improved much,” he said. “Ithink we managed to addthings because we lost otherthings... because of age. I amrunning less so I need toserve better. Of course, I amhitting the backhand better.Maybe volleying and slicingbetter. But I don’t know if mylevel today will beat my levelof years ago. So, in terms ofimprovement, I don’t know.In terms of readapting ourgames, for sure. That’s whatmakes us keep playing withthis intensity.”

Will Roger Federer’s grass-court genius come to the fore? Or can Rafael Nadal roll back the years to 2008 and trump the Swiss?

N. Sudarshan

LONDON

Serena Williams is one winaway from a recordequalling24th Grand Slam singles titleafter a 59minute 61, 62 demolition of Barbora Strycovain the semifi��nals on Thursday. She hit 28 winners toStrycova’s eight, won 24 of 27fi��rstserve points and 13 of 16at the net in her most commanding performance at thisyear’s championship.

Standing in her way in Saturday’s summit clash will bethe 2018 French Open champion Simona Halep, whodominated a nervous ElinaSvitolina 61, 63. The twomatches were far from engaging, but for Serena andHalep they were the bestroutes to the fi��nal.

On paper, HalepSvitolinalooked the closer matchup,separated as they were byjust one ranking spot — Halep’s 7 to Svitolina’s 8 — andlocked at a headtohead of44. But Svitolina, despite notbeing a stranger to winningbig titles like she proved atthe 2018 WTA Finals, seemedoverwhelmed by the enormity of the occasion — this was

her fi��rst Slam semifi��nal — andwas no match to Halep’s unwavering consistency.

Tight and tenseThe fi��rst few games weretight and tense, with long exchanges. But Halep was theone with superior focus andlasting power and she didn’tallow Svitolina a single hold.In the second set, after a few

sedate games, Halep broketwice from 33 to run awaywith the match.

“It is one of the best moments of my life,” said Halep,for whom it will be the thirdMajor fi��nal and fi��rst at SW19.“It was not as easy as the scoreline. But I was prepared tofi��ght for every ball.”

No wonder she won 25 of32 points which lasted nine

shots or more.SerenaStrycova, which

followed on Centre Court,appealed tactically, but therewas little doubt as to whoseracquet it rested on. Strycovawas diff��erent to the playersSerena had faced until then.At 33, the Czech was the oldest fi��rsttime Grand Slamwomen’s singles semifi��nalistin the Open Era and had got

there by following her serveto the net, playing the slices,keeping the balls low and denying opponents pace.

On the prowlFrom the outset, Serena wason the prowl for the early,pointending shot to stopStrycova from displaying hercraft. She broke twice in succession, in games four and

six. Two points in that phasestood out. At 24, 1515, Strycova attempted a drop withsuch underspin that the ballseemed set to die instantly.But Serena’s anticipation andfootwork got her to it and sheexecuted a remarkable downthe line drive. An inchperfect ontherun backhandpass earned the doublebreak. Serena, it seemed,was everywhere.

At 22 in the second set,she stepped it up again. Strycova was up 3015, but acrosscourt forehand winnerearned the 2018 fi��nalist alook.

The World No. 54 crumbled, serving a double faultand backing it up with asliced error. At 24 and abreak point down, she missed an easy forehand volleyand let out a loud shriek. Theresistance had snapped andSerena was soon in her 11thWimbledon fi��nal.

Whirlwind demolition takes Serena a step closer to record Svitolina, seemingly overwhelmed by the enormity of the occasion, is no match for Halep’s unwavering consistency

N. Sudarshan

LONDON

Lasting power: Simona Halep won a whopping 25 of the 32 points which lasted nine shots or more as she bested Elina Svitolina.* CLIVE BRUNSKILL/GETTY IMAGES

Tactical win: Serena Williams read Barbora Strycova’s gambitof slowing down the pace well and countered perfectly.

* CLIVE BRUNSKILL/GETTY IMAGES

Belgian Dylan Teuns wonthe sixth stage of the Tourde France, a 160.5km ridefrom Mulhouse onThursday.

The BahrainMerida riderbeat Italian Giulio Ciccone,who claimed the overallleader’s yellow jersey at thetop of La Planche des BellesFilles after a 7km ascent atan average gradient of 8.7%.

Belgian Xandro Meurissetook third place.

Defending champion Geraint Thomas was the stron

gest of the overall contenders as he took fourth place,two seconds ahead of fi��fthplaced Thibaut Pinot ofFrance.

Teuns and Ciccone wererewarded for a daring breakaway early in Thursday’sStage 6 that they pursued allthe way to the end.

Teuns shook off�� Cicconeon the fi��nal 24% incline atthe top of the ski station. ButCiccone still managed towrest the yellow jersey off��Julian Alaphilippe, theFrench rider who battledbehind to keep hold of therace lead, only to come up afew seconds short.

Stage six for Teuns,Ciccone takes yellow

TOUR DE FRANCE

On top: Bahrain-Merida rider Dylan Teuns wins the gruellingclimb up Stage 6. * REUTERS

Reuters

CHAMPAGNEY

Semifinals: 7-Simona Halep(Rom) bt 8-Elina Svitolina (Ukr)6-1, 6-3; 11-Serena Williams(USA) bt Barbora Strycova (Cze)6-1, 6-2.

THE RESULTS

CMYK


THE HINDU DELHI


SPORT

Wimbledon: Star Sports Select 1 (SD & HD), 5.30 p.m.

TV PICKS

Fivetime World chess champion and India’s fi��rst Grandmaster Viswanathan Anandwill be the mentor for the Indian edition of chesskid.com, a USbased chessplatform.

Announcing this at apress conference here onThursday, chesskid CEO Carey Fan said there couldn’thave been a better guide forchesskid than the legend.

“Vishy [Anand] has inspired a generation of youngchess players. Here in India,there are a lot of good talentslike Praggnanandhaa, Nihal[Sarin] and D. [Gukesh].[But] not all kids have theability to get the training/re

sources they require. Andone way to get that isthrough technology,” hesaid.

Describing chesskid as asafe and accessible platform,Chief Stats Offi��cer Mike Kleinsaid it is the world’s largestscholastic website for kids.

“There are one millionkids playing. We are the foremost, respected, and funplace online platform. Youcan play live chess, do puzzles, interact with otherplayers. All the focus is onkids,” he said.

Anand gave a thumbsupto chesskid saying it develops not only chess skills,but also helps in academics.The 49yearold emphasisedthat his son Akhil enjoys it.

“I am excited to be here. Iwant to take chess to thenext level. It is very important to connect with kidsand teach them the pleasures of chess. Chess develops all sorts of skills, skillsthat can help in academicsand sorting out problems inlife.

“It needs to be presentedin a fun and entertainingway. After all you are competing with all sorts of othergames.

“It has to be fun and accessible through technology.I think chesskid is perfect forthis,” he said.

“I can tell you from personal experience. Akhil enjoysthe videos [in chessKid] verymuch.”

Master touch: Viswanathan Anand, fl��anked by Carey Fan and Mike Klein, launches the Indian edition of the USbased chess platform. * K. PICHUMANI

Anand’s new moveLaunches chesskid.com, for which he will be mentorSpecial Correspondent

CHENNAI

National champion Achinta Sheuli lifted a total of305kg to win the men’s73kg crown in the Commonwealth weightliftingchampionships here onThursday. Sheuli alsobagged the junior title.

Jeremy’s recordYouth Olympics gold medallist Jeremy Lalrinnunga,who competed in the 67kgcategory, created a newYouth World, Asian andCommonwealth record insnatch event with a lift of136kg but missed out inclean and jerk and couldnot manage a total.The medallists:Men: Elite and junior: 73kg:Achinta Sheuli (snatch 136kg,clean and jerk 169kg, total305kg, gold, gold).Junior: 67kg: Gulam Navi(116kg, 159kg, 275kg, gold).Junior and youth: 73kg: L.Sadananda Singh 124kg,151kg, 275kg (bronze, gold). Women: Elite: 76kg: Manpreet Kaur 91kg, 116kg,207kg (silver).Junior: 76kg: R. Arockiya Alish 79kg, 109kg, 188kg (silver).

Achinta bagstwo gold

Sports Bureau

Apia (Samoa)

Ramkumar Ramanathanbeat Michael Redlicki of theUS 75, 75 in the secondround, after a bye in thefi��rst, in the $54,000 Challenger tennis tournament here.

However, top seeds Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan andPurav Raja lost 75, 64 to Jason Jung of Chinese Taipeiand USA’s Evan King in thedoubles prequarterfi��nals.

Mixed day for Ankita In the $60,000 women’sevent in Germany, fourthseed Ankita Raina was beaten 63, 61 by KatharinaHobgarski of Germany in the

second round. Ankita along with Bibiane

Schoofs of the Netherlandsmade the doubles semifi��nalsas the top seeds after a bye inthe fi��rst.

In the ITF women’s eventin Thailand, Sowjanya Bavisetti fought past fourth seedHimeno Sakatsume of Japan62, 67(6), 63.

She will play Himari Satoof Japan in the quarterfi��nals.The results:

$54,000 Challenger, Winnetka, USA: Singles (secondround): Ramkumar Ramanathan bt Michael Redlicki (US) 75,75. Doubles (prequarterfi��nals): Jason Jung (Tpe) & EvanKing (US) bt Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan & Purav Raja 75,64.

$15,000 ITF men, Tabarka, Tunisia: Singles (prequarterfi��

nals): Fermin Tenti (Arg) btSiddhant Banthia 26, 76(8),41 (retd.; First round: Siddhant bt Alexis Musialex (Fra)64, 46, 75.

$60,000 ITF men, Versmold,Germany: Singles (prequarterfi��nals): Katharina Hobgarski(Ger) bt Ankita Raina 63, 61.Doubles (quarterfi��nals): Bibiane Schoofs (Ned) & AnkitaRaina bt Katharina Gerlach(Ger) & Ksenia Palkina (Kgz)63, 64.

$25,000 ITF women, Getxo,Spain: Singles (fi��rst round):Mallaurie Noel (Fra) bt RutujaBhosale 75, 62.

$15,000 ITF women, Hua Hin,Thailand: Singles (prequarterfi��nals): Lou Brouleau (Fra)bt Zeel Desai 61, 61; HimariSato (Jpn) bt Mihika Yadav 62,63; Sowjanya Bavisetti bt Himeno Sakatsume (Jpn) 62, 67(6), 63.

Ramkumar advances

INDIANS ABROAD

Sports Bureau

Winnetka (USA)

Jeevan & Purav go down in prequarterfi��nals

Magnus Carlsen has been anunstoppable force in worldchess. The fourtime Worldchampion and World No. 1(for the last eight years) hasbeen in terrifi��c form thisyear, winning all the tournaments (seven) he has played.

Rightfully, the 28yearoldhas drawn comparisonswith greats such as GarryKasparov and Anatoly Karpov, among others.

Viswanathan Anand, whohas played the Norwegiannumerous times, says Carlsen is a phenomenon thechess world is still trying tocome to terms with.

“Already, many peopleare calling him the strongestin history. And, he has verystrong arguments,” saidAnand.

“His results this year issimply [great].... diffi��cult tofi��nd words. [It’s been] completely off�� the charts. I thinkthe chess world is still in a bit

of a shock. The players arestruggling to deal with a phenomenon [like him]. Even in201213, his domination wasless than it is this year. Everyone is still processingthis,” he said.

According to Anand, it isdiffi��cult to tell where Carlsenhas gained over the years.

“It’s always been his ability to try till the very end. Hemakes a lot out of very little.With very small advantageor in equal positions, he is

still able to see opportunity.That has always been hisstrength. What has changedthis year, nobody knows,” hesaid.

The year 2019 has been atough one for Anand. The49yearold Indian played insix tournaments and his besthas been a fi��fth place in theTata Steel Masters in WijkAan Zee (Netherlands) at thestart of the year.

In the last two tournaments — Norway Chess andGrand Chess tour in Zagreb(second leg) — Anand fi��nished joint seventh and jointninth respectively.

“You are probably awarethat the last couple of tournaments have been diffi��cult.[My] fi��rst aim is to pause abit and try and fi��gure outwhat went wrong and hopefully get back... The calendardoesn’t really stop for you. Iwill next play in Paris ( July27) and St. Louis (August 10),and hope to recover beforethat,” he said.

Carlsen is a phenomenon: AnandWon all tournaments he has played this year

K. Keerthivasan

CHENNAI

Magnus Carlsen.* NICKY J. SIMS/GETTY IMAGES

Former Bengal and Railways legspinner Soumendranath Kundu passedaway here on Thursday. Hewas 77.

Kundu took 127 wicketsin 30 First Class matchesbetween 195859 and 196869. This included 13 fi��vewicket hauls, including hispersonal best of eight for104. He also took 10 wicketsin a match thrice.

Kundu was conferredthe CAB Kartick Bose Lifetime Achievement Award in201314. “This is a great lossfor Bengal cricket. He was alegspinner in the classicalmould. I off��er my condolences to his near and dearones,” said CAB joint secretary Avishek Dalmiya.

Soumendranath

Kundu

passes awaySpecial Correspondent

KOLKATA

Amandeep Drall openedup a twostroke lead overthe rest of the fi��eld on a dayof high scores in the HeroWomen’s Pro Golf Tour(Leg 10). The scores (top seven aftertwo rounds): 142: AmandeepDrall (67, 75); 144: GursimarBadwal (67, 77); 145: GurjotBadwal (72, 73), Ridhima Dilawari (71, 74), Ananya Datar(68, 77); 146: Gaurika Bishnoi(72, 74), Sonam Chugh (71,75).

Drall in leadSpecial Correspodent

BENGALURU

The systemic changebrought about by Igor Stimacis a positive development forclub football in the country,feels National fi��rstchoicegoalkeeper Gurpreet SinghSandhu.

“This kind of football,which is about possessionand planning the attack fromthe back, is not new to me aswe have been doing this withBengaluru FC in the past twoseasons. The only diff��erenceis that we have a set of newplayers (in the national side)who need to adjust to it,”says Gurpreet, who has experienced toplevel clubfootball both in the countryand in Europe.

Need to adapt“This is a very delicate, butvery important period of

transition. We need to adaptto the tactical awarenessprovided and bring that onto the pitch,” Gurpreet said.

Gurpreet (the only Indianto play the Europa League,during his contract with topfl��ight Norwegian club Stabaek) says Indian football’s

transition is on the rightpath.

“We have grown a lot inthe past fi��ve years with theplayers from the agegroupstage emerging more technically sound. Even seniorplayers have a better mentalapproach after being ex

posed to good coaches, especially by the ISL clubs,” hesays.

Exposure

As someone who has seeninternational football fromclose, Gurpreet says Indianfootball will improve substantially when its youngplayers start playing in goodleagues abroad.

“It is very important forour young players to have ataste of the higher level, Imean European or even thebigger leagues of Asia. It isimportant for a player to getout of the comfort zone, because until one does so hewill not realise what canmake him better.

“That is what most of thecountries in Asia, SouthAmerica and Europe are doing,” he said.

An important transition period: GurpreetThe Stimac eff��ect is kicking in, says India goalkeeperAmitabha Das Sharma

AHMEDABAD

Rooting for change: Youngsters will have to learn to carryStimac’s ideas on to the pitch, feels Gurpreet.


Some of the best shooters ofthe country are scheduled tocompete in the 12th SardarSajjan Singh Sethi Masterschampionships at the Dr.Karni Singh Range, Tughlakabad, from July 28 to August 2.

The shooters who havewon the Olympic quotaplace for Tokyo 2020 — Anjum Moudgil, Apurvi Chan

dela, Saurabh Chaudhary,Abhishek Verma, DivyanshSingh Panwar and ManuBhaker — are expected tocompete in the championship which is on the basis ofinvitation only to the top15shooters of the last Nationalheld atThiruvananthapuram.

If there is a tie for the 15thplace, all shooters with identical score will be eligible tocompete.

Asian Games championRahi Sarnobat, who has also

secured Olympic quota, wasmissing from the 25m women’s sports pistol list, possibly because she may havediff��erent training programme with coach Munkhbayar Dorjsuren of Germany.

The National Rifl��e Association of India (NRAI) hadoriginally included mixed airpistol and air rifl��e events forjuniors and youth, but hassent a circular stating thatonly mixed events for menand women would beconducted.

Apart from the Olympicevents in rifl��e and pistol,competitions will also beheld in standard pistol,centre fi��re pistol, rifl��e proneand free pistol.

The scores from thechampionship will be considered for selection for international events.

The NRAI accepts only online entries for the championship, with appropriateentry fee. The last date ofsubmitting entries with triple entry fee is July 15.

Sajjan Singh Sethi Masters from July 28SHOOTING


NEW DELHI

The biggest and best, a 54member Indian shootingcontingent has reachedSuhl, Germany, for the junior World Cup scheduledto be held from Sunday.

The preevent training isscheduled for Saturday. TheIndian team, with rifl��e, pistol and shotgun shootes, leftin batches on Wednesday.

Shreya Agrawal, AnishBhanwala, Arjun SinghCheema, Mehuli Ghosh, Hriday Hazarika, Vivaan Kapoor, Manisha Keer, Udhayveer Sidhu, Vijayveer Sidhu,Adarsh Singh, Esha Singh,Aishwarya Pratap Singh Tomar and Elavenil Valarivanwill be some of the leading

shooters, expected to deliver the medals.

Leading coaches like Jaspal Rana, Suma Shirur, VedPrakash, Satguru Das andDeepak Dubey have accompanied the team.

India had topped the table last year with 15 gold anda total of 26 medals. Chinawas second with 21 medalsincluding six gold.

Big fi��eld

About 55 countries are expected to fi��eld 652 shooters.Germany will have the second largest contingent of40. Russsia (36), China (34),Czech Republic (34), Italy(32), US (31), Britain (29),France (28), Poland (25) andJapan (20) will be othercountries with big teams.

Indian squad arrives for Junior World CupSports Bureau

Suhl (Germany)

Rising India shuttler Lakshya Sen stunned senior compatriot P. Kashyap 2111, 2118 to enter the secondround, while H.S. Prannoyand Sourabh Verma also advanced in men’s singleshere.

Apart from Kashyap, itwas curtains for some Indians like Ajay Jayaram, SriKrishna Priya Kudaravalliand Aruna Prabhudesai.

Sourabh prevailed overEngland’s Toby Penty 2123,2115, 2220 in an hour andfourminute contest. Inanother fi��rstround match,Prannoy came back from agame down to register a 2123, 2422, 2118 victory overYu Igarashi of Japan.

In another men’s singlesfi��rst round tie, Jayaram wentdown fi��ghting to Wang TzuWei of Taipei 1621, 2118, 1621 in 65 minutes.

India’s campaign endedin women’s singles competition after Sri Krishna Priyaand Aruna were handed defeats by Kim Ga Eun of Korea 2111, 218 and Taipei’sLin Hsiang Ti 2117, 2114, respectively. Other results (fi��rst round):

Men: Sourabh Verma bt TobyPenty 2123, 2115, 2220; H.S.Prannoy bt Yu Igarashi 2123,2422, 2118; Wang Tzu Wei btAjay Jayaram 2116, 1821,2116.

Women: Kim Ga Eun bt SriKrishna Priya Kudaravalli 218,2111; Lin Hsiang Ti bt ArunaPrabhudesai 2117, 2114.

Mixed doubles: Lee Yong Dae& Yoo Yeon Seong bt Kona Tarun & B.R. Sankeerth 2111, 2111.

Lakshya stuns Kashyap US OPEN

PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

Fullerton (USA)

Afghanistan fast bowler Aftab Alam has been handeda oneyear suspension(domestic and international) by the country’s cricketboard for a code of conduct violation at the 2019World Cup. The decisioncame after an investigationby the Board’s disciplinarycommittee into the “exceptional circumstances” thatled to his being sent backhome.

It emerged that therewere allegations of misbehaviour with a femaleguest at the hotel.

Afghan pacerAlamsuspendedIANS

KABUL


DELHI THE HINDU


CMYK

A ND-NDE

SHOWCASE

Mixed-mediaArtist and curator, Amrita Prakash has organised

a group painting, art and sculpture exhibition by

21 artists called, Beyond Colours-3. In this show,

artists from different parts of the country share a

platform to display their various styles of

creativity, ideas, philosophies, thoughts,

perspectives and their different perceptions.

Venue: Open Palm Court Gallery, IHC

Time: 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.

EXHIBITION

ClassicalKala Mandir Performing Arts is presenting

Antarnaad Within, an Indian classical concert this

evening. The event will start with a light classical

vocal recital by Somnath Natrajan, followed by a

Bharatanatyam ballet by Binal Wala and troupe.

Odissi exponent Padmashree Ranjana Gauhar will

participate as the chief guest of this concert.

Venue: Stein Auditorium, India Habitat Centre

Time: 7 p.m.

CONCERT

Jazz quartetPiano Man Jazz Club is hosting a soulful Latin

jazz experience with Elena Friedrich quartet live

tonight. The band will perform swing jazz, bebop

jazz, post bop jazz, ballads, Latin jazz and

modern jazz. Led by jazz singer Elena, the band

features Paddy on the piano, Bihu on the drums

and Aditya on the bass.

Venue: B 6/7-22, Safdarjung Enclave

Time: 9 p.m. - 11:55 p.m.

MUSIC

StorytellingDastangoi Collective in association with Akshara

Theatre has organised a three-day Dastangoi

Summer Festival, in Urdu and Hindustani.

Today’s event will feature Dastan Amir Hamza

aur Amar Ayyaar ke Bachpan Ki by Usman and

Amina, followed by Dastan Little Prince Ki by

Poonam Girdhani and Rajesh Kumar.

Venue: Akshara Theatre, Baba Kharak Singh Marg

Time: 7 p.m.

PERFORMANCE

Opera screeningThe Embassy of Spain and Instituto Cervantes in

New Delhi is organising the screening of the

Opera II Trovatore, this evening. The Opera is by

Giuseppe Verdi and produced by the Teatro Real

of Madrid. Directed by Maurizio Benini, II

Trovatore is based on Antonio Garcia Gutíerrez's

'El Trobador'.

Venue: Instituto Cervantes, Hanuman Road

Time: 6:30 p.m.

THEATRE

5 EVENTS WORTH YOUR WHILE

Today, recycling of old fabrics is haute. In line with this,

Delhi-based fashion journalist and designer Sathya

Bhavana, creates new forms from old clothes that her

clients give her — old handwoven saris find new life as

scarves, stoles, kaftans, and capes.

Through her over-a-year-old label ReVastra, she also

makes new saris using the borders of an old one,

accentuating it with textile-art and appliqué.

A lot of her designs are made in collaboration with the

girls at Kamalini, an NGO in Sohna. Here, Bhavana also

offers training in the nuances of textile art. For appliqué,

she collaborates with craftsemen in Pipli.

Zero wastage, the principle that’s at the core of the

slow-fashion movement, stands out in ReVastra’s upcycling

process. Bhavana ensures any ‘waste’ , is used to make

flowers or origami accents.

Bhavana looks East for her influences, drawing from Zen

mindfulness, and the style of Japanese designer Issey

Miyake, who is known for his micro-pleats and origami

fashion. She is also influenced by Vedic fashion, where the

upper and lower garments are tied, and not buttoned.

ReVastra’s clothes have no hooks.

In April, Bhavana participated in Safed, a textile

installation at the IGNCA, making art out of a recycled sari,

which will travel to New York and London later this year.

Attend their workshop 1 Sari + 2 Souls = 3 Styles Stories; 11am -5pm, We Work, 32nd Milestone, Gurugram; +91 99101-02316.

Zen upcycling

POP-UP

For a listing or to be featured here, email us [email protected]

I often think I know Delhi inside out, but once in a while,I must admit, I get stumpedby a question. Just where isthe malaria offi��ce in Connaught Place, I asked myselfwhen I heard about a chholeykulchey seller who satright there. I had no clue, butkept it in mind and thoughtthat, one day, I would golooking for the malaria offi��ce, and the chholeykulchey man.

As luck would have it, Istumbled upon him a fewdays ago. I had to visit my travel agent, and was walkingout of the offi��ce when I saw aman sitting at the corner.And right above him was aboard that said: AntiMalariaOffi��ce.

There are kulcheychholey wallahs across Delhi, butI wanted to try out his food

because he had been recommended by my foodiefriend, Anubhav Sapra.Anubhav is a young man whoreally nurtures his passionfor food — he organizes foodwalks, uploads videos on little known eateries and follows every lead that connects him to an interestingdish.

So, for quite a while now, Ihad been in search of thiselusive peepeywallah. Apeepa is the canister inwhich the chholey is stored. Iam a great fan of kulcheychholey. I think the one whogave us the greatest pleasurewas Kasturi in Bhogal. Hisfood was so popular that youhad to line up there for hisdelicious fare in the earlyhours. There was alwayssuch a crowd there that youwere likely to see an emptyvessel if you dawdled. Then,of course, my alltime favourite was — and is — Mukeshon Asaf Ali Road. His chholey, on a bed of mashed, friedpotatoes, is fl��avoured withgreen chutneys, garnishedwith ginger slivers and kachaloo pieces and toppedwith some sweet pomegra

nate chutney.Peepey wallah Ashwini

Kumar Sharma, who is fromChintpurni in Himachal Pradesh, serves a simpler fare —

but it is indeed very tasty. Heserves a plate of two kulchas,or two bhaturas, with a generous helping of chholey for₹��20. His father started selling

kulcheychholey 32 yearsago, and the equally able sonhas been carrying on withthe family tradition. Hecooks the chholey at home,and then brings it to this littlecorner, every day of theweek, barring Sundays, inhis peepa. He is there at 12noon, and leaves by 4 p.m.

Before I tell you about thechholey, let me explainwhere he sits. If you hit Connaught Place from Regal Cinema or Rivoli, you will fi��ndhim in the fi��rst block (opposite Palika), just a few metresfrom the travel agency Stic.He takes very little space so it

is very easy to misshim. Theboardabove says:

AntiMalaria Opera

tion, MCD,G74, Con

naught Place. Ifyou walk ahead,

leaving Stic to your left,you will see a big Benettonshowroom, and Wenger’s atthe very end of the corridor.

I had the chholey, andthought it reminded me ofKasturi’s fare. It was mildlyspiced, and not very hot,though it did have green chillies in it. I liked the way it wasbeing served to offi��cegoerswho were clearly regularsthere. He would top thechholey with some tart chutney and then add slicedonions to it. It looked mostappetizing! Later in the day, Iwent back to that corner ofCP for some unfi��nishedwork. I found him listeningto a world cup cricket matchon the radio, his peepa happily empty.

The writer is a seasoned food critic

FOOD SPOT

If you relish spicy chickpeas and refi��nedfl��our bread, head to Ashwini KumarSharma’s, in Connaught Place

rahul verma

The chholey-kulchey man

A bagful of delights AshwiniKumar Sharma


There is a moment in ZoyaAkhtar’s Gully Boy when Murad (Ranveer Singh) asks Sky(Kalki Koechlin) why she isinterested in him. He has justrealised that her lavish apartment’s bathroom alone islarger than his whole house.Their social, economic andcultural backgrounds arewidely dissimilar. And theconfi��dent, WesterneducatedSky’s romantic advancesboth fl��atter and surprise Murad. Her answer, that he isabove all, an artist and thathis circumstances make nodiff��erence, is a belief that liesat the very heart of this underdog story and is undoubtedly its most rousing theme.This idea is reinforced in anew documentary titled Gul-ly Life: The Story of Divinethat premièred on DiscoveryChannel (media partner) onJuly 1. Zoya Akhtar appearsin person, no longer havingto speak through fi��ctionalcharacters. “Suddenly, itdoesn’t matter where youcome from and who youwere,” she says , “you immediately transcend all barriersthat society puts in front. Only art does that.”

Then and now

Akhtar is talking about rapper Vivian Fernandes aka Divine whose heartening storypartially infl��uenced Gully

Boy. His humble beginnings,musical artistry, rapid success and vigorous espousal ofIndian hiphop known as‘gully rap’ — which he alongwith a few others were instrumental in giving birth to— is the subject of the newdocumentary. Produced byRed Bull Media House in association with Supari Studiosand directed by Akshat Gupt,the 50minute fi��lm charts Divine’s story by employing avariety of methods.

The musician’s earliestmemories are conveyedthrough short bits of somewhat overdone animation asDivine recalls suff��ering abuse

at the hands of an alcoholicfather, his constant yearningfor a mother (who workedabroad and was away formonths at a time) and the affection he received from hisgrandmother. A host of fi��gures, fellow rappers, collaborators, friends and family,appear throughout to comment on Divine’s musicalprowess and career, highlighting signifi��cant turningpoints such as the making ofthe ‘Mere Gully Mein’ videoor his highoctane performances at music producerNucleya’s crowdpullingshows.

While the fi��lm’s pacing

and structure are inconsistent with some inputs seeming repetitive, hidden amongthe general plaudits are a fewseemingly unassuming andyet moving declarations. Forinstance, at one point, Nathaline Fernandes shyly declares that during one of hisperformances she saw a girlshouting out Divine’s nameand quietly informed herthat he was her son. The moment reminded me of thescene in Gully Boy when Murad’s tearyeyed parents lookon as their son takes thestage, their pride, appreciation and understandinghardwon. In another, fellow

rapper MC Altaf thoughtfullyadmits that Divine’s pioneering of the genre gave it, andthose who practised it, a certain respectability that waslacking previously.

The most prominent voicehowever is Divine’s own ashe takes us through the gullies that he grew up in andwhose experiences shapedhis identity and his art. Whatemerges is a narrative of disenfranchisement and eventual empowerment throughthe creative iteration of thoseexperiences. Starkly diff��erent from Punjabi rap and itsculture of materialism andprivilege, the music rising

out of the streetsof Mumbai speakof everydayoppression,poverty, police brutalityand corruption ina languagethat is local andaccessible. Authenticity iskey and commentators repeatedly emphasise the importance of capturing whatis real, applauding Divine’sability to consistently do so.

Building communities

What also appears central toDivine’s personal and profes

sional life is the sense of community – the presence of abrotherhood that is supportive, reliable and expanding.Right at the start of the fi��lmhe speaks of the ties thatbind the people of a ‘gully’together and then proceedsto introduce to the viewerold and new friends, acknowledging their contributions to his life and music. Atthe same time, through initiatives like the setting up ofGully Gang Entertainment, arecord label, and Gully Fest,a hiphop festival, Divinevoices his hopes of seekingout and bringing into the foldyoung rappers who havehitherto had little opportunity to showcase their talent.

There is much talk of Gul-ly Boy throughout the documentary with Divine, ZoyaAkhtar and Ranveer Singhexcitedly recounting how thecollaboration took place andhow much the fi��lm’s musicbenefi��ted from it. From hisearly personal experiencesto his meteoric rise in theburgeoning world of Indianhiphop, Murad’s arc in thefi��lm does to some extent refl��ect Divine’s own. The fi��lmhas undoubtedly helped todraw attention to this artisticmovement thriving on the

margins although manymay question if it and

the mainstream industry will help to

nurture it in thelong run. Divine for oneseems hope

ful, asserting,“after Gully Boy,

hiphop is going tobe everywhere”.

Gully Life: The Story ofDivine will premiere on

redbull.com on July 15 at 9 p.m.;followed by a release on Divine’s

YouTube channel on July 17.

Growing up gully

A documentaryon VivianFernandesbecoming apioneer of desihiphopchronicles his rapto riches story

Sucheta Chakraborty

Hip-hop homeland An animated still from thedocumentary; and Divine during his performances


“Whoever has stock is happy,but farmers are not able to cashin on the bullish market,” saysArun, explaining that most planters sold stock as prices rose,never imagining that it wouldtouch such heights.

Tony Thomas, of PJ Thomas &Co, dealers of cardamom, based

in Kumily, in theheart of the cardamomproducing region, says,“The ₹��5,000mark was artifi��cially createdand is not a refl��ection of theactual market. Itcan be managed. Repoolingof stock willkeep the bubblefrom bursting.”

The rise in demand over the

years, due to several factors, hasadded to the recent buoyancy.The Spices Board has been promoting the spice outside the traditional North India and WestAsian markets. From 2015 to2017, the department ran fi��lmsand videos through PVR andmultiplexes, “to encourage theuse of the spice”. Besides roadshows, it launched a set of 40short fi��lms, “video spots” onspices including cardamom, endorsed by celebrities.

Ironically, the spice is usedsparingly in cuisine where it isgrown, and generously in NorthIndian and West Asian cuisine.

From curry to tea Its most common and popularuse is in cardamomfl��avouredtea, or as part of garam masala,a bouquet of spices. “Garammasala, the traditional masalamix, has a lot of cardamom andits use to fl��avour most curriesshould be encouraged, irrespective of where it originates from,because of its wellness properties,” says Jose Varkey, corporatechef, CGH Earth.

With intermittent rains andpickings underway, the crop isdue in a few weeks.

Hopefully, the prices will gohandinhand with a volumethat will bring cheer to planters,traders and pickers alike.

the fi��rstfl��ush of

crops are toarrive and

prices are at analltime high, all

eyes are on the spice.The picturesque Carda

mom Hills in Idukki districtare home to the small cardamom, (the big black cardamomgrows in North India) and supplies 80% of the country’s out

both the price and quantity rosesubstantially to trade 1,300 kilos, at ₹��6,000 a kilo, continuingthe bull run.

In an attempt to explain theswift rise in prices, insiders narrate a story that involves failedcrops, delayed monsoon, poorstock, and an artifi��cially createddealer’s market, in addition tothe growing use of the spice incontemporary cooking.

The prices have risen over atwoyear period from ₹��900 in2017 to a current average of₹��3,000.

Cardamom’s annual crop cycle is from August to July, witheight pickings. At a time when

put. With a delayed monsoonthis year and a setback due tolast year’s fl��oods, the crop is stillto recover to capacity. “Theshortage has led to a spike inprices,” says Arun Kottoor ofMali Estate in Vandanmettu.

“The crop is 3040% less thannormal, and of late, the demandhas grown by 3% annually because of increased consumptionin the aromatic spices, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and food industry,” says GK Nair, a formerbeat journalist.

KJ Varkey’s family owns oneof the largest cardamom plantations in Kerala, Downton Estate,Pachakanam, near Periyar TigerReserve. He says, “Crops fell by50% last year. There was severewind damage.” This year, his fi��ngers are crossed, as the fi��rstfl��ush of pickings are on.

Ironically, the dream pricesare not making everybody happy. “The trader is defi��nitely happy, but how long is the honeymoon going to last is thequestion,” says Nair.

On June 20, the cardamom market went into a tizzy, thanks to asale at the eauction centre atBodinayakanur (nicknamed thecardamom capital of India) atthe foothills of the WesternGhats in Theni district, TamilNadu. Eight kilos of the evenlygreen, aromatic 8.5mm capsulefetched a record ₹��5,000 for a kilo, spreading equal amounts ofjoy and consternation in an otherwise conservative commodities market.

Though the quantity sold wassmall, “for eff��ect only”, as manydeclare, it was a benchmark —the fi��rst time ever. Last week,

ALL EYES ON THE SPICECardamom is on a bull run, but are all the stakeholders happy?

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

FIRST TRADERS

People from the Neolithicperiod traded in spices,obsidian, sea shells, preciousstones andotherhigh-valuematerials asearly as the10thmillennium BC.

FACT FILE

According to Spices Board statistics, the total areaunder small cardamom cultivation in the country in2017-18 is estimated at 69,330 ha, with a totalproduction of 20,650 tonnes.

Kerala topped in both area and production with 39,080ha with a total output of 18,350 tonnes, followed byKarnataka with 25,135 ha (1,450 tonnes) and TamilNadu with 5,115 ha (850 tonnes).

The major consumer of Indian cardamom, which isconsidered superior to its lone competitor Guatemala,in the world, in the West Asian region, is Saudi Arabia.But, for a year now, exports remain suspended,following a ban alleging pesticide residues in the Indianproduce.AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

■ Across

1 Ridiculous

combination of two

fi��gures of speech (5,8)

8 Gob (4)

9 Scornfully mocking

(8)

10 Unquenchable (10)

12 Yesman (6)

14 Champagne

(informal) (6)

15 Financial security —

teeters, say

(anag) (4,6)

19 Large church

building (8)

20 Early stringed

instrument (4)

21 Cleanandjerk

sport (13)

■ Down

2 Exemption from

punishment (8)

3 Additional (5)

4 Projectile

(sometimes guided)

(7)

5 Palpitate (5)

6 Adage (7)

7 Roman poet, d.

about AD17 (4)

11 Lunar occurrence

(which almost

never happens) (4,4)

13 First — beginning

(7)

14 Kind of long

grained rice (7)

16 Canonised person

(5)

17 Fasten — engross

(5)

18 Open jar for

holding fl��owers (4)

THE GUARDIAN QUICK CROSSWORD-13120

6 Solution will appear

in The Hindu dated

July 13, 2019.

Solution No. 13119

POOCH CAFE

HAGAR THE HORRIBLE

TIGER

PEANUTS

CALVIN AND HOBBES

PEARLS BEFORE SWINE

WUMO


THE HINDU DELHI


CMYK

A ND-NDE

SHOWCASE

PRIYADERSHINI S

www.thehindu.com

https://www.facebook.com/thehindu

https://www.twitter.com/The Hindu

Delhi • city EDITION • JULY 12, 2019

Tabla wizard Pandit Kumar Bose delvesinto the art of accompaniment and

reveals his trade secrets Pages 4 & 5

Comedy uncut

In “Cut...Cut...Cut”,director Dr. M. Sayeed

Alam showcases hiscomic craftsmanship

P2

The traditionlives on

Ahead of Guru

Purnima, PanditArvind Parikh talksabout spreading thescent of Ustad VilayatKhan P3

The abode by the coast

Taking a look at the

Jagannath temple,which is more thanjust a landmarkmonument, as the

Rath Yatra begins inPuri P6

“It is a critiqueof casteism”

Screenwriter Gaurav

Solanki on the textand subtext of‘Article 15’ P8

INSIDE

BOSE Eff��ect

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DELHI FRIDAYREVIEW

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REVIEW

To pursue his passionfor theatre Dr. M.Sayeed Alam decid

ed to leave his secure joband to do fulltimetheatre practice. Today,after nearly more thantwo decades, his contribution to enrich Delhitheatre with fi��ne productions belonging to a variety of presentational stylesand themes is acknowledged by connoisseurs oftheatre. Some of his productions linger in the memory of the members ofthe audience for theircharm of chaste Urduaccent.

He is also known for recreation of his old scripts,redefi��ning themes. Thisaspect of his creativitywas very much in evidence in his “Cut…Cut…Cut”. The fi��rst version,which was premiered twodecades ago, was focusedon the process of fi��lmshooting and the latestversion of the play is adramawithinadrama,which was staged by Pierrot's Troupe at Shri RamCentre this past week.Both the versions sparklewith his comiccraftsmanship.

Evoking laughter“Cut…Cut…Cut” revolvesround a theatre director,his script writer and cast.The interactions betweenthe desperate and anxietyprone director, rawperformers and cynicalscript writer obsessedwith fl��awless accentcreate awkward situations evoking laughter.

The chaotic conditionsthat prevail while the playis rehearsed reveal theproblems faced by amateur theatre groupsthrough comedy and satire as the vehicle of communication. Everyday occurrences in rehearsalsare treated in a light manner. Displaying remarkable tenacity, the groupmanages to secure offi��cialpermission for stagingthe play. The director becomes almost mad when

one of the actors tells himthat he has an off��er towork in a fi��lm and he isnot be able to perform inthe play. But the directoris not ready to accept defeat and the show is heldup despite terrible blunders made on stage by theperformers.

Towards the end, thecynical director is happyand the performers believe that they have donegreat acting. The messageis clear – theatre has inherent power to survive andamuse and educate theaudience. WriterdirectorDr. Alam shows an artistry to harmonise seemingly chaotic situations,transforming them intovital source of comedy.

In fact, Dr. Alam hascreated two comic elements in a highly eff��ectivemanner. He has used language and the style of delivery to amuse the audience. Director J. K. is aSouth Indian and the kindof Hindi he speaks makeshim a butt of laughter. Tocreate the situation of incongruous, the script writer takes lot of time to correct the pronunciation ofamateur actors. His emphasis on prolonged process of tonguetwistingexercise irritates actorsand director but it amuses the audience. Thescript writer's attractionfor a young actress andspending more time toimprove her accent further leads to funnysituations.

Another importantcomic character is chowkidar. He interrupts rehearsal with his entrymarked by a loud thudproduced with his wooden rod. He commandsdirector J. K. to packuphis rehearsal as he is getting late to reach hishome where his wife iswaiting for him to off��erhim fresh food. His posture is a blend of authority and compassion – heshows sympathy for hiswife who has to wait forhim for a long time in thenight and expresses hisanguish for long workinghours and for his lowwages. Facing angryChowkidar, director handles him with a great dealof discretion. He sees inhim a would be great actor and persuades him toact in the play. The interaction between theChowkidar and the director is lively. Hardpressedto fi��nd an actor to play therole of Ojha, the directorfi��nds in Chowkidar an aptactor to perform the character of Ojha. Initially, he

refuses to accept the off��erbut fi��nally he agrees.

With the rehearsals over, comes the day for thepremier show. The actiontakes place on two spaceson stage and off��stage.Director Dr. Alam has divided the acting space intwo parts. On the rightside the play is being unfolded and on the leftspace the nervous director and his assistants desperately try to prompt theraw actors who are creating a mess. This device ofdesign eff��ectively projectsthe off��stage and on stageaction, making viewingeff��ective.

The more the onstageactors are prompted fromoff��stage the more theblunder they commit,evoking laughter, loudand long.

The form of presentation demands that theperformers should frequently step out of onecharacter to act another.This process is carriedout in a clumsy mannerwhich entertains.

The ensemble playingis impressive which imparts the production vitalcomic rhythm. Some ofthe performers deservespecial mention like Manish Singh as Director J. K.,Aryan Pratap Singh asscript writer, Arifa Noorias an actress obsessedwith Urdu accent andGyanesh Sharma asChowkidar for displayingtheir histrionic talent ascomic actors.

Comedy uncut In “Cut...Cut...Cut”,director Dr. M.Sayeed Alamshowcases hiscomiccraftsmanship

Diwan Singh Bajeli

CCCCCCCCC

Family tradition or gharana parampara has playeda signifi��cant role in Hin

dustani classical music. Whena characteristic mode of musicis preserved and groomed in aparticular family for a few generations, it becomes a tradition called gharana. Agra Gharana is one of the mostreputed gharanas of Hindustani music, known for its vigorous swarochchar, the utterance of swaras, ragavistarespecially the Dhrupadangalaap of nomtom, a rich repertoire of compositions,rhythmic virtuosity, and variety of taans.

Illustrious gharanaThe Sangeet Natak Akademi

featured Wasim Ahmed Khan,a brilliant exponent of this esteemed gharana representingthe present generation in theirRaga Dopahari (afternoon ragas) Series concert at theMeghdoot Sabhagar recently.Coming from the lineage oftraditional musicians fromAgra Gharana like Ustad FaiyazKhan, Ata Hussain Khan, Sharafat Hussain Khan, VilayatHussain Khan, and KhadimHussain Khan to name just afew; Waseem no wonderbrought the authentic fl��avourof this nostalgic gayaki in hisriveting rendering of the afternoon raga Shuddha Sarang.Right from the opening ‘nomtom alaap’, this gayaki isknown for, he delineated theraga with meticulous care, in abright, matter of fact voice.The bada khayal, “Mai ri mainkase kahoon...”, set to vilambitEktala and the famous Teenta

la composition of Ud. FaiyazKhan “Ab mori baat…” wouldbe remembered for his cleartone and technical fl��air thatwas striking in its training andunderstanding of rhythm andphrasing. Dr. Vinay Mishramirrored his nuances in harmonium sangat while Pt. Ashish Sengupta ably accompanied him on tabla.

Pracheen Kala Kendra,showcased another noteworthy talent featuring SaumitraThakur, the promising sitaristof Maihar Senia Gharana, intheir 12th quarterly Baithakunder the ‘Legends of Tomorrow’ series at the Triveni KalaSangam. The young sitaristcame as a sonorous surprise tomany present in the jampacked hall.

Initiated into music by hisuncle Prashant Thakur, himself a senior disciple of Pt. Satya Kinkar Bandopadhyay ofBishnupur Gharana, Saumitrahad acquired the principalcharacteristics of this serenestyle before joining his presentmentor Pt. Kushal Das, the sedate sitarist of Senia MaiharGharana.

Rich groomingSaumitra is trained in vocal

music also under Pt. AmiyaRanjan Bannerjee, the Dhrupad vocalist of Bishnupur Gharana and later Ud. RashidKhan also taught him a fewcompositions, but noticing hisinkling towards the sitar of Pt.Nikhil Bannerjee, Rashid onlysuggested him to learn Sitarunder Pt. Kushal Das. Saumitra feels fortunate to begroomed under Pt. KushalDas, presently.

Continued on Page 8

Serene style,sonorous surprise

Manjari Sinha

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Authentic fl��avour Wasim Ahmed Khan at the event


Devoid of artifice, vocalist WasimAhmed Khan’s recital and sitaristSaumitra Chatterjee’s performancekept the audience riveted

Raising the bar A scene from the play * SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

“Pollution Hazir Ho” Presenting a serious issue in asatirical tone, M. SayeedAlam will present “PollutionHazir Ho”, this Saturday at 7pm. at India Habitat Centre.Produced by the Centre ofNew Perspectives, here theguile of the baharupiya, thecharm of the sapera, the ma-gic of the jadugar and thecraft of the puppeteer willtake Pollution to task in acourtroom drama. DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD


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SPOTLIGHT

There is an old Urdu proverb, ‘Khushbu kophailne ke liye chahiye

hawa se dosti’ (to reach out,perfume needs to befriend thebreeze). This is applicable inevery walk of life; more so inthe world of classical musicwhich demands both ‘chilla’like relentless riyaaz and publicity; albeit sadhana and publicity are strange bedfellows.But it is also true that the melodic essence of practice largely depends on the winds of admiration fanned by followers.Going by this one can statethat if Ustad Vilayat Khan wasmelodic fragrance personifi��ed, the gentle breeze thatcarried this scent everywhere, during and beyond thelegendary sitar maestro’s life,is Pandit Arvind Parikh.

“I met my ustad, VilayatKhansaheb, when I was 17; andwas intrigued to fi��nd thatthough he was a centenarianmusicwise, agewise he wasonly two months my senior,”Parikh reminisced fondly,“We, the Guru and the Shishya, grew up together. He treated me like his friend, secretary, confi��dante and disciple –all rolled in one. I used to helphim organise his commitments and his fi��nances, etc.Soon I realised that Khansaheb is a colossus. It is not easyto understand him as a humanbeing and even more diffi��cultto apprehend his musicalmind. While grooming severalbrilliant disciples, I am stilltrying my best to unravel themystery of his amazing musicianship.”

Parikh says many peoplehave written many thingsabout Khansaheb. Some arerelevant, some not. “It painsme when fabricated topics areaired out of context despitethe fact that I am ready toshare fi��rst hand and truthfulinformation regarding Khansaheb.”

To allay many such doubts,he wishes to let more andmore people know about hisunparalleled musical philosophy . “Fortunately, NCPA(Mumbai) had recorded his exhaustive, almost 30hourslong interviewbased lecturedemonstration, between 1976and 1979, when Khansahebwas scaling peaks of music.Shujaat (Khan), then in histeens, and I had actively participated in this archival workwhich has autobiographicalcontents. While defi��ningKhansaheb’s place in the history of Hindustani classicalmusic, it actually addressesposterity”.

He is happy that, for the benefi��t of music lovers, NCPA hascome forward to screen theentire recording spread overten sessions. The fi��rst part ofthis treasure will be unveiledby Ustad Zakir Hussain andUstad Shujaat Khan on 28th July. “We are planning to screenthis, one of the greatest richesof the Golden Era, in Kolkataand Delhi as well. My discipleSuvarna (lata Rao) is one of themain architects of this all,” informs Parikh with wellplacedpride.

Third generation For Suvarnalata Rao, Re

search Scientist and Programming Head (Indian music)with NCPA, “This is anotherlesson of GuruBhakti fromGuruji who owns up a personintensely. It is natural for a devout disciple like Guruji to resent frivolous commentsabout his Ustad; but he alsodoes not like any adverse comment against his disciples either. Irrespective of the socialstatus of anyone of us, he is extremely protective; like a parent.”

Rao hails from a conservative family where learning violin continued with academicsas a part of good grooming.“After handling an early marriage, motherhood, scientisthusband’s foreign postings

and my graduation in scienceand music, I was doing Masters (sitar) in SNDT Universitywhere Guruji was invited togive a lecdem. This sessionwas a revelation. His approachto every question was arranged step by step, logically. Iwent to learn from him but hewould teach only in the lateevenings due to his demanding commitments, frequenttravels, his own taalim sessions with Khansaheb andmusic engagements. When satisfi��ed that my husband wouldescort me back home, Gurujirelented. Patient and organised to the fault, he liked andencouraged my ability to writenotations and cataloguing.”

When Rao won the UGC fellowship and joined NCPA asresearch scholar, to help accommodate her work withmusic, Guruma (vocalist Kishori Parikh) started teachingher in the morning. Rao foundKishoriben’s music forthright,intuitive and emotional; herstyle of upaj more out of boxunlike Arvindbhai’s mathematical and analytical approach which was comparatively easy to notate. Sheimbibed both the traits rationally, to suit her music and research work.

According to Rao, “Despitehis analytical mind, Guruji has

a mental block against everything that is ‘abstract’. Unfortunately, Indian classicalmusic, due to lack of research,has ambiguous, grey areas. Istrongly believe that fundamental research, like voicemapping etc., leads to appliedmusic and helps bust myths.Guruji gives me a long rope tostay committed to research. Infact, he encourages women toenter the male bastion of instrumental music and relatedtasks.’

Fourth generation Amruta Kulkarni is one

such young sitar exponent.She hails from Sangli. Whenher teacher Ramesh Bhosale,a disciple of Arvindbhai, metan untimely death, Arvindbhai off��ered to support andteach all the students. Youngteen Amruta became his gandabadhh shagird in 1992 andstarted commuting to Mumbaifor lessons. It was at his place,where she met VilayetKhansaheb.

“That was like a dreamcome true and a lesson too!”exclaimed Amruta, “Gurujiunderstood that prioritieschange after marriage andchildren. Many times, when Iwas not in regular riyaz, hewould start the taalim sessionwith just the paltaplaying.Knowing what's going wrongand why, he encourages developing strong traits of one’spersonality while working onweaker points. The taalim sessions are always extremely enjoyable with anecdotes, special masala tea and music ofcourse!

Parikh supports several students and needy musiciansemotionally and fi��nancially.“He almost spoonfeeds us.For example, he composespaltas for every raga. Once hewoke up in the middle of nightthinking how to make us remember all the prakars of ragas eff��ortlessly. He composedpoems defi��ning the features ofeach Prakar of Malhar, Sarang,Todi, etc. in the next few daysand circulated amongst us. At91, he is amazingly active onYoutube, Skype and Whatsapponly to be in touch with hisdisciples.’

Amruta, who assists Parkihin his organisational work,adds that the students comefrom diff��erent states, culture,backgrounds, speak diff��erentlanguages, have diff��erent personalities, but are bonded bythe “strong force of their Guru’s magnanimity”. Their annual Guru Purnima congregation speaks volumes of thisfamily feeling. The twodayevent to be held in Mumbaithis year on July 1213 is eagerly awaited.

Meena Banerjee

CCCCCCCCC

The tradition lives on Ahead of GuruPurnima, PanditArvind Parikh talksabout spreading thescent of his guru

The widerange environmental concern bycitizen groups on trees refl��ects in a timelyexhibition “Vriksha”, curated by Uma Nair

at the India International Centre. The exhibit displays a wide range of visual art genres – installations, ceramics, photographs, and a variety ofcategories of paintings. The exhibit can be perceived in three parts – A sense of hope and grandeur expressed through the mythical aspect oftrees. A sense of hopelessness generated fromthe present environmental crises of disappearing trees; and fi��nally amidst these two is the subliminal level of a dream world. However, oneneeds to navigate to reconfi��gure these themesin the display.

The tree as a symbol has since ancient timesengaged the Indian mind. It appears as a socioeconomic arena of forests in myths and as partof medicinal and sacred geographies. It is a motifof compassion, a selfl��ess giver, a provider, and anurturer. The display opens with the invitationhaving the painting of the Kaplvriksha (mythicalwishfulfi��lling tree) by Arpitha Reddy. Portrayedas a tree of life, with aerial roots hanging andother roots encircling a water pool with lotusfl��owers is inspired by a tale of loss and gain.“There is a Banyan tree in my ancestral village.When selling the land, our family did not realisethe tree which was part of our collective memory and identity, went to the buyer. We boughtback the tree and the land under,” says Reddy.The veins of roots and branches of the goldentree recreate the evocative allencompassing loving arms.

The theme of nurturing life gets elaborated ina work by Padma Shri awardee and Gond painterBhajju Shyam. Adwaita Shyam’s tree incorporates the life of the forest and beyond. His treecomes out of the frame like the “Virat Roop”(The divine form of Vishnu representing the macrocosm of the living universe). The sophisticated Gond painting is projected technically as outer and inner line work conveying a sense ofrhythmic movement which is enhanced by therekhaj (small lines) and dots (bindu).

Continued on page 7

Meet me among trees

Navina Jafa

CCCCCCCCC

At “Vriksha”, trees embraceus with their all-encompassing loving arms

A work

by Bhajju

Shyam

Master and the messenger Ustad Vilayat Khan; (below) Pandit

Arvind Parikh; Suvarnlata Rao

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ND-ND

‘Lay

adaari (co

mm

and

over tem

p

i) and

taaldaari (ex

pertise

inh

and

ling d

iff��e

ren

t talas) aren

o le

ss imp

ortan

t than

raagdaari (art

of raga d

eline

ation

).’ Th

is is an o

ftrep

eate

d state

me

nt o

f Pan

dit K

um

arB

ose

. Th

e re

al imp

ort o

f this state

m

ent stan

ds o

ut o

n its o

wn

wh

enev

er h

e p

lays – w

heth

er in acco

mp

ani

me

nt to

dan

ce, in

strum

en

ts, vocals

or as a so

loist.

Prio

r to h

is lon

gish co

ncert to

ur to

the

US, C

anad

a and

We

st Ind

ies, h

ew

as in V

aranasi’s fam

ed

San

kat M

o

chan

Mu

sic Fe

stival 20

19 to

strike

anin

spired

triban

di (trio

) with

his d

iscip

le K

un

al Patil (p

akh

awaj) an

d H

etalM

eh

ta (dau

ghte

rdiscip

le o

f Nan

dan

Meh

ta). T

his p

ulsated

with

the

kh

uli ch

ant

and

p

akh

awajm

ne

mo

nics

base

dd

ialogu

e fo

llow

ing th

e ch

aracteris

tics of th

eir B

anaras G

haran

a. Sim

ilarly, tw

o b

acktob

ack tab

la du

ets

with

P

and

it A

nin

do

C

hatte

rjee

in

Ko

lkata an

d R

anagh

at stoo

d o

ut fo

rth

eir

she

er

aesth

etic

app

eal

im

mersed

in th

e sen

sibilitie

s of tw

o d

ive

rsely

d

iff��e

ren

t S

cho

ols

(Ban

arasan

d F

arruk

hab

ad).

Ca

sting

a sp

ell

As a d

ance

accom

pan

ist, Bo

se’s

insp

iring tab

la cast its spell o

n K

ath

ak m

aestro

Rajen

dra G

angan

i du

ring

Swam

i Vive

kan

and

a’s birth

day

cele

b

ration

at Ko

lkata as b

oth

got e

n

gaged in

its spark

ling o

nstage

dan

gal(lite

rally: du

el). T

his, a rare

ph

en

o

me

no

n n

ow

du

e to

pre

de

term

ine

dsafe

play, w

as electric; becau

se su

chim

pro

mp

tu u

paj (in

no

vation

s)based

de

signs e

me

rge o

ut o

nly

wh

en

bo

th

the

artistes are

of th

e sam

e calib

re. D

urin

g the

SaM

aPa S

ange

et S

am

me

lan, san

too

r mae

stro w

hile

Bh

ajan

So

po

ri’s strikin

g qalam

s and

fi��n

ge

rs we

re b

en

t up

on

exp

lorin

g allp

ossib

le

tech

niq

ue

s o

f th

e

instru

m

en

t thro

ugh

me

lod

y an

d rh

yth

m,

Bo

se sty

lishly

wo

rked

on

the

dy

nam

ics o

f tabla’s to

nality

wh

ich lo

ok

ed

beyo

nd

the

forcefu

l ‘Ban

arasi’ ghara

nalin

go w

he

re b

oth

his tab

la and

bay

an (th

e b

ase d

rum

) exp

lored

soft

me

lod

y as w

ell. A

lbe

it a wizard

of

rhy

thm

ic de

signs, th

e m

agic of h

isart is its sh

eer mu

sicality. B

ut, as in

the

case o

f the

se even

ts,in

the

abse

nce

of a w

ellb

alance

dso

un

d,

the

co

nn

oisse

urs

have

to

strain th

eir ears to

savou

r the

se fi��

ne

ly

nu

ance

d

and

ae

sthe

tically

de

sign

ed

aural d

eligh

ts. Th

is raised

ap

ertin

en

t qu

estio

n: h

ow

imp

ortan

tis th

e ro

le o

f the

micro

ph

on

e in

help

in

g instru

me

ntal m

usic e

me

rge o

ut

from

be

hin

d th

e vo

calists’ shad

ow

san

d arrive

in th

e are

na o

f solo

ren

d

erings?

Th

e m

aster cau

ght th

e q

ue

stion

by

th

e

ear!

“V

ery

im

po

rtant,

ob

v

iou

sly,” he

qu

ipp

ed; “an

d w

hy

on

lyin

strum

en

ts? M

icrop

ho

ne

s h

avech

ange

d th

e e

ntire

pan

oram

a of vo

cal m

usic as w

ell. In

dian

stringin

stru

me

nts, ge

ne

rally cate

gorise

d as

vee

na, are

almo

st inau

dib

le. T

he

sego

t a new

lease

of life

wh

en th

ey b

ecam

e

aud

ible

w

itho

ut

the

ex

tra

pu

nch

of p

ow

erful stru

ms, p

luck

s or

strok

es; d

itto w

ith vo

calists wh

o ven

tu

red o

ut to

delve

deep

in th

e lo

wer

octave. M

usician

s cou

ld w

ork

on

the

fi��n

er n

uan

ces. T

abla so

lop

layin

g isan

extrap

rod

uct. I h

ave n

o p

rob

lemin

accep

ting th

e fact th

at tabla an

dp

akh

awaj w

ere an

d still are

basically

accom

pan

yin

g in

strum

en

ts. A

s an

accom

pan

ist, I get to

see

eth

ere

alm

usic b

ein

g mad

e b

y le

gen

ds fro

mclo

se q

uarters. I get carried

away

by

sou

lful m

usic eve

n d

urin

g live co

n

certs. T

his art o

f sup

po

rting m

usi

cians o

f diff��

ere

nt p

erso

nalitie

s and

tem

pe

rame

nts

is ex

trem

ely

ch

allen

ging.”

Go

ing b

y h

is track reco

rd, h

e lo

ves

to rise

against ch

allen

ges. B

orn

to

pan

ist. T

hey

ad

vise

d

me

: ‘fo

rget

you

r ego

com

pletely

’. “A

n acco

mp

anist is lik

e a so

ldie

r,allo

ws

no

ch

ink

s in

h

is arm

ou

r;n

ee

ds to

be

all ears d

urin

g mu

sicm

akin

g and

rises to

the

ne

ed

of th

eh

ou

r and

insp

ires th

e artiste

in th

em

idd

le th

rou

gh p

erce

ptive

accom

p

anim

en

t. Gu

ruji w

ou

ld alw

ays in

sist, ‘D

ha k

o d

ek

ho

, pe

hch

aano

.’ Iw

as no

t able

to gau

ge th

e d

ep

th o

fth

at statem

en

t initially. T

he

realisa

tion

daw

ned

with

exp

erience. Ju

st asth

e ap

plicatio

n o

f Sh

adaj e

stablish

es

araga, D

ha actu

ally re

pre

sen

ts the

langu

age an

d th

e en

tire gam

ut o

f tab

laplay

ing w

herein

chan

ged d

imen

sio

ns o

f the

same

mn

emo

nics ch

urn

ou

t diff��

erent co

lou

rs of em

otio

ns.”

Bo

se say

s his gh

arana’s b

aaj is as“ro

bu

st” as that o

f pak

haw

aj. Bu

tth

ere

are ce

rtain th

ings th

at are n

ot

po

ssible

on

the

pak

haw

aj becau

se o

fits “h

orizo

ntal p

lacemen

t”; wh

ereas

tabla give

s a wid

er ho

rizon

by

allow

in

g a

“relax

ed

p

lacem

en

t” o

f th

eh

and

s. “

Th

e

same

p

ow

erp

acke

db

ols can

be

ton

ed

do

wn

to lo

vin

gw

hisp

ers. I love

the

se d

yn

amics an

dw

ork

on

them

con

stantly. W

hen

you

can w

in a p

oin

t with

a soft to

uch

,w

hy

slap? A

nd

, that is w

he

n, m

icro

ph

on

es h

elp to

give m

y b

est. D

esp

item

y p

erson

ality’s u

nin

tend

ed au

tho

ritative

exterio

r, ei mu

hu

rte artiste

ki

chaay

(w

hat

do

th

e

artiste

wan

tsn

ow

) remain

s my

fi��rst p

riority

and

Ich

ange

the

textu

re o

f Dh

a accord

ing

to h

is mo

od

, style

and

perso

nality.”

Th

e p

ara

do

x

Th

is was sh

eer parad

ox

com

ing fro

ma

strikin

gly

han

dso

me

, w

ellb

uilt,

sixfo

ote

r wh

o, at 6

7, con

tinu

es to

loo

k lik

e a G

ree

k G

od

and

is kn

ow

nfo

r his ‘fi��

ery

tem

pe

r’, ‘auth

oritative

natu

re’ an

d ‘sh

ow

man

ship

’. On

the

qu

estio

n o

f sho

wm

ansh

ip, h

e w

asv

isibly

un

com

fortab

le. O

ne

no

ticed

that h

e h

as a hab

it of ru

bb

ing h

isrigh

t ear ab

sentm

ind

edly

wh

ile fac

ing p

rickly

qu

estio

ns.

“As

I said

, th

is is

un

inte

nd

ed

;b

eyo

nd

me

!” He

said th

ou

ghtfu

llyw

hile

scratchin

g his e

ar, “I started

my

jou

rney

as a tee

nage

r and

we

nt

ou

t on

my

fi��rst fo

reign to

ur w

hen

17,ex

actly

fi��fty

y

ears

back

! S

ucce

ssb

rings its sh

are o

f bu

rden

s too

, I sup

p

ose. I lo

ve to

be

with

my

family

and

frien

ds eve

n w

he

n I go

ou

t on

con

ce

rt tou

rs. (I, the

refo

re, try

to avo

idfo

reign to

urs.) B

ut, w

hile

shad

ow

ing

Gu

ruji I h

ad n

oticed

that a p

articular

image

gets asso

ciated

with

certain

stand

ards.

So

, n

ow

I

too

n

ee

d

tow

ear

stylish

go

wn

s an

d

slipp

ers

me

ant fo

r the

carpe

ted

fl��o

ors o

f the

fi��ve

star ho

tels wh

ile w

elcom

ing v

isito

rs! Th

ese

fans are

familiar w

ith th

eartiste’s attitu

de

wh

ich, very

natu

rally

ge

ts asso

ciated

w

ith

sho

wm

an

ship

. H

e go

es o

n to

add

wh

at you

see as

sho

wm

ansh

ip is actu

ally an

imm

e

diate

, natu

ral reactio

n o

f his “in

ne

rso

ul” to

the

mu

sic and

the

“pe

rcep

and

also d

ue

to th

e B

anaras co

nn

ectio

n, w

ith its m

usic, co

mp

ositio

ns,

langu

age an

d p

hilo

sop

hy

of life.”

Th

e

mu

sical su

ccess

of

the

irw

orld

wid

e

tou

r w

ith

‘Bh

airav

seB

hairav

i tak’ p

rove

s this p

oin

t. In vo

cals th

ere are

lyrics th

at create

rasa.B

ose

, also w

ellve

rsed

with

the

clas

left, as I p

lay th

e tab

la with

my

left

han

d) h

as a few sy

llable

s; the

base

dru

m o

r ban

ya p

rod

uce

s two

sylla

ble

s, Ga (sligh

tly su

pp

resse

d to

ne

)an

d G

ha (a little

op

en th

an G

a). After

com

bin

ing so

me

of th

e sy

llable

s, the

pair o

f tabla p

rod

uce

s mn

em

on

icslik

e T

ere

ke

te, D

hraan

, Dh

in. A

ll in

clusive, th

ere are

1516

syllab

les o

nly;

bu

t able

mu

sicians cre

ated in

nu

mer

able

talas

and

co

mp

ositio

ns

with

the

se

co

mp

lime

ntin

g all

form

s,ge

nre

s and

style

s of m

usicm

akin

gth

at are d

iversely d

iff��eren

t from

on

ean

oth

er.” A

s exp

laine

d b

y B

ose

, the

re are

fou

r po

pu

larly k

no

wn

talas hav

ing

14b

eat cycle

s Dh

amar, Jh

um

ra, Ad

ach

autal an

d D

ipch

and

i. Play

ed

on

the

pak

haw

aj, Dh

amar, a tala b

elon

gin

g to d

hru

pad

, pro

du

ces p

ow

er in

fu

sed

ex

ub

eran

ce,

pre

do

min

antly

associate

d w

ith m

anly

exp

ressio

ns.

Jhu

mra, as em

plo

yed b

y U

stad A

mir

Kh

an

for

vilam

bit

bad

hat,

he

lps

create

an in

trosp

ective m

oo

d. D

eep

chan

di’s sw

ayin

g gait is be

st exp

loit

ed in

thu

mris’ fem

inin

ity w

hile

Ad

ach

autal b

loo

ms at a faster tem

po

and

goe

s we

ll with

me

diu

mfast p

aced

kh

ayal

ren

ditio

ns.

Me

diu

m

tem

po

suits Jh

aptal (10

be

ats) and

Ru

pak

(7b

eats) w

hile

Tilw

ada (16

be

ats) and

Jhu

mra lo

se th

eir character at m

edi

um

fast pace. T

he

list is end

less an

dw

ith am

azing variety, b

ased o

n e

achb

eat’s p

lacem

en

t with

in a cy

cle, its

accent an

d th

e p

ause

s in b

etween

!

Mid

as to

uch

B

ose

infu

ses m

elo

dic ap

pe

al in sim

p

le

the

kas.

Alb

eit

relu

ctant

to

di

vu

lge d

etails, it is ap

pare

nt th

at his

Mid

as tou

ch m

ake

s the

tabla sin

g like

atan

pu

ra – pe

rfectly

tun

ed

to th

eto

nic o

f the

mu

sician; an

d d

ep

en

d

ing o

n th

e raga ch

ose

n, h

is bay

anch

ange

s its me

lod

ic hu

es. H

e in

siststh

at he

do

es n

ot tu

ne

up

the

base

dru

m to

any

particu

lar no

te; in

stead

allow

s it to b

e an

assortm

en

t of sev

eral n

ote

s, read

y to

be

disco

vered b

yth

e p

ressu

re o

f his p

alm.

Talk

ing ab

ou

t his favo

urite

tala,B

ose

adm

itted

frank

ly th

at as an ac

com

pan

ist h

e

had

to

m

aster

all.“T

he

se d

ays it is fash

ion

able

to select

talas with

a halfb

eat tail; fo

r exam

p

le six

and

ahalf, e

ightan

dah

alf,etc! B

ut fo

r on

e w

ho

has u

nd

erstoo

dT

eental w

ell, the

rest co

me

easily. M

yG

uru

ji wo

uld

say, ‘Ek

saadh

e sab

sad

he

’. With

in T

ee

ntal o

ne

can in

co

rpo

rate all k

ind

s of n

um

erical per

mu

tation

s an

d

com

bin

ation

s. F

or

solo

recitals I usu

ally p

refer Teen

tal;b

ut sw

aad b

adlaan

or jan

ye

(for v

arie

ty’s sak

e) I p

lay an

y tala th

at in

spire

s me

at that m

om

ent.

“T

he

re are

two

catego

ries o

f pe

rcu

ssion

play

ers

– lay

adaar

(gifted

with

an im

macu

late grip

on

varie

dte

mp

i) an

d

layak

aar (cre

ator

of

rhy

thm

ic pattern

s). Th

e fi��

rst is a gifto

f Go

d. It can

be

po

lished

for b

etterre

sults

bu

t a

‘taalkaan

a’ (p

erso

nsan

s any

rhy

thm

sense) is lik

e a ‘b

esu

ro gay

ak’ (tu

ne

de

af singe

r), no

matte

r ho

weve

r com

pe

ten

t he

may

be

as

a lay

akaar,

the

te

chn

iqu

ew

hich

can b

e le

arnt w

ith d

iligen

ce.

By

the

grace o

f Go

d an

d G

uru

s, I amlay

adaar, an

d w

ou

ld lik

e to

be

re

mem

bered

as on

e.”

sical mu

sic’s Hin

du

stani d

ialects, en

joy

s the

sahity

a and

, the

refo

re, th

eto

nality

of h

is the

ka m

od

ulate

s acco

rdin

gly. S

om

etim

es, to

off��

er u

nim

pe

de

dp

eace

to th

e vo

calist, he

play

s the

thek

a of th

e tala o

nly, u

no

btru

sively;w

hile

in

in

strum

en

tal m

usic

he

qu

ietly

shad

ow

s the

inn

ate p

erso

na

of th

e in

strum

en

t and

its exp

on

en

tu

nle

ss and

un

til inv

ited to

join

in th

erh

yth

mp

lay o

r rep

ly to

a spe

ciallycrafte

d lay

achh

and

a (rhy

thm

ic varian

ts). ‘He

art to h

eart’ is th

e co

re o

fh

is art.

Th

e g

uru

T

he

mu

sic fraternity

is well aw

are o

fth

e fact th

at Ku

mar B

ose

is a very

emo

tion

al perso

n, w

ho

se h

eart ru

les

his h

ead

. He

like

s to b

e at p

eace

with

ou

t th

e

hassle

s o

f m

un

dan

ech

ore

s. Un

de

r du

ress h

e b

lurts o

ut

thin

gs wh

ich h

e sh

ou

ld n

ot. S

ince

his

yo

un

ger

day

s, p

hy

sical ex

ercise

s,p

oo

ja, riy

az, sp

orts/gam

es

and

teach

ing k

eep h

im h

app

ily o

ccup

iedo

n a n

orm

al day. T

hat is w

hy, far

from

th

e

mad

din

g cro

wd

an

d

his

thre

esto

ried

ind

ep

en

de

nt h

ou

se in

No

rth K

olk

ata, he

has ch

osen

a place

for h

is Gu

ruk

ul in

Mad

hy

amgram

,w

he

re h

e gro

om

s a few d

ese

rvin

gd

isciple

s at

pe

ace;

follo

win

g th

en

orm

s of th

e trad

ition

al Gu

ru S

hish

y

a Param

para.

“At tim

es th

e lan

guage

of tab

la be

com

es

ou

r m

od

e

of

com

mu

nica

tion

,” he

chirp

s like

a yo

un

g bo

y, “Irem

emb

er I have

discu

ssed th

is sub

ject: ‘sy

llable

s of tab

la’ at leng

th in

aT

V serie

s on

classical mu

sic. Ho

wev

e

r, the

right d

rum

(in m

y case

the

tive so

un

d” p

rod

uced

by

my

tabla. “I

enjo

y th

e v

ibran

t colo

urs an

d m

oo

ds

of th

e b

ols w

hich

inje

ct con

fi��d

en

ce;

sprin

ging o

ut o

f love

for th

e su

bject.

Grad

ually

w

ith

exp

erie

nce

, th

ed

epth

of th

is love

alters the

perso

nal

ity an

d b

rings it to

shap

e. Th

en it b

eco

me

s an attitu

de, au

tom

atically an

dn

aturally. D

ue

to th

is inn

er lo

ve, it

reach

es o

ut to

tou

ch h

earts o

f the

mu

sicians an

d au

die

nce

s alike

. No

teven

a fresh

er can b

lame

that I o

versh

ado

wed

him

du

ring th

e recital.”

‘Bo

sen

satio

n’

His tw

o yo

un

ger bro

thers ad

mit th

atth

ey alw

ays e

njo

ye

d th

e tab

la acco

mp

anim

en

t off��

ere

d b

y th

eir star

siblin

g that h

elp

ed

the

m cre

ate sev

eral sh

ow

s titled ‘B

osen

sation

’ to th

ed

eligh

t of co

nn

oisse

urs. O

f cou

rse,

all th

e

thre

e

bro

the

rs are

w

ell

traine

d

harm

on

ium

an

d

tabla

play

ers

and

p

rolifi��

c co

mp

ose

rs as

well. B

ut acco

mp

anim

ent is a su

bject

Ku

mar B

ose

love

s. “H

ow

can I fo

rget that d

ue

to th

is‘ilm

’ (kn

ow

led

ge) I sh

ared

the

stagean

d p

laye

d w

ith su

ch gre

at instru

m

en

talists like

Pan

dit R

avi S

han

kar,

Ustad

Vilay

at Kh

an, P

and

it Nik

hil B

an

erje

e, U

stad A

mjad

Ali K

han

and

several

oth

ers,”

he

m

use

d

fon

dly.

“Am

on

g the

vocalists, I e

njo

y th

eco

mp

any

of P

and

its Rajan

and

Sajan

Mish

ra; may

be

be

cause

of o

ur tim

e

teste

d frie

nd

ship

span

nin

g de

cade

s

mu

sician p

aren

ts, bro

ugh

t up

with

mu

sicianco

mp

ose

r sib

lings,

mar

ried to

a devo

ted m

usician

, he, ap

pa

ren

tly, was d

estin

ed

to fall in

love

with

mu

sic and

rem

ain ab

sorb

ed

init 2

4x

7. His o

nly

dau

ghte

r Trish

a isd

eeply

imm

ersed in

spiritu

al Ban

glaK

irtan w

hile

yo

un

g Ro

he

n, h

is ne

p

hew

(son

of y

ou

nge

st bro

the

r, saro

d

virtu

oso

D

eb

ojy

oti

Bo

se),

issh

apin

g up

as a brillian

t tabla ex

po

n

ent u

nd

er his lo

vin

g care.

Ro

bu

st ba

aj

Re

gardin

g his o

wn

taalim h

e ad

mits,

“I am fo

rtun

ate th

at bo

th m

y gu

rus,

fathe

r Pan

dit B

iswan

ath B

ose

and

Gu

ruji, P

and

it Kish

an M

aharaj ch

ise

led

me

esse

ntially

as an acco

m

Me

en

a B

an

er

je

e

CCCCCCCCC

<>His p

erform

ances n

olo

nger rem

ain in

the

do

main

of o

nly tab

la;th

ey go b

eyon

d to

beco

me co

mp

lete mu

sicP

and

it Suresh

Talw

alkar(tab

la maestro

)

‘An

accom

pan

istis like a so

ldier’

In a free-w

heelin

g con

versation

, tabla m

aestro

Pan

dit K

um

ar Bo

se talks ab

ou

t his craft an

d co

ncern

s

Po

pu

lar a

pp

ea

l (clock

wise

from

ab

ov

e) P

an

dit K

um

ar B

ose

in p

erfo

rman

ce; w

ith P

an

dit R

aja

n a

nd

Saja

n M

ishra

; with

Pan

dit R

av

i Sh

an

kar; w

ith G

uru

Kish

an

Mah

ara

j *

SP

EC

IAL A

RR

AN

GE

ME

NT

BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB

Alb

eit a

wiza

rd o

f rhy

thm

ic

de

sign

s, the

ma

gic o

f his a

rt

is its she

er m

usica

lity

<>Gu

ruji w

ou

ld alw

aysin

sist,’Dh

a ko d

ekho

,p

ehch

aano

.’ I was n

ot ab

leto

gauge th

e dep

th o

f that

statemen

t initially. T

he

realisation

daw

ned

with

exp

erience

CO

VE

R S

TO

RY

DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

Ca

rrom

sessio

ns

Ap

art fro

m m

usic, th

e fl��

am

bo

yan

t mae

stro

has se

ve

ral o

the

r passio

ns. L

ike

his

gu

ru,

Pan

dit

Kish

an

M

ah

ara

j, K

um

ar

Bo

se lo

ve

d to

pla

y ca

rom

to su

ch a

n e

x

ten

t that M

ah

ara

jji had

gifte

d h

im h

isg

old

mad

e

caro

ms.

Fu

llblo

od

ed

ad

da

or ca

rom

sessio

ns o

ve

r tea w

ith frie

nd

san

d fa

ns a

re w

ay

s of u

nw

ind

ing

for h

imw

he

n

at

ho

me

. A

mo

ng

o

the

r o

utd

oo

ractiv

ities sw

imm

ing

, socce

r an

d p

olo

at

tracte

d

him

th

e

mo

st till

ev

en

a

few

ye

ars b

ack

. No

w h

e w

ishe

s to re

lax

inth

e sy

lvan

surro

un

din

gs o

f his G

uru

ku

lw

ith a

few

de

vo

ted

discip

les.

DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD


DELHI FRIDAYREVIEW


HERITAGE

ND-ND

Budhua, the cab driver, is oblivious to the fact that I cannotspeak Odia. He points at the

plastic bottles and paper platesstrewn by picnickers along the picturesque Marine Drive Road andsays something in an angry tone. Itoo express my disgust in Hindi,with a smattering of Bengali. Wemanage to communicate during theonehour drive from Konark to Purion a bright, warm morning. Thescene keeps changing through thesmooth, blissful stretch... rollingwaves, sandy beaches, casuarinagroves, Olive Ridley turtle nests,cashew plantations and tiled houses. I wind down the window tocatch some cool breeze and sleep.

And then I’m awakened by thesounds of a buzzing street and realise that we have reached the famous temple town of Puri. Thesight of the Jagannatha temple’sshikara with the chakra and fl��agatop is nothing short of bliss. Whilethe Nila Chakra is said to face youfrom wherever you view it in Puri,the fl��ag is changed every evening, aritual that has been followed for thepast 800 years. People gather towatch Dhwaja Parivartan, a fascinating feat, when the member of afamily that has been performing ithereditarily scales the shikara ofthe 214ft high temple.

These amazing facts are sharedby rickshaw puller Bishnu, Budhua’s friend, who plies me to thetemple. On the way, he sharesmore such nuggets. No other vehicle, except cycle rickshaws, are allowed near the temple complex.You can take one from the car parkor walk the distance.

The Grand Road orBada Danda leadingto the temple isbroad; big enough toespecially accommodatelakhs of devotees attending

the annual rath yatra. This year, the yatra began on July

4. It commemorates Lord Jagannath’s annual visit along with hisbrother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra to the Gundicha Temple,about three km from the Jagannathtemple and named after the queenof king Indradyumna. The deitiestravel in three separate richly decorated chariots. After staying in Gundicha for seven days, they return totheir abode on July 15.

Puri is among the Char Dhams.Lord Vishnu is said to bathe at Rameswaram, get dressed at Dwarka,meditate at Badrinath and dine inPuri (a reason why thetemple is known for itslavish Mahaprasad).

“Be careful of the pandas,” warns Bishnu as Ialight from the rickshaw.

There are fourgates to the temple— Eastern ‘Singhadwara’, whichis the main gatewith two crouching lions,Southern ‘Ashwadwara’,Western ‘Vyagh

radwara’, and Northern ‘Hastidwara’. There is a carving of each format each gate.

In front of the entrance standsthe Aruna stambha or sun pillar,which was originally at the SunTemple in Konark. There are 22steps (baisi pahacha) that take you

into the temple. As I ascendthe last step and enterthe inner enclosure, Iget pushed into a

crowd of devotees.It is impossible toeven walk without stepping onsomeone’s toes.After almost 45

minutes of jostling,I fi��nd myself in

front of the sanctum sanctorum, litby oil lamps.

I stand awestruck by the brightlypainted wooden idols with largepowerful eyes. Lord Jagannath isblack, sister Subhadra in the middle is yellow and brother Balabhadra is white. Unlike in other Vishnuor Krishna temples, the Lord ishere on a pedestal with his siblingsand is formless, without hands andlegs. I get not more than a minuteor two, before I am shouted at byone of the priests to move. The woman standing next to tells me not topay heed to those yelling and I manage to catch another glimpse of theLord.

As we step out, she is delightedto know that I am from Chennai

where her son works in an IT fi��rm.A resident of Puri, she visits thetemple once a week. During ourconversation, she explains to methe reason behind the Lord’s truncated form. “Yeh duniya mein, sabperfect nahin hai. Yeh sachhi baatbhagwan idhar batate hain” (nobody is perfect in this world and thisreality the God tells you here). I amamazed by the reasoning and thefaith. But, the form, according tolore, is also attributed to the tribalorigin of the temple.

Sumptuous spreadWe walk through the huge AnandaBazaar, referred to as the biggestopenair eatery in the world, wherethe Mahaprasad is sold.

“I don’t cook when I plan to visitthe temple because who wants tomiss these delicious preparations,especially the khaja (made of maida, sugar and ghee). You can buythe nirmalya (dried rice), it has a lotof signifi��cance in our homes,” shesays. I see pots all over overfl��owingwith cooked rice, dal and vegetablecurry. The temple kitchen is said tohave the capacity to cook foraround a lakh of devotees everyday. Mahaprasad is cooked in earthen pots on wood fi��re. The food isfi��rst off��ered to Lord Jagannath andthen to goddess Bimala and comprises 56 dishes (chappan bhog).

If not the nirmalya or khaja, I buyidols of the deities from the shopsoutside. As I walk to the car park, Isee Budhua waiting impatiently todrive me around town. The Sun,appearing like a huge ball of fi��re,begins to set and I stop at the beachto see the mammoth sand sculptures of the muchacclaimed Sudarshan Patnaik.

Sparkling waves lap on theshore, as if to remind you that everything is created to be washedaway.

Taking a look at the Jagannath temple, whichis more than just a landmark monument, asthe Rath Yatra begins in Puri

Chitra Swaminathan

CCCCCCCCC

Celebrating tradition Dancers

during Rath Yatra, Sudarshan

Patnaik’s sand art creation of

the yatra, Jagannath Temple

and the beach

The abodeby the coast

*T

HE

HIN

DU

AR

CH

IVE

S


FRIDAYREVIEW DELHI

FRIDAY, JULY 12, 2019 7CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

BOOKWORM ND-ND

At a time when a markedsense of mesmerisinglonging for being a cele

brity has converted many intofans of themselves as they unfailingly make their presencefelt everywhere simultaneouslywhat suffi��ce them the most?What is the wonder drug of ourtimes, not prescribed by anyphysician? The answer is quitepalpable: it is “selfi��e”.

According to recent survey,the android phones producenearly 100 million selfi��es perday and it manifests an unprecedented and relentless marchtowards selfsovereignty andselfadmiration.

Now human face closely resembles with billboard that induces selling. The buzzword ofthe posttruth or fact freeworld, ‘selfi��e’ has been described by Sherry Turkle andWilliams as the ‘folk art’ of thedigital era that has come in forwidespread use. Its enormouspopularity can be gauged fromthe fact that famous realityshow star Kim Kardishan foundit tempting to get her around1200 selfi��es published in abook titled “Selfi��sh”.

Can the folk art of our ageand the pinnacle of narcissism,selfi��e be a tool for exploringnew dimensions of self discovery that enables one to reachout to others? Is it investedwith tremendous potentialityof strengthening the witheringbond of togetherness and identifying new dimensions ofintimacy?

The alternative narrative ofselfi��e that asserts that it is certainly more than a portrait dotted with heartshaped emoti

cons is produced by apromising Urdu poet ArifaShahzad and for her it is a mediated persona that conjuresup diverse human feelings andit is a kind of visual gesture thatbetrays an abiding concern forvirtual togetherness as the possibility of real interaction simply does not exist.

A deeply sensitive, creativelyimagined, astutely renderedand multilayered explorationof the widely used meansshapes her poem “Selfi��e” thatis included in her latest collection of poems, “Aurat HoonNa” (Yes I am a women) whichappeared recently.

Spelling out the creative contours of an art which has innumerable experts, Arifa describes it as a living andsuccinct testament to her existence. It empowers her at various levels: “Mere hone ka asbat hai/sab mere Haath hai/ Abmain, jaise bhi chahon/ khudko Dikhaon/ kuyun dekhte hojo selfi��e banayoo/ Agar mein/Na aiysa karon/Mujhe is tarahhi se .../kaya.dekhte tum ...” (Itis one of the positive sign of myexistence/ all in my control?Now I can show myself the wayI wish/if I do not do that/ willyou look at me in the samemanner?)

The poem makes it clear thatselfi��e is not an act of selfglorifi��cation but it regulates the reaction of the beloved on the expected lines her the questionending stirs up unansweredpossibilities and one fi��nds amap how two individualsought to be in a relationship.

The title of the collectionthat carries more than onehundred succinct, perceptive,provocative and nuancedpoems does indicate emotionalsloppiness but the multilayered tale of female protagonist is not always fi��lled withbathos alone.

Absolute lovePossessiveness cannot be ta

ken as act of envying and forthe poet, woman seeks undivided and absolute love but shewants to love him unreservedly. It does not indicate any sortof insecurity: Aur Mujhe Chaiye/Tumhari sari mohabbat/tum se mohabat karne key liye/( I need/ all your love/ to enable me to love youunconditionally).

Arifa admired many contemporary poets and authors andher poems on Abdullah Hussain, Samina Raja and NasreenAnjum Bhatti are not elegies oremotional tributes but theyconsciously acknowledge theircreative legacy. Many poemsincluded in the collection suchas one on male escort, “Ajnabi”evoke fear, uncertainty, respect, awe and upend most ofour ‘common sense’ viewsabout the world.

Showcasing suff��ering, human predicament and grit withsearing honesty, Arifa's poemsspan a wide arc of life of desireand beyond, and deserve plaudits

View from the other side In one of her multilayered poems, Arifa Shahzad describes selfi��e as a living and succincttestament to her existence

Shafey Kidwai

CCCCCCCCC

Silence isnot alwaysgolden,

says HarrietShawcross,journalist andauthor of “Unspeakable: The Things We Cannot Say”. Sheexplores the nature of silence in her book,not inspired by her time spent with earthquake survivors or a silent order of Buddhistnuns in Paris, but her own silence.

Shawncross talks of her days at school,“There would be days when you'd be standing near people in a conversation, and you'dthink, I haven't said anything for a really longtime. And you'd wonder if people that youwere talking to were going to notice or sayanything. And most of the time they didn't, tobe honest…. It was a very kind of lonely time,and I think I was very ashamed of the fact thatI wasn't talking normally. As a child, I'd neverhad any problems like this before. Lookingback, I guess my father was fi��red and mymom was very much, like, don't tell peopleabout what's happening here. This is a kind ofshameful thing that's happened. And I think in the book, I talk about kind of taking a stepback from the world. It was kind of verymuch like a retreat. Like, if you don't off��eranything of yourself, you can't get hurt…”

Shawcross speaks of “selective mutism” as,“… quite common in younger children, butit's more unusual for it to persist into theteenage years. It is a phobia, but it's a phobiawith incredibly brutal consequences. I mean,you talk about this one girl who has scarringon her bladder because she's so afraid even toask to go to the bathroom. And in the past, it'skind of been misunderstood, and peoplethink that either they're being diffi��cult or thatit's shyness. Selective mutism is very diff��erentto shyness because whereas a shy child mightwarm up the more they get to know people,with a child with selective mutism, often, themore they get to know people, the less likelythey are to be able to... when I fi��rst startedlooking into this, I don't think I'd understoodhow deeply ingrained silence can get.”

Even though her ability to observe silencewas born out of an unhappy experience,Shawcross talks of how it helped her as a journalist, “Many times I've said just pretend I'mnot here; you know, talk to the camera; don'tlook at me. And you'll know yourself. The artof an interview is in disappearing a little bitand knowing when not to speak and knowinghow to use silence and that it's often in silence that people reveal themselves... Butpersonally, I very much held onto that as akind of survival strategy for a long time and,in terms of particularly, romantic relationships with someone, found it really hard tosay what I felt or what I wanted. And in a way,that's one of the things that prompted me towrite the book I was getting married.”

Exploring silence!

Sudhamahi Regunathan

CCCCCCCCC

Harriet Shawcross, author of“Unspeakable”, reveals howher ability to observe silencehas helped her evolve as awriter and a journalist

Telling VoicesGoing Native

Continued from page 3The mythical world expands with the imaginative work titled “Parijat” by Vishal Joshi “I am

working with the form of spirals, and am employed in creating a new language. My tree Parijat,like a golden, tree with copper leaves and fragrant beautiful fl��owers is a symbol of hope andbeauty. In the trunk of the tree, the spiral forms are emerging as textures of a new language ofexpression and hope. ”

From some of the artworks communicating the traditional wisdom and recurring theme ofMan in Nature rather than Man in the domination of Nature; there are works in the exhibit thatspeak of desolation, and the theme of the sixth extinction. This is illustrated in hues of duststorm colours striking out in Arpana Caur’s poignant depiction of a human fi��gure emerging froma group of modern high rising buildings. The fl��oating fi��gure is a dominant entity and crushingnatural resources and fuelled by pollution. The existential theme of the disturbed environmentemerges from the brilliant photograph by Dhiraj Paul. The image is of the blurred Taj Mahal juxtaposed by a shrinking dying nakedtree in the waters of the polluted Jamuna.

Between the two extremes, the surrealist painting by Aji V.N of tempered forests provides a breath of relief. The unconscious mindcreates a space to integrate a rational of existence presented in dreams and imagined the reality of hope. An image which is capturedin the surrealist poem “Dark Poet” by Antonin Artaud – “Embittered poet, life seethes, and life burns. The Sky reabsorbs itself in therains… The pen begins to scratch at the heart of life.”

...Meet me among trees

A work by Arpana Caur

Teaming up with directorand cowriter AnubhavSinha on “Article 15”, Gau

rav Solanki has crafted a screenplay that hit home with hugebox offi��ce draws and a compelling narrative on contemporaryissues. The journey from IITRoorkee to Hindi fi��lms has takenthe writer through numeroustwists and turns, bringing together his passion for literatureand cinema.

Plotting the storyFor Solanki, tying up an array

of sociopolitical issues into aseamless screenplay was an exciting challenge when he startedworking on “Article 15”. “Triggered by the Badaun rape case,Anubhav (Sinha) had alreadystarted writing a script. Therewere other aspects like the BhimArmy and the situation of thesewer workers that we wantedto highlight. When I began working on the draft, this seemed almost impossible, but this is whatI love to do as a writer — bring alot of diff��erent things, diff��erentcharacters together, and mergeseemingly unrelated things.”

For the writerduo it was important to match the fi��lm’s hardhitting take on caste politicswith a gripping plotline thatwould balance critical acclaimwith commercial success. “Wedidn’t want to make an art fi��lm,we wanted it to be within themainstream cinema and thatwas another challenge as ascriptwriter.” The process involved multiple drafts, intensework on the characters andcareful layering. Solanki refl��ects, “There are two layerswithin the script that were reallyimportant to maintain through

out — one is the sociopoliticalaspect which is the theme thatwe delve into, and the other isthe thriller, that makes the storyengaging. Each scene has beenwritten and rewritten keepingthis at the forefront — what dowe want to say here, and how isthe story moving forward?”

On casteismThe fi��lm has been criticised

for reinforcing the Brahmin saviour complex with an uppercaste protagonist (played by Ayushmann Khurrana) whoemerges heroic towards theend. Solanki quietly disagreeswith this perspective and clarifi��es, “The IPS offi��cer, Ayan, is aprivileged North Indian, uppercaste, entitled male who actually doesn’t realise his privileges.His intentions are not bad, buthe is naive, and though he loveshis country, coming from a privileged urban, male position, hedoes not clearly understand theground reality. It is the story ofhis evolution, his vulnerabilityand the transformation in hisperspective.” Solanki revealsthat at one point, the writers also toyed with the idea of a woman protagonist, yet after muchdiscussion dropped this because, “even if a woman was upper caste and urban, she wouldstill not be as absolutely entitledand privileged as her male counterpart, and that is the population we wanted to hold up a mirror to.”

Emphasising the point that itwas critical to tap into the mindsof the westernised city dwellerwho may be oblivious to castepolitics and other sociopoliticalrealities, Solanki says it was important to address how this segment of audience thinks, and tocreate a protagonist who is disturbingly relatable for them.

“Having studied at IIT, and having lived in Delhi, I have comeacross many people, in fact colleagues and peers from privileged backgrounds, who oftenraise questions like —‘if there isequality, why is reservation required!’ Now I have often debated about this in the past but Iwanted to anchor the fi��lm onthis as a subtext, to respond tothis through what we show onscreen. The character of Ayan isa representation of those peoplein many ways, who are wellintentioned but do not understand the centuries of Dalitstruggle, or the stark sociopolitical realities. We wanted thatmiddle class to leave the hallwith a question in their head.”

Solanki opines that there is adistinction between the ‘hero’and ‘protagonist’ that often getsconfl��ated. “First and foremost,the character is not a hero, andhe is not shown as one. It is unfortunate if people felt that heemerges as a saviour, but he isactually quite clueless about thesystem and constantly relies onhis partner (Aditi, played by IshaTalwar) for insights. He is notshown as a champion for the Dalit cause, but as a Brahmin ally.Since the character is played bya star like Ayushmann Khurrana, there is a general tendencyto assume he is the hero in thisstory, but he is only the entrypoint.”

On the other hand, there isthe character of Nishad (playedby Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub)— the young Dalit activist. “Hisvoice in the fi��lm is of critical signifi��cance,” refl��ects Solanki. “Heis not purely dependent on anyone fi��gure, but ideologically herepresents aspects of Chandrashekhar Azad Ravan, anddraws from the stories of Rohith

Vemula, even Bhagat Singh.”Placing the characters of Ayanand Nishad as the pivots of thescript was an important strategyfor Solanki. “Both the characters are essentially alone in theirstruggles against the system andneed each other.” Returning tothe criticism about the Dalit rebel being subsumed by the heroism of the Brahmin saviour,Solanki says, “It is actually Nishad who has the traditional heroic qualities, not Ayan. But thesystem won’t change overnightand there are many compromises for both characters on thepath of justice and righteousness. Clearly, the fi��lm does notcriticise any one caste, it is a critique of casteism.”

Creating charactersSolanki’s writing process be

gins with images of the characters, moving on to a defi��nition oftheir traits. “I want my characters to be layered, not just goodor bad. Brahmadatt (Manoj Pahwa) and Jaatav (Kumud Mishra),show the diff��erent social andideological positions within casteism and their dynamic changes as the story progresses.”

Poetry plays an importantpart in Solanki’s aesthetics. ThePunjabi rebelpoet Pash, inspired the commentary and certain scenes featuring Nishad,converging anger and romance.Solanki himself has been writingpoetry for many years now. Hehas written the lyrics for fi��lmsbeginning with “Ugly” (2014),and “Article” 15 is his maidenscreenplay.

Life journeyHis foray into the world of

words began early in life, as anavid reader and movie buff��.“Middle class expectations andsmalltown anxieties drove meto IIT to get a stable career. Ieven worked for a while as anengineer in Gurgaon, after mystudies. But my heart wasn’t init. I kept writing, blogging, hunting for publishers and receivingpiles of rejections.”

He received Bharatiya Jnanpeeth’s Navlekhan Award in2017 for his fi��rst poetry collection “Sau Saal Fida” and returned it, when his stories werecharged with being ‘vulgar’.“What is the point of awardingme when it is accompanied bymoral policing!”

Expanding on his upcomingprojects and his work vision hesays, “I don’t want to churn outstories, I want to say somethingmeaningful through my work. Iwant to start a conversation inyour head. I constantly ask myself whether I have somethingimportant to say, and the answer should emotionally and ideologically satisfy me, only thenwould I write.”

“ ‘Article 15’ is a critique of casteism”

ScreenwriterGaurav Solankitalks about the textand subtext of theAnubhav Sinha fi��lmwhose grippingplotline and socialcontext hasgenerated interestat the box offi��ce

SHRINKHLA SAHAI

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DELHI FRIDAYREVIEW


ENTERTAINMENT

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Continued from page 2 Born in Ranchi, Jharkhand, Saumitra

completed his schooling along with learning music at home. He shifted to Delhi forfurther education but kept listening to sitar of Pt. Nikhil Bannerjee. After his graduation in Economics from Hindu College,he realised that music and Economicscan’t go together, hence he did his postgraduation in Music from Delhi Universityand completed M.Phil too, but fi��nally decided to dedicate himself to sitar under thetutelage of Guru Kushal Das.

Saumitra has tried his hands on fusionmusic too in group ensembles, but by nature he seems to be a sincere and seriouspractitioner of classical music.

Understandably, Saumitra belied hisage during his performance this evening,with his mature restrain and no nonsenseapproach, devoid of any artifi��ce. Accompanied by Romaan Khan on tabla, heopened with raga Desh and presented acouple of compositions in madhya vilambit Jhaptala and drut Ektala. His completecontrol on meend of three/four swaras,during the leisurely but systematic alaap,his aesthetic sensibility and most of all hisperfect tunefulness was remarkable. Thedrut gat sounded inspired by the famousbandish, “Biti jaat barkha ritu….”, set toDrut Ektala.

Saumitra concluded his melodious recital with a brief alaap followed by a Teentalcomposition in raga Miyan Malhar culminating into fast Jhala. He played both theragas with insight and strategy but onewished he reversed the sequence, playingMiyan Malhar in detail, which he was quitecapable of, and concluded with the sweetness of raga Desh as the awaited desert.

...Serene style

A colourful visual treatThis past Sunday, Delhites were in for a vi

sual treat as Shivaranjani, disciple of GuruVijayalakshmi Ramanan appeared on thestage of Delhi Tamil Sangam to present herArangetram, debut Bharatanatyam performance. She began her recital with a Ganesha Kavutuvam in ragam Hamsadwani setto Adi talam followed by Thishra Alaripu.The transition from the Kautuvam to TisraAlarippu was smooth . The ease with whichShivaranjani chose to do an elaborate ragamalalikai varnam, Samiyai azaithodi va setto Adi talam did spoke of the intensive training she had undergone in the expert handsof her Guru. It was preceded by Jatiswaramin Tilang Ragam an exclusive composition ofVeena Vidwan Shyamala Bhaskar. Shivaranjani danced to the Padam ‘Padarivarugudu’in Kambhodi wherein the nayika yearningfor her Nayaka was well depicted by an indepth abhinaya. Shivaranjani concluded theevening dance recital with a Mangalam inSurutti ragam specially composed in the forThiruvalluvar Arangam of Delhi Tamil Sangam by the Guru's mother Saroja Kannan.

Debut

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