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A delegation of Jammu-based National Conference lead- ers, led by former MLA Devender Singh Rana, has been granted permission by the Jammu & Kashmir adminis- tration to meet party president Farooq Abdullah and vice- president Omar Abdullah, both under detention for the last two months in Srinagar. The father-son duo was placed under detention the night before the Centre scrapped Jammu & Kashmir's special status under Article 370 on August 5. Rana said the delegation will comprise 15 former legislators. NC spokesperson Madan Mantoo said, “The Government conveyed per- mission in response to the request made seeking permis- sion to meet their party presi- dent and vice-president." The delegation is sched- uled to visit Srinagar on Sunday. Earlier, these National Conference leaders were allowed to meet family mem- bers but granting permission to meet a political delegation is seen as a major political devel- opment in the corridors of power ahead of the block devel- opment council polls beginning October 24. The much-awaited elec- tions will see 26,629 elected panchs and sarpanchs elect 310 block development chair- persons in the first phase. This will be followed by polls for 22 chairpersons for the District Development Boards. Currently, three-time Chief Minister and sitting MP from Srinagar Farooq Abdullah, is under house arrest at his Gupkar Road residence, while his son Omar is confined to Hari Niwas, a state guesthouse turned into a jail, barely 500 metres away. He said the decision to meet Farooq and Omar had been taken at an emergency meeting of the senior func- tionaries and district presi- dents of the Jammu Province two days ago, soon after restric- tions on the movement of Jammu-based National Conference leaders was lifted. A massive indignation erupt- ed among environmental- ists, politicians and people from different walks of life in the metropolis on Saturday over the arrest of 29 activists who staged a protest on Friday night against the felling of trees at Aarey Colony in north Mumbai, even as the Bombay High Court dismissed a peti- tion seeking a stay on the felling of trees at Aarey Colony. Hours after the Bombay High Court dismissed four petitions challenging the felling of 2,646 trees in Aarey Colony, 29 activists, including six women, were arrested by the police between 8.30 pm and 11 pm on Saturday, when they resisted the tree felling opera- tion started by the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (MMRCL) to make way for the construction of a car shed for Metro phase-III. The arrested activists were booked under sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from dis- charge of his duty), 332 (vol- untarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 143 (punishment for unlawful assembly) and 149 (every member guilty of offence com- mitted in prosecution of com- mon object) of the IPC. While the activists alleged that the police behaved in a high-handed manner, a senior police official stationed at the Aarey Colony police station said, “The green activists num- bering anywhere from 100 to 200 obstructed the police from carrying out their duty. They also assaulted a police consta- ble and one Ms Anita Shankar Sutar, who is a complainant in the case. We have arrested 29 persons, including six women, connection with the incident”. The arrested activists were produced before a Suburban court which remanded them in police custody for five days. New Delhi: The name of Squadron Leader Ravi Khanna, who was killed by JKLF ter- rorists in 1990, will be added to the National War Memorial after it was approved by the IAF, sources said. Khanna, along with three other IAF personnel, was killed in Kashmir allegedly by Yasin Malik. Twenty-seven bul- lets were pumped into Khanna's body. An Air Force official said the Khanna's name was missed out in the National War Memorial and the error has now been rectified. The National War Memorial at the India Gate is dedicated to the Defence per- sonnel who laid down their lives for the country. The NWM has names of such defence personnel with details of their acts. The three armed services approve the names of the soldiers after which they are included in the NWM. PTI T hai judge shot himself in the chest in front of a packed court after acquitting several murder suspects and decrying the kingdom’s judicial system in an impassioned speech broad- cast on Facebook Live. Critics say Thailand’s courts often work in favour of the rich and powerful, while delivering swift and harsh sen- tences on ordinary people for minor offences. But it is virtually unheard of for judges to criticise the sys- tem. Kanakorn Pianchana, a judge at Yala court in the heart of the insurgency-battered Thai south, was delivering the verdict for five Muslim suspects in a gun murder case on Friday. A mid a dwindling cadre base coupled with tight security on the ground in Jammu & Kashmir, the Pakistan Army and the Inter- Services Intelligence (ISI) have resorted to division of labour and tasked different terror groups for hitting different tar- gets for maximizing the impacts of hits in the Valley. While Lashkar-e-Tayyeba has been tasked to hit security forces especially in transit on highways, Jaish-e-Mohammad has been assigned to hit VIPs and various security installa- tions. Likewise, the Hizbul Mujahideen has been asked to target panches and sarpanches who represent the panchayats and are the torchbearers of grassroots democracy. According to an input from security agencies, a Pakistan- based LeT commander has tasked his Jammu-based asso- ciates to carry out grenade attack on security forces in Mendhar, Surankote or Poonch town (all in Poonch district) in coming days. The purpose of the latest nefarious design of the terror groups is to make their presence felt post-abro- gation of Article 370. In addition, inputs also indicate movement of uniden- tified terrorists in and around Zonakar, Rainawari, Safakadal and Dhramshal area of Srinagar to target police. As per Intelligence reports about 275 terrorists are prowl- ing along various launch pads across the Line of Control (LoC). The inputs say 80 ultras are waiting across Gurez, 60 across Machhal, 40 opposite Keran, 15 across Naugam , 50 opposite Karnah, 20 across Uri and 10 across Rampur. C iting the example of the Delhi Metro and the Bombay High Court ruling, Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar on Saturday justified the felling of trees at Aarey Colony in north Mumbai to set up a Metro car shed. “There was a need to fell 20 to 25 trees for setting up the first metro sta- tion in Delhi and then also people had sim- ilarly opposed it. But for each tree that was cut, five saplings were planted,” he said while pointing out that the forest cover in the national Capital has increased since then and public transport system has also improved. “Now, there are 271 sta- tions (in Delhi). Forest under- cover area has increased in Delhi. 30 lakh people are using the Metro as public trans- port,” he said, adding, “this is the mantra of ‘vikas bhi, paryavaran ki suraksha bhi’ (development with environ- ment protection).” The Minister was responding to a query from media in Lucknow where he was asked about Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd hacking trees to make way for a car shed, hours after the High Court dismissed four petitions filed by NGOs and activists chal- lenging the decision to allow felling of 2,600 trees. This is not the first time that the trees have been felled for developmental projects. According to a report prepared by a Parliamentary Standing Committee in February 2019, in the last five years since 2013-2018, at least one-third of the 2,39,572 hectares of forest land that India overall lost to various developmental activi- ties in the last 15 years (2003- 2018). Jammu: At least 10 people, including a traffic cop and a local journalist, received injuries in a grenade attack outside Anantnag Deputy Commissioner’s office on Saturday. According to reports, “Around 10.30 am, an unidentified terrorist lobbed a grenade on a busy Lal Chowk area of Anantnag causing injuries to 10 people”. DIG, South Kashmir, Atul Goel said, “The grenade attack was carried out to spread fear among the local population in the area”. I n the fourth leg of his Johar Jan Ashirvad Yatra Chief Minister Raghubar Das visited far off areas in latehar district and held several public meet- ings. The CM sought support and blessings from the people on the occasion and said that their support is building new Jharkhand of the dreams of martyrs Nilamber Pitamber. Addressing the people Das said, “In 2014 Assembly elec- tions I had come to Latehar and had said that if I get your bless- ings and BJP government is formed, each house of Garu will be brightened with elec- tricity. Today, this has become a reality. We have kept our promise. The Congress has kept 30 lakh families away from electricity for 67 years and we did the work in just five years. After completion of 60 grids and 200 substations the power cut issue will also be resolved,” he said. “Not only electricity, but you go to Santhal, Kolhan, vil- lages on mountains, we have provided the means of trans- port, such as road. Ayushman Bharat for the treatment of the poor, respect for women. Ijjat Ghar, Ujjwala Yojana, Sakhi Mandal, Mukhyamantri Krishi Aashirwad Yojana for farmers, Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Yojana, Sukanya Yojana for Girls, Skill Development for Youth. If the Congress, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, RJD and Jharkhand- based parties doing vote bank politics in the name of tribals, Dalits, the underprivileged had done the same thing during their rule, the situation in the entire country and Jharkhand would have been different. But these people only practiced selfish politics,” he said. Das said the culture for which Nilambar Pitambar sac- rificed his life, those who spoke of protecting tribal interests did not save that culture. “The BJP Government is giving incentives and other heads, including village heads, Maniki Munda. Those calling for the uplift of Tana Bhagats, a fol- lower of Gandhiji, did not take care of them for years. But, the present government gave a free four-room house to Tana Bhagats. They are being given four cows for the purpose of financially strengthening them,” he said. The CM said the Ministry of Skill Development was formed to make the youth skillful. So that the youth become skilled, they can be linked with employment and self-employment. “Not every- one can get a government job. Therefore, youth should also come forward in the field of business. Do modern farming, produce milk. Turn to Page 4

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Page 1: ( ˇ ) ˆ · Delhi Metro and the ... Jan Ashirvad Yatra Chief ... Ghar, Ujjwala Yojana, Sakhi Mandal, Mukhyamantri Krishi Aashirwad Yojana for farmers, Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman

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Adelegation of Jammu-basedNational Conference lead-

ers, led by former MLADevender Singh Rana, hasbeen granted permission by theJammu & Kashmir adminis-tration to meet party presidentFarooq Abdullah and vice-president Omar Abdullah, bothunder detention for the last twomonths in Srinagar.

The father-son duo wasplaced under detention thenight before the Centrescrapped Jammu & Kashmir'sspecial status under Article370 on August 5. Rana said thedelegation will comprise 15former legislators.

NC spokesperson MadanMantoo said, “TheGovernment conveyed per-mission in response to therequest made seeking permis-sion to meet their party presi-dent and vice-president."

The delegation is sched-uled to visit Srinagar onSunday. Earlier, these National

Conference leaders wereallowed to meet family mem-bers but granting permission tomeet a political delegation isseen as a major political devel-opment in the corridors ofpower ahead of the block devel-opment council polls beginningOctober 24.

The much-awaited elec-tions will see 26,629 electedpanchs and sarpanchs elect310 block development chair-persons in the first phase. Thiswill be followed by polls for 22chairpersons for the DistrictDevelopment Boards.

Currently, three-time Chief

Minister and sitting MP fromSrinagar Farooq Abdullah, isunder house arrest at hisGupkar Road residence, whilehis son Omar is confined toHari Niwas, a state guesthouseturned into a jail, barely 500metres away.

He said the decision tomeet Farooq and Omar hadbeen taken at an emergencymeeting of the senior func-tionaries and district presi-dents of the Jammu Provincetwo days ago, soon after restric-tions on the movement ofJammu-based NationalConference leaders was lifted.

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Amassive indignation erupt-ed among environmental-

ists, politicians and peoplefrom different walks of life inthe metropolis on Saturdayover the arrest of 29 activistswho staged a protest on Fridaynight against the felling oftrees at Aarey Colony in northMumbai, even as the BombayHigh Court dismissed a peti-tion seeking a stay on thefelling of trees at Aarey Colony.

Hours after the BombayHigh Court dismissed fourpetitions challenging the fellingof 2,646 trees in Aarey Colony,29 activists, including sixwomen, were arrested by thepolice between 8.30 pm and 11pm on Saturday, when theyresisted the tree felling opera-tion started by the MumbaiMetro Rail Corporation Ltd(MMRCL) to make way for theconstruction of a car shed forMetro phase-III.

The arrested activists werebooked under sections 353(assault or criminal force todeter public servant from dis-charge of his duty), 332 (vol-untarily causing hurt to deterpublic servant from his duty),143 (punishment for unlawfulassembly) and 149 (everymember guilty of offence com-mitted in prosecution of com-mon object) of the IPC.

While the activists allegedthat the police behaved in ahigh-handed manner, a seniorpolice official stationed at theAarey Colony police stationsaid, “The green activists num-bering anywhere from 100 to200 obstructed the police fromcarrying out their duty. Theyalso assaulted a police consta-

ble and one Ms Anita ShankarSutar, who is a complainant inthe case. We have arrested 29persons, including six women, connection with theincident”.

The arrested activists wereproduced before a Suburbancourt which remanded them inpolice custody for five days.

New Delhi: The name ofSquadron Leader Ravi Khanna,who was killed by JKLF ter-rorists in 1990, will be added tothe National War Memorialafter it was approved by theIAF, sources said.

Khanna, along with threeother IAF personnel, was killedin Kashmir allegedly by Yasin Malik. Twenty-seven bul-lets were pumped intoKhanna's body.

An Air Force official saidthe Khanna's name was missedout in the National WarMemorial and the error hasnow been rectified.

The National WarMemorial at the India Gate isdedicated to the Defence per-sonnel who laid down theirlives for the country. TheNWM has names of suchdefence personnel with detailsof their acts. The three armedservices approve the names ofthe soldiers after which they areincluded in the NWM. PTI

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Thai judge shot himself in thechest in front of a packed

court after acquitting severalmurder suspects and decryingthe kingdom’s judicial system inan impassioned speech broad-cast on Facebook Live.

Critics say Thailand’scourts often work in favour ofthe rich and powerful, whiledelivering swift and harsh sen-tences on ordinary people forminor offences.

But it is virtually unheardof for judges to criticise the sys-tem. Kanakorn Pianchana, ajudge at Yala court in the heartof the insurgency-battered Thai south, was delivering theverdict for five Muslim suspects in a gun murder caseon Friday.

�������������� 2:13:;�4

Amid a dwindling cadrebase coupled with tight

security on the ground inJammu & Kashmir, thePakistan Army and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) haveresorted to division of labourand tasked different terrorgroups for hitting different tar-gets for maximizing theimpacts of hits in the Valley.

While Lashkar-e-Tayyebahas been tasked to hit securityforces especially in transit onhighways, Jaish-e-Mohammadhas been assigned to hit VIPsand various security installa-tions. Likewise, the Hizbul

Mujahideen has been asked totarget panches and sarpancheswho represent the panchayatsand are the torchbearers ofgrassroots democracy.

According to an input fromsecurity agencies, a Pakistan-based LeT commander hastasked his Jammu-based asso-ciates to carry out grenadeattack on security forces inMendhar, Surankote or Poonchtown (all in Poonch district) incoming days. The purpose ofthe latest nefarious design ofthe terror groups is to maketheir presence felt post-abro-

gation of Article 370. In addition, inputs also

indicate movement of uniden-tified terrorists in and aroundZonakar, Rainawari, Safakadaland Dhramshal area ofSrinagar to target police.

As per Intelligence reportsabout 275 terrorists are prowl-ing along various launch padsacross the Line of Control(LoC). The inputs say 80 ultrasare waiting across Gurez, 60across Machhal, 40 oppositeKeran, 15 across Naugam , 50opposite Karnah, 20 across Uriand 10 across Rampur.

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Citing the example of theDelhi Metro and the

Bombay High Court ruling,Union Environment MinisterPrakash Javadekar on Saturdayjustified the felling of trees atAarey Colony in northMumbai to setup a Metro carshed.

“There wasa need to fell 20to 25 trees forsetting up thefirst metro sta-tion in Delhiand then alsopeople had sim-ilarly opposed it. But for eachtree that was cut, five saplingswere planted,” he said whilepointing out that the forestcover in the national Capitalhas increased since then andpublic transport system hasalso improved.

“Now, there are 271 sta-tions (in Delhi). Forest under-cover area has increased inDelhi. 30 lakh people are usingthe Metro as public trans-port,” he said, adding, “this is

the mantra of ‘vikas bhi,paryavaran ki suraksha bhi’(development with environ-ment protection).”

The Minister wasresponding to a query frommedia in Lucknow where hewas asked about MumbaiMetro Rail Corporation Ltd

hacking treesto make wayfor a car shed,hours after theHigh Courtdismissed fourpetitions filedby NGOs andactivists chal-lenging thedecision to

allow felling of 2,600 trees. This is not the first time

that the trees have been felledfor developmental projects.According to a report preparedby a Parliamentary StandingCommittee in February 2019,in the last five years since2013-2018, at least one-third ofthe 2,39,572 hectares of forestland that India overall lost tovarious developmental activi-ties in the last 15 years (2003-2018).

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Jammu: At least 10 people, including a traffic cop and a localjournalist, received injuries in a grenade attack outsideAnantnag Deputy Commissioner’s office on Saturday.

According to reports, “Around 10.30 am, an unidentifiedterrorist lobbed a grenade on a busy Lal Chowk area ofAnantnag causing injuries to 10 people”.

DIG, South Kashmir, Atul Goel said, “The grenade attackwas carried out to spread fear among the local population inthe area”.

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In the fourth leg of his JoharJan Ashirvad Yatra Chief

Minister Raghubar Das visitedfar off areas in latehar districtand held several public meet-ings. The CM sought supportand blessings from the peopleon the occasion and said thattheir support is building newJharkhand of the dreams ofmartyrs Nilamber Pitamber.

Addressing the people Dassaid, “In 2014 Assembly elec-tions I had come to Latehar andhad said that if I get your bless-ings and BJP government isformed, each house of Garuwill be brightened with elec-tricity. Today, this has becomea reality. We have kept ourpromise. The Congress haskept 30 lakh families awayfrom electricity for 67 years andwe did the work in just fiveyears. After completion of 60grids and 200 substations thepower cut issue will also beresolved,” he said.

“Not only electricity, but

you go to Santhal, Kolhan, vil-lages on mountains, we haveprovided the means of trans-port, such as road. AyushmanBharat for the treatment of thepoor, respect for women. IjjatGhar, Ujjwala Yojana, SakhiMandal, Mukhyamantri KrishiAashirwad Yojana for farmers,Pradhan Mantri KisanSamman Yojana, SukanyaYojana for Girls, Skill

Development for Youth. If theCongress, Jharkhand MuktiMorcha, RJD and Jharkhand-based parties doing vote bankpolitics in the name of tribals,Dalits, the underprivileged haddone the same thing duringtheir rule, the situation in theentire country and Jharkhandwould have been different. Butthese people only practicedselfish politics,” he said.

Das said the culture forwhich Nilambar Pitambar sac-rificed his life, those who spokeof protecting tribal interests didnot save that culture. “TheBJP Government is givingincentives and other heads,including village heads, ManikiMunda. Those calling for theuplift of Tana Bhagats, a fol-lower of Gandhiji, did not takecare of them for years. But, thepresent government gave a freefour-room house to TanaBhagats. They are being givenfour cows for the purpose offinancially strengtheningthem,” he said.

The CM said the Ministryof Skill Development wasformed to make the youthskillful. So that the youthbecome skilled, they can belinked with employment andself-employment. “Not every-one can get a government job.Therefore, youth should alsocome forward in the field ofbusiness. Do modern farming,produce milk.

Turn to Page 4

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Page 2: ( ˇ ) ˆ · Delhi Metro and the ... Jan Ashirvad Yatra Chief ... Ghar, Ujjwala Yojana, Sakhi Mandal, Mukhyamantri Krishi Aashirwad Yojana for farmers, Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman

Started back in 2005, NachBaliye has been grabbingeyeballs ever since. Now

even after almost 15 years downthe line, the show still givessome TRP boost to the channelif not much. The reason may bethe endless number of dancereality shows that are launchingday in and day out.

It is the ninth season ofNach Baliye and like every timethere are 10 celebrity couplefighting for the title. However,there has to be some uniqueelement to break the monotony.It is the most cheerful judges duo— Ahmed Khan and RaveenaTandon, who take the audienceon a joy ride in every episode.Not to mention, the laughter andone-liners that Maniesh Paulbrings in. Till date, four coupleshave been eliminated while twocouples have quit the show dueto injuries. The last few weekshave been a roller-coaster ride forthe contestants as well as theaudience due to various twistsand turns in the show.

�������Shraddha and Alam aka

Shalam’s journey has been full of

ups and downs. But all the duobelieved in was to pour theirheart out while dancing.

For Shraddha the journeyhas been an eye-opening one.“My journey has helped me toknow myself better. Before theshow, I thought of myself as adecent dancer. It was only aftertaking part in the show that Irealised I do have the sense ofrhythm as well. I am evolving asa dancer and every day I amlearning something new,” shesays. On the other hand Alamfeels that his dance his pathetic.

“Before coming to the show, Ithought I can dance well. But theshow made me realise that whatI am doing is not dance. It hasbeen tough for me to shiftingfrom the kind of dance I used todo to the real dance. But I amenjoying every bit of it,” he tellsyou.

However, Nach Baliye is notonly about dance but also fightingtill the end. “There is a lot ofcompetition. All the jodis arestrong. We just cannot disregardany one of them. They all aretough competitors,” Alam says.

Not only the audience but thejodis too are all praise for thejudges. “They are the finestpeople on the show. They havegreat judging power. Wheneverwe make any mistake, they catchit easily. They see things with abirds eye view. But at the sametime they are gentle enough topoint it out rightly without beingrude,” Alam tells you.

���#���The most lovable and

confident jodi of the seasonPrince and Yuvika aka Privikais leaving no stone unturned inproving that they are not just anadorable couple but gooddancers too.

However, not all was goodfor the couple. The couple’sjourney started on a sad notewith Prince’s cousin’s demise.This left the duo shattered butthe show gave them courage tostand-up and fight. And sincethen, they have shown nothingbut improvement in their life.This makes them the mostfavourable jodi to reach thesemifinals if not the finals.

This is Prince’s first showafter marriage and he wasapprehensive of doing the show.“I was not into dance and I wasconfused what to do. But thingschange after marriage. Yourdecisions should be inclusive ofyour spouse’s choice as well. So Isigned the show for my wifeYuvika and now I have learntdance too,” he tells you.

Recalling some behind thescenes moments, Prince saysthat Yuvika is a responsiblewife. “We have so much funwhile practicing but at the sametime there are a lot of injuriesthat come during the rehearsals.There was a time when I getinjured and Yuvika was therefor me, she took care of me andvice-versa,” he tells you.Whenever the duo step on tothe stage, there is only one thingthat goes in their mind —winning.

We hope to see morepowerful and meaningfulperformances from the jodis inthe coming weeks. And whichjodi will manage to take thetitle, only time will tell.

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What happens when you havea movie that stars HrithikRoshan and Tiger Shroff?

Besides the fact that the film hasentered the �100-crore club, it willhave fans of the two actors throngingthe theatres to see their favouriteactors battle it out. And they dobattle it out like never seen before inBollywood.

Directed by Siddharth Anand,who directed and wrote Bang Bang!starring Hrithik Roshan and KatrinaKaif is a rollercoaster ride that takesyou some beautiful foreign locales.

The opening scene gives you apreview of what will happen for thenext 156 minutes. We just love ourheroes and Hrithik Roshan and TigerShroff deliver this plenty of musclesthrown in and groovy dance steps inthe middle that makes no sense. But

that doesn’t matter. We just love tosee the two show their prowess — beit on the dance floor or go after thevillains in the name of their countryeven though there might be a hiddenpersonal agenda.

Bullets flying, fisty cuffs, bikechases, jumping from an aircraft andbetrayal. Does it sound like a scenefrom Mission Impossible series, right?But it isn’t given the desi twist thatWar comes — the gaddari ka kalankmitana hai — resonates loud andclear. Then there is the obsession thatBollywood has to make films wherethe entire nation is at risk of aninvasion and it is only a one-manarmy, our hero, who can save the day.

What makes this film enjoyable isthe fantastic action sequences. Therehaven’t been many movies that ourindustry churns out that has thislevel of stunts. Those looking for ameaningful cinema, need to stayaway from this film which is allabout brawn and beauty too.

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When Jack Nichoklos played Jokerin Batman directed by TimBurton, people had gone ga-ga

over him — the purple suit, a teal shirtwith a purple tie and a crazy persona tomatch. The image left a lasting mark onone’s psyche. However, he was not thefirst person to have played the ClownPrince of Crime with a charm. CesarRomero, Mark Hamill and Heath Ledgerare some of the actors who played Joker.

Back then, nobody thought thatanyone could top what Nicholas or forthat matter what Ledger did in The DarkKnight (he won an Oscar for BestSupporting Actor posthumously).

Enter Joaquin (pronounced Wa-Keen)Phoenix and plays Joker. Fans of DCComics already know how crazy andOTT this character is.

“I hope my death makes some centsthan my life,” his character says and takesthe viewers on a journey that is dark andfilled with negativity. Yet, one is glued tohis seat.

Joker is grim, it is disturbing to thepoint that it leaves one uneasy and theviolence will make you gasp. In the midstof all this, Phoenix stands tall and takesthe audience on a ride that is absolutelybrilliant and leaves you spellbound. It is amovie one must-see for the mastery withwhich Phoenix plays Joker.

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The upcoming weekend on SonyEntertainment Television’s The Kapil

Sharma Show will be a full-onentertainment retreat as actress PriyankaChopra Jonas will be seen gracing the set.Accompanying her will be actor FarhanAkhtar to promote their upcoming movieThe Sky is Pink. Both the actors will havea gala time as they will be shedding lighton some interesting stories from their life.In the show, Priyanka will be breaking herdiet and having a cheat meal with sixgolgappas and fulfilling her everlastingcravings.

In a candid conversation with KapilSharma, he tried to enquire about the onething that Priyanka misses after hermarriage. Priyanka reveals: “After mymarriage, I miss eating golgappas in theUS”. Kapil ordered for golgappas on the setand had a chat party with Priyanka,Farhan and Archana. Farhan became thegolgappas wala and served everyone withtasty servings. Priyanka teases him: ‘Bhaiyamujhe bhi golgappas dijiye’ to whichFarhan responds: ‘Har golgappas walabhaiya nahi hota’…fun continued.

In the show, it was revealed thatPriyanka is called as mitthu because shelikes eating mirchi. Explaining the same PCadds: “Yes, my bua gave me this name

because I not only eat Mirchi but also hada habit of mimicking everyone around me.”Further, In the show, Priyanka will be seenteasing Kapil saying he is no more amomma's boy. Priyanka will also put Kapilin a situation wherein she will ask him tochoose between her mom and her wife.

Priyanka questions: “What if your wifecalls you and mom calls at the same time.where will you go?” Kapil very smartlyresponds: “Both are always at the sameplace.” To which Kapil’s mom interruptsand adds, “Yeh Ginni ke paas hi jayega.(laughs)”

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The REBElution hasbegun in full stride as

Dolly Kitty Aur WohChamakte Sitare receiveda roaring response at itsworld premiere at theBusan International FilmFestival. Produced by EktaKapoor and directed byAlankrita Shrivastava, thefilm tells the tale of tworebellious andtransgressive women whoseek to fulfill their desiresand claim theirindependence amidst themoral ambiguity anddarkness of the city.

Ever since the firstlook of the film came out,it has intrigued audiences.

For one, it marks thesecond collaboration ofcreative forces, Ekta andAlankrita, who havereunited after theirmassively successful film— Lipstick Under MyBurkha. Secondly, thetitular characters Dollyand Kitty are essayed bytalented actressesKonkana Sensharma and

Bhumi Pednekar whohave both proved theiracting prowessconsistently.

In the context of SouthAsian cinema just aboutbeginning to give womentheir due, Dolly Kitty AurWoh Chamakte Sitare is acoming of age story oftwo feisty women wantingto live freely, on their ownterms in a newlydeveloping city. The WorldPremiere of the film hasjust taken place at theBusan International FilmFestival and the film comesshining through the

applause and love receivedat its first screening.

Excited with such apositive response towardsthe film, Alankrita says:“It’s been an incredibleexperience to premiere thefilm at Busan! It’s soencouraging to see peopleacross the globe connectwith the story and thelives of women from India.I am honoured to haveshowcased the film to sucha diverse, multiculturalcinema-loving audienceand to receive such a warmand overwhelmingresponse!”

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��������������� ��������India’s biggest rap revolution, MTV Hustle

is just a few steps away from finding the nextrap sensation. Combined with powerfulstorytelling, the budding rappers won manyhearts with their writing, compositions,thought-provoking topics and electrifyingbeats. Out of 15 Top contestants, five rapperswill make their way to the much-awaitedgrand finale. Two rappers, Kolkata-based EPRand Ludhiana boy M-Zee Bella have alreadymade their way to the finale. The race to thefinale will see other contestants sweating it outto secure a top position.

The upcoming semi-finale episode givesa perfect glimpse of how the finale is goingto look like. The special performances will beby all the three talents of superstar RanveerSingh’s recently launched music label, IncInk-Kaam Bhari, Gully boy fame SlowCheetah andSpitfire. All the three artists expressed theirhappiness on being a part of the show.Chaitanya Sharma aka SlowCheetah revealedhis set of favorite contestants on the show, “Ijust met them and told them how amazingthey all are. They have their own style, but ofcourse I have my favorites too. Bohot hifavourite Bella hai, kyunki usme ek vibe haiki tu jo kar raha hai who acha hai, but I’mbetter. He is always in the game. EPR, ofcourse, bohot hard hai, bohot pehle se hi hisgame is strong. Par mera ek Bihari bhai haiyahan, Shloka, main bohot hi khush hua pehlibaar Garda word sunne ko mila. He made asong on it which was out of this world.”

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BJP spokesperson PratulShahdeo has sharply react-

ed to the statement of PCCchief Rameshwar Oraon, inwhich the latter has suggestedBJP leaders to speak afterstudying the biography ofMahatma Gandhi.

Shahdeo said just two daysback Oraon had hurt the sen-timents of majority communi-ty by saying that MahatmaGandhi had forbidden peopleto visit temples because templeshave garbage and not God.

Shahdeo added Oraon hadgiven reference of PramodKapoor’s book ‘Gandhi —Illustrated Biography. The BJPspokesperson said that ifRameshwarji considers thebooks and ideal one for por-traying the life of Mahatma

Gandhi, it’s a very sad thingbecause there are so manyobjectionable issues with the book.

“Being prejudiced makingfalse statements PramodKapoor has written in his bookthat Gandhi Ji was an autocrat.He has also shamelessly writtenthat he used to hit his relatives.

This is very shameful thatCongress State president is see-ing the life of Mahatma Gandhithrough the book of writers likePramod Kapoor. However, heshould ideally read the autobi-ography of Mahatma Gandhi— ‘My experiments with truth’,” he said.

Pratul said in fact Statepresident of the Congress hasexposed his thinking towardsthe majority society of theentire Congress party. Now heis trying to take the matter inthe other direction to cover itup after the condemnationfrom all four sides.

Pratul said that the publicis watching the whole episodecarefully and will give a suitablereply to the party making afalse statement in the name ofMahatma Gandhi at the appro-priate time.

���� 5�2�4

Adifferently abled prisoner, SunilKumar Singh lodged in Birsa

Munda Central Jail, Hotwar, Ranchidied while he was he trying to scale theboundary wall of highly protected jailpremises on Saturday morning. Singh,while trying to scale the boundary wallhad a fall from wall with his head hit-ting the ground.

Singh, a resident of Aaklan villageunder Burmu police station was lodgedat Hotwar Central jail in connectionwith Rs 7.19 lakh dacoity case atChandwe under Pithoria police stationon June 22, 2018. Singh, who was men-tally challenged was under treatmentfrom doctors at RINPAS. He surren-dered before police on April this yearand since then he was locked at men-tally challenged ward of jail.

According to Hotwar Jail sources,the incident occurred on Saturdaymorning. Hotwar Jail superintendentinformed the police that in the morn-ing when the jail police were carryingout the morning parade of prisoner,Singh escaped from his ward reaching

the ground. Singh scaled the tree whichwas adjacent to the boundary wall.From the tree he jumped at the bound-ary wall but lost his balance falling onthe ground. Singh sustained serious

injuries on his head and died on thespot. The jail doctors and other med-ical staff were informed who declaredhim dead. The family members reachedthe jail after being informed by police.

The Khelgoan police were informedabout the incident. In the presence ofSDO, the police carried out the panch-nama which is details of how the deadbody was lying and descriptions suchas of any mark of injuries found on per-son of deceased. Later, the body was sentto RIMS for post mortem.

Meanwhile, the Jail Superintendentof Birsa Munda Central Jail, AshokChoudhary said, “This is rare incidentand only an insane person can dared tojump from 21 feet high boundary wall.The prisoner reached the boundary wallscaling the peepal tree which is adjacentto the boundary wall.”

Choudhary said that the boundarywall has solar fencing which providesmore security to the jailpremises.However, the Saturday earlymorning incident once again exposedthe security lapses at Birsa MundaCentral Jail.

Many Left Wing Extremist (LWE)members and politicians such as formerminister Bandhu Tirkey are lodged atjail.Sources said that the jail premisesare planning to cut the peepal treewhich is adjacent to boundary wall.

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With just three days left of the 10- daylong festival, Durga Puja celebrations

are at an all time high across the State.However, the festive spirits of the residentsof Jharkhand might get dampened withchances of rainfall activity in the afternoonand late evening hours.

According to the MeteorologicalCentre, Ranchi from October 6 for the nextfour to five days there are chances of anincrease in the rainfall activity acrossJharkhand.

“From October 6 to October 8, thereare chances of some rainfall activity most-ly in the north eastern and south easternparts of the State. Parts of centralJharkhand will also witness rain of light tomoderate category accompanied withthunderstorms and lightning especially inthe afternoon and late evening hours,” saidSenior Scientist, MET ObservatoryCentre—Ranchi, Dr RS Sharma.

As per the weathermen, the State cap-ital is also likely to receive one or two spellsof rain of about 15 to 20 minutes of nearmoderate category with thunder and light-ning from October 5 to October 8 mostlyin second half of the day. The chances ofany heavy downpour are unlikely.

“There is an upper air circulationactive over Jharkhand because of which

north eastern parts of the State includingSanthal Pargana region have receivedgood amount of rain and thunderstorms.For the next few days, the effects of thiscirculation will be seen over Jharkhandwith many places receiving spells of rain,”added Sharma.

According to Sharma, this is the

monsoon withdrawal phase and in thisphase there are high chances of lightningstriking with thunderstorms.

“During this time, residents need to beextra cautious as there are chances of light-ning striking. People are advised to stayin safe and covered places during thistime,” said the scientist.

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On the second and con-cluding day of Bank of

India’s Customer Meet cumpublic relations programme alarge number of customersparticipated in the programmehere on Saturday. The Ranchicircle of the bank distributedloans worth �30 crore on theoccasion.

General Manager of Bank ofIndia cum State Level Bankers’Committee (SLBC)Chandrashekhar Sahay, CircleManager of Bank of India,Tejeshwar Patnaik, Deputy ZonalManagers Umesh Kumar Rathand Anil Kumar Jha were presentas well as Punjab National BankDeputy General ManagerSandeep Kumar Panigrahi,Circle Head of Oriental Bank ofCommerce Pulin Patnaik,Central Bank of India DeputyGeneral Manager Ajay KumarSingh and UCO Bank’s DeputyGeneral Manager Gautam Patrawere present on the occasion.

On the lines of first day ofthe programme traders relatedto NBFC, MFI, SHG, MSME,Mudra, Retail and Agriculturerelated business had an actveparticipation in the event. Theevent was also organized tomeet the goals of financial inclu-sion, including initiatives topromote digital payments andreach customers. It will also help

in establishing the PSB in a newform while doing social serviceand branding it in a new avatar.The aim of such a programmeis to reproduce the ability andwillingness of the PSB to providefinance to all eligible sections ofthe economy. Its objective is tohave active participation ofbanks towards making India a $5 trillion economy.

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Karta App’ launched byRanchi Smart City

Corporation Limited under theOne City One Impact Programhas got a tremendous response.Over 3000 people have down-loaded the App from GooglePlay Store in past three days.

This programme is beingrun under the Smart CityMission of the Union Housingand Urban Affairs Ministry.The urban residents can solvetheir problems of day to daylives by calling the serviceprovider like Plumber, electri-cian, driver, security guard,car mechanic including morethrough this application with-in a few minutes from home.

Chief Minister RaghubarDas, recently launched twopublic utility mobile applica-tions for the capital city Ranchithrough which people canlocate and hire skilled serviceproviders for domestic work orrepairs, said the official.

People residing in Ranchican register themselves by

downloading the Karta App bygoing to Google Play store oftheir android mobile phones.This App is also available onhttp://karta.org.in, one canplace one’s order as per hisrequirement too through thewebsite, said an official.

The expert associated withthe work will reach your homesoon after the requirement orcomplaint registered. In case ofany problem, residents cancontact the Ranchi Smart CityKarta Call Centre on 0651-2446666. This call center will beopen from 8 am to 8 pm onweekdays.

���� 5�2�4

With a series of festivals tofollow like Dusshera,

Diwali and Chhath, passengerinflow has increased in trainsmaking it difficult to get reser-vations for people visiting theirhometown to join in the cele-brations. Keeping the festivalseason in mind, Ranchi RailDivision has decided to intro-duce special trains to cater tothe increased passenger traffic.

A puja express special trainbetween Hatia — LokmanyaTilak Terminu (LTT)s — Hatiahas been introduced. Trainnumber 08609 from Hatia toLTT will operate for fiveWednesday’s between October2 to October 30 where as trainnumber 08610 will operate onfive Friday’s from LTT to Hatiafrom October 4 to November 1.

For Yeswanthpur,Bengaluru trains are opera-tional from Hatia thrice a week— Wednesday, Friday andSaturday in which two extracoaches are being attached till

December 31. In the PatliputraExpress from Hatia to Patnajunction one extra coach isbeing provided where as for theGarib Rath Express to NewDelhi an AC three- tier coachis also being added.

“For the convenience ofthe passengers, depending onthe availability an attempt to addextra coaches is made everyyear. Hatia- LTT is a special pujatrain started this year for the fes-tive season. Apart from this if anextra coach is required in anyother train, provisions are beingmade if possible,” said NeerajKumar, Chief Public Relations

Officer, Ranchi Rail Division.Apart from starting new

trains and adding extra coach-es to the existing ones, railwaysare also making every possibleeffort at Ranchi, Hatia andMuri stations for the benefit ofthe passengers.

“Frequent passengeramenities like the publicannouncement system is beingmade use of regularly toannounce the arrivals anddepartures of the trains. It isalso being monitored to ensurethat no there is no confusionamong the passengers aboutthe train schedules. Railway

Protection Force (RPF) boothshave been set up and are beingsupervised to solve any pas-senger queries. Provision toprovide first aid has also been made at the stations,”added Kumar.

For families travelling withinfants, arrangements for hotwater bottles, diapers and milkpowder are also available atthese stations. At the foot-over bridges RPF personnelhave been deployed to managethe crowd during rush hoursand avoid a stampede like sit-uation while continuous mon-itoring over CCTV cameras isalso being done.

For Navratra special thali’sare also available in the FoodPlaza at the Ranchi station.“The facility of booking theNavratri thali is also availableon the IRCTC app and the foodwill get delivered at the pas-senger’s berth. Ensuring clean-liness separate dustbins for wetand dry waste have been placedat the stations at frequent inter-vals,” said the official.

�� � 5�2�4

In an early morning roadaccident at Dumka, four per-

sons including two womenwere killed and three otherssustained injuries when a pick-up van rammed over themwhile they were waiting for abus. The accident occurred atJamjori village under Masaliapolice station area on Saturdayearly morning.

The deceased have beenidentified as Rasan Murmu(40 year old), Hopni Soren (40year old), Dhaneshwar Marandi( 45-year-old) and GayanaMurmu (42-year-old). Theinjured have been identified asNuni Soren (30-year-old),Sarita Murmu (14-year-old),Sushil Murmu (10-year-old).

Police sources said that onSaturday morning RasanMurmu alsong with his fami-ly members was waiting for busnear the road side. Rasan alongwith others were waiting forbus as they had to go to Jamtara for attending somefamily function.

While Rasan and his fam-ily members were waiting nearthe road side, the speeding pick

up van which was comingfrom opposite directionrammed over persons waitingnear the road side.

Dumka Superintendent ofPolice YS Ramesh said, “Theincident occurred when thepeople were standing by theroadside, waiting for a bus, atJamjori village under Masaliapolice station limits. Four peo-ple died on the spot while threewere admitted at Sadar hospi-tal Dumka.”

According to Masaliapolice, the driver of the pick-up van after hitting peoplewaiting on the road side left hisvehicle and escaped from thespot. After the incident the vil-lagers gathered near the roadside and admitted the injuredperson at Sadar hospital. Thevillagers staged a road blockdemanding compensationfrom government for deceasedfamily members. The villagersalso damaged the pick-up van.

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Thousands of devoteesadmire the concept when

they come face to face with‘living’ goddesses at a simplydecorated pandal at BrahamaKumari Ishwariya Vidyalayasector 4 in Bokaro

Young girls, who practicesimple Rajyoga or meditation,have dressed up as goddessesand they stand still in thepandal with Durga clutching atrident, Saraswati holding aVeena and Lakshmi depictedwith a pot of wealth, while twodressed-up as Durga’s sonsLord Kartike, Lord Ganeshaand one as Mahisasura.

While watching the ‘LivingDurga’, viewers also found astand fixed. A curtain is pulledbefore the standing girls everyfive minutes to give them two-minute break and let the crowddisperse. The show is scheduledfrom during seventh to ninthdays (Saptami to Navmi) ofDurga puja.

We are organizing the‘Living Goddess show’ in a bidto create curiosity amongpeople about meditation and to

depicting the presence of‘Durga’ and ‘Asura’ in all humanbeings, said an organiser.

Meanwhile, kids to lateeighties have taken the preciousglimpses of the idols of goddessDurga on the auspicious eve ofSaptami in Bokaro Steel City.

More than 100 pandalshave been setup in Chas andBokaro which includes thereplicas of popular templesand many other historicalmonuments, which are the main attraction of thesteel city.

Over lakhs of devotees

visited puja pandals in thesteel city to worship andreceives the blessings ofgoddess Durga as they believethat the mother stands foreverything that is everywherein the Universe. As GoddessDurga, sits on a Lion gives usthe power to eat, breathe, andwalk safely.

The entire city isilluminating magnificently withinnovative themes that offeringglimpses of goddess Durga.Chhau, Dandia and Garbadance competitions observed atvarious puja spots.

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About two dozen Muslimsnamely Mumtaz Ahmad

Khan, Azhar Pappu, Imam,Zeya, Wasim, Reyaz, Neyazuetc after offering theircongregational Friday prayer invarious mosques here inDaltonganj converged at JaiBhavani Sangh venue tofelicitate president of SriKendriya Durga PujaMahasamiti and Durga PujaPandal chiefs under the bannerof Muslim Samaj.

This is the second episodeof this kind as it was in the year2018 that this kind of amity andhonour was launched here bythe Muslim Samaj for thedevotees of the Durga puja andthe brain behind this wereMumtaz Khan and AzharPappu

The president of SriKendriya Durga PujaMahasamiti Durga Johri camewith his band of puja pandalchiefs and decided to receive

honour as the last man.However a central peace

committee meeting calledtoday by DC Palamu ShantanuKumar Agrahari and SPPalamu Ajay Linda around thesame time but at differentvenue than this Muslim Samajfunction created a situation thatwas avoidable for the cause ofpromoting more and moresuch people to hold suchfelicitation on communities’celebrations.

At the Muslim Samajfunction came SDO S K Singh,who was felicitated and thenwithin minutes SDO pushedoff for this central peacecommittee meeting going on atthe Pdt Deendayal SmritiBhavan. Had he remainedpresent there all through therein this Muslim Samajfelicitation meeting therewould not have fallen any hellon earth said many there.

The Muslim Samajhowever went with its honourdrive then but wished civiland police officials ought to bethere too as this programmewas more to cement to tiebetween the Muslims and theHindus.

Sources said Muslim Samajhad spent more than 50,000rupees for this show of amityand understanding.

Back at the central peacecommittee meeting SP andDC gave speeches and hereagain DC left the meetingciting a video conferencingwith Election Commission ofIndia and it was Ajay Lindawho remained seated on thedias along with his SDPOsand SDOs.

SP Linda was very candidwhen he said “Route decidedand fixed for immersionpassage would not be changedor diverted. Every puja pandalorganizer should keep it inmind. If at all there arises anychange of route then duepermission from civil andpolice administration is to betaken.”

Linda then talked aboutspace reaching the pandalswhen he said if any fire erupts then it gets difficult to

reach fire tender at the spot justbecause there is a congestion ofspace. He laid stress on CCTVat every pandal.

DC Agrahari in his speechexplained that this centralpeace committee meeting hasbeen organized to have a directcommunication with peacecommittee members of blocks/police stations of this district.

Agrahari said “ This is thefirst such central peacecommittee meeting” but whenthe Pioneer pointed out thatcentral peace committee usedto exist here and which held itsmeetings too till 2004 andthen for some extreme political interference thiscommittee was abandonedtowhich Agrahari said “Wegot it revived then after 15 long years.”

Peace committee memberscoming from blocks/ policestations were given mike to airtheir problems related toroutes, immersion timing etcbut majority of them just wenton praising DC and SP forcingSDPO Hussainabd VijayKumar attending this meetingto ask speakers to concentrateon problem and not onplethora of platitudes!One peace activist even recitedsix lines of poetry on thisoccasion.

���� 9����:3'�5

Bright lehenga cholis,colourful dandiya sticks,

thumping music and a hugespread of Gujarati delicacies —that’s what the ongoing Garbafestivals in the city are all about.

The city is gripped withDandia fever. Variousorganisations are caught in thefervour of the Navratri Utsavcelebrations. A variety ofcultural and entertainmentprogrammes are beingorganised in the city.

While such sights arecommon at ‘dandiya nights’every year, it is the mammothcrowds this time around that,organisers say, have taken themby surprise. All venues acrosscity have registered animpressive daily footfallranging anywhere between2,000 and 5,000, during theinaugural days, leavingorganisers optimistic that thenumbers would furtherincrease over the weekend.

“Contests like the best

dressed participant or bestdancing couple are a regularfeature at our event. We alsohave attractive prizes and gifts other games to keepeverybody occupied,” saidJayesh Amin, a functionary ofGujarati Sanatan Samaj.

It may be mentioned thatthe festival of Navaratri iscelebrated by Gujaraticommunity which is a part ofHindu Community, and veryfamous for Dandiya ras andgarba ras.The Gujarati SanatanSamaj, parent body of Gujaratisin the city is also celebrating thefestival in traditional manner at

its premises in Bistupur. “Specialty of this festival is

Gujarati people follow typicalrituals by getting ‘Garbo’ whichis a small pot made up sandvery well decorated with colorsand other decorative stuff andcall it ‘Mataji’ which meansGoddess named ‘Ambema’. AsGujarati’s keep a small ‘Diva’(Small Candle type Fire light)inside the ‘Garbo’ which hasseveral holes inside for airventilation,” said RameshRanpara, a senior functionaryof the samaj.

Dressed in typical Gujaratisarees or chaniya choli (A Guju

Costume) the members of thecommunity are putting theirbest foot forward to show theirskills in raas, garba anddandiya.Ranpara further saidthat the participants of the‘navratri utsav’ would be judgedon the performance and attire.On the last day of the functionthey would be felicitated.

Old timers from the over alakh rich Gujarati samaj of thecity say that dandiya shows havebeen an integral part of Navratricelebrations since the timepeople from the communitystarted migrating toJamshedpur with the formationof steel plant. “But the festivaltook a bigger form only in thelate 1950s when thousands ofGujaratis came looking forbusiness opportunities here,”said Kantilal Patel, who hasbeen living in the city for over60 years.

“A majority of youngsterstoday have taken their cultureand traditions for granted.Some live by the culture ofanother country altogether.Many are so busy witheducation and other prioritiesin life that they sidelinetraditions. It’s time we workedto preserve our traditions,”said another senior member ofthe society.

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One of the most popularDurga Puja Pandals of

Boakro thermal city, organisedby Panch Mandir Pujacommittee at Bokaro thermalwas inaugurated jointly by Inspector cum Officer inCharge and DVC Dy GM on Saturday.

Pandal hoppers in largenumbers took this opportunityto view the artwork in thepandal. The pandal visitorsusually throng the Durga Pujavenue from the day of Shaptmi

Puja, but Panch Mandir pujacommittee is known formodeling one of the mostattractive pandals in the city.

Finest craftsmanshipmodel is depicted inside thepuja pandal which wouldattract the visitors. Socialactivist Yogendra Giri, HansrajPrasad, Krishna Murari, SaryuThakur of puja committee werepresent during theinauguration function.

Full proof security is beingmaintained inside the pandaland nearby areas for whichCCTV cameras have been

installed along with barricadingat important points. Committeemembers and volunteers will bepresent at every spot to avoidany untoward incident, saidLocal police Inspector cumOfficer in-Charge UmeshKumar Thakur.

This Puja Pandal is notonly famous in Thermal cityand Bokaro but also nearbylocalities. This is the reason this pandal attracts huge crowd. Apart from Bokarothermal people from Bermoand entire coal city peoplevisit this puja pandal.

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GIRIDIH: A 30-year-old man died days after hewas allegedly attacked by his neighbour with anaxe following an argument over a land disputewithin limits of Madhuban police station, SDPODumari Niraj Kumar said on Saturday.

The deceased was identified as BhuneshwarYadav, a resident of Dembhabhakhari tola inMadhuban is reported to have a land dispute withone Bhagirath Turi, who is a native of Belwatongritola. He was am auto driver, they said.

According to a senior police officer,Bhuneshwar’s wife Gudia Devi filed a casewhere she has stated that on Friday her neighbourstarted shouting at her and her husband over landdisputes. Soon, a quarrel erupted between herhusband and Bhagirath Turi (neighbour).Thereafter, Bhagirath Turi daily labourer,threatened Bhuneshwar Yadav and attacked himwith an axe, police said. The victim was rushedto local hospital but doctors declared himbrought dead, they said. Later, a case wasregistered and the accused was arrested. PNS

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The newly constructedpedestrian bridge at Muri

railway station was inauguratedon Saturday by a femalepassenger Seema Rai.

The pedestrian bridge hasbeen constructed by theRailways in record time and itstotal cost is Rs 1.59 crore, thelength of this bridge is 114 feetwidth 20 feet, and the width ofthe stairway is 15 feet.

Will facilitate traffic andwill be more convenient to goto platform number 2 and 3.

Additional Chief MedicalOfficer J Kachhap, AssistantDivisional Engineer BP Meena Station ManagerMS Khan and other officersand employees were present onthe occasion.

���� 5�2�4

I-30 a coaching-cum-learning centre was opened

in Ranchi on Saturday by agroup of educationenthusiasts at Karni Heights,

Club Road. The learningcentre follows a uniqueblended learning model. Thelearning centre is equippedwith smart class and expertJEE faculties at the centre toguide students along with

access to online i30 coursesand well planned test serieson a tablet.

The i30 learning centrealso provides weekly livesessions from the i30 expertfaculty team ex Bangalorianwith 24/7 doubt clearingoption. The centre has the 7IITians available for doubtsessions from head office.

Rimanshu Hirani, one ofthe faculty member of i30learning centre said, “Thecourses are designed forstudents from class 8 onwards.While course and its contenthave been handpicked byAnand Kumar the founder andmentor of Super 30, there isalso 150 day long crash courseaimed at Class 12 pass out toboost their preparation have asure shot go at the JEE

entrances.”Hirani said that Jharkhand

specially Ranchi with hugenumber of JEE aspirants hasvery few coaching centresproviding quality teaching butwith a very high fee.

With i30 learning centre

being opened in Ranchi, theaspirants would get access tothe best JEE coaching by expertJEE faculty team at anaffordable cost and they cancrack JEE with combinedadvantage of offline and onlinelearning.

���� 3�;#82+�29

APDS dealer-cum-humanresources (Labourers )

supplier Dayashanker aliasBittu who was kidnapped todayaround 7 in the morningenroute to Kachan has beenrecovered by Palamu police insix hours in the jungle ofKachan.

SP Ajay Linda said theman was on way to Kachanwhere he has his PDS shop. Hewas overtaken by five peopleriding two bikes. These fivetook him down to the jungle ofKachan under Palamu’sRamgarh police station. It wasa very planned kidnappingand a pre meditated one tooasserted Linda.

Linda said the timing of thekidnapping was early morning

around 7 which meant thekidnappers knew a few hourswould go into forcemobilization but “ We acted toofast” reiterated Linda.

Linda said he got thisinformation around 8.45 inthe morning from one of thekin of this man and withoutwaiting for any more input thepolice of Chainpur, Ramgarh inPalamu and Barwadeeh policein Latehar and Ramkandapolice in Garhwa district wereinformed to keep eyes on anymovement of 5 plus one manin captivity.Linda said theentire stretch was cordoned offin a very meticulous manner.He said he also went toRamkanda area to see if thisband takes a chance to slipthrough that part.

“Police mounted

tremendous pressure and itshuge movement was too visiblewhich helped us most as policeintercepted a message in whicha caller was telling the band ofkidnappers about police zeroingin on them in a large numberand walking down with thekidnapped Bittu could bedangerous for their own life andthis resulted in the panic that setoff in the band of the kidnapperswho pushed three of their 5 manteam to find out as to how andwhere the police search teamswere working and the remainingtwo went to find out their ownexit route” added Linda.

“The kidnapped tookadvantage of this panic of thekidnappers and gave aslip andhid himself in the bushes thatare overgrown too much in thisrain fed days” added Linda.

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From Page 1For this, Government schemes are in front

of you, you should take advantage of them. SkillIndia Mission has given employment to youthof Jharkhand. Today, youth of Jharkhand arestarting their self-employment by becomingskilled,” he said.

Das said before 2014, there was a problemof extremism in other districts of the Stateincluding Latehar. “In the last 5 years, thepresent government has made clear policy,decisions and jawans together to attackextremism. Now there is peace and quiet in thisarea. People have a sense of security. We havebroken the back of extremism to a great extent.These works could have been done earlier, butthe Congress and JMM cared not for thedevelopment of Latehar but for their owndevelopment. Congress and JMM exploited theresources of the State, looted it for years anddeceived the people here in the name ofdevelopment,” he said.

Suspended JVM legislator Prakash Ramjoined BJP on the occasion.

Page 5: ( ˇ ) ˆ · Delhi Metro and the ... Jan Ashirvad Yatra Chief ... Ghar, Ujjwala Yojana, Sakhi Mandal, Mukhyamantri Krishi Aashirwad Yojana for farmers, Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman

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At least 10 people includinga traffic cop and a local

journalist received injuries in agrenade attack outside the officeof deputy commissioner,Anantnag on Saturday.

According to reports,around 10.30 am, an unidenti-fied terrorist lobbed a grenadein a busy Lal Chow area ofAnantnag causing injuries to 10people.

DIG South Kashmir AtulGoel rushed to the spot to take

stock of the situation.Interacting with the media hesaid, "The grenade attack wascarried out to spread fearamong the local population inthe area". He said large numberof people were present in themarket area at the time of thegrenade attack.

Official sources said theinjured received minor injuriesand all of them were stable.

In a separate statement,J&K police spokesman said,"follow up action has been ini-tiated to nab the culprit".

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Bigwigs from various political parties,including Prime Minister Narendra

Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah,Congress president Sonia Gandhi, herpredecessor Rahul Gandhi, UttarPradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanathand actor-turned politician ShatruganSinha will be among the prominentcampaigners for their respective partiesin the Maharashtra Assembly polls.

Given that the Assembly polls arescheduled for October 21, the elec-tioneering in the State will be less thana fortnight-long affair.

Maharashtra Chief MinisterDevendra Fadnavis and Shiv Senachief Uddhav Thackeray will lead theruling BJP-Sena alliance campaign inthe State.

Modi, Shah, Adityanath, workingpresident JP Nadda, Defence MinisterRajnath Singh, Union Ministers likeNitin Gadkari, Piyush Goyal, PrakashJavadekar, Smruti Irani, Mukhtar AbbasNaqvi, Purushottam K Rupala,Raosaheb Patil-Danve and G. KisanReddy will be among the other keycampaigners for the BJP in the StateAssembly polls.

Gujarat Chief Minister VijayRupani, Karnataka’s deputy ChiefMinister Laxman Savadi, his counter-part from Uttar Pradesh Keshavprasad

Maurya, BJP’s Vice-PresidentVasundhararaje Scindia, key func-tionaries like V Satish, Saroj Pandey,Bhupendra Yadav will be other keycampaigners.

Sonia Gandhi, former PMManmohan Singh, former Congresschief Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi-Vadra, Shatrughan Sinha, MallikarjunKharge and Ghulam Nabi Azad will beamong the key campaigners for theCongress.

Current and former ChiefMinisters like Kamal Nath, AshokGehlot, Sushilkumar Shinde, AshokChavan and Prithviraj Chavan, leaderslike Jyotiraditya Scindia, Sachin Pilotand Mukul Wasnik will be Congress’other campaigners.

The other notable listed cam-paigners include: State Congress chiefBalasaheb Thorat, yesteryear actressNagma, Vijay Wadettiwar and NanaPatole.

While Sharad Pawar will lead theNCP’s campaign, its leaders Praful Patel,Ajit Pawar, Supriya Sule, Chhagan

Bhujbal, Jayant Patil and DhananjayMunde and television actor Amol Kolewill be other key campaigners.

Dr Kolhe, who had quit Shiv Senaearly this year and joined NCP, is a pop-ular face in Maharashtra after havingportrayed the roles of ChhatrapatiShivaji Maharaj and ChhatrapatiSambhaji Maharaj in the television seri-als.

The NCP’s other notable cam-paigners will include NawabMalik,Majeed Memon, Sunil Tatkare,Dilip Walse-Patil, Arun Gujrathi, AnilDeshmukh, Jitendra Awhad, HasanMushrif, Anna Dange, Fauzia Khan,Narendra Verma and television actorAmol Kolhe.From the Shiv Sena side,Uddhav and Aditya Thackeray will bethe key campaigners. Senior leadersRamdas Kadam, Subhash Desai,Diwakar Raote, Priyanka Chaturvediand Sanjay Dina Patil will be other cam-paigners.

Raj Thackeray will be the star cam-paigner for the MNS The other cam-paigners will be Shalini Thackeray, BalaNandgaonkar, Sandip Deshpande, NitinSardesai and Yeshwant Killedar.

Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi’s cam-paign will be led by its chief PrakashAmbedkar, while the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief AsaduddinOwasi and Syed Imtiaz Jaleel will cam-paign for their parties.

Aizawl: Opposition to the contentiousCitizenship Amendment Bill, 2019was expressed by Mizoram ChiefMinister Zoramthanga and civil soci-ety organisations of the State duringtheir meetings with Union HomeMinister Amit Shah on Saturday.

Shah was on a day-long visit to theState, his first since assuming office.

Zoramthanga met Shah at the RajBhavan and told him that people of theState are opposed to the CAB, an offi-cial statement said.

The proposed amendment to theCitizenship Act, 1955 could "openfloodgate of illegal immigrants" to thenorth State, it said.

The chief minister urged Shah forraising two battalions of MizoramBorder Guard Force to be deployedalong the Mizoram-Myanmar andMizoram-Bangladesh internationalborders, it said.

The Assam Rifles guard theMizoram-Myanmar borders, whilethe vigilance at the MizoramBangladesh borders is entrusted to theBorder Security Force. However, therehave been complaints of infiltrationfrom the two neighbouring countriesand the state home department had onearlier occasions sought the creation

of such a batallion by the Centre toguard the border areas.

The Mizoram NGO CoordinationCommittee, an umbrella organisationof major civil society bodies and stu-dent associations of the State, changedits plan to hold a protest rally duringShah's visit and opted to meet himinstead and place its demands.

During the meeting the commit-tee submitted a memorandumdemanding that the CAB should notbe legislated in Parliament but if it isdone then Mizoram and other northeastern states who are opposed to itshould be exempted from its ambit, apress release issued by the NGO bodysaid. PTI

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Shahjahanpur: A local courton Saturday permitted theSpecial Investigation Team(SIT) to collect voice samplesof former Union MinisterChinmayanand and the lawstudent who accused him ofraping her.

The SIT had on Thursdaymoved an application for col-lecting their voice samples,besides those of three youthswho were charged withdemanding extortion from theBJP leader.

After hearing the counsels,Chief Judicial MagistrateOmvir Singh, who hadreserved his order on Friday,gave permission to take the fiveof them to Lucknow for thepurpose.

The law student's counsel,Anoop Trivedi, said he andothers had objected to SIT's

application seeking permis-sion to collect the samples, say-ing that if required, it shouldhave been sought within thestipulated time of 15 days.

Meanwhile, BJP leader andformer MLC Jayesh Prasad onSaturday held a press confer-ence, accusing the top Congressleadership of hatching a con-spiracy to defame the YogiAdityanath government in con-nection with the case.

"The top leadership of theCongress has been working ona plan since the past fewmonths to defame the govern-ment. I have proof to prove mypoint," said Jayesh, who is thecousin of Congress leader andformer Union Minister JitinPrasad.

Responding to a question,Jayesh claimed Jitin Prasadwas a tool of the Congress inthis task. PTI

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Jammu: Over 8,600 communi-ty and individual bunkers havebeen constructed along the Lineof Control and the InternationalBorder in five districts of theJammu region, an officialspokesperson said on Saturday.

The information was givenat a meeting, chaired byDivisional Commissioner (DC)of Jammu, Sanjeev Verma, toreview the progress of con-struction of bunkers in Samba,Kathua, Jammu, Poonch andRajouri districts, he said.

According to thespokesperson, the highest num-ber of 4,431 bunkers has beenconstructed along the Line ofControl (LoC) in Poonch, fol-lowed by 1,238 in Rajouri.

He said 1,063 bunkers havebeen constructed along the

International Border (IB) inSamba, 1,039 in Kathua and 869in Jammu.

In December 2017, theCentre had sanctioned con-struction of 14,460 bunkers ata cost of �415.73 crore for res-idents of border areas facingPakistani shelling along theLoC and the IB in Jammu divi-sion.

While 7,298 bunkers weresanctioned for the twin districtsof Rajouri and Poonch along theLoC, 7,162 were sanctioned forresidents of areas along the IBin Jammu, Samba and Kathuadistricts. The spokesperson saidthe DC directed the deputycommissioners of the borderdistricts to expedite the con-struction of the remainingbunkers. PTI

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Nagpur: The Congress onSaturday demanded rejectionof Maharashtra Chief MinisterDevendra Fadnavis' nomina-tion paper affidavit for theState Assembly polls claimingthe date of the notary seal onit "expired" last December.

The BJP has dismissed theallegation and said it was a"mistake" on part of the notary.

Fadnavis had filed hisnomination papers as a BJPcandidate for Nagpur southwest seat on Friday.

His Congress opponentAshish Deshmukh said theseal on the affidavit states thatthe term of the notary, a per-son authorised to perform actsin legal affairs like witnessingsignatures on documents,expired on "28-12-2018".

Deshmukh said the con-cerned returning officer (RO),Shekhar Ghadge, should haverejected the form as well asFadnavis' candidature but hadfailed to do so, and alleged gov-ernment pressure for the inac-tion.

Deshmukh cited asupreme court judgement tothe RO to demand the rejec-tion of Fadnavis' nominationpapers.

The Aam Aadmi Party(AAP) candidate alsoapproached the RO on theissue. Meanwhile, brushingaside the allegations, BJPleader Sandip Joshi said theexpiry date on the notarial sealwas a mistake and it shouldhave actually been "28-12-2023". PTI

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India is ready with its much-awaited green crackers!

Union Science and TechnologyMinister Dr Harsh Vardhan onSaturday announced thatCouncil of Scientific andIndustrial Research (CSIR) labshave been successful in devel-oping various environment-friendly fireworks such assound emitting crackers, flow-erpots, pencils, chakkar andsparklers.

"These fireworks, based onnew formulations developed byCSIR, have been manufacturedand are available in the Indianmarket for consumers and sell-ers," he said.

However, sources said thatthese crackers may not beavailable this Diwali as thosewith 'improved formulations'need legal approval whilemanufacturers are yet not readyfor preparing these friendlyproducts based on new for-mulations.

A network of nine CSIRlaboratories has come up withtwo categories of alternatives -"new" crackers without bariumsalt and "improved" crackerswith a lesser quantity of bari-um. Both would lead to a 30-35 per cent decline in emission.

However, since the courthas prohibited the use of bar-ium salt, the manufacturers willhave to wait for the SupremeCourt to decide the matterwhen it comes for hearing onOctober 22.

Dr Harsh Vardhan said that

nearly 230 memorandums ofunderstanding and 165 non-dis-closure agreements have beensigned with firework makers.

Also, 530 emission certifi-cates have been issued testify-ing that emissions from suchproducts are at par with the SC-specified norms.

DG CSIR, Dr ShekharMande said that the CSIR hasset up a first of its kind emis-sion testing facility for check-ing emission from source andestablishing raw materials char-acterisation and composition-

al analysis facility.CSIR-NEERI Director Dr

Rakesh Kumar said that newformulations have developedfor reduced emission light andsound emitting crackers with30 per cent reduction in par-ticulate matter using potassiumnitrate as an oxidants.

These new and improvedformulations are available foradoption by fireworks manu-facturers like of Petroleum andExplosive Safety Organisation(PESO), Indian FireworksManufacturers Association andCentral Pollution ControlBoard (CPCB).

Similarly, Dr Kumar saidwe have developed improve-ments in conventional formu-lations based on Barium Nitrateto meet the stipulated norms ofgree crackers as per the rec-ommendation of a technicalpanel. The implementation ofthese formulations is subject torecommendation of PESO toapex court for approval, headded.

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With Diwali round the cor-ner, it is time to start

with your festive shoppingand pamper your near anddear ones with thoughtful giftsthat would bring smiles totheir faces. So if you havemade up your mind not to optfor 'fast fashion' but go'swadeshi,' then a 'Swadesh' fes-tival by Dastkari Haat Samiti atIGNCA with a diverse range oftraditional unique items offersthe perfect picks for you.

Around 90 artists fromvarious parts of the countryhave come under one platformshowcasing their traditionalcraft that include home decor,hand-painted divas, trinkets,textiles and other rich essen-tials that are perfect giftingoption. There is a live music byfolk artists and treat of localstreet food too for those justkeen to have a dekko at the cre-ative works.

An ode to the Mahatma

who revolutionalised the hand-loom and handicraft sector, theexhibition will remain open tillOctober 8. In a befitting trib-ute to the Father of the Nation,craftspersons have created 25hand crafted images of him,

each one made in a differenttextile craft styles such ashandloom weaving, tie anddye work, shibori embroidery,batik, durry weaving, tradi-tional art like Godhna, Gond,Patachitra, Miniature ,

Madhubani, Worli, kavad artand Terracotta combined withart. These are being showcasedat Twin Art Gallery at theIGNCA.

"Swades' was a notionmuch supported and nurturedby Gandhiji. This laid the foun-dation for village industries andhelped the artisans and craftspeople to connect to the con-sumer. It is with that same zealand effort that Dastkari HaatSamiti has handpickedcraftspersons to help themcome to the forefront, saidJaya Jaitly, founder of DastkariHaat Samiti which has organ-ised the craft exhibition.

"Our bazaar honours theideology of Mahatma Gandhithat specifically spoke of therural crafts person and sus-taining the environment. Apartfrom the bazaar we are proudto present an exhibition dedi-cated to craftspeople's por-traits of Gandhi ji in each one'scraft skill, she added.

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Dhule: Soldier Chandu Chavan, whoinadvertently crossed into Pakistan in2016, has said he is quitting the Army dueto incessant "harassment" in the force.

"Since I came back from Pakistan, Ihave been continuously harassed in theArmy and am being looked at with suspi-cion, that is why I decided to quit," he said.

Chavan has sent his resignation letterto his unit commander in Ahmednagar,sources close to him have said.

Chouhan was captured by PakistanRangers and for four months, was beaten,tortured and almost killed before beinghanded over to India.

Last month, he met with an accidentand remained admitted in a hospital withdeep injuries to his face and skull. Chavan'sfour teeth broke and he also sustained abra-sion below his eyebrow and left chin, aswell as his upper lip.

The accident occurred when he wasriding his two-wheeler without a helmetwhich bumped a pothole near his hometown Bohrivir in Dhule district ofMaharashtra. PTI

Chennai: DMK president MKStalin on Saturday demandedthat Prime Minister NarendraModi take steps to withdrawthe FIR filed in Bihar againstcelebrities “to protect democ-racy and basic features of theConstitution.”

Condemning the seditioncharge against the celebrities,the leader of the Opposition inTamil Nadu said "labellingthem as anti-nationals" forwriting an open letter to Modi,voicing concern over growingincidents of mob lynching, was"unacceptable."

"How can seeking touphold the basic tenets of theConstitution like tolerance andcommunal harmony be con-strued as anti-nationalism?"he asked in a statement.

Targetting the PrimeMinister over the issue, Stalin

alleged that the Governmentled by him at the Centre gotinvolved in acts against free-dom of expression, which was"unacceptable."

The BJP Governmentshould realise that those whohad taken up autocracy andclamped down on freedom ofexpression only faced defeatand it was evidenced by histo-ry, he said.

Hence, realising suchaspects, the Prime Ministershould "take steps to immedi-ately withdraw the seditioncase against the celebrities andprotect Indian democracy andthe basic tenets of theConstitution," the DMK chiefsaid.

Tamil film makerManiratnam and Tamil actressRevathi are among the celebri-ties named in the FIR. PTI

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������������ ��*�#������A3=D�-�������*�.��������� ����������� Mumbai: The Twitter handle of Mumbai

Police, which had recently lamented firesin the Amazon rainforest, was silent onSaturday as protests erupted against cuttingof trees in Mumbai's Aarey Colony.

Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation beganchopping down trees to make way for metrocar shed on Friday night after the HighCourt dismissed petitions challenging thepermission for tree cutting.

"Loss of the Amazon Rain forest is a lossto the entire Mankind. Let us all resolve toprotect & conserve our flora & fauna beforeit's too late," Mumbai Police had tweeted ontheir official handle on August 28.

"if not u s, then who? If not now, thenwhen who?" #SaveAmazon#SaveMotherEarth," it tweeted.

However, on Friday night and Saturday,as more than 200 trees were cut and 29 pro-testers were arrested in Aarey Colony, thepolice Twitter handle was silent.

@MumbaiPolice, which has 48 lakh fol-lowers, is known for expressing views onvariety of issues through text or memes,sometimes in a sarcastic vein.

The last tweet had come on Wednesday,on Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary.

"On 150th birth anniversary of Bapuji and115th of Lal Bahadur Shastriji, let's pay trib-ute to both by walking down the path oftruth and simplicity laid down by them," thepolice had tweeted.

But though cops were silent, greenactivists took to Twitter on Saturday toexpress anger about cutting of trees andaction against protesters.

"If you mean even an ounce of what yousay this would not have been happening topeople who stood for #SaveAarey,The#India that these leaders dreamed of is justnot this. #StopThisMadness of siding peo-ple who are out to finish the city throughtheir greedy plans," tweeted Nayana HarishPai. Replying to her tweet, Falgun Pawarsaid, "I guess @MumbaiPolice were busyposting tweets and couldn't tell right fromwrong. This is so sad.#SaveAareySaveMumbai." PTI

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Page 6: ( ˇ ) ˆ · Delhi Metro and the ... Jan Ashirvad Yatra Chief ... Ghar, Ujjwala Yojana, Sakhi Mandal, Mukhyamantri Krishi Aashirwad Yojana for farmers, Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman

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India could potentially beone of the big winners from

the US-China trade war,according to a Credit Suissesurvey of 100 companies withglobal sales of $1 trillion thatprojects $350-550 billion ofexports will shift out of Chinaand that this is “inevitableeven if slow”.

This survey insights land atthe same time when USCommerce Secretary WilburRoss is saying in New Delhithat India has a “wonderfulopportunity right now, to takeadvantage of trade dissensionelsewhere”.

$1 billion translates toapproximately �7,000 crore.

“We’ve actually prepared achart about what are the areaswhere China is the big exporterto us? How does that comparewith what India is exporting tous? And what are possiblesolutions to how do we changethat mixture?” Ross said at theIndia Today ‘India EconomicSummit’ event in New Delhi onThursday.

The Credit Suisse report,reviewed by IANS, has said thatfirms in China plan to moveproduction to Vietnam, India,Taiwan and Mexico.

Ross’ comments and theCredit Suisse report both comeas China’s top trade negotiatorprepares to lead an upcoming

13th round of talks aimed atresolving the ongoing trade warwith the US.

Chinese Vice Premier LiuHe will travel to Washingtonfor the negotiations and tradetalks would take place afterChina’s National Day holidaywhich falls on October 7.

The Credit Suisse reportlists three main themes thatinform the $350-550 billion“shift”.

Peak pressure begins onlynow

Multiple pressures to movemanufacturing out of China arelikely to peak now because “80per cent of the finished goodssold to consumers come undertariffs only now”. The reportconnects the dots to similargoods in earlier lists which sawprice rise, lower demand and ashift in production.

Companies keen to moveout

Companies that have spo-ken to Credit Suisse have said“they would shift manufactur-ing out of China even without

tariffs”. They list a “shrinkingChinese workforce” as one ofthe main issues: “50 millionfewer workers by 2030”. Firmsplan to move production toVietnam, India, Taiwan andMexico, says the report.

Shrinking workforce“In five years though, with

the Chinese manufacturingworkforce shrinking by anoth-er 9-15 million after a 20 mil-lion decline since 2015, weexpect $350-550 billion ofexports to move out of China.It could be more, if other coun-tries improve absorption capac-ity: Vietnam is too small (butshould gain the most),Bangladesh a pure-play onapparel, and India has seengood import substitution inelectronics but is struggling togrow apparel exports. Hon Haiand Pegatron would be nega-tively affected, L&T, Havellsand Feng Tay would benefit. Inthe near-term, tariffs wouldraise prices in the US (13 percent of firms absorbing them),and shift Chinese exports toother countries (possibly atlower prices).”

US President DonaldTrump’s administration firstimposed tariffs on Chineseimports in 2018 in a bid to winconcessions from China, whichresponded with tit-for-tat tar-iffs. A deal remains elusive asthe dispute escalates betweenthe world’s two largest

economies.In New Delhi, Ross spoke

about the “third kind of barri-er” that “bothers” the US,which he said was neitherabout competitive advantagenor one country actually need-ing a certain product becauseof locational constraints. “If youlook at our trade deficit it hastwo components, one’s calledautomotive and the other’scalled China,” he said.

During his comments,Ross made the distinctionbetween “small trade deficitswith other countries” and“China” as two separate issues.“We believe that most of thethings we’re requesting partic-ularly of India would not onlyhelp us vis a vis India, we thinka lot of them would help Indiaitself,” he added.

“So, (I) don’t want you tothink that we’re just focusing ondeficit, we’re focusing also ontotal trade. And what the worldneeds is more total trade. Thisrecent diminution in the fore-cast, that world trade will bedown to 1.2 per cent this year,is a very bad omen for theworld because normally, trade,global trade has been growingat a percentage point or so. Soif it’s really true, that worldtrade will only grow at around1 per cent. That does not speakvery well for the world GDP. Sothat’s a source of separate con-cern,” Ross said.

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Praising the cut in the keylending rate, Union

Minister for Environment andForest Prakash Javadekar saidhere on Saturday that theGovernment has asked thebanks to pass on the benefits tothe consumers.

Addressing a pressConference, Javadekar said thereduction in repo rate by theReserve Bank of India (RBI) isan important step to boostgrowth and it will directly ben-efit the consumers as bankloans will get cheaper.

He said Modi Governmentis very sensitive on the issuesfacing economy.

“Investment is key fordevelopment. Till 2014,nobody wanted to come toIndia to invest, but now afterreduction in corporate tax, a lotof investiment is coming. ModiGovernment has taken 110decisions in the last fourmonths to give impetus togrowth and increase employ-ment,” Javadekar said.

“The merger of banks willstrengthen the financial insti-tutions. This also helps RBImonitor credit outflows. Earlierwe had 27 banks, now there areonly 12. This has been wel-comed by the people,” addedJavadekar.

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It’s a Diwali bonanza for pub-lic sector bank (PSB) employ-

ees. Their accounts are beingcredited with part wage arrearseven before the final agreementon the wage revision betweenthe unions and the manage-ment.

It’s happening for the firsttime in the India’s banking his-tory.

“The employees can optout or take the part arrear pay-ments. If they take the partarrear, the amount creditedwill not be less than �50,000and may even exceed�1,00,000,” a PSB employeetold IANS.

The management hasoffered 12 per cent wage revi-sion. Since the final percentagewould not go below that, thebanks had decided to calculatethe wage arrears and pay, thebanker said.

According to him, themove will swell theGovernment’s tax revenue kittyand spur the economy in asmall way as bankers will spendthe money. PSB employees arewaiting for wage revision sinceNovember 2017. Despite 30rounds of talks between theUnited Forum for Bank Unions(UFBU) and the Indian Banks’Association (IBA) since 2017,wage agreement is not yet insight.

Washington: The US unem-ployment index fell from 3.7per cent to 3.5 per cent inSeptember, a month when1,36,000 new jobs were creat-ed, the US Department ofLabor reported this Friday.

The unemployment vol-ume is at its lowest since themonth of December 1969, no

less than 50 years ago, the Efenews reported.

Though the US economycontinues to provide almost fullemployment, the creation of136,000 new jobs was below theexpectations of analysts, whohad forecast some 147,000places of employment added tothe US labor force. IANS

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Pioneering digital paymentsfirm PayPal has said it will

no longer be part of an allianceintended to oversee theFacebook-backed Libra cryp-tocurrency, which has comeunder attack by regulators.

“PayPal has made the deci-sion to forgo further partici-pation in the Libra Associationat this time,” the California-based company said on Friday.

“We remain supportive ofLibra’s aspirations and lookforward to continued dialogueon ways to work together in thefuture.”

International outcry ismounting over Libra — withcentral banks, governmentsand regulators railing againstFacebook’s upstart cryptocur-rency and questions over howit would be regulated.

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German auto componentsmajor Bosch India has

decided to shut production for10 days per month in the thirdquarter (October-December)of fiscal 2019-20 due to slow-down, said an official onSaturday.

“We have informed thestock exchanges in a regulato-ry filing on Friday that we willobserve no production for 10days per month during thethird quarter (October-December), 2019,” the officialtold IANS here.

����� �42+�'85:

Doors remain open in Indiafor further policy easing in

December and likelihood ofmore into 2020, possibility ofwhich was flagged recently,according to Singapore-basedDBS Bank. Besides the reporate cuts, more is required toensure efficient policy trans-mission in India, such as sur-plus liquidity conditions, mar-ket-driven lending rates and astable financial system to allowall sectors to benefit fromlower borrowing costs, thebank said in commentary onthe Reserve Bank of India’s(RBI) Friday rate cut.

The proposed liquiditymanagement framework hasstuck to status quo but, DBSsaid, it suspects that the currentenvironment will be perceivedas one which requires liquidi-ty support because of stickyborrowing costs for non-banksand higher premia for certaincredit-deficient segments.

To jump-start transmissionthrough the banking channels,the RBI has mandated banks topeg new floating, personal loansto external benchmarks startingOctober 1 as against the earlierpractice of linking the loanswith marginal cost of funds-based lending rates. Most pub-lic sector banks have opted forthe RBI’s repo rate as a referencerate, plus a spread fixed by eachof them and a mark-up foroperational costs, noted DBS.

New Delhi: Realme India ChiefExecutive Officer MadhavSheth took to the Twitter onSaturday to announced that thecompany has sold over 22 lakhdevi\ces during the festive season sale period in India.

IANS

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down blues and bridging thedigital divide between Indiaand ‘Bharat’, fashion e-tailerMyntra on Saturday reported56 per cent online annualgrowth from small cities andtowns during its ‘Big FashionDays’ sale from September 29-October 4. IANS

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Democratic lawmakers onFriday demanded that the

White House turn over docu-ments related to allegationsthat President Donald Trumppressured Ukraine for politicalfavors, as the explosiveimpeachment investigationagainst the US leader intensified.

The congressional com-mittees leading the probecranked up the heat on theWhite House as evidencemounted that Trump illicitlyused his office to enlist UkrainePresident VolodymyrZelensky’s help to damage 2020Democratic rival Joe Biden, inexchange for military aid.

“The White House hasrefused to engage with — oreven respond to — multiplerequests for documents,” theDemocratic chairmen of the

House oversight, intelli-gence and foreign affairs com-mittees said.

“After nearly a month ofstonewalling, it appears clearthat the President has chosenthe path of defiance, obstruc-tion, and cover-up.

“His actions have left uswith no choice but to issue thissubpoena.” In their letter to act-

ing White House Chief of StaffMick Mulvaney, the commit-tees demanded that he turnover the requested files byOctober 18.

The subpoena followed ademand earlier Friday for doc-uments from Vice PresidentMike Pence.

The investigators pointedto Pence’s knowledge ofTrump’s calls to Zelensky andhis own meeting on September1 with the Ukraine leader, aswell as discussions he mayhave had with Trump and USdiplomats about Ukraine andobtaining political dirt onBiden.

A series of text messagesbetween US diplomats dealingwith Ukraine, made public bythe congressional investiga-tors, supported Democraticaccusations that Trump hadillegally sought foreign help forhis reelection effort.

And the Wall Street Journalreported that, in an interview,Republican Senator RonJohnson said he had learnedthat a quid pro quo had been

proposed to Zelensky’s gov-ernment by Trump’s emissaries,tying military aid to a Ukrainecorruption investigation intoBiden.

Trump pushed back hard,saying there was no quid proquo and, in an effort to recastthe entire saga, insisted it washis responsibility to investigate“corruption.” “I don’t care aboutBiden’s campaign but I careabout corruption,” he toldreporters.

“I don’t care about politics,”he said. “I believe there wastremendous corruption withBiden.” The former US vicepresident responded by callingTrump “the most corrupt pres-ident we’ve had in modern his-tory.”

“I am not going to stand forit,” Biden said at a campaignevent in Los Angeles, deemingTrump “unhinged.” “He hasindicted himself by his ownstatements,” Biden added, oneday after Trump openly calledfor both Beijing and Kiev toinvestigate the Democrat forcorruption.

��������� ������������������ ���������� Baghdad: A curfew was lifted

in Baghdad on Saturday fol-lowing days of protests whichhave left nearly 100 dead, buttensions remained after firebrand cleric Moqtada Sadr demanded theGovernment quit.

The largely spontaneousprotests over chronic unem-ployment and poor public ser-vices that erupted in the capi-tal on Tuesday have escalatedinto a broader movementdemanding an end to officialcorruption and a change ofgovernment.

At least 93 people havebeen killed and nearly 4,000wounded, as protests spread tocities across the south, the par-

liamentary human rights com-mission said.

Sadr threw his weightbehind the demonstrations onFriday with a call for the res-ignation of Prime MinisterAdel Abdel Mahdi.

His movement has thepower and organisation tobring large numbers of sup-porters onto the streets, but atthe risk of alienating many ofthose who have taken to thestreets in recent days to expresstheir rejection of all of Iraq’sfeuding political factions.

Speaker Mohammad al-Halbusi was due to convene asession of parliament sessionlater Saturday to discuss jobcreation and social welfare

schemes, after he too extend-ed a hand to the protesters, say-ing: “Your voice is being heard.”In Baghdad on Saturday,municipal workers were outand about cleaning up the rub-bish burned by protesters inrecent days.

Shoppers trickled backonto the streets to buy vegeta-bles and other perishable goodsthe price of which has morethan doubled since the deadlyprotests started.

With the daytime curfew inplace since Thursday lifted,demonstrators began gatheringnear the emblematic TahrirSquare in the morningalthough many main thor-oughfares remained shut and

an internet blackout was still inforce.

The mainly young, maleprotesters have insisted theirmovement is not linked to anyparty or religious establish-ment and have scoffed at recentovertures by politicians.

“These men don’t representus. We don’t want parties any-more. We don’t want anyone tospeak in our name,” said oneprotester late Friday. Abu Salah,a 70-year-old resident ofBaghdad with wispy white hairand a matching beard, said thestreets would be full until Iraqissaw real change. “If living con-ditions don’t improve, theprotests will come back evenworse,” he told AFP.

Beirut: Nine jihadists werekilled on Saturday in Russianairstrikes on Syria’s war-tornprovince of Idlib, a monitoringgroup said.

“Russian strikes this morn-ing targeted the Hurras al-Deen group and Ansar al-Tahwid in eastern Idlib...Killing nine jihadists,” said theBritain-based SyrianObservatory for HumanRights, adding eight otherswere wounded.

Six of the dead were mem-bers of the Al-Qaeda linkedHurras al-Deen, a group whichis also targeted by the US-ledcoalition.

Moscow is a key ally ofSyria’s President Bashar al-Assad in the country’s civil war,and despite an Idlib ceasefiredeal reached on August 31, theprovince has continued to betargeted by Russian air attacks.

Russia-backed regimefighters have for weeks beenchipping away at the edges ofthe province bordering Turkeythat is the last jihadist strong-hold outside of Assad’s control.

AFP

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Pro-democracy protestersmarched through Hong

Kong in defiance of a ban onface masks as much of the cityground to a halt on Saturdaywith the subway suspendedand swathes of shops and mallsshuttered following anothernight of violence.

Hundreds of protesters,almost all masked, staged anunsanctioned march throughthe popular shopping district ofCauseway Bay, a day after thecity’s leader outlawed face cov-erings at protests invokingcolonial-era emergency powersnot used for half a century.

The latest act of resistancecame after a night of wide-spread night of chaos as hard-core protesters trashed dozensof subway stations vandalisedshops with mainland Chinaties, built fires and blockedroads.

As the crowds were march-ing on Saturday, city leaderCarrie Lam released a stony-faced video statement in whichshe condemned protesters for

“a very dark night”.“We cannot allow rioters

any more to destroy our trea-sured Hong Kong,” Lam said asshe called on citizens to dis-tance themselves form themore hardcore protesters.

But the march in CausewayBay, which came despite thecity-wide subway closure,showed protesters were stillwilling to defy the mask ban asthey chanted “No rioters, onlytyranny” and other popular slo-gans.

Hong Kong has been bat-tered by four months ofincreasingly violent pro-democracy protests.

The rallies were ignited bya now-scrapped plan to allowextraditions to the mainland,which fuelled fears of an ero-sion of liberties promisedunder the “one country, twosystems” model China uses forthe finance hub.

After Beijing and localleaders took a hard line, thedemonstrations snowballedinto a wider movement callingfor more democratic freedomsand police accountability.

Lam has refused any majorconcessions but struggled tocome up with any politicalsolution that might end thechaos, leaving police anddemonstrators to fight increas-ingly violent battles as the citytips into recession.

Baghdad: The death tollfrom mass protests inBaghdad and cities acrosssouthern Iraq rose to 93 onSaturday as the unrestentered its fifth day, parlia-ment’s human rights com-mission said.

Nearly 4,000 peoplehave also been injured sincethe protests against chron-ic unemployment, poorpublic services and wide-spread corruption eruptedin the capital on Tuesday,the commission said.

It was not immediatelyclear whether the latestdeaths were from Friday’shuge protests or freshdemonstrations onSaturday.

The authorities haveimposed a virtual blackoutof the internet and confir-mation of protest casualtiesin the provinces has trickledin slowly. AFP

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AThai judge shot himself inthe chest in front of a packed

court after acquitting severalmurder suspects and decryingthe kingdom’s judicial system inan impassioned speech broadcaston Facebook Live.

Critics say Thailand’scourts often work in favour ofthe rich and powerful, whiledelivering swift and harsh sen-tences on ordinary people forminor offences.

But it is virtually unheardof for judges to criticise the sys-tem.

Kanakorn Pianchana, ajudge at Yala court in the heartof the insurgency-battered Thaisouth, was delivering the ver-dict for five Muslim suspects ina gun murder case on Friday

afternoon.He acquitted the group,

delivered a courtroom plea fora cleaner justice system, beforepulling out a handgun andshooting himself in the chest.

“You need clear and cred-ible evidence to punish some-one. So if you’re not sure, don’tpunish them,” the judge saidaddressing the court andbroadcasting his words on hisphone on Facebook live.

“I’m not saying that the fivedefendants didn’t commit thecrimes, they might have done so...

“But the judicial processneeds to be transparent andcredible... Punishing wrongpeople makes them scape-goats.” The Facebook feed thencut, but witnesses saidKanakorn recited a legal oath

in front of the former Thaiking’s portrait, before shootinghimself in the chest.

“He is being treated by thedoctors and is out of danger,”Suriyan Hongvilai, thespokesman of the Office of theJudiciary, told AFP on Saturday.“He shot himself because of‘personal stress’. But the causebehind the stress is not clearand will be investigated,” hesaid.

No Thai judge has everbreached protocol by makingsimilar statements on the widerjustice system, he added.

A lawyer working with thesuspects said Judge Kanakornhad ruled the prosecutor’s evi-dence was insufficient to con-vict.

“Right now the five are stillbeing detained and are waiting

to see if the state prosecutorappeals their acquittal,”Abdulloh Hayee-abu, of theMuslim Attorney Centre inYala told AFP.

Over 7,000 people havedied in 15 years of conflict inthe Malay-Muslim majoritysouthern region.

Thousands of suspectshave been jailed for acts linkedto the insurgency, many underemergency laws imposed onthe restive region.

Advocacy groups in theThai south have long accusedsecurity forces of trumping upcharges against Muslim sus-pects and using emergencylaws to drive cases through thecourts.

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UN human rights chiefMichelle Bachelet said

on Saturday she was “trou-bled” by Hong Kong’s increas-ingly violent pro-democracyprotests, and stressed that anymeasures to quell the unrestmust be grounded in law.

The city endured anothernight of chaos Friday, afterleader Carrie Lam bannedface masks at demonstrations,invoking colonial-era emer-gency powers not used for halfa century.

Hardcore protesters

trashed dozens of subway sta-tions, vandalised shops withmainland China ties, builtfires and blocked fires.

“We are troubled by thehigh levels of violence associ-ated with some demonstra-tions that have been takingplace in the past days,”Bachelet said during a visit toMalaysia.

She said she was“alarmed” by injuries to police,protesters and journalists cov-ering the demonstrations.

“I strongly condemn allacts of violence from all sides,”she added.

Kabul: The Taliban met USpeace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad inthe Pakistan capital for the firsttime since President DonaldTrump declared a seeminglyimminent peace deal to endAfghanistan’s 18-year war ‘dead’a month ago, a Taliban officialsaid on early Saturday.

He offered few details ofFriday’s meeting betweenKhalilzad and the Taliban dele-gation led by Mullah AbdulGhani Baradar, a co-founder ofthe movement that was ousted in2001 by the US-led coalition.

The official spoke on con-dition of anonymity because hewas not authorised to speak tothe media.

US officials however havebeen keen to say there is noresumption of peace talks, at leastnot now in Islamabad.

Still, the meeting is signifi-cant as the US seeks an exit fromAfghanistan’s 18-year war.

Khalilzad has been inIslamabad for much of the weekmeeting with senior govern-ment officials in what the USState Department described asfollow-up meetings he held inNew York during last month’sUN General Assembly session.At the time he met PakistaniPrime Minister Imran Khan,who has been calling for aresumption of peace talks.

The Taliban delegation led

by Mullah Baradar - one of itsmore powerful members -arrived separately in thePakistani capital for meetingswith government officials theysaid were being held to discussa wide range of political issuesrelating to the more than 1.5 mil-lion Afghans still living asrefugees in Pakistan.

Baradar was arrested inPakistan in 2010 in a jointPakistani-CIA operation after hesecretly opened peace talks withthe then-Afghan PresidentHamid Karzai, attempting tosideline Pakistan and againstthe US strategy at the time,which did not support talkswith the Taliban. AP

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The US will block the entryof immigrants without

health insurance or the abili-ty to pay for medical bills,President Donald Trumprevealed Friday.

Consular officers will onlybe allowed to issue visas toprospective immigrants whocan prove they “will notimpose a substantial burden”on the US health care system,according to a proclamationauthored by Trump.

“Lawful immigrants areabout three times more likelythan United States citizens to

lack health insurance,” Trumpsaid in the proclamation.

“Immigrants who enterthis country should not fur-ther saddle our healthcaresystem, and subsequently

American taxpayers, withhigher costs.” The measurewill go into effect onNovember 3.

Trump made crackingdown on immigration a keypart of his 2016 presidentialcampaign platform.

He has pushed wide-rang-ing immigration law reforms,while tasking authorities withcarrying out mass deporta-tions of people in the US ille-gally. Last week Washingtonalso announced plans to dra-matically lower its ceiling ona decades-old refugee resettlement program by 40 per cent.

Athens: US Secretary of StateMike Pompeo on Saturdayaccused members ofCongress of harassing hisdepartment to obtain docu-ments linked to an impeach-ment investigation againstPresident Donald Trump.

“There have been con-gressional inquiries that haveharassed and abused StateDepartment employees bycontacting them directly andseeking to have them providedocuments... That belong tothe State Department, that areofficial US governmentrecords” he said during avisit in Greece.

“That’s harassment. AndI’m never going to let that

happen to my team.” The US congressional

committees leading theimpeachment probe crankedup the heat on the WhiteHouse this week amidmounting evidence thatTrump may have illicitly usedhis office to enlist UkrainePresident VolodymyrZelensky’s help to damage thebid of 2020 Democratic rivalJoe Biden in exchange formilitary aid.

After dodging questionsfor days, Pompeo finally con-firmed Wednesday that hehad been on the telephonecall when Trump pressedUkraine for damaging infor-mation on Biden. AFP

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Stockholm: North Korean andUS officials on Saturday gatheredfor new nuclear talks inStockholm after months of dead-lock and Pyongyang’s defiant testof a sea-launched ballistic mis-sile this week.

North Korea’s Kim MyongGil and Stephen Biegun, the spe-cial envoy of US PresidentDonald Trump, are part of theteams at the talks.

The two were to meet at aheavily guarded venue on anisland off Stockholm, severalhundred metres from the NorthKorean embassy, an AFP corre-spondent said. The first cars withtinted windows started arrivingjust after 9:00 am (0700 GMT).

“I am encouraged that USand (North Korean) workinglevel delegations are currently inSweden to hold talks,” SwedishForeign Minister tweeted.

“Dialogue needed to reachdenuclearization and peacefulsolution.” Similar-level talks onNorth Korea’s nuclear disarma-ment were held in Stockholm inMarch 2018 and then in Januarythis year.

North Korea frequently cou-ples diplomatic overtures withmilitary moves as a way ofmaintaining pressure on negoti-ating partners, analysts say, andmany believe this weapons sys-tem gives it added leverage.

Pyongyang tested what itcalled a “super-large” rocket onWednesday just hours after itsaid it was willing to resumeworking-level talks withWashington. AP

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Washington: NASA is current-ly designing and developing anew spacesuit system, called theExploration ExtravehicularMobility Unit or xEMU, for thefirst woman and next man whowill put foot on the Moon in 2024.But the US space agency is seek-ing feedback from industry onlunar spacesuits as it plans to askUS companies to manage pro-duction for 2025 and beyond.

NASA on Friday said that itis seeking industry feedback tohelp refine and mature the acqui-sition strategy for productionand services for lunar spacesuitsto enable a steady cadence ofArtemis missions over the nextdecade and beyond.

The agency is prepared tobuild and certify the initial space-suits to support a demonstrationin a spaceflight environment on

the International Space Station in2023 and the first trip to the lunarsurface in 2024, as part of theArtemis III mission.

After Artemis III, NASAplans to transition responsibilityfor production, assembly, testing,sustaining and maintenance of afleet of flight and training space-suits and associated hardware tothe US industry.

IANS

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Naomi Osaka said that shehad just two hours’ sleep

before crushing title-holderCaroline Wozniacki to sweepinto the China Open final onSaturday.

The 21-year-old Japanesewill play world number oneAshleigh Barty of Australia intoday’s championship match inBeijing — and will hope tohave had a bit more rest.

The Australian Openchampion saidthat she was sohyped up afterd e f e a t i n gB i a n c aAndreescu inthree thrillingsets on Friday

night that she barely slept.“I went to sleep at 4:00am,

I woke up at 6:00am, so solidtwo hours, I can’t really sleepafter my matches,” said Osaka.

“I just feel like my adren-aline’s up more during thetougher matches so it makes itharder to sleep.”

“It’s definitely been a bitcrazy time-wise,” she added,having returned to the court toface Wozniacki less than 24hours after defeatingAndreescu.

But if the two-time GrandSlam champion was exhausted,it did not show in a 6-4, 6-2

victory in 84 minutes againstthe Dane.

The Japanese insisted thatshe was the underdog againstBarty.

They have played eachother three times before withthe 23-year-old Australianwinning twice.

Barty said that she has“never been happier” on andoff the court after she savedmatch point against KikiBertens of the Netherlands intheir semi-final.

The French Open champi-on committed 52 unforcederrors but still just aboutemerged victorious in a nail-biting 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (9/7) tri-umph.

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Rohit Sharmasmashed anotherhundred and a

plethora of records asIndia set an improbable

395-run target for SouthAfrica in the first Test whichis headed for an exciting finalday.

Revelling in his new role,Rohit effortlessly walked hisway into the record books ashe scored 127 off 149 balls,following his 176, to becomethe first ever batsman in thehistory of Test cricket toscore two hundreds in hisopening ‘debut’.

In a debatable decision,India batted late into thefinal session on day fourbefore declaring their sec-

ond innings at 323 for four in 67 overs, giv-ing themselves 45 minutes on day four andthe whole of day five to bowl out South Africa.

In the end only 30 minutes of play waspossible due to bad light after South Africacame out to bat.

At stumps, South Africa were 11 for onewith Ravindra Jadeja trapping first inningscenturion Dean Elgar in front of the stumps.The visitors need another 384 runs for victo-ry.

The pitch remains slow but is offering turnwith the odd ball rearing up from the spotscreated. Ravichandran Ashwin, who tookseven wickets in the first innings along withJadeja, hold the key on the final day.

With the stodgy Elgar removed, the onlyother factor could be Quinton de Kock, whohas often proved to be a thorn in India’s flesh.

Considering their spirited effort with thebat in the first innings, South Africa would

be backing themselves to bat out the 90 oddovers on the final day.

The day once again belonged toRohit, who played yet anothersublime knock at a brisk paceafter the hosts bowled out SouthAfrica for 431 almost one hourinto morning session, earninga 71-run lead.

Rohit also broke the recordof most sixes in a game with 13

maximums, surpassing Pakistangreat Wasim Akram who smashed12 in a match against Zimbabwe in1996.

Rohit smashed six sixes in firstinnings and seven in the second,

including a hat-trick of sixes offspinner Dane Piedt in the 56th over

when India were looking for quick runs.His 169-run stand for the second wick-

et with Cheteswar Pujara (81 off 148) set thetone for India’s second innings before RavindraJadeja (40 off 32), Virat Kohli (31 not out off25) and Ajinkya Rahane (27 not out off 17)played their part. Considering the scenario,Jadeja had come out to bat ahead of Kohli.

With 175 for one at tea, India hadextended their lead to 246 runs, scoring runs140 runs in the session in 34 overs.

While stylish right-hander played in hisusual fashion and kept the scoreboard tick-ing, Pujara found the going tough in the ini-tial part of his innings which he scored eightruns off the first 62 balls faced.

However, after the first drinks break of thesession, he went on the offensive especiallyagainst the spinners. He stepped out to thespinners more often than not and other timeshe kept them guessing.

Thinking Pujara will dance down thewicket again, Piedt dropped one short andPujara stayed back to pull it over deep mid-wicket for a rare six. Before that, he collect-

ed four boundaries off Maharaj to push up thescoring rate.

The luck was also on Pujara’s side asKagiso Rabada found the outside edge of hisbat in the same over but on both occasionsthe ball landed between first slip and wick-etkeeper before running to the boundary.

Rohit too was fortunate when SenuranMuthusamy caught him at long-on but afterthe review showed that he touched theboundary rope while releasing the ball for alegitimate catch on the second attempt.

Pujara, who hit 13 fours and two sixes,survived a close DRS call on the last ball beforethe break.

South Africa, resuming the day at 385 foreight, batted for 13.2 overs in the morningscoring valuable 46 runs courtesy debutantMuthusamy, who remained unbeaten on 33

off 106, and Rabada, who hit three welcomeboundaries in his 15-run cameo.

India batted for close to an hour in thesession and were 35 for one at lunch in 14overs, extending their lead to 106 runs.

Maharaj dismissed first innings doublecenturion Mayank Agarwal (7) with a classi-cal left-arm spinner delivery, which turned andbounce enough to take the edge for a simplecatch at first slip.

The hosts would have been better placedif they did not allow South African tail to getsome handy runs in the first hour of play. The10th wicket stand between Muthusamy andRabada fetched 35 runs.

Ravichandran Ashwin, who picked up his27th five-wicket haul on Friday, added twomore to his tally to end with the innings with349 Test scalps.

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India all-rounder HardikPandya on Saturday underwent

a successful surgery for an acutelower-back injury, which isexpected to keep him out ofaction for at least four months.

As per information received,Hardik is likely to be out of actionfor a minimum period of 12-16weeks (3-4 months) and isexpected to be match-fit beforethe Indian Premier League.

“Hardik Pandya complainedof lower back pain after India’sfinal T20I against South Africa inBengaluru on 22nd September.The BCCI Medical Team con-sulted a panel of spine specialistsin England and they recom-mended surgery for a long-term

solution of this issue,” BCCIissued a medical bulletin onSaturday.

“The all-rounder travelled to

London on 2nd October withTeam India physiotherapist MrYogesh Parmar. On Friday, a suc-cessful surgery was conducted.Hardik will soon commence hisrehabilitation process.”

The all-rounder on his partposted a message on hisInstagram account.

“Surgery done successfully.Extremely grateful to everyonefor your wishes. Will be back inno time! Till then miss me,”Hardik posted a message with apicture on his Instagram accounton Saturday.

Hardik first sustained theinjury during the Asia Cup inUAE last September. He recov-ered in time to play in the IPLand the World Cup before theinjury resurfaced.

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South Africa’s most experienced pacerVernon Philander on Saturday said his

team is still “within a shot” of winning thefirst Test against India and backed his bats-men to emulate their first innings effort onday five.

In response to India’s 502/7, SouthAfrica exceeded expectations by scoring 431in their first innings. At stumps on day four,they were 11 for one, needing another 384runs for an improbably victory.

“I still think we are in with a shot. Theyplayed really well, myself, KG (Rabada) allstarted well. Taking 70 runs lead we wouldhave taken it as they scored 500 runs.Hopefully we come ready tomorrow, bat welland take it real close,” said Philander, refer-ring to the 71-run lead they conceded toIndia.

First innings centurion Dean Elgar wasthe only South African to get out towardsthe end of final session. Philander expectsothers in the team to rise to the occasion.

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Tottenham's calamitous week wentfrom bad to worse as Mauricio

Pochettino's men were outclassed in a3-0 defeat at Brighton on Saturday.

Nineteen-year-old Aaron Connollyscored twice for the Seagulls on his firstPremier League start after NealMaupay had headed Brighton into anearly lead.

Four days on from a 7-2 thrashingat the hands of Bayern Munich in theChampions League, Pochettino waslooking for a reaction.

Instead, Spurs looked like a sidedevoid of confidence after getting offto the worst possible start when HugoLloris gifted Brighton the opener andinjured himself in the process.

The France captain dropped asimple cross into the box and as he fellbackwards and landed awkwardly,Maupay stooped to head into anempty net.

Lloris was stretchered off with whatlooked like an elbow injury andreplaced by Paolo Gazzaniga.

Connolly took advantage of moregenerous Spurs defending and goal-

keeping to double Brighton's leadbefore half-time and curled in his sec-ond of the day in style 25 minutes fromtime.

Last season's Champions Leaguefinalists have now won just three oftheir opening 11 games of the cam-paign and five of their last 19 datingback to when these sides last met inApril.

And while Pochettino could justi-fiably claim Bayern's ruthlessness inmidweek meant the scoreline was nota true reflection of his side's perfor-mance, there was no excuse for beingthoroughly outplayed by a Brightonside that had not won in six leaguegames.

The visitors' were on the back footfrom the off when injury was added toinsult for Lloris.

The Spurs skipper was given oxy-gen and morphine before being takento hospital and now seems certain tomiss France's upcoming Euro 2020qualifiers against Iceland and Turkey.

After a lengthy delay for Lloris tobe stretchered off, Brighton pushed onrather than trying to protect their leadand were rewarded just after the half

hour mark.Connolly was twice the quickest to

react as he turned Dan Burn's crossgoalwards and, after Gazzaniga spilledhis first effort, the Irishman followedup for his first Premier League goal.

Tottenham have made a bad habitof letting leads slip in recent weeksagainst Arsenal, Olympiakos, Leicesterand Bayern, but when forced to mounta fightback themselves were foundwanting.

Pochettino sacrificed club recordsigning Tanguy Ndombele at half-timefor Harry Winks and changed systemto a 3-5-2.

However, rather than turning thetide, it was Brighton who got the thirdgoal to kill the game off.

Connolly jinked inside onto hisright foot and curled brilliantly into thefar corner to round off an afternoonthat he and the Seagulls will longremember.

Son Heung-min and Harry Kanethen missed huge chances to pull a goalback that summed up Spurs' direweek and leaves Pochettino with plen-ty to ponder over the upcoming two-week international break.

����� 2:13:;�4

Olympics bound steeple-chaser Avinash Sable on

Saturday said he was hefocussed on qualifying for theTokyo Games, knowing fullywell that a podium finish in theWorld Championships in Dohawas out of question.

Avinash on Friday qualifiedfor the Tokyo Olympics inmen's 3000m steeplechase byshattering his own nationalrecord for the second time inthree days even though he fin-ished 13th in the finals.

"I knew that I was going bereally tough to win a medal orfinish in top 5 or 6. So, Ifocussed on qualifying for theOlympics. I came out for therace thinking to qualify for theOlympics," he told PTI from

Doha."I now have nine months

with me before the Olympicsand I can prepare very well forit and do well in Tokyo. Thatwas the plan I and my coach(Amrish Kumar who is also inDoha) had planned," he added.

The 25-year-old farmer'sson from Mandwa village inMaharashtra clocked 8 minute21.37 seconds to breach theOlympics qualifying standard of8:22.00.

Avinash said if not a medal,he will aim to finish in the top5 or 6 in the Tokyo Olympics forwhich he will not to slice at least12 seconds from his timing inthe World Championships.

"I am feeling very happy tobe taking part in my firstOlympics in Tokyo next year.Every athlete would want to win

a medal but if not my aim is tobe among the top 5 or 6. Thatis why I focussed on Olympicqualification first so that I canprepare well in the next 8-9months," he said.

"I need to cut down at least12 seconds and run below 8minute 10 seconds by the timeof Tokyo Olympics. That is mytarget," said the havaldar in the

Indian Army.Asked why he was not try-

ing to catch up with the lead-ing pack during the race, hesaid:"I was running at my pacethinking of the Olympic qual-ification. I was not thinkingmuch about the other runners.I was running according to thetime I want to clock."

Avinash broke his ownnational record twice in threedays. He had clocked 8:25.23seconds during the first roundheats on Tuesday, bettering thethen national record 8:28.94seconds which he did duringthe Federation Cup in March.

In fact, this was his fourthnational record in one year. Hisfirst national record (8:29.80)was set in September last yearduring the National Open inBhubaneswar while the second

came in March this year duringthe Federation Cup in Patiala.During this period, he made animprovement of nearly eight-and-a-half seconds.

Avinash had made it toFriday's finals in dramatic cir-cumstances after he initiallyfailed to make the cut in theheat races on Tuesday. He waslater included as finalists afterthe Athletics Federation ofIndia successfully protested thathe was obstructed by other ath-letes during the heat race.

"I would like to thank theAFI for the prompt protest. I gota lot of support from the AFIofficials. After the race, they toldme not to worry and I will beable to race in the finals.Ultimately, the protest was suc-cessful and I owe this result tothe AFI," he said.

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� The Mumbai batsman became the firstcricketer to slam twin tons in his maiden Testas an opener.� Rohit also joined an elite list of Indianbatsmen who have scored centuries in bothinnings of a single Test. The others whoachieved the feat include Vijay Hazare (1),Sunil Gavaskar (3), Rahul Dravid (2), ViratKohli (1) and Ajinkya Rahane (1).� With India looking to score quickly onDay 4 in order to force a result, Rohit wason the offensive, hitting some trademarksixes. He hit seven maximums in the secondinnings to take his match tally to 13 — themost by anyone in a Test match — going pastformer Pakistan captain Wasim Akram whostruck 12 sixes against Zimbabwe in 1996.� Navjot Singh Sidhu previously held theIndian record for most sixes in a Test, hit-ting eight against Sri Lanka in 1994. Rohit

now holds the record for most sixes in amatch for India in all the three formats of thegame.� India’s overall tally of sixes in this matchis 27, which is the most by any team in a sin-gle macth in the history of Test cricket. Theprevious record was held by New Zealand,who smashed 22 sixes against Pakistan in2014 while the previous best for India was15 sixes against Sri Lanka in Mumbai in 2009.� Rohit also surpassed Rahul Dravid formost consecutive fifty-plus scores by anIndian batsman at home. Dravid hadslammed six fifty-plus scores between 1997and 1998 while this was the seventh time thatRohit went past that mark. His last seven Testscores in India read 127, 176, 50*, 65, 102*,51* and 82.� Rohit also became the first Indian to getout stumped in both innings of a Test.Interestingly, he never got out stumped in hisentire first class career before this match.

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Senior batsman CheteshwarPujara on Saturday said that

Indian team timed their secondinnings declaration in such amanner that they didn’t have tostart with a soft semi new-ballon the fifth day of their firstTest.

Asked if the timing of dec-laration was right, Pujara said,”Itwas. We did not want to bowltoo many overs because we

wanted to keep the ball hard forstart of day five. You don’twant to end up bowling toomany overs and once the ballgets soft, it gets slightly easier tobat.”

“We picked up a crucialwicket (Dean Elgar). So as ateam, we are happy with the waythings went today,” said Pujara,who scored a crucial 81 andshared an 169-run stand withtwin centurion Rohit Sharma.

Pujara also felt that it won’t

be easy for batting on a fifth daytrack.

“Hopefully, on day five, thispitch wouldn’t be easy to bat onand there will be a little moreassistance for spinners. We havealready seen that the pitch offersvariable bounce, so the fastbowlers will also come intoplay. I think so there is enoughrough for spinners and thecracks will open up bit more onday five,” India’s ever-depend-able No 3 said.

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Time and again, the policymakers have expressed theneed to move away fromplastic, especially single useplastic (a variety of this ubiq-

uitous material designed to be used onlyonce, such as plastic bags at a supermar-

ket, plastic cutleryfrom a deliverycompany, straws ata cafe etc.). Again,from time to time,by implementingthe announce-ments the policymakers have beenattempting to tran-

sition India away from a method ofconsumption and production thataffects all areas of society, from the mostimpoverished individuals to the largestcompanies. As we move along the pathto sustainability, there is a need tounderstand the complexities that drivethe plastic economy.

������������� �It has been estimated that there are

“1.5 to 4 million waste pickers in India,who pick up, clean, sort and segregaterecyclable waste and sell it further upthe value chain”. These manual workersevaluate the products that they collectaround the streets of towns and citiesthroughout India. Their understandingof value in the case of plastic and otherrecyclable material is pivotal to the cur-rent levels of waste, this is to say thatwithout them the country could be in amuch worse state.

������������������The waste pickers’ expertise in sort-

ing and segregation is seen profoundlywhen detailing the varieties of plastic. Inbrief, the main categories are:Polyethylene Terephthalate, High-Density Polyethylene and PolyvinylChloride, which are often recyclable butthat depends on the facilities available;the Low Density Polyethylene, that areeven more dependent on the quality andresources of the recycling centres; andunrecyclable plastics, such asPolypropylene, Polystyrene or Styrofoamand Miscellaneous Plastics (polycarbon-ate, polylactide, acrylic, acrylonitrilebutadiene, styrene, fiberglass, and nylon)that exist in this array of polymers.

For a material that has become anintrinsic part of the day to day function-ality of almost every person on theglobe in a tremendously simple way, it is

inherently complicated in terms of thetype and recyclability. Waste pickersassist in managing this within India, butjust like a single announcement aboutthe need to reduce plastic use, theymust be one part of the whole in orderto improve current levels and move thecountry toward a more environmentallyconscious, sustainable position. Anychanges that policy makers implementto the current system must include indi-viduals at the lowest socio-economiclevels. Not only because it is thehumane thing to do, but also becausetheir skills and knowledge are an assetthat an improved system requires.

��������������In order for nationwide policies to

be successful, there must be an under-standing of how current systems func-tion and what alternatives hold value forthe country. The current system is, pre-dominantly, a linear economy, which“traditionally follows the ‘take-make-dispose’ step-by-step plan. This meansthat raw materials are collected, thentransformed into products that are useduntil they are finally discarded as waste.A sustainable version of the system isone that values the items and stakehold-ers within it, not as waste but as aresource. The suggested system toreplace a linear system is a circular onebecause “sustainability is sought inincreasing the eco-effectiveness of thesystem. This means that not only theecological impact is minimised, but theecological, economic and social impactis even positive”. A large part of this isvaluing all stakeholders and processesinvolved.

�������� ������In addressing the issues of plastic

waste, there are numerous examplesworldwide that can be assessed to see ifit can provide examples moving for-ward. France, for instance, has had aplastic ban since 2016, within the lawthere are clauses that specify that “thereplacements of these items will need tobe made from biologically sourcedmaterials that can be composted”. On alarger scale that parallels India’s popula-tion, “China made it illegal for stores(small or big vendors) to give out plasticbags (in 2008) and allowed them tokeep any profit they made for them-selves. End result, after two years of thelaw implementation, usage of plasticbags dropped by a whopping 50 percent”. Both are designed for their own

situation, just as India must design theirown to transition away from plastic andjust as large Fast Moving ConsumerGoods (FMCG) companies can usetemplates made by smaller companiesbut design it for their scale and reach.

�������������������The FMCG sector is the “4th largest

sector in the Indian economy withhousehold and personal care accountingfor 50 per cent of FMCG sales in India”.The increase in popularity has notablybeen “led by a combination of increas-ing incomes and higher aspirational lev-els (with an) increased demand forbranded products”. In addition, researchhas found that the unorganised FMCGmarket share is also falling, replacedwith organised sector growth due tobrand consciousness, in part promotedby growth in retail chains promoting aless diversified range of brands.

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There are businesses and individualsin India who are making products thatdo not follow the trend of large FMCGproducers. In Bangalore, for example,Bare Necessities Zero Waste India uses“the best ingredients that are zero wasteand ethically sourced”. They also“believe that if an ingredient is too hardto pronounce or if it sounds like itbelongs in a chemistry lab, it can’t begood for you to put in or on your body”.Amazingly, which shows a true trendaway from methods from big FMCGcompanies, they state openly that their“products are designed not to last”, butnot in the way of single use items fromFMCG companies. Instead, they notethat “since all our products are hand-made fresh, have no chemical preserva-tives, and come in small quantities, theywon’t last years on end”, which meansthat they do not contain chemicals thatwould be detrimental to your body orwaterways. The small, women run busi-ness, also employ and upskill womenfrom lower socio-economic classes inIndian society. They help to hand makeitems fresh to order, using natural ingre-dients from India, of special note is theirlove of coconut oil and other natural oilsthat are sourced from South India.

�������������� �������������� ��������

An immediate shift for large com-panies to the methods employed bysmall organisations is difficult. However

by placing clear timelines in, with setgoals and objectives as well as simplify-ing processes and materials, they havethe opportunity to help transition thecountry towards a more sustainablefuture at a tremendous scale.

����������������������������Without a systems approach to

addressing the issue of plastic reliancein the country that is so intrinsicallyingrained in modern day life, and pro-duces in excess of $1.3 billion economicimpact (according to the Asia PacificEconomic Cooperation, an estimate ofimpact on marine plastics to tourism,fishing and shipping industries in theregion) annually, change is unlikely tooccur. A transition away from single useplastics is a positive step, yet the prob-lem is far more complex. It relates to allthe varieties of plastic spoken aboutabove and how the material is used.

According to the Central PollutionControl Board, “Approximately 70 percent of plastic packaging products areconverted into plastic waste in a shortspan”. Research has also highlighted thatwithin India, the composition of wastehas changed significantly in the lastcouple of decades because of consumerhabits and demands for ease, efficiencyand simplicity that plastics can offer.This is provided the consumer is notlooking at the environmental impactthat the product has after use. In addi-tion the United Nations has noted that“about 47 per cent of the plastic wastegenerated globally, came from multi-layered packaging waste. Nearly halfcame from Asia”, thus waste pickersmanaging waste, and, policy makersannouncing new initiatives must workwith all other stakeholders within thesystem in designing new methods ofoperation and promoting innovation inpackaging and manufacturing amongother areas.

���������������� ��Truly this is a universal issue. It

affects waste pickers as much as it willimpact FMCG companies and all theconsumers in India. Announcementsabout reducing plastic are important butno more than individual choice, withthe first important choice being to takeresponsibility for one’s actions.Consumers changing their habits can

help to move the current system from alinear methodology to a circular one. Itcan provide a voice for those in lowersocio-economic groups in society andcan encourage large businesses to tran-sition from the use of plastic and otherharmful materials.

Consumers can ensure that aware-ness and education, that starts fromlarge public announcements by policymakers, reaches the hearts and ears andpockets of other consumers within Indiaby actively involving themselves in atransition. There are blueprints out therefor consumers to know and understandwhat it means to live a zero waste life.Consumer choice can make a differenceand lead a transition away from the useof this ubiquitous material. Importantlythough, this needs all stakeholders to beinvolved and knowledgeable.

� ������������� ��������Announcements on the need to

move away from plastic are importantsteps forward but as can be seen by thecomplexities of the material and thetypes of stakeholders involved, it needsto be one step of many. There must beclear goals and objectives for India thatare monitored and evaluated movingforward. All stakeholders must beinvolved to keep each other accountableand responsible to these ambitions thatwill require clear timelines and a trans-parent process in order for a permanenttransition to more sustainable practicesto occur.

The writer is a SustainabilityConsultant and Education Officer

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At a time when there is a dis-cernable churning in Indianpolity and society, the biogra-phy of Chandra Shekharwritten by Harivansh and

Ravi Dutt Bajpayi reflects its transforma-tional and aspirational aspects. The post-Independent politics of India has beenpredominantly dominated by elitism andthis predominance is largely reflected inthe political narrative woven and writtenby the ruling class, marginalising thecontributions of political leaders likeChandra Shekhar and few other suchstalwarts. The book under review chroni-cles not only the life and times of theindomitable Chandra Shekhar, hailed as‘young Turk’; but also sheds light on thecontemporary politics of more recenttime which is witnessing a churningbreaking the shibboleth of vested inter-ests perpetuated from generation to gen-eration. This churning is characterised bythe emergence and crystallisation of non-Congress regime and ideology having adistinctive identity and political flavour.

Chandra Shekhar occupied theexalted position of the Prime Minister ofthe country for a brief period of time ata very critical juncture of India’s history.He, however, embraced the challengewith great fortitude and political sagacityand ingenuity. It was not so much thethirst for power and position as for thelarger interest of the country, which isalthough understood by the politicalclass and the intelligentsia, but notappreciated and applauded.Reconstructing the tumultuous politicalcircumstances in which ChandraShekhar became the Prime Minster ofthe country, the author(s) writes,Chandra Shekhar became the leader ofthe splinter group with the support offifty-two members of Parliament fromJanata Dal. The BJP had already with-drawn support from V.P. Singh’s govern-ment, leaving Singh with no option butto seek a vote of confidence in the LokSabha. V.P. Singh lost the vote of confi-dence on November 7, 1990 and theCongress party decided to supportChandra Shekhar’s bid for the positionof the prime minister. He was sworn inon November 10, 1990.

While the political condition of thecountry was very volatile, added andabated by the aftermath of the demoli-tion of Babri Masjid and turbulence inJammu & Kashmir and Punjab, the eco-nomic condition was precarious almoston the threshold of a major crisis. InMarch 1991, the prospect of a default onsovereign repayments was alarming. It

was feared that reneging on repaymentof loans would lead India to loss of cred-ibility and financial insolvency interna-tionally. It was in this backdrop that cab-inet secretary Naresh Chandra briefedPrime Minister Chandra Shekhar aboutthe option of using gold as collateral toraise foreign exchange The PrimeMinister had some reservation to takesuch a drastic action. Chandra Shekharmulled over the proposal in the contextthat he was heading a care taker govern-ment and that election had already beenannounced. Finally, however, he agreedto the proposal. It was indeed a bold andcourageous decision fraught withunforeseen consequences. The authorquotes the then chief economic adviser

Deepak Nayar that Prime MinisterChandra Shekhar decided to ‘ship 20tonnes of gold, confiscated from smug-glers to raise $200 million from theUnion Bank of Switzerland through asale-with-a-repurchase option’.Applauding the bold and courageousdecision of the Prime Minister, theauthor writes Chandra Shekhar relied onhis rustic wisdom to rationalise thepledging of gold to recover the land,then earn from the land to retrieve thegold back. The bureaucrats involved inthe physical shipment of the goldremembered how terrified they wereuntil the precious consignment safelyreached London. The economic crisiswas not of his making, rather the crisis

was bequeathed to him by inept han-dling of the economy by the previousregimes. Yet another major decision thatChandra Shekhar took during the Gulfwar was to permit the US air force torefuel on Indian soil. In hindsight, it cansafely be said that he was the harbingerof strategic shift of India’s foreign policywhich led to strategic partnershipbetween the two countries in later years.

At a time when the nature of Indianpolity and political parties have under-gone a transformation under the impactof technology and huge resources, theauthor recounts how Chandra Shekharbuilt his political party brick by brickand was rooted to the ground and con-nected with the electorate. He was not a

leader who was parachuted from above,rather he grew from the grassroots andinternalised the suffering and the toil ofthe common people. The author writesthat his own suffering and suffering ofhis own family like the death of hismother due to the lack of medical assis-tance inspired him to struggle for thecreation of a social order that would setpeople free from miseries and his visionof an equitable society was not gleanedfrom books or imbibed from politicalphilosophies but was attained throughhis livid experiences. Could one imaginethat as the joint secretary of the SocialistParty he washed the utensils at the partyoffice in Lucknow after waking up earlyin the morning. Similarly, the author

mentions how he once had to sit on thefloor of the train, between two toilets,while on a journey to Delhi. Such wasthe simplicity of a mass leader who sub-sequently became the Prime Minister ofthe country. He was a leader of deeppolitical conviction, and pragmatic andopen mind, receptive to new ideas andalternative perspectives without compro-mising his core values of nationalismand commitment to public service.

The first author, who is currently thedeputy chairman of Rajya Sabha and adistinguished editor, had a long associa-tion with Chandra Shekhar and had theprivilege of knowing him personally andvery intimately. Earlier he had writtenextensively on Chandra Shekhar inHindi. The present book synthesises andupdates his earlier writings. The book iswell-researched and well-written bring-ing out the ideas, ideals, principles, val-ues and vision of Chandra Shekhar in avery lucid and eloquent manner.

The reviewer is a senior fellow ofIndian Council of Social Science Research

(ICSSR) affiliated to Indian Institute ofPublic Administration, New Delhi

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Irecall a sunny day inDecember, 1944. Thewriter, then a spirited boyin his teens, opted to follow

a dusty track on a bicycle, It wasfrom Wardha to Sevagram andhelped one avoid a ride in a bul-lock cart, the only public trans-port available then.

I moved in hurry to be backin time to catch the night train.I was filled with rare enthusiasmto see the revolutionary saintwho occupied the centre stagein India’s struggle forIndependence. His heartbeatepitomised the rise and fall ofnation’s pulse.

Indeed, it was Mahatma’smagic spell that Abdul GhaffarKhan (Frontier Gandhi) becamea follower of non-violence. Also,amazingly under the Pathanleadership, the fierce tribals,whose credo was ‘Blood forBlood’, abjured violence and redshirts bore batons and lathicharge of British India Policewithout any retaliation. Gandhiwas a tower of strength for theunarmed teeming millions ofhis country. He stood againstthe barbarism let loose inJallianwala Bagh.

With all these thoughts inmy my head, at midday Ireached Sevagram. Crossing alone telephone box post and aseries of huts, I reached a mud-covered platform with tworaised walls. Here, Pyarelaljiwith his team of assistant secre-taries were at work. My requestfor an audience was regretfullyturned down by him becauseMahatma Gandhi was observing‘maun vrat’ on that day. My sec-ond request to have Darshan ofthe Mahatma Ji was unheard,unanswered. Soon, an under-standing Mr Sinha, who was theAssistant Private Secretary,made me sit beside him on themat at the mud platform andwhispered in my ear “ApproachRajaji (C Rajagopalachari)”.Rajaji emerged from MahatmaGandhi’s hut. As I advancedtowards him, I found he had

already stretched out his hand.The moment our hands met, heasked, “Who are you?”Apologising for my lapse, Iintroduced myself, “Sir, I am astudent touring the princelystates. I have just come backfrom Hyderabad. Quickly, Iprayed for Mahatma Gandhi’sdarshan. Rajaji consented. Myrequest having been accepted, Isaid, “I want to tell him…” ButRajaji promptly said, “No tellingplease”. My encounter with theforceful personality of Rajaji leftme a bit shook up. Hardly did Ithen realise that I was face toface with the would-be firstGovernor General of Free India.

Granting my first request,he said, “Go through the sidedoor leading to an enclosedopen space. On your left, therewill be another open door andyou will find Mahatma Gandhisitting there. Have his darshanand come back through the

same side door”.A fleeting moment gave me

glimpse of Gandhi Ji, sitting onthe floor mat in a hut with mudwalls barely two feet high and ahay roof top. His face wasresplendent as a radiant sun. Istood respectfully with foldedhands. He responded with fold-ed hands and a smile on his gra-cious face. Not content, I movedahead a few paces, and soonretraced my steps and offered arespectful namaskar for the sec-

ond time. Likewise, he respond-ed the second time. The kindgesture of the noble soul gaveme immense joy. My missionwas achieved.

On my way back, I wasthinking of Bapu’s favouritesong:

Vaishnava Jana To, TeneKahiye Je, Peed Paraayi Jaane Re

(A good soul is one thatfeels the pain of others)

This vibrated in many coun-

tries. Gandhi Ji andRabindranath Tagore despitedifferences had great regard foreach other. He called GandhiMahatma and Gandhi regardedhim Gurudev. In a letter toRabindranath Tagore, Gandhi, agreat music lover, suggested togive both Hindustani as well asWestern music and Bengalimusic due place inShantiniketan. Both MahatmaGandhi and GurudevRabindranath Tagore were

greatly influenced by LeoTolstoy, a celebrated Russianwriter whose novel War andPeace is still widely read. Toearn a meal, Tolstoy worked inhis farm for eight hours every-day. Likewise, Mahatma Gandhiengaged in physical activity anddid his own chores. Once, a rep-resentative of The WashingtonPost came to interview him.Gandhi Ji made him wait as hisgoat was thirsty and that was“more important” Self-help wasto be practised by all inmates ofthe Ashram. One has to manageone’s own waste, big or small.

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China is celebrating its 70thyear of the Communist

revolution this week. OnOctober 1, 1949, Mao Zedong,the first President, better knownas “Chairman Mao”, proclaimedthe birth of the People’sRepublic of China. Since then,and particularly after the deathof Mao, China has taken theroad to world stage, brick bybrick. And, equally and force-fully, its only ruling CommunistParty has established its markas the “heart and soul” of theChinese people.

The celebration showcasedChina’s long march to globalsuperpower status with a mil-itary parade involving morethan 15,000 troops andweapons, including new hyper-sonic drones and interconti-nental ballistic missiles. Butagainst this backdrop, what ismore discernible is the strongword of warning from China’seternal President Xi Jinping:“No force can shake the statusof this great nation”.

It reminds the internation-al community of China’s glob-al aspirations and its ability tocounter the Western hegemo-ny. Undoubtedly, China hasgrown at an extraordinary pacesince its independence unlikeany other developing nation.But it must be noted that it’sconsidered one of the mostauthoritative states of the world.Its severe curb on civil liberties,political freedom, and, partic-ularly, the flow of informationepitomises the modern Chineseleadership’s extreme cautionabout any impending dangerfrom any quarter. For them, amodern liberal state is a threatto the state, especially theCommunist Party’s survival.But despite its hard-earnedsuccess, the party and its suc-cessive leadership have toencounter the predominantWest, Japan and India.

China’s carefully choreo-graphed show of strength andunity at 70 is largely dampenedby violent protests in HongKong. Ceaseless efforts of thedemonstrators for nearly threemonths show no sign of retreat.Hong-Kongers’ demand forthe resignation of Carry Lamhas now intensified for fullautonomy from Beijing.Clamour for freedom is grow-ing louder every passing day.

Looking at global insecu-rity and violent warfare around,what Xi should have longed foris “Heping jueqi” i.e. peacefulrise, (later known as peacefuldevelopment i.e. hepingfazhan). Further, he should

surely be guided by theprophetic words of greatChinese war strategist, philoso-pher and writer Sun Tzu, whorightly said, “A leader leads byexample, not by force.”

Simmering disputes inTaiwan and over South ChinaSea demand a conciliatoryapproach rather than showcaseof the sheer military strength.Besides, the reported suppres-sion of basic rights in Xinjiangand in Hong Kong could havebeen dealt by the Communistleadership in a peaceful man-ner. These instances will sparkmore violence in Hong Kong.It’s not simply the failure ofCarrie Lam’s leadership; it alsoindicates indecisiveness on thepart of the Communist lead-ership in Beijing.

All of them (both Beijingand Hong Kong’s mainlandproxies) have moved muchbefore the coming of the his-toric year of 2047. A few of us

are aware about or talk aboutthe Article 5 of the Basic Law.This Article clearly promisesthat Hong Kong’s existing since1997 way of life will remainunchanged for the coming 50years. It says, “The socialist sys-tem and policies shall not bepracticed in Hong Kong SpecialAdministrative Region, andthe previous capitalist systemand way of life shall remainunchanged for 50 years.” But atthe current rate of erosion andimposition of the Communistsystem, nothing is left to spec-ulate about what will happenafter 2047.

At the moment, for Xi andthe future generation of lead-ers, it is better to acknowledgethe problems first and try to fixthem through massive politicaland economic reforms. Anyoneclosely monitoring the crum-bling liberal order will agreethat it’s time for China to riseto the occasion and offer to the

world a new system whereindevelopment continues with ahuge free market economy,but without any politicalreform. Many Western punditspredicted that with the arrivalof globalisation, the Chinesesystem would be giving way fora democratic set-up. But bely-ing all these predictions, Chinahas moved as it was, only byopening the door for a liberaleconomic order.

However at 70, what glob-al political observers say aboutChina is that in 2017 itself Xihad positioned himself as“globalisation’s most vocalchampion” in his speech to theworld leaders at the WorldEconomic Forum in Davos,Switzerland. Since then, theglobal leadership void createdby US President Trump’s lead-ership is only growing strongeraround the world. By January2018, the party’s top newspapercalled on China to seize this

“historic opportunity” toreshape the world order. Itsays, “The world has neverfocused on China so much andneeded China so much as itdoes now”. However, duringthe last year’s Davos Summit,Xinhua put it bluntly, “Theworld should choose from Xi’s‘Shared Future Vision’ andTrump’s ‘America First’ policy— two opposite outlooks forthe state of the world.”

With this, what we canforesee is that China will tread,whatever happens, to makethe world realised that there isan alternative to the Westernpolitical system. Indeed, it’stime now to see a new kind ofpolitical and social engineeringwherein nations will haveoptions in their platter tochoose either a Western or anAsian political system.

However, chartering a newworld order could be aHerculean task for China. As

other emerging powers such asIndia, Brazil, Argentina, Japan,South Africa, etc, are equallyclaiming their space in theworld stage, Chinese leadershipwill have to accept the realityof a multi-polar world.

But then, what Xi pro-claims is entirely a new world.He himself declared a “NewEra” that sees China as a topglobal power. He says, “It willbe an era that sees China mov-ing closer to centre stage andmaking greater contributionsto mankind.”How “Socialismwith Chinese characteristics”under Xi will steer the world inthe 21st century would beworth watching. Many inChina feel what theCommunist Party is projectingto the world is an incompletenarrative of progress. HowChinese society has beenaffected by various global andglocal actors in the last sevendecades could be witnessed

across the country. It’s not wellfor all the Chinese people; andits political leadership has notbeen able to respond to all sec-tions of society. Chinese social-ist Guo Yuhua says, “For sev-eral generations, people havereceived a history that hasbeen falsified, faked, glorifiedand whitewashed.”

On the face of such critics,Xi needs to reach out to itspopulace more than reachingout to the world. It’s importantand critical to provide a senseof equality to all sections ofsociety. His big and bold“China Dream” would need tobe more realistic so as to offerChina much stronger and freeatmosphere at home than theworld knows now. His world ofideas should have less of Maoand more of Deng or else a finebalance of both the legends.

(The writer is an expert oninternational affairs)

The all-too-familiar headlinein the news these days is

that of women or young girlsseeking permission from courtsto terminate unwanted preg-nancies. Each time I see theseheadlines, I think of the unnec-essary trauma they have to gothrough for a decision thatshould be theirs only. I am alsoreminded of the case of the 10-year-old, a case that shockedthe world. The Supreme Courthad denied her an abortionafter she was sexually assault-ed by two of her uncles. Shethen went on to give birth,while being convinced thatshe had a stone removed fromher stomach.

This tragic case, however,is one of many pleas for abor-tion after the legal limit of 20weeks which have come beforethe High Courts and theSupreme Court in recent years.Many of these cases are in myown home State —Maharashtra. Women usuallyapproach the courts if theirpregnancy is a result of rape orin cases where foetal abnor-malities have been detected. Ineach of the cases highlighted inthe media, the court appointsa medical board to provide anopinion on the feasibility orsafety of an abortion. Based onthe opinions of these medicalboards, judgments have been

delivered. In some cases,women have been grantedrelief. In others, they havebeen denied an abortion andhave had to carry unwantedpregnancies to term.

Compounding an alreadytraumatic experience, many

women and young girls havefaced public scrutiny with casesbeing reported in the media,borne legal expenses and beensubjected to medical examina-tions by unfamiliar doctors.

Why is the 20-week gesta-tion limit proving to be a chal-

lenge? In cases of foetal abnor-malities, we must be cognizantof the advancing technology.Today, doctors can detect manymore abnormalities after 20weeks and the law must keepup with changing technology.At the same time, we must also

recognise the trauma of rapesurvivors, especially younggirls, who often do not realisethat they are pregnant.Additionally, sexual assault andrape still carry a lot of shameand stigma in our country. Forsurvivors, 20 weeks time some-

times is not enough to comeforward and make the decisionto terminate the pregnancy.

The need to reassess thegestation limit of 20 weeks inthe MTP Act, amongst otherlimitations that are proving tobe barriers for women access-ing abortion services, wasacknowledged and addressed inamendments to the law pro-posed by the Ministry of Healthand Family Welfare in 2014. Incases of foetal abnormalities,the amendments would allow atermination at any point duringthe pregnancy. In cases of rapes,the amendments proposed toincrease the gestation limit byfour weeks — raising it to 24weeks. Other amendmentsincluded making abortionavailable on request up to 12weeks — thus making abortionthe right of a woman — anddoing away with the require-ment of a second doctor’s opin-ion for second trimester preg-nancies.

These amendments how-ever, have been pending forover five years now, with littleindication as to when they willbe considered in Parliamentand subsequently implemented— amendments that will makea significant impact on howwomen access safe abortion ser-vices and empower them tomake decisions about their

health and lives.India is striving for

women’s empowerment andgender equality. Sexual andreproductive decision-makingand autonomy, includingregarding abortion, is a criticalaspect of this and is funda-mental to a woman being ableto actively participate in social,economic and political life.The Supreme Court, in a land-mark judgment on right to pri-vacy in 2017, recognised awoman’s fundamental rightover her body and stated thatthe decision to continue apregnancy or abort it falls inthe realm of privacy. Is it nottime that our law reflects this,and our courts enforce it?

I appeal to theGovernment and my fellowcolleagues to prioritise theamendments to the MTP Actand urgently implement themto expand access to safe abor-tion in India. Until we do so,many women will continue tobe compelled to go to court andwe will continue to see head-lines highlighting these cases.Until we empower the womenin our country, we will not trulyachieve reproductive justice orgender equality in India.

(The writer is a RajyaSabha member fromMaharashtra)

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At the outset, let me greet the valuedreaders on the solemn occasion ofShardeya Navaratra, dedicated to

Mother Goddess Durga, the epitome ofShakti. While I was scripting this piece,an admirer of this column landed up,who confronted me with vexing ques-tions that deserves an answer. “Sir, isthere any scope for some form God inexistence in the higher realms, who mayselectively respond to our individualisticprayer and grant us boons? With a scien-tific bent of mind, how could youendorse such a mythical concept?”

Well, myths have been in circulationall through the run of civilisation acrossthe globe, serving great purpose inhuman life. Especially in Indian tradition,our ancient seers beautifully used the lan-guage of mythical symbolism to impartlessons vital to our qualitative existence.For, imageries find an immediate appealoverriding all barriers of lingua francaand intellectual levels. Some mythicalimageries help bring down even subtlerealities of life operative at unseen levelwithin the scope of human comprehen-sion. Many others throw light on ‘conductrules of life’ as would ensure a smoothrun of life, individually and collectively.

Remember, life is just not mechani-cal, bound by pre-mandated design para-meters. In fact, human dynamism is quitecomplex, covering emotions, mind andpsyche, and even physiological wellbeing.All these aspects of life remain subject tolot of unpredictable twists and turns,often turning our lives chaotic. Whatmakes life even more complicated is thatwe remain an inseparable part of a largeliving order, in which every being is bornunique, carrying varying desire and mindtrends. That makes the world a naturalbreeding ground for conflict of interest.As a result, we have no choice than to goabout in life with an assorted group ofpeople — some may prove congenial andmany more may stand in way of ourdesired destination. Amidst all these, howto go about in life with ease and comfort,is the challenge before all of us.

Out of many mythical deities inIndian circulation, the concept of Durga,with all the attributes assigned to the saidimagery, carries great meaning for us. It isnot important whether there exists aform God as such in the higher realms tobless us. But, if by focusing attention onDurga’s imagery, we could gather up allour internal resources to put in our whole

towards the desired destination, successbecomes more probable. Reflecting onthe attributes identified with MotherGoddess during the process, if we couldimbibe them, life may turn rewardingand fulfilling. Hence, the relevance of thisfestivity to have become a part of ourannual calendar.

Bear in mind; energy streamssourced to nature hold the key to ourexistence and all its functionalities. Butenergy is a double-edged weapon as theprobability of its use and misuse remainsequal, according as individualistic mindsare inherently oriented. A look into theimagery of Mother Goddess will revealthat if offers lesson in how to productive-ly use energy.

As the mythical story runs, when allGods, including Brahma, Vishnu, andShiva pooled in their teja (shakti), hugefire broke, out of which emerged Durga.The message loud and clear is that collec-tively all odds could be overcome. Thatmakes it incumbent upon us for remain-ing conscious about our collective obliga-tion together with our aspirational urges.

Remember, Shakti is purposely iden-tified with a motherly form. For, a moth-er selflessly pools in all her resources andthen takes all the pain to produce andnurse a child, meaning a productive

application. She is mounted on a tiger.Intelligently, a tiger approaches its prey,which when within reach, it invokes allher energy and pounce upon it. But itwon’t go for the next kill till it doesn’tbecome hungry again. So, the killing isneed based, not greed born. Demonsappearing in different modes symboliseall mental vagaries that Durga slays withher numerous weapons provided by dif-ferent Gods. Evidently, one would need tobe on full mental alert to identify theright weapon for the right occasion. Lotusflower around her signifies a sense ofdetachment. It though grows in the mudunderneath a waterbody, neither earthmatter nor water can stick to its leaves.

Ordinarily, going through the usualmills of life, often one forgets the basics,as if they would have outgrown their lim-its. But fundamentals never change. We,therefore, need to be reminded at regularperiodic interval which is why such fes-tivities occupy such an important place inour life.

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