Economy, International, Regional, West Bengal

Bitter brew over Nepal tea imports, Darjeeling industry ‘shocked’ at lack of proper testing

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 The latest bitterness against the government’s failure to check the quality of Nepal tea comes after 28 trucks carrying Nepal tea were reportedly allowed to enter India in April-end without food security checks from the Panitanki border near Siliguri

Vivek Chhetri, TT, Darjeeling, 16.05.24 : The Darjeeling tea industry is bitter over the government’s alleged move to allow Nepal tea imports without properly testing the entire consignment.

Darjeeling Tea Association (DTA) has alleged that it is “shocked that cheap and dubious Nepal tea is being allowed to be imported without FSSAI checks”.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is a statutory body under the Union ministry of health and family welfare and regulates, among other things, the quality of food articles in India, including its imports.

“The FSSAI in its order dated 23.04.2024 has clearly mandated that all import teas need to be subjected to full and accurate testing as per stated FSSAI protocol… Cheap duty-free dumping of low quality and FSSAI non-compliant teas from Nepal have turned the Darjeeling tea industry into an ICU patient…,” said a DTA official.

The latest bitterness against the government’s failure to check the quality of Nepal tea comes after 28 trucks carrying Nepal tea were reportedly allowed to enter India in April-end without food security checks from the Panitanki border near Siliguri.

Sources said that these trucks were first stopped and the entire consignment of Nepal teas was tested, but vehicles were allowed inside India before the test reports came in.

Administrative sources admitted that the trucks were allowed to enter India with a directive from “higher authorities.”

“At the moment, the first five consignments of importers (for tea) are now being tested and this is valid for six months. Of course, random tests are also done,” said a source in the known of things.

The incident of the 28 trucks created a flutter in Nepal.

“The issue was taken up right to the Nepal Prime Minister’s office by Nepal tea growers. The matter was also raised with the Indian government,” said a source in Nepal.

The Darjeeling Tea industry wants the government to take stringent measures against the “dumping” of Nepal tea into India. Industry stakeholders have alleged that many unscrupulous dealers in India are either mixing or selling Nepal tea as Darjeeling tea.

The tea-growing districts of Nepal are contiguous to Darjeeling district.

Nepal exports around 16,000 tonnes of tea, around 90 per cent to India.

Courtesy & source- The Telegraph
Health, National, Northeast, Regional, Sikkim, West Bengal

Neonatal mortality rates worsen in multiple states in India, account for nearly 50 per cent of deaths in children

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Findings published in medical journal JAMA Network Open, underline an ‘immediate need’ for health authorities to focus on strategies to improve quality aspects of institutional deliveries
The neonatal intensive care unit of Rural Development Trust Hospital in Bathalapalli, Andhra Pradesh: File picture

G.S. Mudur, TT, New Delhi, 16.05.24 : Neonatal mortality rates have stagnated or worsened in multiple states in India in recent years and account for nearly 50 per cent of deaths in children under five years of age, researchers have said in a study.

Their study has found that nearly 50 per cent of deaths in children under five in India occurred within seven days after the child’s birth, both in 2016 and in 2021, alongside improvements in overall child mortality rates.
The findings, published in the medical journal JAMA Network Open, underline an “immediate need” for health authorities to focus on strategies to improve quality aspects of institutional deliveries, the researchers have said.

India’s proportion of institutional deliveries — births in healthcare facilities — has more than doubled from around 40 per cent in 2005-06 to 83 per cent in 2019-21.

The new study led by S.V. Subramanian, professor of population health at Harvard University, has suggested that reductions in neonatal mortality have not kept pace with the rise in institutional deliveries.

Subramanian and his colleagues used three decades of datasets from the Union health ministry’s National Family Health Surveys — the latest in 2019-21 — to analyse child mortality patterns after seven days, 30 days, a year, and five years of birth.

They classified deaths within seven days as early neonatal mortality, deaths between 8 and 28 days as late neonatal mortality, and deaths between a month and a year as post-neonatal mortality.

India’s overall under-five child mortality has decreased to 42 per 1,000 live births in 2019-21 from 50 per 1,000 in 2015-16 and 75 per 1,000 in 2005-06. And most states have seen decreases in mortality rates across all the child age groups.

But between 2016 and 2021, early neonatal mortality increased in nine states or Union territories, late neonatal mortality either remained stagnant or increased in 13 states, and post neonatal mortality increased in 12 states, their study found.

Early neonatal mortality rose in Haryana, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar and Daman and Diu, late neonatal mortality rose or didn’t improve in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Odisha, Punjab, Telangana and Andaman and Nicobar. Post-neonatal mortality rose in Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Telangana, Tripura, Bengal, Andaman and Nicobar and Chandigarh.

“While India has made substantial progress over the years in reducing the risk of mortality among young children, age-specific interventions may be needed to address mortality in different age groups,” Subramanian told The Telegraph. Early neonatal mortality may require improvements in quality of care in healthcare institutions while post-neonatal mortality would need a focus on ensuring vaccination and food.

The researchers’ call for urgent measures to address neonatal mortality comes against a backdrop of long-standing concerns among paediatricians and public health experts about neonatal deaths hampering progress towards infant mortality targets.

India’s National Neonatology Forum had in 2003 highlighted the need for intensified efforts to protect babies during the first four weeks of life as part of efforts to reduce infant mortality rates.

The health ministry has helped establish a network of newborn care facilities, including newborn intensive care units, sick newborn care units, and newborn stabilisation units in public health facilities across the country.
Games & Sports, National, Regional

Stalwart Chhetri announces retirement, World Cup qualifier match in Calcutta on June 6 to be his last game

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Chhetri, who made his debut in 2005, has scored 94 goals for the country. He will leave the scene as India’s all-time top scorer and most-capped player

PTI, New Delhi, 16.05.24 : The iconic Sunil Chhetri on Thursday announced his decision to retire from international football after the FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Kuwait on June 6, bringing the curtains down on a career that is unparalleled in Indian football for its longevity and consistency.

The long-serving national team captain announced his decision via a video he posted on his social media accounts.
Chhetri, who made his debut in 2005, has scored 94 goals for the country. He will leave the scene as India’s all-time top scorer and most-capped player.

He is also third in the list of goal scorers among active players behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi and currently sits as the fourth in the all-time list of international goal-scorers as well.

Chhetri, 39, will walk into international sunset after rendering yeoman service for nearly two decades, 19 years to be precise, to a team that was heavily reliant on the 5’7″ forward to deliver the goods every time he wore the blue jersey.

https://assets.telegraphindia.com/telegraph/2024/May/1715837464_chhetri-sunil-2.jpg
“The match Against Kuwait is the last,” Chhetri said while announcing his decision.

Chhetri’s final match will be played at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata, and it is appropriate that he will end his journey in a city, where he has played a lot of his football while evolving into a potent striker.

India are currently second in Group A with four points, behind leaders Qatar.

Chhetri had made his 150th national appearance in March and scored on the occasion against Afghanistan in Guwahati. India, though, stunningly lost that game 1-2.

On his international debut against Pakistan way back in 2005, Chhetri, who would go on to become one of the game’s most lethal strikers, scored, and he rated it as his best moment.

“There is one day that I never forget and remember it quite often is the first time I played for my country man, it was unbelievable.

“But the day before, morning of the day, Sukhi sir (Sukhwinder Singh), my first national team coach, in the morning he came to me and he’s like, you’re going to start? I can’t tell you how I was feeling man,” Chhetri recalled.

He added, “I took my jersey, I sprayed some perfume on it, I have no idea why. So that day, everything that happened, once he told me, from breakfast to lunch and to the game and to my first goal in my debut, to conceding late in the 80th minute, that day is probably that I will never forget and is one of the best days of my national team journey.” Speaking on the future of Indian football, Chettri said that it was time for the country to find the next 9. He felt the team is currently handicapped as none of the current lot of players play as the main striker for their respective clubs and sees the massive hole in the current national team.

In recent times, Chhetri said he could sense that he was heading towards the end of his glorious journey.

“You know the feeling that I recollect in the last 19 years is a very nice combination between duty, pressure and immense joy. I never thought individually, these are the many games that I’ve played for the country, this is what I’ve done, good or bad, but now I did it.

“This last one and a half, two months, I did it and it was very strange. I did it because probably I was going towards the decision that this game, this next game is going to be my last.” The moment he had arrived at the decision, memories came flooding back to his mind.

“And the moment I told myself first, that yes, this is the game that is going to be my last, is when I started recollecting everything.

“It was so strange, I started thinking about this game, that game, this coach, that coach, that team, that member, that ground, that away match, this good game, that bad game, all my individual performances, everything came, all the flashes came. So when I did decide that this is it, this is going to be my last game.” His family members reacted differently to his big decision.

“I told my mom, my dad and my wife, my family first, my dad was…he was normal, he was relieved, happy, everything, but my mom and my wife started crying,” he said.

“…they couldn’t express to me as to why they burst into tears. It’s not that I was feeling tired, it’s not that I was feeling this or that, when the instinct came that this should be my last game, then I thought about it a lot.” Among major successes, Chhetri helped India win the Nehru Cup (2007, 2009, 2012) as well as the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship (2011, 2015, 2021).

He also played a part in India’s 2008 AFC Challenge Cup win, which helped them qualify for the first AFC Asian Cup (2011) in 27 years.

The Secunderabad-born footballer, who made his club debut for Mohun Bagan in 2002, went on to play for USA’s Major League Soccer team Kansas City Wizards in 2010 as well as for the reserve team of the Sporting CP in the Portuguese football league back in 2012.

The seven-time AIFF Player of the Year winner has also represented major Indian clubs like East Bengal (2008-2009), Dempo (2009-2010), and Indian Super League sides Mumbai City FC (2015-2016) and Bengaluru FC.

In club football, he has tasted most success at Bengaluru FC, winning major trophies like the I-League (2014 and 2016), ISL (2019), Super Cup (2018). He also led Bengaluru FC to the AFC Cup final in 2016.

Chhetri was felicitated ahead of his 150th outing for the Blue Tigers in the World Cup qualifier against Afghanistan in Guwahati.
Economy, Regional, West Bengal

Tea gardens struggle as weather wreaks havoc

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MP, 15 May 2024, Alipurduar: This year, tea production has been significantly impacted by extreme weather conditions. 

After thorough analysis, the tea plantation workers’ organisations are planning to approach the state government. 
Due to a lack of rain, tea production has suffered greatly in Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, and Alipurduar, sparking widespread concern among various tea gardens. 
The Trinamool Cha Bagan Shramik Union (TCBSU) intends to approach Labor minister Malay Ghatak regarding this issue. 
The letter will detail the extent of production loss in over 300 tea gardens in North Bengal, providing an overview of the situation in these gardens, according to union leaders. 
Gangaprasad Sharma, a leader of TCBSU, stated: “This year, many tea gardens have experienced production losses of up to 90 per cent compared to last year. Naturally, we are deeply concerned. 
Additionally, it was decided in our organisational meeting that TCBSU will soon submit a memorandum on this matter at the Jalpaiguri PF office.” The tea industry attributes the decline to the lack of rainfall over the past four months, which has led to diseases and insect attacks in the plantations. 
Chinmoy Dhar, Chairman of the Tea Association of India, North Bengal, remarked: “Rainfall is now a blessing for us. 
This year has brought unprecedented weather extremes, posing significant challenges for the tea industry.” 
However, scattered rainfall has been observed in the tea gardens of North Bengal since Saturday. 
The Saraswatipur tea garden in Jalpaiguri district received a record amount of 6.5 inches of rain. 
Courtesy & source- Millennium Post
https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/tea-gardens-struggle-as-weather-wreaks-havoc-563939
International, Regional

Body of B’desh tourist to be handed over to kin in Kurseong

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MP, 15 May 2024, Darjeeling: The relatives of the deceased Bangladeshi tourists arrived in Kolkata on Wednesday and proceeded to Bagdogra by flight. 

The Darjeeling police will be handing over the dead body of the deceased to them in Kurseong. The 65-year-old tourist, on a visit to Darjeeling, had died en route. 
His body has been kept at the Kurseong Sub Divisional Hospital where a post mortem has been conducted. 
The deceased has been identified as 65-year-old Sk Azizul from Mohammadpur, Dhaka. He was a retired banker. 
On Tuesday he had arrived from Dhaka by train. “From NJP he along with another person boarded my taxi to Darjeeling. 
At Rohini, he stated that he was feeling unwell and we stopped and he rested for nearly an hour. 
After some time he stopped talking and started breathing heavily. 
I then rushed to the Kurseong hospital,” stated Shyamal Chandra Singh, the taxi driver. 
He was declared dead at the hospital. 
“We have started an unnatural death case,” stated Palash Mohanta, Inspector-in-Charge, Kurseong Police Station. 
Courtesy & source- Millennium Post
https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/will-retrieve-bengals-dues-within-3months-once-india-bloc-forms-govt-563965?infinitescroll=1
Regional, West Bengal

Siliguri: Two dead, 26 hurt after pickup van turns turtle

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MP, 15 May 2024, Siliguri: A pickup van overturned on National Highway 31 near Goaltuli More in Phansidewa block under Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad, resulting in two deaths and leaving 26 others injured. 

According to local sources, on Wednesday, several families from the Helagach area were en route to Bihar in a pickup van to attend a marriage ceremony. 
While attempting to overtake a truck, the pickup van lost control and overturned. 
Phansidewa Police Station responded promptly and dispatched the injured to North Bengal Medical College and Hospital. 
Tragically, two of the injured passengers succumbed to their injuries, while the remaining are receiving medical treatment. 
A probe is underway with Phansidewa PS leading it. Following the accident, traffic was temporarily halted. 
Siliguri Mayor Gautam Dev and Mahakuma Parishad president, Arun Ghosh visited the medical college to oversee treatment facilities. Follow @mpostdigital @mpostdigital @mpostdigital @mpostdigital Team MP 
https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/will-retrieve-bengals-dues-within-3months-once-india-bloc-forms-govt-563965?infinitescroll=1
Economy, Regional, Sikkim, West Bengal

After a lull in April, tourists start returning to Darjeeling, Sikkim

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Sanchita Aich Bag, MP, 15 May 2024, Siliguri: After a slump in tourism during the month of April, it is back on track again with a large number of tourists visiting Darjeeling and the neighbouring state of Sikkim. 

However, fewer tourists are visiting the Dooars area compared to the hills. Currently, hotels and homestays have 90 per cent occupancy in Darjeeling. 
The tourist footfall in Sikkim is also huge following the Teesta disaster caused by flash floods in River Teesta on October 4, 2023. 
The flash floods had wreaked havoc taking a toll mainly on road connectivity. “Very few tourists visited Sikkim in April this year as compared to last year. 
However, a large number of tourists are visiting Darjeeling this month. 90 per cent of occupancy is booked. We hope we will witness a tourist rush in the month of June also,” said Samrat Sanyal, the Secretary of Himalaya Hospitality and Tourism Development Network (HHTDN). 
Every year, from April to June, a large number of tourists visit Darjeeling, Sikkim. However in April this year, hotels and homestays experienced around 50 to 60% occupancy. 
In some places, the percentage dipped to 45 per cent also.” Tourism stakeholders blamed it on the Lok Sabha election. 
They also blamed excessive price hikes on flight fares. “Fewer flights are operating from Bagdogra Airport. The fare has increased. Many tourists are avoiding visiting this region owing to this also,” Sanyal added. 
North Sikkim has been heavily affected by the October flash flood. Owing to disruption in road connectivity and the closure of National Highway 10 frequently for repairs have further contributed to the dip in tourists. 
Vehicles to Sikkim and Kalimpong to and fro Siliguri had been diverted through Lava and Gorubathan which is a longer route. 
Therefore, the vehicle fares also shot up. All these reasons added up to fewer tourists visiting Sikkim in April. 
However, this month onwards, with road connectivity restored and heat waves sweeping the plains, people have started visiting Sikkim. Almost 70 per cent occupancy has been recorded in different places in Sikkim, including Gangtok.

Courtesy & source- Millennium Post
https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/after-a-lull-in-april-tourists-start-returning-to-darjeeling-sikkim-563948
National, Politics, West Bengal

BJP fields about 8 turncoats for LS elections in Bengal

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Pradip Chatterjee, MP, 15 May 2024, Kolkata: The BJP has nominated around eight turncoats out of the 42 seats in the ongoing Lok Sabha candidates. Party’s leaders have justified their decisions, citing “winnability and political strategy” as paramount considerations. 

However, the nomination of turncoats has triggered protests and resentment against the BJP in certain regions. 
BJP had earlier also adopted a strategy of favouring turncoats over seasoned leaders in their candidate selections. 
BJP which had no robust organisation base in Bengal has increasingly been embracing the practice of endorsing turncoats, causing dissatisfaction among their loyal supporters. 
BJP MP from Barrackpore, Arjun Singh, who returned to the saffron camp after defecting to the TMC two years ago, was re-nominated from the same seat. 
Tapas Roy, a four-term MLA from TMC, joined the BJP due to disagreements over candidate selection and was nominated from Kolkata North. 
Silbhadra Dutta, a two-term TMC MLA who had switched to the BJP ahead of the 2021 assembly polls, was nominated from the Dum Dum Lok Sabha seat this time. 
Soumendu Adhikari, former TMC leader and chairman of TMC-led Kanthi municipality, is contesting from Kanthi on BJP’s ticket. He had switched sides after his elder brother Suvendu Adhikari joined the BJP. 
From the Howrah Lok Sabha seat, Rathin Chakraborty, a former TMC leader and ex-Mayor of Howrah, who joined the BJP ahead of the 2021 Assembly polls, has been nominated. 
Soumitra Khan is contesting from Bishnupur Lok Sabha seat on BJP’s ticket. Khan had once been associated with Trinamool Congress. 
Nisith Pramanik who had once been a Trinamool Congress leader had switched to the BJP and became an MP from Cooch Behar. He is again contesting from the same seat on BJP’s ticket. 
Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress, in its roster of 42 candidates, has included four turncoats who are either elected representatives from other parties or joined the party in recent years. 
Among the notable turncoats fielded by the TMC are Biswajit Das, Mukutmani Adhikari, and Krishna Kalyani, contesting from Bongaon, Ranaghat and Raiganj Lok Sabha seats respectively. 
Another prominent candidate, Sujata Mondal from Bishnupur, is a former BJP leader and ex-wife of BJP MP Soumitra Khan. Mondal unsuccessfully contested the assembly polls on a TMC ticket in 2021. 
Actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha, who won the Asansol seat in a bypoll on a TMC ticket in 2022, has been renominated from the same seat. 
Sinha, a former Union minister and two-term BJP MP from Patna Sahib, had defected from the BJP to join the Congress ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls before joining the TMC in 2022.

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/bjp-fields-about-8-turncoats-for-ls-elections-in-bengal-563959
Politics, Regional, West Bengal

Scripting Sandeshkhali incident: BJP’s LS candidate Rekha Patra moves HC, seeks protection from coercive action

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MP, 15 May 2024, Kolkata: BJP candidate from Basirhat Lok Sabha seat Rekha Patra on Wednesday approached Calcutta High Court seeking protection from coercive action by the state police. 

On the same day, BJP leader Piyali Das approached the High Court against the Basirhat Sub-Divisional Court’s order refusing her bail. The lawyer representing Patra reportedly stated that several false cases have been filed against her by the police. Patra also sought for security and protection from the Calcutta High Court. 
The case will be heard by Justice Jay Sengupta on Thursday. Meanwhile, it was learnt that Das surrendered in Basirhat Sub-Divisional Court on May 14. There were allegations against her of getting women in Sandeshkhali to sign on white papers. 
The court rejected the bail plea and sent her to seven days judicial custody. When questioned by the media, Das said that the allegations against her are false and that there is no evidence to support those allegations. 
The ruling Trinamool Congress recently shared a video of an alleged sting operation featuring BJP leader Gangadhar Koyal. In the purported video, the veracity of which could not be confirmed by news agency, a man resembling Koyal was seen claiming that allegations of sexual abuse in Sandeshkhali were “staged”. 
Koyal had approached the High Court seeking transfer of investigation to the CBI into an alleged sting video. He claimed in his petition that technology-aided videos mimicking his voice were being circulated in a bid to defame him. 
https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/scripting-sandeshkhali-incident-bjps-ls-candidate-rekha-patra-moves-hc-seeks-protection-from-coercive-action-563961
Politics, Regional, West Bengal

Mamata Bala’s daughter starts indefinite protest

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MP, 15 May 2024, Kolkata: The daughter of Trinamool Congress MP Mamata Bala Thakur, has started an indefinite protest against the BJP Bongaon candidate Santanu Thakur for allegedly not allowing them access to Boro Maa’s (Matua matriarch Binapani Devi) idol. 

On being asked the reason for this indefinite protest, Madhupartna Thakur told the media: “BJP’s Bongaon candidate Santanu Thakur drove us out of our home a month back using muscle power and locked it. This is our birthplace. We are not able to see Binapani Devi’s idol. The room where it is kept remains ill-maintained. We will not tolerate this and won’t stop our protest till we get justice.” 
On April 7, TMC claimed that Santanu Thakur had attacked its Rajya Sabha MP Mamata Bala Thakur. 
The feud broke out between the two factions over the control of a house where community matriarch Binapani Devi, popularly known as ‘Boroma’, lived till her death five years back. Santanu is the grandson of Binapani Devi, while Mamata Bala Thakur is her daughter-in-law. Thakurnagar is in North 24-Parganas district. 
According to the TMC, the incident happened on April 7 when Santanu Thakur along with his supporters allegedly tried by force to take control of the house where Mamata Bala presently resides. 
She had taken out a rally in North 24-Parganas’ Thakurnagar to protest the attack. She had said: “I have lodged a complaint at Gaighata Police Station as Shantanu Thakur and his associates tried to break in at my residence. 
They forcibly entered my residence”. TMC wrote on X: “Madhuparna Thakur, the daughter of Rajya Sabha MP Mamata Thakur, is leading an indefinite protest at the Thakurbari premises. 
After being forcefully evicted by Shantanu Thakur over a month ago, they are now denied access even to Boro Maa’s idol. 
The ancestral house is shrouded in darkness and dirt. This reprehensible act is yet another proof of the BJP’s Matua-Birodhi agenda!” 
https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/mamata-balas-daughter-starts-indefinite-protest-563963
National, Politics, West Bengal

‘Will retrieve Bengal’s dues within 3 months once INDIA bloc forms govt’

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Soumyadip Mullick, MP, 15 May 2024, Kolkata: Campaigning for his party candidates of Arambagh and Barrackpore seats, Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Wednesday said as soon as the BJP government at the Centre gets dislodged from power, his party will get back the dues of Rs 1.65 lakh crore owed to Bengal. Banerjee assured the gathering that the exit of the BJP government at the Centre is inevitable. 

He said BJP is anti-poor and anti-people and that is apparent from how the Centre has withheld dues owed to Bengal in relation to 100 days work under MGNREGA and PM Awas Yojana. He urged the people to give a “befitting” reply to the BJP in this Lok Sabha elections. 
Banerjee claimed that following the defeat of the BJP, “TMC will play a decisive role in the formation of a government at the Centre as part of the INDIA bloc”. “As soon as that happens, we will get back the dues for Bengal and will use it rightly for people’s welfare. We will get it back in three months from the time of the formation of the new Central government,” he promised. 
Abhishek also held a contrasting picture where he said that on one hand the BJP-led Centre is depriving people of their rightful dues and on the other TMC is spending on welfare schemes for people in Bengal. 
On the Sandeshkhali issue, he called the BJP “anti-national” and accused the party of allegedly insulting the women by paying them money to level false allegations of rape. He said that by doing this the BJP has also insulted Bengal. 
Banerjee maintained his position on the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) as he claimed once again that if it is implemented the most affected will be the backward classes. 
He alleged that the BJP wants to change the Constitution to suppress the rights of minorities and backward classes. 
https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/will-retrieve-bengals-dues-within-3months-once-india-bloc-forms-govt-563965
National, Politics

Fight for 6th Schedule key poll plank for Cong’s Ladakh candidate Tsering Namgyal

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PTI, Leh, May 14, 2024 :  Congress candidate in the Ladakh Lok Sabha seat Tsering Namgyal is contesting the election on a four-point agenda for the Union territory, the key among which is the fight for implementation of the 6th Schedule of the Constitution that guarantees land and job for the locals.


The four-point agenda also includes statehood demand, a public service commission for Ladakh and separate Lok Sabha seats for Leh and Kargil districts.

Stressing the INDIA bloc was committed to safeguarding the rights of the people of Ladakh, he said there is discontent among the populace following the failure of talks involving Home Minister Amit Shah and representatives of Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance over the demand for the 6th Schedule of the Constitution.

“The dialogue stopped there and so did our hope… people are now worried and angry,” Namgyal said in an interview with PTI.

The political landscape of Ladakh has been roiled by nearly two months of protests led by activist Sonam Wangchuk, culminating in a 21-day climate fast. Demonstrations, commencing on March 6 and concluding on May 10 to pave the way for parliamentary polls saw a turnout of around 50,000 people, representing a substantial portion of Ladakh’s population.

Ladakh’s transition into a Union Territory following the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 has catalysed divergent reactions in the region. While celebrations marked the response in Leh, Kargil witnessed a contrasting sentiment marked by dissatisfaction with the territorial restructuring.

“At that time people danced and sang. Today, people are crying. People had hopes that our youth would get jobs and that ecology would be protected. But at the end of the day people are not happy with this government,” said Namgyal, the leader of the opposition in the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council.

The unfulfilled promises of attaining the 6th schedule status pledged by the BJP during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and subsequent hill development council elections have fueled a shift from jubilation to discontent, prompting a wave of protests throughout the region.

“People hoped for a new beginning, but the dialogue did not go the way it should have. The government delayed it first, kept it hanging till the Model Code of Conduct came into place, and at the last moment, our leaders were called for talks,” said Namgyal, the leader of opposition in the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council.

Citing unmet expectations regarding job opportunities, land rights and environmental preservation he alleged that there was a lack of transparency in budgetary allocation and a failure to empower the hill councils effectively.

The Congress candidate accused the BJP of fooling the people of Ladakh.

“People of Ladakh are aware… they will not believe the false promises. People will vote in favour of the four-point agenda,” he said.

Namgyal remains optimistic about the prospects of the INDIA bloc and hints at a potential shift in national leadership dynamics.

Poling in Ladakh will be held on May 20. The showdown between Namgyal, BJP’s Tashi Gyalson, and Independent candidate Haji Hanifa Jan can shape the region’s political trajectory significantly.

The BJP had won the Ladakh seat for the first time in 2014, with prominent Buddhist leader Thupstan Chhewang becoming an MP. Chhewang, however, resigned from the post and BJP in 2018, citing disagreements with the party’s leadership. In 2019, Jamyang Tsering Namgyal of the BJP won the seat. 
National, Politics

CAA gets rolling, 1st set of 14people granted citizenship

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PTI, New Delhi, May 15, 2024 :  The first set of citizenship certificates under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act was issued Wednesday here to 14 people, nearly two months after rules under the contentious law were notified to grant Indian nationality to persecuted non-Muslim migrants from three neighbouring countries.

Sources said 14 people were handed over the certificates symbolically at a special function held here while digitally signed certificates are also being sent to a “few hundred” other applicants through email.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah termed it a “historic day”, saying the decades-long wait of those who faced religious persecution in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan is over.

Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla handed over the certificates to the 14 people after their applications were processed online through a designated portal, an official spokesperson said.

This comes in the midst of the general elections which started on April 19. The last phase of polling will be held on June 1 while the counting will take place on June 4.

The CAA was enacted in December 2019 for granting Indian nationality to persecuted Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi and Christian migrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan who came to India on or before December 31, 2014.

After the enactment, the CAA got the president’s assent but the rules under which the Indian citizenship was granted were issued on March 11 after over a delay of four years.

“It is a great feeling to be an Indian. It has given a new life to me,” 24-year-old Bharat Kumar, who had come from Sindh in Pakistan 11 years ago, told PTI minutes after he received the citizenship certificate.

Shah said the Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian brothers and sisters who fled religious persecution in the three countries have started getting Indian citizenship and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has fulfilled the promise made at the time of the country’s independence.

“I express my gratitude to Modiji for giving justice and rights to these people who suffered for decades. I also assure all my refugee brothers and sisters that the Modi government will give citizenship to all of them through the CAA,” he said on X in Hindi. “Modi’s guarantee…the guarantee of fulfilling promises.” While granting the citizenship certificates, the home secretary congratulated the 14 applicants and highlighted the salient features of the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024.

Secretary Posts, Director of the Intelligence Bureau, Registrar General of India and senior officers were also present during the interactive session when the certificates were issued.

The CAA rules envisage the manner of application form, procedure for processing applications by the District Level Committee (DLC), scrutiny and grant of citizenship by State Level Empowered Committee (SLEC).

“In pursuance of these rules, applications have been received from persons belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi and Christian communities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who have entered into India up to December 31, 2014 on account of persecution on grounds of religion or fear of such persecution,” the spokesperson said.

The DLCs chaired by Senior Superintendents of Post or Superintendents of Post as designated officers, on successful verification of documents, have administered the oath of allegiance to the applicants.

After processing as per rules, the DLCs have forwarded the applications to SLEC headed by Director (Census Operation). Processing of application is completely done through the online portal.

The empowered committee, Delhi, headed by Director (Census Operation), Delhi, after due scrutiny, has decided to grant citizenship to 14 applicants. Accordingly, Director (Census operation) granted certificates to these applicants, the spokesperson said.

The passing of the CAA in 2019 sparked protests in different parts of the country with agitators terming it “discriminatory”. Over a hundred people lost their lives during the anti-CAA protests or police action in various parts of the country.

Shah has been maintaining that no one can stop the implementation of the CAA as it is the law of the land. He accused opposition of misleading the people on the issue. 
National, Politics

Srinagar Lok Sabha elections 2024: Kashmir sees highest turnout since 1996, says EC : Overall: 37.98 per cent

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 Srinagar voted for the first time in the Lok Sabha Elections after the removal of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir. The parliamentary constituency had recorded a total voter turnout of 14.43 per cent in the 2019 elections.

Ashesh Mallick, Edited By: Ashesh Mallick, India Tv:  In a tectonic shift and noticeable change in Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar, which voted for the first time in the Lok Sabha Elections post-Article 370 era on Monday (May 13), the parliamentary constituency has witnessed highest voter turnout of over 37.98 per cent till 11 pm since 1996. It is more than double the turnout of nearly 14.43 per cent in the 2019 elections. It breached the 2014 turnout of 25.86 per cent as well. The polling began at 7 am amid tight security in the fourth phase of polls in which 17.48 lakh voters are eligible to use their franchise in the city.

Polling was incident free without any calls of poll boycott.

According to the latest Election Commission data at 11 pm, the following are voting percentages in the Srinagar city

Central Shalteng – 26.43 per cent

Chadoora – 49.10  per cent

Char-e-Shareef – 56 per cent

Channapora – 22.60  per cent

Eidgah – 26.81 per cent

Ganderbal – 49.48 per cent

Habba Kadal – 14.05 per cent

Hazratbal – 28.28 per cent

Kangan (ST) – 58.80 per cent

Khan Sahib – 50.35 per cent

Khanyar – 24.24 per cent

Lal Chowk – 27.33 per cent

Pampore – 38.01 per cent

Pulwama – 43.39 per cent

Rajpora – 45.79 per cent

Shopian – 47.88 per cent

Tral – 40.29 per cent

Zadibal – 29.41 per cent

Overall: 37.98 per cent


Voting percentages in Srinagar in various general elections before the abrogation of Article 370:

1996: 40.94 per cent

1998: 30.06 per cent

1999: 11.93 per cent

2004: 18.57 per cent

2009: 25.55 per cent

2014: 25.86 per cent

2019: 14.43 per cent

Article 370 was abrogated in Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, 2019, ending the special status given to the erstwhile state, which is now a Union Territory. 

National, Sikkim, Techno/ Science

AI to keep track of vehicles and traffic in Sikkim: New system installed at 16 points in first phase

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 The state transport department made the announcement on Tuesday after running trials of the new system at various places for about a week

Vivek Chhetri, TT, Darjeeling, 15.05.24 : 
A road in Gangtok. Sikkim will introduce an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven traffic management system throughout the state from May 25.

The state transport department made the announcement on Tuesday after running trials of the new system at various places for about a week.

“In this first phase, the system has been installed in 16 points across Sikkim. Depending on the feedback from police, we will install the system at additional places in the second phase,” Raj Yadav, the secretary of the transport department, told The Telegraph.

The system has been set up at four places in Gangtok.

The new system powered by advanced AI algorithms automatically detects the validity of documents like insurance, and fitness pollution and immediately generates e-challans.

“Since the data of all vehicles in the country have been uploaded on NIC (National Informatics Centre), the system on reading the registration number can scan the document details of the vehicle,” said Yadav.

Apart from hauling up document defaulters, the system that encompasses cameras can detect and fine traffic violations such as speeding, jumping signals and improper lane usage among others.

This is the first time that an AI-driven traffic management system has been introduced in the region. Since the start of the trial period, people in Sikkim have been rushing to get their documents, especially pollution certificates, updated.

“There is a huge rush. In fact, we kept our pollution centre in Gangtok open even on Sunday to tackle the rush,” said an employee of the centre.

The new system is also expected to ensure better traffic control in Gangtok, where traffic congestion is the norm, especially during peak tourism seasons.

“For example, if there is no congestion on a particular stretch, the traffic signal would coninue to remain green thus ensuring smooth traffic flow,” said Yadav.

Many traffic signals work on timers which does not necessarily reflect the needs of the road. Traffic signals manned by humans do not have a live update on the overall traffic situation in the area either.

The police said the system would ensure that time was not wasted unlike when physical checking of vehicle documents was done.

“Transparency will also be strengthened,” quipped a driver.

Courtesy & source: The Telegraph
Crime, National, Politics

Supreme Court orders release of NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha, declares his arrest ‘invalid’

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 The order was issued by a bench of Justices B R Gavai and Sandeep Mehta

PTI, New Delhi, 15.05.24 : The Supreme Court on Wednesday declared as “invalid in the eyes of law” the arrest of NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha in a case under the anti-terror law, and directed that he be released from custody.


The apex court observed that a copy of the remand application in the “purported exercise of communication” of grounds of arrest in writing was not provided to Purkayastha or his counsel before the passing of the remand order dated October 4, 2023 which “vitiates” his arrest and subsequent remand.
“As a result, the appellant is entitled to a direction for release from custody by applying the ratio of the judgement rendered by this court in the case of Pankaj Bansal,” a bench of Justices B R Gavai and Sandeep Mehta said.


“Accordingly, the arrest of the appellant (Purkayastha) followed by the remand order dated … and so also the impugned order passed by the High Court of Delhi are hereby declared to be invalid in the eyes of law and are quashed and set aside,” it said.

The bench delivered its verdict on Purkayastha’s plea challenging the high court’s October 13 last year order dismissing his plea against arrest and subsequent police remand in the case.

He was arrested by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police on October 3 last year.

While pronouncing the judgement, the apex court said, “Though, we would have been persuaded to direct the release of the appellant without requiring him to furnish bonds of security but since the charge sheet has been filed, we feel it appropriate to direct that the appellant shall be released from custody on furnishing bail bonds to the satisfaction of the trial court.” The bench made it clear that none of the observations made by it shall be treated as a comment on the merits of the case.

After the verdict was pronounced, Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, appearing for the Delhi Police, said since the arrest was declared to be void, it should not preclude the police from exercising the correct powers of arrest.

“We need not observe anything on that,” Justice Gavai said, adding, “Whatever you are permitted in law, you are permitted in law.” The high court had on October 13 last year dismissed the pleas of Purkayastha and NewsClick’s human resources department head Amit Chakravarty against their arrest and subsequent police remand.

Chakravarty had earlier withdrawn from the Supreme Court his petition against his arrest under the anti-terror law, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

A Delhi court had earlier allowed Chakravarty to turn an approver in the case lodged against the news portal under the UAPA over allegations that it received money to spread pro-China propaganda.

According to the FIR, the news portal allegedly received huge amount of funds from China to “disrupt the sovereignty of India” and cause disaffection against the country.

It also alleged that Purkayastha conspired with a group — People’s Alliance for Democracy and Secularism (PADS) — to sabotage the electoral process during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

On April 30, a Delhi court had taken cognisance of a charge sheet filed against Purkayastha in the case.

The court had in January allowed Chakravarty to turn approver in the case.

The judge had pardoned Chakravarty, who was arrested in the case on October 3, 2023, on his application that claimed he had material information which he was willing to disclose to the Delhi Police, which is investigating the matter.
International, National, Politics

Bank notes showing parts of India as belonging to Nepal are the latest of our problems with Kathmandu, China’s the No. 1 problem

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China’s deadly serious about undermining India’s influence in Nepal, and India needs to come up with a counter strategy hinging on more bilateral trade, investment in infrastructure sectors and building on ‘civilisational ties’

Paran Balakrishnan, TT, 14.05.24 : It was a distinctly unsubtle punch from across the border. Nepal’s new 100-rupee banknotes show parts of India as being Nepalese territory – and it’s gone to unusual lengths to publicise the move. India, uncharacteristically, shrugged off the provocation, with foreign minister S. Jaishankar observing mildly that the Uttarakhand territory marked on the bills is definitely inside India.

The banknote row marks yet one more, albeit minor, skirmish in the battleground between India and Nepal. The strategic buffer state sandwiched between China and India has long resented India as the Big Brother that flexes its muscles too often. Nepal hasn’t forgotten the 2015 blockade at a crucial land crossing with India – New Delhi denied involvement – which came months after two deadly earthquakes when Kathmandu promulgated its new constitution.
But the once minor differences have become exacerbated. That’s partly because Nepal’s other giant neighbour is taking way more interest in the mountainous nation than it used to when Nepal was not only known as landlocked but “India-locked”. Says one former Indian ambassador: “In the old days, the Chinese were mostly worried about Tibetans using Nepal as an escape route to India. Now, they are deadly serious about undermining India’s influence in Nepal.”

There’s an additional factor also at play which has put Nepal in the headlights of big power rivalry. The US has turned its gaze on Nepal, and has become the third player in the 21st-century’s Himalayan Great Game. The Chinese, meanwhile, are liberally splurging money to make headway in Nepal.

Now, also, the Chinese have their dream ruling ticket in Nepal. The incoming prime minister is a pro-China advocate: Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal, best known by his rebel civil war name Prachanda. And his main coalition partner, the Communist Party of Nepal, is headed by former prime minister K. P. Sharma Oli has alway been pro-Beijing. Indeed, in what’s seen as “advantage Beijing,” Nepal’s foreign minister broke with tradition and made his first foreign visit to Beijing rather than New Delhi. “Today, after working with the left forces in Nepal, the Chinese are most satisfied because leftist forces have come together.” says another former diplomat.

At times, the Nepalese moves to annoy India have verged on the farcical – though they’re deadly serious for Hindu believers. Veteran politician Oli, Nepal’s then prime minister, claimed that Ayodhya, where Lord Ram was born, was actually a place called Thori in Nepal. Says Oli firmly: “The place called Thori, near Birgunj is the real Ayodhya, where Lord Ram was born. In India there is a great dispute on Ayodhya. But there’s no dispute in our Ayodhya.”

Oli stirred the pot once again by claiming that yoga originated in Uttarakhand, which he insists was a part of Nepal in ancient times. He also laid claim to Samkhya philosophy, which is said to form the theoretical framework for yoga. “Yoga originated from Uttarakhand and at that time Uttarakhand was not in present-day India.” said Oli, adding for good measure that, “India was not even born as an independent country at that time.” Going one step further, he also claimed that the founder of ayurveda, Charak Rishi, was born in Nepal.

But these are mere pinpricks. There are much bigger battles being fought over Nepal. The biggest battles involve a plan by the US to pour $500 million over the next five years into Nepal for vitally needed infrastructure, under what’s called the Millennium Challenge Corporation. The money will go mainly to boost hydropower generation and build roads. For starters, the US is looking at building a 300-km high voltage power line that will run through almost one-third of the country and have an extension to the Indian border.

Not to be left behind, India’s just signed a deal to buy 10,000MW from Nepal over the next 10 years. For the moment it appears that India has checkmated China – by refusing to buy power from projects built with Chinese money. That’s forced Nepal to hand-over several projects that had originally been given to the Chinese. It’s reckoned that Nepal has the capacity to produce about only 42MW of hydropower from its many fast-flowing Himalayan rivers.

But the Chinese are playing power games of a different kind meddling in Nepal affairs. (It’s believed to have helped engineer the coming to power of the current seven-party coalition and its crucial position in Nepal was visible when the deputy prime minister and foreign minister Narayan Kaji Sreshta made China his first port of call. He spent a full week there and China has managed to persuade Nepal to resume cooperation on Belt & Road projects – a move strongly opposed by India and the US which have warned Kathmandu it could fall prey to a Sri Lanka-style debt trap.

Can Nepal’s fragile democracy bring prosperity to the impoverished country? Nobody’s betting big on it. Nepal’s most recent government is barely 45 days old. (Since the advent of Nepal’s chaotic multi-party democracy in Nepal in 1990, the country has had a string of revolving-door governments).

There’s also still a royalist party and former king Gyanendra’s hoping the political parties mess up so badly, he’s called on to return to the throne. Says a senior Indian diplomat: “Gyanendra is hoping there’ll be this huge nostalgia for the monarchy. It’s more wishful thinking, though certainly pro-monarchy sentiment has grown.”

There’s another new factor in India-Nepal relations. The BJP and RSS have strong links in Nepal, which, while being overwhelmingly Hindu, now is constitutionally a secular republic. The BJP and RSS are eager to promote Nepal as a Hindu Rashtra. Says one former diplomat: “The BJP’s foreign cell and the RSS are supporting a lot of voices in Nepal that want a Hindu state.”

Also, there’s Yogi Adityanath who has always had a deep interest in Nepal though he hasn’t talked much about it after becoming Uttar Pradesh chief minister. His matt in Gorakhpur has always been close to Nepal. Says a diplomat: “His group has a very old connection with the Gurkha kings.”

Can India steer its way through the Nepalese minefield and regain its “special relationship” with Kathmandu? For what it’s worth, we’ve got some friends in Nepal who’ll raise their head above the parapet. On the weekend, Chiranjivi Nepal, an economic advisor to the Nepalese president, quit over the bank notes issue. Nepal, an ex-central bank governor, said it was “inappropriate” to publish notes with the inaccurate map. India and Nepal’s borders are internationally recognised, he pointed out, and clearly different from those shown on the banknote map.

But India has been facing increasing hostility from some Nepalis who object to what they see as New Delhi’s “high-handedness” and meddling. To counter this image, India’s been playing its cards right by keeping a low profile and avoiding interference in Nepal’s internal affairs, trying to lower the pitch in the “Big Brother-Small Brother” relationship, analysts say.

And India faces a stiff challenge from China. “Chinese diplomats are publicly warning Nepal about the ‘dangers’ of close relations with India. They’re openly meddling in Nepal’s internal affairs,” says a former ambassador. While China’s pockets are far deeper than India’s, and it’s been extending its sway in countries that have traditionally been India’s strategic backyard, New Delhi can’t afford to give up. More bilateral trade, investment in important Nepal infrastructure sectors and building on “civilisational ties” are all recipes for India to rebuild ties with Nepal.
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