Delhi saturday, january 28, 2017

www.thehindu.in Regd. DL(ND)-11/6110/2006-07-08 RNI No. TNENG/2012/49940 ISSN 0971 - 751X Vol. 7 No. 24 CITY EDITION 24 Pages Rs. 8.00 ●

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Printed at Chennai, Coimbatore, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Madurai, Noida, Visakhapatnam, Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Vijayawada, Mangaluru, Tiruchirapalli, Kolkata, Hubballi, Mohali, Allahabad, Malappuram and Mumbai

Salman pleads not guilty in blackbuck poaching case

Karnataka HC issues bailable arrest warrant against Vijay Mallya

Death toll in Gurez sector avalanche climbs to 14

Nadal outlasts Dimitrov, sets up dream final with Federer

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BRIEFLY NIA chargesheets two for supporting IS NEW DELHI: The National

Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a charge sheet against a man and a woman for allegedly propagating the activities of the Islamic State in India and motivating 14 persons from Kerala to travel to Afghanistan to join the outfit there. The two are Abdul Rashid Abdulla, 30, a resident of Kasaragod district in Kerala, and Yasmeen Mohammad Zahid, 29, a resident of Delhi.

쐍 NEWS | PAGE 12 Plot to assassinate TNA legislator uncovered COLOMBO: Sri Lankan authorities

have uncovered a plot to assassinate Tamil legislator M.A. Sumanthiran. Earlier this month, the Prime Minister’s office sent him a message about a “serious security threat” to his life. The message was said to have been based on high-level intelligence reports.

쐍 WORLD | PAGE 14 Army Chief launches whatsapp number NEW DELHI: In the backdrop of

several soldiers taking to social media to express their grievances, Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat has launched a whatsapp number through which soldiers can directly reach him with their grievances. The number has been put out in the public domain to enable jawans to make use of it. But given that anyone can send messages, it has to be seen how effective it will be. NEW | PAGE 12

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SC to hear pleas on TN jallikattu law on Jan. 31 Applications of govt., animal rights groups to be heard together

METROPLUS MELANGE 4 Pages

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Youths tame a bull at the jallikattu organised by the BJP at Veerappanpalayam in Erode. — FILE PHOTO: M. GOVARTHAN

Anti-nationals had infiltrated protests: CM SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief

Minister O. Panneerselvam on Friday told the Assembly that anti-national elements, including some holding portraits of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, had infiltrated the projallikattu protests, propagating antiRepublic Day sentiments. The Chief Minister was responding to charges by Leader of the Opposition M.K. Stalin on the January 23 violence on the Marina beach. ‘Unrelated demands’ He said anti-social elements had sought to derail

In message to China, US envoy hosts Tibetan leaders, Rijiju SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT NEW DELHI: Days before the inauguration of Donald Trump, the U.S. Ambassador to India, Richard Verma, revived the issue of independence for Tibet by hosting a dinner for prominent representatives of the movement at his residence. The private gathering was made public by Union Minister of State for Home Afairs Kiren Rijiju on social media on Friday. Thanking the envoy for the January 15 dinner, Mr. Rijiju said, “Nice meeting my dear friend Richard Gere again. Thank you HE Richard Verma for a wonderful dinner and great tenure as USA Ambassador to India.” Photographs posted on his

Kiren Rijiju Twitter page show the prime minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile, Lobsang Sangay, and other U.S. diplomats. “The dinner showed that the Tibetan issue remains strong in the international affairs, and we are hopeful that the support of the United

Preliminary findings rule out subversive act in Kanpur, says Railway Commission SOMESH JHA

KRISHNADAS RAJAGOPAL NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday said all applications filed to challenge Tamil Nadu’s amendment of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act of 1960, allowing jallikattu to be held in the State, would be heard on January 31. A Bench of Justices Dipak Misra and Rohinton Nariman will have a scheduled hearing of the challenges against the new jallikattu law. Meanwhile, AttorneyGeneral Mukul Rohatgi informed a Bench led by Justice Misra, in a mentioning, that the Centre has filed an interim application seeking to withdraw its notification of January 7 last year, bringing bulls back into the stable of performing animals under the 1960 Act in the light of the new law passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly on January 23. Justice Misra told Mr. Rohatgi that the government’s application would also be heard along with the applications filed by Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), Compassion Unlimited Plus Action, other animal rights organisations and activists against the Tamil Nadu law on January 31.

No proof of sabotage, wagon faults may have derailed train, says panel

States will continue during the presidency of Donald Trump,” said Tempa Tsering, senior Tibetan leader and adviser, who was present at the event. “The event was hosted by Ambassador Verma in honour of his visiting friend Hollywood star Richard Gere. Mr. Gere and Mr. Verma are old friends. Apart from Dr. Lobsang Sangay, several U.S. diplomats also met us,” Mr. Tsering said. ‘Back on global table’ Mr. Tsering said Tibet had returned to the global table once again after a brief period. “The humanitarian aspects of the Tibetan issue cannot be brushed aside,” he said.

the protests. Though the State had promulgated an ordinance facilitating the bull taming sport to honour people’s sentiments, a section of the protesters sought to raise unrelated demands, such as a solution for the Cauvery river water sharing row and a ban on products of multinational companies, he said. “A section of protesters even demanded that Tamil Nadu be declared an independent nation and that Republic Day be declared a black day,” he said, adding there were images of Osama bin Laden on the protesters’ placards.

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NEW DELHI: The Commission of Railway Safety (CRS) has not found any evidence of sabotage in the November 20 derailment of the Indore-Rajendranagar Express. The Commission has identified ‘carriage and wagon defects’ as the prime reason for the accident, which resulted in the most number of casualties in a train accident in over a decade. Over 140 people died in

JAIPUR: Activists of a fringe

group stalled the shooting of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s historical film Padmavati at Jaigarh Fort here on Friday by assaulting the filmmaker and vandalising the sets, alleging that the movie was trying to distort history. Though no formal complaint has been lodged against the group and no FIR has been registered, the police said they have detained five persons for disturbing peace. Film unit attacked Activists of Karni Sena attacked the film unit members, broke the equipment and vandalised the sets, al-

the accident. The Ministry of Home Afairs had asked the National Investigation

Agency (NIA) to probe the accident. Railway Minister Suresh

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Shanmuganathan cited health grounds to quit

Congress a sinking ship, don’t trust it, Modi tells Punjab

VIJAITA SINGH

VIKAS VASUDEVA

NEW DELHI: Meghalaya Gov-

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the Congress was a “sinking ship” breathing its last — “a thing of the past,” which has, over the years, been involved in the politics of destruction and not development. Mr. Modi was addressing a rally here to boost the electoral prospects of the AkaliBJP combine, which is battling anti-incumbency after nearly 10 years in power in the State. Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal was also present at the rally. Hitting out at the Congress, the Prime Minister said the party was on its last

ernor V. Shanmuganathan, who resigned on Thursday following complaints of sexual harassment, has said in his letter to President Pranab Mukherjee that he was demitting oice on “health grounds,” a senior government oicial told The Hindu. Mr. Shanmuganathan’s resignation was accepted by the President on Friday. The oicial said he resigned at 9 p.m. on Thursday. Earlier in the day, he took the salute at the Republic Day parade in Itanagar.

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Bhansali assaulted on Padmavati sets MOHAMMED IQBAL

OFF THE TRACK: Derailment of the Indore-Rajendranagar Express near Kanpur claimed over 140 lives. — FILE PHOTO: RAJEEV BHATT

Prabhu had written to Home Minister Rajnath Singh about the possibility of sabotage in six train accidents, including the derailment of the Patna-bound Indore-Rajendranagar Express near Kanpur on November 20. While the Bihar Police claimed to have arrested a few people who could have been linked to the possible sabotage of the Indore-Rajendranagar Express, Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police Javeed Ahmed told The Hindu earlier this week that there was no evidence on the ground to corroborate the sabotage charge.

leging that the film was presenting wrong facts about Rajput queen Padmawati. “Distortion of historical facts will not be tolerated,” said Karni Sena chief Narain Singh, as the accompanying members raised slogans against the filmmaker. Historic theme In the movie, based on the historical theme of battles to take control of the Chittorgarh Fort, Deepika Padukone is playing Padmavati and Ranveer Singh is essaying the role of Alauddin Khilji, the second ruler of the Khilji dynasty. After the incident, the director decided not to go ahead with the shooting in the State.

Amarinder is CM candidate: Rahul

JALANDHAR:

Narendra Modi speaks at a rally in Jalandhar on Friday. — PHOTO: AFP

legs and making all-out efforts to save its political existence by compromising all values through political opportunism. “They [the Congress] used

MAJITHA (PUNJAB): Rahul Gandhi on Friday said Capt. Amarinder Singh would be the Congress’s chief ministerial candidate for Punjab. He said Punjab’s CM should be from Punjab, in a dig at Arvind Kejriwal, alleging he was trying to run the State from Delhi. PAGE 12

to oppose Communists in West Bengal but just to grab power, later joined hands with them...”

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Woman priest held for cheating jeweller SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT AHMEDABAD: A woman priest at

a temple in Banaskantha district of North Gujarat has been arrested on charges of cheating a jeweller of ₨5 crore. The police have seized ₨1.25 crore in new currency bills and 2.4 kg in gold bars from Sadhvi Jaishri Giri. “We raided her place in Palanpur and recovered ₨1.25 crore in cash, all in ₨2000

notes and 24 gold bars, each of 100 gm,” said Banaskantha Superintendent of Police (SP) Neeraj Badgujar, adding. Liquor seized The police also recovered two dozen liquor bottles from her residence. A local jeweller had lodged a complaint that Sadhvi Jaishri Giri bought gold bars worth ₨5 crore and did not make payment after tak-

ing delivery of the gold, the district police head said. She did not elaborate on how she managed to get ₨1.25 crore in new currency notes when there is a limit on withdrawals from banks. Following her arrest, she was suspended from the temple. “She is a fraud, not a Sadhvi. There are several cases against her,” a local priest from the district said. After her arrest, Sadhvi was given bail.

Footwear sans back strap is sandal, not chappal: HC sought an opinion from the Council of Leather Exports, which cleared the export consignment as sandals. It was now the turn of the Customs to move the Council, which sought the opinion of the Footwear Design and Development Institute (FDDI) in Noida.

AKANKSHA JAIN NEW DELHI: Is a woman’s footwear without a back strap a “sandal” or a “chappal”? The Delhi High Court ruled earlier this week that it is a “sandal.” The judgment came after a Chennai-based footwear manufacturer, Wishall International, challenged the Centre’s position that a woman’s footwear without a back strap is a chappal and not a sandal.

Duty drawback At the core of the dispute is the Centre’s order that export of sandals attracts 10% customs duty drawback while export of chappals attracts only 5% drawback. A customs duty drawback is a refund given to business houses or manufacturers who import machinery or raw material in order to export their product. CM YK

FRONT FOOT: Go by popular parlance, the high court ruled. These manufacturers pay import duty on purchase of the raw material but can later claim a drawback, or refund on the duty paid, as they export their product. This is done to encourage exports. Wishall demanded duty drawback at 10%, claiming their products were sandals but the Centre and Revenue Department claimed they were

chappals and hence the company was entitled to only 5% drawback. The dispute broke out in May 2003 when the company filed a shipping bill to export “ladies leather sandals.” The Customs Department in New Delhi, however, said the export consignment were chappals not sandals. The company then

FDDI ruling The FDDI ruled the product to be chappals. Following this, the Customs served a showcause notice on the company, demanding recovery of the drawback already paid at 10% as well as a penalty. The dispute ultimately landed before the Delhi High Court. The company said the fact that the product did not contain a back strap did not “detract from the fact that they were known to the users as sandals”. A Bench of Justice S. Ravindra Bhat and Justice

Najmi Waziri ruled that the Centre and the Revenue Department “acted upon prejudice and a preconceived notion that ladies sandals cannot be without a back strap.” “The Council, a Central government body, which routinely deals with these issues, had furnished an opinion that the goods were sandals and not chappals. Apart from this, the court wonders whether any of the experts in this case was a woman, the ultimate customers,” the Bench said. Relied on SC ruling The court relied on a 1989 Supreme Court judgment which held that if any expression in the statute, in this case sandal and chappal, then the items in the Customs entries should be judged on the basis of how these expressions are used in popular parlance. ND-ND

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THE HINDU SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2017

Kofi Annan praises mohalla clinics

‘Proposed Jat stir aimed at pressurising BJP govt’

Former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has lauded the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government’s mohalla clinics for providing free primary healthcare Page 4

The proposed Jat agitation in Haryana later this month is looking to pressurise the government into fulfilling the promises made after the agitation last year Page 5

NGT clears way for vintage car rally Around 75 vintage and classic cars from India, 15 cars and 25 bikes from other countries will take part der dated November 26, 2014, with regard to its applicability to vintage car rally for participation in the the seventh edition of ‘21 Gun Salute International Vintage Car Rally & Concours Show-2017’ to be held from February 17 to 19,” the plea said.

STAFF REPORTER NEW DELHI: The National Green

Tribunal (NGT) has allowed the 21 Gun Salute International Vintage Car Rally to be held by agreeing to make an exception to its order that banned vehicles older than 15 years from plying on Delhi roads. A Bench headed by NGT chief Justice Swatanter Kumar granted permission to organise the seventh edition of the rally in the Capital next month. “We permit this rally as a one-time event from February 17 to 19,’’ the Bench said. The order came on a plea filed by Madan Mohan, founder trustee of the 21 Gun Salute Heritage and Cultural Trust and organiser of the auto show. He has proposed to organise the event to raise funds for spastic children.

The panel made an exception to its order banning vehicles older than 15 years from plying on Delhi roads

HOT WHEELS: Earlier, the tribunal had allowed the 5th and 6th editions of the rally by relaxing the ban. FILE PHOTO: SHANKER CHAKRAVARTY As many as 75 vintage and classic cars from India, 15 cars and 25 bikes from other countries are expected to be on display. ‘Maharaja’ cars Also, exclusive ‘Maharaja’

cars are scheduled to participate in the three-day event. Event to begin on Feb 17 The rally, with the theme ‘motivation is what keeps you going’, is scheduled to be flagged of from the Red Fort

on February 17 and culminate at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida, followed by a ceremonial drive, the plea said. “The application is being filed for clarification or exemption from the NGT’s or-

Supporting a cause Filed through advocate P V Raghunandan, it also said: “It is pertinent to mention here that in the rallies held in the past, spastic and blind children have been associated and have benefited from the same as they not only took part in the rally, but also received part of the proceeds from the organisers. In this rally, spastic children and blind children will be associated.’’ The petition has sought exemption from the NGT’s order of November 26, 2014, which banned from Delhi roads cars that were over 15 years old, disqualifying vintage cars from participating in any rally. Earlier, the tribunal had allowed the 5th and 6th editions of the rally by relaxing the ban.

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JNUSU organises protest at UGC door STAFF REPORTER NEW DELHI: Bringing the

debate around the UGC’s circular of May 2016, which changed admission norms for M.Phil and Ph.D admission, outside Jawaharlal Nehru University, the JNU Students’ Union organised a protest outside the Commission on Friday. After organising a meet outside the UGC oice on Bahadurshah Zafar Marg, JNUSU president Mohit Pandey and other members submitted a memorandum to the chairman and demanded that the regulations be revoked. According to the students, the UGC notification was not a “guideline”, but a “straightjacket” with rigid examination criteria, admission rules and the

criteria for the eligibility of research supervision. This, they said, grossly compromised the autonomy of universities, particularly those like JNU. Adverse impact They also pointed out that at a time when the Abdul Nafey committee constituted by the JNU administration had concluded that discrimination based on caste and ‘social group’ was a reality, and the students were fighting for interview marks to be reduced from ‘30% to 15%’ to mitigate the discrimination, the UGC notification demanded that the written exam be reduced to just a qualification. The students said that 100% dependence on interview would open the door for discretion,

discrimination and favouritism in the admission process. They pointed out that the new admission norm would kill the “deprivation points” system followed by JNU. The students also said that the notification, if implemented, would see a drastic reduction in the number of M.Phil and Ph.D seats available, with many centres unable to provide a single seat over the next few years. This because the guideline says that a research supervisor or co-supervisor, who is a professor at any given point of time, cannot guide more than three M.Phil and eight Ph.D scholars. The students have also demanded that no university should be forced to adopt the UGC’s 2016 regulations.

Include us in policy decisions impacting us, say sex workers BINDU SHAJAN PERAPPADAN NEW DELHI: ‘Nothing about us without us,’ the sex workers’ networks, which included the All India Network of Sex Workers (AINSW), said during a discussion here on Friday. Representing 90 sex workers’ organisations from 16 States and civil society organisations, the discussion concluded that the “time has come for all key stakeholders to place communities most vulnerable and caught in the cross-fire of traicking to be at the

centre of any consultation on change in law, policy or programme.” Organisations like the Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee (DMSC), Ashodaya Samithi, CREA, and women’s rights and legal experts Tripti Tandon and Mona Mishra were part of the discussion organised in the Capital. Airming support Speaking about the three regional consultations held between September and October 2016 with representatives from 43 sex work-

ers’ organisations from West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Telangana, Rupsa Mallik from CREA said that one demand was that “no policy decision on issues which directly or incidentally impact sex workers should be made without meaningful and inclusive consultation with sex workers.” In a release, the group maintained that “this was to airm support for the over

three million sex workers across the country, who have played an important role in bringing down HIV infections. It is also to urge civil society and women’s rights organisations to join a protest march on 8 March, which is International Women’s Day, to uphold the rights and dignity of some of the most marginalised sections of society.” Experts speak Human rights lawyer Tripti Tandon said that “with raid and rescue being synonymous with shock

and fear, what it destroys is trust and respect, which women need the most, to enable them to resist traicking.” ‘Violation of protocol’ Reinforcing this, women’s rights expert Mona Mishra said that “by conflating sex work and trafficking, the law enforcement agencies end up policing sex work, rounding up and intimidating women, often in violation of the protocols they have created to ensure humane rescue and rehabilitation.”

Govt hospitals to display rules for biomedical waste management STAFF REPORTER NEW DELHI: All Delhi govern-

ment hospitals, dispensaries and other healthcare centres have been directed to display the statutory rules for biomedical waste management on their websites and notice boards,as per directions issued by the Directorate General of Health Services. Display on websites According to the circular, “As per directions of the Health Minister, the Awareness Generation for Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016, are to be displayed on all Delhi government hospital websites and notice boards of Delhi government hospitals/dispensaries of DGHS and all healthcare facilities.” Biomedical waste comprises human and animal anatomical waste, treatment apparatus including needles, syringes and other material used in healthcare facilities. This waste is generated during diagnosis, treatment or immunisation in hospitals, nursing homes, pathological laboratories, blood banks, among others. The Delhi government runs 36 hospitals, with Lok Nayak Jaiprakash (LNJP) hospital being the biggest. Other hospitals under the city government include GB Pant Hospital, LBS Hospital and GTB Hospital.

ALLEGING DISCRIMINATION: JNUSU president Mohit Pandey and others submitted a memorandum to the UGC chairman and demanded that the regulations be revoked. FILE PHOTO: SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR

NSD theatre fest to begin from February 1 NEW DELHI: Theatre lovers are in for a feast with the 19th edition of the National School of Drama’s Bharat Rang Mahotsav ofering a bouquet of 94 performances in the course of two weeks. The annual theatre extravaganza, slated to run through from February 1 to 21, will see 14 foreign productions and 12 participating countries. The festival this year will centre around the theme ‘Whose Theatre is it Anyway’, and is a part of the World Theatre Forum and Allied Programmes, said NSD director Waman Kendre. “A live webcast of the Allied Programmes will be available,” Mr. Kendre added. A seminar titled ‘Actor at vanishing point’ will see

The extravaganza will offer 94 performances over a course of two weeks eminent as well as emerging personalities from the field of drama participate. “Who does the theatre belong to? will be the focus of the festival, and will be discussed in the presence of eminent directors from India and around the world,” said NSD professor Tripurari Sharma. The audience will be able to feast their eyes on performances from England, Russia, Italy, Israel, Turkey, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Romania, Malasiya, Sri Lanka,

Nepal and Bangladesh, along with performances from folk artistes from around India. The event will also hold its ‘Parallel Festival’, which will travel to five cities of Kurukshetra, Agartala, Patna, Pune and Hyderabad, in an attempt to bring artists, directors and viewers from these parts closer to the process of the theatre, said Mr. Kendre. This year’s theatre carnival will include three tributary plays in memory of Kavalam Narayan Pannikar, Heisnam Kanhailal and Prem Matiyani. “The festival will include ten traditional folk theatre performances from across the country making it the ultimate platform of interaction and education of theatre.” —PTI

Capital show

DECKED UP: Tableau artistes from Karnataka at the Rashtrapati Bhavan auditorium after performing before President Pranab Mukherjee ob Friday. PHOTO : R. V. MOORTHY

CINEMA KAABIL (New Release: Hrithik Roshan, Yami Gautam, Ronit Roy, Rohit Roy): Shiela, Delite, Moti, Amba, Eros One, Batra Reels, G3S (Rohini), PVR (Plaza, Rivoli, Priya, Saket, City Walk, Naraina, Vikaspuri, Prashant Vihar, EDM, Mahagun, Opulent), M2K (Rohini, Pitampura), DT (Saket, Shalimar Bagh, Vasant Kunj), Movie Time (Raja Garden, Pitampura), FUN (Moti Nagar, Pitampura, Laxmi Nagar, Karkardooma), Satyam (Patel Nagar, Nehru Place, Janakpuri), BIG (Odeon, Vaishali, Kaushambi, Noida), Wave (Raja Garden, Kaush-

CM YK

ambi, Noida), Cinepolis, Movie Palace, Movie Magic, Galaxie, Star X (Vaishali), Chaudhary (Ghaziabad), Movie World and Silver City (Ghaziabad), Inox and Q Cinemas (Faridabad). RAEES (New Release: Shah Rukh Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Mahira Khan): Regal, Abhishek Cineplex, Ritz, Amba, Liberty, Delite Diamond, Milan, Gagan, Seble, Suraj, G3S (Rohini), Eros One, Batra Reels, PVR (Plaza, Rivoli, Priya, Saket, City Walk, Naraina, Vikaspuri, Prashant Vihar, EDM), M2K (Rohini, Pitampura), Movie

Time (Raja Garden, Pitampura), FUN (Moti Nagar, Pitampura, Laxmi Nagar, Karkardooma), DT (Saket, Shalimar Bagh, Vasant Kunj), Satyam (Patel Nagar, Nehru Place, Janakpuri), BIG (Odeon, Vaishali, Kaushambi, Noida), Wave (Raja Garden, Kaushambi, Noida), SRS Cinemas, Spice (Noida), Galaxie, Star X (Vaishali), Movie Palace, Movie Magic, M4U, Chaudhary (Ghaziabad), Movie World and Silver City (Ghaziabad), Inox and Q Cinemas (Faridabad). xXx: RETURN OF XANDER CAGE (Hindi – 3D) (Deepika Padukone,

Vin Diesel): PVR (Rivoli), Movie Time Raja Garden), M2K (Rohini, Pitampura), Wave (Kaushambi), SRS Cinemas, Inox (Faridabad). DANGAL (Tax Free) (Aamir Khan, Sakshi Tanwar): PVR (Plaza, Rivoli, City Walk, Naraina, Vikaspuri, Prashant Vihar, EDM), Movie Time (Raja Garden, Pitampura), BIG (Odeon, Vaishali, Noida), SRS Cinemas, Spice Noida. (BOOKING ENQUIRIES: PVR 51513391; Spice Gold 012043890000; Satyam Cinemas 25797385; Delite 23272903; Wave 51832222) ND-ND

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Man held for duping politicians Latest victim was Jharkhand Revenue Minister Amar Kumar Bauri

Insurance firm fined for Former MP summoned rejecting car theft claim in LTC scam case NIRNIMESH KUMAR

SHUBHOMOY SIKDAR NEW DELHI: A court here has allowed a car owner to recover ₨3.5 lakh from Oriental Insurance Company for not approving his insurance claim after the theft of his vehicle in 1999. The Maruti Zen car of Madan Lal Gupta was stolen when it was parked in front of ABN Amro Bank on Parliament Street.

A 39-year-old former journalist and another person have been arrested for allegedly cheating influential people by boasting about their clout in various governments and political parties. The latest victim of main accused Sanjay Tiwari was a Minister in the Jharkhand Cabinet. The police said Tiwari tried to extort ₨2 lakh from Amar Kumar Bauri, Revenue, Registration and Land Minister in Jharkhand, by posing as BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav. Tiwari’s aide, Gaurav Sharma, on the other hand, impersonated as Mr. Madhav’s personal assistant.

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Extortion bid foiled “He [Sanjay] told the Minister that he needed to contribute for the party fund. On January 23, he sent a person to Jharkhand Bhawan to collect the money from Mr.Bauri,” said Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Ravindra Yadav. Mr. Bauri then called up Gaurav and expressed his desire to meet Mr. Madhav. Realising the danger, Gaurav told the Minister that Mr. Madhav was out of town. The forgery came to light

when the Minister dropped by Mr. Madhav’s oice the same day. Denying knowledge of the purported phone calls, the leader expressed shock over the incident. On Tuesday, a case in this connection was registered on the complaint of Sushant Kumar Mukherjee, personal assistant to Mr. Bauri. Tiwari also told the police that it was while working as an assistant to a former national general secretary of BJP that he conned many

leaders across the country by promising them party posts and election tickets in lieu of money. His victims included Achoba Singh, ex-Deputy Chief Minister, Manipur; Pramila Rani of Assam BJP; and H. R. Joshan, ex-MLA from Punjab Congress, among others. Target list He told the police that he mostly targeted those from the Northeast who did not

have enough access to Delhi leaders. “He would target those leaders who had high aspirations and then lure them on the pretext of giving them tickets, greater roles in their parties or other favours,” said Mr. Yadav. Tiwari also allegedly impersonated as BJP national president Amit Shah and Congress president Sonia Gandhi's personal secretary Madhavan while cheating the leaders.

Case registered He immediately lodged an FIR with the Connaught Place police. A month later, he filed a claim with the insurance company after the police reported the vehicle as untraced. However, the company failed to process his claim despite it being repeatedly approached. After getting no reply to his legal notice to the company, Mr. Gupta approached the con-

sumer forum but he later withdrew his complaint in view of it being time-barred. Finally, he filed a suit in 2013 in the court of Additional District Judge Kamini Lau for the recovery of his claim. The insurer opposed the suit arguing that it was timebarred. But Dr. Lau dismissed the argument. “The defendant [insurance company] had received all the required documents from the plaintif with regard to his claim, and it is on the basis of the same that they had informed the plaintif [in 2015] that the matter was still pending,’’ Dr. Lau said. “Hence, Ithe plaintif is entitled to the recovery of the claim of ₨3,50,000,’’ the judge ordered. The court also permitted the car owner to recover the amount at the rate of 8 % interest per year from the insurance company for the agony caused to him.

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT NEW DELHI: A court here has summoned former Rajya Sabha MP Mahmood A. Madani as an accused in the Leave Travel Concessions (LTC) scam case of 2012.

Hearing on February 21 Taking cognisance of the chargesheet filed by the CBI in the matter, Special Judge Anju Bajaj Chandna asked the former Parliamentarian and his former personal assistant Mohammad Mubashir to appear before the court on February 21. “There is suicient material on record to proceed against the accused persons for the offences punishable under Sec-

tions 120-B (criminal conspiracy) read with 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (using forged document as genuine) of the IPC and Section 13(1)(d) read with Section 13(2) (criminal misconduct by public servant) of the Prevention of Corruption Act ,’’ the judge said. ‘Criminal conspiracy’ The CBI in its charge-sheet had alleged that Madani had entered into a criminal conspiracy with Mohammad Mubashir and submitted LTA claims on the basis of forged e-tickets and cheated the office of the Rajya Sabha Secretariat of ₨5,75,135.

Scribe who used sting ops. to make money SHUBHOMOY SIKDAR NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police describe Tiwari as a “daredevil and a cunning cheat” who extorted money by making sting videos and duped people using a lot of “confidence and attitude”. His fearlessness, perhaps, goes back to this school days, when Tiwari exposed a wrongdoing. As a student of a government school in his village in Uttar Pradesh’s Faizabad district, he informed the school authorities that copying was rampant in school. But instead of believing him, the principal punished him. “A few months later, when the then Education Minister of Uttar Pradesh visited his school, he told him what he had told the authorities. The same principal then rewarded him with ₨50 and took

Tiwari was impressed by the fact that former Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal had earned a lot of fame by conducting sting operations action,” said a police source. From rags to riches A few years later, he arrived in the Capital with only ₨70 in his pocket. Today, he is reported to have made over ₨10 crore through cheating and owns at least two flats in the city, said the police. “He started his career by reading poems for the All India Radio’s Yuvavani

programme every week. But he had bigger ambitions, which a school dropout like him could not fulfill easily,” said a police source. He then decided to work as a news stringer. His sound observational skills fetched him work, and he got his break in a news channel which was launching. He also started writing for a weekly column in a popular national Hindi daily, and brought out two publications of his own. But his life changed when he met former Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal in the early 2000s, said the police. Raking in the moolah “He was bedazzled by the fact that the journalist had a Z-plus security cover and that sting operations had brought Mr. Tejpal a lot of fame,” said a police oicer.

He conducted several sting operations from there on, some of which were not aired in exchange of hefty amounts. For example, he busted several prominent Uttar Pradesh politicians in 2005, for which he purportedly received ₨5 crore. In between, he conducted more sting operations and tried to extort money such as one on a LPG gas pilferage. He was booked in the case as well, said the police. He also purportedly told the police that extorting money through sting operations had become diicult since the Modi government came to power. To manage his business, he roped in Gaurav Sharma and together they hired boys to collect or deliver money without letting them know what the money was meant for.

‘Worked as PA of BJP leader’ SHUBHOMOY SIKDAR NEW DELHI: It was while work-

ing as a personal assistant to former BJP general secretary Tapir Gao that Sanjay Tiwari allegedly met several party leaders and took money from them. Wielding influence According to the police, Tiwari claimed to have worked with Mr. Gao for several months in 2014 during which he met several leaders and workers of BJP, mainly from the Northeast. “During this period, he reportedly learnt how to use the names of those in the top echelon to wield influence,” said a police oicer. Tiwari said he stopped going to the BJP oice when Mr. Gao left, as another general Secretary, Ram Shankar Katheria, refused to entertain him. Mr. Gao, meanwhile, denied knowing Tiwari.

NABBED: The accused at the Delhi Police Headquarters on Friday. PHOTO: SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR. Talking to The Hindu over the phone, he said he never had a PA by that name. Leader recounts He, however, said he had met one Sanjay Tiwari in 2014. The person had allegedly approached him with the request of making a call to the then Nagaland

Chief Minister for clearing a proposal. “I told him that I could not grant his request as we do not have the system of general secretaries making calls to the Chief Minister telling them what to do. I never met him again,” said Mr. Gao. Mr. Katheria, too, denied having ever met Tiwari.

(IIC), 6:30 p.m. Talk: “Humanism in different religions” by Arif Mohammed Khan, former Minister and author of “Text and Context: Quran and Contemporary Challenges”, at Conference Room II, India International Centre (IIC), 6:30 p.m. Music and Talk: Gunijan Sabha Verse 18 with Dr.Varsha Agrawal, first woman santoor performer, accompanied on sitar by Dr. Asit Goswami and Pt. Lalit Mahant on tabla, at Amaltas Hall, India Habitat Centre (IHC) 7 p.m. Talk: Discussion on stress and ad-

aptation of families of children with special needs; panelists: Dr.Monalisa Palit, Dr.Shivani Agarwal, Dr.Deepali Rao and Dr.Neetu Rana, at Casuarina Hall, India Habitat Centre (IHC) 7 p.m. Sports: Opening ceremony of the 3rd International Young Chef Olympiad 2017 (YCO 2017), at Talkatora Indoor Stadium, 6:30 p.m. Exhibition: An exhibition of handicrafts by Sharmila Sen, at The Centre Attrium, India Habitat Centre (IHC), 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. (Mail your listings for this column at [email protected])

DELHI TODAY Talk and Music: “Bapu: The undying flame” to commemorate Martyr’s Day; “ The Final Days of Gandhi” by Prof. Apoorvanand. Bhajan Sandhya: Sonam Kalra; instrumental Bhajan Sandhya: Ahsan Ali (sarangi); Amaan Ali Khan (tabla) and Rajesh Prasanna (flute), at C.D. Deshmukh Auditorium, India International Centre (IIC), 6:30 p.m. Talk: Discussion on “nationalism”, in conversation – Srinath Raghavan and Mukul Kesavan, at Seminar Rooms II & III, Kamaladevi Complex, India International Centre

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

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Kofi Annan praises mohalla clinics Former United Nations Secretary-General writes to Arvind Kejriwal, says initiative is ‘impressive’ STAFF REPORTER NEW DELHI: Former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has lauded the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government’s mohalla clinics initiative for providing free primary healthcare. In a letter to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Mr. Annan said that the initiative was “consistent with the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) goal” of the World Health Organisation.

‘We commend you’ Mr. Annan wrote that the mohalla clinic scheme was ‘successful and impressive’ and added: “You have scaled up the provision of universal free health services, most notably in providing free primary healthcare services through your mohalla clinics. We understand that this initiative is proving very successful and we commend you on this impressive achievement”. Mr Annan heads ‘The Elders’, an independent organ-

SUV rams cab, one injured

You have scaled up the provision of universal free health services through your mohalla clinics... we commend you on this impressive achievement come up in planned and regularised colonies. At these clinics, patients get their tests, medicine and doctor consultation for free.

isation promoting peace, justice and human rights worldwide. “We are aware that your administration has implemented a series of health re-

forms consistent with the UHC goal,” Mr. Annan wrote, referring to the World Health Organisation initiative to enable people to receive health services they

need without sufering financial hardship. The Delhi government has plans to construct some 1,000 mohalla clinics. Around 108 have already

‘Extend health coverage’ When all the mohalla clinics are built, Delhi will be a saturated model state for healthcare, wrote the former UN Secretary-General. “We believe you could further extend health coverage in Delhi and provide further important lessons for other Indian States embarking on their Universal Health Coverage journeys”.

Beating the drum

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High

Court has stayed the order of the Central Information Commission (CIC) directing the Tihar jail authorities and the Delhi government to compensate a convict who was incarcerated beyond his period of sentence. Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva stayed the July 25, 2016 order of the CIC by which the State

NEW DELHI: Noting the near-

chaotic situation created by irregular parking in Green Park, which is holding the residents “at ransom”, the Delhi High Court has asked the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) to consider the proposal of the Delhi Police to create a multi-level parking. “This court emphasises the need of a multi-level parking in Green Park, as suggested by the Delhi Police. The SDMC, in coordination with other statutory bodies, may consider this proposal in a positive light and endeavour to implement it,” said Justice Indermeet Kaur. The SDMC has said that it will consider the proposal. ‘Reduce congestion’ The court also directed that a round-the-clock vigil be maintained by the police in the local market of Green Park to ensure that there is no traic violation and that traic flow is unhindered. CM YK

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Commis-

sion for Women (DCW) on Friday issued a notice to the principal of Miranda House over a circular issued by the college imposing a ban on taking selfies and combing hair in its corridors. Seeks reply in seven days The notice comes after a delegation of students approached the commission complaining about the “misogynistic” circular on Wednesday. “We have received a rep-

resentation from students alleging that discriminatory practices are being adopted by the college and such a misogynistic circular has been issued. We have asked for a point-wise reply from the college within seven days,” a DCW oicial said. The circular, directed to School for Open learning students who attend Sunday classes at the college, stated that clicking selfies, combing hair and modelling in corridors amounts to “misutilisation” of time and students doing so might face suspension for a day.

The students had staged a protest last week demanding that the circular be rolled back. ‘To ensure safety’ College principal Pratibha Jolly had earlier said that the circular wasn’t signed by her. “Why would we restrict students from taking selfies? There is no such policy in the college. It won’t be imposed on students.” Later, however, Ms. Jolly had said that the notice was aimed at ensuring “safety” of students and it was only “suggestive” in nature.

NEW DELHI: Delay in disbursing

pensions for senior citizens, widows and diferentlyabled beneficiaries of the South Delhi Municipal Corporation’s (SDMC) social welfare schemes led to noisy scenes at a meeting of the House on Friday, with the Opposition demanding the pending payments be made immediately. The SDMC is lagging behind on pension payments to its 80,000 beneficiaries, having not disbursed the monthly ₨1,000 per person for 18 months.

IN TUNE: The Tri Services Band performs during full-dress rehearsal of the Beating Retreat ceremony at Vijay Chowk. PHOTO: SANDEEP SAXENA

was told to pay suitable compensation and cost of ₨1,000 to one O. P. Gandhi for detaining him in prison for 18 extra days. ‘Declare policy on matter’ The CIC had also directed the Delhi government and the jail authorities to declare their policy — in the form of a citizen charter under the Right to Information Act — regarding the system of com-

pensating inmates who have been incarcerated beyond their period of sentence. Jurisdiction issue Challenging the CIC order in the High Court, the Delhi government said that the commission could not ask the State to declare such a policy. The Delhi government’s counsel Satyakam said that the CIC had heard the matter

Consider multi-level parking in Green Park, HC tells SDMC AKANKSHA JAIN

STAFF REPORTER

STAFF REPORTER

HC stays CIC order asking govt, Tihar to compensate convict AKANKSHA JAIN

DCW notice to Miranda House over ‘misogynistic’ circular

Ahead of civic polls, politics over delay in pension payout

STAFF REPORTER NEW DELHI: A taxi driver was injured when an SUV allegedly rammed his vehicle near north Delhi’s Majnu Ka Tilla on Thursday. The incident happened when the victim, Ashok Kumar, was going to ISBT after dropping a passenger at Punjabi Bagh. He had slowed down near a bus stop ahead of the Majnu Ka Tilla Gurudwara when a white Range Rover allegedly hit his car from behind. The police said the SUV was being driven by one Sandeep, who lost control of the vehicle while trying to avoid hitting a divider. The police were informed by an auto driver, who also allegedly stopped Sandeep from fleeing. “The driver’s phone had fallen out of the car, when he stepped out to get it, an auto driver removed the SUV’s key,” said Ashok. Police booked Sandeep for rash and negligent driving.

UNDER THE LENS: Circular said clicking selfies is ‘misutilisation’ of time. FILE PHOTO: SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR

The court gave the directions while deciding a petition moved by the Green Park Association (GPA). Expansion of parking lot The association had come to court saying the ground floor of the property at S-1 to S-39 of Green Park Main was declared a local market area with a 40-foot lawn in the front. This area, i.e. S-1 To S-39, abuts a 60-foot wide road. On the other side, there are residential houses, G-31 to G-56. This 60-foot street has been converted into a parking area, which has since been handed over to a contractor. In June-July 2006, the corporation broke10 feet from the 40-foot lawn/ footpath in front of shop No. S-1 to S-39 and converted it into an alleged parking area. It also demarcated the opposite side of the market, i.e. G-31 to G-56, as an authorised parking area, said the petitioner. The court directed that the parking contractor will

“as far as possible endeavour to coordinate with the GPA and with the active assistance of the Delhi Police ensure that there is no traic congestion at the site”. ‘Free parking for one car’ “Regarding the undertaking of the SDMC that the contractor will not be charging a parking fee from locals, the facility would be confined to one vehicle per person/oice/ shop,” the court said. In its counter aidavit, the SDMC told the court that as per the approved layout plan of the area, the parking area is not a part of the main road but is adjacent to the 60-foot wide street. The SDMC stated that the shop owners had started using the ‘lawn’ for parking their own vehicles and that it was never maintained as a lawn at any point of time. It added that because commuters were facing diiculties, the area was converted by the SDMC into an authorised parking zone in public interest.

No shortage of funds This is despite the fact that the BJP-led civic body has repeatedly said that it has no shortage of funds, unlike its counterparts in the north and east Delhi civic bodies. The SDMC leaders have said the delays occurred on account of ongoing litigation and then a decision of the Centre making Aadhaar cards mandatory. The civic body is in the process of collecting the Aadhaar details and verifying them. With elections slated for April, pensions became the hot topic in the House. The Congress stormed the well of the House, demanding that pending pensions for a period of one year be released within a week. Shouting slogans against the BJP,

AT A LOSS: Beneficiaries of the civic body scheme have not been paid their pension in 18 months. FILE PHOTO the Congress councillors forced Mayor Shyam Sharma to adjourn the meeting temporarily. When the meeting reconvened, the Mayor announced that pensions for 12 months would be disbursed within a week. This was not enough for the protesting Congress councillors, who wanted Mr. Sharma to announce a schedule for releasing the remaining eight months’ pensions.

complicate matters before the elections. If the SDMC disburses pensions, voters in north and east Delhi can question the BJP as to why their civic bodies are unable to do so too, said a senior leader in the south corporation. ‘May take 15 days’ Meanwhile, the pensions for 12 months could take longer to disburse. Though he announced that pensions would be disbursed within a week in the House, the Mayor issued a statement later on Friday evening saying that the amount would be released within 15 days. Mr. Sharma said that the SDMC was aware of the “diiculties” being faced by pensioners and would come up with a plan to release the remaining pension soon.

as if it was deciding a writ petition and it could not have passed such an order, which is outside the scope of the Right to Information Act. In the instant case, Gandhi was arrested in a case of dishonour of cheque on November 23, 2010. He was granted bail after a month. After a trial, which went on for three months, he was convicted on November 26, 2013 and sentenced to one-year simple

imprisonment. Gandhi was to be released on October 24, 2014 but earned remission of 83 days, which brought the release date to August 2, 2014, but he was not released. Gandhi then filed 36 RTIs concerning his illegal detention and the time within which he would get compensation. The Tihar jail authorities replied that the information sought is not covered under the RTI Act.

Wanted criminal arrested after ‘encounter’

BJP accuses AAP of ‘selling false promises’ in Punjab

EDMC workers hold rally

STAFF REPORTER

STAFF REPORTER

NEW DELHI: An alleged criminal

NEW DELHI: The Delhi BJP on

who had a bounty of ₨50,000 on his head was arrested by the police following an alleged encounter where he fired upon two oicers, said the police. The gunbattle broke out in south-east Delh’s Okhla on Thursday night. The accused has been identified as Kasimullah, a native of Bulandshahr in UP. The oicers who were shot at survived because of their bulletproof jackets, said the police. Police said they got a tip-of on January 26 that Kasim would come to Okhla Mandi to claim extortion money. “Around 1.40 a.m., Kasim was spotted on a motorcycle. We ordered him to stop as he was exiting the mandi on to Captain Gaur Marg, but he sped towards Modi Mill flyover,” said the police. The police gave chase and at the entry of Okhla PhaseIII, near Modi Mill flyover, a police vehicle rammed the motorcycle. Kasim fell and then opened fire. Police said that Kasim fired four rounds before being overpowered. “In self defence, police also fired three shots,” said DCP (South East) Romil Baaniya.

Friday accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of “selling false promises” to the people of Punjab and alleged that the party’s manifesto for the upcoming elections was a “cut and paste” job from a list of unfulfilled promises made to the people of the Capital. Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari said that the party hoped that the people of Punjab would learn from the bad experiences of Delhiites and “save Punjab from the deception of Kejriwal”.

NEW DELHI: Employees of the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) on Friday held a rally against the Delhi government and blamed it for delaying disbursement of funds to the civic body. The EDMC, which has been struggling financially for years now, has seen six strikes by sanitation workers in the past two years as it has been unable to pay staf on time. Though the most recent strike ended on January 16, after the Delhi government gave the EDMC funds to pay sanitation workers, the other employees have not been paid for two to three months.

‘No action taken’ Mr. Tiwari said that analysis of the promises made by the AAP would form the core of the “Pol-Khol” campaign being undertaken by the BJP’s Yuva Morcha in the State over the next three days. The Delhi government, Mr. Tiwari said, has not taken any “concrete step” for the victims of the 1984 antiSikh riots till date: “It did not release for long time the additional compensation declared by the Centre in 2014. It only did so when the Delhi BJP warned of taking the

Give pensions now: Cong “We managed to force the BJP to make the announcement, which they were trying to avoid. It seems the BJP is stalling the payment of pensions,” Leader of the Opposition Farhad Suri said after the meeting. Leaders and oicials in the SDMC said that the BJP office-bearers did not want to

AMMUNITION: Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari said that the analysis of the poll promises made by the AAP would form the core of the ‘Pol-Khol’ campaign in Punjab. FILE PHOTO: SHANKER CHAKRAVARTY matter to the court”. “The Kejriwal government is also not co-operating with the SIT formed by the Centre for investigation of the riot cases,” Mr. Tiwari claimed. ‘No progress’ The BJP leader also accused the AAP government of not opening a single new night shelter or progressing further on its promise of re-

habilitating residents of slum clusters. In regards to the health sector, the BJP said that not even one hospital had begun construction and no beds have been added to existing facilities. “Not a single new skill development centre has been opened in Delhi in the last two years. There is also no arrangement for vocational training schools,” Mr. Tiwari said.

STAFF REPORTER

‘Not paid for four months’ On Friday, EDMC workers held a two-wheeler rally from Trilokpuri till Gokalpuri, shouting slogans against the Aam Aadmi Party government. “There are some departments where employees have not been paid for four months. The EDMC tells us that they don’t have the money. We will be left with no option but to protest and strike again,” said Sanjay Gehlot, of the MCD Swachhta Karamchari Union, which organised the rally. ND-ND

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‘Proposed Jat stir will pressurise BJP’ Agitation timed to impact party’s prospects in poll-bound UP, Punjab, Uttarakhand: Yashpal Malik

NCR planning board orders review of loans of delayed projects STAFF REPORTER

ASHOK KUMAR NEW DELHI: Taking a serious GURUGRAM: The proposed Jat

agitation in Haryana later this month is primarily looking to pressurise the government into fulfilling the promises made to the community after the agitation last year, said Akhil Bharatiya Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti national president Yashpal Malik. Among the promises made were withdrawal of cases lodged against the agitators. ‘Govt not serious’ Alleging that the present BJP government did not appear to be very serious about granting reservation to Jats, Mr. Malik said the agitation was timed to impact the BJP’s prospects in the pollbound States of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Uttarakhand. “After holding rallies in these States, we are now conducting door-todoor campaigns against BJP candidates. It is likely to impact 125 assembly constituencies in Uttar Pradesh, 20 in Uttarakhand and the entire Punjab,” said the Jat leader. Broken promises “It is being said that the proposed agitation is to demand reservation for the Jats, despite the matter being in the Punjab and Haryana

When the BJP govt can withdraw cases against the Patels in Gujarat, why can’t they do the same in Haryana?

TOUGH CALL: The Jat leader said the protest would seek fulfillment of the promises made after the agitation last year. FILE PHOTO High Court. Yes, it is one of our demands, but the agitation starting from January 29 is more about pressurising the government into fulfilling the promises it made last year after the agitation. We had met the government on February 22, March 18, and again on June 18 last year, after which the government had promised to withdraw cases against the agitators, grant ex-gratia to the injured and jobs to the next of kin of the martyrs. But, none of these promises were kept,” said Mr. Malik, speaking to The Hindu over phone from

Uttar Pradesh. He claimed that 25,000 people were booked in February last year with 2,100 cases yet to be withdrawn. Awaiting ex-gratia “While 18 people attained martyrdom and 300 sustained injuries during the agitation last year, 67 are still behind bars. Though the government has granted ex-gratia to the martyrs, their families are still waiting for jobs. The injured, too, are waiting for the ex-gratia. When the BJP government can withdraw cases against the Patels

in Gujarat and grant ex-gratia to victims of pellet gun injuries in Kashmir, why can’t they do the same in Haryana?” asked the Jat leader. Mr. Malik added that one of their major demands was action against the BJP’s Kurukshetra MP Raj Kumar Saini for repeatedly making unsavoury remarks against eminent Jat personalities and creating bad blood between communities. Peaceful protest this time Also, he asserted that peaceful dharnas would be held in rural areas across

Haryana, excluding Gurugram, Panchkula and Mewat. “These districts have been left out as they are predominantly urbanised. But there are demands for agitation from here as well. People from all 36 communities would take part in these dharnas, but will not indulge in any violence. Rail and road traic will not be disrupted. The purpose is to garner support for the agitation and pressurise the government,” said Mr. Malik while adding that a majority of Khaps were supporting the agitation.

Maruti arson: defence says charges against workers ‘contradictory’ ASHOK KUMAR GURUGRAM: Concluding her

arguments in connection with 13 of the accused in the Maruti violence case at a lower court here, senior advocate Rebecca John on Friday said that there was contradiction in charges levelled against the accused and also alleged a “nexus” between the police and the Maruti company. Seeking to demolish the charges invoked against the 13 accused represented by her, Ms. John pointed out that Section 149 (unlawful assembly) and Section 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the

CM YK

Indian Penal Code were “inherently incompatible” and could not be put together. ‘Incompatible sections’ “While the criminal conspiracy as defined in Section 120B of the IPC must precede the crime, the Section 149 of the IPC is invoked when unlawful assembly, object and crime take place simultaneously. Both these sections are incompatible and cannot be invoked together,” said Ms. John, arguing in the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge R.P. Goyal. Referring to deposition

of one of the prosecution witnesses, she further argued that the situation inside the company was peaceful till 7 p.m. and negotiations were going on, therefore there could be no criminal conspiracy. “Also, the accused were oice-bearers of the workers’ union and their presence on the company’s premises could not be termed as unlawful assembly,” contended Ms. John, who has appeared pro bono in the case. No evidence She also rejected the charges under Section 436

(mischief by fire or explosive substance) saying that the prosecution had failed to establish as to who had lit the fire. She asserted that the charge of destruction of evidence under Section 201 of the IPC also did not hold water as the prosecution had failed to identify the people who allegedly set the CCTV cameras on fire. ‘Unholy nexus’ Accusing nexus between the police and the Maruti company, Ms. John questioned as to what business the police had to visit the Japanese hostel to

record the statements of the injured management oicials. “Many of those injured have accepted that the police visited the company's Japanese hostel to record their statements. It points to unholy nexus between the police and the Maruti company,” said Ms. John. She further argued that seven to eight days’ delay in recording the statements of the victims, witnesses naming the workers alphabetically, failure to hold Test Identification Parade and bogus recovery of match box pointed to “dishonest investigation”.

view of delays in execution of projects aided by the NCR Planning Board (NCRPB), the Urban Development Ministry has directed a review of loan for a multistorey oice complex in Delhi’s Karkardooma area. The Ministry is concerned about the delay in execution of projects which were extended financial support by the NCRPB, a Ministry spokesperson said. Rajiv Gauba, Secretary, Urban Development, has conveyed it to the concerned States that any further sanction of loan support to such projects would be based on their progress. Chairing a meeting of the Project Sanctioning and Monitoring Group in Delhi on Friday, Mr. Gauba directed a review of the loan sanctioned for the construction of a multi-storeyed oice building at Karkardooma institutional area in East Delhi.

States told that further sanction of loan to projects would depend on execution, progress He sought to know if the loan should be cancelled on account of lack of any progress since the sanction of the first instalment of ₨20 crore in 2013. Reminder for Haryana The Haryana government was also told that NCRPB support for various infrastructure projects would be considered only after the long-pending issues relating to Asian Development Bankfunded road projects sanctioned in the past were resolved, the spokesperson said. The Project Sanctioning and Monitoring Group of NCRPB informed the Haryana government that loan assistance of ₨168 crore, sanctioned for the ₨223 crore Manesar Water Supply Project, would be

reviewed if the project work was not started at the earliest. The first instalment of ₨31.13 crore was released for this project in March 2016 and the Haryana State Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation has not submitted any progress report so far, the spokesperson said. Loan rejected The Group also declined to consider a loan of ₨270 crore sought by the Haryana Metro Rail Transport Corporation for extension of the Metro Link from Mundka to Bahadurgarh, stating that it was not in conformity with the original financing plan, he said. The group on Friday approved financial assistance of ₨1,664 crore for various infrastructure projects costing a total of ₨2,377 crore. The NCR Planning Board has sanctioned over ₨4,500 crore of financial assistance for infrastructure development in NCR during the last two years, the spokesperson said.

Haryana’s plan to examine status of forestland irks green brigade STAFF REPORTER GURUGRAM: The Haryana government has decided to constitute committees in diferent districts of the State to examine the status of lands notified under Section 4 and 5 of the Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA), 1900, as “forests” with reference to a Supreme Court case decided two years ago. Environmentalists, however, have accused the government of showing unwarranted hurry to examine the forest areas to help builders and bureaucrats holding land in the Aravallis.

Report in 2 months Reacting to the government order to form committees, environmental analyst Chetan Agarwal said: “Haryana’s forest cover is less than 4% and even the dense forest of Mangar Bani sacred grove is not oicially identified by Haryana as a forest. A State government policy directed by public interest should focus on completing the exercise of identifying forests as

LOSING COVER: Experts say that even the dense forest of Mangar Bani is not officially identified as a forest. FILE PHOTO per dictionary meaning, and increase oicially identified forests, rather than trying to reduce the little PLPA areas currently identified as forest, as seems to be the case.” As per the orders dated January 16, the committees comprising Deputy Commissioner and District Revenue Oicer among others need to complete the exercise in two months and submit their report to the government. According to activists, the Haryana government is required to complete the exercise of identifying forests as per the dictionary meaning as directed by the Supreme Court in Godavarman (1996)

and Lafarge (2011) judgments. Even the National Green Tribunal has reiterated this, as has the Ministry of Environment and Forests and the National Capital Region Planning Board, but Haryana has not taken any steps to identify forests as per the dictionary meaning. Instead, for those parts of the Aravalli hills which are treated as forests, it is taking active steps to exclude them from being treated as forests, by its own interpretation of the B.S Sandhu versus Government of India (2014) judgment thereby denying them the protection of forest laws, claim the activists.

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Akhilesh, Rahul to address joint press meet This is for the first time that Congress, Samajwadi Party are having an alliance

Parents to shift ailing boy to AIIMS after Sushma ofers help BHOPAL: The help ofered by

LUCKNOW: In the first joint ap-

pearance after cementing a pre-poll alliance in Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi will jointly address a press conference here on Sunday, to remove confusion in the minds of voters on the tie-up. This is for the first time that the Congress and the Samajwadi Party were having an alliance to win over 300 of the 403 Assembly seats. “The time and venue of the media interaction is yet to be finalised,” a senior SP leader said. Sources in both the parties said their joint appearance

before the media would galvanise the two parties and help in reaping a bumper electoral harvest. They said the two top leaders were previously expected to make a joint announcement about the alliance on January 22, but later state chiefs of the two parties, Raj Babbar (Congress) and Naresh Uttam (SP) announced the deal jointly. Insiders say joint rallies were also being planned by the two parties at a later stage. Asked if there would be any joint declaration by them, the SP leader said, whatever the two leaders will speak would be con-

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Resentment over certain seats Amethi and Rae Bareli would be resolved on Sunday sidered as joint statement. To a question regarding resentment among SP leaders over certain seats in the Congress citadel of Amethi and Rae Bareli, he said everything would be resolved by Sunday. Under the seat-sharing pact arrived at after hectic parleys between the two sides, the SP gave 105 seats for the Congress. The two parties were haggling over some seats in

Amethi and Rae Bareli, the parliamentary turf of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul. Congress is in no mood to give up its claim over all the 10 seats in Amethi and Rae Bareli. Sources said the party was perturbed as none of the five candidates, declared by SP earlier, has been withdrawn. Though both sides were more or less agreeable to a broad understanding that the Congress will get 6 and SP 4 seats, local leaders and workers are not ready to give up either Amethi or Gauriganj Assembly seats from where SP has already announced its candidates. After the alliance,

Akhilesh shared stage with a Congress leader in Lakhimpur Kheri district on Wednesday marking their first joint campaign after announcing the alliance. He was efusive in his praise for the partnership, calling it a “winning combination” and that there was no doubt it would go on to form the next government with a majority. “The cycle (SP symbol) was alone, but now with the help of the hand (Congress symbol), its speed has increased,” he had said, sharing the stage for the first time with Congress leader Prem Prakash Agarwal, who will contest from Bareilly.-PTI

External Afairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to a four-dayold boy having a serious heart ailment has given a ray of hope to the newborn’s parents who have now decided to shift him to AIIMS in Delhi for medical treatment. Heart condition On January 23, Devesh Sharma’s wife Vandana Sharma gave the birth to a child in a hospital here. The child was born with transposition of greater arteries (TGA) intact ventricular septum condition in heart. Sharma on Thursday appealed to the Minister on twitter for help to treat his son, to which Ms. Swaraj responded.

Sharma said they decided to seek help after doctors in Bhopal told them that they did not have facilities in the city to conduct operation on the child facing this medical condition.

surgery AIIMS advises an early surgery. “We can organise the baby’s surgery in AIIMS Delhi. The family has to decide,” she said in another tweet.

Sushma’s tweet Following his tweet, Ms. Swaraj asked for Sharma’s phone number so that her staf could contact him. Subsequently, the Minister’s staf contacted Sharma seeking all medical reports of the child and sent them to doctors at Delhi’s AIIMS. After consultation, Ms. Swaraj tweeted last evening: “We contacted the family and got the medical reports through my Bhopal oice. Dr Balram Airan Head Cardiac

Hopeful After Ms. Swaraj’s assurance for help, the child’s family is now hopeful that he would get better treatment. “We are in the process of shifting the child to New Delhi through air ambulance for further treatment after Ms. Sushmaji’s tweet,” Sharma, who works in a software firm in Bengaluru, told PTI on Friday. Ms. Swaraj is MP from Vidisha Lok Sabha seat of Madhya Pradesh. - PTI

Protesters lift blockade in Bhangar

Religious fervour

STAFF REPORTER

People protesting against the proposed power grid in Bhangar in South 24 Paraganas district lifted their road blockade on Friday. However, tension continued in the area owing to the arrest of a key leader of the movement. The agitation against the setting up of the power grid is being organised under the banner of ‘Jomi, Jibika, Bastutantra O Poribesh Raksha Committee’ (Committee for Protection of Land, Livelihood, Ecology and Environment). Speaking to the media on Friday, Alik Chakraborty, one of the leaders of the agitation and politburo member of the Communist Party of India Marxist-Leninist (CPIML [Red Star]), said they were lifting the blockade due to the “inconvenience” faced by the villagers. “The way the police, administration and anti-social elements were using the roads to create a reign of terror in Bhangar, people were forced to block roads.” he said, adding that the agitation would continue. Mr. Chakroborty said if the State government tried to “resort to force again, the villagers are ready to give a fitting reply.” However, he said they were ready to resolve the matter “peacefully” through

However, tension continues in the area owing to arrest of key leader of the movement

KOLKATA:

HOLY DAY: Devotees take a holy dip at the Sangam in Allahabad on Friday on ‘Mauni Amavasya’ during the ongoing Magh Mela. PHOTO: PTI

‘JD(U) backed out of UP polls under Lalu’s pressure’

Sushil Kumar Modi

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PATNA: Days after the JD(U) announced its decision not to contest the upcoming Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, senior Bihar BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi on Friday claimed that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar backed out apparently under pressure from the RJD. “The JD(U) beat a hasty retreat from its earlier decision to contest the Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, apparently after the RJD supremo (Lalu Prasad)

threatened to review his party’s role in the ruling grand alliance,” he said in a statement. ‘No mass base’ Mr. Modi said the JD(U)’s decision to withdraw from the electoral battleground in Uttar Pradesh was also reflective of the fact that the party had no mass base in the neighbouring State, despite Mr. Kumar holding numerous public meetings there to promote prohibition.

“Kumar, who is also the JD (U) national president, may claim that his party has expanded base in other States, but the fact of the matter is that nobody wants to align with it in Uttar Pradesh, including the regional parties like the RLD,” the BJP leader said. Mr. Modi said the JD(U) had contested 225 seats in the 2012 Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, but drew a blank with all its candidates losing their deposits. PTI

Villagers displaying police uniforms on a blocked road in Bhangar near Kolkata. - FILE PHOTO: AFP discussion with the State government. Two leaders held The State’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested party leader Sarmistha Chowdhury, who has been at the forefront of the agitation, from the Panapukur area of Bhangar on Wednesday. On Thursday, Pradeep Singh Thakur, the State general secretary of the party, was arrested. “Both have been charged under several sections of the IPC, including 307 (attempt to murder), 363 (kidnapping) 120 B (criminal conspiracy), as well as under the Arms Act,” their counsel Rangta Munshi said. Speaking to The Hindu, Additional Director-General of CID Rajesh Kumar said: “Ms. Chowdhury was arrested in con-

nection with the violence in Bhangar on January 17.” They were produced in a city court on Thursday which remanded them to CID custody for eight days. ‘MLA stoked trouble’ According to the local residents, Bhangar became tense again on Wednesday evening as the news of Ms. Chowdhury’s arrest spread. It reached a boiling point on Thursday when Trinamool Congress MLA from North 24 Paraganas district Sabyasachi Dutta entered the area with nearly 100 party cadres and allegedly tried to remove the road blockades by force. The villagers confronted Mr. Dutta and asked him to leave the area as he was an “outsider.” The agitators surrounded Mr. Dutta and his followers

after he allegedly threatened the villagers. The police had to escort Mr. Dutta out of Bhangar. “It is because of him [Mr. Dutta] that the party workers are again facing the ire of the villagers. He had no business coming to Bhangar and provoking the villagers,” said a local Trinamool worker. Ignore protesters: Mamata The development comes on a day when Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, in an apparent reference to the agitators, said that some “destructive elements” were trying to cause disruptions in the State. “Ignore and isolate the destructive elements who are trying to disturb the peace in the State,” she said at a government programme in the city on Friday. Ms. Banerjee warned of “stern action” against anyone jeopardising law and order in Bengal. She also said that in the next Assembly session, her government would bring a legislation under which those who damage public property would have to pay compensation.

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SOUTH

British era forest track reopened in A.P. The 150-year-old road between Railway Kodur and Tirumala hills runs through 75,000 hectares

K. UMASHANKER CHITTOOR: The 50-km forest

road laid by the British across valleys, slopes and peaks of Seshachalam hills spread over Chittoor and Kadapa has been reopened. But the rugged-yet-motorable road is strictly for use by forest oicials. The 150-year-old road between Railway Kodur and Tirumala hills saw its glory from 1870-1940. It runs through an area of over 75,000 hectares, besides connecting almost all vital forest routes in the Seshachalam hills. After Independence, the road fell into disuse. In the late 1980s, the track was closed at Muderlakurava slope, following landslides in the serpentine ghat section. The belt between Railway Kodur and Tirumala remained pristine for many decades owing to its inaccessible nature. It turned vulnerable with the movement of red sanders woodcutters from Tamil Nadu. In spite of their huge influx, the

just ₨20 lakh to the Forest Department.

BACK IN USE: The rugged but motorable road is strictly for use by forest officials. — PHOTO: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT terrain retains its glory. Six months ago, Divisional Forest Oicer (Tirupati Wildlife Circle), T.V. Subba Reddy initiated a plan to revive the road. With a limited workforce of forest person-

Pinarayi flays Kerala’s self-financing colleges STAFF REPORTER THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said the State government aims to transform all educational institutions into centres of excellence. The target is to transform Kerala into the first digitised education State within three years. Mr. Vijayan said the standard of public schools in the State had been on the wane, owing to the failure in adapting to the changing times. “The neglect shown towards government schools has translated into a favourable situation for unaided schools. Parents are disinclined in sending their students to public schools,” he said. As part of the government’s eforts, all classrooms

CM YK

would be made into smart classrooms and infrastructure enhanced. “The Education Department is preparing a comprehensive master plan that will include guidelines on the basic requirements of schools in order to adopt modern teaching techniques,” he said. ‘Thirst for profit’ Mr. Vijayan said self-financing colleges in the State had come to be perceived as commercial establishments. “While the A.K. Antony government had accorded sanction to self-financing colleges with good intentions, the sector has witnessed an ever-increasing thirst for profits in recent times. The situation has now reached a point wherein Mr. Antony himself has begun to criticise such institutions,” he said.

nel, the long-piled up earth mounds were removed from the ghat section, with its six hairpin bends. Obstacles such as small trees and undergrowth were cleared. The entire work cost

15-year-old dies after scule with classmate

‘Engineering marvel’ On January 24, the twoday trial run was successfully conducted from Tirumala to the Pullampeta foothills village in Kadapa district. Mr. Reddy told The Hindu: “We are extremely happy to see the good old hill track of the British Raj coming alive again. This road reflects the concept of foolproof forest management. Covering valleys and slopes in Seshachalam hills over 50 km distance is not a joke. It is an engineering marvel. For security reasons, we are limiting the use of the road to only forest oicials. We have to improve it further at some steep areas,” he said.

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THE HINDU SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2017

‘Centre will go the extra mile for A.P.’

Pawan threatens to campaign against BJP, TDP

State’s double digit growth in two years incredible: Jaitley

successful attempt at silent protest in Visakhapatnam — planned by the youth against the denial of Special Category Status to Andhra Pradesh — actor and Janasena chief Pawan Kalyan warned Narendra Modi and N. Chandrababu Naidu that he would oppose them. He had supported Mr. Modi and Mr. Naidu in 2014 believing that their experience would help the Capitalless State, he said. After three years, he had realised that the BJP-led NDA government’s attitude was diferent. This was evident from its indiference to issues involving the Punebased national film institute, Rohith Vemula’s suicide and demonetisation. The Andhra Pradesh government had invited people’s wrath by stalling the silent protest, he said.

SANTOSH PATNAIK VISAKHAPATNAM: The 23rd edi-

tion of the CII Partnership Summit-cum-Second Sunrise Andhra Pradesh Investment Summit got of to a colourful start here on Friday with Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley praising the leadership of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. The Centre would go the extra mile to develop the State on all fronts, the Minister said. About 2,000 delegates, including 350 from 50 countries, are attending the two-day summit being held here for the second successive year. ‘Vibrant economy’ Terming Andhra Pradesh’s double-digit growth in the past two years “incred-

PICTURE PERFECT: Arun Jaitley receiving a memento from N. Chandrababu Naidu on Friday. — PHOTO: C.V. SUBRAHMANYAM ible” in the context of the worldwide economic slowdown, Mr. Jaitley exuded confidence that it would grow at 4% to 5% more than the nation’s GDP in the next few years. “Despite injustice meted out to A.P. at the time of division by the previous govern-

Adventure lover flew to Yakutsk and drove East solo for 14 days along icy roads, to Magadan and back RANJANI GOVIND

10 student was beaten to death, allegedly by a fellow student, following a brawl in a classroom at a Zilla Parishad High School at Chandrugonda in Telangana on Friday. Police said T. Bhanuprakash, 15, and one of his classmates had a scule during the interval. Bhanuprakash felt dazed after being allegedly punched and shoved to the ground. He was rushed to the hospital. However, he was declared brought dead. Sources said he might have died due to internal injuries. “We are awaiting the postmortem report to establish the cause of death,” police said.

HYDERABAD: A day after an un-

Bengaluru woman braves Russia’s ‘highway of bones’

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT BHADRADRI-KOTHAGUDEM: A Class

ment, the State is able to attract investors from all over the world due to its pro-active policies. “It is emerging as a vibrant economy on the east coast. Andhra Pradesh’s plus point is that it has a strong leadership with a clear direction,” he said.

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

BENGALURU: Even for experienced drivers at home in extreme terrain, the route to the icy Russian village Oymyakon, dubbed the Pole of Cold, and Magadan beyond can be daunting. So when Nidhi Tiwari, an outdoor educator and a passionate driver from Bengaluru steered her Toyota Prado through –50° C temperatures, many Russian villagers were surprised. The 36-year-old adventure lover and mother of two completed her 5,080 km solo expedition from Yakutsk to Magadan and back, through the coldest regions of Sakha Republic to become

DAUNTING TASK: Nidhi Tiwari completed 5,080 km from Yakutsk to Magadan and back. — PHOTO: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT the first Indian to get there. Ms. Tiwari, born in Dharwad and raised in Bengaluru, wears her badge for inter-continental expeditions proudly. “My drive from New Delhi to London in 2015 put me on the road for 97 days,

covering 23,800 km across 17 countries,” she says. She zeroed in on Oymyakon in December 2016, as she wanted to see the coldest place on earth, and take the treacherous ‘Highway of Bones’ route from Yakutsk to Magadan, viewed by

some as one of the world’s most dangerous roads. The trip started with a flight to Yakutsk, followed by the drive for 14 days with a low temperature record of –59° at Ustnera near Sakha Republic. “I would drive for 14 hours a day on rough snow and ice. Even a minute’s exposure would freeze me with pain,” the explorer says. During the trip, she had Skype conversations with 5,000 school children in India on what she saw. With many geographical surprises popping up en route, adaptability was crucial. “The weather pierces the skin, and one has to deal with fatigue,” she says. What helped her was perfect four months of road-mapping and

planning. Her SUV achieved an average of 12 km per litre. Villagers surprised As she covered the miles to Magadan, people could only stare in disbelief that someone from faraway India had made it to Oymyakon. “Shocked people ofered free food and told me that I was crazy to be driving there,” says Ms. Tiwari who had to get used to just reindeer and horse meat with hot soup. As the goal was reached, historian Vasielia Tamara Yagerovna of the Russian Geographic Society said on Facebook that the list of visitors from 47 countries to Oymyakon now had an Indian name, the first.

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Farmers’ deaths a human rights issue: Supreme Court

Two booked for cheating people using PM’s name

‘Why is there no policy to protect the lives of the country’s breadwinners?’ lives of the country's breadwinners. The court was hearing a petition filed by the NGO, Citizens Resource and Action and Initiative, seeking a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each for the families of 692 farmers who committed suicide in Gujarat between January 2003 and October 2012. Their crops had failed and their bank loans began to choke them. The petition also sought financial relief from the government for farmers facing drought. It pleaded for a humane agricultural policy, taking into consideration the probable loss of crops, to help farmers tide over a drought-like situation.

gistered a case over alleged misuse of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s name in collecting money from people on the pretext of enrolments and giving out franchise licences of an institute. The accused had floated a website to lure people. The case is based on a complaint by the Oicer on Special Duty with the PMO alleging that a fraudulent institute named Narendra Modi Computer Saksharta Mission (NMCSM) was collecting money from people. The CBI instituted a preliminary enquiry during which the agency found that the accused, Atul Kumar and Jagmohan Singh, had launched a website in the name of NMCSM, through which they were collecting money.

Chhattisgarh to track teacher attendance using tablet PCs

MNS senses opportunity in Shiv Sena-BJP split

LEGAL CORRESPONDENT NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Centre and the States to explain whether there was a lifeline, including a comprehensive insurance plan, for farmers to end the vicious circle plaguing the agriculture sector. It was alarmed that crop failure and natural calamities were driving debt-ridden farmers across the country to take their lives.

ANGST AND SORROW: A file photo of a protest in New Delhi against suicides by farmers. — PHOTO: SUSHIL KUMAR VERMA

PIL’s scope widened Widening the scope of a public interest litigation petition filed by an NGO on the farmers of Gujarat, a Bench led by Chief Justice of India

J.S. Khehar included all the States, the Centre and the Reserve Bank of India in the litigation in an efort to get a holistic picture of the plight of farmers.

No one law on cattle slaughter: SC

HC issues warrant against Vijay Mallya

LEGAL CORRESPONDENT NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday declined a plea to direct States to frame a uniform policy banning cattle slaughter and prevent the illegal inter-State transportation of cattle. Arguing before a Bench led by Chief Justice of India J.S. Khehar, PIL petitioner and Delhi resident Vineet Sahai said inconsistencies in various State laws on slaughter and transportation of cattle had ensured that cattle smuggling continued unabated. Mr. Sahai pointed to the case of how cattle were transported from Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, where the law was stringent, to neighbouring Kerala, which allowed slaughter. The petition contended that prohibition of cow slaughter was part of the Directive Principles of State Policy under the Constitution.

Terming the death of farmers due to crop losses a “human rights issue,” the Bench asked why the government had not yet formulated a national policy to protect the

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

The Karnataka High Court on Friday issued a bailable warrant against liquor baron Vijay Mallya after he failed to appear before it in connection with a contempt of court case initiated against him for allegedly breaching an undertaking given to the Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT) in 2013 during the proceedings on banks’ plea for recovering dues from Kingfisher Airlines Ltd. A Division Bench, comprising Justices Jayant M. Patel and Aravind Kumar, passed the order during the hearing of the contempt of court petition filed in 2014 by the banks accusing Mr. Mallya of pledging huge number of shares in violation of an “oral undertaking” before the DRT “for not to transfer, alienate or otherwise to dealt

Salman Khan pleads ‘not guilty’ in blackbuck case MOHAMMED IQBAL

DEVESH K. PANDEY NEW DELHI: The CBI has re-

JAIPUR: Actor Salman Khan on Friday pleaded ‘not guilty’ in a case of alleged poaching of two blackbuck in 1998 near Jodhpur during the shooting of a movie, while claiming that only a forensic report saying that the endangered animals had died of ‘natural causes’ was true. “The rest of the evidence [against me] is false,” Mr. Khan said in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate (Rural) in Jodhpur, while recording his statement in the case. His co-stars in the film Hum Saath Saath Hain also appeared in the court. The actor was asked 65 questions by CJM Dalpat Singh Rajpurohit about the circumstances of the incident and his involvement in the alleged offence. Mr. Khan replied in negative to all the questions and claimed that he was innocent and had been framed

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

Salman Khan arrives at the CJM Court in Jodhpur on Friday. — PHOTO: PTI by the Forest Department, which had made up the story “for publicity”. Mr. Khan said he had come to Jodhpur to shoot for the movie and it was not possible for him to leave the hotel for security reasons. “The Forest Department framed me under pressure from some villagers,” he said. Actors Saif Ali Khan, Neelam, Tabu and Sonali Bendre also appeared in the court along with Mr. Khan.

ALOK DESHPANDE

BENGALURU:

VIKAS PATHAK NEW DELHI: In a bid to use tech-

Vijay Mallya with his assets.” The Bench issued a warrant, returnable by February 17 and bailable on executing a bond for ₨1 lakh, as Mr. Mallya failed to personally appear before the court despite his counsel communicating the court’s two orders to him. Meanwhile, a PTI report from New Delhi said Mr. Mallya claimed ‘innocence’ in the alleged funds diversion related to Kingfisher Airlines, saying nothing had come out finally against him from a court.

nology to better monitor the quality of schooling, the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) will supply tablet computers to schools across Chhattisgarh so that teachers can use them to record details like daily attendance and midday meals. Each tablet would cost just under Rs. 10,000. A central server would store all the details, enabling better and regular assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of schools. Authorities could then work efficiently to improve educational standards. The scheme is likely to be implemented between July and September 2017, and if successful, could be replicated across the country.

MUMBAI: Seeing an opportunity after the announcement of the break-up of the Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party’s electoral alliance, the leaders of Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) wasted no time in hinting that the party could fill in the blank space by taking BJP’s place. Former MLA of the MNS Bala Nandgaokar, while speaking to reporters, said that both the brothers (Raj and Uddhav Thackeray) should come together for the benefit of Maharashtra. Without naming anyone, party’s group leader in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Sandip Deshpande too said that in politics “an enemy of the enemy is our friend.” According to sources in

Sena president Uddhav Thackeray addresses party workers at Goregaon ahead of the BMC election.— PHOTO: VIJAY BATE the MNS, the party, which has been on the backfoot ever since the Lok Sabha polls in 2014, has now seen a window of opportunity with the split in the Sena and BJP. “We are likely to contest on over 150 seats out of 227. We had extended our hand during the 2014 Assembly polls as well, which was rejected by the Sena. Statements from our leaders is a clear example that we are extending our

Entries invited for ACJ awards for investigative journalism

hand yet again and now it is up to the Sena to decide on the matter,” said a senior party leader on the condition of anonymity. According to party leaders, tacit understanding between both the parties will not work. “Rather both brothers should at least be seen on one platform or speak one language. If this happens, it will create wonders,” said the leader.

CHENNAI: The Media Development Foundation (MDF) has invited entries for the Asian College of Journalism Awards for Investigative Journalism-2016-17 from journalists and news organisations in two categories — print/online and audio-visual. An MDF press release said journalistic work that was published or broadcast in 2016 would be eligible for nomination for the award. News organisations and working or freelance journalists may apply for the award till February 27. A team comprising up to five members can be nominated for the award. Nominees may access details at www.asianmedia.org or post their entries. They can also drop the details at the ACJ Registrar’s oice in Taramani, Chennai.

Jury chairperson Justice Ajit Prakash Shah will be the chairperson of the awards jury this year and the awards committee will comprise economist Jayati Ghosh, senior journalist Krishna Prasad and filmmaker Madhusree Dutta. The ACJ awards committee will have ACJ visiting faculty member Nikhil Kanekal as its convener. Awards to be given on May 3 The awards will be presented on May 3 that marks World Press Freedom Day. It will carry a citation and cash prize of ₨ 2 lakh, the release added. Last year, the awards committee received nearly 111 entries in eight languages from 46 news organisations.

Karnataka’s taxi policy runs counter to Central guidelines gregators’, and promote opportunities for unemployed youth, the MoRTH panel says.

G. ANANTHAKRISHNAN CHENNAI: Karnataka’s Trans-

port Department has issued a notice asking why shared rides in taxis using apps should not be declared illegal, since the service may be violating the operating principle of a taxicab. Applied to Bengaluru, notorious for its traic congestion, it means removing a ‘green’ alternative to personal cars. Shared services are represented mainly by UberPool and Ola Share. Karnataka’s approach runs counter to the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways committee report on ‘Taxi Policy Guideline to Promote Urban Mobility’ issued in December 2016, which the Ministry has accepted. Internationally, research points to wider social benefits of shared urban mobility. The issue has many dimensions. Karnataka’s rationale Permits for taxis are only for point-to-point rides, and not for shared rides. In 2016, the State issued the Karnataka On-Demand Transportation

A DILEMMA: The Centre says car ownership has grown due to lack of reliable and convenient alternatives. — FILE PHOTO: V SREENIVASA MURTHY

Technology Aggregators Rules, but they deal primarily with passenger concerns, vehicle and driver regulation. Drivers complain that they do not make enough money now, especially on shared rides. What the Union Ministry committee says: In order to provide cheaper travel solutions and to reduce the number of cars, sharing of seats may be allowed on aggregator-based taxis with the express consent of passengers.

The Centre says ‘severe congestion and pollution’ is costing the country Rs. 60,000 crore annually’ and ‘half of the 20 most polluted cities in the world are in India, a major reason for which is uncontrolled growth of car [ownership].’ Car ownership has grown due to ‘lack of reliable and convenient alternatives.’ The States should therefore ‘lower entry barriers to commercial taxi operators and ag-

Push for alternatives The Centre is also keen to ‘encourage and permit new forms of urban mobility like bike sharing and e-rickshaws.’ Liberalising the overall industry and embracing technology are among the goals. The International Association of Public Transport, known as UITP, which has represented large bus and rail operators, recently issued a policy paper acknowledging the role of shared vehicles and autonomous vehicle technology. These should be integrated with public transport operators (such as Bengaluru’s bus operator BMTC, a UITP member, Namma Metro, and all urban operators) to cut congestion and pollution, improve traic eiciency and parking, and making more space available for other purposes. Research in Lisbon (Portugal) for the International Transport Forum representing 57 member-countries found transport services op-

SC admits Kerala’s appeals in Munnar land case LEGAL CORRESPONDENT NEW DELHI: Questioning the change in land use, the Supreme Court on Friday admitted an appeal filed by the Kerala government against a High Court directive to restore lands acquired from resorts in the popular Munnar hill station. A Bench of Justice P.C. Ghose and Justice A.M. Sapre took on board the State government’s special leave petition, observing that this was a case of some gravity after perusing the documents filed by the State, represented by Supreme Court advocate Nishe Rajen Shonker. The court acknowledged Mr. Shonker’s arguments that the land parted for the purpose of cardamom cultivation was used to build resorts. The High Court had erred in not applying its mind on this aspect. The State contended that the High Court, acting on a

CM YK

A Union Ministry committee favours shared rides to reduce traffic congestion erated using on-demand facility provided improved access to employment and education. Costs of public transport could be cut by 50 per cent using shared vehicles. The majority of private cars would be redundant, the ITF study found. Urbanisation impact To decongest cities, UITP says the ideal policy is CoMo, or Combined Mobility. Strengthen the backbone, such as Bengaluru’s BMTC/ Metro and similar networks in New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, and make regulatory changes to plug in shared taxis, bicycles and shared bikes, car pools and ride sharing. Use Real Time Passenger Information and adopt open data policies to create apps that link buses, trains and shared taxis.

Missing BARC scientist safe in Puducherry RAINA ASSAINAR NAVI MUMBAI: Babita Singh, a

The court acknowledged arguments that the land parted for cardamom cultivation was used to build resorts. — FILE PHOTO writ petition, had “patently erred” in deciding the title of the lands in favour of the resort owners as if it was deciding a title dispute case. The State government argued that the declaration of title in favour of the resort owners was done by the High

Court “without verification of any of the relevant documents regarding the issue”. The State argued that the High Court proceeded to declare the title of the land without paying heed to the circumstance that the question of ownership of the land

was pending before a civil court and was the subject of a suit. The State government has made several resorts as parties in the apex court litigation, including Munnar Woods and M/s Autumn Woods Resorts (Cloud 9).

Scientific Oicer at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), who was reported missing since Monday contacted her brother on Thursday evening. Ms. Singh, 28, who saw her missing reports in newspapers, called up Vikas Singh to say she was safe and would return home on Friday evening. Mr. Singh said: “My sister said she was frustrated and left for Aurobindo Ashram in Puducherry to find peace. One of our relatives has left for the ashram to be with her.” “Once she is back, we want her to take a break from work and take rest. She has been harassed a lot. We are relieved she is safe,” he said. ND-ND

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EDITORIAL

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THE HINDU SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2017

The politics of demonetisation As Parliament prepares to convene again after a winter session washed out due to the Opposition’s protest on demonetisation, it is worth asking why political mobilisation against the exercise is proving to be so diicult S AT U R D AY , J A N U A R Y 2 8 , 2 0 1 7

ZOYA HASAN

Mayawati’s risky calculus

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fter the shock of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections when it got no seats in Uttar Pradesh, the Bahujan Samaj Party has sought to forge a Dalit-Muslim alliance to revive its fortunes in the coming Assembly elections in the State. The party has fielded 98 Muslim candidates, the highest number for any party or alliance in the fray, and a clear departure from the grand social alliance (sarvajan hitay) with which it had swept the 2007 Assembly elections. The party would also be counting on its traditional pitch of ensuring law and order compared to its rivals. This is why the induction into the BSP of Mukhtar Ansari, an eastern U.P. strongman who faces serious criminal charges, along with his relatives, puts the spotlight on how the party chief, Ms. Mayawati, may be refining her strategy — and how her back-to-basics social alliance will square of against her party’s record of being tough on the law and order front. Mr. Ansari had been expelled from the BSP in 2010 for alleged criminal activities. His antecedents made news recently when he merged his political party, the Quami Ekta Dal, with the Samajwadi Party in October 2016. This had Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav rise in protest against his uncle Shivpal Yadav and use the development to project himself as a ‘clean’ politician. For Ms. Mayawati, Mr. Ansari’s return to the BSP could help consolidate support from Muslims on the basis of identity, as she tries to secure her old vote banks. Dalits are 21% of the population in U.P. When it first came to power with a full majority in the Assembly in 2007, the BSP adopted a “sarvasamaj” rhetoric, assured of support from its Dalit base. But since then, Dalits have steadily moved away, notably to the Bharatiya Janata Party in the communally charged 2014 election, without any fresh accrual of support from other communities. Ms. Mayawati has realised over time that she has to appeal to her core support base among Dalits — which she has done over the past year after attacks on the community in diferent parts of the country sharpened the contradictions in the Sangh Parivar’s Dalit outreach. Reaching out to Muslims was the next logical step — they constitute 18% of the population in the State, and a Dalit-Muslim alliance is the BSP’s way of forging a winning strategy. Ms. Mayawati’s gamble of relying on narrow identity politics to counter her rivals is a risky one, and how the party’s appeal compares to the SP-Congress alliance’s is still an open question.

Demonetisation has been the most hotly debated topic since November 8, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the high-denomination notes then in circulation would cease to be legal tender. In a single stroke, nearly 86% of the currency in an economy powered by cash transactions, with 54% people without bank accounts, was wiped out. The move disrupted the lives of ordinary people, led to widespread hardship for the poor, major job losses and over a hundred deaths. Despite the huge distress and disruption, the general sentiment seemed to be in favour of the decision. The shock move invited widespread criticism. It provoked protests and a lot of anger and agitation, but most of it was directed against local irritants, particularly banks. There are numerous reports of angry crowds locking up banks and jamming roads to protest against the non-disbursement of cash. As for more organised opposition, the winter session of Parliament saw Opposition parties locking horns with the government over demands for a vote on demonetisation. The tussle between the government and the Opposition washed out the entire winter session. Opposition parties staged several protests in diferent parts of the country, but this did not coalesce into a larger expression of protest against the government despite the pain caused by demonetisation to the poor who have sufered overwhelmingly because of it. The question that needs to be asked concerns the relative importance of social and political influences that generated greater support than opposition against demonetisation. Diversionary tactic Much of the debate on the demonetisation move has focussed on its economic consequences; not enough attention has been paid to the politics of this drastic decision which can possibly explain the lukewarm opposition to it. One of Mr. Modi’s big campaign promises was to end corruption. But that didn’t happen. The growing criticism of the government’s failure to deliver on the promise of bringing back black money stashed abroad and depositing ₨15 lakh into every bank account as promised at the time of the Lok Sabha polls led the Prime Minister to do something bold to ofset the negative feelings in the context of impending State elections. It was seen as a dramatic measure that would

ILLUSTRATION: DEEPAK HARICHANDAN

The Prime Minister has repeatedly offered the trope of nationalism so that anyone opposing demonetisation is denounced as corrupt and anti-national enhance the regime’s credibility in fighting corruption and black money and divert attention from its perceived failures on this and other fronts. Instead of finding ways to tackle graft through the tightening of regulations and controls on real estate and political party funding, demonetisation was promised as the ultimate solution. As a political decision, demonetisation was aimed at setting the agenda for State Assembly elections. The timing of the decision clearly indicates this: it was announced three months before five Assembly elections, particularly in the crucial State of Uttar Pradesh. It was unleashed as a political strategy to checkmate regional parties (by threatening their cash reserves) and expand the BJP’s support base in the Hindi heartland by projecting demonetisation as a pro-poor measure. Shifting goalposts With this background in mind, it is possible to speculate about the political repercussions of demonetisation on popular discontent. The focus of discussion has been the inconvenience, not the policy of demonetisa-

tion — the acme of unreason (it is not open to question) — which exposed a deliberative deficit in the government and cast a shadow on its capacity to efect sound policies. In the event, the eforts to combat black money have been so far inefective. The government has assumed that a significant portion of illegal wealth is stored in the form of banknotes when it is well known that it is not. By December 30, practically the entire stock of old bank notes had been deposited, thus undermining the government’s claim of extinguishing black money. This happened within a few weeks of the announcement. It put paid to hopes that the government can profit from old and unreturned notes as the Reserve Bank of India could transfer that money to the government to spend. Given the failure of the initial drive against black money, the goalpost was changed from curbing black money to cashless economy to digital transactions, all this to justify the move which had caused so much disruption. Nonetheless, the 50-day deadline for depositing old notes allowed the government time to reposition demonetisation, which made it more diicult to trigger and sustain protests. ‘Good’ intent, ‘bad’ management Further evidence of the overwhelming influence of what might be loosely termed as political constraints emerges from the fact that even critics assume demonetisation was motivated by good intent, which makes it more diicult to go against it. This intent was supposed to include the elimination of black money, the curbing of counterfeiting, controlling terrorism and moving the nation to a cashless age. Most critics of the government have had to preface their criticism with a disclaimer acknowledging the laudable motivations of the exercise even as they bemoan its incompetent implementation. This shields the Prime Minister and the government from criticism, which is limited to inconvenience and time spent in accessing bank accounts. But the poor and people working in the informal sector have not only been inconvenienced, they have been dislocated and their livelihoods irreparably damaged. Standing in a queue or being late to work is an inconvenience, but collapsing businesses and losing jobs go beyond inconvenience. At the social level, demonetisation was presented as a great moral project to clean up the national economy. It has been portrayed as a crusade against tax evaders to help the poor. Mr. Modi describes it as ‘redistributive justice’, ‘a war unleashed against the corrupt’ and venal elite flaunting their black money. Hence, many people believe that in trying to

CARTOONSCAPE

Getting ties with UAE on track

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ven though the interpreter was missing at their joint appearance in Delhi’s Hyderabad House, there was no mistaking the rapport between the United Arab Emirates Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The two leaders have met three times in the last 18 months, each meeting more full of warmth than the previous one. That the UAE Crown Prince, who is also the Deputy Supreme Commander of the Emirati armed forces, was invited as Chief Guest at the Republic Day parade, even though he is not a head of government or state, indicates the importance India invests in him and in ties with the Gulf country. India’s interest in the UAE rests on several pillars: trade ties of about $50 billion, energy and oil supplies from the world’s fifth largest exporter, the welfare of 2.6 million Indians who remit billions of dollars home annually, and defence and security. While bilateral ties have been robust for decades, the defence and security partnership is clearly the new driver for ties between the two governments; the signing of the strategic partnership agreement was the highlight of the UAE leader’s visit. The contours of this partnership are now being set: joint military exercises, joint manufacturing and purchase of equipment and spare parts from India, as well as cooperation on fighting terror. The joint statement also contained strong words on “statesponsored terror”, that the government believes is an indication that the UAE shares India’s frustration on cross-border terrorism from Pakistan, especially in the wake of the bomb blast in Kandahar on January 10, in which five UAE oicials were among the victims. Strong words are no substitute for action, however, and the strategic partnership that India envisions with the UAE must be based on clarity and concrete measures. This should include a crackdown on the shadowy businesses owned by Dawood Ibrahim as well as more steps to curb terror financing of the Taliban and groups in Pakistan and Afghanistan; such money is often routed through expatriate remittances from the UAE. India’s hopes of investment from the Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund, one of the world’s largest at $500 billion, will not be realised until New Delhi steps up eiciency at its end. That it took more than a year for the government to fully set up the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund mechanism for the UAE funds is a case in point. The delay resulted in the memorandum of understanding for investment of a possible $75 billion over 10 years falling through. Personalised leader-to-leader bilateral diplomacy is a great conversation-starter, but not suicient to energise ties.

Climate of fear Three other reasons can be adduced to explain the relative shortage of protest. First is the general climate of fear and the government’s intolerance of dissent which deters people from expressing opposition against the move. Second is the Indian obsession with black money. For the past few decades, black money has become the single greatest marker of what is wrong with India today. Successive anti-corruption movements have played a major role in creating this perception. Thanks to Bollywood films and their good-and-evil stories with an unremitting focus on corruption and black money, they fire the popular imagination like no other issue can. Hence, visible action against black money successfully channels the anger of the people in favour of those who are seen to be doing something to eradicate it. Third, to strengthen his position, the Prime Minister has repeatedly ofered the trope of nationalism so that anyone opposing demonetisation is denounced as corrupt and anti-national. The analogy with a war against corruption is also designed to do this, to make people participate in a sacrifice for ‘cleaning up’ the nation. Thus, the Prime Minister compared the war on black money to the external aggressions India faced in 1962, 1965, 1971 and 1999 (Kargil), when the ‘intrinsic strength’ of citizens was on display. He went on to add: “Such collective energy and patriotism is understandable in the face of external threats. However, when crores of Indians unite to fight a war against internal evils, it is unparalleled.” Hyper-nationalism and grandiloquent rhetoric are constant responses of this government every time it finds itself on the defensive. Any discussion of public protests must also take into account the fact that large and visible protests are not spontaneous, they are usually an outcome of mobilisation by political parties; but parties have been stymied because mobilising against demonetisation can be instantly condemned as support for corruption. ‘Only black money hoarders are opposing demonetisation’ was one unvarying refrain of the ruling dispensation. In the face of this kind of propaganda, no one can afford to be seen as directly opposing measures to clean up black money and weed out counterfeit currency. The public also fears that opposition to demonetisation will make them appear corrupt and immoral. The lack of large-scale protest is by no means an expression of popular support for the government’s decision but it has been interpreted not just as acquiescence but endorsement of the demonetisation move. The Prime Minister has repeatedly claimed that people overwhelmingly support his policy. One might ask how he is privy to this sentiment given that he is a master of one-way communication and hasn’t deigned to speak in Parliament, leave alone talk to people. Most likely the support is deduced from the fact that so far the BJP has not lost any elections, local or otherwise, since demonetisation. This reasoning suggests that as long as there are no large street protests and people continue to vote for the BJP, there is no need to accept the downside of this decision and the social obligation to address public grievances arising from it. Zoya Hasan is Professor Emerita, Centre for Political Studies, JNU, and Distinguished Professor, Council for Social Development, New Delhi.

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

Trump’s first week U.S. President Donald Trump’s tough stand on climate change will create chaos globally (“Setback to climate action plans”, Jan.27). Much has been said about how global warming has taken place because of greenhouse gas emissions, such as carbon dioxide, caused by fossil fuel-based activities. The United Nations recognises the historical responsibility of developed countries in tackling climate change, and this includes the U.S. The burden of climate change cannot fall on the developing countries. Mr. Trump must understand that the Paris Accord was a historic agreement between the developed and developing countries to tackle climate change. Last year, India was able to make the International Solar Alliance a reality at the Marrakesh climate change conference. Leaders like Prime Minister Narendra Modi should negotiate with Mr. Trump to explain the problem of climate change. If not, India will be one of the first victims of the U.S. President’s knee-jerk decisions. Ashok Kumar, Delhi

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curb black money, Mr. Modi is acting against the unscrupulous rich hoarding piles of illicit cash. The idea that the rich are sufering because this was a measure that caused problems for them is undoubtedly appealing to poor people, but such resentment doesn’t translate into protest. In this case, it is actually thought to explain or excuse the pernicious efects of demonetisation. Martha Nussbaum argues in Hiding from Humanity: Disgust, Shame and the Law that disgust is a questionable formation, one that has the social function of maintaining hierarchies, while the really democratic act would be to criticise and undo social hierarchies. The same could be said about the formation of resentment in perpetuating social fault lines rather than undoing it.

The conversation between United State President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Modi should sound alarm bells in Pakistan. That Mr. Trump chose to call Mr. Modi even before calling Russian President Vladimir Putin or Chinese President Xi Jinping indicates his eagerness to build strong relations with New Delhi. President Trump’s soft corner for India was evident even during his campaign. During the Obama era, relations between the U.S. and India were great. Continuity and enhancement of that special relationship should be the aim of Mr. Modi and Mr. Trump. India should not allow the steady momentum of goodwill and trust built between Mr. Modi and former U.S. President Barack Obama slip away, especially in the backdrop of strong anti-Trump rhetoric prevailing in parts of the world. Ganapathi Bhat, Akola, Vidarbha

Unfairness of Padma awards G. Jwala and Pankaj Advani’s comments were heart-rending (“You should know the art of PR to get Padma Award” and “What more should I do, asks Pankaj Advani”,

Jan.27). Many have complained that they do not get to know the guidelines for selection for the Padma awards, and that the process is opaque. Having clout mars the selection process. The problem is not that the undeserving get the Padma awards; it is that the deserving don’t. Many deserving candidates do not ask for the award as it is a matter of self-respect for them. If applying for the award is the first procedural step, then people should know the basis for such an application. V. Lakshmanan, Tirupur

UBI for India? The idea of a universal basic income is more relevant for India than for the advanced economies which have been considering it so far. But it may not be feasible (“Case for targeted basic income”, Jan. 27). Governments in India tend to mess up when it comes to distinguishing the poor from the non-poor. As a result, the poor get very little of what is spent in their name. Also, it is argued that many of the subsidies benefit the rich more than they do the poor. The

acceptable level of the universal basic income could be an income equivalent of the poverty line. The total cost of providing this income to all Indians would amount to 12.5% of GDP, which would amount to nearly 95% of the Union government’s total expenditure. Thus, a universal basic income which provides poverty lineequivalent income to all Indians does not appear feasible because of budgetary constraints. A universal basic income handout by itself would not solve the problems that the poor face. In developed countries, a valuable natural resource or a highly advanced productive sector can be leveraged to sustain a universal basic income, which is not possible in India. Gagan Pratap Singh, Noida

A deeper malaise The return to Ordinance Raj is but a symptom of a deeper disease: the complete dismantling of the separation of powers between the three wings of government (“Rolling back Ordinance Raj”, Jan. 27). This is due to the disruption of legislature, the overreach of courts,

and poor accountability of the executive. The excessive use of ordinances and subverting Parliament is a direct cause of the shrinking role of the executive. The executive finds little room to function due to disruption of Parliament. On the other hand, whatever action is taken by the executive is subject to judicial scrutiny. The judiciary must curb its instinct to rule in matters that are not under its purview. Recently, the court has ruled in a variety of areas, from singing the national anthem, to dress codes in temples, to providing daily drug doses to TB patients. Due to lack of accountability in the executive, the people put their faith in courts to force the executive to take action, by filing PILs. The executive is the face of the government and interacts with people on a day-to-day basis. The judiciary cannot be a conduit for getting things done. Like in a game of cricket, the umpires cannot start playing the game if the players themselves are not playing. Arjun Gopal, Bengaluru ND-ND

NOIDA/DELHI

THE HINDU SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2017

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Bracing for the bull run Getting a frenzied and injured bull to run amok is preceded by years spent loving and rearing it. Deepu Sebastian Edmond reports on the contradictions of jallikattu, which is set to return to Alanganallur shortly The setting sun and fading natural light probably hurried P. Karthikeyan; while trying to get Karuppu to pose for photographs, he found himself too close to the bull with no one to hold the nose rope. For once, Karuppu did not grunt a warning. His left foreleg bent, aiming horns at Karthikeyan’s belly. As he thrust himself at his owner, Karuppu’s horns came up in a clockwise arc. Karthikeyan ignored all his what-to-dos about avoiding being gored: he did not hit the dirt back-first and roll away. All he managed was a yelp, a quicker response than Karuppu’s that left the unsuccessful bull yanking at the taut rope tied to a stump, and a nervous laugh. “Three years of no jallikattu and it seems I have forgotten how to control him,” he says. It is a startling admission of memory erosion made by a man whose family “has always had bulls”, less than 15 km from the bull-taming sport’s most famous venue. Ever since the Supreme Court-imposed ban on jallikattu in 2014, Karthikeyan — a resident of Pudhupatti, which lies in between Alanganallur and his farm in Chellana Goundanpatti — has hired someone to take over the supervision of his four bulls, all indigenous breeds. Even as he doubted his abilities ahead of a delayed jallikattu season, Karthikeyan will not hear of questions about the bull’s memory: “He will remember once I apply the pottu (vermillion mark) and sandalwood paste on his forehead on the morning of the jallikattu. He refuses to eat after that.” As jallikattu returns to Alanganallur shortly, the story of the bull — that commands respect, even devotion, from the fear it evokes — is also the story of humans who spend years loving it. Dry runs before D-Day Karuppu, a pulikulam breed, snorts when anyone except his handler approaches. He lets his body jerk violently with each snort, his tail hangs away from the body and he goes broadside. Raja hangs even further back from his 15-odd friends. “He got me once about a month back,” he says, raising his shirt to show a scar on his left lower abdomen. “I was drunk. He was tied anyway and I thought I could hug him,” he smiles sheepishly. It is daybreak on January 24, a day after police lathi charge and stone-pelting in Alanganallur. Fearing arrest, these boys from Pudhupatti had stayed overnight at Karthikeyan’s fields. Since the police were after them, no one gave surnames. Once morning tea was done, they decided to “warm up” for jallikattu. The boys fan into a semi-circle, eyeing the seemai karuvelam sapling to which Karuppu was tied. Ravi approaches the bull. Karuppu begins a brisk walk and breaks into a run. The boy, aged 18, retreats and Karuppu finds himself yanking at the rope. He then goes anticlockwise towards the others, sending them scampering. At this point, Karuppu stops, considers the CM YK

boys and runs away as far as the rope would let him, to the other side. Karthikeyan sports a frown immediately. Karuppu has never been one to let go the opportunity to flip a human. In jallikattu parlance, he is a suttru maadu — instead of galloping to the finishing (“collection”) point like the pokku maadu, he dares his suitors to come at him. The more the boys try to approach, the more Karuppu tries to flee. At the end of one such dash, the seemai karuvelam sapling comes of, roots and all. Karuppu does not turn around. He stops about a hundred metres away and begins horning the ground, covering himself with dirt. “Bulls that can do this make it diicult for us to escape by rolling on the ground. Some owners train them with a straw dummy. Some bulls get so good, they can target even a lemon kept on the ground,” says a breathless boy. “I think it is because of the nose rope. It is probably chafing at a wound he sustained recently,” says Karthikeyan, now concerned. He asks the boys to back of and secures the animal, constantly conversing with it through grunts. Later, he feeds him a guava from the hand; one way to get reacquainted. From an embrace to chase “We are very strict with rules these days. The bulls as well as the tamers have to undergo testing on the day before as well as the morning of the event,” says Dr. Meril Raj, Veterinary Assistant Surgeon at the Government Veterinary Dispensary, Alanganallur. Among other things, both are checked for alcohol consumption, injuries and age; bulls should be between three and seven years old, tamers should at least be 18 years. “I was once rejected at Alanganallur for being only 47 kg. They said I had to be at least 50 kg,” says Sekar, a resident of the same village. There are some things that do not get rejected, though. “Sometimes, owners spread ground glass on the bull’s body and we wipe it of. We also make sure

who tame their animal. The sport has changed along with the eru world it inhabits. From thazhvuthal, meaning embracing the bull, it became manju virattu, which means chasing an agitated bull. Jallikattu derives its name from the prize: a bundle of coins that would be tied to the bull’s horns.

that sharpened horns are blunted,” says a government oicial who has been part of four jallikattu preparations at Alanganallur for four years. Decorations — even vermillion and sandalwood paste — on the bull are not allowed anymore; tamers are required to wear organising committee-supplied uniforms. Bull owners and tamers are unequivocal in declaring that they do not harm the animals. The government oicial is sympathetic: “You should see the care they show these animals. They are always wiping their face with a towel ahead of releasing them, as if the bulls are being readied for a ramp walk.” According to him, pre-event injuries to the bull take place within the vaadivaasal (arena). “Owners are given only 90 seconds to release the bull. Sometimes, when the bull sees so many people at once, it panics and refuses to leave. The owner gets desperate — his pride is at stake — and he prods it violently to get it to run.” It may not merely be pride alone anymore. From a piece of cloth tied to the bull, prizes have grown to include consumer durables, gold coins, and now, cash. When they believe their bull is invincible, owners announce cash prizes of up to ₨10,000 on their own for those

Return of the indigenous Legislating jallikattu freezes it in time and risks subsuming the villagelevel variations of the game. The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Tamil Nadu Amendment) Act, 2017 allows for manju virattu, vadamadu and eruthu vidum vizha. “There used to be 200 jallikattu events during the best years for the sport. It came down to less than 25 before the [2014] ban. Right now, we don’t mind the new rules as long as jallikattu returns,” says Siva of Alanganallur. “Why do you think we did not protest when ram-fighting, cock-fighting and rekla races were banned in the State?” he adds, pausing for efect. “This. Breeding. Jallikattu is the only way to save our indigenous breeds.” With the government aggressively promoting the Jersey breed in these parts, farmers see breeding and jallikattu as the only reasons to have an uncastrated bull in a village. It has not helped farmers that the jallikattu ban coincided with five poor years for agriculture, with the current season being the worst in 20 years. Seemai karuvelams are invading lands left unploughed. “I am unable to cultivate six of my 11 acres this year due to drought. I have managed only 12 bundles of harvested paddy from 1.5 acres; I should have got 40 from just one acre,” says Karthikeyan. He has cut back on the area in which he has planted sugar cane and has instead pinned his hope on guava trees, which are ripe for harvesting for the first time. Karuppu stays and grazes in the open field, except for when it rains. Twice each day, he is given rice husk powder

It is not even taming the bull. You hold on to the hump. Not too tight, because the bull then controls you. Not too loose, because you’re then thrown off - R. Kannan of Palamedu in water. A month ahead of jallikattu, Karthikeyan starts feeding him cotton seed in water in the evenings — some owners add chopped coconut. A flour of rice, ragi, green lentils, husk and sorghum, mixed in water, is sometimes given ahead of the cotton seed feed. Karuppu’s swimming — to help with his leap — also increases in frequency as jallikattu approaches; the ongoing drought means there is no water enough for a swim now. “As far as farmers are concerned, the trouble with indigenous breeds is that they produce much less milk than Jersey cows. So, if the former gives you six litres a day, the latter manages 15 litres,” says Dr. Raj. Thanks to higher fat content, milk from the indigenous breeds is paid ₨10 more per litre by procuring agencies and stands at ₨32. Farmers say the dung from indigenous breeds makes for good fertilizer. “One animal can give me enough dung to take care of two acres. The Jersey’s dung is unusable,” says Karthikeyan. During the years in which jallikattu was not held, many farmers sold their bulls and villages donated theirs to goshalas (cow shelters). Ahead of jallikattu, bulls are making a return. “I was in Tiruchi today to buy a bull for a friend. They wanted one lakh rupees for a five-year-old bull that would have otherwise cost ₨30,000. We didn’t buy,” says Karthikeyan. He attributes it to a demand-supply mismatch. A sacred bond, a spectacle Some soldiered on during the ban years. Karthikeyan’s uncle M. Muniy-

CHANGING TIMES: “From eru thazhvuthal, or embracing the bull, jallikattu has became manju virattu, which means chasing an agitated bull.” (Clockwise from top): Karuppu, a prized bull in the jallikattu circuit, takes on two young men; a memorial for a temple bull; M. Muniyandi, an agricultural labourer, with his Pulikulam.PHOTOS: SHAJU JOHN

andi is an agricultural labourer now, having sold all his land to marry of two of his three daughters. Yet, Muniyandi has a Pulikulam, tied to the side of the road in front of his house. The bull, eight months old when bought, is six years old now. The 65-year-old owner emerges from his house with the trophy the bull won at Palamedu — he walked away with a milk cooker that day. At a jallikattu in Dindigul once, Muniyandi’s bull won a tiin box and a packet of 10 jallikattu T-shirts. There is resolve in his answer when Muniyandi is asked how diicult it is to maintain a jallikattu bull: “He is my son. He is brother to my three daughters. I talk to him like I would talk to a young boy and he responds.” Jallikattu arenas are no places for bull whisperers, though. “It is not even taming the bull. You hold on to the hump. Not too tight, because the bull then controls you. Not too loose, because you’re then thrown of,” says R. Kannan of Palamedu, who participates in jallikattu regularly. Winners are required to hold on to the bull for less than 20 metres. Like good guard dogs, bulls like Karuppu live in isolation. So does the bull tamer, a good fortnight ahead of jallikattu. “Groups of boys go to the village temple and tie a yellow cloth, with a piece of turmeric wrapped within, on their right wrists. From then on, it’s like putting on the maala (garland) for [the] Sabarimala [pilgrimage],” says P. Balasubramanian of Managiri village who used to participate in jallikattu. Like Karthikeyan, who too was a tamer, Balasubramanian stopped putting himself in harm’s way after getting married. In some cases, the whole point of participation is marriage itself. Pointing to a woman in Palamedu, Kannan says, “When her husband was courting her, she said she would marry him only if he won at jallikattu.” It turns out in the minds of the bull tamers, jallikattu is a team game. “I always warm up and participate with my team members. There is a designated tamer for each bull. The idea is for the others to distract it enough so that one person can hold it,” says Karthi, who lives in Alanganallur. Teams are also useful for their sheer numbers. “Sometimes, a humiliated owner will try to pick a fight. Then, there are boys who go ahead and break the unwritten rule about not taming a bull from one’s own village, just to spite the owner, with whom he may have a long-standing grievance,” says Balasubramanian. Denied a bicycle last time jallikattu was held there because the bull he caught had ran out later than the allotted 90 seconds, Karthi was headed for an unapproved jallikattu, held at an undisclosed location, on January 24. A while ago, most of his friends had run away after hearing false rumours of police raids within Pudhupatti. “We have not got enough practice because of the protests and uncertainty. But you need not worry. The bulls will be there, and so will we. Come watch us.” [email protected] ND-ND

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NEWS

FROM PAGE ONE

Congress a thing of the past, says Modi ”In Uttar Pradesh, they travelled across the State campaigning against the ruling Samajwadi Party but have now aligned with them. This only reflects Congress neither has any principles nor rules,” Mr Modi said. “Congress only has lust for power. They are frustrated being out of power and hence the party was trying to survive in elections by whatever means it can grab. Congress is “sinking ship” and I'm sure the people of Punjab will never vote for such a party, which finds it diicult to save its own existence,” he said. “Even during the last assembly polls in Punjab the Congress was assuming to return to power but the voters sprung a surprise instead and brought Mr. Badal back and I'm sure they will once again vote for Akali-BJP combine,” Mr

Modi said. In an apparent reference to Congress vice pesident Rahul Gandhi’s remarks on the drug menace in the State, Mr. Modi said it was sad that few people instead of getting involved in issuebased politics, were attempting to defame Punjab, and malign its youth only to secure political gains. “Punjab is the country's pride... damaging the image of Punjab and it's youth for political gain is a sin.. I'm sure that the people of Punjab will teach all of them a lesson by rejecting them in the upcoming polls,” he said, adding that it was diicult for him to comprehend that politics has stooped so low. Mr. Modi said the NDA government was concerned about troubles faced by farmers and would leave no stone unturned to resolve their problems.

SC to hear jallikattu cases on January 31 Meanwhile, an advocate from Tamil Nadu G.S. Mani challenged the applications made by AWBI and others. Mr. Mani, who is party-inperson, said the applications were filed “only to target the Indian traditions like jallikattu, etc.” “They are not the animal protectors; they are anti-national. In the name of animal protector, they are targeting nation’s culture, custom and tradition, etc,” the interim application said. Mr. Mani argued that the Tamil Nadu legislature had every authority to pass an amendment allowing jallikattu, keeping in view the popular protests of the public. An amendment is not a deliberate nullification of the 2014 SC judgment banning Jallikattu, but a decision taken by the representatives of the people taking into consideration the people’s wishes. AWBI plea The lawyer urged the apex court to reject the AWBI application against jallikattu, claiming that no permission was received from the Board to move the Supreme Court. “The interlocutory application filed by Anjali Sharma, Advocate

‘Anti-nationals joined protests’ Presenting the images in the House, the Chief Minister also drew the attention of the House to a placard which proclaimed that “OPS (as the CM is known) is no more”. Hesaid the police had obtained inputs that these elements were planning to extend the protests till January 26, show black flags on the Republic Day and disrupt the celebrations. and Member of AWB challenging Tamil Nadu Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Tamil Nadu Amendment), Ordinance, 2017 (Tamil Nadu Ordinance 1 of 2017) to conduct of Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu on behalf of AWB is totally fraud played on court as there is no permission by the Animal Welfare Board to file such application. Therefore, the above said application filed by Ms. Anjali Sharma, member of AWB, is not only maintainable but amount to contempt of court for playing fraud on court,” Mr. Mani contended.

Rail panel rules out sabotage in Kanpur The Commissioner of Railway Safety (Eastern Circle) P.K. Acharya has submitted the preliminary report on the accident to Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety S. Nayak. The CRS is under the administrative control of the Civil Aviation Ministry. “The report holds overaged coaches, carriage and wagon defects, and wheel alignment issues, as the primary reason behind the derailment. The report, however, does not suspect sabotage,” a CRS oicial said on condition of anonymity. In his letter, Mr. Prabhu had told the Home Minister that the Bihar police had “unearthed a conspiracy to train some persons to tamper with the track to

‘Overaged coaches, wagon defects and wheel alignment issues caused the derailment’ cause derailments and [their] possible involvement” in the Kanpur accident in November. The Bihar police had arrested Moti Paswan, Uma Shankar and Mukesh Yadav for allegedly planting a powerful Improved Explosive Device (IED) on a track in Ghorasahan in East Champaran district on October 1. The police said Paswan had revealed that Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence was involved in the Kanpur rail accident.

Meghalaya Governor cites health grounds Under Article 361 of the Constitution, “No criminal proceedings whatsoever shall be instituted or continued against the President, or the Governor of a State, in any court during his term of oice.” Since removal was diicult and a tedious process, Mr. Shanmuganathan was asked to put in his papers, said an official. Over 80 employees of the Raj Bhavan in Shillong wrote to the Prime Minister and President demanding Mr. Shanmuganathan’s immediate removal as he had compromised the digCM YK

V. Shanmuganathan nity of the post. The letter was written after complaints of sexual harassment against the Governor and employees alleged that he had made the Raj Bhavan a 'young ladies club'.

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THE HINDU SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2017

It’s oicial: Amarinder is CM candidate Making the announcement, Rahul takes a swipe at AAP, saying Punjab’s Chief Minister should be from Punjab gress would cancel all fake cases against innocent people. “With all businesses in the hands of the Badal family, the State is in the grip of de-growth and a host of serious problems, including drugs,” he said. Accusing the Badals of plunging the State — once the backbone and the food basket of the country — into total ruin, Mr. Gandhi said the farmers in Punjab were no longer happy at seeing badal (clouds) in the sky as they are reminded of the Badals, who had misruled them for the past 10 years. “In Punjab, the Badals don’t give any prosperity to the people, they take everything away,” he said.

VIKAS VASUDEVA MAJITHA (PUNJAB): Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Friday announced that Amarinder Singh would be the party’s chief ministerial candidate for Punjab. Addressing an election rally here, Mr. Gandhi said, “Punjab’s next Chief Minister is sitting here and it will be Capt. Amarinder Singh,” He said Punjab’s Chief Minister should be from Punjab, targeting Aam Aadmi Party supremo Arvind Kejriwal, alleging that he was attempting to run Punjab from Delhi through “remote control”. “The AAP leader wants to become Chief Minister of both Delhi and Punjab ... AAP aspires to control Punjab through remote, but I want to tell him Punjab will be run by a Punjabi and Punjabiyat,” Mr. Gandhi said. The Congress vice-president hit out at Prime Minster Narendra Modi, accusing him of doublespeak on the issues of corruption and religious harmony. He asked Mr. Modi how could he share the dais with those Akali leaders who faced allegations of corruption and sacrilege, while claiming to be fighting corruption. “Modiji claims to fight corruption through demonetisation and then is sharing the stage with the Badals who are surrounded with al-

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi greets Punjab Congress chief Capt. Amarinder Singh at Majitha town in Amritsar, Punjab, on Friday. — PHOTO: AKHILESH KUMAR legations of corruption in Punjab,” he said. Farm loans Mr. Gandhi, who took the Congress’s electoral battle against the Akalis in their stronghold of Majitha, promised waiver of farm loans and

a tough law to wipe out drugs (chitta) along with jail for those responsible for playing with the lives of the youth. Mr. Gandhi alleged that Punjab had been pushed into total destruction by the Badals and could not be restored to its old glory in just

two days but would be done with the blood and sweat of Congress leaders and the people of Punjab. “Those promising change in Punjab overnight are misleading the people,” said Mr. Gandhi, adding that the Congress would restore the spirit

Avalanche death toll reaches 14 PEERZADA ASHIQ SRINAGAR: The number of sol-

NEW DELHI: The National In-

UNPREDICTABLE TERRAIN: Army jawans engaged in search operations in the avalache-hit Gurez sector of Kashmir on Friday. — PHOTO: PTI hazgund village in the Gurez Valley was struck by an avalanche around 5 p.m. on January 25, and three shelters were buried under the snow, and nine soldiers were trapped,” Col. Kalia said. The “timely help of the villagers of Mahazgund ensured the safety of six soldiers. Three soldiers could not be saved,” the spokesman said. In the Niru valley, 11 soldiers were trapped in another massive avalanche. None of the patrol team could be saved because around 10 feet of snow took

Navy rejects Tejas, begins global search SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT NEW DELHI: After declaring the

naval version of the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas unfit for operating from aircraft carriers in its “present form,” the Indian Navy has launched a global hunt for a carrier-based multi-role fighter aircraft. “The Defence Ministry intends to procure approximately 57 Multi-Role CarrierBorne Fighters [MRCBF] for the Navy,” the Navy stated in the Request for Information (RFI) dated January 17. Last month, Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba said the “present LCA does not meet the carrier capability required by the Navy.” He said the service would continue to support its development but “at the same time we will seek aircraft elsewhere which can operate on the aircraft carrier.” Mig-29K fighters in use The Navy currently operates Russian Mig-29K twin engine fighters from the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya. These will also fly from the first Indigenous

NIA charge-sheets two for supporting IS SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

diers who died in the twin avalanches in the Gurez valley in Kashmir rose to 14 as four more bodies were recovered after the weather improved on Friday morning. “In two unfortunate incidents of severe avalanches in the Gurez sector on January 25, the Army lost 14 of its valiant soldiers, as four more bodies were recovered,” the Srinagar-based Army spokesman, Colonel Rajesh Kalia, told The Hindu. Weather hits search The operation to trace the four missing soldiers was halted on Thursday evening because of extreme weather conditions. “Concerted eforts by the specially equipped avalanche rescue teams in the inhospitable terrain and [extreme] weather conditions led to the recovery of the bodies of the soldiers who were part of a patrol,” Col. Kalia said. Sources said a huge ball of snow, more than 10 feet high, struck at two places at Tulail in Gurez, burying a camp and overtaking 11 soldiers who were part of a patrol team. The Army said the soldiers were “deployed in diicult areas all along the Line of Control.” “The post near Ma-

of tera hai (its yours) and not mera hai (it’s mine), which the Badals had established over the past 10 years. “Guru Nanik Sahib said sab tera, but the philosophy of the Badals is sab mera,” Mr. Gandhi added. Mr. Gandhi said the Con-

Aircraft Carrier (IAC) Vikrant once it enters service. The Navy has procured 45 Mig-29Ks in two batches. The Navy does not intend to procure more Mig-29s given its troubled history. While the RFI does not specify a single or twin engine aircraft, Navy oicials too had said in the past that they would need heavier and more capable aircraft for a diverse set of operations. The RFI says the aircraft are “intended as day-andnight capable, all-weather, multi-role, deck-based combat aircraft which can be used for air defence, air-tosurface operations, Buddy refuelling, reconnaissance etc from IN aircraft carriers.” The IAC-II which is currently at the design stage can handle twin engine, heavy aircraft, greatly extending the area of operations. This narrows down the selection to two aircraft now available in the global market — Boeing’s F-18 Super Hornet and Dassault Rafale, 36 of which the Indian Air Force has contracted. The F-35 fifth generation aircraft of the U.S. is also an option.

over the area. He said the mortal remains would be taken to the native places of the soldiers immediately after the weather improved. Fifteen soldiers have lost their lives in three major avalanches in Ganderbal and Bandipora since January 25. Civilian casualties Meanwhile, Fateh Mohammad Mughal, 60, was buried under snow after a snowstorm hit Lachipora village in Uri. The body was recovered. Seven civilians also lost their lives in snowstorms

Soldiers can now WhatsApp Army Chief SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT NEW DELHI: With several

soldiers publicly airing their grievances on social media, the Chief of the Army Staf, General Bipin Rawat, has announced a WhatsApp number through which soldiers can complain to him directly. The number, 9643 300008, has been put out in the public domain. But given that anyone can send messages to the number, it has to be seen how efective it will be and if it will be misused by people within the system and outside. Several soldiers had put out videos alleging discrimination between oicers and jawans, and the sahayak (orderly) system. Gen. Rawat then warned the personnel that they could be “punished” for airing their grievances in public as it afects the morale of the Army.

and avalanches since January 25. Fresh warning The administration has issued a fresh avalanche warning for the next 24 hours in Jammu and Kashmir. “People are advised to clear the snow from the rooftops of houses and bunkers to avoid damage,” the warning said. A high alert has been issued for the avalanche-prone slopes in Kupwara, Bandipora, Anantnag, Baramulla, Ganderbal, Kulgam, Budgam, Poonch, Rajouri, Ramban, Riasi, Doda, Kishtwar and Kargil.

vestigation Agency (NIA) has filed a charge sheet against a man and a woman for allegedly propagating the activities of the terror outfit Islamic State in India and motivating 14 persons from Kerala to travel to Afghanistan to join the outfit there. The two are Abdul Rashid Abdulla (30), a resident of Kasaragod district in Kerala, and Yasmeen Mohammad Zahid (29), a resident of Delhi. “The case relates to the criminal conspiracy hatched within and outside India by certain youths, originally hailing from Kasaragod district of Kerala, with the intention of furthering the objectives of the proscribed terrorist organisation Islamic State and their pursuant exit from India along with their families for joining and supporting the organisation,” an NIA statement said. Main conspirator The NIA said its investigation had established that Rashid was the main conspirator behind motivating a number of young people from Kasaragod to leave India along with their families

Row over BJP move to honour J&K’s last king PEERZADA ASHIQ SRINAGAR: The ruling BJP’s

move to adopt a resolution in the Assembly declaring the birthday of the last king of Jammu and Kashmir, Maharaja Hari Singh, a State holiday, has split the State’s polity. “One cannot forget the contribution of the Maharaja, who single-handedly unified varied and diverse regional, religious and territorial entities into one entity called Jammu and Kashmir. The Maharaja has been a unifying force. I plead before BJP Member of Legislative Council Ajatshatru Singh to avoid making him a point of discord,” ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader and State Education Minister Nayeem Akhtar told The Hindu, in a veiled opposition to the BJP’s move. “I requested MLC Singh to withdraw the resolution,” Mr. Akhtar added. The Jammu-based PDP member Surinder Choudhary, however, supported the resolution moved by Mr. Singh, also the grandson of

AAP promises Mr. Gandhi lashed out at the tall promises of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), saying it had made similar promises in Delhi but had failed to deliver on even a single one. “I urge you to ask your friends and relatives in Delhi about the diference in the Congress and the AAP governance there,” he said. On the Sutlej-Yamuna Link Canal issue, the AAP leaders were saying diferent things in Delhi, Haryana and Punjab, clearly showing that they had only their personal interests at heart, he said. “AAP, as a party of ‘outsiders’, cannot protect the interests of Punjab,” Mr. Gandhi said.

the Maharaja, on January 24. “The Maharaja was a great ruler who brought many reforms. He was a great secular ruler and people loved him so much,” Mr. Singh said. The resolution was adopted by the treasury benches after the entire opposition, including the National Conference (NC), had staged a walk out. On Friday, NC MLC Bashir Veeri led a walk out of his party members in the Assembly. “Somehow the opposition was kept out of the House and the resolution was passed. It was a ploy of the ruling PDP-BJP combination,” Mr. Veeri said. The issue, however, split the NC too with Jammubased MLA Devendra Rana calling for “respecting Jammu sentiments”, in open support to the BJP move. Mr. Rana’s NC colleagues, Ali Mohammad Sagar and Mohammad Akbar Lone, however, described his utterances as “his personal views”. “The move will only open old wounds,” said NC leader Mustafa Kamal.

‘They motivated 14 persons from Kerala to travel to Afghanistan to join the outfit’ to join the IS. “He had conducted classes at Kasaragod and other places in support of the terrorist organisation and its ideology of violent jihad. He motivated another set of 14 co-conspirators, including Yasmeen, to join the proscribed organisation and plan for Hijrah to the Caliphate announced by the Islamic State. The investigation has revealed that the conspiracy had been in operation since July 2015,” the statement said. Yasmeen was intercepted at the New Delhi airport on July 30, 2016 while she was trying to leave India for Kabul, Afghanistan, along with her child, with the intention of joining Rashid in the IScontrolled territory in Afghanistan. “Investigation has established that Rashid had raised funds for the terrorist organisation and transferred such funds to Yasmeen, who utilised it for her activities with the intention of supporting the organisation. Efforts are on to locate the absconding accused persons,” said the statement.

Nalanda University gets new Chancellor NISTULA HEBBAR NEW DELHI: Dr. Vijay Bhatkar, the man behind India’s first supercomputer, the Param series, is to be the new Chancellor of Nalanda University. He will replace George Yeo, former Foreign Minister of Singapore, who quit after the Board of the University was reconstituted, saying he had not been consulted before it took place. Speaking to The Hindu, Dr. Bhatkar confirmed that he had received an email from the Ministry of External Afairs, the nodal ministry for the university. Dr. Bhatkar said his main vision would be “to bring forward the universalisation of the mind, that universities are for.” “Nalanda was the centre of knowledge in ancient India and we need to revive that,” he added. Dr. Bhatkar studied at the Indian Institute of Technology (Delhi) and the Maharaja Sayaji Rao University. He received the Padma Bhushan in 2015 in the field of science and technology. ND-ND

ELECTIONWATCH

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THE HINDU SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2017

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UTTAR PRADESH, UTTARAKHAND, PUNJAB, MANIPUR, GOA

‘Unite the Left and raise its presence’ Sitaram Yechury says six Left parties have joined hands in U.P. with the aim of fighting communal forces and the Centre’s wrong policies In a significant step, six Left parties will fight the Uttar Pradesh elections as a collective front. The parties are the CPI(M), CPI, CPI(M-L) (Liberation), Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist), All India Forward Bloc and Revolutionary Socialist Party. While the front has already declared candidates for 105 seats, it is expected to contest 140 seats, of which the CPI(M) will contest 26. CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, speaking to Omar Rashid, explains the Left’s plan in U.P.

Any specific seats? [An acquaintance says these seats include Bakshi ka Talab in Lucknow, Salempur in Deoria and Thakurdwara in Moradabad.] Third objective is to defeat the communal forces, which is absolutely essential for the country today. Not only for the sake of the unity and integrity of the people but also to put a stop to the economic policies that are being followed, which are causing misery on a large scale.

INFOCUS

What does the 'Left Morcha' attempt to achieve in U.P.? Three objectives; first, uniting the Left forces, which will have a long-term efect. This is irrespective of the elections. Second, connected to the elections, the objective is to ensure the Left strength and presence in the Assembly, which we think is very essential for raising people’s issues and putting pressure on the government to take up such matters that will provide relief to the people. This is absent at the moment in U.P. That gap we want to fill. We are contesting only those seats where we have had some influence, led some struggles. We want to consolidate them.

Two years since Modi government come to oice, the percent of the GDP that is owned by the top 1% of Indian people increased from 49% to 58.4% in 2016. This is a sharp increase in two years. Nearly 60% of the GDP is the asset value of 1 of the people. And now, demonetisation, has caused havoc These policies have to be fought. And therefore, the BJP should be kept out of power here.

Realistically, how many seats do you think you will make a mark in or even win? You do have some old pockets of influence... (Smiles) We have some

regular areas where we have been winning, expect for the last elections. There has been a break in the last 10 years now.

Many candidates formerly with the Left are fighting with other parties today. Are you looking at reviving those areas? We would like to revive those areas. There has been a break in the entire chain ... reasons for that need to be addressed, which we are seeking to address now. And to re-consolidate the Left which had these pockets of influence earlier. That is the efort we have begun since the past year. The Left together, these six parties, contesting elections has not happened in the near past. That is very important.

If your aim is to defeat the BJP, then why not align with the SP and the Congress? You can bargain for a couple of seats and still be part of the anti-BJP voice... There are also problems with the present [SP] government’s policies... during last five years. The Left has a distinctive policy alternative. We think that in our country there is no shortage of resources. There is only shortage of

correct policies to utilise these resources for our people. That distinct alternative, we think, must go the people. And they should also be aware that these are the possibilities. That is not happening because of these parties. The wrong policies of the SP have helped the BJP. With an alliance, we would not have the opportunity to raise our alternative voice. Also, politics is not arithmetic. All anti-BJP forces come together and defeat the BJP? That does not automatically happen. For instance, there is bound to be a degree of antiincumbency against the Akhilesh government. Now if the Left was not in the fray that anti-incumbency could well go to the BJP. BJP would have gained in our absence. We cannot come to a mechanical conclusion...

to be exposed before the people. That, by not allowing you and me to withdraw our own money from the banks, what the government is doing is re-capitalising the banks which are losing because of the loans they gave big corporates. ₨11 lakh crore is the loan that the big corporate have not returned ... The truth has to come out before the people. Second, is the entire communal agenda, look at the last two years — from love jihad to ghar wapsi to gau raksha to surgical strikes, which have ended up in doubling of terrorist attacks ... All these issues are essentially aimed at polarising the

One is notebandi, the impact it has created on various facets of society, from retail business to your daily worker and to construction workers. Everybody is out of a job now. And this, we think, is a very big conspiracy that needs

Cong. eyes dera votes, rakes up lease issue SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT CHANDIGARH: With fewer then

READY FOR D-DAY: A boy from a slum in Patiala carrying a cut-out of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal during an election roadshow of the Aam Aadmi Party on Friday. — PHOTO: PTI

Only love, no jihad: RLD fields couples who broke communal divide Party strategy is aimed at winning the support of the communities of both man and wife

CHNADIGARH: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday

released its manifesto for Punjab, promising to set up an NRI board and declare Amritsar and Anandpur Sahib holy cities. It promised to waive property tax on residential properties and cut power tariff up to 400 units to half the present tariff. AAP leader Sanjay Singh said all promises made by them in the six manifestos released earlier would be fulfilled. Manifesto committee head, Kanwar Sandhu, said the AAP would open ‘Aam Aadmi’ canteens at the sub-division and district level where one time meal will be available for ₨5. A health insurance scheme would be launched under which every resident would be eligible for cashless treatment of up to ₨5 lakh in private hospitals. Mr. Sandhu said the AAP would set up an NRI board and properties of NRIs grabbed illegally would be restored within 15 days. The Jan Lok Pal and the Human Rights Commission would be given more teeth. “Every village would have ‘Pind Clinic’ and every urban area would have mohalla clinics. All government schoolchildren will be given laptops,” Mr. Sandhu said, adding that women would get 33% reservation in government jobs. — Special Correspondent

10 days to go for the Punjab Assembly polls, eforts are on to woo the powerful deras (sect) to garner votes of followers. Punjab Congress president Capt. Amarinder Singh on Thursday said leaseholders of Pepsu dera properties would not be removed from their land, and full protection would be provided to them by the Congress by bringing in legislation, if needed. Capt. Singh said that to find a solution to the ‘lease’ problem, ‘dera mohants’ would be taken into confidence. The Congress would make sure that the leaseholders were not deprived of their homes for no fault of theirs. He said that in the erstwhile Pepsu area, kings used to donate land to ‘Sants and Mohants’ of deras, which, in turn, would give it out on 99-year lease to the

general public to generate funds. However, leasing of land by deras was banned in 1980 by the Punjab government. Capt. Singh said the worst afected were those who took land on lease before 1980, as a High Court ruling had rendered all dera land leases null and void. The Congress leader said: “Mohants have gone to the Supreme court against the High Court ruling and the court has given a stay in the matter. Its final orders are yet to come, raising apprehensions among the leaseholders. With 60% of the people living on leased land in Patiala, the issue threatens to disrupt the lives of a large section of the region’s population.” Pointing out that the people had been settled on the leased land for decades, Capt. Singh said it was the State government’s duty to protect their rights.

PANAJI: Over 50 non-governmental organisations (NGOs), environmental groups and civil society members turned up here on Republic Day to endorse a People’s Manifesto and people’s pledge to support, promote and vote for implementation of the Goenchi Mati Manifesto. The Goenchi Mati Movement (GMM) is a single issue movement ILLUSTRATIONS: SATHEESH VELLINAZHI which is not aligned with any specific political party. The GMM has asked all parties to endorse and incorporate their Goenchi Mati Manifesto into their manifestos for the Assembly elections. Among other issues, the group endorses mining with environmental safeguards and the concept of inter-generational equity. Mr. Ramesh Gauns, anti-illegal mining movement leader, fashion Guru Wendell Rodricks, AAP city candidate Valmiki Naik were present. — Special Correspondent

Defer budget, Akhilesh appeals to Modi LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh

Yadav has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting him to defer presentation of the Union Budget till the completion of the poll process in five States. The letter sent to Mr. Modi earlier this week cited the Election Commission directive on January 23 asking the Centre not to announce any specific scheme for the five States going to the polls — Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur — in keeping with the model code of conduct. The Chief Minister said this may deprive Uttar Pradesh, having the highest population in the country of special schemes in the budget. — PTI

POLLSTAT

Sain’s sorrow: Everyone leaves the General’s ancestral village KAVITA UPADHYAY

MOHAMMAD ALI MEERUT: Facing a test of sur-

CM YK

AAP promises 5-rupee meal in Punjab

An alternative road map for Goa

What will be the main issue that you will raise? Demonetisation?

AAP’s foot soldiers

vival in Uttar Pradesh, the Rashtriya Lok Dal has come up with a strategy for getting the votes of Jats and Muslims. The Muzaffarnagar riots of 2013 have dented the vote base of the party in the two communities. The party has fielded two candidates who have had inter-religious and inter-caste marriages, expecting votes from the communities of the man and wife in the communally sensitive western U.P. This novel strategy is being termed the RLD’s counter to the Hindutva group’s propaganda of “love jihad”, which was one of the major reasons for communal tensions between the Jats and Muslims. Thus, the Ajit Singh-led party has fielded Anju Muskan, a Dalit from the reserved Assembly constituency of Hapur. Ms. Muskan, aka Muskan Devi, is married to a local RLD leader, Farman Ali. Similarly, the party had fielded Kusum Devi, a Dalit from

people on communal lines. That is a very dangerous game, which is the objective of the RSS to replace the secular, democratic character of the Indian republic by what they call their Hindu Rashtra. This sort of politics has to be defeated.

POLLDIARY

DOUBLE THE SUPPORT: Anju Muskan, a Dalit contesting in Hapur, is married to a Muslim. — PHOTO: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT Hastinapur, who is married to a Gujjar from the same constituency. Senior RLD leader Mukesh Chaudhary told The Hindu that by fielding candidates who had had inter-religious and intercaste marriages as “a deliberate strategy, the party seeks to stitch together, and also heal, the broken fabric”. The party hopes that Ms. Muskan, a Jatav, would get support from the Dalit community, which has about 45,000 votes in Hapur, and as she is married to a Muslim RLD leader, she could get the support of the Muslim community, which has over one lakh votes out of the total vote of 3.2 lakh. “Besides Muslims and Jatavs, I am expecting the support of the Jat community which has nearly 50,000 votes, and which is

coming back to RLD,” Ms. Muskan said. She contested the Lok Sabha polls as an RLD candidate from Bulandshahr. Farman Ali, whose marriage to Ms. Muskan in 2006 faced severe resistance from his caste of Muslim Rajputs, proudly told The Hindu that his wife had not converted. He has been appealing to both Hindus and Muslims to vote for the “idea of unity”. Mr. Ali underlined the support of the local khaps for the RLD candidate in the past two days through panchayats. Local RLD leaders pointed out that in the Hastinapur seat in Meerut, out of total three lakh voters, 70,000 are Gujjars and 45,000 Dalits. It was this strategic combination of caste factors that ensured Ms. Kusum’s victory in the Zila Panchayat poll in 2016.

SAIN (UTTARAKHAND): Only an elderly couple, relatives of General Bipin Rawat, lives in Sain, ancestral village of the first Chief of the Army Staf from the Garhwal region, in Pauri district of Uttarakhand. In the middle of dilapidated houses and vast swathes of barren agricultural land, General Rawat’s paternal uncle Bharat Singh Rawat (66) and aunt Sushila Rawat (56) live in the ancestral home of the family. “Most people had to leave the village for work,” Mr. Bharat Rawat, an ex-serviceman, said. The village is part of the Birmoli gram sabha from where high migration has been taking place for the past two decades. The Birmoli village head, Dharampal Singh Bisht, says the gram sabha has only 90 families now, down from the 250 it had 20 years ago. “Schooling, medical facilities, employment, education, transportation — everything is a problem here. People are always looking for chances to shift out,” Mr. Bisht said. Birmoli in the Yamkeshwar constituency has a majority of its 83,485 voters in the armed forces, especially the Army. Around 20% of the

Only Bipin Rawat’s paternal uncle Bharat Singh Rawat and aunt Sushila Rawat live in Sain village of Uttarakhand. The rest have migrated for work. — PHOTO: KAVITA UPADHYAY voters are ex-servicemen. RAW chief Anil Dhasmana and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval are also from Pauri region. With Brahmins and Rajputs forming almost 90% of the voters and Muslims and Dalits the remaining 10%, Yamkeshwar, a BJP stronghold, voted Vijaya Barthwal of the Bharatiya Janata Party to power in the three Assembly elections that the State has witnessed. This time. residents complain of the “bad choice” of candidates that the Congress and the BJP have made. Ritu Khanduri Bhushan, daughter of the former Uttarakhand Chief Minister B.C. Khanduri, is the BJP candidate. The Congress has

fielded Shailendra Singh Rawat, who joined the party after being denied ticket by the BJP for the Kotdwar seat. While Ms. Bhushan is new to politics and the region, Mr. Shailendra Rawat is making a shift from Kotdwar, where he has been working for the past five years. “We have never seen her [Ms. Bhushan] and we are sceptical of whether she would ever visit our place or do any development works here if we vote for her,” Birendra Rawat of Birmoli said. “If we vote for Shailendra Rawat, the only satisfaction will be that at least we will get to see him [since he is a resident of a place near Yamkeshwar]. But with Ms. Bhushan, that does not seem like a possibility,” Trilok Singh Gusain, also from Birmoli, said.

TONGUE IN CHEEK Surendra

It’s true we’ve given ticket to a person with a criminal background from the other party. Our candidate with a criminal background has left; so we’re looking for a replacement. ND-ND

14 |

WORLD

Trade war looms as U.S. President mulls tarifs to fund Mexico wall Plans to impose 20% tax on imports from Mexico

Trump, May renew ‘special’ U.S.-Britain bond

VARGHESE K. GEORGE

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump and Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May met on Friday to renew what the new U.S. leader described as the “most special relationship” between their nations. Mr. Trump reiterated his support for Britain’s decision to leave the European Union, declaring: “A free and independent Britain is a blessing to the world.” “I think when it irons out, you're going to have your own identity, and you are going to have the people that you want in your country,” Mr. Trump said. “You’re going to be able to make free trade deals without having somebody watching you and what you are doing.” Ms. May says Trump vowed “100%” support for NATO. And both leaders said they would work to strengthen U.S. and British commercial ties, with Ms. May hoping that a swift trade deal with Washington will mitigate the effects of Brexit. Ms. May added that Mr. Trump had accepted an invitation to make a state visit to Britain later this year.

As President Donald Trump appears determined to implement his protectionist campaign promises, the U.S. could be headed for a trade war with partners. The White House said on Thursday that a 20% tarif on imports from southern neighbour Mexico is among the ideas under consideration to fund a border wall between the two countries.

WASHINGTON:

Crossing swords Pushing the borders of international diplomacy, Mr. Trump crossed swords with his Mexican counterpart on Twitter, in a first. Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto announced the cancellation of his first meeting with Mr. Trump, which was scheduled for next week, on Twitter. AFP later reported that Mexico said Mr. Nieto and Mr. Trump agreed to stop public statements about the wall. This came after reports that the two heads of state had a phone conversation amid the border wall row. The wall and the tarif proposal have outraged Mexico, many U.S. leaders, including Republicans, but Mr. Trump is unfazed. “People want protection and a wall protects. All you have to do is ask Israel,” he said in a TV interview. The President had ordered earlier this week the

PIVOTAL TIES: U.S. President Donald Trump meets with British Prime Minister Theresa May in the White House Oval Office in Washington on Friday. — PHOTO: REUTERS “immediate construction of a physical wall on the southern border”. The order was issued without any calculation of costs or timeline. The U.S.Mexico border is 3,200 km long and nearly one-third of it has barriers of some sort. Mr. Trump has repeatedly said he would force Mexico to pay for the wall. Mexico has rejected the idea. After questions were raised, the White House initially said a 20% tarif on Mexican imports to the U.S. would fund the wall. It later clarified that a tarif was one of the several proposals on the table. Cost of the wall “Part of our goal today was to demonstrate that there is an easy way — or several ways,” press secretary Sean Spicer said. “Imports (are)

one way. I just want to be clear that we’re not being prescriptive in saying that is the only way nor is the rate prescriptive,” he said, while chief of staf Reince Priebus said a “bufet of options” was available for the President. Imports to the U.S. from Mexico in 2015 were valued at $316.4 billion. What the White House is clear is that it would work with the Republican Congress on comprehensive tax reform legislation that will incentivise exports and dicentivise imports. There could be resistance. “Border security yes, tarifs no. Mexico is 3rd largest trading partner. Any tarif we can levy they can levy. Huge barrier to econ growth. Simply put, any policy proposal which drives up costs of Corona, tequila, or mar-

garitas is a big-time bad idea. Mucho Sad,” Republican Senator Lindsay Graham tweeted. But such voices may be not be consequential as a large segment of the Democratic Party is set to support trade protection, even while opposing the wall. Senator Bernie Sanders — who is technically an independent — has supported Mr. Trump’s executive order that withdrew the U.S. from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade treaty. Media slammed While a trade war is still only in the making, the White House war on media is on. Days after Mr. Trump said he has an “ongoing war with the media”, his key adviser Steve Bannon said the media should “keep its mouth shut.”

Syria peace talks in Geneva pushed back, says Russia

U.S. thought India might seize PoK after 1971 war: CIA files

MOSCOW: UN-hosted negoti-

NEW DELHI: The U.S. govern-

ations on the Syrian conflict planned for February 8 in Geneva have been postponed until the end of that month, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday. “The date of February 8 has been put back until the end of next month,” Mr. Lavrov told a meeting with minor Syrian Opposition representatives in Moscow to discuss peace talks in Kazakhstan that ended on Tuesday without a major breakthrough. There was no confirmation from the United Nations on the latest plans for the next round of talks between the Syrian regime and the Opposition. The main Opposition groups stayed away from the Moscow meeting with the Russian Foreign Minister , as the Kremlin seeks to impose its influence as the key power broker in Syria on the back of its game-changing military support for leader Bashar al-Assad. — AFP

ment had thought that the then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi might order an attack on West Pakistan to capture Pakistan-OccupiedKashmir after India’s operation to create Bangladesh got over, recently declassified CIA documents say. As per CIA reports and minutes of high-level meetings in Washington on IndoPak. tensions, it was clear that the U.S. government was readying a strategy should India smash military power of West Pakistan. The then U.S. President Richard Nixon’s National Security Adviser Henry A. Kissinger discussed various possibilities due to deteriorating IndoPak. ties in the wake of India’s military ofensive in East Pakistan. But, some top security oicials in Washington felt the possibility of India launching a strike on West Pakistan was remote. At one of the meetings of Washington’s Special Action Group, the then CIA Director Richard Holmes said,

Phone call with Putin

Mr. Trump on Friday played down speculation that he was about to lift sanctions on Russia, as Mr. May said they should continue. Mr. Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin will on Saturday hold their first phone conversation since the American leader’s inauguration, the Kremlin said on Friday. — AFP

NOIDA/DELHI

THE HINDU SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2017

Plot to assassinate TNA legislator uncovered MEERA SRINIVASAN COLOMBO: Sri Lankan authorit-

ies have uncovered a plot to assassinate Tamil legislator M.A. Sumanthiran, The Hindu has learnt. Earlier this month, the Prime Minister’s oice sent a message to the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian from Jafna district about a “serious security threat” to his life that Mr. Sumanthiran needed to be aware of. A well-placed source in the government, on condition of anonymity, told The Hindu that “such a message was delivered to Mr. Sumanthiran”. The message, said to have been based on high-level intelligence reports, was passed on around the time when four men, who are former LTTE cadres, were arrested in Sri Lanka’s Tamilmajority Northern Province earlier this month. When contacted, the police oicer in charge of the police station in Kilinochchi — the northern town that was formerly the de-facto capital of the LTTE-controlled area — where two of the arrests were made, said the Terrorism Investigation

M.A. Sumanthiran Division (TID) was handling the case. The TID was not available for comment. A lawyer appearing for the arrested persons, who also did not want to be named, said the police told a magistrate court that the arrested men were in possession of claymore mines and detonators. Security threat Confirming that he received a security threat, Mr. Sumanthiran said the government informed him about it, sharing some specific details. On January 13, the parliamentarian, who was to be in Jafna to participate in an event, cancelled his trip at the last minute. Asked if it was related to

the security threat, Mr. Sumanthiran said: “I cancelled my trip not on account of a security threat, but for some other reason. But I learnt later that four persons were arrested on suspicion that they had been ready with an assassination attempt for the 13th [of January] when I was supposed to be there as per the original plan.” On the alleged link of the former LTTE cadre to the assassination plot, Mr. Sumanthiran said that most rehabilitated cadres were struggling to make a living. “We too have asked the government to initiate a programme for livelihood assistance to them. In the absence of such support, they are easy targets for exploitation by people with political motives.” Following the arrests of the two former LTTE members in Kilinochchi, TNA MP S. Shritharan, from Kilinochchi, recently told Parliament that the government continued targeting former LTTE cadres who had been rehabilitated. Speaking to The Hindu on Friday, he said: “They are still viewed with suspicion. With no jobs, they struggle to make ends meet.”

Haley sends tough message at UN UNITED NATIONS: In a strong

message, the new U.S. Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, on Friday said her country under the Trump administration would show its “strength” at the world body and asserted that America would act accordingly against those nations who

did not support it. “Our goal with the administration is to show value at the UN and the way we show our value is to show our strength, show our voice,” IndianAmerican Haley, South Carolina’s former Governor, told reporters here as she arrived to

present her credentials to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. In a strong message to Trump administration’s opponents, Ms. Haley said Washington would stand by it allies but it would act accordingly against those countries that did not support it. — PTI

The Indian Army held a farewell parade at a stadium in Dhaka on March 12, 1972, marking the victorious role it played in the liberation of Bangladesh. — PHOTO: THE HINDU ARCHIVES “It is reported that prior to terminating the present hostilities, Mrs. Gandhi intends to attempt to eliminate Pakistan’s armour and air force capabilities,” as per papers which are part of nearly 12 million documents CIA declassified last week. According to the documents, though Nixon had “warned India to cut of economic aid in case of war in East Pakistan, the U.S. ad-

ministration was clueless on how to implement it. “Both the President and the Secretary of State have warned the Indians that we will ‘cut of’ economic aid in case of war. But do we know what that means? No one has looked at the consequences or examined the means of implementing a cut of,” Mr. Kissinger told a meeting of top defence and CIA oicials on August 17, 1971. — PTI

White House plan seeks to hit IS harder MICHAEL R. GORDON HELENE COOPER ERIC SCHMITT

The White House is drafting a presidential directive that calls on Defense Secretary James N. Mattis to devise plans to more aggressively strike the Islamic State, which could include U.S. artillery on the ground in Syria and Army attack helicopters to support an assault on the group’s capital, Raqqa, oicials said. President Donald Trump, who is to make his first visit to the Pentagon as commander in chief on Friday, will demand that the new options be presented to him within 30 days, the oicials said. During the presidential campaign, Mr. Trump repeatedly said he had a secret plan to defeat the Islamic State, but he also said he would give his commanders a month to come up with other options. The White House is expected to press for a review of the U.S. nuclear posture — one that retains all three legs of the nuclear arsenal, with weapons aboard bombers WASHINGTON:

CM YK

LONG-DRAWN WAR: Iraqi soldiers fire artillery during clashes with Islamic State militants in south of Baghdad. — FILE PHOTO: REUTERS and submarines and in underground missile silos — as well as a review of how to achieve the President’s goal of fielding a “state of the art” anti-missile system. Classified options The directive to identify new ways to hasten the demise of the IS, has been widely anticipated by military commanders, who have begun drafting classified options to increase the pressure on the militant group, especially in Raqqa and Mosul, its stronghold in Iraq. The man charged with

overseeing this re-examination of U.S. defence is Mr. Mattis, a retired Marine Corps four-star general and will be working in partnership with Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staf Mr. Mattis will face multiple challenges. As an emissary to long-standing allies in Asia and Europe, he has staked out a position as the Trump administration’s reassurer-in-chief. One of Mr. Mattis’ first moves as Defense Secretary was to phone the NATO secretary-general to assure him

that he strongly supported the alliance, which Mr. Trump has criticised as “obsolete.” Mr. Mattis will fly to Asia next week to allay concerns in Japan and South Korea that the U.S. might abandon long-standing commitments to their security. A week after that, Mr. Mattis is expected to make another reassurance trip, this one to Europe, to meet with counterparts at NATO in Brussels and then at a security conference in Munich. Lawmakers and even some members of the military are hoping that Mr. Mattis can also serve as a counterweight on some of the new administration’s more hard-line positions. In a classified operations centre at one Special Operations headquarters, a photo of Mr. Mattis is taped to a board with various captions written underneath. On Thursday morning, the caption read: “Watch over us.” During his first visit to the Pentagon, Mr. Trump will conduct a ceremonial swearing-in of Mr. Mattis and is expected to sign the new directives. — The New York Times ND-ND

THE HINDU SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2017

Engines of the world’s GDP have to move faster on the back of developing countries

SENSEX

GOLD

27-01-2017 25-01-2017

Nirmala Sitharaman, Commerce and Industry Minister

Service tax on ocean freight irks traders

| 15

BUSINESS

NOIDA/DELHI

27,882 27,708

174

points

27-01-2017 25-01-2017

29,550

ITC net rises 5.7%, Puri is CEO Firm says FMCG sales was hurt by demonetisation, mulls healthcare foray

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT NEW DELHI: Traders have op-

posed a 4.5% service tax on ocean freight imposed by the revenue department through a notification on January 12. The move, according to them, has hit domestic traders importing shipments as well as exporters who import raw material and then export after value addition. The apex body for engineering exporters, Engineering Export Promotion Council of India (EEPC) said that besides impressing upon the Finance Ministry to revoke this order, it has also reached out to the Commerce Ministry to intervene. “This (notification) would not only make it diicult to do business but also would not generate much revenue.” According to the revenue department’s notification, import ocean freight and ancillary charges would be subject to 4.5% service tax. Previously, service provider and receiver who were located outside taxable territory of India were exempted from this tax, the EEPC of India said. “In case of imports from China, given that they are in holidays due to the Chinese New Year, the importers are finding it diicult to even contact their sellers. As a result, importers in India will now have to pay demurrage charges,” or a charge payable to the owner of a chartered ship on failure to load or discharge the ship within the time agreed, said EEPC Chairman, T S Bhasin. Mr. Bhasin said the move is ill-timed in the backdrop of a recent revival in the country’s exports in an otherwise competitive and tough global market, marked by headwinds from the Brexit scenario and unclear situation in the U.S.

KOLKATA: ITC’s third-quarter net profit rose 5.7% to ₨2,646.7 crore, as demand for its fast-moving consumer goods including packaged foods was afected by the withdrawal of high-value banknotes and taxes crimped margins at its main cigarettes business. “The operating environment was extremely challenging during the quarter,” Kolkata-based ITC said in a statement. “FMCG sales were adversely impacted as a result of lower consumer oftake and reduction in trade pipelines particularly in the immediate aftermath of the government’s decision to withdraw specified high denomination currency notes. While the impact was felt across all operating segments, sales of biscuits, snacks, noodles, personal care products and branded apparel were impacted the most.”

Change of guard ITC’s Board also approved the elevation of chief operating oicer Sanjiv Puri as chief executive oicer to succeed Y.C. Deveshwar with effect from February 5. Mr. Deveshwar will relinquish his executive duties after 21 years to play a mentor’s role, as chairman and non-executive director. The Board also approved the inclusion of ‘healthcare’ in the memorandum of association, signalling that the company may be mulling a future foray into the sector. ITC, however, provided no other details. Sales rose 4.7% in the quarter ended December to ₨13,569.9 crore. ITC said revenue at the hotels business increased by 7%, aided by

IIT, Wharton alumnus takes helm SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT KOLKATA: An IIT Kanpur and Wharton alumnus, Sanjiv Puri, 54, first came to ITC in 1986 quitting his position as a trainee in erstwhile TELCO. Thirty-one years later, he is poised to take over the helm of the company which is known mostly for its cigarettes, but is marking an increasing presence in hotels, paper and a slew of noncigarette FMCG segments. It is now also planning a foray into healthcare. Mr. Puri who was redesignated as the Chief Operating Oicer (COO), ITC Limited, efective July 22, 2016, carries full responsibility for ITC’s day-to-day functioning. He had been in charge of the FMCG businesses and agri business since December 2014 and brought into the board on

higher average room rates and growth in food and beverages sales. Paperboards, paper and packing segment revenue was afected by subdued demand in FMCG and the legal cigarette industry, zero duty imports under FTAs with ASEAN countries, and imports from China. Savings in input costs and improved product mix, however, helped bolster profitability, it said. ‘Duties constrain’ “The performance of the cigarette business during the quarter was subdued on account of tight liquidity conditions prevailing in the mar-

‘77,000 jobs created in July-Sept.’ SOMESH JHA NEW DELHI: About 77,000 jobs

were created in July-September 2016, compared with the previous quarter, with the key sectors of manufacturing, construction and information technology showing a dip in job creation, data released by the Labour Bureau as part of a revamped survey process showed. “At the all-India level, the estimated change in employment in 8 selected sectors stood at 77,000,” the Labour Bureau’s Quarterly Report on Employment Scenario released on Friday said. The survey showed that services sectors such as trade, transport, accommodation, education and health saw an overall increase in employment by 1.28 lakh. The education sector saw the highest increase of 51,000, followed by health,

Exchange Rates Indicative direct rates in rupees a unit except yen at 4 p.m on January 27

Currencies U.S. Dollar Euro Pound Sterling Jap Yen (100 Units) Chinese Yuan Swiss Franc Singapore Dollar Australian Dollar Canadian Dollar Swedish Kroner Danish Kroner New Zealand Dollar Hongkong Dollar Malaysian Ringgit Kuwaiti Dinar UAE Dirham Bahraini Dinar Qatari Riyal Saudi Riyal Omani Riyal

TT TT Buying Selling 67.84 68.16 72.55 72.89 85.02 85.43 58.98 59.26 9.86 9.91 67.87 68.19 47.57 47.80 51.11 51.35 51.75 51.99 7.67 7.71 9.75 9.80 49.20 49.43 8.74 8.79 15.31 15.38 221.25 223.75 18.47 18.56 179.93 180.88 18.68 18.69 18.14 18.15 176.19 177.12

Source:Indian Bank

Bullion Rates January 27 rates in rupees with previous rates in brackets

Chennai Bar Silver (1 kg) Retail (1 g) 24 ct gold (10 g) 22 ct gold (1 g) Delhi Silver Standard Gold Sovereign

41,075 44.00 29,110 2,765

(41,435) (44.30) (29,510) (2,803)

40,950 (41,500) 29,150 (29,550) 24,300 (24,300)

CM YK

trade and transport. However, in July-September last year, the IT-BPO sector saw a dip of 16,000 jobs compared with the previous quarter. While the construction sector lost 23,000 jobs, analysts were surprised by a dip in manufacturing jobs by 12,000. “Ideally, employment in the manufacturing sector should have picked up as July-September is a pre-festive quarter,” said Pronab Sen, a former chairman of the National Statistical Commission. Economists said data for the Oct.-Dec. quarter could show a dip in job creation in the wake of the withdrawal of high-value currency notes. “Most of these sectors will see a fall in employment in October-December due to demonetisation with companies cutting down contractual jobs,” said Madan

Sabnavis, Chief Economist at CARE Ratings. According to the latest survey, about 83% of the 12,000 manufacturing jobs lost afected female workers. Also, most of the job losses in the sector were of casual and contract labour. “The trends in the manufacturing sector reflect that there were job losses in the textile sector which is an unhealthy sign before the festive season,” Mr. Sen said. The previous survey, released in March 2016, had shown 1.35 lakh jobs were created in 2015 – the lowest in seven years. “Industrial growth slowed down in July-September so job cuts in manufacturing,” were expected, Mr. Sabnavis said. “However, the decline in the IT sector is unexpected and could be due to a pause in business coming in from the U.S.,” he said.

December 6, 2015, as Executive Director. He has handled a gamut of responsibilities including business leadership positions as well as handling manufacturing, operations and information & digital technology. Mr. Puri became Divisional Chief Executive of the India Tobacco Division in 2009, with additional charge of ITC’s trade marketing and distribution function. He has led ITC Infotech India Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary, as its Managing Director from May 2006 to August 2009, and was

ket and continued regulatory and taxation pressures,” the company said. Over the last 4 years, the incidence of excise duty and VAT on cigarettes, at a per unit level, had gone up cumulatively by 118% and 145% respectively thereby exerting severe pressure on legal industry volumes, it said. “The operating environment for the legal cigarette industry in India was rendered even more challenging in the wake of a further increase of 10% in excise duty announced in the Budget 2016 and introduction of the new 85% graphic health warnings on cigarette packages,” it said.

BRENT OIL

RUPEE 29,150

also on the Boards of ITC Infotech’s wholly owned subsidiaries in the U.K. and U.S. Mr. Puri served between 2001 and 2006 as the Managing Director of Surya Nepal Pvt. Ltd.

Even as segment revenues remained flat, segment results improved with higher pre-tax profits, ITC said. Recovery of momentum The company had implemented several initiatives towards mitigating the demonetisation impact including increasing the service frequency of grocery outlets, enhancing its presence in modern trade and other measures. “These initiatives, coupled with progressive easing of the liquidity situation, led to substantial recovery of sales momentum towards the end of the quarter,” according to the statement.

400

₨/10gms

27-01-2017 25-01-2017

India Cements net profit jumps 11-fold to ₨35.34 crore K.T. JAGANNATHAN CHENNAI: The India Cements Ltd. (ICL) has reported a net profit of ₨35.34 crore for the quarter ended December 31, 2016, up from ₨3.16 crore in the corresponding quarter the previous year. The operating income for the quarter under review stood at ₨1,270.95 crore (₨1,066.13 crore). Addressing the media here on Friday, N. Srinivasan, vice-chairman and managing director of the company, said demand pick-up in the South and higher pricerealisation vis-a-vis the sequentially previous quarter had combined to boost the net profit during the quarter. The “gratifying results”, he said, should be read in the context of demonetisation of high-value currency notes. Also, the third quarter was usually perceived as a weak one in view of the monsoon, he added.

Improvement in FY18 Mr. Srinivasan said despite demonetisation, stockists and dealers had found a way to keep going. He was confident that the next financial year would be an improvement on the current one, he said, adding signs of forward movement in the Andhra Pradesh market could be found with the cement firms getting initial supply orders for low-cost house construction. Fielding a range of questions, Mr. Srinivasan said India Cements was embarking on refinancing debt. “A significant portion of the debt was refinanced, resulting in reducing the near-term commitments, which has also improved the rating of the company,” he added.

68.03 68.07

0.04 ₨/$

27-01-2017 25-01-2017

55.40 55.05

0.35 $/bbl

Centre says GAAR efective April 1, industry demurs SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT NEW DELHI: The Centre has reiterated that the General Anti Avoidance Rules – aimed at curbing tax avoidance – will come into force on April 1, ignoring industry’s suggestion to defer the rules on account of uncertainty over their applicability and to provide adequate time to prepare for the new regime. The government’s resolve to stick to the rollout date for the GAAR regime announced in the 2016 Budget was reflected in clarifications issued by the Finance Ministry on Friday. The Finance Ministry, as part of the clarifications, made clear its rules regarding several issues that the industry had demanded greater clarity on, including the specific cases in which GAAR would apply to Foreign Portfolio Investments (FPI), the treatment of Limitation of Benefits (LOB) clauses and the precedence given to court rulings in such situations. CBDT’s clarifications indicate that the implementation of GAAR “is unlikely to be deferred,” said Girish Vanvari, Partner and National Head of Tax at KPMG India. “Clarification is provided for investments made prior to April 1, 2017 and also to bonus on these shares, splits and consolidation thereon and shares acquired on the conversion of compulsory convertible instruments.” “(These are) very credible and serious clarifications by the Government covering some of the most practical situations often faced by businesses/investors,” said Sanjay Sanghvi, Tax Partner

at Khaitan & Co. “It will help in a fair administration of GAAR provisions while providing clarity to tax advisors and taxpayers and avoiding uncertainty and anxiety.” LOB clause clarity “One good thing is that they have clarified that if the limitation of benefits (LOB) clause suiciently addresses tax avoidance, then GAAR will not apply,” Amit Maheshwari, Managing Partner, Ashok Maheshwary & Associates told The Hindu. “Most new treaties being signed are with the LOB clause. Therefore, foreign investors have clarity now. Another positive thing is that court-approved arrangements are outside the purview of GAAR.” The clarifications partially fulfill a long-standing demand of the industry, said Rajesh H. Gandhi, Partner at Deloitte Haskins & Sells. However, “the benefit has now got diluted to a large extent because the LOB clause in the India-Singapore and Mauritius treaties is relevant only for availing the 50% tax rate for two years,” he said. The oicial clarification also said that, if at the time of sanctioning an arrangement, the court had explicitly and adequately considered the tax implications, then GAAR would not apply to such an arrangement. It has also been clarified that GAAR would not apply if an arrangement was permitted by the Authority for Advance Rulings. “(This) is also welcome because it provides more certainty to the fact that if one arm of the Government approves a transaction, it will not be struck down under GAAR,” Mr. Gandhi said.

Aadhaar covers 99% of adults in India: Prasad SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT NEW DELHI: More than 111 crore people now have an Aadhaar number, covering more that 99% of the Indian adult population, the government said on Friday. “Aadhaar generation has crossed the 111-crore mark in a population of 125 crore in the country,” the Minister for Electronics and IT Ravi Shankar Prasad said. Enrolment for Aadhar has increased to 7-8 lakh per day post demonetisation, against 5-6 lakh till October. The use of Aadhaar-enabled payments systems has also increased from 2.57 crore transactions in October 2016, to 2.69 crore in November, to 3.73 crore in December and to 2.06 crore transactions in the first 15 days of January.

WTO pact set to lift world trade by $1 tn. in Trump era GENEVA: A trade accord that

will boost global exports by $1 trillion should come into force within two weeks, the head of the World Trade Organization said, just as the rhetoric of U.S. President Donald Trump clouds the outlook for global trade. The Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) will have a major impact on poorer countries, because it standardises and simplifies customs procedures, slashing the time, cost and complexity of taking goods over borders. “In the WTO's history, it is the biggest agreement we ever reached,” WTO Director-General Roberto Azevedo told Reuters in an interview. Jordan, Chad and Kuwait are all poised to ratify, which would tip the agreement over the required mark of 110 WTO members to take effect, Mr. Azevedo said. “There are estimates that once fully implemented, this could have an impact of around 2.7 percentage points

Roberto Azevedo on trade expansion throughout the world every year until say 2030, and half a percentage point of GDP growth around the world.” Where a product may previously have taken 6-7 weeks to arrive, the waiting time should be cut to a few days. “Things are going to cross the border much more easily, much more transparently and at lower costs,” Mr. Azevedo said. “If it’s truly implemented and done well, there will be almost no contact between the client and the (customs)

authority,” Mr. Azevedo said. “When that happens the room for corruption basically disappears. And we know that at the border, corruption is a problem for many countries.” The United States, European Union, China and Japan were among the early adopters, although big and rich countries have less to gain since their customs procedures are already at high levels. Asked if the deal was the high point of global trade liberalisation, the veteran Brazilian trade negotiator said there was still a “rich agenda” of potential trade reforms, including for investment, services and small business. Mr. Azevedo said it was too early to tell whether the new U.S. administration would be on board with those reforms, adding that much of what was being said about Mr. Trump’s plans for trade was speculation inferred from his previous comments. —Reuters ND-ND

BUSINESS

16 | SNIPPETS Maruti increases car prices by up to ₨8,014 NEW DELHI: The country’s largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India on Friday

announced an increase in prices across all its models, in the range of ₨1,500 to ₨8,014 with immediate effect. “The hike in car prices is because of the increase in commodity, transportation and administrative costs,” the company said in a statement. In August last year, the Gurgaon-based carmaker had increased the prices of its compact SUV Vitara Brezza by ₨20,000 and that of the premium hatchback Baleno by ₨10,000. On a select range of models, the price hike was between ₨1,500 and ₨5,000. — Special Correspondent

GAIL to issue bonus shares; 1 for every 3 held NEW DELHI: After nearly a decade, state-run gas utility GAIL India Ltd has

approved issuance of bonus shares to reward shareholders.The Board of Directors of the company in its meeting on January 25 “recommended the issuance of one bonus share of ₨10 for existing three equity shares of ₨10 each fully paid up, subject to the shareholders approval”, GAIL said in a statement.Consequently, the paid-up share capital of the company will increase from ₨1,268.48 crore to ₨1,691.30 crore. GAIL had last issued bonus shares of one fully paid-up bonus share for every two equity shares in October 2008.Also, it approved payment of interim dividend for the financial year 2016-17 at the rate of 85%. — PTI

Competition panel okays Reliance-Dassault JV NEW DELHI: The Competition Commission of India (CCI) on Friday

approved the proposed joint venture between Anil Ambani-led Group firm Reliance Aerostructure and Rafale-maker Dassault Aviation, one of the major deals in India’s private defence industry. The combination relates to the setting up of a joint venture between Reliance Aero and Dassault - Dassault Reliance Aerospace Ltd, in which Reliance Aero would hold 51% shares, with the remaining 49% to be held by Dassault. Fair trade regulator CCI said in a tweet that it had approved the setting up of this JV. Deals beyond a certain threshold require approval from Competition Commission of India, which keeps a tab on unfair business practices across sectors. — PTI

ONGC to invest $5.1 bn. to tap oil, gas off A.P. coast VISAKHAPATNAM: State-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) on

Friday signed an MoU with Andhra Pradesh government for investing $5.07 billion in developing oil and gas finds off the state’s coast by 2019-20. ONGC will invest $5.07 billion in bringing to production 10 oil and gas discoveries in the Bay of Bengal block KG-DWN-98/2 (KG-D5), which sits next to Reliance Industries’ flagging KG-D6 fields. First gas production is envisaged by June 2019 and oil would start flowing from March 2020. The gas will be brought via sub-sea pipeline to AP. — PTI

Sundaram Finance Q3 net rises by 35% CHENNAI: Sundaram Finance Ltd.’s standalone net profit rose by 35.29% for the third quarter ended December 31, 2016 to ₨138.24 crore. The Chennai-based non-banking finance company had reported a net profit of ₨102.18 crore for the corresponding year-earlier period. Income from operations for the third quarter stood at ₨598.13 crore against ₨590.88 crore. Separately, Shanti Gears Ltd. reported standalone net profit improved marginally for the third quarter ended December 31, 2016 to ₨4.73 crore from ₨4.59 crore. The company registered a turnover of ₨51.15 crore. — Special Correspondent

Hero Cycles opens global design centre in U.K. NEW DELHI: Hero Cycles opened a global design centre in Manchester,

U.K., at an investment of 2 million pounds (about ₨17 crore) to develop next generation bikes based on latest technology. The company is working on increasing its revenue share from overseas markets from around 20% currently to 60% by 2018. It did not provide the revenue figures. “As we focus on global expansion plans, we need to harness global talent and have a design centre that is located closer to some of our targeted markets,” Hero Cycles Chairman Pankaj Munjal said. — PTI

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Thyssenkrupp CEO says won’t rush change A hoped-for merger of Thyssenkrupp’s steel business with a rival such as Tata Steel may yet not succeed FRANKFURT: Thyssenkrupp’s chief executive asked shareholders for more time to turn around the diversified industrial group, saying it would not bow to external pressure to rush structural change. Heinrich Hiesinger warned that a hoped-for merger of Thyssenkrupp’s steel business with a rival such as Tata Steel may yet not succeed. The Essen, Germanybased group, whose businesses range from car parts to submarines to materials distribution, is almost 20% owned by activist shareholder Cevian, which would like to see parts of the business split of to increase its value. “We will not be pressured by external factors,” Mr. Hiesinger said in remarks prepared for Thyssenkrupp’s annual shareholder meeting. “We too would like a speedy solution, but it has to be a good solution.”

Talks with Tata Thyssenkrupp and India’s Tata Steel have been talking for about a year about merging their European steel units to cut costs and overcapacity, but the plan is complicated by Tata’s huge pension deficit in Britain. “We are conducting talks with Tata with great care,”

TREADING CAUTIOUSLY: Heinrich Hiesinger says Tata’s U.K. pension obligations are a concern.— FILE PHOTO:REUTERS

We too would like a speedy solution, but it has to be a good solution Heinrich Hiesinger, CEO, Thyssenkrupp Mr. Hiesinger said, reiterating that Tata’s U.K. pension obligations were an obstacle. “It still remains open whether, when and with whom such a step in consolidating the industry will take place.” Tata Steel U.K.’s pension scheme deficit is set to balloon to £1-2 billion ($1.25-$2.5 billion), the scheme’s trustee

Exporters seek special fund to market products overseas SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT NEW DELHI: Exporters’ wish-list

for the 2017-18 Union Budget include an Export Development Fund to help marketing of the products of small exporters in global markets, extension of the 3% interest subsidy to merchant exporters (engaged in trading activity) and an increase in the cash withdrawal ceiling. Stating many countries supported aggressive marketing aimed at the limited orders available following a global trade slowdown, the Federation of Indian Export

Organisations (FIEO) said the government should create an Export Development Fund for such marketing particularly for small and medium exporters amounting to 0.5% of the previous year’s exports. The present support through the marketing scheme was inadequate. Stating merchant exporters contribute to more than 40% of India’s exports, FIEO said the 3% Interest Equalisation Scheme, available now to small and medium manufacturing units, must be extended to merchant exporters.

told members in a letter seen by Reuters. Mr. Hiesinger also said Thyssenkrupp’s fiscal first quarter to end-December had been in line with expectations. “Not new but maybe some hoped for a faster progress,” a Frankfurt-based trader wrote in a note. Lars Foerberg, co-founder of investment firm Cevian, has said he is not satisfied with the state of his investments in Germany but that things are moving in the right direction at Thyssenkrupp. Mr. Hiesinger pointed to synergies between the group’s apparently diverse

operations, such as a plan to use steel mill gases as a feedstock for the chemical industry — the product of collaboration between the steel and plant-engineering units — or Thyssenkrupp’s new cableless elevators that can travel horizontally as well as vertically, developed by engineers from completely different areas of the group. “It is too early yet to provide a detailed view of our business performance in the first quarter. “But the way things are going, I can say that the first quarter will be in line with our guidance. So we are well on track to achieving our full-year targets,” Mr. Hiesinger said. Higher profit For its current year, Thyssenkrupp has forecast an increase in adjusted operating profit to about €1.7 billion ($1.8 billion) from €1.5 billion last year, a “clear improvement in net income” from last year’s €261 million and slightly positive free cash flow before mergers and acquisitions. Thyssenkrupp plans to pay a symbolic dividend of €0.15 per share for a second year in a row. The company is due to publish results for its fiscal first quarter on February 9. — Reuters

Unions back Tata Steel pension plan LONDON: U.K. Steel workers’ unions have given their backing to Indian conglomerate Tata Steel U.K.’s pension plan in a bid to rescue thousands of jobs and allow a merger with German major ThyssenKrupp to go ahead. Union representatives held a meeting on January 26 to discuss the changes announced, which would see the British Steel Pension Scheme (BSPS) close to future accrual and replaced with a defined contribution scheme. “We do not make this recommendation lightly. Nobody is saying that the proposal on the table is without issues. We fully understand the concerns of members, particularly around the British Steel Pension Scheme (BSPS),” said a joint-statement from the three workers’ unions — Unite, GMB and Community — which have come together as

the National Trade Union Steel Coordinating Committee (NTUSCC). “But as we have said before what you are voting on is the best outcome that could be achieved through negotiation. It is our collective view, supported by our independent experts, that this is the only credible and viable way to secure the future,” the statement added. An agreement on Tata Steel’s proposed changes to pensions are essential to future investment, including £1 billion at the Port Talbot plant in Wales over 10 years. A ballot on the ofer is now expected to go ahead on Monday. The move came as ThyssenKrupp CEO Heinrich Hiesinger warned that a deal with the Indian giant was possible only if the pensions liability is separated from its U.K. units. — PTI

Airtel’s free data ofer violated norms: Jio SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT NEW DELHI: Reliance Jio has

written to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) seeking “strongest action” and “highest penalty” against Bharti Airtel, alleging “gross violation of extant telecom laws.” The Mukesh Ambani-led firm has alleged that two of the ofers recently introduced by the country’s largest telecom services provider were not compliant with TRAI’s order on transparency in tarifs. Bharti Airtel, according to Reliance Jio, had not only grossly exaggerated the

CALL DROP: Reliance Jio alleged two of the offers introduced by Airtel were not compliant with TRAI’s order.— FILE PHOTO:AFP value of data in a promotional ofer, but had also misrepresented the benefits under the ofers, arbitrarily discriminated between subscribers and placed misleading tarif advertisements.

“We are not aware of any such complaint,” a Bharti spokesperson told The Hindu when asked about the issue. “All our tarif plans are fully compliant with the prevailing regulations.”

In a letter written last week, Jio said the free calls under Airtel’s Special Tarif Voucher 345 were not unlimited as Airtel had implemented a FUP (fair usage policy) of 300 minutes per day or 1,200 minutes per week, post which all calls were chargeable. “Therefore, these prepaid packs do not provide unlimited free calling to customers. This fact is not discernible from the advertisements of Airtel and neither does Airtel specify in the advertisements that such limitations apply or are conceived as part of the terms and conditions,” Jio claimed.

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Telecast schedule

Australia will struggle in India

South Africa vs Sri Lanka: 1st ODI: TEN 3 & TEN 1 HD, 1.30 p.m.; Australian Open: Sony Six & Sony Six HD, 2 p.m.; FA Cup: Sony ESPN & Sony ESPN HD, 5.30 p.m.; HIL: STAR Sports 2, 3 & HD 2, 3, 7 p.m.; ILeague: TEN 2, 7 p.m.; Bundesliga: SS Select HD 1, 2, 7.45 p.m. & 10.45 p.m.; La Liga: Sony Six & Sony Six HD, 8.30 p.m., 11 p.m. & 1.30 a.m. (Sunday); Serie A: Sony ESPN & Sony ESPN HD, 10.30 p.m. & 1.30 a.m. (Sunday)

I think we’ll struggle. It’s become harder and harder to go to India. They probably make wickets to suit them more than ever before. Even if we don’t win, I don’t think it’d be that big of a deal. It’s a real learning curve.

쑺

— Grigor Dimitrov

The Spaniard outlasts Dimitrov in five tough sets

wo events that occurred recently in the world of sport not only challenged our imagination but also ofered us a peek into the future of sports. But think deeply about them and they may not surprise us. For, both sportsmen and sports equipment, the latter more so, have been evolving at a mind-boggling pace and we are left playing catch-up, jaws dropped, mind reeling. The incremental leaps in technology that sports have made make us wonder whether our grandfathers or great grandfathers would have recognised them for what they are. In fact, some of the changes that sport has undergone can be compared to artificial intelligence or unimaginable robots. This might be the conclusion of those who watched Virat Kohli in the India-England ODI series in Pune hit Chris Woakes’s slower short ball soaring over mid-on a few days before Ivo Karlovic hit 75 aces and a huge number of free points on serve to outlast Horacio Zebellos in the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne. Technique and technology have combined to turn sport into a spectacle that was never accessible to our forefathers. But then, now that everybody who has anything to do with conventional sports journalism, and a lot more who have nothing to do with it, have analysed Kohli’s wonder-stroke and Karlovic’s drone strikes, perhaps we can gain some perspective on those events that have been celebrated as never-before occurrences. To come to the point straight, would the man who is widely regarded as the greatest batsman of all time — Don Bradman — have pulled of a Kohli-like magic moment? Could Rod Laver have hit 75 aces in five sets on a relatively slow surface? Most probably not; and it has nothing to do with the genius of Bradman or Laver and a lot to do with technology and physique. Compared to modern bats and tennis racquets, the ones used by players such as Bradman and Laver were as diferent from the airplane that the Wright brothers flew to the fly-by-wire modern jet planes. “The racquets are bigger and lighter today and the flaps turn on both sides making for additional space,” says Ramanathan Krishnan, a two-time Wimbledon semifinalist. What this means is that there is a larger sweet spot for the big hitters to make use of. With wooden racquets and grass courts in three of the four Grand Slams — except the French Open on clay — players in Krishnan’s peak years in the first half of the 1960s advanced to the net more often. Back then, Jack Kramer was the first to use a bigger racquet (17 inches). Today pre-teen school kids use post-modern ones and can hit the ball faster than anyone might have imagined in Krishnan’s days. The last great champion to use a loosely strung (42 to 43) racquet was that great touch artist and loveable rascal John McEnroe who beat Bjorn Borg (60 to 62) in two of three Grand Slams playing with high-strung racquets. Krishnan’s son Ramesh, too, agrees. And he points to the fact that when someone like Karlovic, who is 6ft 9in tall, the ball comes down as if from a low flying airplane. Well, maybe from 10 feet plus. Max Longbow, manufactured by Dunlop, was the choice of many professionals in the 1990s. Going by the results of the tests carried out by the manufacturer at that time, Longbow had a sweet-spot of almost 50 inches compared to the 28 that the conventional racquets did. All changes in technology may not represent progress, in the sense that things are getting better. But what happens does happen and there is little point railing against change which is the only constant in life. This does not mean that this is the age of sporting prosthetics. Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal would have done as well during the 1960s as they have done in the new millennium. And the same is true of a Rod Laver were he playing today. Said the National Football League punter Kris Kluwe to the Business Insider: “Every generation, we feel like we have reached that pinnacle where we have run the fastest we are going to run (100 metres), or we have gone fastest through the downhill we are ever going to go, or this technology is perfect, or technology can’t get any better. But then we always go past it.” As for cricket, one of the all-time greats of Indian cricket, Kapil Dev says: “I thought it was incredible. He was in a position to play that shot and it was good he went ahead with it. The ball was slow but not the movement of his bat.” Mohinder Amarnath agrees with Kapil and says the shot emanated from Kohli’s forearms. “Basically shot-making is a process that comes with confidence as well as a combination of technique and confidence. The execution came with his confidence to go ahead with the shot. But I believe that players such as Bradman, (Garry) Sobers and quite a few others could have played similar shots.” “And what about V.V.S. Laxman on-driving Shane Warne on the rise in the famous India-Australia Test in Kolkata?” asks Vijay Lokapally, who covered that match for this newspaper, and adds that Kohli’s back-lift and his bat-swing played a major part in his success. But the truth is, nothing may be forever — except perhaps Bradman’s Test batting average of 99.94 — immune to evolution. And, sport is no exception.

There is little point railing against change which is the only constant in life.

by his nickname ‘Baby Fed’ as he went blow-for-blow with the powerful left-hander. “It’s never easy to lose a match like that,” said Dimitrov, who hit 79 winners. Ninth seed Nadal was forced to save two break points in the opening game alone, setting the tone for a frenetic evening. The 2009 champion soon hit his stride, broke once and wrapped up the opening set. The Bulgarian refused to buckle, though, and took a chaotic second set, which had multiple breaks of serve. The third and fourth sets went to tie-breaks and were split. There were chances for both men in the fifth but, with mid-

night long past, Nadal came to the net to punch a backhand into the back court, break for 5-4 and earn the right to serve for the match. The results: Men: Semifinal: 9Rafael Nadal (Esp) bt 15-Grigor Dimitrov (Bul) 6-3, 5-7, 7-6(5), 6-7(4), 6-4. Women: Doubles: Final: 2-Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) & Lucie Safarova (Cze) bt 12-Andrea Hlavackova (Cze) & Peng Shuai (Chn) 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-3. Mixed doubles: Semifinals: 2Sania Mirza (Ind) & Ivan Dodig (Cro) bt Samantha Stosur & Sam Groth (Aus) 6-4, 2-6, [10-5]; Abigail Spears (USA) & Juan Sebastian Cabal (Col) bt Elina Svitolina (Ukr) & Chris Guccione (Aus) 7-6(1), 6-2. — Reuters

On Saturday, 35-year-old Serena will bid for a record 23rd Grand Slam title in the professional era while Venus will strive for her eighth, and first in almost nine years. Serena drew level with Germany’s Stei Graf on 22 when she claimed her seventh Wimbledon title last year but her crowning moment was delayed when, as top seed, she was upset in the U.S. Open semifinals by Czech Karolina Pliskova. Serena no longer cares to talk about the record and stifened when asked about it after her semifinal victory over Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, as if the weight of such an achievement might prove too heavy. But a seventh title at Melbourne Park would add further credit to Serena’s claim as

the greatest of all time, despite being one short of Australia's Margaret Court, whose 24 major titles were split between the amateur and professional eras. For 13th seed Venus, her first Grand Slam final in eight years is already a stunning victory of perseverance in the face of her struggles to manage Sjogren’s syndrome, an autoimmune disease that causes fatigue and joint pain. Both players stormed into the semifinals without a set dropped. However, where Serena romped into the final with a 50-minute demolition of Lucic-Baroni, Venus needed to summon her peerless experience to fend of feisty fellow American Coco Vandeweghe in three sets. — Reuters

Adhiban draws with Carlsen WIJK AAN ZEE: B. Adhiban contin-

CM YK

Getting ready for Sport 3.0?

T

CHESS

ued to amaze as he sensationally proved equal to World champion Magnus Carlsen in 49 moves after briefly enjoying positional superiority during their 11th round of the Tata Steel Masters chess tournament here on Friday. The day also saw P. Hari Krishna hold Anish Giri in a thrilling tactical warfare lasting 36 moves. There were times when Hari looked in trouble, but the Indian found the precise continuation to come out with a creditable draw. This half-a-point taken of Carlsen raised Adhiban’s tally to 5.5 points and kept him in joint fourth place. Carlsen, with six points, slipped to third after China’s Wei Yi stunned Sergey Karjakin to occupy the second spot behind leader Wesley So. Like Hari, Adhiban also played with black pieces and gave a good account of himself

NO BOUNDARIES

NIRMAL SHEKAR

Williams add another chapter to tennis’s greatest sibling rivalry

MELBOURNE: An Australian Open electrified by the revivals of seasoned champions will bathe in the warm glow of nostalgia on Saturday when the Williams sisters contest the women's final at Rod Laver Arena. Melbourne Park was where Venus and Serena Williams first clashed in a tour match in 1998 and nearly 20 years on, the Americans will add another chapter to tennis’s greatest sibling rivalry. In 1998, they were teenagers with cornrows and coloured beads in their hair sharing in an awkward second round encounter that 17-year-old Venus won in two sets. Venus hugged her sister, younger by a year, at the net and apologised for having to “take (her) out”.

It’s never easy to lose a match like that. But it also shows me that I’m on the right path. At least one thing I can say is I left it all out there on court.

쑺

— Ricky Ponting

Nadal masters ‘Baby Fed’, Federer awaits MELBOURNE: Rafael Nadal had to be at his battling best to outlast Grigor Dimitrov 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (5), 6-7(4), 6-4 at the Australian Open on Friday and set up a mouth-watering ninth Grand Slam final meeting with his great rival Roger Federer. The Spaniard looked every inch a 14-time Grand Slam champion as he slugged it out with his 25-yearold opponent over nearly five hours on Rod Laver Arena to reach his first major final since the 2014 French Open and 21st overall. “Grigor was playing unbelievable,” the 30-year-old said. “I think both of us deserve to be in that final.” With 35-year-old Serena Williams facing her 36-yearold sister Venus on Saturday and a rested Federer, 35, waiting for Nadal on Sunday, it is the first time in the open era that all four Major finalists have been over 30. There were no signs of the mental frailties that have prevented Dimitrov from fulfilling the potential promised

I’m on the right path

B. Adhiban. — FILE PHOTO in this Centre Counter game. Adhiban benefited from some of the sub-optimal moves by Carlsen, and the young Indian enjoyed an edge for a brief period before peace was signed. With this, Adhiban has earned the bragging rights for having scored 1.5 points of the two players — champion Carlsen and challenger Karjakin — involved in the last World championship titleclash. In a game of fluctuating fortunes, Giri faced Hari in

English Symmetrical and chose to sacrifice a bishop early to seize the initiative. Hari returned the minor piece, played aggressively and eventually looked better after his rival erred on the 28th move. However, Hari let slip the advantage on the very next move. Thereafter, sanity returned to the proceedings and draw was agreed after 36 moves. Earlier, So took a short, 25move draw from Dmitry Andreikin to move to 7.5 points. With two rounds to go, So is half a point ahead of Wei and one ahead of Carlsen. The results: 11th round: Magnus Carlsen (Nor, 6.5) drew with B. Adhiban (5.5); Anish Giri (Ned, 5.5) drew with P. Hari Krishna (5.5); Dmitry Andreikin (Rus, 4.5) drew with Wesley So (USA, 7.5); Richard Rapport (Hun, 4) drew with Loek van Wely (Ned, 2.5); Wei Yi (Chn, 7) bt Sergey Karjakin (Rus, 6). — Sports Bureau

DOUGHTY WARRIOR: Rafael Nadal showed incredible fighting qualities to down Grigor Dimitrov in four hours and 56 minutes. — PHOTO: QUINN ROONEY/GETTY IMAGES

Never gave up Slam dream, says Nadal

Sania-Dodig pair enters final

MELBOURNE: Rafael Nadal insisted his past Grand Slam wins against Roger Federer will have no bearing on their much-awaited showdown in the Australian Open final on Sunday. The Spaniard leads Federer 6-2 in their Slam finals and 3-0 in their matches at the Australian Open, but said that would mean little in their first Major final since the 2011 French Open. “No, that was a long time ago. It’s a diferent match, different moment for both of us. I think this match is completely diferent than what happened before,” Nadal said. “It’s special. We have not been there in this situation for a while and that makes the match diferent.” Nadal said that even in his darkest moments in his recent injury-hit years, he never gave up his dream of winning more Grand Slam titles. “I am a positive person. I never say never because I work very hard,” he said. He, however, revealed that he was in tears after being forced to withdraw from last year’s French Open, a tournament he has won nine times. “It was a tough year. When you feel that you are playing very well and you have to exit Roland Garros without going on court... I remember crying in the car coming back to the hotel.” — AFP

MELBOURNE: Sania Mirza put herself in contention for a seventh Grand Slam title as she breezed into the Australian Open mixed doubles final with Ivan Dodig, beating local favourites Samantha Stosur and Sam Groth here on Friday. The second-seeded IndoCroatian pair won 6-4, 2-6, [10-5] in the semifinals, that lasted one hour and 18 minutes. The opening set featured a lot of breaks and the only one to not concede a break of serve was Sania. However in the second set, the Indian lost her serve twice — fourth and ninth games —

and it all boiled down to the match tie-breaker. It was 3-3 in the tie-break but the second seeds pulled away after that, taking five points in a row. Mirza and Dodig seized control when Groth’s booming serve misfired on a couple of crucial points and the powerful Australian even gave up a critical double-fault. Sania sent a lob out on the first match point but converted the second when Dodig hit an unreturnable volley to the left of Stosur. They will now take on Abigail Spears and Juan Sebastian Cabal in the final. — PTI

CREDITABLE WIN: Sania Mirza and Ivan Dodig ended the hopes of local pair Sam Groth and Samantha Stosur in the mixed doubles semifinal. — PHOTO: AP

Kohli — filling in for Rohit at the top of the order AMOL KARHADKAR NAGPUR: When Virat Kohli walked out to open India’s innings at the Green Park stadium in Kanpur on Thursday night, many would have felt it was a stark example of the captain wanting to lead from the front. Maybe Kohli wanted to continue his record-breaking run while opening for his Indian Premier League franchise in the 2016 edition. Theories aside, the biggest reason for Kohli opening the innings was to fill in for enigmatic Rohit Sharma, still recovering from the thigh surgery he underwent during the ODI series against New Zealand last October. With Rohit sidelined, Kohli along with the team think-tank thought it best to promote an on-song batsman instead of trying out a new opener and tinker with the team combination.

Kohli, the captain, had no hesitation in admitting it. “There was no special strategy. Some were expecting that I would open because it added more balance to the squad. You can play another batsman in the middle order, like Suresh Raina at No. 3,” Kohli said after India’s tame loss in the opening T20I against England. “If Rohit was in the side, there would be no question and he would be opening with [K.L.] Rahul. It’s more of providing balance to the side.” If India had to draft in rookie Rishabh Pant at the top of the order, it would have resulted in Manish Pandey maintaining his streak of warming the bench. However, with Pandey deserving a decent run in the side after failing to make the cut in the three ODIs, Kohli had to move up the order. “I have no urge to open. I can play at No. 3 as well, I have [batted] at No. 3 for India for a

STEPPING UP: Virat Kohli has revealed that he decided to open in the first T20 to provide balance to the side. — PHOTO: AFP long time. I can play anywhere the management thinks is the best for the team,” Kohli said. “This is just a case of Rohit

not being there and because I have opened in IPL and I have a fair idea of it. It was about adding balance to the side and

making another guy play instead of pushing another guy to open who doesn’t have experience there. That would be unfair on him.” Rohit and Kohli’s bond aside, his move is also muchrequired considering the lull at the top for the team in the shorter formats. Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan and Ajinkya Rahane didn’t click at all in the one-dayers. And with the latter two being omitted from T20s, the team is naturally missing a solid batsman like Rohit at the top of the order. Rohit may not have lived up to his billing in Test cricket yet but the Mumbai batsman’s exploits in the limited formats have reached greater heights ever since he was promoted to open the batting four overs ago. More than shielding Rohit, Kohli would be hoping to fire at Jamtha on Sunday night to keep the T20I series alive. ND-ND

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‘I would like to play across all formats’

A perfect six!

I

t is every bowler’s dream. Six deliveries, six wickets. The perfect over. And for Aled Carey, the dream became reality while playing for Golden Point CC in Australia. Carey, 29, was unable to take a wicket in his first eight overs against East Ballarat in the Ballarat Cricket Association fourth-team fixture in Victoria. All that changed as the first three deliveries of his ninth over produced a catch at first slip, a catch by the wicketkeeper and a leg-before wicket. Cue hat-trick celebrations from his teammates. Yet there was more to come from Carey. His last three victims were clean bowled as the opposition was all out for just 40.

TOULOUSE (FRANCE): Top seed Mahesh Mangaonkar made a positive start in the $10,000 PSA Toulouse 2017 event with an easy 11-3, 11-4, 11-4 win over Tom Ford of England in the first round here on Thursday — Sports Bureau

CRICKET / For now, Jadhav wants to spend time with family and friends G. VISWANATH PUNE: Kedar Jadhav does not

want to be in a euphoric mood for too long after his resounding success — he was declared Man-of-the-Series — in the three-match ODI series against England. A late arriver to the big league, the 31-year-old righthander, who bashed the England bowlers for a 76-ball 120 at his home ground here, then came up with a cameo at Cuttack and finished with a 75-ball 90 at the Eden Gardens, has received handsome praise from his captain Virat Kohli and other pundits. At a felicitation function organised by the Pune Union of Working Journalists here on Friday, Jadhav fielded questions from the media and a large number of journalism students with candour and humour. “I don’t want to be stuck in the celebratory mood for too long. I want to leave the past quickly, stay in the present, work hard and show that I am more hungry for success,” he said. “The ICC Champions Trophy is a good four months away, so I just want to spend quality time with family and

Bangladesh to play India-A HYDERABAD:

The visiting Bangladesh cricket team will play India-A in a two-day practice game at the Gymkhana Ground here from February 5 to 6, according to a BCCI media release on Friday. The visitors will arrive on February 2 and after two days of training will play the practice game before having a week of nets at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium. Bangladesh is scheduled to play India in the one-of Test at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium from February 9. — Special Correspondent

friends and do the routine training and practice sessions.” It has taken 27 months for the attacking Maharashtra batsman to impress his captain, team and the fans in equal measure. “It was a high-scoring series played with high intensity. The opposition, in comparison with the series in Zimbabwe (2015), was better and hence being the Man-ofthe-Series was something special. I did not make the most of the chances against New Zealand, but the batting and bowling eforts gave me confidence,” said Jadhav. Nothing is easy Jadhav responded with a wry smile when a student asked him why he could not finish the match after hitting a six and four in the last over at Kolkata. “Easy,” he quipped. “Nothing is easy. The two deliveries were sent down the same way. It was just a question of reacting to the situation. When I got out, I was probably thinking till the delivery was sent down; that was wrong.” He categorically stated that a player like him was not ignored by the National selectors when he showed form

even before the 2014 season. “I was not ready then; I had faults. When I became an accomplished batsman they gave me opportunities and I have justified the selection.

Tanisha fights back from the brink

RANCHI: Delhi Waveriders will

seek to regain some lost ground in its second consecutive away match, against Ranchi Rays, in the Hockey India League at the Astroturf Stadium here on Saturday. Waveriders had a disappointing start to the league as they lost 1-0 to Kalinga Lancers in Bhubaneswar last Sunday. The 2014 champions, who had adopted an attacking approach and dominated for the most part, sufered against Lancers due to their below par finishing. Waveriders not only wasted many field goal chances but also frittered

Tanisha Kashyap fought back from the brink of elimination to beat Vineetha Mummadi 3-6, 7-6(0), 6-0 in the girls’ semifinals of the ITF grade-5 junior tennis tournament at the Indore Tennis Club Complex on Friday. In the final, Tanisha will play fifth seed Shrivalli Rashmikaa who beat third seed Shivani Ingle in straight sets. Shivani, however, had the joy of winning the doubles title along with Vaidehi Chaudhari at the expense of Sravya Shivani and Tanisha. The results: Boys: Semifinals: Karan Srivastava bt Shashank Theertha 6-2, 6-7(6), 6-1; Dipin Wadhwa bt Drona Walia 7-5, 6-2. Doubles: Final: Rithvik Choudary Bollipalli & Shashank bt Megh Bhargav Patel & Atharva Sharma 6-3, 4-6, [10-7]. Girls: Semifinals: Tanisha Kashyap bt Vineetha Mummadi 3-6, 7-6(0), 6-0; Shrivalli Rashmikaa bt Shivani Ingle 6-3, 6-3. Doubles: Final: Vaidehi Chaudhari & Shivani bt Sravya Shivani & Tanisha 7-5, 6-2. — Sports Bureau INDORE:

More variations The penalty corner specialists, led by captain Rupinderpal Singh, would also be keen to employ more variations. The Ranchi team meanwhile will be full of confidence as it plays its second home match in front of its vociferous supporters. Rays, after recording their first win — a big 7-2 thumping

into the semifinals of the Copa del Rey for a seventh consecutive season 6-2 on aggregate as Denis Suarez scored twice in a 5-2 win over Real Sociedad on Thursday. The result : Barcelona 5 (Denis Suarez 17, 82, Messi 55-pen, Luis Suarez 63, Arda Turan 80) bt Real Sociedad 2 (Juanmi 62, Willian Jose 73); (Barcelona wins 6-2 on aggregate).

Kohli had praised Jadhav for the way he executed some shots in the course of his second ODI century at Gahunje. “I think it was the two big shots of the back foot of Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid directed between mid-of and cover that Virat was referring to. Instead of a slog, I just decided to play with a straight bat.’’

Waveriders have their task cut out against Rays away several penalty corners against Lancers, who defended their post well. Against Ranchi, Waveriders’ forwards Simon Child, Justin Reid-Ross, Talwinder Singh and Mandeep Singh should aim to enhance their accuracy in the opposition circle.

BARCELONA: Barcelona eased

Jadhav has played under M.S. Dhoni and Kohli and he’s in awe of both. “You are inspired just being with them. You see Virat prepare and you are inspired. I think I became more mature after seeing the way Dhoni deals with pressure.’’

HOCKEY INDIA LEAGUE

Y.B. SARANGI

Barcelona enters semifinals

“I would like to play for India across all formats, but I am not anxious. I want to express myself as Kedar Jadhav and not like someone else,” he said.

Finally, asked what he will tell his Maharashtra teammates, he said: “Never worry about failure, play fearless cricket and be consistent.”

of Lancers — following a draw and a loss, are placed second with eight points. Rays, flaunting some topclass foreigners in Englishman Ashley Jackson and German Christopher Ruhr and talented Indians such as Gurbaj Singh, Mohammad Amir Khan and Manpreet Singh, had troubled Lancers with their possession on Thursday. The host is likely to adopt a similar strategy to gain the upperhand against Waveriders, which is slotted fifth among six teams with just one point from its first match. Waveriders will have to maintain their composure to hand the formidable Rays a defeat at home.

United in final

RECOGNITION: Kedar Jadhav, who had a brilliant ODI series against England, was felicitated by the Pune Union of Working Journalists on Friday.

Churchill downs 10-man Bengaluru FC Churchill Brothers scored its maiden win of the season, coming from behind to down 10-man Bengaluru FC 2-1 in the fifth round of the Hero I-League football at the Tilak Stadium here on Friday. The win helped the Goa side move to seventh with four points from five games. Defending champion Bengaluru FC, which sufered its second straight defeat, remained fourth with nine. Bengaluru FC made three changes to the team, bringing in Nishu Kumar, Alwyn George and Roby Norales. The home team made two changes, bringing in Surchandra Singh and Surahuddin Mollick. The result: Churchill 2 (Wolfe 33, Lyngdoh 54) bt Bengaluru FC 1 (Chhetri 22). — PTI VASCO:

A long-time wish spurring Poon on S

om Bahadur Poon has lost 9 kgs in the last month. It’s not an easy task for someone who hung up his gloves more than eight years back and is in his mid-thirties. But Poon’s long-time wish to have a taste of professional boxing spurred on the multiple National champion to put in the hard work when he got an ofer to be part of the Indian Boxing Council (IBC) Pro Fight Night in Imphal on Sunday. Poon, a former Commonwealth championship gold medallist and a Commonwealth Games silver medallist, had to start from scratch under the watchful eyes of renowned trainer Joe Clough in Rohtak. The focus was on enhancing

VERY BRIEFLY India pacer Mohammed Shami’s father Tousif Ali has passed away following a heart attack, forcing the cricketer to leave his rehab with the T20 team and rush to Amroha. Pakistan skipper Azhar Ali has been suspended for one match for slow over rate during the fifth ODI against Australia in Adelaide, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Friday.

Som Bahadur Poon. his endurance and adding explosive power to his punches. “I have learnt more about landing punches and blocking. I have been focusing on techniques and doing a lot of controlled sparring featuring a combination of punches.

“Other international boxers, such as Sarita Devi and Pinki Jangra, who will also have their pro debuts on the same day as mine, are also training here. I am learning a lot of things from them as well,” Poon told The Hindu. Poon is excited to return to the disciplined life of a boxer. “It is quite natural — when you leave a sport, you eat whatever you feel like, and put on some weight. After coming here, I have come down from 88kg to 79kg. It is good because my fight will be in 79kg category.” The headgear, a common feature in non-professional bouts during Poon’s active years, has no place in professional boxing. And Poon has to adapt to this change. “We have been doing some of the sparring sessions with

UPON HULL (UK): Manchester United survived a scare to reach the League Cup final after Oumar Niasse’s late goal earned Hull City a 2-1 victory in Thursday’s semifinal second leg. The result : Hull 2 (Huddlestone 35-pen, Niasse 85) bt Manchester United 1 (Pogba 66); (Manchester United wins 3-2 on aggregate). — AFP

KINGSTON

BOXING

Y.B. SARANGI

Mangaonkar advances

the headgear and some without.” The Armyman, who was among the first batch of boxers who got clearance from the Services Sports Control Board (SSCB) to turn professional, had taken up the task of coaching 40-50 fellow colleagues after quitting boxing. “I have been training with my students and teaching them technical aspects of boxing. So my fitness level has been good.” Poon’s students and family are firmly behind his decision to become a professional boxer. “My students are excited about my fight. My family is behind my decision to turn pro,” said Poon, who expected a lot of his friends to come over from Shillong to support him in Imphal.

GENERAL

Bengal swimming fraternity shocked by Tanuka’s death KOLKATA SPORTS BUREAU KOLKATA: Diver Tanuka Dhara’s

death has shocked the swimming fraternity in her home state of Bengal. Tanuka, who bagged the 1m springboard silver medal in the National aquatics championship in Ranchi in September last, was found dead in her flat in Mumbai on Thursday morning. Ramanuj Mukhopadhyay, vice-president of Swimming Federation of India (SFI) and president of Bengal Amateur Swimming Association (BASA), said the news of Tanuka’s death was hard to believe.

“The news of her death was a big shock to me. I have known Tanuka since her childhood as she used to compete regularly in club and state meets here before moving to Mumbai [after getting a job with Western Railway]. “It is hard to believe that a person of gentle disposition like Tanuka could meet such a tragic end. It is not possible she took her own life at a moment when she was planning for her future by investing a lot in buying an apartment in Mumbai. “Everyone I have spoken to used to say good things about her. She was a talented diver and used to win medals in al-

most every event she participated in. I hope the authorities do a thorough investigation in finding out the true cause behind such a tragic end,” said Mukhopadhyay. Prominent swimming coach Surajit Ganguly, who is away in Hyderabad, was equally disturbed. “Tanuka was a very nice and polite person. Her house is very close to mine in Bali, Howrah. I have seen her come to the pool to learn swimming as a young kid. “She used to be good at gymnastics also. Later she switched to diving. I don’t know how to call her family and what to say,” said Ganguly.

RACING

Downton Abbey wins main event BENGALURU: Downton Abbey (S. John up) won the Racing Patrons Trophy (Div. I), the feature event of the races held here on Friday (Jan. 27). The winner is owned by Sarainaga Racing Pvt. Ltd. and trained by Arjun Mangalorkar. The results: 1. TALAKAVERI PLATE (Div. II), (1,200m), rated 15 to 35, 5y-o & over: Perfect Queen (M. Naveen) 1, Atlantic City (Nazerul Alam) 2, Moher (Vinod Shinde) 3 and Red Admiral (Praveen Shinde) 4. Not run: Flying Bullet. 3/4, 1 and 3/4. 1m 14.73s. Rs. 26 (w), 14, 17 and 20 (p), SHP: Rs. 41, FP: Rs. 59, Q: Rs. 48, Trinella: Rs. 217 and Rs. 108, Exacta: Rs. 4,378 and Rs. 3,190. Favourite: Perfect Queen. Owner: Mrs. Esha N. Hariraj. Trainer: Sharat Kumar. 2. FOREVER ELEGANCE PLATE (1,800m), rated 15 to 35: Super Smart (Suraj Narredu) 1, Chloe (P. Trevor) 2, Mission Blue (Srinath) 3 and Granada (Mukesh Kumar) 4. Not run: Winsomeness. Nose, 4-1/2 and 2. 1m 54.27s. Rs. 44 (w), 16 and 13 (p), SHP: Rs. 31, FP: Rs. 69, Q: Rs. 29, Trinella: Rs. 56 and Rs. 41, Exacta: Rs. 273 and Rs. 240. Favourite: Chloe. Owner and trainer: Rajesh Narredu. 3. LALITMAHAL PLATE (1,200m), rated 00 to 20: Slightly Blonde (Darshan) 1, Splendid Brave (P.S. Chouhan) 2, Kiraathaka (Arshad Alam) 3 and Angelic Love (Syed Imran) 4. Not run: Regal Music.

Nose, 3/4 and 1/2. 1m 15.45s. Rs. 319 (w), 54, 17 and 18 (p), SHP: Rs. 44, FP: Rs. 2,134, Q: Rs. 581, Trinella: Rs. 3,727 and Rs. 1,528, Exacta: Rs. 43,330 and Rs. 37,140. Favourite: Dontworrymonday. Owners: Mr. N. Prem Kumar & Mrs. Shruthiba L. Gowda. Trainer: V. Lokanath. 4. SMT. SARASWATI SAJNANI MEMORIAL TROPHY (2,000m), rated 30 to 50: Masada (Arshad Alam) 1, Amazing Skill (Rayan Ahmed) 2, Secret Pursuit (Srinath) 3 and Fiorenzo (Suraj Narredu) 4. 1-1/4, Shd and 2. 2m 06.59s. Rs. 45 (w), 21 and 64 (p), SHP: Rs. 105, FP: Rs. 453, Q: Rs. 338, Trinella: Rs. 766 and Rs. 293, Exacta: Rs. 2,611 and Rs. 1,580. Favourite: Secret Pursuit. Owners: Mr. Gautam Makhija & Mr. Gurpal Singh. Trainer: Imtiaz Khan. 5. RACING PATRONS TROPHY (Div. I), (1,200m), rated 60 & above: Downton Abbey (S. John) 1, Super Success (Darshan) 2, Ace Badraan (Anjar Alam) 3 and Areca Wonder (Arshad Alam) 4. 3/4, 3-3/4 and Lnk. 1m 12.51s. Rs. 28 (w), 15, 17 and 37 (p), SHP: Rs. 39, FP: Rs. 87, Q: Rs. 64, Trinella: Rs. 766 and Rs. 452, Exacta: Rs. 6,595 and Rs. 2,638. Favourite: Downton Abbey. Owner: Sarainaga Racing Pvt. Ltd. Trainer: Arjun Mangalorkar. 6. BHARACHUKKI PLATE (1,600m), rated 45 to 65: Rare Rhythm (A. Imran Khan) 1, Sum-

merhill (P. Trevor) 2, Emperador (Srinath) 3 and Czar Rule (R. Manish) 4. 3/4, 2-1/4 and 1/2. 1m 37.76s. Rs. 67 (w), 20, 26 and 15 (p), SHP: Rs. 68, FP: Rs. 418, Q: Rs. 161, Trinella: Rs. 614 and Rs. 196, Exacta: Rs. 16,665. Favourite: Emperador. Owners: M.R. Stud Farms Pvt. Ltd. rep. by Mr. N. Chandrashekar Rai & Mr. K. Manoj Kumar. Trainer: Prasanna Kumar. 7. RACING PATRONS TROPHY (Div. II), (1,200m), rated 60 & above: Side Winder (P.P. Dhebe) 1, Tzar (P.S. Chouhan) 2, Siobhan (P. Trevor) 3 and Cool Baby (Jagadeesh) 4. 1/2, 1 and 1/2. 1m 12.57s. Rs. 49 (w), 17, 23 and 18 (p), SHP: Rs. 62, FP: Rs. 445, Q: Rs. 187, Trinella: Rs. 985 and Rs. 417, Exacta: Rs. 23,987 and Rs. 20,560. Favourite: Lord Darlington. Owner: Mr. Lakshminarayana G. Trainer: Prasanna Kumar. 8. TALAKAVERI PLATE (Div. I), (1,200m), rated 15 to 35, 5-y-o & over: Better Than Ever (A. Ramu) 1, Just Fabulous (Antony Raj) 2, Fractals (R. Pradeep) 3 and Irish Prince (M. Naveen) 4. Nk, 3 and Shd. 1m 14.72s. Rs. 47 (w), 17, 15 and 56 (p), SHP: Rs. 42, FP: Rs. 92, Q: Rs. 32, Trinella: Rs. 1,113 and Rs. 914, Exacta: Rs. 5,724 and Rs. 1,338. Favourite: Just Fabulous. Owner: Mr. Peter Caddy. Trainer: Amit Caddy. Jackpot: Rs. 19,451 (33 tkts.); Runner-up: Rs. 1,871 (147 tkts.); Treble: (i): Rs. 8,138 (three tkts.); (ii): Rs. 1,167 (32 tkts.).

VARIETY

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1 Never take risks initially, coastguards clash (8) 2 Punish people in the wrong (7) 3 Usually on a very short time (2,7) 5 Resistance to cut a tree by Chinaman to get the child out (6,8) 6 Lock will strengthen, no doubt (5) CM YK

7 Allowed in and out — restricted to a naval base (7) 8 Formality's gone while making regulation (6) 9 Distorted 'ism'? (14) 16 Lease plot and make it stick (9) 17 Force to do nothing, 50% fall for handyman (8)

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19 A restriction on dress must go (7) 21 Totally finished, everything follows (7) 22 Expect to lose time in greeting — it's "Aloha!" here (6) 24 Invest in something outstanding (5)

Krishna describes a yogi as one who concentrates his mind on the Supreme Self, while remaining in solitude. He is also self-controlled, free from desires and longing for possessions. The technique of mental discipline on the lines of Patanjali’s yoga sutra is suggested, pointed out Sri R. Rajagopalan in a discourse. The purpose is to raise one’s consciousness from the ordinary level to a higher state of awareness of the Supreme. Yoga practice helps one to integrate the levels of consciousness in an individual. Basically an individual has to exercise control and moderation on one’s physical and mental activities, for the mind and body are always involved in action of some sort or the other. For instance, one may sit still and refrain from work, but still the act of breathing takes place within him. Again, his mind is restless and shifts from thought waves of a varied nature with unimaginable speed and in an uncontrolled manner. Krishna’s first lesson is to make an individual understand the hectic activity of one’s mind and body that is constantly taking place within him and observe these in a detached manner. As an exercise in self discipline, this helps to recognise one’s shortcomings. One learns to be moderate in his food intake and physical activities and also tries to restrain his thought, word and deed and regulate his sleep and waking. “Yoga is not for him who eats too much or abstains too much from eating. It is not for one who sleeps too much or keeps awake too much.” Sastras state that the type of food we eat influences our attitude and behaviour. Krishna advises caution and vigil as various types of food can trigger satva, rajas and tamas in people. The advice is to strive for moderation and avoid extremes in one’s daily activities.

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25 Air pipe allows oil to flow with brute force (7) 26 That's gone into supplement regularly — it helped (5) 27 A German model featured in Times — she is terrible (9) 28 Suggestion from home — damage undone (8) 29 Confusion as one of the lights gets no power (6)

A T R E S A S

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finds something to eat (7) 14 Indian aphorism about art and American revival (5) 15 Stand on foot, allowed to be in Paris (8) 18 According to Spooner the stuff rained for so long (8) 20 Can force one to get a scrub (5) 23 Sin is a sin without a Rabbi's involvement (7)

T O K D I N S A W T A

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1 Not to condone some rejected material (6) 4 Dry piece of wood to be taken in the slaughterhouse (8) 10 I'm going around New Orleans, to make it regular (9) 11 It's part of the dictator's proclamation (5) 12 Animal laid eggs over grass (3,4) 13 After wine bottles, Jack perhaps

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(set by Arden)

C O T T O N O O N M N O RMA L I T M V S R O E D E E R A N R E S U T R A P T G R F A R EWE H B S A V A R I C E W N N N A I D E D T I O U E I N N U E N D

THE HINDU CROSSWORD 11916

Sudoku is a mind game and a puzzle that you solve with reasoning and logic. Fill in the grid with digits in such a manner that every row, every column and every 3x3 box accommodates the digits 1 to 9, without repeating any. ND-ND

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SPORT

NOIDA/DELHI

THE HINDU SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2017

Narrow win for Amit Arora

All-Indian men’s semis Ronit goes down with guns blazing

G. VISWANATH

BADMINTON / Sindhu lone Indian woman in the last four

A. JOSEPH ANTONY

RAKESH RAO

INDORE: Ronit Bhanja had fire in

TABLE TENNIS

PUNE: Uttar Pradesh’s Amit

Arora scored a narrow 3-2 win over Chandigarh’s Sumit Talwar 3-2 in a Group J league match in the snooker competition of the 84th Manisha National Billiards & Snooker Championship at the PYC Gymkhana here on Friday. The results: Men’s snooker: Group A: Manan Chandra bt Nitin Sharma 3-0 (69-14, 111 (54, 42)-7, 7321); Ashutosh Rao bt Sean Davis 3-2 (46-70, 55-43, 45-65, 83-48, 70-50); Nitin Sharma bt Sean Davis 3-1 (4049, 53-48, 72-31, 60-33). Group B: Malkeet Singh bt Bhadresh Panchal 3-0 (68-17, 65-52, 85 (64)-10); Sundeep Gulati bt Amarnath Sharma 3-1 (75-59, 69 (49)71, 59-52, 73-35). Group C: Ishpreet Singh Chadha bt Abhijoy Gosh 3-1 (62-22, 71-16, 1662, 65-25); Anurag Giri bt Shoaib Khan 3-2 (5-63 (53), 64-44, 3-61, 6152, 81 (54)-2). Group D: Niraj Kumar bt Subrat Das 3-0 (55-14, 61-6, 71-38); Anuj Uppal bt Saksham Gairola 3-0 (61-51, 68-15, 62-49). Group E: Lucky Vatnani bt Asutosh Padhy 3-0 (73 (48) -28, 59-33, 81-56); Vinayak Agarwal bt Sahil Nayyer 3-1 (72-32, 56-65, 61-13, 74-29). Group F: Dhvaj Haria bt Dhruv Verma 3-0 (76-50, 58-52, 61-30); S. Dilip Kumar bt Micheal Rebello 3-2 (21-76, 58-23, 6-70 (53), 74-41, 70-54). Group G: Bharat Sisodiya bt Vishal Gajjar 3-0 (59-46, 82-22, 7709); Divya Sharma bt Benay Agarwala 3-0 (73-41, 75-54, 69-37). Group H: Pankaj Advani bt Younis Kouchey 3-0 (85-25, 77-39, 60-54); Panduranga bt Peter Lalrintluanga 3-0 (62-18, 61-00, 69-19). Group I: Brijesh Damani bt Prakash Agarwal 3-0 (56-40, 92 (53) -6, 84 (55) -20); Shoab Khan bt S. Ramakanth 3-0 (58-3, 70-12, 64-29). Group J: Himanshu Jain bt Anupam Jha 3-0 (59-36, 63-19, 6816); Amit Arora bt Sumit Talwar 3-2 (11-66, 14-67, 68-58, 51-34, 65-55). Group L: Yasin Merchant bt R. Loganathan 3-0 (58-2, 67-49, 90 (53)38); Ketan Chawla bt Muddasar Ashiq 3-0 (73-7, 63-38, 62-53). Group M: Pushpinder Singh bt Sukumar Burman 3-0 (53-51, 76-34, 77-32); Digvijay Kadian bt Chirag Ramkrishnan 3-2 (64-58, 23-70 (49), 25-66, 67(50)-28, 75 (32) -2). Group N: Monu Choudhary (Del) bt Jaswinder Singh (Raj) 3-0 (88 (61)-46, 62-57, 70-7); Rahul Sachdev (Mah) bt Pandari Kishore (AP) 3-0 (111(81)-7, 50-22, 72-1).

CM YK

LUCKNOW: The prospects of In-

dians claiming the singles titles looked bright after two homegrown shuttlers knocked out higher-ranked Danes in the men’s quarterfinals of the $120,000 Syed Modi International badminton championship here on Friday. National champion Sameer Verma continued his domination of second seed and World No. 15 Hans-Kristian Vittinghus, and Harsheel Dani took out 12th seed Emil Holst before defending champion K. Srikanth ensured an all-India semifinals in the men’s singles. In the ladies’ section, only P.V. Sindhu advanced to the semifinals. After Rituparna Das flattered to deceive against fourth-seeded Indonesian Fitriani Firtriani, Sindhu stayed on course for a muchexpected title after facing a fighting Vaidehi Choudhari. Among the three Indonesian semifinalists, Gregoria Mariska made it after upstaging third-seeded Spaniard Beatriz Corrales 21-9, 21-11. But the biggest upset came from the shortest semifinal where the 35th-ranked Sameer stayed ahead of Vittinghus for the better part of their 36minute clash. Displaying fine court-coverage and attacking skills, Sameer seized control to win 21-15, 21-13. Sameer now plays Dani, who also punched above his weight to floor 12th seed Holst 21-16, 17-21, 21-11 in 49 minutes. The other semifinal on Saturday will see Srikanth and B. Sai Praneeth. Srikanth expec-

CRAFTY: Harsheel Dani defeated higher-ranked Emil Holst of Denmark to enter the semifinals of the Syed Modi International badminton tournament. — PHOTO: RAJEEV BHATT tedly cruised past Malaysia’s Zulfadli Zulkili after Praneeth and Sourabh Verma battled for 56 minutes. Praneeth, who won the opening game but never took the lead in the second, surprisingly dominated the decider, where Sourabh gave away too many soft points. Among the ladies, India’s fifth strongest player, Rituparna, let Fitriani of the hook. She blew away a 12-3 lead in the decider and with it, a golden opportunity to reach the semifinals. Fitriani escaped to a 2117, 13-21, 23-21 victory by converting her third match-point in 58 minutes. Ashwini Ponnappa and N. Sikki Reddy reached the semi-

FOOTBALL

Four-game ban for Wenger LONDON: Arsene Wenger was

given a four-game touchline ban by the Football Association on Friday after accepting a misconduct charge following an incident that saw the veteran Arsenal manager sent of in Sunday’s dramatic win over Burnley. Wenger was sent to the stands by referee Jon Moss after allegedly using abusive or

insulting language towards fourth oicial Anthony Taylor after Burnley was given a stoppage-time penalty at the Emirates Stadium. Arsenal won the game 2-1 after being awarded a penalty of its own in the final minute, but Wenger’s post-match apology couldn’t stop the FA, English football’s governing body, charging him. — AFP

finals of ladies doubles as well as mixed doubles, with B. Sumeeth Reddy and Pranav Chopra. The ladies duo looks set to play the final after facing Sanjana Santosh and Arathi Sara Sunil on Saturday. The results: Quarterfinals: Men: 9-B. Sai Praneeth bt 11-Sourabh Varma 21-19, 12-21, 21-10; 3-K. Srikanth bt 7-Zulfadli Zulkiffli (Mal) 21-12, 21-17; 15-Harsheel Dani bt 12Emil Holst (Den) 21-16, 17-21, 21-11; 8Sameer Verma bt 2-Hans-Kristian Vittinghus (Den) 21-15, 21-13. Women: 1-P.V. Sindhu bt Vaidehi Choudhari 21-15, 21-11; 4-Fitriani Fitriani (Ina) bt Rituparna Das 21-17, 1321, 23-21; Gregoria Mariska (Ina) bt 3-Beatriz Corrales 21-9, 21-11; 6Hanna Ramadini (Ina) bt Sri Krishna Priya Kudaravalli 21-17, 21-15.

Jazz shoots past Lakers LOS ANGELES: Gordon Hayward

scored 24 points in his first game after being selected as an NBA All-Star, leading Utah Jazz to a 96-88 victory over Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday. The results : Utah Jazz 96 bt Los Angeles Lakers 88; Denver Nuggets 127 bt Phoenix Suns 120; Oklahoma City Thunder 109 bt Dallas Mavericks 98; Indiana Pacers 109 bt Minnesota Timberwolves 103. — Reuters

the belly, but fell at the threshold to Chi-Chien Lai 11-5, 6-11, 10-12, 7-11, 11-9, 11-3, 1113 in the boys’ quarterfinals of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World junior circuit finals at the Abhay Prashal indoor stadium on Friday. Ranked 13th, the Barrackpore native even held a match point, before succumbing to the sixth seed. In several long-range exchanges of fire, Bhanja matched Lai smash for smash, lob for lob. The Bengal battler pulled of some incredible retrieves, sometimes from impossible angles. The fast forehand loops fired far from the table showcased each player’s aggressive intent. The Indian challenge ended when Manav Thakkar bowed out to Hsin Yang Li of Taiwan 6-11, 7-11, 13-11, 11-9, 9-11, 8-11. Alexandru Manole of Ro-

mania pulled the rug from under the feet of the boys’ favourite Darko Jorgic 6-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-9, 8-11, 11-9. With variations in his short, side-spin serves, Manole pounced on the top gun’s feeble returns, the backhand flick invariably the put-away shot. High-toss serves helped Wai Yam Minnie Soo recoup from losses in the opening and third games against Taiwan’s Pei-Ling Su. If the latter’s receiving of serve was weak at times, Su more than made up with fierce third and fifth-ball attacks. More often than not, short side-spin serves landed the spoils for the top seed. Andreea Dragoman won by the skin of her teeth against Amy Wang. After the duo was tied 3-3, the fourth seed trailed in the decider but much to her relief, prevailed in the extended game. Correction: Archana Kamat of India failed to make the quarterfinals, and not as

published in these columns on Friday. The error is regretted. After registering two wins on Thursday, Archana lost her third match 4-0 to Amy Wang of the USA on Friday. In a three-way tie for the second spot, she was edged out by 0.66 points. The results: Quarterfinals: Boys: Alexandru Manole (Rom) bt Darko Jorgic (Slo) 6-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-9, 8-11, 11-9, ChiChien Lai (Tai) bt Ronit Bhanja (Ind) 5-11, 11-6, 12-10, 11-7, 9-11, 3-11, 13-11; Koyo Kanamitsu (Jpn) bt Tobias Hippler (Ger) 11-13, 11-8, 11-9, 11-9, 2-11, 11-9, Hsin Yang Li (Tai) bt Manav Thakkar (Ind) 11-6, 11-7, 11-13, 9-11, 11-9,11-8. Girls: Wai Yam Minnie Soo (HKG) bt Pei-Ling Su (Tai) 9-11, 11-6, 8-11, 11-5, 11-4, 11-9; Andreea Dragoman (Rom) bt Amy Wang (USA) 10-12, 11-9, 7-11, 11-5, 3-11, 11-9, 14-12; SihHan Fang (Tai) bt Kana Takeuchi (Jpn) 11-4, 7-11, 9-11, 13-11, 11-6, 11-6; Yuko Kato (Jpn) bt Tze Wing Mak (HKG) 12-10, 6-11, 14-12, 5-11, 11-9, 11-7.

HOCKEY INDIA LEAGUE

Dabang’s field goals drown Warriors NANDAKUMAR MARAR Dabang Mumbai’s strikeforce unleashed its full fury on Jaypee Punjab Warriors, serving up a delightful treat of field goals for the home fans at the Mahindra Stadium on Friday. Nikkin Thimmaiah set the ball rolling with a ninthminute goal while Florian Fuchs and Afan Yousuf struck twice each for a glorious 10-4 win in the Coal India-Hockey India League. Fuchs scored with powerpacked shots on the run. Yousuf, smaller and muscular in comparison, tormented Warriors with quick movement and quicker hands. His first goal came with back to goal, the second by getting into position for a trap and tap. The visitors hit back with two field goals, but were always playing catch up. In the ninth minute, Belgian Emmanuel Stockbroekx essayed a fierce shot into the goalmouth. Warriors custodian Tristan Clemons blocked the ball, but it rose for

Smith injured, Wade to lead

MUMBAI:

Australian wicketkeeper Matthew Wade has assumed ODI captaincy duties for the New Zealand tour after injury ruled out Steve Smith. Smith injured his left ankle in the fifth ODI against Pakistan on Thursday. The CA medical team said the injury was likely to take seven to 10 days to recover from. Youngster Sam Heazlett was called up as Smith’s replacement. — PTI

SYDNEY:

RUBBING IT IN:Affan Yousuf (left) scored two field goals in the last quarter to give Dabang Mumbai a runaway win over Jaypee Punjab Warriors. — PHOTO: VIVEK BENDRE Thimmaiah to volley home. Eight minutes later, Matthew Gohdes equalised. He seized a gift from Harmanpreet and squeezed the ball onto the boards. Fuchs, then, trapped a Kemperman pass, turned in quest of space and whacked in a backhander. No Warriors player was in sight to challenge the German. Fuchs later produced an-

other stinging shot to the right corner to make it 6-2. But, Arman Qureshi directed home a pass from S.V. Sunil to keep the visitors within striking range. In the fourth quarter, it was a Yousuf show. The scores: Dabang Mumbai 10 (Nikkin Thimmaiah 9 FG; Florian Fuchs 29, 42 FGs; Affan Yousuf 48, 50 FGs) bt Jaypee Punjab Warriors 4 (Matt Gohdes 17 FG, Arman Qureshi 44 FG).

It’s now 10 on the grid LONDON: The Manor Formula

One team has folded after going into administration and failing to find a buyer, leaving the sport with 10 teams two months before the start of the season in Australia. — Reuters

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NOIDA/DELHI

THE HINDU SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2017

CM YK

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