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XXI NO. 31 Sunday, July 30, 2023
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XXI NO. 31 PRICE ₹5.00 16 PAGES + 4 PAGES OF HT CITY. AREA SPECIFIC PAGES EXTRA.
n n
Oppn bloc members
start visit to Manipur
Agencies
letters@hindustantimes.com
IMPHAL: A delegation of 21
Members of Parliament (MPs)
from the opposition bloc INDIA
reached Imphal on Saturday to
assess the ground situation in
ethnic strife-torn Manipur. The
MPs reached the capital of the
northeastern state on a com-
mercial flight from Delhi.
Hours after landing, the dele-
gation visited the victims of vio-
lence at a relief camp in Chura-
chandpur. The leaders slammed
the Centre for not sending its
delegation and said that their
visit is just a way to provide
some “psychological healing” to
the people in distress.
Speaking to ANI, Rashtriya
Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Jha
said, “We met several people in
the relief camp here and lis-
tened to their problems. We
have assured them that there
will be a change in the situation
and we are all working in that
direction. This is our small step
in the direction of psychological
healing”.
Trinamool Congress MP
Sushmita Dev slammed BJP and
said that the Centre instead
should have sent a delegation to
violence-hit Manipur.
“The people are terrified,
there are many children as well.
It was important for us to come
and meet the victims here, the
sad part is that the Government
of India should have sent the
delegation but they refused, so
the I.N.D.I.A. alliance have
come here,” she said.
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A view of the town of Sugnu amid clashes in Manipur.
Later, one section of team
was expected to go to another
relief camp at Moirang College
in Bishnupur district by road to
meet victims from the Meitei
community, PTI reported. The
other team was set to go to the
Ideal Girl’s College relief camp
at Akampat in Imphal East dis-
trict and visit another camp at
Lamboikhongangkhong in
Imphal West district.
“On Sunday morning, the del-
egation will meet Governor
Anusuiya Uikey at Raj Bhawan
to discuss the ongoing situation
and possible measures to bring
peace in Manipur at the earli-
est,” an MPCC official was
quoted as saying by PTI. The
team is scheduled to return to
the national capital on Sunday
afternoon.
Reacting to the opposition
alliance INDIA delegation’s two-
AP
day visit to Manipur from Satur-
day, Union Minister Arjun Ram
Meghwal said that they are
ready to discuss the situation of
Manipur in Parliament adding
that the Opposition is trying to
politicise the issue which
should not be done.
“We are ready for discussion
in Parliament. Defence Minister
Rajnath Singh and Union Home
Minister Amit Shah have also
said that they want to have dis-
cussions on the situation in
Manipur, but the Opposition is
trying to politicise the issue.
This should not be done”.
Manipur has been witnessing
ethnic clashes since early May
between the majority Meitei
community, concentrated in the
Imphal valley, and the Kukis,
occupying the hills. Over 150
people have been killed in the
violence so far.
CBI TAKES OVER
PROBE IN SEXUAL
ASSAULT CASE
HT Correspondent
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau
of Investigation (CBI) on Friday
took over the probe into the sex-
ual assault case where three
Kuki women were stripped,
paraded naked and assaulted,
with one of them gang-raped, by
a mob in Manipur on May 4,
people familiar with the devel-
opment said.
After taking over the probe,
the agency has re-registered the
first information report (FIR)
filed by the Manipur police, they
said. →P4
AT MORTUARIES,
UNCLAIMED BODIES
AWAIT JUSTICE
Utpal Parashar
letters@hindustantimes.com
CHURACHANDPUR/IMPHAL: A
senior administrative official of the
Churachandpur Medical College
in said that the morgue has six
deep freezers full of bodies of those
killed in the Manipur clashes. A
few kilometres away, the Regional
Institute of Medical Sciences
Imphal mortuary has space for six
bodies in the deep freezer, but has
to contend with 25 →P4
Bangladesh police, protesters clash
Police hit a Bangladesh Nationalist party (BNP) activist blocking a highway entering Bangladesh's
capital with other activist during a protest demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina and a general election under a neutral caretaker government, in Dhaka.
BJP rejigs office bearers
in run-up to key elections
HT Correspondent
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: Effecting an organi-
sational change in the party in
the run up to upcoming state
elections and the 2024 Lok
Sabha elections, Bharatiya Jan-
ata Party (BJP) president JP
Nadda on Saturday announced
changes in the party’s national
office bearers team.
Bandi Sanjay, former presi-
dent of the Telangana state unit,
has been included as national
general secretary along with
Uttar Pradesh MLA Radha
Mohan Agarwal replacing D Pur-
andeshwari and CT Ravi, who
have been appointed as state unit
presidents of Andhra Pradesh
and Telangana, respectively.
Anil Anthony, son of former
Congress minister AK Anthony,
has been also included in the list
of national secretaries, along
with Kamakhya Prasad Tasa, a
Rajya Sabha MP from Assam.
Saroj Pandey, who was
dropped as national general sec-
retary in 2020, has been
appointed as national vice presi-
dent, along with Saudan Singh,
who was also a joint general sec-
retary (organisation).
Lata Usendi from Chhattis-
garh, MPs Rekha Verma and
Laxmikant from UP and MLC
Tariq Mansoor from UP have
also been included in the
national vice presidents’ team.
BL Santhosh and Shiv Prakash
Sunday, July 30, 2023
AFP
continue to remain the national
general secretary and joint gen-
eral secretary, respectively.
Dilip Saikia from Assam Sunil
Deodhar has been dropped from
the post of national secretary.
The move comes as the party
prepares for the upcoming
Assembly elections in states
including Rajasthan, Madhya
Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Tel-
angana, as well as Lok Sabha
elections in 2024.
Later, Nadda chaired a core
committee meeting of Rajasthan
party leaders on Saturday. The
discussions at the meeting were
around general elections, the
NDA meeting, outreach strate-
gies, and the electoral battles in
poll-bound states.
PATNA/METRO
VTR TIGER COUNT
UP BY 75%, NOW
HAS 54 BIG CATS
PATNA: Bihar’s Valmiki Tiger
Reserve (VTR) has recorded a
75 per cent increase in tiger
count, from 31 in 2018 to 54 in
2022, and has also been
declared as “very good” among
the 51 tiger reserves in the coun-
try, according to a report by the
National Tiger Conservation
Authority ( NTCA), which was
released on the International
Tiger Day on Saturday.
VTR, the lone tiger reserve in
Bihar, is located in West Cham-
paran district.
In 2014, there were only 28
tigers at the reserve. In 2018, the
number grew to 31.
“And now it has 54 tigers. It’s
really a proud moment for the
VTR and for the entire state,”
PK Gupta, Bihar’s chief wildlife
warden, said. →P3
To be
continued...
The Last of Us, The
Matrix, Star Wars: No good
tale unfolds on just one
platform, today. Games
move to TV; films sparks
podcasts. Could
transmedia
storytelling
change how
such sagas are
framed to
begin
with?
→P8-9
BISCUITS
 02 PATNA
SUNDAY, JULY 30, 2023

{Sunday}
SCAN THE CODE
TO BOOK YOUR
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MATRIMONIALS TENDER NOTICE CHANGE OF NAME

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Affidavit no.16234

I, RAJAN, S/o Prahlad Prasad Singh,

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FIRM WITH THE TRUTH
Ranchi University, Kanke, Ranchi-
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Vide Affidavit no. - 1873, Dated-
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changed from Rajan to Rajan
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I, PRADIP Kumar S/o Late Jagat KEEP READING HINDUSTAN TIMES TO STAY UPDATED
Prasad Agarwal AT- Lal Imli Goraiya
Asthan, Patna City, Dist.- Patna I
have changed my name Pradip
CHANGE OF NAME Kumar to Pradip Kumar Agrawal vide
aff. no. 342 dated 25.07.2023

EMPLOYMENT
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 PATNA
SUNDAY
JULY 30, 2023 03
My Patna
{ MUZAFFARPUR SHELTER HOME } ‘REUNITED’ GIRL MISSING
Muharram MINOR GANG
RAPED, TWO
ACCUSED HELD CBI registers fresh FIR
Aditya Nath Jha
htpatna@hindustantimes.com

ARARIA : A 17-year-old girl was

allegedly raped by two persons
during a Muharram procession
in the district, the police said.
Forbesganj station house
officer (SHO) Aftab Ahmad
said, “Two persons Md Asfaque
(22) and Md Mumtaz (23) were
arrested and booked under sec-
tion 376 D (gang rape) of IPC
(Indian Penal Code) and POCSO
(Protection Of Children
From Sexual Offences) Act.”
Sources said, the girl was
watching a Muharram proces-
sion near her house when two
persons forcibly took her to a
nearby jute field and allegedly
raped one by one.
“When she didn’t return
home till late evening, the fam-
ily members started searching
for her and later found her
unconscious and naked in a
A Muharram procession in Patna on Saturday. SANTOSH KUMAR/HT PHOTO jute field,” locals said.
{ INTERNATIONAL TIGER DAY }
in inmates’ abuse case
NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau
of Investigation (CBI) has regis-
tered a fresh FIR against uni-
dentified officials of a shelter
home for girls in Muzaffarpur
in Bihar, which hit the head-
lines in 2018 for large-scale sex-
ual abuse of inmates, in connec-
tion with a missing girl who was
shown as reunited with parents
in 2015 on the basis of forged
documents.
Brajesh Thakur, whose NGO The Muzaffarpur shelter home. HT FILE
ran the shelter home, Balika
Gruh, was sentenced to life alleged. forged,” the CBI has alleged.
imprisonment by a special CBI When the CBI dug further, it Based on the report, the Bihar
court in 2020. found that the voter ID cards of government handed over the
The CBI, during its probe, persons claiming to be the probe in March this year to the
found that a physically and father and his wife were fake. CBI, which has now registered
mentally disabled girl, who was “It was also found that Nat- the FIR.
shown on paper to have been huni Mukhiya, the identifier of Thakur is currently serving
reunited with her parents in the father and his wife, is a ficti- life sentence after a Delhi court
2015, remains missing. tious person and no such per- in February 2020 sentenced him
“During further investigation son ever functioned as Mukhiya “rigorous imprisonment till the
of that case, it was revealed that of the said village and it has also remainder of his life” and
one minor girl...who was physi- established that release imposed a fine of Rs 32.20 lakh
cally and mentally disabled and order...dated November 10, 2015, on him in the shelter home case.
was reportedly restored on was not signed by Mansi Sama- The sexual abuse of inmates
November 10 to her father...in dar, the then chairperson, and of the shelter home had come to

VTR’s tiger count jumps 75%

compliance of the order dated Renu Kumari Singh, the then light on May 26, 2018 after the
November 10, 2015, purportedly member, CWC (Child Welfare Tata Institute of Social Sciences
passed by Child Welfare Com- Committee) Sitamarhi. The said submitted a report to the Bihar
mittee, Sitamarhi,” the FIR order was found to be fake and government highlighting it. PTI

rest five have been declared fair,

Number of big cats
has gone up from 31
in 2018 to 54 in 2022
in the VTR, which has
also been declared as
“very good” among
the 51 tiger reserves
in the country
Reena Sopam
reena.sopam@htlive.com
PATNA: Bihar’s Valmiki Tiger
Reserve (VTR) has recorded a
75 per cent increase in tiger
count, from 31 in 2018 to 54 in
2022, and has also been
declared as “very good” among
the 51 tiger reserves in the coun-
try, according to a report by the
National Tiger Conservation
Authority ( NTCA), which was
released on the International
Tiger Day on Saturday.
VTR, the lone tiger reserve in
Bihar, is located in West Cham-
paran district.
The VTR occupies a core area of 909.86 sq km in West Champaran district.
In 2014, there were only 28
tigers at the reserve. In 2018, the
number grew to 31.
“And now it has 54 tigers. It’s
really a proud moment for the
VTR and for the entire state,”
PK Gupta, Bihar’s chief wildlife
warden, said.
The high population of tigers
is also an indicator of the health
of the forests, he said. “This is
why the NTCA has categorised
VTR under ‘very good’ slot.
Tiger reserves in the country
are classified by the NTCA
under four categories — excel-
HT FILE
lent, very good, good and fair,”
the official said.
Altogether 12 tiger reserves of
the country have been slotted
under excellent category while
21 tiger reserves, including VTR,
have been declared very good
and 13 in good category. The
Gupta said.
“Regarding the status of for-
ests, NTCA explained in its
Cop killed in Muzaffarpur land feud
report that the VTR manage- Avinash Kumar Police. the official.
ment has been working well. It
avinash.kumar@htlive.com
According to deputy superin- “Family members have
has been managing the human- tendent of police (West), alleged that the deceased had
animal conflicts well and is PATNA: A policeman was killed Abhishek Anand, information been telephonically seeking help
working to stop poaching or in Muzaffarpur district on Satur- was received in the morning that from the local police for the past
wildlife trafficking,” he said. day following a dispute over a Singh’s body was lying close to few days, but there was no
“NTCA has also appreciated small piece of land while he was his house. response. We are investigating
VTR for improvement in grass at his village on a vacation, “We rushed to the spot and the charge. All those who are
line, for a well organised anti- police said, adding that four of sent the body for autopsy. We found to be guilty will be
poaching team and the human the suspects have been arrested. have registered a case on the brought to book”.
management in the villages in The incident took place in basis of complaints of the The victim’s son, Rishav Raj,
buffer zone of the Vakmiki tiger Muzaffarpur district’s Yadu bereaved family members, who alleged that his father was on
reserve,” Gupta said. Chhapra village where 53-year- have said that the family was morning stroll when the inci-
The NTCA report is titled as old Dipendra Kumar Singh had engaged in a dispute with a dent took place.
“The Status of Tigers- Co preda- come for a holiday from Patna, neighbouring household over a “There have been complaints
tors and Prey in India, 2022” . where he was posted as a Havil- piece of land that measured and cross-complaints over the
The VTR occupies a core area dar with Bihar State Auxiliary barely a few square inches,” said land dispute,” the deputy SP said.
of 909.86 sq km of Valmiki
Sanctuary located in West
Champaran district. It was
established as the 18th tiger
reserve in 1990 and ranked
fourth in density of tiger popu-
lation. Rivers Gandak and
Masan flow through this area.
Gandak river, with the Himala-
yan Mountain Range as a back-
drop, offers breathtaking views.

Katihar protests: Lens on

power transmission gaps
Ruchir Kumar
ruchirkumar@hindustantimes.com
PATNA: Despite adequate avail-
ability of power to Bihar, the
lack of quality power supply
owing to transmission prob-
lems has led to simmering dis-
content and public protests,
especially among farmers, the
most recent being at Barsoi,
subdivisional headquarters of
Katihar district, where protests
turned violent, claiming two
lives, as police had to open fire
at the protesters on July 26.
Regular low voltage at the
Purnia grid of the Powergrid, a
Central government PSU, which
supplies power to the three
feeders in Barsoi, along with
50% deficit rainfall in Bihar till
July 27, have triggered a surge
in demand for power, posing a
challenge to the North Bihar
Power Distribution Company
Ltd (NBPDCL) the discom sup-
plying power to Katihar and 20
other districts of the state, said
state power officials.
The state has been able to
meet the bulk of its power
demand largely through the
NTPC, which supplies an aver-
age 6,000 MW to 6,500 MW,
depending on Bihar’s requisi-
tion for power, against its aver-
age daily scheduled allocation
of 6,891 MW, including 300 MW
solar power.
Bihar attained its highest
peak load demand of 7,841 MW
against its average demand of
6,500 MW on July 25, as per
government data. With a maxi-
mum power deficit of 7.25%
from the NTPC during the last
week, the state had to meet its
demand by purchasing addi-
tional power from open market,
say officials familiar with the
matter.
In Barsoi, which consists of
30 panchayats, power supply
was restricted throughout the
month, though the duration of
restriction was a little over 39
hours between July 1 and July
25, as per data sourced from the
Bihar State Power Holding
Company Limited (BSPHCL).
The allocated load for Barsoi
subdivision hovered between 20
MW and 30 MW against its
maximum peak load demand of
47 MW on July 23, said BSPHCL
officials.
Even when power was availa-
ble, the supply was unstable
because of the low voltage at the
three 33kV feeders of Barsoi
subdivision.
While the Barsoi feeder
received an average 31.52 kV,
Sanhauli got 32.04 kV and
Azamnagar 31.25 kV, BSPHCL
data showed.
“The low voltage at the Pur-
nia grid had a cascading effect
on our feeders in Barsoi, as the
voltage dropped further when
power reached rural house-
holds and agricultural fields.
The farmers were unable to
operate pumps to irrigate their
fields through tube-well,” said a
field officer of the discom.
“We can neither irrigate our
fields nor sleep well in the hot
and humid summer conditions,
due to poor availability of
power,” said Shakir Alam, a
local resident of Barsoi. “Power
supply has been poor, with low
voltage problem, for the last few
weeks.”
Aditya Prakash, managing
director of the NBPDCL and the
Bihar State Power Transmission
Company Ltd., both subsidiaries
of the BSPHCL, was not availa-
ble for comment.
Sanjeev Hans, chairman and
managing director (CMD) of
BSPHCL, however, defended the
power firm. “We stepped up the
voltage of our 50 MVA power
transformer at the Barsoi grid
sub-station twice over the last
one month by changing its ‘tap’
(a device, which functions as a
stabiliser to step up or step
down transmission voltage)
position from 6 to 11 and then to
13 The low voltage issue was
resolved,” said Hans.
Two other reasons attributed
to the drop in voltage at Barsoi
was the 70-km long 132 kV
transmission line between Pur-
nia and Barsoi, and the lack of
an alternate source of transmis-
sion line to the subdivisional
headquarters, said a retired
engineer of the discom, who did
not wish to be named.
The BSPHCL chief, however,
said he had already set in
motion a plan to tackle the two
issues mentioned above.
“Barsoi already has a grid
sub-station but it’s loaded, as six
power sub-stations get power
from it. Two new sub-stations
are also under construction
there. So, we have proposed a
new 132/33kV grid sub-station
at Sanhauli, for equitable distri-
bution of load to power sub-sta-
tions. This will also help check
the drop in voltage because of
the long transmission line from
the grid in Purnia,” said Hans.
Erratic power supply and low
voltage have been a perennial
problem across Bihar, espe-
cially in rural areas.
“We have power supply for
barely 12 hours a day. Even
when it is available, voltage is
too low to operate pumps for
irrigating our fields. Alternate
irrigation methods through die-
sel pump set is costly,” said
Suresh Mishra, a farmer in
Bhojpur district.
“Rural areas get between 16
and 20 hours of power supply
while urban areas get around 24
hours power supply, excluding
breakdowns,” said Avinash
Kumar, Bhojpur’s superintend-
ing engineer of the South Bihar
Power Distribution Company
Ltd.
Frequent load shedding is
common in Kaimur and Rohtas
districts.
“Bihar has strengthened its
distribution network by putting
up new distribution transform-
ers and replacing old and worn
out conductors through a slew
of schemes. It now needs to
improve its transmission sys-
tem so that people get reliable
and quality power supply,” said
a former chairman of the erst-
while Bihar State Electricity
Board (BSEB), before it was
unbundled into five companies
in November 2012, with the
avowed objective of rapid
reforms in the energy sector.
(With inputs from Aditya Nath Jha
in Purnia, Prashant Ranjan in Ara
and Pasun K Mishra in Rohtas)

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 04
CBI begins probe into Manipur Parl panel suggests steps
to monitor cyber frauds
sexual assault, re-registers FIR
Neeraj Chauhan
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau
of Investigation (CBI) on Friday
took over the probe into the
sexual assault case where three
Kuki women were stripped,
paraded naked and assaulted,
with one of them gang-raped,
by a mob in Manipur on May 4,
people familiar with the devel-
opment said.
After taking over the probe,
the agency has re-registered
the first information report
(FIR) filed by the Manipur
police, they said.
A viral video of the gruesome
crime surfaced on July 19,
almost three months after the
incident, which showed three
women being stripped naked
and paraded, sparking outrage
across the country.
Allegedly, one of the victims
was gang-raped and two male
family members of the victims
were murdered on May 4 in
Manipur’s Thoubal district.
The case was handed over to
the Central Bureau of Investiga-
tion (CBI) on a reference from
the Union Home Ministry, said
the people mentioned above.
The Centre on Thursday filed
an affidavit in the Supreme
Court stating that the case has
been transferred to the CBI and
that the trial must be time-
bound, and should take place
outside Manipur.
“The central government
considers the offences like the
MP’s tiger population Education in mother tongue key
rose from 526 in 2018 for social justice: PM hails NEP
to 785 in ’22, says CM
Press Trust of India
letters@hindustantimes.com
BHOPAL: The number of tigers
in Madhya Pradesh rose to 785
in 2022 from 526 in 2018, chief
minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan
said on Saturday as he greeted
the state’s people on the occa-
sion of International Tiger Day.
As per the report ‘Status of
Tigers: Co-predators & Prey in
India-2022’, released by the
National Tiger Conservation
Authority (NTCA) and Wildlife
Institute of India, Madhya Pra-
desh has the highest number of
tigers across the country, fol-
lowed by Karnataka (563) and
Uttarakhand (560).
The forests across Madhya
Pradesh have added 259 tigers
in a span of four years, as per
the survey.
“It is a matter of great pleas-
ure that as a result of coopera-
tion of the people of our state
and untiring efforts of the For-
est Department, the number of
tigers in our state has increased
to 785 from 526 in four years,”
the chief minister wrote in a
tweet.
Congratulating the people of
the state for this success,
Chouan further said, “Let us all
together take a pledge to con-
{ MANIPUR } SCENES FROM A MORGUE
Covered with plastic sheets, unclaimed bodies await justice
Utpal Parashar
letters@hindustantimes.com
CHURACHANDPUR/IMPHAL: The
stench is everywhere. It lingers
in the air outside the main gate
of Churachandpur Medical Col-
lege. It grows stronger near the
gate of the close-to-empty
administrative building. Walk
inside the front door, and it’s
difficult to breathe. In rows
inside the “demonstration
room”, there are 20 coffins. Sev-
enteen of them are full of bod-
ies, wrapped in traditional Man-
ipuri shawls — unclaimed from
the violence that has claimed at
least 147 lives in the state.
The room only has air-condi-
tioners, desperately ineffective
against decomposition in the
humid summer. The hospital
ran out of space in the morgue
on May 3; the day Manipur spi-
raled into a cycle that has now
lasted close to three months,
creating fault lines and fear so
deep that for some families even
the collection of bodies of the
people they loved is a bridge too
far.
From May 3, Manipur has
been in the throes of ethnic
clashes, triggered by an order
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Dozens of houses lay vandalised and burnt in ethnic violence-hit Manipur.
present one to be too heinous
which deserve to be taken not
only with the seriousness it
deserves but justice should be
seen to be done so that it has a
deterrent effect throughout the
nation with respect to crimes
against women,” stated the affi-
davit filed by Union home sec-
retary Ajay Kumar Bhalla.
After the video of the sexual
assault went viral, Prime Min-
ister Narendra Modi broke
more than two months of pub-
lic silence over deadly ethnic
At 785, Madhya Pradesh has
the highest number of tigers
across the country. HT
serve nature for future genera-
tions on the occasion of Interna-
tional Tiger Day.”
The tiger count in the state
was 300 in 2006, but in 2010 the
state slipped from its number
one position as the tiger popula-
tion declined to 257 against 300
in Karnataka.
In 2014, Karnataka recorded
406 tigers while MP recorded
300 big cats.
But the tiger population in
Madhya Pradesh rose thereafter
as it reclaimed the top position
in 2018 with 526 big cats
recorded against 524 in Karna-
taka.
Madhya Pradesh has six tiger
reserves, namely: Kanha, Ban-
dhavgarh, Panna, Pench, Sat-
pura and Sanjay-Dubri Tiger
Reserve.
by the Manipur high court that
recommended to the govern-
ment that Meiteis, the dominant
community in Manipur with
53% of the population, be
included in the Scheduled Tribe
list. This caused protests among
the tribal population, particu-
larly Kukis, and tensions led to
clashes that have not subsided
since. The first burst of vio-
lence, between May 3 and 6,
where there was a wave of
attacks and arson, with the
army and paramilitary called in,
made clear the new fault lines
in the state. If Kukis fled the
Meitei-dominated Imphal val-
ley, Meiteis abandoned their
homes in tribal districts such as
Churachandpur. Since then, for
men and women that got
caught in the violence, even the
act of collecting bodies has been
fraught with danger.
A senior administrative offi-
cial of the Churachandpur Med-
ical College said that the
morgue has six deep freezers
full of bodies of those killed in
the clashes. “But there were
more bodies that kept coming.
So we have had no option but to
keep them in a room in the
institute,” the official said.
clashes, saying that the assaults
of two women were unforgiva-
ble.
He, however, did not refer
directly to the larger violence
which has engulfed the north-
eastern state since the first
week of May.
The Congress-led opposition
grouping has been demanding
a statement by the prime min-
ister in the Parliament on the
Manipur issue followed by a
discussion in both Houses.
Manipur police have so far
Fareeha Iftikhar
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Nar-
endra Modi on Saturday said
that the use of the mother
tongue in education under the
National Education Policy (NEP)
2020 initiated a “new form of
justice” for the students in India
and termed it as a “very signifi-
cant step” towards social justice.
PM Modi inaugurated the
Akhil Bhartiya Shiksha Sama-
gam at Bharat Mandapam in
Delhi on Saturday to mark the
third anniversary of NEP 2020.
While addressing the inaugural
session of the two-day event, the
PM said the world is looking at
India as a “nursery of new possi-
bilities” and many countries
have invited India to open IIT
campuses.
Emphasising that the biggest
injustice to any student is judg-
ing them based on their lan-
guage instead of their capabili-
ties, Modi said, “Education in the
mother tongue is initiating a
new form of justice for the stu-
dents in India. It is also a very
significant step towards social
justice.”
At the event, the prime minis-
ter also released education and
skill curriculum books trans-
lated into 12 Indian languages.
The NEP 2020 advocates impart-
ing education in regional and
At the Churachandpur dis-
trict hospital, located in the plot
of land next to the college, 12
more bodies lie in the morgue,
unclaimed since early May. An
official at the district hospital,
requesting anonymity, whispers
a truth that is well known:
“Most of these 35 bodies that
still lie unclaimed in this region
are Meiteis,” the official said.
Then, 60km and a fault-line
away, there are 27 bodies that
lie without claimants at the
Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of
Medical Sciences (JNIMS) in
Imphal East. Some have been
here for over 80 days. “At one
point, we had 59 bodies of vic-
tims of the ethnic clashes.
While others have been col-
lected by family members, 27
still remain unclaimed — some
of them are yet to be identified.
Our institute has two deep
freezers where 12 bodies can be
kept. The rest have been kept
wrapped in plastic bags because
we don’t have space to keep
them. Unless the district admin-
istration gives permission, we
can’t transfer the bodies else-
where,” said L Deben Singh,
director of JNIMS.
A few kilometres away, the
My India
AP
arrested seven accused persons
in the sexual assault case,
including some of those seen in
the viral video, while the hunt
is on for others, according to a
senior police officer, who didn’t
wish to be named.
The CBI’s special investiga-
tion team (SIT) is already inves-
tigating six other cases related
to violence in Manipur and the
loot of weapons from state
armouries, said officials famil-
iar with the development.
Officials familiar with the
Narendra Modi
Indian languages at both school
and higher education levels.
He also released the first
instalment of ₹630 crore for the
upgradation of 6,207 existing
schools under Pradhan Mantri
Schools for Rising India.
Underlining that many devel-
oped nations of the world have
got the edge owing to their local
language, PM Modi said that
most countries make use of their
own native languages.
“Although India has an array of
established languages, they were
presented as a sign of backward-
ness, and those who could not
speak English were neglected
and their talents were not recog-
nised. As a result, the children of
the rural areas remained most
affected,” he said.
“India has now begun to shun
this belief with the advent of the
National Educational Pol-
icy…Even at the UN, I speak in
the Indian language,” he added.
The PM said that under the
NEP 2020, subjects ranging from
A board is seen outside the main door of Imphal’s Regional
Institute of Medical Sciences, where coffins are stacked. HT PHOTO
mortuary of the Regional Insti-
tute of Medical Sciences Imphal
(RIMS) has space for six bodies
in the deep freezer, but has to
contend with 25. In Meitei-dom-
inated Imphal, these 52 bodies,
are all largely Kuki, and most
died in the first wave of vio-
lence.
CBI probe said the agency will
take the custody of accused
persons arrested by Manipur
police and interrogate them,
besides taking the statements
of the victims, their families,
and witnesses.
Since May 3, Manipur has
been gripped by ethnic clashes
– primarily between the Kukis,
which mostly reside in the hill
districts, and Meiteis, the domi-
nant community in Imphal Val-
ley. At least 150 people have
been killed and over 50,000
have been displaced so far.
Clashes first broke out on
May 3 in Churachandpur town
after tribal Kuki groups called
for protests against a proposed
tweak to the state’s reservation
matrix, granting Scheduled
Tribe (ST) status to the major-
ity Meitei community.
Violence quickly engulfed
the state where ethnic fault
lines run deep, displacing tens
of thousands of people who fled
burning homes and neighbour-
hoods into jungles, often across
state borders. The authorities
quickly clamped a curfew and
suspended the internet, pump-
ing in additional security forces
to force a break in the spiral-
ling clashes.
The state has recorded 5,101
cases of arson and registered
6,065 first information reports
(FIRs) related to various inci-
dents of violence so far. At least
252 people have been arrested
and around 12,740 preventive
arrests have been made.
social science to engineering will
now be taught in Indian langua-
ges. “When the students are con-
fident in a language, their skills
and talent will emerge without
any restrictions,” he said.
He further pointed out that it
will also “shut the shops” of
those who try to “politicise lan-
guage for their own selfish inter-
ests”. “National Educational Pol-
icy will give due respect and
credit to every language in the
country,” the PM said.
PM Modi said that new books
with about 130 subjects are com-
ing up for classes 3 to 12 in 22 dif-
ferent languages as a result of
education being imparted in
regional languages.
He said that we have to create
an “energetic new generation” in
the next 25 years of Amrit Kaal
which will be free from the
“mentality of slavery” and eager
for innovations and ready to
bring laurels in fields from sci-
ence to sports, willing to skill
themselves as per the needs of
the 21st century, a generation
filled with a sense of duty. “NEP
will play a big role in this,” Modi
added.
He appealed to teachers to
prepare students for confident
curiosity. “We have to keep an
eye on the future and think with
a futuristic mindset. We have to
free the children from the pres-
sure of books,” he added.
“Some of the bodies were
brought to us in very bad condi-
tion and had already started
decomposing. We conducted
post-mortems on them and
have kept them at the mortuary.
The local police have been given
details of the bodies, but we
have no way of identifying sev-
Rajeev Jayaswal and
Saubhadra Chatterji
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: The government is
considering suggestions from a
parliamentary committee to set
up a centralised Cyber Protec-
tion Authority (CPA), expanding
capacity of the Computer Emer-
gency Response Team
(CERT-In), and requiring mobile
phone makers to allow whitelist-
ing or blacklisting of apps offer-
ing loans, three people aware of
the development said.
According to these people, the
parliamentary standing commit-
tee on Finance carried out
detailed discussions with multi-
ple stakeholders and came up
with several suggestions in the
“cyber security and rising inci-
dence of cyber/white collar
crimes” report.
The proposed five-point strat-
egy includes a more dynamic
and proactive regulatory frame-
work, a new empowered ‘Cyber
Protection Authority’, a respon-
sive consumer grievance
redressal mechanism;
strengthen enforcement at Cen-
tre and states; and achieve closer
global cooperation.
The recommendations come
against the backdrop of growing
concerns of people being har-
assed by dodgy loan applica-
tions, which in many cases have
driven users to suicide by their
coercive recovery methods.
“There are rising cases of
cybercrimes. They are difficult to
handle because of being anony-
mous and borderless. The gov-
ernment is considering proposals
of a parliamentary panel to tackle
such crimes,” one of the people
said, asking not to be named.
“The government will cer-
tainly consider these recommen-
dations,” a second person added.
The stakeholders who were
part of the discussions included
{ ₹3L AID FOR KIN OF DECEASED }
8 killed in explosion at
firecracker unit in TN
Press Trust of India
letters@hindustantimes.com
KRISHNAGIRI: Eight people,
including three women were
killed in an explosion at a fire-
cracker unit in Tamil Nadu’s
Krishnagiri district on Saturday,
said police.
Condoling the tragic incident,
chief minister M K Stalin
announced solatium to the kin of
the deceased and the injured.
The sudden explosion that
occurred in the firecracker man-
ufacturing godown in Pazhaya-
pettai that left many injured.
Police, and fire and rescue ser-
vices personnel rushed to the
spot to rescue the affected. “I
am deeply saddened over the
news of the death of eight people
in an unexpected explosion at a
private fireworks factory in Paz-
hayapettai, Boganapalli village. I
have deputed Food minister R
Chakrapani to oversee and expe-
dite the rescue and relief activi-
ties,” Stalin said.
He directed the health offi-
cials at the Government Medical
College Hospital to ensure
eral of them,” said a senior offi-
cer of the forensic sciences
department of RIMS.
Across Manipur then, there
are at the very least, 87 families
that have had to deal with not
just loss, but the absence of clo-
sure. In Kangpokpi district for
instance, the families of two
Kuki women, aged 21 and 24,
who were allegedly raped and
murdered by a Meitei mob in
Imphal on May 4, have had little
word on their bodies, except
that they are lying at JNIMS.
The two victims were employed
at a car wash centre in Imphal,
and lived together at a rented
accommodation.
On May 4, a mob allegedly
dragged the two women out of
the room, and allegedly raped
and murdered them. “Since
then, I know that my daughter’s
body has been lying at JNIMS.
But police have told us there is
now way we can get her body
right now. Besides justice for
the crimes committed to them,
we want the bodies of the two
girls back so they can be buried
with dignity,” said the father of
one of the two girls. An FIR was
filed in the case on May 16, but
no police action has been taken
THE PROPOSED
5-POINT STRATEGY
INCLUDES A MORE
DYNAMIC AND
PROACTIVE
REGULATORY
FRAMEWORK TO
TACKLE CYBER
CRIMES IN INDIA
ministries of home, finance and
electronics and IT, as well as the
Reserve Bank of India (RBI),
public and private sector banks,
key players in the digital pay-
ment ecosystem, and Big Tech
firms such as Google and Apple,
which host mobile applications
on their app stores.
The concerns also spill over to
a number of illegal mobile appli-
cations available for download
from application stories for
quick loans or investments in
crypto-assets, posing risks to
such people, the second person
added. “Hence, there is a contin-
uous need to blacklist and whi-
telist apps instead of the current
approach of firefighting”.
“The panel proposed to have a
regulatory directive mandating
app stores to share exhaustive
metadata and other information
about all apps hosted on their
platform,” he said, adding that
this data would help the regula-
tor monitor vulnerability and
prevent frauds.
Such an approach would also
require revamped regulatory
framework with a centralised
and empowered Cyber Protec-
tion Authority or CPA.
The standing committee is
also considering a separate but
related issue on anti-competitive
practices by Big Tech firms, with
dominant players often accused
of misusing their market posi-
tion. In this regard, the ministry
MK Stalin
appropriate medicare for the
injured, an official release quot-
ing the chief minister said.
“My deepest condolences and
sympathies to the family and
friends of the deceased. I have
ordered the officials to provide
₹3 lakh each to the kin of those
who died, ₹1 lakh each to the
seriously injured, and ₹50,000
each to the injured from the
Chief Minister Public Relief
Fund,” Stalin said.
Tamil Nadu governor R N
Ravi said he was deeply sad-
dened by the loss of valuable
lives in the mishap. “My prayers
and thoughts are with the
bereaved families. Wishing a
speedy recovery to those
injured,” he said.
thus far.
Priyobrata, a resident of Sek-
maijin Khunou in Imphal,
whose brother Irengbam Ching-
kheingganba, 24, was allegedly
abducted and shot dead in Chu-
rachandpur said, “We have
heard that the state government
can’t do anything about retriev-
ing bodies at the moment. My
brother wasn’t associated with a
radical outfit nor was he part of
a defence volunteer group. Our
family wants the body back.”
Multiple officials HT spoke to
in both Imphal and Chura-
chandpur said that any
“retrieval” of dead bodies was
difficult, because any move-
ment from one district to
another is still fraught with
danger, from road blockades to
weapon-toting defence volun-
teers, and Meitei and Kuki entry
points.
Perhaps the most striking
example for travel across dis-
tricts being difficult was on
June 4, when a seven-year-old
boy, his 45-year-old mother and
her acquaintance were on their
way from Kangchupchingkhong
in Kangpokpi to Imphal in an
ambulance when a mob
attacked them at Iroisemba in
PATNA
SUNDAY
JULY 30, 2023
of corporate affairs said it was
considering a new law to put in
“ex-ante” guardrails.
Ex-ante regulations, or harder
than usual guardrails, lay down
stricter limits on how the sector
must function.
A third person said the gov-
ernment has informed the par-
liamentary panel that it concurs
with its proposal on the need of
“ex ante” laws that will allow
regulators to pre-empt anticom-
petitive practices of large digital
platforms such as Google, Ama-
zon and Flipkart as digital mar-
kets pose “peculiar challenge” by
the “winner-take-all” situation.
The government may take
some more weeks and have a
‘whole of the government’
approach to finalise a compre-
hensive draft digital competition
law, the second person said.
A committee headed by the
ministry of corporate affairs sec-
retary is holding detailed delib-
erations on the matter and is
expected to submit its recom-
mendations by July 5.
Earlier this month, in a meet-
ing held between officials of
ministry of electronics and IT
and MCA, concerns were raised
regarding Systematically Impor-
tant Digital Intermediaries
(SIDIs) or ‘gatekeepers’, the third
official said.
SIDIs are dominant players in
the digital ecosystem who may
influence competition often
called the ‘gatekeepers’.
The Standing Committee on
Finance, in its report -- Anti-
Competitive Practices by Big
Tech Companies -- on December
22, 2022 had said that the gov-
ernment must identify and mon-
itor SIDIs in digital markets that
can negatively influence compet-
itive conduct and proposed to
categorise them on the basis of
their revenue, market capitalisa-
tion, number of active busi-
nesses and end users.
3 MINORS RAPE
15-YR-OLD IN MP,
2 DETAINED: COPS
Press Trust of India
letters@hindustantimes.com
UJJAIN: Three minors allegedly
raped a 15-year-old girl in
Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh and
circulated a video of the act,
leading to the detention of two
of the accused and a search for
the third, a police official famil-
iar with the development said
on Saturday.
The incident occurred in
Lasudiya Jaisingh village under
Birla Gram police station limits
and a probe began after the
video went viral on social
media on Friday, he said.
“Three minors raped a
15-year-old girl and circulated a
video of it. Two of the three
accused have been detained
and a search for the third is
underway,” Birla Gram police
station in charge Karan Singh
said.
He added that a case under
relevant sections of the Indian
Penal Code and the Protection
of Children from Sexual Offen-
ces (Pocso) Act has been regis-
tered. Further investigation to
get all details of the incident is
underway.
Imphal West district and they
were burned alive. The boy had
sustained a stray bullet injury
and was being transferred for
better treatment in the state
capital. The ambulance was ini-
tially provided security cover by
a team of Assam Rifles and then
the Imphal West police but even
that wasn’t enough to prevent
the attack.
K Shivakanta Singh, superin-
tendent of police Imphal East
however said that despite the
difficulties, a process has been
initiated to transfer the bodies
to the families of the victims.
“We are trying to verify details
of unidentified and unclaimed
dead bodies with the help of
police from other districts. Once
all formalities are completed,
hopefully they can be sent to the
families,” he said.
Meanwhile, families wait. In
Churachandpur, along a “wall
of remembrance” about 100
empty coffins lie in a row as a
mark of respect. 60km away in
Imphal’s Regional Institute of
Medical Sciences, coffins are
stacked inside a room. It has a
board outside the main door: “A
corpse is a silent witness who
never lies.”
 S-37895/26

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 06 My India
PATNA
SUNDAY
JULY 30, 2023

{ INTERVIEW } EZRELA DALIDIA FANAI

‘Manipur conflict is a concern, let
the Centre settle this politically’
AIZAWL : The discussion
around the Uniform Civil Code
(UCC) and clashes between
Meitei and Kuki communities
in Manipur are two key con-
cerns for Mizoram chief minis-
ter Zoramthanga. The Mizos in
his state and the Kukis in Mani-
pur come from same ethnicity
of Zo-Chin people who live
between hills of Manipur to
Chin state of Myanmar. In an
interview to Ezrela Dalidia
Fanai, Zoramthanga spoke
about Manipur crisis, influx of
refugees to Mizoram, UCC, and
his role in the National Demo-
cratic Alliance. Edited
excerpts:
What, in your view, is the
way to resolve the conflict
in Manipur?
My solution is, let the Mani-
pur and the central govern-
ments come together and con-
sult the concerned people
(Kuki and the Meitei people)
and let the Centre settle this
politically. That is the only
solution.
There has been discussion
on whether Article 3 of
the Constitution, which
provides for changing
boundaries of states,
should be considered with
regard to demand of Kukis
that there should be a sep-
arate administration for
hills of Manipur. What is
your take?
When the Mizo National
Fund (MNF) was established in
1961, one of the main objectives
was that the Mizo inhabitant
areas should be put under one
administration, as far as India
is concerned.
That is permitted by Article
3 of the Indian Constitution.
That has been the biggest
demand of the MNF since then.
Zoramthanga
When we were negotiating the
Mizoram Peace Accord with
the government of India, we
reiterated our stand that the
Mizo- inhabitated areas should
be put under one administra-
tion forming a state, and the
government of India had then
said, ‘well there is an Article 3
of the Indian Constitution, we
don’t say yes or no, we don’t
make any comment.’ From the
previous Assam state, several
states were carved as per Arti-
cle 3 -- one state can be formed
and a boundary of a state can
be changed, which the Parlia-
ment has the right to do so. It
was clearly mentioned in our
Peace Accord.
Manipur CM N Biren
Singh has said the Mizo-
ram CM should not inter-
fere in the state. Are you
interfering?
Well… I do not interfere in
the internal affairs of Manipur,
I speak for the whole of India --
be it Assam, Tripura or any
other state.
What we iterated in 1961 --
the year that Biren Singh was
born is also the year the MNF
was founded -- was the “unifi-
cation of Mizo inhabitat areas”
to form one administrative
area. This is not about interfer-
ence. After Mizoram was born
out of Assam, all this took place
within the Union of India.
Because of the trouble in Mani-
pur, thousands of Manipur
Kuki internally displaced per-
sons (IDPs) have come to Mizo-
ram. Whether it is forced upon
me or not, we have to act and
find a solution for it as it affects
me.
You asked for ₹10 crore
from Centre to take care
of IDPs. Has the Centre
provided funds?
I have received some money
from the home ministry but
that is not enough, and have
requested the Centre to sanc-
tion more. We need a first
instalment of ₹10 crore espe-
cially for IDPs from Manipur.
As far as Bangladesh and
Myanmar are concerned, as we
are not signatory to UN Refu-
gees. I told my chief secretary
that we are merely following
what the Union of India had
done in 1970 and 1971 when
millions of East Pakistan refu-
gees had crossed over to India
and were looked after by the
government of India. If East
Pakistan people were given that
support, why can’t we give it to
people from Burma/Myanmar?
The same formula has to be
applied.
Will the violence in Mani-
pur and UCC impact the
2024 Lok Sabha polls?
Well, the problem in Mani-
pur will affect the upcoming
Lok Sabha elections in the
North-East, and Manipur in
particular. But as far of the
whole India is concerned, I
have no idea. It may affect to
some extent.
Are you still an integral
part of NDA?
GOVT TRYING TO
BRIDGE TRUST
DEFICIT BETWEEN
MEITEIS AND
KUKIS: OFFICIALS
HT Correspondent
I have no anger against the
letters@hindustantimes.com
NDA; it has been constituted by
a number of political parties to NEW DELHI: The Centre is mak-
form an alliance. With the ing all efforts to bridge the grow-
present Union government, I ing trust deficit between the
am a little surprised by their majority Meiteis and tribal
attitude in dealing with Mani- Kukis, who have been engaged
pur and not giving help to the in ethnic conflict since May 3, in
refugees. Manipur and ensuring that
Therefore, I requested the insurgents from Myanmar do
Prime Minister, the Union not cross over to exploit the situ-
home minister, and the Centre ation, officials aware of the
to look into the refugee and developments said.
IDPs crises from a different As part of confidence-building A 50-metre stretch of the Rishikesh-Badrinath National Highway-7 was washed away in Lambagad
angle. As far as being member measures, the Centre’s repre- due to overnight incessant rains, but opened for traffic later. HT PHOTO
of the NDA is concerned, my sentatives earlier this week held
party is among the founding separate meetings with repre-
members of the NDA. But that
does not mean that we will fol-
low every policy. When issue
sentatives of Kuki militant
groups under the Suspension of
Operation (SoO) agreement and
240 roads closed due to rains,
comes against the interest of
Mizo people, my party will
totally object to it.
Coordinating Committee for
Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), a
Meitei civil society organisation.
traffic on Badrinath NH hit
The MNF has strongly “The idea is to remove the metres at Raisi in Haridwar at 8
opposed UCC and in the legisla- trust deficit between both sides HT Correspondent IMD HAS ISSUED A am on Saturday, while Gauri
tive assembly, my home minis- and maintain peace in the vio- letters@hindustantimes.com YELLOW ALERT Ganga with the water level at
ter brought in a resolution lence-hit state,” said a central FOR ALL DISTRICTS 987.70 metres was flowing above
opposing introduction or pass- government officer on anonym- MUSSOORIE: Over 240 roads the warning level of 987.2 metres
ing of UCC. ity. “From the security point of were closed due to rain related
FORECASTING at Munsiyari in Pithoragarh dis-
I and my party totally reject view, the ministry of home incidents as heavy rains con- MEDIUM TO HEAVY trict.
UCC. Our support to NDA is affairs is looking to fence the tinue to lash the state, according RAINS FOR 4 DAYS The Dhauli Ganga river was
issue-based and we do not sup- Myanmar border with Manipur to the daily bulletin by the Public flowing at 1550.40 meters with a
port any issue that goes against so that insurgents do not cross Works Department (PWD). warning level at 1550.10 meters
Mizoram. over and take advantage of the A 50-metre stretch of the Ris- due to heavy boulder fall and at Kanakjyoti in Pithoragarh, the
violence in the state,” he added. hikesh-Badrinath (National landslide, which also hampered data said.
Will you contest the next Manipur shares around Highway-7) was washed out in the road clearance work, he said. According to the state flood
polls as an NDA partner? 390km of porous border with Lambagad due to overnight Meanwhile, in Kotdwar of control centre, Dehradun’s daily
Yes, so far. We have been Myanmar, but only about 10km incessant rains, but restored Pauri Garhwal district, mud and report, the water level of Kali
helping the NDA for the last has been fenced so far. later, the officials said. debris entered inside homes due Ganga River at Dharchula Pitho-
several decades and we will not Earlier this week, the Mani- NK Joshi, Chamoli district dis- to overnight rains, causing ragarh was at 889.40 meters
refrain from that. If UCC is pur government said over 700 aster management officer inconvenience to the residents. breaching the warning level of
going to be imposed in Mizo- illegal immigrants from Myan- (DDMO), said, “A 50-metre Uttarakhand assembly 889 meters on Saturday.
ram, we cannot be part of mar had entered the state in stretch of the Badrinath High- Speaker and Kotdwar MLA Ritu The Tons River in Uttarkashi
NDA. July. All concerned authorities way was washed out due to Khanduri Bhushan said relief was flowing at 1151.25 metres
But at the same time, I don’t in the state have been asked to heavy debris coming down from and rescue work was underway above the warning level of 1151.10
think that the Centre will do record biometric data of those the hill due to the rising water in the affected areas on a war metres, as per the daily report of
that.I believe the NDA leader- entering any of the north-eastern level of the rainfed drain at Lam- footing. the district emergency control
ship has wisdom to be able to states from Myanmar, the officer bagad last night, but the road Official data by the Central centre Uttarkashi district.
include all the important ingre- quoted above said. Since May 3, was opened for traffic after an Water Commission said five riv- Meanwhile, India Meteorolog-
dients for cementing the NDA. Manipur has been gripped by effort of over two hours on Sat- ers in the state were flowing ical department (IMD), Deh-
I don’t think that they will not ethnic clashes. At least 150 peo- urday.” above the warning level. radun Centre has issued a yellow
make any issue which will ple have been killed and over In another incident of land- The Ban Ganga river breached alert for all districts forecasting
necessitate the MNF leaving the 50,000 have been displaced so slide in Chamoli, the Badrinath the warning level of 230 metres medium to heavy rains for the
NDA. far. highway was blocked at Chhinka and was flowing at 230.77 next four days.

Army Captain booked Slugfest after Roorkee mayor’s resignation Four-year-old tigress
for rape in Doon: Cops
HT Correspondent
letters@hindustantimes.com
DEHRADUN: An Army Captain
was booked for allegedly raping
a 25-year-old woman on the pre-
text of marrying her, police offi-
cial said.
The Army Captain, identified
as Anugrah Deshmukh (26), is
deployed in Ghangora in Deh-
radun and was in a relationship
with the woman for two years,
the police official said.
PD Bhatt, in-charge at Prem
found dead in Corbett
Nagar police station, said, “We
have registered the FIR on the
complaint given by the woman.
Our investigation into the matter
is underway.”
A case in this regard was reg-
istered under sections 312 (caus-
ing miscarriage), 376 (rape), 504
(intentional insult with intent to
provoke breach of the peace)
and 506 (criminal intimidation)
of the Indian Penal Code at Prem
Nagar police station on July 27.
Bhatt said they were yet to
arrest the accused.
HT Correspondent
letters@hindustantimes.com
DEHRADUN: Following the res-
ignation of Roorkee Municipal
Corporation Mayor Gaurav
Goyal, a political war of words
has begun.
On Friday evening, Gaurav
Goyal sent his resignation let-
ter which was later accepted by
principal secretary (urban
development) Ramesh Kumar
Sudhanshu.
According to officials, the
district magistrate will remain
the administrator till the next
Mayor gets elected.
On Goyal’s resignation, BJP
leader and Roorkee legislator
Pradeep Batra said it was a
Haridwar parliamentarian
Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank
said that whatever may be the
any reason for his resignation
but those close to him cite both
ruling and opposition
“public stunt” to gain sympathy reason behind tendering resig- ward councillors not allowing HT Correspondent tigress at about 8 am on Satur-
as Goyal’s tenure was marred nation by Roorkee Mayor but it peaceful holding of board day and rushed to the spot.
letters@hindustantimes.com
by corruption. should be ensured that devel- meetings. Prima facie, it appears that the
“This (resignation) is a pub- opment works don’t suffer and Gaurav Goyal said that at the RUDRAPUR: A four-year-old tigress might have lost her life in
lic stunt to gain some sympathy all ward councillors, irrespec- right time, he will expose and tigress was found dead in Dhela a territorial fight as several
from the public as Goyal failed tive of which political ideology explain fully those who led his zone of the Corbett Tiger wounds are being seen on her
miserably in his past four-year they follow, work for the bet- downfall. Reserve (CTR) on Saturday, offi- body. However, the exact cause
tenure, which was married by terment of the city. “I wasn’t allowed to properly cials said. of her death could only be ascer-
corruption,” said BJP leader Congress former Haridwar work in the capacity of Mayor. Forest officials reached the tained after postmortem.”
and Roorkee legislator Pradeep Municipal chairperson Satpal Many people were always car- spot on receiving the informa- According to officials, villag-
Batra. Brahamchari said, “BJP always rying out propaganda against tion and sent the carcass for ers of a nearby area spotted the
Batra also blamed Goyal for tries to create hindrance or me, while I ensured develop- postmortem. tiger’s body and informed them,
delaying cleaning of drains in pressurise non-BJP Mayor or ment works and projects get Dheeraj Pandey, director of A tigress was found dead in
the city which led to water log- civic boards.” completed,” said former Mayor CTR, said, “We received informa- the buffer zone of Corbett Tiger
ging in the monsoon season. Meanwhile, Goyal didn’t cite Gaurav Goyal. tion about the carcass of the Reserve in February this year.

GOVT. OF RAJASTHAN OFFICE OF ADDITIONAL CHIEF ENGINEER, WATER RESOURCES ZONE, BANSWARA
Mahi Colony, Udaipur Road, Banswara (Rajasthan)-327001
OFFICE OF DISTRICT COLLECTOR, BANSWARA
Email: - acewrbsw@gmail.com
NO. F/ACCOUNTS/2023-24/96 DATED: 28.07.2023
No.- ACE/Actt. /2023/923 Dated: 14.07.2023
NOTICE INVITING E-BID SHORT TERM E-NIT No. 09/2023-24
Bids for infrastructural arrangements for Indira Gandhi Smartphone Yojana Bids for the works mentioned below are invited from interested bidders upto dated 03.08.2023
camps are invited from interested bidders upto 03.08.2023 11.30 AM. Other till 06.00 PM
particulars of the bid may be visited on website http://eproc.rajasthan.gov.in & S. No. Name of Work
http://sppp.rajasthan.gov.in of the state. 1. Survey, Planning, investigation, Design and construction of Pipalkhunt high level
NIB No.:- CBW2324A0009 Sd/- canal for transferring water from Mahi to Jakham Dam and PHED WTP at village
UBN No.:- CBW2324SLOB00021 DISTRICT COLLECTOR Harmara ki Rel and development of irrigation facility in 5000 Ha CCA of Pipalkhunt
tehsil Pratapgarh through piped carrier and Micro-irrigation system including 10
Dipr/c/0000/2023 BANSWARA
years O&M on EPC single responsibility turnkey basis.
Other particulars of bid may be visited on the Procurement portal http://eproc.rajasthan.gov.in,
http://sppp.rajasthan.gov.in, www.dipr.rajasthan.gov.in & www.water.rajasthan.gov.in/wrd
Office of the Superintending Engineer PWD Circle Jhunjhunu UBN:- WRD2324WLOB00773
E-mail: sejjn.pwd@rajasthan.gov.in Sd/-
No. 921 Date: 19.07.2023 Additional Chief Engineer
SHORT TERM NOTICE INVITING BID Dipr/c/10951/2023 Water Resources Zone, Banswara

Bids for 02 Nos. work of Road/Building work (NIT 09/2023-24 dated

19.07.2023) in Jhunjhunu Distt. are invited from interested bidder from
dated 21.07.2023 to 31.07.2023 upto 04.00 PM. Other particulars of the bid
may be visited on the procurement portal (http://eproc.rajasthan.gov.in,
http://sppp.raj.nic.in) of the state; and pwd.rajasthan.gov.in department
website. The approximate value of the procurement is Rs. 696.97 lacs.
UBN: PWD2324WSOB08576 Sd/-
PWD2324WSOB08573 Superintending Engineer
Dipr/c/10915/2023 PWD Circle Jhunjhunu

Rajasthan State Road Development And Construction Corporation Ltd., JAIPUR

A»´FIYF»Fe³F BÊX-d³Fd½FQF ÀFc¨F³FF ÀFa£¹FF: 301/2023-24
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Collection of Toll Tax on "Salumber-Keer Ki Chowki & Debari-Kurabad- 863.46 Lakh
Bambora Road" for a period of 01 year. UBN: RRC2324SLOB00606
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 08
To be
continued...
No good tale unfolds on just one platform, today. A game becomes a
TV series; a film sparks a podcast. The term for it is transmedia
storytelling. And while the phenomenon is ancient – the
Mahabharata, after all, has leapt across platforms for millennia – it is
only now that the markets are moving in. Could today’s deliberate
search for tangents change how such sagas are framed to begin with?
K Narayanan
narayan.krishnaswami@gmail.com
I
n December, the prestigious film
magazine Sight and Sound asked
director SS Rajamouli to list the
10 greatest films of all time,
according to him. Rajamouli’s
list was controversial, ignoring
art cinema for the unabashedly
popular. It featured films such as
the Indiana Jones film Raiders of the Lost
Ark, and Kung Fu Panda. He had one Indian
film on his list, Kadiri Venkata Reddy’s 1957
Telugu classic Mayabazar.
Mayabazar is the telling of an episode of
the Mahabharata, but it’s not an episode
that is found in standard tellings of the epic.
It is based on the Sasirekha Parinayam, a
folktale popular in Andhra Pradesh and Tel-
angana. In it, Sasirekha, the daughter of Bal-
arama, falls in love with Arjuna’s son Abhi-
manyu. Balarama wants Sasirekha to marry
Duryodhana’s son Lakshmana Kumara.
Sasirekha and Abhimanyu finally get
together, after the intervention of two
Cupids, the deity Krishna and Abhimanyu’s
cousin, the demon Ghatotkacha.
The story of Sasirekha has been re-
enacted in Kuchipudi performances over
time, been a staple of roving shadow-puppet
performers and Yakshagana dance theatre
groups. It is a prime example of transmedia
storytelling.
The term “transmedia storytelling” was
coined by Henry Jenkins, an American
media scholar and professor of communica-
tion, journalism and cinematic art at the
University of Southern California. He first
used the term in his book Convergence Cul-
ture: Where Old and New Media Collide.
Jenkins defines it as “represent(ing) a
process where integral elements of a fiction
get dispersed systematically across multiple
delivery channels for the purpose of creat-
ing a unified and coordinated entertain-
ment experience. Ideally, each medium
makes its own unique contribution to the
unfolding of the story.”
Jenkins points out that transmedia story-
telling has been around as long as storytel-
ling itself (see more on this, in the interview
alongside). What has changed today is the
deliberate deployment of transmedia strate-
gies to build longevity.
One reason for the growing importance
of transmedia storytelling, says Rosemary
Lokhorst, CEO of Badass Studios, could be
that “people’s attention spans have changed
and we need to work harder to keep them
interested.” Badass Studios creates content
at the intersection of virtual reality, gaming,
sports and esports. Lokhorst is a tech entre-
preneur, videogame writer and author.
Technology has changed people’s atten-
tion spans, but it has also created an incred-
ible number of platforms on which to keep
audiences engaged. There are podcasts dis-
cussing films and TV series; livestreamed
gameplay sessions; an explosion of interest
in popular culture, with a generation that
grew up watching Star Wars and Indiana
Jones and reading about Marvel and DC
superheroes. Whole extended universes are
fleshed out by tie-in novels, games, car-
toons, podcasts and comics.
The Matrix is also a game and an ani-
mated series. Quentin Tarantino is offering
updates on the fictional actors in Once
Upon a Time… in Hollywood, via his pod-
cast. In a recent death notice, he announced
that one of the protagonists had died.
Game of Thrones, The Lord of the Rings
and The Last of Us have extended their run-
times, as it were, by teasing out new threads
on a range of platforms (games, books, pod-
casts, spin-off TV series, and more). These
new threads unfold over decades.
This extended life of fictional characters
isn’t new, of course. Frankenstein and Drac-
ula, Sherlock Holmes and James Bond have
all experienced incredible longevity as a
result of transmedia storytelling. But while
the older properties extended their lifetimes
more or less organically, these days, the lon-
gevity is built in.
key aspect of transmedia storytelling,
A Jenkins says, is the importance of
world-making. Each media form brings its
own characteristics to the story world; its
own characters and locations and lore.
On Wookieepedia, the online Star Wars
encyclopaedia launched in 2005, you can
find yourself on the planet Manaan, home to
the Glumbrig eel and the amphibious Selk-
ath species; or you can read about Jorus
C’baoth, a Jedi Master from the planet Bor-
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PATNA
SUNDAY
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EXTENSION
CORDS: ONE
TALE, MANY
LIVES
THE MATRIX
has expanded beyond
the films, through an
anthology of animated
shorts, as well as comics
and videogames,
over 24 years.
tras, betrayed by his friend Senator Palpat-
ine.
Look up Lilith, the main antagonist in the
game Diablo IV, on Fandom.com (set up in
2004 by Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales),
and you can soon be lost in stories about the
world of Sanctuary, the overgod Anu and
his battle with the goddess Tathamet — sto-
ries that add depth and weight to what
began as a hack-and-slash game.
As storytelling expanded across media,
the level of interaction with the audience
has grown. As Lokhorst puts it: “The people
formerly known as the audience… these
people expect more.”
The concept of authorship itself has
changed, she adds. “I think that authorship
starts with an idea. That can, but does not
have to, come from one person. I believe TITANIC
that no one person can be proficient in all encompasses a film, multiple documentaries
types of storytelling, so naturally, more sto- and a book, across 26 years.
rytellers will become involved in a project
when it gets complex. You may need visual THE LAST OF US
art, which impacts the story; or you change began as a videogame 10
the type of screen it is shown on, from page years ago, and is
to mobile, which has implications and now also a TV
opportunities.” series, and a
And then the audience steps in and podcast.
makes choices, and the story changes again.
Audience-choice driven storytelling can
likely be traced back to oral histories per-
formed before crowds. What elements of
ancient lore were determined by audience
reaction? It’s something we can never know,
but if the bawdiness of Shakespeare is any
indication, playing to the gallery is centu-
ries if not millennia old.
Even Arthur Conan Doyle gave in to
his audience, and resurrected his
detective in The Return of Sherlock
Holmes (1905) after intending to end
the series by throwing him of a cliff,
in The Final Problem (1893).
More recently, the interactive Net-
flix film Black Mirror: Bandersnatch
(2018) offered millions of possible plot
changes, based on the combination of
choices each viewer made with their
remote, leading to five possible endings.
This is a key way in which transmedia story-
telling differs from adaptation. The goal of
transmedia as he views it, Jenkins says, is to HT IMAGING:
extend authorship to as many others as pos- PUNEET KUMAR
sible.
This is also where fan fiction comes in. “I
think the goal of each franchise is to get big
enough and popular enough that people THE MAHABHARAT
believe in the storyworld and can make Few epics in history have had
their own stories within it,” says Hailey Aus- this kind of longevity and
tin, a lecturer in visual media and culture at wide scale of influence. In a
Scotland’s Abertay University. “Increas- remarkable example of
ingly, fans feel like they have more control transmedia storytelling, this
over characters, and if they don’t like some- saga from thousands of
thing the writers have done, they are vocal years ago has morphed from
and can write their own version.” oral tradition to poetry, TV
Austin points out that this involvement shows, novels, films, comic
“can get tricky”. “By extending ownership, books, plays. Elements
franchises open themselves up to some resurface in ways we don’t
more toxic sides of fandom,” she says. always recognise, inspiring
Racist Star Wars fans, for instance, were movies such as Baahubali
enraged by the major role played by a and quests in videogames.
woman of colour, Kelly Marie Tran, in The
Last Jedi (2017). Some of these fans
mounted a campaign so hateful and vicious
on Instagram that Tran felt compelled to
leave the platform. { Q&A } HENRY JENKINS, MEDIA SCHOLAR
Extreme opposition like this can shape a
story. Gaming studio BioWare, for instance,
added a patch to the videogame Mass Effect
3, to offer upset fans a more acceptable end-
Inside the multi-
ing to the trilogy. Warner Bros eventually
released Zack Snyder’s Justice League
(2021), after fans insisted they wanted to see
story building
it (the studio had had a falling out with the
filmmaker and switched directors for the K Narayanan
official version).
Today’s fans have turned into consumers, enry Jenkins, 65, coined the term
insisting that creative works give them what
they want. Marketers are looking at ways
they can use this too. Christopher Nolan
used alternate reality to promote The Dark
Knight (2008), with a Why So Serious? mar-
H “transmedia storytelling”, in his
2006 book, Convergence Culture:
Where Old and New Media Col-
lide. The media scholar — and professor of
communication, journalism and cinematic
keting campaign that let 11 million users art, among other things, at the University of comparing notes with each other via online formances — perhaps dances? — of the hunt Glimpses of the
around the world live as citizens in the vir- Southern California — traces the phenome- discussion groups, and collaborating to being depicted. future: A still
tual world of Gotham City. non, in its current, intensified form, to the ensure that everyone who invests time and More recent scholarship suggests that from the fan-
“These new story types — from immer- turn of the century and the Matrix. effort will come away with a richer entertain- these paintings were often created in acous- produced short
sive to augmented to mixed — bring a lot of The first Matrix film was released in 1999, ment experience.” tic hotspots in the caves, suggesting that per- film titled Lord
new opportunities for brands to reach and by 2003, amid the sequels, there were How far back does this kind of approach formances built around them were accompa- of the Rings by
young audiences who are not looking at comic book tie-ins, an animated series called go? What’s next for storytellers, and for us, nied by sound; perhaps verbal narration, Wes Anderson.
printed ads or billboards,” says Lokhorst. The Animatrix, and a range of videogames. watching and creating in the audience? depending on the state of language develop- Made with the
“An example of that is what is happening in
fashion, where brands launch online collec-
In his book, Jenkins (above) defines
transmedia storytelling as a sort of hunter-
Excerpts from an interview. ment at the time; perhaps people imitating
animal noises. Really, what has shifted over
help of AI tools,
it was released
tions. Not for you, but for your avatar. I bet gatherer model. It is “a new aesthetic that… In a sense, is all storytelling transme- time are the media deployed, and the ways in as a ‘trailer’,
Dior had never thought they would create a places new demands on consumers and dia storytelling? Would an ancient which stories are consumed. went viral, and
virtual designer handbag.” depends on the active participation of knowl- oral narrative that later became a has had 4
How long, then, until a new story is more edge communities,” he says, adding that it is book, a play and a movie, qualify? How has digital distribution shaped million views
an extension of a marketing campaign than “the art of world making. To fully experience Yes… as far back as we can go, stories have transmedia storytelling? in less than two
a standalone offering in itself? That’s a hard any fictional world, consumers must assume been told across multiple mediums. I would A key point of transmedia is that story months.
question to answer, and a hard one to have the role of hunters and gatherers, chasing cite the example of cave paintings, which material is dispersed, spread out across the
to answer. down bits of the story across media channels, archaeologists believe were mirrored in per- media landscape, yet often accessible via
 PATNA
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digital networks. Here’s where the idea of
modern culture as grounded in hunting and
gathering comes in.
We search for meaningful material, which
allow us to dig deeper into real and fictional
worlds. We are, like someone at a cocktail
party, always looking over our shoulder for
something more interesting. We share infor-
mation with each other as cultural currency.
And our acts of circulation increase the pri-
ority given to a particular bit of media.
We are not simply audiences that pay
attention. We are publics that direct atten-
tion towards things we think matter.
You wrote on your blog, in 2009, that
this was shifting “the underlying logic
of commercial entertainment”…
Yes… each new experiment teaches us
something new. Certain stories, for instance,
have been absorbed into different genres
across the cultural hierarchy.
I am struck by how many of the primary
examples in my 2006 book — Survivor, Idol,
Harry Potter, The Matrix — still have cultural
pertinence more than 15 years later. This is
not accident. Their deployment of transme-
dia strategies, their embrace of active audi-
ence engagement, are part of what has
allowed them to endure over time.
They became so deeply embedded in our
culture that they simply do not disappear.
Savvy media producers have found ways to
keep them relevant and meaningful to a
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STAR WARS
encompasses films, live-action series,
animated TV shows, comic books,
videogames, and an online encyclo-
paedia called Wookieepedia, across a
still-evolving timeline of 46 years.
THE MARVEL UNIVERSE
consists of comic books, films, TV series
and videogames, with the first of these
dating to 1939. In addition, a vibrant
world of fan fiction takes stories in
new directions.
committed segment of the market.
I am often asked which new franchises I
would add to the book and, clearly, Marvel is
what has driven development in transmedia
a Right now, what interests me most is
over the past decade, and is apt to remain a
force, at least as long as Disney has a virtual
monopoly over the popular imagination.
Another example that particularly inter-
ests me right now is the way Quentin Taran-
tino has been expanding Once Upon a Time... SCAN the
in Hollywood (2019) across multiple media, QR code for
most recently through a mock death notice HT podcasts
and a retrospective of the film’s fictional pro- by Sunetra
tagonist’s work, via his podcast. Choudhury,
Samarth Goyal
Where would you say the lines is, and more
between adaptation and transmedia
storytelling?
This is a question we have struggled with.
The first impulse was to say that adaptation
was not enough to make something transme-
dia, because adaptation depends on the faith-
ful reproduction of an existing text, whereas
transmedia storytelling depends on expan-
sion and extension. But the more you look at
adaptation across media, the more it is clear
that it always adds some new information as
it absorbs new media properties. As a conse-
quence, the distinction between adaptation
and extension is a matter of degree and not a
fundamental difference in kind.
How do you see the future of storytel-
ling changing?
Wknd Culture
{ HEAR & NOW } THE PODCAST
Companion
pods pitch in
Anesha George
anesha.george@hindustantimes.com
ess, from The Last of Us, is clearly
T hiding immense pain. She’s all
sharp edges and indifference. Then
she stays back in a house full of
the man-eating Cordyceps, to buy Joel
(Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) time
to escape.
She is gone from the series (2023-) in the
second episode; viewers never know her
story. But listeners do.
A day after that episode aired, showrun-
ners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann
revealed her backstory, which was written
but never shot, on the official The Last of Us
podcast. Tess was once married, with a son.
She was forced to kill her infected husband,
but couldn’t bring herself to kill her child.
She locked him in a basement, and fled.
The Last of Us is based on a survival hor-
ror videogame co-created by Mazin and
Druckmann. Their podcast takes the series
forward. It expands on the fictional land-
scape in ways that the show, with its limited
canvas, cannot.
In the world of transmedia storytelling,
this is why the podcast has become key.
It’s where Quentin Tarantino has
expanded the world of his 2019 film about
films, Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood.
Over the past four years, on Video Archives,
he and Roger Avary, his collaborator on Pulp
Fiction, have talked about the fictional pro-
jects and lives of that film’s protagonists,
Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Cliff
Booth (Brad Pitt).
This May, Tarantino announced on the
podcast that Dalton had died; a subsequent
episode was designed as a memorial / retro-
spective of his work.
Elsewhere, the Chernobyl podcast, which
builds on the 2019 HBO mini-series, reported
more than 10 million plays across platforms,
by the end of that year.
And the official Succession podcast,
launched in 2020 (the show ran from 2018 to
2023), is now a case study of the prime use of
this medium. American journalist Kara
Swisher took over from British-American
journalist Roger Bennett in 2021. Her show,
which concluded in May, analysed what the
popularity of Succession — a series about the
dysfunctional family of an obscenely wealthy
media mogul — said about our attitudes to
family dynamics, the media, capitalism and
the “1% of the 1%”.
A good companion podcast serves, then,
as a spin-off that unfolds in real time. This
isn’t a phenomenon restricted to the worlds
of fiction. If anything, news lends itself even
more powerfully to the immediacy of stories
about what’s happening just out of view.
What did escaping a war zone entail, for
Indian students in Ukraine? How exactly did
a specific team of cops track down a specific
pair of killers?
At HT Smartcast, the podcasting arm of
HT Media (which also owns the Hindustan
Times), over 240 shows across six languages
and 20 genres (business, culture, govern-
ment, true crime and more) cater to millions
of listeners, dissecting stories of the day, add-
ing layers of humanity and empathy to sto-
ries from the front pages.
“It feels a lot like the radio revolution, in
terms of reach and access. Podcasts are
affordable and inclusive, allowing people to
shift between mediums with ease,” says
Deepti Ahuja, head of content and produc-
tion at HT Smartcast.
First Voice, Last Word, the weekly show by
Sunetra Choudhury, national political editor
at Hindustan Times, delves into the dramatic
personalities and strategic moves of politi-
cians, the history of padyatras as a form of
political expression, the dynamics of political
families, in a narrative documentary style.
On Metronome, music journalist Samarth
Goyal interviews independent artists,
explores the stories and symbolism behind
trending tracks.
As Ahuja puts it: “Once you start looking
for creative ways to say more about a story,
the story unravels in the most exciting ways.”
visual generative AI. I believe it has the
potential to democratise visual storytelling
but it also has the potential to seriously dis-
rupt the industry.
Consider the widespread interest in some-
thing like “Lord of the Rings by Wes Ander-
son”, a fan-produced short film crafted as a
“trailer”, that has acquired nearly 4 million
views in under two months. Created by Curi-
ous Refuge, using AI filmmaking tools
(though the frames are largely still), its com-
edy comes from our recognition of both the
source material and its reworking.
Many people are now experiencing what
it is like to communicate how they see the
world in ways that an artist or designer
might. This is going to be experienced as a
new power. Is this merely a mechanical art-
form? In the early 20th century, people called
photography a mechanical art that allowed
little room for human expression. We now
know otherwise.
Photography expanded our creative
resources, and these new AI tools are doing
the same, changing who gets to create art as
well as the processes by which art is created.
Professional artists feel threatened that
they are going to be displaced, but it is
already clear that some have more skill at
creating AI images than others, so these new
tools are simply altering the range of resour-
ces available to artists, both professional and
(for now) amateur.
culture
Reading the room: Subtitles
are unlocking new features
The text at the bottom of the screen is freeing up filmmakers, who can now darken the
frame, make the music louder, blend in dialects, knowing the viewer can read to keep up
Challenges Natasha Rego
remain. Some
subtitles from natasha.rego@htlive.com
Season 4
“T
of Stranger entacles squelching
Things went wetly” is our
viral for their favourite here at
odd descrip- HT Wknd. (It’s
tions of from Season 4 of
sounds. On Stranger Things).
the other You can laugh at them, revel in them, or
hand, imagine turn them off, but same-language subtitles
deciphering are altering not just the viewing experience
this line from but the storytelling one too.
the Irish hit The audience is often reading as they
series Derry watch. How is this a good thing? Let us
Girls, without count the ways.
the text Perhaps the most significant thing same-
to help. language subtitling has done is allow film-
makers to alter the soundscape. Characters
can now mumble or whisper, lapse into a
dialect or another language, mutter to
themselves during an explosive event, or
mouth iconic lines amid soaring music.
Enunciation was crucial before the same-
language subtitle. Music was modulated
around speech. The most dramatic
moments in cinematic sound — think of the
shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho
(1960) — had to be devoid of words.
Add subtitles and the field breaks wide
open. Dialects can be embraced. Unfamiliar
accents take centrestage (imagine trying to
watch the series Derry Girls without the text
to help).
Reality can be restored. People can be
snide, soft, sotto voce.
In the mini-series White House Plumbers
(2023; based on the illegal Watergate wire-
tap operation), the opening scene features
muttering and Spanish. Viewers needn’t
worry they’ve missed anything. The subti-
tles more or less confirm that it’s frustrated
muttering in Spanish (as an inept burglar
attempts to pick a lock).
In Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer
(2023), as the Trinity nuclear test unfolds in
P “tense music intensifies” are not ideal
I find subtitles oddly liberating. I
enjoy them as a kind of anticipated
entity that’s a subset of the broader
film that one is making.
SHAUNAK SEN, director, All That Breathes
{ ALWAYS AT THE MOVIES }
Anupama Chopra
Returning
champions
It is marvellous to see Hindi films dominate
the box office again. Blockbusters are good
news. But could smart, small films land too?
s Bollywood back? Judging by Ormax
I Media’s India Box Office Report for the
first half of this year, it would certainly
seem so.
Cumulative box office earnings for the
months from January through June in India
stand at Rs 4,868 crore, the report says,
which is 15% less than the same period last
year. But Hindi cinema’s share is 37%, up
from 33% in this period in 2022.
An increase of four percentage points
might seem like a slim margin to celebrate,
but last year, 32% of those Hindi box-office
earnings came from dubbed South films
Pathaan such as RRR, KGF: Chapter 2 and Kantara.
(below) has This year, Pathaan is the top-grossing film
swept the box across India, accounting for 13% of total col-
office, but lections. The other Hindi films in the top 10
streaming so far include Adipurush, The Kerala Story,
platforms are Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar and Kisi Ka Bhai
still doing a Kisi Ki Jaan. All films made in Hindi.
better job of More potential blockbusters are coming.
nourishing There’s Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani
good writers, (directed by Karan Johar; starring Ranveer
as gems Singh and Alia Bhatt), due out this weekend.
like Kohrra Jawan (directed by Atlee; starring Shah Rukh
(below Khan) in September. Tiger 3 (directed by
right) show. Maneesh Sharma; starring Salman Khan and
09
the New Mexico desert, the lead character
(Cillian Murphy) looks through a window
and whispers. One would never get the cru-
cial lines, in their realistic awe-struck tone,
without the text at the bottom of the screen.
“Filmmakers are conscious of the fact
that people of all backgrounds will be read-
ing as they watch,” says Nasreen Munni
Kabir, a producer and director who also
serves as a subtitler and has worked, in this
capacity, on more than 800 films, including
Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan (2023) and Pon-
niyin Selvan: 1 and 2 (2022-23).
Documentary filmmaker Shaunak Sen of
the Oscar-nominated documentary All That
Breathes (2022), considers the text so vital
to his storytelling that he subtitles all his
own work.
“It gives a filmmaker greater confidence
to know that quick chatter and pacy dia-
logue, which would otherwise be lost on the
viewer, is being conveyed,” he says. Along
with the colour palette, textures of sound
and lens magnification, “one smaller
weapon in your arsenal, is the subtitle,” he
says, adding, “I find subtitles oddly liberat-
ing. I enjoy them as a kind of anticipated
entity that’s a subset of the broader film that
one is making. It helps me hone in on the
particularities in the situated, cultural
details of the story, while knowing that
there will be a universally accessible regis-
ter because of the subtitles.”
The text builds a deeper relationship with
the audience. The screen may go black for
effect; the notes for music tell us we’re still
in the story. A hazy figure may lumber into
view; we know we can focus on watching
until the text tells us it’s time to listen too.
Additionally, subtitles free the viewer to
watch in the settings most easily available to
them. They can watch-listen-read during a
noisy commute, or in a crowded room; on
headphones or despite indifferent audio.
The struggles that remain include work-
ing out how to put sounds into words, and
avoid, for instance, unintentional hilarity in
a tense scene. “Wet footsteps squelch” and
accompaniments to a scenario filled with
suspense and fear.
These oddities have become a kind of
idiom in themselves. As the focus on subti-
tles as a key element and aid in storytelling
grows, perhaps they will cease, and those
already out there will live on as curiosities.
We’ll certainly never forget “Tentacles
squelching wetly”.
Katrina Kaif) in November. Dunki (directed
by Rajkumar Hirani; starring Shah Rukh
Khan and Taapsee Pannu) in December.
There is reason to hope that the box office
will cross the coveted Rs 10,000 crore mark,
with Hindi cinema grabbing the lion’s share.
This is indeed cause for celebration. I am
a lover of the theatrical experience and of
Hindi films, and it is thrilling to see viewers
thronging halls again, for Hindi hits made in
Hindi. As a Hollywood studio executive said
to me earlier this year, if the pandemic
couldn’t kill the movies, then nothing will.
But there are still lessons to learn. When I
compare the artistry and storytelling of
Hindi content on streaming platforms and
Hindi content in cinemas, there is little doubt
that streaming is far ahead.
Take Trial by Fire, co-written and co-di-
rected by Prashant Nair; School of Lies,
directed by Avinash Arun; Kohrra, directed
by Randeep Jha; Farzi directed by Raj Nidim-
oru and Krishna DK; Scoop directed by Han-
sal Mehta; Dahaad directed by Reema Kagti
and Ruchika Oberoi; and Konkona Sen
Sharma’s short in Lust Stories 2. Each of
these narratives offers complex characters,
and a layered and gripping story.
From the non-linear screenplay of Trial by
Fire to the atmospheric cinematography of
School of Lies, the craft is impeccable. As are
the performances. Is there anything in thea-
tres so far that has matched the searing
intensity of Rajshri Deshpande as a grieving
mother in Trial by Fire, or Suvinder Vicky as
the scarred police officer in Kohrra, or Manoj
Bajpayee, heartbreaking in both Gulmohar
and Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai?
Pathaan delivered that crazy movie high
that only a movie on the big screen can. One
of my favourite scenes of the year is the end-
credits sequence in which Shah Rukh and
Salman, only marginally pretending to be
Pathaan and Tiger, decide they will continue
to do what they do because
“desh ka sawaal hai (we’re
doing it for the country)”.
But these superstar-driven
event films cannot carry thea-
tres through the year. We also
need smart, small films to land.
In the end, success will boil
down to writers and how each
format nourishes them. Right
now, it looks like streaming is
doing a better job. I hope Hindi
cinema, as it gets back on its
feet, takes its cue.
 10 PATNA
SUNDAY
JULY 30, 2023

Reflections
{ CHANAKYA }

India’s economy can scale

new highs. Here’s a plan
India can become the world’s
third-largest economy within
the next few years. To achieve
true prosperity for all, India
must keep its GDP growth
high, generate mass
employment, overhaul
both these questions is an unqualified no.
But it is worth engaging with them in detail.
When India became independent 75
years ago, it was ravaged by the scars of Par-
tition, with a very small industrial base of its
own. When rains played truant, even food
security became a challenge, and the nation
had to resort to what is infamously remem-
bered as the ship-to-mouth existence, a ref-
erence to the excessive dependence on over-
seas grain exports.
opulence is much bigger than the entire
populations of some developed countries,
and there is no evidence to suggest that even
people at the bottom of the pyramid are
worse off than they were before the reforms.
The mismatch between rightful aspirations,
and the distribution of the fruits of growth,
has manifested itself in increasing political
pressure to use our fiscal resources to pro-
vide relief to people. The swirling contro-
versy around the so-called culture of free- India will need to generate mass employment that guarantees a base minimum income. RAJ K RAJ/HT ARCHIVE

education, focus on
environmental sustainability,
and safeguard its social fabric
The journey from economic precarity to
becoming a global economic power while
keeping its democratic core intact — the two
years of Emergency notwithstanding — is a
unique achievement, and the result of the
collective endeavours of the Indian people.
bies — which its backers term as legitimate
welfare measures — is nothing but a reflec-
tion of this tension.
But to stay on this course of growth and
prosperity will need more work and deter-
mination. Here are five things that India
Second, generate mass employment that
guarantees a base minimum income. There
is more than enough data to show that
income levels for most Indians are far from
adequate to guarantee a decent living.
might mutate into a demographic liability
within the next couple of decades.
Fourth, make sure that our pursuit of
economic prosperity does not breach the
non-negotiable boundaries of environmen-
dence to suggest that climate extremes will
exact large economic costs. More sustaina-
ble attitudes will need to be engendered
across the board, from governments and
private firms to individuals and relatively

A
t an event in the Capital this
week, Prime Minister (PM)
Narendra Modi promised that
India will become the world’s
third largest economy if he gets
a third term (2024-2029). Cha-
nakya believes that this goal is eminently
achievable. The International Monetary
Fund’s World Economic Outlook database
shows that India will overtake both Japan
and Germany, currently the third and
fourth largest economies respectively, in
2026-27 to become the third largest econ-
omy in the world, behind only the United
States and China.
But two larger questions linger. Is the
PM’s statement just a political reiteration of
the inevitable? And, should becoming the
third largest economy make us complacent
on the economic front? The short answer to
Of course, there have been ups and downs,
and course corrections in this economic
march. The biggest milestone in this path
came in 1991, when the government for-
mally launched a raft of economic reforms
that unleashed animal spirits in the econ-
omy. The growth surge we see today would
not have been possible without that leap of
faith.
Has this journey been smooth? Far from
it. The fruits of economic growth, especially
after 1991, have increasingly accrued to a
small share of the population. The biggest
reason for this is the absence of a manufac-
turing revolution in India. Its share in the
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is, by and
large, still at the pre-reform level, hovering
around 15%-16%.
Lest there be confusion, it needs to be
said upfront that even this small island of
must do to make sure that our economic
future remains perceptibly better than our
present.
First, maintain a high GDP growth rate,
especially in the next two to three decades.
While a GDP growth rate in the ballpark of
6% is enough to keep India the fastest-grow-
ing economy in the world, it is not enough
to give a boost to our per-capita GDP, a sta-
tistic that matters the most in improving liv-
ing standards.
This is where Modi’s statement about
India becoming the third largest economy
matters. It is important that the political
class also invests in the political optics of
growth, and not just banks on welfare. This
is a crucial and onerous task. There are
many democracies, including in our neigh-
bourhood, that have slipped in balancing
economy and politics.
While the biggest challenge on this front is
in agriculture, which still employs 40% of
the workforce, even new-age sectors such as
the gig economy have their own pitfalls in
terms of security of income and labour con-
ditions. This will need a hands on policy
approach.
Third, effect an overhaul of the education
system to ensure that it directly feeds into
employability. While the country has done
an impressive job in terms of increasing
school and higher-education enrolment, an
overwhelming share of our educated young
labour force is still fixated on securing even
low-paying government jobs. The demand-
supply mismatch is only going to become
worse in the future. While the New Educa-
tion Policy has recognised the problem,
things need to move at a faster pace. Unless
this is done, our demographic dividend
tal sustainability. There are two aspects to
this problem. The first is the question of the
climate crisis and reducing emissions,
which will require a global consensus in
terms of committing resources and finan-
ces.
New Delhi must continue its efforts to
push the global agenda towards a just but
adequate path for reducing carbon emis-
sions. To be sure, this is not a given at the
moment. The second issue is about resisting
the temptation to sideline concerns around
environmental protection — biodiversity
and fragile ecosystems — to maximise eco-
nomic gains from building infrastructure or
industries.
Not only will such an approach inflict
irreversible ecological damage, thereby
depriving our future generations of these
ecosystems, but there is also a trove of evi-
poor economic actors such as farmers, so
that environmentally damaging practices
can be eschewed.
And, finally, be careful that economic
prowess doesn’t inure the country to the
importance of protecting our social cohe-
sion.
India is a country of great religious, lin-
guistic, regional and demographic diversity.
Political competition might sometimes gen-
erate a strong reason to pit an identity
against another for short-term gain. But pol-
iticians and the people must remember that
social conflict beyond a threshold can derail
an economy and investor confidence.
For a country such as India, becoming an
economic giant and a model of democratic
prosperity is within grasp. Our policymak-
ers and people must do all they can to fulfil
this new tryst with destiny.

IMAGINE WHAT WOULD

EV adoption guidelines
{ SUNDAY SENTIMENTS } Jogendra Nath Mandal, who came to
Ambedkar’s aid. Mandal sacrificed his
seat and with help from “one or two inde-
HAVE HAPPENED IF
Karan Thapar AMBEDKAR HADN’T
pendent SC MLAs and one or perhaps two
Anglo-Indian votes”, Ambedkar got
elected from Bengal.
MADE IT? WHAT SORT OF
CONSTITUTION MIGHT must be more practical
The intriguing twists In July 1947 he was in trouble again.
After the British Parliament passed the
Act of Indian Independence, the Constitu-
WE HAVE ENDED UP
WITH? THE MOTHER OF he electrification of cabs and bikes and subsidies is key.

of Ambedkar’s career
ent Assembly was divided into two, one
for India, one for Pakistan. Consequently,
many members from Bengal lost their
membership of the Constituent Assembly
of India. Ambedkar was one.
DEMOCRACY WOULD
HAVE LOST THE FATHER
OF ITS CONSTITUTION.
T for transportation is undoubtedly Fourth, the performance of EVs remains
desirable for reducing pollution. As inferior to their ICE counterparts. An auto
the world grapples with the climate or bike taxi driver would normally drive
crisis, the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) roughly 100 kilometres a day. However,
holds immense potential, but must be tem- most current EVs have a sub-100 kilometre
o we really know our heroes? We I’ve gleaned this from Ashok Lahiri’s Once again, fortuitous good fortune pered by ground realities. The range. Lack of easy access for

D place them on pedestals and

revere them. We talk about them
frequently and eloquently. We
even quote from them. But that’s different
to knowing them. It’s certainly not the
same as understanding them. A book I’ve
recently read has revealed aspects of BR
Ambedkar I was unaware of. These are
not contested facts. Many could even be
well-known. But they’re not part of the
popular image of the man.
For instance, did you know he wasn’t
really a champion of Independence?
From 1942 until 1946, he was a member of
the Viceroy’s Executive Council, effec-
tively as minister of labour. Earlier, in
1931, this is what he said, “The depressed
classes (as the scheduled castes at the
time were called) are not anxious, they
are not clamorous, they have not started
any movement for claiming that there
shall be an immediate transfer of power
from the British to the Indian people.”
India in Search of Glory. He writes,
“Ambedkar’s role in the freedom struggle
has been the most controversial aspect of
his otherwise brilliant career.” I have to
admit, that took me by surprise. However,
it’s not the only incredible revelation
Lahiri’s book contains. Ambedkar, it
seems, almost never made it to the Con-
stituent Assembly. In the 1945-46 elec-
tions his party, the All India Scheduled
Caste Federation (SCF), won only two of
the 151 reserved seats. As a result, Ambed-
kar “could not be elected to (the Constitu-
ent Assembly) from the Provincial
Assembly of Bombay, as the SCF had won
only one seat.”
Worse, no one was willing to help. In
fact, Sardar Patel proclaimed “...apart
from the doors even the windows of the
Constituent Assembly are closed for Dr
Ambedkar”, adding “let us see how he
enters the Constituent Assembly”.
It was a Muslim League legislator,
came to his rescue. MR Jayakar resigned
his seat, following disagreements with the
Congress, thus creating a vacancy. This
time India’s leading politicians were will-
ing to help.
One of them was Rajendra Prasad, the
chairman of the Constituent Assembly.
He wrote to BG Kher, then prime minister
of Bombay. “Apart from any other consid-
eration we have found Dr Ambedkar’s
work both in the Constituent Assembly
and the various committees to which he
was appointed to be of such an order as to
require that we should not be deprived of
his services. As you know, he was elected
from Bengal and after the division of the
province he has ceased to be a member of
the Constituent Assembly commencing
from the 14th July 1947 and it is therefore
necessary that he should be elected
immediately.”
Even Patel changed his attitude. Lahiri
says he played a role in persuading Kher
as well as dissuading GV Mavalankar,
“who was otherwise slated to fill in the
vacancy caused by Jayakar”.
So, it was a close-run thing. Imagine
Capital recently completed the
feedback process for the fifth draft
of the aggregator guidelines. The
draft, however, seems to have sev-
eral kinks that need to be
charging on-the-go, and the time
taken to charge a battery, make
the proposition impractical. Delhi
government identifies charging
stations at 1,919 locations, 232 bat-
what would have happened if Ambedkar smoothed out. Dhanendra tery-swapping stations, and 2,452
hadn’t made it? What sort of Constitution First, there is a yawning gap charging points. However, many
might we have ended up with? The between electrification targets, Kumar of these charging stations are non-
mother of democracy, as we call ourselves and current adoption rates. EVs functional, some are in locations
today, would have lost the father of its constitute a mere 0.16% of all vehi- that will require a significant
Constitution. cles in Delhi. As per NASSCOM, the market detour for drivers, and still others are
Let me end by raising a question that share of EVs in the two-wheeler, passenger packed during peak hours, leading to long
may have occurred to you as well. So three-wheeler, and four-wheeler segments delays. It is critical to prioritise growth, and
incredible are the facts I’ve related, was stands at 0.74%, 30.3% and 0.16% respec- strengthening of charging infrastructure
there a hand guiding Ambedkar and, per- tively. If we extrapolate the number of four- for the draft targets to be met.
haps, India itself? It seems someone or wheelers in the ridesharing space across A successful and speedy transition to EVs
something was determined to ensure platforms such as Ola and Uber, each aggre- in Delhi requires a comprehensive and
Ambedkar was part of the Constituent gator would need approximately well-sequenced approach with collabora-
Assembly. The question is who or what? 8,000-9,000 EV cars to meet the first year tion among various stakeholders. To
target. The total EV sales in 2022, according achieve this, it is essential to re-evaluate
Karan Thapar is the author of Devil’s Advo- to the government’s Vahan portal, was and align the targets outlined in the draft
cate: The Untold Story. 5,642 — of which only 2,515 were cab regis- guidelines with the ground reality of the EV
The views expressed are personal trations. The draft target will require sales ecosystem. The targets set for electrification
to more than double, and all new vehicles to in the ridesharing space should be in
be attached with aggregators. accordance with the availability of EVs and
Second, the suggestions for bike taxis the corresponding charging infrastructure.

The life and times of

seem impractical. Data says 24% of all bike If we push aggressive electrification targets
taxis in India operate in Delhi, totalling without charging infrastructure, it will neg-
nearly a million rides per week. The draft atively impact tens of thousands of drivers,
guidelines differentiate between a bike taxi throwing many out of business, and hurt

Inder Kumar Gujral carrying goods, and those carrying passen- consumer mobility. A phased approach
gers, and put an unrealistic target of 100% may be more practical, prioritising infra-
EVs for the latter. Unfortunately, none of structure development, promoting cost-ef-
the two-wheeler EV makers can support fective EV models, and catering to the spe-
estiny is unpredictable, and it can helped in my posting to Delhi. Soon, there- such an expansion in EV bike taxi opera- cific requirements of different transporta-

D smile or frown on anyone in the after, NN Vohra, a highly-respected

best and worst of circumstances. bureaucrat and principal secretary to the
During my diplomatic career, I PM, called with the same request. The PM
had the opportunity of working closely then spoke to me himself, and I accepted
with IK Gujral, who was the external the assignment.
tion. Moreover, drivers often use the same tion segments. It would also be important to
bike for goods and passengers, making the foster collaboration among authorities,
differentiation impractical. aggregators and manufacturers. That could
Third, the cost differential between EVs engender a greener and more sustainable
and their internal combustion engine (ICE) future for Delhi’s transportation landscape.
affairs minister (EAM) in 1996 and became Even his enemies would agree that IK counterparts remains steep. Industry data
the Prime Minister (PM) on April was a thorough gentleman. says two-wheeler, three-wheeler, and four- Dhanendra Kumar is former transport secre-
21, 1997. Always urbane, well-dressed, wheeler EVs are roughly 25%, 40%, and 60% tary, founding chairman of CCI and India’s exec-
I don’t think IK, as he was soft-spoken, erudite and cultured, more expensive than their ICE counter- utive director at World Bank. He is currently
known, ever thought he would he was the quintessential Pun- parts. To make EVs economically viable, chairman of Competition Advisory Services.
become PM. His son, Naresh Guj- jabi, having arrived in India as a bridging the cost gap through incentives The views expressed are personal
ral, a former member of the Rajya refugee from Pakistan. His accent Even his enemies would agree that Gujral was a thorough gentleman. HT ARCHIVE
Sabha (RS), and a good friend,
told me that his father retired to
bed on that life-changing night
Pavan K
Varma
could not escape his Punjabi
roots. I remember a speech I
wrote for him for the Asia Society
mind of his own. When Emergency was
declared in 1975, he was the minister for
him to a studio in Noida. Normally, a PM
would have said no. But IK agreed and
{ SUNDAY LETTERS }
A
l
when Harkishan Singh Surjeet, in New York. He complimented information and broadcasting. However, asked me to accompany him. We drove to
leader of the Communist Party of me for it but put a noticeable he was not willing to be Sanjay Gandhi’s Safdarjung airport where a chopper took
India (Marxist), and the chanakya of the Punjabi twist in the delivery. As I watched doormat. Indira Gandhi then shunted him us to Noida. Since it was technically a visit Majoritarianism Honouring the civil rights movement
precarious United Front (UF) government, with some dismay, Raghunath, normally out as ambassador to Moscow, where he by the PM to Uttar Pradesh, a senior cabi- will hurt India
called to say that IK was the coalition’s undemonstrative, came to me and whis- did an excellent job. net minister received him. After the inter- This is with reference to Frank Islam’s ‘Indian
choice for PM, following HD Deve Gowda’s pered: “Remember, a PM’s speech is meant He could also be a tough negotiator. I view, we flew back to Safdarjung. The This is with reference to Americans must back affirmative action’ (July 23). It is
resignation. to be read, not heard.” remember, in particular, a brilliantly argu- whole operation took hardly an hour. Avinash Paliwal’s time for Indian Americans to repay their debts to the
I joined IK as his speech writer and aide. IK had been arrested during the Quit mentative discussion he had (to which P His tenure lasted till March 1998 — less ‘Manipur’s implosion will civil right movement in the United States.
Before that, I was on leave in Delhi as my India Movement in 1942 but was never a Chidambaram was a witness) with then US than a year. He died on November 30, 2012, hurt the India story’ (July
mother was unwell. However, the govern- mass leader. He won only one Lok Sabha secretary of state, Madeleine Albright, just four days short of his 93rd birthday. 23). Majoritarianism may Manohar Yadav
ment had reneged on its promise to post (LS) election from Jalandhar in 1989, but where she was completely outclassed. He His wife, Sheila Gujral, an accomplished help in electoral gains
me from Moscow to Delhi. I used this was a three-term member of the RS. In will be remembered too for the Gujral Doc- poet and writer, had died a year earlier. but social fabric will A failure of police and politics in Manipur
break to write The Great Indian Middle 1991, he contested the LS elections, trine, where as a matter of strategy, he irreparably get torn. Its This is with reference to Karan Thapar’s ‘Troubling
Class. One day, in July 1997, when I was improbably enough, from Patna. The story gave priority to improving relations with Pavan K Varma is author, diplomat, and former time to introspect and questions on a wrenching video’ (July 23). Recent events
about to finish the book, I got a call from goes that Lalu Prasad Yadav backed his our neighbours, although his alleged deci- Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha). step back and change the in Manipur are a stark reminder of the regrettable
the then newly appointed foreign secre- candidacy by saying that Gujral stood for sion to wind up our counter-intelligence Just Like That is a weekly column where Varma narrative. failure of institutions of police and politics.
tary, K Raghunath, under whom I had Gujjar, a backward class community. IK network in Pakistan has been rightly criti- shares nuggets from the world of history,
worked. He said that the PM wanted my won that election, but it was later counter- cised. culture, literature, and personal reminiscences DRM Sridhar Deepak Bist
services. I listened but remained non-com- manded for irregularities. IK loved to interact with the media. with HT Premium readers.
mittal because Gujral as EAM had not Yet, he was an astute politician with a Once, noted journalist Vir Sanghvi invited The views expressed are personal Write to us at: letters@hindustantimes.com

R.N.I. No. BIHENG/2002/7357

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 PATNA
SUNDAY
JULY 30, 2023
{ IN CHENNAI } TWO-DAY MEET CONCLUDES
CM meets minority delegation
Consensus on 9 principles of ‘blue economy’
Jayashree Nandi
letters@hindustantimes.com
CHENNAI: The two-day G20
Environment and Climate Sus-
tainability Working Group
(ECSWG) and Environment and
Climate ministers meeting that
concluded on Friday adopted a
series of “Chennai High-Level
Principles” for a sustainable and
resilient blue economy, or
ocean-based economy, even as
the group failed to arrive at a
consensus on key issues pertain-
ing to climate mitigation.
Officials in the environment
ministry said the adoption of
nine principles will not only help
conserve ocean biodiversity but
also address the consequences of
climate change on ocean-based
economies in the G20.
A delegation of Christian leaders from education sector in Jharkhand met chief minister In a series of tweets after the
Hemant Soren a his residence in Ranchi on Friday. ANI meeting, environment minister
Bhupender Yadav said the prin-
ciples will “serve as a guiding
framework globally to drive the
My India
based carbon dioxide removal
and sequestration.
Promoting social and inter-
generational equity and gender
equality was also decided at the
meeting. “Transparent and
inclusive approaches are impor-
tant for empowering women and
communities and Indigenous
Peoples, to fully and effectively
participate in the planning, deci-
sion making and implementa-
tion processes through appropri-
ate skill development and benefit
from the economic opportuni-
ties provided by the sustainable
Blue/ Ocean-based Economy,”
the document said.
A senior environment minis-
try official, who did not wish to
be named, said: “All nine princi-
ples are focused on conserving
Artistes perform during a cultural event at the G20 Environment the oceans from the impact of
and Climate Sustainability Minister's Meeting in Chennai. PTI climate crisis, such as sea level
rise and ocean acidification, and
meet in Chennai thanked India’s including those derived from the protecting marine biodiversity.
Presidency for its efforts in maritime sector, unsustainable This is a major leap forward and
developing the compendiums of exploitation and illegal activities a great success because these
11
“We reiterate, in line with the
KMGBF, the commitments, by
2030, to ensure that at least 30
per cent of areas of degraded ter-
restrial, inland water, and
marine and coastal ecosystems
are under effective restoration
and to ensure and enable that at
least 30 per cent of terrestrial
and inland water areas, and of
marine and coastal areas are
effectively conserved and man-
aged, while ensuring that any
sustainable use, where appropri-
ate in such areas, is fully consist-
ent with conservation outcomes,
and urge others to do the same,”
the document said.
It added that the G20 would
focus on restoring, where feasi-
ble and appropriate, forest fire
or wildfire-impacted areas and
lands degraded due to mining
activity.
“We note the importance of
the remediation of degraded
mining lands and the science-
based restoration of their ecosys-

4 electrocuted during
transition to a sustainable and
resilient blue economy”.
“In a historic decision, the
G20 Members adopted the Out-
best practices, technical docu- that affect the marine environ- measures also help us in tems which is necessary to
ments and technical studies. A ment. addressing climate change.” address environmental degrada-
total of 10 Presidency documents The group also decided to On the issue of land degrada- tion and can have co-benefits,
were launched under the identi- acknowledge and address the tion, the outcome document reit- including soil formation, biodi-

Muharram procession come Document on the ‘Chennai

High-Level Principles on Sus-
tainable and Resilient Blue/
Ocean-based Economy’. It shall
fied priority areas of Land and
Biodiversity, Blue Economy,
Water Resource Management
and Circular Economy,” he
links between ocean and cli-
mate. This, according to the bloc,
will help push ocean-based
economies to recognise ocean-
erated support for the global ‘30
by 30’ goal.
In December, countries across
the globe adopted the Kunming-
versity conservation, carbon
sequestration, sustainable forest
management and the improved
quality and availability of water

in Jharkhand’s Bokaro serve as a guiding framework

HT Correspondent
htjharkhand@hindustantimes.com
RANCHI: Four persons died of
electrocution in Jharkhand
when the Tazia, a replica of
mausoleum of Imam Hussain,
being carried in a Muharram
procession touched an over-
head high-tension wire in
Khetko village of Bokaro district
Saturday morning, officials said.
The incident, which occurred
around 6 am, left at least 13 per-
sons injured.
“Of the 13 injured, four were
declared brought dead while
seven others are undergoing
treatment. Two others with
minor injuries have been sent
home after first aid,” said circle
officer Sailesh Chaudhary.
Chief minister Hemant Soren
and Governor CP Radhakrish-
nan offered their condolences to
the bereaved families.
State excise minister Bebi
Devi, who belongs to Bokaro
district, visited the hospital
where the injured are being
treated.
Tiger’s Day
P incident happened,” he said.
Tazia procession is
being taken out at
around 400 places
in the district. This
is the only place
where this kind of
incident happened.
KULDEEP CHAUDHARY,
Deputy commissioner
The incident has raised ques-
tions about the functioning of
the power distribution depart-
ment, as they are directed to
temporarily snap power supply
at the time of Muharram pro-
cession.
Bokaro deputy commissioner
Kuldeep Chaudhary said the
cause of incident would be
peobed. “Tazia procession is
being taken out at around 400
places in the district. This is the
only place where this kind of
Meanwhile, the local Con-
gress MLA Anup Singh said the
incident was unfortunate as the
villagers could not inform the
power department about the
procession.
“This is not the first time that
this profession was being taken
out of the village. Our block
president is also four-time
Mukhiya of the village. He is a
very responsible person. But
they forgot to inform the power
department. To avoid inconven-
ience to general people, they
inform the department to snap
power supply around half an
hour before the procession is
taken out. But this time, they
unfortunately they could not do
so,” said Anup Singh, whose
party is a constituent of the rul-
ing alliance led by CM Soren’s
JMM.
The MLA said the state gov-
ernment has decided to provide
immediate monetary compen-
sation of Rs 2 lakh each to the
family of the deceased and Rs 1
lakh each to the injured.
globally to drive the transition to
a sustainable and resilient blue
economy,” Yadav tweeted.
Blue economy refers to advo-
cating sustainable use of ocean
resources for economic growth,
improved livelihoods, and jobs
while preserving the health of
ocean ecosystems.
“The leaders attending the
PTR TIGER COUNT
UP AT 1 FROM NIL
RANCHI: Tiger count in Jhark-
hand’s Palamau Tiger Reserve
(PTR) rose to one from nil in
2018, says the latest tiger status
report by the Centre issued on
the occasion of the Interna-
tional Tiger Day on Saturday.
However, there is no men-
tion of tiger in the rest of the
state.
“In the latest estimation
report, one tiger has been
reported in the PTR through
genetic analysis of tiger scat,”
Sasikar Samanta, the principal
chief conservator of forest
(PCCF-Wildlife), said.
added.
Prioritising ocean health was
among the nine principles
adopted by the grouping, accord-
climate interlinkages, opportu-
nities for climate change mitiga-
tion and adaptation through sus-
tainable ocean-based actions like
Montreal Global Biodiversity
Framework (KMGBF) that seeks
to bring the loss of areas of high
biodiversity importance, includ-
resources,” the document said.
In an interview to HT on
Thursday, Canada’s environ-
ment minister Steven Guilbeault
ing to the outcome document
which was reviewed by HT. The
protection, sustainable use and
restoration of coastal and
ing ecosystems of high ecologi-
cal integrity, close to zero by
said: “I am grateful to India for
putting forth a strong language
key features of this principle are marine ecosystems, harnessing 2030, while respecting the rights on the global biodiversity frame-
addressing coastal and marine full potential of low and zero of indigenous people and local work and the 30 by 30 goal. It’s a
pollution from all sources, such greenhouse gas (GHG) emis- communities. language that’s largely agreed on
as from plastics, air pollutants sions’s sources, and research on The G20 meeting committed by the G20, so we will be able to
and other persistent pollutants, safe and effective use of ocean- to achieving the goal. make progress on that.”
Common Management Admission Committee 2023
CMAC - 2023
(www.cmacadmissions.com)
Admission Announcement for BBA Program-2023
Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University for Women (IGDTUW), Delhi Technological University
(DTU) and Netaji Subhas University of Technology (NSUT) invite online applications for the
common admission process of full-time Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) Program
offered at the following Universities/Institutes established by Govt. of NCT of Delhi:
PTI
• Department of Management Studies, NSUT - 120 Seats
• University School of Management & Entrepreneurship, DTU - 180 Seats
• Department of Management, IGDTUW - 75 Seats (Only for Female Candidates)
Eligibility Conditions: The candidate must have scored at least 50% marks for
IGDTUW and DTU (60% marks for NSUT) in 12th board examination from a recognized board
and must also have passed English (Core/Elective/Functional) as a subject in the 12th Board
Examination. The reserve category candidates are eligible for relaxation in minimum marks as
per applicable norms.
Selection Criteria: The merit list shall be drawn on the basis of CUET UG 2023 percentile in
paper 1 A (English Language, Code 101) and paper 3 (General Test, Code 501).

Apply online on www.cmacadmissions.com

Opening Date: 19.07.2023 Closing Date: 08.08.2023

www.igdtuw.ac.in www.dtu.ac.in www.nsut.ac.in
Helpdesk E-mail ID: cmacbba@igdtuw.ac.in
DIP/Shabdarth/Classified/0098/23-24

Bihar’s forest & environment minister Tej Pratap Yadav at the Patna zoo on Saturday as part of an awareness programme on the
occasion of International Tiger Day. SANTOSH KUMAR/HT PHOTO

BJP, Cong misleading people EIGHT INJURED IN

with ‘red diary’ row: Beniwal
HT Correspondent
letters@hindustantimes.com
JAIPUR: Hitting at the ruling
Congress and Bharatiya Janata
Party (BJP), Rashtriya Loktantrik
Party (RLP) chief Hanuman Ben-
iwal said on Saturday that both
the parties are trying to “divert
people and mislead them in the
name of the lal (red) diary”.
Beniwal, a Member of Parlia-
ment (MP) from Nagaur, said, “If
there are names in the red diary,
then it should be probed. It also
has names of BJP leaders, which
should also be investigated.
When CM Ashok Gehlot stated
that the government would not
have been saved had Vasund-
hara Raje not been there - it
clearly shows they are united.”
The Congress recently sacked
Rajendra Gudha after he
claimed to be in possession of a
Hanuman Beniwal
red diary that held details of
allegedly irregular transactions
in the Ashok Gehlot-led govern-
ment. Beniwal said, “They are
trying to mislead the people in
the name of the red diary. They
are diverting the mind from vital
issues such as paper leaks, illegal
mining, and bajri mafia.”
“I think the red diary matter is
jointly raised by Congress and
BJP. If there had been anything
significant in the diary, it would
have come to light by now. Even
the PM (Narendra Modi) spoke
about the red diary. What
authenticity does it have? Any-
one can come up with a diary…
red or blue, but that doesn’t
make it authentic. What is in the
diary needs to be probed, and if it
happened, there would also be
names of BJP leaders.”
Beniwal also talked about the
mass membership programme
he is going to run from July 31 to
August 31. “I will contest assem-
bly elections, but from where
will disclose later,” he said when
asked whether he will be con-
testing the assembly elections.
Responding to the allegations,
Congress spokesperson Swar-
nim Chaturvedi said the red
diary matter “was a drama
staged by the BJP to divert peo-
ple’s attention from the Manipur
conflict”.
CITY AMID HEAVY
RAINS, FLOODING
JAIPUR: Normal life in Jaipur
came to a standstill on Saturday
due to widespread waterlogging
due to heavy rains, causing
heavy traffic, collapse of many
buildings and injuries to eight
people, officials familiar with the
developments said.
According to the Indian Mete-
orological Department (IMD)
Jaipur, the state capital, on Sat-
urday, recorded around 160 mm
of rainfall- of which the Jaipur
Collectorate zone had around
158 mm– the highest in the state.
Jaipur Airport area also wit-
nessed around 27 mm of rainfall,
said the IMD.
Seven people were reportedly
injured after a building collapsed
in Sanjay Nagar on Saturday
morning. In a similar incident in
Gangapol, a woman was also
injured. Though the civil defence
team in both cases rescued all of
them, the victims were admitted
to hospital HTC

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 12
NORTH ATLANTIC
OCEAN TEMP
SETS RECORD
HIGH: US AGENCY
Agence France-Presse
letters@hindustantimes.com
WASHINGTON: On the heels of a
new record high in the Mediter-
ranean, the North Atlantic
reached its hottest-ever level this
week, several weeks earlier than
its usual annual peak, according
to preliminary data released Fri-
day by the US National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administra-
tion.
The news comes after scien-
tists confirmed that July is on
track to be the warmest month in
record history — searing heat
intensified by global warming
that has affected tens of millions
of people.
“Based on our analysis, the
record-high average sea surface
temperature in the North Atlan-
tic Ocean is 24.9 degrees C,”
observed Wednesday, Xungang
Yin, a scientist at NOAA’s
National Centers for Environ-
mental Information, told AFP.
The record is particularly star-
tling as it comes early in the year
— usually, the North Atlantic
reaches its peak temperature in
early September.
The previous record high was
recorded in September 2022, at
24.89 degrees Celsius, Yin said.
NOAA, which has been track-
ing sea temperatures since the
early 1980s, will need about two
weeks to confirm the preliminary
findings.
The Mediterranean Sea
reached its highest temperature
on record Monday, Spanish
researchers said — amid an
exceptional heat wave in Europe.
The record of 28.71 degrees
Celsius was announced by
Spain’s Institute of Marine Scien-
ces, which analysed data from
satellites used by the European
Earth observation program
Copernicus.
Those experts said they meas-
ure the daily median sea surface
temperature, rather than the
average, because it is less suscep-
tible to extreme spikes in temper-
ature in isolated areas of the sea.
The Mediterranean region, hit
by record temperatures in July,
has long been classified as a hot-
spot of climate change.
The sea surface temperature
in the North Atlantic is “expected
to continue to increase through
the month of August,” NOAA’s
Yin said, adding it was “highly
likely” the record would again be
broken.
The new high of 24.9 degrees
Celsius is “more than one degree
warmer than a 30-year climato-
logical normal, calculated from
1982 to 2011,” he added.
A residential building partially destroyed after a Russian missile
strike in Dnipro on Friday.
Nine hurt in Russian
air strike in Dnipro
Agencies
letters@hindustantimes.com
KYIV, UKRAINE: A Russian mis-
sile struck an apartment block
in the central Ukrainian city of
Dnipro on Friday, Kyiv officials
said, injuring at least nine peo-
ple including two children.
“Dnipro. Another terrorist
attack,” said Sergiy Kruk, head
of the Ukrainian State Emer-
gency Service, on Telegram.
“Currently, we know of 9
injured, including two chil-
dren. Work continues.”
Internal affairs minister Igor
Klymenko earlier reported “a
Russian strike on a multistorey
building in Dnipro”, saying five
people had been injured.
Videos posted on social
media showed smoke billowing
from the top floors of a residen-
tial building that had been
badly damaged.
President Volodymyr Zelen-
sky said: “Dnipro. Friday even-
ing. A high-rise building and
the Security Service of
Ukraine’s building were hit.
Russian missile terror again”.
“All necessary services are
on site... We keep the situation
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Niger loses aid as Western
countries condemn coup
Agencies
letters@hindustantimes.com
NIAMEY: The European Union
has cut off financial support to
Niger and the United States has
threatened to do the same after
military leaders this week
announced they had over-
thrown the democratically
elected president, Mohamed
Bazoum.
Niger is one of the poorest
countries in the world, receiving
close to $2 billion a year in offi-
cial development assistance,
according to the World Bank.
It is also a key security part-
ner of Western countries such as
France and the United States,
which use it as a base for their
efforts to contain an Islamist
insurgency in West and Central
Africa’s Sahel region. Previously
seen the most stable country
among several unstable neigh-
bours, Niger is the world’s sev-
enth-biggest producer of ura-
nium.
Niger’s foreign allies so far
have refused to recognise the
new military government led by
General Abdourahamane Tiani,
previously head of the presiden-
tial guard, who officers declared
head of state on Friday.
Bazoum has not been heard
from since early Thursday when
he was confined within the pres-
idential palace, although the
European Union, France and
others say they still recognize
him as the legitimate president.
US Secretary of State Anthony
Blinken, who is in Australia as
part of a Pacific tour, said on
Saturday that the continued
security and economic arrange-
ments that Niger has with the
US hinged on the release of
Bazoum and “the immediate
restoration of the democratic
order in Niger.”
“Our economic and security
partnership with Niger — which
is significant, hundreds of mil-
lions of dollars — depends on
the continuation of the demo-
cratic governance and constitu-
tional order that has been dis-
rupted by the actions in the last
few days,” Blinken said.
“So that assistance, that sup-
port, is in clear jeopardy as a
result of these actions, which is
another reason why they need to
be immediately reversed.”
Blinken stopped short of call-
ing the military actions in Niger
AFP
under control. We will do
everything to bring Russia to
full punishment for aggression
and terror against our people.”
Russian regions bordering
Ukraine have seen regular
drone strikes and shelling since
Moscow launched its military
campaign in February last year
but have hardly ever been tar-
geted by missiles.
On Saturday, Zelensky said
he was visiting “advanced posi-
tions” of Ukraine’s special for-
ces near the hotspot of Bakh-
mut as Kyiv ramps up its coun-
ter-offensive.
“The Bakhmut direction,
advanced positions of the Spe-
cial Operations Forces,” Zelen-
sky said on messaging app Tel-
egram.
“I am here to congratulate
our warriors on their profes-
sional day, to honour their
strength.”
Zelensky said he was not at
liberty to disclose details of the
special forces’ current opera-
tions.
He said he heard a com-
mander’s report and spoke
with the troops, praising their
“truly heroic” performance.
General Abdourahmane Tiani, who was declared as the new head of state of Niger by leaders of a coup, arrives to meet with ministers
in Niamey, Niger on Friday.
a coup, a designation that could
result in the African country los-
ing millions of dollars of mili-
tary aid and assistance.
Speaking in Brisbane, Blinken
said he had spoken with Presi-
dent Bazoum on Saturday but
did not provide details. He cited
the support of the African
Union, the Economic Commu-
nity of West African States and
other regional entities in trying
to bring an end to the unrest.
“In addition to the immediate
cessation of budget support, all
cooperation actions in the
domain of security are sus-
pended indefinitely with imme-
diate effect,” EU foreign policy
chief Josep Borrell said in a
statement.
Niger is a key partner of the
European Union in helping curb
the flow of irregular migrants
from sub-Saharan Africa. The
EU also has a small number of
troops in Niger for a military
training mission.
The EU allocated 503 million
euros ($554 million) from its
US announces $345 million
military aid package for Taiwan
Associated Press
letters@hindustantimes.com
WASHINGTON: The U.S. on Fri-
day announced $345 million in
military aid for Taiwan, in what
is the Biden administration’s
first major package drawing on
America’s own stockpiles to
help Taiwan counter China.
The White House’s
announcement said the pack-
age would include defence,
education and training for the
Taiwanese. Washington will
send man-portable air defense
systems, or MANPADS, intelli-
gence and surveillance capabil-
ities, firearms and missiles,
according to two US officials
who spoke on the condition of
anonymity to discuss sensitive
matters ahead of the announce-
ment.
US lawmakers have been
{ TWITTER IN TROUBLE }
‘X’ logo atop Twitter building spurs permit violation investigation
Workers install lighting on an "X" sign atop the company headquarters, formerly known as Twitter,
in downtown San Francisco, on Friday.
World
budget to improve governance,
education and sustainable
growth in Niger over 2021-2024,
according to its website.
The United States has two
military bases in Niger with
some 1,100 soldiers, and also
provides hundreds of millions of
dollars to the country in security
and development aid.
The United Nations said the
coup has not affected its deliver-
ies of humanitarian aid.
It is unclear how much sup-
port the military junta has
among Niger’s population. Some
crowds came out in support of
Bazoum on Wednesday, but the
following day coup supporters
also took to the streets.
The Economic Community of
West African States (ECOWAS)
will hold an emergency summit
in Nigeria on Sunday to discuss
the situation.
After an emergency meeting
on Friday, the African Union’s
Peace and Security Council
issued a statement demanding
the military return to their bar-
pressuring the Pentagon and
White House to speed weapons
to Taiwan. The goals are to help
it counter China and to deter
China from considering attack-
ing, by providing Taipei enough
weaponry that it would make
the price of invasion too high.
While Chinese diplomats
protested the move, Taiwan’s
trade office in Washington said
the U.S. decision to pull arms
and other materiel from its
stores provided “an important
tool to support Taiwan’s self-
defense.” In a statement, it
pledged to work with the
United States to maintain
“peace, stability and the status
quo across the Taiwan Strait.”
Taiwan’s ministry of
national defence also expressed
its appreciation in a statement
Saturday morning that thanked
“the US for its firm commit-
racks and restore constitutional
order within 15 days.
The AU’s Peace and Security
Council “demands the military
personnel to immediately and
unconditionally return to their
barracks and restore constitu-
tional authority, within a maxi-
mum period of fifteen (15) days”,
it said in a communique follow-
ing a meeting Friday on the
Niger coup. It did not say what
would happen after that.
Blinken said the US Embassy
in Niger had accounted for the
safety of all staff members and
their families, while issuing a
security alert advising US citi-
zens in the country to limit
unnecessary movements and
avoid areas impacted by the
coup.
The military group that con-
ducted the coup, calling itself
the National Council for the
Safeguarding of the Country,
said its members remained
committed to engaging with the
international and national com-
munity.
ment to Taiwan’s security.”
The package is in addition to
nearly $19 billion in military
sales of F-16s and other major
weapons systems that the US
has approved for Taiwan.
Delivery of those weapons has
been hampered by supply
chain issues that started during
the Covid-19 pandemic and
have been exacerbated by the
global defense industrial base
pressures created by Russia’s
invasion of Ukraine.
The difference is that this aid
is part of a presidential author-
ity approved by Congress last
year to draw weapons from
current US military stockpiles
— so Taiwan will not have to
wait for military production
and sales. This gets weapons
delivered faster than providing
funding for new weapons.
The Pentagon has used a
AP
REUTERS
“This is as a result of the con-
tinuing degradation of the secu-
rity situation, the bad economic
and social governance,” air force
Col. Major Amadou Abdramane
said in the video released by the
coup leaders Wednesday. He
said aerial and land borders
were closed and a curfew was in
place until the situation stabi-
lized.
Bazoum was elected two
years ago in Niger’s first peace-
ful, democratic transfer of
power since independence from
France.
Niger is seen as the last relia-
ble partner for the West in
efforts to battle jihadis linked to
al-Qaida and the Islamic State
group in Africa’s Sahel region,
where Russia and Western
countries have vied for influence
in the fight against extremism.
France has 1,500 soldiers in
the country who conduct joint
operations with Niger’s military,
while the US and other Euro-
pean countries have helped
train the nation’s troops.
similar authority to get billions
of dollars worth of munitions
to Ukraine.
Taiwan split from China in
1949 amid civil war. Chinese
President Xi Jinping maintains
China’s right to take over the
now self-ruled island, by force
if necessary. China has accused
the US of turning Taiwan into a
“powder keg” through the bil-
lions of dollars in weapons
sales it has pledged.
The US maintains a “One
China” policy under which it
does not recognise Taiwan’s as
an independent country and
has no formal diplomatic rela-
tions with the island in defer-
ence to Beijing.
However, US law requires a
credible defence for Taiwan
and for the US to treat all
threats to the island as matters
of “grave concern.”
Agencies
letters@hindustantimes.com
SAN FRANCISCO: The city of San
Francisco has opened a com-
plaint and launched an investi-
gation into a giant “X” sign that
was installed Friday on top of
the downtown building formerly
known as Twitter headquarters
as owner Elon Musk continues
his rebrand of the social media
platform.
City officials say replacing let-
ters or symbols on buildings, or
erecting a sign on top of one,
requires a permit for design and
safety reasons.
The X appeared after San
Francisco police stopped work-
ers on Monday from removing
the brand’s iconic bird and logo
from the side of the building,
saying they hadn’t taped off the
Flooding in Fuzhou after Typhoon Doksuri made landfall and
brought heavy rainfall, in Fujian province, China on Friday. REUTERS
Beijing on alert as
Typhoon Doksuri
sweeps inwards
Agence France-Presse
letters@hindustantimes.com
BEIJING: China’s weather service
on Saturday issued a red alert
for torrential rain in the capital
Beijing and surrounding provin-
ces, as Typhoon Doksuri swept
inland bringing hazardous
weather conditions to many
parts of the country.
Doksuri smashed into south-
ern Fujian province on Friday
morning with gusts of up to 175
kilometres per hour, and
China’s meteorological service
said Saturday its “influence”
was now being felt in the coun-
try’s north.
China has been experiencing
extreme weather conditions
and posting record tempera-
tures this summer, events that
scientists say are being exacer-
bated by climate change.
Experts have warned Satur-
day’s downpour could prompt
even worse flooding than in July
2012, when 79 people died and
tens of thousands were evacu-
ated, according to local media.
It is the first time since 2011
that such a heavy rainfall warn-
ing has been issued, local media
said.
The red alert will be in force
from 8pm local time, and covers
an area of several hundred mil-
lion inhabitants, including the
metropolis of Tianjin, and the
provinces of Hebei and Shand-
ong.
Several of Beijing’s parks,
lakes and riverside roads have
been closed out of precaution,
{ BANGLADESH }
Clashes between police
and protesters in Dhaka
DHAKA: Bangladesh police fired
rubber bullets and tear gas to dis-
perse stone-throwing crowds
blockading major roads in the
capital Dhaka on Saturday in the
latest protest demanding the
prime minister’s resignation.
The opposition Bangladesh
Nationalist Party (BNP) and its
allies have staged a series of pro-
tests since last year demanding
Sheikh Hasina step down and
allow a caretaker government to
oversee elections due next Janu-
ary.
Clashes erupted in several loca-
tions when police moved in to
clear thousands of people who
gathered in the morning to block
traffic on key arterials around the
city.
“Some officers were injured,”
Dhaka Metropolitan Police
spokesman Faruk Hossain told
AFP. “We fired tear gas and rub-
sidewalk to keep pedestrians
safe if anything fell.
Any replacement letters or
symbols would require a permit
to ensure “consistency with the
historic nature of the building”
and to make sure additions are
safely attached to the sign, Pat-
rick Hannan, spokesperson for
the Department of Building
Inspection said earlier this week.
Erecting a sign on top of a
building also requires a permit,
Hannan said Friday.
“Planning review and
approval is also necessary for
the installation of this sign. The
city is opening a complaint and
initiating an investigation,” he
said in an email.
Musk unveiled a new “X” logo
to replace Twitter’s famous blue
bird as he remakes the social
media platform he bought for
PATNA
SUNDAY
JULY 30, 2023
the municipal authorities
announced on Saturday.
Heavy showers were reported
in the capital on Saturday after-
noon and are expected to last
through Tuesday.
In Fujian’s provincial capital
on Saturday authorities ordered
residents to only leave their
homes only if necessary.
Public transport has also
been suspended.
Doksuri had been a super
typhoon as it tore across the
Pacific Ocean earlier this week,
but lost some intensity as it
neared the Philippines.
The typhoon killed at least 13
people there, and caused land-
slides and floods before tracking
northwest to China and gradu-
ally weakening.
It still brought colossal waves
and howling winds to the coun-
try’s southeast on Friday, caus-
ing significant damage.
In Xiamen, a major port city
on the Taiwan Strait, heavy
weather appeared to have
ripped the roof off of a bus sta-
tion and pushed it up against a
nearby sign.
Pictures shared on social
media showed massive gusts of
wind pummelling residential
tower blocks on Friday in Jinji-
ang, a county-level urban area
south of the city of Quanzhou.
The stormy weather follows
weeks of record heat in China.
At the beginning of July, Bei-
jing and the surrounding region
broke temperature records,
with local temperatures in
excess of 40 degrees Celsius.
ber bullets.”
At least four protest sites
around the city saw clashes
between police and protesters,
Hossain said, with 20 officers
injured and 90 protesters
arrested. AFP journalists at one
protest site in Dholaikhal wit-
nessed protesters retaliate by
throwing rocks at riot police and
their vehicles.
Bacchu Mia, a police inspector
at the Dhaka Medical College
Hospital, told AFP that six pro-
testers had been admitted to the
hospital with injuries.
Senior BNP leaders Goyeshwar
Roy and Amanullah Aman had
been taken into police custody but
had not been formally arrested,
Hossain said.
Transport links between the
capital and other parts of the
country were badly disrupted,
with vehicles stuck in gridlock.AFP
$44 billion last year. The X
started appearing at the top of
the desktop version of Twitter
on Monday.
Elon Musk said on Friday
monthly users of social media
platform X, formerly known as
Twitter, reached a “new high”
and shared a graph that showed
the latest count as over 540 mil-
lion.
Musk, who is also CEO of
Tesla, has long been fascinated
with the letter X and had already
renamed Twitter’s corporate
name to X Corp. after he bought
it in October.
One of his children is called
“X.” The child’s actual name is a
collection of letters and symbols.
On Friday afternoon, a
worker on a lift machine made
adjustments to the sign and then
left.
 PATNA
SUNDAY
JULY 30, 2023
In a bit of spin: India seek best
combination for the World Cup
Jadeja is a sure pick
in India’s squad for
the ODI WC but
choosing the second
and third spinner is
a complicated task
Vivek Krishnan
vivek.krishnan@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: “No, no. I am not
thinking that far ahead.”
Kuldeep Yadav was just as
prompt in desisting from discuss-
ing his hopes for this year’s ODI
World Cup as he was in taking the
last four West Indies wickets in
India’s five-wicket victory in
Bridgetown, Barbados, on Thurs-
day. Having claimed four wickets
for just six runs in the first ODI
against West Indies, the left-arm
wrist spinner had made a rousing
start in the run of a possible 12
games (if they reach the Asia Cup
final) that India have before the
World Cup at home.
But if Kuldeep is staying in the
present rather than harbouring
grand World Cup plans, it’s
entirely understandable. Beyond
the Windies being subpar oppo-
nents who won’t even feature at
the World Cup, the 28-year-old
knows that the competition for
slots in the spin department is
severe. While Ravindra Jadeja
was the other spinner in India’s
line-up on Thursday — he also
starred with three wickets — Yuz-
vendra Chahal, Axar Patel and
perhaps R Ashwin are also in the
mix.
Kuldeep’s pragmatism is also
P may always come in handy
A lot of times, you have to sit out because
of the situation or combination. It has
become normal now. I have been playing
for the last 6-7 years. Competition is
always there in Indian cricket. It
motivates you and tells you that you
cannot take anything lightly
KULDEEP YADAV, India wrist-spinner
Over 10,000 athletes are set to take part in the Paris Olympics.
‘Oly movement is
set for a giant leap
in Paris Games’
Martin Fourcade
sportsdesk@hindustantimes.com
xactly one year from
E now (July 26, 2024), we
will welcome the Olym-
pic Games to my home
country, and I am counting
down the days. Paris 2024 will
be the Games of a new era, as
the first Games planned and
delivered in line with all the
reforms of Olympic Agenda
2020. They will serve as a blue-
print that will help shape future
editions of the Olympic Games
and inspire other major events.
Paris will provide the 10,500
best athletes in the world with
an incredible stage to live their
dream and perform at their
best, in an urban setting with
the city’s magnificent land-
marks as a backdrop.
The action will happen in 32
sports, and for the first time in
history the same number of
male and female athletes are set
to compete — one of the main
achievements of the many Inter-
national Olympic Committee
reforms being implemented in
Paris. The Olympic movement
will take a giant leap through
this initiative.
It has been my mission, as
Chair of the Paris 2024 Athletes’
Commission, to make sure that
athletes’ needs are met. We
have been speaking with ath-
letes throughout the whole
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because of his own rollercoaster
journey in recent years. Having
entered the 2019 World Cup in
England as an emerging star
forming a potent partnership
with leg-spinner Yuzvendra Cha-
hal, Kuldeep lost his way and
place midway through the event.
His confidence battered and
bruised after a game against
England, he’s perhaps not been
the same bowler ever since. He
has featured in 31 of India’s 55
ODIs since the 2019 World Cup,
incessantly in and out and never
able to build the rhythm needed
to regain his spark.
“A lot of times, you have to sit
out because of the situation or
combination. It has become nor-
mal now. I have been playing for
the last 6-7 years,” Kuldeep told
reporters on Thursday.
His travails will strike a chord
with the other spinners. Chahal
has also struggled to find his foot-
hold since the 2019 World Cup,
featuring in just 23 ODIs over the
past four years. While a return of
37 wickets in this time suggests
his wicket-taking knack is intact,
the control that India seek is per-
haps not always there.
Control, of course, is what
Jadeja provides in abundance. As
a capable No. 7 batter and a gun
fielder, he also provides greater
all-round utility than his wrist-
spin colleagues. But Jadeja, too,
hasn’t been immune to getting
the axe. Post the 2017 Champions
Trophy final, Jadeja was out of
the team for nearly 15 months, his
lack of penetration in the middle
overs proving to be his undoing.
In the current four-year World
Cup cycle, he has played only 22
AP
process, finding out about
everything from the type of food
they want to eat at the Olympic
Village to the quality of their
training venues.
We’re working on unique
moments like the Opening Cere-
mony on 26 July 2024, which,
for the first time, will take place
not in a stadium, but on the
River Seine.
We also created Champions
Park to celebrate the athletes in
the heart of the city after their
competitions: a unique experi-
ence in one of the most iconic
places in Paris: Le Trocadero. I
am excited looking forward to
Paris 2024 Olympics.
The Games are also setting
new sustainability standards by
encouraging energy conserva-
tion, innovation and creativity.
Every venue will be accessible
by public transport, and our
goal is to use 100 per cent
renewable energy.
We plan to halve the carbon
emissions compared to the
average of London 2012 and Rio
2016.
Athletes and spectators of the
world: get ready for a once-in-a-
lifetime experience in Paris next
year. See you there!
French biathlete Martin Fourcade is
a five-time Olympic champion and
Chair of the Paris 2024 Athletes’
Commission and member of the IOC
Athletes’ Commission.
of 55 ODIs.
All of this points to the uncer-
tainty that exists in the spin
department a little over two
months away from the World
Cup. Which two spinners, or
three provided the conditions
suit, will India start with against
Australia at Chepauk on Oct. 8?
Among the four spinners in
the squad for the Windies series,
Jadeja looks closest to being a
certainty. His all-round value
aside, his experience of 175 ODIs
may also be vital in dealing with
the pressure of a home World
Cup. That may not be good news
for Axar who operates in a simi-
lar mould as a left-arm spin all-
rounder.
Chahal and Kuldeep may not
be preferred as a pairing any
longer for similar reasons. Hav-
ing played 28 matches together in
the period from 2017 to the 2019
World Cup — they were chris-
tened ‘KulCha’ in recognition of
their success — the correspond-
ing number has come down to a
mere three games in the past
four years. It essentially means
that Chahal and Kuldeep are
fighting for the same slot, but it
hasn’t affected their camaraderie.
“We are very relaxed,” Kuldeep
said. “We know that the combina-
tion matters a lot. Our under-
standing is very good. He helps
me a lot when I play. He advises
me on what I can do. He always
wants me to do my best. When he
plays, I try to do the same. We
support each other.”
This is why a slight window of
opportunity may open for Ash-
win. As the only specialist off-
spinner with an outside chance of
making the cut, Ashwin’s services
against a batting line-up loaded
with left-handers. Though his
presence in India’s white-ball
set-up has been limited of late, he
continues to be one of the leading
spinners in the IPL.
The competition for slots is
well and good, but India need to
ideally ensure that the spinners
who will play the World Cup start
preparing now. If that pair is
indeed Kuldeep and Jadeja, it
won’t be a bad idea for them to
start “thinking that far ahead”.
Kishan’s adaptability could help India’s WC plans
Rasesh Mandani
rasesh.mandani@htlive.com
MUMBAI: It was only last winter
that Ishan Kishan had to sit out
an entire series, immediately
after his blazing double hundred
in Bangladesh. He made way for
the highly-rated Shubman Gill,
who racked up an ODI double
hundred of his own in a month’s
time.
Kishan batted at No. 4 in that
match. He told captain Rohit
Sharma jokingly that he ‘didn’t
mind batting at No. 4’, with Gill
looking on, in a chat for BCCI.tv.
The two of them welcomed Gill
to the double hundred club. Kis-
han was listed to bat at 4 in the
Barbados ODI on Thursday and
it could well be that’s where a
slot may open up for the south-
paw in the upcoming World Cup.
So inept were the West Indies
batters that spinners Kuldeep
Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja spun
a web around them to bundle
them out for 114. That he should
not miss out, Kishan was pro-
moted to open.
With his left-handedness,
wicket-keeping and batting
In TT, familiarity breeds confidence against China
Rutvick Mehta
rutvick.mehta@htlive.com
MUMBAI: Since the Asian Games
are around the corner, hosted by
a nation at the centre of table
tennis’ power structure, let’s
have a quick look at the fero-
cious force that looms: the Asian
Games hasn’t had a non-Chinese
singles male champion — or
even a finalist — in two decades,
a non-Chinese singles female
winner in more than two dec-
ades, a non-Chinese gold-medal
winning men’s team in nearly
three decades.
In the context of Indian table
tennis that broke the Asian
Games medal barrier in 2018
Jakarta, the cold stats are a
numbing reminder of the task at
hand in Hangzhou as well as the
hosts’ hegemony. One which, in
a larger global context, however,
has witnessed some cracks of
Sport
RAVINDRA
JADEJA
The keepers in the fray
KL RAHUL
Matches: 54
Runs: 1986
Best: 112
Avg: 45.13
SR: 86.57
32 2
adaptability, Kishan may already
have one foot in the World Cup
selection door.
Making it count
The 25-year-old made an
impression again on Thursday
by first holding his own against
the new ball, before launching
into drives and pulls. Kishan suc-
cessfully counter-attacked
against the West Indies spinners
on a square turner, with wickets
late.
At the 2019 and 2021 World
Table Tennis Championships,
two silver medallists disrupted
the Chinese one-two finish of the
past seven editions: Sweden’s
Mattias Falck (lost to Ma Long in
2019) and Truls Moregardh (lost
to Fan Zhendong in 2021).
In men’s doubles, four of the
six pairs that competed in the
finals of the last three editions
have been non-Chinese, includ-
ing 2021 winners Falck and Kris-
tian Karlsson of Sweden and
twice runners-up Jang Woo-jin
and Lim Jong-hoon of Korea.
That’s not to say the Chinese
table tennis wall, standing tall
for decades together, is no longer
sturdy; just that it doesn’t feel
quite as unshakeable to the chal-
lengers now. “Things are a lot
different now. You can see the
results; they are really not beat-
ing anyone easily,” Nigerian
13
Axelsen, An in
Japan final; Sen
falls to Christie
Agence France-Presse
sportsdesk@hindustantimes.com
Spin dilemma TOKYO: Badminton world No.1
Viktor Axelsen won a crushing
victory against Japan’s Kodai
Naraoka on Saturday to move
With Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, into the Japan Open final, while
Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel and possibly South Korea’s An Se-young also
secured a berth.
R Ashwin in the mix, there's intense Axelsen, the men’s reigning
competition in the spin department world champion and Tokyo
Olympics gold medallist, swiftly
ahead of the ODI World Cup beat Naraoka 21-11, 21-11 in 45
minutes.
Record since 2019 “I’m excited” about the final,
said the Danish star, who will
World Cup face Indonesian Masters winner
Jonatan Christie who survived a Viktor Axelsen. AFP
Matches Wickets Economy close game against India’s Lak-
shya Sen 21-15, 13-21, 21-16. solid defence and quality of
“I just try to do my best every shots to eke out a 21-15,13-21’
Number of single day,” said Axelsen, 29, as 21-16 win.
31 ODIs India have he looked ahead to Sunday’s
final.
The duo had a 1-1 head-to-
head count before the match
played since 2019 “I have struggles and stuff to and it turned out to be another
World Cup overcome but... I’ve been really pulsating contest with Sen and
fortunate to have experience Christie involved in some exqui-
KULDEEP
YADAV
23 22 55 playing with legends,” he said.
Home favourite Naraoka,
who suffers from back and foot
pain, admitted Axelsen was
site rallies during the 68-minute
contest.
The Indonesian wasn’t con-
sistent and made too many
“very powerful”. unforced errors initially to
“I couldn’t hold on because of allow the Indian take a 7-4 lead
my back and foot. I did every- early on. However, a superb net
thing I could, but it didn’t work shot coupled with Sen’s errors
against the world number one,” on the sidelines helped Christie
he said. claw back with three points.
13 Christie, 25, speaking before
Axelsen secured his victory,
Sen unleashed two booming
smashes to keep himself ahead
said he felt “a little nervous” and went to the interval with a
about the final but added no one two-point advantage after
knows who will win. Christie went long and wide.
Women’s No.2 An Se-young Christie levelled the scores
beat Taiwan’s fourth-seed Tai after the resumption, playing
Tzu Ying — whom she defeated some superb blocks and drop
last week in the final of the shots. He went up to 15-12 after
2 Korea Open — 21-17, 21-12.
An will face China’s He Bing
winning a 32-shot rally.
Pegged back, Sen needed to
Jiao who beat Gregoria Mariska change his strategy and he
Kuldeep
Yadav
Yuzvendra Ravindra Axar
Chahal Jadeja Patel
R
Ashwin
Tunjung 13-21, 21-19, 21-9. found his groove after an initial
duel in the second game.
Sen loses The Indian varied the pace of
45 Wkts India’s Lakshya Sen fought gal- the rallies and produced some
37
18
lantly before going down 21-15, quality shots to make his oppo-
13-21, 21-16 in three games to nent work hard. He also mixed
13 1 world No.9 and Asian Games his services to disrupt Christie’s
Best 4/6 4/17 3/37 3/24 1/53
champion Jonatan Christie in
the semi-finals.
strategy.
Sen played some sensational
The 21-year-old from Almora smashes and drops while Chris-
bounced back from an opening tie sprayed into the net twice.
5.64 5.71 5.3 4.88 6.05 game reversal to keep his rival
under pressure but in the end
The result was Sen entered the
interval with an 11-5 advantage
couldn’t get across the fifth- after another cross-court
seeded Christie, who rode on his return.
Catches Stumpings
The middle-overs batter-wick-
et-keeper berth’s original claim-
ant is KL Rahul.
But his return is contingent on
ISHAN KISHAN SANJU SAMSON a complete recovery after thigh
Matches: 15 Matches: 11 surgery. The one other serious
option India have is Sanju Sam-
Runs: 562 Runs: 330 son. When he is on song, watch-
ing him go feels like a million
Best: 210 Best: 86* dollars.
But with the dynamic Kerala
Avg: 43.23 Avg: 66 batter not starting in the West
Indies series, he may only have
SR: 106.64 SR: 104.76 limited opportunities.
“We have a lot of options in
5 2 7 2 batting. Someone’s an opener,
someone in the middle-order,
someone’s a right-hander or bats
well against the death or against
Note: Rishabh Pant has just resumed batting and keeping in the nets after a car accident last December
the new ball,” captain Sharma
falling in a heap around him. bados ODI showed, can some- healthy mix of right and left- gave an explainer in his pre-se-
His 52 will count as another times be brittle against spin. handers has become imperative. ries talk.
tick in the coaches’ notes, for There is no Rishabh Pant, but Kishan is the only one India have “We have to look at what we
India may have set such a tem- Kishan’s fast learning the ropes. other than Jadeja to break the want. Which are the holes we
plate to win a few of the World He’s begun to play the straight pattern in their batting order. need to fill in the team. We give
Cup games. lofted heave with abandon, tak- It would also help to have a players’ roles, then analyse.”
They play Australia in Chen- ing one handle off the bat, in a 360-degree batting resource. So far, Kishan has aced every
nai and England in Lucknow style reminiscent of Pant. Suryakumar Yadav fits the bill, role he has been given across
where red-soil wickets are being He did that in the Test series but he needs some runs to create formats this year. In 2022, he
relaid.
India certainly has the spin
attack to lead the way on turn-
ers. But their batting, as the Bar-
against West Indies and repeated
it in the Barbados ODI.
To counter punch as a collec-
tive in the middle-overs, a
a space amid a clamour for spots
as the selectors and the team
management push for the per-
fect team combination.
earned a million-dollar IPL deal.
If he stays the course, 2023 may
bring him the honour of playing
his first-ever World Cup.
tender, etc) all round the year especially the younger Chinese
with ranking points at stake, players. At the WTT Champions
which, in turn, determine entries Macao in April, 14th-ranked
at bigger meets. It compels play- Alexis Lebrun, the fast-rising
ers, including those from China, 19-year-old from France,
to turn up for as many of them. defeated Zhendong 3-2 in the
For instance, men’s world No. 1 quarter-finals. Closer home,
Zhendong and women’s world India’s Manika Batra went past
No. 4 Wang Yidi made the trip to China’s current No. 3 Chen Xing-
India, among a few other Chi- tong at last year’s Asian Cup in
nese, for the Star Contender Goa Bangkok. “Last year, I won
in February. “Before, probably against 4-5 Chinese players,”
they (Chinese players) would said Aruna, who beat sixth-
China's Fan Zhendong (left) and Chen Meng are current world come for tournaments once in ranked Liang Jingkun in the 2021
No. 1s in men’s and women’s singles. AFP three months, and you can only WTT Cup Finals Singapore.
see them there,” Aruna said. The little dents to the Chinese
world No. 17 Quadri Aruna said other people that it’s possible to “Now, everyone has to play if stranglehold in the men’s game
in Pune, where he is competing beat them and fight against you don’t want to drop in the hasn’t yet crossed over to the
in the Ultimate Table Tennis them. All around the world, rankings. So they come to play women, though. Four of the top
(UTT). players are getting more used to more and more. If you see them six in the men’s singles world
“I think all players around the China and gaining confidence.” week in week out, you can know rankings are from China. Among
world feel they are closer to beat- A big reason behind that is the some things about them and the women, all six of them are
ing the Chinese players now,” rebranded World Table Tennis how they play. And the more you Chinese. No woman from any
Kazakhstan’s Kirill Gerassim- (WTT) tour structure. The WTT play, the more you believe.” other country has contested in a
enko, ranked 64, said. “The last Series holds events of different And more come the chances World Championships singles
two Worlds have shown to the categories (Contender, Star Con- of beating them once in a while, final since 1995.
 Insulin Appreciation Day 2023
IN23DI00072

Issued in public interest by Novo Nordisk India.

References: https://diabetesjournals.org/clinical/article/25/1/39/1493/Insulin-Myths-and-Facts (Last accessed on: 20 July 2023).

Adapted from Clin Diabetes 2007;25(1):39–40 And Adapted from ElSayed NA, Aleppo G,

Aroda VR, et al., American Diabetes Association. Introduction and methodology: Standards of Care in Diabetes—2023.
Diabetes Care 2023;46(Suppl. 1):S1–S4

Reach out to us at Novo Nordisk India Pvt. Ltd, Plot no 32, 47-50, EPIP area, Whitefield, Bangalore – 560066
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 Sunday,July 30,2023 f @HTCITY t @HTCITY i @HTCITY y /USER/HT. ENTERTAINMENT & PROMOTIONAL FEATURES

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50!
The singer, looking
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This PDF was uploade To Telegram channel_ LBS Newspaper platform (https://t.me/LBSNEWSPAPER):@LBSNEWSPAPER
 Sunday, July 30, 2023
Actor Swastika
Mukherjee, who
plays a gritty police
officer whose
daughter goes
missing in her next,
talks about
preparation for her
parts and censorship
on OTT
‘LET CHARACTERS
BEHAVE AS THEY
WOULD IN LIFE’
Sneha Biswas
sneha.biswas@htdigital.in
n her recent web outing, Nikhoj,
I actor Swastika Mukherjee’s
character is torn between being a
distraught mother and a senior
police officer as her daughter goes
missing. The show sees Mukherjee in
yet another strong character. Ask her
about her process behind picking such
parts, and she says, “I always try to do
something I have not done before.
That is how you see me playing a cop
for the first time.”
The 42-year-old adds, “The role is
especially challenging because I’m
playing a single mother. I had to
maintain a balance between being a
mother and a cop. I kept asking my
director if my mother part was
becoming overwhelming. As mothers,
PHOTOS: INSTAGRAM AND AFP
STOP PRESS
Hindi projects have a
wider reach: Shrikant
Kavita Awaasthi
kavita.awaasthi@htlive.com
e used to be a production
H engineer and then did
theatre for years before
facing the camera. Actor
Shrikant Yadav, in his showbiz
career, has done a number of
Marathi films, including Killa and
Ek Hazarachi Note (both 2014)
and Valu (2008). He was also part
of the Hindi film Jalsa (2022), web
shows The Family Man and Inside
Edge 3. “Now, I am happy to get
roles that get me noticed and are
interesting,” he tells us.
In his latest project, the
anthology film Lust Stories 2, he
starred alongside Amruta
Subhash, whose husband, director-
writer Sandesh Kulkarni, suggested
his name for the part. Talking about
his experience, he says, “Hindi
projects have a wider reach as they are
watched all over India. I have worked a
lot in Marathi projects, but since [doing]
web films and shows, especially in Hindi,
I have got responses from all over India. As
for Lust Stories 2, it was a good change as
often, I get a cop’s role because makers say
it suits my personality. I have known
Amruta for years and even worked with her
in projects. I was glad to be a part of the film
as it was quite interesting.”
Yadav goes on to mention that there was a
lot of comfort on set, even during intimate
scenes. “I suggested to Koko (director
Konkana Sensharma) that Amruta and I
should talk in Marathi when were are
together, to add authenticity. In fact, I didn’t
know that Tillotama Shome (co-actor) was
such a popular actor. I was in awe of her.
Bahut maza aaya kaam karke,” he shares.
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women tend to think more with our
hearts; our mother mode is always on.”
Mukherjee, known for playing
conflicted and complicated characters
in projects such as Paatal Lok and the
web film Qala (2022), says she has
never had to sweat much about
preparation since her focus has been
only on performance. “I’ve completed
23 years in the industry. At the
beginning of my career, when I was 21
years old, I played a mother to a 10-
year-old. My focus has always been
performance. I played a 60-year-old at
the age of 31. I have experimented with
everything,” she elaborates.
In Nikhoj, Mukherjee’s character is
seen uttering the F-word, among other
cuss words. With the conversation
around language and the depiction of
intimacy on streaming increasingly
gaining steam, what are Mukherjee’s
PHOTO: INSTAGRAM/
YADAVSHRIKANT
n4 PAGES. f @HTCITY t @HTCITY i @HTCITY y /USER/HT. ENTERTAINMENT & PROMOTIONAL FEATURES
City
Patna
Sonu turns
50: God has
PHOTO: INSTAGRAM/
SWASTIKAMUKHERJEE13
given me P
I definitely feel
much more I am 50. Not
biologically,
than I but spiritually.
envisaged
I am truly
enjoying
growing older.
SONU NIGAM, Singer
Soumya Vajpayee an established artiste with a believe in glorifying a particular
soumya.vajpayee@hindustantimes.com
National Film Award and Padma time or group of artistes or
Shri to his credit? “God has given undermining the younger lot. Every
usic has been an inseparable me much more than I imagined or decade has had its ups and downs. I
views on censorship for the platform?
M part of Sonu Nigam’s life.
The singer, who turns 50
today, has spent 45 years out of
envisaged,” says Nigam, adding, “I
came to Mumbai to become a
singer. But, little did I know there
feel being regressive hampers one’s
growth,” says the singer, who
rang in his 50th birthday in the
“I am not in favour of it. Let me use these performing on stage. Ask would come a time when they’d be presence of his family and friends.
the word. You should allow what is about his greatest learnings and he selling my posters all over India!” Usually, most people have a
coming naturally. Not just the F-word, says, “I’ve realised you’ve to always With decades of experience, birthday ritual they look forward to
it could be anything, even a
lovemaking scene between two adults.
You can show it the way it is supposed
to be. The F-word really helped me
control my anger in the scenes. I told
my director, ‘Either I use this word or
you let me slap someone’. He said he
keep your head bowed down to the
universe. I’ve also realised that I can
never take credit for anything I have
achieved. It’s only my good fortune
that I’ve enjoyed a glorious career
for the last 45 years.”
When he started out as a
Nigam has seen the Indian music
industry evolve — from the ups and
downs in the independent music
space to the changing sound of film
music. Is there a phase that stands
out for him? “I have seen a lot of
transitions in music and the
every year. Ask if he has one and the
singer shares, “When we were kids,
we never had the affluence to make
birthdays a grand affair like a lot of
other kids. The only ritual was to sit
with my parents and sisters and
listen to snippets from the
would let me beat up people in the musician, did he think he’d become business of music, but I don’t memories from our childhood.”
second season,” quips the Detective
Byomkesh Bakshy! (2015) actor.
The show also saw Mukherjee
reunite with her Chokher Bali (2003)
co-star, actor Tota Roy Choudhury.
About working with him, she says,
“He has evolved as an actor, as it
should be, but he looks the same. His
physique is the same; it’s so
annoying.”
Indian-
British model
Neelam Gill is not actor
Leonardo DiCaprio’s “new
flame”, but is in a “committed
relationship” with his friend. “The
reason we have been pictured in
the same vicinity is because I
have been there with my
partner,” she said in her
Instagram Story.
PHOTO: TWITTER/
AMRUTASUBHASH
ash, Konkona
(L-R) Amruta Subh ant Yadav
rik
Sensharma and Sh
P
Now, I’m happy
to get roles that
get me noticed and
are interesting.
SHRIKANT YADAV,
Actor
NOTE TO READERS:
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that appears on our
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 02 time out PATNA
SUNDAY
JULY 30, 2023

{ YOUR TAROT THIS WEEK } KOUSHIKMANISHA Manisha Koushik is a renowned tarot card reader and astrologer.
ASKMANISHA She can be contacted at: +91-9650015920
Manisha Koushik ASKMANISHA Email: support@askmanisha.com; Website: www.askmanisha.com

July 30-August 05, 2023

PHOTO: INSTAGRAM/END_SOOD

ARIES MAR 21-APR 20
Love: The Fool Mood: Two of Coins
Career: Devil
You may find things falling into place
in your favour throughout the week.
With excellent time management
skills, you can effectively juggle work
commitments. Trust, communication
may help overcome challenges in
your romatic relationships. Some can
enjoy satisfying road trips and
explore new destinations.
Lara Dutta Lucky Number: 15 Lucky Colour:
Bhupathi Blue
CANCER JUN 22-JUL 22
Love: Two of Coins Mood: The
Chariot Career: The Magician
The week offers a mix of
opportunities. By incorporating
strategic planning, you can navigate
professional challenges and progress.
Creating shared goals can strengthen
family bonds. Those longing to meet
a romantic partner can get lucky this
week. Students may get the full
support of mentors and guides.
Katrina Kaif Lucky Number: 22 Lucky Colour:
Green
LIBRA SEP 24-OCT 23
Love: The Hierophant Mood: Seven
of Cups Career: King of Wands
This week presents a range of
opportunities for you to explore and
grow. While your profession may be
challenging, it is an opportunity to
grow and learn. New investment
options like mutual funds or
dividend stocks can offer potential
rewards. Singles may be set up on
exciting dates by family and friends.
Parineeti Lucky Number: 11 Lucky Colour:
Chopra Pink
CAPRICORN DEC 22-JAN 21
Love: Two of Swords Mood: Eight of
Wands Career: The Sun
Welcome the week with positivity.
Seize the opportunity to enhance
financial stability with good
budgeting practices. Utilise project
management skills to excel in your
career. You may feel energetic by
incorporating yoga into your routine.
Practising forgiveness can help
foster understanding on love front.
Deepika Lucky Number: 1 Lucky Colour:
Padukone Yellow

TAURUS APR 21-MAY 20
Love: King of Coins Mood: Five of
Cups Career: Page of Wands
This week holds promising
opportunities for Taurus individuals.
Cultivating an entrepreneurial
mindset may lead to success in your
career. Consider exploring stock
market analysis to make informed
investment decisions. Navigating
complicated family dynamics with
tact can enhance harmony at home.
Madhuri Dixit Lucky Number: 17 Lucky Colour:
Nene Grey
LEO JUL 23-AUG 23
Love: The Moon Mood: Two of
Wands Career: Hanged Man
This week brings hearty
developments across various aspects
of life. In romance, expect a lovely
surprise from spouse or partner.
Finances may remain in good shape
with prudent management.
Exploring social media marketing
may prove profitable on the work
front. Focus on holistic well-being.
Sara Ali Khan Lucky Number: 1 Lucky Colour:
Brown
SCORPIO OCT 24-NOV 22
Love: Four of Swords Mood: The
Empress Career: Page of Cups
This week holds promising
opportunities for growth and
fulfilment. You continue to excel in
your profession with a strong focus
on targets. Exploring conservative
investment options may help you
progress towards financial goals.
Some can set goals for future home
improvement projects.
Aishwarya Rai Lucky Number: 7 Lucky Colour:
Bachchan Golden
AQUARIUS JAN 22-FEB 19
Love: Five of Swords Mood: Ace of
Wands Career: The Star
You may find fulfilment in various
aspects of life. Family bonds may
strengthen with some wise counsel
of elders and grandparents. Good
financial management practices,
such as frugal living, can improve
economic well-being. Cultivate
emotional intelligence in love to
resolve disputes.
Shruti Haasan Lucky Number: 7 Lucky Colour:
Peach

GEMINI MAY 21-JUN 21 VIRGO AUG 24-SEP 23 SAGITTARIUS NOV 23-DEC 21 PISCES FEB 20-MAR 20
Love: Five of Cups Mood: The Tower Love: Five of Cups Mood: Judgment Love: The High Priestess Mood: Ace Love: The World Mood: The Lovers
JULY 30, LEO Career: Three of Swords Career: Seven of Coins of Swords Career: The Tower Career: The Chariot

Sonu Sood
This week brings a mix of positive
aspects. Excellent health may allow
you to engage in various activities.
Expect good financial outcomes.
Nurturing emotional intelligence to
deepen the connection with your
partner will be important. Your
expertise in software development
can open new opportunities.
Sonam Kapoor Lucky Number: 4 Lucky Colour:
Ahuja Purple
This week promises positive
developments in several areas of life.
Health may remain excellent thanks
to regular cardio. Professionally, you
excel in teamwork, showcasing your
expertise and dedication. Romance is
stable, nurture it with compassion.
Embrace the week with enthusiasm,
make the most of opportunities.
Neha Dhupia Lucky Number: 5 Lucky Colour:
Orange
This week holds exciting possibilities.
Take charge of finances by practising
effective budgeting techniques.
Singles may get a proposal from a
known connection. Your profession
may be in an intermediate phase, but
seize opportunities to enhance
leadership skills. Some find solace in
mindful moments on a pilgrimage.
Esha Gupta Lucky Number: 18 Lucky Colour:
Red
Pisceans can expect a favourable
turn of events. The week brings
opportunities for entrepreneurship.
Some can harness intuitive skills and
creativity to create wealth. Engage
in self-reflection to gain insights. In
academics, set clear goals to achieve
success. Embracing vulnerability can
deepen the romantic connection.
Alia Bhatt Lucky Number: 15 Lucky Colour:
Cream

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK (FOR REPRESENTATIONAL PURPOSE ONLY)

{ DAILY HOROSCOPE }

Sunday, July 30, 2023

Dr Prem Kumar Sharma (Astrologer and Vaastu expert) can be contacted at: Delhi: 011-47033152, 40532026 (Sat
to Mon); Panchkula: 91-172-2562832, 2572874 (Tues to Thurs); Mumbai: 09716145644 (Last week of every month)
PREMASTROLOGER PREMASTROLOGER ASKPREMASTROLOGER

ARIES LEO SAGITTARIUS

MAR 21-APR 20 JUL 23-AUG 23 NOV 23-DEC 21

A L
A new situation proves
beneficial on the career
front. A persistent health
problem disappears.
Investing in property is indicated for
some, which may prove a financial
boon later. Plans for a vacation to
someplace exotic fructify.
LOVE FOCUS: This is the best day for
romance, so make the most of it!
LUCKY NUMBER: 1 LUCKY COLOUR: Blue
No point in arguing with
someone who just won’t
listen to logic. At work,
you may be kept busy even
beyond office hours. An outing will
help in calming your mind and
releasing tension.
LOVE FOCUS: Spending time with the
one you like is indicated today.
LUCKY NUMBER: 1 LUCKY COLOUR:
White
s
A promotion will not only
give you important
responsibilities, but perks
too! You can be praised
today at work for a job well done. An
overseas vacation is on the cards.
LOVE FOCUS: Your love life proceeds
smoothly as you complement each
other.
LUCKY NUMBER: 3 LUCKY COLOUR:
Purple

TAURUS VIRGO CAPRICORN

APR 21-MAY 20 AUG 24-SEP 23 DEC 22-JAN 21

T I
You may have to do the
balancing act in a man-
management situation.
Socially, this seems to be
an excellent day. You may have to be
a bit more aware of what is
happening around you at work.
LOVE FOCUS: There’s a strong
possibility of finding a suitable mate.
Some more effort will help
achieve what you’re after.
Suitable accommodation
can be expected by those
hunting for one. A brief journey with
family will prove most entertaining.
LOVE FOCUS: Someone you like may
give positive indications, ushering in
romance!
c
You manage to continue
your workout schedule.
Earning good money is
foretold in a venture you
are starting. Recognition on the work
front is in store for some. A family
trip overseas is on the cards for some.
LOVE FOCUS: An outing with lover is
on the cards and will prove most

Is phubbing hampering your LUCKY NUMBER: 5 LUCKY COLOUR:

Green
LUCKY NUMBER: 18 LUCKY COLOUR:
Brown
enjoyable.
LUCKY NUMBER: 9 LUCKY COLOUR: Red

GEMINI LIBRA AQUARIUS

bond? Here’s how to unplug MAY 21-JUN 21 SEP 24-OCT 23 JAN 22-FEB 19

G l
Academically, you are
likely to shine bright and
pale the competition. Your
Parmita Uniyal ideas on work front may
a
You find things moving in A healthy bank balance
a very positive way on the will give you added
financial front. Day is confidence. At work,
favourable to start a new positive developments can

hoosing to bury
This practice can play havoc on your partner’s prove an asset for the organisation
and help make you indispensable.
project at work.
LOVE FOCUS: Love is in the air, so
keep you upbeat. A property deal is
likely to be sealed.

C yourself in your phone

instead of connecting
with a dear one is no
less than a punishment for
the latter. This habit of
mental health and impact long-term relationships.
An expert tells us how to address and sort the issue
LOVE FOCUS: Someone up there loves
you, so rejoice!
LUCKY NUMBER: 4 LUCKY COLOUR:
Dark Grey
expect to get totally surprised by the
one you love today!
LUCKY NUMBER: 7 LUCKY COLOUR:
Peach
LOVE FOCUS: Romantic ideas you have
been getting of late will have to wait!
LUCKY NUMBER: 22 LUCKY COLOUR:
Peach

staying glued to your

smartphone even as a partner
or a friend is sitting next to
‘CAN RUIN LONG-TERM
RELATIONSHIPS’
can cause feelings of
isolation, lowered relevance
ADDRESS THE PROBLEM
“With a combination of
CANCER SCORPIO PISCES
JUN 22-JUL 22 OCT 24-NOV 22 FEB 20-MAR 20
you, waiting to get your “Phubbing can harm your and a lack of intimacy. awareness, empathy, setting

attention, called phubbing, is
doing more damage to
relationships in the
technology-driven world.
According to a study by a pair
of psychologists at Niğde
Ömer Halisdemir University,
married couples who
regularly engage in phone
snubbing (phubbing) have
lower marriage satisfaction
than couples who do not.
Expert helps us decode the
phenomenon and provide tips
to steer clear of it in a
marriage or relationship.
WHAT IS PHUBBING?
It is the practise of ignoring a
companion in favour of a
mobile phone. An Australian
advertising firm introduced
the word phubbing in 2012 to
define the rising practice of
people neglecting those in
front of them and favouring
the phones in their hands.
When two people sitting
next to each other are glued
to their phones and ignore
each other’s presence, it’s
called double phubbing.
This PDF was uploade To Telegram channel_ LBS Newspaper platform (https://t.me/LBSNEWSPAPER):@LBSNEWSPAPER
own as well as your loved
ones’ mental health, even if it
may not seem like a major
concern [immediately]. This
act can make the other person
feel rejected. It hurts more
when the other person is your
spouse or a partner,” says
psychotherapist Dr Chandni
Tugnait, who goes on to
explain how the practice can
impact a marriage.
l Reduced marital
satisfaction
According to research,
phubbing consistently
results in decreased levels of
marital satisfaction in
relationships.
l Regular conflict
The practice frequently
causes disagreements
between partners regarding
excessive phone use. This
tension may be due to the
perception that the phone
takes precedence over the
relationship.
l Emotional distance
Phubbing prevents partners
from feeling emotionally
connected to one another. It
l Escapism
It can be a way of escaping
from marital stress or even
day-to-day responsibilities.
l Feeling of rejection
Phubbing can pose a threat
to a relationship’s basic
psychological requirements,
including self-esteem, a
sense of purpose, control
and belonging.
HELP YOUR PARTNER
PUT A PAUSE
l Talk to them about it.
Choose a comfortable space
and express how you feel
about this particular habit.
l Let your partner understand
the impact of their habits on
the relationship.
l Suggest other alternatives
that you both could enjoy
without your phones, like
going for walks, playing
games or going on a fun
date.
l Set certain boundaries so
that your partner does not
fall back into old habits.
UNDERSTAND AND
boundaries and consciously
changing behavioural
patterns, the issue can be
addressed,” says Dr Tugnait,
adding, “The first thing to do
is be self-aware of times you
are phubbing. Phubbing can
even become an addictive
habit. In such cases, reach out
to a mental health
professional.”
PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK
C S P
You may have to go the Taking a different You may keep the ball
extra mile in achieving approach to solving a rolling on the social front.
something significant. problem is a step in the A vacation is on the cards
You need to chart the right direction. You are and may take you to
future course of action on the career likely to enjoy a happening social life. someplace exotic. A much-awaited
front. Spending time at home with Setting out on a vacation appears to cheque is received. Love bestowed by
partner will give immense joy. be a distinct possibility. family keeps you feeling nice within.
LOVE FOCUS: Efforts get reciprocated LOVE FOCUS: Your romantic LOVE FOCUS: Romantic endeavours
fully by the person of your dreams. endeavours are likely to bear fruit. are likely to bring favourable results.
LUCKY NUMBER: 18 LUCKY COLOUR: LUCKY NUMBER: 11 LUCKY COLOUR: LUCKY NUMBER: 8 LUCKY COLOUR:
Yellow Saffron Magenta
a’s
Passport power: What does Indi ellers?
number of countries passport
improved ranking mean for trav holders can visit visa-free or
with a visa-on-arrival. The
claimed the top spot, while of accessing international improved ranking of the Indian
Sneha Chakraborty India witnessed a notable rise in investment and business passport provides holders
sneha.chakraborty@hindustantimes.com
its ranking, jumping five places opportunities. By the same access to 57 destinations
to the 80th spot. token, countries with more without a visa. Travellers from
assport power is crucial in open borders encourage greater India enjoy visa-free entry and
P determining a country’s
ability to facilitate hassle-
free international travel for its
WHAT IS PASSPORT
POWER?
The term refers to the strength
economic activity and tourism,
resulting in increased
entrepreneurship, innovation
visas on arrival in countries
such as Indonesia, Thailand and
Rwanda. But, India’s passport
citizens. The Henley Passport and flexibility of a nation’s and investment, ultimately power is still limited due to the
Index, a widely recognised passport in enabling its citizens driving economic growth.” high visa requirements imposed
ranking system, evaluates to travel internationally sans a by several countries. Citizens of
passports from around the visa. Dr Juerg Steffen, CEO of RANKING METHOD India need visas to enter 177
world based on the number of Henley & Partners, says: The Henley Passport Index destinations, including China,
visa-free destinations they grant “Powerful passports enhance assesses the travel freedom of Japan, Russia, the United States
access to. Recently, Singapore
our economic mobility in terms passports by analysing the and the EU.