A song goes out of tune for Babul Supriyo after switching sides

CM
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A ND-NDE
tuesday, december 7, 2021 Delhi
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During the campaign for the
municipal polls in Tripura, a
group of Trinamool
Congress leaders assembled
at a street corner when a
vehicle with a few BJP
leaders drove past. The BJP
supporters on the vehicle
were playing at a high
volume a song that had
become a major hit during
election campaigns in West
Bengal.
“Phutbe Ebar Padma
Phool… Ei Trinamool arr
na (The lotus will bloom this
time, Trinamool should not
be here any more),” went
the catchy number.
Among the Trinamool
leaders at the street corner
was former Union Minister
Babul Supriyo. The song
directed at the party was
sung by Mr. Supriyo, then a
BJP leader, in 2019 before
the Lok Sabha election. It
was routinely played at
almost every public
gathering of the BJP in West
Bengal in 2019 and ahead of
the 2021 Assembly election.
Not only does it have a
catchy tune, the scathing
lyrics target the Trinamool
Congress leadership, with
lines such as “Didi pa-e
Hawai choti, Bhai-ra sob
kotipati ([Though] Didi
wears flip-flops, brothers
are all crorepatis).
A feather in his cap when
he was with the BJP, the
song is turning out to be an
embarrassment for the
singer-turned-politician
after he has switched sides
and joined the Trinamool.
In Tripura, a red-faced
Mr. Supriyo insisted that
whatever he takes up, he
completes it with all
sincerity. “The BJP is playing
my song…I promise I will
come up with a song for
Trinamool,” he said.
However, after that
incident in November, Mr.
Supriyo was not seen
campaigning much in the
civic polls of Tripura and
has been missing from the
Trinamool’s campaign for
the Kolkata Municipal
Corporation polls.
After he switched sides,
the West Bengal BJP
leadership had promised to
greet Mr. Supriyo with the
song whenever he
campaigned for the
Trinamool. “What a better
way to welcome him than
playing his song,” BJP
national vice-president Dilip
Ghosh had said.
The former two-time MP
had quit the BJP after he was
dropped from the Union
Ministry in July this year.
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A song goes out of tune for Babul Supriyo
Shiv Sahay Singh
Kolkata
His catchy number for the BJP is blared at him after he switched sides to Trinamool
Discordant notes: Babul Supriyo had been lauded for the
jingle in 2019. *
FILE PHOTO
SC stays Maharashtra
local body election in
seats reserved for OBC
page 8
Opposition to intensify
protests against
suspension of MPs
page 9
Junta sentences
Nobel laureate Aung
San Suu Kyi for 4 years
page 11
India registers a huge
win to clinch Test series
against New Zealand 1-0
page 13
Union Home Minister Amit
Shah on Monday expressed
regret over the deaths of 14
civilians in Nagaland in a
botched Army operation,
and assured both Houses of
Parliament that a special in-
vestigation team (SIT) will
complete its probe within a
month.
Mr. Shah said all agencies
must ensure that such inci-
dents did not recur while un-
dertaking operations against
insurgents.
The Home Minister of-
fered condolences to the fa-
milies of the civilians who
were killed on December 4
in mistaken firing by the Ar-
my and the violence that fol-
lowed.
Security forces opened
fire on civilians, killing 14
and injuring 11 more in Mon
district of Nagaland in three
consecutive episodes, the
police said on Sunday. One
soldier was killed in the riot-
ing that followed.
“The Government of In-
dia sincerely regrets this un-
fortunate incident in Naga-
land and offers its deepest
condolences to the families
of those who have lost their
lives,” Mr. Shah said.
Making a statement first
in the Lok Sabha and then in
the Rajya Sabha, Mr. Shah
said the Government was
taking steps to ensure peace
in the region and was closely
monitoring the evolving sit-
uation that “continues to be
tense but under control”.
As a precautionary mea-
sure, the State Government
had imposed prohibitory or-
ders in the affected areas, he
told the Lok Sabha. He said a
first information report (FIR)
had been registered at the
local police station after a vi-
sit by the Director-General of
Police of Nagaland. The case
was transferred to the State
Crime Branch and an SIT
was formed.
Govt. expresses regret
over Nagaland killings
SIT probe will be finished in a month, Shah tells Parliament
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI
Profound loss: Relatives and local people paying tributes to
the victims in Mon district on Monday. * PTI
Nagaland Chief Minister
Neiphiu Rio on Monday
demanded the repeal of
the Armed Forces (Special
Powers) Act. Mr. Rio
criticised the Union
Government for
extending the “disturbed
area” tag for Nagaland
every year. " page 9
Repeal AFSPA
now, says Rio
Cutting across party lines,
Lok Sabha members on
Monday condemned the
killing of 14 civilians in
Nagaland. The MPs called
for compensation for those
affected, and raised concern
that the Army had mistaken
unarmed civilians for
terrorists. " page 9
LS members
flay killings
CONTINUED ON " PAGE 8
The world has undergone
several geopolitical changes,
but the India-Russia friend-
ship remained unchanged,
Prime Minister Narendra
Modi said on Monday at the
21st annual India-Russia
summit with President Vladi-
mir Putin.
“The two sides not only
cooperated with each other
unhesitatingly but also paid
special attention to the sensi-
tivities of each other,” the
Prime Minister said.
The two countries held
the first “2+2” ministerial
meeting, where Defence Mi-
nister Rajnath Singh said In-
dia had faced “unprovoked
aggression” on its northern
borders for more than a
year.
At the summit, referring
to the common fight against
organised crime, drug traf-
ficking and terrorism, Mr.
Putin said, “It is natural we
are concerned at the deve-
lopments in Afghanistan.”
Both sides renewed the
military-technical coopera-
tion agreement for another
10 years till 2031 and also
signed the deal for the ma-
nufacture of AK-203 assault
rifles, a defence official said.
Foreign Secretary Harsh
Vardhan Shringla, in a media
interaction, noted this was
Mr. Putin’s second visit
abroad since the pandemic
began.
Both sides concluded 28
agreements, he said, adding
that several hydrocarbon
projects were on the anvil.
India, Russia renew military pact
The two sides
also conclude
28 agreements
Close ties: Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Russian
President Vladimir Putin in New Delhi on Monday. * V.V. KRISHNAN
Dinakar Peri
Kallol Bhattacherjee
NEW DELHI
RAJNATH HIGHLIGHTS BORDER
CHALLENGES " PAGE 10
Several fake entries have
crept into the COVID-19
vaccination data in Tamil
Nadu.
The reason, according
to healthcare professionals
and workers, is “unrealis-
tic vaccination targets”
that resulted in “undue
pressure”, forcing them to
make fake entries.
Fake entries
mar T.N. data
Serena Josephine M.
CHENNAI
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Xmas time: Shoppers buying Christmas decorations at a market in Kochi on Monday. * VIBHU.H.
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Reaching for the stars
In the first conviction in
cases related to the Febru-
ary 2020 north-east Delhi
riots, a city court has con-
victed a man of vandalising
and setting on fire a house
in Bhagirathi Vihar before
looting it. The arguments
for sentencing will take
place on December 22.
The judgment convicting
Dinesh Yadav alias Michael
was pronounced by Addi-
tional Sessions Judge Viren-
dra Bhat on Monday.
According to the case re-
cords, the FIR was lodged
on March 4 at Gokalpuri
police station on a written
complaint from a 73-year-
old woman named Manori.
In her complaint, she stated
that on February 25, 2020
around 11.30 p.m., a riotous
mob consisting of 150-200
people had trespassed into
her house and committed
vandalism, robbery and
thereafter put it on fire.
Yadav was arrested on
June 8, 2020. The court
framed charges against him
on August 3, 2021.
The first judgment in a
riots-related case had come
in July this year, when a
man was acquitted of riot-
ing and dacoity charges.
First conviction
in 2020 Delhi
riots cases
Staff Reporter
New Delhi
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish
Kumar on Monday said the JD
(U) wanted to have a caste
census in the State and he
would soon call an all-party
meeting to discuss its modali-
ties. He said all political par-
ties were ready for this and
the Deputy Chief Minister
(who is from the BJP) had
been asked to talk to his par-
ty leaders on it and then “eve-
rything will be discussed in
the all-party meeting to an-
nounce the final date”.
“We want to do this and
have spoken to all. The Depu-
ty Chief Minister too has been
asked to talk to his party
[BJP] leaders on it. When
they’ll be done and let us
know, an all-party meeting
will be called so everyone
should be clear on this. There
should be one view of all on
how census will be done in
the State and when all will
have their own opinion, a de-
cision will be taken by the Go-
vernment to finalise a date
and announce it,” Mr. Kumar
told mediapersons after his
weekly programme of public
interaction to hear and ad-
dress people’s grievances.
He said the JD(U) “wants to
hold it in a proper and tran-
sparent manner so that no
one will be missed”. Earlier
in 2014-15, the census under
the title “social and economic
survey” was done in Karnata-
ka. “If the census gets done
here, Bihar will be the second
State to do so,” said a senior
Rashtriya Janata Dal leader.
However, the State BJP lead-
ers declined to make any
comment. “Whatever deci-
sion our party leadership will
take, we will follow that,” a
BJP leader said.
Caste census: JD(U) to call all-party meeting
Nitish Kumar says modalities for the exercise will be discussed at a later date
CM Nitish Kumar greets Bihar
Governor Phagu Chauhan at a
ceremony on Monday. *
PTI
Special correspondent
Patna
No possibility of a
lockdown in Delhi: Jain
NEW DELHI
There is no possibility of a
lockdown in Delhi due to
COVID-19 and a ‘Graded
Response Action Plan’ will be
followed if cases rise, Health
Minister Satyendar Jain said.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal
said there was no need to
panic and his Government
was prepared to protect the
people against Omicron.
CITY " PAGE 2
DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
IN BRIEF
Assam editor facing
sedition charge released
GUWAHATI
Anirban Roy Choudhury,
editor and co-owner of a
news portal in southern
Assam who was slapped with
sedition, was released on a
personal recognisance bond
on Monday. He was charged
him with sedition on the basis
of an FIR filed by a local
businessman on December 2.
NEWS " PAGE 8
CBI ought to probe cases
against Param Bir: SC
NEW DELHI
The Supreme Court on
Monday indicated its prima
facie view that the CBI, and
not the Maharashtra Police,
ought to investigate the
allegations of corruption and
misconduct against former
Mumbai Police Commissioner
Param Bir Singh.
NEWS " PAGE 10
Days after the Bihar Govern-
ment claimed to have vacci-
nated more than eight crore
people in the State, the
names of Prime Minister Na-
rendra Modi, Home Minister
Amit Shah and actors Ami-
tabh Bachchan, Priyanka
Chopra, Aishwarya Rai
Bachchan and others have
cropped up on the list of
those either fully vaccinated
or have undergone RT-PCR
tests in Arwal district.
“The fake entries are on
the list from an additional
primary health centre un-
der the Karpi police station.
A probe was ordered, and
two data operators were
sacked,” a senior State
Health Department official
told The Hindu.
In Arwal, the district ad-
ministration sacked data op-
erators Pravin Kumar and
Vinay Kumar for the irregu-
larities. Apart from the
Prime Minister and Bolly-
wood actors, sources in the
Health Department said
names of more than a dozen
politicians from both the
State and the Centre were
found in the list.
However, Mr. Pravin Ku-
mar told a local news chan-
nel that they had been work-
ing under tremendous
pressure to enter the names
that they were provided
with.
Modi, Amitabh on Bihar’s list of vaccinated
Fake entries surface days after State announced 8 crore people were immunised
Amarnath Tewary
Patna
A health worker showing
vaccine vials.
SOUTH AFRICAN BOOKED FOR
FLYING OUT " PAGE 5

CM
YK
A ND-NDE
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DELHI THE HINDU
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2021
2
CITY
Two persons, who were
wanted in multiple cases of
cyber fraud, have been ar-
rested in Rajasthan’s Jai-
pur, the Delhi police said
on Monday.
Deputy Commissioner
of Police (South-East) Esha
Pandey said that the ac-
cused have been identified
as Mehndi Hasan, 43, alias
Harpal Singh and Mo-
hammed Arbaj Khan, 20.
The gang’s kingpin — a
man of African origin —
was arrested by the Uttar
Pradesh police in August in
a fraud case of ₹80 lakh.
“Based on technical sur-
veillance, our team con-
ducted a raid on the inter-
vening night of Friday and
Saturday in Jaipur and ap-
prehended the two ab-
sconding men in this case,”
Ms. Pandey said.
The accused sent emails
and forged letters to banks
asking for fund transfers
from the accounts of tar-
geted companies to several
fake current accounts.
Cyber fraud:
two arrested
in Jaipur
Staff Reporter
New Delhi
There is no possibility of a
lockdown in Delhi due to CO-
VID-19 and a ‘Graded Res-
ponse Action Plan’ (GRAP)
will be followed if cases rise,
Health Minister Satyendar
Jain said on Monday.
“In this system [GRAP],
when the positivity rate
reaches 0.5% i.e. out of
1,000 people tested five are
positive, then the first level
will be implemented. The se-
cond level will come into
force when the positivity
rate is 1%, while the third will
be implemented at a positiv-
ity rate of 2%. The last stage,
or the red level, will be in-
itiated when the positivity
rate is 5%,” Mr. Jain said.
Chief Minister Arvind Kej-
riwal said there was no need
to panic and the Delhi Go-
vernment was prepared to
protect the people against
the Omicron variant.
“We are constantly moni-
toring the situation and pro-
gress being made to deal
with the possible threat.
Adequate oxygen, beds,
equipment and medicines
are being arranged,” Mr. Kej-
riwal said.
Mr. Jain said every one
needs to be alert as Omicron
spreads even faster than the
Delta variant.
“Face masks are the only
shield to prevent every var-
iant of the virus. Every one
must wear a mask and those
who have not got the second
dose of the vaccine should
get it as soon as possible. On-
ly then will we be able to face
the corona firmly,” Mr. Jain
said.
He said in Delhi, more
than 93.9% of people have
received the first dose of the
vaccine and more than 61.3%
have taken both doses. Peo-
ple who are vaccinated also
need to follow COVID-19 ap-
propriate behaviour, Mr. Jain
said.
No lockdown in Delhi; GRAP to
kick in if virus cases spike: Jain
Kejriwal urges people not to panic, says Govt. prepared to tackle Omicron variant
Staff Reporter
New Delhi
A health worker administers a dose of COVID-19 vaccine to a
beneficiary in Delhi on Monday. * SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR
The Capital recorded 699
dengue cases and six deaths
over the past week (till De-
cember 4), taking this sea-
son’s caseload to 8,975 and
the death toll to 15, a civic bo-
dy report said on Monday.
This season’s case figure is
the highest since 2015 when
the city reported close to
16,000 cases and 60 fatali-
ties.
The six deaths occurred in
the last two months. The vic-
tims include a 25-year-old
male who was admitted to
the Delhi Government-run
Lok Nayak Hospital, and a 38-
year-old male, a 13-year-old
boy, and an 11-year-old boy
who were admitted to Max
Hospital.
The other two are a 20-
year-old female who was ad-
mitted to Ayushman Hospital
and a 43-year-old female
who was admitted to Holy
Family Hospital.
“The delay in reporting
the deaths was because the
lab reports from the hospi-
tals took a while to arrive.
Though fatalities are being
recorded, it takes some time
for the hospitals to review
the causes. However, dengue
cases have drastically come
down,” a senior civic body of-
ficial said.
North Delhi recorded the
highest number of cases last
week at 126, followed by
south Delhi with 124 cases.
East Delhi added 117 cases.
In the previous week (till
November 27), north Delhi
saw the highest number of
cases at 273, followed by
south Delhi with 242 cases
and east Delhi with 192 cases.
Earlier, the Delhi High
Court had rapped the civic
bodies for their “failure to
control dengue”.
“The delay in reporting is
from the Delhi Government’s
end because it is in-charge of
the data. It wants to hide
deaths that have occurred in
its hospitals. The SDMC is
putting in all its efforts to
control the situation,” South
Delhi Municipal Corporation
Mayor Mukesh Suryan said.
In its earlier statement,
the SDMC said that fogging
drives were being carried out
by 1,300 field workers. It said
that around 92 lakh houses
had been inspected this sea-
son and mosquito-breeding
sites were found in 75,000
houses.
Till November 27, Delhi
had recorded 8, 276 cases for
this season. A majority of the
cases — 6,739 — were report-
ed in November.
In the current season,
north Delhi has reported
2,515 cases, followed by
south Delhi with 2,422 cases.
East Delhi has recorded
1,048 cases, the lowest
among the three corpora-
tions. Apart from the corpo-
rations, the New Delhi Muni-
cipal Council has recorded
78 cases, while other agen-
cies have reported 157 cases.
699 cases reported last week, taking the season’s total to 8,975; death toll rises to 15
Muneef Khan
New Delhi
A municipal worker fumigating a colony in Delhi. * FILE PHOTO
City records six more dengue deaths
A 30-year-old woman suf-
fering from speech and
hearing impairment was
raped by a man multiple
times in north-east Delhi’s
Bhajanpura, the police said
on Monday. The accused
has been arrested.
On Sunday, the woman
came to the Bhajanpura
police station along with
her mother and sister and
complained that a man
named Rehan had been
sexually assaulting her
multiple times since No-
vember 22.
DCW counsellor
The police said that a coun-
sellor appointed by the
Delhi Commission for Wo-
men (DCW) was called, but
since the victim was diffe-
rently abled, an interpreter
was required for recording
her statement.
“As it was quite late in
the night, an interpreter
wasn’t available. Later, a
private interpreter was ar-
ranged and the DCW coun-
sellor guided the victim
with the help of the in-
terpreter and her state-
ment was recorded,” a se-
nior police officer said.
Medical examination
The police said that based
on the statement of the vic-
tim, a case was registered
and investigation began. A
medical examination of the
victim was conducted, the
police said.
The accused, Rehan, 34,
was arrested and produced
before the court on Mon-
day after which he was sent
to judicial custody.
Further investigation in
the case is under way, the
police said.
34-year-old accused in judicial custody
Staff Reporter
NEW DELHI
Man arrested for raping
differently abled woman
<
> A private
interpreter was
arranged and the
DCW counsellor
guided the victim
with the help of the
interpreter and
her statement was
recorded
Police officer
The Aam Aadmi Party on
Monday claimed that about
1.5 lakh people joined the
party on the first day of its
membership drive under
the “MCD Badlaav”
campaign.
The campaign, which
aims to remove the BJP from
power in the three munici-
pal corporations, was
launched on Saturday. The
party began a door-to-door
membership drive on Sun-
day and targets to induct 50
lakh new members in the
next three months.
Election to the corpora-
tions is likely to be held by
April next year.
“Day one of AAP’s mem-
bership drive under the
‘MCD Badlaav’ campaign
has proven to be a monu-
mental success, which saw
all expectations exceed and
records broken. About 1.5
lakh people took the party
membership,” Durgesh
Pathak, AAP in-charge for
municipal corporations,
said.
AAP Delhi chief Gopal Rai
said the people of Delhi are
suffering from a disease
called the BJP and its tyran-
nical governance in the
corporations.
“In the last 15 years, the
BJP has ruined the civic bo-
dies to an extent that no one
could have even imagined.
Now it is time to uproot the
BJP from the corporations
and in view of this, AAP has
started the campaign,” he
said.
Mr. Rai said thousands
participated in the drive on
Sunday and all mandal pre-
sidents of the party put up
camps in their areas and re-
gistered about 1.5 lakh peo-
ple for membership.
‘It’s time to uproot BJP from civic bodies’
Staff Reporter
New Delhi
Gopal Rai
1.5 lakh new members
on Day 1 of drive: AAP
Chief Minister Arvind Kejri-
wal on Monday announced
plans to celebrate B.R. Am-
bedkar’s legacy in a “never
seen before style” through a
series of musical plays so
that every resident of Delhi
can learn about his life and
ideology.
Mr. Kejriwal said 50
shows of “the highest inter-
national standards” will be
held at Jawaharlal Nehru
Stadium and the entry will
be free for all with India’s
most famous artists taking
part in the show on a 100-
foot stage.
“A majestic play is being
prepared on his life on a ve-
ry large scale. The pro-
gramme consisting of 50
shows will be held January 5
onwards on the premises of
the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadi-
um in a grand manner. The
musical play will be based
on his life, thoughts, ideas
and ideology and will have
the most famous artists and
experts take part in it,” Mr.
Kejriwal said.
Babasaheb, Mr. Kejriwal
said, had a dream for the
country — that every student
should attain the best possi-
ble level of education with-
out having to struggle for it
and he had vowed to fulfil it.
“He spent his whole life
fighting for the oppressed
and especially the Dalit
community and did his best
to uplift them. If I say that
Babasaheb was the most
educated person in the his-
tory of India, I don’t think
I’d be making any erroneous
statement in it,” he said.
The Delhi Government
currently supports students
from the SC/ST/OBC/EWS
communities in pursuing
higher education and pro-
fessional careers under the
Jai Bhim Mukhyamantri Pra-
tibha Vikas Yojana.
Programme to focus on the life and ideology of Babasaheb
Special Correspondent
New Delhi
People paying tribute to Dr. B.R Ambedkar on his 65th death
anniversary at Parliament House. *
SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR
Govt. to celebrate Ambedkar’s legacy
The Delhi BJP on Monday
staged a protest outside the
Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP)
office demanding reduction
of VAT on diesel.
A large number of party
workers led by Delhi BJP
president Adesh Gupta and
Leader of the Opposition in
Assembly Ramvir Singh Bid-
huri marched from the ITO
intersection to the AAP of-
fice.
“Arvind Kejriwal who
never gets tired of speaking
against the Central Govern-
ment regarding petrol and
diesel prices to arrest infla-
tion has betrayed Delhiites
by reducing only ₹8 VAT on
petrol,” Mr. Gupta said.
Mr. Bidhuri said in 2018,
then Finance Minister Arun
Jaitley had reduced the ex-
cise on petrol and diesel by
₹5 each. Back then too, he
said the Delhi Government
was the only one which did
not do so.
“Mr. Kejriwal should now
first give that ₹5 relief and
should reduce VAT on diesel
as well,” Mr. Bidhuri said.
BJP demands
reduction of
VAT on diesel
New Delhi
Over 4,000 resident doctors
of the Central Government-
run Safdarjung Hospital,
Ram Manohar Lohia Hospi-
tal, and Lady Hardinge Med-
ical College on Monday boy-
cotted work, as a protest
against the delay in PG NEET
counselling, said the Federa-
tion of Resident Doctors’ As-
sociation (FORDA).
“Over 4,000 resident doc-
tors from the three hospitals
boycotted work except for
COVID-19 duties. The coun-
selling for PG admission is
stuck as the matter is pend-
ing before the Supreme
Court,” FORDA president
Manish said.
A FORDA delegation also
met the Union Health Minis-
ter at RML Hospital. “The
Health Minister assured us
that he has taken note of our
grievances and that the Mi-
nistry of Health & Family
Welfare will get the case
mentioned in the SC for an
early hearing,” FORDA said.
Doctors protest delay in
PG NEET counselling
They are only performing COVID duties
Staff Reporter
New Delhi
Up in arms: Resident doctors staging a protest in the Capital
on Monday. *
SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR
South Delhi Municipal Cor-
poration (SDMC) Mayor Mu-
kesh Suryan on Monday said
that the civic body-run
schools had seen an increase
in the enrolment this year
with the entry of 93,000 stu-
dents.
Mr. Suryan said the corpo-
ration will open at least one
English-medium school in
each ward. It will also open
12 new schools in the coming
months, he said.
“Compared with private
schools, the enrolment of
students is higher in the
SDMC schools. The reason is
the civic body has been en-
suring quality education des-
pite the Delhi Government
reducing the budgetary allo-
cation, for education, by
24%-26%,” the Mayor said.
SDMC’s education com-
mittee chairperson Nitika
Sharma said that the corpo-
ration has been providing
quality education to nearly
three lakh students in its
schools. “Science clubs have
been started in 200 schools
this year while smart class-
rooms have been construct-
ed in 468 schools,” she said.
To continue online educa-
tion, Ms. Sharma said the
SDMC, in association with
NGOs, has been distributing
tablets to students.
“The civic body will distri-
bute 5,000 tablets to stu-
dents and 750 tablets to
teachers by the end of De-
cember. CCTV cameras have
been installed in 388 school
buildings. To encourage stu-
dents for sports activities, a
sports cell has also been set
up,” she said.
‘Student enrolment up in SDMC schools’
Each ward of the corporation to have one English-medium school, says Mayor
Staff Reporter
New Delhi
Deputy Chief Minister Man-
ish Sisodia on Monday said
the Delhi Skill and Entre-
preneurship University will
bring in a change to the
higher education system,
making it up-to-date with
the present needs of the
market. He was speaking at
an orientation programme
for the university’s first
batch.
He added that it was an
important, long due step to-
wards revolutionising Del-
hi’s education system and
that the Government was
happy to provide the youth
of Delhi the opportunity to
attain skills and expertise in
the domain of their choice.
Neharika Vohra, Vice-Chan-
cellor of DSEU, said the un-
iversity is going to set exam-
ples for the country by
changing the narrative of
higher education.
First batch
of students
enters DSEU
New Delhi
<
> We are constantly
monitoring the
situation and
progress being
made to deal with
the possible threat.
Adequate oxygen,
beds, equipment,
and medicines are
being arranged
Arvind Kejriwal
Chief Minister
Two persons were arrest-
ed for allegedly stealing
batteries of Yulu e-bikes at
metro stations in the city,
the police said. Five e-bike
batteries have been seized
from their possession in
south-west Delhi’s
Kishangarh.
The police said that on
December 2, Harshul Gup-
ta in an e-FIR informed
them about the theft of
batteries of a few Yulu e-
bikes in the parking area
of Munirka metro station.
The police laid a trap
near the metro station
and noticed two boys
coming across the main
road. On suspicion, the
team signalled them to
stop but, the duo tried to
run away.
Subsequently, the two
were arrested. DCP
(South-West) Gaurav Shar-
ma said during probe,
they disclosed that they
had stolen batteries at dif-
ferent metro stations.
Two held
for stealing
batteries of
Yulu e-bikes
Staff Reporter
New Delhi

CM
YK
A ND-NDE
THE HINDU DELHI
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2021 3

Timings
DELHI
TUESDAY, DEC. 07
RISE 07:01 SET 17:25
RISE 10:11 SET 20:39
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 08
RISE 07:02 SET 17:25
RISE 11:03 SET 21:47
THURSDAY, DEC. 09
RISE 07:03 SET 17:25
RISE 11:47 SET 22:52
EDUCATIONAL
LEGAL NOTICE
TENDERS
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Regd. DL(ND)-11/6110/2006-07-08 ●
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ISSN 0971 - 751X ●
Vol. 11 ●
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DISCLAIMER: Readers are requested to verify and make
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not vouch for the authenticity of any advertisement or
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CM
YK
A ND-NDE
DELHI THE HINDU
4
STATES
Bodies of two missing
trekkers found
DHARAMSALA
Bodies of two trekkers, who
had gone missing in the
Dhauladhar mountain range,
were recovered from under a
hill on Monday, officials said.
Harsimranpreet Singh and
Naveen Kumar had gone for
trekking on Monday last,
Dharamsala SDM Shilpi
Beakta said. When their
families did not hear from
them, they informed the
police, she said. PTI
The Gurugram Imam San-
gathan in a joint meeting
with the district administra-
tion and right-wing groups
on Monday agreed not to
hold Friday prayers at the 20
designated open places and
instead sought new half-a-
dozen open places on rent
from the administration for
offering the prayers.
List of six places
Muslim Rashtriya Manch
convener Khurshid Rajaka,
addressing mediapersons af-
ter the meeting late on Mon-
day evening, said the
prayers would not be of-
fered at the 20 designated
places involved in the con-
troversy and the Imam San-
gathan had submitted a list
of six places to the district
administration seeking their
permission to hold namaz.
Mr. Rajaka said they had
offered to pay rent in return
for using these public places
for offering namaz. “We
have made a written request
for these places. It is for the
administration to decide,”
he said.
He said there was never
any opposition to offering of
namaz in Gurugram, but the
only demand was to hold
the prayers in a more organ-
ised manner.
The Imam Sangathan, in
the letter to the administra-
tion, said they needed six
public places on a tempor-
ary basis till the time they
get back the properties be-
longing to the Waqf Board.
The group also demand-
ed that the administration
help them get back the Waqf
Board properties.
‘Imams responsible’
Expressing satisfaction over
the development, Sanyukt
Hindu Sangharsh Samiti pre-
sident Mahavir Bhardwaj
said in case any issue comes
up in the future with regards
to offering namaz in the city,
then their group would en-
gage only with the Imam
Sangathan and not those
“trying to take political mi-
leage out of the situation”.
Mr. Bhardwaj said these
imams would also be res-
ponsible to establish the
identity of the devotees of-
fering prayers.
However, the Gurgaon
Muslim Council, a Muslim
group constituted to hold
talks with the administra-
tion on the issue, rejected
the agreement saying the Sa-
nyukt Hindu Sangharsh
Samiti has once again col-
luded with the Muslim Rash-
triya Manch (an RSS wing)
who got some Maulanas
along with them and con-
spired to state that Friday
prayers would not happen at
any of the open places in Gu-
rugram which had been ap-
proved by the administra-
tion since May 2018.
The Council, in a state-
ment, said that it would
soon expose the conspiracy
behind it.
Namaz issue: right-wing groups
claim agreement with imams
Gurgaon Muslim Council calls it a Sanyukt Hindu Sangharsh Samiti conspiracy
GURUGRAM
Representatives of the Gurugram Imam Sangathan present a
memorandum over the ongoing namaz issue to the Deputy
Commissioner in Gurugram on Monday. * PTI
The Rajasthan Government
is gearing up to deal with the
spread of Omicron variant of
COVID-19 after the detection
of nine cases in Jaipur. Four
members of a family, who
had returned from South
Africa a few days ago, and
five of their acquaintances,
who all tested positive for
Omicron, were admitted to
the Rajasthan University of
Health Sciences (RUHS) Hos-
pital here on Monday.
The nine persons had at-
tended a wedding ceremony
in Jaipur on November 28.
Medical and Health Secre-
tary Vaibhav Galriya said the
relatives of the bridegroom,
hailing from Sikar district’s
Ajitgarh town, had been
traced and were found to be
COVID negative. The bride
and her relatives had arrived
from New Delhi.
Of the 15 persons who test-
ed COVID positive in Jaipur
on Monday, a woman had ar-
rived at Sanganer airport
from Ukraine, while another
person belonged to the fami-
ly found infected with the
Omicron variant. Both of
them were shifted to the
RUHS Hospital as a precau-
tionary measure and their
samples sent for genome
sequencing.
The State reported 29 new
cases of COVID-19 on Mon-
day, taking the total number
of active cases to 221. Mr. Gal-
riya said intensive contact
tracing had been launched to
identify all the people whom
the Omicron-infected per-
sons are likely to haved met
during the last few days.
The RUHS Hospital’s fifth
floor has been dedicated to
quarantine the Omicron-pos-
itive cases, while a back-up
plan has been formulated for
immediate availability of ox-
ygen concentrators and cy-
linders. Besides, the beds
with ventilators and oxygen
support have been reserved
in the hospital to meet an
emergency situation.
RUHS Hospital’s Superin-
tendent Ajit Singh said 300
of the 1,200 beds in the hos-
pital were equipped with the
intensive care facilities and
the number of oxygen-sup-
ported beds could be in-
creased from 900 to 1,000, if
needed.
Nine found infected with the COVID variant in the State
JAIPUR
Health workers check details of COVID tests of passengers at
Bikaner station on Monday. * PTI
Rajasthan Govt. gears up to
check spread of Omicron
Maharashtra’s former Home
Minister Anil Deshmukh’s
wife Aarti and son Salil have
moved the Bombay High
Court challenging the provi-
sional attachment of assets
by the Enforcement Directo-
rate (ED) in the money laun-
dering and corruption case
against Mr. Deshmukh.
The petition was filed on
November 20 and was
heard on Monday by a divi-
sion bench of Justices Gau-
tam Patel and Madhav Jam-
dar.
The plea was filed by ad-
vocate Inderpal Singh which
challenged the original not-
ice of attachment by the ED.
The attached assets include
a flat worth ₹1.54 crore and
land worth ₹2.67 crore.
The court said there are
serious questions on the ad-
judicating authority and
posted the matter to be
heard on January 14, 2022.
CBI inquiry
The case goes back to April
5, 2021, when the Bombay
High Court directed the
Central Bureau of Investiga-
tion to conduct a prelimin-
ary inquiry against Mr.
Deshmukh.
On April 21, ED registered
a FIR against him under sec-
tions of the Indian Penal
Code and Prevention of Cor-
ruption Act.
Anil Deshmukh’s wife,
son move High Court
They challenge attachment of assets
Mumbai

The Maharashtrawadi Go-
mantak Party (MGP) on
Monday announced it
would contest the forthcom-
ing Goa Assembly elections
in an alliance with the Ma-
mata Banerjee-led Trina-
mool Congress (TMC) as the
combine pitched for good
governance as its main poll
plank to take on the ruling
BJP.
The alliance between
Goa’s oldest regional party
and the new entrant in State
politics comes ahead of
TMC chairperson and West
Bengal Chief Minister Ma-
mata Banerjee’s visit to the
coastal State on December
13.
MGP president Deepak
Dhavalikar told reporters
the details of the alliance
would be announced at a la-
ter stage and added the two
parties will be sharing seats
for polls to the 40-member
Assembly.
He claimed there was a
“wave” against the BJP in
Goa and the two parties
would seek to capitalize on
it in the polls likely in early
2022.
TMC Member of Parlia-
ment and Goa desk in-
charge Mahua Moitra said
the details of the alliance
would be made public be-
fore Ms. Banerjee’s sche-
duled visit.
Earlier in the day, Mr.
Dhavalikar said the MGP’s
central committee, a key de-
cision-making body of the
party, resolved to have an al-
liance with the TMC, a new
player in Goa politics.
CM candidate
He said the combine’s Chief
Ministerial face would be
declared later.
Mr. Dhavalikar said both
the parties have joined
hands to provide good go-
vernance to people.
“There is a wave against
the BJP. People want a
change and we will be able
to form the Government in
the State,” he said.
Mr. Dhavalikar said an im-
pression was being created
that the MGP did not have
any option but to join hands
with its former ally the BJP.
“We have been always
criticizing the BJP. Except
the BJP, we were in talks
with other parties like the
AAP, the Congress and the
TMC (for an alliance),” he
said.
The MGP chief said 60%
of the people in Goa are yet
to decide whom to vote for
and hence an option has
been provided to them in
form of the alliance with the
Kolkata-headquartered
party.
He said the MGP was cap-
able of contesting the elec-
tions on its own, but consi-
dering the current political
scenario in Goa, it decided
to go for a pre-poll alliance.
TMC vice-president Lui-
zinho Faleiro expressed
happiness over the alliance.
The MGP, which has
worked with the BJP in the
past, has realised that join-
ing hands with the TMC was
the best thing for Goa and its
people, he added.
After the 2017 Assembly
polls, the BJP, despite win-
ning only 13 seats in the 40-
member House compared
to 17 bagged by the Con-
gress, quickly stitched an al-
liance with the MGP and
another regional outfit, Goa
Forward Party, to form its
government.
The MGP, which had won
three seats in the 2017 polls,
is currently left with only
one MLA.
MGP, Trinamool seal
pre-poll pact ahead
of Mamata’s visit
Good governance is main poll plank
press trust of india
Panaji
Fondly remembering Dr.
B.R. Ambedkar, Subhash
Kashyap, former secretary-
general of three Lok Sabhas
said, “If Dr. B.R. Ambedkar
was alive today, it would
have pained him to see that
the Scheduled Castes and
Scheduled Tribes still need
reservation. He was for a
casteless and classless
society.”
Talking about the Father
of the Indian Constitution
on his death anniversary,
Mr. Kashyap said, “It would
have pained him to see that
people are increasingly
wanting more reservation
for their castes. The reserva-
tion for SC and ST was
agreed by the Constituent
Assembly on the condition
that it will not be extended
to any other group of peo-
ple. He repeatedly said he
was for a casteless and class-
less society.”
As the chairman of the
drafting committee, credit is
given to Dr. Ambedkar for
the Indian Constitution but
he had once told Mr. Kash-
yap, one-to-one, that he was
not happy with the final ver-
sion of the Constitution.
Very strong words
He also said this in the Rajya
Sabha and had used very
strong words, “I would be
the first person to burn the
Constitution. It is no good.”
The Constitution expert,
Mr. Kashyap explained, why
the first Law Minister of In-
dia thought this and said,
“Dr. Ambedkar had told me
whether the Constitution is
good or bad it will depend
upon the persons who are
called to work on it.”
Referring to the Constitu-
tion, Dr. Ambedkar had
said, “We built the temple
for gods to be installed there
but I am disappointed.”
Mr. Kashyap, who got a
chance to meet Dr. Ambed-
kar several times in the Par-
liament library said, “He
was an intellectual person, a
jurist, a scholar and very
human.”
Mr. Kashyap said, “Dr.
Ambedkar was against re-
servation in perpetuity.”
‘Ambedkar would be pained to
see SC/ST still need reservation’
Ex-secretary general of LS says ‘he was for a casteless society’
Sonam Saigal
Mumbai
Leader of the Opposition in
the Kerala Assembly V.D.
Satheesan on Monday de-
scribed the recent infant
deaths in Attappady here as
a shame on the State.
“What happened in At-
tappady is not infant death,
it is homicide,” he said after
leading a Congress-led Unit-
ed Democratic Front (UDF)
team to the Attappady tribal
hamlets. The Pinarayi Vi-
jayan government was res-
ponsible for the deaths due
to malnutrition, he added.
As many as four infants
died in Attappady in succes-
sive days last week, trigger-
ing protests.
Mr. Satheesan said the go-
vernment was trying to wash
its hands of the deaths by
making officials scapegoats.
The government had not
brought any new project for
Attappady, he said.
The UDF team said the
Government Tribal Special-
ty Hospital at Kottathara was
functioning without even
basic amenities. Mr. Sathee-
san said that without enough
doctors at the hospital, tri-
bal patients were increasing-
ly being referred to private
hospitals at Perinthalmanna
in the neighbouring Malap-
puram district. “The govern-
ment does not even consider
the fact that there is limited
travel facility from Attappa-
dy to Perinthalmanna.”
Mr. Satheesan also ques-
tioned the “hasty, unsche-
duled” visit of Health Minis-
ter Veena George two days
ago. “She did not even de-
clare any scheme for the tri-
bespeople,” he said.
Congress-led UDF
takes on govt.
over infant deaths
Staff Reporter
PALAKKAD
Reality check: A UDF team visiting the Government Tribal
Specialty Hospital at Kottathara in Palakkad on Monday.
Attappady deaths a blot on
Kerala: Opposition leader
CM
YK
A ND-NDE
THE HINDU DELHI
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2021 5
STATES
Mullaperiyar records
high water discharge
IDUKKI
Tamil Nadu released a high
volume of water from the
Mullaperiyar dam into the
Periyar from Sunday night,
maintaining the water level in
the dam at just below 142 ft.
Nine spillway shutters were
opened by 8.30 p.m.,
releasing 12,654.09 cusecs of
water. This is the highest
volume of water released to
the Periyar this year. Water
Resources Minister
Roshy Augustine left for
Vandiperiyar to oversee the
safety measures taken there.
IN BRIEF
Model gang-raped for 3
days in Kerala, one held
KOCHI
The Kerala police arrested a
man in connection with the
alleged gang rape of a
woman, a model, who had
arrived here for a photoshoot.
According to the police,
the woman, a resident of
Malappuram, has alleged she
was given drinks laced with
drugs and gang-raped by
three men from December 1
to 3 at the lodge where she
was staying. They recorded
the assault and used it to
allegedly blackmail her to
rape her again. Search is on
for two more accused. PTI
The Bengaluru city police
have registered a case
against a South African na-
tional, who tested positive
for the Omicron variant but
left the country three days
later based on a negative CO-
VID-19 test report that has
now come under suspicion.
The police have also
booked the hotel manage-
ment where he was under
quarantine and let him go
without informing the civic
authorities.
Though Revenue Minister
R. Ashok had said an investi-
gation will be carried out
against the laboratory that
gave the patient a negative
report, the FIR doesn’t list
the laboratory as an ac-
cused. “We had mentioned
the laboratory in our com-
plaint. I will ask our officials
to look into the issue,” said
Gaurav Gupta, Chief Civic
Commissioner of Bengaluru.
Sources said Indian auth-
orities were in touch with
their counterparts in Dubai,
to where the patient had left.
They are also in touch with
the South African authori-
ties, sources said.
The police booked the
South African national, Ma-
hendra Chibabhai, 66, and
the management of a hotel
charging them under Karna-
taka Epidemic Disease Act
and under Section 269 (ne-
gligent act to spread infec-
tion), Section 271 (disobe-
dience of Quarantine Rule)
and Section 114 (abetment to
offence).
The complaint said the
man had landed in the city
on November 20 and tested
positive for COVID-19 at the
airport. He was sent to the
hotel and kept in a separate
room for 14 days quarantine.
Despite specific instruc-
tions to the staff to alert the
BBMP officials at the time of
his check-out, the manage-
ment allowed him to leave
on November 27 without in-
forming the BBMP, the civic
body has alleged.
Upon inquiry, the man-
agement justified their ac-
tion stating he had submit-
ted a COVID-negative
certificate from the lab at the
time of check-out.
S. African booked for flying out
after testing Omicron positive
His negative COVID-19 report under a cloud; India in touch with Dubai authorities
Bengaluru Bureau
Bengaluru
Intensifed scan: A health worker collecting swab samples
for COVID-19 test in Bengaluru on Monday. * K. MURALI KUMAR
The Supreme Court on De-
cember 6 said not just laws
but people had to also
change from within and
learn to treat a woman with
respect for the social evil of
dowry to be vanquished
once and for all.
A Bench led by Justice D.Y.
Chandrachud was respond-
ing to a petition that dowry
persisted despite draconian
criminal law provisions in-
troduced in the Indian Penal
Code, a new law in the form
of the Dowry Prohibition Act
of 1961 and the formation of
the National Commission for
Women.
‘Pervasive influence’
Advocate V.K. Biju, appear-
ing for petitioners from Ker-
ala, said the influence of
dowry was so pervasive,
even in the most literate
State in the country, that
young women were killed
for gold by the husband’s fa-
mily. He narrated how thick
gold jewellery adorned wo-
men at weddings, objectify-
ing them.
Mr. Biju highlighted how
dowry continued to ravage
society and the lives of inno-
cent young women despite
the existence of strict laws .
“Change also has to come
from within... There has to
be an understanding about
the basic social value of mar-
riage... How a woman, new-
ly married, should be treat-
ed...” Justice Chandrachud
observed.
The Supreme Court re-
quested the Law Commis-
sion of India to take a “fresh
look” to bring “more teeth”
to the law against dowry.
The Bench, also compris-
ing Justice A.S. Bopanna,
said the court could not craft
legislative reforms.
It requests Law Commission to bring ‘more teeth’ to law
Krishnadas Rajagopal
NEW DELHI
Change has to come also from
within to end evil of dowry: SC
Warning of strict action
against the sale of fake or
adulterated seeds, pesti-
cides and fertilizers, Andhra
Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S.
Jagan Mohan Reddy said on
Monday that a two-year im-
prisonment would be im-
posed on those responsible.
He said amendments would
be made in the Act con-
cerned in this regard and an
ordinance would be re-
leased, if needed.
At a review meeting, he
said the Rythu Bharosa Ken-
dras (RBKs) were set up with
the good intention of pro-
viding quality seeds, fertiliz-
ers and pesticides to farm-
ers and any violations would
not be tolerated. If em-
ployees were found in-
volved, they would be dis-
missed, he said.
Laying stress on the cul-
tivation of alternative crops,
including millets, he asked
officials to provide incen-
tives to farmers. He instruct-
ed officials to constitute a
millet board and set up pro-
cessing units in places
where they are cultivated
more. “Farmers should be
told about the risks involved
in cultivation of crops like
paddy with the help of bore-
wells. Organic farming
should be given priority.”
Spurious seed sellers
will be jailed, says Jagan
Govt. to act against fake farm inputs
Staff Reporter
GUNTUR
The Kerala High Court on
Monday slammed the State
Police Chief (SPC) for filing a
report justifying the con-
duct of the former Pink pol-
ice officer who had allegedly
humiliated an eight-year-old
girl and her father on a pu-
blic road at Attingal in the
Kerala capital in August.
The police officer, Ra-
jitha, had accused them of
stealing her mobile phone,
which was later found in the
police vehicle itself.
During the hearing on a
petition filed by the girl
seeking a directive to take
stringent action against the
former Pink police officer,
Justice Devan Ramachan-
dran said the report was ex-
ceedingly generalised and
made with a subjective te-
nor. The court observed
that “khaki always goes in
favour of khaki.”
The court said that after
noticing the entire incident,
the SPC had stated that no
criminal action was re-
quired against the police of-
ficer even with specific refe-
rence to Section 75 of the
Juvenile Justice Act. The re-
port said no case under the
Act or any other criminal
provision had been made
out against the officer.
The court observed that
instead of trying to support
or justify the conduct of the
civil police officer, the SPC
must ensure that every offic-
er acted with empathy and
responsibility towards peo-
ple. The court asked the go-
vernment what it proposed
to do to assuage the feelings
of the minor girl and restore
her trust in the police.
In an affidavit, Ms. Rajitha
had ‘profoundly and pro-
fusely’ tendered her apolo-
gy to the child and her fami-
ly as well as the court.
HC slams report on Pink police officer
KOCHI
Khaki always goes in
favour of khaki: judge
With over 40 clusters re-
ported in the past one
month, Karnataka has ad-
ded a total of 8,610 CO-
VID-19 cases to its tally till
December 5. Of these, over
800 cases are from the
clusters alone. In fact,
there has been over a 25%
rise in the number of cases
reported week on week in
at least 16 districts.
Nearly 58% of the 8,610
cases reported in the last
one month (as of Decem-
ber 5) are from Bengaluru
Urban alone. The number
of cases in seven days prior
to November 5 that stood
at 1,795 shot up to 2,499 in
seven days prior to Decem-
ber 5.
The highest number of
cluster cases have been re-
ported from Bengaluru Ur-
ban, BBMP, Hassan, Dhar-
wad, Mysuru, and
Tumakuru districts.
Karnataka saw
40 clusters in
one month
Special correspondent
Bengaluru
Suspense continues over the
proposed poll alliance bet-
ween the regional outfit Ja-
nata Dal (Secular) and the
ruling BJP for the Legislative
Council polls to 25 seats on
December 10 with former
Chief Minister H.D. Kuma-
raswamy putting off the an-
nouncement by another day.
“Till now, I have not said
we will have poll pact with
anyone. The BJP has not offi-
cially sought our support.
Only former Chief Minister
B.S. Yediyurappa has spoken
about it a couple of times in
his personal capacity. The is-
sue was not discussed when
former Prime Minister H.D.
Deve Gowda met Prime Mi-
nister Narendra Modi,” Mr.
Kumaraswamy told repor-
ters in Mandya on Monday.
“I will make our party stand
clear on Tuesday. The Con-
gress is spreading misinfor-
mation. For us, both the BJP
and the Congress are politi-
cal rivals,” he said.
Political circles are watch-
ing the move curiously after
former Chief Minister B.S.
Yediyurappa publicly sought
the JD(S) support to BJP can-
didates in constituencies
where the JD(S) is not
contesting.
The JD(S) has substantial
voter base in some districts
in the North Karnataka re-
gion, especially in Raichur,
Bidar, Yadgir, and Vijayapu-
ra where the regional party
has not fielded candidates.
The JD(S) is contesting in
six seats in the South Karna-
taka region. The BJP is con-
testing in 20 seats out of 25
seats.
A senior BJP leader also
indicated that there may be
an internal understanding
which will likely go unack-
nowledged. “The BJP is not
in the mood to offer support
in key JD(S) seats in Mandya,
Hassan, Mysuru, and Tuma-
kuru where the BJP may not
win. However, we see it as an
opportunity to expand our
presence. Instead, we ex-
pect the JD(S) to pay back for
our support to make Basara-
raj Horatti the chairman in
the Council.”
Suspense remains over
proposed JD(S)-BJP alliance
Kumaraswamy puts off announcement by another day
Karnataka Bureau
Bengaluru
H.D. Kumaraswamy
A tiny snail with a striking,
pellucid, golden-yellow shell
found in the Edappally canal
in Kochi has been flagged as
an invasive species that
could play havoc with native
ecosystems.
Having spotted it during a
biodiversity impact assess-
ment study, researchers of
the Department of Marine
Biology, Microbiology, and
Biochemistry of the Cochin
University of Science and
Technology (CuUSAT) identi-
fied it as the acute bladder
snail Physella acuta, globally
branded as highly invasive.
This is the first time this
snail has been reported in
Kerala, according to the re-
search team. What makes its
discovery worrying is that it
plays host to worms that can
cause food-borne diseases
and skin itches in humans.
Moreover, its rapid growth
rate, air-breathing capabili-
ty, and tolerance to pollution
makes the Physella acuta a
potential competitor to na-
tive fauna.
The findings by S. Bijoy
Nandan, Dean, Faculty of
Marine Sciences; postdocto-
ral fellows P.R. Jayachan-
dran, R. Radhika, B.P.
Aneesh, K.S. Santu, and re-
search scholar M. Jima have
been detailed in the scientif-
ic journal Proceedings of the
Zoological Society.
The team recovered 23
live specimens from the
Eroor part of the Edappally
canal during the biodiversity
impact assessment for the
Integrated Urban Regenera-
tion and Water Transport
System (IURWTS) in Kochi.
First described by J.P.R.
Draparnaud in 1805, Physel-
la acuta is considered native
to North America but is now
found in all continents ex-
cept Antarctica. It was first
reported in India in the early
1990s. It is believed to have
reached Kerala through the
aquarium trade, a major vec-
tor for invasive species. In
the Edappally canal, the
snail had made its home in a
highly polluted stretch
plagued by high sedimenta-
tion, untreated sewage, ef-
fluents, construction waste
and a thick growth of inva-
sive aquatic weeds.
Small in size, the snail can
grow to 16 mm in height and
9 mm in width. Physella acu-
ta is easily identified by its si-
nistral (left-opening aper-
ture) shell. Its good looks
make this snail a favourite of
aquariums, but Dr. Jayachan-
dran is quick to add a warn-
ing note. “Special care
should be taken while deal-
ing with this snail and it
should not be kept in home
aquariums,” he said.
Highly invasive snail spotted in Kerala
Physella acuta is host to worms that can cause food-borne diseases, rashes
Researchers found 23 acute
bladder snails during study.
Tiki Rajwi
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM
Three women Maoists
held in Visakhapatnam
VISAKHAPATNAM
The police arrested three
women Maoists under the
Koyyuru police station limits
in Visakhapatnam Agency on
Monday. They were identified
as Marri Valasi, 30, Vanathala
Lakshmi, 23, and Korra Devi,
20. Of the three, Marri Valasi
carried a reward of ₹4 lakh
while the other two carried a
reward of ₹ 1lakh each.
A week ago, the CPI (Maoist)
had released a letter alleging
that the police had arrested
the three Maoists and were
illegally keeping them in
confinement.
Former Punjab CM hief mi-
nister Amarinder Singh on
Monday opened his new
party’s office here and
reasserted that his Punjab
Lok Congress, along with
the BJP and former Akali
leader Sukhdev Singh
Dhindsa’s outfit, will form
the next Government.
Mr. Singh quit the Con-
gress and launched his
Punjab Lok Congress after
his unceremonious exit as
the Punjab chief minister
in September.
Addressing the media la-
ter, Capt. Amarinder said
the membership drive had
already begun. “We are ve-
ry hopeful that in the up-
coming elections, we will
win,” he said.
Amarinder
opens office
for his party
press trust of india
chandigarh

CM
YK
A ND-NDE
DELHI THE HINDU
6
EDITORIAL
O peration in Nagaland
Words such as “mistaken
identity” and “intelligence
failure” only focus the
spotlight on the training
and professionalism of the
security forces (Page 1,
“Army operation in
Nagaland goes awry, 15
civilians dead”, December
6). The incident is bound to
be an impediment in
ongoing peace talks with
various insurgent groups.
There must be an
investigation that is
transparent, quick and fair.
S.K. Choudhury,
Bengaluru
Wheels of justice
While there are ample
number of cases in the
country that are examples
of inordinate delays in
ensuring justice in criminal
cases involving the assault
of girls and women, it was
gratifying to come across a
different verdict in one
instance, in Nalanda, Bihar,
that involved the case of an
assault of a four-year-old
girl. That the offender was
convicted and sentenced
within a day shows that it is
possible to ensure justice
quickly. But this means that
special efforts would have
to be made in the gathering
of evidence, witnesses, etc.
A judgment like this will
eradicate the age-old
thinking that delay is
inevitable in courts. Wide
publicity of such cases will
help to raise the image of
the judiciary. The judge
who made this memorable
judgment deserves all our
appreciation.
J. Eden Alexander,
Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu
■ The Editorial, “Pique and
petulance” (December 4),
paints a very distressing
picture of the justice delivery
system of the nation, even
decades after its freedom. It
calls for prompt
improvements and reforms
especially in cases of
prolonged incarceration
without trial in the light of
repeated state overreach. It
is stunning that a lawyer,
social and human rights
activist who was arrested in
2018 had to grapple with the
vagaries of the legal system
to obtain her much-delayed
bail, and in default. Is it not a
travesty of justice? When the
case will culminate in its
logical and legal conclusion
is a million dollar question.
P.K. Sharma,
Barnala, Punjab
Far-reaching Bill
The Dam Safety Bill,
introduced by the Central
Government, should be
viewed as a boon to the
lower riparian States which
depend on other States for
the release of water and
other dam-related issues. In
fact, with the heat being
raised by certain interests,
for example, in Kerala,,
regarding the ‘safety’ of the
Mullaperiyar dam, a neutral
authority could help calm
the fears of the public, as it
would act under the
guidance of experts in the
field. Likewise, the
periodical release of water
according to judgments and
agreements can also become
the responsibility of the
authority. This could help
remove misunderstanding
among the States concerned.
A. Shreevas,
Chennai
Ranking mechanism
The ranks this year for
higher educational
metrics. It is an opportune
moment for mushrooming
consultants to assist them in
this process. The Ministry of
Education must adopt a
categorised approach with
regard to the mandate,
objectives and governmental
support received to make the
process meaningful.
Dr. V. Purushothaman,
Chennai
institutions under the
National Institutional
Ranking Framework prove
that it is a flawed exercise.
Service universities such as
those for animal sciences
have been pushed to the
background for no fault of
theirs as the parameters are
skewed against them.
Privately funded
deemed-to-be-universities in
their anxiety to get top ranks
have tried to push the
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters emailed to letters@thehindu.co.in must carry the full postal address and the full name or the name with initials.
To read more letters
online, scan the QR code
Rajeev Ranjan Chaturvedy
R
ussian President Vladimir
Putin’s visit to New Delhi for
the 21st India-Russia Summit
meeting with Prime Minister Na-
rendra Modi highlights the con-
stant efforts by both leaders to
nurture and to provide further im-
petus to the ‘India-Russia Special
and Privileged Strategic Partner-
ship’. In the new grammar of mul-
tipolarity and globalisation, it is of
utmost importance for dependa-
ble partners to ensure enduring
sensitivity to their mutual inter-
ests.
Strategic partnership
More importantly, the robust part-
nership between India and Russia
has come out of the shackles of the
Cold War inheritance. A practical
and result-oriented approach will
pave the way for the most reliable
partnership. The Putin-Modi
meeting in an atmosphere of un-
precedented regional and global
transformations can ensure not
only a new lease of life but can also
generate more vitality to this trust-
worthy camaraderie.
India-Russia relations have
withstood the test of time and the
ever-shifting nature of national in-
terests. Relations between the two
countries have deepened with
time irrespective of the quagmire
of realpolitik. This exceptional re-
silience is built on the firm founda-
tion of strategic national interest
and the synergy of geopolitics.
In the post-Cold War era, India
has emerged as an economic po-
werhouse and a key stakeholder in
today’s global debate be it climate
change, international trade, or the
menace of terrorism. Russia with
its global status and presence pre-
sents a win-win situation for deep-
er cooperation. This relation bet-
ween both countries has evolved
with time, deepening the integra-
tion and widening the breadth of
the relation.
A structure in place
Russia has been one of India’s clos-
est friends and allies with the sign-
ing of the “Declaration on the In-
dia-Russia Strategic Partnership”
in October 2000 which unlocked
new opportunities in strategic,
science and technology, space,
energy, nuclear ties, trade and
commerce, culture and a people-
to-people connect. For smooth
functioning of this strategic part-
nership, it was governed by an in-
stitutionalised dialogue mechan-
ism involving key stakeholders at
the political and official levels. Mr.
Putin’s visit to India in December
2010 heralded a new chapter in In-
dia-Russia relations when the Stra-
tegic Partnership was elevated to
the level of a “Special and Privi-
leged Strategic Partnership”.
Convergence and divergence
India and Russia have much con-
vergence spanning different sec-
tors. Russia is the key and princi-
pal supplier of arms and
armaments to the Indian armed
forces accounting for over 60% of
weapons. It comprises the whole
gamut covering the Indian Army,
Indian Air Force and Indian Navy.
India recently inducted the S-400
Triumf missile systems. Sukhoi
Su-30 fighter aircraft, T-90 tanks,
and the Talwar and the Krivak
class stealth frigates are key wea-
pons in the armoury of the Indian
armed forces. The India-Russia de-
fence cooperation has evolved
from a buyer-seller model to new
areas of military-technical collabo-
ration. The BrahMos missile sys-
tem was a successful collaboration
of joint research, development,
and production. Science and tech-
nology, nuclear, energy, space
have been key driving forces. But
changes in interests and capabili-
ties being fuelled by geopolitical
differences are widening the diver-
gence between India and Russia.
In terms of geostrategy, Russia is
aligned with China and India is
more anchored toward the United
States. This dissonance was appa-
rent in the Indian and Russian ap-
proach over Afghanistan.
Bilateral trade has seen the two
countries progressing from de-
fence and energy to IT, pharma-
ceuticals, agro-industries, mineral
and metallurgy, fertilizers, and in-
frastructure projects. India-Russia
trade was valued at the U.S.$10.11
billion in 2019–20, but is not a true
reflection of the potential that can
be harnessed.
Stability and diversity
The ‘2+2’ mechanism has become
the standard framework of coop-
eration to widen collaboration.
The inaugural ‘2+2’ dialogue bet-
ween the Foreign and Defence Mi-
nisters of the two countries pro-
mises to provide new vitality to
the special and privileged strategic
partnership. The uniqueness of
this approach not only ensures re-
sult-oriented cooperation but also
deliberates upon regional and glo-
bal matters of mutual concerns
and interests. At a time when glo-
bal politics is in a state of flux, it
becomes more important to have
compatibility with geopolitical
and geoeconomic realities along
with the trust of the leadership.
Therefore, this evolving political
framework provides the necessary
agility to the relationship in fine-
tuning their differences and dee-
pening their bonds. The Modi-Pu-
tin meeting has sent the unambig-
uous signal to the world that the
India-Russia partnership is an in-
credible friendship ensuring sta-
bility and diversity.
Defence, trade and investment,
energy, and science and technolo-
gy may be part of the agenda, but
India and Russia need to work to-
gether in a trilateral manner or us-
ing other flexible frameworks, par-
ticularly in Southeast Asia and
Central Asia. Their growing collab-
oration can be a force of stability
and will bring more diversity to
the region while strengthening
multilateralism.
Second, the two countries also
need to look at peoples’ power —
youth exchanges as well as deeper
links in various fields including
sport, culture, spiritual and reli-
gious studies.
Finally, Buddhism can be an
area where both countries can ex-
pand their interaction, where
peace and sustainability can act as
a balm in this turbulent world.
Rajeev Ranjan Chaturvedy is Associate
Professor at Nalanda University, Rajgir,
Bihar. The views expressed are personal
Expanding India’s engagement envelope with Russia
Beyond existing fields such as defence and energy, there are other areas which can help deepen their links
FILE
PHOTO/REUTERS
corrections & clarifications:
The size of the Museum of Prime Ministers was erroneously
given as 10,975 sq km (“Family donates Morarji’s effects to Museum
of PMs”, Dec. 6, 2021). It should have been 10,975 sq m.
In the photo caption that accompanied the report, “Coastal
Odisha bears brunt of rain triggered by Jawad” (Dec. 6, 2021, some
early editions), there was a reference to National Highway 5. It is
called National Highway 16 under the new numbering system for
the National Highway network.
It is the policy of The Hindu to correct significant errors as soon as possible. Please specify
the edition (place of publication), date and page. The Readers’ Editor’s office can be
contacted by Telephone: +91-44-28418297/28576300 (11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to
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Editor, The Hindu, Kasturi Buildings, 859 & 860 Anna Salai, Chennai 600 002, India.
All communication must carry the full postal address and telephone number. No personal
visits. The Terms of Reference for the Readers’ Editor are on www.thehindu.com
D
uring the framing of the In-
dian Constitution, it was
proposed that any petition
alleging a breach of fundamental
rights by the state ought to be jud-
icially decided within one month.
While the proposal did not, ulti-
mately, find its way into the text of
the Constitution, it nonetheless ar-
ticulated something of great im-
portance: between the individual
and the state, there exists a sub-
stantial asymmetry of power.
While the violation of rights —
whether through executive or le-
gislative action — is relatively cost-
less for the state, it is the indivi-
dual, or individuals, who pay the
price, and who must then run
from pillar to post to vindicate
their constitutionally guaranteed
rights. Consequently, a Constitu-
tion is entirely ineffective if a
rights-violating status quo is al-
lowed to exist and perpetuate for
months, or even years, before it is
finally resolved (and often, by the
time resolution comes, it is too late
in the day for it to have any practi-
cal significance).
Blow to accountability
This point, of course, is not limited
to the violation of rights, but ex-
tends to all significant constitu-
tional questions that arise in the
course of controversial state ac-
tion. Issues around the federal
structure, elections, and many
others, all involve questions of
power and accountability, and the
longer that courts take to resolve
such cases, the more we move
from a realm of accountability to a
realm of impunity.
In this context, as 2021 draws to
a close, a look at the Supreme
Court of India’s docket reveals a
host of highly significant constitu-
tional cases that were long-pend-
ing when the year began, and are
now simply a year older without
any sign of resolution around the
corner. All these cases involve cru-
cial questions about state power,
accountability, and impunity. Con-
sequently, the longer they are left
hanging without a decision, the
greater the damage that is inflicted
upon our constitutional democra-
cy’s commitment to the rule of
law.
Kashmir, electoral bonds
What are some of these cases?
First, there is the constitutional
challenge to the Presidential Or-
ders of August 5, 2019, that effec-
tively diluted Article 370 of the In-
dian Constitution, and bifurcated
the State of Jammu and Kashmir
into two Union Territories, con-
trolled by the Centre. There is a wi-
despread tendency to view the
Kashmir question as having been
“settled” after the events of August
5, 2019, with it now being a politi-
cal impossibility to return to the
pre-2019 status quo.
Regrettably, this tendency
seems to have gripped the Court as
well in how assiduously it has
avoided hearing and deciding the
case. But politics aside, the case
raises certain fundamental ques-
tions about constitutional power
and accountability.
First, it raises the question of
whether the Centre can take ad-
vantage of an Article 356 situation
in a State — a time when no elected
government and Assembly is in ex-
istence — to make permanent and
irreversible alterations in the very
structure of the State itself. The
answer will have important ramifi-
cations not just for Jammu and
Kashmir but for the entire federal
structure: India has a long history
of the abuse of Article 356 to “get
rid of” inconvenient State govern-
ments, and a further expansion of
the power already enjoyed by the
Centre will skew an already tilted
federal scheme even further.
Second, the case also raises the
question of whether, under the
Constitution, the Union Legisla-
ture has the authority not simply
to alter State boundaries (a power
granted to it by Article 3 of the
Constitution), but degrade a State
into a Union Territory (something
that has never been done before
August 5, 2019). If it turned out
that the Union Legislature does
have this power, it would essential-
ly mean that India’s federal struc-
ture is entirely at the mercy of Par-
liament: Parliament could then,
constitutionally, convert India
from a union of States to a union of
Union Territories, if it so wanted.
Needless to say, this — as well —
would signal a hugely significant
shift in power to the Centre.
As long as both these questions
remain undecided, however, the
acts of August 5, 2019 remain pre-
sumptively legal, with the pros-
pect that they may well be repeat-
ed in other parts of India. For this
reason, the Supreme Court’s now
two-and-a-half-year delay in hear-
ing and answering these questions
is unconscionable.
Another long-pending case is
the constitutional challenge to the
electoral bonds scheme, that has
now crossed four years. The elec-
toral bonds scheme authorises li-
mitless, anonymous corporate do-
nations to political parties, making
election funding both entirely
opaque to the people, as well as
being structurally biased towards
the party that is in power at the
Centre. In numerous central and
State election cycles in the last
four years, thousands of crores of
rupees have been spent in anony-
mous political donations, thus im-
pacting not only the integrity of
the election process but also the
constitutional right of citizens to
an informed vote. However, other
than two interim orders, the Su-
preme Court has refused to accord
a full hearing to the constitutional
challenge. In a few months’ time,
it will be one full five-year cycle of
central and State elections, with
the case still awaiting a hearing:
another black mark on the Court’s
record.
It is important to note that in
both these cases, the Supreme
Court’s inaction is not neutral, but
rather, favours the beneficiaries of
the status quo. In other words, by
not deciding, the Court is in effect
deciding — in favour of one party —
but without a reasoned judgment
that justifies its stance.
Other key cases
This is also true for a number of
other cases pending before the
Court. For example, as far back as
2013, the Gauhati High Court held
that the Central Bureau of Investi-
gation (CBI) was not established
under any statutory authority.
This verdict was immediately
stayed when it was appealed to the
Supreme Court, but in the inter-
vening years, it has never been
heard. Thus, the CBI continues to
function — often controversially —
despite a judgment by a constitu-
tional court that has found its very
existence to be illegal. More re-
cently, constitutional challenges to
the Citizenship (Amendment) Act
(CAA), filed in the immediate after-
math of the legislation’s enact-
ment, remain unheard, as do the
challenges to the much-criticised
Section 43(D)(5) of the Unlawful
Activities (Prevention) Act, which
makes the grant of bail effectively
impossible, and is responsible for
the years-long incarceration of
several people. The challenge to
Section 43(D)(5) is perhaps the
case that most directly affects civil
rights, as the section continues to
be applied on a regular basis (most
notoriously, in recent times, in the
Bhima Koregaon case). And cases
of this kind are legion.
It wounds the judiciary
Apart from benefiting the party
that profits from the status quo —
which, as we have seen, is invaria-
bly the state — judicial evasion of
this kind is also damaging for the
accountability of the judiciary it-
self. Once a court decides a case,
its reasoning — which must, by de-
finition be public — can be publicly
scrutinised and, if need be, cri-
tiqued. In the absence of a deci-
sion, however, while the Court’s
inaction plays as significant a role
on the ground as does its action,
there is no judgment — and no rea-
soning — that the public can en-
gage with. For obvious reasons,
this too has a serious impact on
the rule of law.
It must be acknowledged that
the responsibility for constituting
benches and scheduling cases es-
pecially cases that are due to be
heard by larger Benches rests sole-
ly with the Chief Justice of India
(CJI). While the three previous CJIs
have been criticised for excessive
deference to the executive, the
current CJI has been on record
stressing the importance of the
rule of law and the independence
of the judiciary. One way of de-
monstrating that in action might
be to hear — and decide — the im-
portant constitutional cases pend-
ing before the Court.
Gautam Bhatia is a Delhi-based lawyer
A docket full of unresolved constitutional cases
These involve crucial questions about state power, accountability and impunity, and cannot be left hanging by the courts
Gautam Bhatia
FILE
PHOTO/V.
SUDERSHAN
T
he sentencing of Myanmar leaders to four years
in prison on two separate charges on Monday, by
a court run by the military junta, appears to be
just the first of a number of sentences aimed at putting
State Councillor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, President Win
Myint and other government leaders in custody for de-
cades. The verdicts that relate to cases dealing with “in-
citement against the military” and for “breaching Covid
laws” are frighteningly farcical. One relates to speeches
made during protests against the military’s decision to
dismiss the results of last November’s elections, which
Ms. Suu Kyi’s party, the National League for Democracy
(NLD), clearly won. The other, even more ridiculous, is
for breaching COVID-19 protocols at an election rally
when she was photographed wearing both a face mask
and a shield throughout her campaign. The sentences,
and the ones that will follow, are meant not only to en-
sure an end to the NLD and Ms. Suu Kyi’s public life but
are also part of an effort to break the spirit of democrat-
ic groups. Over the past eight months since the military
coup in February, more than 1,300 civilians protesting
the military’s actions have been killed, and thousands
including the entire NLD government arrested, with de-
tentions, trials and sentences carried out in secret. In
more evidence of the military’s brutality, three people
were reportedly mowed down by a military vehicle on
Sunday, when they took part in a peaceful protest.
The military’s messaging is not aimed only domesti-
cally, however. Its actions are meant to challenge the in-
ternational community as well, which has failed to take
any action against Myanmar’s leadership in the past few
years: first on its ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya that
drove a million out to refugee camps in Bangladesh
(which the NLD government was complicit in), and
then its actions against the democratically elected go-
vernment itself. Since February, the UN Security Coun-
cil has done little other than issuing statements appeal-
ing for an end to the violence and the restoration of
democracy, and to suspend the nation’s UN seat. While
China, which has deep links with the military and a con-
siderable investment in the China-Myanmar Economic
Corridor, has sought to protect the junta from sanc-
tions, the U.S. has proven ineffective in ensuring a diffe-
rent outcome as well. It is ironic that Ms. Suu Kyi’s sen-
tencing comes in a week when the U.S. hosts a “Summit
for Democracy”. The Modi government too, given its
worries about losing a foothold in the neighbourhood,
and its need for cooperation with the Myanmar military
over the restive North-eastern border, has chosen si-
lence over any serious attempt to change the course of
events in Myanmar. Much like its inability to influence
outcomes in Afghanistan, India’s ineffectual posture ov-
er the developments in Myanmar could also cause it
considerable reputational damage as a regional leader.
Cuffed and collared
Myanmar’s junta is attempting to break the
spirit of the people by jailing their leaders
N
otwithstanding the rationale provided by the
Union Government and the armed forces for the
horrific killing of six coal miners and the deaths
of nine civilians and a soldier in the aftermath of the in-
cident in Mon district, the residents of Nagaland, and
indeed many in North-east India, will only read this in-
cident as an outcome of impunity accorded by the
Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, or AFSPA. It is no
wonder that two Chief Ministers — Conrad Sangma of
Meghalaya and Neiphiu Rio of Nagaland — have imme-
diately demanded its repeal; the Act remains in place in
Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, three districts of Arunachal
Pradesh, and areas falling within the jurisdiction of
eight police stations of the State bordering Assam, with
the authority to use force or open fire to maintain pu-
blic order in “disturbed areas”. The firing on the vehicle
carrying the coal miners in Oting village, home to the
Konyak Naga community, was carried out by soldiers of
the ‘21 Para Commando Unit’, and attributed to a case
of mistaken identity. This action should be problematic
even within the purview of AFSPA, as soldiers who
open fire can do so only after warning the person found
in contravention of the law. The Army’s and later Union
Minister of Home Amit Shah’s contention that the veh-
icle was shot at only after the miners refused to “coop-
erate” when asked to stop seems incongruous as this
was not an action at the Myanmar border seeking to
take on armed infiltrators but an operation well within
the country’s boundaries. That an ambush was pur-
portedly laid on insurgents of the NSCN (Khaplang-Yung
Aung) faction following an intelligence input and yet a
civilian vehicle which offered no hostility was fired
upon, suggests that the armed forces were too trigger-
happy and showed barely any intent in securing order,
which is the purpose of their presence in the region.
The Government has promised an inquiry by a Spe-
cial Investigation Team. It is clear that the continued re-
liance on AFSPA as a way to impose public order must
be brought to a halt and the long-pending demand for
its repeal acceded to. Unfortunately, the incident could
put a spanner in the Naga peace talks between the Go-
vernment and the National Socialist Council of Nagalim
(NSCN-IM) and seven Naga National Political Groups for
a solution that has been in the works. The secretive na-
ture of the talks, largely due to the Government’s smoke
and mirrors approach to the Peace Accord, has not
helped matters either. An approach that shows genuine
remorse for the actions, brings the culprits to book and
seeks rapprochement with the Konyak Nagas through
compensation for the violence, besides a renewed pur-
pose to conclude the peace talks with the Naga groups,
is now the only imperative.
End the impunity
The botched Army operation in Nagaland is
yet another reason why AFSPA should go

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