NATIONAL NEWS
I am a full-time president of the INC: Sonia Gandhi
In a clear message to the Group of 23 letter writers who had sought internal reforms in the Congress, party president, Sonia Gandhi, on Saturday, reminded that she was a full-time, hands-on president and there was no need for colleagues to speak to her through the media. Revival of the organisation required unity, discipline, self- control and keeping party’s interest paramount, she stated. Her comments are being seen as a direct rebuttal of senior leader Kapil Sibal’s remarks that in our party, at the moment, there is no president. Senior G-23 members such as Shashi Tharoor had talked about the need for a permanent president to revive the party. Though it is yet to be officially announced, the party is learnt to have discussed and fixed an election schedule of September 2022 to elect new office-bearers, including a new party chief. I am, if you will allow me to say so, a full-time and hands on Congress president, Gandhi observed. In the past two years, a large number of young colleagues have taken leadership roles in taking party policies and programmes to the people, she asserted. I have always appreciated frankness. There is no need to speak to me through the media. So let us all have a free and honest discussion. But what should get communicated outside the four walls of this room is the collective decision of the CWC, she noted. Talking about the party’s revival, a key theme raised by the G-23, she said, The entire organisation wants a revival of the Congress. But this requires unity and keeping the Party’s interests paramount. Above all, it requires self-control and discipline. Gandhi said that the party had always stated on its position on a numerous issues from the farmers’ agitation, relief provision during the pandemic, issues concerning youth and women, atrocities on Dalits, Adivasis and minorities, price rise, and the destruction of the public sector—the party had never shied away from raising issues of public importance. Never have we let issues of public importance and concern go unaddressed. You are aware that I have been taking them up with the Prime Minister as have Dr. Manmohan Singh and Rahul ji. I have been interacting with like-minded political parties regularly. We have issued joint statements on national issues and coordinated our strategy in Parliament as well, she remarked. In her opening remarks, Gandhi also spoke about the Lakhimpur Kheri incident, the farmers’ agitation, inflation, foreign policy and the continuing border stand-off with China, targeted killing in Jammu and Kashmir and the disinvestment process.
Rains in Kerala force Met to issue red alerts
As torrential rains continue to lash Kerala under the influence of a low pressure area over the southeast Arabian Sea, the India Meteorological Department extended the red alert to six districts, namely, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur and Palakkad, as per the latest weather update. Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Malappuram, Kozhikode and Wayanad are on orange alert for isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall. Northern districts Kannur and Kasaragod are on yellow alert today for isolated heavy rainfall. The Lakshadweep islands also are on yellow alert. Thodupuzha town the administrative capital of Idukki district has gone under water flowing incessant rains. Several districts of Kerala are on yellow alert on Sunday following freak rains. Around 30 houses were damaged in Kollam due to heavy rains and strong winds that lashed across the district during the last 24 hours. Though relief camps have been arranged in all taluks and opened in some; affected people are yet to move in. The district was by and large spared of extreme or heavy rainfall till the evening with light to moderate rain being the norm through the day. A bout of heavy rainfall in Kothamabgalam taluk that lasted all of 15 minutes in the morning was the only such instance to be reported at the emergency operations centre (EOC) being set up at the district collectorate. Neither any casualty nor large scale damage to properties was reported from the district except for partial damage to two houses at Muvattupuzha and North Paravur taluks. However, the real picture about the extent of damage, if any, is likely to emerge later as the authorities giving all their attention to relief and rescue measures as of now.
Rahul Dravid to coach Indian Team
Cricketer Rahul Dravid has agreed to become the coach of the Indian cricket team after BCCI president Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah held a meeting and persuaded him to the become the coach of the Indian team. Ending months of speculation on who will coach the Indian team, Dravid’s appointment puts a lid on the speculation. The tenure of the current ccoach Ravi Shastri, comes to an end after the T20 World Cup. While it was widely reported that Dravid remains the frontrunner for the post of interim coach for the upcoming home series with New Zealand, Dravid has confirmed he will be the next head coach of the Indian team. He will be stepping down as head coach of NCA soon, said a top BCCI officialIf media reports are to be believed, there remains the matter of inviting formal applications and Dravid applying for the post. It is also learnt that Dravid will draw a salary of Rs 10 crore and will be given a two-year contract. While Vikram Rathour is likely to continue as the batting coach, former Mumbai pacer Paras Mhambrey will take over from Bharat Arun as the bowling coach. Mhambrey has been Dravid’s deputy at the NCA and has worked extensively with India A and Under-19 bowlers. A decision is awaited on the fielding coach for the Indian team. The BCCI had always indicated its preference for an experienced player to mentor and several seasoned players, including the Australians, had shown interest in taking up the job. The BCCI had earlier also indicated its preference for Anil Kumble, who was forced to quit over differences with skipper Virat Kohli, to take over the role but the cricketer had recused himself. Kumble is currently the head coach of the IPL franchise Punjab Kings. It may be recalled that iconic former captain Dhoni was last month was brought in as mentor of India’s 15-member T20 World Cup squad by the BCCI, a move that everyone by surprise.
Two people shot at in Kashmir
A gol-gappa hawker from Bihar was shot dead by terrorists in Srinagar today; a carpenter from Uttar Pradesh was also shot at by terrorists, leaving him critically injured, in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district. The attacks are the eighth in the spate of killings that have shaken the Valley. Terrorists fired at two non-local labourers in Srinagar and Pulwama. Arbind Kumar Sah from Banka in Bihar died in Srinagar and Sagir Ahmad from Uttar Pradesh is critically injured in Pulwama. Areas have been sealed and searches are on, the police said in a tweet. The terrorists shot the gol-gappa hawker at point-blank range, sources said. A spate of targeted civilian killings in Kashmir has led to the exodus of several Kashmiri Pandits living in transit camps. Dozens of families – many government employees who returned to the valley after being given jobs under the Prime Minister’s special employment scheme for Kashmiri migrants – have quietly left their accommodations. Strongly condemn the killing of street vendor Arbind Kumar in a terror attack in Srinagar today. This is yet another case of a civilian being targeted like this. All Arbind Kumar did was come to Srinagar in search of earning opportunities and it’s reprehensible that he was murdered, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah tweeted. Jammu and Kashmir People’s Conference leader Sajad Lone tweeted, This is pure terror. Yet again a non-local vendor shot and killed in Idgah. What a shame. How cowardly can it get. The police had launched a massive crackdown and detained some 900 people across Jammu and Kashmir for their suspected links with separatists. The targeted killings have sparked massive outrage and the police are under pressure to prevent these attacks.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
China’s media hail Bhutan deal as ‘breakthrough’ in border talks
Bhutan and China signed the settlement at a videoconference on Thursday. China’s Assistant Foreign Minister Wu Jianghao stated the MoU will make a meaningful contribution to speeding up the negotiation on demarcation and promoting the process of establishing diplomatic ties between the two countries. The Chinese Foreign Ministry stated in an announcement. The assertion additionally quoted Bhutan Foreign Minister as saying Bhutan will work with China to implement the MoU, unswervingly push forward the negotiation on demarcation, and be committed to strengthening bilateral relations. While Bhutan’s Foreign Ministry issued a quick press launch on the settlement, neither facet has launched particulars on the roadmap. The Chinese state media did, nonetheless, hail the MoU as the primary breakthrough within the border talks, which started in 1984, with 20 rounds held. Wang Shida, a South Asia scholar on the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, a think-tank affiliated to the Ministry of State Security, instructed the party-run Global Times the MoU is a milestone and would help break the deadlock. The boundary issue between China and Bhutan is special because it not only relates to Bhutan but also has become a negative factor for China-India ties, he stated. If China and Bhutan make progress in solving boundary disputes, India will have fewer chances and excuses to make trouble on border areas.
Sri Lanka eyeing green agriculture
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has appointed a task force on ‘green agriculture’, his office said on Saturday, while Sri Lanka’s farmers continue protesting his government’s abrupt ‘organic fertilizer only’ policy shift since May this year. The ‘Presidential Task Force’ will be responsible for looking into the requirement of fertilizers and improving the quality of organic fertilizer produced in the country, a statement from the Presidential Media Division said, listing the panel’s 14 members, a majority of whom are private sector representatives. No farmers’ organisation was part of it. The move comes about five months after the government banned all chemical fertilizers, shifting immediately to organic fertilizers. Agriculture experts have slammed the move as ill-advised and unscientific, while farmers anticipate that the drastic policy change could slash their yield. Paddy farmers anticipate a 25% production slump, while growers of tea, which is a key foreign exchange earner for Sri Lanka, fear a likely 40 – 60% fall in output. The ruling administration sought to justify the decision by citing President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s poll pledge in 2019, and an urgent need to bring down the country’s import bill as the economy reels under the impact of the pandemic. Until now, Sri Lanka spent an estimated $300-$400 million annually on fertilizer imports. If the government’s policy shift took the country by shock, the newly appointed panel has drawn attention for its composition. It is striking that even now the task force has no scientists who study and research agriculture, said Saman Dharmakeerthi, Professor of Soil Fertility and Nutrient Management at the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya. The danger with the heavy private sector presence is that they might promote anything they produce and insist that farmers use them, he added.
