The Pioneer...2021/01/08 · ˘ˇˆ˙ ˘ ˇ ˆ ˙˝˙˛ ˘˙ ˘˚ ˚ ˜ ˜ ˘ ˘ ˜˘˚ ˘ ˘ ˜ ˘...

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In an unprecedented assaulton democracy in the US,thousands of supporters ofoutgoing President DonaldTrump stormed the Capitolbuilding here and clashed withpolice, resulting in four deathsand interrupting a constitu-tional process by Congress toaffirm the victory of President-elect Joe Biden and VicePresident-elect Kamala Harrisin the election.

The Electoral College votesof Biden and Harris were final-ly approved early on Thursdayafter both the Senate and theHouse of Representativesrejected all objections raised bythe Republicans to the votes inthe States of Pennsylvania andArizona.

In the presidential electionheld on November 3, Bidenand Harris received 306 elec-toral votes, while PresidentTrump and Vice PresidentMike Pence got 232. The count-ing of Vermont’s three electoralvotes put Biden and Harris overthe 270-threshold needed towin the presidency.

In a statement released justafter the certification wasfinalised, Trump at long lastacknowledged his election loss.He said that even though hedisagrees with the outcome,

“there will be an orderly tran-sition on January 20th."

“I have always said wewould continue our ... Fight toensure that only legal votes

were counted. While this rep-resents the end of the greatestfirst term in presidential his-tory, it's only the beginning ofour fight to Make America

Great Again!”The 78-year-old

Democratic leader and his 56-year-old Indian-origin deputywill be inaugurated on January

20, it was announced after theconstitutional process wasfinally completed by a joint ses-sion of Congress.

In the violence on

Wednesday, four people died,including one woman who wasshot by a police officer, amidprotests and rioting on CapitolHill that resulted in dozens of

demonstrators being arrested,police said.

Metropolitan PoliceDepartment Chief RobertContee called the rioting bypro-Trump demonstrators“shameful” during a news con-ference.

One woman was shot andkilled by Capitol Police duringthe rioting. Police said threeother people — a woman andtwo men — died after appar-ently suffering “separate med-ical emergencies” near theCapitol grounds.

The joint session ofCongress, which is normally aceremonial step, was haltedfor several hours when sup-

porters of Trump breached theCapitol. Proceedings resumedand continued through thenight after the building wascleeared. Vice President Pencebrought the Senate sessionback into order and proceededwith the verification process.

“The announcement of thestate of the vote by thePresident of the Senate shall bedeemed a sufficient declarationof the persons elected Presidentand Vice President of theUnited States, each for theterm beginning on the 20th dayof January 2021...,” Pence saidfollowing the count of all of thestate’s Electoral College votes.

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New Delhi: Prime MinisterNarendra Modi on Thursdayjoined the world leaders in con-demning the violence let looseby the US President DonaldTrump’s supporters and tweet-ed, “Orderly and peacefultransfer of power must con-tinue. The democratic processcannot be allowed to be sub-verted through unlawfulprotests.” P4

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Thousands of farmers onThursday hit the road atSinghu, Tikri, Ghazipur andRewasan borders of Delhi, tak-ing out tractor rallies to esca-late agitation against the newfarm laws.

The farmers said theirmarch on Thursday is just arehearsal for their proposedJanuary 26 tractor parade dur-ing which they will attempt tomove into the national Capitalfrom different parts ofHaryana, Punjab and UttarPradesh.

The tractor march startedfrom four different points —Singhu to Tikri Border, Tikri toKundli, Ghazipur to Palwaland Rewasan to Palwal. As themarch started from all borders,the protest sites wore a desert-ed look.

From Ghazipur border,Rakesh Tikait, the spokesper-son of Bharatiya Kisan Union(BKU) lead the rally in whichthere were around 500 tractors,some cars and bike. WithPunjabi songs and slogans,farmers on tractors startedtheir rallies around 11 am.

Meanwhile, the crowdthinned at the Singhu Border,the main protest site, but lifecontinued as usual.

Langars kept dishing out

meals, and medical camps dis-tributed medicines to all thosewho stayed back, particularlythe elderly and the women.

Logs for bonefire havebeen brought in huge quanti-ties to keep people warm in thechilling temperature.

Meanwhile, the KMPexpressway was dotted withtractors and farmers the wholeday. Several protesters lined onthe route to provide fellowfarmers with all kinds of sup-plies, including peanuts, tea,and newspapers.

Joginder Singh Ugrahan,

president of Bharati KisanUnion (Ekta Ugrahan), whoseunion is one of the largestfarmer organisations in Punjab,claimed farmers participated inthe march with over 3,500tractors and trolleys. He saidthey will not accept anythingless than the repeal of thethree farm laws.

Yogendra Yadav onThursday claimed people arestill joining the protest in alarge number and it will beintensified in coming days.

“Today’s tractor rally wasjust a trailer for the

Government. Around 5,000tractors were there today in thetractor march. If theGovernment does not repealthese laws till January 26, wewill enter Delhi on our trac-tors,” said Yadav.

“Women are also joiningthe protest and they have alsocome forward to hold one dayhunger strike against theCentre’s new farms laws. OnThursday, 11 women whosehusband died during theprotest sat on one day hungerstrike,” said Yadav.

“We are the sons of soil. Ifthe laws are passed, we willstarve to death. This rally is ourway of telling the Governmentthat we will not give up unlessit gives in to our demands,” saidJaspal Singh Deol from Punjab’sChamkaur Sahib.

The eighth round of talksbetween protesting unions andthe Central Government isscheduled to be held on Friday.

Following the tractor rallycall, the Delhi, Gurugam andUttar Pradesh (UP) policetightened its security along theborders. The police also divert-ed routes and closed the KMPexpressway for commuters fora few hours which led to traf-fic jams at several places.

Braving severe cold andsporadic rain, the farmers havebeen camping at Delhi borders.

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The Supreme Court onThursday expressed con-cern over large gatherings offarmers protesting against thenew farm laws at Delhi bordersand drew a parallel withTablighi Jamaat congregation atNizamuddin Markaz.

The top court was hearinga plea seeking various reliefsincluding CBI probe into thematter related to assembly ofpeople at Anand Vihar BusTerminal and the TablighiJamaat congregation atNizamuddin Markaz in thenational Capital after thenationwide lockdown wasannounced last year to containthe pandemic.

“The same problem isgoing to arise in farmers’ agi-tation. I do not know if farm-ers are protected from Covid.So, the same problem is goingto arise. It is not that everythingis over,” said Chief Justice SABobde, heading a Bench, alsocomprising Justices ASBopanna and VRamasubramanian.

The court asked SolicitorGeneral Tushar Mehta, appear-ing for the Centre, whetherprotesting farmers are protect-ed from Covid-19. Mehtareplied, “certainly not”.

Mehta said he will file areport within two weeks onwhat has been done and whatneeds to be done.

The plea, filed by lawyerSupriya Pandita, alleged thatthe Delhi Police had failed tocontrol the congregation ofpeople and the NizamuddinMarkaz chief Maulana Saadwas still evading arrest.

Advocate Om PrakashParihar, appearing for the peti-tioner, said no statement hasbeen made by the Centre aboutthe whereabouts of Saad.

The SC told Parihar, “Whyare you interested in one per-son? We are on the issue ofCovid. Why do you want con-troversy? We are interestedthat Covid guidelines should bethere”.

The SC issued notice in thematter after which Mehta saidhe will file a report.

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Bharat Biotech on Thursdayannounced “successfulcompletion” of volunteer enrol-ment for Phase-3 clinical trialsof its indigenously manufac-tured Covid-19 vaccine“Covaxin.”

“Covaxin successfully com-pletes Phase 3 clinical trialsenrolment of 25,800 volun-teers,” informed Suchitra Ella,Joint Managing Director,Bharat Biotech InternationalLimited.

“We sincerely express ourgratitude to clinical trial sites,principle investigators &healthcare workers for theirrelentless support and trust inour public-private partnershipvaccine discovery. My deepappreciation to all the volun-teers for reposing trust andexpressing pro vaccine publichealth volunteerism in the

phase-3 clinical trials of India’sfully indigenous Covid-19 vac-cine,” she added.

The announcement camedays after the Hyderabad-basedvaccine manufacturerannounced successful recruit-ment of 23,000 volunteers andcontinued progress towardsachieving the goal of 26,000participants for the phase 3 trialof its coronavirus vaccine can-didate Covaxin in India.

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Aday before the secondnationwide vaccine dryrun scheduled on Friday, theCentre asked the States andUTs to remain prepared toreceive the first supply ofCovid-19 vaccines shortly. 41destinations across India havebeen finalised for the deliveryof Covid-19 vaccines.

A battery of 1,70,000 vac-cinators and 3,00,000 vaccina-tion team members have beentrained to administer the doses,once the date for mega vacci-nation drive is announced,which is likely to be any timesoon.

The Centre has also drawnup a detailed draft for the airtransportation of Covid-19

vaccines and their movementacross different parts of thecountry. “For vaccine trans-portation across the country, acommon draft has been madeand shared with stakeholders.The transportation of vaccinesis likely to begin by today ortomorrow,” said sources in theUnion Health Ministry.

Pune had been chosen asthe central hub for Covid-19vaccine distribution where pas-senger aircraft will be permit-ted to transport doses in thehold of the carrier. The Centrehas formed mini-hubs acrossthe country for the trans-portation of the vaccine and atotal of 41 destinations (air-ports) have been finalised fortheir delivery, the sources said.

��#��#��$()�#��% Lahore: In a significant devel-opment, an anti-terrorismcourt in Pakistan on Thursday

issued an arrest warrant forbanned Jaish-e-Mohammad(JeM) chief Masood Azhar onthe charges of terror financing.

The Anti-Terrorism Court(ATC) Gujranwala issued thewarrant during a hearing in aterror financing case institutedby the Counter TerrorismDepartment (CTD) of Punjabpolice against some membersof the JeM.

“ATC Gujranwala judgeNatasha Naseem Supra issuedan arrest warrant for MasoodAzhar and directed the CTD toarrest him and present him inthe court. The CTD told thejudge the JeM chief wasinvolved in terror financingand selling jihadi literature,” anofficial told PTI.

He said the ATC judge

issued the arrest warrant forAzhar on the request of a CTDinspector.

Azhar is believed to be hid-ing in a “safe place” in his nativetown — Bahawalpur.

Following the Palwamaterror attack in February 2019in India, Pakistan’s Punjabprovince police had launcheda crackdown on terrorismfinancing and in this connec-tion arrested six activists of theJeM in Gujranwala, some130kms from Lahore.

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India’s GDP is estimated tocontract by a record 7.7 percent during 2020-21 as theCovid-19 pandemic severely hitthe key manufacturing andservices segments, as perGovernment projectionsreleased on Thursday.

Amid overall decline ineconomic activities, somerespite was provided by theagriculture sector and utilityservices like power and gassupply, which have been pro-jected to post positive growthduring the current fiscal end-ing March 2021.

“Real GDP or GDP atConstant Prices (2011-12) inthe year 2020-21 is likely toattain a level of �134.40 lakhcrore, as against the ProvisionalEstimate of GDP for the year2019-20 of �145.66 lakh crore...

“The growth in real GDPduring 2020-21 is estimated at-7.7 per cent as compared tothe growth rate of 4.2 per centin 2019-20,” said the firstadvanced estimates of nation-

al income released by theNational Statistical Office(NSO).

The contraction in theGross Domestic Product(GDP), however, would not beas steep as projected by certaininternational agencies like theIMF and World Bank.

NSO also estimates theReal Gross Value Added (GVA)at basic prices at �123.39 lakhcrore in 2020-21, as against Rs133.01 lakh crore in 2019-20,showing a contraction of 7.2per cent. GVA does not factorin net taxes.

GVA in the key manufac-turing sector is likely to see acontraction of 9.4 per centduring 2020-21 as compared toa flat growth of 0.03 per cent inthe year ago period.

“Mining and quarrying”,and “trade, hotels, transport,communication and servicesrelated to broadcasting” GVAsare likely to contract by 12.4 percent and 21.4 per cent, respec-tively, said the first advancedestimates of the NSO.

Continued on Page 2

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#��0#��-��Washington : US DeputyNational Security Advisor MattPottinger, first lady MelaniaTrump’s chief of staff StephanieGrisham and White HouseDeputy Press Secretary SarahMatthews have resigned fol-lowing the violence at the USCapitol by supporters ofPresident Donald Trump. P8

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Four persons are reported tohave died on the Laksar-Haridwar railway track when atrain was undertaking trial onThursday following the doubletracking of the stretch.According to sources, the trainwas moving at over 100 kilo-metres per hour as part of thetrial when the mishap occurredabout 200 metres from theJamalpur crossing. Expressinggrief at the deaths, chief min-ister Trivendra Singh Rawat hasdirected the Haridwar districtmagistrate to conduct a mag-isterial probe of the accident.

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,��The habit of putting hisfoot into his mouth couldprove costly for the headof the saffron party in theHimalayan state. Insteadof showing the way to theyounger lot of the partyby his conduct andleading by example thehappy go merry leaderhas proved to be more ofa liability than an assetfor his party. Ever sincehis appointment to thecoveted post last year, theNeta ji has invited troublefor his unbridled utterances. This leader who made thingsdifficult for his own party by stating that Modi's name wouldnot fetch votes for the party candidates is now drawing ire forhis offensive talk about the leader of the opposition. Whenthe opposition raised a hue and cry on the controversialstatement, the Neta ji tried to defend himself but with thevideo of his proclamation ‘tere sampark mai kaun aayegaBudhia’ going viral and the Chief Minister TSR expressingregret, the head of the saffron party had no option but toexpress apology. It is another matter that the tenor of hisstatement appeared far from being regretful. It is learnt thatthe central leadership of the party has expressed itsdispleasure over the unsavoury incident which has put theparty into a bad light.

��2By asserting that he can enlist 100 and not a mere five works

of TSR government as challenged by the deputy CM of Delhi,cabinet minister of Uttarakhand Madan Kaushik fell into a care-fully laid trap by the AAP. Sisodia, a past master of such manoeu-vres, knew exactly what he was talking about when he threw agauntlet to Kaushik for debate on the much hyped Delhi ModelVs Uttarakhand model. He knew that whether or not the min-ister who also is the mouthpiece of TSR government arrives fordebate, the objective of catching eyeballs for the party desper-ately trying to create a niche for itself in the Himalayan state whichis politically polarised between two parties is fulfilled. By the timesaffron leadership understood the trap and asked the ministernot to give any weightage to AAP, the damage had been done.Interestingly the leadership of the Congress party is dealing withthe AAP challenge in a much better way as it is maintaining asafe distance from doing or saying anything about the newcomer.

��,��-3The recent episode in which the CM TSR had to intervene

and direct the health department to withdraw provisions like com-pulsion of Form 16 and work experience in a 30 bed hospitalfrom the recruitment process of nurses of state health serviceshas again put the babudom of the state in a bad light. As expect-ed these provisions were resented by the unemployed especial-ly those belonging to mountainous areas because both these con-ditions effectively barred them from being eligible for recruit-ment. A timely intervention by TSR however cleared the obsta-cle ostensibly put up by the babudom. The aspirants for the postsof teachers advertised recently also complain about similarimpractical preconditions in the recruitment procedure whichare not there in other states.

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The dry run, a precursor ofmass vaccination of Covid-19 would be undertaken in 130hospitals across all 13 districtsof the State on Friday. The stategovernment has earmarked theplaces where the dry run ofvaccine would be undertakenand beneficiaries identified.As per the provisions of thegovernment of India, the ben-eficiaries of the vaccinationwould be put into observationfor half an hour after adminis-tration of vaccine. This pre-caution is being taken toobserve any adverse reaction.The mission director ofNational Health Mission(NHM) and state nodal officer,Sonika said that list of personsto be vaccinated in the dry runhas been made and a message

has been sent to their mobilephones. She said that adequatenumber of health workerswould remain deployed totackle any issue such as adversereaction from vaccine. Sonikaadded that all Zone and Sectormagistrates have been directedto take stock of the arrange-ments at the vaccination points.The director NHM, Dr SarojNaithani informed that thestate level observers have beenappointed for monitoring of thedry run. She said that theseobservers would submitdetailed reports on dry run tothe state headquarter. Theobservers are, Dr Bharti Rana( Pauri), Dr S K Gupta ( Tehri),Dr Manoj Baukhandi (Haridwar), Dr K S Chauhan (Chamoli), Dr S K Singh (Rudraprayag), Dr Vikas (Uttarkashi), Dr Shailja Bhatt (Nainital and Udham SinghNagar) and Dr ShikhaJangpangi ( Champawat).

The state level Covid-19control room has been entrust-ed with the overall responsi-bility of successful conductionof the dry run.

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The tally of novel Coronavirus(Covid-19) cases inUttarakhand climbed to 92842on Thursday with the statehealth department reporting249 new cases of the disease. Thedepartment also reported thedeath of six patients of the dis-ease on the day after which thedeath toll mounted to 1555 inthe state. The health departmentdischarged 439 patients fromdifferent hospitals on Thursday.A total of 86737 patients haverecovered from the disease so farin the state. The recovery per-centage from the disease is nowat 93.42 and the sample posi-tivity rate is 4.97 percent.

Two patients of Covid-19were reported dead at All IndiaInstitute of Medical Sciences(AIIMS) Rishikesh on Thursday.One patient each of the diseasesuccumbed at Himalayan hos-pital, Dehradun, MahantIndiresh hospital Dehradun,District Hospital Pithoragarhand Sushila Tiwari governmenthospital Haldwani on Thursday.Out of 439 patients dischargedon the day, 215 were fromDehradun while 110 were fromNainital. The authorities report-ed 90 patients of Covid-19 fromDehradun, 53 from Nainital, 28from Haridwar, 19 from UdhamSingh Nagar, 15 from Pauri, 13from Almora and Pithoragarh,seven from Chamoli, five from

Uttarkashi and two each fromChampawat, Bageshwar andRudraprayag. Uttarakhand nowhas 3309 active cases of the dis-ease.

Dehradun is at continuingto remain at top of the table ofactive cases with 917 cases whilewith 752 active cases Nainital isat second spot. Haridwar is atthird position with 334 cases,Pithoragarh has 193, Tehri 175,Uttarkashi 165, Almora 153,Bageshwar 147, Udham SinghNagar 119, Pauri 118, Chamoli104 and Champawat 71 activecases of the disease. With 61active cases of Covid-19,Rudraprayag is at the bottom ofthe table of active cases ofCovid-19.

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After constructing the muchawaited Dobra Chanthibridge, the state governmenthas completed another impor-tant work which had beenstuck for the past 26 years. Thetreatment of the Lambagarhslide zone on the highway toBadrinath has finally beencompleted and will be dedi-cated to the public within thenext 10 days.This long pendingtask has been completed in aperiod of two years thanks tothe consistent focus laid on itby the chief minister TrivendraSingh Rawat. The treatment ofthe 500 metre long slide zonehas been done at a cost of Rs107 crore. With this task, thepilgrimage to Badrinath androutine travel on the route willnot be impeded on this stretch.

Rawat said that the Stategovernment is serious aboutmaking the Char Dham Yatraconvenient. “The Lambagarhslide zone was a major imped-iment on the Badrinath Yatraroute. We attempted to com-plete its treatment with honestyand the result is there for all tosee. This important work whichhad been pending for many

years has been completed witheffective and consistent moni-toring,” said the CM.

It is pertinent to mentionhere that about 26 years ago,the slide zone at Lambagarh inChamoli district came intoexistence near Pandukeshwarafter landslide on theRishikesh-Badrinath nationalhighway. Since then, even lightrainfall used to cause heavydebris to land on the road at thesite which used to disrupt theYatra to Badrinath frequently.During the past two and half

decades, a number of peoplealso died after vehicles wereburied in debris here. Thoughcrores of rupees were spent, theslide zone remained a majorproblem. In the past duringconstruction of a barrage here,the executing company pro-posed construction of a tunnelbut the project did not progressdue to considerable differencein the estimated cost stated bythe company and the BorderRoads Organisation (BRO).The highway was washed awayduring the 2013 disaster, after

which the ministry of roadtransport handed over the taskof permanent treatment of theslide zone to NH PWD. Thedepartment started the taskwith a company but it did notpick up in pace due to variousissues. On assuming office in2017, Rawat got the varioushurdles cleared in missionmode with work starting onwar footing in 2018. Now thatthe project has been complet-ed in a period of two years, itwill be dedicated to the publicwithin the next 10 days.

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Stating that there have beenno unusual deaths of birdsin the Dehradun district yetthat indicated presence of anyavian influenza or bird flu out-break, the chief veterinary offi-cer (CVO) SB Pandey saidthat the district administrationhas sent a sample of one of therecently dead birds to check forbird flu as a precautionarymeasure against the outbreak.He informed that about eightbirds were recently found deadin the different locations of thedistrict but nobody had unusu-al deaths as most of them dieddue to natural factors like oldage, winters or heavy rains. He

pointed out that if the birdswould have died in the flocks,then it would have indicatedsomething serious but none ofthem died under unusual cir-cumstances and showed nosymptoms of the bird flu.

However, Pandey addedthat the administration hassent a sample of one of the deadbirds found to the forestdepartment as a precautionarymeasure against the bird flu-outbreak. He further addedthat the teams formed by theadministration is also focusingon the locations like AsanBarrage and Veerbhadra forbird flu symptoms or anyunusual deaths of birds as

migratory birds arrive in suchplaces during winters but so far,everything seems to be normal.Pandey said, "There are overfive lakhs poultry birds in thedistrict and we have instruct-ed our teams of veterinarydoctors to regularly visit poul-try farms in their respectiveareas to check the farms andraise awareness among peoplethat they should contact therecently established controlroom in the chief veterinaryoffice if they observe morbid-ity or any unusual deaths oftheir birds." He stated that thedistrict administration is vigi-lant and taking all the precau-tionary measure to check theoutbreak.

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PNB Bank fraud master-mind Nirav Modi’s sisterPurvi Modi, alias Purvi Mehta,and her husband MaiankMehta have turned approver inthe case and also agreed toassist the authorities in realis-ing and repatriating variousassets in India and abroadworth �579 crore to theGovernment of India. Theseassets are in Purvi Modi’s nameor in the names of companiesowned by her.

“They filed an applicationbefore the Special (PMLA)Court, Mumbai for allowingthem to seek pardon underSection 306 and 307 ofCriminal Procedure Code andundertook to make true andfull disclosure of the circum-stances and events withoutconcealing any evidence andprovide complete documents.Purvi Modi has also agreed toassist in realising and repatri-ating various assets in India andabroad totaling to �579 crore tothe Government of India,” theED said in a statement.

These assets include oneresidential flat in (BreachCandy) Bhulabhai Desai Road,Mumbai worth �19.5 crores,two flats in Central Park South,New York, NY in the name ofa Trust worth US$ 4,995,000(Equivalent to �36.52 crore),

one unit at Central Park South,New York, NY in the name ofa Trust worth US$ 25,000,000(Equivalent to �182.82 crores)and a Bank Account inSwitzerland in the name ofPurvi Deepak Modi with a bal-ance of CHF 20,201,500.00(Equivalent to �168.08 crores)and another bank account inSwitzerland whose beneficialowner is Purvi Modi and it hasa balance of CHF 13,009,200.00(equivalent to �108.23 crore).Other assets are a flat atMarylebone Road, London,NW15PL, UK. Worth GBP6,250,000 (equivalent to 62.1crores), a bank account inSyndicate Bank, NarimanPoint, Mumbai in the name ofPurvi Modi with a balance of�1.96 crores.

Prosecution Complaints(chargesheets) were filed byED before the Special PMLACourt against Purvi Modi,Maiank Mehta and others inthe Nirav Modi Bank Fraudcase, the ED said.

“Investigation underPMLA revealed that PurviModi has more than a dozenbank accounts and has own-ership of various compa-nies/Trusts abroad. Vide theirstatements and their submis-

sions before the AdjudicatingAuthority, Purvi Modi andMaiank Mehta have categori-cally stated that all the com-panies, properties andaccounts mentioned in theProsecution Complaints(Except Pavillion PointCorporation) belongs to NiravModi. She gave her willingnessto offer all cooperation torepatriate the assets to India,”it said.

Both of the accused statedthat the funds channelisedthrough their accounts werebelonging to Nirav Modi andon Nirav Modi’s insistence, itsaid.

The Special Court hasallowed for grant of pardonunder Sections 306 and 307 ofCr.P.C., on condition of mak-ing full and true disclosure andfurther allowed that theaccused shall be marked asapprover in this case. Thecourt further directed that ‘theapplicant-accused shall appearbefore the Court by returningto India, for which purpose thecomplainant-prosecution shallfacilitate the approach ofaccused at earliest, and shalltake suitable steps according-ly. Further investigation in thecase is in progress, it added.

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The National InvestigationAgency (NIA) on Thursdayconducted searches at six loca-tions, five in Jammu districtand one in Tarn-Taran districtof Punjab, in connection withinvestigation of a narco-terrormodule related to seizure ofabout 61 kg heroin along witharms and ammunitions onSeptember 20 last year at theinternational border at Arnia,Jammu.

The searches were con-ducted at the residences of sixaccused persons— JasrajSingh, Sham Lal, Bishan Dass,Ajeet Kumar, Gurbaksh Singhand Gurpartap Singh.

“These accused personswere arrested for hatching acriminal conspiracy for car-rying out anti-national andunlawful activities, and tohelp the terrorist organisa-tions by collecting funds andchannelizing the proceeds ofdrugs for furthering the activ-ities of such terrorist organi-sations like Babbar KhalsaInternational (BKI),” the NIAsaid in a statement.

Gurpratap Singh of Tarn-Taran district of Punjab is thekingpin of this module. In thesecond week of September,2020, Gurpratap Singh hadreceived 10 kg heroin fromPakistan-based handlersthrough his associates. Theconsignment in the case wasalso intended to be received

by Gurpratap Singh to fundthe activities of BKI inPunjab, it said.

During the searches con-ducted on Thursday, digitaldevices and other incrimi-nating documents havingfinancial details and accountsnumbers have been seizedfor further scrutiny andanalysis, it added.

Originally registered ascase FIR No. 65/2020 onSeptember 20, 2020 at PoliceStation Arnia, Jammu undervarious Indian Penal CodeSections relating to criminalconspiracy, attempt to murderand waging war against thenation and provisions of theArms Act in connection withunprovoked firing at a policepatrolling party from Pakistanside to provide cover for thesmuggling activity. Sections ofthe Narcotic Drugs andPsychotropic Substances Actand Unlawful Activit ies(Prevention) Act were addedsubsequently during investi-gation. The case was re-reg-istered by NIA on November26 and taken up for investi-gation.

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The Kerala Government’s decisionon Wednesday to meet half theproject cost of Rs 2,815 crore in theconstruction of Angamali- ErumeliSabari Rail Route has stirred up a hor-net’s nest in the region through whichthe track is to be laid. Thousands ofresidents staying along the route of theproposed track would lose theirdwelling places and fertile farms oncethe Indian Railways resume the landacquiring process. What is disturbingthe Railway authorities in Kerala is thatthe majority of the people who wouldbe displaced because of the projectbelong to the minority communities.

The Pinarayi Vijayan-led KeralaGovernment on Wednesday haddeclared that it would meet half thecost of Rs 2,815 crore required for the111 km long railway line fromAngamali to Erumeli to faciliate pil-grimage to the holy shrine ofSabarimala.

The legendary Dr E Sreedharan,India’s Metro Man, sounded cautionabout the Sabari Rail project. TheKerala Government has suddenlyraked up this project only to get polit-

ical gains for the next election. Thisrailway line will be of no use to Keralaor to the Sabarimala pilgrims. On theother hand, it will dislocate many peo-ple and cause severe environmentaldamage to the green, beautiful hillranges.” Dr Sreedharan told ThePioneer on Thursday.

He said that automatic signallingcan be introduced on the Trivandrum-Mangalore section and the line capac-ity increased to run many commutedtrains at half the cost meant for theproject. “This will reduce the roadcongestion and road accidents,” saidDr Sreedharan.

He said the lop-sided policies ofthe Kerala Government has resulted inthe stagnation of growth in the State.“A more urgent railway link is theextension of Trissur-Guruvayoor lineto Thirunavaya, (a project sanctionedabout 14 years back) which will reducethe running time of trains betweenErnakulam and Kozhikode by at leastone hour and the severe congestion atShornur junction too will be avoided,”he said.

There is widespread complaintagainst the Centre and Indian Railwaysfor using high handed measures like

threats and coercion to acquire landfor the seven kilometre stretch whichhas been built as part of the project.“This is a move to displace the popu-lation belonging to the minority com-munities from places likePerumbavoor, Kothamangalam up toErumeli. The question where wewould go from the places where wehave been living for decades remainsunanswered. The Kerala Governmenthad expressed its helplessness inacquiring land for the construction ofNational Highway in North Kerala andthe Centre was forced to shelve its planto build a six-lane track,” said P MBasheer, former councillor ofPerumbavoor Municipal Council.

Though the decision to partfinance the project has been taken bythe Pinarayi Vijayan Government,legal experts are of the view that landacquisition process would not be easy.“The Modi Government itself hasamended the land acquisition laws andthe Railways would find the processtough. The question is whether it isworthwhile for Governments of Indiaand Kerala to squander public moneyon a white elephant,” said a KeralaHigh Court lawyer.

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Never before have globaleducation systemsundergone such stress-ful times as wereunleashed on these — and theentire humanity, in fact — by theCOVID-19 pandemic. The chil-dren suffered unprecedentedrestrictions owing to lockdownand home confinement for extend-ed durations; away from theirclassrooms, friends, classmatesand teachers. There is considerableevidence of emotional, mentaland neurological impact on chil-dren, among others. Learning hasalso suffered much.

Mobiles, online learning andcontact with friends for the luckyfew did bring some solace but theseexperiences had their own limita-tions and inadequacies. Sufferingwas common to all, and caring wasexperienced from all sides. In thesetough times, positive vibes and ten-der, humane aspects were promi-nently evident all around. That was,and remains, the biggest ray ofhope. The pandemic is not yet overbut confidence has been regained:Vaccines are available; and humaningenuity shall overcome all adver-sity, no matter how major a deter-rent and of what magnitude theodds are. In the spirit of “We shallovercome”, things shall be put backon rails and start moving aheadmaybe with even greater vigour,confidence and assurance. Theworld’s population in the aftermathof the Coronavirus affliction wouldrequire new knowledge and newskill sets and, hence, all countriesshall strive to transform their edu-cation systems in the face of theemerging post-COVID world.

The world will no longer bethe same to which all of us havebeen accustomed for generations.This is the time for individuals,families, communities, countriesand international organisations toenvision the measure and magni-tude of the transition, be part ofit and ensure that the rhythm ofcivilisational advancement is sus-tained. Just when the number ofCorona positive cases had startedindicating a downward trend,media reports about the detectionof a new and more dangerousstrain in the UK have practicallynumbed the world. Suddenly, thehope of the impending relief withthe arrival of the anti-COVID vac-cines has given way to disturbingapprehensions and uncertainty.

A long battle ahead against theinvisible, albeit life-threatening,adversary appears inevitable. Itwould need people of the highesttalent, commitment, dedication

and spirit of service, and itwould need institutions of high-er education and research to getready at the optimum level oftheir efficiency to serve a glob-al cause. There would be noinstitution of higher learningthat could afford to ignore it inthe totality of its functioning.

The ray of hope, one wouldlike to emphasise, lies in the factthat human ingenuity wouldfinally win over. No calamity, vio-lence, war or any pandemiccould ever dampen the humanspirit to confront it, to explore theman-nature relationship and per-sistently unearth deeper secrets ofnature. This eternal human quest— symbolised by learning, re-learning and unlearning — shallcontinue with renewed vigour inthe years ahead. It would be sus-tained by the dynamic educationpolicies that would be subjectedto serious transformationsimposed by the pandemic.

India came out with a much-delayed new education policythat underwent finalisation in thethick of the Coronavirus crisis;thus enhancing its relevance andreadiness for a pragmatic, quickand sustained response. TheNational Education Policy (NEP-2020) presents a lofty transforma-tional vision and strategicallyindicates how to move ahead.One could scrutinise it for theinclusion of experiences and itspotential to comprehend theemerging aspirations and expec-tations of people. These shall haveto be achieved by the educationsystem through enhanced levelsof quality, dynamic skill acquisi-tion, appropriate personalitydevelopment, character building,innovations and research, andeverything else that is part of the

man-making education.Going ahead, the NEP-2020

shall be continuously assessed inits epistemological strength onthe premise that SwamiVivekananda had put beforeIndia more than 125 years ago:“We must have life-building,man-making, character-makingassimilation of ideas.” This, hetaught us, is the summum bonumof education, an education thataims at developing the an indi-vidual’s personality. He firmlydeprecated the practice of edu-cation that drives into the minds“of the learner a mass of infor-mation in which he may devel-op no interest”. The individual-ity of every child is to be com-prehended and respected as a liv-ing and growing up entity withinnate capacities and potential-ities, which are to be drawn out.

When the “Report toUNESCO of the InternationalCommission on Education forthe Twenty-First Century” waspresented under the title“Learning: The Treasure Within”,it accepted the philosophicalbase that Indian thinkers havepropounded since the ancienttimes. There are no limits tolearning and growing up. Theseelements need to be integralingredients in the implementa-tion of the NEP-2020.

The Indian education systemsuffered as it ignored the much-needed transition in strategy atthe time of Independence andopted for the convenience of con-tinuing with the transplanted sys-tem. In spite of commendableexpansion in access and partici-pation, India’s youth had to wadethrough the dilution of quality,inadequacy of personality devel-opment, lack of self-confidence,

disturbing levels of inadequacy ofentrepreneurial spirit and thespirit of caring and sharing. Thegap between the learner attain-ment and the level required/expected has become worrisome.

On the positive side, Indialearnt from its lapses and theNEP-2020 responds to the chal-lenges as it opens its first chap-ter with the words: “Education isfundamental for achieving fullhuman potential, developing anequitable and just society, andpromoting national develop-ment. Providing universal accessto quality education is the key toIndia’s continued ascent andleadership on the global stage interms of economic growth, socialjustice, equality, scientificadvancement, national integra-tion and cultural preservation.Universal high-quality educa-tion is the best way forward fordeveloping and maximising ourcountry’s rich talents andresources for the good of the indi-vidual, the society, the countryand for the world.” The youth ofIndia have the added responsibil-ity of acquiring the highest lev-els of competence, knowledgeand entrepreneurial skills in theglobal context and requirement.Our global presence would be agreat opportunity to put India atthe high pedestal on the world’sstage. India’s youth abroad shouldbe responsible ambassadors of itsculture, history and heritage.

India needs to uplift its insti-tutions to the level of Taxila,Nalanda, Vikramshila, Vallabhiand suchlike. The NEP-2020acknowledges it and inspiresIndia’s youth to march ahead onthe path of excellence. It recallsthe contributions made by theluminaries in the fields of math-

ematics, astronomy, metallurgy,medical sciences, engineering,architecture, ship-building, nav-igation and many others. The tra-ditional Indian education systemproduced scholars, researchers,scientists and philosophers of thehighest calibre; whose contribu-tions were indeed astounding fortheir times, and continue toserve humanity even at this junc-ture. Can anyone in the moderncivilised world ignore the contri-butions of Aryabhatta,Varahmihir, Bhaskaracharya,Brahmagupta, Chanakya,Patanjali, Panini, Maitreyi, Gargi,Thiruvalluvur and Gautama etal? Their contributions andexemplary dedication and devo-tion were worthy of acharyas.

The NEP-2020 has preparedthe necessary outline and strat-egy for the same. The challengeof implementation is facing thenation and the extent of successat another milestone would real-ly make a difference. The primeacceptors of the challenges thatwould unfold at the implemen-tation stage would be teachereducators, teachers and teachereducation institutions. Theywould determine the quality ofthe persons coming out of theschools and universities.

The NEP-2020 takes a com-prehensive view on the role ofteachers: “The teacher must be atthe centre of the fundamentalreforms in education system.The new education policy musthelp re-establish teachers, at alllevels, as the most respected andessential members of our society,because they truly reshape theupcoming generations of citizens.It must do everything to empow-er teachers and help them dotheir job as effectively as possible.The new education policy musthelp recruit the very best and thebrightest to enter the teachingprofession at all levels by ensur-ing livelihood, respect, dignityand autonomy while also instill-ing in the system basic qualitycontrol and accountability.”

The effective implementa-tion of the NEP-2020 would bepossible only through a trans-formed work culture that respectsthe learner, his sensitivities, aspi-rations and expectations. Thiscan be achieved only with theteachers who are lifelong learn-ers and personally convinced oftheir role as the builders of “NewIndia”. Only they would be ableto transform the learning envi-ronment, in which every childwho enters the system is welllooked after, her/his talent andinterests are nourished and nur-tured and s/he is prepared toenter the world of employmentfully equipped professionally,mentally and spiritually.

(The author works in edu-cation and social cohesion. Theviews expressed are personal.)

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��Sir — The ongoing spread of thebird flu across India is a matter ofgreat concern. With the possibil-ity of the communicable virusalways being present in animalsand birds, the Government shouldensure complete safety of its citi-zens, especially for vegetarians, byinstructing restaurants and foodparlours to use separate kitchen-ware to cook and serve vegetarianand non-vegetarian dishes.

Such a step will also meanrespecting the religious sentimentsof people whose faith does notallow for the killing of animals forfood. All restaurants, especiallythose where non-vegetarian foodis served, must declare at promi-nent places and on menu cards thatseparate cookware was used forpreparing and serving vegetarianand non-vegetarian food.

Taking a leaf from people inthe West, who have adopted veg-etarianism after realising its bene-fits from a number of medical stud-ies, there should be a move in Indiaas well to propagate vegetarianism.Already, even several starred andbudget hotels are discovering thatexclusive vegetarian restaurantsare gaining popularity.

Subhash Chandra AgrawalDelhi

��Sir — The full potential of thePublic Sector Banks (PSBs) is notbeing realised because the officers,fearing that they could be pulledup in the name of fixing respon-sibility, are shying away fromtaking clear-cut decisions.

It would help clear a lot ofconfusion if the Government

clearly spelt out the powers ofeach officer and gave them theassurance that no personalaccountability would be fixed forthe decisions taken by them aslong as these are according to thepowers vested in their position.

Sometimes, business callsmay go wrong and a banker can-not be the master of the businessmodels of all his clients. The inves-

tigation for accountability shouldbe carried out only if the delegat-ed authority is breached, there issuspicious of mala fide or negli-gence. The joint decisions of theconsortium of banks should gen-erally not be probed and noinquiry should be conducted afteran officer is relieved from service.

M RaghuramanMumbai

��Sir — Madhya Pradesh ChiefMinister Shivraj Singh Chouhanrecently joined a select group ofpoliticians in the country whohave refused to take theCoronavirus vaccine, saying thatthe priority groups should bevaccinated first.

Despite his claim that hewould await his rightful turnrather than getting the jab rightaway, it does seem more plausi-ble that he is biding time only tosee and judge the efficacy of thevaccine once it is rolled out amidreports of the possibility of inde-terminate side-effects. The fact isthat such pronouncements bypoliticians don’t inspire confi-dence about the anti-COVIDvaccine among the people.

As the Chief Minister,Chouhan should volunteer to beamong the very first to get vac-cinated to inspire confidenceamong the State’s people, especially after the DrugsController General of India hasstamped its approval on twoCoronavirus vaccines.

Bhagwan ThadaniMumbai

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In an unprecedented move, China recentlyremoved the military from the Government’scontrol and expanded the powers of its CentralMilitary Commission (CMC), headed by Xi Jinping.The CMC will now be able to mobilise military andcivilian resources in defence of national interest, bothat home and abroad. The new Defence Law hasremoved policy and decision-making from the StateCouncil (the Cabinet), thus consolidating power inthe hands of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)and Xi. It is aimed at strengthening the military lead-ership under Xi, providing it with the legal groundsto respond to the challenges of accelerating con-frontations in which China is embroiled with itsneighbours and the US. It empowers Xi to deal firm-ly with situations that could harm the communistregime at home and abroad. The CMC will now beresponsible for the formulation of the NationalDefence Policy removing it from the purview of theState Council.

Has Xi realised that his move to take on India,that was aimed at sending a strategic message, hasbackfired? Coupled with this, many other decisionstaken by Xi in 2020 are haunting him. There isincreased dissension and threat to the regime,spurring a debate on the fallout of these follies onthe future of Xi and the CCP. It being a single-partyState, the CCP is synonymous with China.

Empirically speaking, no totalitarian party sofar has ruled for more than 74 years. The CCP hasalready entered the 72nd year. It relies on three “Ps”to maintain its iron grip on China. Personnel con-trol, Propaganda and the People’s Liberation Army(PLA). In his effort to consolidate the rule of the CCPand its ideology, Xi has assumed firm control of thethree “Ps”, sidelining the “collective leadership” pro-pounded by his predecessors and thus becoming avirtual dictator.

In the process, is the CCP yielding control toXi and being undermined? In the absence of col-lective leadership Xi is surrounded by a coteriewhich, instead of giving rational advice, generallyaccedes to the Paramount Leader’s thinking? In hisurge to become the most powerful Chinese leaderand be equated with Chairman Mao Zedong, he hastaken a few decisions which are proving counter-productive, leading to dissension within and againstthe party. The latter is fuelled more by external forcesdetermined to overthrow the communist regime bytaking advantage of growing economic disparity andgrowth of two distinct classes in China. Plus, theexpansionist ideology of the CCP followed aggres-sively by Xi is a major bone of contention at the glob-al level.

When the communists under Mao seized con-trol of mainland China in 1949, it aggressively dis-tanced itself from its feudal past. However, underXi there has been a concerted attempt to merge thepast with the present. In order to combat the dis-sent against the CCP, he has projected the party asthe inheritor of the great Chinese empire of the past.Despite being born with a “Red spoon”, Xi was notparachuted to the top and had to work his way up.His family background and the subsequent strug-gle to rise to power has made him ambitious,adamant and a committed communist.

Xi took over the reins of the party in 2012 whenit was in a disarray. In the process of consolidatinghis position and hold over the party, he brought anend to the “collective leadership” system andbecame all powerful by grabbing all the three pow-erful posts in China, including a resolution passedfor abolishing the President’s term limit, enablinghim to rule indefinitely. This act has not gone down

well with young and aspiring leaders with-in the CCP who see a dark future forthemselves and no chance of rising to thetop. Like all authoritarian leaders Xi, too,has a fair number of dissidents anddomestic opponents.

During his consolidation of power,among other things, he has relied a lot onemphasis on ideology and nationalism. Tofulfil his ambition he announced aroadmap, that is often referred to as the‘China Dream.’ The underlying ideabehind the China Dream is to restore theformer Middle Kingdom’s glory andregain Chinese supremacy through expan-sionism. It is also aimed at minimisinginternal dissension through nationalunity. Xi’s ambition is to make China notonly stronger but assertive and the world’snumber one power by 2050.

China, under Xi, has witnessed sub-stantial growth, thus seeking a greater lead-ership role in world affairs. At the sametime his repressive policies in Tibet,Xinjiang and Hong Kong as well asexcessive curbs on academic freedom,issues like ecological degradation and thewidening wealth disparities at home, aprotracted trade war with the US andaggressive behaviour with its neighbourshave posed serious challenges for the partyand Xi, both domestically and globally.

The policy of forced populationtransfers is also proving counterproduc-tive due to fewer livelihood opportunitiesin the new habitats, causing widespreaddissatisfaction. The income disparitybetween the rural and urban populationalso poses a serious threat. His attemptsto introduce a legal framework in Chinahas drawn flak from the hardliners with-in the party who consider the CCP to beabove any law.

After the outbreak of COVID-19, forwhich many nations blame China, Xi hasbeen mired in controversies due to vari-ous decisions taken by him that have ledto the weakening of China globally andthe CCP domestically. To combat the glob-

al anger against China, Xi embarked onan aggressive policy to silence his criticsand dissenters at home. In the process, hecommitted the Himalayan blunder ofemploying the PLA to “teach” India, itspotential competitor, “a lesson.”

By doing so, he wanted to convey astrategic message but the resolute responseof India thwarted all his hopes and put himon the back foot, severely denting hisimage at home and abroad. His simulta-neous aggressive moves in the SouthChina Sea (SCS), the East China Sea(ECS), Hong Kong and Taiwan, too,drew stiff resistance. There was a globaloutcry to halt the expansionist designs ofthe CCP turning it into a battle of ideolo-gies: Communism versus democracy;authoritarian versus the Free World. The“Wolf Warrior diplomacy” and the “ThreeWarfares” strategy of Xi not only provedcounterproductive but led to completeChinese isolation and increased abhor-rence for the CCP.

His adventurism in the seas and onthe borders with India resulted in a uni-fied alliance by the West and by nationsin the neighbourhood against China. TheQUAD is fast turning into a militaryalliance from just a formal grouping. Japanis strengthening its armed forces. Australiahas become more belligerent vis-a-visChina. India has signed pacts to augmentdefence and economic engagement withVietnam and Japan; both victims ofChinese aggression. Taiwan is deter-mined to face the mainland hegemony andnot to succumb to its threats. Taiwan’sdetermination is buoyed by increased sup-port from the US. The UK, US and Francehave begun aggressive patrolling of theSCS. All eyes are now on US President-elect Joe Biden and his China policy, whichis expected to be tougher and more dam-aging than his predecessor DonaldTrump’s. But for a handful of friends inTurkey and Pakistan, China under Xi facestotal global isolation.

Even at home, things do not appear

to be better due to growing unemploy-ment, loss of business, relocation of glob-al companies, the fallout of control overHong Kong, disruption and realignmentof global supply chains, food shortage,growing income disparities, cruelties of thePLA and suppression of dissent with aniron hand. These are all adding to the woesof Xi.

The implementation of the recently-introduced Civil Code, an effort to intro-duce the Rule of Law, would be anotherlitmus test of Xi’s hold over the CCP. Thereis bound to be conflict of interest in its suc-cessful implementation and maintenanceof the supremacy of the CCP. Growingdemands for reforms and resistance by theethnic communities of the autonomousregions to forced “Sinofication” is a tin-derbox that may lead to the demise of theCPC and China’s balkanisation as andwhen it explodes.

China is at a unique point in history.The CCP has presided over the countryfor more than seven decades and is closeto the shelf life of contemporary totalitar-ian parties.

Will the all-powerful and overambi-tious Xi be able to steer China through itspresent crisis or would he cause the demiseof the CCP? It will, to a large extent dependon how he reacts to China’s global isola-tion and growing dissension within theparty.

Former professor Cai Xia, who hasbeen recently expelled from the eliteCentral Party School, has criticised Xi andsaid that under his regime the CCP is nota force for the progress of China. She saidthere was widespread opposition withinthe party but few dared to speak out asthey were afraid of political retaliation inthe form of internal party discipline andcorruption charges. The China watchersare keeping their fingers crossed.

(The writer is a Jammu-based veteran, columnist, security and

strategic analyst. The viewsexpressed are personal.)

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The Pioneer...2021/01/08 · ˘ˇˆ˙ ˘ ˇ ˆ ˙˝˙˛ ˘˙ ˘˚ ˚ ˜ ˜ ˘ ˘ ˜˘˚ ˘ ˘ ˜ ˘...

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Transcript of The Pioneer...2021/01/08 · ˘ˇˆ˙ ˘ ˇ ˆ ˙˝˙˛ ˘˙ ˘˚ ˚ ˜ ˜ ˘ ˘ ˜˘˚ ˘ ˘ ˜ ˘...