Black ribbons and assemblies to pay homage: Delhi's lawyers condemn Pahalgam terror attack
Condemning the attack, the Delhi High Court Bar Association requested lawyers to wear black ribbons while appearing in Court.
'The Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA) strongly condemns the dastardly and cowardly terrorist attack on the lives of innocent tourists at Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir and such heinous acts challenging the unity, integrity and sovereignty of our Nation,' read a DHCBA circular.
'The members are requested to wear black ribbons while appearing in the court, as a mark of protest against this terrorist attack,' the circular added.
The New Delhi Bar Association (NDBA) in Patiala House Court requested lawyers to assemble in the Central Hall at the Court complex to pay homage to the 'departed souls'. 'It is with profound sorrow that, on behalf of NDBA members, we express our deepest condolence to the families of innocent citizens who lost their lives in the 'Brutal Terrorist Massacre' in Pahalgam, Kashmir on 22.04.2025,' read the NDBA circular.
'We stand in solidarity with the victims and their families and strongly condemn the cowardly act of violence…We request the members to assemble today in the Central Hall at 04:30 pm to pay homage to the departed souls,' it added.
Sources indicated the death toll in the Pahalgam terror attack could go up since several others have sustained serious injuries.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who cut short his two-day visit to Saudi Arabia, promised that 'those behind this heinous act will be brought to justice… they will not be spared'. He was briefed about the terror attack by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who later reached Srinagar to review the situation.
A team of National Investigation Agency (NIA) officers have reached the spot, and one of the four attackers has been identified, said officials.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Indian Express
33 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
Phase-II distribution of AGY houses on PM's birthday: Min
BHUBANESWAR: The state government will issue work orders to more beneficiaries under the Antyodaya Gruha Yojana on September 17 to mark the 75th birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, informed Rural Development minister Rabi Narayan Naik on Monday. He said the state government has planned to construct over five lakh houses under the scheme in the next three years, with a budget allocation of Rs 2,600 crore for the current year. Another Rs 7,550 crore will be provided in the next three years, he added. Under Antyodaya Gruha Yojana (AGY), poorest of the poor who did not figure in the priority list prepared by previous government, economically weaker sections, persons with disabilities (PwDs), widows, cancer patients, people suffering from other serious ailments, victims of natural/man-made calamities and beneficiaries of Forest Rights Act (FRA) will be be covered. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi launched the AGY at a special function at Bhawanipatna in Kalahandi district on May 30 this year with distribution of work orders to 60,000 beneficiaries across the state. Naik said all left-out eligible households will be covered under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojan - Gramin (PMAY-G) and AGY in phases. The state government has received applications from nearly 37.90 lakh individuals for housing assistance under PMAY-G. Earlier, the minister had announced that work orders to the new eligible beneficiaries will be distributed from November.
Economic Times
44 minutes ago
- Economic Times
PM Modi to meet China's top diplomat Wang Yi as Asian powers rebuild ties
ANI Prime Minister Narendra Modi Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet with China's top diplomat on Tuesday in a sign of easing tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors after a yearslong standoff between the Asian powers. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who arrived in India on Monday, is scheduled to hold talks with Modi and other leaders, including National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, about the disputed border in the Himalayan mountains. Reducing the number of troops on the border, and resuming some trade there, is expected to be on the agenda. Also Read: China lifts curbs on fertilizers, rare earths & tunnel boring machines to India The rebuilding of ties coincides with friction between New Delhi and Washington after U.S. President Donald Trump imposed steep tariffs on India, a longtime ally seen as a counterbalance against China's influence in Asia. India is part of the Quad security alliance with the U.S. along with Australia and Japan. 'Compromise at the highest political level' India and China's decades-old border dispute worsened in 2020 after a deadly clash between their troops in the Ladakh region. The chill in relations affected trade, diplomacy and air travel as both sides deployed tens of thousands of security forces in border areas. Some progress has been made since then. Last year, India and China agreed to a pact on border patrols and withdrew additional forces along some border areas. Both countries continue to fortify their border by building roads and rail networks. In recent months, the countries have increased official visits and discussed easing some trade restrictions, movement of citizens and visas for businesspeople. In June, Beijing allowed pilgrims from India to visit holy sites in Tibet. Both sides are working to restore direct flights. Last week, the spokesman for India's foreign ministry, Randhir Jaiswal, said India and China were in discussions to restart trade through three points along their 3,488-kilometer (2,167-mile) border. Manoj Joshi, a fellow at the Observer Research Foundation, a New Delhi-based think tank, said relations are still at an uneasy level of normalization. "Settling the boundary issue between the two countries requires political compromise at the highest political level," said Joshi, who also served as a member of the advisory board for India's National Security Council. He asserted that the countries are "still talking past each other when it comes to the border dispute and issues surrounding it." On Monday, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Beijing is willing to take Wang's India visit as an opportunity to work with the Indian side to "properly handle differences and promote the sustained, sound and stable development of China-India relations." Mao said Wang's meeting with Modi's national security adviser will "continue in-depth communication to jointly safeguard peace and tranquility in the border areas." Modi plans to visit China soon The thaw between Beijing and New Delhi began last October when Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met at a summit of emerging economies in Russia. It was the first time the leaders had spoken in person since 2019. Modi is set to met Xi when he travels to China late this month - his first visit in seven years - to attend the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a regional grouping formed by China, Russia and others to counter U.S. influence in Asia. Earlier this year, Xi called for India and China's relations to take the form of a "dragon-elephant tango" - a dance between the emblematic animals of the countries. Last month, India's external affairs minister visited Beijing in his first trip to China since 2020. The U.S. and Pakistan play roles in the thaw The renewed engagement comes as New Delhi's ties with Trump are fraying. Washington has imposed a 50% tariff on Indian goods, which includes a penalty of 25% for purchasing Russian crude oil. The tariffs take effect Aug. 27. India has shown no sign of backing down, instead signing more agreements with Russia to deepen economic cooperation. Trump's renewed engagement with India's arch rival, Pakistan, has also encouraged New Delhi's overtures to China, said Lt. Gen. D.S. Hooda, who led Indian military's Northern Command from 2014 to 2016. In June, Trump hosted Pakistan's army chief for a White House lunch and later announced an energy deal with Islamabad to jointly develop the country's oil reserves. Both followed Trump's claims of brokering a ceasefire between India and Pakistan after the two sides traded military strikes in May. That clash saw Pakistan use Chinese-made military jets and missiles against India. "China is heavily invested in Pakistan and, practically speaking, you can't have any expectation that Beijing will hold back support to Islamabad," Hooda said. "But you can't have two hostile neighbors on your borders and simultaneously deal with them also."
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Indian migration: Why millions quit Modi's ‘New India'
Published : Aug 18, 2025 20:54 IST - 11 MINS READ On January 10, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his first podcast, interacted with entrepreneur and investor Nikhil Kamath. During the discussion, Modi reflected on an incident when, as Gujarat Chief Minister, he was denied a US visa. Describing it as an 'insult' to an elected government and the nation, Modi recalled his vision of a future where global demand for Indian visas soars and residents from all over the world stand in queues, waiting for their turn. 'I now see that it's India's time,' Modi said, referring to a statement he made during a press conference in 2005. Since 2014, when Modi became Prime Minister, he has repeatedly proclaimed the dawn of a 'New India'—a nation reborn in confidence, shedding what he once described as the 'shame' Indians felt before 2014. Under the ambitious banners of 'Amritkaal' and 'Viksit Bharat', his government promises a resurgent, self-assured nation stepping boldly onto the world stage. Yet behind the official rhetoric lies a sobering reality: tens of thousands of Indians choosing to leave the country every year. Data presented in Lok Sabha on August 8 revealed that more than two lakh Indians formally severed legal ties with India annually in the last three years. This steady stream of departures raises uncomfortable questions about the lived experience of Indians behind Modi's proclamations. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the number of Indians who gave up their Indian citizenship was 85,256 in 2020; 1,63,370 in 2021; 2,25,620 in 2022; 2,16,219 in 2023; and 2,06,378 in 2024. Under the United Progressive Alliance-2 rule, the number of such cases were 1,22,819 in 2011; 1,20,923 in 2012; 1,31,405 in 2013; and 1,29,328 in 2014. The Minister of State for External Affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh, stated in a written reply that the decision to renounce Indian citizenship or acquire foreign citizenship is a personal choice, known only to the individual. 'India stands to gain a lot from tapping its diaspora networks and productive utilisation of the soft power that comes from having such a flourishing diaspora,' Singh added. Also Read | India's fascist challenge Countries have long experienced migration for various reasons. India started to witness significant 'brain drain' in the 1970–80s. A new book by noted economist and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's media advisor Sanjaya Baru, Secession of the Successful: The Flight Out of New India (2025), highlights not just human capital loss but also wealth flight, harming India's economy while benefiting host nations. On one hand, Gulf countries, the US, Israel, Russia, and Taiwan actively recruit Indian labour—ranging from semi-skilled workers to IT professionals—to plug shortages in construction, technology, defense, and manufacturing sectors, he underscores in his book. On the other, he adds, India's affluent classes—middle-class families investing in foreign education and millionaires buying overseas citizenship—are increasingly heading for the exits, chasing better opportunities, tax havens, and First World lifestyles. 'Even as India seeks to redefine itself as Bharat, and pursues the dream of being Viksit by 2047, a globalized Indian elite wants to be part of that developed world today. They want their Amrit Kaal now,' he writes. Further, he notes, 'Indian elites—across professions—are using the resources at their command—knowledge, money, power—to make the most of this opportunity and emigrate. Children of wealthy business persons, powerful politicians, senior government officials and diplomats, military leaders and business executives, academicians and scholars, the elites across social categories find the next generation opting to emigrate or at least acquire the possibility of future emigration.' In today's climate, according to the eminent economist Arun Kumar who is an authority on black economy, the rich feel insecure because of growing crony capitalism, and the skilled see little promise in a system starved of jobs and hostile to innovation. 'Companies that are very profitable are being subjected to hostile takeovers by big businesses be it Adani, Ambani, or the Tatas. The ultra high net worth individuals are finding the investment climate very negative and the reason is that crony capitalism has reached new heights,' Kumar told Frontline, elaborating that of an estimated 2,50,000 ultra high net worth individuals in 2019, about 40,000 have reportedly left the country. 'Then there are other kind of people who are migrating because we have limited opportunities at home and the quality of life and then jobs. The domestic economy offers neither security nor scope. A feudal, innovation-stifling order bleeds talent, while chronic joblessness pushes even the modestly skilled to seek dignity abroad. Without deep reforms in education, research and development, employment and agriculture, the outflow will not stop—it will merely choose new borders to cross.' Unemployment fuels migration High unemployment rates, particularly among the youth (45.4 per cent for ages 15-24 in India in 2022-23, according to a 2023 report by Center for Monitoring Indian Economy), coupled with stagnant rural economies and aspirational images of wealth abroad, fuel migration. In May 2024, a government report revealed that underemployment in India was alarmingly high at 62.28 per cent. Over 30 crore unorganised workers have registered themselves on the eShram portal, launched by the Ministry of Labour and Employment on August 26, 2021, by September 2024. Many observers said the desperation among Indian youth, both educated and uneducated, to seek better economic opportunities abroad has been driving them to undertake even perilous journeys, often at great personal and financial cost. The Hindi film Dunki (2023) vividly portrayed this struggle, depicting the 'donkey route'— a dangerous, illegal immigration path involving multiple countries to reach the US, the UK, or Canada, often costing families their life savings (up to Rs.85 lakh). Similarly, Aadujeevitham: The Goat Life (2024), a Malayalam biographical survival drama film, highlighted the harrowing experiences of Indian migrants, showcasing exploitation and hardships faced in pursuit of a better life in the Arab world. This desperation is underscored by real-time events, such as the US deporting undocumented Indian migrants on military flights, shackled during the journey, reflecting the harsh consequences of failed attempts. Critics pointed out that there is a striking irony in the grand overseas receptions for Modi, often organised by Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) who left India for better prospects. Political opponents argue that such events, often orchestrated with meticulous planning and media optics, serve more as political theatre than genuine expressions of national pride. Political scientist and author Ajay Gudavarthy said, 'Migration is not only an economic phenomenon but it is also social in the current context' adding, 'It is ironical that the diaspora that leaves the nation continue to support a regime that is responsible for the conditions that they otherwise despise.' Observers note that migration is less a product of policy design than a trend Hindutva politics has learned to harness. Baru also highlights in his book how economic factors and a cultural agenda—viewing the diaspora as a strategic Hindu constituency—align with the RSS–Vishva Hindu Parishad's long-standing vision of a global Hindu identity. As early as 1978, the then Foreign Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee advocated embracing overseas Indians as cultural inheritors. This echoed the RSS's 1960s project, where the VHP sought to unite Hindus worldwide against perceived threats from Islam and Christianity, linking this thought of organising Hindus worldwide as a cultural-political force, modelled somewhat on the 'Ummah' in Islam or the global Christian networks that developed during the colonial period. Baru traces how migration, economic mobility, and overseas temples fostered a connection among the Hindu diaspora. The Modi-led BJP, rooted in this ideology, actively engages NRIs and Persons of Indian Origin as cultural and political allies, branding them as ambassadors of 'New India'. Yet, he notes, NRI has come to mean the 'non-returning Indian'. 'It is ironical that the diaspora that leaves the nation continue to support a regime that is responsible for the conditions that they otherwise despise.'Ajay GudavarthyPolitical scientist and author In contrast to the rising emigration trend, the ruling BJP asserts that under Prime Minister Modi, the Indian passport's global standing has risen markedly, citing India's growing economic clout and geopolitical influence. Political observers, however, accuse the party of manufacturing false hype. In 2019, Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar waxed lyrical about the Indian passport's rising glory under Modi's stewardship, yet the chorus of critics struck a dissonant chord, exposing the irony of him having a Canadian citizenship. Beyond the striking numbers, countless others, like actor Vivek Oberoi—known for portraying Modi in the 2019 biographical film PM Narendra Modi—are choosing to settle overseas while retaining their Indian citizenship. According to Arun Kumar, emotional ties to the country have weakened after 1991, when India embraced sweeping economic reforms—liberalisation, privatisation, and globalisation. 'After 1991, the idea of returning to 'serve the nation' gave way to the logic of maximising personal opportunity—earnings now matter more than emotional ties, and migration is no longer a temporary detour but a permanent exit,' said Kumar. 'Unless we fix our twin crises of employment and quality education, the passport surrender counter will keep ticking—only the destination countries will change. When our few truly skilled professionals leave, they take with them the capacity to innovate—that's why after decades we still import engines, electronics, and defence equipment instead of building them at home,' he added. During the Indian independence movement, capitalists supported it financially, aligning with the Congress on nationalism. Over time, Baru writes in his book, their patriotism waned as they collaborated with foreign capital, initially for technology, capital, markets, and later for foreign residence and citizenship. Unlike European and American multinationals, where key personnel remain nationals of the origin country, he adds, many Indian business families in the 'New India' today now live in or hold citizenship in developed countries, seeking a better life and economic security. There is an entire chapter in the book titled 'Indian Brains in MAGA'. Baru notes that India received record inward remittances amounting to $129 billion in 2024, yet this pales in comparison to the estimated $1 trillion global income of its diaspora. He also stresses on the need to differentiate between remittances and foreign investments by overseas Indians, particularly highlighting 'round-tripping'—where funds are routed through tax havens like Mauritius, Singapore, and Dubai. It notes that a significant portion of foreign investment involves this practice, leading to loss of tax revenue due to tax shelters and the emigration of wealthy individuals acquiring non-resident status. Economic fugitives Recent years have also seen several wealthy individuals leave the country allegedly after committing economic frauds, leading to billions in losses for banks and public institutions. Notable cases include businessman Vijay Mallya, who defaulted on loans over Rs.9,000 crore for Kingfisher Airlines and fled to the UK in 2016. Jeweller Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi are also linked to the Rs.13,000 crore Punjab National Bank scam; they escaped to the UK and Antigua, respectively, in 2018. Lalit Modi, the former Indian Premier League chairman accused of tax evasion, money laundering, and financial irregularities involving over Rs.400 crore fled to the UK in 2010 but remains relevant due to ongoing legal efforts. Others like arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari and diamond merchant Jatin Mehta, accused of money laundering and frauds worth crores, also went into hiding. Government data show that 38 economic offenders fled India between 2015 and 2019. In 2015, Modi told the Indian diaspora in Seoul: 'People once wondered what sin they committed to be born in India. Questioning the country, government, and society many left', adding that professionals were now eager to return. Despite his 2017 quip that 'hard work is more powerful than Harvard', the exodus of skilled workers continues, with many BJP leaders sending their children abroad for education. Attracting brighter minds On the contrary, observers point out that the first Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru's vision of a modern scientific state and his personal appeal to India's brightest minds drew Homi Jehangir Bhabha, Vikram Sarabhai, Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar, Meghnad Saha, P.C. Mahalanobis, Homi Sethna, Raja Ramanna, and M.S. Thacker back to build institutions like the ISRO, IITs, Council of Scientific & Industrial Research, Indian Statistical Institute, and India's atomic energy programme. Also Read | U.N. migration report 2020: 18 million Indians living outside their homeland; women now comprise nearly half of all international migrants Stressing that stable institutions and a supportive social climate are a prerequisite for economic activities to thrive, Gudavarthy, said: 'Over the last decade India has witnessed a consistent undermining of rule of law and a model of governance that thrives on fear over transparency. Industrialist Rahul Bajaj mentioned this aspect of fear in an open interaction with the Home Minister Amit Shah. Similarly, Biocon head Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw had expressed concern about the growing environment of social conflict in Karnataka.' According to political commentator Aakar Patel, India's wealthy are leaving because they no longer trust the country's economic future or the integrity of its institutions. 'The flight, which is real as the numbers tell us, is an indication of two things. The wealthy have lost confidence in the Indian economy. They do not think the 'India story' has a happy ending. Secondly, they have little confidence in the state—the edifice of government and its agencies,' said Patel, whose Price of the Modi Years (2023), a data-driven critique of India's performance under Prime Minister Modi since 2014, highlighted declines in economy, democracy, and social cohesion. 'What used to be a generational shift of sending children abroad to study and then settle, has now become more urgent. Those Indians who have the capacity to quit India are voting with their feet.'
