The Hindu Morning Digest, August 7, 2025
U.S. President Donald Trump did not confirm whether the additional 25% tariffs he had announced on Wednesday (August 6, 2025), on Indian exports to the U.S., for New Delhi's trade in arms and energy with Moscow, would be cancelled if Russia and Ukraine agreed to a ceasefire.
East Asia to be next focus of India's major diplomatic outreach
Against the backdrop of growing uncertainty in India-U.S. ties, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to reach out to East Asia in the coming weeks. As part of the initiative, Mr. Modi is likely to travel to Japan to meet his Japanese counterpart, Shigeru Ishiba, by the end of August. The visit to Japan is significant, as both countries are part of the Quad initiative that was launched by Australia, India, Japan, and the United States in 2017.
Trump's imposition of 50% tariff is economic blackmail to secure unfair trade deal: Rahul Gandhi
The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Wednesday said the second round of 25% tariff imposed on India was an 'economic blackmail' aimed at securing an unfair trade deal. In a post on X, Mr. Gandhi said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should not let his 'weakness' override the interests of the Indian people.
Donald Trump plans to meet Putin, Zelenskyy as soon as next week, NYT reports
U.S. President Donald Trump plans to meet in person with Russian President Vladimir Putin as early as next week, the New York Times reported on Wednesday (August 6, 2025), citing two people familiar with the plan. Mr. Trump then plans to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the newspaper reported, adding that the plans were disclosed in a call with European leaders on Wednesday.
NSA Ajit Doval to hold talks with Russian officials in Moscow
National Security Adviser Ajit Doval will hold meetings with senior Russian officials in Moscow on Thursday, just a day after the U.S. decided to impose an additional 25% penalty tariffs on India for its import of Russian oil. According to sources, Mr. Doval's visit is intended to prepare details for Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Delhi later this year.
All Indians should work together to make India the world's third largest economy: PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday urged all stakeholders to work together to make India the world's third largest economy and scale up national productivity. Addressing the Kartavya Bhavan inauguration programme in the national capital, Mr. Modi encouraged all Indians to contribute to the success stories of government initiatives such as Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat. Strengthening India's capabilities must become a shared pursuit and personal mission, he said.
Soldier opens fire at U.S. military base, wounding five troops
A soldier opened fire at a U.S. base in the southern State of Georgia on Wednesday (August 6, 2025), wounding five fellow troops before he was tackled and apprehended, a senior officer said. Fort Stewart, a large Army base that is home to thousands of soldiers and their relatives, went into lockdown as emergency personnel raced to respond to the 'active shooter' situation, with troops stepping in to help stop the violence.
A.G. Noorani, Arundhati Roy's books among 25 'forfeited' by J&K Home Department
The Jammu & Kashmir Home Department on Wednesday (August 6, 2025) declared 25 books, many by prominent writers such as A.G. Noorani, Sumantra Bose, Arundhati Roy and Ayesha Jalal, as 'forfeited for propagating false narrative and secessionism' in J&K.
Petrol lobbies behind E20 fuel fear campaign: Nitin Gadkari
Tests show that older vehicles are not damaged in any way by using a new petrol blend with a higher 20% of ethanol, Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari said on Wednesday (August 6, 2025), blaming the social media outrage against the new E20 blend on a 'political conspiracy', possibly fuelled by petrol lobbies..
R.G. Kar victim's family to meet CBI Director, Home Minister
Ahead of a mega rally on August 9 to mark one year of the horrific crime, parents of the doctor who was raped at killed at Kolkata's R.G. Kar Hospital, on Wednesday (August 6, 2025) left for Delhi. The parents said that they will meet the Director of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) during their visit to Delhi. They also said that they are willing to meet Home Minister Amit Shah if they can secure an appointment.
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India bids goodbye to Registered Post: When India used pigeons to send mail
India Post announced that it will merge its 50-year-old Registered Post service with modern speed post. As the curtains slowly draw on one of the most iconic services of Indian postal history, it's worth pausing for a moment to reflect on what we're leaving behind read more From September 1, 2025, Resgistered Post, a 50-year-old service, once valued for its reliability, affordability, and legal weight among office-goers, will be officially discontinued. AI-generated Image for Representation When was the last time you wrote a letter? Some of us can faintly recall writing one, maybe a postcard mailed on a holiday or a letter to a distant cousin. For Gen Z, licking a stamp and sealing an envelope may be something they've only seen in movies. It's 2025, a world ruled by WhatsApp messages and endless email threads, so it's no surprise that the art, and even the need, for handwritten letters has quietly faded into nostalgia. Yet, there was a time when letters carried emotions across cities, when the wait for a postman was filled with anticipation. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD But that era is sadly drawing to a close. Earlier this week, India Post said it would merge the 50-year-old Registered Post service, once valued for its reliability, affordability, and legal weight among office-goers, with the faster and more modern Speed Post service. An Indian postwoman wearing her new blue saree uniform empties a post box in New Delhi, 01 October image/AFP As the curtains slowly draw on one of the most iconic services of Indian postal history, it's worth pausing for a moment to reflect on what we're leaving behind and the rich legacy it has been carrying for centuries. Pigeons, horses & more: A look at India's ancient postal system Long before the British set up a structured postal system, ancient India had its own creative ways of staying connected. Messages were sent through runners, horse riders, and even pigeons. One of the earliest known postal systems can be traced back to the Mauryan Empire, during Emperor Chandragupta Maurya's reign (circa 321–297 BCE). Historical accounts suggest messages were often sent through pigeons, who became a trusted network of communication across the vast empire. Amazingly, this pigeon post system remained in use for centuries. In fact, in April 1948, then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru used a pigeon to send a message from Sambalpur to Cuttack regarding arrangements for a public meeting. The service continued until as late as March 2008, when Odisha officially retired its last pigeon post. The pigeon post system remained in use for centuries. Police in India's Odisha are preserving a flock of carrier pigeons for use when disasters sever communication links. File image/Reuters But pigeons weren't the only messengers. India's ancient postal network evolved significantly under the Delhi Sultanate. Around 1296, Alauddin Khilji introduced a structured system using a combination of relay runners and horses, according to records from India Post. The Mughal emperor Akbar is credited with refining this further. He set up what was called a 'dak chauki '— dak meaning 'post' and chauki referring to relay stations placed every 11 miles. Each station had runners or riders who would pass on state messages in a relay. You could even call it a very early version of express delivery. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The runners, known as meorahs, were celebrated for their astonishing endurance. According to 16th-century Portuguese writer Antoni de Montserrat, some were even believed to have had their liver removed in infancy to help them run long distances without getting breathless. Dak Chowki of Sher Shah Suri's period. Image courtesy: Wikimedia Commons Interestingly, despite the scale and organisation, these early postal services weren't meant for the public. They primarily carried official dispatches, used by kings, emperors, and administrators to maintain control over distant provinces. The British Empire's postal revolution To consolidate its hold over the Indian subcontinent, the British East India Company did more than fight battles — it built systems of control. And at the heart of that control was communication. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Company developed its own postal system known as 'Company Mail' across its territories. The first regular postal service started in Calcutta (now Kolkata) in 1766 under Lord Clive, then Governor of Bengal. By 1774, the city had a General Post Office that charged two annas per 100 miles. Similar offices opened in Madras and Bombay in 1786. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Under Warren Hastings, who succeeded Clive as Governor-General of India, the postal setup in Bengal became more structured. A Postmaster-General was appointed, and postage charges were introduced for private letters. By 1789, the East India Company had a network of daks (postal runners)— or dauriyas — connecting administrative homes to key towns. A postman leaving his office to deliver posts in Amritsar on Tuesday. File image/ PTI These dak runners, who often came from marginalised caste groups and ran for miles through forests and rivers to deliver letters, According to an Indian Express report citing a study Dak Roads, Dak Runners, and the Reordering of Communication Networks of historian Chitra Joshi, writes that these runners were not only 'loyal but remarkably efficient', navigating difficult terrain and even braving tigers, as noted in official records. A major transformation came in 1854 under Governor-General Lord Dalhousie, who introduced uniform postage rates and helped pass the India Post Office Act. This laid the foundation of India's national postal service, officially launched on October 1, 1854. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD By the early 20th century, India's postal system had become a cornerstone of communication and efficiency. Before independence, there were around 23,000 post offices. But in the decades that followed, the network grew at an incredible pace, reaching nearly 1.5 lakh post offices by 1978. Workers of India Post deliver parcels through Shikara postal service at Dal lake in Srinagar on October 12, 2022. File image/AFP Bollywood's love affair with letters As the postal system expanded, every town, village, and mohalla had its own postman, whose arrival was often awaited with the same anticipation as a festival. This emotional connection was also reflected in Indian pop culture. Songs like 'Dakiya Dak Laya' from the 1977 film Palkon Ki Chhaon Mein romanticised the postman's role in village life. Some were even as heart-wrenching as the one in Border (1997), where the postman delivers a letter to a soldier's family, the very 'chitthi' that confirmed his death. The song 'Sandese Aate Hain' from the same film became an anthem for longing and love, echoing the emotions of families waiting to hear from loved ones at the frontlines. 'Chitthi Aayi Hai' from the film Naam (1986) also captured the ache of homesickness. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The song Even Irrfan Khan's popular movie The Lunchbox (2013), rekindled that nostalgia of handwritten letters and missed connections. Beyond cinema, philately, the collection of postal stamps, became a popular hobby in Indian households. India Post even capitalised on this with special edition stamps marking historic events, freedom fighters, festivals, and even cinematic milestones. A stamp of India Post featuring Rajesh Khanna in 2013. Image courtesy: Wikimedia Commons Old letters, new challenges Today, India Post operates as a commercial arm of the Indian government, with over 160,000 post offices, more than 130,000 of which are located in rural India. With a workforce of around 600,000, it is the country's third-largest employer, after the armed forces and the railways. Despite being one of India's oldest institutions, the postal department is far from obsolete. As The Indian Express cited economist V Ranganathan from his Challenges in Reform of the Indian Postal Service, India Post continues to provide vital 'last-mile connectivity' and access to basic services, especially in remote and underserved regions. An Indian man (R) dictates to a letter writer sitting on a pavement outside the general post office in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata. File image/ Reuters 'India Post had been the earliest adopter of technology and infrastructure changes,' Ranganathan wrote. 'During the British period, it used the train extensively when it was introduced; when the airplane was introduced, again it was the first.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD However, in recent decades, the service has been squeezed between rapid digitalisation and fierce competition from private logistics players. According to official data, the number of registered items dropped by nearly 25 per cent, from 244.4 million in 2011–12 to 184.6 million in 2019–20. Yet, even in the face of declining volumes and changing habits, the iconic red postbox remains as a relic of a time when communication had heart, purpose and patience. With input from agencies
India.com
22 minutes ago
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Deccan Herald
22 minutes ago
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US President Donald Trump last week announced an additional 25 per cent tariff on US imports from India -- raising the overall duty to 50% -- as a penalty for the country's continued imports of Russian oil.
