'Visited 33 Countries But...': Mani Shankar Aiyar's Dig At Shashi Tharoor Over Op Sindoor Outreach
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Hans India
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Trump's comments on India and its economy 'belittling, unacceptable': Anand Sharma
Congress leader and former commerce minister Anand Sharma on Monday asserted that US President Donald Trump's comments on India and its economy are "belittling and unacceptable", as he urged the government not to succumb to the American leader's "bullying tactics" to sign a "suboptimal" trade deal. In a statement, Sharma said India must uphold its sovereignty and supreme national interests and Parliament as well as leaders of all political parties must be taken in confidence on any understanding reached with the US. "President Trump has triggered an upheaval and caused unprecedented disruption in the world order by his utterances and actions. His comments on India and its economy are belittling and unacceptable," the Congress leader said. His remarks come days after Trump announced the imposition of 25 per cent tariff and penalties on India and called India and Russia "dead economies". Echoing Trump's criticism of the Indian economy, Rahul Gandhi had last week said everybody except Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman know that the country's economy is "dead". In his statement, Sharma said India has withstood pressures and threats in the past and emerged stronger. "President Trump is mistaken that India does not have options. As the fourth largest economy India has resilience and inherent strength to engage with the world on principles of equality and mutual respect," Sharma said. "Signing of a robust economic and trade agreement with the UK is most welcome. India should prioritise concluding India-EU Trade deal. It is equally important to engage with major trading blocs and regions: Africa Union, ASEAN, GCC and LAC to deepen market access and trade," Sharma said. He said the government must not succumb to Trump's "bullying tactics" to sign a "suboptimal" trade deal. "India must uphold its sovereignty and supreme national interests. Parliament and leaders of all political parties must be taken in confidence on any understanding reached with the US," Sharma said.
Mint
12 minutes ago
- Mint
Confirmed! Documents, biometric data reveal Pakistani nationality of slain Pahalgam terrorists after Op Mahadev
Pahalgam attack: Days after the three terrorists involved in the devastating Pahalgam attack were eliminated under Operation Mahadev, security agencies have gathered documents including biometric data, confirming that they were Pakistani nationals, officials said on Monday. As per the evidence collected, none of the slain terrorists were locals, confirmed officials, reported PTI. The documents collected by the security agencies which helped officials confirm the Pakistani nationality of the terrorists include: biometric records of Pakistan's National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), voter identity slips issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan digital satellite phone data, including logs and GPS waypoints Not just the voter slips and other documents, personal items were also discovered that offered more clues to their identities — including candy wrappers from 'CandyLand' and 'ChocoMax', both popular Pakistani brands made in Karachi. Officials also said that the post-encounter investigation, including ballistics weapon-to-cartridge match and statements of two detained Kashmiri helpers, further corroborated the terrorists' involvement in the Pahalgam attack. The slain terrorists were identified as Suleman Shah alias "Faizal Jatt", an A category terrorist, mastermind and lead shooter; his close associate Abu Hamza alias 'Afghan', an A-grade commander and the second gunman; and Yasir alias 'Jibran', also an A-grade commander and the third gunman. All the three slain terrorists had their addresses in Kasur distirct's Changa Manga and Koiyan village near Rawalakot, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The officials said the NADRA-linked Smart-ID chips – a micro-SD recovered from a damaged sat-phone contained the NADRA biometric records (fingerprints, facial template, family tree) of all three men — traced their addresses to those regions. While speaking at the Lok Sabha last week, Home Minister Amit Shah said that Operation Mahadev involved the questioning of around 1055 individuals within a span of over three hours. "Based on the inputs gathered, composite sketches were prepared. Subsequently, on June 22, two individuals — Bashir and Parvez — were identified as those who had harboured the terrorists,' said Shah.
Indian Express
12 minutes ago
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From Shivcharan, Shibu Soren to Guruji: Tribal messiah who changed Adivasi politics
It was 2019. Jharkhand assembly elections had already been announced. On an early winter morning, I was sitting beside the ageing Shibu Soren at his house in Dumka. A huge crowd, cutting across caste, creed and community, had gathered there and was waiting for their leader to flag off the campaign for the day. When we finished our conversation, Soren stood up and wished them good luck. Two kilometre away, another crowd had gathered for the same reason — Prime Minister Narendra Modi was about to come and address the election campaign. Days later, Soren's magic worked again. Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) formed the government, and this time they broke all previous records. Soren's death marks the end of an era in the national life of Adivasis. He instilled in them a sense of political struggle. Soren was destiny's child. The gruesome murder of his father, Sobaran Manjhi, who was a teacher in a school in Gola beside Nemra, his ancestral village, changed his life. Sobaran stood against the exploitation by moneylenders and was eventually killed when Shivcharan, as Shibu was known in his early life, was still very young. This incident turned Shivcharan into an adult overnight. From Shivcharan, he became Shibu, later Guruji and then Disom Guru — all through a life dedicated to eradicating moneylending, exploitation and oppression of Adivasis in the region. Legend has it that Shivcharan had promised that he would not shave his beard until he took revenge for his father's murder. However, his revenge did not stop at just doing away with moneylending. The struggle led him to mainstream politics and resulted in the formation of Jharkhand as a separate state in 2000. After the murder of his father, Soren raised a band of youth and led a movement against moneylenders in his region, who used to collect exorbitant interest against loans. Failure to pay them off would result in crop being snatched from the tribal farmers' lands. Often, the moneylenders would even grab their lands and till them. Against this heinous practice, Soren carried out a Dhan katni (harvesting) movement. His supporters harvested the standing crops that the moneylenders had grown on the 'grabbed' lands. Due to the violent nature of the movement, many FIRs were filed against Soren. But the police could never catch him. In 1972, Soren, along with veteran communist leaders Binod Bihari Mahato and A.K. Roy, formed Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM). However, he continued to live a life of a fugitive due to police lookouts and his animosity with the moneylenders. To his own people, Soren was a messiah, but to the others, including to political parties like the Congress, the ruling party of his time, Soren was an anathema. Soren's stories soon reached the corridors of power — both in Patna and in Delhi. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi reportedly wanted him to be 'under control'. A young Indian Administrative Serviceofficer, K B Saxena, was sent to Dhanbad as its deputy commissioner to deal with him. Saxena, however, soon learnt that the government's notes on Soren were not all true. Eventually, Saxena met Soren in the deep forest of Tundi, where Soren ran a ratri pathshala for the people in the region. He found Soren's struggle legitimate and convinced him to surrender before the law. He even sent a letter to Mrs Gandhi briefing her on Soren's life and struggle. This letter changed Soren's political destiny. When he surrendered in 1975, Congress was willing to join hands with JMM, under the leadership of United Bihar's chief minister Jagannath Mishra. Mishra arranged a meeting between Soren and Mrs Gandhi. In 1980, Soren became an MP and emerged as the undisputed leader of the tribal people who had been long fighting for a separate state. He had, nonetheless, been accused in many cases of violence, including for Chirudih massacre. But one after another, he was acquitted in all of these cases. From 1980 to the year 2000, Soren led the Jharkhand statehood movement from the front. He worked with leaders like Atal Behari Vajpayee, LK Advani, Lalu Prasad, and many others to achieve his goal — the statehood for Jharkhand. The tribal people of India will remember Soren for his grit, determination and struggle for political self-determination, while for the people of Jharkhand, he will always be alive – in thoughts and resilience. The writer is the head of the department, Journalism and Mass Communication, St. Xavier's College, Ranchi
