&w=3840&q=100)
Peace tiptoes in, but businesses remain stalled near Attari-Wagah border
Sarthak Choudhury Amritsar/Ferozepur
Listen to This Article
Nearly 35 kilometres from Amritsar and close to the Attari-Wagah border lies a quiet monument tucked into the last BSF outpost before the no-man's land that leads to Pakistan. Known locally as Pul Moran — or Pul Kanjari, after a dancing girl — it's both bridge and memory, built by Maharaja Ranjit Singh over the Ravi canal.
Pul Moran village (named after the bridge), once a key trade stop between Amritsar and Lahore, is rooted in the 19th-century love story of Ranjit Singh and Moran, a Kashmiri dancer. When she lost a silver slipper in the canal and refused to
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
4 hours ago
- Business Standard
Indian Embassy in contact with Niger for Ranjit Singh's safe release: MEA
The Indian Embassy in Niger is in regular contact with local authorities for the safe release of Ranjeet Singh, an Indian national abducted during a terror attack in the West African country last month, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. Ranjeet Singh, a resident of Ramban district in Jammu and Kashmir, was kidnapped on July 15 during an attack at a construction site in Niger's Dosso region. Two other Indian workers, Ganesh Karmali and Krishna Gupta, lost their lives in the attack. Their mortal remains have already been repatriated to India, as per MEA. Providing the latest update, Union Minister Jitendra Singh shared a letter from the MEA on X (formerly Twitter), he wrote, "Latest update regarding Ranjit Singh from district Ramban, who had gone missing in Niger. The Indian embassy is in regular contact with the host government for the safety and release of Ranjit Singh. Every effort is being made to obtain information about the whereabouts and safety of Ranjit Singh as early as possible. In the statement issued by Ravi Singh Thakur, PS to Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh, it was mentioned that Indian officials have been actively engaging with senior leaders of the Nigerien government. "I met the Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on July 16, called on the Minister of Interior on July 24, and the Minister for Commerce and Industries on July 30," Thakur wrote. He said during these meetings, requests were made to share information on the safety and location of Ranjeet Singh and to ensure his early release. However, no specific update on his whereabouts has been received so far. A fresh diplomatic note requesting an update on the case was also sent recently. "The Ministry will keep informed of the developments," the letter concluded. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Indian Express
18 hours ago
- Indian Express
In rare praise for mainstream leaders, Mirwaiz lauds J&K MPs over Op Sindoor debate
The special debate on Operation Sindoor in Parliament found a mention in the sermon of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq here on Friday, with the Hurriyat Conference chief offering rare praise for the speeches made by three MPs from Jammu and Kashmir during it. National Conference parliamentarians Mian Altaf Ahmad (Anantnag-Rajouri seat) and Aga Ruhullah Mehdi (Srinagar) were among those who spoke during the debate, as did Independent MP Engineer Sheikh Rashid (Baramulla). Jailed in Tihar on UAPA charges, Rashid got permission from court to attend the House proceedings. Mirwaiz Farooq commended the three MPs, saying they spoke 'with passion and pain about the disempowerment and dispossession' of the people of J&K. 'A few days back in Parliament, there was a debate on the India–Pakistan war after the heinous Pahalgam incident, and different views by different political parties of India with regard to the war, its purpose, success or failure were put forward,' Mirwaiz, who is also the Valley's chief cleric, said, while giving his sermon at Srinagar's historic Jamia Masjid. 'Very few, and mostly in the Opposition, talked of the human aspect of the war and its costs, and its correlation to J&K,' he said. Adding that this 'reflects the mindset and mood of the times', Mirwaiz went on to speak about the speeches by MPs from J&K. 'Mian Altaf Sahib, Engineer Rashid Sahib, and Aga Ruhullah Sahib were the only ones to highlight the deep concerns and plight of the people at the epicentre of the basic problem and the current debate,' Mirwaiz said. 'They spoke with passion and pain about the disempowerment and dispossession of the people of J&K, and expressed the sentiments of the people of J&K that we have all along been talking about. It is good to see that, on these matters, all are on the same page.' Separatist leaders are mostly critical of mainstream politics and politicians, and boycott elections held for Parliament and the Assembly in Kashmir. With the public representatives seen as, in a way, fulfilling Delhi's agenda, separatist leaders also avoid any interaction with them. Mirwaiz's praise for the three MPs was therefore rare, especially as he heads the separatist conglomerate Hurriyat Conference. In his sermon, the Hurriyat chief reiterated that engagement between the stakeholders in India and Pakistan was the only viable option for resolution of all issues. 'I have always believed that neither war, nor violence, nor use of force can solve problems, or lead to peace and prosperity, which the billions of people in the Indian subcontinent seek, and the poor in this region deserve. Engagement at all levels is a far cheaper and evolved alternative,' he said. Mirwaiz added that he could only hope that what the Kashmiri parliamentarians said was heard by those in power in New Delhi, and that if they really wanted to lessen 'dil ki doori (the gap between the hearts of the people of Kashmir and other parts of India)', they must pay heed to it. Addressing a rally in Srinagar in September 2024, before the J&K elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said he, his government and party were working to remove both 'dil ki doori' and 'Dilli se doori (the distance between Delhi and Kashmir)'.
Time of India
21 hours ago
- Time of India
BSF top officers brief Manipur Governor on border security and peace efforts
Senior BSF officers met with the Governor of Manipur to discuss the region's security. They provided updates on border security and BSF operations. Discussions included coordination with state agencies to maintain peace. BSF has been deployed in Manipur since the ethnic violence began in May 2023. The Lok Sabha approved extending President's Rule. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal, ADG, BSF along with Ravi Kant, IG BSF called on the Governor of Manipur, Ajay Kumar Bhalla, at Raj the meeting, the officers briefed the Governor on the overall security situation along the border, operational preparedness of the BSF in the region, and ongoing efforts to maintain peace and also highlighted the ongoing coordination with state agencies and reiterated the BSF's commitment to maintaining peace and with other Central paramilitary forces, BSF troopers were deployed in Manipur since the ethnic violence broke out in the state on May 3, Wednesday, July 30, 2025, the Lok Sabha approved a resolution to extend President's Rule in Manipur for another six months beyond August Manipur, at least 258 people have been killed and over a thousand people injured in the ethnic violence between the tribal Kuki-Zo and the non-tribal Meitei people since May 3, 2023. More than 60,000 people have been displaced from their homes and villages who are staying in relief camps in different ethnic violence between the non-tribals Meiteis and tribal Kuki-Zo broke out in the northeastern state on May 3, 2023, after a ' Tribal Solidarity March ' was organised in the hill districts to protest the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
