In today’s edition: Manipur town on edge after fresh wave of violence; Haryana Dy CM on Nuh violence; inside Bharat Mandapam, the G20 summit venue; how Pakistan’s participation in World Cup could help change perception; Modi govt comes full circle on farm laws; and more
A day after three Meiteis were killed in the small town of Kwakta, which is located in Meitei-dominated Bishnupur district, the town’s main market area reverberated with sounds of firing. Ever since the police suspected Kuki involvement in the killings, the unrest has put the town on edge, and left its largest community – Muslim Meitei Pangals – more vulnerable than ever before.
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In the latest Idea Exchange, Deputy Chief Minister of Haryana Dushyant Chautala spoke on the recent communal flare-up in Nuh, the JJP-BJP alliance, and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections: “We are a state which has a good Muslim population from Yamunagar to Mewat. They have been living here for a long time… But seeing this issue, yes, it is a serious concern. We have never seen communal thought processes and they have been built up over a period.”
???? From the Front Page
Two days before the beginning of a debate on the no-confidence motion against his government in Lok Sabha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stepped up his attack on the Opposition and non-BJP bloc INDIA, saying “people today are saying Quit India to all ills. This means, corruption, Quit India; dynasty, Quit India; appeasement, Quit India.”
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge hit back hours later, accusing the BJP of indulging in “divisive” politics, and saying that it is the victory of the alliance that the PM is remembering the Quit India movement, which the BJP’s “political ancestors” had “opposed”.
Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, India’s theme for its ongoing G20 Presidency, is a Sanskrit phrase roughly translating to ‘the whole earth is one family’. It’s also the central idea that has instructed the design of the newly built Bharat Mandapam, which will host the G20 Summit in New Delhi next month. We take a tour inside as the centre undergoes some finishing touches before the Summit.
In Rajasthan’s Bhilwara district, where the body of a 14-year-old girl was burnt on August 2, according to police on, after she was allegedly gangraped and killed — protesters, including members of the Opposition BJP, have been sitting on a dharna outside the nearest police station. Her parents are inconsolable. And there is anger in the family against the local policemen who, they allege, did not take timely action.
An allegedly ‘derogatory’ comment against Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on a WhatsApp group has landed its administrator in trouble. “He remained silent instead of deleting it and removing Muslim Ansari (the member who posted the comment) from the group. However, several members in the group raised an objection,” the police said.
???????? Must read
Over 2.69 lakh income tax returns were filed for income above Rs 1 crore for the financial year 2022-23, an increase of 49.4 per cent from the pre-pandemic year of 2018-19,while returns filed for income up to Rs 5 lakh rose by 1.4 per cent in the same period, as per e-filing data of the Income Tax Department. Read our data analysis for more details
???? “Chances are Ahmedabad will see fans in Pakistan green waving their country’s flags from the stands. This scenario provides the biggest test for organisers, security agencies, hotel staff and, of course, the local fans. This October, Ahmedabad needs to be at its best behaviour.”
With Pakistan’s participation in the 2023 cricket World Cup getting the final stamp of approval, the ball is now in India’s court. The Indian Express’ National Sports Editor Sandeep Dwivedi explains why the Ahmedabad match has the potential to change perception.
✍️ In our Opinions section today, Vikram S Mehta writes on the global climate crisis: “What is clear in my mind is that there is no one political, social or institutional instrument to tackle the challenge of global warming… The challenge can only be met if the global community sink their differences and act in political, economic and financial concert.”
More than three years have passed since the Narendra Modi government enacted its three farm reform laws. It was billed as the “1991 moment” for Indian agriculture. Following protests by farmer unions, the reform laws were repealed in November 2021. They have ceased to exist in letter — and in spirit. And it’s been courtesy of not the unions, but the government itself. Here’s why.
⌛ And finally…
⭐ Bonus read: Pepper, considered the King of Spices, has been traded around the world since antiquity, prized for its flavour, scarcity and supernatural origins. At one point, it became so coveted that it facilitated the Age of Discovery, as European colonial powers battled over the commodity. Stock up on your knowledge of the spice with the latest Express Research!
???? Find out about Rahul Gandhi’s lunch treat at an iconic Delhi restaurant, a new Bill proposing express visas for people coming to India for treatment, and CPWD’s bid for artworks for the new Vice-President’s Enclave, only in today’s Delhi Confidential!
???? In the latest edition of the 3 Things podcast, we discuss what led to the shooting onboard the Jaipur Mumbai train, why young men in Punjab are looking for brides with high IELTS scores, and what is happening in Nuh.
Until next time,
Ayesha Jain and Arushi Bhaskar
