NEW DELHI 04 AUGUST 2024 SUNDAY `12 PAGES 24  facebook/TheMorningStandard  X.com/TheMornStandard https://epaper.morningstandard.in Shadow Lines PLUS: 12 PAGES EXCLUSIVE VOICES Anand Neelakantan S Vaidhyasubramaniam Ravi Shankar Preeti Shenoy Finding the Way Home UP ABOVE THE WORLD MAGAZINE BABY ON BOARD DineshSingh Prabhu Chawla Shankkar Aiyar Nanditha Krishna Crafting an Empowered Legacy Cleverly Colour Drench Your Home Lights Camera Reaction SWAMI SUKHABODHANANDA SPEAKS Conquest of Fear Catch fashion designer Rehane in conversation with Tune in for all things Life and Lifestyle! Scan to listen Available on: YouTube & Spotify PM: India part of B’desh back on boil; Army says no firing global solution on food security Y E S H I S E L I @ New Delhi Says country is food surplus in address at global conference of agriculture economists RAJESH KUMAR THAKUR He said the challenges before sustainable agriculture and food systems can only be tackINDIA is now a food surplus led through the holistic apcountry and is working to pro- proach of ‘One Earth, One vide solutions for global food Family and One Future’. security and nutritional secuModi described small farmrity Prime Minister Narendra ers as the country’s biggest , Modi said on Saturday at a glo- strength for food security. As bal conference of agriculture many as 90% of Indian farmers economists. are smallholders. The 32nd InternaHighlighting India’s tional Conference of strides sustainable Agricultural Econofarming, Modi said the mists organised here country has developed after 65 years drew 1,900 new climate-reover 1,000 delegates silient varieties of from 70 countries. crops in the last 10 Modi said agriculyears. He added that ture is at the centre of India is promoting India’s economic polichemical-free natural cy, adding the recent and organic farming Union Budget gave a and moving towards big push to sustaina- India has a robust achieving 20% ethanol system of ble and climate-resilblending in petrol. agriculture ient farming and de“In the Indian agrieducation and veloping a complete research based on culture tradition, priecosystem to support ority has been given to its heritage... In Indian farmers. science and logic. Inthe Indian agricultural “After years of susdia has a robust systained efforts, now In- tradition, priority tem of agricultural dia is a food surplus has been given to education and recountry. India is also science and logic search based on its the number one proheritage,” he said. Narendra Modi, PM ducer of milk, pulses India now has more and spices in the than 500 colleges for world. Also, the country has be- agriculture and over 700 Krishi come the second-largest pro- Vigyan Kendras, he said. ducer of food grains, fruits, Citing some rice crops, he vegetables, cotton, sugar and said black rice from Manipur, tea,” Modi said. Assam and Meghalaya is the The PM recalled that there preferred choice due to its mewas a time when India’s food dicinal value. Modi also spoke security was a concern for the about India’s willingness to world. “But now, India is work- share India’s millet basket with ing to provide solutions for glo- the world and how India is levbal food security and global nu- eraging digital technology in tritional security .” the agriculture sector. @ New Delhi Asha Kiran woes: PwD commission remains headless A S H I S H S R I V A S TA V A @ New Delhi THE multiple deaths in the Delhi government-run Asha Kiran — which houses the intellectually impaired — in a month throws a spotlight on the deplorable condition of the shelter homes in the city . Against the backdrop of the 14 deaths in the shelter home, the State Commission for Persons with Disabilities (SCPD), formed to safeguard the rights of the disabled, is expected to initiate an action in the matter as it has been granted judicial powers akin to courts. However, its members say the body has turned into a toothless tiger, as it has been functioning without a chief since January Of the 36 states . and union territories, the national capital is the only vacant state commissioner position, as per the Office of Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities (CCPD). The body cannot take up matter pertaining to PwDs as only the Commissioner is authorised to act on complaints. In the absence of commissioner, many events are hampered, including day-to-day hearing of grievances, they added. Dr Satendra Singh, a member of the advisory committee to assist the SCPD called the situation a constitutional violation. WITH Bangladesh back on the boil as student leaders and protesters on Saturday rejected Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s offer of talks, the country’s Chief of Army Staff (CAS) General Waker-uz-Zaman drew the red line on the Army not firing at civilians. “In his final remarks while addressing officers at the Army headquarters, the CAS said there would be no further firing by the Army He said if . the transition of power happened in a non-democratic way then Bangladesh would become like Kenya. He also pointed out that the recent student protests were the worst since 1971,” said a source. Army personnel are visiting different places across the country to assess the situation. “We are confident the Army means well as they are under oath and not like their Pakistani counterpart who would threaten with a coup. The protesters have now rejected the PM’s offer for talks. They are demanding her resignation now,” Prof Nazmul Ahsan Kalimullah, a political commentator in Bangladesh told this newspaper. From Sunday, August 4, a non-cooperation movement will be launched across the country with protesters urging people to abstain from going to work, pay bills for gas, water, electricity and not comply with the government norms. “If it snowballs, then the Hasina government would have to declare a state of emergency . My reading is that if things Search ops in last leg; CM promises new township M A N O J V I S W A N AT H A N @ Mundakkai FIVE days after the catastrophic landslides in Wayanad, search and rescue operations for people stranded amid huge piles of debris entered the last phase on Saturday. While 206 people are still missing, chances of finding more survivors appear remote. Search teams recovered four bodies from Chooralmala and Mundakkai villages, while three bodies and 13 body parts were found in Chaliyar river at Munderi in Malappuram. Though the official records show the number of deceased as 218, the toll is estimated to have crossed 300. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the rescue mission is in its final stages. “Till Saturday noon, 215 bodies 37 excavators deployed to dig up the river bed The district administration brought in 37 excavators to dig up sand in the river bed. As many as 11 trained sniffer dogs of the Army, Kerala Police and Tamil Nadu Fire Force are also helping in identifying the possible presence of bodies under the debris. The search is now concentrated on the river bed were recovered, of which 87 are women, 98 are men and 30 children. There are 206 people missing. As many as 148 bodies have been handed over to relatives. 206 people are still missing,” Pinarayi said. The Indian Air Force deployed helicopters for aerial sorties in search of survivors and people stranded in the affected areas. They airlifted two rescue workers stranded at Soochippara waterfalls. The Army brought in a Xaver Radar and four Reeco Radars along with operators from Delhi to identify human presence under the debris, following a request from the state government. The defence forces and other rescue personnel conducted searches at six locations. Pinarayi said the government would build a safe township as part of a comprehensive rehabilitation plan. He said a safe area would be identified for the township. “Proper planning and labour are needed for completing that task quickly Discussions . have been started at the administrative level to build the new township,” he said. EXPRESS READ Kejriwal cabinet: Decisions sans discussions The Delhi government led by Arvind Kejriwal has taken most cabinet decisions by ‘circulation’ in the past three years. This means no discussion has taken place among the ministers and officers and the cabinet agenda is dictated from the top. Even chief secretary and heads of departments have not been kept in the loop during cabinet discussions. The number of decisions taken by the Cabinet through ‘circulation’ is 15 in 2024 (up to July 31) and only six were in ‘physical mode’. P3 Tribal children with their grandmother at a relief camp at Kottanad UP School near Meppadi on Saturday | A SANESH 20 DECEMBER 1940 – 3 AUGUST 2024 Yamini was an iconic maestro of Indian classical dance Geetha Chandran Indian classical dancer, trained Carnatic vocalist Y AMINI Krishnamurthy, an influential force in India’s dance world and an Asthana Vidhwan (Resident Artist) at the 2,000-yearold Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams passed away in Delhi on Saturday She was 84. . She was suffering from agerelated issues and was in the Apollo ICU for the last seven months, where the end came. In the post-Independence era, she stood out as a true icon of Indian classical dance. She introduced Bharatanatyam to northern India, taking Delhi by storm with her performances. Yamini was not just a master of Bharatanatyam; she also excelled in Kuchipudi and Odissi, bringing a unique versatility to her stage presence. It is a huge loss to have lost her today . I had the privilege of watching her performances. Once, I asked her why she adjusted the pace of her pieces when performing in Delhi. She explained that she often followed legends like Pandit Lachhu Maharaj and Sitara Devi and had to adapt her perfor mance to reach out to her audience and make an impact. Yamini’s ability to innovate while preserving tradition don’t settle, then Marshal Law could be imposed,” Prof Kalimullah added. General Waker-uz-Zaman blamed the police for the recent violence and justified the Army’s deployment amidst the chaos to combat terrorism and restore normalcy . “This is a revolution in the making. We will prevail and the regime will fall soon. I call upon the people of Bangladesh to prepare for a second republic,’’ exiled Bangladeshi blogger and human rights activist Pinaki Bhattacharya told this newspaper. significantly advanced and structured the dance form. Her father, Prof Krishnamurthy, would impeccably introduce her programmes, setting a distinguished tone for what was to follow. After completing her training at Kalakshetra in Chennai, her father advised her to start anew with a guru if she truly wished to pursue dance. This guidance was pivotal, as Yamini went on to pioneer the modern template of Bharatanatyam. Her era marked a golden period for classical dancers, enchanting many young people like me to take up dance. In a newly independent India, the arts were being valued as a soft power, taking Indian culture to global audiences. Yamini was not only a celebrated performer but also an influential teacher, although her heart was truly in performing. Visiting her often, I witnessed the heartbreaking lone- liness she faced in her later years—a stark reminder of how quickly artistes can be forgotten in our country However, . I am grateful she performed during a time when she was celebrated. She was one of the youngest artists to be awarded Padma Shri in 1968 and her legacy shall remain a beacon for classical dance in India. (As told to Prachi Satrawal. Chandran was awarded Padma Shri and Sangeet Natak Academy Award for Bharatanatyam) Chirag opposes SC sub-quota judgment, says he’ll file appeal RAMAS HANKAR @ Patna UNION Minister and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan on Saturday said his party would appeal against the recent Supreme Court judgemnt allowing subgroups within the 15% reservation for Scheduled Castes. He said reservation was given to Scheduled Castes not on the economic criteria but on their social exclusion as they were considered untouchables. “There are instances that temples have been washed with Ganga jal after even several ‘big names’ visiting there. These incidents only demonstrate that the discrimination is not based on the economic criteria and also not on the basis of how much a person has progressed in his/her respective field, but because some people still accept the practice untouchability he said. ,” The court also ruled that the creamy layer must be excluded from Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) for reservations. “The reservation was given to all SCs only because they have suffered the scourge of untouchability. So, when the reservation was given on the criteria of untouchability there , cannot be provisions for creamy layer or reservation within reservation,” he added. He also expressed his surprise over the word ‘untouchability’ not even finding a mention in the judgment. “We oppose the Supreme Court judgment allowing states to create sub-groups within Scheduled Castes for a slice of the 15% quota,” the Union minister added.