TUESDAY 17 DECEMBER, 2024 epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard BANGLADESH MAY HOLD ELECTION IN LATE 2025 OR EARLY 2026: YUNUS X.com/TheMornStandard Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus on Monday said the next general election could take place by the end of 2025 or first half of 2026 FREEBIE DISAGREEMENT TRUDEAU’S NO 2 QUITS CABINET DATES WILL DEPEND ON POLITICAL CONSENSUS Yunus said the timing of the election will depend on political consensus as well as electoral reforms. “If we have to hold the election on the basis of a flawless preparation of the voter list, it may be A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS PAGE 9  NEW DELHI  J8.00 Sitharaman, Kharge exchange barbs in RS Cong chief rebuts charges of constitutional changes for ‘one family’ RAJESH KUMAR THAKUR @ New Delhi PALESTINE POINT In a show of support for Palestinians, Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra carries a bag with ‘Palestine’ written on it | PTI | P7 Krishna can’t be recognised as MS awardee, rules SC S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y @ New Delhi THE Supreme Court on Monday, in an interim order, ruled that Carnatic vocalist T M Krishna should not be recognised as the recipient of the M S Subbulakshmi award. The award was conferred on the singer at the inauguration of The Music Academy’s 98th Annual Conference and Concerts in Chennai on Sunday . A two-judge bench of Justices Hrishikesh Roy and S V N Bhatti passed the order on an appeal filed by V Shrinivasan, grandson of M S Subbulakshmi, against a Madras High Court order. Shrinivasan had submitted that the singer had made vile a n d s c a n d a l o u s re m a rk s against Subbulakshmi on social media and has been maligning the reputation of the late singer. “Conferring the award on Krishna should not be legally per mitted as it would amount to conferring a Bhakti prize on an atheist,” he said in his plea. FINANCE Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday accused the Congress of making major amendments to the Constitution “brazenly to help the family and the dynasty”, as she initiated a discussion on the commemoration of 75 years of adoption of the Constitution in the Rajya Sabha. “Each time the Congress brazenly (amended Constitution), only to help the family The dy. nasty kept amending the Constitution, and this is how far they went even if it affects any particular woman who desperately needed the benefit,” she alleged while referring to the Shah Bano case. Rebutting the charges, Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge argued that those amendments were essential, like the first one, which aimed to provide reservations for Scheduled Castes and Tribes, resolve issues related to education and employment, and abolish the Zamindari system. Quoting from Sardar Patel’s letter to Nehru dated July 3, 1950, Kharge pointed to Patel’s view that constitutional amendment was the only remedy to Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Mallikarjun Kharge | PTI SACHIN’S 99s Tendulkar’s dismissals at 99 found mention in the Rajya Sabha as Kharge sought to draw Chairman Dhankhar’s attention to his speech. When Dhankar said, “I am looking at you 99%,” Kharge quipped, “Sachin scored 99 runs 10-12 times but it couldn’t become a century.” stop communal propaganda. Kharge sharply criticised the BJP-RSS, accusing them of undermining Constitutional values. He claimed the RSS had opposed the Constitution during the Constituent Assembly debates. “RSS mouthpiece Organiser in the edition of November 30, 1949 had written about it,” he said. PAGES 12 DEC 16 MARKS INDIA’S VICTORY IN 1971 WAR, LIBERATING BANGLADESH FROM PAK GRAP IV back as AQI breaches 400-mark in city I F R A H M U F T I @ New Delhi A few hours after the Central Air Quality Management (CAQM) implemented GRAP III measures due to a sharp rise in pollution levels in the city, the Central Air Quality Panel issued another order to impose GRAP IV This decision . was taken as the AQI nearly reached 400 late on Monday evening. The CAQM stated in its order, “The air quality parameters, however, further worsened owing to a drastic reduction in the mixing layer height and continued absolute calm-wind conditions over Delhi. The sub-committee on GRAP accordingly MERCURY maintained a close PLUMMETS watch on the air quality The minimum scenario in Delhi. The sub-committee noted temp fell to 4.5°C — fourth that the AQI level almost touched the 400 time when it mark, i.e., 399 at 9 pm has dropped and was recorded as 401 ° below 5 C at 10 pm, breaching the this month 400 mark.” It further stated that complying with the Supreme Court’s directives, the subcommittee invoked stage IV of the Schedule under the GRAP, as comprehensively revised and issued on December 13 with immediate effect. Delhi’s 24-hour average AQI was recorded at 379 (very poor) at 4 pm on Monday up from 294 in the “poor” cat, egory on Sunday However, it slipped to . the “severe” category in the evening, with the pollution levels reaching 401. Meanwhile, the minimum temperature dropped to 4.5°C, 4.1°C below normal. EXPORTS FALL Record gold imports widen trade deficit D I PA K M O N D A L @ New Delhi EYES OF THE TIGER D Gukesh receives a rousing welcome on his arrival at Chennai airport on Monday. Hundreds of fans almost mobbed the world champion | ASHWIN PRASATH | P11 Will not allow Lankan territory to be used against India, says Dissanayake Y E S H I S E L I @ New Delhi SRI Lanka will not allow its territory to be used against India’s national security interests, Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake assured Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday. Dissanayake’s assurance comes amid concerns in New Delhi over China’s attempts to increase its military influence over Colombo. Dissanayake, who is on a three-day visit to India, held wide-ranging talks with Modi. Both the leaders decided to finalise a bilateral defence cooperation agreement and ramp up their energy ties by establishing electricity grid connectivity and multi-product petroleum pipelines. In the meeting, Modi said he and the Sri Lankan president were in “full agreement” that the security interests of both countries are interconnected. Modi also assured Dissanayake of India’s support to the island nation, which is striving to stabilise its wobbly economy . Dissanayake thanked India’s Taking aim at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kharge accused him of twisting facts regarding Nehru’s stance on quota and demanded his apology for misleading the nation. Earlier, Sitharaman accused Congress of failing to pass the Women’s Reservation Bill due to coalition pressures and highlighted the party’s historical role in the curtailment of free speech. She cited the arrests of poet Majrooh Sultanpuri and actor Balraj Sahni under Nehru’s watch as PM as examples of suppressing dissent. Sitharaman also criticised the Congress for not installing Babasaheb Ambedkar’s photo in the central hall of Parliament for decades and for denying him the Bharat Ratna. She also criticised the socialist economic model adopted by Nehru and continued by Indira Gandhi, claiming it hindered India’s economic progress. Responding to Sitharaman’s charges on women’s quota, Kharge credited the policies of Congress for enabling its eventual passage in Parliament and promised swift implementation if the party returned to power. He also asked why Modi had not visited Manipur where ethnic violence is yet to abate. P7  Lankan prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake with Prime Minister Narendra Modi | PTI crucial help in managing Lanka’s debt restructuring process, and for extending financial assistance of $20.66 million to settle payments due from Lanka for projects completed under existing Lines of Credit, thereby significantly reducing its debt burden. During the meeting, the Sri Lankan president “appreciated India’s continued support for the implementation of projects despite the ongoing debt restructuring”, the Ministry of External Affairs said. Underlining the importance of connectivity Modi said a de, cision was taken to initiate a ferry service between Rameswaram and Talaimannar. “We have jointly decided that, post the successful launch of the Nagapattinam to Kankesanthurai ferry service, we will also initiate a ferry service between Rameswaram and Talaimannar,” he said. Modi said they deliberated on the fishermen issue and agreed that a “humanitarian approach” should be adopted. Both leaders also agreed to work together for the timely completion of ongoing projects such as Phase III & IV of Indian Housing Project, 3 (three) Islands Hybrid Renewable Energy Project, and High Impact Community Development Projects across Sri Lanka. India will train 1,500 Lankan civil servants across ministries over a period of five years. Also on the cards are training programmes in defence and legal matters for Sri Lankans. (With agency inputs) IN what could put pressure on the economy, India’s trade deficit—the difference between imports and exports—widened to a record $37.8 billion in November, showing a 4.8% drop in exports and a record increase in imports driven by massive gold demand. The average monthly deficit recorded during the April-October 2024 period was $23.5 billion, government data released on Monday showed. In absolute terms, merchandise exports fell from $33.75 billion in November 2023 to $32.11 billion in November 2024. In contrast, imports during November 2024 grew 27% to $69.95 billion with gold shipments rising 4.3 times to $15 billion. “Such high levels of gold imports were likely driven by festive and marriage-related demand and are unlikely to sustain in the ensuing months, which would help to cool the upcoming merchandise trade deficit prints,” said Aditi Nayar, chief economist, ICRA. Even though services exports came to the rescue of the November trade, the overall trade deficit (merchandise + services) at $19.84 billion in the month was three times that of the previous year. Services sector exports jumped 27% year-on-year to $35.67 billion in November even as imports surged 29% to $19 billion. In a break from past trends, services exports for the first time in November raced ahead of merchandise exports by $3.56 billion. According to Ajay Srivastava, founder, Global Trade Research Initiative, higher services growth has been a consistent trend and is now resulting into higher export values. “Between FY19 and FY24, exports grew at a compounded annual growth rate of 5.8%, while services exports surged at CAGR of 10.5%,” he said. EXPRESS READ 11 Indians found dead at restaurant in Georgia Eleven Indian nationals were found dead at a restaurant in Georgia’s mountain resort of Gudauri, the Indian mission in Tbilisi said on Monday. All victims died from carbon monoxide poisoning, local media reported. NCERT book prices for classes IX-XII slashed The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) on Monday announced a 20% cut in its textbook prices for classes IX-XII with effect from the upcoming academic year. possible to hold it by the end of 2025... And if we add to this the expected level of reforms in the electoral process, then it may take another six months,” he added | P9 DEMAND IN FLUX Decline in exports is attributed to a slump in global demand while the uptick in imports shows robust domestic demand IMPACT ON CAD Adverse trade deficit may widen current account deficit (CAD) to 2.8% of GDP in Q3, against earlier forecast of 2%, said Aditi Nayar of ICRA 9 MAR 1951 - 15 DEC 2024 SPEAKING HANDS FALL SILENT A M I TA V A S A N YA L @ New Delhi W HEN he was born on March 9, 1951, Zakir Hussain was considered an unlucky child. The arrival of the eldest son had coincided with the family’s most distressing moment, as his ‘ bba’, Allarakha Qureishi, had fallen ill with A a heart ailment. The family was somewhat reassured when a holy man appeared at the door of their small house in Mahim, Mumbai and insisted that the son would ‘save’ the father and that he be named Zakir Hussain—a surname to honour Imam Hussain that no one else in the family shared. As presaged, the more Zakir fell ill over the next four years, the stronger his father became. By the time the son was five, both had recovered well enough to start a rigorous daily routine of practising the Punjab gharana’s style on the tabla. In time, rather than fading in the glare of his father’s stardom, Zakir stood apart with his own intonation, phraseology and temperament. In his pre-teen years, Zakir soaked up the experience of listening to his Abba’s friend Ravi Shankar on the sitar or Western musicians like the pop group ABBA from up close. Over the next few decades, he built a bridge between the older generation of Samta Prasad, Kishen Maharaj and Allarakha that stressed tradition, and younger musicians open to collaborating with other genres. This openness allowed a rare synergy among the original quartet of Shakti — which included John McLaughlin, L Shankar and T H ‘Vikku’ Vinayakram — a band formed in 1973 that electrified audiences with a unique mix of Eastern and Western music. That, half a century later, Zakir’s work with a much-changed lineup of the band would win him three of his five Grammys is testament to the relevance of his musical ideas. He would change his approach to suit the occasion. Zakir could be puckish while playing the notes of ‘Happy birthday’ or raag Durga on the tabla — something that earned him the epithet of ‘speaking hands’. But he could be utterly restrained while accompanying, say, Nikhil Banerjee at a concert or Lakshmi Shankar in a studio session. It’s this felicity that made him synonymous with his instrument. The ‘speaking hands’ finally fell silent at a San Francisco hospital as a chronic lung disease claimed him at age 73. Along with his family — wife Antonia Minnecola, and daughters Isabella and Anisa — the world is lucky to h ave b e e n b e queathed a grand musical legacy by someone born ‘unlucky’. ILLUSTRATION: SOURAV ROY Canadian Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland announced she was resigning from the cabinet as Trudeau struggles with declining popularity. Gehlot ex-aide pardoned in phone tap case S H E K H A R S I N G H @ New Delhi DATES BACK TO 2020 A Delhi court on Monday granted pardon to Lokesh Sharma, former Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot. Sharma’s pardon was approved after he agreed to disclose all details of the alleged illegal surveillance of Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. Chief Judicial Magistrate Anuj Kumar Singh of Patiala House Court said, “Given the nature of the criminal conspiracy, where direct evidence is scarce, Sharma’s statement under Section 164 CrPC is crucial for justice. Therefore, his par- The phone-tapping case dates back to July 2020, during the rebellion led by Sachin Pilot against then CM Ashok Gehlot. Lokesh Sharma allegedly leaked audio recordings in which BJP leaders were purportedly heard conspiring to buy Congress MLAs. don under Section 306 CrPC is warranted,” noted the judge. Sharma had been charged in 2021 under the IPC, Indian Telegraph Act, and IT Act following Shekhawat’s complaint that his calls were unlawfully intercepted during the 2020 political upheaval in Rajasthan. This turmoil involved Congress leader Sachin Pilot’s rebellion against Gehlot’s government. Sharma secured anticipatory bail in November 2021, shortly after which he was arrested and released as per court orders. He had previously sought to move the case to Rajasthan but withdrew his petition, allowing the court to lift the stay on his arrest. On November 14, Sharma had withdrawn his petition filed in the Delhi High Court seeking relief from arrest and requesting a transfer of the case to Rajasthan. After the withdrawal, the court lifted the stay on his arrest.