MONDAY 07 1,200 APRIL, 2025 locations in 50 states witnessed protests as part of hands off rally epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard HELPLESSNESS IN FACE OF TRUMP TIRADE X.com/TheMornStandard IRAN REJECTS TRUMP CALL FOR NUCLEAR TALKS Iran has dismissed direct negotiations with the US as pointless, after Donald Trump said he preferred face-to-face talks on its nuclear programme. PAGE 09 A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS  NEW DELHI  J8.00  PAGES 12 Trump has angered many Americans by moving aggressively to downsize, unilaterally impose conservative values and pressure even friendly countries over trade, causing stock markets to tank PROTESTERS MARCH IN U.S. CITIES AGAINST TRUMP ‘DEVASTATION’ Thousands of protesters flooded streets of US cities Saturday to oppose policies of Trump, in the largest demonstration in his new stint LENS ON ‘OUTRAGEOUS ADMINISTRATION’ Opponents of Trump’s policies — from government staffing cuts to trade tariffs and eroding civil liberties — rallied in Washington, New York, Houston, Florida, Colorado, and Los Angeles, among other locations. “This outrageous administration is causing us to lose our allies across the world,” said Diane Kolifrath, 64, a bike tour guide BJP-led govt has allotted TN more Delhi Metro to launch India’s funds than UPA regimes, says Modi first 3-coach train line by 2028 PM inaugurates new Pamban bridge, claims some have habit of complaining without reason PM launches 2 India-backed rail projects in Sri Lanka J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagging off a dedicated train service connecting the island to the mainland on Sunday | EXPRESS EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Ramanathapuram THE BJP-led central government has provided Tamil Nadu three times the funds allocated by the earlier UPA regimes, of which the DMK was a part, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in Rameswaram on Sunday in an indirect attack on the , Dravidian major which is in power in Tamil Nadu. His government’s allocations had boosted Tamil Nadu’s economic and industrial growth, he said. “Yet, some people have a habit of complaining without reason and they keep crying about things. Let them cry he ,” added, during his address at a government event to open the first vertical span sea railway bridge at Pamban and flag off a train service linking the island to the mainland. He also dedicated various completed projects worth `8,300 crore to the nation and laid foundation stone for the four-laning works of a section of NH-40. Chief Minister MK Stalin, who earlier urged the PM to allay TN’s concerns about delimitation, skipped the event although s t at e m i n i s t e r s we re i n attendance. Stating that the centre has prioritised TN’s infrastructure, Modi said the railway budget for the state had increased seven-fold in the past decade, from `900 crore before 2014 to over `6,000 crore now. 3,700 rescued in 10 yrs Touching on the ongoing arrests of TN fishers by the Sri Lankan Navy, Modi said, “Due to efforts of the Indian government, over 3,700 fishermen have been brought back safely from Sri Lanka in the last 10 years.” In tri-lingual speech in Tamil, Hindi and English, the PM invoked Tamil culture, tradition and language. Mocking leaders from Tamil Nadu for writing to him in English, he said, “Sometimes, I am surprised when I receive letters from some leaders of Tamil Nadu —not a sin- gle one signs their name in Tamil. Tamil is a matter of pride, and I urge everyone to at least sign their names in Tamil to honour this glorious language.” Touching on the ongoing arrests of TN fishers by the Sri Lankan Navy, Modi, who was returning from his two-day visit to the island nation, said the centre stands firmly with fishermen in times of crisis. “Due to the efforts of the Indian government, more than 3,700 fishermen have been brought back safely from Sri Lanka in the last 10 years. Of these, over 600 fishermen were freed just in the past year. You may also remember that some of our fishermen were sentenced to death. But we worked tirelessly to bring them back alive and reunite them with their families in Bharat.” Noting that several states have started providing medical education in regional languages, the prime minister urged the state government to introduce medical courses in P5 Tamil. PRIME Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated two major India-backed railway projects in the historical city of Anuradhapura in north-central Sri Lanka on Sunday, before wrapping up his three-day trip to the island nation. Accompanied by Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Modi of ficially launched the upgraded MahoOmanthai railway track and the newly installed signalling system for the Maho-Anuradhapura segment. Both projects are backed by Indian assistance. These upgrades are expected to enhance connectivity and safety across Sri Lanka’s northern rail network. The projects, executed by IRCON International, are seen as a significant contribution by India to Sri Lanka’s infrastructure development. “These landmark railway modernisation projects implemented under the India-Sri Lanka development partnership represent a significant milestone in strengthening north-south rail connectivity in Sri Lanka,” External Affairs Ministry said in a statement. Earlier in the day, Modi and Dissanayake visited the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi temple. The temple houses the sacred Bodhi tree, believed to be a sapling brought from India by Sanghamitta Theri, daughter of Emperor Ashoka. CPM picks Kerala veteran Baby as general secretary A N I L S @ Madurai LEGEND RESIDENTS OF TWO VILLAGES WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE Twin villages on the city border recall the legend Manoj Kumar as not just a luminary of Indian cinema but as a man who once walked their fields, shared their meals and captured their spirit in his film ‘Upkar’; | P4 THE 24th Congress of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), which concluded in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, on Sunday, elected veteran Kerala leader M A Baby as its sixth general secretary . The 71-year-old’s elevation to the top post was on expected lines, though there was some initial opposition from the West Bengal unit. A former Kerala minister, Baby is the second leader from the state CPM to lead the party , after E M S Namboodiripad. Baby is also the first Christian to lead the party . Speaking to TNIE, Baby said the election was unanimous. “It was West Bengal secretary Mohammed Salim who proposed my name, and it was backed by Dr Ashok Dhawale, whom some of you had projected as the general secretary candidate,” he said. Being chosen to lead the party through trying times, Baby said strengthening the party at places where it is weak and taking on the Sangh Parivar-led BJP are the major tasks before him. The party congress also elected an 85-member Central Committee (CC) with 20% women representation. Adhering to the age cap of 75 years, seven veterans, including Prakash Karat, Manik Sarkar, Brinda Karat, and Subhashini Ali, stepped down. The Karats, Sarkar and Ali along with three other veterans — Biman Basu, S Ramachandran Pillai and Hannan Mollah — were made special invitees to the CC. Jammu & Kashmir leader Mohammed Yusuf Tarigami and P K Sreemathy from Kerala too were exempted from the age criterion and retained in CC. I F R A H M U F T I @ New Delhi THE Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is set to introduce the country’s first metro corridor designed for operation with three-coach trains on the Lajpat Nagar Saket G Block route, officials said on Sunday . As part of Phase IV of the project, the corridor will span 8 km and be the second-smallest in the network, the DMRC said in a statement. Unlike most metro lines that use 4, 6, or 8-coach trains, the 3-coach system has been developed specifically for short-distance urban travel. The smaller train configuration will provide a cost-effective solution, ensuring better frequency and operational efficiency while accommodating substantial number of commuters. In addition to reducing train length, the corridor will optimise urban mobility with a future-ready, efficient, and costconscious metro system. The Lajpat Nagar–Saket G Block corridor is being developed with assessment of passenger flow in mind. While high-density corridors require longer rakes to handle massive STRATEGIC STATIONS ON CONNECTIVITY THE CORRIDOR 4 Chirag Delhi –Improving access to South Delhi’s busy localities. Interchange with Magenta Line 6 Saket Court – Enhancing accessibility to the Saket District Court Complex, Select City walk Mall and other offices etc. 5 Pushpa Bhawan – Connecting government offices and residential areas. 7 Pushpa Vihar – Benefiting residents of Sectors 1, 3, 4, and 7. THE NEW CORRIDOR WILL CONSIST OF EIGHT STRATEGICALLY LOCATED STATIONS, IMPROVING ACCESSIBILITY FOR KEY RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL HUBS 1 Lajpat Nagar – Interchange with Pink & Violet Lines, a major commercial and transit hub. 2 Andrews Ganj – Serving residential and institutional areas. 3 GK-1 – Catering to Greater Kailash and surrounding neighbourhoods 8 SAKET G BLOCK– INTERCHANGE WITH THE GOLDEN LINE, LINKING TO THE AIRPORT. crowds, this stretch caters to a different category of commuters—short-distance travellers requiring frequent and efficient metro services. The corridor’s Peak Hour Peak Direction Traffic (PHPDT) estimates indicate a manageable load, ensuring a comfortable travel experience without unnecessary overcapacity . It said the three-coach system is aimed at ensuring economic sustainability while Dallewal ends 131-day fast in Punjab, vows to fight on H A R P R E E T B A J W A @ Chandigarh Heatwaves to sweep North India for 5 days J I T E N D R A C H O U B E Y @ New Delhi HEATWAVES have moved into Northern India following a week of extreme temperatures in Gujarat, Central India and Odisha. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued red and orange warnings for affected regions. According to the IMD, heatwave conditions are expected in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, and Punjab over the next four to five days. Many areas in Northwest India, Maharashtra, and South Peninsular India are expected to see maximum temperatures rise by 2 to 4°C. The IMD has reported maximum temperatures of 40-43°C in various parts of Gujarat, North Punjab, North Haryana, Chandigarh, J&K, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, West Uttarakhand, North Bihar, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim and West Assam. In addition, the maximum temperatures have risen by 3 to 6°C over north interior Odisha, adjoining Jharkhand, and Gangetic West Bengal. On April 4, Kandla in Saurashtra and Kutch recorded the highest maximum temperature of 44°C. The MeT office also forecasts heatwave conditions in isolated areas of Himachal Pradesh on April 6 and 7, in Haryana and Chandigarh from April 6 to 10, in Punjab from April 7 to 10, in Delhi on April 7 and 8, in West Uttar Pradesh from April 7 to 9, and in Madhya Pradesh from April 8 to 10. The department previously indicated that the region would experience a higher number of heatwave days this month. Additionally, hot and humid weather is likely to persist in coastal Gujarat and the Konkan & Goa region from April 6 to 9. WOMEN POWER In a first, all-women tri-services crew to circumnavigate Indian Ocean M AYA N K S I N G H @ New Delhi A remarkable tale of determination and sisterhood is unfolding in the Indian Ocean. In a first for the tri-services, 11 fearless women officers from the armed forces will start sailing around the Indian Ocean beginning Monday . The Samudra Pradakshina expedition kicks off on April 7 from Mumbai’s Indian Naval Watermanship Training Centre, and promises to be a testament to women power and in- ter-services camaraderie. The leadup to this moment has been nothing short of Herculean. The team, comprising six Army officers, one Navy officer, and four Air Force officers, underwent rigorous training at the Army Adventure Nodal Centre for Blue Water Sailing, under College of Military Engineering in Pune. With little to no sailing experience, they began from scratch, mastering theoretical and practical aspects of sailing, as well as building the physical strength THE EXPEDITION BY NUMBERS DISTANCE TO BE COVERED: Over 4,000 nautical miles (approximately 7,400 km) DURATION: 55 days, to be flagged off on April 7 at the Naval Training Centre Mumbai and stamina needed for the gruelling demands of the sea. “The selection process spanned over a year and tested physical fitness, endurance, teamwork, leadership qualities, psycho- CREW: 11 women officers from India’s Armed Forces VESSEL: IASV Triveni, which will set a world record as the first Tri-Services team to circumnavigate the world logical resilience, and boathandling capabilities,” said a source. The training regimen was exhaustive and thorough, exposing the officers to various class- maintaining high-quality urban transit standards. It added that each coach will have a seating and standing capacity of around 300 passengers, bringing the total capacity of a three-coach train to approximately 900 passengers per trip. The statement said the corridor will have eight strategically located stations from Lajpat Nagar to Saket G Block to improve accessibility for key residential and commercial areas. es of boats and essential sailing skills such as navigation, meteorology, and emergency response. The crew embarked on several training expeditions, gradually increasing in complexity and distance. They started with short day trips, progressing to day and night expeditions covering significant distances. Their training routes included voyages from Mumbai to Karanja, Murud, Goa, Kochi, Porbandar, Lakshadweep and back. Each training expedition pre- sented its own set of challenges, from unpredictable weather to mechanical issues and physical toll of continuous sailing. The mission is not just about breaking geographical milestones but also shattering cultural and gender barriers. The expedition, which will cover over 4,000 nautical miles in about 55 days, will be on board the IASV Triveni. The mission will set a world record as the first tri-services team to circumnavigate an ocean, a senior official said. PUNJAB farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal on Sunday said he was ending his hunger strike which he had started on November 26 last year to press for various demands of agitating farmers including a legal guarantee on the minimum support price for crops. Addressing a ‘Kisan Mahapanchayat’ at Sirhind in Fatehgarh Sahib, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) chief said, “You (farmers) have asked me to end the fast. I respect your sentiments and accept your order. I wanted to continue until all 12 demands were met, but as more farmers urged me to mobilise support nationwide, I decided to accept their appeals.” He reaffirmed the fight for a legal guarantee on MSP and said protests could resume if needed. The announcement came a day after Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Union Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu appealed to him to end his fast-unto-death. Dallewal launched his hunger strike on November 26, 2024, for MSP guarantee, apart from other demands. Detained on March 19, he was hospitalised until April 3. Protests at Shambhu and Khanauri were ended by Punjab Police on March 19. EXPRESS READ Indian stabbed to death in Canada, suspect held A 27-year-old Indian national, Dharmesh Kathireeya, was stabbed to death on Friday in a township near Ottawa, Canada’s capital. Though it is suspected to be a racially motivated attack, officials have denied the angle. Kathireeya, who moved to Canada in 2019 as an international student, was attacked in his building in Rockland. | P7