NEW DELHI 08 MARCH 2026 SUNDAY `12 PAGES 24  facebook/TheMorningStandard  X.com/TheMornStandard https://epaper.morningstandard.in PLUS: 12 PAGES The Creatine Upgrade SOCIAL MEDIUMS MAGAZINE An Infrared Look at Uneven India Anand Neelakantan Prabhu Chawla Ravi Shankar Shankkar Aiyar Anuja Chandramouli Santwana Bhattacharya Ajai Sahni Bengal in the Times of Gandhi Land EXCLUSIVE VOICES Code Red for Kashmir’s Living Legacy Sharp rap to US line on not repeating China ‘mistake’ Jaishankar asserts that India’s rise will be driven by its own strength J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi EXPRESS READ GREEN GOVERNANCE Centre proposes new authority The Centre has proposed the creation of a separate body to expedite the green clearance process in states. The new bodies will take over the functions of existing operational bodies, if they become non-functional. | P7 EXTERNAL Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday asserted that India’s rise will be driven by its own strength and not by the “mistakes of others”, two days after comments by US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau that Washington would be cautious not to repeat what he described as past economic miscalculations with China while dealing with India. Speaking at the Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi, Jaishankar emphasised that the trajectory of India’s growth is fundamentally determined by domestic capabilities. “When we speak today about the rise of countries, the rise of countries is determined by the countries. The rise of India will be determined by India,” Jaishankar said. “It will be determined by our strength, not by the mistakes of others.” His remarks came two days after Landau said in the same platform of Raisina Dialogue that “India should understand that we’re not going to make the same mistakes with India that we made with China 20 years External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar at the Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi | PTI Jaishankar: India’s rise unstoppable “I’m not saying there are no challenges to India’s rise; there are. But the direction of India’s rise is very clear. In a way, it’s unstoppable... Those who work with us obviously will get more benefits,” Jaishankar said ago.” Landau then had added that Washington would ensure its policies remain “fair to our people”, while acknowledging that governments must be accountable to their citizens. Jaishankar did not name any country in his response but highlighted that India’s growth path was clear. He also addressed a recent incident involving Iranian naval vessels in the region. India allowed Iranian warship IRIS Lavan to dock in Kochi earlier this week as a “humanitarian gesture”, he said. “When the (Iranian) ships had set out, and when they came here, the situation was totally different,” Jaishankar said. The vessels “were coming in for a fleet review and then they got, in a way caught on the , wrong side of the events”. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath said Colombo was caring for 32 sailors rescued from the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena, which was sunk by a US submarine on Wednesday off the island’s southern coast. Speaking at the Raisina Dialogue, Herath said Sri Lanka was acting in accordance with international law. “We have taken all the steps according to international laws,” he said when asked whether Colombo faced US pressure over repatriating the sailors. Iran apologises to neighbours, yet hits them A G E N C I E S @ Tel Aviv, Tehran IRAN’S President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Saturday his country would never surrender to Israel and the US, as the West Asia war entered its second week. He also apologised to neighbouring countries for Iran’s attacks across the region, assuring they would not be targeted unless attacks originated from them. “The interim leadership council agreed that no more attacks will be made on neighbouring countries and no missiles will be fired unless an attack on Iran originates from those countries,” Pezeshkian said. Pe z e s h k i a n a l s o d i s m i s s e d Trump’s call for Iran to surrender unconditionally Trump had threat. ened that the country would be “hit very hard” unless it surrenders unconditionally. “That’s a dream that they should take to their grave,” Pezeshkian said. Smoke at the site of airstrikes at Mehrabad Airport in Tehran on Saturday | AFP The West Asia war showed no signs of a drawdown on Saturday, with Gulf countries saying they intercepted more ballistic missiles and drones launched from Iran. Saudi Arabia said it stopped four drones attacking the country’s Shaybah oil field, the second attack in hours. At 34°C, Bengaluru no longer like an ‘AC city’ B O S K Y K H A N N A @ Bengaluru BENGALURU does not feel like an air-conditioned city anymore, point out weathermen, proving it through temperature figures. The city on Saturday recorded the maximum temperature of 34.3 degrees Celsius, while at the Kempegowda International Airport, it was 34.5 degrees Celsius. As the summer has set in, temperatures in the Karnataka capital have been hovering around this range over the last three days. On Friday, the maximum temperature was 34 degrees Celsius, while on Thursday, it was 33.5. This is 1.5-2 degrees Celsius higher than the normal of 32.5 degrees Celsius, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has stated. The minimum temperature too has been soaring. The IMD data showed that the city recorded the minimum temperature that was 2.6 degrees Celsius higher than normal. On Saturday morning, the city No respite likely from hot weather India Meteorological Department (IMD) officials say Bengaluru could see a further rise in temperatures by 1-2 degree Celsius for the next week. It has forecast dry weather and rising temperatures. The temperatures are going up in other parts of Karnataka too. clocked 21.9 degrees Celsius, while KIA recorded 19 degrees Celsius, a deviation of 1.1 degree Celsius from the norm. The HAL Airport recorded 20.5 degrees Celsius, 2.5 degrees Celsius higher than the normal. IMD officials say the city could see a further rise in temperatures by 1-2 degree Celsius for the next week. It has forecast dry weather and rising temperatures. The temperatures are going up in other parts of Karnataka as well. Flights in and out of Dubai International Airport were interrupted after passengers were ushered down into train tunnels as several blasts were heard and alerts were sounded following missle and drone strikes by Iran. Attacks were reported in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait. Emirates, the largest airline in the West Asiat, announced on Saturday that it was suspending all flights to and from Dubai until further notice. Loud explosions were heard in Bahrain’s capital Manama, two AFP journalists said, as Iran continued its retaliatory strikes across the Gulf. Saudi Arabia’s Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman urged Iran to “avoid any miscalculation”, following missile and drone attacks. Israeli warplanes hammered Beirut and Tehran. Israel’s military said it struck aircraft belonging to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards at Tehran’s Mehrabad airport. LPG price up by `60, petrol, diesel price spared Domestic cooking gas LPG price was hiked on Saturday by a steep `60 per cylinder as the spike in global energy rates following the West Asia crisis weighed on India. Nonsubsidised LPG commonly used in households will now cost `913 per 14.2-kg cylinder in Delhi as against `853 previously, a release said. The Accidental Chronicler of India’s Soul ON Friday, the IMD issued a heat wave for parts of Gujarat. Ahmedabad didn’t figure in the list of places but it was scorching on Saturday afternoon. Some of the weather apps revealed it was close to 37*c. If you were outside, you could have even seen a mirage. But none of that stopped fans and vendors from occupying the main gate of the new Motera. The vendors, as is custom before an India game, were selling replica jerseys. And fans, also as is custom in these parts, were milling about, hoping to score a ticket as if by magic. There was some danger that the city — hosting its second global final in two-and-a-half years — would have to make do with- Suryakumar Yadav, Gautam Gambhir & Ajit Agarakar in Ahmedabad | DEBADATTA MALLICK out India in the summit clash. But Suryakumar Yadav & Co took care of business thanks to three highly impressive batting perfor mances in must-win clashes. It’s why they start Sunday’s final against New Zealand as favourites but the mood in the camp isn’t reflective of what’s at stake. Previous India teams have HISTORIC LAKSHYA SEN IN ALL ENGLAND FINAL AGAIN The Enlightened Relationship Ram Rahim acquitted in journalist murder case H A R P R E E T B A J W A @ Chandigarh THE Punjab and Haryana High Court on Saturday acquitted Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh on the charge of murdering journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati. The decision came almost a little more than seven years after a special court had convicted and sentenced him to life. A division bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Vikram Aggarwal passed the orders while hearing appeals challenging the 2019 conviction in the case. The division bench, however, has upheld the conviction of three other accused in this case. The operative part of the judgement was pronounced in the open court. The detailed copy of the high court judgement is still awaited. The sect head’s lawyer Jitender Khurana said, “The court has acquitted him in the murder case of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati.’’ The order came weeks after the bench closely scrutinised the evidence following controversy over the bullets allegedly used in the commission of the offence. The Dera chief had challenged the conviction before the HC, claiming that the CBI had falsely implicated him, as the first charge sheet against other accused—Nirmal, Kuldeep and Krishan Lal—had already been filed and none of them had named the appellant to be involved in the conspiracy . “The appellant was not named in the first charge sheet filed by state police in 2002. Krishan Lal was tortured by the CBI officials. The name of the Dera chief was thereafter included as an accused to take revenge,” the counsel for the Dera chief had submitted. On January 17, 2019, a special CBI court in Panchkula had sentenced the dera chief and three others to life imprisonment and imposed `50,000 fine. Chhatrapati was shot dead outside his residence in October 2002 after his newspaper “Poora Sach” published an anonymous letter narrating the alleged sexual exploitation of women followers at the Dera in Sirsa in Haryana. Billion dreams: India chase glory @ Ahmedabad SWAMI SUKHABODHANANDA SPEAKS AT DERA T20 WORLD CUP S W A R O O P S W A M I N AT H A N ‘It’s Not Every Day You Get to be a Pirate’ allowed the pointy end of ICC events to affect them. This team welcomes pressure home and gives it a cup of coffee. Suryakumar said as much in the pre-match press conference. That kind of change in ethos was brought about by Rohit Sharma when he was given the go-ahead to imprint his philosophy It led to a sea-change in . fortunes as India won back-toback white-ball ICC crowns for the first time in their history . Watching the team’s final training, it was evident that they would be treating this as just another game. But make no mistake. They are playing to etch their name in lights. Less than four years after a radical shift to the other end of spectrum, they can go to a place no other men’s team has gone in P11 T20. Back-to-back. Top India shuttler had to shake off late injury scare to beat Victor Lai in gruelling three games 21-16, 18-21, 2115 in the semifinals. He will meet Lin Chun-yi in the final | P11 In rare outburst, Prez Murmu hits out at Mamata S U B H E N D U M A I T I & R A J E S H K U M A R T H A K U R @ Kolkata/New Delhi IN a rare outburst, President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday rapped the West Bengal government for changing the venue of a tribal community event she was attending in north Bengal. The 9th International Santhal Conference was held on Saturday at a ground near Bagdogra Airport in Goshaipur, instead of a planned venue in Bidhannagar. “Had the programme been held there (at Bidhannagar), it would have been better. There is ample space there, and many people could have attended. But I do not know why the state administration did not permit the meeting there. Today’s programme is being held at such a place that it is difficult for people to come,” Murmu said at the event. At the Goshaipur venue, there was hardly any crowd. “When I was coming here to this international conference, I realised that someone was not willing for this event to take place. It seems that some do not want the Santhals to progress, to learn and to unite,” Murmu said. The President also noted the absence of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and state ministers at the event. “I am also a daughter of West Bengal. But I do not know why I was not allowed to come here. I do not know whether she (Mamata) is upset, and that is why the venue was shifted,” she said. Reacting to Murmu’s remarks, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed dismay over arrangements made by the West Bengal government for the President’s visit and accused it of crossing all limits. “This is shameful and unprecedented. Everyone who believes in democracy and the empowerment of tribal communities is disheartened,” Modi wrote on X. In her pushback, Mamata accused Murmu of indulging in politics “on BJP’s advice” and questioned her “silence” on “atrocities” against tribals in states like Manipur. “BJP has stooped so low that they are using President Droupadi Murmu to malign the state,” Mamata said. Reacting to Murmu’s remark on her absence at the event, Mamata said, “If you come once a year, I can welcome you. If you come during elections, it won’t be possible for me to attend your programmes as I am busy with people’s rights.” The conference organiser alleged that the venue for the president’s event was repeatedly changed. Murmu was scheduled to arrive in Darjeeling on Friday morning for a two-day visit. However, her itinerary was revised following the sudden resignation of West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose on Wednesday . Mamata Banerjee is like my younger sister. I am also a daughter of Bengal. But I do not know why I was not allowed to come here. I do not know whether she is upset, and that is why the venue was shifted. Droupadi Murmu, President The Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal has truly crossed all limits. Its administration is responsible for this disrespect shown to the President Narendra Modi, PM President Droupadi Murmu speaks at the 9th International Santhal Conference in Goshaipur in Darjeeling district on Saturday | PTI