TUESDAY 05 SEPTEMBER 2023 www.thestatesman.com twitter.com/thestatesman facebook.com/thestatesman INDIA’S NATIONAL NEWSPAPER SINCE 1818 Pages 12 |` 5.00|LC KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD WARNS I.N.D.I.A OVER UDHAYANIDHI’S ‘SANATAN’ RANT P5 SENSEX 65,628.14240.98 WEATHER GENERALLY CLOUDY SKY.POSSIBILITY OF VERY LIGHT RAIN/THUNDERSHOWERS TOWARDS NIGHT. THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 37 AND 27 DEGREES CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. WORLD PEACE ACHIEVABLE BY FOLLOWING GANDHI’S PATH UKRAINE GRAIN DEAL: ERDOGAN MEETS PUTIN P9 NIFTY 19,528.8093.50 GOLD 61,220.00 ` vs $ 82.7503 PAISE SNS & AGENCIES CHENNAI, 4 SEPTEMBER TEMPERATURE Max: 40.1°C (+6) SUN RISES 06:02 hrs MOON RISES 22:12 hrs Min: 26.3 °C (+6) SUN SETS 18:38 hrs MOON SETS 12:31 hrs THUMBNAILS Specially-abled men during a cricket match on wheelchairs organised by Wheelchair Cricket Association and by the support of Indian Army, in Srinagar, on Monday.  ANI 44 injured, thousands without power as typhoon Haikui slams Taiwan: At least 44 people were injured and thousands of households were left without power as the powerful typhoon Haikui slammed into Taiwan. Haikui, the first typhoon in four years to directly hit Taiwan, made landfall along the southeastern coastal township of Donghe at about 3:40 pm on Sunday. fter making it hop once, India's moon lander Vikram was put to sleep, the Indian space agency said. "Vikram Lander is set into sleep mode around 08:00 Hrs. IST today. Prior to that, in-situ experiments by ChaSTE, RAMBHA-LP and ILSA payloads are performed at the new location. The data collected is received at the Earth. Payloads are now switched off. Lander receivers are kept ON," the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said on the X platform. "Vikram will fall asleep next to Pragyan (moon rover) once the solar power is depleted and the battery is drained. Hoping for their awakening, around September 22, 2023," ISRO added. Earlier, ISRO had said Vikram soft landed on the lunar soil for a second time. In a post on X, ISRO said: "Vikram Lander exceeded its mission objectives. It successfully underwent a hop experiment." "On command, it fired the engines, elevated itself by about 40 cm as expected and landed safely at a dis- Congress' Rahul Yaan has not launched in last 20 years: Rajnath Singh in Rajasthan SNS & AGENCIES JAISALMER, 4 SEPTEMBER Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday took a swipe at the Congress party saying that they failed to launch Rahul Gandhi in the last 20 years. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday flagged off BJP's ‘Parivartan Sankalp Yatra’ in Jaisalmer. Rajnath Singh said “In a country where successful launching and landing of Mangalyaan and Chandrayaan is taking place, Congress' "Rahul Yaan" has not been launched for the last twenty years.” The Defence Minister also lauded the Indian scientists for the recent successful launch of ‘Chandrayaan-3’. “No one had ever doubted the capabilities and talent of the Indian Army and Indian scientists. I believe India took the same leap with the success of Chandrayaan 3 on August 23, 2023, that it took In a country where successful launching and landing of Mangalyaan and Chandrayaan is taking place, Congress' "Rahul Yaan" has not been launched for the last twenty years. RAJNATH SINGH DEFENCE MINISTER OF INDIA in 1998 when it conducted a successful nuclear test," Rajnath Singh said. Rajnath also targeted the Congress Party for raising questions on India’s space mission. “Today India has reached the Moon and Mars and the entire country has successfully launched Aditya Dal-1. Even this time the landing of Chandrayaan took place, even then the Congress tried to raise questions in a subdued voice, but when it saw the mood of the country, it remained silent,” he said. Before flagging off the ‘Parivartan Sankalp Yatra’, Rajnath offered prayers at Ramdevra Temple in Jaisalmer. Ramdevra temple is sacred to the folk deity of Rajasthan, Baba Ramdevji. The temple marks the eternal resting place of Baba Ramdevji, a saint of the 14th century who Hindus regard as the incarnation of Lord Krishna, while Muslims venerate him as Ramshah Pir. “I feel happy to be present among you on the sacred land of Ramdevra, the land where an incarnate man like Baba Ramdev took samadhi. This area of Jaisalmer holds a special place in my heart because this entire area is not only a desert land, but it is also the land of heroes and Tapobhoomi as well as the atomic land of India. The land of Pokhran, located nearby, has witnessed not one but five nuclear tests,” the Defence minister said. moon rover Pragyan. "The Rover completed its assignments. It is now safely parked and set into Sleep mode. APXS and LIBS payloads are turned off. Data from these payloads is transmitted to the Earth via the Lander," ISRO said. "Currently, the battery is fully charged. The solar panel is oriented to receive the light at the next sunrise expected on September 22, 2023. The receiver is kept on. Hoping for a successful awakening for another set of assignments! Otherwise, it will forever stay there as India's lunar ambassador." The 'Suprabhatam' (Sanskrit prayer to awaken Lord Venkateswara in Tirupati early in the morning) or the wake-up call will be made by ISRO to the two on September 22. India on August 23 reached the Moon with its Valarmathi, an ISRO scientist, who lent her voice on several countdowns for rocket launches from the spaceport in Sriharikota, passed away in a Chennai hospital, an ISRO spokesperson said. She died on Saturday, reportedly due to a cardiac arrest. She was part of the Range Operations Programme Office at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre where she used to announce the countdown on all launchANI es. PARMOD KUMAR NEW DELHI, 4 SEPTEMBER The Supreme Court on Monday asked National Conference leader Mohammad Akbar Lone – one of the petitioners challenging the abrogation of Article 370 - to swear on affidavit his allegiance to the Indian Constitution and that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India. A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and comprising Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Justice Sanjiv Khanna, Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice Surya Kant, asked senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Lone, to “Furnish an affidavit from Lone stating that he swears allegiance to the Constitution of India and that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of the Union of India like all Indians. We have everyone from Jammu and Kashmir here.” Lone had allegedly raised KEY TAKEAWAYS  The SC asks National Conference leader Mohammad Akbar Lone to affirm J&K's integral part of India. It seeks a one-page affidavit confirming allegiance to the Indian Constitution amid allegations of supporting separatism.   Solicitor General Tushar Mehta urged Lone to declare non-support for separatism and terrorism, while Sibal emphasized his client's commitment to India's Constitution. the ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogan in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly during the PDP-BJP alliance government. The direction from the constitution bench came after in the morning, Solici- SNS & AGENCIES STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE During hearing on the batch of pleas challenging nullification of Article 370 before the Constitution Bench, Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud said that the digital SCR (Supreme Court Reports) having exact headnotes as it appears in volumes will be out soon in the next few weeks. CJI Chandrachud urged the legal fraternity to get into the habit of citing SCR in pleading or during oral argument before the Supreme Court, adding that the free digital services will help lawyers across the country from the district level to high courts. “SCR is now digital. We already got eSCR. Hopefully, in the next few weeks, we will have a digital SCR. Digital SCR is exactly as it appears in volumes. eSCR is obviously an electronic copy. We have updated the headnotes right probably upto the last month or so now," he told members of the bar. He asked lawyers to have a look at eSCR and called for A delegate poses for a photograph as she is being welcomed for the fourth and final G20 Summit Sherpa meeting in Manesar, Haryana on Sunday.  ANI SC asks NC leader Lone to file affidavit affirming India’s sovereignty, allegiance to Constitution Assam CM meets Shah to discuss roadmap for complete withdrawal of AFSPA their suggestions or improvement. He said that the SCR had fallen way behind its time and is now being regularly updated. “We are moving from eSCR to digital SCR. Digital SCR will have volume,” he said, adding that SCR will have neutral citation. The announcement was made after senior advocate V. Giri during his oral arguments submitted that the recent top court's judgment “doesn't have SCC citation so far and have SCC Online” citation. SCR is the official journal of reportable Supreme Court decisions, which is published under its authority. Each part contains the full text of reportable decisions with Head Notes, a Subject Index and a Nominal Index. nese officials had informed their Indian counterparts on 2 September that President Xi would be skipping the New Delhi summit. Along with President Xi, Russian President Vladimir Putin will also not attend the summit in India. Putin will be represented by his Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Prime Minister Narendra Modi met President Xi on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit last month during which he highlighted India's concerns over the unresolved issues along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), in Ladakh. However, there was intense debate over who took the initiative for the meeting. India said there was a long-standing request from China for the meeting while the Chinese side said New Delhi sought the meeting. The Chinese President has made few overseas trips since China abruptly dropped its Covid restrictions. Several G20 ministerial meetings in India ahead of the summit have been contentious as Russia and China together opposed joint statements which included paragraphs condemning Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine last year. STAGE SET lander safely landing on the lunar soil in a textbook style. Later, the rover rolled down and started doing experiments. ISRO said, the rover has found the presence of oxygen, aluminium, sulphur and other materials near the lunar south pole, while investigation regarding the presence of hydrogen is underway. SC to release digital reports soon, says CJI Chandrachud NEW DELHI, 4 SEPTEMBER Premier Li Qiang will represent China at the 18th G20 summit in India on 9-10 September, Beijing said today, officially confirming that Chinese President Xi Jinping will not be travelling to New Delhi for the highprofile meet. ''At the invitation of the government of the Republic of India, Premier of the State Council Li Qiang will attend the 18th G20 Summit to be held in New Delhi, India on September 9 and 10,'' Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said in a statement. However, no reason was given in the statement about Xi's absence from the summit. It is understood that Chi- CHENNAI, 4 SEPTEMEBR tance of 30 - 40 cm away." According to the space agency, the kick-start gives enthusiasm for lunar sample return in the future and also for manned missions to the moon. "All systems performed nominally and are healthy. Deployed Ramp, ChaSTE and ILSA were folded back and redeployed successfully after the experiment," ISRO said. Sometime back, the Indian space agency uploaded a video of Pragyan moving on the social media platform X and said: "It feels as though a child is playfully frolicking in the yards of Chandamama, while the mother watches affectionately. Isn't it?" Now perhaps with the playful kid going to sleep the mother is hopping around! On September 2, ISRO had put to sleep the 26 kg BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 87.910.11 STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 4 SEPTEMBER Valarmathi, voice of ISRO launches, dies A P12 Not Xi, Chinese premier Li will attend G20 Summit in India The space agency is hoping for its awakening around 22 September Max.86% Min. 39 % P4 SILVER 76,200.00 Vikram Lander is set into sleep mode: ISRO RAINFALL: Nil RELATIVE HUMIDITY DJOKOVIC'S QUEST FOR 24TH MAJOR CONTINUES GUWAHATI, 4 SEPTEMBER Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma held a crucial meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on Monday to chalk out the roadmap for the complete withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from Assam. Chief Minister Sarma pointed out several key factors that support the case for the complete lifting of AFSPA from Assam. These included significant improvements in the law and order situation, and the surrender of numerous underground cadres from extremist outfits, leading to the recovery of substantial arms and ammunition. Additionally, he highlighted a substantial decrease in casualties among both security personnel and civilians, which can be attributed to the signing of various peace accords. Taking to X after the meeting, Chief Minister Sarma stated, "I met Hon’ble Union Home Minister @AmitShah ji at his residence today to discuss the roadmap for the complete withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act from Assam. The Government of Assam will take further steps based on the suggestions of Hon’ble Home Minister." tor General Tushar Mehta urged the bench that Lone should file an affidavit stating that he owed allegiance to the Constitution of India and oppose terrorism and secessionist forces by Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir. During the post lunch hearing on a batch of petitions challenging the abrogation of Article 370 and the bifurcation of erstwhile State of J&K into two Union Territories – J&K and Ladakh, the constitution bench asked Sibal if Lone unconditionally accepts that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and that he bears allegiance to the Constitution of India. Chief Justice Chandrachud said that when Lone has invoked the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court under Article 32 of the Constitution, then he has to believe in the sovereignty of the nation and that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India. Attorney General R. Venkataramani too said, “He (Lone) wants his fundamental rights to be enforced and then takes a contrary viewpoint.” Responding to the issue, Sibal told the bench that Lone is a Lok Sabha member and as an member of parliament he has taken the oath owing allegiance to the Constitution and accepted Jammu and Kashmir as an integral part of India. “Nobody on this side (petitioner's side) has challenged the sovereignty of India. He is a member of the Lok Sabha. He is a citizen of India. Of course, he does believe in Jammu and Kashmir being a part of India. How can he say otherwise? And if anyone has said it, at my level, I deprecate it,” Sibal said. Sibal told the constitution bench that the incidents happened in the J&K Assembly in 2018 and that the BJP Speaker had asked Lone to chant certain slogans as well. In the morning session of the hearing, an advocate appearing for NGO ‘Roots in Kashmir’ - a Kashmiri Pandit group, raised the issue stating he has filed an affidavit about a "startling fact" which came to his knowledge. I’ll repeat the same thing again and again: Udhayanidhi Stalin on Sanatana Dharma SNS & AGENCIES THOOTHUKUDI, 4 SEPTEMBER Unruffled by attacks from various leaders, Tamil Nadu Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development Udhayanidhi Stalin on Monday said that he would repeat the same thing again and again as he has included all religions and not just Hindus. "The day before yesterday I spoke at a function about it (Sanatana Dharma). Whatever I said, I'll repeat the same thing again and again...I included all the religions and not just Hindus...I spoke condemning the caste differences that's all," Udhayanidhi Stalin said. The Minister's speech triggered a political outrage by the BJP. Earlier on Sunday, Udhayanidhi said, "Sanatana is like malaria and dengue and so it must be eradicated and not opposed." "I thank the organisers of this conference for giving me the opportunity to deliver a special address. You have kept the name of the conference as 'Sanatana Abolition Conference' rather than 'Anti-Sanatana Conference', I appreciate that," Udhayanidhi said. He further said, "Few things cannot be opposed, that should be abolished only. We can't oppose Dengue, Mosquitoes, Malaria, or Corona, we have to eradicate this that's how we have to eradicate Sanatana. Rather opposing Sanatana it should be eradicated." "The name Sanatana is from Sanskrit. It is against Social Justice and equality," he added. While clarifying that he had not called for "genocide" he said that "Uprooting Sanatan Dharma is upholding humanity and human equality." Reiterating his statement at the 'Sanatana Abolition Conference', Udhayanidhi Stalin wrote, "I stand firmly by every word I have spoken. I spoke on behalf of the oppressed and marginalized, who suffer due to the Sanatan Dharma."