THURSDAY 01 MAY 2025 www.thestatesman.com Pages 12 |` 5.00| LC X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 SINCE 1818 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR AMBANI RE-ENTERS $100-BILLION CLUB ‘A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION’ P5 SENSEX 80,242.24 q46.14 P10 NIFTY 24,334.20 q1.75 P6 ` vs $ 84.61 GOLD `97,430 CCPA clears proposal; govt says Oppn used ‘caste census’ demand as political tool GENERALLY CLOUDY SKY. VERY LIGHT RAIN/DRIZZLE. THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 37 AND 26 DEGREE CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. RAINFALL: Nil RELATIVE HUMIDITY Min. 31 % TEMPERATURE Min: 25.8 °C (+2.0) SUN SETS 18:56 hrs MOON SETS 23:17 hrs THUMBNAILS PM Modi not to attend Russia's Victory Day parade: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not attend the upcoming Victory Day parade in Russia's Moscow. Notably, earlier this month, Mr Modi was invited by Russia for his participation in the Victory Day parade on 9 May. However, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will represent India in the Victory Day celebrations in Moscow, as per a report of TASS, the Russian news agency. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not attend the Victory Day parade in Moscow on 9 May,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying by the Russian news agency. The report said that the decision not to attend the Victory Day celebrations was taken in the wake of recent terror attacks in J&K's Pahalgam. (P5) 15 dead in Kolkata hotel fire, SIT formed to investigate tragedy STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE SHAHID K ABBAS NEW DELHI, 30 APRIL T he Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs on Wednesday approved a proposal to include caste enumeration in the next census, Minister of Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw (photo) said. Addressing a press briefing after the Cabinet meeting, Mr Vaishnaw said: “Under the leadership of our Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Cab- inet Committee of Political Affairs has decided today that caste enumeration should be included in the forthcoming Census.” Asserting that “some States have conducted surveys to enumerate caste, some States have done this while some others have conducted such surveys purely from a political angle in a nontransparent way,” Mr Vaishnav emphasised that “this demonstrates that our government is committed to the values and interests of our society India, Pakistan DGMOs talk over hotline, India warns against unprovoked ceasefire violations Pakistan minister claims Indian military action in next 24-36 hours and the country, like in the past, when our government had introduced 10 per cent reservations for economically weaker sections of society.” Taking a dig at the Congress and the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc, Mr Vaishnaw said: “Congress governments have always opposed caste census. Caste was not included in all the census operations conducted since Independence.” “In 2010, then Prime Minister late Manmohan Singh ji had assured the Lok Sabha that the matter of caste census should be considered in the Cabinet. A Group of Ministers was formed to consider this subject. Most of the political parties had recommended caste census. Despite this, the Congress government decided to conduct merely a survey of caste instead of a caste census,” Mr Vaishnaw alleged. “It is well understood that Congress and its INDI alliance partners have used the caste census only as a political tool. Some states have conducted surveys to enumerate castes. While some states have done this well, some others conducted such surveys only from a political angle in a non-transparent way. Such surveys created doubts in society. To ensure that our social fabric is not disturbed by politics, caste enumeration should be included in the census instead of surveys,” Mr Vaishnav said. ISLAMABAD, 30 APRIL AGENCIES NEW DELHI, 30 APRIL The Directors General of Military Operations of India and Pakistan talked over the hotline on Tuesday to discuss the unprovoked ceasefire violations by Pakistan, defence sources said on Wednesday. They said India warned Pakistan against the unprovoked ceasefire violations by the Pakistan Army along the Line of Control (LOC) and the International Border. The Indian Army has effectively responded to the Pakistan Army's unprovoked small arms firing across the Line of Control (LoC). Pakistani troops opened fire on the night of 27-28 April in areas opposite Kupwara and Poonch districts in Jammu and Kashmir (JK), and on the night of 2627 April in areas opposite the Tutmari Gali and Rampur sectors. In all instances, Indian forces responded effectively, said officials. There has been a rise in ceasefire violations by Pakistan along the LoC after security forces intensified anti-terror operations in the Kashmir valley in the aftermath of the Phalgam terror attack that killed 26 people on 22 April. The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) met a day after the Pahalgam terror attack. In the briefing to the CCS, the cross-border linkages of the terrorist attack were brought out. India has taken a raft of measures against Pakistan for its support to crossborder terrorism, including holding the Indus Water Treaty in abeyance and closing the Integrated Check Post at Attari. India has also decided to curtail strength of High Commissions. The government has given the armed forces complete operational freedom to decide on the response to the Pahalgam terror attack. Govt restructures NSAB, ex-R&AW Bangladesh HC grants bail to prominent Hindu leader Chinmoy Krishna Das chief appointed as chairman AGENCIES AGENCIES NEW DELHI, 30 APRIL KOLKATA, 30 APRIL A devastating fire at a hotel in the Mechhua Fruit Market area of Burrabazar claimed 15 lives last night, shaking central Kolkata. Thirteen others were injured, of whom 12 were discharged after preliminary treatment. The fire broke out around 7:30 p.m. in a hotel located in a congested bylane connecting Central Avenue and Bidhan Sarani. The blaze reportedly originated on the second floor and rapidly spread across the six-storey building, trapping several occupants. Kolkata Police confirmed the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT),to probe the cause of the fire and any lapses in safety measures. BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 63.45 Vaishnaw said: „Congress governments have always opposed caste census. Caste was not included in all the census operations conducted since Independence.‰ WEATHER Max: 38.1 °C (-0.9) SUN RISES 05:40 hrs MOON RISES 09:29 hrs P12 SILVER `1,00,000 Caste enumeration to be part of next census Max. 61 % ROYALS AIM TO KEEP SLIM PLAYOFF HOPES ALIVE 100 DAYS In a significant development, the Centre on Wednesday restructured the National Security Advisory Board (NSAB), bringing in several former distinguished officers from the Armed Forces, Intelligence Wing and police services. Former R&AW chief Alok Joshi (photo) has been appointed as the chairman of the restructured NSAB. The move assumes significance as the government is recalibrating its strategy to step up pressure on Pakistan via diplomatic, economic, and military measures in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack that left 26 people dead and over a dozen injured. PM Modi has already made it loud and clear that India will track down and punish theperpetratorsofthePahalgam massacre and will hunt them till the ends of the earth. Alok Joshi, in his previous stint as the chief of the Research and Analytical Wing (R&AW) - the country's premier spy agency - will now lead the seven-member NSAB board, comprising retired officers from the armed forces, police service, and foreign service. Other members of the Board include former Western Air Commander Air Marshal PM Sinha, former Southern Army Commander Lt Gen AK Singh, and others. Two retired officers from the Indian Police Service (IPS) - Rajiv Ranjan Verma and Manmohan Singh - and B. Venkatesh Varma, a retired IFS officer, have also been inducted in the revamped NSAB. The move to restructure the NSAB comes in light of Prime Minister Narendra Modi holding multiple high-level meetings with key ministers at his official residence. The government is expected to brief the nation soon about the next round of sanctions and actions being taken against Pakistan, whom New Delhi has accused of sponsoring and facilitating the Pahalgam terror strike, one of the deadliest attacks on tourists in the Kashmir Valley. DHAKA, 30 APRIL Chinmoy Krishna Das, a prominent Hindu leader and spokesperson for the Bangladesh Sammilito Sanatani Jagaran Jot, has been granted bail by the High Court on Wednesday in an alleged sedition case. The bench of Justice Atoar Rahman and Justice Ali Reza passed the order after a final hearing. Earlier this year, the High Court issued a rule after hearing Das's application for bail in the case, seeking an explanation as to why the applicant should not be granted bail. Last week, the High Court set 30 April as the date for the rule hearing, following which the Court declared the rule absolute and delivered its verdict, Bangladesh's leading Bengali daily Prothom Alo reported on Wednesday. Arrested on 25 November from the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on charges of sedition, Das has remained in jail despite widespread demands for his release. Chinmoy Krishna was taken into custody by the Dhaka Metropolitan Police, an act which was criticised throughout the world and exposed the crimes being committed against the Hindu community of Bangladesh. Krishna was not only associated with the Bangladesh Jatiya Hindu Mohajot (BJHM), a national alliance of 23 religious organisations in the country, but also with the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). The news of his arrest led to several protests demanding his immediate release. Vandalism, looting, arson, land grabbing, and threats to leave the country have been repeatedly inflicted on the Hindu community after the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus was sworn in on August 8 following the fall of Awami League regime led by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Pakistan’s terror trail: From Kashmir to Kabul and beyond STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 30 APRIL Pakistan’s role as a rogue state fueling global terror has come under international scrutiny once again following the deadly attack on tourists in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir on 22 April. Pakistan’s track record in sponsoring, sheltering, and exporting terrorism makes it one of the most dangerous and destabilising forces in the world. For decades, its soil has been used as a launchpad for cross-border terrorism, insurgency, and extremist ideology. In 2018, former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif, suggested that the Pakistani government played a role in the 2008 Mumbai attacks that were carried out by Lashkare-Taiyyaba, a Pakistan-based Islamist terrorist group. Pervez Musharraf conceded that his forces trained militant groups to fight India in Kashmir. He revealed that the government turned a blind eye because it wanted to force India to enter into negotiations, as well as raise the issue internationally. A few days back, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Pakistan’s current defence minister admitted that the country supported terrorist groups for more than three decades, calling it a mistake tied to US-led foreign policy decisions. Exporting Terrorism Globally: Afghanistan Taliban and Haqqani Network Attacks: Pakistan’s ISI (InterServices Intelligence) has been widely documented as supporting the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network, providing them with funding, training, and safe havens. These groups have been responsible for numerous deadly attacks on Afghan civilians, government targets, and international forces, including the 2008 Indian Embassy bombing in Kabul and the 2011 attack on the US Embassy in Kabul. Senior journalist Carlotta Gall in her book wrote that, “The embassy bombing was no operation by rogue ISI agents acting on their own. It was sanctioned and monitored by the most senior officials in Pakistani intelligence.” Russia MoscowConcertHallAttack (2024): In April 2025, a Pakistan link emerged in the investigation of the Moscow terror attack. Russian authorities identified the mastermind as a Tajik national and are probing connections to Pakistan, with reports suggesting that the attackers may have had logistical or ideological support tracing back to Pakistani networks. Iran Jaish ul-Adl Attacks: Pakistan-based Sunni extremist group Jaish ul-Adl has repeatedly attacked Iranian security forces in Sistan and Baluchestan province. In response, Iran carried out missile and drone strikes on 16 January 2024 inside Pakistan’s Balochistan province, targeting what it described as Jaish ul-Adl hideouts. Cross-Border Militancy: Iran has regularly accused Pakistan of harboring and failing to act against Sunni militants who stage attacks across the border. United Kingdom 2005 London Bombings: The 7 July 2005 London bombings, carried out by four British Islamist terrorists, were linked to training and indoctrination in Pakistan. Three of the bombers-Mohammad Sidique Khan, Shehzad Tanweer, and Germaine Lindsay-spent time in Pakistan between 2003 and 2005. Osama bin Laden’s Sanctuary in Abbottabad, Pakistan: The 2011 U.S. raid that killed Al Qaida leader Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan, exposed systemic failures in Pakistan’s counterterrorism efforts. Bin Laden had lived undetected for years in a compound near Pakistan’s Military Academy, raising suspicions of ISI collusion. Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) Operations: Pakistan’s ISI has been accused of funding and training Jamaatul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), a banned Islamist group responsible for the 2016 Gulshan café attack in Dhaka (20 hostages killed). In 2015, Bangladeshi authorities expelled Pakistani diplomats after catching them red-handed transferring funds to JMB operatives. A 2020 intelligence report revealed ISI’s involvement in training 40 Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar camps through JMB, aiming to infiltrate them into India. 12 JMB’s network, funded via Gulf-based NGOs and Pakistani intermediaries, spans Bangladesh and India, with sleeper cells in states like West Bengal and Kerala. The group’s ties to Pakistan’s intelligence apparatus illustrates Islamabad’s alleged use of transnational proxies to destabilise regional rivals. Amid looming fears of strong action from India in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, Pakistan Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar held an emergency press meet at 2 a.m. Wednesday, saying that there were “intelligence reports of military action against their country within the next 24 to 36 hours”. Addressing the emergency press conference, Mr Tarar said credible intelligence-based information has warned of an Indian military action. “We have credible intelligence-based information that India is planning a military offensive against Pakistan within the next 24 to 36 hours. Any action by India will be responded to with full force,” he said. “Pakistan will defend its territory at all costs and will respond with its full might. The nation will defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity by all means necessary. If India tries to impose a war on Pakistan, it will be solely responsible for the disastrous and devastating costs,” he added. AGENCIES Centre plans to extend Ganga’s JALAJ model to Godavari, other rivers AGENCIES NEW DELHI, 30 APRIL The Centre plans to scale up the successful practices of the Wildlife Institute of India’s livelihood-focused project JALAJ, that is being implemented the aegis of National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) across other major river basins like the Godavari, Periyar, Pampa and Barak. The issue was discussed at a review meeting held by Union Minister of Jal Shakti C.R. Patil, to assess the progress of the Jalaj program which is a significant component of the Government’s Arth Ganga vision — linking people to rivers through sustainable economic activities. Along with livelihood focus, the project aims at creating societal awareness towards aquatic biodiversity conservation. The minister appreciated the innovative models developed under Jalaj and emphasized the need to scale up the successful practices to the other river basins whose ecological assessments were also reviewed in the meeting. The minister emphasized that along with conservation, JALAJ aims at creating economic opportunities and enhancing community participation in river rejuvenation efforts. Jalaj has successfully connected river conservation with livelihood generation by promoting eco-tourism, sustainable farming, skill development, and artisanal production across the Ganga basin. The initiative aims at establish 75 Jalaj centers, with various models such as dolphin safaris, homestays, livelihood centers, and awareness & sale points.