THURSDAY 01 MAY 2025 www.thestatesman.com X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 SINCE 1818 Pages 16 |` 5.00 | LC KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR AMBANI RE-ENTERS $100-BILLION CLUB ‘CENTRE’S CASTE CENSUS DECISION A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION’ P5 SENSEX 80,242.24 q46.14 ROYALS AIM TO KEEP SLIM PLAYOFF HOPES ALIVE 100 DAYS P12 NIFTY 24,334.20 q1.75 P8 ` vs $ 84.61 P16 SILVER `1,00,000 GOLD `97,430 BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 63.45 Grand Jagannath Temple Government approves at Digha opened to public proposal to include caste enumeration in census CM expresses hope that the temple will boost pilgrimage& tourism TANMAY CHAKRABARTY DIGHA, 30 APRIL WEATHER Partly cloudy sky. Thunderstorm with light to moderate rain likely to occur. RAINFALL: 029.6 mm RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 96% Min. 58% TEMPERATURE Max: 30.0˚C (-5.6) Min: 25.7˚C (-0.5) SUN RISES 05:05 hrs MOON RISES 06:54 hrs SUN SETS 18:03 hrs MOON SETS 21:09 hrs Full Moon on 12 May THUMBNAILS Bangladeshi Hindu leader Chinmoy Krishna Das gets bail: Chinmoy Krishna Das, a prominent Hindu leader and spokesperson for the Bangladesh Sammilito Sanatani Jagaran Jot, was 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 had 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. C hief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday opened the newly constructed Jagannath Dham in Digha for the public following the muchawaited consecration of the idols of Lord Jagannath and His companions. Miss Banerjee remarked in her address on the occasion that this would create a surge in pilgrimage activity, where harmony would integrate with tourism. Miss Banerjee further stated that among other rituals performed prior to today's unveiling, the Chakra of Vishnu had been installed at the summit of the temple, with a flag tied to it. She added that the chakra was made of eight metals. She mentioned that the temple would have four entry points: in the east, Singha Dwar; in the west, Baghra Dwar; in the south, Ashwa Dwar; and in the north, Hasti Dwar. Additionally, there is Chaitanya Dwar. Miss Banerjee asked the state Information and Cultural Department to initiate steps to reach out to every household in the state with ‘prasad’ and photographs of the newly built Lord Jagannath temple. “Efforts will also be made to cater to foreign nationals should they request it," Miss Banerjee said. She expressed her hope that the unveiling of the temple would generate widespread interest and enthusiasm among people, transforming it into an international tourist hub in the days to come. The Chief Minister also showered praise on the tireless efforts of the workers, engineers of HIDCO, architects, and other officials for bringing this project to fruition after three years of hard labour. SHAHID K ABBAS NEW DELHI, 30 APRIL There was a massive turnout for today’s event, with people forming long queues, as they waited to catch a glimpse of the newly built temple and its deities. The former MP and state president of the BJP, Dilip Ghosh, along with his wife Rinku Majumdar Ghosh, India, Pakistan DGMOs talk over hotline, India warns against unprovoked ceasefire violations 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 (J-K), and on the night of 26-27 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. India has taken a raft of measures against Pakistan for its support to cross-border terrorism, including holding the Indus Water Treaty in abeyance and closing the Integrated Check Post at Attari. India also decided to curtail strength of India’s and Pakistan’s High Commissions. The government has given the armed forces complete operational freedom to decide on the response to the Pahalgam terror attack. Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, meanwhile, held an emergency press conference at 2 a.m. on Wednesday to claim that there were “intelligence reports of Indian military action against their country within the next 24 to 36 hours. Govt restructures NSAB: The Centre on Wednesday restructured the National Security Advisory Board (NSAB), bringing in several former distinguished officers from the armed forces, intelligence wings and police services. Former R&AW chief Alok Joshi has been appointed as the chairman of the restructured NSAB. The move comes as the government recalibrates its strategy to step up pressure on Pakistan via diplomatic, economic, and military measures in the wake of the Pahalgam attack. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already made it clear that India will track down and punish the perpetrators of the Pahalgam massacre, hunting them ‘till the ends of the earth’ if necessary. visited the temple in response to an invitation extended by the Chief Minister. Mr Ghosh praised the temple, calling it a wonderful development, and remarked that critics who objected to his visit and acceptance of the Chief Minister's invitation would receive a fitting reply in due course. India shuts airspace to all Pak-operated flights till 23rd NEW DELHI, 30 APRIL India on Wednesday announced to shut its airspace for Pakistan-owned and operated flights till May 23 (estimated), days after Islamabad decided to shut its airspace to all flights owned and operated by the Indian carriers. Indian aviation authorities have issued a NOTAM (notice to airmen) under which Pakistani aircraft are barred from Indian airspace till 23 May. The move comes amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan in the wake of the barbaric terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed. AGENCIES 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, Indian government sources have stated, asserting that for decades, its soil has been used as a launchpad for cross-border terrorism, insurgency, and extremist ideology. In 2018, the sources pointed out, 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 terrorist group. Former military ruler Pervez Musharraf too conceded that his forces trained militant groups to fight India in Kashmir. He revealed that the government turned a blind 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. Iranhasalsoregularlyaccused Pakistan of harbouring and failing to act against Sunni militants who stage attacks across the border. eye because it wanted to force India to enter into negotiations. 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: Moscow Concert Hall attack (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- United Kingdom: 2005 London Bombings: The 7 July 2005 London bombings, carriedoutbyfourBritishIslamist 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 US 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 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. The JMB network, funded via Gulf-based NGOs and Pakistani intermediaries, spans Bangladesh and India, with sleeper cells in states like Bengal and Kerala. The group’s ties to Pakistan’s intelligence apparatus illustrates Islamabad’s apparent use of transnational proxies to destabilise regional rivals. The 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 Cabinet Committee of Political Affairs has decided today that caste enumeration should be included in the forthcoming Census.” Asserting that “some States have conducted sur- veys to enumerate caste, some States have done this while some others have conducted such surveys purely from a political angle in a non-transparent way,” Mr Vaishnav emphasised that “this demonstrates that our government is committed to the values and interests of our society 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. SIT formed after 15 dead in city hotel fire STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE KOLKATA, 30 APRIL A devastating fire at a hotel in the Mechhua Fruit Market area of Burrabazar claimed 15 lives last night. Thirteen others were injured, of whom 12 were discharged after pre- liminary 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. There were 88 guests lodged at the hotel at the time. Kolkata Police have set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT), to probe the cause of the fire and any lapses in safety measures. (Details on Page 4)