FOLLOW US: @TheStatesmanLtd @thestatesmanltd thestatesman1875 www.thestatesman.com People’s Parliament, Always in Session India’s National Newspaper since 1818 | Pages 12 | ` 5.00 | KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR | Monday, 06 October 2025 WORLD SPORTS Karur tragedy: SIT commences investigation, posters back Vijay ‘Hope to announce the release of all hostages from Gaza in the coming days’ Rising Beyond Tariffs CWC 2025: Richa’s late strikes propel India to 247 vs Pakistan Page 6 Page 12 Page 4 Page 9 INDIA EDITORIAL PAGE Rain, landslides wreak havoc in north Bengal, death toll rises to 24 STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Kolkata, 5 October B engal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is to visit North Bengal on Monday to assess the grim situation caused by incessant rains, flash floods and multiple landslides that have left at least 24 people dead, scores missing and hundreds stranded in the hills. Miss Banerjee, who has been monitoring the situation from the control room at Nabanna since early Sunday, told a vernacular television channel that she would leave for Siliguri along with Chief Secretary Manoj Pant and other senior officials. “I will reach there by Monday afternoon and review the ground situation from Siliguri,” she said. Incessant overnight rains have triggered massive landslides in several parts of Darjeeling district, with Mirik and Sukhiapokhri emerging as the worst-hit. A bridge collapse at Mirik claimed at least nine lives, while seven others were reported dead in Sukhiya. Another fatality was confirmed from Bijanbari, police said. The torrential rain and landslides have snapped road connectivity between Darjeeling, Kalimpong, and Sikkim. The arterial NH-10 linking Siliguri to Gangtok has been blocked at multiple points after the Teesta river overflowed near 29th Mile and Bhalukhola, submerging long stretches of the highway. Several tourists remain stranded in hill resorts, prompting the government to issue special advisories. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences and said the Centre was closely monitoring the situation. “Deeply pained by the loss of lives due to a bridge mishap in Darjeeling. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon. The situation in Darjeeling and surrounding areas is being closely monitored in the wake of heavy rains and landslides. We are committed to providing all possible assistance to those affected,” the Prime Minister wrote on X (formerly Twitter). In Kolkata, the Chief Minister convened an emergency meeting with the district magistrates of five affected districts ~ Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar and Cooch Behar. She also issued a special message to tourists, advising them not to panic and remain where they are. “Mirik is a small hill town. There have been seven major landslides in and around Mirik-DarjeelingKalimpong. One bridge has collapsed and several roads are blocked. Many tourists are stranded. I have instructed that they must not be forced to vacate hotels or pay extra charges. The government will bear the cost if necessary. Please do not rush ~ we will bring you back safely,” Miss Banerjee said. She added that the Alipurduar V K Malhotra: A life of relentless hard work, determination and service NARENDRA MODI A few days ago, we lost one of our seniormost leaders, Shri Vijay Kumar Malhotra Ji. He lived a long and accomplished life, but more importantly, he led a life of relentless hard work, determination and service. A glimpse of his life will make everyone understand the core ethos of the RSS, the Jana Sangh, and the BJP… courage in the face of adversity, service above self and a deep-rooted commitment to national and cultural values. The family of VK Malhotra Ji suffered the horrors of partition. The trauma and displacement did not make him bitter or inward-looking. Instead, he immersed himself in serving others. He found his calling in the ideology of the RSS and the Jana Sangh. Those were indeed very challenging times. Malhotra Ji dedicated himself to social work, helping thousands of displaced families, who had lost everything, rebuild their lives. This was also the guiding spirit of the Jana Sangh. His fellow Karyakartas in those days included Madanlal Khurana Ji and Kidar Nath Sahni Ji. People like them and countless others were at the forefront of selfless service, which resonated with the people of Delhi. It is well known that the Lok Sabha and various state assembly elections of 1967 were a shocker for the all-powerful Congress. A lesser-known election which took place was the first-ever Delhi Metropolitan Council election. In the national capital, the Jana Sangh secured a resounding victory. Shri LK Advani Ji became the Chairman of the Council and Malhotra Ji was given the responsibility of the Chief Executive Councillor, which is roughly equivalent to being Chief Minister. He was only 36 then. He used his tenure to address the needs of Delhi, especially on infrastructure and civic issues. This responsibility also deepened Malhotra Ji’s bond with Delhi. Whenever there was an issue of public importance, Malhotra Ji was not a bystander but an active participant speaking the voice of the public. He took part in the cow protection movement in the late 1960s, where he also became a victim of police excesses. He was at theforefrontoftheanti-Emergency movement. When Sikhs were being brutally butchered on the streets of Delhi, he was a voice of calm and peace and stood strongly with the Sikh community. He believed that politics, in addition to electoral success, was about principles and protecting people as well as values when it mattered most. From the late 1960s onwards, VK Malhotra Ji remained a permanent figure in public life. Few leaders can claim to have such a long, unbroken span of public engagement. He was a tireless Karyakarta, an excellent organiser and an institution builder. He had the wonderful ability to traverse the worlds of electoral politics and organisational politics with equal ease, providing stable leadership to the Jana Sangh and the BJP’s Delhi unit. Be it civic administration, state legislature or the Parliament, Malhotra Ji had seen it all. His 1999 Lok Sabha electoral victory against Dr. Manmohan Singh is still remembered by supporters and opponents. It was a high-profile election, where he was pitted against an important Congress leader. The full might of the Congress ecosystem descended upon his South Delhi constituency, but Malhotra Ji never reduced the level of discourse. He ran a positive campaign, ignoring vile attacks and won with over 50 per cent of the vote! This victory was achieved due to Malhotra Ji’s strong connect on the ground. He was skilled at nurturing close relationships with Karyakartas and understanding the aspirations of the voters. When Malhotra Ji spoke in Parliament, it was always well-researched and wellpresented. His tenure as Deputy Leader of the Opposition during UPA-1 offers valuable lessons to students of politics and Parliamentary democracy. He effectively opposed the ineffective UPA Government, especially on its dismal track record of corruption and terrorism. During those days, I was serving as the Chief Minister of Gujarat and would often interact with Malhotra Ji, who was always curious to know about Gujarat’s development strides. Politics was one facet of VK Malhotra Ji’s persona. He was an excellent academician. I learnt from his family about how he secured double promotions during his school years. He completed matriculation and graduation ahead of schedule. His Hindi proficiency meant that the task of translating Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee’s speeches to Hindi often came to him.One of Malhotra Ji’s greatest traits was his role as an institution builder. He was among the top leaders who founded and nurtured several institutions related to the RSS. Through his efforts, many cultural, educational and social organisations found growth and mentorship. These institutions became nurseries of talent and service, carrying forward the vision of a self-reliant, value-driven society. Beyond politics and academia, Malhotra Ji made an indelible mark in the world of sports. Archery was his great passion and he served as the President of the Archery Association of India for several decades. Under his leadership, Indian archery gained global recognition and he tirelessly worked to provide athletes with platforms and opportunities. His role in sports administration reflected the same traits he displayed in public life: dedication, organisational ability and the pursuit of excellence. Shri VK Malhotra Ji’s impact is not just in the positions he held, but in the ethos, he carried forward… of putting service before self, of staying rooted in values and of embracing challenges with courage and perseverance. He was the ideal Party man, never speaking anything that could embarrass our Karyakartas or ideology. A few days ago, I was at the programme to inaugurate the new Headquarters of the Delhi BJP, where I fondly recalled Shri VK Malhotra Ji. He was thrilled when the BJP formed the Government in Delhi earlier this year after over three decades and had immense expectations, which we are committed to fulfilling for our beloved national capital. May his life and accomplishments continue to remain a role model for generations of public servants in the times to come. (The writer is the Prime Minister of India) district administration has been placed on high alert as heavy rainfall and rising water levels from Bhutan have inundated low-lying areas. Blaming the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) for aggravating the flood situation in South Bengal, Miss Banerjee said: “In South Bengal, DVC has released massive quantities of water. Ghatal is inundated because it’s a low-lying area. When DVC releases water and the Ganga is already full ~ and with high tide approaching ~ where will the water go? These are consequences of long neglect of nature. Disasters are now happening everywhere in the world.” Referring to the fragile ecology of the Himalayan foothills, Miss Banerjee remarked that unplanned construction in newer hill towns like Mirik had worsened the disaster’s impact. “Darjeeling and Kalimpong have stronger hill bases, but Mirik is a new hill. Houses are being built by cutting into the slopes, which makes the area extremely vulnerable,” she said. No objection if Aadhaar is added as the 12th document: CEC IMRAN MOJIB Patna, 5 October Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar has said that according to the Supreme Court’s orders and under the Aadhaar Act, Aadhaar cannot be considered proof of age, proof of residence, or proof of citizenship, it remains a proof of identity only. Yet, the Commission accepts Aadhaar cards as per the apex court’s order. It might be added as the 12th document needed for voter list revision, he said. He said: “We are following the Supreme Court order that Aadhaar cards should be accepted. We were accepting Aadhaar cards with the enumeration form and still accepting it. We are fine if it is added as the 12th document in the list of 11 documents that we had asked earlier. However, the Supreme Court has stated in its order that the Aadhaar card will not be proof of citizenship. Other documents may be required for eligibility.” The CEC made the remarks during a press conference in Patna on Sunday after the completion of a two-day visit to Bihar over the preparedness of the assembly elections in the state. He rejected criticism over the decision to conduct the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar just before the Assembly elections and the manner in which the entire process was conducted. He asserted that the entire process was undertaken lawfully and according to provisions. He also said that the demand to postpone it was unjustified. Mr Kumar further said that all stakeholders participated in the SIR drive, and after the draft publication of the Electoral Rolls, 3.66 lakh voters came forward to remove their names from the list, sensing their responsibility. If an eligible voter finds out that his name is not included in the final list, he can still apply for it. He can apply for it ten days before the election notification.