INTERVIEW WITH AAYUSH KUMAR 02 MARCH 2025 THIS IS NOT DONE CHAMPIONS TROPHY: INDIA TAKE ON NEW ZEALAND IN FINAL GROUP GAME www.thestatesman.com X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 PAGE 12 SINCE 1818 PAGES 20 |` 5.00 | LC KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR WEATHER Generally clear. Hazy in the evening. Maximum and minimum temperatures likely to be around 35°C and 23°C respectively. Amit Shah chairs high-level security review meeting on Manipur situation RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 77% STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE IMPHAL, 1 MARCH Min. 50% TEMPERATURE Max: 35.2˚C SUN RISES 05:56 hrs MOON RISES 07:23 hrs HM directs to ensure free movement in Manipur U Min: 23.3˚C SUN SETS 17:40 hrs MOON SETS 20:10 hrs Full Moon on 14 March THUMBNAILS People arrive to shop on the eve of Ramadan, in New Delhi on Saturday. n ANI Violence erupts at Jadavpur University over student election demands: Demanding immediate holding of students’ union elections in Jadavpur University, SFI and otherleft-backed students’ organisations allegedly damaged education minister Bratya Basu’s car and set fire to the Trinamul Sikshmabandhu Samiti office inside the university campus on Saturday. (Page 3) nion Home Minister Amit Shah chaired a highlevel security review meeting in New Delhi on Saturday on the situation in Manipur, during which he instructed security forces to ensure the free movement of people across Manipur from 8 March and to take strict action against any attempts to obstruct roads. The primary focus of the meeting was to restore normality and peace in Manipur, which has been grappling with ethnic violence between Kuki and Meitei communities since May 2023. The prolonged unrest has claimed over 260 lives and displaced tens of thousands. Manipur has been under President’s Rule since 13 February, following the resignation of Chief Minister N Biren Singh. According to a Home Ministry statement, during the meeting, Mr Shah instructed officials to take strict action against extortion in the state. He also directed that work on fencing both sides of the entry points Union Home Minister Amit Shah chairs a meeting to review the security situation in Manipur at the Ministry of Home Affairs in New Delhi on Saturday. n ANI along the international border with Myanmar should be expedited. It was also decided to dismantle the entire network involved in drug trafficking to make Manipur drug-free. The security review took place a day after Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla extended the deadline to surrender looted and illegal weapons till 6 March. Mr Bhalla was present at today’s meeting chaired by Mr Shah and attended by top Union home ministry, Army and paramilitary officers. On 20 February, Mr Bhalla had issued an ultimatum for people hold looted and illegal firearms to turn them in, allowing a week’s time. In the seven-day period, some 700 firearms being handed over, including 246 weapons surrendered by the Meitei militia group, Arambai Tenggol, on 27 February. However, thousands of arms, looted from police stations and armouries during the initial phase of violence, remain unaccounted for. Responding to public appeals from both hill and valley communities, the governor extended the surrender deadline to 6 March. PM Modi takes dig at ‘Lutyens Jamaat, Khan Market Gang’ STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 1 MARCH Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in an indirect attack on the Opposition, on Saturday hit out at the 'Lutyens' Jamaat' and 'KhanMarketGang',questioning their silence on certain Britishera laws, including one in which police could arrest the groom and others if 10 people danced together at a wedding. “I am surprised by the 'Lutyens' Jamaat' and 'Khan Market Gang' that they have been silent for this many years. The people who are the 'thekedaar' of PIL, those who visit courts every now and then, why they weren't worried about the Liberty back then," Mr Modi said at a media event. “The British brought a law ~ the Dramatic Performance Act ~ 150 years back... This act was there even after 75 years of independence. It means if more than 10 people are dancing during a wedding, the police could arrest them along with the groom. Our government abolished that law," he said. Security agencies are also devising strategies to recover looted weapons from militant factions and armed civilian groups, ensuring that no group retains disproportionate firepower. Ethnic violence in Manipur erupted in May 2023 over the Meitei demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status, opposed by KukiZo tribal groups. The conflict quickly escalated into largescale rioting, arson, and armed confrontations, leading to the formation of ethnic militias and the mass looting of arms from security forces. Four BRO workers dead in Badrinath avalanche; 50 rescued, 5 missing PR SINGH DEHRADUN, 1 MARCH Four BRO construction workers who were trapped under an avalanche at Mana Village near Badrinath in Uttarakhand were found dead, even as rescue operation launched jointly by Indian Army, ITBP, BRO and Indian Air Force rescued 46 other workers on Saturday. Rescue teams are trying to locate five trapped workers who are still missing. Although Uttarakhand government is yet to confirm the workers’ deaths, Indian Army PRO Lt Col Manish Shrivastava said: “In the latest update as if now it has been confirmed that 50 persons have been rescued so far. “Unfortunately four injured persons have been confirmed as fatal casualty. The injured are being prioritised for evacuation. The search operation led by the army is underway to save the balance five persons.” Lt Col Shrivastava added: "The avalanche rescue operation is currently under way led by the IndoBhutan Expeditionary Brigade (IBEX Brigade) of Indian Army. A total of six helicopters are deployed for the evacuation as the road is blocked. The helicopters include three Cheetah helicopters from Indian Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami said there were 55 workers when the avalanche occurred. 33 of them were rescued on Friday and 17 more were rescued on Saturday Army Aviation, two Cheetah helicopters from Indian Air Force and one civil helicopter hired by the Indian army." It is notable that the IBEX Brigade of the Indian army is a specialised unit trained mainly for high-altitude and mountainous operations. Earlier, Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami conducted an aerial survey of the avalanche site and took stock of the rescue work on the ground. He informed that instead of the earlier stated figure of 57, the number of workers trapped under the avalanche was 55. The chief minister said: “There were 55 workers when the avalanche occurred on Friday and 33 of them were rescued till late night. They were taken to safe places and hospitals. As rescue operation continued 17 more trapped workers were saved today. Rescue work has become very challenging due to heavy snowfall in that area. Helipad at Mana is covered under a heap of snow.” “There is complete power breakdown in five blocks near Badrinath. More than 200 people belonging to Indian, Army, BRO, ITBP, SDRF, Indian Air Force, Fire Service, Disaster Management, state health department and state police are engaged in rescue operation. Of the rescued workers 23 were airlifted and shifted to the army hospital at Joshimath town,” said Mr Dhami.