TRUMP’S NEW 10 PER CENT TARIFFS KICK IN ‘WE WILL TAKE ACTION AGAINST CONG LEADERS ACCUSED OF WAQF LAND SCAM’ 06 APRIL 2025 IPL 2025: DELHI BEAT CSK TO EXTEND UNBEATEN RUN www.thestatesman.com X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 PAGE 05 PAGE 09 PAGE 12 SINCE 1818 PAGES 12|` 5.00 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR WEATHER Partly cloudy. Nearby storms may bring lightning, gusty winds. Maximum and Minimum Temperature most likely to be around 37˚C and 27˚C respectively. RAINFALL: 0.0 mm RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 79% The two countries signed seven key MoUs, including one on enhancing defence cooperation Min. 54% ASHOK TUTEJA NEW DELHI, 5 APRIL TEMPERATURE Max: 37.5˚C SUN RISES 05:31 hrs MOON RISES 12:12 hrs Modi asks Dissanayake to fulfil aspirations of Tamils Min: 27.3˚C SUN SETS 17:50 hrs MOON SETS 01:17 hrs U Full Moon on 13 April THUMBNAILS A woman offers prayers at the ancient Sheetla Mata temple on the occasion of Durga Ashtami, in Amritsar on Saturday. n ANI Justice Yashwant Varma takes oath as judge of Allahabad HC: Justice Yashwant Varma, transferred recently from the Delhi High Court, was sworn in as the judge of the Allahabad High Court here on Saturday. He was administered oath in the Chief Justice's Chamber. However, he has not been given any responsibility yet. Until the ongoing investigation against him is completed, he has been kept away from judicial work. nderlining that Sri Lanka has a special place in India's “Neighbourhood First” policy and “Mahasagar” vision, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday urged the government of the island nation to meet the aspirations of Tamils, work in the direction of full implementation of the constitution, and fulfil its commitment to hold Provincial Council elections. Addressing a press conference after wide-ranging talks with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in Colombo, he said the two leaders discussed in detail the issues relating to the livelihood of fishermen. “President Dissanayake shared with me his views on the matter. We stressed the need for the immediate release of fishermen along with their boats,” he added. The two countries signed seven key MoUs, including one on enhancing defence cooperation, after the talks between Far-reaching pacts The two countries signed seven key MoUs after the talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. The memorandum of understanding (MoU) on a framework for defence cooperation, the first such agreement between the two countries, will institutionalise joint exercises, training and high-level exchanges. A tripartite MoU involving the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will focus on the development of Trincomalee as an energy hub, including the construction of a multi-product energy pipeline. SL’s highest civilian honour conferred upon PM Modi The two sides also signed an MoU for the interconnection of their electricity grids for power trade. Another MoU will enable the sharing of India’s digital solutions for digital transformation in Sri Lanka. PM Modi also announced a support package of approximately 2.4 billion Lankan Rupees for the social and economic development of the Eastern provinces. the two leaders. PM Modi and President Dissanayake also launched five projects in sectors like railways and power, which were being undertaken in the island nation with India's assistance. The Indian leader also announced a comprehensive capacity-building programme in India covering 700 Sri Lankans annually. At a media briefing later, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said India has concluded the debt STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 5 APRIL restructuring process with Sri Lanka by exchanging bilateral amendatory agreements on debt restructuring, demonstrating its continued commitment to assist the neighbouring country in its economic recovery. “We have been pursuing an investmentled strategy with Sri Lanka together with a grant assistance-oriented approach to ensure that Sri Lanka is firmly on the path to sustainable and long-term economic recovery,” he added. Prime Minister Modi told the Lankan President that the security interests of India and the island nation are aligned. He said he was grateful to Sri Lanka for keeping India's security interests in mind and welcomed the defence pact between the two nations. The prime minister said India has adopted the vision of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' and places great importance on the priorities of its partner nations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was awarded with Sri Lanka’s highest civilian honour, Mithra Vibhushana, by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Saturday. Mr Modi, who is on a three-day visit to the neighbouring country, was given the honour after a delegation-level meeting with President Dissanayake. Announcing the award, the Lankan president said the Indian Prime Minister highly deserved the award. Surrender and embrace peaceful development, Shah appeals to Maoists SHISHIR ROY CHOWDHURY DANTEWADA, 5 APRIL India steps up vigil against cheap Chinese imports amid US tariff hike AGENCIES NEW DELHI, 5 APRIL India has stepped up vigil to prevent the dumping of cheap Chinese imports in the country after the steep US tariff hike on goods exported by the Communist-ruled country. Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal is reported to have held a number of meetings to take stock of the situation. Government officials are also in touch with industry to get a wider view of the ground reality and formulate a strategy to protect the Indian economy. The Commerce Ministry has already been keeping a close watch on goods such as steel from China which was hurting domestic industry after the earlier round of tariff hike by the US. Now the vigil has been widened to other goods as well, a senior official confirmed. While the USA has hiked tariffs for all countries, China is the worst hit as the additional tariff of 34 per cent announced by President Donald Trump has ramped up the total duty on Chinese goods imported to the USA to 54 per cent. China has retaliated against the US tariff hike by increasing duties on all American goods by 34 per cent and placing export curbs on essential rare earth metals required for the vital electronics and defence industries. China has also imposed restrictions on several US companies, especially those in defence-related industries, in a tit-for-tat move. India’s exports to the US constitute only 4 per cent of its GDP, so the direct impact of the 27 per cent hike in tariffs on Indian goods announced by President Trump will have only a "limited" impact, according to an SBI Research report.. The tariffs levied on India are the lowest among its Asian peers, compared to 34 per cent on China, 36 per cent on Thailand, 32 per cent on Indonesia, and 46 per cent on Vietnam. This is expected to give India a comparative advantage over these countries and result in an increase in exports in some sectors over the long term, the report states. The higher tariff on textile export-oriented countries like Bangladesh, China, and Vietnam may lead to lower demand due to inflationary pressures. Manipur: First talks between feuding communities, MHA remain ‘inconclusive’ AGENCIES NEW DELHI/IMPHAL, 5 APRIL In a bid to resolve the 23month-long ethnic hostilities in Manipur, the first tripartite meeting between officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the representatives of Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities was held in New Delhi on Saturday. However, both the MHA officials and the representatives of the Meitei community remained tightlipped about the discussion of the meeting. Kuki-Zo Council Chairman Henlianthang Thanglet, who led an eight-member delegation of Kuki-Zo-Hmar communities, said that Saturday’s meeting was "inconclusive". “There was a proposal to issue a joint peace appeal, but we did not agree upon this,” Thanglet told IANS over the phone from Delhi. A Manipur govt official said that the meeting was intended to bolster trust and cooperation between the two warring Meitei and Kuki-Zo-Hmar communities and to find a roadmap to restore peace and normalcy in the state. He said that the MHA would decide about the venue and time of the next tripartite meeting. A senior official of the Manipur government in Imphal said that the first tripartite meeting was held on Saturday as part of the government's endeavour to find a mutual solution to the ethnic conflict between the Meitei and Kuki-ZoHmar communities, which began on 3 May 2023, over Defence Minister says India to play crucial role in Indo-Pacific stability; asks Naval commanders to remain alert and prepared STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 5 APRIL Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has stated that India stands for a free, open and rule-based order in accordance with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Urging the Commanders during the ongoing Naval Commanders’ Conference 2025 in Karwar today, Mr Singh asked the higher ups to assess the changing circumstances and ensure planning, resourcing and exercising accordingly, while remaining alert and prepared. “Security is an ongoing adaptation process, wherein there is a need to keep assessing, planning, and coming out with new ideas. We need to analyse how India can make its role more effective,” he said. Stressing on the necessity to reorient the future roles Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in a group picture with Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan and others during his visit at Karwar Naval Base, in Uttara Kannada on Saturday. n ANI of the Armed Forces amidst the present unpredictable geopolitical landscape, Mr Singh said that India will have a crucial role to play. “It is our responsibility to ensure peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific as the region has become a focal point for the world”, he said. During the first edition of the biannual conference, Mr Singh reviewed the maritime security situation, operational readiness of the Indian Navy, and the future outlook. Speaking about the modernisation in the Indian Navy, Mr Singh said that national security is of paramount importance to the Government and it has always been ensured that the requirements of the Armed Forces are fulfilled. “The speed at which the work of naval modernisation is being carried out for the last 10-11 years is unprecedented. Induction of new platforms, state-ofthe-art equipment has significantly enhanced our Naval prowess and the morale of our brave sailors. It is a testimony to the fact that we are always standing with you in your preparations,” he said. During his address the defence minister also appreciated the Navy’s contribution in strengthening India’s maritime security, surpassing the expectations of the people in every situation, and displaying continued commitment towards serving the nation with new energy and innovation. The second phase of the conference is scheduled to begin from 7 April in New Delhi. the tribal status demand of the Meiteis. A six-member Meitei community delegation comprising representatives from the All Manipur United Clubs' Organisation (AMUCO) and the Federation of Civil Society Organisations (FOCS) attended the meeting. Four senior officials from the government, including MHA advisor for the northeast region, A.K. Mishra, and Joint Director, MHA, Rajesh Kamble, were present in the meeting. The Manipur government official said that the meeting was intended to bolster trust and cooperation between the two warring Meitei and Kuki-Zo-Hmar communities and to find a roadmap to restore peace and normalcy in the state. The MHA official also stressed on maintaining law and order and facilitating understanding between the two communities, the official said. Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday announced a comprehensive strategy to eradicate left-wing extremism from Chhattisgarh by March 2026. Speaking during the Bastar Pandum tribal festival on Chaitra Navratri Ashtami, Mr Shah unveiled a community-basedincentiveprogramme and made a heartfelt appeal to Maoists to surrender and return to the mainstream. Addressing thousands at the event in Dantewada, Mr Shah declared that any village ensuring the surrender of all Maoist cadres would receive a ₹1 crore development grant, a move aimed at strengthening grassroots efforts in anti-Maoist operations. “This is not just about eliminating extremism ~ it’s about empowering tribal communities to take charge of their future,” Mr Shah said. Paying tribute to Maharaja Praveer Chandra Bhanj Deo, the Home Minister hailed him as a symbol of tribal pride and resistance. “He fought for Bastar’s jal, jungle, and zameen. Today, as we defeat the ideology of violence, the spirit of Praveer Chandra blesses this trans- formation,” Mr Shah said. He announced that from 2026, Bastar Pandum will be elevated to an international tribal festival, with cultural delegations from across India and abroad. The event will showcase Bastar’s diverse traditions ~ ranging from its indigenous languages and attire to its music, cuisine, and dance forms such as the Gedi. He also announced that ₹5 crore has been sanctioned for the preservation of tribal art, attire, folklore, and language. Mr Shah said that 881 Maoists surrendered in 2024, and 521 have surrendered in just the first three months of 2025. “Where once the sounds of gunfire dominated, we now hear school bells. Where roads were a dream, highways are becoming reality,” he said. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to providing schools, dispensaries, hospitals, and nutrition for every tribal village, and urged communities to hold gram sabhas to facilitate the surrender and rehabilitation of local Maoists. “Those who lay down arms will be welcomed with dignity. Those who don’t will be dealt with firmly,” he warned. ‘Sheesh Mahal’ row: RTI reveals Kejriwal spent `3.69 cr annually on maintenance STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 5 APRIL In a fresh attack on the AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal over the Sheesh Mahal row, Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva (photo) on Saturday, citing the results of an RTI inquiry, said that on an average, Rs 3.69 crore was spent on maintenance of the 6 Flag Staff Road bungalow from 2015 to 2022. Citing the same document, the BJP leader claimed that between 31 March 2015, and 27 December 2022, a total of Rs 29,56,35,074 was spent on maintenance work related to general wear and tear, sewage, electricity, and structural work of the bungalow on Flag Staff Road that was the residence of then CM Arvind Kejriwal. The Delhi BJP president alleged that an annual maintenance cost of Rs 3.69 crore for a single government bungalow suggests that Mr Kejri- Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva contended that an annual maintenance cost of Rs 3.69 crore for a single government bungalow suggests that Mr Kejriwal either maintained it at a royal standard or, more likely, was involved in corrupt practices. wal either maintained it at a royal standard or, more likely, was involved in corrupt practices. Demanding an answer on the same from the AAP, he said that Mr Kejriwal has been avoiding the media for a long time, but now the people of Delhi expect him to come forward and clarify what exactly was so deficient in his bungalow that so much money was needed for its maintenance. The leader from the saffron party clarified that the RTI inquiry was filed by a person from Maharashtra and the same was forwarded to him to expose the alleged corruption.