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 29,000 Myanmar refugees sheltering in Mizoram Israel says hospital strike targeted Hamas camera NATION TN CM Stalin amplifies vote theft charge at Bihar rally Page 10 Page 8 Thursday, 28 August 2025 SPORTS WORLD NATION | Gauff battles to win in first US Open match with new coach Page 5 Page 12 BRIEFLY Vaishno Devi landslide toll US tariffs come into effect, govt seeks to mitigate impact rises to 34; PM assures aid STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 27 August India condemns Israel’s killing of scribes in Gaza: New Delhi: Expressing ''shock'' and "deep regret" over the killing of journalists in Gaza's Khan Younis, India on Wednesday said it has always condemned loss of civilian lives in conflict. The comment from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) comes after Israel struck Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza on Monday, killing at least 21 people, including five journalists, in a "double-tap" attack, amid intensifying Israeli offensives in the besieged enclave. Among the journalists killed were Al Jazeera's Mohammad Salama, Reuters cameraman Hussam al-Masri, and Mariam Abu Daqqa, a freelance journalist working for AP at the time. T he 50 per cent tariffs imposed on most imports from India to the United States came into effect on Wednesday. Economists have warned that the tariffs could inflict significant damage on the Indian economy and further disrupt global supply chains. Exporters said shipments and even production are currently on hold. According to trade estimates, the move will impact at least Rs45,000 crore worth of Indian exports. Exporter groups estimate the tariffs could affect nearly 55 per cent of India's $87 billion in merchandise exports to the US, while benefiting competitors such as Vietnam, Bangladesh and China. Santanu Sengupta, chief India economist, Goldman Sachs’ also warned that sustained 50 per cent levies could push India’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth below 6 per cent, from a forecast level of around 6.5 per cent. Rival exporters from Turkey to Thailand, facing lower People burn an effigy during a previous protest against US President Donald Trump in Kolkata. FILE PHOTO US tariffs, are already scooping up American buyers with offers of cheaper goods. “About 30 per cent of India’s exports to the US ~ including pharmaceuticals, electronics, raw drug materials and refined fuels ~ worth $27.6 billion, remain duty-free. But sectors like textiles, gems and jewellery, and seafood, long reliant on the American market, face shrinking order books. “At a 50 per cent tariff, it is very difficult to export,” Mr Sengupta said. As the Indian government seeks to mitigate the impact of the tariffs, it is said to be actively engaging with exporters to increase shipments of key products like textiles, leather, and gems and jewellery to other countries. New Delhi is also said to be ingreach out to 40 countries, including the UK, Spain, France, Germany, and Italy to push exports in key sectors including textiles and chemicals, in order to counter the heavy tariffs. Other countries include the Netherlands, Poland, Canada, Mexico, Russia, Belgium, Turkiye, the United Arab Emirates and Australia. A senior official said trade fairs, buyer-seller meets, and sector-specific promotional campaigns will also be part of India's stepped up drive to push exports amid escalating tariff tensions between India and the United States. India's merchandise exports arefacingpressureamidgeopolitical tensions and the 50 per cent punitive hike in US tariffs that kicked in on Wednesday. The Commerce Ministry is set to hold a series of consultations with exporters this week as part of this renewed push to diversify India's export basket and strengthen its presence in global markets, a senior official confirmed. The meetings will bring together industry representatives from key sectors including textiles, chemicals and gems and jewellery, sources said. The discussions are expected to centre around strategies to reduce dependence on a narrow set of products and markets, and to chart out a road map for entering new geographies. Jammu, 27 August At least 34 pilgrims, 16 among them women and 2 children, died and 23 others were injured after a massive landslide hit them on Tuesday on the Vaishno Devi track route, officials confirmwd on Wednesday. The authorities have identified 20 of those dead, while other bodies were still unidentified. The victims were from across the country. Rescue operations by the Army, CRPF, NDRF and SDRF were ongoing and debris was being removed to rule out the possibility of more people trapped there. The Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board authorities had initially said that five people had died and 14 were injured. However, the number of casualties increased as the debris was removed and more bodies were found. It is feared that the number might further rise. The Jammu region has witnessed widespread damage and loss of lives due to cloudbursts and landslides during the incessant rains that have been continuing since Monday. The Vaishnodevi yatra has been suspended after the tragedy hit the region at about 3 p.m. on Tuesday. Expressing grief over the loss of lives in the landslide, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on X: “The loss of lives due to a landslide on the route to the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Temple is saddening. My thoughts are with the bereaved families. May the injured recover at the earliest. The administration is assisting all those affected. My prayers for everyone's safety and well-being”. Mr Modi on Wednesday assured continued assistance to the people of Jammu and Kashmir when Chief Minister Omar Abdullah briefed him about the widespread damage in Jammu caused by the ongoing floods triggered by torrential rains that have hit the region. Omar, who reached here from Srinagar this morning after the air flights resumed, visited the worst-affected areas and assessed the situation. He wrote on X: “Spoke to Hon PM @narendramodi Sb a short while ago. I briefed him about the situation in J&K from the worst hit areas as I toured the parts of Jammu, along the banks of the Tawi, that saw a lot of damage yesterday. I’m grateful for his assurance of continued assistance to the people of J&K”. Later in the day, Mr Abdullah questioned the authorities for permitting the yatra to continue despite a high-scale alert of adverse weather conditions. Replying to questions of reporters, Omar asked why officials did not stop pilgrims from treading the track when there was a warning of the calamity. “We will have to talk about it later. When we knew about the weather, should we not have taken certain steps to save those lives? The weather warning had come to us a few days ago.” New Delhi, 27 August Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday held a telephonic conversation with Finland President Alexander Stubb (photo far right) during which both the leaders exchanged views on the recent efforts towards the resolution of the conflict in Ukraine. During the course of conversation, Mr Modi reiterated India’s consistent support for peaceful resolution of the conflict and early restoration of peace and stability. The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), in a statement, confirmed, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a phone call from the President of the Republic of Finland Alexander Stubb today." President Stubb shared his assessment on the recent meetings held between the leaders of Europe, the United States and Ukraine in Washington on resolution of the conflict in Ukraine. "Prime Minister Modi reiterated India’s consistent support for peaceful resolution of the conflict and early restoration of peace and stability," the PMO said in the statement. The leaders also reviewed progress in the India-Finland bilateral relationship and reaffirmed their commitment to enhance partnership in emerging fields including quantum technologies, 6G, ar tif icial intelligence, cyb erse c urity and sustainability. President Stubb reiterated Finland’s support for an early conclusion of a mutually beneficial India-EU Free Trade Agreement. He also affirmed support for the success of the AI Impact Summit to be hosted by India in 2026. Cabinet approves submission of bid for Commonwealth Games 2030 STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 27 August STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Cabinet okays four railway projects worth Rs 12,328 crore STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Modi, Finland Prez Stubb discuss efforts to resolve conflict in Ukraine New Delhi, 27 August The Union Cabinet Wednesday approved four railway projects worth approximately Rs 12,328 crore, a government release said. These projects aim to ensure seamless and faster transportation of both passengers and goods, providing connectivity and improving travel convenience while reducing logistic costs and dependence on oil imports. The four projects approved by the Union Cabinet include Deshalpar–Hajipir–Luna and Vayor–Lakhpat New Line, S e c u n d e r a b a d (Sanathnagar)–Wadi 3rd and 4th Line, Bhagalpur–Jamalpur 3rd Line, and Furkating–New Tinsukia Doubling. (P5) The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the Sports Ministry’s proposal to submit India’s bid to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games (CWG). As part of the decision, the Cabinet also cleared the signing of the Host Collaboration Agreement (HCA), along with guarantees from the relevant ministries, departments, and authorities. Additionally, it sanctioned the provision of grant-in-aid support to the Gujarat government, should the bid be successful. If awarded, Ahmedabad is set to be the host city, with the government highlighting its world-class stadiums, cutting-edge training facilities, and strong sporting culture. The Narendra Modi Stadium, the world’s largest cricket venue and the site of the 2023 ICC World Cup Final, has already proven its ability to stage marquee global events. A Commonwealth Sport inspection team, led by Director of Games Darren Hall, recently visited Ahmedabad to review the proposed venues and hold discussions with Gujarat government officials. A larger delegation is expected to make a visit soon. The Cabinet stressed that hosting the Games would have benefits far beyond sport, driving tourism, job creation, and opportunities across multiple sectors such as sports science, event operations, logistics, broadcasting, IT, communications, and public relations. “Hosting the CWG in India would leave a lasting impact, boosting tourism, creating jobs, and inspiring millions of young athletes,” the release stated. The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) had earlier approved the bid at its Special General Meeting on 13 August in the national capital. Having already submitted its Expression of Interest, the IOA now has until 31 August to file the final proposal. Alongside India, Nigeria and two other countries have reportedly expressed interest in hosting the 2030 edition. The final decision will be taken at the General Assembly of Commonwealth Sport in Glasgow in November. India last hosted the Commonwealth Games in 2010, staging the event in New Delhi. India must set the rules of engagement, not follow them: Rajnath PARWINDER SANDHU Mhow, 27 August In a powerful call seeking strategic dominance, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh stated that in today’s evolving global landscape, the nation that defines the battlefield controls the conflict and its terms. He urged India’s armed forces to take the lead in determining the battlefield and setting the r ules of engagement, confirming that adversaries are forced to operate on our terms. Mr Singh was addressing the gathering during the ongoing Ran Samwad-2025, being organised by the Head Quarter Integrated Defence Staff, at Army War College in Mhow, Madhya Pradesh, here today. “Today, in the world, whichever nation decides the battlefield is the one that controls the game and its rules. Others have no option but to respond to this and step into the arena on terms that are not of its own choosing. Our endeavour must be to define the battlefield and the rules of the game ourselves, compelling the adversary to fight there, so that the lead advantage always remains with us,” he said. Emphasising that India has never been a nation that seeks war or initiated aggression against anyone, Mr Singh said that present geo-political reality is quite different. “Even though we do not harbour any aggressive intent, if someone challenges us, it becomes imperative that we respond with strength. To do so, we must continuously Defence Minister Rajnath Singh releases the Joint Doctrine for 'Multi Domain Operations' (MDO) and the 'Technology Perspective & Capability Roadmap 2025' during Ran Samvad 2025 at the Army War College, in Ambedkar Nagar on Wednesday. Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal A. P. Singh and Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi and Vice Chief of the Army Staff, Lieutenant General Pushpendra Singh are also present. ANI enhance our defence preparedness. We do not want anyone's land but we are ready to go to any extent to protect our land.” Cautioning that in today's era, wars have become so sudden and unpredictable that it is very difficult to predict when any war will end and how long it will last, the defence minister called for streamlining of the defence industry. “We must be prepared for this so that our surge capacity is sufficient. That is, if any war stretches for 2 months, 4 months, a year, 2 years, even 5 years, then we should be fully prepared for it,” he said. Mr Singh also stated that future wars will not merely be battles of weapons but a combined play of technology, intelligence, economy and diplomacy. “In the times ahead, the nation that masters the triangle of technology, strategy and adaptability will emerge as the true global power. To put it simply, this is the moment to learn from history and write a new one; this is the moment to anticipate the future and shape one.” Drawing attention to the role being played by the technology in reshaping warfare globally, Mr Singh said that in the present scenario the element of surprise has become even more powerful. He said that with the rapidly advancing technology, by the time one is able to comprehend one innovation, another emerges, completely altering the course of warfare. “The most striking feature of this element of surprise is that it no longer has a permanent form. It keeps changing, always carrying uncertainty with it. And it is precisely this uncertainty that confounds adversaries, often becoming the decisive factor in the outcome of war,” he added. CDS assures resolution of Inter-Service differences PARWINDER SANDHU Mhow, August 27 As the curtains were drawn on the first edition of Ran Samwad 2025, the Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, in his closing remarks, stressed that any “dissonance” amongst the services will be resolved with the best interest of the nation in mind. It may be noted that during the course of discussions, the Naval Chief and Air chief had made contrasting remarks over the proposed creation of theatre commands. While Air Chief Marshal AP Singh said that there was no need for another structure at the lower level, Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi called for the rollout of theatre commands as the “ultimate goal”. Addressing the gathering, Gen. Chauhan said: “As a CDS I actually set out to promote jointness among the three services. Today, I can say with some kind of pleasure and confidence that we can speak about our differences in a very conducive kind of environment... openness to patiently listen to others with different and alternate points of view, without temperatures being risen.” (Details on Page 9)