Front Page
Et Tu PM Modi? In a letter to his new Pakistan counterpart Imran Khan, PM Narendra Modi said he wished to pursue “good neighbourly relations” and “constructive engagement” for the benefit of the region, The Indian Express reports. The Prime Minister reiterated his government’s goals to make development in the subcontinent a priority, while bringing an end to terrorism and violence.
With the rage and shouting matches over Navjot Singh Sidhu’s hug with the Pakistan army chief refusing to die down, netizens were amazed that the Prime Minister’s letter to Imran did not evoke similar reactions from hawks in the media.
So Modiji has written a "Love letter" to Imran Khan offering peace talks and the Govt is hiding that letter from the public. Why Modiji? Are you ashamed of your so-Anti-National act? Why is Indian media silent? Kyaa baat- Laanatein sirf Sidhu ke liye hain? #ModiLoveLetterToImran
— Sadhavi Khosla?? (@sadhavi) August 20, 2018
Kerala under a spate of communal attacks: Scientist Madhav Gadgil, the head of a committee that had prescribed a ban on certain industrial and commercial practices in the Western Ghats for their preservation, has said that the recent floods in Kerala were partly a man-made disaster, The Indian Express reports.
However, attempts to communalise the tragedy have taken people by surprise. In an article, Swarajya suggested that the Kerala government had rejected the Gadgil Committee report owing to pressure “mainly from Christian organisations”. The report elicited different kinds of reactions.
The Gadgil Report was for the entire Western Ghats, not just Kerala. BJP and Congress regimes in Karnataka and Goa vehemently opposed it; since netas of all parties are in cahoots with the mining lobby. @SwarajyaMag 's communal twist is shameful, yet characteristic (alas). https://t.co/pJVAnGezow
— Ramachandra Guha (@Ram_Guha) August 20, 2018
Finding NiMo no longer a challenge: The Interpol has confirmed that disgraced jeweller Nirav Modi is in the UK, Hindustan Times reports. Accused of duping Punjab National Bank of over Rs 12,000 crore, Modi had fled the country this January. The CBI has initiated the process of extradition to enable his return from the UK.
Four states join hands to curb drug abuse: Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand have come together to fight drug abuse, Business Standard reports. The chief ministers of these states have vowed to devise a joint strategy, and a common secretariat for the initiative will be set up in Panchkula.
The Supreme Court will hear a petition seeking the mandatory inclusion of sports in the curriculum from elementary to higher secondary level, and the classification of the right to sports as a fundamental right, The Times of India reports. The court has issued notice to the relevant authorities for their response.
Vinesh Phogat has won India’s first-ever gold in women’s wrestling at Asian Games, The Indian Express reports. She won in the 50-kg freestyle category, defeating Yuki Irie of Japan.
News it’s just kinda cool to know
Could 3D printing help save coral reefs? Reef-like structures were 3D-printed and planted in the sea off Maldives as part of an experiment to help corals survive climate change. Once the structure was submerged in water, “live coral was then transplanted within the artificial reef, where it’s hoped that within two to three years, it will grow and colonise the structure”, AFP reported. The reef-like simulation is said to encourage corals to grow. This is how the reef was assembled.
Even wonder why pregnant women are increasingly being advised to sleep on their left side? According to a report in Livescience, the posture reduces pressure on the inferior vena cava vein, thus easing blood flow to both the foetus and the mother. Pregnant women who sleep on their backs, some experts say, are at a higher risk of stillbirth.
Business Class
Apple eyes bigger bite of Indian market with ‘premium’ stores: “With Apple’s plan to open company-owned stores on the back-burner pending government approval, the iPhone maker is going with the next best option: bigger franchisee outlets at key locations in metropolitan cities,” reports The Economic Times.
Reliance Group chairman Anil Ambani has refuted Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s allegations that his company will illegally benefit from the Rafale deal between India and France, reports Business Standard.
Point of View
Crisis in the heartland. The Indian Express writes in an editorial, “The crisis in rural areas today is actually one of too much agriculture — in terms of both relative output and employment. What is needed is more manufacturing units, including those that process and add value to agricultural produce.”
The elected prime minister who defied the Pakistan army and attempted peace with India, Nawaz Sharif, is languishing in jail. Will the new Prime Minister, Imran Khan, even try? The Times of India writes in its editorial, “Khan does seem to have the blessings of the army, and his 21-member cabinet unveiled so far has at least 12 members who had served under General Pervez Musharraf.”
Is the battle against terrorist groups over? What is the role of the intelligence agencies? Former national security adviser M.K. Narayanan answers these questions in a column published in The Hindu Tuesday. He writes, “The enduring message is that the ideological battle against religiously-oriented terror groups like the IS (Islamic State) is far from over. No shortcuts are available as of now. Above all, India must realise that some of the world’s top 10 most wanted terrorists are located in its vicinity…”
The education system in Delhi has been overhauled under AAP. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, in a column in The Times of India, explains how this transformation happened. He writes, “There isn’t a single developed country which does not have its citizens well educated… It is easy to talk about development. However, it entails painstaking efforts to actually make it happen.”
Prime Time
Times Now held a debate on the revelation of alleged links between a former Shiv Sena corporator and suspects said to be planning blasts in five cities across Maharashtra. The show was hashtagged #SanatankiSena.
Waris Pathan of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen said, “In the name of gau raksha, they are nothing but terrorists. We have requested the government time and again to ban these organisations.” Amit Malviya of the BJP said the anti-terrorism squad had acted swiftly in nabbing the culprits. In the sound and fury, nothing was significant.
Republic TV’s Arnab Goswami conducted a debate on Navjot Singh Sidhu’s ‘notorious’ hug with Pakistan army chief General Bajwa. The keywords across the screen ranged from ‘anti-national’ to ‘Cong-Pak hug’. Former diplomat Vivek Katju referred to Sidhu’s sojourn as “misplaced” and “unnecessary”, stating that the most senior minister of a strategically located border state “should not have fallen into the trap of Pakistan”.
Goswami, meanwhile, bulldozed and vilified the “Lutyens’ circle” for its role in “compromising India’s interests”. He said that till 26/11, India’s Pakistan policy was dictated by bureaucrats, failed columnists and media personalities “who had vested interests and motivated reasons behind running these peace circuits”.
“Some journalist who is part of this circuit, who writes that those opposing Sidhu are paranoid, ignorant, immature idiots – do they even understand the reality of the country and its sentiments?” he wondered. Well, one can only guess who riled up Mr Goswami!
(With inputs from Simrin Sirur)