TUESDAY 23 JANUARY 2024 www.thestatesman.com Pages 12 |` 5.00|LC INDIA’S NATIONAL NEWSPAPER SINCE 1818 Twitter.com/thestatesman Facebook.com/thestatesman KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR WEATHER MAINLY CLEAR SKY. MODERATE TO DENSE FOG IN THE MORNING. THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 18 AND 07 DEGREES CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. DEEPAK RAZDAN RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 95% TEMPERATURE Max: 17.6 °C SUN RISES 07:13 hrs MOON RISES 15:34 hrs Modi performs pran pratishtha AYODHYA, 22 JANUARY Min. 55% I Min: 06.1°C SUN SETS 17:53 hrs MOON SETS 06:19 hrs THUMBNAILS A group of youngsters holding Shri Ram flag, chant slogans as they celebrate Ram Lalla's Pran Pratishtha Ceremony, at Marine Drive in Mumbai on Monday.  ANI Modi announces launch of ‘Pradhanmantri Suryodaya Yojana’: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday announced his government's decision to launch “Pradhanmantri Suryodaya Yojana” with the target of installing rooftop solar on one crore houses. He made the announcement through a social media post on X soon after returning from Aydohya after the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of the Ram Temple. ''The first decision I have taken after returning from Ayodhya is that our government will launch “Pradhanmantri Suryodaya Yojana” with the target of installing rooftop solar on (P10) one crore houses,'' he wrote. n a moment for the ages, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday performed 'pran pratishtha' of Ram Lalla idol in the magnificently built Ram temple here amidst Vedic chants, sending joy among devotees across the world. “Our Ram Lalla will no longer stay under a tent, he will now reside in this divine temple,” he said after completing the short rituals in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. Addressing a large gathering of special invitees in the temple complex, the prime minister said, “Today, our Ram is back with us, after wait of centuries, an unending patience, and uncounted sacrifices; our Prabhu Ram is back with us.” Beginning with the slogan "Siyavar Ramchandra ki jai", he said January 22 was not just another date, it was the beginning of a new timecycle. Lord Ram had blessed the country, and after the consecration of the temple, the Sun had spread such aura that the nation felt energised and confident, he said. He said people were giving up their mentality of slavery and learning lessons from the past to write fresh history. This moment would be remembered even thousands of years later. People who were witness to today’s events would be thankful to Lord Ram, he said. In the Ramcharitmanas epic of Tulsidas, people had to go through separation from Ram for 14 years but in this age the separation was of hundreds of years, the Prime Minister said, referring to the events which led to the placement of a Ram Lalla idol in a temporary shelter. Despite Lord Ram being present in the original copy of the Constitution, a prolonged legal battle had to be fought after Independence to let the idol shift to a regular temple, he said. The Prime Minister thanked the judiciary for “keeping the dignity of justice intact. Embodiment of justice, Shri Ram’s temple was constructed as per legal sanctity only,” he said. The Prime Minister said “today's occasion is not only a moment of celebration, but also a moment of realization of the maturity of Indian society. For us, this is not only an occasion of victory but also of humility.” From the ocean to the Saryu river near Ayodhya, there is a Ram festival in the country. Explaining the knots of India, Kyrgyzstan begin joint military drills to counter terror STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE history, the Prime Minister pointed out that the outcome of a nation's struggle with its history is seldom happy. “Still,” he said, “the gravity and sensitivity with which our country has opened this knot of history shows that our future is going to be much more beautiful than our past.” Referring to the doomsayers who thought the temple construction would lead to conflict, the Prime Minister said that such people did not realize the piousness of India’s social ethos. “The construction of this temple of Ram Lalla is a symbol of peace, patience, mutual harmony and coordination of Indian society. We are seeing that this construction is not giving birth to any fire, but to ener- ‘In my 11-day fast and ritual, I attempted to touch places where Shri Ram walked’ gy,” he said. “The Ram Mandir has brought inspiration to every section of the society to move forward on the path of a bright future,” he said. Modi said, “Ram does not belong only to us but to all, Ram is not just present but is infinite.” The Prime Minister said Ayodhya was asking everyone a question, after construction of the temple, what is to follow? He said this was the time for the country to work for the development of the country. Every citizen should take a vow to convey Ram’s great ideals to everyone so that the nation progresses, he said. The Prime Minister asked the countrymen to expand their consciousness from Dev to Desh, Ram to Rashtra -- from deity to nation. He asked them to learn from Shri Hanuman’s service, devotion and dedication. Referring to the ongoing Amrit Kaal and young demographics, the Prime Minister said there was a perfect combination of factors for the nation’s growth. He asked the young generation to take the support of their strong heritage and move ahead with confidence. “India will reach the goal of prosperity by following the path of both purity of tradition and the infinity of modernity,” the Prime Minister said. “This grand Ram temple will become a witness to the rise of Viksit Bharat,” he said. Drawing lessons from the temple, the Prime Minister emphasized that a goal can be achieved if it is justified and born out of collective and organized power. “This is India's time and India is going to move forward. After waiting for centuries we have reached here. We all have waited for this era, this period. Now we will not stop. We will continue to reach the heights of development,” the Prime Minister said. ‘OUR RAM HAS ARRIVED’  Prime Minister Naren- dra Modi said Ram Lalla will no longer stay in a tent, after the new idol was consecrated at the Ayodhya temple.  The PM showered flower petals on the workers who were a part of the construction team at the Ram Temple  PM Modi, Yogi Adityanath and Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel also performed 'parikrama' at the sanctum sanctorum of Ram Mandir after pran pratishtha rituals concluded.  PM thanked the Supreme Court of India which paved the way for the construction of the temple by delivering the verdict on November 9, 2019. VIBRANT KASHMIR AGENCIES NEW DELHI, 22 JANUARY AYODHYA, 22 JANUARY India and Kyrgyzstan on Monday began the 11th edition of their joint military exercise ''KHANJAR'', aimed at countering terrorism and extremism. The two-week exercise commenced this morning at the Special Forces Training School in Bakloh, Himachal Pradesh. It is an annual event conducted alternatively in both the countries. The Indian Army contingent comprising 20 personnel is being represented by troops from The Parachute Regiment (Special Forces) and the Kyrgyzstan contingent comprising 20 personnel is represented by Scorpion Brigade. Troops from the two countries will exchange experiences and best practices in Counter Terrorism and Special Forces Operations in Built-up Area and Mountainous Terrain The two-week exercise commenced this morning at the Special Forces Training School in Bakloh, Himachal Pradesh. It is an annual event conducted alternatively in both the countries. under Chapter VII of United Nations Charter. The exercise will emphasise on developing special forces skills, advanced techniques of insertion and extraction. ''The exercise will provide an opportunity for both sides to fortify defence ties while addressing common con- cerns of international terrorism and extremism. The exercise will also provide an opportunity to showcase capabilities of cutting edge indigenous defence equipment besides achieving shared security objectives and foster bilateral relations,'' the Ministry of Defence said. Recalling his visit to Tamil Nadu's Arichal Munai, the starting point of Ram Setu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that during his 11-day 'anushthan', he tried to bow before all the places where Lord Ram had visited. Drawing an analogy to that moment, the Prime Minister said that he got the belief that today's moment will also be the one to alter the circle of time and move forward. Mentioning Pancwati Dham in Nashik, Thriprayar Temple in Kerala, Lepakshi in Andhra Pradesh, Shri Ranganathswamy Temple in Srirangam, Shri Ramanathaswamy Temple in Rameswaram and Dhanushkodi, the Prime Minister expressed gratitude for the journey from the sea to river Sarayu. "From the sea to the Saryu river, the same festive spirit of Ram's name is prevalent everywhere", he continued, "Lord Ram is connected to every particle of the soul of India. Ram resides in the hearts of Indians". He further added that the feeling of oneness can be found within everyone's conscience anywhere in India and there could not be a more perfect formula for collectiveness. Recalling his experience of listening to Shri Ram Katha in many languages, the Prime Minister said that Ram is there in the memories, festivals of traditions. Big blow to India as Kohli withdraws from first two Tests TRIDIB BAPARNASH NEW DELHI, 22 JANUARY Star batter Virat Kohli has pulled out of the India squad for the first two Test matches against England citing personal reasons, the BCCI said on Monday, while adding that a replacement for the former skipper would be named soon. "Virat has spoken to captain Rohit Sharma, the team management and the selectors and has emphasised that while representing the country has always been his top priority, certain personal situations demand his presence and undivided attention," the board said in a statement. Kohli, who reached Hyderabad, the venue of the first of five Tests, on Sunday, did not attend India's optional training session on Monday. He has reportedly informed the team management about his possible absence for the first two games. Kohli featured in India’s last Test series against South Africa, that resulted in a 1-1 draw and then missed the first T20I at home against Afghanistan for personal reasons before returning for the final two games of the series. During the tour of South Africa, Kohli had missed the preparatory three-day intrasquad match before the twoTest series, due to personal reasons. Pujara, Patidar, Easwaran likely replacements While the BCCI is yet to name a replacement, in all likelihood Test veteran Cheteshwar Pujara, Rajat Patidar, Abhimanyu Easwaran could be the frontrunners for the middle order slot. Mumbai batter and a domestic runmachine Sarfaraz Khan, who has been waiting for an India call-up for long, could also be in the running. Pujara, whose last appearance in the Indian Test jersey was at the World Test Championship last year, has been overlooked by the national selectors for the past eight-nine months for a prolonged slump in form. However, the Saurashtra batting star has started this year's Ranji Trophy season with an unbeaten doublecentury against Jharkhand before hitting three scores in the 40s and a half-century in his next two games, signalling his return to form. Patidar and Sarfaraz were impressive in their recent outings for India A against the England Lions, and are also in the race. While Patidar slammed a couple of centuries in both the tour game and the unofficial Test, Sarfaraz scored half-centuries in both games, including 96 in the tour game. Bengal’s Abhimanyu, the India A skipper, had replaced the injured Ruturaj Gaikwad as India’s reserve opener during the tour of South Africa. As far as the ones in the squad are concerned, Shreyas Iyer and Shubman Gill could fill in the No.4 slot along with KL Rahul, who could be played as a specialist batter, leaving the wicketkeeping duties to KS Bharat or Dhruv Jurel. The five-match Test series will be part of the World Test Championship cycle, and India are currently second on the WTC points tally, behind defending champions Australia. Jammu and Kashmir tableau on display during the press preview of tableaux, for the upcoming Republic Day Parade 2024, in New Delhi on Monday.  ANI Today India's honour has returned with the arrival of Ram Lalla in his temple: Bhagwat STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE AYODHYA, 22 JANUARY RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Monday said the 'pran prathistha' of Ram temple is witness to the rise of a new India which will provide relief to the entire world and emerge as a world player. He said the ceremony marks the erasing of a stigma of 500 years of defeat. "... India will be a global leader before the entire construction work of the Ram temple is complete," he said. Bhagwat said India has become a world leader within itself and spread its aura around the world. "This Pran Pratistha program is becoming a witness to the rise of a new India that will provide relief to the entire world from tragedy. There is joy in everything, there is enthusiasm in everything. We heard that before attending this Pran Pratistha program, PM Modi observed a strict fast which shows his ascetic nature," he said. RSS chief said the reason behind why Shri Ram went out of Ayodhya was discord. Shri Ram went into exile and returned after ending the discord in the entire world. "Today, Shri Ram has returned again after 500 years. Whoever is listening to the story of Ramlala's return in this era, his welfare is certain". "We have to accept this Brahma truth by following the four steps of religion mentioned in Srimad Bhagwat. We are everyone and everyone is ours, only by accepting this we will be able to practice the truth. The second stage is of compassion, through which we have to serve everyone in the society. Cleanliness is the third step, through which we also have to promote cleanliness. If we keep ourselves under control then the earth will keep all humans alive. True devotion to Ram is not to be greedy and to remain disciplined while maintaining restraint. These bring purity in life," he said.