MONDAY 05 AUGUST 2024 www.thestatesman.com Pages 12 |` 5.00|LC INDIA’S NATIONAL NEWSPAPER SINCE 1818 X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR P4 WEATHER Generally cloudy sky with light to moderate rain / thundershower likely to occur. Maximum and minimum temperatures likely to be around 32 °C and 27 °C respectively. RAINFALL: 1.4 mm RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 97 % TEMPERATURE Max: 31.6°C (- 0.4) SUN RISES 05:10 hrs MOON RISES 04:44 hrs INDIA’S CAMPAIGN IN AFTER SMOOTH CAMPAIGN BOXING ENDS WITH START, HARRIS FACES A LOVLINA’S LOSS CRUCIAL WEEK AHEAD ‘INDIA BLOC SHOULD PREPARE ITSELF TO SIT IN OPPOSITION IN 2029 TOO’ WAYANAD: EXAMINING LEGALITIES TO DECLARE AS NATIONAL DISASTER P5 P9 90 killed as fierce clashes erupt across Bangladesh Renewed anti-govt protests swept across nation with protesters calling for PM to resign THE DAILY STAR/ANN Min. 80 % Min: 27.2°C (+0.7) SUN SETS 18:16 hrs MOON SETS 18:26 hrs Full Moon on 19 August THUMBNAILS A pleasant view of white clouds hovering over the sky in the Capital on Sunday.  SUBRATA DUTTA Bengal minister Akhil Giri to resign: Following pressure from his party, the Minister of State (independent charge) for Correctional Services Department, Akhil Giri, who was caught on camera using abusive language against a woman forest department officer, announced on Sunday that he would resign from his post. Mr Giri, speaking to media on Sunday afternoon in Kanthi, however made it clear that he has not apologised to the woman forest officer and will not do so in the future. On Saturday, he allegedly abused the woman officer while she and her team were removing illegal encroachments at the Tajpur Sea (Page 3) resort in East Midnapore district. DHAKA, 4 AUGUST t least 90 people, including 14 police personnel, were killed and over a thousand others injured, many with bullets, as a new wave of violence convulsed Bangladesh. Ruling party activists and police clashed with protesters in Dhaka and other parts of Bangladesh on Sunday in three-way attacks on the first day of the student-led non-cooperation movement. The day began peacefully, but it turned violent after supporters of the ruling Awami League descended on streets and neighbourhoods to put up resistance against antigovernment protests. An angry mob attacked Enayetpur Police Station in the northern district of Sirajganj, beating 13 police personnel to death as violence spread. A number of houses of ruling Awami League lawmakers, police stations, AL offices, police vehicles, hospital buses, and prison vans were torched or vandalised throughout the day, forcing the authorities to tighten a nationwide curfew. The telecom authorities blocked 4G mobile internet services to quell A Men run past a burning vehicle inside the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Hospital in Dhaka, set on fire by protesters during a rally against the government.  AP protests. The government announced the shutdown of public and private offices, including banks, for three days, while the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement scheduled a long march to Dhaka for today. In the capital, at least 12 people were killed, with nine of them brought to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Details of violence emerged from across the country until late in the night: 18 died in Sirajganj, eight each in Laxmipur, and Feni; six in Narsingdi; five in Bogura; four each in Rangpur, Magura and Sylhet; three each in Pabna, Munshiganj, Cumilla, Kishoreganj and Sherpur; one each in Habiganj, Barishal, Savar, Joypurhat, Bhola and Cox's Bazar. The death toll is expected to rise as reports of many with bullet injuries got admitted to hospitals and health complexes. An uneasy situation has been prevailing since Saturday night following Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader's announcement that the ruling party’s men would be on the streets to maintain their positions against protesters. Most shopping malls, shops, bank branches and other establishments were closed in Dhaka. Public transport disappeared from the streets, forcing people to walk to work, while long-haul buses and trains suspended their services. It all came as protesters whittled their demands down to just one ~ the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her cabinet members. Simultaneously, they started a non-cooperation movement, urging citizens not to pay taxes and workers abroad not to send back remittances. The job quota reform protests by students pulled in people from all walks of life. The protests entered a dangerous phase after at least 204 people were killed in indiscriminate firing by law enforcers, members of Border Guard Bangladesh and ruling party activists, in a spasm of violence from 16 to 21 July. On Sunday, parts of the capital felt like battlefields as police and ruling party activists clashed with protesters in Farmgate, Dhanmondi, Mirpur 10, Uttara, Shahbagh and Gulistan areas. Outside the capital, in Narsingdi, at least six Awami League leaders were beaten to death and several others injured in a clash between AL supporters and protesters. In Feni, at least five people were killed in clashes as Awami League men attacked protesters. Several people were injured in the incident. In the northern city of Rangpur, four people died in clashes. One of the dead was identified as Haradhan Roy, president of the Parshuram Thana Awami League. In Sylhet, two people were shot dead and at least 25, including policemen and members of Border Guard Bangladesh, were injured in a clash. In Bogura, at least three persons were killed and many others injured, with 32 hospitalised, in separate clashes. Central govt to overhaul Wakf Act, check powers, increase women representation Search ops focus on Mundakkai and Panchirimattam areas; toll touches 369 AGENCIES ACHUTHANANDAN KUNIYIL NEW DELHI, 4 AUGUST The Centre is likely to introduce a Bill soon in Parliament seeking several amendments to the Wakf Act, which may cut its 'unfettered' powers to call any property its asset, and also ensure representation for women. According to sources, the Bill is likely to propose around 40 amendments to the Wakf Act. The sources also said that the Bill was approved by the Union Cabinet on Friday. As per the sources, the Bill proposes to repeal a few clauses of the Act primarily aimed at reducing the arbitrary powers currently held by Waqf Boards. The claims laid by the Waqf Board often lead to disputes. For instance, in September 2022, the Tamil Nadu Waqf Board claimed ownership of the entire Thiruchendurai village, which had a According to sources, the Bill is likely to propose around 40 amendments to the Wakf Act. The sources also said that the Bill was approved by the Union Cabinet on Friday. majority Hindu population living there for centuries. With this legislation, the Centre seeks to end the autocracy of the board. Some of the key highlights of the bill include mandatory verification to ensure a more transparent process; Amendments to Section 9 and Section 14 to alter the composition and functioning of theWaqf Boards to ensure representation for women; Properties claimed by Waqf Boards will undergo fresh verification to resolve disputes; Magistrates may be involved in the monitoring of waqf properties. As per sources, the demand CM speaks to Soren, urges to dial back water discharge STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE KOLKATA, 4 AUGUST With discharge of water from dams in Jharkhand amid torrential rainfall posing a threat of further flooding in the lower basin in Bengal, state Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday spoke to her Jharkhand counterpart Hemant Soren over the issue. “Just now, I spoke to the Chief Minister of Jharkhand, Hemant Soren ji, and discussed with him the evolving flood situation. I discussed with him the case of sudden and huge release of water from Tenughat, which has already started flooding Bengal," the Chief Minister said in a message posted on social media platform X. Miss Banerjee said she had informed Mr Soren that P12 Jharkhand waters have been flooding Bengal. Claiming that the situation was "man-made", Miss Banerjee said that she requested Mr Soren to look into the matter. Miss Banerjee also expressed worry about the high tide and has alerted all the district magistrates of South Bengal to keep monitoring the situation. "I have meanwhile been monitoring the situation and have spoken to all the DMs concerned in South Bengal as well as in North Bengal. I have asked the DMs to be particularly vigilant and take proper care of the calamity situation in the next 3/4 days. I told them to take all precautionary measures so that there is no untoward incident anywhere," Miss Banerjee stated. (Details on Page 2) to change the existing laws has come from Muslim intellectuals, women and various sects like Shia and Bohra. There are around 8.7 lakh properties under Waqf Boards across the country and the total land under these properties is around 9.4 lakh acres. The Waqf Act was enacted in 1995 and regulates assets donated and notified as waqf by a wakif -- the person who dedicates a property for purposes recognised by Muslim law as pious, religious, or charitable. During the UPA-2, the Congress-led Centre gave additional powers under the Waqf Act making it virtually impossible to get the land back from the hands of the board. It is these amendments which have since been a point of contention. In order to address the Board's arbitrariness, the Centre is planning to introduce the Bill in Parliament in the coming week. KALPETTA, 4 AUGUST Search operations continued with additional men and equipment in the landslidehit areas of Wayanad for the sixth consecutive day on Sunday. Search operations on Sunday focussed on the areas of Mundakkai and Panchirimattam. Rescue teams are using advanced radars, drones, and heavy machinery in their endeavour. Search teams also continued operations on Sunday along the 40-kilometre stretch of the Chaliyar River, which flows through Wayanad, Malappuram, and Kozhikode districts. Many bodies and remains were recovered from the river near Nilambur in Malappuram. The latest efforts by various agencies, including the Army, the Navy, police, Fire and Rescue teams, and the NDRF , along with local residents, NDRF personnel conduct a search and rescue operation in Wayanad on Sunday.  ANI led to the recovery of three more bodies and 13 body parts from the river on Saturday. These recoveries bring the total number of bodies found in the Chaliyar River to 73 and body parts to 132, making a grim total of 205. The river carried these bodies, or rather parts of human bodies mutilated by the devastating landslide, for around 25 km to Pothukallu near Nilambur in Malappuram district. Meanwhile, the death toll from the massive landslides in Wayanad has risen to 369 with the recovery of four more bodies on Sunday. However, the official count stands at around 240. Of the deceased, 148 bodies have been identified and handed over to their relatives. A total of 206 people are still missing. Among the deceased, 30 are children. Reports indicate that 49 children from the affected region remain unaccounted for, some of whom are students of Vellarimala GVHSS. The exact number of missing students is still unknown as authorities continue their efforts to ascertain the details. 14 children among 18 killed in rain-related incidents in MP STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE BHOPAL, 4 AUGUST In a tragic incident, nine children were killed while two others were seriously injured after a dilapidated wall fell on them due to heavy rain in the Sagar district of Madhya Pradesh on Sunday morning. According to police, the tragedy occurred during a Bhaagwat Katha and clay Shivling preparation event inside the Hardaul Temple in Shahpur in the Sagar district. While the children were preparing the Shivlings, the wall of an adjoining house, said to be more than 50 years old, came crashing down on them. The nine children who died in the incident included Divyansh Sahu (12), Vansh Lodhi (10), Nitesh Patel (13), Dhruv Yadav (12), Parv Vishwakarma (10), Divyaraj Sahu 12), Ashutosh Prajapati (15) and Khushi Patwa (12) and Hemant (10). Two children were seriously injured in the incident. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav expressed grief over the incident. The CM announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh to each of the families of the deceased children. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed condolences to the kin of the nine children and announced Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister's Relief Fund as ex-gratia and Rs 50,000 for the injured. In another incident on Sunday, five youths from Nagpur in Maharashtra were swept away when the car they were travelling in fell into the swollen Katta River in the Chhindwara district of the state. Police and rescue workers were able to save the lives of four youths while one was swept away with the vehicle. In another case of wall collapse in Rewa district, four children, including a broth- RAIN WOES Nine children died after a dilapidated wall fell on them amid heavy rain at a temple in Shahpur in Sagar district of Madhya Pradesh. Two children were seriously injured in the incident.   Four children, along with the mother of one of them, died in Garh in Rewa district, when a wall they were passing by on their way home from school fell on them on Saturday evening. er and sister, were killed along with a woman who was the mother of one of the kids. According to the police, the mishap occurred in village Garh when the children on their way home after school on Saturday evening came near a dilapidated wall. The wall caved in trapping the five children and the mother of one of them under its debris. In Narsinghpur district, a child and a youth were killed when a kuccha house collapsed in village Rampura. According to the police, the house of one Pawan Namdev collapsed and seven members of his family were trapped under the debris. Neighbours and other villagers rescued the family members and rushed them to a hospital. However, a three-yearold girl and a youth died during treatment. A man was crushed to death under a wall that fell on him while he was taking shelter near the wall due to heavy rain in Tikamgarh district. The incident occurred in village Bhagwantpura on Saturday evening when the victim, Tulsidas Palera, who was riding his motorcycle, took shelter behind the wall as it suddenly started raining. Ten-man India stop Britain to enter Olympics hockey semi-final S S RAMASWAMY PARIS, 4 AUGUST Reduced to playing with only ten men for two thirds of the match, India brought off a Houdini-like escape act to get past Britain via the penalty shootout and enter the hockey semi-finals in the Olympic Games here on Sunday. India and Britain were locked 1-1 at the end of regulation time before the eighttime champions marched into the semi-finals by outwitting the latter 4-2 in a rip-roaring penalty shoot out to trigger wild celebrations in the Indian camp, backed by vociferous support from sections of the crowd at the Yves-du-Manoir Stadium. India, down by one man for 43 minutes of the quarterfinal tie after Amit Rohidas was controversially red-carded, defended with gusto with man-of-the-match Parattu Ravindran Sreejesh guarding the goal rock-like to force the match into a penalty shootout. Sreejesh, who came up with save after save from the start of the match, also brought off a crucial save by stopping a goal-bound strike with aplomb in the tie breaker to truly emerge as the man of the moment. The veteran goalkeeper was fully backed by the rest of the team who worked tirelessly to help Sreejesh defend the Indian citadel when the need arose. India succeeded in the shootout on all four tries through captain Harmanpreet Singh, who also scored the first goal off the first off four penalty corners earned in the 22nd minute, Sukhjeet Singh, Lalit Upadhyay and Rajkumar Pal. Britain, who equalised through Lee Morton in the 27th minute, scored through James Albery and ZachWallace while Conor Willamson struck over the crosspiece and Philip Roper’s try was blocked by Sreejesh. India, in fact, took the lead after Rohidas was given the marching orders in the 17th minute of the game by South Africa’s S Rapaport when his stick was declared to have struck a British player through a video replay when the action was near the centre line. This unexpected setback brought out the best from the entire Indian team who all fell back repeatedly to help Sreejesh keep the Brits at bay. In all he made ten saves in regulation time. Britain also did not have the sort of skills inside the ring and repeatedly were foiled by a crowded Indi- CMYK an defense whenever they made deep inroads. They forced as many as ten penalty corners but couldn’t find the mark from any of those. India, at the other end, earned four and got their lone goal in regulation time through the first set-piece. India made eight attempts at the rival goal in contrast to 21 by Britain. Both Sreejesh and Manpreet, who played as the extra defender after the sending off of Rohidas, and Sreejesh hailed the victory as“a total team effort”, when speaking to reporters after the memorable win. “The coach told us we need to maintain our composure as we will get some chances to score.We did get some chances but couldn’t avail of them,” revealed Manpreet about the inputs from coach Charles Fulton at halftime. (Lakshya Sen loses: Pg 12) India's Harmanpreet Singh and teammates celebrate during the men’s quarterfinal hockey match against Great Britain, in the Olympic 2024, at Yves Du Manoir Stadium in Paris on Sunday.  ANI