kottayam l Sunday l november 17, 2024 l `12.00 l PAGES 24 l city edition india’s hockey hub, Odisha, finally wins National title After investing in infrastructure, promotion, including sponsoring both men & women’s national teams, the state has emerged on top dominating five-goal fest for winners most players from sundargarh nursery In the final on Saturday, Odisha defeated Haryana 5-1 to win the title at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium in Chennai. For Odisha, Rajat Akash Tirkey scored the first goal in the first quarter before Pratap Lakra doubled the lead in the 39th minute. In the fourth quarter, Shilanand Lakra scored three goals to seal the title ■ ■ ■ At least 12 players were from the cradle of Indian hockey in the team. Coach Bijay Lakra said some of them grew up playing together. This was Haryana’s 3rd consecutive final appearance (2022 winners) Earlier in the day, Lalit Upadhyay and Rajkumar Pal helped Uttar Pradesh beat Manipur to finish third in the competition I P11 1st This is the first-ever senior national title for Odisha CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI Imphal valley on boil, mob storms houses of ministers Speculation rife on some BJP MLAs submitting resignation today LIft AFSPA from six areas, says govt P rasa n ta M az u m d ar @ Guwahati e x p r ess r e a d 5 Maoists shot dead WITH THIS ISSUE Raipur: Five cadre of the outlawed CPI (Maoist) were gunned down by security forces in an encounter on Saturday in the north Abujhmad area located along the NarayanpurKanker border in Chhattisgarh. Feeling at Home PLUS 12 PAGES Massive protests broke out in Manipur’s Imphal valley on Saturday after the bodies of six persons, believed to be of those reported missing from Jiribam district on Monday were recov, ered from a river close to the border of Assam’s Cachar and Manipur’s Jiribam districts. Miscreants also vandalised and burned down five churches and six houses in Jiribam on Saturday evening, the Indigenous Tribal Advocacy Committee claimed. In the wake of widespread protests, the state government temporarily suspended internet and mobile data services in the affected districts. The protesters attacked the houses of several MLAs and damaged properties at some places. They also stormed the houses of two BJP ministers. Vehicles were also set on fire. One of the MLAs, whose house was targeted, was R K Imo, who is the son-in-law of Chief Minister N Biren Singh. As the protesters are going for the jugular of the elected members for failing to control Massive protests were held on Saturday in Imphal after six bodies were found The Manipur government has written to the Centre requesting it to review its Nov 14 notification imposing the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act in six jurisdictions in the Imphal valley. The state cabinet discussed it at a meeting late Friday night and decided to request the Centre to review and withdraw the said declaration No reason was cited the escalating violence, speculations are rife that some of the BJP’s legislators could resign on Sunday . The influential Meitei organisation ‘Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity’ announced a civil disobedience movement from Saturday . The bodies of all six persons were taken to the nearby Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH) in Assam’s Cachar district for post-mortem. Three of the bodies were recovered on Friday and the others on Saturday The state govern. ment in a statement issued earlier in the day confirmed that three of the bodies were of the missing persons. Three women and three children went missing from Jiribam following Monday’s gunfight in which CRPF and police personnel had gunned down 10 “militants”. Kuki-Zo organisations claimed they were “village volunteers”. Tension had been building across the Imphal valley since Friday night following reports about the recovery of three bodies. The protests intensified later in the day on Saturday when reports emerged about the recovery of three more bodies. Ahead of Palakkad bypoll, Sandeep Varier shifts to Cong camp E x press Ne w s S er v i c e @ Palakkad In a significant political move that may influence the coming by-election in Palakkad, BJP leader Sandeep Varier joined the Congress on Saturday . Varier, a former spokesperson of BJP, had been maintaining distance from the party for some time now, citing personal humiliation and lack of support from the leadership. His dissatisfaction with the BJP became all the more evident when he refused to campaign for BJP candidate C Krishnakumar in the by-election. His switching sides, just a few days ahead of the Pal- akkad bypoll, is seen as a significant shift in Palakkad’s political landscape. While the move has come as a major jolt to the BJP leadership, the CPM chose to play it down. The Congress, however, portrayed the move as a prize catch ahead of the crucial bypoll. The party could pull off a masterstroke, by keeping Varier’s joining the Congress under wraps to ensure a dramatic entry there, by generating massive buzz and media attention. Party leaders hailed it as a ‘surgical strike’ against the BJP and the CPM. It can also be seen as a strategic countermove by Congress to bolster its own support.  ● More on P5 Sandeep Varier being greeted by Congress leaders, including AICC general secretary Deepa Das Munshi, state president K Sudhakaran and Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan, at the DCC office in Palakkad on Saturday Friday speech to be vetted: Waqf Board E J A Z K A I S E R @ Raipur In what is decidedly the first such directive anywhere in the country the Chhattisgarh State , Waqf Board in the BJP-ruled state issued a circular to the Mutawallis (caretakers) of all mosques asking them to get the sermons they deliver every Friday afternoon before the prayer vetted by it. “There should not be any political colour in the speeches given ahead of the Jumma namaz every Friday At times, . fatwas are issued from the mosques or support is extended to some political party Mosques . should confine themselves to religious preaching or practices and not become a siyasi adda (political nest). So, I have instructed all Mutawallis to apprise the Waqf Board regarding the contents of their sermons and get our consent,” Chhattisgarh Waqf Board chairman Salim Raj told this newspaper on Saturday . He contended that he has not overste pped his brief, as mosques and dargahs fall within the ambit of the Waqf Board. Raj said imams have also been asked to create awareness regarding the government’s welfare schemes, especially those meant for the minorities.