HYDERABAD  TUESDAY  DECEMBER 17, 2024  `9.00  PAGES 16  LATE CITY EDITION BANGLADESH MAY HOLD ELECTION IN LATE 2025 OR EARLY 2026: YUNUS Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus on Monday said the next general election could take place by the end of 2025 or first half of 2026 People celebrating the 53rd Victory Day in Dhaka on Monday | AFP DATES WILL DEPEND ON POLITICAL CONSENSUS Yunus said the timing of the election will depend on political consensus as well as electoral reforms. “If we have to hold the election on the basis of a flawless preparation of the voter list, it may be possible to hold it by the end of 2025... And if we add to this the expected level of reforms in the electoral process, then it may take another six months,” he added | P9 ■ Dec 16 VOTER LIST TO BE UPDATED BEFORE POLLS ■ Yunus said he would like polls to be held after completing all reforms “We have to make sure the names of all those who have become eligible to vote in the last 15 years are included in the voters’ list. This is a big task,” said Yunus, head of Bangladesh’s caretaker government that was installed after the ouster of Sheikh Hasina on August 5 MARKS INDIA’S VICTORY IN 1971 WAR, LIBERATING BANGLADESH FROM PAK 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 Cong head rebuts charges of constitutional changes for ‘one family’ RAJESH KUMAR THAKUR @ New Delhi FINANCE Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday accused the Congress of making major amendments to the Constitution “brazenly to help the family and the dynasty”, as she initiated a discussion on the commemoration of 75 years of adoption of the Constitution in the Rajya Sabha. “Each time the Congress brazenly (amended Constitution), only to help the family The dy. nasty kept amending the Constitution, and this is how far they went even if it affects any particular woman who desperately needed the benefit,” she alleged while referring to the Shah Bano case. Rebutting the charges, Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge argued that those amendments were essential, like the first one, which aimed to provide reservations for Scheduled Castes and Tribes, resolve issues related to education and employment, and abolish the Zamindari system. Quoting from Sardar Patel’s letter to Nehru dated July 3, 1950, Kharge pointed to Patel’s view that constitutional amendment was the only remedy to Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Mallikarjun Kharge | PTI SACHIN’S 99s Tendulkar’s dismissals at 99 found mention in the Rajya Sabha as Kharge sought to draw Chairman Dhankhar’s attention to his speech. When Dhankar said, “I am looking at you 99%,” Kharge quipped, “Sachin scored 99 runs 10-12 times but it couldn’t become a century.” stop communal propaganda. Kharge sharply criticised the BJP-RSS, accusing them of undermining Constitutional values. He claimed the RSS had opposed the Constitution during the Constituent Assembly debates. “RSS mouthpiece Organiser in the edition of November 30, 1949 had written about it,” he said. Taking aim at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kharge accused him of twisting facts regarding Nehru’s stance on quota and demanded his apology for misleading the nation. Earlier, Sitharaman accused Congress of failing to pass the Women’s Reservation Bill due to coalition pressures and highlighted the party’s historical role in the curtailment of free speech. She cited the arrests of poet Majrooh Sultanpuri and actor Balraj Sahni under Nehru’s watch as PM as examples of suppressing dissent. Sitharaman also criticised the Congress for not installing Babasaheb Ambedkar’s photo in the central hall of Parliament for decades and for denying him the Bharat Ratna. She also criticised the socialist economic model adopted by Nehru and continued by Indira Gandhi, claiming it hindered India’s economic progress. Responding to Sitharaman’s charges on women’s quota, Kharge credited the policies of the Congress for enabling its eventual passage in Parliament and promised swift implementation if the party returned to power. He also asked why Modi had not visited Manipur where ethnic violence is yet to abate. If sources are to be believed, the ACB is likely to summon former minister KT Rama Rao within a week to appear before it for examination in the Formula E Race. The Governor granted approval for the probe after consulting the Attorney General. E-Prix: Governor allows state to prosecute KTR B K A R T H E E K @ Hyderabad AS expected, Governor Jishnu Dev Varma has accorded permission to law enforcement agencies to prosecute former minister KT Rama Rao for allegedly abusing power in conducting the Formula E race. Following this, the government also gave assent for prosecution of the then Municipal Administration department special chief secretary Arvind Kumar. Confirming this to the media on Monday Revenue and , I&PR Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy said that the chief secretary will also lodge a formal complaint with the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB). The minister also informed the media that the Cabinet discussed the gross irregularities that occurred in conducting the ‘Formula E Race’ during the BRS regime. “The Governor has accorded permission, and the law will take its own course,” the minister said. He said that the ACB will also bring out the facts connected to the investments in Formula E race. He, however, said that he was unaware whether the law enforcement agencies would arrest the BRS working president or not. The minister also made allegations that the BRS government had not obtained the permission of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for foreign currency transfer, and the agreement was made when the Model Code of Conduct for the 2023 Assembly elections was in force. Indirectly referring to Rama Rao, Srinivasa Reddy said that some people were making statements “arrogantly”. He, however, said that these people will have to answer the ACB and “everything” will come out in the investigation. “After being jailed, it’s up to them (BRS leaders) whether to do a padayatra, or mokalla yatra (walk on knees),” he said. Cabinet okays `12,000 financial support to landless agri labourers EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Hyderabad EYES OF THE TIGER D Gukesh receives a rousing welcome on his arrival at the Chennai airport on Monday. Hundreds of fans almost mobbed the world champion | ASHWIN PRASATH | P11 EXPORTS FALL Record gold imports widen trade deficit upcoming merchandise trade deficit prints,” said Aditi NaIN what could put pressure on yar, chief economist, ICRA. the economy India’s trade defi, Even though services exports cit—the difference between im- came to the rescue of the Noports and exports—widened to vember trade, the overall trade a record $37.8 billion in Novem- deficit (merchandise + servicber, showing a 4.8% drop in ex- es) at $19.84 billion in the month ports and a record inwas three times that of DEMAND crease in imports the previous year. ServIN FLUX driven by massive gold ices sector exports demand. The average jumped 27% year-onDecline in monthly deficit recordyear to $35.67 billion in exports is ed during the April-OcNovember even as imattributed to tober 2024 period was ports surged 29% to $19 a slump in $23.5 billion, governbillion. global ment data released on demand while In a break from past Monday showed. trends, services exports the uptick in In absolute terms, imports shows for the first time in Nomerchandise exports vember raced ahead of robust fell from $33.75 billion merchandise exports domestic in November 2023 to by $3.56 billion. demand $32.11 billion in NovemAccording to Ajay ber 2024. In contrast, imports Srivastava, founder, Global during November 2024 grew Trade Research Initiative, 27% to $69.95 billion with gold higher services growth has shipments rising 4.3 times to been a consistent trend and is $15 billion. now resulting into higher ex“Such high levels of gold im- port values. “Between FY19 ports were likely driven by fes- and FY24, exports grew at a tive and marriage-related de- compounded annual growth mand and are unlikely to rate of 5.8%, while services exsustain in the ensuing months, ports surged at CAGR of which would help to cool the 10.5%,” he said. THE Telangana Cabinet on Monday decided to extend financial support of `12,000 each to landless agricultural laborers under Rythu Bharosa. This is one of the promises made by the Congress in the run-up to the 2023 Assembly elections and part of the party’s six guarantees. The Cabinet’s decision came a day after the announcement by Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka to implement the scheme. The state Cabinet also decided to issue new food security cards af- ter Sankranti. These decisions were made during the Cabinet meeting held at the Assembly The Cabi. net also resolved to make amendments to Telangana Panchayat Raj Act, 2018. Sources said that a decision was made to reduce the roster for reservations to one term from the two terms at present. The Cabinet also approved the Telangana State Sport Policy . Meanwhile, Tourism Minister Jupally Krishna Rao introduced Telangana State Tourism Policy in the Assembly and a short discussion will be held on December 17. PRESIDENT BEGINS HER SOUTHERN D I PA K M O N D A L @ New Delhi SOJOURN OF AP AND TG today, to stay at Rashtrapati Nilayam till December 21 | P3 THE BACKGROUND In 2022, the MAUD department signed a tripartite agreement with Formula E Organisers (FEO) and Ace Nxt Gen Pvt Ltd to host two seasons of the Formula E Race in Hyderabad. After the first season, Ace Nxt Gen exited due to financial losses. Despite this, Arvind Kumar, reportedly under the instructions of Rama Rao, transferred an initial installment of `55 crore to FEO without valid approvals. FRIEND INDEED Dissanayake to Modi: Sri Lanka won’t allow anti-India activities Y E S H I S E L I @ New Delhi SRI Lanka will not allow its territory to be used against India’s national security interests, Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake assured Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday. Dissanayake’s assurance comes amid concerns in New Delhi over China’s attempts to increase its military influence over Colombo. Dissanayake, who is on a three-day visit to India, held wide-ranging talks with Modi. Both the leaders decided to finalise a bilateral defence cooperation agreement and ramp up their energy ties by establishing electricity grid connectivity and multi-product petroleum pipelines. In the meeting, Modi said he and the Sri Lankan president were in “full agreement” that the security interests of both countries are interconnected. Modi also assured Dissanayake of India’s support to the island nation, which is striving to stabilise its wobbly economy . Dissanayake thanked India’s crucial help in managing Lanka’s debt restructuring process, and for extending financial assistance of $20.66 million to settle payments due from Lanka for projects completed under existing Lines of Credit, thereby significantly reducing its debt burden. (With agency inputs) 9 MAR 1951 - 15 DEC 2024 SPEAKING HANDS FALL SILENT A M I TA V A S A N YA L @ New Delhi W HEN he was born on March 9, 1951, Zakir Hussain was considered an unlucky child. The arrival of the eldest son had coincided with the family’s most distressing moment, as his ‘ bba’, Allarakha Qureishi, had fallen ill with A a heart ailment. The family was somewhat reassured when a holy man appeared at the door of their small house in Mahim, Mumbai and insisted that the son would ‘save’ the father and that he be named Zakir Hussain—a surname to honour Imam Hussain that no one else in the family shared. As presaged, the more Zakir fell ill over the next four years, the stronger his father became. By the time the son was five, both had recovered well enough to start a rigorous daily routine of practising the Punjab gharana’s style on the tabla. In time, rather than fading in the glare of his father’s stardom, Zakir stood apart with his own intonation, phraseology and temperament. In his pre-teen years, Zakir soaked up the experience of listening to his Abba’s friend Ravi Shankar on the sitar or Western musicians like the pop group ABBA from up close. Over the next few decades, he built a bridge between the older generation of Samta Prasad, Kishen Maharaj and Allarakha that stressed tradition, and younger musicians open to collaborating with other genres. This openness allowed a rare synergy among the original quartet of Shakti — which included John McLaughlin, L Shankar and T H ‘Vikku’ Vinayakram — a band formed in 1973 that electrified audiences with a unique mix of Eastern and Western music. That, half a century later, Zakir’s work with a much-changed lineup of the band would win him three of his five Grammys is testament to the relevance of his musical ideas. He would change his approach to suit the occasion. Zakir could be puckish while playing the notes of ‘Happy birthday’ or raag Durga on the tabla — something that earned him the epithet of ‘speaking hands’. But he could be utterly restrained while accompanying, say, Nikhil Banerjee at a concert or Lakshmi Shankar in a studio session. It’s this felicity that made him synonymous with his instrument. The ‘speaking hands’ finally fell silent at a San Francisco hospital as a chronic lung disease claimed him at age 73. Along with his family — wife Antonia Minnecola, and daughters Isabella and Anisa — the world is lucky to h ave b e e n b e queathed a grand musical legacy by someone born ‘unlucky’. ILLUSTRATION: SOURAV ROY Sitharaman, Kharge exchange barbs in RS ACB may summon KTR for examination BETI BACHAO Five girls bitten by rodents at hostel in Keesara A J AY T O M A R @ Hyderabad PALESTINE POINT In a show of support for the people of Palestine, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra carries a bag with ‘Palestine’ written on it | PTI FIVE girl students were administered treatment on Monday after allegedly being bitten by rodents at the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Girls’ Hostel in Keesara mandal of Medchal-Malkajgiri district, prompting stinging criticism from the Opposition. According to reports, the hostel staff rushed the students for medical treatment to the Keesara government hospital while trying to keep the matter a secret. Taking to X, BRS leader and T Harish Rao posted this picture of rat bite victims being taken to hospital Siddipet MLA T Harish Rao termed it a “tragedy” and alleged that students were suffering under Congress rule. He also posted pictures of girl students queuing up for treatment at a hospital. However, an of- ficer from Keesara police station told TNIE that no complaint was registered with the police till 10 pm on Monday . “Congress is neglecting students even if they are bitten by rats, snakes, dogs and receive electric shocks, but they are ignored. The hollowness of your Gurukula Yatra has been exposed even before the completion of 24 hours,” tweeted Harish Rao in Telugu. Referring to the government’s “uniform diet menu” launched on Saturday Harish Rao asked , the government to stop focus- ing on “one-day publicity stunt” and instead ensure that there are no snake, rat and dog bite incidents in Gurukuls. On Saturday the chief minis, ter launched the “uniform diet menu” from a social welfare residential school at Chilkur. After the launch, he instructed officials to set up mess management committees with students as members in government hostels and residential schools. The chief minister also said that he would make visits to residential schools as part of his official tours.