Month: August 2025

Conference NHRIs Of Asia Pacific

Soren’s Demise: Murmu Visits Sir Ganga Ram Hospital

By Lokmarg

President Droupadi Murmu on Monday visited Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in the national capital following the demise of former Jharkhand Chief Minister and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) patron Shibu Soren, who passed away earlier in the day after a prolonged illness.

Earlier in the day, President Murmu described Soren’s passing as a significant loss in the sphere of social justice.

In a post on X, Murmu wrote, “The demise of Shri Shibu Soren Ji is a big loss in the space of social justice. He championed the cause of tribal identity and the formation of the state of Jharkhand. Besides his work at the grassroots, he also contributed as the Chief Minister of Jharkhand, as a Union Minister and as a Member of Parliament. His emphasis on the welfare of the people, especially the tribal communities, will always be remembered. I extend my deepest condolences to his son and Chief Minister of Jharkhand Shri Hemant Soren Ji, other family members and admirers.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid his last respects to former Jharkhand Chief Minister and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) founder patron Shibu Soren, who passed away in the national capital this morning.

PM Modi visited the Sir Ganga Hospital, where the former Jharkhand leader was hospitalised.

“Went to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital to pay homage to Shri Shibu Soren Ji. Also met his family. My thoughts are with Hemant Ji, Kalpana Ji and the admirers of Shri Shibu Soren Ji” the Prime Minister said a social media post on X.

He also posted pictures from the hospital, including one in which he can be seen consoling a grieving Hemant Soren.

In a previous post, PM Modi described Shibu Soren as “a grassroots leader who rose through the ranks of public life with unwavering dedication to the people.”

“He was particularly passionate about empowering tribal communities, the poor and downtrodden. Pained by his passing away. My thoughts are with his family and admirers. Spoke to Jharkhand CM Shri Hemant Soren Ji and expressed condolences. Om Shanti,” the Prime Minister said.

Shibu Soren’s son and Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren today announced the demise through the social media platform X.

The Monsoon Session of the Jharkhand Assembly was adjourned sine die today following the JMM founder’s demise, Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahato announced. The Assembly session commenced on Friday, August 1.

The Jharkhand government declared a three-day state mourning starting Monday.

Former Chief Minister of Jharkhand and leader of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader Shibu Soren passed away after a prolonged illness at the age of 81 on Monday morning in New Delhi.

Shibu Soren led the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha for 38 years and is known as the founding patron of the party. He served thrice as CM of Jharkhand in 2005, 2008-2009, and 2009-2010.

Popularly addressed as “Dishom Guru,” he cofounded Jharkhand Mukti Morcha with A.K. Roy and Binod Bihari Mahato and led the movement demanding a separate Jharkhand state. His dreams of a separate identity for the Jharkhand people came in fruition in 2000.

Over a four-decade career in politics, Soren was elected to the Lok Sabha eight times and served as a Rajya Sabha MP for two terms. (ANI)

Union Minister Paswan Expresses Wish To Contest Assembly Polls In Bihar

By Lokmarg

Union Minister of Food Processing Industries, Chirag Paswan, on Monday expressed his wish to play a ‘bigger role’ in Bihar and contest the Assembly Elections.

In an interview with ANI, Chirag Paswan said that he “sees himself in Bihar.”

The Union Minister said, “I see myself more in Bihar now. When you mention the ‘role’, there are many question marks around it. My role would be that of a strong supporter of the alliance and to make Bihar a developed state.”

Expressing his will to contest the elections, he said that the vision of ‘Bihar First, Bihari First’ cannot be fulfilled by being part of the Central government.

“I want to contest the Bihar Assembly Elections. Having grown up in Delhi and worked in Mumbai, I have witnessed firsthand how Biharis are forced to live in difficult conditions in other states. I decided to return to Bihar to improve the condition of its people. ‘Bihar First, Bihari First’ isn’t possible at the Centre, I will have to return to Bihar,” he said.

Pawan, however, pointed out that his party, the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), is yet to decide whether he will contest the Assembly election.

“There is a question mark because the party is yet to decide on it. There is a discussion within the party about whether the party will benefit from my contesting the elections. Many parties, including the BJP, have done this experiment when the MPs and Union Ministers have contested the Assembly elections. Sometimes it has been seen that if a big leader contests the elections, the party’s whole system goes into managing their election, it may harm the party,” he told ANI.

There have been speculations around Chirag Paswan’s role in the upcoming Assembly elections in Bihar.

This began when, in June, while addressing a rally in Bihar, Paswan announced that he would contest the upcoming Bihar Assembly polls. Addressing a public gathering in Arrah, Paswan declared that his party would support the NDA in all 243 assembly seats to ensure its victory.

“For those who ask from where I will contest, I want to tell you that my party, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), and I will contest on 243 seats to make NDA candidates win and strengthen the NDA alliance. My goal is that the NDA moves towards victory,” said Paswan.

Dismissing speculations that he is aiming for the Chief Ministerial post, the LJP (Ram Vilas) party leader stated that Nitish Kumar will remain leader of the alliance in the State.

He told ANI, “My trust is in CM Nitish Kumar. Bihar public calls him ‘sushasan babu'” (ANI)

Hema Feels Great As ‘Sholay’ Completes 50 Years

By Lokmarg

The iconic ‘Sholay’ has completed 50 years of its release, marking a significant milestone in its cinematic journey. Written by the epic Javed Akhtar and Salim Khan, the 1975 film features the legendary Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra in the lead alongside Amjad Khan, Hema Malini, Jaya Bachchan, and Sanjeev Kumar.

As the film celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, veteran actress Hema Malini has shared her delight.

Speaking to ANI, the actress-turned-politician said, “It feels great. When I started working on ‘Sholay’, I didn’t know that it would be such a hit, and after 50 years, you would be asking me questions about it in the Parliament. That was a different time.”

She also emphasised that there can never be another ‘Sholay’, seemingly referring to the current trend of remakes.

Released in 1975, ‘Sholay’ has turned into a cult favourite in Indian cinema, owing to its powerful story, memorable characters, iconic dialogues, and the evergreen songs like ‘Yeh Dosti’, ‘Mehbooba Mehbooba’, ‘Haa Jab Tak Hai Jaan’, ‘Holi Ke Din’ and others.

Directed by Ramesh Sippy, the film underperformed at the box office, only to become a favourite in the following years.

The film’s story focuses on the Ramgarh village, where retired police chief Thakur Baldev Singh (Sanjeev Kumar) plans to defeat the notorious bandit, Gabbar Singh (Amjad Khan) with the help of the mischievious Jai (Amitabh Bachchan) and Veeru (Dharmendra).

Upon arriving in the village, the duo realises the menace of Gabbar Singh and double on the efforts to help Thakur. Jaya Bachchan and Hema Malini are seen playing Jai and Veeru’s love interests as Basanti and Radha respectively. (ANI)

India’s Steel Fist In Mining Resources

By Kunal Bose

Unrestrained and many devious ways of exploitation of natural and human resources were the reasons for the Western countries, with Great Britain in the spearhead, to build colonies across the continents. Of all the colonies that ever existed, India was most shamefully drained of resources by the British during their two-century rule between 1757 and 1947.

Utsa Patnaik, professor emeritus at Jawaharlal Nehru University, has said in a paper that the British had salted away approximately $45 trillion from India during their unwelcome stay. This, incidentally, amounts to 17 times the current GDP (gross domestic product) of the UK. Perhaps, Patnaik erred on the side of caution. For, Oxfam International says in a recent report that the British empire on which the sun has nearly set not only drained India of $64.82 trillion but also not stopped at doing any tricks to derail industrial development of the colony.

To mention a couple of instances of devious ways of robbing the wealth of the ‘jewel in the crown’ of the British empire. First, instead of paying for imports of silk, textiles, rice, etcetera with silver or gold, East India Company would collect taxes here and instead of channelling that for local development would use the proceeds of taxes to pay for imports. So, the British were buying Indian goods without paying their own money. Following the takeover of India by the British Raj, which saw the rapid decline of East India Company, the colonisers introduced Special Council Bills which importers must buy with gold and silver and use the Bills to pay for purchases of Indian goods. On presentation of such Bills by Indian suppliers, they would be given rupee, collected as taxes instead of silver or gold.

Economic exploitation apart, the colonial period was marked by large-scale human trafficking – first, as slaves and then following the abolition of slavery in Great Britain in 1833 as indentured labourers. What all the bad things happened to India during colonial subjugation were also experienced by the other colonies. On achieving Independence, all these countries realised the importance of proper harnessing of natural resources under official oversight. Resource nationalism becoming a catchword across the world today has its roots in the long struggle of many nations, including India to be in total control of wealth gifted by nature.

Resource nationalism gives expression of a country’s ambition to use various minerals mined locally for value addition instead of sticking to the easy option of selling resources in their crudest form in the world market. Value addition to minerals leads to rises in GDP, creation of employment and building of infrastructure, besides giving a heft in the global market. In fact, the countries with well-developed mineral processing industries from steel to aluminium to copper have not only not liked the idea of resource rich nations taking steps forward to build facilities to become producers of alumina, an intermediate product derived from bauxite and used in smelters to make aluminium, if not the metal and metal products at value chain zenith.

India had experienced during the long British rule how the country got denuded of resources from cotton to jute to silk to indigo. Not only agricultural commodities, the colonial rulers in total control of foreign trade used to ship large volumes of coal, iron ore and mica from India to support their industries at home. At the same time, they discouraged development of Indian industries, as confirmed by the experience of industry doyen GD Birla while he was trying to set up jute mills in Calcutta.

Much earlier to Birla’s discomfiture, the English would not stop doing anything to discourage the Tatas to put up a steel plant at Jamshedpur. The then chief commissioner of Indian railways Sir Frederick Upcott said disparagingly: “Do you mean to say that Tatas propose to make steel rails to British specifications? Why, I will undertake to eat every pound of steel rail they succeed in making.” Sir Frederick must now be turning in his grave to find that the once leader in steel Great Britan managed to make only 4m tonne of crude steel in 2024 against India’s 149.6m tonnes in 2024. Certainly, India would not have been able to come this far had not Sir Jamsetji Tata and his two sons shown courage to overcome all obstacles put in their way to build a steel plant.

ALSO READ: China’s Growing Appetite For Steel

Ironically, Tata Steel’s UK arm is now involved in saving the Port Talbot steel plant by building a 3m tonne electric arc furnace (EAF) — incidentally, the mill will be among the largest of its kind in the world — at an investment of 1.25bn sterling pound, supported by a 500m pound investment by the UK government. To be commissioned by 2027-end, the scrap-based plant will secure 5,000 jobs in the UK as it will cut carbon emissions by 50m tonnes over a ten-year period. Yet another arm of the group Tata Motors earlier came to the rescue of the iconic British enterprise Jaguar Land Rover when it bought the business from Ford Motor Company in 2008 at a cash consideration of $2.3bn.

In a sense, history has come full circle – from the scorns that the Englishmen had for the original promoters of the Tata group to the latter rescuing struggling big British businesses in modern times. Resource nationalism was far from being thought of in the 1880s when Jamsetji Tata thought of a steel plant using locally mined iron ore and steel. All this became possible because of the fortitude of some Indian industry pioneers to use locally found resources to make final products. That was resource nationalism in action.

The concept, however, started gaining in currency since the mid-20th century with the newly independent resource rich countries contemplating gaining control, if not ownership of resources for their own use to benefit the local economies and the people. However, in several former colonies, particularly South Africa, natural resources from gold, platinum, coal to iron ore continue to be largely owned by foreign mining groups such as Anglo American, Glencore and BHP Billiton. Nationalisation of already owned resources by foreign entities is not the desirable answer since the former colonies will need foreign capital and technology for economic development.

At the same time, resource owning countries must have close oversight over the mining sector to ensure that ore extraction is done in an environment friendly way. Sustainable mining demands scientific disposal of waste such as waste rock, overburden, tailings, slime, coal refuse and spent oil shale. In fact, pressure should be brought to bear upon the mining companies to make usable value-bearing products out of waste in line with circular economy.

Foreign and domestic mining groups will be heard complaining about the unconscionable time concerned governments will take in allocation of deposits and then a further long wait for all the required sanctions, including relating to forests and environment to materialise. Let us, however, not forget that the worst form of exploitation of workers, including loss of life from mine accidents and degradation of nature from pollution of rivers and other water bodies to high levels of carbon emissions have always been associated with the mining industry. Government intervention at every stage, from grant of leases of deposits to putting a cap on yearly raising of ore at a mine to obliging mine owners to practise safe operations has helped in cleaning up the sector to a great extent, as we have seen in India.

Soon after Independence, local businessmen drew inspiration from prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru describing dams, steel plants and large industries as “temples of modern India” to build plants to process locally found resources instead of exporting these and import finished products. In the beginning, only a few Indian business houses had the capacity to mobilise funds and access technologies to set up large industries. This made the government to build large steel plants and power projects in several parts of the country and infrastructure, including sea ports and airports.

What has helped India to become the world’s second largest producer of steel and aluminium is the abundant availability of the required raw material, specially iron ore, bauxite and non-coking coal. Resource nationalism and reversing the colonial practice of denuding the country of its natural resources by exports were the principal factors for impressive growth of many industries post-Independence. At the same time, considering the country’s large resource base, it should not at any time again disincentivise export of low grades of iron ore. Supplies of high quality bauxite from Odisha mines being sufficiently large to meet requirements of alumina refineries, the government should step in to revive exports of low-grade bauxite from Gujarat.

Former Jharkhand CM Shibu Soren Passes Away At 81

By Lokmarg

Former Chief Minister of Jharkhand and leader of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader Shibu Soren passed away after prolonged illness at the age of 81 on Monday morning in New Delhi.

Jharkhand Chief Minister and his son Hemant Soren confirmed the demise of the leader in a post on X.

“Respected Dishom Guruji has left us all. Today, I am devastated,” Hemant Soren said.

According to the Sri Ganga Ram Hospital in the national capital, where the former Chief Minister was admitted, Shibu Soren was suffering from kidney ailment, and had suffered a stroke one and half months ago. He was on life support for the past one month.

BJP leader Nishikant Dubey, expressing grief over the demise of the leader, said, “An era has ended, may God grant you and your entire family the strength to bear this sorrow. Respected Shibu Soren ji made a significant contribution to the growth of JMM.”

Shibu Soren led the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha for 38 years and is known as the founding patron of the party. He was the third Chief Minister of Jharkhand.

Over a four-decade career in politics, Soren was elected to the Lok Sabha eight times and served as a Rajya Sabha MP for two terms. (ANI)

Netanyahu, Trump Push Gaza Ceasefire Plan With Ultimatum To Hamas: Report

By Lokmarg

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump are engaged in advanced negotiations on a new comprehensive hostage and ceasefire proposal, issuing a clear ultimatum to Hamas over the release of hostages and the future of the Gaza Strip, The Jerusalem Post reported, citing N12 on Saturday night.

According to the report, the proposal includes a demand for Hamas to disarm and release all hostages immediately. Once these conditions are met, the United States would lead an international administration to be established in the Gaza Strip, The Jerusalem Post said.

“We know from testimonies of freed hostages and from the information we have today that the hostages’ captors do not appear this way,” a senior Israeli official was cited as saying by The Jerusalem Post. “This is deliberate starvation not only to abuse the hostages themselves but to torment their families and the public,” the official added.

Earlier in May, during a state visit to Qatar, Trump had suggested that the US should take control of the Gaza Strip, deal with Hamas, and transform the region into a “freedom zone,” The Jerusalem Post recalled.

“If it’s necessary, I think I’d be proud to have the United States have it, take it, make it a freedom zone,” Trump said during a business roundtable. “Let some good things happen, put people in homes where they can be safe, and Hamas is going to have to be dealt with,” he was quoted as saying.

The Jerusalem Post noted that this proposed plan marks a significant potential shift in US involvement in the Gaza conflict, pending Hamas’ response to the ultimatum.

However, in a development that casts doubt on the proposal’s viability, Al Jazeera reported that Hamas has dismissed reports suggesting any willingness to disarm, reaffirming its “national and legal” right to resist Israeli occupation.

The Palestinian group issued a statement on Saturday in response to comments allegedly made by United States President Donald Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, during a meeting with relatives of Israeli captives held in Gaza.

Citing a recording of the conversation, Israeli outlet Haaretz reported that the US envoy told the families Hamas was “prepared to be demilitarised.” However, Hamas firmly denied the claim.

In its statement, Hamas said, “The resistance and its weapons are a national and legal right as long as the [Israeli] occupation persists.” It added that this right “cannot be relinquished until our full national rights are restored, foremost among them the establishment of a fully sovereign, independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital,” according to Al Jazeera.

Witkoff had met the families in Tel Aviv on Saturday, a day after visiting a US and Israeli-backed aid distribution site in Gaza run by the controversial GHF group. Hamas previously criticised the envoy’s visit as a “staged show” intended to mislead the public about conditions in the enclave, Al Jazeera reported.

The group pointed to worsening humanitarian conditions, highlighting a United Nations report stating that more than 1,300 Palestinians have been killed while attempting to access food at GHF-run sites since the organisation began operating in Gaza in May.

Despite growing international criticism of the group’s operations, the Trump administration has stood firmly behind GHF. In June, Washington announced $30 million in funding support for the organisation, Al Jazeera reported.

Witkoff’s remarks on disarmament come amid intensifying global efforts to push for recognition of a Palestinian state, as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues. At a two-day United Nations conference in New York this week, the United Kingdom said it may follow France in recognising a Palestinian state in September if Israel does not implement a ceasefire.

Echoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s earlier stance, Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the UK would proceed with recognition under specific conditions. The UN meeting also saw 17 countries, along with the European Union and the Arab League, endorse a seven-page document supporting a two-state solution.

The text called on Hamas to “end its rule in Gaza and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority, with international engagement and support, in line with the objective of a sovereign and independent Palestinian State,” Al Jazeera reported. (ANI)

SRK Thanks Juhi Chawla, Mohanlal For Their Wishes After His National Award Win

By Lokmarg

After Shah Rukh Khan bagged his first-ever National Film Award, there is a wave of excitement among his fans and industry friends.

The actor has been named as a recipient for the Best Actor award at the 71st National Film Awards for his performance in ‘Jawan.’

Soon after the announcement, social media was flooded with heartfelt wishes celebrating the superstar’s win. Many celebrities have shared their heartwarming wishes, and now SRK has responded to those wishes, expressing gratitude.

He thanked veteran actor Mohanlal for his congratulatory message and shared his wish to meet him. “Thank you @Mohanlal sir… let’s take an evening off and meet up. Big hugs,” SRK wrote on X.

Mohanlal congratulated SRK and others in his post on X, saying, “Congratulations to all the winners of the National Film Awards. A special salute to Urvashi and Vijayaraghavan on their well-deserved honours for their powerful performances. Warm congratulations to Shah Rukh Khan, Vikrant Massey, and Rani Mukerji on their wins. Also, celebrating the remarkable talents from Kerala, the team Ullozhukku and Pookkaalam. Congratulations once again!”

The ‘Pathaan’ actor also reacted to Allu Arjun’s congratulatory post, “Thanks @alluarjun garu for your kind words. Your strength, grace and fire (not flower… ha ha) continue to inspire. Love u!!”

“Heartiest congratulations to @iamsrk garu on winning the prestigious National Film Award for Best Actor for #Jawan. A well-deserved honour after 33 glorious years in cinema. An another achievement to your endless list sir Also, heartfelt congratulations to my director @Atlee_dir garu for making this magic happen,” wrote Allu Arjun on X.

SRK shared that congratulatory wishes from actor Kamal Haasan “means a lot” to him, “Means a lot coming from you @ikamalhaasan sir. You have been a true inspiration… thank you for the years of cinema, art and vision… and the next ones to come! Love u always.”

Kamal Haasan wrote on X, “Congratulations to @iamsrk on your National Award for Jawan, a recognition long overdue for your stellar impact on world cinema. 12th Fail was a masterpiece that moved me deeply. It dignified struggle and inspired millions. Congratulations Vidhu Vinod Chopra and @VikrantMassey on this well deserved honour. Applauding Rani Mukherjee for a portrayal that was both fierce and fragile, richly deserving of this national recognition. #NationalFilmAwards”

Music maestro AR Rahman called Shah Rukh Khan a ‘legend’, to which he responded with, “Thank u maestro!!! You are legend multiplied… love always!!”

As Shah Rukh Khan, Rani Mukerji, and Karan Johar bagged the National Awards, Gauri Khan penned a short note for her favourites.

She shared a couple of pictures with them and wrote, “Three of my absolute favourites just WON big…and so did our hearts When talent meets goodness, magic happens – So proud, and so ready to brag about them forever!”

To this, King Khan responded in his style, saying, “Please brag about me to me when we sit for dinner tonight… thanks for producing the film.”

Shah Rukh and Juhi Chawla have been friends for years. They both appeared in films like ‘Darr’, ‘Yes Boss’, ‘Bhoothnath’, and ‘Duplicate’. As Juhi congratulated King Khan, he took no time to thank her for the lovely wishes, saying, “Thank u @iam_juhi

… I’ve learned from the best. you have been an integral part of my journey. Big hugs!!”

“@iamsrk HUGE Congratulations on winning the National Award ..!! Very Happy for you … Well deserved … You always give your ALL to every film you do …!!! Keep Shining …!!! Much Love and Maannyyyy Congratulations again to you and All your team ..!!!!!!,” Juhi wrote on X.

On Friday, the winners for the 71st National Film Awards were announced, honouring Shah Rukh Khan with the Best Actor award. In a late-night post, the actor shared his response to the achievement, thanking fans and everyone who has supported him throughout.

A visibly injured Shah Rukh wrote, “Thank you for honouring me with the National Award. Thanks to the jury, the I&B ministry… Iss samman ke liye Bharat Sarkar ka dhanyawaad. Overwhelmed with the love showered upon me. Half a hug to everyone today.”

Directed by Atlee, Jawan featured Shah Rukh Khan in a dual role as father and son. The film’s stellar cast also featured Nayanthara, Deepika Padukone, Priyamani, Sanya Malhotra, Ridhi Dogra, Girija Oak, Lehar Khan, and Sangeeta Bhattarcharya.

Rani Mukerji received the Best Actress award for her role in ‘Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway.’Meanwhile, Karan Johar’s ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani’ also bagged the National Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment and Best Choreography for the song ‘Dhindhora Baje Re.’The film features Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt in the lead roles. (ANI)

J-K: Operation Continues For Fourth Day In Kulgam, One Terrorist Neutralised

By Lokmarg

Security forces are continuing their operation in the Akhal Devsar area of South Kashmir’s Kulgam district for the fourth day. So far, one terrorist has been neutralised in the operation.

On Saturday, security forces neutralised one terrorist during a gunfight that continued overnight in the Akhal area of south Kashmir’s Kulgam district, Chinar Corps said. The joint operation was carried out by the Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir police, CRPF, and the Special Operations Group (SOG).

In a post on X, Chinar Corps of the Indian Army said, “OP AKHAL, Kulgam. Intermittent and intense firefight continued through the night. Alert troops responded with calibrated fire and tightened the noose while maintaining contact.”

“One terrorist has been neutralised by the security forces so far. Operation continues,” post added on X.

In an earlier operation by the Indian Army’s White Knight Corps in the Poonch sector on July 30, two terror operatives were neutralised while attempting to infiltrate across the LoC.

In its post the White Knight Corps said, ” Operation Shivashakti. In a successful anti-infiltration operation, alert troops of the Indian Army eliminated two terrorists attempting to infiltrate across the Line of Control. Swift action and accurate firepower thwarted the nefarious designs. Three weapons have been recovered. Synergistic and synchronised intelligence inputs from own intelligence units and JK Police led to a successful operation.”

On July 29, Union Home Minister Amit Shah informed Lok Sabha that the Lashkar-e-Taiba top commander Suleman, involved in the Pahalgam terror attack, was among the three terrorists killed by security forces during the Operation Mahadev in Jammu and Kashmir.

” In the Operation Mahadev, Suleman alias Faizal…, Afghan and Jibran, these three terrorists were killed in a joint operation of the Indian Army, CRPF and J&K Police… Suleman was an A-category commander of the Lashkar-e-Taiba. Afghan was an A-category Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist. And Jibran was also an A-grade terrorist… All three terrorists who killed our citizens in the Baisaran valley have been eliminated…,” Shah said during the second debate on the Operation Sindoor in the Lok Sabha.

The three terrorists were killed in Operation Mahadev in an intense firefight with security forces in the Harwan area near Dachigam National Park of Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir. (ANI)

Mortal Remains Of Puri Girl Arrive In Odisha From Delhi

By Lokmarg

The mortal remains of a 15-year-old girl who was allegedly set on fire by miscreants on July 19 in Balanga from Puri district, arrived in Odisha on Sunday evening.

The 15-year-old girl succumbed to her burn injuries on Saturday while undergoing treatment at AIIMS in the national capital, after the incident.

The body reached Bhubaneswar airport from AIIMS Delhi. Odisha Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida pays final tribute to the Balanga victim.

Meanwhile, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MP Niranjan Bishi on Sunday strongly criticised the Odisha government over the incident and called it a grave law and order failure.

The BJD MP said, “It is a matter of law and order failure in the state of Odisha. The government has failed to maintain law and order. The students of schools and colleges are not safe, and the people of Odisha are demanding the restoration of law and order in the state.”

Bishi also accused the state administration of deflecting responsibility by blaming the opposition. “So to hide the failure of the government, they are saying the opposition is doing politics.”

Earlier on Sunday, Odisha Deputy Chief Minister KV Singh Deo asked the Opposition not to politicise the case.

Expressing condolences to her family, he said that the state government had taken all necessary steps to save her.

Singh Deo told ANI, “I want to express my condolences to her family. The state government took all necessary steps. She was sent to AIIMS Delhi as well, but the doctors were unable to save her. The opposition parties should stay away from politicising such matters. The government has taken all necessary steps, but unfortunately, her life could not be saved.”

He added that the family of the victim also stands with the government and acknowledges the efforts made.

“Normally, in such cases, the victim’s family doesn’t stand with the government, but the family is with the government, and they are saying the government has done its best and that they are satisfied with it, so the intervention of any third party in the case is unfortunate,” the DY CM said.

According to the police, the minor girl went out with her friends, but she was allegedly abducted midway and taken to the riverside, where she was set on fire. (ANI)

Mandi, Kullu Among Worst-Hit Districts; IMD Warns Of More Showers

By Lokmarg

Amid ongoing monsoon-induced calamities across Himachal Pradesh, the state continues to reel under the devastating impact with severe disruptions across vital public utilities and a mounting death toll.

The SDMA on Sunday released its latest landslide monitoring report, highlighting risk levels across 22 locations in districts like Mandi, Kangra, Shimla, and Solan, based on real-time monitoring inputs.

According to the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA), Himachal Pradesh, a total of 179 people have lost their lives since June 20, including 101 in rain-related incidents such as landslides, flash floods, and cloudbursts, and 78 in road accidents attributed to treacherous weather conditions.

As of the evening of August 3, the disaster has rendered 296 roads impassable, 134 power distribution transformers out of service, and 266 water supply schemes disrupted, highlighting the widespread infrastructural damage caused by torrential rains across the hill state.

Among the worst-hit districts are Mandi, Kullu, and Chamba, which together account for a major share of road blockages and public service breakdowns. National Highway-505 in Lahaul-Spiti also remains closed due to landslides and flash floods, cutting off vital access routes.

The SDMA report noted that the cumulative damage to public property, including roads, power lines, water systems, health infrastructure, and schools, exceeds Rs 1,71,495 lakh, with over 88,800 hectares of crops affected, primarily in agriculture and horticulture.

Officials are working around the clock to restore access and resume services, but continuous rainfall and terrain instability are hampering rescue and relief operations. The SDMA has advised residents to remain alert, avoid travel in vulnerable zones, and adhere to weather advisories as more rains are forecast in the coming days.

Earlier in the Sunday, the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) highlighted risk levels across 22 locations in districts like Mandi, Kangra, Shimla, and Solan, based on real-time monitoring inputs.

According to the report, two locations, Baldun in Nurpur (Kangra) and Dakshi in Solan, have been classified under ‘High’ landslide risk. At the same time, the majority of other zones have been recorded under ‘Moderate’ risk.

In Kangra district, Baldun (Nurpur) is marked as High risk; Dharamshala and Colony are reported as Moderate risk. Solan district: Both Dagshai and Dakshi are under active surveillance; Dakshi is flagged as High risk.

In Mandi district, a significant cluster of monitoring stations, including the Griffon Peak series (1-6, 8-10), Sanarli-2, Tattapani, and Vishwakarma Temple, is reporting a Moderate risk. One site, Godha Farm 2, is marked as “Not Working.”In Shimla, the Jutogh area continues to report Moderate risk, with monitoring functional. One critical site near Vishwakarma Temple in Mandi is operating without a landslide monitoring system. It is currently being assessed based on weather data predictions alone, highlighting potential gaps in real-time monitoring infrastructure.

The SDMA said that all functional monitoring units are currently operational except for the one mentioned above.

Local administrations have been alerted, and precautionary advisories are expected to follow depending on evolving weather patterns.

Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted light to moderate rainfall in the next 12 hours in several parts of the state.

In the next 12 hours, light to moderate rain is likely at many places and heavy rain at one or two places in Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi, Shimla, Sirmaur, Solan, and Una districts.

Himachal Pradesh Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla, on Sunday, visited the disaster-affected areas of Thunag, Bakshyar, and Janjehli in the Siraj Assembly Constituency of the Mandi district.

During the visit, the Governor met with the affected families and distributed essential relief materials.

The Governor first interacted with disaster victims in Thunag and remarked that the subdivision has suffered the most damage in the recent natural calamity, with extensive losses to private property, land, and livestock.

Commending the resilience of the local people, Governor Shukla said, “Despite the massive loss, the courage and determination of the residents here are truly commendable. While complete compensation for the damage is not possible, every effort will be made to provide assistance at all levels.”

He emphasised the need to consider both internal resources and additional arrangements to tackle such situations effectively. (ANI)