The Evening Wrap: Sonia Gandhi says Manipur violence left deep wound in nation's conscience

Asserting that the human tragedy unfolding in Manipur has wounded the conscience of the nation, Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi has issued an appeal for peace and urged the women to take the lead in restoring normalcy. “For nearly 50 days, we have witnessed a great human tragedy unfolding in Manipur. The unprecedented violence that has devastated the lives of people in your State and uprooted thousands, has left a deep wound in the conscience of our nation,” she said in a video message. In the nearly three-minute-long video, Gandhi said that she was deeply saddened to see people forced to flee their homes and leave behind all that they have built over a lifetime. She said that it was heart-breaking to witness people, who have coexisted peacefully, turn against each other. “I appeal to the people of Manipur, especially my brave sisters to lead the way in bringing peace and harmony to this beautiful land. As a mother I understand your pain and I appeal to your good conscience to lead the way,” she said. While she did not comment on the handling of the situation by the BJP government in the State or the Union government, the Congress has been targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi for maintaining ‘stoic silence’ on the issue for almost 50 days now. PM Modi leads historic Yoga session at UN; describes yoga as ‘truly universal’ and ‘free from copyrights’ Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 21 described Yoga as “truly universal” and “free from copyrights and patents” as he led a historic event at the UN Headquarters here to commemorate the 9th International Day of Yoga, attended by top UN officials, diplomats and prominent personalities. Modi, on the first leg of his state visit to the US at the invitation of President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, began the celebration by paying respects to the bust of Mahatma Gandhi in the North Lawn of the UN headquarters. The Prime Minister, wearing a customised white yoga t-shirt and trousers, began his address with a ‘Namaste’ and thanked people for coming here from far away to attend the celebration. “I’m delighted to see you all. And I thank you all for coming. Friends. I’m told that almost every nationality is represented here today,” Modi said. He was joined by President of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly Csaba Korisi, deputy Secretary General Amina Mohammed, and New York City mayor Eric Adams. Hollywood actor Richard Gere, Iyengar yoga exponent Deidra Demens and prominent American singer Mary Millben were also among those present. Share data on heatwave-linked hospitalisations and deaths, Centre tells States The Union Health Ministry, on June 21, held another round of meeting, second in two days, with officials of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Telangana, which are in the grip of severe heat wave conditions. The Centre highlighted the lack of accurate information from the ground and urged the States to share field-level data on heatwave, including deaths and hospitalisations. The States have also been asked to ramp up information and awareness campaigns and accelerate field-level implementation of State Action Plans for addressing ill-effects of heatwaves. The Centre urged the States to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply at health facilities. Steps should be taken to install solar panels and cool/green roof, window shading, shades etc. at these centres, it said. Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said a granular status and an analysis of overall heatstroke cases and deaths in India and heat-related illness in the seven affected States was made by the Health Ministry officials covering the trajectory of total emergency OPD cases, suspected and confirmed heatstroke cases and deaths; and their reporting as per Integrated Health Information Platform portal. It was pointed out that the National Action Plan on heat-related illness released in July 2021 outlined the challenges posed by heatwave, heat-related illnesses and their management from primary to tertiary level, the standard operating procedures for surveillance of heatstroke cases and deaths and preparedness plan before, during and after summer season with special emphasis on heat-related illness in vulnerable sections. India slams China at UN for blocking move to designate 26/11 accused Sajid Mir as ‘global terrorist’ India has hit out at China for blocking a move to designate Pakistan-based LeT leader Sajid Mir as a “global terrorist” by the UN, saying it shows a lack of genuine political will to fight the scourge of terrorism. China on June 20 blocked a proposal moved by the U.S. and co-designated by India to blacklist Mir under the 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council as a global terrorist and subject him to assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo. Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist Mir is wanted for his involvement in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. In a strongly-worded statement, Joint Secretary at India’s permanent mission in New York Prakash Gupta said if efforts to ban terrorists fail due to “petty geopolitical interests”, then “we really do not have the genuine political will to sincerely fight this challenge of terrorism”. Gupta also played an audio clip of Mir in which he can be heard instructing terrorists from Pakistan during the Mumbai 26/11 terror attacks. “Justice still continues to elude the victims of the Mumbai terror attack,” he said. Mir was listed as a proscribed terrorist under the national laws of India and under the laws of the United States and several other countries globally, he said. “But when the proposal for listing him did not go through the Security Council sanctions regime, we had strong reasons to believe that something was genuinely wrong in the global sanctions regime, as manifested in the Security Council,” Gupta said. “If we cannot get established terrorists who have been proscribed across global landscapes, listed under the Security Council architecture for petty geopolitical interests, then we really do not have the genuine political will needed to sincerely fight this challenge of terrorism,” he added. U.S. Senate Committee to consider resolution to recognise Arunachal Pradesh as integral part of India The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on June 21, is set to consider a bipartisan resolution to recognise Arunachal Pradesh as an integral part of India, pushing back against China’s military aggression to change the status quo along the Line of Actual Control. The resolution condemns additional Chinese provocations, including Beijing’s use of military force to change the status quo along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). It slams China for the construction of villages in contested areas, publication of maps with Mandarin-language names for cities and features in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, and expansion of Beijing’s territorial claims in Bhutan. The bipartisan resolution was introduced in February this year by Senator Jeff Merkley, a Democrat, and Bill Hagerty, a Republican. Senator John Cornyn, Co-Chair of the India Caucus, has co-sponsored the resolution. Observing that India has taken steps to defend itself from aggression and security threats from China, including by securing its telecommunications infrastructure and conducting investment screening, the resolution unequivocally recognises the state of Arunachal Pradesh as an integral part of the Republic of India and supports the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. It condemns China’s use of military force to change the status quo along the Line of Actual Control, as well as additional provocations including the construction of villages in contested areas, expansion of territorial claims in Bhutan, and publication of maps assigning Mandarin-language names to cities and features in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. West Bengal panchayat elections | Calcutta HC directs State Election Commission to deploy more Central forces than in 2013 Observing that deployment of 22 companies of Central forces across 22 districts of the State was ‘thoroughly inadequate‘, the Calcutta High Court on June 21 directed the West Bengal State Election Commission (WBSEC) to requisition within 24 hours, sufficient number of Central forces to be deployed in all the districts and the number of battalions/ companies shall be not less that forces deployed in the 2013 panchayat elections. The Division Bench of Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam and Justice Uday Kumar expressed hope that the order would be complied with in letter and in spirit and any “attempt to make the order unworkable may result in adverse consequences”. The WBSEC had sought to deploy 22 companies of Central forces for the upcoming panchayat polls, whereas in 2013, about 825 companies of Central forces were deployed during panchayat polls. The court observed that 1.05 lakh State police and 82,000 Central forces were requisitioned by the WBSEC in 2013. The Division Bench noted in the order that prima facie it had no hesitation in saying that earlier decisions and orders of the court had not been complied with in letter and in spirit and pointed out that it could not understand as to why the State Election Commission was “still not taking an independent decision in the matter”. During the proceedings, the court raised several questions on the role of WBSEC and asked should the court not doubt the independence of the Commission. The Bench observed that if the State Election Commissioner could not implement the orders of the Commission, he could step down and the Governor could appoint a new person. The court described the deployment relating to deployment of Central forces as “sorry state of affairs”. Senthilbalaji case | Supreme Court refuses instant relief to ED, says Madras HC ‘understands the law’ The Supreme Court on June 21 refused immediate relief to the Enforcement Directorate and left it entirely to the Madras High Court to decide whether Tamil Nadu Minister V. Senthilbalaji’s move to a private hospital has thwarted the Central agency’s “right to remand” and interrogate him on money-laundering charges connected to a cash-for-jobs scam. The case raises legal questions as to whether an accused can delay police remand on medical grounds and if the time he spends in private care can be counted as “effective custody”. The ED has criticised the Madras High Court for entertaining a habeas corpus petition filed by Senthilbalaji’s wife the very next day after he was arrested and remanded to police custody on June 14. The ED said the High Court had allowed him to be shifted to a private hospital, denying the ED its right to custodial interrogation. The Bench said nobody was denying the ED its right to interrogate. “In law, you are entitled to take remand of an accused whose bail has been denied. Nobody can take that right away from you… The only question here is whether you should be granted police remand when the person is hospitalised or should you get such remand when the doctors declare him fit for joining the investigation… Should the remand be deferred till he is found medically fit?” Justice Kant explained. The Bench explained that mere entertaining of the habeas corpus petition by the High Court does not mean that it has found the plea “maintainable”. “You have a right in law to urge before the High Court tomorrow [June 22] that the habeas corpus petition is not maintainable,” Justice Kant addressed Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, for the ED. The court noted that the High Court also agreed to examine the ED’s plea to exempt the period spent by Senthilbalaji in medical treatment at the private hospital from the period of custodial interrogation. The Bench also noted that the High Court had already suggested that the ED could form its own specialist board of doctors to examine him at the private hospital and see if he is fit for interrogation. Meanwhile, the Bench said it would keep the ED’s petitions pending and posted the case for hearing on July 4. The Supreme Court recorded that the pendency of the ED petitions before it would not make a ground to adjourn the case in the High Court. The Vacation Bench said any observations made by the High Court in its June 15 order or oral comments made by the apex court on June 21 would have no bearing on the merits of the case. In brief India was ranked 127 out of 146 countries in terms of gender parity, an improvement of eight places from last year, according to the World Economic Forum’s Gender Gap Report, 2023. India was ranked 135 in 2022. India had attained parity in enrolment across all levels of education, the report said. India had closed 64.3% of the overall gender gap but reached only 36.7 % parity on economic participation and opportunity. [logo] The Evening Wrap 21 June 2023 [The Hindu logo] Welcome to the Evening Wrap newsletter, your guide to the day’s biggest stories with concise analysis from The Hindu. [[Arrow]Open in browser]( [[Mail icon]More newsletters]( Manipur violence has left deep wound in nation’s conscience, says Sonia Gandhi [Asserting that the human tragedy unfolding in Manipur has wounded the conscience of the nation, Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi has issued an appeal for peace]( and urged the women to take the lead in restoring normalcy. “For nearly 50 days, we have witnessed a great human tragedy unfolding in Manipur. The unprecedented violence that has devastated the lives of people in your State and uprooted thousands, has left a deep wound in the conscience of our nation,” she said in a video message. In the nearly three-minute-long video, Gandhi said that she was deeply saddened to see people forced to flee their homes and leave behind all that they have built over a lifetime. She said that it was heart-breaking to witness people, who have coexisted peacefully, turn against each other. “I appeal to the people of Manipur, especially my brave sisters to lead the way in bringing peace and harmony to this beautiful land. As a mother I understand your pain and I appeal to your good conscience to lead the way,” she said. While she did not comment on the handling of the situation by the BJP government in the State or the Union government, the Congress has been targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi for maintaining ‘stoic silence’ on the issue for almost 50 days now. PM Modi leads historic Yoga session at UN; describes yoga as ‘truly universal’ and ‘free from copyrights’ [Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 21 described Yoga as “truly universal” and “free from copyrights and patents”]( as he led a historic event at the UN Headquarters here to commemorate the 9th International Day of Yoga, attended by top UN officials, diplomats and prominent personalities. Modi, on the first leg of his state visit to the US at the invitation of President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, began the celebration by paying respects to the bust of Mahatma Gandhi in the North Lawn of the UN headquarters. The Prime Minister, wearing a customised white yoga t-shirt and trousers, began his address with a ‘Namaste’ and thanked people for coming here from far away to attend the celebration. “I’m delighted to see you all. And I thank you all for coming. Friends. I’m told that almost every nationality is represented here today,” Modi said. He was joined by President of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly Csaba Korisi, deputy Secretary General Amina Mohammed, and New York City mayor Eric Adams. Hollywood actor Richard Gere, Iyengar yoga exponent Deidra Demens and prominent American singer Mary Millben were also among those present. Share data on heatwave-linked hospitalisations and deaths, Centre tells States [The Union Health Ministry, on June 21, held another round of meeting, second in two days, with officials of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Telangana, which are in the grip of severe heat wave conditions.]( The Centre highlighted the lack of accurate information from the ground and urged the States to share field-level data on heatwave, including deaths and hospitalisations. The States have also been asked to ramp up information and awareness campaigns and accelerate field-level implementation of State Action Plans for addressing ill-effects of heatwaves. The Centre urged the States to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply at health facilities. Steps should be taken to install solar panels and cool/green roof, window shading, shades etc. at these centres, it said. Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said a granular status and an analysis of overall heatstroke cases and deaths in India and heat-related illness in the seven affected States was made by the Health Ministry officials covering the trajectory of total emergency OPD cases, suspected and confirmed heatstroke cases and deaths; and their reporting as per Integrated Health Information Platform portal. It was pointed out that the National Action Plan on heat-related illness released in July 2021 outlined the challenges posed by heatwave, heat-related illnesses and their management from primary to tertiary level, the standard operating procedures for surveillance of heatstroke cases and deaths and preparedness plan before, during and after summer season with special emphasis on heat-related illness in vulnerable sections. India slams China at UN for blocking move to designate 26/11 accused Sajid Mir as ‘global terrorist’ [India has hit out at China for blocking a move to designate Pakistan-based LeT leader Sajid Mir as a “global terrorist”]( by the UN, saying it shows a lack of genuine political will to fight the scourge of terrorism. China on June 20 blocked a proposal moved by the U.S. and co-designated by India to blacklist Mir under the 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council as a global terrorist and subject him to assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo. Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist Mir is wanted for his involvement in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. In a strongly-worded statement, Joint Secretary at India’s permanent mission in New York Prakash Gupta said if efforts to ban terrorists fail due to “petty geopolitical interests”, then “we really do not have the genuine political will to sincerely fight this challenge of terrorism”. Gupta also played an audio clip of Mir in which he can be heard instructing terrorists from Pakistan during the Mumbai 26/11 terror attacks. “Justice still continues to elude the victims of the Mumbai terror attack,” he said. Mir was listed as a proscribed terrorist under the national laws of India and under the laws of the United States and several other countries globally, he said. “But when the proposal for listing him did not go through the Security Council sanctions regime, we had strong reasons to believe that something was genuinely wrong in the global sanctions regime, as manifested in the Security Council,” Gupta said. “If we cannot get established terrorists who have been proscribed across global landscapes, listed under the Security Council architecture for petty geopolitical interests, then we really do not have the genuine political will needed to sincerely fight this challenge of terrorism,” he added. U.S. Senate Committee to consider resolution to recognise Arunachal Pradesh as integral part of India [The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on June 21, is set to consider a bipartisan resolution to recognise Arunachal Pradesh as an integral part of India]( pushing back against China’s military aggression to change the status quo along the Line of Actual Control. The resolution condemns additional Chinese provocations, including Beijing’s use of military force to change the status quo along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). It slams China for the construction of villages in contested areas, publication of maps with Mandarin-language names for cities and features in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, and expansion of Beijing’s territorial claims in Bhutan. The bipartisan resolution was introduced in February this year by Senator Jeff Merkley, a Democrat, and Bill Hagerty, a Republican. Senator John Cornyn, Co-Chair of the India Caucus, has co-sponsored the resolution. Observing that India has taken steps to defend itself from aggression and security threats from China, including by securing its telecommunications infrastructure and conducting investment screening, the resolution unequivocally recognises the state of Arunachal Pradesh as an integral part of the Republic of India and supports the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. It condemns China’s use of military force to change the status quo along the Line of Actual Control, as well as additional provocations including the construction of villages in contested areas, expansion of territorial claims in Bhutan, and publication of maps assigning Mandarin-language names to cities and features in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. West Bengal panchayat elections | Calcutta HC directs State Election Commission to deploy more Central forces than in 2013 Observing that deployment of 22 companies of Central forces across 22 districts of the State was ‘thoroughly inadequate‘, the [Calcutta High Court on June 21 directed the West Bengal State Election Commission (WBSEC) to requisition within 24 hours, sufficient number of Central forces]( to be deployed in all the districts and the number of battalions/ companies shall be not less that forces deployed in the 2013 panchayat elections. The Division Bench of Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam and Justice Uday Kumar expressed hope that the order would be complied with in letter and in spirit and any “attempt to make the order unworkable may result in adverse consequences”. The WBSEC had sought to deploy 22 companies of Central forces for the upcoming panchayat polls, whereas in 2013, about 825 companies of Central forces were deployed during panchayat polls. The court observed that 1.05 lakh State police and 82,000 Central forces were requisitioned by the WBSEC in 2013. The Division Bench noted in the order that prima facie it had no hesitation in saying that earlier decisions and orders of the court had not been complied with in letter and in spirit and pointed out that it could not understand as to why the State Election Commission was “still not taking an independent decision in the matter”. During the proceedings, the court raised several questions on the role of WBSEC and asked should the court not doubt the independence of the Commission. The Bench observed that if the State Election Commissioner could not implement the orders of the Commission, he could step down and the Governor could appoint a new person. The court described the deployment relating to deployment of Central forces as “sorry state of affairs”. Senthilbalaji case | Supreme Court refuses instant relief to ED, says Madras HC ‘understands the law’ The [Supreme Court on June 21 refused immediate relief to the Enforcement Directorate]( and left it entirely to the Madras High Court to decide whether Tamil Nadu Minister V. Senthilbalaji’s move to a private hospital has thwarted the Central agency’s “right to remand” and interrogate him on money-laundering charges connected to a cash-for-jobs scam. The case raises legal questions as to whether an accused can delay police remand on medical grounds and if the time he spends in private care can be counted as “effective custody”. The ED has criticised the Madras High Court for entertaining a habeas corpus petition filed by Senthilbalaji’s wife the very next day after he was arrested and remanded to police custody on June 14. The ED said the High Court had allowed him to be shifted to a private hospital, denying the ED its right to custodial interrogation. The Bench said nobody was denying the ED its right to interrogate. “In law, you are entitled to take remand of an accused whose bail has been denied. Nobody can take that right away from you… The only question here is whether you should be granted police remand when the person is hospitalised or should you get such remand when the doctors declare him fit for joining the investigation… Should the remand be deferred till he is found medically fit?” Justice Kant explained. The Bench explained that mere entertaining of the habeas corpus petition by the High Court does not mean that it has found the plea “maintainable”. “You have a right in law to urge before the High Court tomorrow [June 22] that the habeas corpus petition is not maintainable,” Justice Kant addressed Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, for the ED. The court noted that the High Court also agreed to examine the ED’s plea to exempt the period spent by Senthilbalaji in medical treatment at the private hospital from the period of custodial interrogation. The Bench also noted that the High Court had already suggested that the ED could form its own specialist board of doctors to examine him at the private hospital and see if he is fit for interrogation. Meanwhile, the Bench said it would keep the ED’s petitions pending and posted the case for hearing on July 4. The Supreme Court recorded that the pendency of the ED petitions before it would not make a ground to adjourn the case in the High Court. The Vacation Bench said any observations made by the High Court in its June 15 order or oral comments made by the apex court on June 21 would have no bearing on the merits of the case. In brief [India was ranked 127 out of 146 countries in terms of gender parity]( an improvement of eight places from last year, according to the World Economic Forum’s Gender Gap Report, 2023. India was ranked 135 in 2022. India had attained parity in enrolment across all levels of education, the report said. India had closed 64.3% of the overall gender gap but reached only 36.7 % parity on economic participation and opportunity. 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