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PMK Leader Anbumani Ramadoss Calls For Statewide Push On Caste Census

PMK Urges TN Govt To Ensure Continuous Fertiliser Supply For Samba Paddy Cultivation anbumani ramadoss caste census

PMK President Dr Anbumani Ramadoss has called upon party cadre and the public to ensure that resolutions demanding a caste-based population census are passed during grama sabha meetings scheduled across Tamil Nadu on Independence Day.

In a statement, Dr Anbumani said the resolutions should clearly urge the state government to conduct a comprehensive caste census. He stressed that such an exercise is essential to ensure reservation benefits are distributed in proportion to the population and socio-economic backwardness of communities.

The move, he added, is also vital to protect social justice at a time when Tamil Nadu’s 69 per cent reservation policy is facing a legal challenge in the Supreme Court.

“Only a caste-based enumeration can provide accurate, updated data on the demographic and socio-economic conditions of various communities,” Dr Anbumani stated. “Without this, the distribution of reservation benefits will be based on outdated assumptions, which are neither fair nor sustainable,” he said.

The PMK leader said the grama sabha forums, which are constitutionally mandated to discuss local governance issues, also serve as platforms for articulating the demands of the people on broader social policies. He urged the party’s district and panchayat-level functionaries to coordinate efforts so that the caste census resolution is tabled and passed in as many villages as possible on Independence Day.

Dr Anbumani also challenged the ruling DMK to act on the resolutions if they are passed across the state. “If the DMK truly cares for democracy, it must respect the rights of grama sabhas and implement the decisions taken during these meetings,” he said, adding that ignoring such collective expressions of public opinion amounts to undermining democratic processes at the grassroots level.

The PMK, which has consistently campaigned for a caste-based census, views the exercise as a cornerstone for ensuring equitable reservation and policy formulation. The party argues that accurate caste data would enable targeted welfare schemes and help in addressing disparities more effectively.

With grama sabha meetings set to coincide with the Independence Day celebrations, the PMK’s push is expected to intensify the debate over the need for a caste census in Tamil Nadu — an issue that has been politically sensitive and socially significant for decades.

-IANS

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Uncollected Waste Piles Up In Chennai As Sanitation Workers’ Strike Enters Day 13; GCC Deploys Contract Staff To Clear Waste

Image Credits: X/@Omjasvin MD

As the sanitation workers’ strike entered its 13th day on Wednesday, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) launched an overnight cleaning operation in Royapuram and Thiru Vi Ka Nagar, deploying contract labourers and staff from other zones to tackle mounting garbage piles.

Workers under the National Urban Livelihood Mission (NULM) have been protesting against the privatisation of solid waste management since the GCC awarded a Rs 276-crore contract to a private firm. The strike has left waste uncleared across the two zones, triggering public criticism and concerns over health hazards.

Despite the deteriorating situation, striking workers offered to remove the piled-up waste without pay to protect public health. However, GCC rejected the proposal and instead mobilised nearly 1,200 personnel — including contract workers and teams from Tondiarpet, Anna Nagar and other zones — for a special drive on the nights of August 11 and 12.

According to civic officials, over 650 metric tonnes of waste were cleared in the operation. Union leaders have condemned the move, accusing the corporation of trying to sow discord among sanitation staff. “The GCC is attempting to create divisions between workers by bringing in outside staff for this drive. We will not give in. If workers from other zones join our protest, the situation will escalate,” warned S. Kumarasamy, adviser to the Labour Progressive Federation (LTUC), which is leading the agitation.

Several rounds of negotiations between the GCC and the protesters have failed to yield a breakthrough. While workers demand assurances on job security and benefits, the civic body insists that its plan will protect their interests.

In an official statement, GCC pledged that all NULM staff from Royapuram and Thiru Vi Ka Nagar will be given employment under contractual arrangements with full benefits, including provident fund, bonus, and Employees’ State Insurance coverage.

The corporation appealed to the strikers to resume work immediately. As the impasse continues, the protest threatens to spread to other parts of the city, with some workers from unaffected zones reportedly willing to join the agitation. For now, the GCC is pressing ahead with alternative arrangements to maintain cleanliness, while union leaders vow to keep up pressure until their demands are met.

-IANS

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US Holds Annual ‘Counterterrorism’ Meet With Terror Haven Pakistan

US Defends Trump’s Outreach To Pakistan, Says Ties With India Remain Strong counterterrorism terror

The US has held a counter-terrorism dialogue with Pakistan, which hosts several terrorists and terror groups, and they reaffirmed their “shared commitment to combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations”, according to their joint statement.

At the dialogue held in Islamabad on Tuesday, the US “applauded Pakistan’s continued successes in containing terrorist entities that pose a threat to the peace and security of the region and the world.”, the statement said.

The statement mentioned three terrorist organisations, the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), ISIS-Khorasan, and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), but was silent about at least five others and their affiliates that are on the US government’s list of terrorist organisations based in Pakistan. Osama bin Laden, the leader of al-Qaeda, which carried out the 9/11 attacks on the US, was given refuge by Pakistan and was taken out by US Navy Seals in a 2011 raid.

US State Department’s Coordinator for Counterterrorism Gregory LoGerfo and Nabeel Munir, Pakistan’s special secretary for the United Nations, co-chaired the dialogue. In Washington State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce said they “discussed ways to enhance cooperation to counter terrorist threats, and I think that is good for the region and for the world”.

The statement said, “Both sides emphasised that sustained and structured engagement remains vital to countering terrorism and promoting peace and stability”. The dialogue is not the result of recent bonhomie of US President Donald Trump and Pakistan’s military leadership, but has been held annually since at least 2023 when Democrat Joe Biden was the president.

The statement said the two “delegations underscored the critical importance of developing effective approaches to terrorist threats, including those posed by” the three terrorist groups it named.

On the eve of the dialogue, the US added the BLA and its affiliate The Mujaheed Brigade (TMB) to its roster of Foreign Terrorist Organisations, which along with their leaders face US sanctions. The US, according to the statement, “expressed condolences for the loss of civilians and members of law enforcement agencies in terrorist incidents in Pakistan, including the barbaric Jaffar Express terrorist attack and the bombing of a school bus in Khuzdar”.

BLA claimed responsibility for the hijacking of the Jafar Express train in April, with over 300 passengers, in which 31 civilians and security personnel were killed. The Pakistan government has blamed the suicide-bombing of a school bus in Khuszdur in May on BLA. At least eight students were among the ten civilians killed.

According to the statement, the US and Pakistan emphasised “building stronger institutional frameworks and developing capabilities to respond to security challenges and to counter the use of emerging technologies for terrorist purposes” and cooperation in international organisations like the UN, where Pakistan is currently an elected member of the Security Council.

The US-Pakistan Counterterrorism Dialogue’s joint statement is silent on these organisations on the US government’s Foreign Terrorist Organisation list: Hizbul Mujahideen, Jaysh al-Adl/Jundallah, Lashkar i Jhangvi, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Harakat ul-Mujahidin, and Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, along with four affiliates, including The Resistance Front, which carried out the Pahalgam massacre in April and was added to the list last month.

-IANS

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Stray Dog Menace: Madurai Bench Of Madras High Court Considers Enforcing Supreme Court’s Delhi Directive

Stray Dog Menace: Madurai Bench Of Madras High Court Considers Enforcing Supreme Court’s Delhi Directive

The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court on Tuesday said it would consider directing the Tamil Nadu government to implement in the state the Supreme Court’s recent order on managing stray dogs in Delhi.

A Bench was hearing and disposing of a batch of petitions relating to stray animals – one concerning stray cattle, another on street dogs in general, and a third on the alleged menace of dogs inside a temple, where devotees were reportedly bitten, causing injuries and fears of rabies.

During the proceedings, petitioners submitted figures claiming that Tamil Nadu had already recorded 3.67 lakh dog bites and 20 deaths from dog-bite-related rabies so far this year. The judges said they would issue combined formal orders after studying the Supreme Court’s detailed guidelines.

The prospect of such a directive has drawn mixed reactions. Animal welfare activists raised concerns over the state’s lack of infrastructure, manpower, and veterinary expertise to manage a large street dog population. “Dogs have equal rights to live in this world,” one activist said, warning that a poorly implemented crackdown could leave thousands of dogs neglected or starving. They urged the court to ensure rigorous enforcement of the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme, which focuses on sterilisation and vaccination as humane measures.

In contrast, several residents and civic activists welcomed the possible move, arguing that public safety must take precedence. “Lives should not be lost to dog bites in this day and age,” one petitioner said, pointing to the absence of coordinated rabies control measures in parts of the state.

The court’s reference to the Supreme Court’s Delhi order indicates that Tamil Nadu could soon see new, court-mandated protocols for street dog management. Such measures could include defining municipal responsibilities, intensifying sterilisation drives, improving shelter facilities, and running public awareness campaigns.

The Bench is expected to issue its final directions after reviewing the Supreme Court’s ruling, potentially paving the way for a state-wide policy balancing public safety with animal welfare.

(With inputs from NDTV)

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US Defends Trump’s Outreach To Pakistan, Says Ties With India Remain Strong

US Defends Trump’s Outreach To Pakistan, Says Ties With India Remain Strong counterterrorism terror

US State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce stated that US relations with India are “good” while defending Washington’s outreach to Pakistan, emphasising that having a president who communicates with everyone is beneficial.

“Our relationship with both nations is as it has been, which is good”, she said on Tuesday when a reporter asked her if US President Donald Trump reaching out to Pakistan’s military leader Asim Munir would be “at the expense of the president’s relationship with (Prime Minister) Modi”.

“That is the benefit of having a president who knows everyone, talks to everyone, and that is how we can bring differences together in this case”, she said in defence of Trump’s diplomacy towards Pakistan.

“So it’s clear that the diplomats here are committed to both nations”, she added. Bruce did not respond to another part of the reporter’s question, whether Trump’s seeming “to have developed a strong relationship” with Munir “will lead to more US assistance to Pakistan and an increase in arms sales”.

But she referred to the US-Pakistan dialogue on counter-terrorism held earlier on Tuesday in Islamabad. The US and Pakistan “reaffirmed their shared commitment to combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations” during the meeting, she said.

They “discussed ways to enhance cooperation to counter terrorist threats, and I think that is good for the region and for the world”, she said.

Trump hosted Munir, who wields power over Pakistan’s civilian government, at a White House lunch in June, asserting that he “wanted to thank him for not going into the war and ending it”.

Munir came again to the US last week to participate in an event in Tampa, Florida, to bid farewell to General Michael Kurilla, who ended his tour as the commander of the US Central Command (CENTCOM), and welcome his successor, Admiral Brad Cooper. CENTCOM covers Pakistan, in addition to Central and West Asia.

Trump has claimed that he mediated an end to the conflict in May which was escalated by Islamabad after India launched Operation Sindoor against Pakistan-based terror groups in retaliation for the terrorist attack by The Resistance Front, an off-shoot of Pakistan-protected Lashkar-e-Tayiba, in Pahalgam in April.

Munir has echoed that and nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. India has denied that there was any mediation by Trump, and a ceasefire was initiated by Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations, Major General Kashif Abdullah, who called his Indian counterpart, Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai.

Bruce, who has been nominated to be the US deputy permanent representative to the UN, said that the US had ended “a conflict, one that could have developed into something quite horrible”. She said that “here was immediate concern and immediate movement with the Vice President, the President, and the Secretary of State, in addressing the nature of what was happening”.

Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio worked to “stop the attacks and to then bring the parties together so we can have something that was enduring…and it’s a very proud moment and a very good example of what Secretary Rubio was committed to”, she added.

-IANS

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Make In India Push: OnePlus To Manufacture Premium Tablets With BPL

make in india oneplus

In a boost for the ‘Make in India‘ initiative, global technology brand OnePlus on Tuesday announced a collaboration with domestic electronic firm Bhagwati Products Ltd (BPL) to manufacture premium tablets.

This strategic partnership aligns with OnePlus’ long-term vision for India and its recent ‘Project Starlight’ initiative aimed at deepening local integration.

“As part of these efforts, OnePlus is ramping up its local manufacturing operations. In addition to producing smartphones in India, the company has begun manufacturing its tablet products at M/s BPL’s facility based in Greater Noida,” the company said in a statement.

Robin Liu, CEO, OnePlus India said, “By localising tablet production, we are reinforcing our commitment to India and creating meaningful value for our user community. This partnership reflects our long-term vision to innovate for India, invest in India, and grow with India.”

The collaboration is a boost to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision to make India a global technology hub and the country’s growing competitiveness in the international market. Alongside China and Vietnam, India is now a major player in global electronics manufacturing, with companies shifting production to diversify supply chains.

Vikas Jain, Co-Founder, Bhagwati Products Limited, said, “This milestone not only marks the addition of OnePlus to our customer portfolio but also the introduction of a new form factor to our manufacturing expertise at our Greater Noida facility.”

India now has 300 mobile manufacturing units, up from two in 2014. In FY14, 26 per cent of mobile phones sold in India were locally made, which has surged to 99.2 per cent being manufactured domestically, according to government data. OnePlus’ key tablet offerings this year include the OnePlus Pad 3 and OnePlus Pad Lite.

Both tablets are being manufactured in India through a partnership with BPL, according to the company.

-IANS

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Sixth Bangladeshi Intruder In Meghalaya Border Attack Dies After Capture

BSF Arrests Smuggler Along Indo-B’desh Border With 1.4 Kg Gold bangladesh

Villagers found the sixth Bangladeshi national allegedly involved in the armed attack in a Meghalaya village along the India-Bangladesh border in the state’s South West Khasi Hills district, who subsequently succumbed to his injuries, police said on Tuesday.

Meghalaya’s South West Khasi Hills district police said that just before the evening of August 11, the police staff of the Nonghyllam police station received information that the villagers of Kaithakona village have found one seriously injured Bangladeshi national, who identified himself as Akram.

Later, the villagers handed him over to the Border Security Force (BSF) and thereafter the BSF and the police took the Bangladeshi intruder to Maheshkola Primary Health Centre (PHC) but due to absence of Medical officer at the PHC, he was rushed to another PHC at Khonjoy, where he was declared brought dead by the Medical officer, a police official statement said.

According to the statement, the body of the deceased Bangladeshi national has been brought by the police to Civil Hospital in Mawkyrwat for conducting post mortem examination in presence of a Magistrate as mandated by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) guidelines.

A suo-moto case has been registered at the Nonghyllam police station under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and investigation is underway to ascertain facts and circumstances leading to the incident.

Akram was suspected to be part of a gang of eight to nine armed Bangladeshi men, which crossed over into Rongdangai village on August 7 midnight, assaulted a local shopkeeper Balsrang Marak, and looted cash and valuables before fleeing back towards the border.

Police said that the Bangladeshi gang kidnapped Marak and they took him towards New Rongdangai village. While moving, Marak was able to free himself and he ran away from the Bangladeshi gang’s captivity. Villagers, along with security personnel, later chased and caught four of them, including the gang leader Mefus Rehman (35), the police said, adding that the security forces on Sunday arrested the fifth Bangladeshi national, involved in the attack. Rehman is a Bangladesh Police constable.

According to the police, during a subsequent search on August 8, a Bangladesh Police identity card, three medical prescriptions, three wireless handsets, an axe, a barbed-wire cutter, screw driver, pistol holster, a small knife, three micro-explosives, three wallets, four mobile phones, steel handcuff, three micro explosives and Bangladeshi and Indian currencies were recovered from the area.

The arrested Bangladeshi nationals are residents of Comilla, Jamalpur and Narayanganj districts. Efforts are on to trace the remaining Bangladeshi attackers, the official said. Meghalaya Police, along with the BSF troops, have been conducting a massive search along the India-Bangladesh frontiers.

Large stretches of the 443 km India-Bangladesh border with Meghalaya remained unfenced due to various reasons, including difficult terrain, water bodies, forests, and mountains. However, border fencing work is underway in some portions to prevent cross-border crime, infiltration and movement of inimical elements.

Police suspect that the Bangladesh intruders might have crossed through these porous areas by swimming water bodies or using underground culverts. Meanwhile, on August 7 early morning, eight suspected Bangladeshi nationals entered a stone quarry at Bagli, also in the South West Khasi Hills district. Police immediately launched a search operation after receiving information, but the intruder managed to escape.

-IANS

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India Begins Process To Secure UNESCO Recognition For Chhath Festival

chhath festival unesco recognition india

The Union Government has asked the Sangeet Natak Akademi (SNA) to examine and process the nomination of Chhath Mahaparva for inclusion in UNESCO’s representative list of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of humanity.

A letter from Ankur Verma, Under Secretary to the Government of India, was sent to the SNA after Chhathi Maiya Foundation chairman Sandeep Kumar Dubey submitted a proposal for the festival’s inclusion on July 7.

Chhath Mahaparva, deeply rooted in Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh, is celebrated with devotion by communities from these regions across the world. The SNA, as the nodal agency, has been asked to take appropriate action on the proposal. The deeply spiritual Chhath Puja, rooted in ancient folk traditions, comes twice a year and is celebrated across Bihar, Jharkhand, eastern Uttar Pradesh, and Nepal’s Mithila region.

The festival honours Surya (the Sun God) and Chhathi Maiya, observed over four days through elaborate rituals symbolising purification, gratitude, and unwavering devotion. The opening day, Nahai-Khai, begins with ‘chhath vratis’ (devotees), bathing in rivers or ponds for ritual purification. They then don fresh clothes and prepare a simple, satvik meal of pumpkin, gram pulse, and rice, seasoned only with rock salt. This offering, shared as prasad, represents purity, discipline, and a spiritual reset.

Following this, ‘chhath vratis’ take a solemn vow to fast for the next three days, adhering to strict cleanliness, avoiding prohibited foods, and dedicating themselves entirely to the worship of the Sun God. The festival is known for its intense 36-hour waterless fast, which devotees undertake with remarkable endurance, attributing their strength to faith.

The rituals are steeped in tradition – from cooking on a mango wood-fired stove to avoiding non-satvik ingredients such as onions, garlic, and animal products. The colours yellow and red dominate the attire, symbolising purity and devotion.

Soulful Chhath songs in honour of Chhathi Maiya echo through homes and ghats, preserving the festival’s rich folk heritage. More than just a religious observance, Chhath puja is a celebration of discipline, community, and deep cultural continuity – a testament to the enduring bond between faith and tradition.

-IANS

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Bangladesh Tribunal Rejects Lawyer’s Plea To Defend Ousted PM Sheikh Hasina

Sheikh Hasina achievements in Bangladesh

The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) of Bangladesh on Tuesday rejected the application of senior Supreme Court lawyer Z.I. Khan Panna to represent former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for the case of crimes against humanity linked to last year’s July demonstrations.

Analysts reckon the decision constitutes a travesty of justice, denying Hasina the right to be represented in the case. The application was filed by lawyer Nazneen Nahar on behalf of Panna at the tribunal seeking to defend Hasina in the case, local media reported. The tribunal questioned the purpose of the application during the testimony stage, stating that it could not be accepted.

“The train has already left the station; there is no way to board it by informing the station master. At this stage of the case, there is no opportunity to appoint a new lawyer,” leading Bangladeshi daily The Business Standard quoted the ICT as saying in response to the petition.

The tribunal noted that the state has already appointed Supreme Court lawyer Amir Hossain to conduct hearings on behalf of Hasina. Earlier, on August 3, the prosecution at the ICT began its proceedings in a case against Hasina and two others over alleged crimes against humanity.

The co-accused include former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun. Following the proceedings, the Awami League denounced the charges brought against its leadership, calling them a “politically motivated” move orchestrated by the Muhammad Yunus-led “illegitimate” interim government. Awami League leader Mohammad A. Arafat stated that neither former Prime Minister Hasina nor him have received any formal notice of the trial proceedings against the party members, which he said, highlights the “absurdity” of the “unelected” government.

“This is part of a broader campaign by an unelected usurper heading an illegitimate government, intent on erasing democratic legitimacy, silencing opposition, and clinging to power. Such a regime has no legal or moral authority to prosecute a government elected by the people’s mandate. An illegitimate regime cannot amend legislation passed by Parliament. Only Parliament has that authority,” Arafat said in a statement. He said that no democratically elected leader should be “prosecuted for upholding constitutional duties in the face of violent insurrection.”

-IANS

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Ukraine Targets Russia’s Only Helium Plant In New Wave of Drone Strikes

russia ukraine helium plant drone attack

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said Tuesday that it foiled a terror attack targetting a high-ranking defence ministry official in the Moscow region. The agency said it detained a dual Russian-Ukrainian citizen attempting to use a homemade explosive device disguised in a car for the attack.

The vehicle, filled with more than 60 kg of explosives, was to be detonated when the high-ranking officer passes by, the FSB said. Over the past year, Russian authorities have reported multiple foiled plots involving car bombs and other explosive devices, often accusing Ukrainian special services of orchestrating them, Xinhua news agency reported.

In a high-profile incident, Russian Lieutenant General Yaroslav Moskalik, Deputy Chief of the General Staff’s main operations directorate, was killed in a car explosion in the Moscow region on April 25. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s new round of drone attacks hit a helium production plant in Russia’s Orenburg area, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported Tuesday.

The plant, struck in the drone attacks launched by the Main Intelligence Directorate under the Ukrainian Defence Ministry on Monday, is Russia’s sole producer of helium used in rocket manufacturing, space and aviation industries, the report said.

Local residents reportedly witnessed drones flying near the plant, and a series of explosions were reported in the targetted area. Russian air defence forces intercepted and destroyed 32 Ukrainian drones overnight and a further seven in the morning, the Russian Defense Ministry had said on Monday.

According to the ministry, seven of the drones were downed over the Belgorod Region, five each over the Bryansk and Kaluga Regions, four over Crimea, two each over the Oryol, Kursk, Voronezh, Ryazan and Moscow Regions, and one over the Tula Region.

On Monday morning, the Defence Ministry reported that air defences shot down another seven Ukrainian drones. As a result of the drone attack on the Nizhny Novgorod Region, one person was killed and two were injured, the regional governor, Gleb Nikitin, wrote on his Telegram channel.

Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said that seven drones heading toward the Russian capital were downed on Monday morning. “Response teams are working at the site where debris fell,” he wrote on Telegram.

-IANS

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