tadepalligudem l friday l january 27, 2023 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l city EDITION No backchannel talks with India, says Pakistan minister “At this moment, there is no such thing underway,” Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar told Pak Parliament Bilawal Bhutto Zardari Umar Ata Bandial But Experts pitch for secret parleys Pak Reviewing india’s invitations Her remarks came in the wake of experts, including former Pak foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri, pitching for backchannel talks in the initial phase so that political compulsions don’t come into play. However, both sides have to generate public opinion for improved relations to create an enabling environment for peace, Kasuri told this newspaper recently ■ ■ India has invited Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and chief justice Umar Ata Bandial to the SCO meet in Goa in May Confirming it, Pakistan’s Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said the Pak govt is reviewing the invitations Art 370 Must be restored before any talks with india, Sharif had said recently 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 Sub-Mandal & kamandal is Modi formula for 2024 polls S h a h i d F a r i d i @ New Delhi Women personnel in a marching contingent of the CRPF during the 74th Republic Day parade at Kartavya Path in New Delhi on Thursday | PTI women power point Theme of many tableaux was Nari Shakti; women officers led or participated in various marching contingents; military showcased self-dependence on R-Day E XPR E SS N E WS S E RVIC E @ New Delhi India’s spirit of self-dependence in the military and its women power stood out during the Republic Day parade on Kartavya Path here on Thursday Women officers led or par. ticipated in several marching contingents while Supreme Commander President Droupadi Murmu hosted her Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who was the chief guest for the event. A combined band and marching contingent of the Egyptian armed forces also took part in the parade that started around 10.30 am and ended close to noon after a fly-past. The Egyptian contingent was led by Col Mahmoud Mohamed Abdelfattah Elkharasawy . The unfurling of the Tricolour followed by the national anthem was accompaned by a 21gun salute using 105-mm Indian field guns. The indigenous guns replaced the vintage 25-pounders, reflecting the growing aatmanirbharta in defence. Military assets on display were mostly made-in-India, which included the main battle tank Arjun, the Nag Missile System (NAMIS) and the K-9 Vajra, Light Combat Helicopter Prachand, Akash air defence missiles and Quick Reaction Fighting Vehicles. The Akash weapon system had Lt Chetana Sharma at the forefront. The Indian Air Force contingent comprising 144 air warriors and four officers, was led by Sqn Ldr Sindhu Reddy. The air force tableau, designed on the theme ‘Indian Air Force Power Beyond Boundaries’, displayed a rotating globe highlighting IAF’s expanded reach, whereby it has been able to provide humanitarian assistance across borders, as also exercises conducted with friendly countries. Lt Commander Disha Amrith, posted at a strategic base, led the Navy’s contingent of sailors, which included three women, and six Agniveers, who are undergoing training as part PVC awardees Three Param Vir Chakra awardees and three Ashok Chakra awardees also took part in the parade, which also had a veterans’ tableau. A group of Shramyogis involved in the construction of the Central Vista, the Kartavya Path and the new Parliament were specially invited for the parade of the first batch inducted under the new armed forces recruitment scheme. The ceremony commenced with Prime Minister Modi visiting the National War Memorial and paying tributes to the fallen heroes by laying a wreath. The parade ended with a fly-past by 45 aircraft of the Indian Air Force, one from the Indian Navy and four helicopters of the Indian Army . A total of 23 tableaux — 17 from states and union territories and six from various ministries and departments — took part with Nari Shakti being the theme of most of them. YSRC established a govt of deeds: Guv E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Vijayawada The YSRC government has established itself as a government of deeds and not just words, Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan remarked while speaking on the sidelines of the 74th Republic Day celebrations at Indira Gandhi Municipal Corporation (IGMC) Stadium on Thursday He unfurled the National Flag and took the . guard of honour in the presence of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and other dignitaries. “In the past 43 months, the State government has carried out the essence of the 73-year-old Constitution in true letter and spirit,” the Governor said and added that the government has achieved the real ‘Gram Swaraj’ which cannot be seen anywhere in the country . Elaborating, he said, “To fulfil Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of ‘Grama Swarajyam’, the government established 15,004 village and ward secretariats to deliver the benefits of welfare schemes to all eligible persons, irrespective of their caste, creed, religion, gender and political affiliation, in a time-bound and transparent manner.”  P4 Governor Harichandan presenting a memento to CM Jagan during the Republic Day fete in Vijayawada | Express express read At Kuno, liver & kidney infection hit 1 cheetah Bhopal: While the Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh prepares to welcome 12 Cheetahs from South Africa, a five-year-old Cheetah, which was among the eight Cheetahs flown from Namibia on PM Modi’s birthday last year, is battling with a liver and kidney infection. The female Cheetah, Sasha, has been quarantined since January 23 for focussed treatment by a team of veterinary doctors | P8 Spell out stand on CM candidate, Pawan told Vijayawada: Hitting back at JSP chief Pawan Kalyan for accusing the YSRC government of misusing funds meant for the SC, ST SubPlan, YSRC general secretary & government advisor Sajjala Ramakrishna said they have actually spent more than what was earmarked. He also sought to know who would be the CM face, if TDP & JSP form an alliance. “Will it be Naidu or Lokesh or yourself?’’ Sajjala questioned | P4 CM Jagan has not given any assurance on the administration shifting to VIzag, says Botcha Vijayawada: “We have been pressurising Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy to start functioning from Visakhapatnam from Ugadi as per the proposal to make the city the executive capital. But the Chief Minster has not yet given an assurance on the same yet, said Education Minister Botcha Satyanarayana on Thursday. However, on several instances IT Minister Gudivada Amarnath has claimed that the government has decided to function from the executive capital from Ugadi. Asked about Jagan’s response, Botcha said, “I don’t think he will say no to his cabinet colleagues. The CM just replies saying, ‘We will see anna’” | P4 Prime Minister Narendra Modi is preparing a heady cocktail for the next general election in 2024. Along with the winning combination of Hindutva and welfarism, Modi plans to appropriate the reservation plank and deny the opposition one of its biggest election issues. The PM had set up a four-member commission headed by Justice (Retd) G Rohini on October 2, 2017, to examine if the Other Backward Classes need to be sub-categorised to ensure equitable distribution of the reservation benefits. After 13 extensions, the commission’s term ends on January 31, 2023. Sources said the panel may submit its report anytime to the government. The commission was formed because government data revealed that over 90% of the OBC quota benefits were cornered by about a dozen dominant castes such as Yadavs, Jats, Kurmis, Vokkaligas, Sainis, Thevars, Ezhavas etc. The OBC quota is meant for over 3,000 castes and communities categorised as backward by the Mandal Commission. Therefore, the commission recommends sub-classifications of the dominant castes to ensure a more equitable distribution of benefits. It also suggests dividing the 3,000 OBC communities into four categories with a fixed percentage of benefits going to each type from the overall 27% OBC reservation. PM Modi’s plank for 2024 Lok Sabha elections Social justice, coupled with opening a grand Ram temple at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh, which is likely to witness a global gathering bigger than the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas, and subsidised foodgrain for 80 crore people, is the plank on which the PM will enter the 2024 Lok Sabha elections Empowering smaller OBC communities may bring huge electoral benefits for the BJP. The party has already successfully experimented with the idea in Uttar Pradesh by creating a social coalition of nonYadav OBC castes. The biggest pushback to Modi’s BJP has come from the leaders of the dominant OBC castes. Among them are Lalu Yadav, his son Tejashwi Yadav and Nitish Kumar in Bihar, Akhilesh Yadav in UP H D Deve , Gowda and son H D Kumaraswamy in Karnataka from the non-Congress parties. From the Congress, most of the top leaders leading the charge against the BJP in the states belong to the OBCs — Bhupesh Baghel in Chhattisgarh, Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot in Rajasthan, Bhupinder Singh Hooda in Haryana, D K Shivkumar and Siddaramaiah in Karnataka. These opposition OBC leaders recently stirred the caste cauldron by demanding a nationwide caste census. They reject the 2006 National Sample Survey Organisation report, which puts the total OBC population at 41%, down from 52% mentioned in the Mandal Commission report of 1980. Nitish has already started a caste survey in Bihar. The Rohini report, therefore, may prove to be the BJP’s ace in caste politics. It has the potential to ignite a debate on the denial of benefits to the overwhelming number of OBC communities. It may, however, face criticism over the authenticity of the data used by it. Social justice, coupled with opening a grand Ram temple at Ayodhya, which is likely to witness a global gathering bigger than the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas, and subsidised foodgrain for 80 crore people, is the plank on which the PM will enter the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. India launches world’s first intranasal Covid vaccine E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ New Delhi Union minister for health Mansukh Mandaviya, along with Union Science and Technology Minister Dr Jitendra Singh, launched the world’s first made-in-India intranasal Covid19 vaccine iNCOVACC on the 74th Republic Day on Thursday . It may be noted that iNNCOVACC is the world’s first intranasal Covid-19 vaccine to receive approval for the primary 2-dose schedule, and as a heterologous booster dose. “This is a historic achievement & a testimony to the innovative zeal of our scientists. It has made every Indian proud. Heartiest congratulations to all our hardworking scientists and innovators who are working relentlessly to fulfill the dream of an Aatmanirbhar Bharat,” Mandaviya tweeted. The vaccine has been developed by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL) in collaboration with Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance (BIRAC), a PSU under the Department of Biotechnology Ministry of Science and , Technology . The needle-free vaccine will be available in government hospitals for `325 and at `800 in the private market. Its rollout is expected to begin in private hospitals that have placed advance orders. Initial manufacturing capacity of several million doses per annum has been established. It can be further scaled up to a billion doses as required. “India has taken a lead in developing vaccines and medicines for diseases common in the developing world. Next step would be to develop vaccines for non-communicable diseases,” Singh said. Co-founder and chair man of Bharat Biotech Dr Krishna Ella said, “This milestone proves that India can innovate for itself and for the world. We and the country are well prepared for future COVID-19 variants and future infectious diseases.” Company co-founder and MD Suchitra Ella was also present. Lokesh to kick-start 4,000 km padayatra E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Vijayawada Streets of Kuppam were decked up in hues of yellow as the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) general secretary Nara Lokesh is set to commence his 4,000-km padayatra, Yuva Galam on Friday As per muhurat, the MLC . will kick-start his walkathon at 11.03 am. Lokesh reached Kuppam, his father and TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu’s home turf, after offering prayers at the Srivari temple in Tirumala on Thursday . Before taking up his rally Lokesh , will perform special pujas at the Varadarajula Swamy temple. On day one, he will cover 8.5 km and make a night halt at PES MediP4 cal College.  shining out amid struggles Padma Shri for Harikatha artist gives new lease of life to dying art more than Satchidananda Sastry .’’ She further added, “It is significant that Harikatha is being recognised on a national platform at a time when the art form is struggling for existence. This may give a new lease of life to the dying art.” B a n d h a v i Ann a m @ Guntur F o r B h a g av a t h a r K o t a Satchidananda Sastry, a renowned Harikatha artist from Andhra Pradesh, his happiness saw no bounds when he learnt that he will be conferred with the Padma Shri Award. “I am grateful that Harikatha, an art form that has a great history, is finally being recognised on such a huge platform. This award is not just for me, but for all those who have contributed to this art form without being recognised,’’ Sastry said in a brief interaction with TNIE. In a first, a Harikatha artist will be honoured with the fourth-highest civilian award. Bhagavathar is among the 91 people selected for the prestigious award by the Centre. Harikatha artists in Andhra Pradesh are jubilated with the A memorable journey I used to stand by the door of movie theatres as I could not afford a ticket. I used to watch a few scenes of movies and hear the dialogues carefully Bhagavathar Kota Satchidananda Sastry recognition given to the art as well as the veteran artist. Sharing her joy, Bejjanki Nagamani, a Harikatha artist from Tenali said, “It is a moment of pride for all of us and no one deserves this honour Born on August 12, 1934 in Addanki village (now in Bapatla district), Bhagavathar was trained in the narrative art of Harikatha at a very young age.    Coming from a traditional family, all close relatives of Satchidananda Sastry are artists. Though he studied only till third grade, Sastry has a very strong command of the language, making him renowned in art. However, Sastry credits cinema for his command over the language and the emotion.  P4 84-year-old Padma awardee awaits pucca house in MP E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Bhopal Tribal labourer-turned-painter Jodhaiya Bai Baiga, 84, one of the 91 Padma Shri awardees this year, is still awaiting a pucca house that was promised to her when she was honoured with the Nari Shakti Puraskar in Delhi last year. The octogenarian, a widow, lives with her teenJodhaiya Bai age grand-daughter Rupa in the clay plaster- and asbestos-thatched hut at Lorha village, Umaria district, Madhya Pradesh. She is elated at being selected for the coveted award but is equally sad for not having a proper house. Recounting her meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the eve of Nari Shakti Puraskar in March 2022, she said: “I hugged Modiji and shared my pain about not having a pucca house, after which he promised that I will get a house. But I still live in a kutcha house.” Umaria district collector K D Tripathi told TNIE that her name doesn’t figure on the list of those selected for PM Awas scheme. “Being awarded Padma Shri and getting a PM Awas are two separate issues. Linking them would be inappropriate,” he added.