thrissur l monday l September 25, 2023 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l city EDITION Rowing, shooting medals On a day when China prevailed over India in a number of close contests, the country's rowers and shooters opened the medal count hours after the start of the Hangzhou Asian Games. A look at how Sunday went Ramita bags two medals In shooting, Ramita Jindal upstaged Mehuli Ghosh as the former won an individual bronze in the women’s 10m air rifle event. Before the individual final, the duo, in the company of Ashi Chouksey, won a silver in team event Dominating performance Two-time world champion, Nikhat Zareen, came through a big test as she beat Vietnam's Nguyen Thi Tam in the first round of the 50kg category. The two had met in the final of the Worlds earlier this year | P11 The rowing team boat club: water-shed moment O ne of the most gruelling of sports was always expected to open India’s tally and so it proved with India winning two silvers and a bronze in the picturesque setting of the Fuyang Water Sports Centre A s expected, China dominated the water but the Indians, most of them who were introduced to the sport after joining the Army, put up a creditable show Five medals is what India finished with on the opening day 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 Defence ties India to post more military attaches in Africa MAYA N K SI N G H @ New Delhi In the group photo, Ramnath Goenka Sahithya Samman awardees Perumal Murugan (fifth from left), Anirudh Kanisetti (extreme right) and Devika Rege (third from left) with Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik (fourth from right), TNIE CMD Manoj Kumar Sonthalia (extreme left), TNIE CEO Lakshmi Menon (second from left), TNIE Editor Santwana Bhattacharya ( fourth from left), TNIE Editorial Director Prabhu Chawla (third from right) and author and economist Bibek Debroy, at the Odisha Literary Festival in Bhubaneswar on Sunday. Left: Devika Rege receiving the Best Fiction trophy from TNIE CMD Manoj Kumar Sonthalia. Right: Perumal Murugan receiving the citation in the Literary Excellence category from Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik | DEBADATTA MALLICK Ramnath Goenka Sahithya Samman launched Perumal Murugan, Anirudh Kanisetti & Devika Rege get inaugural awards instituted by The new Indian Express B i j o y P r a d h a n @ Bhubaneswar After more than a decade of the remarkable journey of Odisha Literary Festival (OLF), the one-of-its-kind in Eastern India, The New Indian Express Group on Sunday added another feather to its cap by launching the first edition of literary awards in the memory of its legendary founder and freedom fighter Ramnath Goenka. Announcing the Ramnath Goenka Sahithya Samman (RGSS) in the presence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, chairman and managing director of TNIE Group Manoj Ku- INSIDE mar Sonthalia said the award has been instituted to celebrate and honour literary excellence among both veterans and debutants. As chief guest of the ceremony Naveen present, ed the RGSS award for literary excellence to celebrated Tamil writer Perumal Murugan for his contribution to Indian literature. Murugan was presented with a signature trophy , a cash award of `2 lakh and a citation. The award for Best Non-Fiction writing went to Anirudh Kanisetti for his work, Lords of the Deccan: Southern India from the Chalukyas to the Cholas, while Devika Rege was chosen for her novel Quarterlife in the Best Fiction category Both . were presented the RGSS trophy `1 lakh cash prize , each along with citations. The awardees were chosen by a distinguished jury headed by noted author and chairman of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, Bibek Debroy . Elaborating on the institution of the RGSS award, Sonthalia said, “The trophy has a legacy It was personally . chosen by Ramnathji for excellence in journalism and it is a fortunate stroke of serendipity that we are here in Bhubhaneshwar and its motif is inspired by the Sun Temple at Konark.” The Sun, guiding the vehicle giving it a sense of direction and providing the moving force symbolises continuous movement of time. The motif thus suggests that a writer too functions with a sense of mission, direction and purpose, dispelling the darkness of ignorance and enlightening the readers, he said.  Continued on: P5 Lal Ded is Kashmiriyat, shared culture of Hindus, Muslims: Vasisht P5 Naveen gives PM 8 on 10 B i j a u Ch a k i @ Bhubaneswar Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday heaped fulsome praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, rating him eight out of 10 in performance over the last nine years. In a free-wheeling interview with TNIE Editorial Director Prabhu Chawla at the Odisha Literary Festival 2023 here, Naveen highly appreciated the Prime Minister’s performance in foreign policy and other matters. “I will give eight out of 10 points to the prime minister for what he has done for the country he said. To a question on his performance ,” in domestic matters, Naveen said Modi has helped reduce corruption. “There is less corruption in this government,” he stated. Replying to a question on his government’s relationship with the NDA at the Centre, he said the state has cordial relations as it wants development. “And, it is important to have the Centre as a partner in that development,” he added. Cinema is collaborative art, says Hansal Mehta P5 It’s curtains on maestro’s life E x p r e s s N e w s S e r v i c e @ Kochi double delight Shreyas Iyer and Shubman Gill (right) smashed centuries in the second ODI against Australia in Indore, helping India secure a 99-run victory | Express | P11 Kerala tops in providing free medical treatment E x p r e s s N e w s S e r v i c e @T’Puram For the third time in a row, Kerala has won the Centre’s Arogya Manthan 2023 award for providing free medical treatment to the maximum number of people in the country The state bagged the award . for the maximum utilisation of the Karunya Arogya Suraksha Scheme (KASP). The Union gover nment’s National Health Authority Arogya Manthan 2023 awards were announced in connection with the annual celebrations of the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY). Kerala also won the award for providing the best service for the visually challenged under the AB-PMJAY. Responding to the accolade, Health Minister Veena George said the state government is committed to providing healthcare for all. “No one should be helpless while facing an illness. The government aims to provide free treatment to as many people as possible,” she said. Veena said the award is a recognition of the efforts of the LDF government put forward to ensure treatment to economically backward people despite the financial constraints the state is facing. Treatment worth `3,200 crore has been provided free of cost through various schemes in the state, including the KASP. Of this, only `151 crore was provided by the Centre while the rest was borne by the state government. As many as 13 lakh beneficiaries benefited from KASP through 30 lakh claims. Beneficiaries have access to free medical services from 613 empanelled hospitals in government and private sectors. These hospitals also provide medical services through Karunya Benevolent Fund scheme for families with an annual income of less than `3 lakh. Born into a poor family in rural Tiruvalla, a young K G George used to travel to Kottayam to watch films, spending most of what he earned doing sundry jobs. “Those days, I dreamt of making great films like the ones I used to watch in cinemas. It took me several years to achieve my dream. I went to the film institute and met several people in the journey to realise it,” George says in the documentary ‘8 1/2 Intercuts — Life & Films of K G George’. George, who passed away on Sunday morning, was a master storyteller who defined an era in Malayalam cinema. He was 77.  George had not been well for some time, after a stroke left him debilitated and bound to a wheelchair. He breathed his last at 10.15am at a care home near Kakkanad, where he spent the last five years of his life. Kulakkattil Geevarghese George leaves behind an oeuvre of 19 films, each distinct in its narrative and content, that attempt to capture social and gender tensions like none before him. George, who considered Italian filmmaker Federico Fellini as his biggest influence, burst onto the film scene with his debut movie Swapnadanam (1975), which went on to win the national award for the ‘best feature film in Malayalam’. “Swapnadanam amazed us all. The film gave a new grammar to Malayalam cinema. His grasp of the medium was there for all to see,” said filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan in ‘8 1/2 Intercuts’. A slew of films followed, which are still considered essential reference points for upcoming k g george (1946-2023) filmmakers and students of cinema. Some of his critically acclaimed films include Ulkadal (1979), Mela (1980), Yavanika (1982), Lekhayude Maranam Oru Flashback (1983), Adaminte Vaariyellu (1983), Panchavadi Palam (1984), Irakal NIA looks to seize assets of 19 other fugitive Khalistanis Harpreet Bajwa & Yeshi Seli @ Chandigarh/New Delhi A day after confiscating two properties of Canada-based Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, controller of the banned Sikh For Justice (SFJ), the Centre is learnt to be exploring options to seize assets belonging to 19 other fugitive Khalistani terrorists under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). The government could also revoke their Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) cards to prevent them from entering the country . Intelligence sources said the government might invoke Section 33(5) of the UAPA to confiscate their properties. It is part of the effort to stifle their finances and prevent the Khalistanis from using terror funds against India. If and when it happens, it could be India’s strongest-ever action against these fugitives. The National Investigation Agency on Sunday reportedly put out a list of 19 fugitive Khalistani extremists who are residents of the UK, the US, Canada, Dubai and Pakistan, among other countries, whose properties are likely to be confiscated. They are Paramjit Singh Pamma, Kulwant Singh Muthra, Sukhpal Singh, Sarabjeet Singh Bennur, Kulwant Singh alias Kanta, Gurpreet Singh alias Baaghi and Dupinder Jeet (in UK), Wadhwa Singh Babbar alias Chacha, Ranjit Singh Neeta (in Pakistan), Jay Dhaliwal, Harpreet Singh alias Rana Singh, Harjap Singh alias Jappy Singh, Amardeep Singh Poorewal and S Himmat Singh (US), Jasmeet Singh Hakimzada (Dubai), Gurjant Singh Dhillon (Australia), Lakhbir Singh Rode (Europe) and Canada and Jatinder Singh Grewal (Canada). Meanwhile, US Ambassador to Canada David Cohen said that intelligence on Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s killing in June was shared among the Five Eyes partners – (US, UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada), based on which Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pointed an accusing finger at India. “There was shared intelligence among Five Eyes partners that helped Canada make the statements that the prime minister (Trudeau) made,” Cohen told CTV News. (1986), and Mattoral (1988). “At a time when Kerala films were drifting towards the razzmatazz of Tamil and Hindi movies, KG (and later Bharathan and Padmarajan) placed narrative as the keystone. To this day Malayalam , movies differentiate because of the edifice these maestros built in the 1980s,” writer N S Madhavan wrote on X, formerly Twitter. Panchavadi Palam, which tells the story of village politicians plotting to construct a new bridge after razing down a perfectly serviceable bridge, is considered one of the best political satires of all time in Malayalam. As an investigative thriller, Yavanika, starring Bharath Gopi and Mammootty has few , equals Malayalam. The film, known for its gripping script, won the Kerala state award ● More on P4 for ‘best film’. AFTER supporting the 55-member African Union to become a permanent member of the G20, India has decided to step up its defence ties with African countries. India will post more defence attaches in Mozambique, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Tanzania, and Ivory Coast, sources said. This is in addition to the presence of military officers in South Africa and Kenya. The new DAs will be drawn from all three services—the Army Navy and Air Force. The , , Army will send DAs to Mozambique and Ethiopia. The Navy, which already has naval attaches in Kenya and South Africa, will post new officers to Djibouti and Tanzania, sources said. The Air Force will send an officer to Ivory Coast, along with additional attaches to Spain and Armenia. These officers will have a three-year tenure. Their responsibilities include bolstering defence cooperation, training, procurement, and security They also keep track of . military technologies in the countries they are posted in. Sources from the three services told TNIE that there is a renewed focus on Africa and more postings are under consideration. “More such movements will take place based on a fresher look and the way things are shaping,” said an official. E XPR E SS R E A D KC (M) to stake claim to more seats in LS polls Kottayam: With Lok Sabha polls due in 2024, Kerala Congress (M) has resolved to stake claim for more Parliament seats in LDF in addition to the existing Kottayam. A decision to this effect was taken in the party’s high-power committee meeting on Sunday. The demand will be raised as and when the seat-sharing talks commence in the coalition. PM flags off Kerala’s 2nd Vande Bharat Express Kasaragod: PM Narendra Modi on Sunday wflagged off the second Vande Bharat Express for Kerala, which connects Kasaragod to Thiruvananthapuram. During the virtual inauguration, the PM said the progress of a nation depends on its transportation infrastructure, and theCentre’s aim is to launch high-speed trains with top-tier amenities for passengers. Winning MP & C’garh, close contest in Raj, claims Rahul PREET H A N AIR @ New Delhi WITH the crucial assembly elections just a few months away, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said his party will “certainly win Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, probably win Telangana, and there is a ‘very close’ contest in Rajasthan”. Speaking at a media conclave here, he claimed this is also the BJP’s internal assessment, adding that the saffron party is “in for a surprise in 2024 elections” as the opposition bloc INDIA will emerge victorious. Reiterating his demand for a nationwide caste census, the former Congress chief said the BJP is indulging ‘diversonary tactics’ to take attention away from the demand for a caste census. He was referring to the row over BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri’s derogatory remarks against BSP leader Danish Ali in Lok Sabha. The country is facing issues such as concentration of wealth, huge inequality in wealth, massive unemployment, huge unfairness towards the lower caste, OBCs, and tribal communities, and price rise, he said. Gandhi added that the Congress learnt an important lesson in Karnataka that the BJP wins elections by “distracting and not allowing us to construct our narrative, and so we fought the polls constructing our party’s narrative,” he said, adding that now the party is controlling the narrative in Telangana, Chhattisgarh and other states with a positive agenda.