BHUBANESWAR l monday l september 25, 2023 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l LATE 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 Five 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 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 interview Naveen gives MODI 8 out of 10 in performance Defence ties India to post more military attaches in Africa M AYANK S INGH @ New Delhi 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-economist Bibek Debroy, at OLF on Sunday | DEBADATTA MALLICK Ramnath Goenka Sahithya Samman launched by TNIE Perumal Murugan, Anirudh Kanisetti & Devika Rege get inaugural awards 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 Kumar Sonthalia said the award has been instituted to celebrate and honour literary excellence among both veterans and debutants. 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 As chief guest of the ceremony, Naveen presented 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 cho. sen 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, Continued on: P5 he said. Naveen gets emotional, fights back tears during Gita Mehta tribute E x p r ess Ne w s S e r v i ce @ Bhubaneswar Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik gets emotional during the screening of a documentary on his sister late Gita Mehta at OLF on Sunday | DEBADATTA MALLICK INSIDE Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik turned emotional and fought back tears while a short documentary film created by The New Indian Express on his sister and renowned author-filmmaker Gita Mehta, who passed away recently was being played , as a mark of tribute to her at the Odisha Literary Festival 2023 here on Sunday . The chief minister used a handkerchief to wipe his tears at the end of the video which depicted the life and works of his sister, revealing a very sensitive side of his personality The video was shown just be. fore the valedictory function of the twoday festival which came to an end on Sunday . The chief minister expressed his appreciation of the gesture by TNIE at the end of the function. “ I want to thank the TNIE for this beautiful tribute,” he said. Lal Ded is Kashmiriyat, shared culture of Hindus, Muslims: Vasisht P5 Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik speaks to Editorial Director, TNIE, Prabhu Chawla at OLF in Bhubaneswar on Sunday| Shamim Qureshy B i j ay C h a k i @ Bhubaneswar Stating that development is a continuous process, the Chief Minister Naveen Pat- chief minister also annaik on Sunday heaped ful- nounced that the government some praise on Prime Minis- will continue to work hard ter Narendra Modi, rating for the development prohim eight out of 10 in per- gramme of the state. formance over the last nine The chief minister said his years. party is prepared for election In a free-wheeling inter- any time. He also reiterated view with the editorial direc- his support for the ‘One Nator of The New Indian Ex- tion, One Election’ idea. “We press Prabhu Chawla at the are for the One Nation, One Odisha Literary Festival 2023 Election idea,” he added. here, the chief minister highThe chief minister welly appreciated the Prime comed the passing of WomMinister’s performance in en’s Reservation Bill by statforeign policy and other mat- ing that it is a very important ters. “I will give step. He said while eight out of 10 his father Biju Patpoints to the prime naik be g an the minister for what process by reservhe has done for the ing 33 per cent of Politics need not seats in local eleccountry,” he said. To a question on be dirty. It can be tions, the BJD gova great idea to his performance in er nment has inserve people domestic matters, creased it to 50 per the chief minister cent. Besides, the Naveen Patnaik, CM said the prime minBJD had also reister has helped reserved 33 per cent duce corruption in the coun- of seats for women in 2019 try “There is less corruption Parliamentary election, he . in this gover nment,” he said and referred to the Misstated. sion Shakti programme havReplying to a question on ing seven million memberhis government’s relation ship of women. “Through with the NDA government at Mission Shakti, women have the Centre, the chief minis- been empowered economiter said the state has a cordial cally and socially,” he added. relation with the Centre as it He said when he was electwants development. “And, it ed to office in the beginning is important to have the Cen- of the century, Odisha faced tre as a partner in that devel- terminal poverty. “First I opment,” he added. tried my best and still do to Responding to a question eradicate corruption. Then on the present political situa- we were hit by super cyclone tion which has become dirty, in 1999. So we took strong the chief minister said poli- steps for disaster managetics need not be dirty “It can ment and received commen. be a great idea to serve peo- dation from the United Naple,” he said. tions,” he said. Cinema is collaborative art, says Hansal Mehta P5 NIA looks to seize assets of 19 other fugitive Khalistanis H a r p r eet B a j w a & Yes h i S el i @ 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). T h e g ove r n m e n t 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. “There was a lot of communication between Canada and the US about this, and I think that’s as far as I’m comfortable going,” Cohen said. 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. Multiple 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. This is part of a larger strategy to counter China’s influence in the region. “The increase in DAs will enhance security engagement with the African continent and understand the security challenges the African countries face,” said Ruchita Beri, consultant, MP-IDSA, New Delhi. projection Winning MP and C’garh, close contest in Raj: Rahul P R E E T HA NAIR @ New Delhi 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 NASA’s first asteroid samples land on Earth Nasa’s first asteroid samples fetched from deep space parachuted into the Utah desert Sunday to cap a seven-year journey 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 further said now the Congress party is controlling the narrative in Telangana, Chhattisgarh and other states with a positive agenda, and the BJP is nowhere to be seen. He said INDIA bloc offers a great deal of flexibility among the opposition leaders.