KOZHIKODE l monday l January 08, 2024 l `9.00 l PAGES 14 l city EDITION Rohit, Kohli return to squad for Afghanistan T20Is No Hardik yet, Samson makes the cut Rohit resumes captaincy in shortest format As the BCCI named the 16-member squad for the three T20Is that begin on January 11, Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav and Ruturaj Gaikwad who are still recovering from injuries are not included. Sanju Samson, who was not a part of the South Africa T20Is, has made the cut. Among the pacers who played Tests in SA, only Mukesh Kumar has been included in the squad | P13 More than a year after playing their last T20I game, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are back in squad for Afghanistan series... ■ ■ Rohit will resume captaincy in the format for the first time since the 2022 T20 World Cup semifinal. That he and Kohli are back indicates that they may be in the scheme of things for the 2024 T20 WC KL Rahul, who also hasn’t played T20Is since the last WC, is not included despite expressing his interest to bat in the middle-order 14 After 14 months, Rohit and Kohli will play a T20I for India 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 Maldives suspends three ministers for Modi jibe Air Force makes first night-landing in Kargil M aya n k S i n g h @ New Delhi Indian mission takes up issue with Maldives; celebs call for boycotting the island Y E SHI S E LI @ New Delhi THE Maldivian government on Sunday swung into damage control mode as it suspended three of its ministers — Mariyam Shiuna, Malsha Shareef, and Abdulla Mahzoom Majid — for making derogatory remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “All government officials responsible for the comments have been suspended from their posts with immediate effect,” read a statement released by Maldives government spokesperson Ibrahim Khaleel. The action came after the Indian High Commission in Male raised the issue with the Maldives foreign ministry . The ministers had used disparaging remarks against Prime Minister Modi on social media after he posted a video of him on a pristine beach in Lakshadweep. Through their re- (Left to right): Mariyam Shiuna, Malsha Shareef, and Abdulla Mahzoom Majid | X pulsive posts, the ministers inferred that the Indian PM was trying to project the Union Territory as an alternative tourist destination to the Maldives. The insulting comments created widespread outrage, with many celebrities urging people to explore other tourist destinations instead of Maldives. There were also reports of mass cancellation of Maldives bookings for the upcoming holiday season. Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar said: “Came across comments from prominent public figures from Maldives. Sur- EXPRESS READ Hasina set to secure We must not allow such callous remarks to negatively impact the ageold friendship between our two countries Former Maldivian president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih PTI  Four persons, including a child, injured after two crude bombs exploded near a voting centre in Dhaka  Two people injured after shots were fired during a clash between supporters of two rival candidates in Chattogram  An Awami League supporter stabbed to death in Munshiganj district near Dhaka, officials said  Two people injured in clashes between supporters of Awami League and an independent candidate in Jamalpur’s Sharishabari No plan to regulate fuel prices: Puri T’Puram: The 33-member election committee of the Congress, formed in view of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, will hold its first meeting after KPCC president K Sudhakaran returns from the US, where he has gone for treatment, on January 17. If the high command asks the state leadership, an online meeting will be held. The Maldivian foreign ministry said it believes freedom of expression should be expressed in ways that do not spread hatred, negativity Blasts & gunshots T’Puram: The government has planned to begin the assembly budget session on January 25 with the Governor’s address. As per the current plan, the motion of thanks will be held on January 29, 30, 31 and February 1. The budget has been scheduled for February 2. The dates will be finalised in the cabinet meeting on January 10. Cong poll panel meet after Jan 17 No hatred, negativity Bangladesh’s ruling Awami League is leading in many constituencies, early results showed as the counting began after voting ended in the country’s 12th general election on Sunday fourth straight term Budget session likely from Jan 25 Palakkad: Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri on Sunday said there were no plans to lower or freeze retail fuel prices in view of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections as the costs are dictated by international and other factors. prised that they are doing this to a country that sends them maximum tourists. Why should we tolerate unprovoked hate? Let us suppor t our own tourism.” Many Maldivian leaders, including former Maldivian president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, also strongly condemned the derogatory remarks. “India has always been a good friend of Maldives,” he said. Former foreign minister Abdulla Shahid termed the comments “reprehensible and odious”, noting that India is a time-tested friend who is always the first to respond in times of need. By suspending the ministers, Maldives may have averted a major diplomatic row. The country is heavily depended on tourism and India contributes the most to its economy. Last year, over two lakh Indian tourists visited Maldives. When the final Jan 8 results are likely to be announced 1,500 candidates from 27 political parties 100 foreign observers, including three from India Low turnout With the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) boycotting the election, Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League party is almost certain to win. BNP has called the electoral process “a sham” 40% was the voter turnout as per initial estimates. The 2018 election saw an overall turnout of 80% | P9 Airports, BSF on high alert as ED suspects Sheikh may flee to B’desh by circulating his photographs. Sources in the ED said the BSF has THE Enforcement Directorate (ED) has been put on high alert about Shahjahan issued a lookout notice for Shahjahan Sheikh. “We have information that he is Sheikh, suspecting that the Trinamool planning to flee to Bangladesh. The Borleader might cross the internader Guard Bangladesh is carrytional border into Bangladesh afing out intense patrolling beter Friday’s attack on the agency’s cause of the elections in the officials by his supporters, when neighbouring country. Shahjathe sleuths tried to search his han may wait for a couple of days house in connection with the to look for right opportunity to foodgrain scam. cross over,” sources said. Shahjahan Sheikh is local leader of the Meanwhile, West Bengal GovSheikh Trinamool Congress. His house ernor C V Ananda Bose instructin Sandeshkhali in North 24 Pared authorities to arrest Sheikh ganas is close to the Bangladesh border. and investigate his alleged connection The central agency alerted airports and with terrorists, which drew sharp critiBorder Security Force (BSF) authorities cism from the ruling TMC. P r a n a b M o n d a l @ Kolkata calming effect Psychosocial services come to the aid of stressed-out contestants at arts festival U n n i k r i s h n a n S @T’Puram Students of Fort Mission HSS, Thiruvananthapuram, competing in HS category Group Dance at the arts festival on Sunday | B P Deepu Kalolsavam to end today Kannur, Kozhikode and Palakkad were locked in fierce competition on Sunday, the penultimate day of the 62nd edition of the school arts festival. P4 A sudden microphone failure or an abrupt halt in music during a stage performance is sure to test the nerves of participants. Already burdened by anxiety over performances and results, some contestants — and their parents — may find the pressure a bit too hot to handle on a competitive platform like the state school arts festival. For they carry the weight of the reputation of the schools they represent and the expectations of peer groups and teachers. A group of counsellors is a welcome presence near the stage in such situations, offering timely intervention to deal with untoward incidents and stress, calm them down and minimise the impact on their self-confidence and performance. In Kollam, the District Child Protection Unit and the National Mental Health Programme have deployed nearly 150 counsellors to offer psychosocial support round-the-clock. The services of the counsellors, who are available behind the stages and at separate counters set up nearby, are in high demand. “The students at the state festival — who have come through the school and district-level competitions — are more resilient to setbacks. But we step in when it goes beyond their coping skills,” said Merin Solomon, a counsellor of District Mental Health Programme. ● More on P4 The C-130J aircraft of the Indian Air Force during a nightlanding operation at the Kargil airstrip, in Ladakh | PTI Garud commandos on board The transport aircraft carried elite Garud commandos on board who were on a training mission. “The exercise also dovetailed a training mission of the Garuds,” the IAF wrote on X In a demonstration of its expanding operational capabilities, the Indian Air Force (IAF) said it has successfully conducted a night-landing of C130J Super Hercules transport aircraft at the high-altitude Kargil airstrip. “In a first, an IAF C-130 J aircraft recently carried out a night landing at the Kargil airstrip,” the IAF wrote on X. It is a significant achievement given that Kargil airstrip is situated at an altitude of 2,927 metres above sea level and is surrounded by hills and has a unidirectional approach. To land the aircraft on the dark airstrip, the crew used night vision goggles. They also employed terrain masking en route, a technique used to avoid detection by enemy radars. The airstrip lies close to the Line of Control (LoC) in the Union Territory of Ladakh. It is situated near the SrinagarLeh Highway, which was the focus of the Pakistan troops during the 1999 Kargil War. This training exercise was to test the special operations launch capability at night. It is significant for time-critical operational mobilisation of troops and equipment to carry out special operations and also in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. CPM’s book to bust ‘Malappuram myth’ Book release on Jan 11 Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will release the book at a function to be held at the MSP High School Ground on January 11. E x p r e s s Ne w s Se r v i c e @Kozhikode In a bid to expose and counter the “vilification campaign against Malappuram”, the CPM is bringing out a book that also explores the pluralistic culture of the district. ‘Malappuram: Myth and Reality’, published by the CPM’s official organ Deshabhimani, is a compilation of papers presented at a seminar organised by the daily in Malappuram in Decem- ber, 2022. Curiously, Muslim Youth League state president Panakkad Syed Munavvar Ali Shihab Thangal has contributed a piece on the Sufi tradition of Malappuram to the book. “Malappuram has always maintained communal harmony at all levels. People from all walks of life have resisted every attempt to distort the history of the district,” Thangal told TNIE. There have been concerted efforts to paint Malappuram as a hub of extremist activities and religious fundamentalism, said the publishers, adding the myth perpetuated by colonial rulers is now carried forward by communalists. The book is an attempt to counter the slander against the district. Author M T Vasudevan Nair has written a note for the book in which he stresses the need to protect the secular nature of Thunchanparamb, the memorial for Thunchath Ezhuth● More on P6 achan.