HYDERABAD  TUESDAY  DECEMBER 31, 2024  `9.00  PAGES 18  LATE CITY EDITION FORMER U.S. PREZ AND HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCATE JIMMY CARTER DIES AT 100 Democrat Jimmy Carter, who served as the 39th president of the United States between 1977 and 1981, died in Georgia on Monday at the age of 100 JAMES EARL CARTER JR. 1 OCT 1924 - 29 DEC 2024 WINNER OF 2002 NOBEL PEACE PRIZE A VILLAGE IN HARYANA IS NAMED AFTER HIM During his single term at the White House, Carter’s initiatives led to the 1978 Camp David Accords, which ended hostilities between Israel and Egypt. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. Human rights was a fulcrum of his foreign policy decisions. Condoling the death, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Carter “a statesman of great vision” | P11 ■ ■ In 1978, he visited India, becoming the third US president to do so. He travelled to a village in Haryana, where he left a lasting impression on its residents. They later renamed their village ‘Carterpuri’ The 1979 Iran hostage crisis and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan tarnished his reputation. He lost the subsequent re-election bid 43 years SINCE HE LEFT THE WHITE HOUSE, MAKING HIS THE LONGEST U.S. POST-PRESIDENCY 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 Honouring Gen Zorawar would have had more locational relevance Shivaji statue on Pangong Tso triggers debate M AYA N K S I N G H @ New Delhi A statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji on the banks of Pangong Tso in Eastern Ladakh, inaugurated by the Indian Army unit there a few days ago, triggered a lively debate on social media on its locational relevance. The Leh-based Fire and Fury Corps proudly posted on X that the statue of Shivaji was inaugurated on December 26 at an altitude of 14,300 ft, before it ran into a verbal crossfire. While some veterans applauded it, others suggested that honouring the memory of Dogra General Zorawar Singh (1784-1841) instead with a statue there would have been more appropriate, as he was an ace in mountain warfare and had annexed Ladakh and parts of Tibet. It was at Finger 4 on the North Bank of the Pangong Tso lake where Indian soldiers and Chinese PLA troops got into a scuffle in May 2020. Bilateral relations went south before they were recently restored. Chushul councillor Konchok Stanzin said, “As a local resident, I must voice my concerns about the Shivaji statue at Pangong. It was erected without local input and I question its rel- evance to our unique environment and wildlife.” Political activist Sajjad Kargili echoed Stanzin, adding: “These should not be placed in environmentally sensitive areas like Pangong, which require careful preservation”. Brigadier Hardeep Singh Sohi (Retd), defended the gesture, saying it was meant to boost morale of the troops. “In infantry units where the handto-hand combat chances are more, heroes associated with the Units are given a high pedestal by Cdrs (Commanders) to boost morale of troops. Statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji by a Maratha unit on banks of Pangong Tso lake is a step in that direction.” But Maj Gen B S Dhanoa (Retd) and Col Sanjay Pande (Retd) questioned the move. “There are the statutes (or laws) of war, but of late our armed forces are studying the “statues of war”...,” he wrote on Maj Gen Birender Dhanoa (Retd) quipped on X. Col Sanjay Pande (Retd) said Zorawar Singh died fighting in Tibet. The Leh Fort is called Zorawar Fort. “Zorawar Singh fought wars 180 years back, weather was as found today He . deserves to be there.” Open Windows to tech leadership: CM to MS EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Hyderabad CHIEF Minister A Revanth Reddy sought Microsoft Corporation’s support to build a robust ecosystem positioning Hyderabad as a global leader in technology. In response, Microsoft CEO and Chairman Satya Nadella affirmed the company’s commitment to partnering with the state government on its initiatives. Nadella was in Hyderabad to participate in the centenary celebration of his alma mater, Hyderabad Public School, on December 24. On Monday, the chief minister, along with IT Minister D The statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji inaugurated on the banks of Pangong Tso in Ladakh on December 26 MARATHA REGIMENT RAISED THE STATUE Army sources said a Rashtriya Rifles unit comprising troops of the Maratha Regiment “got the statue raised within its area of responsibility with resources voluntarily collected from serving and retired personnel.” NO HISTORICAL OR CULTURAL RELEVANCE Political activist Sajjad Kargili said there is no cultural or historical relevance of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Ladakh. “While we respect his legacy, imposing such cultural symbols here is misplaced.” P R E E T H A N A I R @ New Delhi THE row over former prime minister Manmohan Singh’s funeral refuses to die down with the BJP targeting the Congress over its leadership’s absence during the immersion of Singh’s ashes and Rahul Gandhi’s Vietnam trip during the mourning period. In its pushback, the Congress said its leaders skipped the ceremony to give privacy to Singh’s family In a statement, . Congress leader Pawan Khera said after the cremation, Sonia and Priyanka Gandhi met Singh’s family at their resi- dence. “It was felt that since the family did not get any privacy at the time of the cremation and some extended family members could not reach the pyre site, it would be appropriate to give them some privacy for the Phool Chunana and the immersion of ashes, which is an emotionally painful and difficult ceremony for close family members,” Khera said. Raking up Rahul’s foreign trip, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said in an X post: “The country is in mourning. The government has announced seven days of national mourning. As expected from Rahul Gandhi... he has left for tourism and to party .” Countering this, Congress MP B Manickam Tagore said Rahul is on a private visit. He termed the BJP’s allegations as ‘diversionary politics’. Tariq Anwar, another Congress MP said the trip was pre, planned and that Rahul left after paying tributes to Singh. Earlier, a war of words broke out between the Congress and the BJP over the venue and arrangements for Singh’s last rites. The Congress alleged that the BJP insulted Singh by arranging the cremation at Nigambodh Ghat. CONFER BHARAT RATNA ON SINGH: STATE TO CENTRE ICC: BUMRAH HIGH Jasprit Bumrah was nominated for ICC Test Cricketer of Year award along with England’s Joe Root. Bumrah picked 71 wkts — highest in the world — from 13 Test matches at 14.92 avg EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Hyderabad Australia team celebrates a wicket against India on Monday | AP India lose Melbourne identity to Aussies AS Rohit Sharma sat on the dais for the fifth time this year to address the media after a Test match defeat, there was a sense of unease. The usual Rohit charisma was missing. The wit and humour and those frank admissions have deserted the room. Once again he was there to discuss another loss. The gloom before the New Year’s Eve night is not something the India team would have wanted. Yet, it was, after Australia beat them here on Monday More than the loss, the . way India capitulated is something the team management Telang ana, including advancements in AI, Gen AI, cloud. They emphasised the A HOUSE UNITED No. of wickets Bumrah took in this series G O M E S H S @ Melbourne CM A Revanth Reddy meets Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella in Hyderabad Monday should ponder about. India had lost their last seven wickets for just 34 runs in 20.4 overs and what looked like a well-deserved draw, ended in a loss. As the bandwagon shifts to Sydney, India trail Australia 1-2 with one last Test to play for. The press conference freflected Rohit’s sombre mood. He was struggling, like his form and innings, to find the apt words. With guns training at his batting and leadership, there is little Rohit can do. In the five innings he played in Australia, he scored only 31 runs at an average of 6.2, considered dismal by his standard. By the look of Rohit, there seemed to be something ominous brewing within. With India needing him and the other senior player Virat Kohli most to salvage a draw, both perished in the most pitiable fashion. They had been the anti-thesis to the mercurial Jasprit Bumrah, who once again finished with a five-wicket haul. Such had been the dependency on his bowling, he It is mentally disturbing when you can’t do what you have come to do. It is pretty disappointing. There are ways to win games and we fell short in finding ways to win the game here — Rohit Sharma had bowled almost one-third of overs sent down by India in the second innings. Kohli once again showed his vulnerability outside off and when he fell India were staring down the barrel. If not for young Yashasvi Jaiswal (84) and Rishabh Pant partnership of 88, India would have folded up their innings well before the last session. “There are things that we as a team need to look at,” Sharma said. “I personally need to look at as well. So we will try and see what happens.” He said Sydney is still there. “If we can play that game well, with 2-2, a draw P13 will be really nice.” TELANGANA Assembly has unanimously adopted a resolution urging the Union government to confer the Bharat Ratna—India’s highest civilian honour—on for mer Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The resolution garnered support from all political parties without any objections. The Assembly convened for a one-day special session to pass a condolence motion mourning the passing of Manmohan Singh, who breathed his last on Thursday night. In addition to the resolution, the ruling and opposition parties reached a consensus to establish a statue of Manmohan Singh at a prominent location in Hyderabad. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy suggested installing the statue in the city’s Financial District. BRS working president KT Rama Rao endorsed the resolution and proposed that an- other resolution be passed, demanding a national memorial for former PM PV Narsimha Rao in New Delhi. Meanwhile, state minister T Harish Rao suggested naming the Young India Skills University after Singh. While moving the resolution, the CM described former PM as a “doctor who monitored the delivery of a baby (Telangana). “Singh will always be remembered as a soulmate for Telangana, He will remain in the hearts of people as a person who ensured the birth of Telangana. We are indebted to him as much as to Sonia Gandhi,” Revanth added. CONTINUED ON P3 JEANS EDITING Carlsen says Anand, for all his good qualities, isn’t ready for FIDE job E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ Chennai THE Magnus Carlsen saga has taken new twist. A couple of days after being disqualified from the World Rapid Chess championships in New York for wearing jeans, the former world champion took a dig at Indian chess legend Viswanathan Anand, who is a deputy president in the international chess federation (FIDE). While speaking to an online app, Carlsen said the disqualification was ‘draconian’ and criticised the FIDE for mishandling the issue. He even said that there was no grown-ups to discuss with in FIDE and called the officials “robots” unable to make independent decisions. “Well… let’s go back to a couple of days ago. I did have some choice words for FIDE in my interview with you. And I would say that it was a bit imprecise. I definitely mean it when it comes to certain people in FIDE. No question about it,” he told an app, adding he almost booked his flight back home. The Norwegian is participating in World Blitz after FIDE chief need for Microsoft’s support to establish Hyderabad as a global tech hub. The chief minister also outlined infrastructure development plans such as the Regional Ring Road, radial roads, Future City, new manufacturing clusters, and the creation of a skilled workforce through institutions like Yo u n g India Skills University. Satya Nadella lauded the government’s vision on infrastructure and skill development, noting that these efforts are crucial for positioning Hyderabad among the top 50 cities globally for economic growth. BJP, Cong spar over Rahul’s trip to Vietnam during national mourning 2-1 30 Australia are up 2-1 in five-Test series Sridhar Babu, Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy, Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari and Special Chief Secretary of IT and Industries department Jayesh Ranjan met Nadella here. During the meeting, Revanth highlighted Microsoft’s early presence in Hyderabad, growing to a workforce of 10,000 employees and investing in a 600 MW data centre in the state. He thanked Nadella for consistent investments and expansion in the region. The chief ministerand the IT minister discussed key technology imperatives for Arkady Dvorkovich intervened. “We had long conversations with Anand yesterday and others, which generally didn’t lead anywhere. It was generally the same answers that arbiters are basically robots who cannot think on their own, who have no way to even deviate slightly from... I don’t even know if I broke any rules. I still haven’t gotten a clear answer on that,” Carlsen said. Anand told Chessbase India that Carlsen was penalised for breaking rules. For his part, Carlsen said he did not break any rules and at least he has not got a favourable reply from FIDE. “ Anand said very clearly that he didn’t know that he had any op- portunity to do anything past, you know, go with the arbiters’ honestly draconian decision of not pairing me. And that means that he was, for all his good qualities, not ready for this job. That’s what I feel,” Carlsen said. The FIDE also tweaked the dress code that said “elegant minor deviations (that may in particular, , include appropriate jeans matching the jacket) are allowed.” That is Revanth Reddy: PK on Allu Arjun K K A LYA N K R I S H N A K U M A R @ Vijayawada/Hyderabad EXPRESSING his anguish over the death of a woman in the stampede at Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad on December 4 during the premiere of Pushpa-2, Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan said, “The tragic incident shook me. However, it seems that Allu Arjun has been left alone to face it.” During a chit chat with mediapersons at the JSP office Monday, Pawan deplored the lack of proper communication from the theatre management, suggesting that it should have informed Arjun soon after the tragedy He further remarked, . “The law is equal for all. It would have been better if someone from the Pushpa team, either producer or director, visited the family of the deceased soon after the incident to offer support. The incident which could have been resolved easily, turned complicated. As a team, we should stand by the victims.” On rumours that the Telangana government had targeted Arjun as he ‘forgot’ the CM’s name at a promotional event, Pawan asserted that spreading such canards was not correct. “Revanth has risen through the ranks to become the chief minister,” he observed. “If I were in his position, I would have done the same,” Pawan Kalyan said. The deputy CM appreciated the Telangana’s film policies, particularly the decision to permit ticket price hike for big budget movies, unlike the previous YSRCP regime in AP, which introduced restrictive policies with an aim to stifle the Telugu film industry . FREE TRANSPORTATION FOR NEW YEAR tipplers from 10 pm on December 31 to 1 am on January 1, 2025. Hyderabad Metro Rail to operate till 1:15 am on January 1, 2025; all flyovers of the city, except Begumpet and Tolichowki to be closed for traffic | P2