KOCHI l thursday l may 29, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 20 l LATE city EDITION Industrial output slips to 2.7% in April; mining, power laggards IIP slowed to 2.7 % in April 2025 due to poor performance of manufacturing, mining, power sectors, data released on Wednesday showed industrial production growth revised capital goods segment a saving grace The factory output, measured in terms of the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), rose by 5.2% in April 2024, govt data showed. The National Statistics Office (NSO) also revised upwards industrial production growth for March to 3.9% from the earlier estimate of 3% released last month. The IIP growth was 2.7% in February also ■ ■ The capital goods segment growth accelerated to 20.3% in April 2025, an increase from 2.8% in the year-ago period Mining production contracted by 0.2% as against a growth of 6.8% a year ago, while power output growth also slowed to 1% in April 2025 against 10.2% in the year-ago period, official data analysis indicated 4% growth recorded by Infrastructure sector 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 Not Dilli, not Pindi. B’desh First, says BNP Monideepa Banerjie Senior journalist Part 1 B angladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader Tarique Rahman, son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia, on Wednesday gave his sea of supporters in Dhaka a slogan to remember and use in elections he insisted the interim government must hold in December. “Not Dilli, not Pindi, nor any other country. Bangladesh first,” Rahman thundered to a roar of approval from lakhs of people who turned the street outside the BNP’s head office at Naya Paltan in Dhaka into a carpet of yellow BNP pennants and green and red Bangladesh flags. The Delhi dig was directed at the Awami League, which BNP has consistently claimed is in India’s pocket. The reference to Pindi is a first and directed at the growing warmth between the Muhammed Yunus government in Dhaka and the Pakistan military HQ in Rawalpindi. Last week, Army chief Waker-Uz-Zaman had reportedly made the same demand — polls by December — and though the comments were officially denied later, they triggered a near crisis. Yunus threatened to resign if pushed on the issue. Political parties rushed to placate him and he relented. But he did not budge from the six-month window — between December 2025 and June 2026 — he gave himself for holding polls. There is a rider. A panel has been set up to review and fix flaws in the electoral process. Yunus insists that the reforms must be completed and implemented before polls. The BNP, which is pressing for December polls, wants elections first and for the remaining reforms to be implemented by an elected government. This debate pushed Bangladesh on edge last week. It is still teetering there. Manipur MLAs ‘stake’ claim to form govt P r a s anta M a z u m d a r , R A J E S H KU M A R T H A KUR & M UK E S H R A N J A N @ Guwahati/New Delhi FORTY-FOUR MLAs are ready to form a new government in Manipur, BJP legislator Thokchom Radheshyam Singh claimed on Wednesday after meeting Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla. But there was no word on who would head the new government. Singh, along with nine other MLAs — seven from the BJP, two from the National People’s Party and an independent — met Bhalla. The state has 60 Assembly seats, one of which became vacant after the death of an MLA. Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla meets the MLAs on Wednesday | PTI Asked if they would stake a claim to form government, he said, “We conveyed to the governor that 44 MLAs are ready. This is akin to staking a claim,” Singh said. He claimed that all MLAs, except the 10 from the Kuki-Zo community and five from Congress, favoured forming a government. Singh said the Centre could reimpose President’s rule if a popular government failed. Manipur has been under Central rule since February after BJP leader N Biren Singh resigned as CM, amid criticisms about his government’s handling of the clashes between Meiteis and Kuki-Zos. Foreigners who ‘censor’ Americans face visa ban Latest policy could target officials regulating US-based tech firms J ayanth J acob @ New Delhi The United States will begin imposing visa bans on foreign nationals accused of censoring Americans, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Wednesday, signalling a sharp escalation in the country’s pushback against perceived over reach by foreign governments. Rubio did not cite specific incidents or countries, but suggested the policy could target officials regulating US-based tech companies. The move follows increasing friction between the US and some of its allies over content moderation on American social media platforms. In a statement, Rubio said the new visa restriction policy will apply to foreign nationals “responsible for censorship of protected expression in the US.” He condemned foreign governments for pressuring American platforms to adopt global content rules that could infringe on US rights. “Today, I am announcing a new visa restriction policy that will apply to foreign officials US Secretary of State Marco Rubio Free speech is a birthright: Rubio “Today, I am announcing a new visa restriction policy that will apply to foreign officials and persons who are complicit in censoring Americans. Free speech is essential to the American way of life—a birthright over which foreign governments have no authority,” said US Secretary of State Rubio and persons who are complicit in censoring Americans. Free speech is essential to the American way of life—a birthright over which foreign governments have no authority he said. ,” “It is unacceptable for foreign officials to issue or threaten arrest warrants for social media posts made on US soil,” Rubio said. “It is similarly unacceptable for foreign officials to demand that American tech platforms adopt global content moderation policies or engage in censorship activity that reaches beyond their authority and into the United States.” In a social media post, Rubio added: “Whether in Latin America, Europe, or elsewhere, the days of passive treatment for those who work to undermine the rights of Americans are over.” Though Rubio did not identify any specific individuals or nations, the announcement comes amid ongoing disputes. Brazil, for example, has clashed with platform X—owned by Trump ally Elon Musk—over court orders to remove accounts accused of spreading misinformation. The Trump administration has also sharply criticised various European countries for what it describes as censorship of online speech. Not always khaki, Kerala Police want uniforms best suited for the task at hand resulted in unwarranted criticism of cops,” the resolution Citing feasibility over con- said. vention, the Kerala Police OfKPOA president R Prasanth ficers Association (KPOA) has said the need for a better alterurged the state government to native was felt during last introduce varied uniforms for year’s Wayanad landslides. “It’s cops in line with the requiretough working in the field ments of their jobs, inwearing police boots and stead of sticking with khaki uniform. Some khaki alone. senior officers manThe KPOA passed the aged to get high-visibilresolution at the end of ity clothing, which its state conference in they found helpful in Thiruvananthapuram carrying out their reon Wednesday The as. sponsibilities in Wayasociation, whose memnad. Cops have to wear It’s not ideal bers range from ASIs to the traditional police seeing a police inspectors, cited the cap, which poses inofficer in soiled hardships the cops face convenience, even uniform. Even if working in disaster-hit it’s in a disaster- while toiling in the areas. If the govern- hit place, people field. If they are alment approves, it would notice it. In their lowed to wear berets, it mark a turning point in eyes, police have will be helpful,” he an image and it the history of the Kera- cannot be sullied said. The khaki unila Police, which has form is also not suitaOffice-bearer of been using khaki unible in hostile environforms in all contingen- Kerala Police Officers ments such as flood-hit Association cies since inception. areas and cannot be “The current uniworn for more than a form is not suitable for per- day as it gets dirty very easily , forming responsibilities such said a KPOA office-bearer. as rescue and relief activities A police officer who was part in disaster-hit areas. In such ar- of the landslide rescue operaeas, cops have had to eschew tions said he was embarrassed uniform and wear civil dress. working alongside Disaster ReThis made them indistinguish- sponse Forces, which had uniable from the public and often form suited for the job. Meanwhile, a section of the BJP’s central leadership dismissed the possibility of lifting President’s Rule in the short run. Some others, however, favoured government formation, citing Union home minister Amit Shah’s meeting with President Droupadi Murmu. However, the fact remains that normalcy is yet to be restored, suggesting Central rule was necessary for now. Sources in the Union home ministry said any decision on President’s Rule in Manipur would be made at the political level. As of now, they have not received any formal indication in the matter, they added. Ballast system failure sunk ship, lethal cargo safe: Shipping regulator State seeks nod for culling wild animals that pose a threat M anoj V i s w anathan @ Kochi E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i ce @T’Puram Dismissing the sabotage theory behind the capsize of container vessel MSC Elsa 3, the Director General (DG) of Shipping Shyam Jagannathan on Wednesday said the ship sank due to the failure of its ballast management system, which ensures the vessel’s stability . The containers that fell off the ship when it sank off Kochi coast on Sunday and were floating in the Arabian Sea would be retrieved in 48 hours, Jagannathan said, adding that environmental damage was minimal. “The oil spill is limited and the Coast Guard is cleaning it. The oil in the ship bunker will be removed by July 3,” he said. “Our primary inference is that the vessel sank due to mechanical failure of the ballast management system. Safety and environmental requirements of the ships are governed by norms set by International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and this vessel complied with inter national nor ms. MSC Elsa 3 Cargo: 640 containers Hazardous cargo: Oil storage 13 containers Very low Dangerous cargo: sulphur fuel Calcium carbide, oil: 367.1 Rubber chemical tonnes antioxidants, Marine diesel: ethylene 84.44 polymers tonnes We have no evidence of other reasons. Failure of the ballast system may be due to lack of operational understanding. When the vessel listed to 26 degrees, there was a complete blackout due to failure of internal power generation. This vir tually incapacitated all operations of the ship,” said chief surveyor of Union gover nment Ajith Sukumaran. About the cargo, Jagannathan said there were 13 containers carrying hazardous cargo of which 12 had calcium carbide, while one had rubber chemical anti● More on P4 oxidants.  Trump tariffs forced India, Pak to declare ceasefire: US J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi Shan A S @T’Puram ’tis but a breeze Unmindful of the strong winds, children play football at Nainamvalappu in Kozhikode on Wednesday. The IMD has issued red alert for the districts of Pathanamthitta, Idukki, Kannur and Kasaragod on Thursday | E Gokul | P5 Trump administration officials have told a US court that President Donald Trump’s emergency tariff powers were instrumental in securing a ceasefire between India and Pakistan. “This ceasefire was only achieved after President Trump interceded and offered both nations Donald Trump, trading access with the US to avert a full-scale US President war,” read the documents submitted to the US Court of International Trade on May 23. This is in stark contrast to India’s official position that there was no third-party role in the ceasefire. The US assertion was part of the administration’s response to a lawsuit filed by small American businesses challenging Trump’s broad use of the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). 20 pages, including 4 pages of KOCHI Express + 4-PAGE PULLOUT Amid widespread discontent over the rise in human-wildlife conflicts, including in Nilambur assembly constituency where the bypoll is scheduled next month, the state government has sought the Union government’s approval to cull wild animals that pose a threat to human life and property . The cabinet on Wednesday directed the forest and wildlife department to initiate the process of obtaining the Union government nod. Also, the forest secretary has been tasked with coming up with a proposal, in consultations with the law secretary to bring in a legislation , to facilitate selective culling. The cabinet has also extended by a year its order granting honorary wildlife wardens and other authorised officers the power to take a call on culling wild boars that cause damage to agriculture and threaten lives and property . The move comes amid a spike in incidents of human-wildlife conflict across the state, particularly in forest-adjacent districts like Wayanad, Palakkad, Idukki, Pathanamthitta and Malappuram. Twenty-six lives have been lost in such conflicts this year alone. Incidents of wild boars, monkeys, elephants, leopards and bisons straying into farmlands and residential areas have become increasingly common ● More on P4 across the state.  EXPRESS READ Kamal Haasan’s remark on Kannada kicks up row Bengaluru: Pro-Kannada groups in Karnataka went up in arms against actor Kamal Haasan for his “Tamil gave birth to Kannada” remark during the audio launch of his upcoming film Thug Life. The actor later said he had made the remarks out of love and that “love will never apologise | P5 l i f e i n n or w a y Biryani to podi dosa, Kerala eatery serves Indian chess stars S w a r oo p S w am i nathan @ Stavanger (Norway) AFTER obliging the vast array of autograph hunters outside the playing hall at the venue, Arjun Erigaisi got into a car and made his way to an eatery that has become the rage among Indian chess players here. It’s a trip all four Indian players — R Vaishali, D Gukesh and Koneru Humpy the others — have already made at the ongoing edition of Norway Chess. Erigaisi, featuring in Stavanger for the first time, was told about the place by R Praggnanandhaa, who tasted their food last year. The players’ favourites include lamb masala, chicken biryani and, in Vaishali’s case, podi dosa. “A few of the players ordered south Indian style lamb masala,” says Nitish Kamath, one of the five owners of Spisoh. “Humpy doesn’t have a set template and we have noticed that Vaishali has picked up podi dosa on a few occasions.” Spisoh — an unlikely portmanteau between the Norwegian word spis (to eat) and the Arjun Erigaisi with co-owner Nitish Kamath (right) at the restaurant in Stavanger hindi word khaao — was a product of the pandemic thanks to the imagination of several first generation immigrants origi- nally from Kerala. “We came up with the concept of a ghost kitchen,” says Kamath, who has been working in the energy sec- tor for more than a decade. Spisoh is ‘official food partner’ this time. The one-time ghost kitchen still has only one permanent employee — a chef from Tamil Nadu who was about to go back home after losing his job in an Oslo hotel after Covid. Gukesh was one of the first Indian players to try out Spisoh’s food in 2023. Less than 10 minutes after Erigaisi bested Gukesh, the former was seen exchanging a few friendly words with Kamath outside the playing hall. “I’m going there to pick up my food,” he said.  P11