THIRUVANANTHAPURAM l friday l october 03, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l late city EDITION Israel intercepts Gaza flotilla carrying many global activists Israeli naval forces on Thursday intercepted and boarded vessels in a flotilla attempting to break its blockade of Gaza, detained top activists global sumud flotilla largest ever backers take out rallies against israel The Global Sumud Flotilla was the largest yet to try to break the blockade, and it comes at a time of growing criticism of Israel’s conduct in Gaza, where its offensive has killed tens of thousands of people. Activists said they hoped the sheer number of boats would make it difficult for Israel to intercept them all, but Israel declared the operation over on Thursday ■ ■ Supporters of the flotilla took to streets in several cities across the globe, including Rome, Istanbul, Athens, Greece, and Buenos Aires in Argentina after the news of the interception broke Organisers of the flotilla said 39 of their boats were intercepted or assumed to be intercepted in a nightlong Israeli operation | P9 450 activists on 39 boats were carrying aid to gaza 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 ‘Bribe’ row drives probe on Customs si d d h a rth pr a b h a k a r & d ipa k m o n d a l @ Chennai/ New Delhi BRIBERY allegations levelled against Chennai Customs by a Tamil Nadu-based company importing electronic goods, including sex toys, from China raised a massive storm on social media culminating in the Union Ministry of Finance announcing a “detailed factual enquiry” on Thursday . The ministry has directed the Department of Revenue to conduct a ‘fair and transparent investigation’, deputing a senior officer to examine all evidence and hear all parties in- ‘Not Ezhavas’: Thiyya groups seek separate caste identity M P P r a sh a n th @ Kozhikode The possibility of a caste census in Kerala has given a new impetus to the decades-old debate over the differences between the Thiyya and the Ezhava communities. Thiyya Mahasabha and Thiyya Kshema Sabha, two organisations which argue for separate identity for Thiyyas of Malabar, have approached leaders of various political parties to ensure that Thiyyas are separated from the Ezhava community when the caste census is implemented. “Thiyyas, who have a rich heritage in ayurveda, martial arts, theyyam rituals, literature and regional governance, are currently categorised as the sub caste of Ezhavas. We demand that Thiyyas be recognised as a distinct caste among the Other Backward Castes in Kerala,” said Ganesh B Aramanganam, president of Thiyya Mahasabha. The Mahasabha argues that bracketing Thiyyas with Ezhavas and Billavas has effectively erased the representation of the Thiyya community and has resulted in the loss of around 25,000 government jobs. Ganesh said proportional reservation should be given to Thiyyas in education and government jobs. The Mahasabha has filed a writ petition in the Kerala High Court raising the issue. Thiyya Kshema Sabha general secretary Vinodan Thuruthi said no one knows the exact number of the Thiyya population in the state, though the rough estimation puts the figure at around 55 lakh. “In many official links given for submitting applications, there is no provision to state the caste as Thiyya. This amounts to a kind of caste conversion,” he said. “Our rituals do not follow Vedic tradition and we have a separate system known as ‘kazhakams’ to settle civil disputes. But most of our places of worship see an infiltration of Vedic practices,” Vinodan said.  ● More on P4 volved in the matter at the earliest. The controversy erupted after Wintrack Inc announced on X on Wednesday night that it would cease its import-export operations in India from October 1, citing “relentless harassment” and retaliation by Chennai Customs officials after it alleg- edly exposed bribery demands. “After exposing their bribery practices twice this year, they retaliated, effectively crippling our operations and destroying our business in India. We deeply thank everyone who has supported us during these difficult times,” said the company on X. Wintrack’s social media post went Wintrack Inc bypassed compliance norms: Customs The Customs department has alleged that Wintrack attempted to bypass compliance requirements by routing similar shipments through a related entity and accused the importer of trying to intimidate senior officers during adjudication proceedings viral, with several individuals coming forward with their harrowing Customs story . In a rebuttal late Wednesday , Chennai Customs dismissed the allegations as “serious and false,” accusing the importer of misclassification of goods, concealment of undeclared items, and non-compliance with mandatory environmental and regulatory requirements. Officials said physical examination revealed undeclared USB charging cables and the absence of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) certification under the Battery Waste Management Rules, 2022. Govt-society disconnect led to unrest in Nepal: RSS chief RAJESH KUMAR THAKUR @ New Delhi Expressing serious concern over the recent unrest in India’s neighbourhood, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday linked the turbulence to the disconnect between governments and societies, as well as the lack of capable and peopleoriented administrators there. In his annual Vijayadashami address in Nagpur, Bhagwat cautioned that some forces, both internal and external, are attempting to create similar disturbances within Bharat. “The regime change in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and more recently Nepal due to violent outburst of public anger is a concern for us,” he said. The natural and immediate cause of such disturbances is discontent between the government and the society and the lack of able and people-oriented administrators. However, violent outbursts do not have the power to bring about the desirable change.” Only democ- Former President Ram Nath Kovind (R) with RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat ahead of the latter’s Vijayadashami address in Nagpur on Thursday | PTI racy can bring lasting change, he added. Issuing a call for mutual respect and harmony while rejecting violence, Bhagwat said, “all communities, including those who adopted foreign religions, are part of the larger Indian identity.” Condemning hooliganism and attempts to provoke communal divisions, he said law enforcement authorities should act impartially against all such elements. Commenting on the US-imposed tariffs, Bhagwat said the US policy, based solely on self- interest, does not pose a challenge for India. “The world operates through mutual interdependence. By becoming atmanirbhar (self-reliant), and being cognizant of global unity , we must ensure that this global interdependence does not become a compulsion for us, and we are able to act according to our own will. There is no substitute for Swadeshi and Swavalamban,” he asserted. Bhagwat also raised concerns about global conflicts and increasing climate imbalance. 5+ years on, direct China air link from October 26 Rajnath Singh applying the ‘tilak’ on Army chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi in Bhuj | PTI India warns Pak over any buildup in Sir Creek area Defence Minister Rajnath Singh says any misadventure will invite decisive response Creek.” The Creek is a 98 km long narrow strip of disputed IN a stern warning to Pakistan, water between the two counDefence Minister Rajnath tries in the marshy areas of Singh on Thursday said any Rann of Kutch and opens up misadventure by Islamabad in into the Arabian Sea. the Sir Creek sector will invite The area has inhospitable a “decisive response”. weather and terrain, while the Singh’s remarks from a mili- marshes are home to poisontary base near the India-Paki- ous snakes and scorpions. stan border in Bhuj in Gujarat There are continuing discame against the backdrop of putes in this area and have the Pakistan expandbeen reported by this ing military infrapaper in the past. structure in the disputAfter performing a ed region. puja at the Bhuj Mili“Even after 78 years If Pakistan dares tary Station on the ocof Independence, Pakicasion of Vijayadashato act in Sir stan continues to cre- Creek, the reply mi, Singh lauded the ate disputes over the will be so strong armed forces for sucit will change Sir Creek Sector, decessfully thwarting Paspite India’s repeated both the history kistan’s attempts to and geography efforts to resolve the isbreach India’s defence sue through dialogue.” network during OperaRajnath Singh He pointed out that Pation Sindoor. kistan’s recent expan“Pakistan had tried sion of military infrastructure to penetrate India’s defences in the Sir Creek Sector reflects from Leh to Sir Creek Sector, its ill intent. but the swift and effective coun“If Pakistan dares to act in ter-action of the Indian forces Sir Creek Sector, the reply will during Operation Sindoor not be so strong that it will change only exposed the weaknesses both history and geography In of Pakistan’s air defence sys. 1965, the Indian Army showed tem but also sent out a clear courage by reaching Lahore message to the world that India and in 2025 Pakistan must re- can inflict heavy damage at a member that the road to Kara- time, place and manner of its chi also passes through the choosing,” Singh said. m aya n k si n g h @ New Delhi Congress in a fix as Jamaat arm readies to back theocratic state K S S R E E J I T H @ T’Puram Just three months after Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan endorsed Jamaat -e-Islami’s ideological climbdown from its calls for the creation of an Islamic theocratic state, the outfit’s youth wing — the Solidarity Youth Movement— is launching a campaign to familiarise people with the ideals of Abdul A’la Maududi, the founder and ideologue of its parent organisation. The Malappuram district committee of Solidarity is organising a debate on ‘Sayyid Maududi and Sheikh Qaradawi: Islamic political thought and development’ on October 3. Maududi propagated political Islam and theocratic nationalism while Yousaf al-Qaradawi, an Egyptian Islamic scholar, is widely viewed close to the Muslim Brotherhood. The Jamaat-e-Islami, of late, has been closely associated with the Congress-led UDF. It had extended support to the Opposition front in recent elections, and the bonhomie its political wing, the Welfare Party, shares with the Congress is no secret. With the state set to witness two crucial elections over the next few months, the Jamaat’s move has placed the Congress, which is getting increasingly estranged from influential Hindu groups like the NSS and the SNDP over alleged minority appeasement, on a ● More on P4 sticky wicket.  J aya n th J a c o b a n d S L a l ith a @ New Delhi India and China have agreed to resume direct commercial flights by this month-end, marking yet another notable step toward normalising bilateral ties that have remained strained since the 2020 border standoff. The announcement comes after months of technical-level discussions between the civil aviation authorities on both sides, part of the Indian government’s broader approach toward the gradual normalisation of bilateral relations. IndiGo was first off the blocks, announcing the launch its daily air service on October 26 from Delhi and Kolkata to Guangzhou in South China. Air India, which operated the last flight to China in February 2020, will resume operations on the DelhiShanghai sector before this year-end. IndiGo is targeting the trading section that purchases products from China for sale in India with its connectivity to Guangzhou while Air India’s focus will be on the business community and students, a source said. “Subject to regulatory approvals, IndiGo will also introduce direct flights between Delhi and Guangzhou shortly ,” IndiGo said in a statement. IndiGo will use its Airbus A320 neo aircraft for operations. “IndiGo operated flights between India and China before the pandemic and has many of the necessary arrangements and processes already in place. The past experience and familiarity with local partner will enable IndiGo to resume these flights swiftly the statement said. ,” 16 pages, including 4 pages of THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Express work overload? ‘Right to disconnect’ bill speaks for pvt employees As w i n As o k K u m a r @ T’Puram Grand finale Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and others offer flowers to Goddess Chamundeshwari during Jumboo Savari on Vijayadashmi day in Mysuru on Thursday | Udayashankar S AI 171 crash The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, which is working on its final report on the AI 171 crash at Ahmedabad, has asked the Airline Pilots’ Association of India to attend a consultation meet at DGCA HQ in Delhi on Friday | P7 Struggling due to mundane professional life, with work hours way more than what is mentioned in your offer letter? Your problems may see a potential halt as a private bill, intended to improve work-life balance of private employees, is likely to be introduced in the current session of the state assembly . To be moved in the House by Chief Whip and Kanjirappally MLA Dr N Jayaraj, the proposed Kerala Right to Disconnect Bill attempts to resolve issues related to work overload in the private sector, which eats up people’s personal time. The bill proposes that any employee working in the private sector has the right to ab- stain from attending any online meetings, phone calls, e-mails, video conferences, or short messaging services, beyond their working hours mentioned in the agreement with the company. It also suggests that the employees should be safeguarded from potential disciplinary actions, including demotions and dismissals. The proposed bill can be exercised without overruling any existing law, it suggests. The bill proposes establishment of a Private Sector Employment Grievance Redressal Committee in each district, with the regional joint labour commissioner as its chairman, district labour officer as secretary and the deputy labour commissioner as a member — all ex officio mem● More on P4 bers.