KOZHIKODE l wednesday l november 26, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 14 l city EDITION Ethiopia volcanic ash cloud drifting towards China: IMD Ash clouds from volcanic eruption in Ethiopia reached the skies over Gujarat, Delhi-NCR, Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana on Tuesday No impact on air quality or weather Flight operations disrupted “The ash cloud is drifting towards China and will move away from Indian skies by 7.30pm on Tuesday,” Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General of Meteorology at the India Meteorological Department, said. He noted that the volcanic ash is present only in the upper troposphere and is affecting flight operations, but it has no impact on air quality or weather ■ ■ Air India announced it has cancelled 13 flights since Monday. Other carriers have also reported flight cancellations or delays Hayli Gubbi, a shield volcano in Ethiopia’s Afar region, erupted on Sunday, producing a large ash plume. The plume spread eastward towards the Arabian Peninsula and the Indian subcontinent 14 km The height to which the volcano spewed its ash plume 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 Renaissance of civilisation: pm Modi flags ‘dharma’ at Ayodhya Prime Minister Narendra Modi, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, UP Governor Anandiben Patel and UP CM Yogi Adityanath during the Dhwajarohan ceremony in Ayodhya | PTI temple trust Swami Govind Devi Giri, Uttar Pradesh GovPRIME Minister Narendra ernor Anandiben Patel, and Modi on Tuesday hoisted the CM Yogi Adityanath, also used Dharma Dhwaj (sacred flag) the occasion to outline the atop the Ram Temple in Ayod- roadmap for a developed India hya, marking its formal com- by 2047 saying the country pletion. Calling it a moment of must break free from ‘slave healing for “the wounds of cen- mentality’. Questioning the inturies” and an answer to fluence of the education the prayers of lakhs of system introduced by devotees, he said saffron Thomas Babington flag hoisted atop the Macaulay in 1835, he acWe have to spire of the temple was build an India cused him of pushing not just a flag but a symWestern sciences and inspired by bol of India’s cultural Ram Rajya. It literature over tradiis possible renaissance. tional Indian subjects. only when Reflecting on the sig“ Around 190 years ago, nificance of the event, nation comes Macaulay laid the founbefore self he said: “Centuries of dation of mental slavery . wounds are healing, cen- Narendra Modi We gained Independturies of pain is finally ence but not freedom finding a comfort. That unwa- from inferiority complex. In vering resolve of 500 years is the next ten years, we will free attaining its ultimate fulfil- India from the mentality of ment as the flag fluttering atop slavery he added. ,” the temple would proclaim the Modi said the sacred flag— ideals of Lord Ram for centu- adorned with the Sun symbol, ries to come.” ‘Om’ and Kovidara tree—would Modi, flanked by RSS chief stand as a testimony to the triMohan Bhagwat, member of umph of truth over falsehood. N A M ITA B A J PAI @ Ayodhya Himanta says Zubeen was ‘murdered’ express news service @ Guwahati ASSAM Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said in the assembly on Tuesday that singer and cultural icon Zubeen Garg’s death while swimming in the sea in Singapore is a case of “plain and simple murder”. Sarma said “one person had murdered music icon Zubeen Garg while o t h e r s cooperated.” Zubeen Garg The singer died mysteriously on September 19 while swimming in Singapore, where he had gone to perform in the North East India Festival. Even as he was speaking in the House, opposition parties demanded a CBI probe, but the CM rejected it outright, asking them to keep faith in the SIT probe. India To Face Pak In Colombo The T20 World Cup 2026 will begin on February 7. Defending champions India will take on Pakistan in a high-profile encounter in Colombo on Feb 15 | P13 Christian officer’s sacking upheld u d aya n k i s h o r e @ New Delhi CALLING a Christian army officer’s alleged refusal to enter his regimental temple’s sanctum sanctorum as the “grossest kind of indiscipline”, a Supreme Court bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymala Bagchi on Tuesday upheld his termination. Earlier, the Delhi High Court had sanctioned Samuel Kamalesan’s termination on grounds of ‘indiscipline’. Kamalesan was commissioned in 2017 into the 3rd Cavalry Regiment. The SC bench, on a plea by the officer against his termination, said while he may be an outstanding officer, “he is definitely a misfit for the Army Leaders have to lead by ... example. You are insulting your troops.” Arunachal tangle continues between India and China J aya n t h j a c ob @ New Delhi China on Tuesday rejected allegations that an Indian woman from Arunachal Pradesh was harassed by immigration officials during a layover at Shanghai airport, insisting that officers acted in accordance with the law. Pema Wangjom Thongdok, a UK-based Indian citizen said her three-hour layover turned into an ordeal after immigration personnel declared her passport “invalid” Pema Wangjom because it listed Arunachal Pradesh as her birthplace. Thongdok Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Thongdok had not been subjected to any compulsory measures, detention or harassment. Mao also reiterated China’s claims over Arunachal Pradesh, prompting a strong pushback from India, with the MEA asserting it remains an integral and inalienable part of India. On Thongdok’s experience, the MEA said Chinese authorities had still not been able to explain their actions, which it described as violation of international conventions. The bench pointed out that the officer had ignored even the advice of a local pastor, who counselled him and said entering a temple would not violate his faith. “You cannot have your private understanding of what your religion permits. That too in uniform,” it said. Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, appearing for Kamalesan, said the appellant’s fundamental right to practise a religion under Article 25 cannot be taken away “Where in the . Christian faith is entering a temple barred?” Justice Bagchi asked. “In your team, there are Sikh soldiers... (for whom) there is a gurdwara. A gurdwara is one of the most secular places. Is his tone and tenor not insulting all soldiers? We are surprised he doesn’t even follow the advice of the pastor,” CJI Surya Kant said. Army: He was adamant The Army had said the officer repeatedly refused to attend mandatory regimental parades and senior officers made “multiple attempts” to counsel him, but to no avail Actor assault case verdict on Dec 8 E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Kochi Nearly nine years after the abduction and sexual assault of a popular Malayalam actor rattled the state, the Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court will pronounce its verdict in the case on December 8. Judge Honey M Varghese, who has been handling the trial, announced the date on Tuesday. Actor Dileep is the eighth among the 10 accused in the case. The incident pertaining to the case happened on February 17, 2017, when the actor was abducted and allegedly assaulted in a moving vehi- cle while travelling from Thrissur to Kochi. Five days later, the police arrested the prime accused, Sunil Kumar alias ‘Pulsar’ Suni, from a court in Kochi as he attempted to surrender. A purported letter written by Suni from the Kakkanad jail later brought the investigation to Dileep’s doorstep, leading to the actor’s arrest on July 10, 2017. He spent 88 days in jail before securing bail from the Kerala High Court. The trial, which began in January 2020, has been marked by major delays, including two years lost to the ● More on P7 Covid pandemic.  turn of events Feb 17, 2017: Actor abducted and allegedly assaulted in a moving vehicle Feb 23: Prime accused ‘Pulsar’ Suni held Jul 10: Probe team arrests Dileep Oct 3: Kerala HC grants Dileep bail Jan 30, 2020: Trial commences Oct 21, 2022: SC dismisses victim’s petition seeking change of trial court Sept 18, 2024: SC grants bail to Suni noting trial’s delay and that other co-accused were already out on bail