kollam l monday l july 06, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l city EDITION Legendary Pandavani folk singer Teejan Bai dies at 70 Took Chhattisgarh’s folk art to world stage Legendary Pandavani folk singer Teejan Bai, who took Chhattisgarh’s traditional storytelling art to global audiences, died on Sunday at the age of 70 Known for her powerful voice, commanding stage presence and expressive style, she transformed Pandavani from a regional folk tradition into an internationally acclaimed art form, performing extensively in India and abroad. She was honoured with the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan for her contributions to Indian folk arts 1956 Irreparable loss to art and culture: PM ■ She breathed her last at 3.15 am at AIIMS, Raipur, where she had been undergoing treatment since May 27, hospital sources said ■ “She gave Chhattisgarh’s folk art a unique global identity through her magnificent performances. Her passing is an irreparable loss to the world of art and culture,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on X she was born in Ganiyari village in Durg district of Chhattisgarh 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 India plans seabed sensors to hunt Chinese, Pak subs DRDO floats expression of interest to identify industry partner J A V AR I A RANA @ New Delhi INDIA plans to have eyes and ears on the Indian Ocean seabed. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is on the lookout for an industry partner to develop and deploy an Underwater Fiber Optic Sensing System (UFOSS), a network of sensors that will keep round-the-clock watch on submarines prowling India’s waters. Kochi-based Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL), the DRDO’s underwater warfare lab, has floated an Expression of Interest (EOI) for the development, deployment and commissioning of the system. The network will comprise seabed sensor nodes linked by subsea fibre-optic cables to a shore station where the data will be received, monitored and analysed. According to the EOI, the UFOSS will comprise sensor array nodes, subsea cables, junction boxes, and branching units linked through a beach manhole to a shore station. Based on the response to EOI, NPOL will float a Request for Proposal to solicit detailed proposals from shortlisted firms. The selected bidder will be responsible for the entire project, from integration and deployment to commissioning, and lifecycle support for the system’s planned 20-year service life. Execution has been tentatively pegged at 48 months. Unlike ships and aircraft that patrol an area periodically , WHAT IS UFOSS? Underwater Fiber Optic Sensing System (UFOSS) will have a network of seabed sensor nodes that are linked by subsea fibre-optic cables, to keep track of submarines prowling Indian waters It will be a fixed network for 24x7 underwater surveillance It will have a service life of 20 years Sensor Network on seabed Subsea fiBer-optic cables: High-speed data transfer from sensors to onshore station Global Parallels US: SOSUS tracked Soviet submarines during the Cold War Multiple sensor nodes detect underwater disturbance like sound, vibration, pressure or movement US-Japan: ‘Fish Hook’ undersea surveillance architecture in the western Pacific seabed sensor networks keep watch round-the-clock, silently monitoring underwater activity and cueing anti-submarine warfare assets towards potential contacts. The move comes amid thick action in the undersea battlespace. Chinese nuclear and conventional submarines periodically prowl the Indian Ocean region, while Chinese “research” vessels systematically map the region’s waters, collecting invaluable data for future submarine operations. Meanwhile, Pakistan has begun inducting eight Chineseorigin Hangor-class diesel-electric subs with air-independent WHY INDIA NEEDS IT Chinese nuclear and conventional subs are increasingly operating in the Indian Ocean Pakistan is inducting 8 Hangorclass AIP subs India currently has no operational SSN (nuclearpowered attack submarines) Indigenous SSN programme a decade away; Project-75I yet to get approval China: ‘Underwater Great Wall’ of seabed acoustic sensors propulsion. In contrast, India’s underwater modernisation is years away from bridging the gap. The Navy does not currently operate a nuclear-powered attack submarine (SSN), with the lease of the Russian Akula-class Chakra III delayed by more than three years. The indigenous programme to build two SSNs, cleared by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) in October 2024 at a cost of `40,000 crore, is expected to take a decade before the first boat enters service. The Project-75I programme for six advanced conventional submarines is also yet to receive the CCS’s final approval. France survive heated affair Physical battle Mbappe laughed and smiled — and scored, of course — when Paraguay players tried to bait him and his French teammates into fouls and provoke fights. After the final whistle, Mbappe refused the goalkeeper’s extended hands as he kept walking past it. In retaliation, Gill threw the ball at the France captain. It was one of several flashpoints during the contest Kylian Mbappe & Co edge past Paraguay in a tough battle to set up quarterfinal clash against Morocco. Talking points... Iberian derby for spot in last 8 Last laugh for star forward Powerhouses Spain and Portugal will lock horns in a competitive fixture, a year after Portugal beat La Roja in the UEFA Nations Cup final. Notably, the last time these two nations met at the World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo scored a delightful hat-trick in 3-3 draw | P11 Mbappe got the last laugh as he scored his 19th career World Cup goal, and France survived stifling heat to win the tie, sending Les Bleus into the quarterfinals for the fourth straight time Today’s matches (Round of 16): I had never played a match like this, with so many hits. I mean, cheap shots, shoves in the back. So, yes, it was complicated — Manu Kone, France midfielder Portugal vs Spain | 12:30 AM*; USA vs Belgium | 5:30 AM* (*IST Tuesday) SIR: 20 lakh excluded from Odisha’s draft electoral roll Sudarsan Maharana @ Bhubaneswar OVER 20 lakh voters have been dropped from Odisha’s draft electoral roll, released on Sunday at the conclusion of the first phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), a monthlong door-to-door survey conducted across the state. The electorate has come down from 3,33,99,591 in the pre-revision list to 3,13,87,034, a reduction of over 20.12 lakh voters. The draft roll now comprises 1,60,19,176 male voters, 1,53,65,083 female voters and 2,775 third-gender electors, Chief Electoral Officer R S Gopalan said on Sunday . Enumeration forms were collected from nearly 3.13 crore electors, or 93.97 per cent of the total electorate, he said. Of those excluded, 8.32 lakh were 19.34 lakh voters in Manipur draft roll Manipur Chief Electoral Officer Arun Kumar Sinha said the state has 19.34 lakh voters in the draft poll roll, which was published on Sunday. Till June 28, of 20,93,076 electors, 19.34L filled enumeration forms identified as dead, while 10.07 lakh had either shifted residence or were untraceable. A further 1.58 lakh were found to have enrolled at more than one location, while 14,000 were dropped for failing to submit their forms before the June 28 deadline. Gopalan said boothlevel officers were unable to trace these electors because they had registered in other states, could not be located, missed the deadline, or declined to enrol for personal reasons. He clarified that genuine electors whose names are missing from the draft electoral roll can still apply for inclusion during the claims and objections period from July 5 to August 4. Similarly, names found enrolled at multiple places will be retained only at one location after due verification. The exercise involved 31 district election officers, 147 electoral registration officers, 994 assistant registration officers and 4,540 booth-level officers across 45,250 polling stations, with 84,594 booth-level agents representing all seven recognised political parties. Verification of claims will continue until September 2, with the final electoral roll to be published on September 6. Migrants spend `26k cr/yr in state: NGO disputes CM Toddy capital hit by production, manpower crunch chittur struggling As w i n As o k K u m a r @T’Puram S h ya m P V @Palakkad For decades, the Chittur region in Palakkad has been the beating heart of Kerala’s toddy industry, supplying the traditional beverage to every district except Kannur and Thiruvananthapuram. Now, the state’s toddy capital is facing an existential crisis as production has plummeted and experienced toddy tappers are leaving in large numbers for neighbouring Tamil Nadu. Industry representatives, toddy workers and coconut farmers point to two interlinked challenges: a steep decline in toddy yield from coconut palms and a severe shortage of skilled tappers, threatening the sustainability of Kerala’s traditional toddy sector. Although the Chittur region is licensed to produce up to three lakh litres of toddy a day and has permission to tap around 1.9 lakh coconut trees, actual production has dropped drastically. Workers’ organisations estimate that daily output now struggles to cross 40,000 litres. The falling yield has triggered large-scale migration of tappers to Tamil Nadu, reversing a labour movement that had continued for nearly 40 years. Until recently Chittur de, pended heavily on toddy tappers from both Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Workers’ organisations said the region once had around 2,500 tappers from Kerala, mainly from Er nakulam, Alappuzha and Kottayam districts, besides nearly 3,000 workers from Tamil Nadu, largely belonging to the Nadar community Those num. bers have now dwindled to around 150 and 400, respectively . “The migration has been driven by improving prospects across the border,” points out Sathyan Nattukal, the Palakkad district secretary of the INTUC-affiliated Kerala Toddy and Abkari Workers Congress ● More on P4 (KTAWC). 125th BIRTH ANNIVERSARY OF DR SYAMA PRASAD MOOKERJEE Few leaders in modern India embody the confluence of intellect, public service and moral conviction as profoundly as Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee, writes PM Narendra Modi | P7 Chief Minister V D Satheesan’s recent remark in the Kerala assembly that migrant workers spend just a small share of their income in the state, that too mostly towards buying wheat flour, groceries and liquor, has been disputed by a non-profit working for the workers’ welfare. Migrants spend at least `26,100 crore in the state every year including on housing, transportation, food and others, Benoy Peter, executive director of the Centre for Migration and Inclusive Development (CMID), told TNIE. “Though there is no official data on the amount of money they spend in Kerala, studies have found that the workers 1/3rd of income Benoy Peter, CMID executive director, says migrant workers spend one-third of their income in Kerala While Malayalis prefer shopping online, the labourers prefer purchasing items directly from shops, contributing to state’s economy, he says Many still do not know how to make payments online. So, they approach shops for anything from mobile recharge to sending money to their families back home shell out at least one-third of their income here,” Benoy said, adding that the CM’s remark could have been a “misunderstanding”. “ The statement that migrant labourers are drawing off a major revenue source sends a wrong message,” he said. “The Kerala economy itself is largely supported by remittances from Gulf countries. How can we expect those working here not to do the same? When a key political figure like him makes such a statement, it only helps reinforce existing xenophobia against the labourers,” Benoy told TNIE. He, however, appreciated the CM’s use of the term ‘migrant workers’ rather than ‘guest workers’, as the latter promotes a sense of othering. He hailed Satheesan’s announcement of initiating a study on migrant remittances, saying it will also reveal the challenges faced by the workers. According to the ‘In-migration, Informal Employment and Urbanisation in Kerala’ report, sponsored by the State Planning Board and released in August 2021, Kerala was projected to have a migrant population between 45.7 lakh and ● More on P4 47.9 lakh by 2025. Child abuse ads: Meta gets govt notice Di pa k M o n d a l @ New Delhi The government has issued a stern notice to Meta over paid advertisements on Instagram, that allegedly promote Child Sexual Exploitative and Abuse Material (CSEAM). The company has been directed to immediately disable such advertisements and related content, two government sources confirmed on Sunday . In the notice, the government asked the company to submit a detailed explanation within seven days on how such advertisements were approved and displayed on the platform despite its content moderation systems. The order, issued by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) on Saturday instructed Instagram , to remove all advertisements and content that promote or facilitate access to CSEAM. The latest action comes a day after Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw directed officials to summon Meta over Instagram advertisements allegedly promoting child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in India. The government acted following a BBC investigation that found questionable advertisements on Instagram with terms such as “rape video” and “child video”. According to the report, the advertisements redirected users to Telegram channels where child sexual abuse material was allegedly being sold for as little as `99. E x p r ess Re a d Main Vaapas Aaunga CorroHealth crisis: Govt calls meeting today When cinema lowers our defences Kochi: Struggling for clarity after their abrupt termination on Friday night, nearly 800 employees of CorroHealth, a US-based firm, are now preparing for a meeting called by the state government with the company management on Monday. The state labour secretary and the firm’s staff will also be part of the meeting convened in Kochi at 11am | P4 New Iran leader absent at father’s funeral Tehran: Three of late Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei’s sons made a rare public appearance at his funeral on Sunday but there was still no sign of his successor and other son, Mojtaba Khamenei. A funeral procession is planned for Monday in Tehran, followed by similar events in Qom on Tuesday | p9 Avi n a s h R a m a c h a n d r a n @ Chennai Filmmaker Sasi, in a recent interview, was unable to wrap his head around the possibility of critics crying while watching a film, even if it was his own. He wasn’t buying it. He felt it was an exaggeration. Maybe critics aren't supposed to admit such things. We spend our lives pulling films apart—writing about performances, intent and craft. Somewhere along the way comes the unspoken belief that you should never completely surrender to what is unfolding on screen. You’re expected to keep a safe distance. But that isn’t how most of us fell in love with cinema. Long before previews, dead- lines and ratings, films were simply magic. You walked into a theatre hoping to be transported. Every now and then, despite yourself, that still happens. Main Vaapas Aaunga did that to me, largely because of Naseeruddin Shah. As Ishar Singh Grewal—Keenu to the woman he has spent a lifetime remembering—he barely raises his voice. He doesn’t need to. A pause, a glance, a sentence left unfinished; somehow they carry the weight of decades. Partition memoir Directed by Imtiaz Ali, the movie is a slow burn of love, memory, and unresolved grief rooted in the Partition Films on Partition have often been about violence and migration. This one is about something quieter: an old man’s promise. History is still there, but it reaches us through memory longing and all the conver, s at i o n s t h at we re n eve r finished. I watched the film in Chennai, thousands of kilometres from where Partition unfolded. When the lights came on, there were the usual attempts to hide it. People suddenly became very interested in their phones. Conversations began a minute later than they normally would. Most of us had never known Partition. That didn't seem to matter. By the time Keenu unfolds an old, crumpled poem, with A R Rahman’s music gently rising beneath Irshad Kamil’s words, you aren’t confusing fiction with reality The film has qui. etly prepared you for that moment. So, do critics cry? Sometimes, yes. Not because they stop being critics. But because, every once in a while, a film reminds them of the person who first walked into a darkened theatre simply hoping to be moved.