CONG CONDEMNS ‘BRUTAL ATTACK’, ALSO AFFIRMS OLD STAND ON PALESTINE

A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed “solidarity” with Israel and conveyed shock at what he called “terrorist attacks”, the Congress did a balancing act reaffirming its traditional support for the Palestine cause while condemning the “brutal attacks” on the people of Israel.

The Congress, at the same time, did not express surprise or appear critical of the tone and framing of the Prime Minister’s statement, which was perceived as siding with Israel. While reiterating its past position, the main opposition party appeared cautious and avoided questioning the Govt on its stand in relation to the fresh conflict which can have domestic electoral ramifications.

“The Indian National Congress condemns the brutal attacks on the people of Israel. The Indian National Congress has always believed that the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people for a life of self-respect, equality and dignity must be fulfilled only through a process of dialogue and negotiations while ensuring the legitimate national security interests of the Israeli people. Violence of any type never provides a solution and must stop,” Congress communication head Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X.

Historically, the Congress, when in govt and in opposition, has always supported the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people even while underlining the need for better ties with Israel. In the recent past, the party has criticised the BJP Govt accusing it of departing from India’s time-tested commitment to Palestine and throwing its support entirely behind Israel.

Meanwhile, the Left parties, CPM and CPI, asked the Govt to “unequivocally uphold the two-states solution as agreed in the United Nations.” The Left in India has always been critical of Israel and a strong supporter of the Palestine cause.

IAF CHIEF UNVEILS NEW ENSIGN AS THE FORCE MARKS 91ST ANNIVERSARY

Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari on Sunday unveiled a new Ensign for the force, as it marked its 91st anniversary, by the inclusion of the Air Force Crest in the top right corner of the Ensign, towards the fly side. This year, the Air Force Day parade was held at Air Force Station Bamrauli in Prayagraj.

“We have not only circumvented challenges but also turned those challenges into opportunities. The current geopolitical landscape has provided us an opportunity to reduce dependency on imports by developing indigenous capability,” ACM Chaudhari said addressing the parade.

The theme for this year’s Air Force Day was ‘IAF - Air Power Beyond Boundaries’ which the Air Chief said aptly reflects the “inherent global reach of air power and how air power will prove decisive in future conflicts.” “Air Force operations extend worldwide, providing rapid mobility and global reach. This reach allows a nation to project air power beyond boundaries in the form of rapid deployment, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief and peacekeeping missions,” he said stressing on the need to understand the nuances of evolving air power, setting the pace to preserve peace and if and when necessary, to fight and win wars.

CASTE CENSUS IS RECIPE FOR SOCIAL HARMONY: CONGRESS

The Congress on Sunday said the caste census was a recipe for social harmony rather than divisions, as it would cement all sections among Hindus by enabling them equitable access to development benefits.

Congress national coordinator for the OBC, SC, ST and minority department and CWC permanent member K Raju, said the BJP was afraid of a caste census as it would reveal “whether there is equality among the Hindus”.

“We are not dividing the Hindus. We are only providing more cement for all sections within the community to stay together and move forward equitably,” Raju said in response to PM Narendra Modi’s accusations that the Congress and INDIA allies were attempting to “divide the society”. Raju said the BJP-RSS strategy of saffronising all SCs, STs and OBCs under the Hindu fold “sought to hide their deprivations”.

“The caste census will reveal the real picture of what kind of equality there is among the Hindus. The BJP is afraid of this revelation. That’s why they talk of umbrella Hindutva whereas a caste census only seeks to mirror socio-economic inequalities among Hindus,” said Raju.

A Rahul Gandhi confidante, Raju said the Wayanad MP’s ‘jitni aabadi utna haq’ slogan was enabling and not restrictive. “Jitni aabadi utna haq does not restrict a community’s share to its exact proportion in the population. The idea is to enable all communities to have fair access to all national wealth.

On why the UPA did not conduct a caste census with the decennial census when it was in power in 2011, Raju said the caste census demand came up only in 2010 by when the preparations for the 2011 decennial census had concluded.

INDIA, UK TO HOLD FTA TALKS DESPITE HARDEEP SINGH NIJJAR IRRITANT

In a signal that other G7 countries are not inclined to emulate fellow member Canada’s example of severing trade talks following the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a 30-member delegation from the UK has arrived and will begin the 14th next round of talks for an FTA from Monday.

Canada has broken off talks on a precursor pact to a FTA after its PM Justin Trudeau alleged a potential Indian link in the murder of Nijjar.

Although UK PM Rishi Sunak and Trudeau had spoken last week to discuss the Nijjar row with the former reaffirming the UK’s position that all countries should respect sovereignty and the rule of law, there are no signs that London wishes to escalate the issue beyond making this point.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

======================

ISRAEL POUNDS GAZA AS HEZBOLLAH MILITANTS JOIN HAMAS

Over 1,100 persons have been killed over two days of fighting with Israel repeatedly bombing Gaza Strip and Palestinians fighters belonging to Hamas attacking Israeli towns and army positions from air, sea and land.

In a sign of widening of the conflict, Hezbollah militia based in Lebanon lobbed mortar shells and rockets while in Egypt two Israeli tourists were shot dead by an on-duty policeman. But an Israeli army spokesperson said, “We recommend Hezbollah not to come into this and I don’t think they will.”

In response to the Hezbollah barrage, Israeli artillery struck targets in Lebanon. “We will continue to operate in all regions and at any time necessary to ensure the safety of the Israeli civilians,” said the spokesperson even as Israel conducted air strikes all day long on Sunday that hit housing societies, mosques and homes of Hamas officials in Gaza killing over 400, including 20 children.

In towns of southern Israel, including “settlements” or areas occupied by Tel Aviv and settled with Jews, Hamas fighters were battling Israeli security forces, including its special forces, as they launched clearing operations. The Israeli military said battles were still raging but it had taken control of most infiltration points and killed or taken prisoner hundreds of attackers.

The Saturday dawn attack by Hamas that involved bringing down the fence separating West Bank with its fighters streaming into Israeli towns — backed by drone strikes, attempted landings from the sea and the use of paragliders — has so far killed over 600 Israelis, according to the local media.

The Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs also went public with images of people, including young women and tiny tots, abducted by Hamas. It also published images of civilians, including the elderly and the young, gunned down by Hamas militants in cars, on streets and in homes.

“We’re going to be attacking Hamas severely and this is going to be a long, long haul,” the Israeli military spokesperson said during a media briefing. The IDF has carried out a massive deployment around Gaza Strip amidst speculation that a ground invasion was imminent. The Hezbollah has already warned from Lebanon that it would step into the war more actively if a ground invasion took place into the Hamas strongholds.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered condolences to the families who lost their loved ones and prayed for those who were injured due to the Hamas attack. He stated that the people of Israel will overcome its enemies.

He thanked French President Emmanuel Macron, UK PM Rishi Sunak and other leaders for their support to Israel. Netanyahu in the statement said, "Today, I spoke with US President Biden and with other world leaders in order to ensure freedom of action for Israel in the continuation of the campaign. I thank President Biden for his strong and clear words."

KIDNAPPED ISRAELIS BIGGEST CHALLENGE FOR NETANYAHU

Hamas militants have taken Israeli women, kids and even military commanders hostage

In 2011, for one Israeli soldier, Tel Aviv released over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners after five years of negotiations. In 1985, it similarly released over 1,150 PLO and Hezbollah prisoners. The deal to get back hundreds of Israeli women, children and military men taken away into Gaza Strip by Hamas militants will be humungous. To make matters tougher, Hamas has also announced that it has Israeli army commanders in custody. In fact, intense negotiations have been held on even the transfer of remains.

That Israel has a rocky road ahead was indicated by Hamas’ military wing Mohammed Deif, who said the surprise attack had the kidnapping of Israelis as its prime aim. In fact, Palestinian human rights bodies have reported a deterioration in prison conditions under Interior Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. According to Middle East media, Israel currently holds over 5,500 Palestinian prisoners, many of whom under Ben-Gvir have been moved to notorious Nafha prison where visiting rights have been curtailed and living conditions tough.

THE REST

=========

NC-CONGRESS ALLIANCE SWEEPS LADAKH-KARGIL POLLS POST ART 370 ABROGATION

The National Conference and Congress have together won 17 seats so far in the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council-Kargil election with the counting of votes still underway, officials said on Sunday. Of the 26 seats for which elections were held on October 4, results of 20 seats have been declared so far.

The administration nominates four members with voting rights to the 30-member Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council-Kargil.

According to the officials, the National Conference has so far won nine seats while its ally the Congress registered victory in eight.

The BJP won two seats, while an Independent candidate has registered victory on one seat.

VIOLENCE NOT AN ETHNIC CONFLICT, BUT DUE TO “EXTERNAL FORCES: MANIPUR CM

Listing “dialogue” with Meiteis and Kukis as his top priority, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh told this newspaper that his immediate challenge is to help Manipuris “feel confident and secure again”.

In an interview to The Indian Express five months after the first clashes broke out in the state during a tribal solidarity march on May 3, Singh refrained from describing the current crisis as an ethnic conflict, but attributed the violence to “external forces” affected by his war on drugs and illegal immigration. He dismissed the Manipur High Court order regarding the Meitei demand to be included in the state’s Scheduled Tribes list as the trigger behind the May 3 violence, stating that his govt had not acted on the court order, giving no reason for the Kukis to be perturbed.

Asked why his state machinery did not anticipate tension in the days leading up to the violence, Singh said that while he had asked his Director General of Police to provide security to all vulnerable districts on the day of the solidarity march, he only found out later that this wasn’t done in Churachandpur district which has a majority Kuki population. He said he didn’t want to comment on May 3 further given that it’s the subject of a judicial inquiry set up by the Union govt.

AS SIKKIM PICKS UP PIECES, TEESTA-III RESERVOIR, OPENING OF ITS GATES UNDER LENS

As rescue and relief gather pace in Sikkim ravaged by a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF), the high storage volume in the Teesta-III dam’s reservoir and the failure to open its spillways are two key factors being looked into as probable triggers that exacerbated the GLOF’s impact.

The GLOF warning, it is learnt, came from the ITBP between 12-40 and 1 am on October 4. While this gave time to move people away from the river in Chungthang before the waters reached the village, efforts to open the dam’s spillways apparently did not succeed.

Sources said a team of staff members of the Teesta-III project reached the dam site to open the spillways but were daunted by the rapidly rising waters. This has raised questions about dam maintenance since spillways are electronically controlled and are not supposed to require manual intervention.

NEWSCLICK FIR: SKM TO HOLD PROTEST AGAINST BID TO ‘TARNISH’ FARMERS’ AGITATION

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) has decided to hold  nationwide protests against what it called a “baseless assault” on the farmers’ movement in the FIR against NewsClick.

In a statement Sunday, it condemned the “scurrilous and malafide allegations” leveled against the “deeply patriotic” farmers’ movement in an FIR lodged by Special Cell of Delhi Police against NewsClick and several journalists. The SKM denied the allegations, calling them “false and politically motivated”.

It rejected the accusations that the agitation sought to disrupt vital supplies, damage property, inflict economic losses, or create law and order disturbances through illegal foreign funding. It emphasised that their protest was peaceful, highlighting that farmers caused no disruption or destruction.

The morcha  blamed the govt for exacerbating law and order issues through actions such as deploying barbed wire fencing, water cannons, and other such measures.

The SKM alleged that  the FIR was an attempt to tarnish the farmers’ agitation and craft an anti-farmer narrative.

NOT MUST TO SIT FOR BOARD EXAMS TWICE A YEAR: MINISTER

Appearing for Class 10 and 12 board exams twice a year will not be mandatory and the option is being introduced to reduce stress caused by the fear of single opportunity, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has said.

“The students will have the option of appearing for the (Class 10 and 12 board) exams twice a year just like engineering entrance exam JEE. They can choose the best score... but it will be completely optional, no compulsion. “The students often get stressed thinking they lost a year, their chance is gone or could have performed better... the option is being introduced to reduce the stress caused by the fear of single opportunity,” Pradhan said.

“If any student feels that he is completely prepared and is satisfied with the score in the first set of exams, he can choose not to appear for the next exams. Nothing will be mandatory,” he added.

CALIFORNIA GOV VETOES BILL TO BAN CASTE DISCRIMINATION, SAYS IT’S ‘UNNECESSARY’

California governor Gavin Newsom on Saturday vetoed a bill passed recently by the state legislature to explicitly ban caste discrimination, citing existing laws that already prohibit ancestry discrimination, which made the bill “unnecessary”.

Had Newsom signed the bill, officially called Senate Bill 403 or SB 403, California would have become the first ever US state to explicitly ban caste discrimination. Newsom’s veto is a big setback for activists who had been advocating for the legislation.

US discrimination laws ban ancestry discrimination though they do not explicitly mention a prohibition on casteism. California’s legislation targeted the caste system in South Asian and Hindu immigrant communities by adding caste as a protected class to the state’s existing anti-discrimination laws.

The bill was introduced and authored by Democratic state senator Aisha Wahab, an Afghan American, in March. The bill defined caste as “an individual’s perceived position in a system of social stratification on the basis of inherited status.

CURTAINS ON ASIAN GAMES, SREEJESH LEADS INDIA AT CLOSING CEREMONY

The night the curtain came down on the Asian Games in Hangzhou, the city’s skyline was glittering in the colours of the rainbow, and more colours. The tech enabled closing ceremony was a wonderous spectacle, displaying to the fullest the soft power of China

Men’s hockey team goalkeeper PR Sreejesh was the Indian flag-bearer at the closing ceremony, which saw only around 100 Indian athletes and officials in attendance, for many athletes had been returning to India as and when their events ended.

Randhir Singh, the acting president of the Olympic Council of Asia, declared the Asian Games closed in the presence of Chinese premier Li Qiang. “Over the past 16 days, we have shared many unforgettable moments in this magnificent city. And it is time to say ‘Shay Shay, Hangzhou’ for a wonderful and memorable Asian Games,” said Singh.

WORLD CUP, MATCH 5: RAHUL, KOHLI STEER INDIA TO EASY WIN OVER AUSTRALIA

Virat Kohli channelised his inner champion to pull the Indian team out of choppy waters with a masterly 85 (off 116), which paved the way for a six-wicket victory over Australia in their opening match of the World Cup in Chennai on Sunday.

Kohli found a trusted ally in uber-cool KL Rahul (97 not out off 115 balls) during their match-winning stand of 165 that eventually made the 200-run target seem like a cakewalk on a testing track although they took 41.2 overs to achieve it.

Their doughty alliance came after three Indian top-order batters returned to the pavilion without troubling the scorers - Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood were incisive during the first three overs as Ishan Kishan, Rohit Sharma and Shreyas Iyer were walked back for ducks and the scoreboard read a sorry 2/3.

But equally responsible for India getting two points are their spinners. Ravindra Jadeja (3/28 in 10 overs) along with Ravichandran Ashwin (2/34 in 10 overs) and Kuldeep Yadav (2/42 in 10 overs) made life miserable for the Australians while bowling them out for 199 in 49.3 overs.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Love is a very strange thing. If you try to give it out, you get more back. You try to hang on to it, you lose it. - Warren Buffett

OFF TRACK

A heavily bandaged man was sitting up in bed at the hospital when his friend came to visit. "What happened to you?" the friend asked.

"Well, we went to the amusement park and decided to ride the roller coaster. As we came to the top of the highest loop, I noticed a sign by the side of the track. I tried to read it, but it was very small and I couldn't make it out. I was so curious that I went around again, but we went by so quickly that I still couldn't see what the sign said. By now I was determined, so I went around a third time. As we reached the top I stood up in the car to get a better view."

"And did you manage to see what the sign said this time?" asked his friend.

"Yeah... The sign said 'Remain seated at all times!'"