Archives for 2024

New Delhi: Punjabi singing sensation Diljit Dosanjh dedicated his concert to former prime minister Manmohan Singh, who died on the night of December 26.

The singer-actor on Instagram shared a video from Sunday’s concert in which he spoke about the lessons he believes people should learn from Singh.

In the clip, Dosanjh recalled how Singh would never speak ill about anyone even if someone did so towards him.

“He lived a very simple life. If I look at the journey of his life, it was so simple. Even if someone talked ill about him, he never reverted in the same manner. In politics, it’s the toughest thing to avoid,” he is heard saying in the video.

“Have you ever seen those Lok Sabha sessions? Our politicians fight as if they are nursery kids… But something that we should learn from Dr Manmohan Singh ji is that he never responded back in the same manner,” he added.

Singh, the architect of India’s economic reforms and who served as the 13th Prime Minister of India between 2004 and 2014, died last week at the age of 92.

Dosanjh, 40, further mentioned the words which Singh would speak and said everyone including him should learn from him.

“He would often say ‘Hazaaron jawabon se meri khamoshi acchi, na jaane kitne sawalon ki aabroo dhak leti hai’ (‘My silence is better than a thousand answers, it has saved the grace of many questions’) and it is something the youth needs to learn from him, even I do. We should focus on our goals even if people speak worst about us and try to distract us,” he said.

“Today, I bow my head in front of a man who loved his country and spent his life serving it,” he added. The singer will next perform in Ludhiana on December 31 as part of his Dil-Luminati India Tour.

Samajwadi Party (SP) President Akhilesh Yadav

Lucknow: Samajwadi Party (SP) President Akhilesh Yadav, on Sunday, made a remark questioning the Adityanath government’s recent diggings at various locations in Uttar Pradesh after claims of ancient temples being discovered. In a press conference, he claimed that there was a ‘Shivling’ beneath the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister’s official residence in Lucknow and suggested that it should be dug up as well.

Akhilesh’s comments appeared to mock the state government’s actions, particularly referencing the diggings in Sambhal and other areas.

He also criticised the state government for its failure to complete essential tasks ahead of the upcoming Mahakumbh at Prayagraj, which is set to begin on January 13. He stated, “Many important works are still incomplete, and this government is busy distributing invitation cards for the event.”

Regarding a recent remark by a UP minister suggesting that Akhilesh take a holy dip at the Kumbh, Akhilesh dismissed it, asserting that he had attended the event multiple times and that people visit on their own, not as invited guests. He accused the government of attempting to divert attention from its failures.

In addition, Akhilesh demanded that elections in India be conducted using ballot papers instead of electronic voting machines (EVMs). He pointed to Germany’s legal stance on the matter, highlighting that its Supreme Court had ruled in favour of using ballot papers.

AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal

New Delhi: AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal on Monday announced that his party would launch a ‘Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana’ if it gets re-elected in Delhi, promising a monthly allowance of Rs 18,000 for Hindu temple priests and granthis of gurdwaras.

The announcement comes ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections, with AAP seeking to retain power for a fourth consecutive term.

“Pujaris and granthis are an important part of our society, but they are often a neglected section. For the first time in the country, we are introducing a scheme to support them, under which they will receive a monthly allowance of Rs 18,000,” Kejriwal said, adding, registration for the scheme will start tomorrow.

He also said he would visit the Hanuman Mandir in Connaught Place on Tuesday to oversee the registration process for priests there.

Seoul (AP): South Korean officials are struggling to determine what caused a deadly plane crash that killed 179 people, with the nation saddened, shocked and ashamed over the country’s worst aviation disaster in decades.

Many observers also worry how effectively the South Korean government will handle the aftermath of Sunday’s crash as it grapples with a leadership vacuum following the recent successive impeachments of President Yoon Suk Yeol and Prime Minster Han Duck-soo, the country’s top two officials, amid political tumult caused by Yoon’s brief martial law introduction earlier this month.

New Acting President Choi Sang-mok on Monday presided over a task force meeting on the crash and instructed the Transport Ministry and police to launch investigations into its cause. He also ordered the ministry to implement an emergency review of the country’s overall aircraft operation systems.

“The essence of a responsible response would be renovating the aviation safety systems on the whole to prevent recurrences of similar incidents and building a safer Republic of South Korea,” said Choi, who is also deputy prime minister and finance minister.

The Boeing 737-800 plane operated by South Korea’s budget airline Jeju Air skidded off a runway at Muan International Airport in the country’s south, slammed into a concrete fence and burst into a fireball. The incident killed all but two of the 181 people aboard. The two survivors are both crew members, and they were pulled from the plane’s tail section — the only part that was still recognizable after the crash.

Joo Jong-wan, the Transport Ministry’s director of aviation policy, said authorities have so far identified 141 of the bodies, and are conducting DNA tests on the other 38.

Alan Price, a former chief pilot at Delta Air Lines and now a consultant, said the Boeing 737-800 is a “proven airplane” that belongs to a different class of aircraft than the Boeing 737 Max jetliner that was linked to fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019.

But the Transport Ministry said Monday the government plans to conduct safety inspections on all Boeing 737-800 jetliners operated by the country’s airlines.

Ministry officials said they will also look into whether the Muan airport’s localizer — a concrete fence housing a set of antennas designed to guide aircraft safely during landings — should have been made with lighter materials that would break more easily upon impact.

Video of the crash indicated that the pilots did not deploy flaps or slats to slow the aircraft, suggesting a possible hydraulic failure, and they did not manually lower the landing gear, suggesting they did not have time, said John Cox, a retired airline pilot and CEO of Safety Operating Systems in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Despite that, the jetliner was under control and traveling in a straight line, and damage and injuries likely would have been minimized if not for a barrier being so close to the runway, Cox said.

Other observers say the videos showed the plane suffering suspected engine trouble but the landing gear malfunction was likely a direct reason for the crash. They say there wouldn’t likely be a link between the landing gear problems and the suspected engine problem.

The Transport Ministry said Sunday the control tower issued a warning about birds to the Jeju Air plane shortly before it intended to land and gave the crew permission to land in a different area. It said the plane’s pilot sent out a distress signal shortly before the crash.

Investigators retrieved the jet’s flight data and cockpit voice recorders, but it may take months to complete the probe into the crash, Joo, the Transport Ministry official, told reporters.

The Muan crash is South Korea’s deadliest aviation disaster since 1997, when a Korean Airlines plane crashed in Guam, killing 228 people on board.

Sunday’s crash caused an outpouring of public sympathy for the dead, with the government issuing a seven-day national mourning period. Some questioned if the crash involved safety or regulatory issues, like the 2022 Halloween crush that killed 160 people and the 2014 ferry sinking that killed 304 people.

The crash was yet more big news for South Koreans as they reel from a festering political crisis set off by Yoon’s martial law decree, which brought hundreds of troops into Seoul streets and revived traumatic memories of past military rule in the 1970-80s.

The political tumult resulted in the opposition-controlled National Assembly impeaching Yoon and Han. The safety minister stepped down and the police chief was arrested over their roles in the martial law enhancement.

The absence of top officials responsible for managing disasters has also led to concerns.

“We are deeply worried if the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters really can handle the disaster,” the mass-circulation JoongAng Ilbo newspaper said in an editorial on Monday.

Bengaluru: The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) on Friday announced extension of metro train timings on the Purple and Green Lines for the New Year’s Eve, 2025.

The last train will depart from all terminal stations at 2 AM on January 1, 2025, while the final train from Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Metro Station (Majestic) will leave at 2:40 AM, it said.

In a statement, the BMRCL said, “Trains will operate at 10 minute intervals from 11 PM of December 31, 2024 up to the extended service period of the day. However, in view of anticipated congregation of crowd on MG Road, MG Road Metro Station will be closed for entry and exit from 11 PM on December 31, 2024. Trains will halt at nearby stations — Trinity and Cubbon Park for use by the commuters.”

Passengers traveling after 11 PM from Trinity or Cubbon Park Metro Stations to any destination have been advised to use a return journey paper ticket priced at Rs 50.

“This paper ticket will be available for purchase in advance at all metro stations from 8 AM of 31st December 2024. Normal QR code tickets and cards are also valid for travel from these stations,” it stated.

To avoid overcrowding at any particular station, the BMRCL has advised commuters that those heading towards Whitefield and Silk Institute shall use Trinity Metro Station for boarding, while passengers traveling towards Challaghatta and Madavara shall use the Cubbon Park Metro Station.

Srinagar: An earthquake of magnitude four hit Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, officials said.

The quake occured at 9.06 PM at a depth of 10 Km in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, they said.

No damage has been reported.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, former Indian PM Manmohan Singh | PC: PTI

Singapore: Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim wrote a moving tribute to Manmohan Singh Friday, recalling how the Indian leader offered scholarships for his children while he was in prison.

On X, he described the former prime minister, who died Thursday, as “the midwife of India’s emergence as one of the world’s economic giants”.

And also as “my mitra, my bhai, Manmohan”.

Though Anwar declined the offer, he was clearly moved by the gesture. The Malaysian leader was in jail from 1999 to 2004, when his sentence was overturned. During this period, Singh was Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha.

“Dr Manmohan Singh, slightly awkward as a politician but undeniably upright, steadfast and resolute as a statesman, leaves behind a legacy that will inspire generations to come,” he posted.

“To me, he will be all that and much more. Not many people know this, and it is time that I share it with Malaysians: during the years of my incarceration, he extended a kindness that he didn’t have to… He offered scholarships for my children, particularly my son, Ihsan.

“Although I had declined the gracious offer, such a gesture undoubtedly showed his extraordinary humanity and generosity, demonstrative, as the Bard would have it, of a man so full of “the milk of human kindness,” the Malaysian PM posted.

“In those dark days, as I navigated the labyrinth of imprisonment, he stood by me as a true friend. Such acts of quiet magnanimity defined him, and they will remain etched in my heart forever. Goodbye, my mitra, my bhai, Manmohan,” he wrote.

Anwar began by describing his overwhelming grief over the death. “The weight of grief bears down on me at the news of the passing of my honoured and cherished friend: Dr Manmohan Singh.”

“Obituaries, essays and books a plenty there will surely be about this great man, celebrating him as the architect of India’s economic reforms. As Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh was the midwife of India’s emergence as one of the world’s economic giants,” he said.

New Delhi: Describing former prime minster Manmohan Singh’s death as a “personal loss”, Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chief Sonia Gandhi on Friday said he was her friend, philosopher and guide and that in his death, the party has lost a leader who was the epitome of wisdom, nobility and humility.

In her message on Singh’s demise, Sonia Gandhi said he leaves a void in the national life that can never be filled.

“We in the Congress party and the people of India will forever be proud and grateful that we had a leader like Dr Manmohan Singh whose contributions to India’s progress and development are immeasurable,” she said.

“In Dr Manmohan Singh’s passing, we have lost a leader who was the epitome of wisdom, nobility and humility, who served our country with all his heart and mind. A luminous and beloved guiding light for the Congress party, his compassion and vision transformed and empowered the lives of millions of Indians,” the former Congress president said.

Singh was loved by the people of India for his pure heart and fine mind, Gandhi said, adding that his advice, “wise counsel” and views were eagerly sought and deeply valued across the political spectrum in the country.

“Respected and admired by leaders and scholars all over the world, he was hailed as a statesman of immense wisdom and stature. Dr Manmohan Singh brought brilliance and distinction to every high office that he held. And he brought pride and honour to India,” she said.

“For me, Dr Manmohan Singh’s death is a deeply personal loss. He was my friend, philosopher and guide. He was so gentle in his manner but so resolute in his deeply held convictions.

“His commitment to social justice, secularism and democratic values was deep and unwavering. To spend any time with him was to come away enlightened by his knowledge and sagacity, moved by his honesty and integrity, and awed by his genuine humility,” Sonia Gandhi said.

Earlier in the day, the CPP chairperson paid homage to Singh at his residence where his mortal remains are kept for people to pay their last respects.

She also attended a Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting convened to pay tributes to the former prime minister.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh

New Delhi: The Congress on Friday said that not finding a location for the cremation and memorial for Manmohan Singh is a deliberate insult to the country’s first Sikh prime minister.

The Congress raked up the issue after the Union home ministry said in a statement that Singh’s last rites will be held at New Delhi’s Nigambodh Ghat at 11:45 AM on Saturday with full state honours.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said party president Mallikarjun Kharge wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to conduct Singh’s last rites at a location where a memorial could be built to honour his legacy.

“The people of our country are simply unable to understand why the Government of India could not find a location for his cremation and memorial that is befitting of his global stature, record of outstanding achievements, and exemplary service to the nation for decades,” Ramesh said in a post on X.

“This is nothing but a deliberate insult to the first Sikh Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh,” the Congress leader said.

Kharge wrote the letter after speaking to Modi about setting up a memorial for Singh, who was a two-term prime minister revered by the people of the country.

“Apropos our telephonic conversation today morning, wherein I made a request to hold Dr Manmohan Singh’s last rites, which will take place tomorrow i.e. 28th December 2024, at his final resting place that would be a sacrosanct venue for memorial of the great son of India.

“This is in keeping with such tradition of having memorials of statesmen and former Prime Ministers at the very place of their funerals,” Kharge said in his two-page letter.

The Congress chief said Dr Manmohan Singh holds a highly revered place in the psyche of the country and the people of this nation, and his contributions and achievements were phenomenal.

He also said that Dr Singh’s erudition on economic and fiscal matters came from his vast experience as the governor of the Reserve Bank of India, chief economic advisor to the government of India and in various other capacities in several organisations, and the respect and regard that world leaders had for him bears testimony to this fact.

Kharge said Singh’s wise counsel, leadership and contribution in mitigating the global economic financial crisis is well-acknowledged. He also recalled President Obama’s words when as the US president, he mentioned that “whenever the Indian prime minister speaks, the whole world listens to him”.

He also said that when the nation was in the throes of a grave economic crisis, it was Dr Manmohan Singh, along with former prime minister P V Narasimha Rao, who took India out of the crisis and also led the country towards economic prosperity and stability.

The nation today reaps the benefits of the robust economic foundations built by them, Kharge noted.

“Coming from a humble background and having experienced the pains and sufferings of the Partition, it is through his sheer grit and determination that he rose to become one of the leading statesmen of the world. I hope and trust that befitting stature of Dr Manmohan Singh, request to have the funeral of Dr Singh at a place where his memorial can be built, will be acceded,” Kharge said in the letter.

Congress Legislature Party leader in Punjab assembly Pratap Singh Bajwa also separately urged Prime Minister Modi to have Manmohan Singh’s funeral at a place where a memorial could be built later in his honour.

“I urge Prime Minister @narendramodi to honour Dr Manmohan Singh, one of the most towering Sikhs of modern times, with a memorial befitting his immense contributions to our nation. Rising from humble beginnings in a historic state, representing a community that has always stood steadfast for India’s unity and progress, Dr Singh’s life is a testament to intellect, integrity, and selfless service,” he posted on X.

Bajwa said Punjabis across faiths and political lines unite in their heartfelt plea to recognise this son of Punjab, who played an instrumental role in shaping India’s destiny, with the respect he deserves.

Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal claimed the Centre has “declined” the request of Manmohan Singh’s family for performing the funeral and last rites at a place where an appropriate memorial may be built.

There is no official word from the government on Kharge’s request.

However, Badal took to X to post, “Shocking and unbelievable! It is condemnable in the extreme that Union Govt has declined the request of Dr Manmohan Singh Ji’s family for performing the funeral and last rites of the highly distinguished leader at a place where an appropriate and historic memorial may be built to commemorate his unparalleled services to the nation.”

He further said this place should be Raj Ghat.

“This will be in keeping with the settled practice and tradition followed in the past,” Badal said.

He said it is “inexplicable” why the government is “showing such disrespect to the great leader who was the only member of the Sikh community to rise to become the Prime Minister”.

“As of now, the cremation is slated to be performed at the common cremation ground at Nigambodh ghat. I am unable to believe that the BJP govt’s bias would go to such extremes in utter disregard of the towering global stature which Dr Manmohan Singh ji enjoyed and will always enjoy,” Badal further said in his post.

He said Singh took the country to great international heights.

“Our political differences with the Congress apart, we have always held Dr Manmohan Singh in the highest esteem as he transcends politics and political affiliations. He belongs to the entire nation.

“Dr Sahib showed great sensitivity and compassion in his dealings with Shiromani Akali Dal over Sikh and Punjab issues,” said Badal urging Modi to “intervene personally to change this deplorable decision of the government”.

Singh passed away on Thursday night at Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at the age of 92.