27122020-TTB-01.qxd 12/26/2020 11:53 PM Page 1 123 chandigarh | gurugram | jalandhar | bathinda | vol.4 no.358 | 16 pages | ~6.00 | regd.no.chd/0006/2018-2020 established in 1881 CHINA SENDS LEADER TO NEPAL TO PREVENT NCP SPLIT WORLD /thetribunechd N-E HAS TURNED GROWTH ENGINE UNDER PM: SHAH BACK PAGE THE YEAR THAT WAS: LITTLE SENSE OF AN ENDING SPECTRUM /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com sunday, december 27,2020 Some in Delhi trying to teach Talks on Dec 29, farmers set 4-pt agenda democracy: PM’s dig at Rahul Want laws repealed |MSP guarantee |Exclusion from air quality ordinance | Changes in power Bill Tribune News Service Tribune News Service New Delhi, December 26 Launching a free health insurance scheme for Jammu and Kashmir residents today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a swipe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, saying “those lecturing me on democracy are refusing to conduct local body elections in Puducherry where their party is in power.” “While J&K has successfully conducted three-tier local body elections within a year of becoming a UT, some people in Delhi keep rebuking me all the time and using unparliamentary language against me. I want to show them the mirror,” the PM said, noting that J&K voters were hoping for a better future and putting the past behind. In clear reference to Rahul who had earlier this week termed Indian democracy as “imaginary”, PM Modi noted, “The very people who give me lessons in democra- WHY NO LOCAL POLLS IN PUDUCHERRY? ❝ The very people who give me lessons in democracy are in power in Puducherry. Despite Supreme Court’s 2018 orders to hold local elections, the government there continues to dither Narendra Modi, PRIME MINISTER cy are in power in Puducherry and you will be surprised that the Supreme Court orders to hold local elections came in 2018, but the Puducherry Government, which has no faith in democracy, continues to dither.” The PM said the last local body elections were held in Puducherry in 2006. “The term of elected members expired in 2011. Some political parties obviously say one thing and do another. The non-conduct of elections shows how serious they are about democracy,” the PM said. He said the DDC elections had written a new chapter in J&K. “The people here have worked to strengthen the roots of democracy. Elections have been held transparently and in the right earnest. This moment heralds the beginning of a new decade and a new era of leadership in the UT,” the PM said. He earlier justified BJP’s exit from a coalition government in the state, saying, “We quit the government over our insistence to hold panchayat elections. Today, people here have chosen their representatives at the block, panchayat and district levels.” Chandigarh/newdelhi, Dec 26 The Sanyukt Kisan Morcha, a joint forum of farmers’ organisations protesting at the Delhi borders against the Centre’s farm laws, today decided to resume dialogue with the government. It has proposed December 29 as the date for talks. The Morcha put forth a fourpoint agenda — modalities for repealing the three farm laws and a mechanism for remunerative MSP (as recommended by the National Farmers’ Commission) and a legally guaranteed entitlement for agricultural commodities. The other two proposals are — amendments to the Commission for the Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Ordinance in order to exclude farmers from the ordinance’s penal provisions and lastly changes in the draft Electricity Amendment Bill to safeguard the interests of the farmers. The Morcha wanted the dia- CENTRE MAY NOT AGREE TO REPEAL DEMAND, SAY GOVT SOURCES The farmers’ condition of repealing the three laws is unlikely to be accepted by the Union Government and it may only be ready for certain amendments, said govt sources. PM Narendra Modi had hinted at the same while addressing farmers at a PM-Kisan scheme event on Friday. FARMERS TO BLOCK KUNDLI EXPRESSWAY ON DEC 30 FORMER MP KHALSA QUITS BJP MONTH ON, 50 LIVES LOST IN STIR NDA ALLY BENIWAL QUITS Chandigarh: Former Fatehgarh Sahib MP Harinder Singh Khalsa on Friday resigned from the BJP to protest the alleged insensitivity shown by the party leadership towards the farmers’ stir. Before switching to the BJP, Khalsa had won the LS poll on AAP ticket. TNS Chandigarh: Around 50 farmers have died over the past one month after the protests against the three agriculture laws started on the Delhi borders. Fifteen of them died over the past fortnight either in accidents or of health issues, mainly triggered by cold weather. “Their sacrifices won't go waste," said a union leader. TNS Jaipur: Rashtriya Loktantrik Party convener and Nagaur MP Hanuman Beniwal on Saturday announced a split from the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) over the farm laws. “I am not stuck with Fevicol with the NDA. Today, I separate myself from it,” he said. PTI logue to proceed in that order. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Morcha, an umbrella body of 40 farmers’ UK working on instant antibody drug Tribune News Service & PTI Growth, not vendetta politics, my agenda: CM Shimla, December 26 Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur today said he believed in development, not vendetta, which is why he had ensured all-round development of the state without any bias. Thakur govt in HP completes 3 years Addressing the media on the completion of three years of his government, Thakur said his mission was to put an end to vendetta politics. “I never discriminated against any Assembly segment when it came to development, unlike the previous regime where constituencies of not only BJP legislators, but also those of some Congress MLAs were ignored,” he said, hitting out at the Congress. INSIDE IN BRIEF CBSE examination dates on Dec 31 NEW DELHI: The schedule for class X and XII board examinations will be announced on December 31, Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal said on Saturday. He had earlier ruled out holding examinations till February in view of the panedemic. TNS Farm protest: 1,500 booked in U’khand RUDRAPUR: The police have filed an FIR against 1,0001,500 unidentified persons in Uttarakhand’s Udham Singh Nagar district for allegedly creating a ruckus and clashing with the police while marching to Delhi in protest against the farm laws. PTI London/NewDelhi, December 26 Scientists in the UK have begun trials of innovative antibody drug treatment they hope could provide instant protection against Covid-19. The University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH) says researchers believe a long acting antibody (LAAB) known as AZD7442, developed by AstraZeneca, may offer immediate and long-term protection to people who have been recently exposed to SARSCoV-2 and prevent them from developing Covid-19. “We know that this antibody combination can neutralise the virus, so we hope to find that giving this treatment via injection can lead to Oxford vaccine may be first to get nod; Daily deaths below 300 in six months 51 UK RETURNEES IN HP Solan: The HP Government has issued an alert and asked 51 UK returnees to contact the local administrations and get themselves tested for Covid. As many as 51 persons had come to the state from the UK between November 25 and December 21. TNS COVID-19CASES INDIA COUNT RECOVERED 97,40,108 FRESH FATALITIES 251 TOTAL DEATHS 1,47,343 1,01,69,118 TOTAL RECOVERED DEATHS WORLD 8,03,41,261 5,66,32,212 17,60,227 SHANTA, FAMILY TEST POSITIVE Palampur: Veteran BJP leader Shanta Kumar, his wife Santosh Shelja, two granddaughters, private secretary and his PSO tested Covid positive on Saturday. Shanta Kumar & his wife were shifted to Tanda medical college.OC immediate protection against Covid-19 to people who have been exposed when it would be too late to offer a vaccine,” said virologist Dr Catherine Houlihan. Meanwhile, preparations are underway in India for a possible vaccine rollout in January. Phase 3 trials of Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin are still underway, while Pfizer is yet to make a presentation. “Going by this, Oxford’s Covishield is likely to be the first to be rolled out in India,” a source said. Daily deaths fell below 300 after more than six months. There were 251 deaths over 24 hours and 22,273 new infections. Daily new infections have remained below 30,000 for the 13th day today. Meanwhile, whole genome sequencing of swab samples of 5 per cent Covid positive persons in each state and UT will be conducted over the coming days to rule out any potential mutation of the virus as reported by the UK. unions protesting at the Delhi entry points. Dr Darshan Pal, a union leader, said it was also decided that farm- Hussain has been heading the SIT set up to probe the case. The Army on Thursday had issued a statement saying that the process of summary evidence had been Three labourers were killed on July 18 completed in the Amshipora (Shopian) ‘encounter’ of July 18, 2020 in which three labourers were killed though they had no connection with militant activity. The Army said the summary of evidence was being examined by legal experts to ascertain if further action was needed. After relatives of the slain labourers raised a hue and cry, the police conducted DNA profiling of the three families. It was established that the killed persons, Abrar Ahmad (25), Mohammad Ibrar (16) and Imtiyaz Ahmad (20), were locals though it had been claimed that the three were foreign terrorists. — IANS ers would organise a tractor march on the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal expressway on December 30. “We appeal to Tribune News Service REPEAL LAWS FIRST Jalandhar, December 26 The acquisition of land for the Katra-Delhi Expressway is likely to face a stiff resistance in Punjab. Amid farmers’ protest at Delhi borders, members of the Kisan Sangharsh Committee today announced not to allow the NHAI acquire land for the purpose. “When the Centre is not ready to accept our demand, why would we allow them to acquire our land? Nearly 14,000 acres of land is to be acquired in Punjab and most owners have unanimously decided not to allow it,” said Jagjit Singh, Jalandhar unit head of the committee. ❝ When the Centre is not ready to accept our demand, why would we allow them to acquire our land? Nearly 14,000 acres of land is to be acquired in Punjab and most owners have decided not to allow it Jagjit Singh, JALANDHAR UNIT HEAD OF THE PANEL Union activist and farmer BS Atwal said, “Even the acquisition process is riddled with anomalies. We are not getting adequate compensation. A part of my land was acquired for the laying of a CNG pipeline in 2014 for Rs 82 lakh per acre. For the DAZZLING SHOTS BY SHUBMAN GILL ■ Australia bowled out for 195 on Day 1 of the second Test ■ Jasprit Bumrah (4/56) & R Ash- win (3/35) bowled with guile ■ Rahane’s captaincy, in Kohli’s absence, was impressive ■ Pb’s Shubman Gill made 28 of India’s 36/1 at close of play I NDIA, desperate to bounce back from the defeat in the first Test at Adelaide, where they were bowled out for 36 in their second innings, were ably led by Ajinkya Rahane, who marshalled his resources to perfection in the 72.3 overs that Australia batted. Punjab’s lad Shubman Gill hit some delectable strokes, including a straight-drive and a pull, to showcase his talent. Shubman Gill hits a boundary in Melbourne on Saturday. AP/PTI REPORT ON BACK PAGE India will be 5th largest economy in 2025, 3rd by 2030: UK think tank New Delhi, December 26 India, which appears to have been pushed back to being the world’s sixth biggest economy in 2020, will again overtake the UK to become the fifth largest in 2025 and race to the third spot by 2030, a think tank said on Saturday. India had overtaken the UK in 2019 to become the fifth largest economy in the world, but has been relegat- ed to the sixth spot in 2020. “India has been knocked off course somewhat through the impact of the pandemic. As a result, after overtaking the UK in 2019, it has surpassed India again in this year’s forecasts and will stay ahead till 2024,” the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) said in an annual report published on Saturday. The UK appears to have CHINA TO LEAPFROG AMERICA BY 2028, SAYS CEBR ■ According to the CEBR, the Indian economy will expand by 9 per cent in 2021 and by 7 per cent in 2022 ■ India expected to overtake UK in 2025, Germany in 2027 and Japan in 2030 ■ An important driver of India’s economic recovery thus far has been the agri sector the farmers from surrounding states to turn up in large numbers in their tractor-trailers. continued on back page Won’t give land for Katra-Delhi Expressway, say Punjab farmers Shopian fake encounter: Capt among three named in challan Srinagar, December 26 The J&K Police on Saturday produced a chargesheet in the court of the Principal District and Sessions Judge, Shopian, against three persons, including an Army Captain, for their role in an alleged encounter in Shopian district in which three civilians were killed. “The three accused in this case are Captain Bhupinder of 62 Rashtriya Rifles, Bilal Ahmad of Pulwama and Tabish Ahmad of Shopian,” said Wajahat Hussain, DSP . JOIN US FOR NEW YEAR, UNIONS TO HARYANA, DELHI RESIDENTS Farmers protesting at the Singhu-Delhi border take rest on a makeshift bed. PTI overtaken India again during 2020 as a result of the weakness of the rupee, it said. The CEBR forecasts that the Indian economy will expand by 9 per cent in 2021 and by 7 per cent in 2022. “Growth will be naturally slow as India becomes more economically developed, with the annual GDP growth expected to sink to 5.8 per cent in 2035. This growth tra- jectory will see India become the world’s third largest economy by 2030, overtaking the UK in 2025, Germany in 2027 and Japan in 2030,” it said. The UK-based think tank forecast that China will in 2028 overtake the US to become the world’s biggest economy, five years earlier than previously estimated due to the contrasting recoveries of the two countries continued on back page expressway, the authorities are paying me Rs 25 lakh per acre, which is not acceptable.” Sukhwinder Singh from Singhian village said, “The project will split my chunk of land. How will I carry out farm operations on the other side of the expressway? The authorities have not shown us any plan. They have not even invited objections.” Jagjit Singh said land in nearly 35 villages of Jalandhar was under the acquisition plan. “We had met the SDM concerned and gave him a written representation. He has so far not assured us any help,” he said, alleging that the administration had reduced the collector rates of the land to be acquired. 10-year jail, fine for conversion, MP Cabinet clears draft Bill Bhopal, December 26 The Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Bill 2020, which provides for prison term of up to 10 years and fine of Rs 1 lakh for conversion through marriage or by any other fraudulent means, got the state Cabinet’s approval on Saturday, Home Minister Narottam Mishra said. Mishra claimed that once enforced, it will be the most stringent law in the country against religious conversion carried out by fraudulent means, allurement or threat. The violation of the proposed law will be considered a cognisable and non-bailable offence, he said. After the Cabinet’s approval, the Bill will now be presented in the state Assembly. It will replace the Religious Freedom Act of 1968. “The new legislation will prohibit religious conversion or such efforts by misrepresentation, allurement, force, undue influence, coercion, marriage or any other fraudulent means. Abetment and conspiracy for religious conversion will also be prohibited under it,” he said. — PTI