17062024-TTC-01.qxd 6/17/2024 12:28 AM Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 8 NO. 167 | 18 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881 WILL PAUSE FIGHTING TO RAMP UP AID IN GAZA: ISRAEL ARMY WORLD /thetribunechd TERRORISTS BEHIND DODA, REASI ATTACKS STILL AT LARGE J&K TAP EXPORT POTENTIAL ‘WHY TEACH ABOUT RIOTS?’ OF FRUITS, VEGETABLES NCERT DEFENDS CHANGES TO REAP GAINS INFOCUS IN BOOKS BACK PAGE monday | 17 june 2024 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com Replicate Kashmir-type ‘zero terror strategy’ in Jammu: Shah to forces Must involve Russia: India avoids Ukraine summit statement Holds meet on J&K ahead of Amarnath Yatra, Army Chief among attendees Sandeep Dikshit Aditi Tandon New Delhi, June 16 India attended the two-day Summit on Peace in Ukraine which ended in Switzerland on Sunday but joined a dozen other major countries of the Global South in staying away from a joint communique. “In our view, only those options acceptable to both parties can lead to abiding peace. In line with this approach, we have decided to avoid association with a joint communique or any other document emerging from this summit,” said the Indian representative at the summit and senior diplomat Pavan Kapoor. “We continue to believe that such a peace requires bringing together all stakeholders and a sincere and practical engagement between the two parties to the conflict,” noted Kapoor, a former ambassador to Russia. India, he explained, had joined the gathering because it shared the global concern over the situation in Ukraine and supported any collective desire to facilitate peaceful resolution of the conflict. Besides underlining the need to involve Russia in talks on a peace formula, Kapoor also stressed the need for “sustainable resolution of the conflict”. “Our participation in this summit and continued engagement with all stakeholders is with a view to understanding different perspectives, approaches and options to find a way forward for a sustainable resolution of the conflict,” he said in this respect. “Accordingly, we will continue to engage with all stake- Tribune News Service New Delhi, June 16 Close on the heels of serial terror attacks and encounters in the Jammu region, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday held a five-and-a-halfhour-long review meeting to take stock of the security situation in J&K and preparedness for the Amarnath Yatra commencing from June 29. After two separate meetings — the first from 11 am to 2 pm on J&K security and the second later in the day on the Amarnath Yatra — Shah directed security agencies to replicate in Jammu division the success achieved in Kashmir through ‘Area Domination Plan’ and ‘Zero Terror Plan’. “The government is committed to setting an example by cracking down on terrorists through innovative measures,” a Union Home Ministry statement said after Shah directed all agencies to work in a mission mode and ensure quick response in a coordinated manner. Sources said the direction of counter-terror response in the Jammu region would Union Home Minister Amit Shah chairs a high-level meeting to review J&K security situation in New Delhi on Sunday. PTI involve a crackdown on local sympathisers of foreign terrorists, boosting intelligence gathering capacities in the area, firewalling anti-infiltration grids and ensuring heavy deployment of personnel on the ground. Shah said the fight against terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir was in its decisive phase and the recent incidents showed that terrorism Rahul terms EVMs ‘black boxes’ after Musk stirs row Neeraj Mohan Tribune News Service New Delhi, June 16 SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s remarks backing the elimination of electronic voting machines (EVMs) due to hacking risks have sparked a political storm in India, with opposition INDIA bloc leaders targeting the government and the ruling regime calling the devices “tamper-proof”. MAHA OFFICIALS DENY EVM UNLOCKING REPORTS INSIDE Musk also rubbished BJP leader and former IT Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar’s claim that the Indian EVMs couldn’t be tampered with, asserting “anything can be hacked”. “We should eliminate electronic voting machines. The risk of being hacked by humans or AI, while small, is still too high,” Musk posted on social media platform X. The remarks came in reaction to concerns raised by Robert F Kennedy Jr, an independent candidate in the US presidential elections who flagged irregularities related to the EVMs used in Puerto Rico’s primary elections. Chandrasekhar swiftly responded to Musk’s remark, GOVT JUNKS CHARGE had been forced to shrink from highly organised acts of violence to a mere proxy war. “We are determined to root it out as well,” the minister said, urging seamless coordination amongst security agencies, identification of vulnerable areas and redressal of security concerns of such areas. The meeting followed a spate of violence in Jammu region, starting with the ter- rorist attack on a bus carrying pilgrims in Reasi, killing nine and injuring 33. This was followed by three separate encounters in Kathua and Doda in which one CRPF jawan and two militants were killed and seven security persons injured. The encounters led to Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking the national security establishment to deploy the full strength of India’s counter-terrorism capabilities in the UT. Sources said the meeting took note of the fact that a majority of the recent terror attacks in Jammu had been executed by perpetrators from Pakistan. Plans are in place to deploy around 500 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces in Jammu, especially ahead of the Amarnath Yatra. continued on page 8 ‘Alarming’: Oppn jabs Punjab CM over 14 drug abuse deaths Narcotics coming via BJP-ruled Gujarat, Maha, says AAP Tribune News Service should eliminate ❝ WeThe risk of being EVMs. hacked, while small, is still too high… Anything can be hacked. Elon Musk, SPACEX CEO ❝ It’s a huge sweeping generalisation that suggests no one can build a secure digital hardware… our EVMs are tamper-proof. Rajeev Chandrasekhar, EX-IT MINISTER ❝ The EVMs in India are a ‘black box’ and nobody is allowed to scrutinise them. Rahul Gandhi, CONGRESS MP calling it a “huge sweeping generalisation” that suggested no one could build a secure digital hardware, to which Musk responded that “anything can continued on page 8 Chandigarh, June 16 A day after The Tribune carried a report mentioning 14 drug-related deaths in as many days, a political slugfest ensued in Punjab, with opposition parties attacking the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government over its “failure” to root out the menace. Several leaders of opposition parties, who shared on their social media handles a clipping of The Tribune report, “Punjab drug overdose: 14 deaths in 14 days”, demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, alleging the drug menace had assumed alarming proportions under his regime. The AAP government, for its part, refuted the allegations and the Opposition’s criticism, asserting the backbone of the drug smuggling mafia had been broken. Punjab Leader of Opposition and Congress MLA Partap Singh Bajwa said, “Every day, another life is being lost The Tribune on Sunday reported a spate of deaths caused by overdose. COPS TO CRACK DOWN ON PEDDLERS ALONG BORDER The Punjab Police will soon launch ‘Mission Nishchay’, a plan to rein in peddlers in 40 villages along the Pakistan border in Fazilka. It envisages encouraging women to prevent the men in their house from consuming drugs or indulging in smuggling. INSIDE due to the gross incompetence of the Bhagwant Mann government. It has no moral right to govern Punjab. ‘ False promises and zero delivery’ is the best definition for the ruling party.” Congress state chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring said the AAP government was best at only extending its promised deadline to eradicate drugs from Punjab. “When will the government make a proper roadmap to save the Punjabi youth?” he asked. BJP state president Sunil Jakhar urged the Chief Minister to wake up from “deep sleep and act tough to save Punjab’s youth from the menace proliferating right under the nose of his government”. “These tragic deaths expose the ‘Rangla Punjab’ claimed by Bhagwant Mann. Punjab is in deep grip of the drug mafia and this is happening under the full control and guidance of the AAP regime, which continued on page 8 Tourist-packed Shimla weighed down by water crisis Subhash Rajta Tribune News Service Shimla, June 16 Even as thousands of tourists have been visiting Shimla daily, the water crisis in the city is getting bad to worse with Shimla Jal Prabandhan Nigam Limited (SJPNL) today announcing rationing in all areas. It said water would be supplied to residents after a gap of two days for the time being. However, residents of some localities of the city, mainly the ones on the periphery, claimed they had already been getting supply after The authorities have announced that water will be supplied to residents once in two days. three or four days. “We last received the supply on June 13. Three days have passed, but we haven’t got a drop of water,” said Anjali, a resident of the Lower Khalini area. Similar complaints have poured in from parts of Totu, Sanjauli and Jakhu. “In Totu, we get water after four or five days. It is extremely difficult to perform household chores without water for such a long time,” said Vijender Mehra, a local resident. The SJPNL, the company which procures and distributes water within the municipal limits of the city, blamed the shortage on the prolonged dry spell that led to a reduction in the water level at all sources of supply schemes. According to an SJPNL spokesperson, the city was receiving only 33-36 million litres water per day against continued on page 8 Today’s issue is of 18 pages, including four-page Jalandhar Tribune. c m y b Tribune News Service VEDANTA INSTITUTE RBI GRADE B | BANK | SSC ALL GOVT. EXAMS New Batch Starting From st 1 July, 2024 Morning Batch (9:30 AM To 12:30 PM) Online / Offline Course Available Book Your Seats Now 80543-69515 SCO 209, FF, Sec 36 D, CHD No respite from heat in region till Wednesday Vijay Mohan Tribune News Service PM Narendra Modi met Volodymyr Zelenskyy on G7 sidelines. ALL STAKEHOLDERS MUST TAKE PART: ENVOY Pavan Kapoor, a senior Indian diplomat, has said, “We continue to believe that such a peace requires bringing together all stakeholders and a sincere and practical engagement between the two parties to the conflict.” 11 OTHER NATIONS TOO STAYED AWAY Besides India, other nations which stayed away from the final communique included South Africa, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Mexico, Armenia, Libya, Indonesia, Bahrain, Colombia and the UAE. holders as well as the two parties to the conflict to contribute to all earnest efforts to achieve lasting peace in Ukraine,” said the senior diplomat. India’s abstention from the joint communique and sending Secretary (West) in the MEA instead of Kyiv’s desire for a ministerial representation at the least comes two days after PM Narendra Modi continued on page 8 edit: G7 summit Chandigarh, June 16 The heatwave prevailing across north India is expected to continue for the next three days, with little relief expected thereafter as the weather department predicted scattered rain over some parts of Punjab later this week. IMD: Expect rain in parts of Punjab by midweek “Heatwave to severe heatwave conditions are likely to continue over many parts of north India during the next three days and will gradually abate thereafter,” a bulletin issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Sunday. Over the past 24 hours, heatwave to severe continued on page 8 FIR filed over assault on NRI in Himachal AMRITSAR: Taking cognisance of the alleged assault on an NRI in HP the police on , Sunday registered a ‘Zero’ FIR here. NRI Affairs Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal has also written to the HP CM on the issue. INSIDE
The Tribune, now published from Chandigarh, started publication on February 2, 1881, in Lahore (now in Pakistan). It was started by Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia, a public-spirited philanthropist, and is run by a trust comprising four eminent persons as trustees.
The Tribune, the largest selling daily in North India, publishes news and views without any bias or prejudice of any kind. Restraint and moderation, rather than agitational language and partisanship, are the hallmarks of the paper. It is an independent newspaper in the real sense of the term.
The English edition apart, the 133-year-old Tribune has two sister publications, Punjabi Tribune (in Punjabi) and Dainik Tribune (in Hindi).