1. Army chief begins two-day visit to Manipur to assess ground situation

Army chief General Manoj Pande reached Manipur on Saturday on a two-day visit. He will interact with the local formation commanders and obtain a first-hand account of the situation on the ground, the Army said.

The Army and the Assam Rifles launched multiple search operations in the Kangchuk, Motbung, Saikul, Pukhao and Sagolmang areas of Manipur in the early hours of Saturday to track down any armed insurgents operating in these areas.

As the internal security situation worsened in Manipur, the State administration had requisitioned the Army and the Assam Rifles on May 3 for deployment of troops. “Army and Assam Rifles deployed 135 columns to diffuse the situation by carrying out active domination of sensitive and fringe areas. Approximately 35,000 civilians were evacuated to safe zones and humanitarian aid was provisioned,” the Army said in a statement.

Restoring normalcy

On Sunday, Gen. Pande will meet Governor Anusuiya Uikey, Chief Minister N. Biren Singh and Chief Security Adviser Kuldiep Singh to discuss and deliberate on the current situation and future trajectory, in order to restore normalcy at the earliest, the statement added.

The Army’s Dimapur-based 3 Corps said on Twitter that the operations are part of overall ongoing efforts by the Army and the Assam Rifles to restore peace and normalcy in the State. “Army columns are using latest technology weapons and other force multipliers while operating in the forested mountainous areas,” it stated.

On Friday too, security forces intensified domination across the State. Army teams in Imphal East and Churachandpur had prevented a firing incident between the two communities as armed miscreants fired shots. However, no casualties were reported.

Constructive dialogue

Earlier this week, Eastern Army Commander Lt. Gen R.P. Kalita was on a three-day visit to Manipur to assess and review the security situation.

He visited Kangpokpi, Matripukhri, Churachandpur, Bishnupur, Yaingangpokpi and Moreh. “During his meetings with local stakeholders, including members from all communities and several civil society organisations, the Eastern Army Commander urged suspension of hostilities by all sections of society. He urged the people of Manipur to carry out constructive dialogue to ensure lasting peace in the region,” a tweet from 3 Corps said.

2. Sengol a symbol of transfer of power, but it didn’t get due respect until now, says PM

The sceptre connects the glorious traditions of pre-colonial India to the future of Independent India, but it was kept on display as a ‘walking stick’ at a museum, says Modi; he highlights the role of Tamil Nadu in the freedom struggle and said the southern State was a bastion of Indian nationalism

In a scathing attack on the Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the Sengol (sceptre), which was a symbol of the transfer of power from the British in 1947, should have got its due respect after Independence, but was kept on display as a “walking stick” in a museum in Prayagraj.

Mr. Modi made the remarks after receiving a Sengol from Tamil Nadu Adheenams (heads of Hindu monasteries) at his residence here on the eve of the inauguration of the new Parliament building.

Mr. Modi said “your sevak” and the government have brought the Sengol out of Anand Bhavan. The sceptre holds significance not only because it was a sacred symbol of power transfer in 1947 but also because it connected the glorious traditions of pre-colonial India to the future of Independent India, the Prime Minister said.

Mr. Modi said a question had arisen over the symbol of transfer of power from the British in 1947 and under the guidance of the last Governor-General of India, C. Rajagopalachari, and the Adheenams, a virtuous path of power transfer through the Sengol was found from ancient Tamil culture.

At that time in 1947, the Thiruvavaduthurai Adheenam created a special Sengol, he said.

“Today, pictures from that era are reminding us of the deep emotional bond between Tamil culture and India’s destiny as a modern democracy. Today, the saga of this deep bond has come alive from the pages of history,” Mr. Modi said.

The Congress claimed on Friday that there was no documentary evidence of Lord Mountbatten, Rajagopalachari and Jawaharlal Nehru describing the Sengol as a symbol of transfer of power from the British to India.

Mr. Modi highlighted the role of Tamil Nadu in the freedom struggle and said the southern State was a bastion of Indian nationalism.

Noting that the Tamil people have always had a spirit of service, he said, “It is very unfortunate that the contribution of the people of Tamil Nadu in India’s Independence was not given the importance it should have been given.”

He added that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had started raising this issue prominently.

3. Odisha produces over 13 million tonnes of foodgrains

Despite being prone to severe weather conditions, Odisha has produced 13.606 million tonnes of foodgrains in 2022-23 – the highest ever annual production for the State, through scientific interventions and extension programmes. “The foodgrains production of Odisha for 2022-23 is estimated to be 13.606 million tonnes. We are grateful to all the farmers, extension workers, Scientists, and stakeholders for the incredible results,” said Arabinda Kumar Padhee, Secretary, Odisha’s Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment. The State had surpassed the 13 million tonne-mark in foodgrains production, in 2020-21.

4. In Udaipur, court injunction a new deterrent against child marriages

Legal action through court injunctions — a provision that existed in law but was rarely invoked earlier — is being hailed as a major step towards stopping child marriages in the tribal-dominated region of Udaipur district in Rajasthan.

It was used here for the first time in April when Khairwara Judicial Magistrate Yatindra Chaudhary issued an injunction under Section 13(1) of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, on an application filed by Gayatri Seva Sansthan.

It declared that a child marriage in the town solemnised in contravention of the order would be void ab initio (since the beginning) and violators would draw a jail term of up to two years and fine up to ₹1 lakh.

The district administration, the District Legal Services Authority, Gayatri Seva Sansthan and several public-spirited citizens have joined hands for “practical application” of Section 13(1), which has been seldom used since the enactment of the legislation.

With the injunction declaring the child marriage null and void, the bride and bridegroom are not required to wait till they become adults to take legal action to get their marriage dissolved. Section 13(3) of the Act also empowers the court of the judicial magistrate to take suo motucognisance of a child marriage on the basis of any reliable report.

Giving information

While the administration’s ‘child marriage-free Udaipur’ campaign will continue in the district till June 30, people have started coming forward to inform nodal officers about the weddings.

The administration has also announced a cash prize of ₹2,100 for giving information on helpline numbers.

The campaign’s convener and former member of the Rajasthan State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, Shailendra Pandya, said task forces appointed at the district, panchayat samiti and village levels were monitoring rural families to ensure that no child was forced into wedlock.

Integrated Child Protection Scheme deputy director Meena Sharma said about half-a-dozen child marriages had been stopped since the campaign was launched and the process was under way for getting the injunction orders for them.

According to the National Family Health Survey-5, released in May 2022, 24.5% of women aged 20 to 24 in Rajasthan reported that they were married before 18 years of age.

5. ‘Ukrainian drones attack Russian oil pipeline stations’

A station serving the Druzhba oil pipeline that sends crude oil to Europe came under attacks, according to Russian media; Kyiv has not publicly acknowledged launching strikes

Ukraine struck oil pipeline installations deep inside Russia on Saturday with a series of drone attacks including on a station serving the vast Druzhba oil pipeline that sends Western Siberian crude to Europe, according to Russian media.

Ukrainian drone attacks inside Russia have been growing in intensity in recent weeks, and the New York Times reported that U.S. intelligence believes Ukraine was behind a drone attack on the Kremlin earlier this month.

Ukraine has not publicly acknowledged launching attacks against targets inside Russia. The Ukrainian Defence Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Saturday. In the Tver region, which lies just northwest of Moscow, two drones attacked a station that serves the Druzhba (Friendship) pipeline, one of the world’s largest oil pipelines, the Kommersant newspaper said.

The Tver local council said that a drone had crashed near the village of Erokhino, around 500 km from the border with Ukraine. The Telegram channel Baza, which has good sources among Russia’s security services, said the drones attacked a station serving the Druzhba pipeline. Druzhba, built by the Soviet Union, has capacity to pump more than 2 million barrels per day but has been severely under-utilised after Europe sought to reduce its dependency on Russian energy after President Vladimir Putin sent troops into Ukraine last year.