On Sunday, three suspected terrorists of Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) were arrested from south Kolkata’s Haridevpur area, police said. The arrests were made by the Kolkata Police’s Special Task Force (STF), they said. According to sources, vital documents and diaries have been recovered from the detainees.

As per STF officials, three youths who have been arrested were renting a house in Behala, South Kolkata, and have been living there for a year. They also changed their identities and claimed to be Indian citizens, officials said. Several other documents including Bangladeshi passports were found with the accused. Although the police are investigating whether they are real or fake.

The detainees have been identified as Naziur Rahman Pavel, 30; Mekail Khan, 30; and Rabiul Islam, 22. After interrogation, officials recovered a diary that contains the names and phone numbers of the JMB leaders. Investigations have revealed that the detainees have been in touch with ISIS through their Facebook accounts.

Many JMB militants have been arrested so far, mainly from Birbhum, Malda, or Murshidabad and the arrest of JMB militants in this manner in Kolkata has created a stir.

JMB insurgency has been evident in Bengal, especially since the Khagragarh incident. In December last year, police arrested a man namely Nazimuddin from Birbhum. He was a member of JMB’s Birbhum module. Hence, the subsequent arrest of three people at a time is being hailed as a major success for the STF branch of the Kolkata Police.

Earlier, the police received the inputs about the activation of the JMB Slipper Cell in Kolkata. Later, the police started a man-hunt.

Police also tapped and decrypted the telephonic conversations of the suspects and took vital leads from there. Following the leads, the STF finally succeeded in nabbing the three people from Kolkata.

According to sources, vital information has been procured from the confiscated mobile phones of the suspects. Detectives have obtained the phone numbers of several top JMB leaders.

Police have learned that there were many cases related to the name of Joseph alias Naziur Rahman before. Joseph had also spent three years in prison. Moreover, he had contacts with JMB top leader Al Amin. The militant leader used to keep in touch with Joseph from Bangladeshi jails.

But why are the members of JMB Slipper Cell active again? Meanwhile, the police are trying to find out if the trio had plans to carry out a terror attack in Kolkata.

Zika Virus is a new concern in Kerala, as nearly 15 cases have been reported from the region— one case was reported from the region adjacent to Tamil Nadu–Kerala border and other cases have been reported in the Tiruvandhapuram district of Kerala

The state government has also formulated an action plan to check the spread of the virus. As a measure, the Centre has also sent an expert team to monitor the Zika virus disease in southern states.

The neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu has also intensified the vigil near the TN – Kerala borders to keep the contagion under check. Tight vigilance has been set up at 15 points of borders and check posts in both the states. E-pass is also a mandatory requirement for travelling from Kerala to Tamil Nadu.

Kerala’s health minister Veena George will hold a meeting with health officials, experts, government officials and other senior experts to chart out the plan to tackle the Zika virus. In the meeting, they will also be discuss the spread of the Covid-19 Delta variant in the state, sources said.

The Zika Virus Disease (ZVD) arrives along with the symptoms like fever, rashes, conjunctivitis and joint pain. However, few people die from ZVD and only one in five develops symptoms. The doctors who treated the first Zika virus patient in Kerala have said that the Zika virus is not a very big concern.

As the cases have been reported in Kerala only, the neighbouring states Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are also on high alert. Both the governments are taking multiple steps to ensure that the cases don’t affect the neighbouring states.

“We are stepping up special vigil to monitor the mosquito-borne disease. Coronavirus is the most common infection in the current stage. If the person continues to have fever and headache symptoms, they will be tested for dengue first. If they test negative in the dengue test, then we will forward the samples to the National Institute of Virology for testing for the Zika Virus. But if the Zika Virus is reported in Tamil Nadu, the state government will take steps for the prevention of it. I have already been in touch with all district collectors across Tamil Nadu and we have informed them to monitor the mosquitoes spreading in all districts,” said Tamil Nadu Health Secretary Dr. Radhakrishnan.

India’s inoculation drive, after administering nearly 86 lakh doses on 21 June, has slowed down. While the number plummeted to just 17 lakh on 27 June, as per the latest data shared by the Health Ministry, 37,23,367 vaccine doses were administered on Sunday, taking India’s cumulative vaccination coverage to 37.60 crore. Meanwhile, Maharashtra, Delhi, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand are constantly bickering about vaccine shortage, saying they are left with no option but to shut down vaccination centres.

As vaccine numbers have come down, politics has returned in full fervour. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has alleged that that the vaccination figures of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat are fake. “We have administered over 87 lakh Covid-19 vaccines (first dose). Vaccination in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat is fake. BJP members can’t question their leaders as they will be called traitors,” Baghel said. The Chhattisgarh CM was in Delhi on Sunday to meet his party leadership. 

The Central government, on the other hand, has brushed aside such allegations, saying more than 1.44 crore (1,44,03,485) balance and unutilised Covid vaccine doses are still available with the states/UTs and private hospitals to be administered.

The Union government, however, drew flak from former Niti Aayog vice-chairman Arvind Panagariya, who said that India’s current vaccination rate was “simply not good enough”. He said that the country needs to achieve daily rate of at least 5 to 6 million jabs if the government wanted to inoculate eligible population by end of this year.  

“India’s current vaccination rate of 3 to 4 million per day is simply not good enough. We need to up our game to achieve daily rate of at least 5 to 6 million jabs. Not clear whether the cause is hesitation or insufficient production,” Panagariya said.

The slowdown in vaccination drive has raised the concerns as healthcare experts have already warned about a potential third wave hitting country in September-October. Almost all of them hold that the ferocity of upcoming Covid-19 wave in India would solely depend on vaccination coverage and Covid-appropriate behaviour.

Meanwhile, India reported 41,506 new cases in the last 24 hours. Less than 50,000 daily new cases have been reported for 14 days in a row, taking the country’s active caseload at 454,118. Positivity rate has remained less than 3% for 20 consecutive days, and has remained below 5% for 34 consecutive days now, the Health Ministry data stated.

Under Unlock 7.0 in Delhi, the Arvind Kejriwal government has allowed academic gatherings and meetings in schools and colleges from Monday. However, the students will not be able to attend the institutions physically.

Delhi on Sunday reported as many as 53 new Covid-19 cases and 3 deaths, the city health bulletin said. This is the lowest single-day rise this year. With these numbers, the cumulative total reached 14,35,083, and the toll touched 25,015. Currently, the number of active cases in the national capital is 743. Meanwhile, the positivity rate stands at 0.07%.

“Only teachers and professors will be allowed inside educational institutions for online lectures and other administrative work,” said the notification issued by the government.

The exemption has also been given for Delhi Police and Army personnel to attend skill training classes. They will no longer be required to take permission from the Department of Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) to attend these programmes.

Not more than 50 per cent gathering will be allowed at the auditorium and assembly hall of the school or educational institution, it said.

Spas, social, political, cultural, religious, and other such gatherings continue to remain prohibited.

Last week, the DDMA allowed stadiums and sports complexes to reopen for those training for national and international competitions or to hold such events. However, spectators will continue to be prohibited from entering the stadiums.

Delhi Metro trains and public transport buses have already been allowed to operate with 50 per cent seating capacity under the phased easing of coronavirus restrictions.

Since it was placed under complete lockdown between April 19 and May 30, Delhi has been opening up in a phased manner as the infection rate continues to decline.

Meanwhile, as per an ANI report, more than 90 per cent of the Delhi Police staff fully vaccinated against Covid-19, while nearly all received the first jab. Seventy per cent of police family members have also received both the doses of vaccine and the police force is hopeful to achieve full vaccination shortly.

Police Commissioner Balaji Srivastava also interacted with police personnel through a webinar and exhorted all to encourage their kin to get vaccinated at the earliest.

Although 12 policemen have succumbed to the virus despite having received both doses, the recovery rate remains more than 99 per cent among those who have been vaccinated.

WITH AGENCY INPUTS

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, On the occasion of the World Population Day on Sunday, unveiled its new policy on population control for 2021-30. The aim of the policy is to bring the state’s population growth to 2.1 per cent by 2026 and to 1.9 per cent by 2030. Uttar Pradesh’s current fertility rate is 2.7 per cent.

Speaking at the event, the Uttar Pradesh CM said that increasing population can be a hurdle in the way of development. Every community has been taken care of in Population Policy 2021-2030.

The CM stressed that population control is the primary condition for the establishment of a progressive society. “Increasing population is the root of major problems including inequality prevailing in the society. Population control is the primary condition for the establishment of a progressive society,” he said.

“Across the world, from time to time, concerns have been expressed that increasing population can be a hurdle in development, and for the past four decades discussions on it are going on. Population growth is also related to poverty. Every community has been taken care of in Population Policy 2021-2030,” the CM said.

The Uttar Pradesh State Law Commission had on Saturday released the first draft of the bill aimed at population control and has sought public opinion by 19 July. Through the proposed policy, efforts will be made to increase the accessibility of contraceptive measures issued under the family planning programme and provide a proper system for safe abortion. It also aims to promote a two-child policy, violation of which would mean people will be debarred from contesting local body elections, applying for government jobs, or even receiving any government subsidy.

“The State Law Commission has given a proposal for population control and welfare. We’ve proposed that any couple that follows the two-child policy will be given all government benefits. They’ll be able to avail all government welfare schemes,” said UP Law Commission chairman Aditya Nath Mittal.

Meanwhile, the Congress said that the UP government is all about talks and demanded a discussion over the issue in the Assembly. Whether it’s about controlling Covid, crime or population, the UP government doesn’t want to do anything substantial and is only indulging in headline management, a party leader said.

Hitting out at those critical of the Adityanath government’s steps aimed at stabilising the population in Uttar Pradesh, Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Sunday said that the move should not be communalised. “Those who are linking the population control mission to a particular religion, they are trying to impose their distorted mentality and communal thinking. We should welcome the step taken by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. This step will prove to be a gift for the society and the generations to come.”

With a population of 21 crore, Uttar Pradesh has been the most populous state in India. The state elections are just a few months away. Recently, Assam too took a similar decision in the state.

With trigger-happy Taliban on the rampage in a bid to wrest control of key government-controlled parts of Afghanistan, India has decided to play it safe by monitoring the situation more frequently and regularly, given its huge investment in the war-torn country.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) informed, “Around 50 diplomats and other staff members at the consulate in Afghanistan’s Kandahar have been evacuated in view of intense fighting near Kandahar city.” The personnel were flown to Delhi last evening by special Air Force plane.

Sources told The Daily Guardian that External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has spoken to his Afghan counterpart Mohammad Haneef Atmar on the situation there. “Whatever has been done is nothing but a temporary measure by India to keep its people safe from Taliban’s terror,” Atmar was assured, sources said.

“India is closely monitoring the evolving security situation in Afghanistan. The safety and security of our personnel is paramount, said MEA. “The Consulate General of India in Kandahar has not been closed. However due to intense fighting near Kandahar city, India-based personnel have been brought back for the time being. I want to emphasise that this is a purely temporary measure until the situation stabilises. The Consulate continues to operate through our local staff members,” added the statement by MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.

In fact, the MEA sought to dispel the impression being created at this point of time that India is going to trim its presence in Afghanistan and “withdrawal” of diplomats and personnel is the beginning. Indian officials have strongly objected to Pakistan-based propagandists spreading rumour that India is running away from Afghanistan even as the country is in trouble due to resurgence of Taliban.

Though the MEA has steered clear of coming on record with rebuttal to Pakistan-based rumour-mongers obviously backed by officials in Islamabad, diplomats in MEA told TDG that India is just monitoring and reviewing the situation on daily basis, and it will do what is the best to take care of its heavy investment (to the tune of $3 billion) in Afghanistan. Moreover, India is committed to the cause of a stable and developed Afghanistan. 

According to sources, MEA is also assessing the intelligence inputs saying that terrorists of groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed are backing Taliban in Afghanistan. What India is wary of is that these terrorists are out to target Indian missions in Afghanistan and citizens of the country. Terrorists of these organisations have been spotted in various regions sharing the border with Pakistan.

While monitoring the “grim” situation in Afghanistan, India is also waiting for powerful countries such as the US, Russia, UK, etc, to react to what is happening in the trouble-torn nation amid the withdrawal of NATO and American forces from there. India wants a strong message to Taliban who are bleeding Afghanistan. 

Jaishankar has already been quite active to draw the attention of the global community on Taliban’s resurgence in Afghanistan and other attendant problems. It was Jaishankar who had sought an immediate intervention of the global community to ensure that ceasefire violation in Afghanistan is stopped.  

“For enduring peace in Afghanistan, terrorist safe havens and sanctuaries must be dismantled immediately and terrorist supply chains disrupted. There needs to be zero tolerance for terrorism in all its forms and manifestations including its cross-border one” Jaishankar had once told the United Nations. “It is equally important to ensure that the territory of Afghanistan is not used by terrorist groups to threaten or attack any other country. Those providing material and financial support to terrorist entities must be held accountable,” he had emphatically said.

“The Afghan government has been told in no uncertain terms to ensure that India’s mission is protected and Afghanistan’s soil should not be allowed to be used by terror organisations for anti-India activities,” sources said.   

India’s presence in Afghanistan has been as a major development and civilian reconstruction partner. India’s role in Afghanistan has also been focused on the development and aid aspect of the security-development complex in the country. Infrastructure development, capacity building, humanitarian aid among other initiatives have been the focus. But what is worrying now is that the Taliban have been rapidly gaining control of some of the key cities in the country ever since the US finalised its exit, ending a 20-year-long war.

While discussing India’s plan ahead in Afghanistan, what diplomats cannot lose sight of is the fact that if Afghan provinces fell to the Taliban and war intensified, Pakistan’s military the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) would exploit the prevailing chaos. Both the establishments of Pakistan will try and foment trouble for India in Afghanistan. “So India needs to formulate its strategy to tackle this possible scenario in Kabul,” says an official.