Daily Briefing: Jammu’s security challenge; India advances to hockey semis at Olympics; Fresh violence in Bangladesh; & more

‘Abrogating Article 370 was necessary, but not sufficient condition for ending terrorism’

In today’s Opinion piece, MN Sabharwal and Manish Sabharwal explore the five interconnected forces that have fueled terrorism in the Valley, from fraught federalism and separatist politics to Cold War geopolitics. They also discuss how recent attacks on the army in the Jammu region serve as a reminder that the task of eradicating terror in J&K is far from complete, highlighting the solutions needed to address the situation.

👉 Amid the recent waves of violence in Bangladesh, the Indian government on Sunday night strongly advised all its citizens to avoid traveling to the neighbouring country until further notice and all Indian nationals currently residing in Bangladesh to exercise “extreme caution” and limit their movements

On Sunday, nearly 100 people, including 14 policemen, were killed and hundreds were injured in intense clashes between protesters demanding Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation and supporters of the ruling party across various regions of Bangladesh. In response, authorities have cut off mobile internet and imposed a nationwide curfew for an indefinite period.

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‘Hurts when India calls protests internal affair of Bangladesh’

In an interview with the Indian Express, Nobel laureate and Grameen Bank founder Professor Muhammad Yunus highlights that the crisis in Bangladesh stems from the “absence of democracy.” He warns that the turmoil could “spill over” into neighboring countries and explains why India’s stance—treating the protests as Bangladesh’s internal matter—”hurts.”

🇫🇷 Express at Paris Olympics

While India secured a 4-2 victory over Great Britain in a penalty shootout, it was not without facing unprecedented adversity, playing with ten men for most of the match. If the past was anything to go by, the Indian team might have wilted under such pressure. However, on Sunday, at the sun-drenched Stade Yves-du-Manoir, they demonstrated a level of tactical dexterity not commonly associated with them. We analyse how the Indian hockey team mounted a thrilling comeback to advance to the semifinals.

Saint Lucia was once among the 70 countries that had never won a medal at the Olympic Games—until Saturday night, when Julien Alfred crossed the finish line in 10.72 seconds, a blur in a sky-blue jersey, to claim gold. We trace the journey of a girl who aspired to be like Usain Bolt and has now become a Bolt-like figure of inspiration for her island.

📌 Only in the Express

Andhra Pradesh Minister for HRD, IT, Electronics and Real-Time Governance, Nara Lokesh joins The Indian Express’ Nikhila Henry in the latest Idea Exchange. Catch their chat on the Andhra government’s ambitious skill census project, the financial crisis in the state and decentralised development plans. Lokesh, the son of chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, is also the national general secretary of the Telugu Desam Party.

⚡Must Read

After a stabbing incident in Southport rocked England last week, the anti-immigration protests have flared up in the UK, culminating in protesters breaking hotel windows and setting bins ablaze in Rotherham on Sunday. Condemning the latest wave of unrest, Prime Minister Keir Starmer termed the protests “far-right thuggery”.

In her latest column, Neerja Chowdhury reflects on caste returning to the centre of the political narrative: “It is not just the regional outfits but also major national parties which are eyeing the OBC vote today, with the Congress a more recent entrant to the game.”

Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter, and Paul Whelan, a former US Marine, were freed last week as a part of the biggest prisoner swap between Russia and the West since the Cold War. Since time immemorial, rival groups have used prisoners as leverage against the enemy. We shed light on how prisoners often act as pawns in international power politics, and why securing their release is not ‘easy’. 

➡️ And Finally..

In wake of rising manhole cover thefts in Mumbai, the BMC is eyeing to resurrect the pilot smart manhole cover project a year after its launch. After the project found itself in the doldrums owing to technical issues, BMC is now appointing agencies to install smart sensors over manhole covers in some roads on a trial basis. We report.

Delhi Confidential: Two years after its inauguration, the Prime Ministers’ Museum on Sunday saw former PM H D Deve Gowda visiting his own gallery, one of the 14 dedicated to all Indian PMs so far. Officials say he was overwhelmed with the experience. Don’t miss our latest column for more!

In the latest episode of our ‘3 Things’ podcast, host Niharika Nanda talks to Arnabjit Sur about three UPSC aspirants who were killed in the basement of a coaching centre in Delhi, Abhinaya Harigovind speaks about a report on how equivalence can be achieved across different school boards in the country, and we take a look at the violence in Bangladesh. Tune in!

Until tomorrow,

Aradhana Kalia and Ayesha Jain

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