Good morning, It is usually believed in some cultures that the dead arrive at the funeral of their loved ones, however, in a bizarre incident on November 14, a man, who was presumed to be dead by his family, after he went missing from his home in Ahmedabad’s Naroda in October, showed up at his own memorial service. When a decomposed body was recovered from the Sabarmati river in Ahmedabad, his family mistakenly identified as the man’s, following which they performed his last rites. They were holding a mourning service when the man appeared at the gathering, sending shockwaves to the family and the police. The looming question: Then, whom did the family just cremate? With that, let’s move on to today’s edition: Manipur tensed Kailash Gahlot resigns India yearns for Shami 🚨 Big Story The abduction and death of members of a Meitei family has been at the centre of massive protests that have engulfed Manipur’s Jiribam since last week. Bodies of two women and three children have been found so far, while tensions continue to escalate in the district. Uncertainty prevails: On November 11, a relief camp at Borobekra in Jiribam district came under attack by armed men, with the Manipur police claiming they were Hmar militants. The men targeted vacated houses of Hmar families, and at least four churches with vandalism and arson. As 33-year-old Sandhya Devi, who finds herself stranded at the camp, grapples with the death of her 61-year-old mother Y Rani Devi, who was abducted from the camp last week, people at the camp continue to remain targets of the attackers. Setback for Biren? Amidst the chaos, Conrad Sangma’s National People’s Party (NPP), the second-largest ally with seven MLAs in the BJP-led NDA state government, withdrew its support to the ruling alliance citing its failure to “restore normalcy” while expressing “deep concern” over the rising violence. This pullout represents a political setback, signalling further erosion in support for the administration. AFSPA returns: Citing the “volatile” situation and “active participation of insurgent groups in heinous acts of violence” as reasons, the Centre last week reimposed the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in six police station areas of Manipur. This comes as parts of the Imphal Valley face curfew after widespread arson and attacks on the homes of politicians. What impact did AFSPA have in the Valley? We explain. 💡 Only in Express “Academic freedom also means that people are free to express their opinion within reasonable limits of some rules so that you don’t offend each other or be violent. If I have the right to express an opinion, I also have to be mindful of other’s rights.” In the latest edition of Idea Exchange, Somak Raychaudhury, Vice-Chancellor of Ashoka University and one of India’s best-known astrophysicists, speaks on the synergy between science and liberal arts, and the need for universities to prioritise research and politics on campus. 📰 From the Front Page A challenge in Maharashtra: With curtains about to fall over campaigning in Maharashtra and voters all set to cast their ballots on Wednesday, all political parties face a sharp and shared challenge. In the first Assembly polls since the splitting of parties, voter distrust of party politics seems to have a new edge. This erosion of trust is likely to play a part this time around, but more significantly, in a party-led representative democracy, it serves as a red signal for the future of the state’s politics. AAP takes a hit: In a major setback for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ahead of next year’s Assembly polls in Delhi, Kailash Gahlot resigned from the primary membership of the party and the council of ministers yesterday. In a scathing letter of resignation, Gahlot said that the party has moved from fighting for people’s rights to fighting for its political agenda. ⚡ Must Read "In this sphere of imagining Goan-ness by non-Goans, the former have no interior life. Their lives are mostly, if not exclusively, a series of public events." In our Opinion pages today, Sanjay Srivastava reflects on Goa, the kind of tourism it inspires and its "everyday exoticisation". A shadowy trail: In 2020, two years after he left for Canada, gangster Arshdeep Singh Gill made a trip to India. Investigations revealed later that the trip was to kill a friend-turned-rival Sukha Lamme. For months afterwards, he allegedly operated Lamme’s social media handle, using his identity to expand his extortion and smuggling rackets. The deception came to light a year later, but by then Dalla had returned to Canada, orchestrating a sprawling crime syndicate from his base in Surrey. In an unprecedented move, the Chhattisgarh Waqf Board chairman has issued circulars saying all sermons given during the Friday prayers will be vetted in advance to prevent any political speeches being made. Sources say the decision came after the board was informed that the board had reports of “anti-government” speeches in some mosques in the BJP-ruled state. ⏳ And Finally… Desperate for Shami: After the 0-3 home series whitewash against the Kiwis induced panic among Indian team management, all eyes are on pacers, expected to play a big role in the Border-Gavaskar series. Of this batch, a particular 34-year-old has provided cause for optimism after his performance in the Ranji Trophy game against Madhya Pradesh. At his fittest, Shami can bowl at a quick enough pace and gets skiddy bounce from a good length, virtues that are useful on Australian pitches. 🎧 In our 3 Things podcast today, we discuss the implementation of GRAP stage IV in a smog-covered Delhi, a horrific car accident that killed six people in Dehradun, and a severe case of ragging in a Medical college in Gujarat leading to the death of a student. Don't miss! That’s all for today. Until tomorrow, Ariba and Ayesha Jain
