Daily Briefing: The Prince, the ‘king’, and sea cows

On that note, let’s get to the rest of the edition👇

🚨Big Story

Madvi Hidma, one of the most wanted leaders within the Naxal ranks, was killed in an encounter in Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday. Hidma was responsible for over two dozen deadly attacks, including the one in Tadmetla in 2010, which killed 76 CRPF personnel, and the 2013 Jhiram Ghati (Darbha) attack, which wiped out the Congress leadership in Chhattisgarh.

The hunt: Hidma was recruited as a child by Maoists in Chhattisgarh, and swiftly rose through the ranks, turning into a headache for security forces. Jayprakash S Naidu speaks to the security officers who had pursued Hidma for years. They recount how he became their “nemesis”.

Also read: Vivekanand Sinha, Additional Director General (ADG), Anti-Naxal Operations, Chhattisgarh, who spearheaded the operation that killed the Maoist commander, speaks to The Indian Express about the encounter and the road ahead for Maoists.

Making of the myth: For decades, Hidma’s name travelled through the forests as a warning, a legend, and even a myth. Hailing from a tiny village on the Sukma-Bijapur border, Hidma grew up entirely inside the movement. There are few photographs of this wiry tribal man, who dons a thin moustache and an AK-47. And he managed to elude security forces on several occasions. We trace Hidma’s rise to the top, and explain why his killing has dealt a big blow to the Maoists.

‘It’s over’: Hidma isn’t the first big loss for the outfit. Earlier this year, top leaders like Basavaraju and Sonu were killed by security forces. Experts believe that the Maoists will struggle to fill the void left behind by these leaders. Amid these killings, surrenders and internal divisions, is this the end of the road for Maoists? Nikhila Henry decodes.

🎧 For more on Hidma’s killing, tune in to today’s ‘3 Things’ podcast episode.

⚡Only in Express

Prince and the ‘King’: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met US President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday, marking the start of his week-long visit to the States. Trump brushed aside concerns over the Saudi government’s involvement in the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, instead batting for Saudi investments in the US. Columnist C Raja Mohan writes that the strengthening of the US-Saudi partnership is strategic for both countries, given MbS’s aspirations and Washington’s need for Riyadh’s cooperation in stabilising the Middle East. Read.

📰 From the Front Page

In hiding: Post Sheikh Hasina’s fall in Bangladesh, several leaders of her party, the Awami League, are either in jail or living in exile. Now, a special tribunal has awarded her the death penalty for “crimes against humanity”. The Indian Express spoke to some of the League’s top leaders, who condemned the order. They also insist that the party be unbanned — they can only return if there is “political inclusion”.

Case files: A purported video of Umar Nabi, who drove the i20 car that exploded near the Red Fort on November 10, has surfaced on social media. In the 1-minute-20-second video, Umar is heard talking about “martyrdom operations” and “suicide bombing”. Investigators probing the terror module he was part of told The Indian Express that the video has been extracted from his own mobile phone.

📌 Must Read

‘Vulnerable’: Meet Dugongs — the gentle giants of the oceans that are also known as “sea cows” due to their exclusive herbivorous diet of seagrass meadows. These plump animals with dolphin fluke-like tails are believed to have inspired ancient seafaring tales of mermaids. Today, they face the threat of extinction. Alind Chauhan explains why.

‘One last time’: The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have decided to retain their thala. But M S Dhoni, now 44, is hardly the finisher he used to be. His last significantly higher score in the IPL was six years ago. As national sports editor Sandeep Dwivedi writes, CSK’s seemingly puzzling call explains the economics and eccentricities of IPL. It isn’t that IPL teams don’t care about winning, but they also want to grab the most eyeballs. And what better way than a jam-packed Chepauk stadium chanting “Dhoni, Dhoni”.

⏳ And Finally…

In our ongoing series, ’25 Years of Indian Cinema,’ our film critic, Shubhra Gupta, turns the spotlight on 2013. This was the year the Dhoom franchise delivered its weakest performance, and the imbroglio involving Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Goliyon Ki Rasleela kicked off an era of interference that shows no signs of slowing down. But between all the big-budget blockbusters, a few others stood out: Queen, Kai Po Che, Madras Cafe and Shudh Desi Romance.

That’s all for today, folks! Until tomorrow,
Sonal Gupta

Business As Usual by EP Unny