DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA ● REG.NO. MCS/067/2018 - 20 RNI REGN. NO. 1543/57 JOURNALISM OF COURAGE SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2024, MUMBAI, LATE CITY, 20 PAGES `5.00 ● WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM SINCE 1932 U.S. TARIFF HIKE KICKS IN 88 116 142 75 BUSINESS AS USUAL BY UNNY Electronics to solar equipment to steel, India grapples with China Shock 2.0 Imports from China crossed $100 bn in 2023-24 despite curbs imposed by India RAVI DUTTA MISHRA NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 27 A STEEP HIKE in tariffs including a 100 per cent duty on electric vehicles by the US on imports from China kicked in Friday, as the world’s top economy along with India and a dozen other countries grapple with a rapid influx of goods — dubbed China Shock 2.0 — into global markets. The US tariff hikes also include a 50 per cent duty on solar cells and 25 per cent on steel, aluminum, EV batteries and some minerals. The renewed wave of goods exports by China is not just driven by its ambition to move up the export value chain to high-tech sectors such as solar equipment,electricvehicles,and semiconductors; it now comes amid a demand slump at home, andisintensifyingtradetensions internationally. Indiaandseveral othercountries have moved to impose a freshwaveof anti-subsidymeasures,fearingarepeatof themanufacturing job losses that occurred in the years since China joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) in the early 2000s. In 2024 alone, India imposed over 30 anti-dumping investigations against China, the most against any country. The products under scrutiny include industrial items such as plastic processing machines, vacuuminsulatedflasks,weldedstainless steel pipes and tubes, soft ferrite cores, and industrial laser machines, among others. Indian businesses seeking multiple extensions of anti-dumping duties have argued that China is not a market economy and is causing harmtoIndianbusinessesbyusing predatory methods to eliminate competition. The question in the 2000s was whether China would become the “next great capitalist tiger” or remainthe “world’s last great communist dragon.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 E E X P L A I NE D 28/09/2024 Weaning away ● not easy FACING slowdown, Beijing’s exports of excess capacity to the world has led over a dozen countries to impose duties and non-tariff barriers. But given the extent of imports, it will not be easy for India to wean away from China. In the battlegrounds of Haryana, voters say Cong ahead but BJP not out of contest Union Home Minister Amit Shah addresses a public meeting in Rewari on Friday. PTI will not sweep the polls either. LIZ MATHEW “It is not a one-sided election. Of KURUKSHETRA (HARYANA), course,theCongresshasanedge, SEPTEMBER 27 because there is a general feeling that it is time for a change, AS THEelectionbattleunfoldsin there is a desire for change after Haryana, the Congress appears 10 years of BJP rule,” he says. to be ahead in the perception For Jai Kishan Sharma, a battle across the state but peo- young marketing officer for a ple in the Kurukshetramultinational company Karnal region insist that in the village of Takhana the BJP, facing anti-inin neighbouring Karnal cumbency after being in district, the work done power for 10 years, is not by the local BJP MLA — yet out of the picture. DECISION making drinking water In Kurukshetra town, available and a cleanli2024 Sandeep Singla, who ness drive — is what will HARYANA runs a hardware shop, matter come October 5, admitsitwillnotbeaneasyelec- when all 90 Assembly seats in tion for the BJP even though the state go to polls. Naveen Jindal, who joined the Comparing Chief Minister party before the Lok Sabha polls, Nayab SinghSainiwithhis predwon the Kurukshetra Lok Sabha ecessor and current Union seat just a few months ago. Cabinet Minister Manohar Lal However, Singla says Congress CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 THE LEBANON BORDER HEATS UP Israeli armour in formation, amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel, in northern Israel. Reuters HYDERABAD, NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 27 YSR CONGRESS Party president and former chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy Friday cancelled his proposed visit to Tirumala after leaders of the ruling Telugu Desam Party and BJP asked him to fill a form declaring his faith before entering the Lord Venkateswara temple. YSRCP vs TDP ever since Naidu blamed Jagan party for adulterated laddu ghee Jagan was supposed to leave for Tirumala Friday evening and Maldives President says acted against his ministers who had criticised Modi SHUBHAJIT ROY NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 27 AS NEW Delhi and Male discuss dates for a possible bilateral visit by Mohamed Muizzu, the Maldives President has condemned the mocking of Prime Minister Narendra Modi by two Maldivianministersandalsodenied pursuing any anti-India agenda. Muizzu’s official visit, which could not take place in September due to a scheduling conflict, is now being planned next month, and, sources said, could take place as early as October second week. However, the two sides are still trying to work out the best mutually convenient available dates. The Maldives President’s softening of public criticism against India is setting the stage for a visit. His comments were made in the US which he is visitingfortheUNGeneralAssembly. In an interaction at the ‘Dean’s Leadership Series’ of Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs, Muizzu came for Modi’s third term inaugural in June Muizzusaiditwaswrongfor the DeputyMinisterstoinsultPrime Minister Narendra Modi. “No one should say such a thing. I took action against it. I will not accept insulting anyone like that, whether he is a leader or an ordinary person. Every human being has a reputation,” he said,asreportedbyMaldivianlocal media outlet Adhadhu. Earlier this year, Deputy Youth Ministers Malsha Shareef andMariyamShiunacalledModi names in social media posts. They were both on suspension with pay following the incident that caused a diplomatic CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 Kerala ATM heist, vanishing Creta & a 12-km chase: TN cops crack robbery in 7 hrs MAHARASHTRA EC seeks explanation from govt, police for not complying with directions to transfer officials DAMINI NATH & MOHAMED THAVER NEW DELHI, MUMBAI, SEPTEMBER 27 THE ELECTION Commission Fridaysoughtexplanationsfrom the Maharashtra government andpoliceafterfindingthatthey failed to comply with its instructions to transfer officials ahead of the Assembly elections in the state. With elections due in Questioned over his faith, Jagan cancels Tirupati visit, slams Naidu SREENIVAS JANYALA & NIKHILA HENRY PAGE16 Muizzu set to visit Delhi next month: ‘We never followed India Out policy’ visit the temple on Saturday. His proposed visit was met with protests by the TDP, Jana Sena Party and BJP, who called for rallies to disrupt his plan. Jaganandhispartyhavebeen in the eye of a storm ever since the TDP led by Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu blamed the YSRCP for adulterated ghee containinganimalfatallegedlymaking it to Tirupati laddus. Addressing reporters, Jagan tried to clear the air on the CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 November, the EC had on July 31 instructed the government and police to transfer all those officials who are posted in their home districts and those who have been in the same place for three or more years. The Chief Secretary and Director General of Police were askedtosubmitaction-takenreports by August 20. DespiteremindersonAugust 22, September 11 and September25,theECisyettoget the full reports, it said in a letter to the Chief Secretary Friday. While a partial report from the AdditionalDGP was sent,“no report has been received in the Commission from the Chief Secretary tilldate”,theEC wrote. Asking for the reports to be sent immediately, the EC asked the Chief Secretary and DGP to “explain the circumstances as to why the compliance reports havenotbeenfurnishedevenafter the lapse of stipulated time limit despite reminders in the matter”. According to sources, the issue came up during the EC’s review of election preparations in Mumbai on Friday. The poll panel, comprising Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, ElectionCommissionerGyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioner Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, started the two-day review on Friday. The CEC is learnt to have expressed his displeasure at the delay in complying with the EC’s instructions. CONTINUEDONPAGE4 COLDPLAY TICKETS After complaint of black marketing, EOW summons CEO of BookMyShow parent firm EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE MUMBAI, SEPTEMBER 27 MUMBAI POLICE’S Economic OffencesWing(EOW)hasissued a summons to Ashish Hemrajani, CEO of Big Tree Entertainment Private Limited, along with the company's technical head, for inquiry in a complaint regarding black marketingof concertticketsof Coldplay, a renowned British rock band. A senior police officer con- firmed the development and said a summons have been issued to Hemrajani as part of the preliminaryinquiry(PE)opened in the matter by the agency. The EOW has asked them to appear before the investigating officer on Saturday to record their statements. The police have begun a probe into the matter after an advocate filed a complaint with the EOW regarding the alleged blackmarketingof ticketsforthe concert, scheduled in January 2025. Advocate Amit Vyas had on September 23 filed a complaint with the EOW, making allegations against 23 individuals and entities, including Big Tree Entertainment Private Limited and Hemrajani. The company owns BookMyShow, where the tickets were sold. The band will perform at DY Patil Sports Stadium in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, on January 18, 19, and 21, 2025. The CONTINUEDONPAGE4 The gang broke open three SBI ATMs using a gas cutter in Kerala’s Thrissur district early on Friday. PTI ARUN JANARDHANAN THE CHASE A DARING ATM heist, a car that seemed to vanish into thin air, and a 12-km chase that ended in an encounter kept police in two states busy early Friday. Between2.30amand4amon Friday, a gang looted Rs 65 lakh from three State Bank of India ATMsinMapranam,Kolazhy,and ShornurRoadinKerala’sThrissur district,usingagascuttertobreak them open and spray paint to block the cameras. Once alerted, police started tracking CCTV footage to figure outwherethegang’swhiteCreta was heading. The car was visible at several points along the Thrissur-Coimbatorehighway— until it wasn’t. However, something else caughttheattentionof theinves- Truck intercepted at barricade in Komarapalayam, Namakkal (Tamil Nadu) CHENNAI, SEPTEMBER 27 Coimbatore Kerala Thrissur Erode Car and truck spotted on ThrissurCoimbatore highway tigators.Inthefootagewherethe Creta was last seen, a large container truck had appeared out of nowhere. The timing appeared too perfect to be a coincidence. The police began piecing together the most likely theory — that the robbers hid the Creta CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 A granddaughter writes: Before CJI Ahmadi, there was Aziz the prankster PAGE 1 ANCHOR AJOY SINHA KARPURAM NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 27 ATAtimewhenIndiawascaught in the throes of the independence movement and the allied powerswereembroiledinWorld War II, a teenager who went by the name of Aziz Mushabber Ahmadi was involved in far simplerpursuits—gettingintostreet fights and playing pranks on the local police in Surat. It was beyond anyone’s ex- pectations that this “wild, uncontrollable child” with a “zest for adventure (that)couldnotbe contained” would go on to become a lawyer, let alone a judge and eventually the Chief Justice of India — only the third Muslim toevertobeCJI.Beforehemoved to the Supreme Court, where he wasCJIfrom1994to1997,Justice Ahmadi was a judge of the Gujarat High Court and earlier, was part of the bar in the Bombay High Court. Itisthisseeminglyaudacious arc that Justice Ahmadi’s granddaughter, journalist Insiyah Vahanvaty, traces in The Fearless Judge:TheLifeandTimesofJustice A.M. Ahmadi. Published by Juggernaut, the biography holds a mirror to the life and times of a judgewho has beenat the centre of some of the most seminal judgmentsof independentIndia. Justice Ahmadi was part of thenine-judgebenchinthe1994 SRBommaivUnionof Indiacase which placed the guardrails on theimpositionof President’srule over a state under Article 356 of theConstitutionof India.In1992, he was a part of another ninejudge bench in Indra Sawhney v Union of India, where the court recognisedthe‘creamylayer’exclusion in reservation for Other Backward Castes and upheldthe Former CJI Ahmadi with his granddaughter Insiyah Vahanvaty in Pune in 2022. Shaurya Roy 50% ceiling for reservation. But as the author notes, it all began on a much discordant note for “prankster” Aziz, a youngboybornin1932toanonpractising Dawoodi Bohra family in Surat. “Bohras from that era reminisce about their school days with affection. Educated at Hindu-dominated schools taught by Hindu teachers, these cultured, well-dressed and softspoken children were teachers’ pets,” Vahanvaty writes. Yet, there was at least one such Bohra youth, the young Aziz, who refused to play by any of theseetiquetterules.Thebook talks of a prank that Aziz pulled off as a teenager. Riding on their cycles fitted with kerosene lamps towards the Nanpura police station in Surat, Aziz and his friends rode through town “looking as innocent as the day they were born”. Those days, cyclists were required to have a light while riding at night. Aziz blew out his lampjustastheyapproachedthe policemen on their rounds. “Farrrrrrr... the sound of a whistle.Leapingoutof theshadows amid the charged air with a triumphant ‘Light kidhar hai (Whereisthelight)?’wasaportly constable.Redfacedandpanting, hewassurehehadfinallycaught uptotherascals.Azizresponded calmly,‘Bhai,tha...abhibattiolaayi gayi(Brother,thelampwason;it has only just blown out).’ The constable, determined to get the gang of boys this time, responded,‘Meinkemmaanu(How doIknowthisistrue)?’‘Tohdekh (Then look),’ said Aziz, grabbing his hand and placing it firmly on thescaldinghotlanternthatwas, indeed,alightaminuteago.Amid a cacophony of yells and profanities, the constable snatched his smarting hand back as the boys, in a symphony of jangling bicycle bells and kicking up a trail of CONTINUED ON PAGE 4