<p><strong>Unsafe travel</strong></p>.<p>The government is looking at options to increase flight operations in the country during the Covid-19 unlock period. As domestic operations have started, there were plans to keep middle seats vacant but this was not implemented as airlines unequivocally told the Ministry of Civil Aviation that they would not be able to operate flights at such a loss. Now, senior DMK MP Tiruchi Siva has raised the red flag. He appreciates the efforts taken at airports to screen passengers but is surprised that there was no physical distancing inside planes. He says all efforts taken at the airport will become futile because of this, as there are ample chances for the spread of the virus in congested and closed air-conditioned space. After all, Siva says, passengers will also consider their lives more precious than a few hundred rupees for safe travel!</p>.<p><em><strong>Shemin Joy, New Delhi</strong></em></p>.<p class="Briefhead"><strong>In the archives</strong></p>.<p>Congress is picking a leaf from Narendra Modi's playbook as it takes an aggressive stand in incursions by Chinese troops in Ladakh. As BJP tried to paint the Congress 'anti-national' for its comment on the mutual withdrawal of troops by China and India from near the LAC in Galwan Valley, Congress dug out Modi's comments of 2013 when troops were moved back from the LAC as a de-escalation measure to ease the stand-off in the Depsang Plains. 'China withdraws its forces, but I wonder why Indian forces are withdrawing from Indian territory? Why did we retreat,' Modi had asked in May 2013, as he was gearing up to take on the UPA government. </p>.<p><em><strong>Sagar Kulkarni, New Delhi </strong></em></p>.<p class="Briefhead"><strong>Gold digger?</strong></p>.<p>The involvement of Swapna Suresh, a former employee of the UAE consulate in Kerala, in a gold smuggling is a source of anxiety to many politicians, IAS and IPS officers in Kerala. Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan's principal secretary M Sivasankar was the first to get the boot when it was alleged that Swapna maintained good connections with many influential persons in the government. Video footage of Swapna interacting with politicians and IPS officials came out recently. Kerala Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan had to already clarify why he turned up for the inauguration of a shop owned by another accused in the smuggling case.</p>.<p><em><strong>Arjun Raghunath, Thiruvananthapuram </strong></em></p>.<p class="Briefhead"><strong>Scriptwriters </strong></p>.<p>The script for dreaded criminal Vikas Dube’s suspected-staged encounter had become apparent to the MP police when UP Special Task Force (STF) opted to take him to Kanpur by a four-wheeler instead of a chartered plane. Ujjain police “arrested’ him under highly dubious circumstances after he was identified by a security guard. Soon after, the UP STF was intimated about the nabbing. A police team flew from Lucknow to Indore by a chartered plane to take Vikas Dube back to Kanpur. However, the UP police suddenly decided to transport Vikas by a four-wheeler instead. The police team did not even wait for transit remand. The change in plan was suspicious for the MP police. It took barely hours for their suspicion to come true when the STF team shot down Vikas Dube near Kanpur.</p>.<p><em><strong>Rakesh Dixit, Bhopal </strong></em></p>.<p class="Briefhead"><strong>A milestone </strong></p>.<p> Subramanyam Jaishankar has been very busy these days overseeing India’s diplomatic response to China’s aggression along the disputed boundary between the two nations. Yet when he got off his car at the Raisina Hill on July 8, the External Affairs Minister did remember that it was on this day in 1977 he had first entered the South Block – as a young diplomat, who had just joined the Indian Foreign Service. “43 years today since I first entered South Block. Time flies, world changes, bonds are stronger. Journey continues,” Jaishankar posted on Twitter, along with a picture of him on the stairs of the South Block. His counterparts from Australia and Canada were among the people who congratulated him for the “impressive” innings – from a career diplomat, who retired as Foreign Secretary of India in 2018, to an MP and External Affairs Minister.</p>.<p><em><strong>Anirban Bhaumik, New Delhi</strong></em></p>
<p><strong>Unsafe travel</strong></p>.<p>The government is looking at options to increase flight operations in the country during the Covid-19 unlock period. As domestic operations have started, there were plans to keep middle seats vacant but this was not implemented as airlines unequivocally told the Ministry of Civil Aviation that they would not be able to operate flights at such a loss. Now, senior DMK MP Tiruchi Siva has raised the red flag. He appreciates the efforts taken at airports to screen passengers but is surprised that there was no physical distancing inside planes. He says all efforts taken at the airport will become futile because of this, as there are ample chances for the spread of the virus in congested and closed air-conditioned space. After all, Siva says, passengers will also consider their lives more precious than a few hundred rupees for safe travel!</p>.<p><em><strong>Shemin Joy, New Delhi</strong></em></p>.<p class="Briefhead"><strong>In the archives</strong></p>.<p>Congress is picking a leaf from Narendra Modi's playbook as it takes an aggressive stand in incursions by Chinese troops in Ladakh. As BJP tried to paint the Congress 'anti-national' for its comment on the mutual withdrawal of troops by China and India from near the LAC in Galwan Valley, Congress dug out Modi's comments of 2013 when troops were moved back from the LAC as a de-escalation measure to ease the stand-off in the Depsang Plains. 'China withdraws its forces, but I wonder why Indian forces are withdrawing from Indian territory? Why did we retreat,' Modi had asked in May 2013, as he was gearing up to take on the UPA government. </p>.<p><em><strong>Sagar Kulkarni, New Delhi </strong></em></p>.<p class="Briefhead"><strong>Gold digger?</strong></p>.<p>The involvement of Swapna Suresh, a former employee of the UAE consulate in Kerala, in a gold smuggling is a source of anxiety to many politicians, IAS and IPS officers in Kerala. Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan's principal secretary M Sivasankar was the first to get the boot when it was alleged that Swapna maintained good connections with many influential persons in the government. Video footage of Swapna interacting with politicians and IPS officials came out recently. Kerala Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan had to already clarify why he turned up for the inauguration of a shop owned by another accused in the smuggling case.</p>.<p><em><strong>Arjun Raghunath, Thiruvananthapuram </strong></em></p>.<p class="Briefhead"><strong>Scriptwriters </strong></p>.<p>The script for dreaded criminal Vikas Dube’s suspected-staged encounter had become apparent to the MP police when UP Special Task Force (STF) opted to take him to Kanpur by a four-wheeler instead of a chartered plane. Ujjain police “arrested’ him under highly dubious circumstances after he was identified by a security guard. Soon after, the UP STF was intimated about the nabbing. A police team flew from Lucknow to Indore by a chartered plane to take Vikas Dube back to Kanpur. However, the UP police suddenly decided to transport Vikas by a four-wheeler instead. The police team did not even wait for transit remand. The change in plan was suspicious for the MP police. It took barely hours for their suspicion to come true when the STF team shot down Vikas Dube near Kanpur.</p>.<p><em><strong>Rakesh Dixit, Bhopal </strong></em></p>.<p class="Briefhead"><strong>A milestone </strong></p>.<p> Subramanyam Jaishankar has been very busy these days overseeing India’s diplomatic response to China’s aggression along the disputed boundary between the two nations. Yet when he got off his car at the Raisina Hill on July 8, the External Affairs Minister did remember that it was on this day in 1977 he had first entered the South Block – as a young diplomat, who had just joined the Indian Foreign Service. “43 years today since I first entered South Block. Time flies, world changes, bonds are stronger. Journey continues,” Jaishankar posted on Twitter, along with a picture of him on the stairs of the South Block. His counterparts from Australia and Canada were among the people who congratulated him for the “impressive” innings – from a career diplomat, who retired as Foreign Secretary of India in 2018, to an MP and External Affairs Minister.</p>.<p><em><strong>Anirban Bhaumik, New Delhi</strong></em></p>
