The Editorial Page: Trump’s Ukraine peace plan is audacious. India has a stake in its success 10 WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2025 JOuRNALISM of COuRAgE LUCkNOW, LATE CITY, 18 PAGES ₹6.00 l www.indianexpress.com DA I LY F R O M : A H M E DA B A D , C H A N D I GA R H , D E L H I , j A I P U R , kO L k ATA , L U C k N O W , M U M B A I , N AG P U R , PAT N A , P U N E , vA D O DA R A AT AYOdHYA TEMPLE fLAG-HOISTING CEREMONY NOTE SENT TO LEAdERS ON NOv 22 Day before rollback of Chandigarh Bill, Punjab BJP was sent points in its favour Wounds of centuries healing, says PM, links Ram to nation In feedback, party leaders warned of law and order situation, flagged ‘suspicion, distrust’ after farm laws Manoj C G wouldnotbeabletoexplainthe decision and convince the people of Punjab, given their THETIMINGof,andthereason “sentimentalattachment”with behind,theCentre’sdecisionto Chandigarh and the fact that bring a Constitution amend- there is already a “sense of susment Bill that would have picion and distrust” among a allowedittodirectlygovernthe large section of the Sikh comUnion Territory of Chandigarh munitytowardstheCentreafter remains unknown but the gov- the attempt to push through ernment, before aborting the threecontroversialfarmlawsin 2020-21. plan for the time TheCentrewas beinginthefaceof ExPRESS told that the rapolitical backlash tionale behind and resistance such a decision, even from within evenifitwasgenuthe Punjab BJP, did try to reason it out — the ine, would be lost on the Punmain argument being that jabi-speaking population as it while the status of Chandigarh would be seen as the Centre tinwould remain unchanged, kering with Chandigarh. The bringing it under Article 240 of majorityviewinthestatehasalthe Constitution would help ways been that Chandigarh frame laws tailored for the UT’s should be given to Punjab. The feedback was that the law and unique needs. Sources said an informal order situation in the border note explaining in detail the state could turn volatile as the reasons for bringing such a Bill move would be seen as unnecand its benefits was circulated essaryprovocation,sourcessaid. The note, sources said, toseniorPunjabBJPleaderson Saturdayitself,butthefeedback explained that although »CONTINUEd ON PAGE 2 from them was that the party New Delhi, November 25 exclusive Troop shortfall, Army looks to raise Agniveer vacancies to 1 lakh a yr Amrita Nayak dutta Prime Minister Narendra Modi, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath during the Dhwajarohan ceremony at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on Tuesday. PTI RELATED REPORT, PAGE 7 Democracy in our DNA, country needs to get rid of slavery mindset: Modi Maulshree Seth Ayodhya, November 25 PARTICIPATING IN the flaghoisting ceremony at the Ram temple in Ayodhya, 22 months after he joined rituals for the consecration of the idol of Ram Lalla in the sanctum sanctorum, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Tuesday that “centuries-old wounds are being Happening 1983 Nellie massacre: today 2 reports, one blames l PRESIdENT dROUPAdI Murmu will lead Constitution Day celebrations at Central Hall in the old Parliament building. l UK’S fINANCE MINISTER will present the country’s Budget. Another round of hefty tax increases is expected, which will test the confidence of the ruling Labour Party. TRACK THESE ANd MORE ON www.INdIANExPRESS.COM Business as Usual By EP UNNY POLITICS healed, centuries of pain are findingrespite,andacenturiesold resolve is attaining fulfillment today”. The Prime Minister, RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath described the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir Dhwajarohan ceremony, symbolising completion of the construction of the temple, as the moment of “fulfilment” and “satisfaction” for all devotees. Addressing the gathering, ModilinkedLordRamto“rashtra” and gave a call for creating anIndiainspiredbyRamRajya. “AajsampoornBharatsampoorn Vishwa Ram-may hai. HarRambhaktkehridaymein aaj adwitya santosh hai, asim kritagyata hai, apar alokik anand hai. Sadiyon ke ghav bhar rahe hain, sadiyon ki vednaaajviramparahihai,sadiyon ka sankalp aaj siddhi ko prapt ho raha hai.” (Today, all of India and the whole world are steeped in Ram. In the heart of every Ram devotee today, there is unique satisfaction, infinite gratitude, and boundless divine joy. »CONTINUEd ON PAGE 2 New Delhi, November 25 IN A bid to reduce a shortfall of nearly1.8lakhsoldiers,theArmy is looking to increase vacancies for recruitment of Agniveers to over 1 lakh every year, from the existing 45,000-50,000, The IndianExpress has learnt. During the two years of the Covid pandemic in 2020 and 2021,theArmyputrecruitment of soldiers on hold while 60,000-65,000 soldiers continued to retire per year during this period. This was before the launchoftheAgnipathscheme in 2022, when soldiers were recruitedthroughtheusualroute. When Agnipath was launchedonJune14,2022—recruitmentwastobeforaperiod of four years — a total of approximately 46,000 vacancies were allotted for recruitment thatyeartotheArmy,Navyand Indian Air Force. Out of this, 40,000 vacancies were for the Army and the rest for the Navy and the IAF. According to plans at that time, over the next four years, the intake of Agniveers for the Army was to increase progressively, with capping at 1.75 lakh. The recruitment figures for the NavyandtheIAFwerealsosetto increase progressively over the »CONTINUEd ON PAGE 2 ‘MISfIT fOR ARMY’ No SC relief to Christian officer it on polls, other differs fired for refusing to enter all-faith Official, unofficial reports on violence place of worship during Assam agitation finally tabled Sukrita Baruah Guwahati, November 25 FORTY-TWO YEARS after Assamwasravagedbyviolence amidst the contentious 1983 state elections — most prominently, the Nellie massacre, whichwasoneoftheworstincidents of mass violence in postIndependence India — two inquiry reports, one official andanotherunofficial,offering differing perspectives on what unfolded, were tabled in the Assam Assembly on Tuesday. The two reports — the official‘CommissionofEnquiryon Ananthakrishnan G E. New Delhi, November 25 ExPLAINED The killings The massacre in Assam’s Nellie is one of the biggest acts of mass violence in India. Officially, 1,800 people — mostly Bengali Muslims — were killed. The unofficial toll was around 3,000. No one was arrested. Assam Disturbances’, led by IAS officer Tribhuvan Prasad Tewary, and the ‘Report of the »CONTINUEd ON PAGE 2 THE BIG PICTURE pAGE 8 AfTER poLL LoSS, 43 RUNNERS-Up of mvA ARE Now wITH mAHAYUTI 2 states, 1 day — tracking the BLos pAGE 6 CALLING IT the “grossest kind of indiscipline by an Army officer”, the Supreme Court Tuesday declined to interfere with an order of the Delhi High Court which had upheld the termination of service of an Army officer who, citing his monotheistic belief as a Christian, had allegedly refused to enter the regimental Sarva Dharma Sthal, symbolic of all religions and faiths. The Delhi High Court, in its May 30 order, upheld the termination of service of Samuel Kamalesan, commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Army in 2017, saying that keeping religionabovealawfulcommand from a superior was “clearly an act of discipline”. OnTuesday,abenchofChief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi said the actions of Kamalesan were the“grossestkindofindiscipline by an Army officer”. “Wehaveheardthecounsel »CONTINUEd ON PAGE 2 l ‘MANJUMMEL BOY’ AMONG UNLIKELY CANDIDATES In Kerala local polls: First woman IPS, porotta maker & a movie inspiration PAGE 1 anchor Shaju Philip Thiruvanananthapuram, November 25 FROM KERALA’S first woman IPS officer who finished her career right at the top as DGP (fire and rescue) and a woman known for making porottas at a roadside thattukada (roadside stall)tothemanwhoseharrowing experience inspired the movie Manjummel Boys, next month’s local body elections in (Clockwise from above) Porotta-maker Naisya Latheef; former DGP (fire and rescue) Sreelekha and Subash Chandran, whose escape from the Guna Caves in Tamil Nadu inspired the Manjummel Boys Kerala will see a diverse and colourfularrayofcandidatesin the fray. The elections from December9to11,whichwillbecontested by 72,005 candidates, are acrucialtestforboththeCPI(M)ledLeftDemocraticFront(LDF) and the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) before they face off in next year’s Assembly elections. In Thiruvananthapuram, theBJPhasfieldedformerDGP (fireandrescue)Sreelekha,who was recently appointed a state vice-president of the party. The CONTINUEd ON PAGE 2 Lucknow