The Ideas Page: In J&K’s Ranji triumph, an arc from estrangement to ownership 9 THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 2026 JOURNALISM of COURAGE KOLKATA, LATE CITY, 16 PAGES ₹6.00 (₹12 in North East states, ₹20 in Andaman) 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 STRENGTHENING RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE IN WEST BENGAL CBC 37101/13/0018/2526 Railway Budget tripled to nearly ₹14,000 crore in the last 11 years, accelerating expansion and modernisation First Vande Bharat sleeper train now operating between Guwahati in Assam and Howrah in West Bengal G BA GLA BIKOSHITO BHNRAT BIKOSHITO A PM MODI’S VISION FIRST SUCH U.S. SUBMARINE ATTACK ON AN ENEMY SINCE WORLD WAR II US sinks Iran warship, returning from India, near Lanka; 87 killed Marketsroilas conflictspreads: Recrosses92, Sensexsinks below80,000 32 rescued, many unaccounted for from 180 on board, Colombo authorities say Akash Mandal & George Mathew Arun Janardhanan & Amrita Nayak Dutta Mumbai, March 4 Chennai, New Delhi, March 4 AN IRANIAN warship, which was returning from Visakhapatnam following an exercise organised by the Indian Navy last month, was torpedoed by a UnitedStatessubmarineoffthe southern coast of Sri Lanka in the early hours of Wednesday. In a Pentagon briefing, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said the strike on the warship was the first such (US) attack on an enemy since World War II. “An American submarine sunk an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters,” Hegseth said. “Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo. Quiet death.” HospitalauthoritiesintheSri Lankan port city of Galle said 87 bodies were brought in by military rescuers who responded to an early morning distress call. Another 32 were rescued and were being treated at the hospital, and about 60 people were likely unaccounted for from an estimated 180 people on board, Sri Lankan authorities said. Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath identified the »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 IRIS Dena, a Moudge-class frigate; (right) a screengrab of the explosion after it was hit by a US submarine torpedo. PTI FILE business as Usual By EP UNNY LNG supplies set to be hit, QatarEnergy, Petronet issue force majeure notice Sukalp Sharma LATEST l KHAMENEI’S SON MOJTABA NEXT? U.S. KEEPING TRACK l US SENATE TO VOTE TODAY ON TRUMP’S WAR DECISION l IRAN: TOLL NOW 1,045 New Delhi, March 4 WITHIRANwarningvesselsnot to pass through the critical chokepoint of the Strait of Hormuzandevenhittingafew,LNG imports into India are set to be hit with its largest importer Petronet LNG issuing force majeure notices to its key supplier QatarEnergy and major customers GAIL (India), Indian Oil Corporation, and Bharat Petroleum Corporation. Iran’s actions have almost haltedtrafficthroughthewaterway through which almost 20% of the world’s gas shipments pass, and which accounts for about a third of all world oil »CONTINUEDONPAGE2 SURGING CRUDE oil prices and supply disruptions triggered by the conflict in West Asia have hit the financial marketshard,withtherupeesliding 68 paise below the psychologically crucial 92-mark to 92.15 against the US dollar and the BSE’sbenchmarkindexSensex plunging another 1.40 per cent for the third successive session and ending below the 80,000 level in a nervous sell-off. With gas production coming to a halt in Qatar — India majorly depends on it for LNG supplies — and crude oil movement through the crucial »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 l4%DOwNIN FIvEsEssIONs NsENIFTY-50 Feb 25 25,482.50 — Feb 26 25,496.55 +0.05% Feb 27 25,178.65 -1.24% March 2 24,865.70 -1.24% March 4 24,480.50 -1.55% CM ‘SIGNS PAPERS’ FOR RAJYA SABHA Long night in Patna, decks being cleared for Nitish Kumar’s exit Senior JD(U) leaders, party members meet to dissuade him; it’s like Venezuelan leader’s abduction: RJD MP Manoj Jha Santosh Singh & Liz Mathew Patna, New Delhi, March 4 GIVEN Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s failing health, thiswasonthecardsevenwhen he was sworn in as CM last Novemberafteralandslidewinfor the NDA but decks were being cleared for his exit Wednesday. In a sudden turn of events, leadersfromBJPandallyJD(U) said that Nitish is most likely to file his nomination for Rajya Sabha clearing the way for a new CM in the state, either from JD(U) or from BJP. Sources indicated there would be a BJP Chief Minister. As the Rajya Sabha term for outgoing MPs ends in April, Nitish may well take time to resign as CM. But late Wednesday night, senior leaders from the JD(U) andmembersofNitish’sfamily were at the CM’s residence trying to dissuade him from stepping down. JD(U)ministerVijayKumar Choudhary said, “There has been talks about Nitish Kumar going to Rajya Sabha. But the final call has to be taken by him only... Nishant is joining politics soon as per the wish of party rank and file.” Union Home Minister Amit Shah is likely to visit Patna Thursday to attend the nominationprocessofBJPpresident Nitin Nabin who has been announced as a Rajya Sabha candidate from Bihar. While there is no official confirmation either from BJP Union Home Minister Amit Shah and CM Nitish Kumar. FILE l243-mEmbErbIHArAssEmblY NDA TALLY: 202 OPPOSITION TALLY: 41 BJP 89 JD (U) 85 LJP (RV) 19 RLM 4 HAM (S) 5 INsIDE PAgE 5 CoNg RALLIES bEHIND PAwAR foR RS PoLLS orfromJD(U),sourcessaidNitish had “signed the papers” for his Rajya Sabha nomination. InlastNovember’sAssembly election,theNDAwon202ofthe 243 seats — the BJP was the largestpartywith89seatswhilethe JD(U) got 85, a jump of 42 seats from the previous election. Nitishwascreditedwiththissurge. »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 RJD Congress CPI (ML-Liberation) 25 6 2 CPI 1 IIP 1 AIMIM BSP 5 1 E. ExPlAINED watershed in bihar If Nitish exits, it will mark the end of JP-era stalwarts in Bihar, Lalu already eclipsed. As the longest-serving CM, he became synonymous with change and progress. He was once also the Opposition’s face even as he switched twice to join hands with BJP. His politics blends the governance of Srikrishna Singh and the deft social engineering of Karpoori Thakur. Happening Why nobody wants the keys 2 ‘SIR-stress’ deaths in today Rise of Balendra Shah: Ex-mayor of Bengal, TMC protests, to Mumbai’s detention lNEPAL WILL VOTE Thursday for the general elections, the first one to be held after a Gen Z youth led protest toppled the K P Sharma Oli-led government last year. RSP has projected Kathmandu ex-mayor Balen, 35, as its PM candidate. lFINNISH PRESIDENT ALEXANDER Stubb, who began his visit to India on Wednesday, will hold talks with PM Narendra Modi Thursday. Both sides are expected to firm up MoUs. TRACK THESE AND MORE ON www.INDIANExPrEss.cOm 2 SISTERS foUND DEAD bEfoRE mARRIAgE PAgE 5 centre for illegal immigrants Mohamed Thaver Mumbai, March 4 AS THE ruling Mahayuti government ramps up rhetoric on cracking down on illegal Bangladeshi nationals, a detention centre built exclusively to hold such migrants before deportation has remained unused for months—acasualtyofbureaucratic deadlock over who should run it. The two-storey facility at Bhoiwada in central Mumbai has been “almost ready” for several months. It has 20 rooms, each with two bunk beds on either side, and can hold up to 80 persons. Accordingtosources,theSo- Kathmandu who backed Gen Z stir seeks action against EC As Nepal votes today, 35-year-old could mark shift of 2025 lYEAr-wIsE DEPOrTATIONs Yubaraj Ghimire YEAR DEPORTED 2025 1,058 2024 156 2023 65 2022 21 cial Justice and Special Assistance department thinks their staffarenotequippedtohandle foreign nationals picked up by thecops.Policeofficials,inturn, say the migrants are neither accused in a criminal case nor in »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Kathmandu, March 4 A POLITICAL nobody until 2021, who joined a party organisation only two months ago, 35-year-oldBalendraShahrepresents the paradigm shift in Nepal politics that the September 2025 Gen Z protests promised to usher in. In a field crowded with aspirants for the Prime Minister’s post who are overwhelmingly above 70, the charismatic Shah — popularly knownas“Balen”—ishalftheir age, and was a vocal supporter of the Gen Z protests. Balendra Shah is contesting against K P Oli, whose government the Gen Z protests toppled last year. AP Andthatisnotthefullextent ofhisappealasNepalheadsinto elections on March 5. Shah has also sealed his position as the contender by aligning himself »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Tanusree Bose Kolkata, March 4 TWO PERSONS have died by suicide in West Bengal over the past 24 hours, allegedly from the “mental stress” following the publication of the voters’ list post the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state on February 28. The deaths have led to the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC)hittingoutattheElection Commission and the BJP for causing “unnecessary trouble” topeoplebycarryingouttheSIR exerciseinthestateanddeleting over 60 lakh names from the »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 TMC workers protest the death of Rafiq Ali Gazi in Utsi in South 24 Parganas, Wednesday. EXPRESS LEfT LEADERS oN NIgHTLoNg S.I.R. DHARNA AT CEo offICE PAgE 3 { H K DUA • 1938-2026 } Genial newsman who rose to top due to his empathy, and because he won respect Coomi Kapoor UNLIKE MOST of his contemporaries, as editor of mainline major English newspapers, Hari Krishan Dua worked his way up the newspaper hierarchy in a slow and steady fashion. But his conscientious, diligent approach, integrity and sharp political insight, were eventually rewarded. He earned for himself a unique place in Indian journalism. Dua had the distinction of holding more top-level editorial posts in Indian journalism than any other scribe. He was editorial head of The Indian Express (1994-1996), the Hindustan Times (1987-1994), The Tribune (2003-2009) and The Times of India (1997-98). Becauseoftherespectandtrust in which he was held, he was appointedmediaadvisertotwo prime ministers, Atal Bihari VajpayeeandHDDeveGowda. His illustrious career included a nomination to Rajya Sabha in the distinguished persons category between 2009 and 2015. HewasappointedAmbassador to Denmark and awarded the Padma Bhushan, among numerous other laurels. Unlike many ivory tower editorsofhisday,Duastoodout for being mild-mannered and accessible, a hands-on veteran of news reporting who empathised with the problems of the journalists working for him. Dua began his career as a cub reporter in the UNI news agencywhenJawaharlalNehru was Prime Minister. From UNI he moved to The Indian Express as a special correspondent and eventually headed its political bureau for several years. During his long career in media, and later in government, he developed abiding friendships with many politicians, who respected his honesty and independence. The trust he enjoyed won him several exclusives. He once recounted to me jokingly how as a foreign correspondent he had an advantage that he drank very little, nursing just one drink throughout the evening. So while his competitorswereoftenintheircups at official parties, he was still searching for leads and successfully scooped other correspondents on late developing breaksontheMinistryofExternal Affairs beat. Dua sahib, as I always respectfully addressed him, was my boss twice. First as bureau chief of The Indian Express, when I first joined the newspaper’s bureau, and once again whenhewasEditor-in-Chiefof the Express and I was the Delhi Resident Editor. We had our differences, as is inevitable in the news business, but neither of us held grudges or allowed ourlong-standingfriendshipto besouredbydifferenttemperaments and viewpoints. When I joined the Express bureau, he instructed me to sit down and read all the tomes of QuestionHourpapersfromthe Rajya Sabha delivered by the peonstothebureauofficeevery Kolkata evening.Itwasaconscientious, if very time consuming, duty, which he had once himself undertaken. I felt my time could be better utilised and it became a standing joke among my colleagues in the bureau that I hadn’t finished my homework for the day. When he hired me as editor, he insisted I give up my weekly Inside Track column and focus instead on edit page writing and marking the grammatical mistakes in the newspaper, the second duty I felt was not my core area of competence. At the same time, he gener- ously gavemeleewaytodecide the front page stories, a task I relished. Once we differed sharply over putting on the front page a news story of religious hysteria gripping Delhi with crowds swarming to visit temples that day claiming that thedeitiesweresheddingtears. Hedisapprovedofencouraging superstition, but he was largehearted enough to eventually changehismindandagreethat such a human interest story needed to be played up on the newspaper’s front page. »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2