NATIONAL NEWS
India airlifts 392 from Afghanistan amidst reports of Pakistani presence among Taliban
India on Sunday airlifted 392 individuals from Kabul in an operation that covered Indian citizens as well as Afghan nationals, including Sikhs and Hindus of Afghanistan. The people airlifted were flown in three aircraft that included a heavy-lift C17. Air India and Indigo operated two flights via Tajikistan and Qatar, completing the airlift operation that is expected to continue over the coming days. Apart from workers and engineers employed at various India-backed projects, Sunday’s evacuation also included an infant Iknoor Singh, the youngest person to be evacuated so far from Kabul. A number of Indians from Darjeeling who were stuck in Afghanistan were also among those airlifted on Sunday. West Bengal Chief Mamata Banerjee had earlier urged the central government to help in bringing back those workers. The Hindu has learnt that the largescale evacuation carried out on Sunday was facilitated by a small multi-agency Indian team that has found base in Kabul airport. The cell has taken charge days after Government of India evacuated the India-based staff from the embassy in Kabul. Initial reports suggested that the team consists of seven officials drawn from different sections of the government and are led by Indian diplomats in the US-controlled airport. Among those evacuated was Narender Pal Singh Khalsa, a member of Afghanistan’s Parliament who maintained that the Taliban have been undependable since they took over Kabul. They came to my office on Saturday and took away my computers, official vehicles and other personal vehicles. They claimed that they were there to take away my official car that was given to me because of my status as an MP but ultimately took away many personal items, including three watches, said Khalsa, who maintains that there are a large number of Pakistanis among the fighters. I found that those who came to my house could not speak Farsi and spoke in Urdu. There were some who spoke a language that I could not even understand. It’s quite clear that they were either from Pakistan or some other country, said Khalsa, who said that he had not seen the Afghan Taliban among those who were present in Kabul, saying, In my 36 years, I have never seen such Taliban fighters. Khalsa is the son of Avtar Singh Khalsa, a dynamic Sikh politician of Afghanistan who was assassinated in Jalalabad in a suicide bomb attack in 2018. Apart from Singh, Dr Anarkali Kaur Honaryar, the only female Sikh MP of Afghanistan, was also among those who were airlifted to Hindon air base. Hundreds of others, however, are left behind, and they need to be airlifted in the coming days even as the security situation in Afghanistan is expected to deteriorate fast because of the growing military tension between the Taliban leaders and the Tajiks of Panjshir Valley led by the faction of Ahmad Massoud and Amrullah Saleh. A spokesperson for the Resistance on Sunday told The Hindu that they require support of allies to take on the Taliban. Taliban are trying to send delegations and also use Dr Abdullah Abdullah and Hamid Karzai to mediate with the Resistance Leaders in Panjshir. The stance of the Resistance is clear. We have a legitimate Caretaker President Amrullah Saleh who enjoys people’s support from Republic’s side, said Homayon Ahmadi, their spokesperson. Afghanistan’s ambassador to India, who was appointed by the government of President Ashraf Ghani also on Sunday called for international support and said the suffering of Afghanistan is man-made. In a message posted on social media, Ambassador Farid Mamundzay said, The avoidable suffering of Afghanistan is man-made and at a scale beyond all civilised contemplation. Afghanistan is going through a difficult time, and only good leadership, compassionate attitude and international support to the Afghan people would somewhat bring an end to these miseries.
FinMin summons Infosys CEO over I-T portal glitch.
With the new Income Tax filing portal becoming completely inaccessible over the weekend and yet to become fully functional 77 days after its launch, a furious Finance Ministry summoned Infosys managing director and CEO Salil Parekh to explain the mess to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in person on Monday. Ministry of Finance has summoned Shri Salil Parekh, MD & CEO @Infosyson 23/08/2021 to explain to hon’ble FM as to why even after 2.5 months since launch of new e-filing portal, glitches in the portal have not been resolved. In fact, since 21/08/2021 the portal itself is not available, the Income Tax Department stated on Sunday. And just hours after the summons, the Income Tax portal became accessible again late on Sunday. The emergency maintenance of the @IncomeTaxIndia portal has concluded and the portal is live. We regret any inconvenience caused to taxpayers, Infosys tweeted at 8.52 p.m. The Ministry launched the taxpayer friendly portal developed by Infosys on June 7, promising immediate processing of Income Tax returns to issue quick refunds to taxpayers, and a host of other features. However, many critical functionalities were nonstarters from day one, and problems continued to fester despite a claimed course correction. On Saturday afternoon, Infosys said the portal was currently inaccessible due to planned maintenance. On Sunday, the company switched from the planned maintenance argument to say that the portal continues to be under emergency maintenance.
Assam moves to ease fresh row with Mizoram.
Authorities of Assam’s Hailakandi district returned some seized construction material to their counterparts in Mizoram’s Kolasib district on Sunday to ease fresh tension brewing on the inter-State border since August 20 afternoon. The police in Kolasib’s border town Bairabi had filed a case of theft against some unnamed Assampolice personnel after the latter stopped work on a bridge Mizoram claimed was on its territory. The Assam police team also seized – stole, according to the Mizoram police – TMT bars being used for the bridge. Kolasib Deputy Commissioner H. Lalthlangliana said his Hailakandi counterpart Rohan Kumar Jha had 5 quintals of iron rods returned around 6 p.m. on Sunday, more than 24 hours after he was intimated about the theft case. The case filed at the Bairabi station against the Assam police personnel will be withdrawn, he told The Hindu. Kolasib Superintendent of Police Vanlalfaka Ralte said the Mizoram police team withdrew from the disputed site after the return of the construction material.
I-T portal glitch: Finance Ministry summons Infosys CEO Salil Parekh
The Finance Ministry has summoned Infosys MD and CEO Salil Parekh on August 23 to explain to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman why even after 2.5 months since the launch of new e-filing portal, glitches in the portal have not been resolved. The Income Tax department has said that in fact, since 21/08/2021 the portal itself is not available. On August 16, the Finance Minister had said glitches on the new Income Tax portal were expected to be fixed entirely in the next 2 to 3 days. I have been reminding Infosys constantly… and Nandan Nilekani has been messaging me with assurances that they will sort it out, the Minister had said. Since its launch in early June, many critical functionalities of the income tax portal have been non-starters, and the Minister had admitted that there are ‘still some issues’ with it. Revenue Secretary [Tarun Bajaj] has been neutrally monitoring the progress on fixing the portal on a weekly basis, Sitharaman had said, stressing that she had been pushing Infosys ‘not to let the taxpayers down’ with constant reminders. The Ministry’s latest statement on August 22 suggests the situation has got worse instead of improving, with the income tax portal becoming inaccessible since August 21.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
G7 to discuss Afghanistan on Tuesday, says U.K. PM Boris Johnson
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he had called a G7 leaders’ meeting on Tuesday to discuss the crisis in Afghanistan and urged the international community to find ways to prevent it from escalating. Taliban militants seized control of Kabul last weekend in an upheaval that sent civilians and Afghan military allies fleeing for safety. Many fear a return to the austere interpretation of Islamic law imposed during the previous Taliban rule that ended 20 years ago. Western governments are discussing how to handle the situation in Kabul where thousands of civilians desperate to flee Afghanistan have descended on the airport after the Taliban seized control of the country. It is vital that the international community works together to ensure safe evacuations, prevent a humanitarian crisis and support the Afghan people to secure the gains of the last 20 years, Johnson said on Twitter on Sunday. Britain currently holds the rotating leadership of the G7, which also includes the United States, Italy, France, Germany, Japan and Canada.
Amid Afghan debacle, Harris begins Asia trip.
U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris began a trip to Asia on Sunday where she will offer reassurances of Washington’s commitment to the region after the chaotic U.S. pullout from Afghanistan and Taliban takeover. The hardline Islamists’ swift return to power a week ago, and desperate scenes of thousands trying to flee, have cast another shadow over the U.S.’ status as a global superpower. But on her visit, Ms. Harris will seek to allay concerns about U.S. dependability. The Vice-President will make clear throughout the trip that we do have an enduring commitment to the region, said a senior U.S. official. Ms. Harris landed in Singapore on Sunday. The crisis has prompted comparisons with the trauma of 1975 Saigon, when U.S. helicopters ferried final evacuees from the Embassy roof, as Viet Cong troops advanced. U.S. officials say the trip was planned long before the Afghan debacle, however and insist Ms. Harris is focused on Washington’s broader strategic goals in Asia.
