Anbarasan Etirajan
Appearances
Global News Podcast
Ukraine accepts 30-day ceasefire
What happened this afternoon near Quetta was quite extraordinary and unprecedented where a group of rebels stormed a train, a passenger train with 400 people and took control of it and taking many people as hostages. Now, since then, there have been lots of turns and both sides giving conflicting versions. So there are lots of unknowns rather than knowns.
Global News Podcast
Ukraine accepts 30-day ceasefire
Now, the Pakistani military says they have sent special forces as well as helicopters fighting against militants. And one of the state ministers a short while ago told a local television channel that the rebels had taken some hostages and about 100 security personnel, those who are going on leave or on different posting from Quetta, from Balochistan,
Global News Podcast
Ukraine accepts 30-day ceasefire
northern province, probably they were taken as hostages by the militants. Now, a group of passengers had been released, according to the rebels, whereas the military said they had been recovered from this in this fighting. About 100 of them have already reached another station. They were asked to walk to the nearest station. And then from there, they were taken by another train.
Global News Podcast
Ukraine accepts 30-day ceasefire
So this is quite extraordinary. It has come as a big shock to many people in Pakistan. Also, a wake up call for the Pakistani military.
Global News Podcast
Ukraine accepts 30-day ceasefire
Now, the version according to the militants were that because it was passing through a mountainous area between the tunnels. So it was very difficult for any security force to reach or even to send reinforcements. So they basically attacked the train. Well, it was before it was entering a tunnel. So the train was stopped and the driver was severely injured. Now, who are these rebels?
Global News Podcast
Ukraine accepts 30-day ceasefire
So basically, they were fighting for the rights of the Baloch people. And they say the federal Pakistani government, they have been taking mineral resources, but not giving anything back to the region, to the people of Balochistan. And that's their grievances. And they have been fighting not only against the Pakistani military, but also against Chinese investment projects.
Global News Podcast
Putin visits Kursk after Russian advances - Kremlin
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Global News Podcast
Putin visits Kursk after Russian advances - Kremlin
If you look at the figures given by the Pakistani military, the numbers do not add up. We're talking about 440 passengers. The suspicion is that many of the militants could have escaped, taking some hostages with them.
Global News Podcast
Putin visits Kursk after Russian advances - Kremlin
And that's why the military spokesperson was saying they're also doing another operation or searching for any of the militants or people who had just simply jumped out of the train and escaped from the militants hiding in the mountains without knowing what to do. So there is some confusion about the numbers.
Global News Podcast
Putin visits Kursk after Russian advances - Kremlin
But it has come as a big relief for the Pakistani military as well as for the government because it was a very embarrassing situation for the military, despite having one of the largest military forts. Now, a group of militants had managed to hijack an entire train. This was an unprecedented move by the Baloch rebels, taking hundreds of people hostage.
Global News Podcast
Putin visits Kursk after Russian advances - Kremlin
So there will be questions asked how this was allowed to happen. But this also shows how the Baloch rebels are increasingly targeting higher value targets in the past few months.
Global News Podcast
Putin visits Kursk after Russian advances - Kremlin
This strategic location itself is a big advantage for the rebels because they knew this was a mountainous area and there were lots of tunnels. Even to send reinforcements would have taken a long time for the military. It would have taken hours. If the nearest road is 14 kilometres, either they should have walked... or they should have been airdropped.
Global News Podcast
Putin visits Kursk after Russian advances - Kremlin
That's why they used special forces and helicopters and drones targeting these militants. Now, what this means for the Pakistani military is it's just already facing another insurgency in the northwest of the country bordering Afghanistan. Now, this attack will give more publicity for the rebels.
Global News Podcast
Putin visits Kursk after Russian advances - Kremlin
If the military goes against the rebels, if they launch any strong high-ended military operation, that could further alienate the Baloch ethnic community in the province, and that is the danger.
Global News Podcast
Ukraine talks could see Europeans excluded
Pictures are showing people's bags, addresses, and belongings they had left on the platforms.
Global News Podcast
Ukraine talks could see Europeans excluded
Quiet on set has taken on a whole new meaning.
Global News Podcast
Ukraine talks could see Europeans excluded
The New Delhi Railway Station is one of the biggest in the country, even without this Hindu religious festival. It will be crowded, trains coming from all parts of India and then departing from there, passing through these stations. And you can as well imagine as millions of people are moving towards Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh state.
Global News Podcast
Ukraine talks could see Europeans excluded
So for many of those people coming from other states, Delhi would be a place where they can transit safely. They can go to these festivals, also people returning from there. We see several videos being shown on Indian television channels where huge crowds on platforms. And according to one eyewitness, some trains were cancelled. That led to more overcrowding on these platforms.
Global News Podcast
Ukraine talks could see Europeans excluded
And another man, he said when there was a platform change announcement, then crowds started rushing to the other platforms. We have been seeing several pictures on social media. How? These trains are overcrowded in the last few days. It has been packed. People are trying to rush in, get their place inside the train, because these are all long-distance trains.
Global News Podcast
Ukraine talks could see Europeans excluded
We're talking about going for 1,000, 2,000 kilometers far away from Delhi with thousands of people trying to go back home. And trains are still the cheapest mode of transport in India. The Indian prime minister and several other leaders have expressed condolences for the families of those who lost their lives. People are trying to find out what happened to their relatives.
Global News Podcast
Ukraine talks could see Europeans excluded
And you have all the resources. And what one eyewitness was saying, they couldn't find any railway police officers anywhere to do the crowd control. You know, the crowd management has always been an issue. You have seen a number of incidents of people trampled in religious events. So that has been the question being raised when you know that so many people are traveling to and fro.
Global News Podcast
Ukraine talks could see Europeans excluded
At least in the capital city, they should have had more officers in managing the crowd. But again, it's a massive crowd. But how do you do that? That's what people expect the government to make preparations. And it's not the first time. They had this incident late last month. at Prayagraj itself, where this festival is going on at the moment. So that should have come as a real warning.
Global News Podcast
Ukraine talks could see Europeans excluded
The fact that the authorities were giving very conflicting information. Initially, they were talking about a stampede-like situation, and then the situation was brought under control. And then later on, they started, 15 people were injured. So it also shows the government is now on the back foot trying to address the situation.
Global News Podcast
French ministers arrive in Mayotte after devastating cyclone
That was Ustad Zakir Hussain, one of the greatest ever players of the tabla, an Indian percussion instrument, talking to the BBC years ago on how he was introduced to music at an early age by his father, Allah Raka, another great tabla player. Hussain had been a dominant figure in the music scene both in India and overseas for decades.
Global News Podcast
French ministers arrive in Mayotte after devastating cyclone
In 1973, he worked on a musical project with the English guitarist John McLaughlin and other Indian artists in a fusion of jazz and Indian classical music. The New York Times described him a fearsome technician but also a whimsical inventor devoted to exuberant play. Hussain worked with many international artists and won five Grammy Awards, including three earlier this year.
Global News Podcast
French ministers arrive in Mayotte after devastating cyclone
Several Indian leaders have paid tribute, saying he was a rhythmic genius who brought the soul of India to global stages and his death was was an irreparable loss to the country.