The Evening Wrap: Red flags raised on oil palm plans for northeast, Andamans

Given the widespread destruction of rainforests and native biodiversity caused by oil palm plantations in Southeast Asia, environmental experts and politicians are warning that the Centre's move to promote their cultivation in India's northeastern States and in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands could be disastrous. Other concerns include the impact on community ownership of tribal lands, as well as the fact that the oil palm is a water-guzzling, monoculture crop with a long gestation period unsuitable for small farmers. However, the government says land productivity for palm oil is higher than for oilseeds, with the Agriculture Minister giving an assurance that the land identified for oil palm plantations in northeastern States is already cleared for cultivation. In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week, soon after the launch of the ₹11,040 crore National Mission on Edible Oil-Oil Palm (NMEO-OP), Meghalaya MP Agatha Sangma warned that the focus areas were "biodiversity hotspots and ecologically fragile" and oil palm plantations would denude forest cover and destroy the habitat of endangered wildlife. It could also detach tribespeople from their identity linked with the community ownership of land and "wreak havoc on the social fabric", said the National People's Party. Congress leader and former Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said proposals for large-scale oil palm cultivation had been studied and rejected as part of the technology mission on edible oils in the late 1980s as it was a "recipe for ecological disaster". He said that "the present proposal of course is designed to benefit Patanjali and Adani", both corporates with interests in edible oil expansion. "The palm is an invasive species. It's not a natural forest product of northeastern India and its impact on our biodiversity as well as on soil conditions has to be analysed even if it is grown in non-forest areas. Any kind of monoculture plantation is not desirable," said Bibhab Talukdar, a biologist who heads the Guwahati-based conservation organisation Aaranyak, advising caution in introducing oil palm. U.S. says drone kills suicide bombers targeting Kabul airport A U.S. drone strike on August 29 struck a vehicle carrying "multiple suicide bombers" from Afghanistan's Islamic State affiliate before they could target the ongoing military evacuation at Kabul's international airport, American officials said. There were few initial details about the incident, as well as a rocket that struck a neighbourhood just northwest of the airport, killing a child. The two strikes initially appeared to be separate incidents, though information on both remained scarce. The strike came as the United States winds down a historic airlift that saw tens of thousands evacuated from Kabul's international airport, the scene of much of the chaos that engulfed the Afghan capital since the Taliban took over two weeks ago. After an Islamic State affiliate's suicide attack that killed over 180 people, the Taliban increased its security around the airfield as Britain ended its evacuation flights on August 28. CBI inquiry found no 'cognisable offence' by Anil Deshmukh A leaked report of a preliminary inquiry conducted by the CBI reveals that the agency had concluded that "no cognisable offence has been committed by Anil Deshmukh, the former Home Minister of Maharashtra". The inquiry was conducted by a CBI team following orders by the Bombay High Court on a criminal writ petition filed by Advocate Jayshri Patil, who had lodged a complaint with Malabar Hill police station in south Mumbai in the wake of the letter written by former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. In his letter, Singh had alleged that Deshmukh had asked former Mumbai Police API Sachin Vaze to collect ₹100 crore from hotel owners in Mumbai. However, based on this inquiry report, the CBI filed an FIR against the former minister. Subsequently, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) too initiated a probe against Deshmukh and has summoned him several times to appear for it. Deshmukh is, however, yet to appear before the ED. The CBI report, which has been leaked to the media and has been seen by The Hindu, has now cast doubts over the ongoing investigation by the central agency. According to sources, despite the investigation officer not finding any cognisable offence committed by Deshmukh, an FIR was registered. The CBI is yet to react on the leaked report. According to the CBI report, within two days of his reinstatement in July 2020, Vaze was posted as in charge of Crime Investigation Unit (CIU) by the then Joint CP as per the orders of Parambir Singh. He used to report directly to the police chief, bypassing all channels of hierarchy. The inquiry report stated that after "the Antilia case, it came to the knowledge of the then HM (Home minister) that most of the important and sensitive cases were assigned to Sachin Vaze on the directions of Parambir Singh. He was accompanied by Parambir Singh to all the important meetings at CM's residence. There was no personal interaction of the then HM with Sachin Vaze." "There is no proof of any meeting of Sachin Vaze with the then HM at his residence apart from official briefings/purposes in the presence of other officers. There was NO proof of any demand by the then HM or his P.S. Sanjeev Palande for collection of money," the report said. It further noted that, ACP Sanjay Patil and DCP Bhujbal have confirmed in their statements that no such demand for any collection of money was ever made by the then HM directly or through his PS. Cannot imagine Ayodhya without Ram, says President Ram Nath Kovind It is impossible to imagine Ayodhya without Lord Ram, said President Ram Nath Kovind as he visited the Uttar Pradesh town on Sunday to launch several cultural projects. The President also visited the makeshift Ram Janmabhoomi temple and offered prayers there. "Ayodhya nagri is not just Prabhu Ram's janmabhoomi and leelabhoomi but without Ram it is impossible to even imagine about this town," Kovind said. The President was speaking at the inauguration of the Ramayana Conclave and launch of various projects of the Department of Culture and Tourism, U.P. Crypto money gains traction in adult industry amid OnlyFans drama, potentially paving way for mainstream adoption Porn stars, sex workers and others in adult entertainment were taking a closer look at cryptocurrency payments in the wake of a series of troubles with the mainstream financial system, potentially propelling digital currencies into wider use. The latest problem came earlier this month when OnlyFans announced it would ban sexually explicit content on the sex-friendly creator site, only to reverse course days later following a backlash. Nonetheless, the drama could accelerate a move to cryptocurrency to allow anonymous payments to performers outside the banking system. With stricter rules from payment processors and the recent issues with OnlyFans, "it's obvious crypto will be the solution," said British performer Adreena Winters, who is also a brand ambassador for an upcoming crypto-friendly adult content marketplace. "Porn has frequently been the factor for new concepts taking off, be it VHS, online credit card payments and even the internet, so I don't think it's surprising it is that porn will eventually get crypto to become mainstream." Jeff Dillon, chief development officer at Nafty, a cryptocurrency platform launched this year specifically for the adult industry, said the OnlyFans saga "has done more than any marketing we could ever paid for." Dominic Ford, founder of JustFor.Fans, an OnlyFans rival which accepts bitcoin, said crypto represents just a small fraction of transactions on his platform because it is more cumbersome, but suggested this could ramp up quickly if popular money transfer tools adapt. "A cryptocurrency that works online and transcends borders seems an obvious evolution like email was the evolution of mail," said Ford. Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments The number of reported coronavirus cases from India stood at 3,27,37,448 at the time of publishing this newsletter, with the death toll at 4,38,245. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow.

The Evening Wrap 29 AUGUST 2021

Welcome to the Evening Wrap newsletter, your guide to the day's biggest stories with concise analysis from The Hindu.

Open in browser More newsletters

Red flags raised on oil palm plans for northeast, Andamans Given the widespread destruction of rainforests and native biodiversity caused by oil palm plantations in Southeast Asia, environmental experts and politicians are warning that the Centre's move to promote their cultivation in India's northeastern States and in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands could be disastrous. Other concerns include the impact on community ownership of tribal lands, as well as the fact that the oil palm is a water-guzzling, monoculture crop with a long gestation period unsuitable for small farmers. However, the government says land productivity for palm oil is higher than for oilseeds, with the Agriculture Minister giving an assurance that the land identified for oil palm plantations in northeastern States is already cleared for cultivation.   In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week, soon after the launch of the ₹11,040 crore National Mission on Edible Oil-Oil Palm (NMEO-OP), Meghalaya MP Agatha Sangma warned that the focus areas were "biodiversity hotspots and ecologically fragile" and oil palm plantations would denude forest cover and destroy the habitat of endangered wildlife. It could also detach tribespeople from their identity linked with the community ownership of land and "wreak havoc on the social fabric", said the National People's Party. Congress leader and former Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said proposals for large-scale oil palm cultivation had been studied and rejected as part of the technology mission on edible oils in the late 1980s as it was a "recipe for ecological disaster". He said that "the present proposal of course is designed to benefit Patanjali and Adani", both corporates with interests in edible oil expansion. "The palm is an invasive species. It's not a natural forest product of northeastern India and its impact on our biodiversity as well as on soil conditions has to be analysed even if it is grown in non-forest areas. Any kind of monoculture plantation is not desirable," said Bibhab Talukdar, a biologist who heads the Guwahati-based conservation organisation Aaranyak, advising caution in introducing oil palm. U.S. says drone kills suicide bombers targeting Kabul airport A U.S. drone strike on August 29 struck a vehicle carrying "multiple suicide bombers" from Afghanistan's Islamic State affiliate before they could target the ongoing military evacuation at Kabul's international airport, American officials said. There were few initial details about the incident, as well as a rocket that struck a neighbourhood just northwest of the airport, killing a child. The two strikes initially appeared to be separate incidents, though information on both remained scarce.   The strike came as the United States winds down a historic airlift that saw tens of thousands evacuated from Kabul's international airport, the scene of much of the chaos that engulfed the Afghan capital since the Taliban took over two weeks ago. After an Islamic State affiliate's suicide attack that killed over 180 people, the Taliban increased its security around the airfield as Britain ended its evacuation flights on August 28. CBI inquiry found no 'cognisable offence' by Anil Deshmukh  A leaked report of a preliminary inquiry conducted by the CBI reveals that the agency had concluded that "no cognisable offence has been committed by Anil Deshmukh, the former Home Minister of Maharashtra". The inquiry was conducted by a CBI team following orders by the Bombay High Court on a criminal writ petition filed by Advocate Jayshri Patil, who had lodged a complaint with Malabar Hill police station in south Mumbai in the wake of the letter written by former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. In his letter, Singh had alleged that Deshmukh had asked former Mumbai Police API Sachin Vaze to collect ₹100 crore from hotel owners in Mumbai. However, based on this inquiry report, the CBI filed an FIR against the former minister. Subsequently, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) too initiated a probe against Deshmukh and has summoned him several times to appear for it. Deshmukh is, however, yet to appear before the ED. The CBI report, which has been leaked to the media and has been seen by The Hindu, has now cast doubts over the ongoing investigation by the central agency. According to sources, despite the investigation officer not finding any cognisable offence committed by Deshmukh, an FIR was registered. The CBI is yet to react on the leaked report. According to the CBI report, within two days of his reinstatement in July 2020, Vaze was posted as in charge of Crime Investigation Unit (CIU) by the then Joint CP as per the orders of Parambir Singh. He used to report directly to the police chief, bypassing all channels of hierarchy. The inquiry report stated that after "the Antilia case, it came to the knowledge of the then HM (Home minister) that most of the important and sensitive cases were assigned to Sachin Vaze on the directions of Parambir Singh. He was accompanied by Parambir Singh to all the important meetings at CM's residence. There was no personal interaction of the then HM with Sachin Vaze." "There is no proof of any meeting of Sachin Vaze with the then HM at his residence apart from official briefings/purposes in the presence of other officers. There was NO proof of any demand by the then HM or his P.S. Sanjeev Palande for collection of money," the report said. It further noted that, ACP Sanjay Patil and DCP Bhujbal have confirmed in their statements that no such demand for any collection of money was ever made by the then HM directly or through his PS. Cannot imagine Ayodhya without Ram, says President Ram Nath Kovind  It is impossible to imagine Ayodhya without Lord Ram, said President Ram Nath Kovind as he visited the Uttar Pradesh town on Sunday to launch several cultural projects. The President also visited the makeshift Ram Janmabhoomi temple and offered prayers there. "Ayodhya nagri is not just Prabhu Ram's janmabhoomi and leelabhoomi but without Ram it is impossible to even imagine about this town," Kovind said. The President was speaking at the inauguration of the Ramayana Conclave and launch of various projects of the Department of Culture and Tourism, U.P. Crypto money gains traction in adult industry amid OnlyFans drama, potentially paving way for mainstream adoption  Porn stars, sex workers and others in adult entertainment were taking a closer look at cryptocurrency payments in the wake of a series of troubles with the mainstream financial system, potentially propelling digital currencies into wider use. The latest problem came earlier this month when OnlyFans announced it would ban sexually explicit content on the sex-friendly creator site, only to reverse course days later following a backlash. Nonetheless, the drama could accelerate a move to cryptocurrency to allow anonymous payments to performers outside the banking system. With stricter rules from payment processors and the recent issues with OnlyFans, "it's obvious crypto will be the solution," said British performer Adreena Winters, who is also a brand ambassador for an upcoming crypto-friendly adult content marketplace. "Porn has frequently been the factor for new concepts taking off, be it VHS, online credit card payments and even the internet, so I don't think it's surprising it is that porn will eventually get crypto to become mainstream." Jeff Dillon, chief development officer at Nafty, a cryptocurrency platform launched this year specifically for the adult industry, said the OnlyFans saga "has done more than any marketing we could ever paid for." Dominic Ford, founder of JustFor.Fans, an OnlyFans rival which accepts bitcoin, said crypto represents just a small fraction of transactions on his platform because it is more cumbersome, but suggested this could ramp up quickly if popular money transfer tools adapt. "A cryptocurrency that works online and transcends borders seems an obvious evolution like email was the evolution of mail," said Ford. Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments  The number of reported coronavirus cases from India stood at 3,27,37,448 at the time of publishing this newsletter, with the death toll at 4,38,245.  Evening Wrap will return tomorrow.

Today's Top Picks

Maharashtra's Latur district gets free Wi-Fi connection How an Instagram star helped rescue dozens from Afghanistan   Transgenders get separate toilets at Delhi Metro A sordid saga of money, lust and murder | The Hindu On Books podcast

Copyright @ 2021, THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD.

If you are facing any trouble in viewing this newsletter, please try here If you do not wish to receive such emails go here