Good morning, 🚨 Big Story Punjab farmer unions are gearing up for yet another wave of protests across the National Capital to press their demand for guaranteed minimum support prices. This comes after the marathon talks in Chandigarh remained inconclusive, the farmer unions said. In both its demands and leadership, the protest of 2024 is very different from the yearlong agitation of 2020-21, during which the farmers succeeded in their main goal of forcing the central government to roll back its agricultural reforms agenda. Read our explainer on what this protest is about, who’s leading it and what’s different this time around. ⚡ Only in the Express In our opinion section today, Sanjoy Hazarika writes on the tensions brewing in Myanmar and why India’s decision to build a fence along the border could be a problem: “As rebel forces fight the junta in Naypyidaw, cross-border movement of armed groups and weapons has created an unpredictable situation on India’s 1,640 km border with Myanmar. Yet, the announcements about ending the Free Movement Regime and building a fence flies in the face of official policies of Neighbourhood First and Act East.” 📰 From the Front Page In another setback to the Congress in Maharashtra, former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan quit the party. Meanwhile, ending speculation, Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief and Rajya Sabha MP Jayant Chaudhary confirmed that his party would join the BJP-led NDA ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Days after violence erupted in Haldwani after a mosque and a madrasa were razed by authorities, the state government has announced that a police station will be built at the demolition site. More than three months after they were sentenced to death, eight former Indian Navy personnel have been released from custody in Qatar and seven have returned to India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi – who was hailed by many for his personal intervention in the matter – is set to visit Qatar and meet the Emir tomorrow. Family members of the eight spoke to The Indian Express about when they found out about the release, and how it caught them off guard. 👩🏽💻 Must Read Solar physicists have come together for the one thing that was absent in their field - a support group. The “open” nature of this space seeks to encourage young researchers and give them guidance. The Indian Network for Dynamical and Unified Solar (INDUS) Physicists also reaches out to schools, publishes a fortnightly newsletter and, most importantly, actively busts myths around astronomy. Here's their story. In our weekly column Road to 2024, Liz Mathew writes about why the BJP is optimistic for Modi 3.0, and what is likely to remain on the party’s agenda – from “major reforms” to a strong Hindutva push. ⏱️ And Finally. India vs England: India’s lower order is stellar and the main reason behind their success at home against Australia in the last series was Axar, Ashwin, and Jadeja soaking up the middle order’s failures. But that was Australia; against this Bazball England, Jadeja probably needs a different approach. It’s time a spinner rose to stop Bazball. Perhaps, it’s Jadeja’s turn. While there have been rumours that Sonia Gandhi could take the Rajya Sabha route, sources say it is more or less clear that three other leaders will get tickets to the Upper House from the Congress. Read today’s ‘Delhi Confidential’ to find out more. 🎧 In today's episode of the '3 things' podcast, we talk about why violence erupted in Haldwani, the Punjab farmers on 'Dilli Chalo' march, and the Madhya Pradesh High Court’s recent observation on demolitions. Until tomorrow Rahel Philipose and Sonal Gupta
