September 28, 2025 • 22 mins
First, The Indian Express' Ravi Dutta Misra talks about the new tariffs that the US administration under President Donald Trump announced last week, and what they could mean for India.
Next, we talk to The Indian Express' Shubham Tigga about Jharkhand, where the promise of work led 13 young men into captivity. (09:37)
Lastly, we take a look at Tamil Nadu where one of the deadliest political tragedies in years claimed 39 lives. (20:47)
Hosted by Ichha Sharma
Produced and written by Shashank Bhargava and Ichha Sharma
Edited and mixed by Suresh Pawar
Next, we talk to The Indian Express' Shubham Tigga about Jharkhand, where the promise of work led 13 young men into captivity. (09:37)
Lastly, we take a look at Tamil Nadu where one of the deadliest political tragedies in years claimed 39 lives. (20:47)
Hosted by Ichha Sharma
Produced and written by Shashank Bhargava and Ichha Sharma
Edited and mixed by Suresh Pawar
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
In this episode, we talk about Jharkhund, where the promise
of work led young men into captivity. We also look
at pamel Ladu, where one of the deadliest political tragedies
in years claimed thirty nine lives. But we begin today
with the new tariffs that the US administration under President
Donald Trump announced last week and what they could mean
(00:21):
for India. Hi. I'm Micha Sharma and you're listening to
Three Things the Indian Express New show. Last week, the
Trump administration expanded its tariff net, declaring that starting October first,
(00:42):
it would impose one hundred percent tariff on branded and
patented pharmaceutical products, of fifty percent tariff on kitchen cabinets,
bathroom vanities and related products, and a twenty five percent
tariff on heavy trucks. Now, while kitchen cabinets and heavy
trucks don't affect India much, the tariffs on pharmaceutical products
(01:03):
have raised both concern and confusion within the pharmer sector. Here,
it's also important to note that these tariffs are separate
from the fifty percent reciprocal tariffs that the US had
already imposed on India back in August. So to discuss
this development and its possible impact. My colleague Shashang Pargov
speaks to the INN and expresses ravedatam Isra.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
REVIVI are once again talking about tariffs, and this time
the tariffs that have been imposed on pharmaceutical products. Now
we know that the US is India's biggest market for
pharmaceutical exports. So in what way do we see this
decision impacting the country.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
You know, this decision directly does not impact US because
we are in the generic market space. We supply twenty
percent of the world's generic drugs and we are very
very crucial for America.
Speaker 4 (01:57):
For the UK.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
In fact, NHS is on record saying that, you know,
Indian generic drugs are extremely crucial for the running for
the UK's healthcare system.
Speaker 4 (02:07):
So those things will remain intact.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
But the long term concern is when you are restricting
patented drugs in this fashion by imposing one hundred percent tariffs,
that takes away the incentive to do research and development
in India to an extent because the largest market is
pretty much shut off.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
So basically you're saying that, for example, let's say researchers
in India want to develop a new kind of drug,
they now know that one of their biggest markets is
effectively closed off, which raises the question that you know,
what incentive do they really have to create these new medicines.
Speaker 4 (02:43):
Yeah, and not only new kinds of medicines.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
It could be new kind of formulations and small things
like that. So the incentive now is to build in America.
Now that Indian firms, for instance Sanfarmer is producing a
lot of patented products and it is a small but
going market.
Speaker 4 (03:00):
That is the thing.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
We are not into that space, but our patent ecosystem
has been churning and that decision or that push is
there to go up the value chain.
Speaker 4 (03:11):
Generics is high volume, low value game.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
You know, for a small example, you can export a
ton of rise, but if you export one Apple iPhone,
that is the thing. And that's where these Western countries
are good. At the Europe, the Island. These are the
people who are producing patented drugs, doing research and it
will be hurting them most but to an extent there
will be repercussion, long term repercussions on India.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
And how has the Indian farmer sector reacted to this.
We know that last week the shares of a bunch
of prominent farmer companies had gone down.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
Yeah, the shares declined because there is a slight chance
that there will be confusion, you know, between branded drugs
and patented drugs. There are there's fear that because of
the new tariffs, Indian exports could slow down.
Speaker 4 (04:00):
There could be few of the products who might not be.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
Patented, but branded can come into the screening process and
that adds to the confusion. So whenever there's a new tariff,
the first reaction of the market, the first reaction of
the industry is that there's added stress, there's added checks
in the customs.
Speaker 4 (04:16):
So those things are never a good news. And when the.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
Finer details come in as to what exactly now, we
don't know too much.
Speaker 4 (04:23):
It's just a social media post.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
At the moment, we are yet to see the final
executive order which will give clarity as to what is allowed,
what is exactly allowed, what is not. So at the moment,
this is uncertainty playing out in the stock market.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
And these new tariffs that the US is talking about,
these we understand are not part of the reciprocal tariffs.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
Yeah, this is where the problem lies for India. It
is not on the particular product. It is not on
pharma or other things that are being talked about. The
big problem here is the expansion of section two three
to two.
Speaker 4 (04:56):
Now, this section gives Donald.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
Trump the power to impose tariffs citing national security. When
national security comes into the picture, neither the courts or
other constitutional bodies they can question, you know, these tariffs.
And for instance, reciprocal tariffs is a subject of courte battle.
On November fifth, US Supreme Court will start hearing arguments
(05:20):
for or against it, and there is a likelihood that
Trump will lose his powers under IPA, you know, using
which Trump imposed all these reciprocal TIFFs fifty percent on India,
thirty nine percent on Switzerland, fifty percent on Brazil, thirty
percent on China.
Speaker 4 (05:34):
All these tariffs might go away.
Speaker 3 (05:37):
And in the run up to that courte case, Trump
is expanding Section two three two, which is another way
of imposing tariffs on sector like steel and animuleium, like
heavy trucks, like pharma. And that's where the problem is.
We are negotiating a trade deal with the US. We
are very close. Oil is a problem. There are other hurdles.
But then even after we reach the finish line, we
(05:57):
might realize that reciprocal tiles are gone, but all these
sector tariffs have come in.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
And so these sectoral tariffs won't be part of the negotiations.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
It has been indicated quite clearly to India that they
won't be part of the deal. Because India has already
approached WTO on steal and animmodium tariffs, we have also
signaled a retaliation. We have not retaliated yet, but we
have kept that policy space and in multiple such sectoral
tariffs in automobile also we have approached the WTO. If
(06:27):
we knew that a deal will have these parts, then
going to the WTO is the countermeasure. I mean, it's
very counterintuitive in a manner of speaking. We have only
seen Section two three two exemptions given to the UK,
and we know that UK and US they're extremely close,
not just terms of geopolitics but also in terms of economy.
Speaker 4 (06:47):
UK imports more from the US than it exports, so it.
Speaker 3 (06:51):
Is not really in the firing line and that is
why it is understandable that UK has been given the
concession on Section three two three two. If it will
be done for India, it's we're not sure and it's
very unlikely that it will happen.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
And you earlier mentioned that we are actually very close
to negotiating a deal. Do we have a sense of
how those talks are going right now?
Speaker 3 (07:11):
So there's a very crucial round of discussions and not
negotiations that took place last week commas Minster. Puge Goil
had met usdr chief and also you know Sergio Gore
who is about to become the ambassador, and those talks
will perhaps lead to a date of formal negotiations, and
(07:32):
negotiations should come back on track. A big reason is
that there's a good likelihood that the oil issue has
been discussed and a possible solution has been worked out,
because Commerce Minister puge Goil, in one of his speech
in New York said that in India's oil imports strategy,
US will be a very important factor. So it kind
(07:53):
of signaled that we will be perhaps importing more oil
from the US and thereby reducing a bit of oil
imports from Ussia, and it could be one of the
solutions for the current stalemate. And we have had conversations
with the US officials as well, and they have also
indicated that oil is the thorniest issue at the moment
and that has to be settled first, and there will
(08:14):
be one solution and which indicated that the oil issue
will not result in a removal of twenty five percent
additional tariffs and the negotiations again will not be worked
on to tackle the rest twenty five percent, but there
will be one number on tariffs that will be given
and that will be the end of it. There's no
(08:35):
piece by piece process that is going to happen.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
And next we turn to an incident that has unfortunately
become all too common in the country. In the heart
of harkhans Bukaru District, in a small Adivasi village called
slay at Them, thirteen young men set out earlier this
month chasing the promise of work. They were told they
would earn fifteen thousand rupees a month packing flower in
(09:04):
Andhra Pradesh for families struggling to make ends meet. It
sounded like a lifeline. But the journey that began with
hope ended in captivity. When the workers reached Vishakha, Putnam,
there was no flower packing unit. Instead, they were forced
into a chemical factory handling hazardous powders. So to understand
how the incident unfolded and how frequently these incidents occur.
(09:28):
We speak to The Indian Express's Shubhamtiga, who starts by
telling us exactly how these young workers were recruited.
Speaker 5 (09:36):
So these workers were young ads boys from small and
same village called Siliadum in Bokaro district of Jharkan. And
not just young adults. There were also minus three or
four among them, that's what they told the Indian Express.
Some had just finished school, some had done the iti
(09:57):
like in the copy there was Praime was twenty and
he completed his idea and he just went for the work. Now,
when they were asked that why they went so early
to work, they said, it's very simple for them that
they are from poor family. They want job and they
have to support the family. And the way it happened
was that someone from their village, own village, who had
(10:19):
already worked outside, he told them about the contractor. Then
they got introduced to the contractor who is originally from Bihar,
and he promised them jobs in a flur packing company,
you know Ata packets, that kind of work. So fifteen
thousand sealry sounded good for them and that's how they
were learned. But instead Finally when they went to Andes
(10:43):
where the company is actually located. So when they went there,
they realized that this is not a flur packing company
or something like that which they were told earlier. It's
a chemical factory. So that's how this thing happened.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
There, right, And sure during your you spoke with these workers.
So what did they have to say about, you know,
the conditions at this chemical factory?
Speaker 5 (11:07):
Okay, so the condition they told us was terrible for them,
and it was very new for them, and honestly, it
was like a trap for them. They were told, you
will be packing uta packets, so for them it was
a very easy job before going to and Padesh, and
when they actually entered the company or the factory, it
(11:28):
wasn't the work that they were told. So it was
just like they told me that it was something chemical powder.
And later officials clarified that the factory was making put tea,
the stuff we used to fix walls, not any food product.
And yeah, the government people even said it's a renown
company and all that, but from the boy's side, it
(11:50):
was nothing like that. They described the place as full
of toxic dust. The air itself was heavy and people
were coughing, no masks, no say tigear, nothing, and even
there was no age criteria as what they told me
that since all these boys were in their twenties or
including niners as well, but they were telling that there
(12:12):
were also workers who were between ten to fifteen also,
so this was the condition for them. It was very scary,
and they were made to pack these powders for long hours,
and not for a day or two, but continuously about
fifteen days they worked there, and the conditions for them
was horrible, no proper food, barely any brakes, shift stretching
(12:34):
more than twelve hours, and some of them even fell sick,
but they were still forced to keep working. The contractor
continuously come to them and he was asking them to
keep continuously for their whole shift, and when they tried
to step back from the work, they refused that they
don't want to work. Initially they said this when they
entered the company, the contractormen and the company staff members
(12:57):
were actually assaulting them as but the report one of
the boys from their group was bitten badly on the
chest and even with the sleepers.
Speaker 1 (13:06):
So given these conditions, how did the workers finally manage
to send out a distress signal.
Speaker 5 (13:12):
So I think this is the most interesting part of
this whole case. So literally from the first day, when
they saw that it was not the work they were expecting,
they said, no, we don't want to work in this condition.
And remember even miners were also there. Imagine being fifteen
or sixteen or seventeen is coming out straight out of
(13:32):
your village, rural village, and suddenly you are in a
place where everything is dusty. So naturally they got scared
and refused to work. But the contractor didn't care. He
snatched everyone's phone on the spot when they decided that
they don't want to work. So now they were stuck
in the new place, no context, no way to reach home.
(13:53):
So here's where the presence of mind came in. So
one of the workers, Frame about whom we have mentioned,
he somehow managed to hide his phone and keep it safe.
With that one hidden phone, they started secretly updating their
families back in the villages, so telling them about the
terrible condition, even crying because they felt so trapped, and
(14:15):
they were smart about it. They pretended to be working
during the all these fifteen days, so while also they
were quietly sharing the details and the live locations whenever possible,
and that's how the families finally realized that how bad
the things are, and the families then reached out to
the local MLA again, the Prasadin Jharkan, he's also the
(14:35):
minister here and he escalated with the state officials.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
Right and sum talk about what has been the response
from the Jharkan government since the rescue.
Speaker 5 (14:46):
So once the MLA flagged it, Honestly, the response was
pretty quick. And I think we also have to give
some credit to the Jarkan government here, especially the Labor department,
because they have said this migrant control room and whenever
such cases come in they use jump into action and
do things very fast. That's exactly what happened this time.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
Also.
Speaker 5 (15:06):
They immediately coordinated with the Andes labor officials and the
local police in Visaka, Putnam, and within a couple of
days all thirteen workers were rescued.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
And not just that, but the.
Speaker 5 (15:16):
Workers even got compensated about a lack rupees or something
in total for their labor they already done in the company.
And now the local MLA has said that they'll look
into the matter and whatever action they want to take,
they will discuss with the government and take against the
company whatever action they have to take.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
So there hasn't been any legal action against the company yet,
right No, not.
Speaker 5 (15:39):
Yet, despite the local MLA said that he'll look into
what actions need to be taken against the company or
the contractor. But this is where it's get a bit
tricky as well, because when I spoke to some officials
they were little hesitant. They pointed out that the company
itself is a fairly renowned one and so they don't
(16:00):
see the company as directly responsible. They keep coming back
to the contractor thing, you know, like saying whenever it's
a contractual based work, this is where exploitation happens. We
already know that contractors do whatever they want, but the
company rarely takes accountability. So right now the MILI is
saying he'll push the government to take steps, but whether
it's actually the company or the contractor who faces action,
(16:22):
that's still not clear. And right now it looks like
the authorities are still figuring out what exact charge is
to press the minister. He himself is actually consulting to
the government and he's doing on his own. So both
the company and the contractor who learned these kids. Who
is responsible? That is the thing that the government has
(16:44):
to find out. So the intent is there, but the
exact action, like whether it will be under bonded labor laws,
trafficking or labor violation, that's I think still to be seen,
and I think we have seen these kinds of cases earlier.
Also jargon workers getting trapped, getting killed on work sites,
(17:05):
sometimes even kidnapped or dying in foreign countries. It happens
again and again, and usually there isn't much seriousness from
the state or the central government like in this case
also is the Department at fast but there was no
official tue from the government, the minister, the CM and
no strong statement, nothing publicly from the government side. It's
almost treated like a routine thing. So another group of
(17:28):
workers in trouble and should them.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
Lastly, as you mentioned earlier, that these incidents are almost
happening routinely, So exactly how common are such cases among
migrant workers from in and around the state.
Speaker 5 (17:42):
So yeah, honestly it's not rare at all. This case
is not rare at all. So I was saying that
it's become almost routine, and the scary parties different groups
of workers in Jharkan are facing different kinds of issues
in different sectors. Like take illegal mining for example, just
a couple of months ago, we saw workers getting trapped
inside these illegal mines. The NDRF team that was even
(18:06):
sent from Rachi to the district to dig and recover bodies,
but they couldn't find anything, and the NDRF itself said
that they didn't get support from the district administration and
then the administration simply called it a rumor that anyone
has died. So imagine that like people likely trapped underground,
but officially it's like nothing happened. Then you look at
(18:28):
workers who go abroad. Just a few months back, five
Jargon workers were kidnapped in Niger by the militant groups.
It's been more than four months, I think, and there
hasn't been a single word about them in the Wadhan
Sabha or the from the central government side, no updates, nothing.
And after that, we have seen that the worker in
the same country Niger only he was killed by the
same militant groups. And just recently two days ago, also
(18:51):
a Jargon worker only he died in Dubai after falling
at a construction site. So yeah, whether it's about illegal
mining at home Hargun, or migration to African or Gulf
countries or even going to other Indian states. These stories
keep reporting. Workers from Jargund, especially DVS and the Mulnivsi,
(19:12):
especially from the DVS and the ecademic community are constantly
feeling vulnerable. And I'll still say the Migrant Control Room
is the under Labor Department is very responsive in many
of these cases. They do act fast and raise the
issue very fast. But the bigger picture is that these
incidents are way too common and it's beyond quick responses.
(19:35):
You know, there isn't much long term seriousness about workers
safeties and rights in the state.
Speaker 1 (19:46):
And in the end, we turn our attention to Tamil Nadu,
where Knight meant to celebrate superstar turned politician vja turned
into one of the state's deadliest political tragedies in years.
On Saturday, gathered in Karu, crowding states and markets for
hours to see the actor whose face has long dominated
(20:07):
PAML cinema and who is now shaping Tamil politics. Around
seven thirty pm, just after Vijai took the stage, dozens
of supporters climbed a tree for a better view. When
the branches snapped, they fell onto the packed crowd near
Wija's campaign van. The sudden crash set of panic, and
within minutes the audience surged forward in a deadly stampede.
(20:28):
By the end, thirty nine people were dead, among them
ten children and seventeen women. Ambulances pushed through as Vija
continued speaking, apparently unaware of the scale of the tragedy.
Police meanwhile struggled with a crowd that had grown far
beyond capacity. Reporting on the incident, The Indian Expresses, arun
(20:49):
Djanadanan writes that according to police sources, permission had been
given for ten thousand people, but around thirty thousand turned up,
many drawn by tvk's social media posts from earlier in
the morning. Sources and members of Vija's team also say
that the frenzy had begun hours earlier, when fans followed
his convoy from Namakal to Karur. Some even chased his
(21:11):
bus for kilometers, frustrated that its blacked out windows blocked
their view. The state government has announced a compensation of
ten lakhrupees for each victim, and rush patients to both
government and private hospitals. Shortly after the incident, Chief Minister
MK Stalin flew to Trichi overnight to oversee relief efforts,
while senior ministers and police officials joined him on the ground.
(21:34):
The tragedy comes amid tensions between Vija's new political outfit,
the Tamilaga Vetri Kazhangam, and the DMK government over restrictions
at his rallies. Vije has accused the state of trying
to stifle his campaign, with the police argue that such
controls are necessary for public safety. Meanwhile, leaders across parties,
including Prime Minister and Arrangermudi and Rahul Gandhi, have offered
(21:57):
condolences and the state has appointed tired Justice Aruna Jagadeysan
to lead an inquiry. Analysts say the disaster underscores the
combustible mix of movie fandom and politics in Tamula, where
a Jay's rallies drew more film devotees than party Kadda,
creating crowds that are emotional, unpredictable and often impossible to control.
(22:23):
You were listening to Three Things by The Indian Express.
Today's show was edited and mixed by Seshavar and produced
by Shishang Hagov and me Ichasharma.
Speaker 4 (22:32):
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In this episode, we talk about Jharkhund, where the promise
of work led young men into captivity. We also look
at pamel Ladu, where one of the deadliest political tragedies
in years claimed thirty nine lives. But we begin today
with the new tariffs that the US administration under President
Donald Trump announced last week and what they could mean
(00:21):
for India. Hi. I'm Micha Sharma and you're listening to
Three Things the Indian Express New show. Last week, the
Trump administration expanded its tariff net, declaring that starting October first,
(00:42):
it would impose one hundred percent tariff on branded and
patented pharmaceutical products, of fifty percent tariff on kitchen cabinets,
bathroom vanities and related products, and a twenty five percent
tariff on heavy trucks. Now, while kitchen cabinets and heavy
trucks don't affect India much, the tariffs on pharmaceutical products
(01:03):
have raised both concern and confusion within the pharmer sector. Here,
it's also important to note that these tariffs are separate
from the fifty percent reciprocal tariffs that the US had
already imposed on India back in August. So to discuss
this development and its possible impact. My colleague Shashang Pargov
speaks to the INN and expresses ravedatam Isra.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
REVIVI are once again talking about tariffs, and this time
the tariffs that have been imposed on pharmaceutical products. Now
we know that the US is India's biggest market for
pharmaceutical exports. So in what way do we see this
decision impacting the country.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
You know, this decision directly does not impact US because
we are in the generic market space. We supply twenty
percent of the world's generic drugs and we are very
very crucial for America.
Speaker 4 (01:57):
For the UK.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
In fact, NHS is on record saying that, you know,
Indian generic drugs are extremely crucial for the running for
the UK's healthcare system.
Speaker 4 (02:07):
So those things will remain intact.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
But the long term concern is when you are restricting
patented drugs in this fashion by imposing one hundred percent tariffs,
that takes away the incentive to do research and development
in India to an extent because the largest market is
pretty much shut off.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
So basically you're saying that, for example, let's say researchers
in India want to develop a new kind of drug,
they now know that one of their biggest markets is
effectively closed off, which raises the question that you know,
what incentive do they really have to create these new medicines.
Speaker 4 (02:43):
Yeah, and not only new kinds of medicines.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
It could be new kind of formulations and small things
like that. So the incentive now is to build in America.
Now that Indian firms, for instance Sanfarmer is producing a
lot of patented products and it is a small but
going market.
Speaker 4 (03:00):
That is the thing.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
We are not into that space, but our patent ecosystem
has been churning and that decision or that push is
there to go up the value chain.
Speaker 4 (03:11):
Generics is high volume, low value game.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
You know, for a small example, you can export a
ton of rise, but if you export one Apple iPhone,
that is the thing. And that's where these Western countries
are good. At the Europe, the Island. These are the
people who are producing patented drugs, doing research and it
will be hurting them most but to an extent there
will be repercussion, long term repercussions on India.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
And how has the Indian farmer sector reacted to this.
We know that last week the shares of a bunch
of prominent farmer companies had gone down.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
Yeah, the shares declined because there is a slight chance
that there will be confusion, you know, between branded drugs
and patented drugs. There are there's fear that because of
the new tariffs, Indian exports could slow down.
Speaker 4 (04:00):
There could be few of the products who might not be.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
Patented, but branded can come into the screening process and
that adds to the confusion. So whenever there's a new tariff,
the first reaction of the market, the first reaction of
the industry is that there's added stress, there's added checks
in the customs.
Speaker 4 (04:16):
So those things are never a good news. And when the.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
Finer details come in as to what exactly now, we
don't know too much.
Speaker 4 (04:23):
It's just a social media post.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
At the moment, we are yet to see the final
executive order which will give clarity as to what is allowed,
what is exactly allowed, what is not. So at the moment,
this is uncertainty playing out in the stock market.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
And these new tariffs that the US is talking about,
these we understand are not part of the reciprocal tariffs.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
Yeah, this is where the problem lies for India. It
is not on the particular product. It is not on
pharma or other things that are being talked about. The
big problem here is the expansion of section two three
to two.
Speaker 4 (04:56):
Now, this section gives Donald.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
Trump the power to impose tariffs citing national security. When
national security comes into the picture, neither the courts or
other constitutional bodies they can question, you know, these tariffs.
And for instance, reciprocal tariffs is a subject of courte battle.
On November fifth, US Supreme Court will start hearing arguments
(05:20):
for or against it, and there is a likelihood that
Trump will lose his powers under IPA, you know, using
which Trump imposed all these reciprocal TIFFs fifty percent on India,
thirty nine percent on Switzerland, fifty percent on Brazil, thirty
percent on China.
Speaker 4 (05:34):
All these tariffs might go away.
Speaker 3 (05:37):
And in the run up to that courte case, Trump
is expanding Section two three two, which is another way
of imposing tariffs on sector like steel and animuleium, like
heavy trucks, like pharma. And that's where the problem is.
We are negotiating a trade deal with the US. We
are very close. Oil is a problem. There are other hurdles.
But then even after we reach the finish line, we
(05:57):
might realize that reciprocal tiles are gone, but all these
sector tariffs have come in.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
And so these sectoral tariffs won't be part of the negotiations.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
It has been indicated quite clearly to India that they
won't be part of the deal. Because India has already
approached WTO on steal and animmodium tariffs, we have also
signaled a retaliation. We have not retaliated yet, but we
have kept that policy space and in multiple such sectoral
tariffs in automobile also we have approached the WTO. If
(06:27):
we knew that a deal will have these parts, then
going to the WTO is the countermeasure. I mean, it's
very counterintuitive in a manner of speaking. We have only
seen Section two three two exemptions given to the UK,
and we know that UK and US they're extremely close,
not just terms of geopolitics but also in terms of economy.
Speaker 4 (06:47):
UK imports more from the US than it exports, so it.
Speaker 3 (06:51):
Is not really in the firing line and that is
why it is understandable that UK has been given the
concession on Section three two three two. If it will
be done for India, it's we're not sure and it's
very unlikely that it will happen.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
And you earlier mentioned that we are actually very close
to negotiating a deal. Do we have a sense of
how those talks are going right now?
Speaker 3 (07:11):
So there's a very crucial round of discussions and not
negotiations that took place last week commas Minster. Puge Goil
had met usdr chief and also you know Sergio Gore
who is about to become the ambassador, and those talks
will perhaps lead to a date of formal negotiations, and
(07:32):
negotiations should come back on track. A big reason is
that there's a good likelihood that the oil issue has
been discussed and a possible solution has been worked out,
because Commerce Minister puge Goil, in one of his speech
in New York said that in India's oil imports strategy,
US will be a very important factor. So it kind
(07:53):
of signaled that we will be perhaps importing more oil
from the US and thereby reducing a bit of oil
imports from Ussia, and it could be one of the
solutions for the current stalemate. And we have had conversations
with the US officials as well, and they have also
indicated that oil is the thorniest issue at the moment
and that has to be settled first, and there will
(08:14):
be one solution and which indicated that the oil issue
will not result in a removal of twenty five percent
additional tariffs and the negotiations again will not be worked
on to tackle the rest twenty five percent, but there
will be one number on tariffs that will be given
and that will be the end of it. There's no
(08:35):
piece by piece process that is going to happen.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
And next we turn to an incident that has unfortunately
become all too common in the country. In the heart
of harkhans Bukaru District, in a small Adivasi village called
slay at Them, thirteen young men set out earlier this
month chasing the promise of work. They were told they
would earn fifteen thousand rupees a month packing flower in
(09:04):
Andhra Pradesh for families struggling to make ends meet. It
sounded like a lifeline. But the journey that began with
hope ended in captivity. When the workers reached Vishakha, Putnam,
there was no flower packing unit. Instead, they were forced
into a chemical factory handling hazardous powders. So to understand
how the incident unfolded and how frequently these incidents occur.
(09:28):
We speak to The Indian Express's Shubhamtiga, who starts by
telling us exactly how these young workers were recruited.
Speaker 5 (09:36):
So these workers were young ads boys from small and
same village called Siliadum in Bokaro district of Jharkan. And
not just young adults. There were also minus three or
four among them, that's what they told the Indian Express.
Some had just finished school, some had done the iti
(09:57):
like in the copy there was Praime was twenty and
he completed his idea and he just went for the work. Now,
when they were asked that why they went so early
to work, they said, it's very simple for them that
they are from poor family. They want job and they
have to support the family. And the way it happened
was that someone from their village, own village, who had
(10:19):
already worked outside, he told them about the contractor. Then
they got introduced to the contractor who is originally from Bihar,
and he promised them jobs in a flur packing company,
you know Ata packets, that kind of work. So fifteen
thousand sealry sounded good for them and that's how they
were learned. But instead Finally when they went to Andes
(10:43):
where the company is actually located. So when they went there,
they realized that this is not a flur packing company
or something like that which they were told earlier. It's
a chemical factory. So that's how this thing happened.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
There, right, And sure during your you spoke with these workers.
So what did they have to say about, you know,
the conditions at this chemical factory?
Speaker 5 (11:07):
Okay, so the condition they told us was terrible for them,
and it was very new for them, and honestly, it
was like a trap for them. They were told, you
will be packing uta packets, so for them it was
a very easy job before going to and Padesh, and
when they actually entered the company or the factory, it
(11:28):
wasn't the work that they were told. So it was
just like they told me that it was something chemical powder.
And later officials clarified that the factory was making put tea,
the stuff we used to fix walls, not any food product.
And yeah, the government people even said it's a renown
company and all that, but from the boy's side, it
(11:50):
was nothing like that. They described the place as full
of toxic dust. The air itself was heavy and people
were coughing, no masks, no say tigear, nothing, and even
there was no age criteria as what they told me
that since all these boys were in their twenties or
including niners as well, but they were telling that there
(12:12):
were also workers who were between ten to fifteen also,
so this was the condition for them. It was very scary,
and they were made to pack these powders for long hours,
and not for a day or two, but continuously about
fifteen days they worked there, and the conditions for them
was horrible, no proper food, barely any brakes, shift stretching
(12:34):
more than twelve hours, and some of them even fell sick,
but they were still forced to keep working. The contractor
continuously come to them and he was asking them to
keep continuously for their whole shift, and when they tried
to step back from the work, they refused that they
don't want to work. Initially they said this when they
entered the company, the contractormen and the company staff members
(12:57):
were actually assaulting them as but the report one of
the boys from their group was bitten badly on the
chest and even with the sleepers.
Speaker 1 (13:06):
So given these conditions, how did the workers finally manage
to send out a distress signal.
Speaker 5 (13:12):
So I think this is the most interesting part of
this whole case. So literally from the first day, when
they saw that it was not the work they were expecting,
they said, no, we don't want to work in this condition.
And remember even miners were also there. Imagine being fifteen
or sixteen or seventeen is coming out straight out of
(13:32):
your village, rural village, and suddenly you are in a
place where everything is dusty. So naturally they got scared
and refused to work. But the contractor didn't care. He
snatched everyone's phone on the spot when they decided that
they don't want to work. So now they were stuck
in the new place, no context, no way to reach home.
(13:53):
So here's where the presence of mind came in. So
one of the workers, Frame about whom we have mentioned,
he somehow managed to hide his phone and keep it safe.
With that one hidden phone, they started secretly updating their
families back in the villages, so telling them about the
terrible condition, even crying because they felt so trapped, and
(14:15):
they were smart about it. They pretended to be working
during the all these fifteen days, so while also they
were quietly sharing the details and the live locations whenever possible,
and that's how the families finally realized that how bad
the things are, and the families then reached out to
the local MLA again, the Prasadin Jharkan, he's also the
(14:35):
minister here and he escalated with the state officials.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
Right and sum talk about what has been the response
from the Jharkan government since the rescue.
Speaker 5 (14:46):
So once the MLA flagged it, Honestly, the response was
pretty quick. And I think we also have to give
some credit to the Jarkan government here, especially the Labor department,
because they have said this migrant control room and whenever
such cases come in they use jump into action and
do things very fast. That's exactly what happened this time.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
Also.
Speaker 5 (15:06):
They immediately coordinated with the Andes labor officials and the
local police in Visaka, Putnam, and within a couple of
days all thirteen workers were rescued.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
And not just that, but the.
Speaker 5 (15:16):
Workers even got compensated about a lack rupees or something
in total for their labor they already done in the company.
And now the local MLA has said that they'll look
into the matter and whatever action they want to take,
they will discuss with the government and take against the
company whatever action they have to take.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
So there hasn't been any legal action against the company yet,
right No, not.
Speaker 5 (15:39):
Yet, despite the local MLA said that he'll look into
what actions need to be taken against the company or
the contractor. But this is where it's get a bit
tricky as well, because when I spoke to some officials
they were little hesitant. They pointed out that the company
itself is a fairly renowned one and so they don't
(16:00):
see the company as directly responsible. They keep coming back
to the contractor thing, you know, like saying whenever it's
a contractual based work, this is where exploitation happens. We
already know that contractors do whatever they want, but the
company rarely takes accountability. So right now the MILI is
saying he'll push the government to take steps, but whether
it's actually the company or the contractor who faces action,
(16:22):
that's still not clear. And right now it looks like
the authorities are still figuring out what exact charge is
to press the minister. He himself is actually consulting to
the government and he's doing on his own. So both
the company and the contractor who learned these kids. Who
is responsible? That is the thing that the government has
(16:44):
to find out. So the intent is there, but the
exact action, like whether it will be under bonded labor laws,
trafficking or labor violation, that's I think still to be seen,
and I think we have seen these kinds of cases earlier.
Also jargon workers getting trapped, getting killed on work sites,
(17:05):
sometimes even kidnapped or dying in foreign countries. It happens
again and again, and usually there isn't much seriousness from
the state or the central government like in this case
also is the Department at fast but there was no
official tue from the government, the minister, the CM and
no strong statement, nothing publicly from the government side. It's
almost treated like a routine thing. So another group of
(17:28):
workers in trouble and should them.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
Lastly, as you mentioned earlier, that these incidents are almost
happening routinely, So exactly how common are such cases among
migrant workers from in and around the state.
Speaker 5 (17:42):
So yeah, honestly it's not rare at all. This case
is not rare at all. So I was saying that
it's become almost routine, and the scary parties different groups
of workers in Jharkan are facing different kinds of issues
in different sectors. Like take illegal mining for example, just
a couple of months ago, we saw workers getting trapped
inside these illegal mines. The NDRF team that was even
(18:06):
sent from Rachi to the district to dig and recover bodies,
but they couldn't find anything, and the NDRF itself said
that they didn't get support from the district administration and
then the administration simply called it a rumor that anyone
has died. So imagine that like people likely trapped underground,
but officially it's like nothing happened. Then you look at
(18:28):
workers who go abroad. Just a few months back, five
Jargon workers were kidnapped in Niger by the militant groups.
It's been more than four months, I think, and there
hasn't been a single word about them in the Wadhan
Sabha or the from the central government side, no updates, nothing.
And after that, we have seen that the worker in
the same country Niger only he was killed by the
same militant groups. And just recently two days ago, also
(18:51):
a Jargon worker only he died in Dubai after falling
at a construction site. So yeah, whether it's about illegal
mining at home Hargun, or migration to African or Gulf
countries or even going to other Indian states. These stories
keep reporting. Workers from Jargund, especially DVS and the Mulnivsi,
(19:12):
especially from the DVS and the ecademic community are constantly
feeling vulnerable. And I'll still say the Migrant Control Room
is the under Labor Department is very responsive in many
of these cases. They do act fast and raise the
issue very fast. But the bigger picture is that these
incidents are way too common and it's beyond quick responses.
(19:35):
You know, there isn't much long term seriousness about workers
safeties and rights in the state.
Speaker 1 (19:46):
And in the end, we turn our attention to Tamil Nadu,
where Knight meant to celebrate superstar turned politician vja turned
into one of the state's deadliest political tragedies in years.
On Saturday, gathered in Karu, crowding states and markets for
hours to see the actor whose face has long dominated
(20:07):
PAML cinema and who is now shaping Tamil politics. Around
seven thirty pm, just after Vijai took the stage, dozens
of supporters climbed a tree for a better view. When
the branches snapped, they fell onto the packed crowd near
Wija's campaign van. The sudden crash set of panic, and
within minutes the audience surged forward in a deadly stampede.
(20:28):
By the end, thirty nine people were dead, among them
ten children and seventeen women. Ambulances pushed through as Vija
continued speaking, apparently unaware of the scale of the tragedy.
Police meanwhile struggled with a crowd that had grown far
beyond capacity. Reporting on the incident, The Indian Expresses, arun
(20:49):
Djanadanan writes that according to police sources, permission had been
given for ten thousand people, but around thirty thousand turned up,
many drawn by tvk's social media posts from earlier in
the morning. Sources and members of Vija's team also say
that the frenzy had begun hours earlier, when fans followed
his convoy from Namakal to Karur. Some even chased his
(21:11):
bus for kilometers, frustrated that its blacked out windows blocked
their view. The state government has announced a compensation of
ten lakhrupees for each victim, and rush patients to both
government and private hospitals. Shortly after the incident, Chief Minister
MK Stalin flew to Trichi overnight to oversee relief efforts,
while senior ministers and police officials joined him on the ground.
(21:34):
The tragedy comes amid tensions between Vija's new political outfit,
the Tamilaga Vetri Kazhangam, and the DMK government over restrictions
at his rallies. Vije has accused the state of trying
to stifle his campaign, with the police argue that such
controls are necessary for public safety. Meanwhile, leaders across parties,
including Prime Minister and Arrangermudi and Rahul Gandhi, have offered
(21:57):
condolences and the state has appointed tired Justice Aruna Jagadeysan
to lead an inquiry. Analysts say the disaster underscores the
combustible mix of movie fandom and politics in Tamula, where
a Jay's rallies drew more film devotees than party Kadda,
creating crowds that are emotional, unpredictable and often impossible to control.
(22:23):
You were listening to Three Things by The Indian Express.
Today's show was edited and mixed by Seshavar and produced
by Shishang Hagov and me Ichasharma.
Speaker 4 (22:32):
If you like the show, do.
Speaker 1 (22:34):
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