HAZARIBAGH, JHARKHAND // Defending some of India's oldest historical heritage has taken a tribal-rights campaigner from big-game hunter to the winner of this year's Gandhi Foundation international peace prize.
Known mostly for mining, corruption and a Maoist rebellion, the state of Jharkhand is also home to some of India's oldest and richest archaeological sites.
In its Karanpura Valley are cave paintings dated between 9,000 and 5,000 BC, and hundreds of stone megaliths provide rare evidence that prehistoric inhabitants understood astronomy and mathematics.
Historians have tried for decades to gain heritage status for the sites to protect them from new mines sprouting around the valley.
Among them is one of India's great eccentrics, 70-year-old Bulu Imam. From his colonial-era bungalow in the town of Hazaribagh, he has spearheaded a campaign to protect ancient tribal art traditions and bring them to the world stage.
Mr Imam is a Muslim, but he lives with two wives, Elizabeth and Philomena, both from the Oraon tribal community, along with his seven children.
Since the late 1980s, he has helped discover and document 13 ancient rock painting sites in the region. One of the most impressive is at Isco, where a long curling overhang of rock has for centuries protected the white and ochre drawings of cattle, birds, and geometric shapes.
These traditions survive today among the Oraon tribes, who paint the outside of their houses with strikingly similar images.
Mr Imam organised a group of women painters, encouraging them to transfer these drawings to paper and canvas, and then organising exhibitions around the world.
"Tribal art is the one hope for Jharkhand - that we can bring tourists here, rather than mining, and get the protection these sites so desperately need," he said.
It is a career that would never have been predicted for Mr Imam. Descended from an illustrious family of Urdu poets and lawyers, he spent the first 40 years of his life as an avid hunter, tracking down tigers, leopards and elephants from the mountains of Assam to the jungles of Orissa.
To hear his stories is to plunge into a lost and often violent world in some of the most remote corners of the subcontinent.
He recounts the time a tiger leapt on to the head of the elephant he was riding, or the time a leopard snatched the dog that was walking inches from his heel.
"I cherish the moments I have lived - I had an extraordinary life," he said. "But those things were of their time. We were only killing proven man-eaters but, at a certain point in the 1980s, I found I could no longer enjoy killing."
He took an abrupt change towards conservation and now finds himself embroiled in the bitter debate over the future of India's tribal communities. The tribes have been historically neglected by the state and now face the threat of expanding mining operations in many of their homelands.
"Modern India has come to hate the tribal," he said. "Initially, the government promises to protect them, then they break their promises and when the tribals fight back, the government feels justified to launch a war against them and grab their land."
He is referring to the conflict with Maoist rebels, who have increasingly associated themselves with tribal communities over the past three decades, entrenching themselves in the forests of central and eastern India.
"The tribals are not Maoists. They are not asking for the property of the state as the Maoists do," said Mr Imam. "The tribal just wants to hold on to his property and be left alone.
"But of course they sympathise with anyone who fights back against the state."
Jharkhand holds close to a third of the country's coal and iron ore, among many other minerals. There are 31 open-pit coal mines planned in the Karanpura Valley alone.
Mr Imam's protests against the mines, and his attempts to preserve local culture, have earned him this year's International Peace Prize from the UK-based Gandhi Foundation, due to be presented in May.
The award is shared with Binayak Sen, a renowned paediatrician who worked with tribes in the state of Chhattisgarh.
Their recognition by the Gandhi Foundation, which said the award was for India's tribal population, has been controversial since neither recipient is tribal.
Mr Imam admits it was badly handled. "With hindsight, we should have objected early on in the process. The award should either be for the tribals or for our work - it can't be both. But we thought it was a good chance to bring attention to these issues."
He is shocked, he says, at how tribal societies have changed.
"For years, I lived and ate and hunted with these people. They were very poor, but they were happy. They lived a rarefied existence - in a world of gods and nature.
"Now when we speak of tribes, they are potbellied, worm-ridden, police-harassed. I wonder how things have gone so wrong."
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh122,745
On sale: now
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
More on animal trafficking
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
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What is tokenisation?
Tokenisation refers to the issuance of a blockchain token, which represents a virtually tradable real, tangible asset. A tokenised asset is easily transferable, offers good liquidity, returns and is easily traded on the secondary markets.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
THE BIO
Bio Box
Role Model: Sheikh Zayed, God bless his soul
Favorite book: Zayed Biography of the leader
Favorite quote: To be or not to be, that is the question, from William Shakespeare's Hamlet
Favorite food: seafood
Favorite place to travel: Lebanon
Favorite movie: Braveheart
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Results
Stage three:
1. Stefan Bissegger (SUI) EF Education-EasyPost, in 9-43
2. Filippo Ganna (ITA) Ineos Grenadiers, at 7s
3. Tom Dumoulin (NED) Jumbo-Visma, at 14s
4. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE-Team Emirates, at 18s
5. Joao Almeida (POR) UAE-Team Emirates, at 22s
6. Mikkel Bjerg (DEN) UAE-Team Emirates, at 24s
General Classification:
1. Stefan Bissegger (SUI) EF Education-EasyPost, in 9-13-02
2. Filippo Ganna (ITA) Ineos Grenadiers, at 7s
3. Jasper Philipsen (BEL) Alpecin Fenix, at 12s
4. Tom Dumoulin (NED) Jumbo-Visma, at 14s
5. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE-Team Emirates, at 18s
6. Joao Almeida (POR) UAE-Team Emirates, at 22s
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'The Lost Daughter'
Director: Maggie Gyllenhaal
Starring: Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, Dakota Johnson
Rating: 4/5
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
The years Ramadan fell in May
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, first leg
Liverpool v Roma
When: April 24, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Anfield, Liverpool
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg result:
Ajax 2-3 Tottenham
Tottenham advance on away goals rule after tie ends 3-3 on aggregate
Final: June 1, Madrid
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
AIR
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Racecard
5pm: Al Maha Stables – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m
5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,600m
6pm: Emirates Fillies Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 1,600m
6.30pm: Emirates Colts Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 1,600m
7pm: The President’s Cup – Group 1 (PA) Dh2,500,000 (T) 2,200m
7.30pm: The President’s Cup – Listed (TB) Dh380,000 (T) 1,400m
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
The biog
Age: 30
Position: Senior lab superintendent at Emirates Global Aluminium
Education: Bachelor of science in chemical engineering, post graduate degree in light metal reduction technology
Favourite part of job: The challenge, because it is challenging
Favourite quote: “Be the change you wish to see in the world,” Gandi
'Morbius'
Director: Daniel Espinosa
Stars: Jared Leto, Matt Smith, Adria Arjona
Rating: 2/5
THE LOWDOWN
Romeo Akbar Walter
Rating: 2/5 stars
Produced by: Dharma Productions, Azure Entertainment
Directed by: Robby Grewal
Cast: John Abraham, Mouni Roy, Jackie Shroff and Sikandar Kher
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
Sri Lanka-India Test series schedule
- 1st Test India won by 304 runs at Galle
- 2nd Test India won by innings and 53 runs at Colombo
- 3rd Test August 12-16 at Pallekele
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
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Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions