Kolkata, April 19: Women in Dhuliyan, one of the worst-affected areas in West Bengal’s minority-dominated Murshidabad district, have urged the Centre to set up permanent Border Security Force (BSF) camps in violence-hit pockets to ensure their safety following recent communal unrest over protests against the Waqf Act.

On Saturday, a delegation from the National Commission for Women (NCW), led by its chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar, visited Dhuliyan to meet those affected by last week’s violence, most of whom are Hindus.

Several women broke down during their interaction with the delegation and pleaded for the permanent deployment of central forces.

“We won’t survive without permanent BSF camps here. If needed, we are ready to offer our own land and homes for setting them up,” said a woman, sobbing and touching the feet of a delegation member.

The NCW team assured locals that their concerns would be conveyed to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.

“We are here to stand with you in this moment of crisis. The whole country is watching and supporting you. We will submit a detailed report to the Centre and include the demand for permanent BSF presence in this region,” a delegation member told the women.

Even before Saturday’s visit, NCW member Archana Majumdar had stressed the need for permanent Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) camps in the region.

“The women victims in Murshidabad have clearly expressed the need for permanent CAPF deployment to ensure their dignity and safety. We will raise the issue with the Union government,” Majumdar said on Friday.

Meanwhile, the Murshidabad district administration has prepared a preliminary report on property damage. According to initial estimates, over 250 houses and 100 shops — mostly owned by Hindus — were vandalized during the unrest.

“This is just the initial estimate. The actual figure may rise as we complete the detailed assessment,” said a senior district official.

Mumbai, April 19: Foreign investors have once again turned their attention to Indian equities, pumping in around Rs 8,500 crore during the week, as per the latest National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL) data.

The inflows came in during just three trading sessions — Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday — as stock markets remained closed on Monday and Friday due to public holidays.

This marks a positive turnaround after months of consistent selling by foreign institutional investors (FIIs) in the equity segment. Their return helped the markets end the week on a strong note.

Both the Indian equity indices wrapped up the week on a strong recovery by surging over 4.5 per cent — driven by positive signals from both domestic and global factors.

The rally was primarily fuelled by optimism surrounding the deferral of tariffs and recent exemptions on select products, raising hopes for potential negotiations that could mitigate the impact on global trade.

A key reason behind this fresh wave of investment is the weakening of the US dollar. As the dollar slips and currencies like the Indian rupee gain strength, global investors find it more attractive to move funds from the US to emerging markets like India.

While these inflows bring temporary relief to the markets, analysts say the coming weeks will be crucial.

“Investors will be watching closely to see whether this positive trend continues or if global factors once again influence foreign investment in Indian stocks,” experts noted.

As per market experts, in the coming week, market participants will closely watch the quarterly earnings of major companies like Infosys, HDFC Bank, and ICICI Bank.

Other key players, including HCL Technologies, Axis Bank, Hindustan Unilever and Maruti Suzuki India are also set to release their financial results.

Meanwhile, the expiry of the April derivatives series could add to market volatility. On the global front, any developments related to tariffs and their potential impact on international markets will also be closely tracked, the experts mentioned.

Mumbai, April 19: In a significant development, estranged cousins Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray on Saturday signalled a willingness to set aside their past differences and unite for the larger cause of protecting Maharashtra’s interests and preserving the Marathi language.

Uddhav Thackeray, who leads the Shiv Sena (UBT), and Raj Thackeray, founder of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), voiced strong opposition to the MahaYuti government’s decision to make Hindi a compulsory subject from Classes 1 to 5 in Marathi and English-medium schools.

Both leaders, speaking on separate platforms, suggested they were open to collaboration on issues crucial to the state’s identity and culture — particularly at a time when Marathi has been granted classical language status by the BJP-led central government.

In an interview with actor-director Mahesh Manjrekar, Raj Thackeray said, “The disputes and fights between Uddhav and me are minor — Maharashtra is much bigger than all that. These differences are proving costly for the existence of Maharashtra and the Marathi people.”

He added, “Coming together is not difficult, it’s a matter of will. It’s not just about my desire or selfishness. We need to look at the bigger picture. All Marathi people across political parties should unite and form a single party.”

Raj Thackeray further distinguished his past political decisions from the rebellion led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. “I left Shiv Sena when MLAs and MPs were with me. Even then, I chose to walk alone because I couldn’t work under anyone except Balasaheb Thackeray. I had no objection to working with Uddhav. The question is — does the other side have the will to work with me?”

“If Maharashtra wants us to come together, let Maharashtra speak up. I don’t let my ego get in the way of such matters,” he said.

Responding at a Bhartiya Kamgar Sena function, Uddhav Thackeray expressed similar sentiments. “I’m ready to put aside petty disputes. I appeal to all Marathi people to unite in the interest of Maharashtra. But there is a condition — when we pointed out in Parliament that industries were being shifted to Gujarat, if we had united then, we could have formed a government that worked for Maharashtra. We cannot keep switching sides — supporting them one day, opposing them the next, and then compromising again.”

“Anyone who acts against Maharashtra’s interests — I will not welcome them, invite them home, or sit with them. Let this be clear first, and then let us work together for Maharashtra,” he asserted.

MNS general secretary Sandeep Deshpande welcomed the tone of reconciliation but posed a key question — “Raj Thackeray rightly asked — does the other party truly want to come together? Until that is clear, the conversation is incomplete. We all want what’s best for Maharashtra. But do others feel the same way?”

Echoing the sentiment, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council, Ambadas Danve said, “As a Marathi manoos, it’s important for all forces to unite. Whether it is Uddhav or Raj, both are brothers. The political context may differ, but at the end of the day, the bond remains. There are many who are willing to mediate in this matter.”