Earthquake of 5.4 magnitude recorded in Andaman Sea: Seismology centre
Port Blair (PTI): An earthquake of 5.4 magnitude was recorded in the Andaman Sea on Sunday, the National Center for Seismology said.
The tremors were felt in parts of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, but there was no immediate report of any loss of life or damage to property, an official said.
The earthquake took place at 12.06 pm, and the depth of the tremor was 90 km, the seismology centre said.
However, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Chief Secretary Dr Chandra Bhushan Kumar said, "An earthquake of 5.7 magnitude occurred on November 9 around 12.08 pm. Tremors were felt at Mayabunder, Rangat and its adjoining areas in North and Middle Andaman. We have alerted all the agencies concerned, and standard protocols are in place."
Several teams in the region are actively monitoring the seismic activity, he said.
"As precautionary measures, we have advised tourists and fishermen not to venture into the sea," he said.
According to the District Emergency Operations Centre (DEOC) in Port Blair, the epicentre of the tremor was located at a depth of 96 kilometres north of Barren Island in the sea.
Barren Island, known for being the only active volcano in India, is nearly 140 km away from Port Blair by sea. This uninhabited island lies at the junction of the Indian and Burmese tectonic plates.
The Alpine-Himalayan seismic belt extending up to the Andaman-Nicobar island region is known to be one of the seismically active belts in the world, and earthquakes frequently hit the archipelago.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
