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Vol : 05 : #66 01-05-2021 to 15-05-2021
India logs 4L Covid cases for
the first time in a new high
New Delhi : India witnessed highest
spike of 4,01,999 fresh cases of
Covid-19 and 3,523 fatalities due to
coronavirus infection in the last 24
hours, Ministry of Health and Family
Welfare (MoHF) said on Saturday.
It was the first time when India
crossed four lakh figure of Covid
cases in a day. For the last nine days,
over three lakh Covid cases were
being reported while over 3,000 casualties
have been reported for the past
four days. On Friday, India witnessed
3,498 deaths, second highest fatalities
in a day.
India's total tally of total Covid-19
cases now stands at 1,91,64,969, the
highest since the pandemic started in
2020, with 32,68,710 active cases and
New Delhi : Seven Indian
Navy ships have been deployed
for the shipment of liquid medical
oxygen-filled cryogenic containers
and associated medical equipment
from various countries to
strengthen Indias fight against the
raging second wave of the Covid-
19 pandemic.
"INS Kolkata, Kochi, Talwar,
Tabar, Trikand, Jalashwa and
Airavat have been deployed for
the shipment of liquid medical
oxygen-filled cryogenic containers
in support of the nation's fight
against Covid-19 and as part of
operation 'Samudra Setu II'," the
Indian Navy stated.
INS Kolkata and INS Talwar,
2,11,853 deaths so far.
According to MoHF, 2,99,988 people
have been discharged in the last 24
hours taking the total recoveries to
1,56,84,406. The health ministry said
that a total of 15,49,89,635 people
have been vaccinated so far in the
country, including 27,44,485 people
administered vaccines in the last 24
hours. Maharashtra reported a record
high of 6,64,683 Covid-19 cases followed
by Karnataka (3,82,710), Uttar
Pradesh (3,10,783) and Kerala
(3,04,074). According to the Indian
Council of Medical Research,
28,83,37,385 samples have been tested
up to April 29, 2021 for Covid-19,
of these 19,45,299 samples were tested
on Friday.
7 Navy ships to bring oxygen, medical
equipment from various nations
deployed in the Persian Gulf, were
the first batch of ships that were
immediately diverted for the task
and entered the port of Manama,
Bahrain, on Friday. INS Talwar is
headed back home with 40 MT
liquid medical oxygen (LMO).
INS Kolkata has proceeded to
Doha, Qatar, for embarking medical
supplies and will subsequently
head to Kuwait for embarking
liquid oxygen tanks.
Similarly, on the Eastern
seaboard, INS Airavat has been
diverted for the task, while INS
Jalashwa, the LPD which played a
key role during operation Samudra
Setu last year, was pulled out of
maintenance, readied and sailed
out to augment the effort, the
Navy said.
INS Airavat is scheduled to
enter Singapore for embarking liquid
oxygen tanks, while INS
Jalashwa is standing by in the
region to embark medical supplies
at short notice.
The second batch of ships comprising
INS Kochi, Trikand and
Tabar deployed in the Arabian Sea
has also been diverted to join the
efforts.
From the Southern Naval
Command, landing ship tank INS
Shardul is being readied to join the
operation within 48 hours.
The Indian Navy also has the
surge capability to deploy more
ships when the need arises to further
the nation's fight against
Covid-19, it said.
All the ships are combat ready
and capable of meeting any contingency
in keeping with the
attributes of the versatility of sea
power, the Navy said.
It may be recalled that operation
Samudra Setu was launched
last year by the Navy and around
4,000 Indian citizens stranded in
the neighbouring countries due to
the Covid outbreak were successfully
repatriated back to India.
K’taka witnesses biggest single-day
spike of 48,296 Covid cases
Bengaluru : Battered by
the onslaught of the second
of the Covid-19 pandemic,
Karnataka reported an alltime
high single-day spike
of 48,296 Covid cases in
the last 24 hours, including
a staggering 26,756 infections
in Bengaluru alone,
the state health bulletin said
on Friday.
"With 48,296 new cases
registered on Thursday, the
state's Covid tally shot up
to 15,23,142, including
3,82,690 active cases, while recoveries
increased to 11,24,909 with 14,884 discharged
during the day," said the bulletin
issued on Friday.
As the epicentre of the pandemic in the
state, Bengaluru reported 26,756 fresh cases
on Thursday, taking its Covid tally to
7,56,740, including 2,59,058 active cases,
while 5,123 discharges in the last 24 hours
too its total number of recoveries to
4,91,306.
Of the 217 lives lost to the virus on
Thursday, 93 were from Bengaluru, taking
the state's death toll to 15,523 and the city's
toll to 6,375 since the pandemic broke out in
mid-March a year ago.
Among the districts, Mysuru reported
3,500 cases, followed by 1,801 in Tumkuru,
1,348 in Mandya, 1,256 in Kalaburagi,
1,205 in Dakshina Kannada, 1,282 in Ballari
and 609 in Kodagu, with the other cases
spread across the remaining 23 districts of
the state.
Out of the 1,89,793 tests conducted
across the state on Thursday, 14,280 were
through Rapid Antigen detection and
1,75,513 through the RT-PCR method.
The state's test positivity rate shot up to
25.44 per cent, while the case fatality rate
stood at 0.44 per cent on Thursday.
Meanwhile, 1,62,011 people, including
67,036 senior citizens and 61,032 in the 45-
59 years age group, were vaccinated during
the day across the state.
"Cumulatively, 95,81,682 beneficiaries,
including healthcare workers and frontline
warriors, have received the jab till date since
the vaccination drive was launched on
January 16 across the southern state," said
the bulletin.
2
01-05-2021 to 15-05-2021 NEWS
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Water has gone above head, arrange
oxygen now: Delhi HC raps Centre
New Delhi : The Delhi High Court on
Saturday rapped the Centre over the shortage
of medical oxygen in the national capital
amid the raging second wave of the
Covid-19 pandemic and directed it to
arrange the life-saving gas "by whatever
means", saying "water has gone above the
head, arrange everything now".
The court made the observation while
hearing the petitions on how the health
infrastructure is trying to cope with the
deadly second wave of the pandemic.
Gurugram : In a joint operation,
the Gurugram and
Sonipat units of the Special
Task Force (STF) of the
Haryana Police have arrested
an inter-state most wanted
criminal Sube Gujjar, who was
carrying a reward of Rs 7.50
lakh, from a Delhi airport on
Friday, the police said on
Saturday.
The reward was announced
by the Haryana, Delhi,
Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh
police.
Gujjar, a resident of
Bargujjar village of Gurugram,
was a key member of the
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Editor-in-chief
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Considering the death of eight Covid
patients, including a doctor, at Delhi's
Batra Hospital due to the shortage of oxygen
earlier in the day, the high court said:
"Water has gone above the head. You have
to arrange everything now. You have made
the allocations. You have to fulfil them.
Eight lives have been lost. We can't shut
our eyes to it." The court had earlier
recorded the submissions made regarding
the tragic incident at the Batra Hospital in
the Mehrauli area of the national capital
Kaushal gang and was
involved in 11 cases of
murder, 12 attempt to
murder cases, extortion,
contract killing and
dozens of other crimes
which were serious in
nature.
According to the
police, Gujjar was operating
the gang after the
arrest of Kaushal. He was
involved in multiple criminal
activities since 2004-
05 and was a proclaimed
offender. He was yet to be
arrested in 20 other cases
which he had committed in the
span of 16 years.
Gurugram STF incharge
that was reported at around 12.45 p.m. on
Saturday.
This was the second time in a week that
the hospital ran out of medical oxygen. On
April 24, the hospital had received a lastminute
supply which arrived minutes after
its oxygen reserves ran out.
The high court further directed the
Centre to ensure that Delhi receives 490
MT oxygen supply on Saturday by "whatever
means".
"We direct the Centre to ensure that
Delhi receives its 490 MT oxygen supply
today by whatever means. Delhi is not an
industrial state... It doesn't have cryogenic
tankers," the high court said.
"Eight people have died... Will we shut
our eyes to people dying in Delhi," the
court asked.
The court further directed the Centre to
submit its explanation by Monday if it fails
to supply medical oxygen to Delhi hospitals.
"We'll see your explanation on
Monday if you can't supply oxygen," it
said. The court also said that it is the
responsibility of the Central government to
arrange oxygen tankers as well.
"The allocation to Delhi has been in
force from April 20 and not for a single day
Delhi has received the allocated supply,"
the court noted.
Inspector Varun Dahiya said
the criminal was using fake IDs
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Lockdown in Delhi extended
by one week : Kejriwal
New Delhi : Amid the raging second wave of the Covid-19
pandemic in the national capital, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind
Kejriwal on Saturday announced to extend the lockdown in the
city for one more week.
Earlier on April 26, the Chief Minister had extended the
week-long lockdown in the national capital till May 3.
Taking to Twitter, Kejriwal said, "Lockdown in Delhi is being
extended by one week."
The national capital has been witnessing a massive surge in
the number of Covid-19 cases since the past few weeks. As per
the data received on Saturday morning, the city recorded over
27,000 new cases and 375 deaths in the past 24 hours - the 13th
straight day when Delhi reported more than 20,000 cases a day.
Notorious inter-state gangster held at Delhi airport
Poonawalla to begin vaccine
production in UK: Report
New Delhi : In a bid to meet
its supply commitments, the
Serum Institute of India's (SII)
Chief Executive Officer Adar
Poonawalla on Friday said that
the company is planning to start
vaccine production in the UK,
the media reported.
While speaking to the
Times, the CEO of Pune-based
pharmaceutical company said
that the company will make an
official announcement in the
upcoming days.
"The level of expectation
and aggression is really
unprecedented. It's overwhelming,"
Poonawalla told the publication.
Recently, SII had borrowed
money from banks instead of
waiting for the government's
aid to arrive to scale up the production
of its Covishield vaccine.
The company assumed that
the funding from the government
will reach them very
soon, probably by this week.
Covishield has been developed
by the Oxford University and
AstraZeneca and manufactured
by the SII. The government
recently announced that it has
given in-principle approval for
credit to vaccine manufacturers,
SII and Hyderabad-based
Bharat Biotech to boost India's
vaccine production in wake of
the huge surge in Covid-19
caseload.
The Union Finance Ministry
has approved a sanction of Rs
3,000 crore credit for SII and
Rs 1,500 crore to Bharat
Biotech. Poonawalla, earlier,
had suggested that the company
would require around Rs
3,000 crore to increase production
of Covid-19 vaccines.
during his hideout period
and around 15 days ago he
was returning to India from
Nepal.
"Gujjar had committed
multiple crimes in Delhi
and NCR, Haryana,
Rajasthan and Uttar
Pradesh. He was operating
the gang from outside
Delhi and NCR. Following
a lead about his presence at
Delhi airport, the STF
arrested him on Friday.
Gujjar used to extort
money from wine contractors,
businessman, sweet
shop owners, builders and
industrialists with the help of
his gang members," Dahiya
told IANS.
Gujjar had visited Dosa,
Alwar in Rajasthan and
Chennai during his hideout
period with the help of fake
documents. Gujjar was returning
from Goa and was planning
to fly to some other destination
but the STF arrested him,"
Dahiya added.
"The investigation agency
has taken him on seven days
police remand to gather information
about his gang members
and weapons used into the
crime," he said.
Corona curfew extended
in 4 J&K districts
Srinagar :
Amidst a spike
in Covid-19
cases in the
Union Territory,
the J&K government
on
Saturday
extended corona
curfew in four
districts till
Thursday morning,
officials
said. The four
districts include Srinagar, Baramulla, Budgam and Jammu.
According to an official statement, the corona Curfew ending
at 7 a.m. May 3, 2021 stands extended till 7 a.m. on May 6, 2021
in the four districts of Srinagar, Baramulla, Budgam and Jammu.
The corona curfew at night shall continue in all the municipal
and urban local body limits of all the 20 districts of
Jammu and Kashmir, including the above four districts, the
statement added. Apart from this, the other restrictions will
continue as before.
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ASIA
01-05-2021 to 15-05-2021
3
Thailand sends medical aid
to India to fight pandemic
New Delhi : Medical aid is pouring
in from around the world to India with
the latest help coming from Thailand
to fight the virulent second wave of
the Covid-19 pandemic.
Official sources said that the
Thailand government has sent its aircraft
to evacuate some Thai Embassy
officials from India. The Royal Thai
Air Force (RTAF) flight, which
arrived in India on Saturday for evacuation,
also carried 15 oxygen concentrators
as donation from the Thailand
government to the Indian Red Cross,
along with 15 concentrators donated
by the Hindu Samaj of Bangkok.
Official sources said Thailand
Prime Minister Gen Prayuth Chano
Cha conveyed through the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs his desire to offer
assistance to India. The Indian government,
sources said, had indicated that
it requires oxygen cylinders, concentrators,
generators and cryogenic oxygen
tanks. Meanwhile, Indian corporates,
in coordination with the Indian
Embassy in Thailand and the Ministry
of Home Affairs, have been sourcing
cryogenic tanks from Thailand. Eleven
tanks in three sorties by the Indian Air
Force (IAF) have already reached
India. The Indian community in
Thailand has also extended its support.
In addition, 100 oxygen cylinders
have separately been offered by the
Indian Association of Thailand. Steps
are being taken for their speedy transportation
to India. Thanking the
Thailand government and the Indian
community in that country, Ministry of
External Affairs spokesperson Arindam
Bagchi tweeted, "Further strengthening
historical ties with a close maritime
neighbour. Welcome the gift of 15 oxygen
concentrators from our ASEAN
partner and friend Thailand. Also thank
the Indian community in Thailand
which have generously donated another
15 oxygen concentrators."
Meanwhile, by April 30, India had
received 495 oxygen concentrators
and 140 ventilators from the UK; 200
oxygen concentrators from Mauritius;
256 oxygen cylinders from Singapore;
20 large oxygen concentrators, 75
ventilators, 150 bedside monitors, and
2,00,000 packs of Favipiravir from
Russia; 157 ventilators, 480 BiPAPs,
goggles, masks from the UAE; and
700 oxygen concentrators and 365
ventilators from Ireland.
India also received 80 oxygen concentrators,
75 oxygen cylinders, and
20 high-flow humidify oxygen therapy
devices from Romania, and 423
oxygen cylinders with regulators (200
Size D, 223 Size H), 210 pulse oximeters,
184,000 Abbott Rapid Diagnostic
Test Kits, 84000 N-95 face masks, 17
H-size (large) oxygen cylinders and
7,00,000 Abbott Rapid Diagnostic
Test Kits from the US.
ISRO staff at various centres
affected by Covid-19
HMD faces manpower crunch,
to reach 1B syringes by June
Chennai : The second wave
of Covid-19 sweeping across
the country has also affected
the various space centres and
not just the rocket launch centre
in Sriharikota in Andhra
Pradesh, K.Sivan, Secretary,
Department of Space said.
Sivan who is also the
Chairman, Indian Space
Research Organisation (ISRO)
told IANS: "Several employees
in our various centres have
been affected because of the
coronavirus and not only the
Satish Dhawan Space Centre in
Sriharikota."
He said the centres have
been asked to work with 50 per
cent staff capacity and the
remaining people to work from
home. "Only employees manning
critical functional areas
have been asked to attend
office. The ISRO centres have
been asked to follow the local
government's norms," Sivan
said. In Bengaluru where the
ISRO's headquarters and some
centres are located only skeletal
staff attend office. An official
in SDSC on the condition of
anonymity told IANS that there
are about 3,000 employees with
their family members and daily
about 30 people are tested positive
for coronavirus.
"About 200 staff would have
been infected with coronavirus.
Only those who work in critical
areas attend to duty," the official
said. According to the official,
one of the ISRO guest houses
has been converted into a quarantine
centre/Covid care centre
so that some employees not
having support infrastructure at
their homes are admitted. Many
employees of SDSC had been
allotted the poll duty when the
bypoll for Tirupati Lok Sabha
constituency held in April had
been infected with Covid.
SDSC Director A. Rajarajan
was not available for comments
and the steps taken to mitigate
the spread when contacted by
IANS. Meanwhile, Sivan said
ISRO's centre in Mahendragiri
in Tamil Nadu is producing
oxygen and supplies to the state
government. "Our production
capacity is very small. The
Kerala government too has
asked us for oxygen supplies,"
Sivan said.
New Delhi : As the company
is currently facing manpower
challenges, Medical syringe
major Hindustan Syringes and
Medical Devices Ltd (HMD)
on Saturday said that it is hiring
more people to meet the target
of producing 1 billion syringes
by June. The company said that
the manpower shortage is due
to the second wave of Covid-
19, ongoing Panchayat elections
and harvesting season.
"We have currently extreme
shortages of manpower. To
reach our target of 100 crore
syringes capacity, HMD needs
to strengthen our team and
employ 3,200 people but currently
have on roll 2,700,"
Rajiv Nath, Managing Director,
HMD, said in a statement.
"We are 500 people short to
achieve our target of 100 crore
pcs of auto-disable AD
Toronto : Even as Canada's
biggest province is facing the
third wave of the coronavirus
driven by new, more-contagious
variants, Premier Doug
Ford said the ventilators were
being donated in response to
calls for help from the Indian
High Commissioner in Ottawa
and the Consul General in
Toronto. The e700 Transport
ventilators, manufactured by
Brampton-based O-Two
Medical Technologies, will be
syringes by June this year,"
Nath added.
However, amid the shortage,
the company managed to timely
deliver 21.75 crore syringes
by April end to the Government
of India, as scheduled, to help
the country in its third vaccination
drive. "We are in the
process of immediate recruitment
of 500 people to increase
production at our factories in
Faridabad industrial district in
Haryana," Nath said.
"We are looking for hardworking
sincere people from
states like Haryana, Himachal
Pradesh, UP and Rajasthan that
are high school pass and fresher
who we will train with requisite
skills," he added. While
talking to IANS recently, Nath
said that the company will
invest over Rs 100 crore to
ramp up its production capacity
from 2.5 billion syringes to
over 3 billion.
The company ships out 0.1
ml and 0.5 ml auto disposable
Kojak syringes for global vaccination
projects in the developing
world, for yellow fever,
measles, hepatitis B and others.
This is in addition to Covid-
19 vaccination requirements of
0.3 ml for Pfizer's vaccines or
0.5 ml auto-disable Kojak for
AstraZeneca/Serum Institute of
India (SII) or Bharat Biotech
vaccines. With over 9 plants,
the company has created a
niche for their disposable
syringe -- DISPOVAN, which
is today one of the most popular
brands in the syringe market
in India with over 60 per cent
market share.
Ontario to donate 3,000 ventilators to Indian Red Cross to fight pandemic
shipped to India soon.
The Premier said his government
would also arrange transportation
to India of the medical
equipment being donated
by the Indian diaspora and
friends of India in Ontario.
"We stand shoulder-toshoulder
with the people of
India during these difficult
times. Our government will
keep working closely with Ajay
Bisaria, High Commissioner of
India and Apoorva Srivastava,
Consul General of India to
Toronto and stand ready to
assist further with India's
urgent needs, for as long as we
are able to. We are all in this
together and we will all overcome
this together," the
Ontario Premier said.
4
01-05-2021 to 15-05-2021 ASIA
www.theasianindependent.co.uk
Pak cuts international flights
to 20% to curb Covid cases
Islamabad : The National
Command and Operation Centre
(NCOC) on Saturday issued an advisory
reducing the number of inbound
international flights to 20 per cent to
curb a further rise in Covid-19 cases.
"Amid high disease prevalence in
various parts of the world and current
disease situation in the country with
corresponding extreme stress on the
critical care system. Pakistan has
decided to significantly reduce
inbound International Air Travel
from 5 May to 20th May," said the
NCOC in a statement on Twitter.
It was not immediately clear
which routes and air carriers will be
affected. The NCOC said that the
decision will be reviewed on May 18.
Inbound air traffic will operate at
20 per cent of the total current quantum,
while there is no change in the
existing Category C list countries.
"Pakistani passport holders
(stranded/short term visa) are
allowed to travel to Pakistan subject
to exemption by the committee as per
procedures in vogue," the NCOC
statement read. All inbound travellers
to Pakistan, including those from the
Category C list countries, must have
a negative repeat PCR test before
travelling to Pakistan (maximum 72
hours old) while a rapid antigen test
will be done on arrival at the airport.
Negative cases will undergo 10
days of self-quarantine at home with
stringent TTO protocols, Geo TV
reported. The statement said that positive
cases will be shifted by the
provincial/ district administration to a
self-paid facility for 10 days quarantine
with TTO of contacts (if any) and
a repeat PCR test will be conducted
on the 8th day of the quarantine period.
In case of a negative result, the
passenger will be allowed to proceed
home. However, in case of a positive
result, the passenger will either
undergo an additional quarantine
period or be shifted to hospital as per
the advice of health authorities.
The NCOC stated that registration
on the Passtrack App by all inbound
travellers before travelling to
Pakistan is mandatory, however,
deportees are exempted from registration
on the app.
Pakistan has seen record deaths in
recent days from the coronavirus, and
stricter restrictions on movement and
gathering in public are planned for
the upcoming Eid holiday.
Officials are worried the country's
health care system, already under
strain, could reach breaking point if
more contagious variants of the virus
begin to spread, as has happened in
neighbouring India.
On Saturday, authorities reported
4,696 new confirmed Covid-19 cases
in the past 24 hours and 146 deaths
from the disease.
11 killed after
extreme weather
hits east China
Nanjing : Eleven people were killed
and dozens injured after strong gales
struck east China's Jiangsu Province, the
provincial authorities said on Saturday.
Gales and hail swept parts of Jiangsu
on Friday night, including Nantong,
Huai'an, Yancheng, Taizhou and Suqian.
The disaster has left 11 people dead,
66 injured and 3,050 evacuated, according
to the Jiangsu Provincial Emergency
Management Department.
A fishing boat capsized due to the
storm, and 11 crew members fell into the
water. Two have been rescued and the
search for nine others is underway, the
Xinhua news agency reported.
Local authorities are organising the
relief efforts.
Ontario ban on entry
of int'l students to
impact INDIANS
Toronto : Ontario, Canada's
worst-hit province which is
battling the third wave of the
coronavirus, has sought a ban
on the arrival of international
students.
Currently, students from
India make up the majority of
international students studying
in Ontario.
Making this announcement
on Friday, Ontario Premier
Doug Ford said that since 94
per cent of all new cases in
Ontario are of new variant of
the virus and are coming from
outside, he would urge the federal
government to ban the
arrival of International students
into the province to check the
spread of the virus.
The Premier said, "Not
enough is being done to keep
these deadly variants out of
Canada. Last week, the new
Indian variant was reported
here in Ontario. It didn't swim
here I can tell you that."
Responding to the Ontario
Premier's request, Prime
Minister Justin Trudeau said
that his government would do
everything to stop the spread of
the virus.
Trudeau said, "Premier Ford
has asked that we should suspend
the arrival of international
students and because at this
time Ontario is the only
province making this request,
we are happy to work narrowly
with them."
Canada banned all direct
flights from India for one
month earlier this week, after
Health Canada statistics
showed that many passengers
from India were testing positive
for the virus.
There were 219,855 Indian
students in Canada last year,
making up about a third of all
642,480 foreign students. The
majority of them study in institutions
in Ontario.
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NEWS
India’s consumer demand for gold
to weaken in Apr-Jun: WGC
Mumbai : Consumer
demand for gold is likely to
weaken in the ongoing quarter
due to the restrictions and lockdowns
in wake of the second
wave of Covid-19, according to
a report by the World Gold
Council (WGC).
"The outlook for the coming
quarter is cautious. As lockdowns
are re-imposed in various
regions of the country in
response to rising COVID-19
cases, consumer confidence has
dipped. This is likely to impact
wedding demand in Q2 2021,"
it said. However, digital and
omni-channel retail strategies
developed over the last year by
many players may cushion the
drop unlike Q2 2020 but the
current crisis is beyond just economics
and logistics, therefore,
sentiment may be affected till
large scale vaccination is
Sensex down 983
points as banking
stocks plunge
Mumbai : The Indian stock
market witnessed a freefall on
Friday with the BSE Sensex
closing nearly 1,000 points
lower. Heavy selling was witnessed
in banking and finance
stocks. The decline came amid
surging Covid-19 cases in the
country and weakness in the
Asian markets.
Sensex closed at 48,782.36,
lower by 983.58 points, or 1.98
per cent, from its previous close
of 49,765.94. It had opened at
49,360.89 and touched an intraday
high of 49,569.42 and a low
of 48,698.08 points. The Nifty50
on the National Stock Exchange
closed at 14,631.10, lower by
263.80 points, or 1.77 per cent,
from its previous close. The top
losers on the Sensex were HDFC,
HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank,
while the only gainers were
ONGC, Sun Pharmaceutical
Industries, Dr Reddy’s
Laboratories and Bajaj Auto.
One held in Chennai for
smuggling in 1.2 kg gold
Chennai : The Chennai Air
Customs said on Saturday that
it has seized 1.2 kg gold from a
passenger who flew into the
city from Dubai. According to a
statement issued by the
Commissioner of Customs,
Chennai International Airport,
Mohamed Badurudeen arrived
from Dubai with a 55 inch LED
TV. When the officials examined
it by opening its back
cover, they found two heavy
black rectangular bars concealed
inside the speakers,
which turn contained two gold
bars.
The two bars weighed 1.2 kg
and are valued at Rs 57.75 lakh.
Badurudeen has been arrested
and further investigation is
underway.
achieved. Demand for gold in
India for Q1 2021 was at 140
tonne, 37 per cent higher than
the overall demand in Q1 of
2020 (102 tonne). India’s Q1
2021 gold demand was valued
at Rs 58,800 crore, an increase
of 57 per cent in comparison
with Q1 2020 (Rs 37,580 crore).
The total jewellery demand
in India for Q1 2021 was up 39
per cent at 102.5 tonne as compared
to Q1 2020 and the total
investment demand for Q1
2021 increased by 34 per cent
to 37.5 tonne in comparison
with Q1 2020 (28.1 tonne).
Somasundaram PR,
Managing Director, India,
World Gold Council said: "A
combination of softening gold
prices, buoying consumer sentiment
following sharp pick-up
in economic activity and return
of social activities like weddings
supported a 39 per cent
growth y-o-y in gold jewellery
demand at 102.5 tonne." He
added that the average domestic
gold price of Rs 47,131/10
gram was 14 per cent higher y-
o-y but 6 per cent lower q-o-q,
and 16 per cent lower than the
August 2020 peak of Rs
56,000/10 gram."Robust consumer
demand, combined with
stock building among the trade
ahead of key festivals (including
Akshaya Tritiya in May),
were the primary drivers of the
strong rise in imports," he said.
Kalinga Literary Festival
names ’Lifetime Achievement’
award after Manoj Das
New Delhi : Paying
tribute to the legendary
Odia and English writer
Manoj Das, who passed
away on April 27 in
Puducherry due to agerelated
ailments, the
Kalinga Literary
Festival has named its
Mystic Kalinga Award
and Mystic India
Festival Lifetime
Achievement Award
after him. The 87-yearold
bilingual writer and
a Padma Bhushan
recipient was honoured
with the Mystic Kalinga
Literary Award - Indian
and Global Languages in 2020.
Last year, the writer had given
a speech at the festival on
’Divine Madness: Knowledge,
Ecstasy, and Transformation’,
the central theme of the festival.
He had discussed aspects
of mysticism and explained
narrating tales and citing historical
events that mysticism is
not always linked to religion.
"The greatest storyteller of
the era, Manoj Das, has departed
for heavenly abode. Das
made rich contributions to Odia
and English literature," said
Kalinga Literary Festival
Founder and Director, Rashmi
Ranjan Parida. Parida also
announced that the Mystic
Kalinga Award and Mystic
India Festival Lifetime
Achievement Award will be
named after Manoj Das.
Eminent English writer
Graham Greene once said, "He
will certainly take a place on
my shelves beside the stories of
Narayan. I imagine Odisha is
far from Malgudi, but there is
the same quality in his stories
with perhaps an added mystery."
His writings were mainly
about human suffering in the
villages of his state but he layered
them with such fantasy
and satire that it left an indelible
impression on the mind of
readers. His short stories, novels,
essays and poems presented
a perfect combination of
social realism and understanding
of human psyche.
Born in 1934 in a small village
in Balasore district in
Odisha, his first collection of
poems was published when he
was just 14. Even as he wrote
in Odia, he started writing in
English in 1968 and some of
his well-known works are ’A
Tiger at Twilight’, ’The
Submerged Valley’, ’The Bridge
in the Moonlit Night’,
’Cyclones’, ’Mystery of the
Missing Cap’, ’Myths, Legends,
Concepts and Literary
Antiquities of India’.
Some of his Odia works
include ’Tandralokara Prahari’,
’Aakashra Isara’ and ’Amruta
Phala’.
A Marxist turned into a mystic,
Das made Puducherry his
home for several decades as he
moved to Sri Aurobindo
Ashram in Puducherry in 1963
in search of his inner quest.
Most of his writings were
penned in Puducherry. His
writings in Odia and English
are noted for magnificent style
and coinage of words and
choice of subjects. He was also
a recipient of Sri Aurobindo
Puraskar, Sahitya Akademi
Award (1972), Orissa Sahitya
Akademi Award, Sarala Award,
the Sahitya Bharati Award and
BAPASI (Book-sellers And
Publishers Association of
South India) and Saraswati
Samman in 2000. His cremation
will take place later on
Wednesday following all
Covid-19 protocols.
01-05-2021 to 15-05-2021
5
India’s unemployment rate may
rise to 8% in April: CMIE
New Delhi : As states go
into lockdowns and impose
restrictions amid the second
wave of Covid-19, the
unemployment rate in April
is likely to increase to nearly
8 per cent from 6.5 per
cent in March, according to
the Centre for Monitoring
Indian Economy (CMIE).
CMIE’s CEO Mahesh
Vyas said that fast frequency
labour statistics indicate
that labour market conditions have been deteriorating in April
2021. "The labour participation rate (LPR) looks unlikely to fall
in April. The 30-day moving average LPR indicates that the ratio
was rising till April 15 when it peaked at 40.8 per cent. Then it
started falling, but it is unlikely to fall to a level lower than that
of March 2021," he said.
Unless there is an unusual bounce in the last week, the April
LPR is likely to stabilise at its March level of 40.2 per cent, as
per CMIE. "The April markets seem incapable of absorbing the
supply of labour at an LPR of 40.2 per cent. While the LPR has
declined in the last four weeks, the unemployment rate has
increased," Vyas said. In the last week of March, the LPR was
41.2 per cent and the unemployment rate was 6.7 per cent. In the
following week which ended on April 4, the LPR was stable at
41.2 but the unemployment rate shot up to 8.2 per cent.
Labour retreated in the next week as the LPR dropped to 40.1
per cent in the week ended April 11. Yet, the unemployment rate
was unrelenting as it inched up to 8.6 per cent. In the following
two weeks, the unemployment rate has dropped first to 8.4 per
cent and then to 7.4 per cent.
"Nevertheless, the unemployment rate during the month of
April is likely to be close to 8 per cent after closing March at 6.5
per cent," he said. April could be the third consecutive month of
deterioration in terms of the most important fast-frequency
labour statistic, the employment rate, he added.
FB ’mistakenly’ blocked posts
calling for Modi to resign
New Delhi, April 29 (IANS) Facebook has claimed that it
mistakenly blocked posts calling for the resignation of Prime
Minister Narendra Modi over the alleged Covid-19 pandemic
mismanagement, saying the company did not hide the posts at
the behest of the government.
Buzzfeed News first reported that Facebook temporarily hid
posts with the hashtag or text #ResignModi because "some content
in those posts goes against our Community Standards".
The Facebook users who tried to view the hashtag saw a message
saying that Facebook was temporarily hiding the posts in
order to keep the community safe. In a statement given to The
Verge late on Wednesday, Facebook said it has now restored the
posts and the hashtag was blocked "by mistake".
The company said that the Indian government did not ask to
remove the hashtag. Facebook also said that the block was the
result of some of the content that used the hashtag, "but did not
specify what kind of content". Earlier this week, Twitter pulled
down at least 50 tweets at the behest of the Indian government,
that criticised the government for the poor handling of the ongoing
Covid-19 pandemic.
The data available on Lumen database showed that the microblogging
platform deleted more than 50 tweets that belonged to
people like Revanth Reddy, an MP from Telangana; Moloy
Ghatak, a West Bengal state minister; two filmmakers; an actor
and others. A Twitter spokesperson said in a statement that when
it receives a valid legal request, it reviews it under both the
Twitter Rules and local law.
"If the content violates Twitter’s Rules, the content will be
removed from the service. In all cases, we notify the account
holder directly so they’re aware that we’ve received a legal order
pertaining to the account," the company said in a statement.
In February, Twitter took a range of enforcement actions
against certain Twitter accounts after the Indian government
ordered it to take down more than 500 accounts for clear violations
of its rules. In another daily record, India reported nearly
3.8 lakh new cases and 3,645 deaths on Wednesday while 14
states and UTs recorded their highest single-day case count.
6 01-05-2021 to 15-05-2021 ASIA
www.theasianindependent.co.uk
China launches core module for new space station
Beijing : China on Thursday sent
into space the core module of its space
station, kicking off a series of key
launch missions that aim to complete
the construction of the station by the
end of next year, the media reported.
The Long March-5B Y2 rocket, carrying
the Tianhe module, blasted off
from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch
Site on the coast of the southern island
province of Hainan at 11.23 a.m.
(Beijing Time), Xinhua news agency
reported.
Tianhe will act as the management
and control hub of the space station
Tiangong, meaning Heavenly Palace,
with a node that could dock with up to
three spacecraft at a time for short
stays, or two for long, Bai Linhou,
deputy chief designer of the space station
at the China Academy of Space
Technology (CAST), was quoted as
saying. Tianhe has a total length of 16.6
metres, a maximum diameter of 4.2
metres and a takeoff mass of 22.5
tonnes, and is the largest spacecraft
developed by China.
The space station will be a T shape
with the core module at the centre and a
lab capsule on each side. Each module
will be over 20 tonnes. When the station
docks with both manned and cargo
spacecraft, its weight could reach nearly
100 tonnes, the report said.
The station will operate in low-Earth
orbit at an altitude from 340 km to 450
km. It has a designed lifespan of 10
years, but experts believe it could last
more than 15 years with appropriate
maintenance and repairs.
"We will learn how to assemble,
operate and maintain large spacecraft in
orbit, and we aim to build Tiangong into
a state-level space lab supporting the
long stay of astronauts and large-scale
scientific, technological and application
experiments," said Bai.
"The station is also expected to contribute
to the peaceful development and
utilization of space resources through
international cooperation, as well as to
enrich technologies and experience for
China's future explorations into deeper
space," Bai said.
Tianzhou-3 cargo craft and
Shenzhou-13 manned spaceship will
also be launched later this year to dock
with Tianhe, and another three astronauts
will then begin their six-month
stay in orbit, the Xinhua reported.
NASA's Apollo 11
mission astronaut Michael
Collins passes away
Washington : NASA astronaut
Michael Collins, who
piloted the historic mission of
Apollo 11 spacecraft Columbia
in 1969, passed away on
Wednesday due to cancer. He
was 90.
During the 1969 Apollo 11
mission, Collins remained in
lunar orbit while fellow crew
members Neil Armstrong and
Buzz Aldrin descended to the
moon's surface in the lunar
module.
When Armstrong and Aldrin
descended to the moon's surface
on July 20, Collins was orbiting
65 miles above them and was
momentarily almost forgotten
as the world's attention focused
on his two crewmates below.
"Today the nation lost a true
pioneer and lifelong advocate
for exploration in astronaut
Michael Collins. As pilot of the
Apollo 11 command module --
some called him 'the loneliest
man in history' -- while his colleagues
walked on the Moon for
the first time, he helped our
nation achieve a defining milestone.
He also distinguished
himself in the Gemini Program
and as an Air Force pilot,"
NASA Administrator Steve
Jurczyk, said in a statement.
"NASA mourns the loss of
this accomplished pilot and
astronaut, a friend of all who
seek to push the envelope of
human potential. Whether his
work was behind the scenes or
on full view, his legacy will
always be as one of the leaders
who took America's first steps
into the cosmos. And his spirit
will go with us as we venture
toward farther horizons,"
Jurczyk said. Born on October
31, 1930 in Rome, Italy, Collins
graduated from Saint Albans
School in Washington, DC, and
later from the US Military
Academy at West Point in 1952.
He was a fighter pilot and from
1959 to 1963 served as a test
pilot at Edwards Air Force Base
in California.
Collins was also a member of
the third group of NASA astronauts,
selected in October 1963.
His first flight was as pilot of
Gemini 10, a three-day mission
launched July 18, 1966.
Collins became the third US
spacewalker when he retrieved
a micrometeorite detection
device from the rocket of an
Agena target-docking vehicle
.Including the Apollo 11 mission,
Collins logged 266 hours
in space. He also wrote several
books: "Carrying the Fire" in
1974, "Flying to the Moon and
Other Strange Places" in 1976,
"Liftoff: The Story of America's
Adventure in Space" in 1988
and "Mission to Mars" in 1990.
"We regret to share that our
beloved father and grandfather
passed away today, after a
valiant battle with cancer. He
spent his final days peacefully,
with his family by his side.
Mike always faced the challenges
of life with grace and
humility, and faced this, his
final challenge, in the same
way. We will miss him terribly.
Yet we also know how lucky
Mike felt to have lived the life
he did. We will honor his wish
for us to celebrate, not mourn,
that life," read a statement from
the Collins family.
NASA to launch balloons
to study Sun-Earth system
Washington : NASA is set to
launch a suite of scientific balloons,
carrying instruments that
will help scientists understand
the connection between the Sun
and Earth. The experiment,
under NASA's Scientific
Balloon Programme, will kick
off an ambitious schedule of 18
flights in 2021. The first campaign
of 2021 -- with six balloon
flights -- will lift off from
NASA's Columbia Scientific
Balloon Facility's field site in
Fort Sumner, New Mexico,
between April-end and mid-
June.
Among the six balloon
flights, four experiments will
study different aspects of the
Sun's influence. They will focus
on the stretch of sky 60-300
miles (100-50 kilometres) above
the surface, where Earth's upper
atmosphere and space meet.
The All-Sky Heliospheric
Imager is a piggyback payload
that will fly along with the
Columbia Scientific Balloon
Flight (CSBF) Test Flight II no
earlier than May 5. It will test the
instrument's capability to reduce
stray light and observe the solar
wind from here on Earth.
Balloon-Based Observations
for sunlit Aurora will test a wideview
infrared camera designed
to study daytime auroras. Since
auroras keep mostly to Earth's
north and south poles, BALBOA
will image airglow, the natural
glow of Earth's entire atmosphere,
on this test flight. It will
fly as a piggyback payload on
the CSBF Test Flight I no earlier
than April 29. Balloon-borne
Chirpsounder will demonstrate
new technology for studying the
ionosphere. It will fly about 25
miles above the surface, where it
will send radio signals up into
the ionosphere. It will fly on a
hand-launched balloon no earlier
than April 29.
Balloon Observation of
Microburst Scales, is designed to
observe microbursts, flashes of
X-ray light that sporadically
appear in the polar atmosphere. It
will fly as a piggyback payload
on the CSBF Test Flight I no earlier
than April 29. In addition to
generating new science, balloon
experiments like these offer a
low-cost way to test new instrument
techniques and provide
valuable opportunities for earlycareer
scientists to gain hands-on
experience, NASA said.
www.theasianindependent.co.uk
ASIA
01-05-2021 to 15-05-2021
7
Domestic travel bans can spike
Covid-19 cases: Researchers
New Delhi : A new study using
much more intensive increase in coronavirus,
likely because the returning
data from India and five other countries
finds that using domestic travel
population was now more likely to be
bans to control Covid-19 infections
infected, having been trapped in the
may be inadvisable.
hotspot longer."
Depending on their duration, these
Apart from Mumbai, the paper further
analyses data from five other
restrictions can lead to more rather
than fewer infections overall, especially
when there is a large urban-rural
-- China, Indonesia, the Philippines,
countries where migration is prevalent
migrant population, it indicated.
South Africa, and Kenya.
As India battles a severe second
Together these countries comprise
wave of Covid-19, state governments
roughly 40 per cent of the global population
and all of them had initial out-
are once again faced with the question:
Should they use travel bans to control
breaks in a few hotspot locations.
disease transmission?
The researchers used epidemiological
data, migration data, and informa-
In the first wave of Covid-19, most
states chose this option. The hardships
tion on travel bans from all these
faced by migrant workers prevented
countries to show that although exceptionally
long bans may work to reduce
from returning home to their villages
were seen as a necessary sacrifice to
total cases, moderate durations are
reduce the spread of disease into rural
associated with significant increases
India. In the second wave, the Delhi
in disease spread. Fiona Burlig,
government has urged migrants not to
Assistant Professor at the Harris
leave. Other cities may follow suit.
School of Public Policy at the
A new research paper by academics
University of Chicago, one of the coauthors
of the study, adds: "The evi-
at the University of Chicago suggests
that imposing travel bans can counterintuitively
increase the total spread of
travel ban is not long enough, we may
dence indicates that if the duration of a
the disease, creating a lose-lose situation.
This outcome occurs when a
while perversely seeing more spread
end up imposing hardship on people
country has a large migrant population
of infection. "Getting the duration
that is prevented from leaving an travel ban policies, and Covid-19 University of Chicago and one of the the length of time they were detained wrong is easy because it is not possible
to predict in advance what the opti-
urban hotspot and returning to rural cases to show that this lose-lose outcome
occurred in India during the first lockdown in the first wave trapped In the case of rural districts where peomal
length should be, and in a democ-
study authors, said: "The national depended on where they wanted to go.
areas. The researchers show that if the
net effect of a travel ban is to delay the wave, due to travel bans imposed on millions of migrants inside big cities ple could return quicker -- using the racy, such restrictions cannot be easily
movement of these people, rather than migrants wishing to leave Mumbai. like Mumbai that were fast-growing Shramik Special Trains for example -- sustained. There may be merit in letting
people go home early, and indeed
prevent it entirely, the policy can lead Elaborating on the findings, Anant coronavirus hotspots. "Eventually cases rose modestly at the destination.
to more cases overall. The paper uses Sudarshan, South Asia Director of The people were able to leave, but variations
in government policy meant that were in effect longer, there was a forcing them to
"But for those areas where bans encouraging them to do so, rather than
detailed data on rural-urban migration, Energy Policy Institute at the
stay."
Army installs
solar power
plant in
north Sikkim
Guwahati : The Indian Army, in its quest for
harnessing renewable energy for its troops,
installed the first green solar energy plant using
vanadium-based battery technology in north
Sikkim at an altitude of 16,000 feet, a defence official
said on Friday.
Defence spokesman Lt. Col P. Khongsai said
that the 56 KV solar energy project was commissioned
in collaboration with IIT Mumbai. He said
that a team of eminent faculty from the institute,
led by Prof Prakash Ghosh and troops completed
the project, braving extreme climatic conditions.
The renewable energy project would immensely
benefit troops in the forward areas and would be
environment-friendly, he added.
PM2.5, NO2, formaldehyde rising
in DELHI, KANPUR : Study
London : Levels of air pollutants
such as fine particles
(PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide
(NO2), both hazardous to
health, are increasing in
Kanpur and Delhi, according to
scientists using observations
from instruments on satellites
that scan the global skies every
day.
The findings, led by the
University of Birmingham and
University College London
(UCL), showed that the rise in
PM2.5 and NO2 reflect
increasing vehicle ownership,
industrialisation and the limited
effect of air pollution policies
to date.
This contrasts with trends in
the UK's London and
Birmingham, which show modest
but ongoing declines in
PM2.5 and NOx, reflecting the
success of policies targeting
sources that emit these pollutants.
The study, published in the
journal Atmospheric Chemistry
and Physics, also showed
increases in the air pollutant
formaldehyde in Delhi, Kanpur
and London.
Formaldehyde is a marker
for emissions of volatile organic
compounds that include a
large contribution from vehicle
emissions in India, and, in the
UK, an increasing contribution
from personal care and cleaning
products and a range of
other household sources.
"We were surprised to see
the increase in formaldehyde
above Delhi, Kanpur and
London -- a clue that emissions
of other volatile organic compounds
may be changing,
potentially driven by economic
development and changes in
domestic behaviour. Our results
emphasise the need to monitor
our air for the unexpected, and
the importance of ongoing
enforcement of measures for
cleaner air," said William
Bloss, Professor from
Birmingham University.
The team used a long record
of data gathered by space-based
instruments to estimate trends
in a range of air pollutants for
2005 to 2018, timed to coincide
with well-established air quality
policies in the UK and rapid
development in India.
UP BJP loses 3rd
MLA to Covid
Lucknow : The ruling BJP in Uttar
Pradesh lost its third
legislator to Covid
this week when
Nawabganj MLA,
Kesar Singh
Gangwar, 64, succumbed
to the virus
at a Noida hospital.
He is the third
legislator to succumb
to Covid in a
week.
Singh was with BSP before being
expelled by party chief Mayawati in 2016
on charges of anti-party activity. He later
joined BJP and won from Nawabganj seat
in the 2017 Assembly elections.
Kesar's sister-in-law Usha Gangwar has
been a chairperson of Bareilly zila panchayat.
Earlier, Lucknow (West) legislator
Suresh Srivastava and Auraiyya MLA
Ramesh Chandra Diwakar had lost the battle
against Covid.
Last year, two UP ministers, Chetan
Chauhan and Kamal Rani Varun - MLAs
from Naugawan Sadat and Ghatampur
respectively - had died of Covid complications.
Meanwhile, Kesar Singh's son Vishal
took to social media to express his anger
over the circumstances that led to his
father's death. After testing positive on
April 18, Kesar Singh was taken to Ram
Murti Medical College, Bareilly, where his
condition worsened.
8 01-05-2021 to 15-05-2021 NEWS
www.theasianindependent.co.uk
Severn Trent needs your help to keep sewers flowing
Severn Trent is appealing to
its customers in Walsall and
Wolverhampton to help prevent
local sewers from becoming
blockedand cause flooding.
Last year alone the water and
waste company cleared around
4,700 sewer blockages in
theWalsall and Wolverhampton
area. Three quarters of these
blockages were caused by the
wrong items being put down
sinks and drains.
What causes a blockage?
There are a few different reasons
why blockages occur, but
they're most often caused by
leftover cooking fats and oils
poured down the kitchen sink, or
by items such as wet wipes and
sanitary products being flushed
down the toilet. These items
stick together and over time they
build up and block pipes and
drains.
Our drains and sewers are
only designed to carry human
waste, wastewater and loo roll
from your toilets and the used
water from your sinks, baths and
showers. You should put anything
else, including wet wipes,
nappies or sanitary products, in
the bin.
Looking after community -
We need your help to prevent
local sewers from becoming
blocked
Clogged drains or a loo you
can't flush should be the least of
your worries, but blockages
don't just cause a problem for
you, they can also cause issues
for your neighbours too.
Keeping your drains clear is
key to avoiding nasty blockages
and sewer flooding in your area.
As well as following our easy
to follow tips, we recommend
you share our easy to follow
guides with friends, family or
neighbours who may not be
aware.
We have downloadable information
available at
stwater.co.uk/blockages
How to avoid a blockage?
There are some really easy
actions you can take every day
to help protect your drains and
keep the sewers flowing for
everyone.
Top tips for the kitchen
- Scrape pots, pans and plates
into the bin before washing
up
- Use kitchen roll to wipe
down grease from pans and
plates
- Use a strainer in your
kitchen sink
- Collect used oil, fat and
grease in a container and
throw it in the bin
Top tips for the bathroom
- Only ever flush pee, poo and
toilet paper.
- Bag sanitary towels and tampons
then bin them
- Bin wipes to avoid blocked
drains
- Use a bin for unflushables
such as nappies, razors, cotton
buds and dental floss
Grant Mitchell from
Severn Trent explains:
"Clogged drains and burst pipes
should be the very last thing our
customers need to be worrying
about at the moment, which is
why we're encouraging everyone
to take a few small steps
to avoid any unnecessary
issues. We know just how
important water is and we
want to reassure our customers
across the county that we're
here to help, but we would
really appreciate their support
too.
"It's easy to assume that the
warm grease and fat left over
from cooking would be ok to
put down the sink, as long as
you wash it down with a lot of
hot soapy water. But the reality
is that fats and greases cool
and solidify quite quickly once
in the pipes, often leading to a
serious blockage which can be
costly to fix and can cause a
big mess. It's much better to
pour any leftover fat, oil, or
grease into a container to cool
before disposing of it in the bin.
Grant added: "Many customers
may not realise that they
are responsible for the waste
pipe running away from their
home up until it either crosses
the property boundary or meets
with another waste pipe or
sewer. It doesn't take much to
cause a blockage and unblocking
or repairing this section of
pipe can be costly, but it's completely
avoidable if you're careful
about what you put down
your drains and bin any unflushables.
"Anyone who has suffered
with sewer flooding will tell you
that it's very distressing,
unpleasant and costly. But with
a few small changes to our daily
routine, we can all make a difference
and keep the sewers of
Walsall and Wolverhampton
flowing."
If you do run into problems,
either slow drains or a blocked
sewer which is Severn Trent's
responsibility you can report it
at www.stwater.co.uk or by calling
0800 783 4444.
To find out more about how
to avoiding blockages visit:
stwater.co.uk/blockages
16 killed in fire at Bharuch
Covid hospital, probe ordered
Gandhinagar : At least 16
Covid-19 patients died due a
fire at a Covid designated hospital
in Bharuch district on
Saturday morning. Over 50-60
patients were admitted in the
Patel Welfare Hospital when
the fire broke out in the ICU
ward at midnight. The fire
officers have said that the hospital
did not have an NOC for
fire.
The fire erupted in the middle
of the night in the designated
Covid hospital on the
Bharuch-Jambusar highway,
around 190 km from the state
capital Ahmedabad. The exact
cause of the fire is yet to be
ascertained, according to the
officials.
It is believed that around
16, including 14 Covid critical
patients admitted in the
Intensive Care Unit (ICU)
were charred to death in the
fire caused most probably by a
leaking oxygen cylinder. But
there has been no confirmation
on that.
The fire was controlled
within an hour and around 50
patients were rescued and
shifted to nearby hospitals,
according to sources.
It is learnt that the hospital
building did not have a No
Objection Certificate (NOC)
mandatory to be obtained from
the fire department. "The hospital's
another building has got
the NOC from the fire department,
but this building did not
have an NOC," said Deepak
Makhija, the Bharuch regional
fire officer.
Meanwhile, Gujarat Chief
Minister Vijay Rupani has
expressed condolences and
announced Rs 4 lakh ex-gratia
to the kin of the deceased. The
CM has also ordered an
inquiry into the incident.
"I express my condolences
to those who lost their lives in
the fire at Bharuch Hospital.
The state government will provide
assistance of Rs 4 lakh to
the families of each of the victims
of the accident," Rupani
said.
The CM has appointed two
IAS officials, the labour and
employment department,
Additional Chief Secretary
ACS Vipul Mitra and
Commissioner Municipalities
Administration, RajKumar
Beniwal to probe the incident.
Both the officials have been
immediately sent to the place.
The CM said that the government
is also thinking of
appointing a judicial probe
into the incident.
Model claims Rs. 579cr in
damages from Ronaldo
London : Former model
Kathryn Mayorga, who had
accused footballer Cristiano
Ronaldo of rape in 2009, is
claiming £56 million (Rs 579
crore) in damages.
"She wants £18m for 'past
pain and suffering', £18m for
'future pain and suffering' and
£18m in punitive damages. The
37-year-old's expenses rack up
to £1.4m with legal fees of
£1.1m giving a total of £56.5m
- equal to two years of the
Juventus star's salary," said a
report in mirror.co.uk.
The former model had
accused the Portuguese football
star of raping her. The alleged
rape was said to have happened
in a Las Vegas hotel room in
2009 after their meeting in a
nightclub.
Ronaldo had strongly denied
the allegations back then saying,
"I firmly deny the accusation
being issued against me.
Rape is an abominable crime
that goes against everything I
am and believe in."
Mayorga had accepted
£270,000 as part of an out-ofcourt
settlement in 2010.
However, she revived the
case three years ago saying she
had been "mentally incapacitated"
when she agreed to sign the
settlement under duress.
The report added, "Her legal
team has filed a list of more
than 60 witnesses they want to
testify. They include British
former Big Brother star
Jasmine Lennard, 35, who
claims she dated the former
Manchester United ace 10
years ago."
www.theasianindependent.co.uk ASIA 01-05-2021 to 15-05-2021 9
LALU PRASAD to stay at
daughter's home in Delhi
Patna : After the release order submitted
by Superintendent of Hotwar jail at Ranchi,
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Supremo Lalu
Prasad will be released any time from New
Delhi's All India Institute of Medical
Sciences (AIIMS) and will stay at the official
residence of Rajya Sabha MP and his daughter
Misa Bharti in the national capital.
Lalu's family has taken the decision in
Beijing : New
Zealand, one of the Five
Eyes Alliance countries,
has distanced itself from
Australia, another partner
of the group, to
blacken China on its
human-rights record,
according to a recent
report.
"It's not necessary, all
the time on every issue,
to invoke Five Eyes as
your first port of call in
terms of creating a coalition
of support around
particular issues in the
human-rights space,"
New Zealand Foreign
Minister Nanaia Mahuta
said at a news conference with
her Australian counterpart
Marise Payne in Wellington,
according to the report released
on April 22, the Xinhua news
view of the Covid-19 pandemic.
RJD Spokesperson Chitranjan Gagan,
said to be close to Lalu's family, told IANS
that the doctors at AIIMS Delhi have allowed
Lalu to stay at home.
"After inspection of Lalu's condition, the
doctors of AIIMS Delhi have allowed him to
stay in Delhi under monitoring of doctors.
The doctors have spoken to him about the
agency reported.
While Payne said that "We
also have to acknowledge that
China's outlook -- the nature of
China's external engagement
both in our region and globally -
- has changed in recent years."
"New Zealand is adopting an
extremely Beijing-friendly
stance on these questions and
breaking away from a much
stronger position adopted by" the
Senior journalist Rohit Sardana passes away
New Delhi : Rohit Sardana, senior journalist
and one of the top anchors of Hindi
news channel Aaj Tak passed away on
Friday, according to people close to him.
Rajdeep Sardesai took to twitter and
wrote, "More terrible news friends. Well
known Tv news anchor Rohit Sardana has
passed away. Had a heart attack this morning.
Deep condolences to his family. RIP."
Sardana had joined Aaj Tak in 2017 after
he left Zee News. He hosted the debate show
"Dangal" on Aaj Tak.
Sardana was a recipient of the 2018
Ganesh Vidyarthi Puraskar Award. He was
among the most popular faces of TV news
journalism in India. After the news of death
severe Covid infection in AIIMS hospital.
Hence, it would be wise for us to keep him at
home. Adequate arrangements have been
made at the official residence of his elder
daughter Misa Bharti," Gagan said.
Earlier, Lalu Prasad's lawyer deposited a
bail bond in the Jharkhand High Court in the
alleged withdrawals from Dumka treasury
case. The former Bihar Chief Minister is
convicted in the case of wrongful withdrawal
of money to the tune of Rs 1,000 crore
from the Dumka, Chaibasa and Deoghar
treasuries. The Special CBI Court in Ranchi
has already granted him bail in two cases
registered in Chaibasa and one in Deoghar.
From 1991 to 1996, Bihar Animal
Husbandry department officials had withdrawn
money from Dumka, Chaibasa and
Deoghar treasuries while Lalu Prasad was
the Chief Minister. Jharkhand had been
carved out from Bihar in 2000.
Lalu Prasad was shifted from the
Regional Institute of Medical Sciences,
Ranchi, to AIIMS Delhi over serious health
issues. He is suffering from multiple diseases,
including severe kidney infection and
water accumulation in the lungs.
New Zealand, Australia show
divided stances toward China
other Five Eyes partners,
Clive Hamilton,
a professor at the
Charles Sturt
University, said.
Australia had
barred Chinese enterprises
from participating
in its 5G network
construction on
trumped-up charges,
frequently denied
investment of Chinese
companies in the
country under the pretext
of "national security,"
and arbitrarily
raided Chinese journalists
based in the
country.
Australia had also blatantly
torn up cooperation agreements
with China and wantonly damaged
normal exchanges and
cooperation.
of Sardana, condolences started pouring in.
Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh
Surjewala in a tweet said, "Deeply saddened
and shocked to hear about the demise of Aaj
Tak journalist Rohit Sardana. It's simply
unbelievable. Rohit had recovered from
Covid-19 and was back at work. My heartfelt
condolences to the family members and Aaj
Tak group." Congress spokesperson Jaiveer
Shergill also took to twitter and wrote,
"Completely shocked on hearing the news
about passing away of my dear friend Rohit
Sardana - spoke to him last Sunday and he
was in great spirits!! Still can't come to terms
with this - will forever cherish our after
debate conversations, rest in peace "bhaji"."
Ban on social,
political activities
in containment
zones in UP
Lucknow : All social, political, sports, entertainment, academic,
cultural and religious activities have been banned at least for the
next 14 days in Covid containment zones in Uttar Pradesh, with
immediate effect. UP chief secretary R K Tiwari issued a government
order asking the districts administration to ensure compliance.
Tiwari said weddings should be permitted with not more than
50 guests and the last rites must not have more than 20 people.
All shopping complexes, cinema halls, restaurant and bars,
sports complexes, gyms, spas, swimming pools and religious
places should also be closed in these areas, the order added.
Although the government has not used the term lockdown, the
instructions issued by Tiwari are similar to many of those in force
last year. Tiwari said all essential services such as health, police,
fire services, banks, power, water and irrigation will continue.
Public transport such as buses, metro trains and cabs should run
at not more than 50 per cent of their seating capacity, the chief secretary's
order said. There will be no restriction, however, on the
movement of inter-state transport and intra-state transport.
All offices -government or private - must work with not more
than 50 per employees on the premises. All industrial and scientific
institutes, government or private, will follow social distancing.
Devotees pay
obeisance in Punjab
to mark 400th
PRAKASH PURB
Chandigarh : Amid the coronavirus surge, thousands of devotees
on Saturday paid obeisance at gurdwaras across Punjab to
commemorate the 400th Prakash Purb celebrations of Guru Tegh
Bahadur Sahib.
Religious fervour was seen at Harmandar Sahib, the holiest of
Sikh shrines also known as Golden Temple, in Amritsar and other
historic gurdwaras across the region as devotees began to assemble
since early morning to offer prayers and listen to the 'kirtan' or
hymns.
The Golden Temple complex was adorned with lights to mark
the occasion.
Chief Minister Amarinder Singh greeted people on the occasion
and urged them to watch the events on television and offer 'ardas'
for 'Sarbat Da Bhala' from their homes and avoid congregating at
the religious places in view of the pandemic.
10 01-05-2021 to 15-05-2021 ASIA
www.theasianindependent.co.uk
Imran unveils two new schemes
for overseas PAKISTANIS
Islamabad : Prime Minister Imran
Khan on Thursday announced two new
schemes for overseas Pakistanis who
have Roshan Digital Accounts (RDA).
In an event held here at the capital,
the premier thanked Governor State
Bank Reza Baqir for his role in bringing
about the two schemes; Roshan
Apni Car and Roshan Samaji Khidmat,
the Geo TV reported.
The Prime Minister instructed the
government to seek Finance Minister
Shaukat Tareen's help, saying that the
minister was an expert in when it came
to the marketing aspect of products and
assets.
The premier urged his economic
team to keep thinking of "out-of-thebox"
solutions to support Pakistan's
economy till its exports does not come
at par with its imports.
He appreciated the record-breaking
rise in remittances from overseas
Pakistanis over the years, adding that
this was just the "tip of the iceberg". He
praised that the Pakistani diaspora for
playing their part in supporting
Pakistan's economy over the years.
"Overseas Pakistanis have, over the
years, kept our economy afloat," he
said, adding that he was in touch with
overseas Pakistanis for the past 50
years during his cricketing days. In a
message to Pakistani embassies in various
countries across the world, Imran
said that their "most important duty" is
to look after the affairs of Pakistani
labourers in those countries.
He said that the Pakistani embassy in
Saudi Arabia had not taken care of
labourers, adding that a "high-powered"
investigation will be launched into the
matter and exemplary punishments will
be handed to those found guilty.
Imran said that he had received
reports that embassy staffers were taking
money as bribes from Pakistani
labourers in Saudi Arabia.
Earlier, PTI Senator Faisal Javed
Khan went into detail about the success
of the RDA and its impact.
"Today PM Imran Khan will address
overseas Pakistanis in connection with
#RoshanDigitalAccount reaching a
great milestone of 1 Billion Dollars.
RDA was launched just 7 months ago,
with the objective of connecting NRPs
to Pakistan's Banking System completely
digitally," he had tweeted.
"Today more than 120,000 accounts
have been opened from 170 countries
around the world and more than 1
Billion Dollars have been received.
Investment in Naya Pakistan
Certificates has crossed 646 Million
Dollars. Investment in Stock Exchange
through RDA has crossed PKR 1.6
Billion," he wrote in a subsequent
tweet.
Javed announced the names of the
two new schemes that the Prime
Minister launched today.
"This milestone is a testament to
faith that NRPs have in Pakistan & PM
Imran Khan led PTI Govt. To enrich
#RoshanDigitalAccount scheme further,
today 2 new initiatives are being
launched for RDA holders: Roshan
Apni Car… Roshan Samaaji Khidmat,"
he tweeted.
He said that the "Roshan Apni Car"
scheme will enable overseas Pakistanis
to buy cars for their loved ones at very
attractive rates.
"Now RDA holders can avail financing
under #RoshanApniCar at very
attractive terms to purchase a car for
their loved ones in Pakistan. Banks are
offering both conventional & Islamic
modes of financing at attractive markup
rates starting from 7 per cent with
priority delivery," he wrote. The senator
said that it was now possible for overseas
Pakistanis to pay donations easily
by going into the banks' portals and
selecting the charity they want to pay
and the amount.
"Under #RoshanSamaajiKhidmat
RDA holders can give donations, Zakat
etc. very conveniently, through the
banks portal by selecting the charity
and paying the amount. For the first
time, they will also be able to make
donations directly to the government's
landmark Ehsaas program," he tweeted.
Imran has on several occasions referred
to overseas Pakistanis as the country's
"biggest asset" and vowed to make
policies that benefit them. The Prime
Minister has tasked his government
over the past few months to come up
with electoral reforms that would allow
overseas Pakistanis to vote in the
upcoming general elections as well.
US to deploy additional forces to
Afghanistan as withdrawal underway
Washington : The White House
has said the US military will send
additional forces to Afghanistan to
protect US and coalition forces during
the withdrawal. White House
Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-
Pierre told reporters aboard Air Force
One that "a drawdown is underway,"
saying that the US military would
deploy additional military assets to
Afghanistan and the region to cover
the withdrawal, Xinhua reported.
"Elements of an Army Ranger
Task Force will temporarily deploy to
Afghanistan to assist with the force
protection of forces on the ground as
we initiate withdrawal operations,"
she noted. Jean-Pierre also said
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had
directed that a carrier strike group
would provide sustained additional
force protection capabilities in the
region throughout the withdrawal.
"While these actions will initially
result in increased forces levels, we
remain committed to having all US
military personnel out of Afghanistan
by September 11, 2021," she added.
The Pentagon last week said that B-
52 bombers and USS Dwight D.
Eisenhower aircraft carrier will
deploy to the region to protect U.S.
and coalition forces as they withdraw
from Afghanistan. Citing defense
officials, CNN reported that fewer
than 100 troops and military equipment
had been pulled out of the country
largely by aircraft to implement
the withdrawal order announced by
President Joe Biden earlier this
month. The US State Department on
Tuesday ordered non-essential staff
to leave the US Embassy in Kabul,
Afghanistan. US Charge d'Affaires to
Afghanistan Ross Wilson tweeted
that the departure was approved "in
light of increasing violence & threat
reports in Kabul."
Biden previously announced the
withdrawal would begin on May 1,
the deadline date for a full U.S. withdrawal
under an agreement reached
between the former Donald Trump
administration and the Afghan
Taliban. The Taliban had warned of
consequences if the Biden administration
fails to follow through that
deadline. There are roughly 3,500 US
troops in Afghanistan, and about
7,000 NATO troops in the country
rely on US logistics and security support.
The Roshan Digital
Account initiative
The Roshan Digital Account is an
initiative by the State Bank of Pakistan
to serve the banking needs for overseas
Pakistanis so it is easier for them to
invest in their home country. Last year
in September, Imran launched the initiative.
A press release issued by the
Prime Minister's Office last year had
said that it is "the first time in the country's
history, Non-Returning Pakistanis
(NRP) will be able to remotely open an
account through an entirely digital and
online process without any need to visit
a bank branch, embassy, or consulate".
"The customer can choose either foreign
currency or rupee dominated
account, or both. Funds in these
accounts will be fully repatriable, without
the need for any regulatory
approval," the statement read. Speaking
to media last year, SBP Governor Dr
Reza Baqir had said that the initiative
would allow overseas Pakistanis to
invest money in local stock markets,
buy government bonds and securities,
and avail basic banking services. The
SBP boss had added that at least eight
Pakistani banks will facilitate the
Roshan Digital Accounts and allow
overseas Pakistanis to deposit funds in
either US dollars or Pakistani rupees.
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www.theasianindependent.co.uk
ASIA
01-05-2021 to 15-05-2021
11
44 killed in stampede at Jewish festival in Israel
Jerusalem : At least 44 people were
killed and 103 injured in a stampede
after midnight Thursday at an Israeli
festival attended by tens of thousands of
people, local media reported.
The tragedy happened in Mount
Meron in northern Israel, during the festival
celebrated every year on the eve of
the Jewish holiday Lag BaOmer, the
Xinhua news agency reported.
According to estimates by the Israeli
media, about 100,000 people, most of
them ultra-Orthodox Jews, participated
in the festival this time.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu wrote on Twitter, "A heavy
disaster on Mount Meron. We are all
praying for the healing of the injured. I
want to strengthen the rescue crews
operating there."
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin also
tweeted, "In-great concern I follow the
reports from Meron and pray for the
healing of the wounded. May God heal
them."
It was first speculated that the
tragedy was caused by the collapse of a
stand, but Israeli ambulance service
Magen David Adom (MDA) later said
that it was caused by crowding.
The MDA added that the wounded
were evacuated, some of them by helicopters,
to four hospitals in northern
Israel and Jerusalem.
United Hatzalah emergency medical
service said that dozens of resuscitations
were carried out at the site by the
organisation's volunteers.
Two JMB cadres held in Assam
with arms, fake Indian currency
No fresh Covid cases
in New Zealand
Wellington : New Zealand reported no new cases of Covid-19 in
managed isolation and community on Friday.
The total number of active cases in New Zealand remains at 23,
and the total number of confirmed cases remains at 2,257, according
to the Ministry of Health. The quarter million mark for the number of
Covid-19 vaccination doses administered has been passed in New
Zealand. Of those doses, almost 69,000 people have been fully vaccinated,
the Xinhua news agency reported.
"As we come to the end of World Immunization week, we want to
reiterate our thanks to the more than 15,000 trained vaccinators in
New Zealand," it said. There's also a growing number of registered
vaccinators stepping up to become part of the Covid-19 vaccination
surge workforce.
Guwahati : Two Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen
Bangladesh (JMB) cadre were arrested in
Assam's Dhubri on Friday and firearms and
fake Indian currency seized from them,
Director General of Police Bhaskar Jyoti
Mahanta said.
Police recovered four firearms and fake
Indian currency notes of the face value of Rs
1.02 lakh from the two, who were apprehended
in the district bordering Bangladesh
and West Bengal.
"In a joint operation with Special Branch,
Assam Police and a Central agency, Dhubri
police apprehended two neo-JMB cadres
from Larkura area under Gauripur police station.
One of the cadres was apprehended
with 4 firearms and Rs 1.02 lakh in fake
Indian currency notes," Mahanta tweeted.
Following the arrests, the Assam Police
sought the help of the Muslim community in
identifying members of the new module of
the extremist JMB.
"In this matter, we appeal to the respected
Muslim community and their leaders to
come forward and assist us in identifying the
other members of this module. We also
appeal to them to help us bring all such radicalised
elements to the mainstream," the
DGP said in a separate tweet.
Talking to the media, Mahanta said that
police investigations revealed some
Bangladeshi clerics obtain Indian visas
ostensibly for the medical treatment in
Chennai but violating the visa rules, they
visit different parts of Assam to radicalise
Muslims in the state.
In 2014, the police had busted a JMB
module in Assam's Barpeta, which ranks second
after Dhubri in terms of the Muslim population,
and arrested more than a dozen people.
This module had spread to Baksa district
in the same region. Additional Director
General of Police, Special Branch, Hiren
Nath said the JMB cadres mingled as ordinary
people plying various trades. "These
JMB cadres misguide the youths and motivate
them to follow the JMB's ideology," he
said. According to the 2011 census, Muslims
are majority in six of Assam's 34 districts -
Dhubri (79.67), Barpeta (70.74 per cent),
Darrang (64.34 per cent), Hailakandi (60.31
per cent), Goalpara (57.52 per cent) and
Bongaigaon (50.22 per cent).
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www.theasianindependent.co.uk
Irrfan beyond spotlight: Lesserknown
gems of the actor
New Delhi : On the first
death anniversary of Irrfan
Khan, we take a look at some
of his comparatively less celebrated
performances, across a
gamut of genres that the actor
habitually excelled in.
TOKYO TRIAL
Based on true incidents, the
four-part Japanese mini-series
released in 2016. Irrfan played
an Indian jurist, Radhabinod
Pal. He was one of three Asian
judges appointed to the
International Military Tribunal
for the Far East. The historical
drama series focuses on a
decade-long investigation into
events in the Pacific during and
after World War II. The show
was nominated at the 2017
International Emmys in the
Randhir Kapoor
tests Covid-19
positive,
hospitalised
Mumbai : Bollywood actor-filmmaker
Randhir Kapoor has tested positive for Covid-
19 and has been hospitalised, authorities at
Mumbai's Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani
Hospital confirmed on Thursday.
"Veteran actor Shri Randhir Kapoor is
admitted to Kokilaben Ambani Hospital
Mumbai for Covid-19 treatment last night.
His condition remains stable," Dr Santosh
Shetty, CEO and Executive Director,
Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, said
in a statement. The 74-year-old, who is the
father of actresses Karisma and Kareena
Kapoor, and is married to actress Babita, has
Best TV Movie/Mini-Series
category.
IN TREATMENT
The 2008 American drama
television series for HBO has
Irrfan playing a widower,
Sunil, from Kolkata, who shifts
to the US with his son's family.
Irrfan's character had an important
role to play in season three
of the show that won at the
Golden Globes and the Emmys.
KARAMATI COAT
Also known as "Miraculous
Coat", this 1993 children's film
was directed by Ajay Karthik.
Irrfan played of Jaggu in the
film, about a boy named Raghu
who gets a magical coat from a
stranger.
THE GOAL
The 1999 film cast Irrfan as
lately been in the
news after
Bombay High
Court asked him
and his sister
Rima Jain to submit
the divorce
decree of their
brother, late Rajiv
Kapoor, in a property-related
case.
On Wednesday,
Randhir informed
that he was trying
to trace the
divorce papers to
produce in court,
and has deputed a
tracer for the job.
a football coach who spots a
talented young boy and encourages
him to shine in the sport.
The Gul Bahar Singh directorial
has won several Indian and
international awards.
KALI SALWAR
The 2002 Hindi film is
based on Sadat Haasan Manto's
work and features Irrfan with
Sadiya Siddiqui. Directed by
Fareeda Mehta, the story follows
the life of a small-town
prostitute who arrives in
Mumbai. Irrfan plays Shankar,
charming and witty character.
THE BYPASS
This was a 2003 silent short
film united Irrfan and
Nawazuddin Siddiqui. In the
17-minute film, two violent
muggers (Siddiqui and Sundar
Dan Detha) rob and kill innocent
travellers on a secluded
highway in Rajasthan, till they
face a corrupt and equally cruel
cop, played by Irrfan. The film
was screened at Edinburgh
International Film Festival and
Aubagne Film Festival.
ROAD TO LADAKH
The 2008 film starring Irrfan
and Koel Puri is considered a
hidden gem in the actor's filmography.
It was directed by
Ashvin Kumar and narrates the
story of a man and a woman,
who hail from diametrically
different worlds, who are stuck
in a remote place with each
other.
Dharmendra is ’a loner
living with the
remembrance of those
touching memories’
Mumbai : Bollywood icon Dharmendra tweeted to
say he is a loner now,
living with his memories.
He says he misses
the days he used to
actively shoot for
films.
The actor shared his
sentiments replying to
a post by filmmaker
Anil Sharma. In his
tweet, Sharma had
posted a black and
white throwback picture
of Dharmendra
with the late filmmaker
Yash Chopra and the
late actors Feroz Khan
and Iftekhar, from the
time they shot Chopra'
1969 film, "Aadmi
Aur Insaan". The snapshot
catches the quartet in a happy mood. Dharmendra
tweeted to say he misses those days of "lively laughter".
He wrote how he is just a "loner" now, who often remembers
those times. "Kahan gaie woh din .... Anil, I am
missing those moments full of lively laughter.........A
loner, living with the remembrance of those touching
memories....." he wrote.
To this, Sharma replied: "Sir u can never b loner ..
whole worlds loves u n with u .. sab aake APNE hain
..corona ka samay hai toh bas mulakatein nahi ho pa rahi
hain .. pls stay safe sir @aapkadharam," he wrote.
Jaaved Jaaferi on father
Jagdeep: He passed on his
wisdom and values to us
Mumbai : Jaaved
Jaaferi feels the legacy his
father, late Bollywood
comedian Jagdeep, created
in his lifetime helped him
and his brother Naved have
a better life. It has also
helped Jaaved's son
Meezaan, who is trying to
find a foothold in
Bollywood, understand the
value of everything.
"After the partition
when my father, as a little
boy came to India with his
mother, they lived on the
footpath and slept hungry.
He had no choice but to
take whatever work came
his way -- incidentally it was an acting job, as a
child artiste. He was good at it so he kept getting
work, and gradually acting became the profession,"
Jaaved recalls, speaking to IANS.
He continues: "When we were born, even
though we did not face poverty the way my father
did, we understood the value of every basic thing
of life -- having meals of three times, a roof over
our heads, going to school as children. So, our
level of passion towards acting and compassion
towards those who are not lucky to have the
basics of daily life is, of a different level altogether."
"Now my son Mezaan, who is also an actor,
understands the value of everything. My father
passed on his wisdom and values to us and his
grandson. It is our three generations of actors who
Los Angeles : Actor George Clooney
turns 60 on May 6 but the idea does not
make him very happy.
"As far as turning 60, listen, I'm not
thrilled with it but it's better than dead. So
I'll take it. I got two options," Clooney
said. Clooney and his wife Amal have
three-year-old twins -- Ella and Alexander
-- and the couple are already teaching the
little ones to be charitable.
"Well, you try (to instill charitable values).
They're not quite four yet so they
don't (understand). My kids will always
say, they'll pick up a toy and they'll go,
'This is for the poor people'," said Clooney,
reports femalefirst.co.uk.
"I go, 'Good. OK, so let's put it in the
basket and we'll take it to the poor people.'
And then there's this shock on their face
when reality hits," the actor added while
speaking to Entertainment Tonight.
Clooney said: "But I hope so. My parents
always taught me that the best things
you could do (is) challenge people in
power and look out for people who aren't
in power and those kinds of things."
He is a director of the Motion Picture
and Television Fund, which was founded
in 1921 and offers care and assistance to
have been acting and performing
in the Indian film
industry, so our passion,
compassion and dedication
towards performing art is
almost like worship,"
Jaaved adds.
Jaaved and Naved were
for long associated with the
trendsetting dance show
"Boogie Woogie", one of the
oldest reality TV shows in
India. If reality television as
a genre has changed since
the time "Boogie Woogie"
had first aired in 1996,
Jaaved feels it is all a part of
evolution in pop culture.
"I think evolution is only
natural with technology, and TV, cinema and our
overall entertainment industry is also a part of
that. Reality shows on TV becoming a prominent
genre happened because of that. When we started
our journey on TV with non-fiction shows, the
concept of reality shows -- where kids are invited
to showcase their talent and based on that their
talent was recognised -- was not there on Indian
TV. So, when we started 'Boogie Boogie', it was
an original show. We did not have any reference
point and we were not copying any show from the
western television. I think back then, even in
American or British television, there was no show
exactly like ours. It was an original concept," he
says. Jaaved will next be heard as a funny commentator
in the upcoming "Lava Ka Dhaava" on
Netflix from May 5.
George Clooney on
turning 60: I’M
NOT THRILLED
those of the industry and their families
financial assistance, case management and
even residential living at the Wasserman
Campus in Los Angeles. Clooney loves
taking his wife to visit the facility.
www.theasianindependent.co.uk
NEWS
01-05-2021 to 15-05-2021
13
Like bees, wasps 'valuable' for
ecosystems, human health
New Delhi : Wasps deserve to be
just as highly valued as other insects,
like bees, due to their roles as predators,
pollinators, and more, according
to a new review paper led by UCL and
University of East Anglia researchers.
The study, published in Biological
Reviews, compiles evidence from
over 500 academic papers to review
how roughly 33,000 species of stinging
(aculeate) wasps contribute to
their ecosystems, and how this can
benefit the economy, human health,
and society.
Lead author Professor Seirian
Sumner (UCL Centre for Biodiversity
& Environment Research, UCL
Biosciences) said: "Wasps are one of
those insects we love to hate -- and yet
bees, which also sting, are prized for
pollinating our crops and making
honey. In a previous study, we found
that the hatred of wasps is largely due
to widespread ignorance about the role
of wasps in ecosystems, and how they
can be beneficial to humans.
"Wasps are understudied relative to
other insects like bees, so we are only
now starting to properly understand
the value and importance
of their ecosystem services.
Here, we have
reviewed the best evidence
there is, and found
that wasps could be just as
valuable as other beloved
insects like bees, if only
we gave them more of a
chance."
Wasps are top predators
of other insects.
Predation by insects -- as
biocontrol to protect crops
-- is worth at least $416
billion per year worldwide. Yet, this
figure almost completely overlooks
the contributions of hunting wasp predation.
The review highlights how wasps'
role as predators makes them valuable
for agriculture. Wasps regulate populations
of arthropods, like aphids and
caterpillars that damage crops.
Solitary wasp species tend to be specialists,
which may be suited to managing
a specific pest, while social
wasps are generalist predators, and
may be especially useful as a local
Men, elderly with diabetes at
higher risk of death from Covid
source of control for a range of cropeating
pests.
The researchers say that wasps
could be used as sustainable forms of
pest control in developing countries,
especially tropical ones, where farmers
could bring in populations of a
local wasp species with minimal risk
to the natural environment.
Professor Sumner and colleagues
recently published a study finding that
common wasp species are effective
predators that can manage pests on
two high-value crops, maize and sugarcane,
in Brazil.
The review also highlights
the pollination services
provided by wasps.
Pollination by insects is
vital for agriculture, and
its economic importance
has been valued at greater
than $250 billion per year
worldwide.
The researchers found
evidence of wasps visiting
960 plant species. This
included 164 species that
are completely dependent
on wasps for pollination, such as some
orchid species that have evolved adaptations
to attract the wasps they rely
on, such as an appearance that mimics
the back end of a female wasp.
Many wasps are also generalist pollinators
that visit a wide variety of
plants, so the researchers say they
could serve as 'backup pollinators' if a
plant loses its local primary pollinator.
The review also describes other
uses for wasps such as wasp-derived
medications, as their venom and saliva
have antibiotic properties, while yellowjacket
wasp venom has shown
promise in treating cancer. Wasps may
even be a valuable food source, as
their larvae are already harvested in
some tropical countries for food.
Co-author Dr Alessandro Cini
(UCL Centre for Biodiversity &
Environment Research, UCL
Bioscience and University of
Florence) said: "The value of wasps in
supporting our crops remains poorly
understood; we hope that by rehabilitating
their bad reputation, we can collectively
get the most value out of
these fascinating creatures."
The paper's first author, Ryan
Brock (University of East Anglia)
said: "Alongside other insects, many
wasp species are declining from factors
such as climate change and habitat
loss. As such, there is urgent need
to address their conservation and
ensure that habitats continue to benefit
from the far-reaching ecosystem services
that wasps provide."
The research was supported by the
Natural Environment Research
Council and a Marie Curie fellowship
from the European Commission.
BANGLADESH approves
China's SINOPHARM
vaccine for emergency use
London : Men and older adults with a more advanced diabetes
have a higher risk of death when infected with SARS-CoV-2, the
virus behind Covid-19, according to a large study. The findings
showed that men with diabetes were 28 per cent more likely to die
with Covid-19 than women with diabetes. People aged over 65
with diabetes were also over three times more likely to die than
those under that age with diabetes.
With each five-year increase in age, the relative risk for Covid-
19 related death in people living with diabetes increased by 43 per
cent, said the team of researchers from German Diabetes Centre,
Leibniz Centre for Diabetes Research at Heinrich Heine
University Dusseldorf, Germany.
The team conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of
22 studies and 17,687 people. The results, published in the journal
Diabetologia, showed that patients using insulin to control their
diabetes were found to be 75 per cent more likely to die with
Covid-19 than non-insulin users.A
Conversely, people treating their diabetes with metformin (the
'first line' therapy used in most cases of Type-2 diabetes) were 50
per cent less likely to die with Covid-19 than those not using metformin.
Further, cardiovascular disease (by 56 per cent), chronic
kidney disease (by 93 per cent) and chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease (by 40 per cent) all increased risk of Covid-19-related
death in people living with diabetes.
"Male sex, older age and some pre-existing conditions, as well
as the use of insulin, most of which are potential indicators for a
more progressive course of diabetes, were associated with
increased risk of Covid-19 related death and severity in individuals
with diabetes and SARS-CoV-2 infection, whereas metformin
use was associated with a lower risk of death," said Sabrina
Schlesinger from the varsity.
Dhaka : Bangladesh's drug
regulator has authorised the
emergency use of China's
Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine.
Major General Mahbubur
Rahman, Director General of
Bangladesh's Directorate General
of Drug Administration, made
the announcement at a press conference
on Thursday, the Xinhua
news agency reported.
"We've issued emergency use
approval for the Chinese-made
jab." Mahbubur Rahman further
said hopefully within 1-1.5
weeks, Bangladesh will receive a
batch of Sinopharm vaccine as a
gift. The Bangladeshi government
on Wednesday gave the
green light to a proposal of producing
Chinese and Russian
Covid-19 vaccines in the country.
Bangladesh's Cabinet
Committee on Economic Affairs
approved the proposal to produce the vaccines
-- China's Sinopharm and Russia's
Sputnik V.
The country's drug regulator had earlier
cleared the emergency use of Russia's
Sputnik V vaccine.
Shahida Akhter, a senior Cabinet
Division official, said on Wednesday that
several leading Bangladeshi pharmaceutical
firms in collaboration with the Chinese and
Russian companies will produce the vaccines.
The decisions came days after Dhaka
suspended the first dosing of the Oxford-
AstraZeneca vaccine on a supply crunch.
Amid uncertainty over the timely arrival
of the next Covid-19 vaccine shipment from
India, the Bangladeshi government halted
administering the first dose of the
AstraZeneca vaccine across the country
from Monday. Nearly six million people
have so far received the first dose of the
vaccine in Bangladesh.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated
the country's Covid-19 vaccination drive
on January 28 to rein in the pandemic that
has so far spread to nearly every
Bangladeshi district.
To limit the second wave of the pandemic,
Bangladesh on Wednesday extended the
ongoing lockdown again by one week to
May 5.
14 01-05-2021 to 15-05-2021 HEALTH
www.theasianindependent.co.uk
New Delhi, April 30 (IANSlife)
With the lockdown, restrictions and
changes at work, people have been
grappling to find some normalcy in
their lives. As the crisis deepens, there
are mixed emotions, feelings of despair,
fears, insecurity, stress, and for women,
in particular, there have been extra
care-giving responsibilities while working
from home and working at home.
It's important to remain upbeat while
staying at home, managing self-care
and well-being.
Vasant Mundra, Consultant
Psychiatrist, PD Hinduja Hospital and
MRC; and Chandni Tugnait, MD (A.M)
Psychotherapist and Founder-Director,
Gateway of Healing, share some tips
for women to take care of themselves:
Be physically fit
If one is fit, one is likely to have a
slightly better mood than one would
have had if one was not so. So be
active. Morning sunlight is essential for
the upbeat of an individual. Get up and
get some sunlight. Whether it is within
the house, from a terrace, from a corridor,
or possibly in a compound somewhere,
get morning sunlight.
Follow a routine
A routine always helps us cope with
change. Make sure you focus on a routine
with healthy eating habits, exercise,
good sleep and meditation or
mindfulness exercises. This improves
focus and productivity and also leads to
lower stress levels.
Mind is money
The next thing is to stop wasting
neurotransmitters of our brain on things
that do not matter. Whether we have
anxiety about coronavirus, concerns
about the administration, or frustration
about our favourite cricket team, we are
spending neurotransmitters. Let's use
our neurotransmitters for something
more substantial. The simplest way is to
focus on one's brain is like how we
would treat our wallet. We are always
How to maintain
positive well
being at HOME
careful when handing out or wasting
money. Let's just be as careful with
wasting our brain chemicals like our
money. Fear, anger, envy, anxiety are
all waste neurotransmitters. Often it is
not so much the situation that causes it
but our interpretation of the situation.
Limit information intake
It's important to be aware and cautious,
however, an overdose of news
and information from all corners can be
very distracting and emotionally draining.
Make sure you limit your intake of
the pandemic-related news if it
unnerves you.
Take frequent breaks
It can be quite unnerving to manage
the office work, house work, online
school classes for kids, and so much
more. Amid it all, it's important to take
frequent breaks (even if for five to ten
minutes each time) and relax. A
breather, every now and then, not only
increases our productivity but also
helps keep stress at bay.
Surround yourself with positive
people
Be part of communities that uplift
you. Connect with people who inspire
you, who are fun to be with and who
allow you the space to be the way you
like. It's especially important to not
engage with people who are constantly
in a negative loop and are not willing to
step out of it. Also stay away from people
and things that are emotionally or
energetically draining.
Practice gratitude
Research has proven how a simple
practice of gratitude daily can shift so
much in a person's life. It improves the
physical and psychological health and
adds bliss to life, thereby improving the
relationships with self and others. The
key factor here is to 'feel' gratitude and
not just 'think' gratitude.
Revive a hobby
Once a week (if not everyday),
indulge in your hobby and see how
much it adds to your life.
Whether it is dancing, painting, creating
music or reading, take that time
out for yourself. You matter! And only
when you are able to feel physically,
mentally and emotionally balanced can
you contribute to the others around you.
It isn't selfish to indulge in some 'me
time'. On the contrary, it is absolutely
essential.
Some more tips for a positive wellbeing
are: do not overreact when feeling
angry; try not to get easily insulted;
try and value the other person's opinion;
exercise regularly; enjoy food keeping
an eye on the portions; watch positive
content; enjoy conversations; and stay
connected with friends.
m5So Mangolicious!
It
New Delhi : What
better time than now to
indulge in mango
based dessert. Summer
is the ideal time to
indulge in some
healthy and cool
refreshments. With the
abundance of different
varieties of mangoes
we explore some interesting
recipes out of
India's favourite summer
fruit!
Loaded with nutrition
and taste, this
ripened pulpy fruit is
all-in-all a dessert in itself.
Grow with Kimaye, INI Farms
shares drinks and dessert you
can make out of mangoes at
home!
All in for Aamras - This one
goes without saying and is by
far the easiest dessert you can
make! Nothing beats this sweet
and smooth flavour on a summer
noon. It's not just a sweet
escape but is full of nutritional
elements. They're mostly made
with sweet Alphonso mangoes
for the natural sweet essence, so
pick the right Mangoes before
you blend them!
Fuse the Fizz - If you are
looking for something fresh and
light, Mango Fizz is the ultimate
solution. While lemon soda may
be the summer drink, you can
always add some mango pulp to
twist the taste! This perfect
blend of soda, lemon, mint
leaves and mango will leave
you refreshed and all energised.
Make space for Cheesecake!
- A mango cheesecake makes it
a perfect summer dessert for
those short get-togethers. The
process of making a no-bake
mango cheesecake is simple,
easy, and delicious to devour!
All you need are some rich
flavoured mangoes, so make
sure you pick good quality ones.
A rich dessert requires rich
fruits!
Blend it in a Milkshake -
Summers are incomplete without
these, aren't they? If you
love milkshakes, mangoes are
your go-to fruit! Out of the very
few fruits that blend well with
milk, Mango happens to be one.
So, make the most of this
healthy choice! You can also
blend in a few chocolate
pieces and make it a
Mango-chocolate shake.
Mango Kesari or
Halwa - The season calls
for something special,
and if one can blend
fruits into delicious
recipes, then why not?
The simple recipe of
halwa with mango mixture
can add up to the
sweet flavour. It's an
easy recipe to try at
home when you're craving
something sweet and
fruity!
Time for Lassi - Last but not
least, Mango lassi not just
makes a tasty drink but also has
major health benefits. The mixture
of mango and yoghurt is
healthy for your gut, helps in
digestion and keeps your stomach
cool. With minimal efforts,
mango lassi is a must-have summer
drink!
Fruit is a great way to get
your dose of nutrients and vitamins.
You can also add other
fresh fruits like banana, grapes
and pomegranates to make these
recipes a little more fruit-full!
Continue Page 25
They too are journalists who do not ...
promotes such gutter level journalists into heroes by giving them
state patronage. If I am not wrong, most of these hate mongers have
got huge support and patronage by the top central leadership. Indian
media will have to respond to accountability questions. It can not
evade it. We would not have faced this crisis if the media had spoken
its word in advance. It is shamelessly showing IPL except for The
New Indian Express which decided. A little-known Bharat Samachar
TV channel from Lucknow decided that it would not broadcast any
election results and continue to focus on people’s issues related to
Covid. But these are exceptions. Tomorrow, they will have the poll
results and all of them will be busy. ‘Actors’ will be reading their
‘script’ and you can see an attempt to wash the sins of this criminal
negligence. The actor will say, ‘People’ have ‘spoken’. In democracy
they are supreme. We are humble. I request our workers to follow the
distance and work for the people’. The media will start creating a new
narrative. Ofcourse, Rahul Gandhi and Congress should be ready to
receive brickbats, adjectives and obituaries from these channels who
will continue to target them to please their bosses.
India has proved that capitalist media looks for profit as people,
action and deaths for them are just subject and not beyond. They will
not leave their primary task of promoting superstition, Brahmanical
values of irrationality and hatred. They will continue with their spinelessness
so that the ‘monarch’ is protected and glorified. India is actually
a monarchy where people have ‘right to vote’ but with all its
institutions compromised who will ever say whether what people say
is reflected in the outcome. And that is where the media failed people
and betrayed them. Remember one thing, don’t look for Nayaks
or Mahayanayaks in the anchors or darbaris or otherwise. They are
just doing their duty but most of them need bhakts to survive. Most
of them have no keen interest in having a reasonable debate or discussion.
Don’t expect anything from them right now. Find your own
sources and strengthen the alternative media which is free from the
corporate culture and is inclusive in terms of India's diversity
whether ethnic, religious, regional or caste. Any organisation that
builds individual cult whether media or politics or society is actually
against democracy and collective value system. India needs to come
out of this hero worship and the sooner we come out of it, the better
for democracy and all.
www.theasianindependent.co.uk
NEWS
01-05-2021 to 15-05-2021
15
Studying Dalit history in the 21st century
Dalit studies are about much more than the enquiry of victimhood.
Suraj Yengde
This April, Dalit History Month
was once again celebrated by various
educational institutions outside India,
where special events were held to
mark the occasion. Dalit History
Month is closely associated with the
celebration of the life and work of B R
Ambedkar, the eminent Indian scholar,
Dalit intellectual and social reformer,
who has become a central figure in the
Dalit struggle.
In India, the month of April is celebrated
with different names such as
Ambedkar Month, or Ambedkar
Saptah (Ambedkar Weeks) with pan-
India multilingual music festivals, lectures,
publications, seminars, and art
exhibitions to observe and meditate on
Dalit culture and history.
The Dalit community draws recognition
and inspiration from their most
cherished hero, Ambedkar. As I have
argued in my book Caste Matters
(2019), he has become a god-like figure
or a superhuman for the destitute,
poor, resourceless Dalits. They stand
by him and seek to utilize his life
struggle as a guidebook to contest
their poverty, oppression, and ruthless
casteism at the hands of oppressors
who self-identify as “upper” castes.
The Dalit community draws recognition
and inspiration from their most
cherished hero, Ambedkar. As I have
argued in my book Caste Matters
(2019), he has become a god-like figure
or a superhuman for the destitute,
poor, resourceless Dalits. They stand
by him and seek to utilize his life
struggle as a guidebook to contest
their poverty, oppression, and ruthless
casteism at the hands of oppressors
who self-identify as “upper” castes.
Due to the enigma of Ambedkar,
and the halo around his persona, the
community celebrates his birthday,
April 14, as the most important festival
in our lives. The Hindu holidays of
Mumbai, April 30 (IANS) Rishi
Kapoor's stellar filmography cannot
be defined by a handful of films.
Although widely popular as a loverboy
and chocolate-box hero in his heydays,
the late actor would go on to
carve his space as one Bollywood's
most versatile actors ever in a five
decade-odd career.
On his first death anniversary, we
try and pick a few films that would
underline his stature as an actor of
many parts. Here's a list of films you
could binge on, to remember the
much-loved Rishi Kapoor, who passed
away at 67 after battling cancer.
MERA NAAM JOKER
Rishi Kapoor received the National
Award as Best Child Actor for his role
in the Raj Kapoor film. He essayed the
childhood of the protagonist Raju. The
tearjerker melodrama was about Raju
the joker, who must make people
laugh, irrespective of his own troubles
and suffering. The film also featured
Simi Garewal, Kseniya Ryabinkina
and Padmini.
Diwali, Dushera, Holi, do not matter
to us as much as April 14 does. A carnival
around Ambedkar’s name is a
mixture of celebration of his ideas and
exhibition of the community’s
strength in the streets of India.
Perhaps no other community elsewhere
celebrates an intellectual’s
birthday as an annual festival. Such
celebrations by Dalits are a testament
to their righteous devotion to the life
of mind and pursuit of intelligence.
We believe in the Buddhist ethos of
dialogue and Socratic tradition of selfexamination.
Indeed, Ambedkar’s recognition by
his alma mater Columbia and the
London School of Economics has
become a point of great pride for
Dalits, who have taken stories about it
into nooks and corners of the country,
in the slums, and in the posh colonies.
I grew up listening to these stories.
There was even a message in circulation
about a decade ago. It read that
among the list of Columbia’s most celebrated
alumni, Ambedkar was ranked
BOBBY
The Raj Kapoor superhit marked
Rishi's entry into Bollywood as a
as number one. The validity of this did
not concern the poor, oppressed,
working-class Dalits. They were in joy
for the notice of a foreign university
with high regard when his own country
berated their most cherished son.
By celebrating this news, the community
indirectly planted the inspiration
for the likes of me to strive to enter
prestigious educational institutions,
like Harvard or Columbia.
To celebrate their past, the Dalits
commemorate the entire month not
least for Ambedkar but also Jotirao
Phule, a 19th-century anti-caste radical
who lit a stick of dynamite to the
entire thralldom of Brahminism.
Phule, who was also born on April 11,
1827, was one of the front runners of
the anti-caste movement in western
India. He belonged to the touchable
yet lowered caste in the Brahminical
Hindu caste order. Along with his wife
Savitri and friends, Phule started an
education movement for the outcastes
and women that was hitherto reserved
for the Brahmin and their inferior
romantic hero in 1973, and also set off
the trend of teenybopper romance in
Hindi films. The pair of Rishi and
castes. Phule became one of the
founding fathers of social reformation
and is considered the first Mahatma
(“venerable”).
As more and more South Asian
departments outside India take up
Dalit History Month, it is important to
reflect on what studying Dalits and
their past is about. Dalit studies is a
standalone multi-disciplinary enquiry
into the condition of the vulnerable. It
is a space to theorise ideas and give
shape to the context for an appropriate
praxis.
Dalit studies is an essential intellectual
intervention for us to make sense
of our collective tragedies. It is a
curated space to debate and contest
ideas to serve the larger purpose of
humanity. What else is a better way to
understand our future than looking
through the lens of the ones who have
been visualising the future in the pessimistic
clouds for a consistent period
of time?
world needs to do more than merely
recognising the plight of Dalits.
Dimple Kapadia became a rage among
the young audience, and is still considered
one of the greatest romantic
pairs on Bollywood screen. The film
about a rich boy in love with a fisherman's
daughter had superhit music by
Laxmikant-Pyarelal.
AMAR AKBAR ANTHONY
His role of the qawwal Akbar
Illahabadi remains popular to this day.
Manmohan Desai's multistarrer had
Amitabh Bachchan, Vinod Khanna
and Rishi Kapoor playing three brothers
who are separated in childhood and
grow up in three different backgrounds
of faith. The 1977 superhit
showed Kapoor could hold his own in
a film with many stars.
DO DOONI CHAAR
The delightful urban comedy united
Rishi and Neetu Kapoor after years, as
a middle-class couple in Delhi, who
are parents to two teenage kids.
Kapoor delighted as the guy next door
as the Habib Faisal film, released in
2010, created humour out of everyday
situations an average middle-class
Dalits are beyond victims. They are
full human beings with eclectic personhood.
The international institutes
who are concerned with law, justice,
democracy, modernity, history,
hermeneutics, law, and capital can find
the rigour of these ideas exercised
among Dalit communities.
Dalits are the only community in
the world who have sustained continual
oppression at the hands of caste
colonisers for over two and a half millennia
and who have continuously
resisted. Dalits own their land without
submitting to the Brahminical interpretations
of their pasts. That is why
they redefine the meanings and idioms
of Dalit life by asserting convincingly
for the betterment of themselves.
Dalit studies projects outside India
in various universities will bring in
much-required exposure to the politics
of knowledge-making. Dalits exist
beyond the curvature of regionalism,
language, and politics of representation.
It is our common cause. In the era
of reclaiming the world, we need a
progressive approach with a liberal
heart to manifest feelings of oneness.
Dalit studies can offer that in the
broader picture of knowledge-making,
consuming, and dispensing, as the
Dalit community itself tries to handle
the class and caste dynamics within.
Dalit studies is an urgent project
that examines and studies society,
power, politics, culture, religion, art
and linguistics. It has a possibility to
create a snowball effect and inspire
oppressed communities elsewhere
whose identities were anthropologised
for museum culture or heavily
abstracted under the pretext of postcolonialism.
They are original people
and their study needs an original
approach. The views expressed in this
article are the author’s own and do not
necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial
stance.
Courtesy : Aljazeera
Reliving Rishi Kapoor magic through a few iconic roles
family faces, highlighted by the 'challenge'
they face while buying a new
car.
AGNEEPATH
The 2012 film directed by Karan
Malhotra was a remake of the original
1990 film of the same name, but Rishi
Kapoor's character Rauf Lala was
written as an original. "Agneepath"
remains special in Kapoor's filmography
because contradicting his feelgood
image, he portrayed Rauf Lala as
a cold, cruel and calculating criminal,
yet deeply caring about his family and
dear ones.
D-DAY
The 2013 action thriller by Nikhil
Advani saw Rishi Kapoor excel as an
out and out antagonist role, as Iqbal
Seth Aka Goldman, a character said to
be based on Dawood Ibrahim. The
film is about an elite team from India
that must infiltrate Pakistan and bring
back The Most Wanted Man. The film
also starred Irrfan Khan, Arjun
Rampal, Huma Qureshi and Shruti
Haasan.
16 01-05-2021 to 15-05-2021 NEWS
www.theasianindependent.co.uk
A common question asked by
upper caste people, who form the core
support of Hindutva politics, when
opposing the Scheduled
Caste/Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of
Atrocities) Act, 1989 or the policy of
reservation in educational institutions,
government jobs or elected posts is
why should they be held responsible
for the atrocities committed by their
previous generations on the weaker
sections (read lower castes) of society?
However, when it comes to religious
structures the same people justify
the campaigns to replace mosques
with temples on the basis of mere
hearsay which generally follow the
plot that a temple was destroyed by
some Muslim ruler to build a mosque.
Their presumptuousness to dismantle
heritage religious structures in spite of
lack of conclusive proof of claims,
while, on the other hand their opposition
to undo the historical wrong in
the matter of caste based oppression is
now quite brazenly on display in the
name of fundamentalist politics of
Hindutva. The Dalit President Ram
Nath Kovind was conspicuous by his
absence during the bhumi pujan ceremony
of Ram temple in Ayodhya performed
by the Prime Minister last
year which was also attended by Uttar
Pradesh Chief Minister, a populist
Hindutva leader, and the Governor.
The P.V. Narasimha Rao government
came up with The Places of
Worship Act in 1991 which said that
the character of places of worship
shall be maintained as it was on the
day India became independent. The
legislation was framed in the wake of
then raging controversy that place of
Hindu deity Ram’s birth was situated
at the very place where Babri Majid
stood in Ayodhya. The government
made an exception for this site but for
the remaining the Act said that any
pending cases in the jurisdiction of
any court, tribunal or other authority,
shall lapse. The exception in the Act
has been exploited to its fullest, The
Babri Masjid was demolished on 6th
December, 1992, by a mob of
Hindutva fanatics, the Supreme Court
ordered the building of a Ram temple
at the site through an order on 9th
November, 2019 and a Special court
acquitted all the 32 accused in the
Babri Masjid demolition case on 30th
September, 2020, even though the
2019 judgment of SC had said that
demolition of Masjid was violation of
law.
With legal sanction to the objective
of building a temple dedicated to Ram
Washington : About
35 per cent of all
Americans have been
infected with Covid-19
over the past year,
according to a new study
of the US Centers for
Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC). CDC
estimates that from
February 2020 to March
2021, 114.6 million
Americans were infected
with Covid-19, 97.1
million had symptomatic
illnesses and 5.6 million
were hospitalised with Covid-
19, the Xinhua news agency
FOR POLITICS OF
HINDUTVA THERE IS
NO LOCKDOWN
at Ayodhya having been achieved, a
possible sentiment would have been
the expectation of momentary peace;
however the appetite for demolition of
heritage masjids and creating chaos
seems emboldened. True to their slogan,
‘Ayodhya is only a curtain raiser,
Mathura and Kashi will follow,’ the
Hindutva cadre is now busy raking up
the issues at these places. A civil court
in Varanasi has ordered the
Archaeological Survey of India to
investigate whether the Gyanvapi
mosque was built after destroying any
temple at that site and similarly a
Mathura court has ordered ASI to conduct
a radiological test to ascertain
whether any Krishna idol is buried
under the Jama Masjid as the petitioner
believes that prison cell where
Krishna was born stood at the site of
US CDC estimates 1 in 3
Americans infected with Covid
reported on Saturday.
The current US population is
about 330 million, according to
Shahi Idgah. The story of Ayodhya is
apparently being repeated in Kashi
and Mathura with the help of judiciary.
The alacrity with which the
Hindutva forces have been active post
the Ayodhya judgement, and even
before, is ominous and has the potential
of developing into a storm much
worse than what this country has witnessed
in its communal history. The
Vishwa Hindu Parishad President
claims that they have collated a list of
30,000 mosques where counterclaims
of temples existing in the yore can be
made.
The politics exploiting the religious
sentiments is very strange and
virtually a Frankenstein monster.
Somebody in the past purportedly
built a temple. Somebody else is
the US Census Bureau
website. The number of
people who were
infected with Covid-
19, estimated by the
CDC, is about 35 per
cent of the total US
population, or a little
more than one in three
people. Of those infected,
nearly 50 per cent
are between the ages of
18 and 49, and 23 per
cent are 17 or younger.
As for hospitalizations,
about 47 per cent are estimated
to be 65 and older, according to
the CDC.
New Delhi : Leading
earthmoving and construction
equipment
manufacturer JCB India
on Friday announced a
10-day temporary suspension
across all its
manufacturing facilities
in the country, citing the
rising number of Covid
cases.
"We have decided to
pause manufacturing operations
for 10 days, starting 1st of
May 2021. This is a precautionary
measure and applies to all
our manufacturing locations at
Ballabgarh, Pune and Jaipur,"
alleged to have demolished it to build
a mosque in its place. Mythological
figures whose existence has not been
proven were supposedly born at precise
sites, about which there can be no
compromise. All you have to do is to
rake up the controversy or start a conversation
with your neighbour. It is
quite unfortunate that ordinary religious
people get carried away by this
propaganda and start supporting this
kind of politics. The objective of
underlying politics is polarization of
Hindu votes projecting Muslims as
enemies, invaders, scheming and brutal
people; the targeting of these specific
sites is not random. It involves
pro-active causation of loss of objectivity
and reason among people by
obscuring the facts that firmans
donating temple lands, math lands,
JCB India CEO and Managing
Director Deepak Shetty said.
"Sufficient inventory levels
have been built to support the
demand for our products during
this period. We do not foresee
grants by emperors against whom
they propagate as having demolished
are available in multiple temples in
our country. While demolitions, constructions,
grants may have been done
by erstwhile rulers of India from any
religious identity in their power struggle,
distorted form of religious hue is
being given to manufacture feelings
of animosity between religious
groups, which is the saddest part of
this saga.
What is more unfortunate is that
this kind of politics removes the focus
from real issues of life affecting people.
The lack of country’s health care
infrastructure has been clearly
exposed in the wake of coronavirus
crisis. Half the children in India don’t
cross the Class VIII stage in education
and a quarter never see the inside of a
classroom, even as child trafficking is
rampant. It also happens because half
the children in India are malnourished
and half the women are anaemic.
Dalits are still made to dive into sewer
lines and septic tanks without protective
gear and die due to asphyxiation.
The forces of capitalism and privatization
continue to grab land and displace
families, especially tribals, from
their abodes. Kashmir has learnt to
live without democracy and basic
human rights and now rest of the
country is following that path. Trans
individuals continue to face harassment
and hate crimes.
When the country’s priority should
have been to buttress its health care
and education systems to provide for
the needs of people and focus on basic
issues guaranteeing individual and
societal security during the pandemic,
the politics of Hindutva is pursuing
electoral consolidation and its elements
are busy pushing cases on
Varanasi and Mathura in the courts. A
ruling that upholds 1991 Act and
quashes the claims of freedom of religion
by demolition of existing religious
structures, from the halls of justice
would tilt scales towards well
being of India.
By Anandi Pandey,
Lubna Sarwath and
Sandeep Pandey
Contact numbers: 8756420542,
9963002403, 0522 2355978
e-mail ids:
anandipandey99@gmail.com,
sarwath.lubna@gmail.com,
ashaashram@yahoo.com
JCB stops operations at all
Indian plants for 10 days
any challenges in the availability
of JCB products for
our customers in India or for
our export markets. All our
customer and dealer facing
functions will operate normally,
while adhering to local
guidelines. There will be no
disruption in product support
for equipment being used by
our customers due to this
pause."
At present, the company
manufactures over 60 products
in nine categories, which are
not only sold in India but have
also been exported to over 110
countries.
www.theasianindependent.co.uk
NEWS
01-05-2021 to 15-05-2021
17
There is No Case Release the Bhima
Koregaon 16 and Compensate Them
A second report released on April 21, 2020 by Arsenal Computing contains more
damning evidence of how files were planted on Rona Wilson’s computer.
Jignesh Mevani and
Meena Kandasamy
It is a year since we jointly authored
an op-ed denouncing the arrest of
Professor Anand Teltumbde on
Ambedkar Jayanti.
We highlighted the fact that his
incarceration in the Bhima Koregaon
case had less to do with any so-called
conspiracy, and more to do with his
Dalit-centred Marxist politics, which
was seen as a direct threat to the corporate-Manuvadi
government of Modi.
The first raids in the Bhima
Koregaon case were conducted on April
17, 2018.
Three years have rolled by, and more
than 16 prominent activists, intellectuals,
social workers, lawyers, cultural
artists are in prison on fabricated, false
charges. The BK-16 are: academics
Anand Teltumbde, Shoma Sen and
Hany Babu; Adivasi rights activists
Stan Swamy and Mahesh Raut; poets
Varavara Rao and Sudhir Dhawale;
lawyers Surendra Gadling and Sudha
Bharadwaj; writer-researcher Gautam
Navlakha, activists Rona Wilson, Arun
Ferreira and Vernon Gonsalves, and
members of the cultural group, Kabir
Kala Manch: Sagar Gorkhe, Ramesh
Ghaichor and Jyoti Jagtap.
At the moment, elections in four
states and a Union Territory and the
COVID-19 pandemic taking its toll on
India appear to have given a pause to
the case. However, when things return
to ‘normal’, there could be many more
arrests. The dragnet has been widened
to target those mobilising for Dalit
assertion around the country, and the
National Investigation Agency (NIA)
has so far summoned more than 50 people
from six states.
Against this backdrop of targeted
harassment of activists around the
country, the two detailed reports
released by Arsenal, a US-based independent
digital forensics firm, that have
been reported in the Washington Post
and other regional media outlets in
February 2021, need our collective
attention and action. Arsenal meticulously
looked into a copy of Rona
Wilson’s laptop hard-disk and concluded
that ten files were placed remotely
into his hard-disk through NetWire, a
malware. These files were in a separate
folder which Rona Wilson himself had
never created, opened, modified or
viewed.
Now, a second report released on
April 21, 2020, by Arsenal contains
more damning evidence of how the
intrusion took place and shows that 22
more files were planted. Their latest
report includes data showing the hacker-attacker
typing commands to deliver
documents to a hidden folder on Rona
Wilson’s computer – which was likened
by Mark Spencer, Arsenal’s president,
to the equivalent of a “videotape of
someone committing a crime.”
These planted documents are not
some random acts of internet hacking.
These form the core of the NIA’s case
against the 16 people accused in the
Bhima Koregaon case. It is on the basis
of these planted documents retrieved
from Wilson’s computer that sensational
claims were made about a plot to
assassinate Prime Minister Narendra
Modi.
These documents paved the way for
India’s anti-terror law, the Unlawful
Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), to
be invoked against the accused. This
law allows the state to hold them prisoner
for as long as they please, with
scant any recourse to bail or an early
trial. Instead of finding out who hacked
the computer of Rona Wilson and his
co-defendants, and bringing that culprit
to trial, the NIA opposes the admissibility
of the Arsenal report as evidence in
this case. This leads us to the inevitable
question, why has the Modi government
were targeted and incarcerated the
Bhima Koregaon 16?
None of them committed crimes of
any sort. None of them indulged in any
violence. They remain in jail on the
basis of claims made by the police
based on electronic evidence. Now,
when the two Arsenal reports make it
abundantly clear that the electronic evidence
was itself planted, all claims of
conspiracy fall. The deployment of
UAPA suggests the “conspiracy”
claims were weaponised in order to
hold these activists in jail indefinitely.
There has been a history of such conspiracy
cases, like the Meerut
Conspiracy case by the colonial state,
that also invoked sedition.
What does the Modi regime hope to
achieve by keeping the BK-16 in jail
through any means necessary? They
want to curtail their activist work, they
want to silence their demands for a
more democratic world, and they want
to silence any noise which they make
about the dangers of a Manuvadi fascist
state. We also wish to point out that the
malicious prosecution around the
Bhima Koregaon case is not simply
about the 16 activists who have been
held in jail in the most oppressive circumstances.
It is also an explicit threat
to anyone in India who is articulating
Dalit rights, and to anyone who is challenging
the corporate sell-out of this
country by Modi’s regime. It is a clear
example of how the state machinery
can be used to crush even the faintest
murmurs of dissent.
We want to use this opportunity to
remind everyone that the Arsenal
reports have clearly exposed that there
is no basis for a case, that all the electronic
evidence was planted. In the
absence of any case, the only right thing
to do is to release all the accused, and to
compensate them for the loss of time
and suffering they have endured in
prison.
This is a matter of justice. State institutions
cannot enjoy absolute impunity
which engenders abuse of the rule of
law. Violating the democratic rights of
its citizens cannot become a matter of
routine procedure for investigating
agencies whose agenda is dictated by
the ruling political dispensation. We
demand compensation because we
demand accountability of state structures
and an acknowledgment that there
has been a violation of rights.
We urge all democratic, progressive
and Ambedkarite voices and movements
to join the campaign to demand
the release of the Bhima Koregaon 16.
In these coming months, after the pandemic
comes to an end, we need to dedicate
our collective energies to securing
their release. Jignesh Mevani is an
independent MLA from Vadgam,
Gujarat. Meena Kandasamy is a writer
and poet.
18 01-05-2021 to 15-05-2021 NEWS
www.theasianindependent.co.uk
It is a matter of pride for the Indians
that the United Nations including the
University of British Columbia
declared 14th April as “International
Equality Day”. All over the world,
Ambedkarites, and Buddhists are celebrating
130th birth celebration of
Vishaw Guru Baba Sahib Dr. B.R.
Ambedkar. Ambedakrites & Buddhists,
nationally and internationally, have
organized function virtually as well as
physically to celebrate the birth
anniversary of Baba Saheb Dr. B. R.
Ambedkar.
Nationally, the members of
Ambedkar Mission Society Punjab, in
association with Dr.Ambedkar Bhawan
Trust (ABT) & Samata Sainik Dal,
Punjab unit Shri Baldev Raj Bhardwaj,
Sudesh Kalyan took special permission
from the local administration and
organized the birth celebration function
physically while following the standard
operating procedures (SOPs) during the
pandemic of Coronavirus. The prominent
speakers at the functions were: Dr.
Jagmohan Singh (Nephew of Shahid
Bhagat Singh), Shri Lahori Ram
Balley, Editor Bheem Patrika, Prof. GC
Kaul, trustee Ambedkar Bhawan Trust,
Jalandhar, Shri Jaswinder Waryana-
President All India Samata Sainik Dal,
Punjab unit. A book entitled: “Dr.
Ambedkar De Mahan Karaj” was also
released on this occasion. OUTLOOK
magazine has published a special issue
on this occasion and listed 20 Dalits
who lit the light. Shri Lahori Ram
Balley, Editor Bheem Patrika, who had
the opportunity to meet & work with
Baba Saheb, is one of them.
Internationally, the members- Mr.
Anand Balley, Mr. Major Mal, Mr.
Mathura Mehay, Dr. Raj Narnaware,
Prof. Arun Kumar Gautum, Mr. Nikal,
Mr. & Mrs. Chanchal, Mr. Paramjit
Kainth, Mrs. Sujata & Mr. Mohinder
Sallan under the banner of Pan –
Canada, a platform of Ambedakrite,
Buddhist and Ravidassi organizations
organized virtually the birth anniversary
celebration. Dalit thinkers, intellectuals
across the globe were invited to
share their views. Boston Study Group,
USA, under the leadership of Rajinder
Kumar Badan organized a virtual
progamme.
“Educate, Agitate, Organize” is the
slogan around which the entire Dalit
movement is revolving since 6th
December, 1956. Now the time has
come for the Dalit Samaj, apart from
the celebration of the birth anniversary
of Baba Saheb Ambedkar, to assess the
journey travelled in terms of accomplishments
& disappointments. Any
Educate, Agitate, Organize:
SELF-REFLECTIONS
society or culture stands to
decay if the members do
not make efforts to preserve
it. In simple terms, a
gardener has to see what a
plant needs in order to
grow; a gardener has to see
how much sunlight is
required for the flower or
fruit to grow. Similarly, in
a constantly changing
world, the Dalit Samaj has
to see how much task is
done given by Baba Saheb
Dr. B. R. Ambedkar &
how much is still left. The
day we evaluate this thing,
we can make or remake
our strategy in order to
survive in a competitive
world.
‘Educate’
As everyone knows that
Dr. Ambedkar always
emphasized on Education
because he knew it very
well that the Depressed
Classes (now called
Dalits) for want of economic
resources cannot
make social & economic
mobility without higher
education. In 1929, Dr.
Ambedkar appealed to the Government
of India to make higher education as
cheap to the lower classes as it can possibly
be made. The government of India
accepted his proposal and introduce a
scholarship for the Dalits. Similarly,
Dr. Ambedkar also appealed to the
Government of India that 33% marks
should be made the criteria for eligibility
for employment in government
services. Dr. Ambedkar`s argument was
that the people belonging to the
Depressed Classes are not able to afford
exorbitant tuition fees to acquire the
best education. After 2014 in India, the
tuition fees of higher education including
government institutions have been
raised to 500%. Today, a Dalit student
aspiring to become a doctor or engineer
from a reputed college or university
needs 1 Crore. Even if a Dalit student
obtains 90% marks he or she cannot
afford such exorbitant fees because of
two major reasons, one is due to steep
poverty among their parents; the other
is the absence of collateral security to
be pledged to the bank to take a student
loan. Day by day, the drastic cut in government
scholarship for higher studies
meant for the SCs/STs have added further
woes to the critical situation of the
Dalits in the education field. In this
-Dr. Rahul Kumar,
Senior Columnist,
the Asian Independent UK
prevailing situation, where will the
Dalits students go? Who will help them
to earn higher education? The Dalit
activists have to think over it and take
up this matter with the government of
India.
‘Agitate’
In his lifetime, Baba Saheb Dr.
Ambedkar launched several public agitations
for the rights of the Dalits Dr.
Ambedkar was of the
view that political
power should be used
to resolve problems of
the people; to empower
them so that they
can become rulers of
the country. Dr.
Ambedkar was very
clear about his mission
and actions. Having
observed this, the
members of the
Depressed Classes
thronged to him and
participated in the
public agitations
(Mahad Satayagrah)
because they knew it
very well that Baba
Saheb Dr. Ambedkar
was fighting for their
rights. They believed
him, they trusted him.
In return, Dr.
Ambedkar never disappointed
them
despite his ailing
health. They also knew
it very well that Dr.
Ambedkar would
never bow to any High
Command of any
mainstream political party for his own
economic or professional benefit. Baba
Saheb Dr. Ambedkar understood very
well the cunning minds of the
Brahmins who were making policies &
programmes. Dr. Ambedkar being a
jurist & visionary knew in advance the
impact of these policies and programmes
on the life of the Depressed
Classes. Knowing this, he planned his
strategy. Today.it is unfortunate to
know that we find that the majority of
the Dalit elected representatives lack
vision and guts. The Dalits are losing
faith in them because the majority of
such representatives are greedy, opportunists
and traitors.
One will be surprised to know that
former Dalit woman Chief Minister of
Uttar Pradesh has issued directions to
the party workers not to organize public
protests. She also restricted herself to
issuing public statements on the paper.
Despite having political power she
watched silently the social & economic
deterioration of the Dalits in the state;
she watched silently the atrocities on
the Dalits; she watched silently the
rapes of the poor Dalit girls. The
Brahmins took every matter related to
the welfare of the Dalits to the court.
She kept on filling up her purse. Her
party did not bother to hire the best
lawyers to fight the cases in the court
and get relief for the distressed Dalits.
Udit Raj (earlier in BJP & now in
Congress) also termed BSP supremo
Mayawati as ‘feudal’ and ‘Manuvadi’
and pointed out that her disdain for
Dalits can be understood from the fact
that she never allows any Dalit to sit
beside her (India TV, July 13,
2014).Union Minister Ram Das
Athawale (BJP) demanded 25% reservation
should be given to the upper
castes ( Hindustan Times 16 April
2018). Late Ram Vilas Paswan
demanded 15 % reservation for the
upper caste (Financial Express 18 April
2018). Can you expect anything from
such Dalit elected representatives?
‘Organize’
On this account, the Dalit Samaj is
quite a week. The majority of the Dalit
leaders have forgotten to organize
themselves. They are highly confused
people on this earth. Their minds are
agitating like a child. For their own
economic interests, they can sell themselves
or mortgage the Dalit movement
to any mainstream political party. Rich,
resourceful Dalits are found exploiting
poor Dalits in the name of Baba Saheb
Dr. Ambedkar. One will be surprised to
know that recently a new Karol Bagh
gang has emerged having wealthy,
materialistic Dalits on board that collect
lakhs of rupees every year on the
eve of ‘Jankalyankari Day’. Nobody
knows where these funds go. Now the
time has come to identify such people.
The time has come to close doors to
them in order to save the future of the
Dalit Samaj. Would you please ponder
over it?
No doubt, we have achieved milestones
in our journey but our disappointments
are numerous. There is an
urgent need to invigorate the Dalit
movement. For that, we have to pause
for some time and do some brain exercise
in order to save the Dalit Samaj.
Let us sit, hold a discussion, and evaluate
our accomplishments & disappointments.
Let us not allow greedy, opportunist
& traitor to further paralyze the
Dalit movement. Today, Baba Saheb
Dr. Ambedkar is asking all of us about
the progress of the task he had handed
over to us.
RIL doubles Q4 net profit to Rs 13,227 cr
Mumbai, April 30 (IANS) Reliance
Industries Lts (RIL) on Friday reported
a 108 per cent growth in its consolidated
net profit for the January-
March quarter at Rs 13,227 crore.
During the same quarter of FY20,
the company had reported a net profit
of Rs 6,348 crore.
The company, in a regulatory filing,
said that Rs 13,227 crore is the net
profit attributable to the owners of the
company.
The oil-to-telecom giant reported a
revenue from operations of nearly Rs
1.55 lakh crore, 11 per cent higher on
a year-on-year basis, during the period
under review.
RIL Chairman and Managing
Director Mukesh D. Ambani said:
"These are extraordinarily challenging
times for India. Our immediate priority
is to help our country and community
tide over the Covid crisis. We
have deployed our best resources in
strengthening the nation's fight against
the pandemic."
He added that RIL's facilities in
Jamnagar are producing lifesaving
medical grade oxygen, which is the
crucial need of the hour in many
states.
"We have also taken urgent steps to
bolster the nation's capacity to swiftly
transport medical oxygen. These
efforts complement our other initiatives
such as distributing free meals to
the needy, supplying PPEs to frontline
workers and setting up world class
Covid-care facilities."
Ambani noted that the company
has registered robust recovery in
O2C and retail segment, and
resilient growth in digital services
business.
"Sustained high utilisation rates
across sites and improvement in
downstream product deltas as well
as transportation fuel margins aided
O2C earnings growth. Our consumer
businesses have proved to be
a digital and physical lifeline for the
nation in these challenging times.
Jio's high-speed connectivity services
enabled millions of Indians
work from home, study from home
and even receive healthcare from
home," he said.
www.theasianindependent.co.uk
NEWS
01-05-2021 to 15-05-2021
19
Proportional Representation is the only
way to resolve our reservation crisis
Though IIT Kharagpur teacher
Seema Singh has apologised for her
abusive remarks against the students of
SC-ST-OBCs in an online class, the
matter does not end here. When the
video of her abusive class went viral, I
thought whether she was a teacher at the
prestigious institution or an old caste
prejudiced head master in some nondescript
part of the cow-belt where he
would beat up the students and use
filthy language. Moreover, what is this
Vande Mataram, Bharat mata kee jai,
business in your classroom. It looked as
if some Bajrang Dal members were
threatening students over not uttering
the same. The behaviour of the teacher
has been most disgraceful.
Now, after much pressure on social
media, the teacher has apologised but
should that be accepted ? I have written
many times in the past that India’s institutions
of higher learning have become
killing fields for the SC-ST-OBC students.
Rohith Vemula was institutionally
murdered yet despite protests all over
the country nothing moved, nobody was
guilty and the chapter is closed.
Similarly, there are many other students
who were forced to commit suicide but
the Ministry and these institutions never
bothered to find out as what ails them
and why the students from the marginalised
sections face a hostile environment
inside them.
Actually #reservation has become
the biggest point of hatred against the
SC-ST-OBCs. The savarna hatred that
drives them towards Hindutva is purely
the thought that the party will dismantle
the reservation system so that ‘merit’
can be maintained. We all know ‘merit’
in India is Brahmanical hegemony in
our institutions that facilitate and run
our democracy. Whether it is judiciary,
Universities or colleges, bureaucracy or
media, this hegemony is now complete.
Thirty years ago when the V P Singh
government decided to implement the
Mandal Commission Report, it was the
same forces which opposed it tooth and
nail. Political parties realised that
opposing reservation is politically damaging
hence they ensured that reservation
is dismantled without speaking
about that. And the result is that since
1991, when P V Narsimha Rao took
over, the public sector was being dismantled
and rampant privatisation started
in India. It all meant that space for
India’s Bahujan Samaj was being
reduced in the public sphere even when
we saw rise of Bahujan Samaj Party and
emergence of strong regional kshatraps
belonging to OBC communities.
Nothing moved. 27% reservation meant
for OBCs became the bone of contention
despite the known fact that it
was never implemented properly.
Why has the ‘reservation’ issue
which unites the ‘Hindus’ of all variety,
is unable to unite the Bahujan masses.
Why the political parties of SC-ST-
OBCs are unable to raise this issue with
courage and conviction. All these parties
neither raise the issue of land
reforms nor speak about reservation ?
I had an interesting anecdote about
these parties when I spoke to Late M C
Raj, a brilliantly articulating Adijan
philosopher who said, ” Look these parties
are not Dalit-OBC-Adivasi parties
but either led by those who are born into
these communities or founded by them.
So in the first part the post system, they
don’t speak of issues of their community
but try to look ‘broader’ and ‘progressive’.
In India where Brahmanical
‘secular’ elites define you, being progressive
means that you despise ‘reservation’
because after all ‘merit’ in India
has enabled this elite to keep its hold in
power structure.
The Courts are already speaking up
against reservation. There is already a
‘ceiling’ of 49% despite the known fact
that the SC-ST-OBC population in India
is not less than 80% yet even for their
‘legitimate’ seats things are not being
done honestly.
Universities have ensured that this
system is dismantled. All through these
years, the elites in India have decided to
find ways to demolish the reservation
system and they have succeeded
because they realise that at the helm of
affairs are the people who ‘encourage’
them and support them. At least on this
extremely important point the netas support
them wholeheartedly.
A video of Tripura DM misbehaving
with family members gathered at a marriage
ceremony gone viral yesterday.
There has been a demand for suspension
of the District Magistrate for his behaviour.
Even the BJP was upset with it.
Now, one can argue for or against the
whole incident and the role of District
Magistrate but what is happening now is
a campaign on social media that the DM
has hurt the ‘Hindu sentiments’ as he
spoke rudely with the priest there performing
the marriage. More tweets
started coming in for his being a ‘quota’
appointee. Now, where is the link
between the quota and the incident. In
fact, some of the people supported
By Vidya Bhushan Rawat
social and human rights activist
District Magistrate Shailesh Kumar
Yadav for his strong message. Of
course, people like us felt that he should
not have been involved straight forward
and could have dealt with it in a more
polite way.
Why the campaigner started targeting
him as a ‘quota’ fellow. Why should
he be termed as anti Hindu ? But you
know some people sleep with their
castes and wake up with this only
except the known fact that they never
speak on the issues of caste atrocities
committed on India’s Dalits and
Adivasis.
Anupam Kher recently tweeted that
despite all our criticism, ‘ayega to Modi
hi’, ‘Modi will return to power despite
all our campaign’. Now, I want to narrate
an interesting incident of my recent
visit to Lucknow which was very short.
I met with a known Doctor there who
gave me all his ‘knowledge’ about India
being ‘super power’ and whatever Modi
is doing is just to ‘undo what has happened
in the last 70 years’. He was so
proud of Narendra Modi that he was not
bothered about anything. He said it is
not for the prime minister to do things
which are supposed to be done by us.
His brother, a senior engineer too was
happy with the current government yet
told me his ‘mazboori’. We live in Vikas
Nagar area and wanted to vote for a
BSP candidate ( Just because BSP had
fielded a Brahmin candidate), who had
done a lot of work in the region and was
accessible to all. Engineer Saheb supported
Ms Mayawati’s work culture and
said that there was no corruption at the
lower level. So when he informed his
children and brother’s children about
the same, they all got upset against
them. You can not vote for BSP, they
said because it supports reservation.
Doctor Saheb intervened, why should
there be reservation when everybody is
equal before law. Modi is doing the
right thing by privatising everything, he
said.
That gave me the idea as to why
Narendra Modi remains the ‘supreme
pontiff’ of Hindus as they dont expect
anything from him. Despite miserably
failure to govern India in the last six
years, people still are ready to vote for
him. It means that the ‘opinion making’
or narrative building communities are
convinced that Narendra Modi’s dismantling
of the public sector will ensure
the Savarna monopoly on everything.
From Bengal to Tamilnadu, to
Karnataka to entire north India, the
hegemonic castes have found their way
out and they feel that it is time to
oppress the oppressed and the only way
is to eliminate reservation, kill the public
sector, remove government’s interventions
and privatise everything.
Unfortunately, all this is not on the
agenda of those parties who should have
been speaking against it.
The parties that claim that they are
the sole representative of SC-ST-OBC
votes need to work in close coordination.
Learn from Tamilnadu Experience
where all the major political parties
including DMK and AIDMK worked
together to bring the reservation to 69%,
way above the Supreme Court’s 49%
ceiling. It was the power of Periyar’s
movement that Tamilnadu today is in a
far better position. Alas, north Indian
political parties of Dalit Bahujans have
least understanding of the Periyar
movement and his rich and powerful
legacy of social justice. They fear that
speaking his name will put them as anti
Ram and therefore give a handle to BJP
to campaign against them. Such things
happen only when we lack ideological
strength.
The government is already appointing
people at senior level bypassing
civil services and UPSC. This is a way
to introduce the people who can help
maintain the dominant caste hegemony
in bureaucracy. It is also time for all of
us to speak up for National Judicial
Services through where reservation is
implemented as per law. Media , academia
and judiciary must have the presence
of India’s Bahujan Samaj.
Also, in the last few years, after the
Bahujan Student broke the ceiling and
started appearing as a ‘general’ candidate,
their number grew. More and
more, SC-ST-OBC students were passing
through without reservation but
India’s crooked mind realised that with
this the bureaucratic structure have
more SC-ST-OBCs than the Savarnas
and that is why they initiated not only
the backdoor entry of straight appointment
but also suggesting that all those
who qualified on merit were placed
under their ‘caste category’. That way
50% ‘General’ has converted for the
Brahmanical castes which is ‘disproportionate’
representation. General does not
mean ‘upper caste’. It actually means
unreserved but how this unreserved has
been converted into ‘general’ for the
upper castes which is clearly a theft and
must be clarified.
One question must be asked as what
is the ‘idea’ or ‘rationale’ behind 50%
reservation. Second, if 50% unreserved
are meant for the so-called dominant
caste students then it is dangerous. Why
should 10% people get 50% and 90%
Bahujans to be confined to 49% and
therefore fighting among them.
When there is so much hatred against
‘reservation’ then it is better to convert
it into ‘representation’. Let India have
proportional representation at every
level of our government structure as
Baba Saheb too wanted. Let the
Bahujan communities get representation
in all sectors as per their size of population.
India is a complex country and hugely
diverse. We will have to look to deal
with its issues in different ways but the
only alternative that looks feasible is
either ensure each person gets a quality
education or job or allow proportionality
of representation at every level.
In the meanwhile, India also needs to
clean the caste prejudices from the
minds which have ruined its social harmony
for centuries and still continue to
threaten our integrity. Let the supremacy
of our constitution run and each person
is treated in great dignity and
respect. Caste slurs/violence must be
declared as illegal and unconstitutional
like racism is being challenged in the
rest of the world. India can not held its
head high in the comity of nations as
long as there are caste discrimination,
untouchability and violation of rights of
the marginalised. Will our leaders and
government listen and act ?
Vidya Bhushan Rawat is a social
and human rights activist. He blogs
at www.manukhsi.blogspot.com
twitter @freetohumanity
Email: vbrawat@gmail.com
20 01-05-2021 to 15-05-2021 NEWS
www.theasianindependent.co.uk
Release Fr Swamy, English bishops
say on his 84TH BIRTHDAY
English bishops have called for the immediate release of Fr Stan Swamy, a Jesuit priest who has
been unjustly imprisoned because of his work to support marginalised communities.
Four bishops from the Catholic
Bishops’ Conference of England &
Wales’ International Affairs department
expressed their prayerful support for Fr
Swamy as they marked his 84th birthday.
Fr Swamy, who has spent his life
defending the human rights of marginalised
Dalit and Adivasi communities,
has been imprisoned for more than 200
days on unfounded terrorism charges,
which have been condemned by the UN,
the local church, and the Federation of
Asian Bishops’ Conferences.
There are serious concerns for his
wellbeing, particularly given the severity
of the Covid-19 pandemic in India.
Fr Swamy, who turned 84 on 26th
April, has Parkinson’s among several
other health conditions.
The Bishop of Clifton, Declan Lang,
chair of the Bishops’ Conference
International Affairs Department, said:
“I would like to assure you of my
prayers – you are remembered every
day. Your work with the marginalised
Dalit and Adivasi communities is an
inspiration to all of us and a courageous
stand for justice.
Poignantly, Bishop Lang also raised
the urgent need for Fr Swamy to have
access to his medicine for Parkinson’s.
Himself a sufferer, he said: “As someone
who also suffers from Parkinson’s, I
understand your need for medication –
the absence of which makes life very
difficult and can make one feel very vulnerable.”
The Bishop of Salford, John
Arnold, chair of CAFOD, urged
Catholics to pray for Fr Swamy’s
“courage and strength in enduring such
injustice”. He also asked for prayers for
his captors. “We ask that they may
begin to glimpse the wrong that they
inflict on Fr Stan – help them to recognise
the injustice in their actions and
guide them to the truth,” he said.
Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster and
lead Bishop for Migrants and Refugees,
Paul McAleenan, recalled the “many,
many years” Fr Swamy has been campaigning
on behalf of those denied justice.
“It is now time for us to do what Fr
Swamy has been doing for years and
demand justice for him,” he said.
The Bishop of Lancaster, Paul
Swarbrick, added: “I cannot recall
Christ ever giving up on his care for the
poor. Fr Stan is committed and determined
to defend the rights of the indigenous
people. He will not rest, he will not
walk away or allow them to be robbed.
“Fr Stan I thank you for your faith
and your determination.”
Picture: Jesuit Fr Stan Swamy, pictured
in a screenshot from a video, has
been incarcerated in an Indian jail since
his 8th October 2020, arrest. The priest,
who has worked for tribal rights in
India, credits his Jesuit training and
work with India’s Indigenous people for
providing him with coping strategies.
(CNS screenshot/YouTube).
Courtesy : The Catholic Universe
1,000 + activists, academics, concerned citizens from 20+ states in
India and across the globe write to Chief Minister Chhattisgarh
Call for immediate release of Hidme Markam and end state excess on adivasis in Bastar
Deeply outraged by the arbitrary
incarceration of Hidme Markam, an adivasi
human rights defender and environmental
activist, for over 40 days, more
than a thousand activists, academics,
concerned citizens from across the
globe sent a petition to Mr. Bhupesh
Baghel, the Chief Minister,
Chhattisgarh calling upon him to immediate
ensure the release of Hidme
Markam and take pro-active steps to
end the cycle of repression against adivasis
in Chhattisgarh. They also
appealed that false charges against
Hidme and other adivasi activists be
dropped and an independent inquiry be
conducted into all instances of sexual
and state violence.
It has been widely reported that on
9th March, 2021, Hidme Markam, a
committed environmental activist from
the adivasi community, working in the
Nandraj Pahad anti-mining movement
was openly abducted by the Dantewada
Police (and later shown as ‘arrested’)
when she was attending a programme
commemorating the International
Women’s Day in Sameli, Bastar.
Several women had gathered peacefully
to remember and mourn the rapes and
murders of adivasi women at the hands
of the State. But ironically, that day
became witness to another incident of
state high-handedness She has been in
jail for over 40 days now.
The letter states that Hidme Markam
along with other adivasis, organized as
the Nandraj Pahad Bachao Andolan, has
been resisting the mining of a sacred
indigenous hill by corporations like
Adani Pvt Ltd. She has also been organizing
against the Bailadila Mine Deposit
project that would result in grave ecological
damage in the region especially
on the local forest, land and water bodies.
As a member of the Chhattisgarh
Mahila Adhikar Manch, Hidme has
been present in numerous public spaces
and meetings in Chhattisgarh, asserting
the rights of adivasi women, especially
against displacement and state repression.
Her arrest is just the latest in the
chain of the State hounding adivasi
women activists who are fighting for
constitutional and human rights.
The violence of ill-thought and arbitrary
‘development’ projects have
haunted the adivasi state of
Chhattisgarh and Central-Eastern India
for decades. The wide scale displacement
and environmental devastation
caused by these projects remain unaccounted,
and they multiply constantly,
to cater largely to corporate profits. The
local communities who have peacefully
existed there for decades, not only
depend on these forests and mountains
for their sustenance, but also sustain
them, have been violently crushed to
build mines and industries. But they
continue to resist, and democratically
fight for their rights.
Condemning Hidme’s arrest as
entirely wrongful, the Chief Minister
has been called upon to immediately:
- Free Hidme Markam and drop all
charges against her, including
UAPA matters.
- Stop the clamp down on environmental,
adivasi and other human
rights activists as well as adivasi villagers
in Chhattisgarh, in particular
women in the garb of ‘combating
Naxalism’.
- Halt all potentially destructive projects
that displace adivasis and jeopardizes
the environment and dialogue
with the adivasi communities.
- Disband questionable schemes like
Lon Varatu and unconstitutional
entities like the District Reserve
Guards Force (DRGF).
- Institute an independent and highlevel
inquiry into the sexual violence
and alleged “suicide” of
Kawasi Pande, the rape and death of
Nande, the rape and murder of
Bheeme Mandawi and other young
women who have been sexually
assaulted by the police. Put an
immediate end to the sexual violence
being rampantly inflicted by
the police and security forces on the
women of Bastar.
CAMPAIGN TO FREE
HIDME MARKAM
www.theasianindependent.co.uk
NEWS
01-05-2021 to 15-05-2021
21
Corona Pandemic and Targeting of Minorities
Currently (April 2021) India is passing
through its worst period as Covid19
Phase II is at its peak, with high rate of
infectivity and mortality. The shortage
of beds, Oxygen, test facilities and medicines
is the cause of concern all over.
The victims and their families are feeling
the massive tragedy as the nation
watches the gross mismanagement and
lack of foresight in planning. As the criticism
of the rulers is coming up a new
word ‘system’ has been thrown up. Now
it is not Mr. Modi who is to be blamed
for the shortcomings and worsening
plight but the system is to be blamed.
On one hand the lack of scientific
temper of the rulers made them make
statements like we will conquer the
Pandemic in 21 days. Some leaders
exhorted the devotees to come for mass
congregations of Kumbh. The other set
of them held massive election rallies
without wearing masks and without following
the norms of physical distancing.
Two high Courts have held election
Commission responsible for the massive
spread of the disease. On the other
side there are the stories of amity and
dedication. Dedication of Corona warriors
working under adverse circumstances
are writ all over. Hindu-
Muslims helping each other yet again
affirm the core values of our country.
At places Muslims who were held
responsible for the spread of the disease
are now being seen as fellow citizens
sharing the pain and coming forward to
do their bit in alleviating the tragedy.
While this massive tragedy is comparable
only to the mass migrations during
partition, the added element this time is
also the plight of migrant workers, risking
their lives along with livelihood.
While the rulers are patting their backs,
the inadequacies of their governance are
writ large; and the World as a whole is
taking the note of the painful happenings
here. The shortage of oxygen shook
us from our slumber. While the tall statues,
central vista and temple took the
lion’s share of national budget, the tiny
state of Kerala invested comparatively
miniscule funds in the oxygen plants
and is today supplying the same to even
the neighbouring states.
The parallel aspect of the tragic story
has been the demonization of Muslims
in the spread of Corona, as in March
2020 an International conference of
Tablighi Jamaat was taking place in
Markaz Nizamuddin. In India the communal
politics is riding on the back of
creating a phobia against Muslims,
using the medieval history in particular,
other aspects like love Jihad, polygamy,
beef, personal laws, alleged large families
and link with global terror has
added in no mean way. This phobia
against Muslims got a shot in the arms
when Tablighi Jamaat’s Seminar came
to light.
Starting from the leaders of communal
organizations to the biased media
different aspects of congregation of
Muslims were highlighted while the
naked truth of other congregations and
sources of global spread were deliberately
overlooked and hidden away from
the public perception. While Markaz
Ram Puniyani
was supposed to have been a deliberate
attempt to spread Corona, the preceding
mass congregation of Namaste Trump,
the visit of Kanika Kapoor and other
worthies who were having Corona
could not be seen by the dominant section
of our media, which incidentally
has become more as the broadcaster of
the views of ruling party. Not only
words like Corona Jihad, Corona bomb
were coined the ‘innovative’ section of
media went on to discover various types
of Jihad which the Muslim minority is
out to implement. The very comprehensive
report; ‘The Covid Pandemic: A
Report on the Scape-goating of
Minorities in India’ from Centre for
Study of Society and Secularism,
Mumbai, meticulously lists various
propaganda against Muslims.
The report points out that various
Jihads were listed to target the community,
“the Economic Jihad: use business
and trade to spread polarization, History
Jihad: manipulate history to speak in
favour of Islam, Media Jihad: use paid
media to speak in favor of Islam, Films
and songs Jihad: use films to glorify
Mughals and mafia and use films and
songs to popularize Islamic culture,
Secularism Jihad: take the support of
leftists, communists and liberals,
Population Jihad: Marry four wives and
increase the population, Land Jihad:
encroach on land and make mosques,
graveyards and madrasas on them,
Education Jihad: build madrasas and
promote Arabic, Victim Jihad: demand
reservation, personal law etc, Direct
Jihad: direct armed action against non-
Muslims.”
The report also gives the account of
fake news like Muslims spitting recklessly,
licking utensils etc. The very language
used for Muslims on one side and
Hindus/Sikhs on the other presented
Muslims as culprits, The report points
out, “113 people hiding in 8 mosques”
(Zee News) or “Covid 19: 600 foreign
Tablighi Jamaat workers found hiding
across Delhi, and counting” (Hindustan
Times); contrast this with news reports
of some 200 Sikhs stuck at the ‘Majnu
ka Tila Gurudwara’ in Delhi and around
400 Hindu pilgrims stuck at Vaishno
Devi unable to go home when the lockdown
was imposed.
Amit Malaviya of IT cell of BJP
came out with the most scathing indictment,
he tweeted “Delhi’s dark underbelly
is exploding!… and now the illegal
gathering of the radical Tablighi
Jamaat at the Markaz. It needs a fix
(From Twitter).” Even Gujarat Chief
Minster Vijay Roopani blamed the
Tablighi Jamaat for spread of Corona in
Gujarat.
While other perceptions have stuck
to the minorities through the consistent
use of media, social media in particular,
this one may be a concrete example of
the falsehoods which are used to target
the religious minorities for political purposes.
While we need to overcome the
effects of Corona Pandemic, we also
need to overcome the mistrust created
against minorities through the abuse of
media/social media guided by political
goals. In case of Corona, the truth is
there for all to see, will this example
help us negating perceptions which are
divisive? Will the concrete experience
of Corona, its relationship to global
spread, mass congregations like Kumbh
and election rallies, open our eyes to the
truth and lead us to the path of amicable
perceptions and harmonious living?
Cult guru accused of raping four devotees
claiming to be 'INCARNATION OF GOD'
Rajinder Kalia, 65, allegedly indoctrinated his devotees to believe he was ’divine’, Claimed to have used influence to groom
worshippers at Baba Balak Nath temple, The guru is also accused of using his power to financially exploit his followers.
A cult leader who practised an
obscure branch of Hinduism is alleged
to have raped four female devotees,
court documents have revealed.
Rajinder Kalia, 65, who allegedly
indoctrinated his devotees to believe he
was 'an incarnation of God', is accused
of using his power and influence to
groom worshippers as young as four at
the Baba Balak Nath temple in Bell
Green, Coventry.
The guru is also accused of instructing
his followers to launch an
'onslaught of harassment' against any
members of the temple who spoke out
against him. The four women seeking
damages from Kalia are no longer
members of the Coventry temple.
The allegations surrounding the
undetected cult were filed at the High
Court last month by consultant solicitor
at Peacock Law, Clare Kirby, The
Times reports.
They come after claims of rape were
dismissed by the authorities in 2017
following insufficient evidence and
Kalia, a former draper and clerk from
India, returned to the temple.
It was upon his return that the cult
leader is alleged to have told worshippers
to 'harass' those who spoke out
against him, with one follower claiming
she was threatened with acid attacks.
The tyres of another follower were
allegedly slashed after she spoke out
against the guru and a man and a
woman, who worked as unpaid servants
to Kalia, claim they lost £1.1 million
to the preacher due to his hold over
them. According to the court claim,
Kalia, whose followers travelled from
as far as Glasgow to see him, is alleged
to have claimed 'to be divine' and is
accused of using 'undue influence' over
young girls for three decades. The cult
leader would tell his followers, many
of whom were vulnerable women, that
those in the 'outside world are evil and
to be avoided' during his sermons and
videos also show followers kissing and
touching Kalia's feet as he sat on a
'throne'. Worshippers would also pay
Kalia, who lived in a gated home with
a swimming pool in Ryton-on-
Dunsmore, Rugy, Warwickshire,
around £12,000 each to show their
devotion.
Nazir Afzal, a former chief prosecutor,
told The Times: 'It's shocking that
this is alleged to have happened in
plain sight. 'There is undue deference
paid towards people who are supposedly
the most religious.
'People should not be prevented
from speaking up because of the perceived
power and control these individuals
have.' Kalia will be defending the
High Court claim against him, according
to The Times. The claims from the
civil case come after West Midlands
Police attempted to charge Kalia with
criminal offences relating to the allegations
of sexual abuse.
22 01-05-2021 to 15-05-2021 NEWS
www.theasianindependent.co.uk
‘System collapse’ to
bring private monopolies
in the Health Sector
(Samaj Weekly)- The system
has collapsed’, is a general
cry these days as event unfolding
everyday bring more uncertainty
and desperation. As an
Indian, I can say, we were never
so helpless as we are feeling it
today. I mean, you cant help any
one, you cant go to meet families
of friends, you cant meet
relatives. Common man is just
alarmed if things happen to him
then what will happen. People
are dying of utter neglect and
we never heard a single journalist
asking question to top two or
top three of this government.
So many people died because of lack
of Oxygen in country’s prestigious hospitals
and yet no questions were being
asked. Officially the death figure due to
Covid 19 has crossed 1,92,000 till this
morning. The second wave has exposed
India’s unpreparedness to deal with it.
People are dying due to lack of Oxygen
and non availability of beds in the hospitals.
If our memory is not too short,
then remember what has happened last
year during April. The government
used Railway coaches as isolation centres.
Many of the artificial structures
were created but I don’t know how fast
we ‘dismantled’ those structure when
we knew that things are still in the air
and no medical doctor has declared
ultimate victory over Corona except the
top ministers of this government.
Where have those makeshift hospitals
or facilities gone which were prepared
to meet the challenge hospitalisation of
Covid 19 infected people ? Will any
one ask how much money was invested
in it and who were the companies and
people who got the contract ?
Now we are hearing that the government
will do the same. Make an artificial
structure to deal with the rising
number of Corona infected people but
it is also a fact that it is not Corona that
is killing but lack of our preparedness,
non supply of Oxygen that was responsible.
It was shameful and deeply disturbing
to see many of the chiefs of
these prestigious hospitals were feeling
suffocated and desperate at the situation
because of their inability to deal
with it.
As report after report castigate the
government with inefficiency and
insensitivity, the ruling party has again
attempted to deal with it with ‘multi
pronged strategy’. One side heavy PR
exercise through their ‘favourite’ channels
and newspapers who are ready to
play for them in lieu of big favors and
money and the other side is more dangerous
where some of these ‘respected’
‘patrkars’ and ‘sampadaks’ i.e. journalists
and editors, are asking the government
to ‘control’ the ‘freedom of
expression’, in the ‘national interest’.
Not to be outdone in his service to the
supreme leader, our minister for the
Information Technology and law asked
the social media platform Twitter to
remove the tweets which speak of systematic
failure. The minister has always
been speaking of threatening language.
In the state too, journalists who are trying
to give authentic information are
Vidya Bhushan Rawat
being threatened.
When North Indian states are suffering
from mismanagement and crisis of
Oxygen, in South particularly Kerala
and Tamilnandu have shown the way.
Kerala’s 10 medical colleges have two
Oxygen plants each to provide them
uninterrupted supply. The state
increased its Oxygen capability by 58%
in the last one year. It planned meticulously
by understanding the importance
of it during the crisis last year.
Tamilnadu has much more Oxygen
than it is needed during the year. It has
the capacity of producing 400 MT
Oxygen per day while its demand for
the hospitals so far is merely 240 MT.
In Delhi Arvind Kejriwal used nearly
150 crore on his publicity exercise during
the first three month of 2021 while
crying over the lack of Oxygen because
most of the plants have moved out of
Delhi. The issue is did he not know that
a crisis can happen and he has to deal
with it given the nature of the central
government which was not keen to
allow him any freedom to do things.
The problem is that after deaths of
so many known journalists, activists,
academics, common persons the media
woke up to show some concern about
the situation and mismanagement at our
hospitals. Rather than asking Narendra
Modi the question, they have now started
paddling a new ‘term’ ‘system collapsed’.
Now this needs to be explained
as what collapsed and who is responsible
?
Well, India has never invested heavily
on health and education. But whatever
was being spent has been reduced
by the Modi government which is on a
privatising spree. This government has
only one agenda and that is to privatise
India’s public sector rapidly and they
found the Corona period the best
opportunity to do so when trade unions
and people will be busy or engaged in
their own survival and nobody would
have chance to question but they know
well that things are not that easy hence
a new narrative has to be started to benefit
them.
When Shekhar Gupta and other
‘experts’ start the ‘system collapse’,
then you must understand what narrative
they are planting. Yes, these are the
people who benefitted from their networking
in Business and political circles.
The system collapse will suggest
that ‘government’ ‘alone’ cant handle
this crisis so give ‘freedom’ to private
companies. The whole idea is to discredit
the public institutions, dismantle
them and degrade them. That
way, the ‘liberals’ who are
actually economic right and
more dangerous as they look
‘seculars’ to us but work for the
benefit of the big companies
who fund their projects, media
empires.
A good case work would be
to find out which countries performed
better in dealing with
Covid and what is the role of
the government in the health
sector. The worst was the
United States and the best are
Taiwan, Newzealand, Iceland,
Singapore and Vietnam. And look who
did the worst : USA, Brazil, Mexico,
India and UK. It will be good to look at
the health care system in these countries.
The UK for sure failed because
the government did not take timely
action though the National Health
Services ( NHS) proved best bet for
them and at the moment they have
reduced the fatalities and returning to
normalcy. USA is the model of ‘corporate’
hegemony that funds a large number
of ‘opinion makers’ so that they can
say hosannas on the role of ‘corporate’.
India needs to be careful at this
moment. I can again say, strengthen the
health care system. If the centre fails to
do so, let the state come with their own
state owned health care system. States
can always do so whether in Education
or Health and invest more money in it,
build big public institutions and that
would work as a wonder. If the states
have vision they can be the role model.
Southern states in India are still far
ahead of the north because north Indian
hospitals have become money minting
machines. It is time for the governments
to strengthen health services at
the districts, block and town levels so
that people can go there and get quality
treatment.
So system collapse should mean
strengthening our health infrastructure
through public sector or government
money but not to hand it over to the
corporate and asking them to charge
exorbitantly as per their whims and fancies.
This needs to be questioned. First
you blamed Nehru for your failure and
now you are bringing ‘system failure’
to protect your inefficiencies’ and failure.
But the problem is what is the use
of asking a government or a leader
about its failure when it still is ‘acceptable’
to the people or when they are
ready to listen to his ‘man kee baat’. A
good joke that roamed around various
WhatsApp groups was : Why are people
asking for good hospitals and oxygen
cylinders when they voted for
‘Ram Mandir’. Modi ji is fulfilling the
historical demand of the people to build
a ‘grand’ Ram Temple so they should
be satisfied. Hospitals, schools everything
can come later or we can still do
without them.
It is a wake up call. We have already
lost. Let us not give a chance to those
who ‘weave’ new stories and make the
‘system collapse’ a means to bring private
monopolies in the health sector as
well as elsewhere. Understand the
chronology.
Artist Doctor Troller
Sells NFTs Worth
£14, 500 in Under
1 Minute on Lunch
A U.K based digital artist sold an
entire collection of digital artwork in
under 20 seconds when they went
online this week.
Doctor Troller, whose real name is
Andrew Brown, an artist from south
London, launched his digital collection
of 40 works for £380 apiece via
his website https://www.doctortroller.com
and sold one of each
totalling £14,500 in under 1 minute.
Andrew Brown, aka Dr Troller, a
UK artist, sells digital works using
Non Fungible Tokens (NFT). NFTs
are registered tokens on Ethereum’s
blockchain and prove ownership of a
piece of digital art. Sales of NFTs
have shot up in the past month by a
digital artist called Mad Dog Jones’
who sold his Fax Machine NFT for
$4.1m in March this year.
He is well known on social media
platform Instagram, where his unique
artistry has grown his fan base close
Intermediate board
exams in Andhra as
per schedule: Minister
Amaravati : Andhra Pradesh will
conduct the intermediate or Class 12
state board examinations from May 5 as
per schedule, Education Minister
Adimulapu Suresh said on Thursday.
Addressing media, the minister
stressed that the examinations will be
held with Covid protocols in place to
ensure safety for the students.
The examinations will take place
from May 5 to 19, at 1,452 examination
centres that have been arranged across
the state.
Suresh said that intermediate board
examinations are very important for the
future of the students, as their certificates
are essential in future educational
to 900K, which generates an average
of 1.6 million views for his works.
Art produced by Andrew Brown
has increased in value since he
launched, bringing his NFT collection
to just over £228,000 in value.
Artworks, when resold, will earn the
current NFTs holders 2% royalties in
Ethereum when a resale has commenced.
NFT copyrights are tracked
mechanically via a commercial rights
management company “NFT
Intellect”, which monitor royalties
owed to current NFT holders.
Doctor Troller, also known as
Artist Andrew Brown, says: “The
future of art is digital, and the lockdown
has certainly sped up the transition
away from physical artworks.
This has been a great experience for
me and should open up new opportunities
for artists to be able to monetise
their content outside of the traditional
gallery model.”
pursuits.
He assured students and their parents
about the safe conduct of the exams, as
strict preventive measures will be taken
at every centre.
The minister stressed that the state
government is responsible for the future
and safety of the students and pointed
out that if only a pass is given in the certificates
without conducting the examinations,
students will suffer in the future.
A Covid Special Officer has been
appointed for each district and all the
test centres would be sanitised every
day. Thermal scanners have been set up
at each test centre, further ensuring the
students' safety, he added.
www.theasianindependent.co.uk
NEWS
01-05-2021 to 15-05-2021
23
Every year various magazines,
online portals, newspapers bring out
their ‘power’ list for our consumption.
These are brought out on particular
occasions and are ‘judged’ by a few
‘selected’ ‘knowledgeable’ people who
go through the ‘work’ and ‘achievements’
of the people during the year and
come to a conclusion. Obviously, these
‘power’ ‘people’ differ according to the
magazines and many might not find
space elsewhere. The history of ‘powerful’
people of the world actually started
with Time and Newsweek magazines.
Of course, most of their writers once
upon a time were western commentators.
Indian commentators would hardly
find a space in these magazines but
things have changed now as various
Indian commentators and experts have
found their way into these circles.
However, many times, you are surprised
with some inclusions and exclusions
but these are prerogatives of the
magazines and newspapers and we can
disagree with them or ignore them.
This year’s Indian Express’s power
list was shamelessly biased and deliberate
attempt to denigrate Gandhis. It
looks as if the newspaper has decided to
play the game for the BJP and it is here
that these ‘liberal’ looking media is
more dangerous than the venomous
Arnab Goswami as you know his
republic TV will only play that game.
Liberals do not counter the legitimacy
of the Brahmanical classes but try to
defend this superstructure by diverting
the issue or giving it a different ‘angle’.
Except for making the ‘powerful’
happy and ‘building’ up a few new
‘brands’, these ‘power’ lists are nothing
but an exercise to keep the ‘audiences’
and ‘readers’ glued to their media so
that they too have a feeling of inclusion’.
Most of the ‘power list’ are actually
the ‘vision’ of ‘intellectuals’ but
channels too resorted to this through
their ‘inclusion’ by asking people to
vote. A few years back, CNN IBN started
voting for ‘Greatest Indian’. They
carefully did not bring Gandhi into picture
and the ‘fight’ was between
Jawahar Lal Nehru and Baba Saheb
Ambedkar. In the final count of votes,
Dr Ambedkar won with heavy margins
and if Gandhi were there as a participant,
he would have lost heavily but
that is how the Brahmanical elite
manipulate things where they made
Gandhi as the topmost icon of India
who is ‘unquestionable’ and then suggested
that Baba Saheb Ambedkar is
most popular figure of India. My view
point on greatest Indian debate are
available here : https://www.countercurrents.org/rawat120612.htm
Time to time, these magazines also
change their tactics to look ‘progressive’
and ‘inclusive’ and it depends on
the political situation in the country.
They provide a feeling that they ‘care’
for the marginalised.
Yes Bank reports net loss
of Rs 3,788 cr in Q4
Mumbai : Yes Bank on Friday reported a standalone net loss of
Rs 3,787.75 crore for the January-March quarter.
Its gross NPA was 15.41 per cent during the fourth quarter of
last fiscal, down from 16.80 per cent reported in the same quarter
in FY20.
The total income of the bank during the fourth quarter of FY21
stood at Rs 4,805.30 crore. "FY21 was the year of rebuilding the
foundation of Yes Bank. Bank demonstrated significant improvement
in performance across key indicators despite severe headwinds
of Covid-19 amd moratorium imposed on the bank in
March 2020," the bank said. Its deposits rose over FY20 by 55 per
cent to Rs 1.63 lakh crore.
Corporate ‘listing’ of
‘powerful’ voices
After the Mandal
Commission report,
most of the newspapers
opposed vehemently
the OBC reservation but some
of the Hindi papers started giving space
to Dalit-Ambedkarite writers. It is a fact
that these media houses do not have
much space for them. Then Pioneer
provided one column to Chandra Bhan
Prasad on Sundays exclusively on the
Dalit issues. Indian Express recently
asked Suraj Yengde to curate a column
on caste-race matters. After the death of
Rohith Vemula many of the newspapers
published the stories and personal narratives
of ‘dalits’ so a clever way to
confine you to being Dalit. There are
extraordinary people who can write on
any subject but then the Brahmanical
media confine them to their identity.
However, as it is also an issue of visibility,
many of our friends flow in it and
become party to it. As the Dalit middle
classes grow, the media and other
spaces will be made available to them
not to challenge the Brahmanical hegemony
but put them in a separate ‘Dalit’
cell like the political parties do, so most
of these greats are only called to speak
or write on when particular issue of
Dalit arise as ‘voice of the people’ as if
they don’t understand or know any
other ‘national’ or ‘international issues’
which will be the domain of Gupta ji,
Sharma ji, Jha Sahebs and Mishra ji.
Fact is that Ambedkarism has been
the ideology which India’s ruling
castes always suspected and denied
space. It grew up because
of dedicated Ambedkarites
and their ground work.
Today, we don’t have time
By Vidya Bhushan Rawat
social and human rights activist
to remember those spirited
legends such as Advocate
Bhagwan Das, L R Balley, V T
Rajsekhar, K. Jamanadas, Raja Dhale, J
V Pawar, Sadanand Fulzale, Bojha
Tarkam, N.G.Uke, Vijay Surwade,
Manohar Mauli Vishwas, Baby Tai
Kamble, Shanta Bai Dane, Kumud
Pawade and so many others who kept
the spirit of Ambedkarism high and flying.
Most of these legends never got an
opportunity to air their views in the socalled
‘national’ media. In fact, person
like V T Rajshekar started Dalit voice
after resigning from the Indian Express
in the 1980s while L R Balley started
Bhim Patrika to carry on the mission
after the demise of Dr Baba Saheb
Ambedkar in 1956. Shri Bhagwan Dass
compiled the work of Baba Saheb and
brought collected work of Dr
Ambedkar. There were numerous magazines
and journals in various parts of
New Delhi : China on
Friday assured India that it
would do everything to support
the latter's fight against the second
wave of Covid pandemic
which has taken a heavy toll on
the country.
An official statement issued
by the Ministry of External
Affairs said that External
Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar
had a phone conversation on
Friday evening with the State
Councilor and Foreign Minister
of China, Wang Yi.
"The call was arranged at the
request of the Chinese side to
convey their sympathy and solidarity
with India at this juncture,"
the statement said. After
thanking Wang Yi for his sentiments,
Jaishankar emphasised
that serious challenges such as
the Covid-19 pandemic, which
has affected all the countries,
require serious international
cooperation.
Indian entities are already in
the process of commercially
procuring required products
and raw materials from suppliers
in China. The minister said
that this process would be facilitated
if various transport corridors
and cargo flights remain
open and the necessary logistics
support is ensured expeditiously.
China had suspended its
state-run cargo flights for medical
supplies to India as Covid-
19 cases surged in the country.
Jaishankar apprised Wang Yi
of the ongoing efforts to meet
the challenge posed by the second
wave of the pandemic in
India. He said that the government
is fully determined to do
whatever is necessary to overcome
this challenge.
Wang Yi described Covid-19
"as a common enemy of
mankind" and agreed that there
was a need for "coordination on
a concerted response". The
ministry statement said Wang
Yi told Jaishankar that China
supports the efforts of the government
of India and would
ensure that all the required
the country which were being run in
the name of Ambedkarism, not necessarily
on the Bahujan issues. V T
Rajshekar used to call ‘national media’
as India’s ‘national toilet papers’. We
all grew up admiring him though many
of those who felt that isolation can not
help the Dalit cause differed with him
but what I wish to suggest categorically
is that Ambedkarite literature and
power grew without getting legitimacy
from the Brahmanical elite. It never
needed to be. That is why
late Kanshiram Saheb was
extraordinary as he never
went to get a ‘certificate’
from those ‘manuwadi’
media and politicians. In
the recent year, Round
Table India has done
tremendous work to provide
space to aspiring
Ambedkarite Bahujan
scholars and made a niche for themselves
without any certification from
the ‘intellectual’ elite of the country.
Can we ignore the phenomenal work
done by Lokmitra through Trailokya
Baudh Mahasangha and Nagaloka and
his dedicated team of activists such as
Mangesh Dahiwale and Priyadarshi
Telang. My friend in Odisha, Manas
Jena has been writing a regular column
for Pioneer for many years and it is a
well-received column. Another friend
Dr Goldy M George has been contributing
through not only ground work
of Dalit Mukti Morcha but regularly
writing thought provoking issues.
Ofcourse, Brahmanical media fear
independent and assertive
Ambedkarites.
It is equally important to understand
that not all who are being ‘projected’ as
materials are flown to Indian
entities without any delay.
Chinese companies would
be encouraged and supported to
deliver the requisite materials.
Airports, customs and airlines
would also be instructed to
smoothly facilitate the movement
of goods. Chartered
flights from India would be
welcome and specific problems
raised by the Indian side will be
sorted out quickly. Wang Yi
also offered any other appropriate
assistance required from the
Chinese government. The two
Dalit icons or heroes are Ambedkarites.
Two years back, American media as well
as many in India ‘celebrated’ the ‘autobiographical’
work of an expatriate
Indian in America, hailed as a landmark
book. The fact was, while the book has
her own experiences and that of her
uncle who happened to be part of ‘revolutionary’
movement, the author actually
despised Ambedkarites and
Ambedkarism as she came from the
‘left’ background. If Dalit movement is
acknowledged world over today and
respected, it is because of Dr
Ambedkar’s monumental work and
guidance to the people as well as the
dedicated work of Ambedkarite. Travel
to the United Kingdom and you will find
how people such as Ms Santosh Dass,
Gautam Chakrawarty, Arun Kumar,
Devinder Chander and others have kept
the flag of Ambedkarism high. They
don’t run ‘professional’ organisations
nor are they attached to any ‘university’
but with their work with the community
they kept the Ambedkarite movement in
the northern hemisphere alive. I have
said many times, for ‘scholars’ Dr
Ambedkar may be like any other
philosopher or political scientist who
they ‘research’ ‘write’ and speak on but
for millions of people in India Dr Baba
Saheb Ambedkar is their friend, philosopher
and guide who they revere as Baba
Saheb, who is their life and identity.
While the media and individuals are
free to bring out their list every year or
once a while, I can also provide some
suggestions and friends can work on
that. Power list of 100 Indians in the
service of Brahmanism (this list can
have some Dalit-OBC-Muslim,
Christian, Adivasi names too), 50 non
Dalit Ambedkarites, 100 Ambedkarites
in the service of humanity (including
literature, social work, journalism (this
can have people of all communities
who have followed Dr Baba Saheb
Ambedkar and are dedicated to his
vision and mission).
Vidya Bhushan Rawat is a social
and human rights activist. He blogs
at www.manukhsi.blogspot.com
twitter @freetohumanity
Email: vbrawat@gmail.com
China assures India of smooth medical supplies without delay
ministers also discussed the
outstanding issues related to
disengagement from all friction
points along the Line of Actual
Control (LAC) in Eastern
Ladakh, the statement said.
Jaishankar conveyed that
while the process of disengagement
had commenced earlier
this year, it remained unfinished.
He emphasised that it is necessary
that this process is completed
at the earliest. Full
restoration of peace and tranquility
in the border areas
would enable progress in the
bilateral relationship, he said.
The two ministers agreed to
continue further dialogue at the
official level on this matter.
The telephone call concluded
with a brief discussion on
the BRICS and RIC meetings
of foreign ministers, which are
scheduled to take place in the
near future under the Indian
Chair. Wang Yi has confirmed
his participation at these
events, the statement said.
24 01-05-2021 to 15-05-2021 NEWS
www.theasianindependent.co.uk
Blatant Human Rights violations and forcible
takeover of land in Mikir Bamuni Grant village for
a 15MW Solar Power Project of Azure Power
State officials, especially form local and district administration, facilitated the illegal and unjust takeover of the land, The
Land and Forests of Assam belong to the indigenous and adivasi people of Assam and must be returned back to them
Nagaon Town, Assam : For over
a year, the situation in Mikir Bamuni
Grant village of Samaguri Revenue
Circle, Nagaon, Assam has been a
cause for serious concern for indigenous
people and farmers who have
been protesting against forceful
takeover of their land for setting up a
15 MW solar power plant by Azure
Power Forty Private Ltd.
As no local elected representative
or district official was responding to
their grievances, an appeal was issued
by the local communities for help. In
response, an All-India Fact-Finding
Committee (FFC) was constituted by
Delhi Solidarity Group. Prafulla
Samantara (recipient of the Goldman
Environmental Prize, also known as
Green Nobel Prize) from Odisha, Leo
Saldanha (Environment Support
Group, Bangalore) and Bhargavi Rao
(Environment Support Group,
Bangalore and Center for Financial
Accountability, New Delhi) and Amit
Kumar (Delhi Solidarity Group) who
were part of this FFC, visited Mikir
Bamuni to meet with met with local
impacted communities, and also went
to Nagaon to meet with district, police
and revenue officials during 27 to 29
January 2021. Based on this visit,
gathering of evidence and extensive
research of the region, the Committee
has issued: “The Anatomy of a Solar
Land Grab - Report of a Fact-Finding
Committee relating to Human Rights
Violations, and Environmental &
Social Impacts of 15 MW Solar Power
Plant being established by Azure
Power at Mikir Bamuni Grant Village,
Nagaon, Assam” and the same was
released today in the presence of local
villagers and leaders of the ongoing
movement against the land grab.
The report establishes that Azure
Power was assisted by district authorities,
revenue officials and police in
forcibly taking over land that was
being cultivated by the villagers, and
in abject violation of judicial orders,
and also laws and policies. The construction
of the solar part was undertaken
with blatant abuse of police
power, employed to terrorise local
people into submission, and this
including a variety of serious human
rights abuses. Despite widespread
media coverage in local dailies, no
action has been initiated against the
guilty officials by the State
Government. Shockingly, the high
office of His Excellency the Governor
of Assam has been found to be
involved in authorising the illegal
transfer of land to Azure.
The report further establishes that
the solar power plant is being constructed
on fertile agricultural land
that has been cultivated for decades,
and was full of standing crops, and
which was illegally destroyed by
Azure. The local agricultural officials
have illegally and fraudulently made a
case that there was no cultivation for
over a decade, to justify the illegal
transfer of land to Azure. The FFC
also discovered during 2 of its 3-day
visit to Mikir Bamuni, that elephants
crossed through the village, their passage
was blocked by the solar plant,
and thus this constitutes an active elephant
corridor and ecologically sensitive
region.
FFC member and senior leader of
National Alliance of People’s
Movements, Prafulla Samantara pointed
out that the “Assam Government,
especially the district administration
of Nagaon, has played a crucial role in
this corporate capture of resources dispossessing
indigenous and adivasi
International flights suspension
extended till May 31
New Delhi : India on Friday extended the suspension on international
commercial flight
operations till May
31, 2021.
However, international
passenger
flights under air travel
bubble arrangements
will continue.
"In partial modification
of circular
dated 26-06-2020, the
competent authority
has further extended
the validity of circular
issued on the above
subject... regarding scheduled international commercial passenger services
to/from India till 2359 hrs IST of 31st May, 2021," the circular issued by the
Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said.
The circular said that the restriction shall not apply to international allcargo
operations and flights specifically approved by DGCA.
Passenger air services were suspended on March 25, 2020 due to the
nationwide lockdown to check the spread of Covid-19.
Domestic flight services, however, resumed from May 25, 2020.
people of Mikir Bamuni from their
lands and livelihoods. Actions of
police officials to assist this forcible
takeover of land by Azure Power has
resulted in blatant violation of human
rights of those cultivating the land.
The Assam government has served the
interest of Azure Power at the cost of
human rights, livelihood, and fundamental
rights of villagers”.
Amit Kumar, a researcher based in
Delhi who has extensively researched
land and environmental laws relating
to industrial corridors and mega infrastructure
projects, highlights the legal
violations in this case. “The Assam
(Temporary Settled Areas) Tenancy
Act 1971 clearly states that the land
should have been transferred in the
name of occupancy tenants, the farmers
of Mikir Bamuni Grant in this
case. We were shocked to learn that
these lands were first transferred to
descendants of the original land grant
landholder, occupancy tenant's rights
over the land were deliberately
ignored, and then the purchase of this
land by Azure Power was accommodated
by revenue officials. Further,
there is a blatant violation of the
Assam Fixation of Ceiling on
Landholdings Act 1956. At no point
did the state revenue officials stop the
illegal appropriation of such fertile
agricultural land situated in the midst
of active elephant corridor.", he stated.
He went on to add, "During the
colonial era, Britishers sold huge
areas of lands to big Zamindars
terming the land as "Waste and uncultivated".
This rich land was cultivated
for generations by indigenous communities.
Now the Assam government
is dispossessing the indigenous people
of Assam from the very same land,
With restaurants and wet markets
allowed to operate at 50 per cent capacity
during a four-day lockdown in Goa,
questions are being raised by the
Opposition as well as a cabinet minister,
about the seriousness of the preventive
measures enforced to control the
Covid-19 surge in the coastal state.
The four-day lockdown was
imposed in the state after much dithering
by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant
from Thursday night to Monday morning.
"This lockdown is to pull wool
over the eyes of the people of the state.
Shops, private factories, establishments
are open, buses are functioning, restaurants
and even wine shops are open.
How is this a lockdown?" Progressive
Front of Goa spokesperson Hridaynath
Shirodkar said.
Carlos Ferreira, who heads the legal
cell of the Congress, said that the orders
by facilitating illegal transfer of these
very lands which ought to settle in
favour of cultivators.” Leo Saldanha
of Environment Support Group highlights,
“Prime Minister Narendra
Modi’s promotion of 450GW of energy
production from renewable
sources is fraught with various inconsistencies,
particularly the lack of
appreciation of various details relating
to finance demanded, and social
and environmental impacts. It appears
that the message to State
Governments is to assist the transnational
and national private sector to
secure land in any manner. If how
Azure Power has grabbed land in
Mikir Bamuni is any indication, one
can expect such land grabs across
India, all in the name of meeting the
Paris Climate Agreement targets, and
in making India a major producer of
solar energy. Such so-called ‘Just
Transitions’ which are claimed as
responding to challenges of Climate
Change, are completely outside the
purview of India’s environmental
laws despite specific directions from
Supreme Court and National Green
Tribunal that such projects must be
subordinated to environmental clearance
review”.
Bhargavi S. Rao of Environment
Support Group and Centre for
Financial Accountability points out
that “the diversion of cultivated lands
that fail in an active elephant corridor
to Azure Power’s solar park, is perhaps
only the beginning of a transformation
of the Nagaon region to industrial
infrastructure. There has been
absolutely no consultation with local
communities. The fact that we found
elephants moving through the villages
on two of the three days we were at
Mikir Bamuni, exposes the Forest
issued by District Magistrates ordering
the lockdown were flawed.
"Nowhere do these orders issued by
them mention the word lockdown," he
said, adding that the administrative
orders were ambiguous in nature.
Markets in Goa were largely closed
on Friday, even as several stores including
shops selling non-essential goods
like even plywood and liquor were
open in several areas, according to
Ports Minister Michael Lobo.
"Plywood shops, glassware shops,
Department consented to the project
when they should have declared the
area an ecologically sensitive elephant
corridor to protect elephants. We have
also met with women and children and
heard very disturbing accounts of how
they were terrorised by the local police
and company officials. They are traumatised,
and yet no one from State
welfare agencies, or human rights
commissions had reached out to them
till when we visited the site.”
This FFC Report demands that the
Assam government must immediately
halt the construction of Azure
Power solar plant and take steps to
recover the land, restore it to the state
it was prior to construction of the
plant and hand it back to the tillers of
the land.
The FFC holds that the cost of this
operation must be borne by Azure
Power in consonance with the ‘polluter
pays’ principle. In addition, an
enquiry must be initiated into the
human rights excesses and the illegalities
and fraud perpetuated by
state officials to facilitate the unlawful
transfer of land violating judicial
directives. The report also asserts the
immediate need for the Union
Ministry of Environment, Forests
and Climate Change to bring solar
plants and other renewable energy
projects under social and environmental
review as directed by the
National Green Tribunal (South
Zone), a decision confirmed by the
Supreme Court of India. Further, the
FFC recommends to all the financiers
of Azure Power’s Mikir
Bamuni solar plant to critically evaluate
basis for financing, and take
necessary action for violations of
various safeguards the company
wrongly claimed it adheres to.
'Why are liquor shops open?': Oppn,
Minister question Goa lockdown
liquor shops were open in the morning.
They were told by the police and other
officials to shut down later. I feel that
the North Goa Collector has to come
out with clear orders under Section
144," he said.
The Minister said that the Covid-19
situation was spiralling out of control in
the state. "There are no beds with oxygen
at the District Hospital and the Goa
Medical College. It is difficult to give
patients oxygen flow in this situation,"
Lobo said, adding that he would request
Chief Minister to extend the preventive
measure for nine more days at least, to
break the Covid-19 chain.
Sawant, however, has maintained
that the lockdown would end on
Monday morning.
"Lockdown will not be extended.
People should stay home and co-operate
with the government," he said.
www.theasianindependent.co.uk
A ‘well known’ Hindutva
protagonist masquerading as
journalist passed away yesterday
resulting in a message of
‘condolences and ‘tribute’ right
from the Prime Minister and
Home Minister to ‘progressive’
‘liberals’ expressing grief of his
untimely passing away. It is
said that he passed away due to
cardiac arrest but fact of the
matter was he was also covid
infected. The prime minister
and Home minister paid their
tribute by terming him a
‘brave’ journalist and that his
passing away has left a big
‘vacuum’.
A champion of ‘liberal’ ‘secular’
who has been constantly
being abused by the Sanghi
trolls asked the prime minister
to compensate the journalist’s
family with Rupees Five Crore.
The champion suggested that
he was ‘worried’ about the
‘daughters’ of the anchor and
hence the government must
support his family.
On social media many people
started ‘celebrating’ his
death. I don’t know whether
there was any trend on twitter
like this but it is a fact that
many people expressed happiness
though most of the people
who were his victims showed
sympathy. One ‘philosopher’
condemns those ‘celebrating’
the death of the journalist as
‘OBC’ way and one does not
know where have OBCs come
into picture.
It is said that death of any
one is not celebrated and our
‘culture’ is ‘respectful’ to all
those who passed away and we
do not speak ill of the deceased.
I never knew about this as I
have seen a culture of demonising
people and celebrating their
deaths even if many felt they
had become irrelevant. The
largest number of abuses which
Indian ‘savarnas’ have reserved
is for former prime minister
late V P Singh for his ‘misdeed’
of accepting the Mandal
Commission Report. Even
when they have dismantled the
government sector yet VP
Singh still gets the abuses. The
other minister who got the
same was Arjun Singh for
implementing reservation in
higher education and institutions
of ‘merit’. In the last thirty
years if we have lost our
sense of sanity and reasoning,
celebrating lynching and murders,
it is the biggest contribution
of RSS and various offshoots
it has created. They
were the first to use social
media and made it the biggest
tool to intimidate the opponents.
Now, those who offer
counter narratives to speak the
same language and hence the
fight is getting dirtier and dirtier.
Some people may 'celebrate'
but most of the people have
moaned the deaths. But then
the media only goes to those
who are visible. In 1984, after
indira Gandhi's death, there
were rumours and it went in the
two Sikhs celebrated her murder.
So 'Hindus' retaliated to
that. Every massacre had a
story and justification. Earlier
media would not give credence
NEWS
They too are journalists who do
not find space at the Prime Time
to such stories but these days
the media itself became a tool
to spread hatred and division.
And our prime time heroes
were doing that without any
shame and guilty feeling.
What is shocking for me is
the demand that a ‘champion’
liberal made on his blog that
this journalist's family should
get compensation of five crore
rupees from the government. It
is shocking to
hear this as all
these ‘mainstream’
loudspeakers’
whether supporting
Modi or opposing him, working
for their respective ‘Banias’
who have crores of rupees.
Every channel knows its
strength and weakness which
actually happen according to
the political climate of the
country. Right now, Hindutva is
flourishing and the Bania
owned media used this for
increasing their TRPs and getting
maximum patronisation
from the ruling party. So, if any
journalist who work in these
‘organised’ media houses and
spreading canard and lies, definitely
can not be without the
financial backing. The shamelessness
of those who tried to
look ‘liberal’ is that the man did
not ask India Today Group to
compensate the family of the
man who passed away but
asked the government of India
to do so. This reflects two
things. One, he tried to balance
things that look ‘great’, I am
that I am ‘pained’ at your death
and second, he protected the
business interest of these ‘private’
vampires who have billions
of rupees by just denying
people their right to free and
unbiased information. Why
should the government pay to
compensate people who are
working in private companies
or big media houses where their
pay packages must be in lakhs
of rupees per month. Afterall, it
is not for any other reasons that
we have seen most mediocre
and unprofessional people
being termed as ‘journalists’
just because they have helped
unleashed the Hindutva propaganda
on television channels
and justified their lies. These
are the people who will justify
even the killings and blame the
victims for all the problems.
Now, I come to another
point and the hypocrisy of our
‘liberal’ friends in the media.
Just yesterday a report was
published by an important
online publication that between
April 1st , 2021 to Apri 28,
2021, a total of 52 journalists
died due to Covid while doing
their ground work. The report
also suggests that One Hundred
one journalists passed away
between April 1st, 2020 to
April 28th, 2021, on line of
their duty because of Covid.
The largest share of these
By Vidya Bhushan Rawat
social and human rights activist
deaths came from UP-19,
Telangana-17, Maharashtra 13,
Odisha 9, Delhi 8, Andhra
Pradesh 6 and Tamilnadu-
Assam four each. Most of these
journalists are with local papers
or channels and perhaps
stingers too. I have not heard a
single sentence from even
known media bodies about
compensation to their families.
Will our liberal or communal
give a full programme
on them asking the government
to pay them as per frontline
workers. Ofcourse, there
are other peoples too who laid
down their lives online of their
duty but what is surprising that
we have not heard stories about
the families of these working
journalists and how can we
seek ‘five crores’ for them,
after all every one speaks from
his ‘class’ angle apart from
caste fraternity?
I simply do not have ‘capacity’
to ‘listen or watch’ these
‘champions’ whether ‘liberals’
or ‘sanghis’ but whatever input
I got through various posts and
clippings available on Social
Media that should be not only
archived but put before a
Commission. It is
high time when we
seek an international
commission on
‘media’, its roles,
responsibilities and
accountability. I am
sure, if any one who
is following or
observing Indian
media particularly
the ‘Mahanayaks’ of
prime times, would
vouch that most of
them need to be prosecuted
for promoting
hatred and animosities
against minorities
and marginalised.
The hashtags,
the timelines and the
way they do ‘lynching’
at their
‘Kangaroo Courts’ at
the prime time
around 9 pm IST,
deserve an
International public
Trial involving
known jurists as well
as media personalities.
India’s media,
both explicitly and
implicitly, has
encouraged the war
mongers, hate mongers
against minorities
and marginalised.
Most of these
heroes are, actually
the biggest threat to
our democracy as
they seek accountability
from dissenters
and opposition parties
while playing the
role of ruling party’s
spokesperson and giving them
a free hand to launch their
hatred and calumny against
minorities and opposition parties.
It is these champions whose
only topic for discussion was to
look into ‘conspiracy’ theory
w h e r e
Muslims are
involved. So,
during the
elections, they
would look
for the
Pakistan angle
or a Jehadi
angle to blame all the Muslims
of India and seek their
‘response’. During the entire
Covid journey of India from
March 2020, you can see how
these media houses gave space
to rogues, thugs and mischief
mongers. In the beginning, they
found a ‘conspiracy’ in the
‘Tablighi Jamat’ conference in
Delhi and every Muslim was
converted into a Tablighi and
then accused of spreading the
‘viruses. Every day, new theories
were being planted through
their WhatsApp network which
were later on being picked up
by these ‘Darbari media warriors’.
It has never happened
when these hatemongers got
01-05-2021 to 15-05-2021
‘mainstreamed’ and ‘glorified’.
The prime minister or his ministers
have not spoken a single
word about the huge number of
deaths due to CoronaVirus. He
remains silent. Instead, he
would give you ‘gyan’ about
drinking hot water, ‘wear
masks’ and make distance
while campaigning heavily in
these elections to defeat everyone.
The only agenda in the last
so many years of the Sanghi
government in power is to fight
elections, win them and defeat
everyone. So right from gallimohalla
elections to
Parliament, they want to win all
and obliterate the opposition. In
their zeal to do so, our Sanghi
warriors ‘wearing’ journalist
caps have come handy, forgetting
all their media ethics and
professionalism.
The hatred was not that
much as it exists today but the
right-wing lobby always weave
stories about ‘celebrating’
deaths of their ‘icons’.
Ofcourse, they started the
process when they were never
pained by people’s death.
During the anti CAA-NRC
campaign, the cases were filed
against activists and every one
of them were converted as main
conspirators. Many intellectuals
and activists are behind the
25
bar for so many years without
facing any trials. The chronology
of this government was
clear. Create problems. Build
narrative and promote it
through its media and social
media. Act on the basis of ‘people’s
perception’. Leak specific
stories from the intelligence
agencies about the opponent.
Discussion opposition and dissenters
all the time. Vilify
them. It is nothing less than
massacre. How would people
who are facing trials face when
the media declare them criminals
and try to derail the entire
judicial process?
It is the same media who
never questioned about
Kumbha fair or many other
fairs that have been allowed
during this period. It is the
same media which supported
people’s demand for opening
up of temples. It is the same
media which for the whole
three four months made
Sushant Singh Rajput an international
issue as if all other
issues are dead. Who is responsible
for this criminality?
Definitely, nobody could do so
without the blessings of the top
leadership which tweet if anything
happens. When Arnab
Goswami was arrested, he
behaved like a king as if nothing
could happen to him. He
abused a chief minister. He
used the gutter level language
against Sonia Gandhi and nothing
happened for the Sanghi
leadership.
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26 01-05-2021 to 15-05-2021 WORLD
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