PNS n HYDERABAD

Home Minister Mahmood Alion Saturday directedCommissioner of PoliceWarangal V Ravinder to probethe deaths of nine migrantswhose bodies were fished outfrom a well in Gorrekunta vil-lage of Geesugonda mandal inWarangal rural district. Four ofthe bodies were recovered onThursday and the rest onFriday.

Speaking with theCommissioner over phone,the HM made enquiriesabout the incident. Hewanted the SP to lookinto the circum-stances leadingto them i g r a n t s 'deaths fromall angles.

Modi, KCR treating migrantsinhumanly, slams Uttam

PNS n HYDERABAD

Four returnees from Kuwaittested positive forCoronavirus on Saturday inTelangana. Another15migrants who hadreturned from Maharashtraalso tested positive for thevirus. Telangana reported 52more cases and one death onSaturday.

There are 696 active casesin the state now. The num-ber of those who are infect-ed has mounted to 1,813. Inall, 25persons were curedand discharged on Saturday.

PNS n NEW DELHI

India will try to restart a goodpercentage of internationalpassenger f lights beforeAugust, Civil Aviation MinisterHardeep Singh Puri onSaturday said, three days afterannouncing resumption ofdomestic flights from May 25.

Amid the coronavirus pan-demic, few states havequestioned the necessityto restart domestic ser-vices from Monday, headmitted, adding thatsome hesitation wasexpected even as theCentre hasbeen tryingto meettheir con-cerns.

The minister, while address-ing a Facebook Live session,clarified again that Aarogya

Setu app is not manda-tory for air passen-

gers and they caninstead give a self-declaration form.

Puri said duringthe session, "I can't

put a date on it(restarting interna-

tional flights). Butif somebody says

can it be doneby August or

September? My response iswhy not earlier depending onwhat is the situation."

When asked about the min-ister's announcement on resum-ing international services,Vistara said it will await instruc-tions and guidelines from theCivil Aviation Ministry. "I amfully hopeful that before Augustor September, we will try tostart a good percentage of inter-national civil aviation opera-tions, if not complete interna-tional operations," he said.

PNS n KANPUR

A groom landing at bride'splace with band baja barat' totie nuptial knot is the tradition,but with the coronavirus lock-down threatening to defer hermarriage again, a gusty 19-year-old woman decided tobreak the custom.

She marched 80 kms allalone from Kanpur to Kannaujearly this week to wed her fianc, said a police official in theknow of things.

Goldie of Laxman Tilak vil-lage in Dera Mangalpur blockin Kanpur Dehat district hadbeen engaged for quite sometime to Veeru alias Virendra

Kumar Rathor of Baisapur vil-lage near Taalgram in Kannaujdistrict.

Their marriage was last slat-ed to be held on May 4, only tobe postponed then for a con-venient date at the earliest.

Goldie's patience wasalready wearing thin. Thecontinuing lockdown threat-ening to defer the subhmurhut' (auspicious occasion)further drove her tolerance tothe brink.And so one fine

morning early this week,Goldie sneaked out of herhouse and set off on foot forher beloved's place 80 kmsaway and reached there well intime by evening.

Startled at the sudden arrivalof the bride without the groom

having brought her in doli',Veeru's parent's first informedGolide's father Gorelal, run-ning helter-skelter in search ofhis missing daughter.

Veeru's parents also tried topersuade their would-bedaughter-in-law to have somepatience and return home tillthey get her married to theirson after reaching her homewith the band baja barrat' asper the custom.

Her father too tried to makeher see reasons, but a gustyGoldie had enough of the end-less waiting, and she put herfoot down, forcing her sweet-heart and his parents to bow toher wishes.

www.dailypioneer.com

4

Future policydepends on Covid-19’s trail:Nirmala

6

Leadership whenfaced with criseslike Covid-19

2

2 2

2

2

2

2

CHINA REPORTS ZERO CORONACASES ON SATURDAY

IVANKA PRAISES INDIAN GIRL WHO CYCLEDDOWN 1200KM CARRYING AILING FATHERUS President Donald Trump's daughter and senior White

House adviser Ivanka Trump has praised 15-year-old Jyoti Kumari, who cycled down 1200km carryingher ailing father during the nationwide lockdown inIndia, terming her act as a "beautiful feat ofendurance and love". Stuck in Gurugram in Haryanadue to the COVID-19-induced travel restrictions andlockdown, a tenacious Jyoti asked her father to sit onthe rear side carrier of her cycle and took him tohis native place in Bihar, covering 1200km inseven days.

The Odisha government has allowed home delivery of liquor from Sunday.However, it would cost a bit higher than the maximum retail price, as thestate government has introduced a ‘special Covid fee on sale of liquor. "The

government has allowed home delivery of liquor by the existing Onand Off shop licensees of IMFL and beer situated in areas otherthan the containment zones and shopping malls with effect fromMay 24," said a statement released by the state ExciseDepartment. However, no excise licensees have beenallowed to sell liquor on their premises. The stategovernment has amended the relevant provisionsunder the Odisha Excise Rules, 2017.

ODISHA GOVERNMENT ALLOWSHOME DELIVERY OF LIQUOR

COVID-19 WOMAN GIVES BIRTH TOTWIN BOYS IN INDORE HOSPITAL

China on Saturday reported zero new coronavirus infections for the first timesince it started reporting data in January, a day after Communist Party leaders

celebrated "major achievements" in the virus fight.The virus first emerged in thecentral Chinese city of Wuhan late last year, but cases have dwindled dramaticallyfrom the peak in mid-February as the country appears to have brought the viruslargely under control. The official death tally in the country of 1.4billion people stands at 4,634, well below the number of fatalitiesin much smaller countries. However, doubt has been cast onthe reliability of China's numbers and the United States has ledthe charge in questioning how much information Beijing hasshared with the international community.

A28-year-old COVID-19 patient on Saturday gave birth to twin boys in ahospital in Madhya Pradesh's Indore, the district

worst-hit by the outbreak in the central state. It was anormal delivery though it was a month ahead of fullterm, Maharaja Tukojirao Holkar (MTH) Hospital incharge Dr Sumit Shukla told PTI. "The weight of thetwins is around 1.6 kilograms each, which is lower thanthat of normal newborns. A team of doctors is at hand toensure mother and newborns are fine," he added.According to experts, babies born after normal period ofpregnancy weigh between 2.5 to 3.5 kilograms.

Published FromHYDERABAD DELHI LUCKNOWBHOPAL RAIPUR CHANDIGARHBHUBANESWARRANCHI DEHRADUNVIJAYAWADA

*Late City Vol. 2 Issue 223*Air Surcharge Extra if

Applicable

Established 1864 RNI No. TELENG/2018/76469

www.dailypioneer.com

SPEICAL 7MAJOR ISSUE OF MINORS

MONEY 6TELL GOVT TO TAKE FISCAL MEASURES:

CHIDAMBARAM TO RBI GOVERNOR

NATION 5PROTESTS ACROSS KOLKATA

AS POWER, WATER CRISIS

@TheDailyPioneer facebook.com/dailypioneerFollow us on:

HYDERABAD, SUNDAY MAY 24, 2020; PAGES 12 `3

Current Weather ConditionsUpdated May 23, 2020 5:00 PM

ALMANACTODAY

Month & Paksham:Paush & Shukla PakshaPanchangamTithi : Dwitiya: 01:00 am (Next Day)Nakshatram: Mrigashirsha: Full NightTime to Avoid: (Bad time to start

any important work)Rahukalam: 05:03 pm – 06:40 pmYamagandam: 12:13 pm – 01:49 pmVarjyam: 10:46 am – 12:27 pmGulika: 03:26 pm - 05:03 pmGood Time: (to start any important work)

Amritakalam: 08:53 pm – 10:34 pmAbhijit Muhurtham: 11:47 am – 12:38 pm

HYDERABADWEATHERForecast: Mostly sunnyTemp: 42/28Humidity: 26%Sunrise: 05:41 amSunset: 06:44 pm

A CHAMPION ON

COURT, AN OFF IT TOO

12

This Basanti walks 80 km to her Veeru to marry him

Trying to start intlflights in June: Puri

HM orders probe into deathsof migrants in Warangal

Two taken into custody;9 teams probingPV KONDAL RAOn WARANGAL

Nine police teams were formedon Saturday to investigate thedeaths of the migrants. Theteams have since fanned out in

the entire area and arereconstructing the crime

scene. Two persons,both contacts ofMasud (the head of the

family) were taken intocustody on the basis of

an analysis of callrecords of theirconversations withMasud. Preliminaryinvestigations suggestthat Masud and driver

Sohail might have poisoned theother seven members, beforekilling themselves. However,there is another angle to thedeaths of Masud and Sohail. It issuggested that they did not killthemselves, but were bumpedoff in a similar fashion by the twocontacts of Masud. The contactsreportedly had illicit relationswith his daughter. According toforensic experts of MGMHospital in Warangal, except withregard to two of the dead bodies,it was found that water hadgushed into the lungs of all theothers, suggesting that themigrants were alive before theybreathed their last underwater.

Eamcet fromJuly 6 to 9

Eid festivities lack gaietyAMID VIRUS AND LOCKDOWN

PNS n HYDERABAD

The various Central Ruiyat-e-Hilal Committees across Indiaon Saturday declared that thecrescent moon was not sight-ed and therefore, Eid-ul-Fitrwill be celebrated on Monday,May 25.

Some of the Ruiyat-e-HilalCommittees also remindedworshippers to offer Eidprayers at home in view of theCoronavirus spreading itsdeadly tentacles across thecountry.

What was unsaid was thefact that this Eid will bemarkedly different from anyother in history, with Muslimsthe world over desisting fromexpressing their joy and love byhugging their loved ones as iscustomary.

“Eid is a festival of love andhugging your friends andneighbours, but now you can-

not even shake hands due tocoronavirus,” says Old Delhiresident Akram Quereshi,summing up the sombre moodahead of one of the main fes-tivals of Muslims the worldover.

It’s not just hugging — oneof the main attractions of Eid-

ul-Fitr is the new clothes thatare painstakingly bought andworn on the day, especially bychildren.

This year, as a whole theentire community has decidednot to celebrate Eid by wearingnew clothes in solidarity withthe crores of poor who have

been deprived of their liveli-hood, their homes and areforced to trek for thousands ofkilometres on foot, starving,ailing and dying.

Most of the well-off havealready announced that theywould be donating the entireexpenditure normally incurredon new clothes and sweets forEid to help the less fortunate.

PNS n HYDERABAD

Chief Secretary SomeshKumar has said that 88 trainshave so far transported 1.22lakh migrant workers to theirnative states from various sta-tions in Telangana.

The Chief Secretary, alongwith DGP Mahender Reddy,flagged off trains carryingmigrant workers from NampallyRailway Station on Saturday. TheChief Secretary has apparentlyensured that every registeredmigrant leaves the state safely.

"While six trains are leavingfrom Nampally on Saturday,another 40 trains are leavingfrom other stations for differentstates. By midnight all the trainswould leave and around fiftythousand workers would betransported to different destina-tions", he remarked in the courseof his address on the occasion.

He said that most of themigrant workers who had reg-istered with the state govern-ment have left. Many of themexpressed their desire to come

back to the state again. The railways are providing

food to the migrant workers.The state government isarranging two food packetsand three litres of drinkingwater and fruits for eachmigrant worker.

The Chief Secretary con-gratulated the police and otherdepartment officials for "effec-tive coordination and moni-toring of such a stupendoustask". DGP Mahender Reddyobserved that the migrantworkers are part of the recon-struction process of the state.He felt that sending themigrant workers to theirrespective hometowns safelyand conveniently in a dignifiedatmosphere is a goodwill ges-ture by the state government.

Somesh ensures lastmigrant left safely

PNS n HYDERABAD

Telangana Pradesh CongressCommittee (TPCC) president& Nalgonda MP Capt NUttam Kumar Reddy hasalleged that the Centre and thestate government have treatedmigrant workers in an inhu-man manner.

He was speaking afterlaunching, at Gandhi Bhavanhere on Saturday, a special webportal to address issues con-cerning stranded migrants inTelangana. The portal hasbeen designed by TPCC IT

cell chairman K. MadanMohan Rao, who is also theCEO of company USMsys.

Stepping into a changing world post lockdownNAVEEN KUMAR n HYDERABAD

Depression, anxiety and agora-phobia are the few among themental health issues thera-pists are worried about in thewake of Covid19 pandemic.Though the Telugu states hadgiven lockdown relaxation,majority of people are stillstaying home and sticking tosocial distancing fearing infec-tion. Many employees are evenrequesting an extension ofwork from home.

After you've been inside fora long time, it can feel verystrange to go outside and you

perhaps lose your confidenceto do things you haven't had toin a while, opined Dr. Angel

Sunaina, a Psychologist fromHyderabad.

She gives examples of face-to-face work meetings or usingcramped public transport sit-uations that might havestressed or worried peopleeven before they were con-cerned about the risk of infec-tion.

"These things might havebeen difficult in the first placeand having to return to themafter having quite a sustainedbreak" she said.

Hyderabadsizzles @44o CPNS n HYDERABAD

The harsh period of summerhas just begun in Telanganawith temperatures touching47.2oC in Jagityal and 47oCin Peddapalli. Parts of thestate capital are reeling underheatwave con-ditions witht e m p e r a -tures touch-ing 44oC.Bandlaguda,Qutubullapurrecorded 44.4oCwhile Bollaram, ShapurNagar, BHEL Factory,Srinagar Colony experiencedabove 44oC. The remainingparts of the city recordedmore than 43oC on Saturday.

4 foreign returnees,52 test positive

I can't put a date on it (restarting international flights). But ifsomebody says can it be done by August or September? My

response is why not earlier depending on what is the situation— HARDEEP SINGH PURI, Civil Aviation Minister

Some of the Ruiyat-e-HilalCommittees alsoreminded worshippersto offer Eid prayers athome in view of theCoronavirus spreadingits deadly tentaclesacross the country.

Goldie's patience wasalready wearing thin.The continuing lockdownthreatening to defer thesubh murhut'(auspicious occasion)further drove hertolerance to the brink.

After you've beeninside for a long time,

it can feel very strange to gooutside and you perhapslose your confidence to do things you haven't had to in a while,

— Dr. ANGEL SUNAINA,Psychologist

Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar, along with DGP Mahender Reddy, flagging off atrain carrying migrant workers from Nampally Railway Station on Saturday

n Chief Secretary, DGP flagoff trains

n 88 trains transported1.22 lakh migrants

PNS n HYDERABAD

Education Minister P SabitaIndra Reddy announced,after a high-level meeting inher chambers here onSaturday, that Eamcet will beheld during July 6 to 9. Shealso released the schedulefor various entrance exam-inations to be held in thestate.

After a review, in whichChairman of the State Councilfor Higher EducationPapireddy, Vice-chairmenProf R Limbadri and Prof VVenkataramana andCommissioner for CollegiateEducation Naveen Mittal par-ticipated, the Minster saidthat the government haddecided to conduct the exam-inations within the frame-work of Covid-19 rules and asper the advice of the UGC.

2 2

2

‘ALL ANDSUNDRY’

Lower testing inTS doesn’t meanfewer cases

2

Printed and published by B Krishna Prasad for and on behalf of CMYK Printech Ltd., Phone: 040-23322341, Hyderabad Office: F-502, Diamond Block, Lumbini Rockdale, Somajiguda, Hyderabad - 500 082. Telangana. Printed at Sree Seshasai Enterprises, Plot No.19, IDA Balanagar , Hyderbad-500037, Medchal -Malkajgiri District, Telangana. Chief Editor: Chandan Mitra. Resident Editor: B Krishna Prasad, AIR SURCHARGE of Rs 2.00.

Although every possible care and caution has been taken to avoid errors or omissions, this publication is being sold on the condition and understanding that information given in this publication is merely for reference and must not be taken as having authority of or binding in any way on the writers, editors, publishers, and printers and sellers who do not owe any responsibility for anydamage or loss to any person, a purchaser of this publication or not for the result of any action taken on the basis of this work. All disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of competent court and forums in Delhi/New Delhi only. Readers are advised and requested to verify and seek appropriate advice to satisfy themselves about the veracity of any kind of advertisement beforeresponding to any contents published in this newspaper. The printer, publisher, editor and any employee of the Pioneer Group's will not be held responsible for any kind of claim made by the advertisers of the products & services and shall not be made responsible for any kind of loss, consequences and further product-related damages on such advertisements.

HYDERABAD | SUNDAY | MAY 24, 2020 hyderabad 02

EGGRATES

` 48,690 (10 gm)

` 370

GOLD

` 48,350(1kg)

` 1150

HYDERABAD 340VIJAYAWADA 310VISAKHAPATNAM 350RETAIL PPRICE `3.40

SILVER

HYDERABADBULLION RATES

`/100

CHICKENRATES

Dressed/With Skin `216

Without Skin `246

Broiler at Farm `149

`/KG

(IN HYDERABAD)

An underlying uncon-cern is perceptible inthe manner in which-

some governments are inter-preting the national mood offewer restrictions underLockdown 4.0.It indicates thatpeople have to fend for them-selves and State Governmentswould play only a marginalrole in safeguarding the pub-lic against the coronaviruspandemic.

The Telangana govern-ment's decision to drasticallyslow down testing for Covid-19 forces one to arrive at thisharsh conclusion. Just 4-5weeks ago, we were scoffing atexperts in the West for sug-gesting that cases in Indiawere low because the testingwas less. We proudly attributedthis to strict adherence tolockdown rules, thereby avert-ing 14-29 lakh cases.

The truth lies somewhere inbetween. The lockdown hasbeen eased amid a big surge incases touching 1.25 lakhs.Thecurve refuses to flatten thoughonly five States - Maharashtra,Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Delhiand Madhya Pradesh - accountfor 80 per cent of cases. Amidthis deteriorating situationand expectations of a spikeafter the lockdown is liftedcompletely, State governmentsare expected to do more andnot less.

Testing remains the only sci-entific tool to curb this spikeuntil a vaccine is found. TheGovernment of India recog-nised a month ago that RT-PCR (Reverse TranscriptionPolymerase Chain Reaction)Test was the best method foridentifying SARS-Cov-2 RNAvirus, the causative agent forCovid-19, which infiltrates ahealthy cell to multiply andsurvive.

It placed orders for 6.3 mil-lion RT-PCR kits. Hospitalsand reputed diagnostic labora-tories geared themselves withICMR permissions, trainedtechnicians and segregatedar-eas for these tests.TheTelangana government did notseem to share the globallyaccepted view that testingalone can bring out the mag-nitude of the pandemic. Itslowed down testing in itslabs and did not permit 12ICMR-approved private hospi-tals and laboratories to con-duct Covid-19 tests.

Narrow interpretation of

ICMR guidelinesas well asstinginess and over-anxiety toprotect Hyderabad's brandimage as an investment desti-nation have been ascribed asreasons for the Telangana gov-ernment's decision to junktesting. Chief Minister K.Chandrashekhar Rao oftentakes pride in the State's per-formance in production offoodgrains, software exportsand per capita income. Butwhen it comes to testing, theState is almost at the bottom.It accounts for 1.5 per cent of14 lakh RT-PCR tests in India.

The government has been

slammed by the TelanganaHigh Court, the Ministry ofHealth and several sections ofthe media for its aversion totesting. The High Court hasexpressed its amazement athow some districts have beendeclared 'virus-free' withoutconducting tests. It also ques-

tioned the logic behind red-flagging the ICMR-approvedlabs from testing when peoplewere willing to pay the pre-scribed fee of Rs. 4,500.

By setting aside the govern-ment's order, the court provid-ed relief to not only these labsbut also to lakhs of citizenswho wantto get tested and tothousands of dentists, ophthal-mologists, obstetricians andsurgeons wary of examiningpatients showing symptoms offever, cough and bodyache.The government's pleathat these laboratories wouldindulge in indiscriminate test-ing was roundly rejected by theHigh Court.

The flat-footedness now is afar cry from the government'senthusiasm earlier in dedicat-ing Gandhi Hospital, a teach-ing institution, for Covid-19,besidesrenovating and con-verting the sports village build-ing at the Gachibowli stadium

into a1500-bed super-special-ity hospital within a recordtime. The proactive mea-sureslent energy and urgencyto the fight against the virusand projected KCR infavourable light in comparisonto several other ChiefMinisters.

It also covered up hisinitialmiscalculation injudging thelethal nature of the virus whichexposed that while KCR has-sound knowledge of irrigationand agriculture, he is noEinstein when it comes to sci-ence as he cracked jokes at theconcept of wearing masks.The initial verve is missing andeven Health MinisterEatalaRajender, who wasabusybee visiting hospitals,briefing media daily andclar-ifying doubts of anxious citi-zens,is keeping a low profile.

All these are signals that thegovernment's priorities haveshifted, maybe rightly so. The

nation is one in its belief thatthe economy must be up andrunning, especially when theRBI has projected negativeGDP growth for 2020-21.Fresh investments must comeand jobs must be retained at allcosts. In an age when informa-tion is available at the click ofa button, tools such as TS-iPASS, a single window mech-anism, are essential to achievethese goals.

At the same time, Telanganamust not lose its grip over thedisease. The nation-wide spikein casesis alarming thoughthe geographical spread maybe restricted to five States. Onemay argue that the purpose ofthe lockdown has beenachieved with the fatality rateremaining below three percent and the recovery rising toa healthy 41 per cent. Theanswer is: these gains will befrittered away if there is reck-lessness at this stage.

S NAGESH KUMARFormer Resident Editor,

The Hindu

‘ALL ANDSUNDRY’

Testing remains the only scientific tool tocurb this spike until a vaccine is found.The Government of India recognised amonth ago that RT-PCR Test was the bestmethod for identifying SARS-Cov-2 RNAvirus, the causative agent for Covid-19.

Lower testing in TS doesn't mean fewer cases

AVINASH DEEPAK PULIn MAHBUBNAGAR

With the lockdown relaxations,Telangana has been witnessingscenes unlike in the past twomonths, with offices, shopsopen and vehicles taking to thestreets.

A change from the past twomonths was that many trafficlights which had gone offacross the state were back tonormal functioning. Not both-ered about the deadly virus,which has claimed over 3,000lives so far in the country, manypeople can be seen roamingfreely.

However, the lockdownrelaxations are ringing alarmbells among the people inMahbubnagar district. Fivenew districts of erstwhileMahbubnagar part are wit-nessing a bristling life in theurban areas in particular andthough there was some sort offear among the people onaccount of the increase in the

number of cases in the statecapital, the people feel that theCovid has almost wiped outfrom this part.

The Primary andCommunity health Centresfrom where the doctors weredeputed for the Covid treat-

ment process in the state cap-ital have rejoined their dutiesand many were given a warmwelcome upon their arrival.

Even the police teamsdeployed at the checkposts bythe administration by now feelthat they have accomplished

the task of overcoming theCorona spurt with the strictimplementation of curfew inthe districts and checklist areas.

The normal life almostresembled the pre lockdownperiod and many feel that theclosure of only hotels andeateries may not remain forlong as the people are keen ongetting the hotel food too.

In Gadwal, there was somesort of tension in the first twodays but the common peopleby now have realised that theCovid threat has almost gone

and hence they resumed theirregular routine in order topick up pace with their coun-terparts. The working classand the middle class howeverfeel the threat of Covid has notwiped out as the numbersreveal the facts. Some migrantlabourers coming from thestates like Maharashtra andMadhya Pradesh to the five dis-tricts of Mahbubnagar haveundergone tests and the reportsare awaiting.

They feel that theCoronavirus may spread itstentacles with the indulgence ofmigrant labour in the ruralparts hence many sought acomprehensive tests for thepeople in the urban and ruralparts of the districts. But all thedistricts witnessed a resump-tion of the normal life andthough middle class is express-ing apprehensions of Coronacatching asymptomatic carri-ers, the folk are keen on con-tinuing their journey in themid summer.

PNS n SURYAPET

Much to the delight of the peo-ple belonging from Muslimcommunity, Minister forEnergy G Jagadish Reddy onSaturday distributed RamzanTofa among 5,000 families attheir door-step. Spending fromhis pocket, the Minister dis-tributed dry fruits and 10 vari-eties of essential commoditiesamong the Muslims inSuryapet Assembly constituen-cy.

The distribution of theRamzan Gift commenced atRayinigudem village and thegesture came as a big relief tothe people. The distribution ofthe Ramzan Tofa was wel-comed by poor Muslims withdelight as Corona left theirbusinesses paralysed.

In Suryapet, distribution ofessential commodities forRamzan by the Minister as ahumanitarian gesture waslaudable, some Muslims faithelders said. They told theMinister that they feel Ramzancelebrations, which are twodays away, have already begun

with the Minister distributingessential commodities and dryfruits at the door step ofMuslim families.

The Minister, addressingMuslims, said that the erst-while Hyderabad stood as anexample for communal har-mony even during the heightof the British rule. EvenMahatma Gandhi admitted tothe fact. He lauded ChiefMinister K ChandrasekharRao is good at safeguarding the

communal harmony. In thelunar calendar, the ninthmonth is observed as the HolyMonth of Ramzan because itsignifies birth of the HolyQuran. The month charac-terises disciplined living, char-ity and spiritual thinking. Hesaid that he took the decisionto distribute dry fruits andother essential commodities toenable the Muslims safeguardthe significance of the holymonth.

People fear lockdown relaxations

Not bothered about the deadly virus, which has claimed over 3,000 lives so far inthe country, many people can be seen roaming freely

A change from thepast two monthswas that manytraffic lights whichhad gone offacross the statewere back tonormal functioning

Power Minister Jagadish Reddy distributing Ramzan Tofa in Suryapet on Saturday

Jagadish delivers ‘RamzanTofa' at people's doorstep

Cong to protestagainst pendingprojects on June 2PNS n HYDERABAD

The Congress has decided tostage protests on June 2, theFormation Day of Telangana,at different pending projects.While Uttam, K Jana Reddy,Komatireddy Venkat Reddywill participate in the deek-sha at SLBC, BhattiVikramarka, Seethakka andPodem Veeraiah will protestat the Paleru reservoir, fol-lowed by Revanth Reddy andKonda Vishveshwar Reddy atthe Lakshmidevipalli reser-voir, Nagam JanardhanReddy at the Yelluru reser-voir, Chinna Reddy atKarivena, Sampath Kumarat Nettempadu, andVamsichand Reddy atKalwakurthy. The TPCCchief said party leaders wouldparticipate in another deek-sha on June 6.

Continued from page 1

The heatwave is a combi-nation of the onset of sum-mer and the aftermath ofCyclone Amphan. AccordingNaga Ratna, IMDHyderabad, "Due to cycloneAmphan, dry winds fromNorth-West parts of India arereaching Telangana andAndhra Pradesh and absenceof moisture in the atmos-phere has led to the heatwaveconditions over Telanganaand Andhra Pradesh."

Heatwave conditions arelikely to prevail over isolat-ed pockets in 19 districts ofthe state viz. Adilabad,Komarambheem, Nirmal,Nizamabad, Jagit ia l ,Macherial, Rajjanna Siricilla,Peddapalli, Karimnagar,Jayashankar Bhupalpalle,

Mulug, Mahabubabad,Badradri, Warangal rural andurban, Khammam,Nalgonda, Suryapet andMahabubnagar of Telangana.

Heatwaves are set to con-tinue till May 26 in the state.The harsh Rohini Kartheperiod of summer will set inthe state from Monday.Rohini Karthe marks theentry of Sun into Rohininakshatra and is traditional-ly considered as the hottestfortnight of the year. In 2020,Rohini Karthe starts on May25 and ends on June 8.

However, as per IMD,there is thunderstorm warn-ing accompanied with light-ning and gusty winds (30 t040 kmph), very likely tooccur at isolated places overTelangana once RohiniKarthe sets in

Trying to start Intlflights in June: PuriContinued from page 1

"We must have a moreambitious goal (regardinginternational flights). Whynot start them by mid-June orJune-end or in July," he added.

All scheduled commercialpassenger flights have beensuspended in India sinceMarch 25 when the Modigovernment imposed a lock-down to contain the coron-avirus pandemic.

The minister said that theVande Bharat Mission, whichbegan on May 7, would be ableto bring a total 50,000 Indians,who have been strandedabroad, home by the end ofthis month.

Between May 7 and May 21,around 23,000 Indians havebeen repatriated throughflights operated by Air Indiaand its subsidiary Air IndiaExpress under this mission.Passengers have to pay moneyto book a seat on any repatri-

ation flight being operatedunder the Vande BharatMission.

The minister said if somepassengers do not have smart-phones, it is not as if they willnot be allowed to travel forthey do not have AarogyaSetu app.

"We have said it is an advi-sory, it is preferable...If you donot have Aarogya Setu app,you can give a self-declarationform," he stated.

Incase a passenger does nothave the app, he or she can gettested for the virus two orthree days before the flight'sdeparture, get that medicalcertificate, and just fill in theform that he or she is COVID-negative, Puri noted.

"If you have Aarogya Setuapp, and if you have got your-self tested for COVID-19 andhave been found negative, andif you do not show any symp-toms, then I think there is noneed for quarantine," he said.

Eid festivitieslack gaietyContinued from page 1

As it were, the scare of thepandemic, lockdown restric-tions, as well as mass exodusof migrants from the cityhave deprived Eid of theusual festivity.

Even the mosques, fromthe world famous JamaMasjid and Fathepuri Masjidin Delhi and the MeccaMasjid in Hyderabad, to thesmaller ‘Ik Khana’ masjids,have been closed throughRamzan due to the pandem-ic. Jummat-ul- Vida, the lastFriday of Ramzan, was alsooffered at home, for the firsttime in history. Althoughshops in Hyderabadreopened during the last tendays of Ramzan, there werehardly any customers.

Continued from page 1

The coronavirus pandemicis a particularly traumaticexperience for a number ofreasons, including fear ofcatching the virus and theeconomic impact on people.Professionals also said socialdistancing measures can alterpeople’s mental health in a pro-found way.

“There’s an inherent griefthat comes with social distanc-ing and how our social liveshave changed drastically andwill continue to change overtime. While some people havebeen safe in the relative comfortof their own home, others havefaced difficult and upsetting sit-uations. From the medicalworkers on the front lines, to

the people trying to stop theirbusinesses from failing, for thelast few weeks may have beenincredibly busy and stressful.But one common factor we allshare is the amount of changewe have all gone through, in avery short space of time. It'svery stressful for people" addedDr. Prakash, a consulting psy-chiatrist.

"All the IT firms and MNCsshould allow their employeesto work from home till thecurve is flattened in State andcity. Unless there is no optionthan to come to office, the staffshould be permitted to workfrom home by strictly adher-ing to fixed hours," said TitoGeorge, a software engineer atan MNC. Meanwhile, AmitDubey, an analyst at an IT

firm, felt that working fromhome was not conducive andimpacted the productivity. Hesaid, "Though the company didnot intimate me to come tooffice, I have been waiting forthe day when the governmentwould allow the offices toreopen. The organisationsshould facilitate transporta-tion so that social distancingnorm could be maintained."

"To help reintegrate peopleinto a post-pandemic world,there needs to be clear commu-nication from leaders, by sayingthat "'It's okay now to hug peo-ple" or "It's okay to go to restau-rants.". The guidelines need tobe clear in people's minds andthat can help to reduce uncer-tainty, which will reduce anxi-ety" added Dr. Sunaina.

HM orders probe into deaths...Continued from page 1

Since the deceased weremigrant labourers belong-ing to other states, theirbodies should be handedover to their near anddear ones after autopsy, hesaid.

He asked the police offi-cials to extend necessarysupport to the kin of thedeceased in this regard.

The Home Ministerconveyed his condolencesto the bereaved familymembers.

2 taken into custody...Continued from page 1

The police, however, are of theview that seven of the victims weredragged from the vicinity in anunconscious state and then throwninto the well. It is presumed thatMasud and Sohail were alsothrown into the well by thecontacts hailing from Bihar.Sources said the three might haveoffered poisoned food forconsumption to all. Police feel thatMasud was later done to death inorder to hush up the killings.

Continued from page 1

Uttam Kumar Reddy saidthat Prime Minister NarendraModi and TS Chief Minister K.Chandrashekhar Rao hadfailed to help migrant workers.The Union and state govern-ments did nothing for migrantworkers even on humanitari-an grounds. Even the deaths ofseveral migrants while trudg-ing long distances to theirhome states did not moveModi and KCR, who "wouldbe remembered in history forcreating a human tragedy byimposing an unplanned lock-down which displaced croresof migrant workers," UttamKumar observed.

The TPCC chief said thatCongress president SoniaGandhi had directed the partycadre to help migrant workersand compared their present sit-

uation to the difficulties facedby refugees in the aftermath ofPartition of India in 1947. Inresponse to Sonia's appeal,Congress leaders and workersacross Telangana State hadbeen helping migrant workersin every possible way, heunderlined. Nearly 13 croremigrant workers across thecountry were in dire need ofimmediate help. Food grains,lying in huge quantities inFCI godowns, should be pro-vided to them. The situationwould not have deterioratedhad the government distrib-uted rice and cash to migrantworkers at the appropriatetime, he reasoned.

Uttam said neither theCentre nor the State govern-ment had plans to effectivelycombat coronavirus or find asafe exit from the from lock-down situation. KCR, "who

considers himself to be anexpert on all subjects", wasclueless even about the approx-imate number of migrantworkers in Telangana; for, theCM gave two conflicting fig-ures -- 3.5 lakh and over 7 lakh-- on different occasions. Ontop of that, minister TalasaniSrinivas Yadav, claimed thatthere were 15 lakh migrantworkers in Telangana.

Freedom of press was in realdanger in Telangana State,Uttam said, while criticisingthe TRS govt for suppressingthe media. In the context, hecited the demolition of thehouse of a scribe inNarayankhed by the municipalauthorities, a day after hereported about TRS MLABhupal Reddy's birthday partyinvolving 500 people who nei-ther observed social distancingnorms nor wore masks.

Modi, KCR g treating migrantsinhumanly, slams Uttam

SOMESH ENSURES LASTMIGRANT LEFT SAFELY Continued from page 1

Additional DG Jitender,Principal Secretary MunicipalAdministration ArvindKumar, GHMC Commissioner

Lokesh Kumar, Secretary PR &RD Sandeep Kumar Sultania,Secretary Finance RonaldRoss, Ranga Reddy JointCollector Harish and otherofficials were present.

Continued from page 1

Of the 696 active cases, 119pertain to migrants. WhileYadadriper sehas not report-ed any case of coronavirus sofar; at 35, the number ofmigrants who tested positivefrom the district is highest.About 30 migrants fromJagityal and 23migrants fromMancherialtested positive.

4 foreign returnees,52 test positive

Continued from page 1

As Chief Minister hadordered that all precautionsshould be taken while con-ducting the examinations,special attention is being paidto implement Covid regula-tions, she said.

Eamcet fromJuly 6 to 9

Hyderabadsizzles @44o C

Stepping into a changing world post...

HYDERABAD | SUNDAY | MAY 24, 2020 hyderabad 03

Migrant labourers throng Nampally Railway Station to return to their native places on Saturday

LONG JJOURNEY

RIMEORNERC

16-yr-old boydrowns in lake

A16-year-old boy drowned atIndresham village of

Patancheru Mandal onSaturday. According to thepolice, the deceased wasidentified as Giddekindi Anil, anative of Indresham. Anil wentto a lake for swimming with hisfriends Janakiram Reddy andShankar Reddy when heaccidentally slipped into thelake, the police said. The twofriends tried to rescue him butin vain. A case has beenregistered under section 174(suspicious death) of CrPC.

Two held for diverting PDS rice

Two persons were arrested bysleuths of Ramagundam

Task Force for allegedlydiverting PDS rice at Mittapallivillage on Saturday. Acting on atip-off, police seized 84quintals of rice from theirpossession. The accused wereidentified as RapireddyPrakash, a trader, and KotrangiPunnam, an auto-rickshawdriver, both residents ofMittapalli. Prakash was foundto have stored the rice at thehouse of Punnam beforeshifting the grains toMaharashtra.

PNS n HYDERABAD

GMR Hyderabad InternationalAirport Ltd. (GHIAL) whichoperates Rajiv GandhiInternational Airport (RGIA)in Hyderabad, on Saturdayannounced that it is all set toprovide a safe and healthyenvironment with a robustcontact-less boarding experi-ence for the passengers flyingout of the airport. As per thedirection of Government ofIndia, domestic flight opera-tions will resume from May 25after suspension for about twomonths, following the nation-wide lockdown due to theongoing Covid-19 global pan-demic.

Ministry of Civil Aviation

(MoCA) had announced onMay 20 that domestic flightoperations will recommence ina calibrated manner from May25. Commercial operations ofdomestic and internationalflights were suspended fromMarch 24, in a bid to containthe spread of Coronavirus pan-demic in the country.

GHIAL has taken a slew ofmeasures with focus on aseamlessly contact-less board-ing experience for passengersincluding some stringent safe-ty measures viz. thermal scan-ning of every departing pas-senger, the availability of auto-matic hand sanitizer dispensersat various places, placing floormarkers, staggered seatingarrangements, allocation of

entry gates and check-inislands for departure passen-gers to encourage complianceof social distancing norms andminimize human contact at theairport.

SGK Kishore, CEO, GHIAL,said, "Hyderabad InternationalAirport is all set to commenceits operations after a gap of

almost two-months. We arefully geared up to provide a safeand healthy environment forpassengers while they are trav-elling through our airport.Already equipped with fullypaperless e-boarding facilitysince long, HyderabadInternational Airport will beoffering technology based con-tact-less boarding for passengersacross all passenger touchpoints. The HyderabadInternational Airport has under-taken robust deep-cleaning andsanitisation across the entire ter-minal and passengers need notbe in the least apprehensive, aspassenger safety is our priority.We shall continue to work onspreading awareness about thenew normal that has come into

place and highlight the impor-tance of social distancing andpersonal care and hygiene."

As per government guide-lines, provisions will be madefor thermal scanning of pas-sengers. In order to avoid closecontact and crowding at thecounters, passengers will beencouraged to check-in at homeor use self-service facilities suchas self-check-in facility, self-bagtag facility, scan & fly, etcPassengers would be requiredcarry maximum of one handbaggage and one check-in bag-gage. Deployment of queuemanagers, social distance mark-ings, seating arrangement withsocial distance norms have beenmade before security check toavoid crowding.

IT'S TIME TO FLY AGAIN!RGIA all set to resume flight ops after two months of Covid-19 lockdown

Deployment ofqueue managers,seatingarrangement withsocial distancenorms have beenmade beforesecurity check

GHIAL has taken a slew of measures with focus on a seamlessly contact-less boarding experience for passengers including some stringent safety measures

PNS n HYDERABAD

With several frontline workersdeployed in containment zonesand to ensure they are notinfected, Telangana govern-ment is providing hydroxy-chloroquine (HCQ), the malar-ia drug as prophylaxis.

On Saturday, Indian Councilof Medical Research (ICMR)has issued revised guidelinesfor use of HCQ, as a preventivemedication for asymptomatichealthcare workers in non-Covid-19 hospitals, frontlinestaff on surveillance duty incontainment zones and para-military/police personnelinvolved in coronavirus infec-tion related activities.

According to official inHealth Department, Telanganahas already been giving HCQ

to Asha workers, police,GHMC workers and staffdeployed in containment areas.

Officials indicated thatTelangana is strictly followingICMR guidelines and if thenew guidelines are revised,state will act accordingly.

However, the drug should begiven under strict medicalsupervision with an informedconsent and only on the pre-scription of a registered med-ical practitioner. It is the choiceof doctors to take HCQ or not,however, recently Minister

Eatala Rajender urged allhealth care professionals, totake HCQ doze

The ICMR said electrocar-diogram (ECG) shall be donebefore prescribing HCQ pro-phylaxis and in case any newcardiovascular symptom itwould be mandatory.

The drug should not be rec-ommended for prophylaxis inchildren under 15 years of age

and in pregnancy and lactation.Even during treatment for chil-dren infected covid inTelangana, Hcq is not beingused.

"The Joint MonitoringGroup and the NTF have rec-ommended prophylactic use ofHCQ in asymptomatic front-line workers, such as surveil-lance workers deployed in con-tainment zones and paramili-tary/police personnel involvedin Covid-19 related activities,asymptomatic household con-tacts of laboratory confirmedcases and all asymptomatichealthcare workers involvedin containment and treatmentof Covid-19 and working innon-Covid hospitals/non-Covid areas of Covid hospi-tals/blocks," the ICMR said,here on Saturday.

TS providing HCQ to frontline workers

The government is already giving HCQ to Asha workers, police, GHMC workers and staff deployed in containment areas

PNS n HYDERABAD

The officials of NationalInvestigation Agency (NIA)arrested the key conspirator inthe cross border human-traf-ficking racket being operatedfrom Hyderabad. The arrest-ed was identified as AbdulSalam, 47, who was nabbed onSaturday by the NIA team.

The case was regis-tered by the NIAHyderabad unit inSeptember 2019,after theChatrinaka Policebusted the racketin April 2019. Thecase was then trans-ferred to Central CrimeStation for further investiga-tion. The officials have earli-er arrested BangladeshiNationals, Md Yousuf Khanalias Md. Imran Shaik, BithiBegum alias Khadija Shaikand Sojib Shaik, and an Indiannational, Ruhul Amin Dhalli.

The case relates to immoraltrafficking of persons fromBangladesh to various cities inIndia including Hyderabadfor sexual exploitation.Investigation has revealed thatthe accused Justin along withhis associates conspired inbringing girls illegally fromBangladesh through a well

organised network ofagents in Bangladeshand India, for engag-ing them in prostitu-tion racket, and wasinvolved in running

brothels at variousplaces in Hyderabad and

other parts of India, NIAsaid in a statement.

Earlier, three Bangladeshinationals were arrested andchargesheet against them wasfiled in March 2020. Based onthe clues, NIA teams con-ducted searches at Justin'sancestral home and his rent-ed house. Searches resulted inconfiscating incriminatingdocuments. Two youngwomen were also rescuedfrom accused Justin's houseduring searches. Inquiriesrevealed that the two were ille-gally trafficked into India fromBangladesh for sexualexploitation.

NIA arrests keyaccused in humantrafficking racket

The case wasregistered by theNIA Hyderabadunit in September2019, after theChatrinaka Policebusted the racketin April 2019

PNS n HYDERABAD

The Chaderghat policebooked a case against MLAAhmed Bin Abdulla Balala forallegedly insulting SC com-munity. The case was lodgedfollowing a complaint fromBangaru Shruti, NationalSecretary, BJP SC Morcha,wherein she stated that shebelongs to SC (Madiga) com-munity and that her father,Late Bangaru Laxman, was adalit leader, Ex-MP (LokSabha & Rajya Sabha), ExMinister for Railways (Gol)and also served as NationalPresident of Bharatiya JanataParty.

“She stated that on May 7,when she and BJP MLCRamchander Rao, DrBhagwanth Rao Garu and ExMinister Vijaya Rama RaoGaru among other leaders ofBJP visited Kamal Nagar,Chaderghat to meet the fam-ily of Hindu dalit rape victim

and her family members, whowas raped by AIMIM activistShakeel, and addressed a pressmeet, in the meantimeAIMIM MLA Ahmed Balalaalong with his accomplicealso visited the same area,after which we left the place,”said the police.

“I saw a video on socialmedia which was uploaded byFacebook page of AIMIMMLA Ahmed Balala by thename “Ahmed Bin AbdullahBalala” wherein MLA AhmedBalala along with his accom-plice after addressing themedia at Kamal Nagar,

Chaderghat on May 7, hadenquired that who was theother persons who came tothe area, and as and when oneof his accomplices hasinformed him that daughterof Bangaru Laxman has come,MLA Ahmed Balala has usedabusive humiliating wordsagainst me and insulting mein the name of my caste, as Ibelong to SC (Madiga) com-munity, I was put to shocksurprise and pain after watch-ing the video, the video is gotviral in social media and mycommunity feelings aredeeply hurt due to the humil-iating and insulting wordsused by Amhed Balala againstme,” she said in the complaint,requesting the police to takeaction.

Accordingly the policebooked cases under section509 of the IPC and under sec-tions of SC,ST POA Actagainst the MLA. Furtherinvestigations are on.

PNS n HYDERABAD

India needs to focus on fourcore areas to bring back theeconomy on track-medicalsolutions, monetary stimulus,fiscal stimulus and out of thebox thinking. In these times,the best way to attract invest-ment exiting from China is tofollow the TelanganaGovernment's TS-iPASSmodel, the industrial policythat enables online approvalsfor industries within 15 daysthrough self-certificationmode. The model can be repli-cated by all the States in thecountry, said Nilesh Shah,MD, Kotak Asset ManagementCompany.

Speaking at the Federationof Telangana Chambers ofCommerce and Industry(FTCCI) Webinar- "InvestorConfidence BuildingMeasures-post Covid-19",Nilesh Shah said, "We arestruck with economic, finan-cial and medical crisis hittingall of us across the globe and

at the same time throughCoronavirus. We need to think'out of the box' to come out ofthis crisis situation."

India has the largest goldreserves, which is noth-ing but a dead asset.There is a need tomonetise gold torevive the econo-my. On the stockmarket front, hesaid, investorsshould continue toremain invested andnew investors should alsomake investments as they areavailable at fair prices andbased on their risk appetite.And once the medical solutionis available, the capital marketin all likeliness will revive andcross the previous high.

Opening the WebinarKarunendra S Jasti PresidentFTCCI said, "The Coronaviruspandemic is causing wide-spread concern and econom-ic hardship for consumers,businesses and communitiesacross the globe. Coronavirus

has impacted socially and hasaffected the economy whichhas rattled World's EquityMarkets for over two monthnow. Though all are worried

about their families' safe-ty, the question that is

subconsciously at theback of everyone'smind is "What do Ido with myMoney?" Money

that is in cash asBank Balance, FDs or

Liquid Funds - shall Iconserve the cash or invest?And for some the money isalready invested in mutualfunds and equity. They areworried as the returns haven'tbeen encouraging over thepast few years and the presentcrucial situation has made itworse. It is time to regain andrebuild the investors' confi-dence and also it is essential tounderstand the smart and dis-ciplined investment strategieswhich are likely to reward theinvestors handsomely in thelong run."

SC, ST case on MIM MLA

PNS n HYDERABAD

Mayor Bonthu Rammohan,along with RajendranagarMLA Prakash Goud, HRDCLchief engineer Vasantha, CCPDevender Reddy inspectedlink and slip roads connectingto main roads and ORRService Roads here onSaturday.

They inspected the con-struction of proposed linkroad of Malkam Cheruv toChitrapuri colony length of500 mts with the cost of Rs 4crore and held discussionswith the local people in sort-ing out obstacles in removal ofsmall religious structures.

Further, they inspected thelink road connecting fromLanco Hills to Out Ring Roadservice road with a length of

1.2 kms with the cost of Rs 8crore and discussed with landowners / farmer who are effect-ed in laying service road andassured an another round oftalks will be held with MLA.

Later, they inspected pro-posed link road from NGOs

colony - NIAB - Gopana Palliand instructed the officials toprepare the detailed estima-tion.

HMDA Director Srinivas,Narsing Municipal chairmanRekha and other participatedduring inspection.

Mayor Bonthu Rammohan reviewing the progress of raod works in the city on Saturday

PNS n HYDERABAD

HMDA Commissioner ArvindKumar on Saturday instructedofficials to prepare saplings forTelangana ku Haritha Haram.He visited the HMDA UrbanForestry Nursery on 150 acresin Tellapur on Saturday wherehe inspected the variety ofplants and their growth, readyto be planted during the plan-tation programme.

HMDA Urban Forestry wingis gearing up for the HarithaHaram, which will start on June20. Urban Forestry officialshave informed Commissionerthat HMDA is preparing morethan one crore saplings to be

planted in empty lands in thearea of municipalities andmunicipal corporations.Commissioner has instructedthe Urban Forestry officials toput in place mechanism toensure that the saplings are sup-

plied according to the ordersplaced from the districts.Arvind has entrusted the UrbanForestry Department with theresponsibility of developingnearly 500 parks as tree |parks.

GREEN TELANGANA

HMDA Commissioner Arvind Kumar at the Urban Forestry Nursery on Saturday

TS-iPASS can be replicatedby all the States, say experts

PNS n HYDERABAD

Two more officials fromHyderabad city police, a con-stable from Bowenpally policestation and a sub-inspectorfrom Chilkalguda police, weretested positive for Covid-19on Saturday. Accordingto the police, both theconstable and sub-inspector were dis-charging duties atGandhi hospital, thenodal center forCovid19 in Telangana.

The state-run Gandhi hos-pital falls under the jurisdic-tion of Chilkalguda policestation limits and they are thefirst responders to anyCoronavirus infection relatedissues. Both the officials areundergoing treatment atGandhi hospital. Their col-

leagues have been advised toremain under home quaran-tine.

Further, their family mem-bers have also been quaran-tined. Health and civic bodieshave taken up sanitation dri-ves at both police stations and

the areas where theywere residing. With

these two persons,the number of posi-tive cases in the

Police Department hasreached 10.

Earlier on Wednesday, aconstable of Kulsumpurapolice deployed for COVIDduties succumbed to the virus,leaving behind his wife andthree children. On Thursday,the detective inspector ofBalapur police station underRachakonda commissioner-ate was tested positive.

PNS n HYDERABAD

GHMC Mayor BonthuRammohan on Saturday saidthat the government will ini-tiate steps to protect theOsmania University lands.Osmania University RegistrarProf Ch Gopal Reddy, Vice-Chancellor OSD TKrishna Raosubmitted amemorandumto the Mayor atthe latter'soffice in GHMCalleging that 9 per-sons had applied for con-struction showing wrongdocuments though they don'thave legal rights. They urgedMayor not to give any per-mission for construction ofhouses. Reacting to therequest from OsmaniaUniversity, Rammohanassured the University offi-cials by stating that the gov-ernment will take action onillegal constructions.

Will protectOU lands,vows Mayor

PNS n HYDERABAD

Telangana Open SchoolSociety (TOSS) on Saturdayannounced tatkal scheme forpaying the examination feefor the SSC and intermediatepublic examinations. The feecan be paid from May 28 toJune 3. The tatkal fee for SSCis Rs.500 and Rs.1,000 forintermediate in addition tonormal examination fee.

The candidates whoenrolled in Telangana OpenSchool course during theacademic year 2019-20 andearlier failed candidates areeligible to appear for theSSC and intermediate publicexams of the TOSS whichwill be conducted in July2020. Those students whocould not pay exam fee ear-lier can utilise the tatkalscheme.

TOSS offerstatkal schemefor fee payment

Two more cops testpositive for Covid-19

Officials indicatedthat Telangana isstrictly followingICMR guidelinesand if the newguidelines arerevised, state willact accordingly

MLA Ahmed BinAbdulla Balala hasbeen booked undersection 509 of theIPC and undersections of SC,STPOA Act

1 crore saplings to be planted inHMDA as part of Harita Haram

Link, slip roads to easetraffic congestion in city

HYDERABAD | SUNDAY | MAY 24, 2020 hyderabad 04

What type of leader-ship is expectedfrom bureaucrats

(e.g. administrators, healthworkers, police) while dealingwith the Covid-19 crises?

In popular perception it isthe well-known intelligencequotient (IQ). However, inpractice, IQ is mainly useful asa “threshold capability”, that is,an entry-level requirement inthe civil service.

There are several instancesof highly intelligent, skilledadministrators not perform-ing upto expectations whenassigned leadership positionsduring crises. On the otherhand, some administratorswith solid, not extraordinary,intellectual abilities and otherskills meet expectations mostof the time. What are theseother skills required duringcrises like the Covid-19?

One is Tactical Quotient(TQ), meaning the skill todevelop a set of operations toachieve a target linked to aproblem in a crisis. Tacticalquotient is a key requirement

for frontline practitioners.These skills are rooted inexperience and are primarilygained by doing a thing againand again, failing, succeedingand getting a feel for a prob-lem, learning when to go bythe book and when to gobeyond.

Competent practitionersbuild up a repertory of work-ing rules of thumb, or “heuris-tics”, that, combined withbook knowledge, make thembest suited to manage crises.

There is some evidencethat this requires about 10years of field experience.

The next layer is StrategicQuotient (SQ). If, TQ is thesmall-scale or worm view ofthings, SQ is the larger oreagle view of problems. In SQ,a crucial attribute of success incrisis management is strategicdecisiveness. This is to makeearly decisions and move

quickly to enlist all sides inexecuting the decisions. Someteam members may not bepleased with decisions, butwould be satisfied if they seesome movement towards cri-sis management goals.

The core skill required dur-ing crises is EmotionalQuotient (EQ). There arestudies to show that EQ istwice as important as com-pared to other skills. Effectivecrisis management requiresleaders with a high degree ofemotional intelligence. Whatis EQ?

Simply, EQ consists of the

following components -Ability to understand ones’

emotions, strengths, weak-nesses, needs and drives;recognise how feelings affectourselves and others and ourjob performance (self-aware-ness);

Ability to control or redirectdiruptive impulses and moodsand the propensity to suspendjudgment and to think beforeacting (self-regulation);

Passion to work for reasonsthat go beyond money andstatus, propensity to pursuegoals with energy and persis-tence (motivation);

Proficiency in managingrelationships and buildingnetworks and ability to findcommon ground and buildrapport (empathy); and

Ability to understand theemotional makeup of otherpeople and skill in treatingpeople in accordance to theiremotional reactions (socialskill).

In crises situations, per-

haps the most important skillis empathy. In order to makefrontline practitioners under-stand the practice of empathy,the guidance given to Azteckings to look after their sub-jects during epidemics is mostuseful.

The Aztec empire waslocated in present day Mexicoand flourished upto the 15thCentury. The Aztec empirewitnessed plagues, and later tosmallpox brought by theSpaniards during the 1500s.When faced with a plague itwas the duty of the king torespond in the following ways(Nahuatl texts translated byProfessor David Bowles atthe University of Texas RioGrande Valley) -

“Do not rush your words,do not interrupt or confusepeople. Instead find, grasp,arrive at the truth. Make noone weep. Cause no sadness.

Injure no one. Do not showrage or frighten folks. Do notcreate a scandal or speak withvanity. Do not ridicule. Forvain words and mockery areno longer your office. Never,of your own will, make your-self less, diminished. Bring noscorn upon the nation, itsleadership, the government.Retract your teeth and claws.Gladden your people. Unitethem, humour them, pleasethem. Make your nationhappy. Help each find theirproper place. That way you’llbe esteemed, renowned.”

Disentangling the aboveparagraph leads to the follow-ing pointers:

Take the responsibilities ofleadership very seriously (e.g.make strategies, not engage inad-hocism).

Primary duty is to uplift thepeoples’ morale (e.g. be withthem).

Deploy the residents to“their proper place” meaningthat the nation should contin-ue to function (e.g. strike asbalance between containmentand economic activity).

If, the people and econom-ic activities are destroyed, thebureaucrats will also be affect-ed (e.g. salary cuts).

Maintain civility at all timesand under all circumstances.

This requires bureaucrats tomove away from over-relianceon positional power to learn-ing to, in the words of the psy-chologist Alfred Adler, “seewith the eyes of another, lis-ten with the ears of anotherand feel with the heart ofanother”.

(Author is a PhD fromUSA and a DLitt from

Kanchi University. The arti-cle is based on his researchand practice and views are

personal)

SAMEER SHARMA, IAS

Leadership when faced with crises like Covid-19Competent practitioners build up arepertory of working rules of thumb, or“heuristics”, that, combined with bookknowledge, make them best suited tomanage crises

MA&UD Minister KT Rama Rao at a review meeting in Hyderabad on Saturday

Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao with Dr K Anand Kumar, MD, IIL atPragathi Bhavan in Hyderabad on Saturday

‘NETHANNA KU CHEYUTHA'

Govt will stand byweavers, says KTRPNS n HYDERABAD

Providing much needed reliefto weavers during the Covid-19 pandemic, IT andIndustries Minister KT RamaRao on Saturday directed theofficials to release the weaversmoney has accrued underthe 'Thrift Scheme'(Nethannaku Cheyutha) wellbefore the lock-in period ofthree years. Minister instruct-ed the officials to ensuremoney goes into the hands ofthe weavers as soon as possi-ble.

KTR said that the weavershave saved Rs 31 crore andthe government added Rs 62crore as its share in thescheme. By implementing thisdecision, about 26,500weavers in the state will ben-efit financially. In this scheme,the weaver will have a lock-inperiod of three years from thetime of joining to redeem his

money. But considering thepresent situation, Ministerdecided to sanction themoney to the weavers imme-diately without waiting forthree years. Each weaver nowcan access an amount any-where between Rs 50,000 toRs 1,25,000. The governmentwill also release another Rs1.18 crore to the weavers whoare enrolled under co-opera-tive societies which haveenrolled and completed anearlier savings scheme.

KTR stated that theTelangana government has

been supporting the weaversfrom the inception of thestate. He mentioned that thegovernment has not only allo-cated major share in theBudget but has also initiatedvarious programmes andschemes to create a demandfor their products.

In Saturday's meeting,Minister KT Rama Raoreviewed the status of the pro-duction of Bathukammasarees. He also reviewed theworks of Kakatiya MegaTextile Park and HyderabadPharma City. Minister heldseparate review meetings withvarious wings of theIndustries Department suchas Aerospace and Defence.TSIIC Chairman GyadariBalamallu, Principal SecretaryJayesh Ranjan, Handlooms& Textiles Director ShailajaRamaiyer, and TSIIC MDNarasimha Reddy were pre-sent in the meeting.

Weavers savedabout Rs 31 crore and thegovernment addedRs 62 crore as itsshare under theThrift scheme

IIL contributes Rs 1cr to CMRFPNS n HYDERABAD

Leading vaccine makerIndian ImmunologicalsLimited (IIL) is developing avaccine for Coronavirus in across-continental collabora-tion. It is leading the cross-continental research collabo-ration in association with theGriffith University ofAustralia to develop 'liveattenuated SARS-CoV-2Vaccine or Covid-19 vaccine'using the latest codon de-optimization technology.

K Anand Kumar, managingdirector, IIL and PrasannaDeshpande, deputy managingdirector, IIL called on ChiefMinister K ChandrashekharRao and briefed him on theCovid-19 vaccine programme.

The Chief Minister appre-ciated the efforts of IndianImmunologicals Limited.The IIL officials also handedover a financial contributionof Rs 1 crore to the CMRelief Fund to combat Covid-19 pandemic. IIL and itsemployees have already con-tributed Rs 2.33 crore to thePM Cares Fund.

“Being part of essential

services and manufacturinglife-saving vaccines, IIL playsa significant role in servingthe needs of the country.This spirit of our companyleads us to help the societyaround us in meeting some ofits needs at the testing times,"said Anand Kumar.Headquartered inHyderabad, IIL is the marketleader in veterinary biologi-cals and the third largest ani-mal health and human healthplayer in India. Set up by theNational Dairy DevelopmentBoard (NDDB) in 1982, it isone of the largest producersof Foot and Mouth diseasevaccine in the world and wasthe first company in India tolaunch the Purified Vero cellRabies Vaccine for humans(PVRV).

TRS indulging in corruptpractices, alleges BJPPNS n HYDERABAD

Telangana BJP leaders onSaturday slammed the TRSgovernment for allegedlyindulging in corrupt practicesin irrigation sector by floatingtenders during lockdown peri-od. A delegation of BJP lead-ers, led by party chief BandiSanjay Kumar, MLCRamchander Rao, leaders -Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy,Dr. G. Vijaya Rama Rao andDr G Vivek Venkataswamysubmitted a memorandum tothe Governor TamilisaiSoundararajan in this regard.In the memorandum, theystated that, "The BJP hasalways backed for constructionof projects in the state, how-ever, BJP is against the colos-sal corrupt practices in the irri-gation sector indulging byTelangana Government underthe leadership of K.Chandrasekhar Rao. TheIrrigation scam as it can be

called has happened at thehighest level in the govern-ment that too at the level of theChief Minister. This has beenuninterruptedly happeningduring the past six years, buthas reached its peak as recent-ly as during the immediatepast two months where thewhole country was reelingunder lockdown due toCorona. KCR has silently con-tinued his corrupt deeds bynot only floating the tenderson March 31 to the tune of Rs24,096 crore during this lock-down time but also awardedthese works on May 5 to hisfavorite firms and thus amass-ing huge amounts of cutsfrom them in return." Theleaders said that they wouldlike to reiterate again that theBJP is for construction of pro-jects but is completely againstthe immense corruption tak-ing place in the state in thename of construction of pro-jects.

IndianImmunologicalsLtd is developinga vaccine forCorona in a cross-continentalcollaboration

Cultivate cropsas advised bygovt: Minister PNS n MULUG

Woman and Child WelfareMinister Satyavati Rathodon Saturday appealed thefarmers to follow the croppattern as suggested by thestate government. Speakingat an awareness programmeon the proposed new agricul-ture policy, she said that theirrigation facility is beingprovided throughKaleswaram, Devadula, SRSPprojects because of ChiefMinister K ChandrashekharRao's1 effort. The farmers arenot giving their land on leasebecause of the implementa-tion of Rythu Bandhu andround the clock power sup-ply to agriculture sector lead-ing to record level harvest inthe rabi. The Chief Ministerhas set aside Rs 30,000 croreto procure even the last grainof paddy from the farmersduring the current Coronacrisis period, she said.Farmers should cultivatecrops as per the state's needsand rising to the marketdemand so as to derive morebenefit, she said.

She urged the farmers tocultivate only those paddyvarieties which commandgood demand in the state.Therefore, he asked the offi-cials to lend support to thefarmers by giving properdirections and supplying therequired seeds, fertilisers andpesticides.

PNS n NIZAMABAD

Minister for Roads andBuildings Vemula PrashantReddy on Saturday inspectedthe place for the proposedcheck-dam in Peddavagu andKappala Vagu in BalkondaAssembly constituency andsaid that his dream of bring-ing past glory to the twowater bodies is going to berealised soon.

The check dam is proposedto be built near Kottapalliand Pachchala Nadkuda vil-lages of the constituency. Heventured into the two waterbodies along with officials,farmers and TRS leaders. Herecalled how the two waterbodies were full with water allthrough the year during his

childhood. With the help of Chief

Minister K ChandrasekharRao, he said that he succeed-ed in getting three check damsbuilt in the streams. Further,he got six more check damssanctioned on the two waterbodies. As part of the state

government's programme tobuild check-dams liberally onwater bodies, he said he got 10more check-dams sanctioned.The check-dams would beexecuted at a cost of Rs 60crore.

Therefore, check damswould be built at every step on

the Kappala Vagu and PeddaVagu. Construction of threecheck dams has been taken upon Pedda Vagu at Kottapalli,Kolipyak andPachchalnadkuda for a lengthof 9 km. The height of thecheck-dams would be 11 feet.The water would be stored upto a distance of one km. Atotal of 12 check-dams wouldbe built on the two streams. Ifanother four are sanctioned,the streams would be fullwith water at all times. Thetwo streams flow up to a dis-tance of 72 km in the districtbenefiting 25000 acres of landin Balkonda constituency.

The Kaleswaram ProjectPackage-21 works are a boonto Nizamabad rural andBalkonda constituencies.

Minister for Roads and Buildings Vemula Prashant Reddy inspecting the place forthe proposed check-dam in Peddavagu in Balkonda Assembly constituency

BJP state unit president Bandi Sanjay Kumar and others submitting amemorandum to Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan on Saturday

Top leadersinvolved in OUland case: VamsiPNS n HYDERABAD

AICC secretary Ch VamshiChand Reddy alleged that theculprits involved in OsmaniaUniversity land encroach-ment are top level leaders,including a national levelleader, from BJP. Hedemanded both state andcentral government to orderfor a CBI probe and urgedthe government to conductresurvey and construct acompound wall around OU.

PNS n HYDERABAD

BJP MP from NizamabadDharmapuri Arvind onSaturday took potshots atMy Home Group'schairman RameshwarRao Jupally and saidthat he will expose thescam of the latter. TheBJP MP alleged thatRameshwar Rao had col-lected thousands of crores byviolating Mining AmendmentLaw, threatening, transfers,shifting national assets to othercountries.

"The entire world knows

that Chief Minister KChandrasekhar Rao has nodignity. That's why he is touch-ing BJP leaders. The Telangana

state in under familyrule. Corporate indus-tries are misusing themining resources inthe state. We will dis-turb your MPs if you

disturb our corpora-tors. TRS is making the

BJP leaders to join TRS bythreatening them. We willlodge a complaint with electioncommission on defections,"he warned.

Arvind demanded judicial

inquiry into the alleged illegalbusiness. He alleged thatRameshwara Rao purchasedSri Jaya Jyothi cement compa-ny by threatening its manage-ment. However, MyHomeCompany stated that it has nolinks with Jaya JyothiCompany. He alleged that theTRS government is protectingMyhome, which is violatingmining laws indiscriminately.He demanded that the govern-ment has to seize MyHomeMining Company immediate-ly. He made it clear that the BJPwill not leave RameshwaraRao at any cost.

Nacharam ESI Hospital gears up to treat Coronavirus patients PNS n HYDERABAD

Refurbished ESIC hospital atNacharam will be put to use totreat coronavirus patients. Thefacility has 450 beds and wasrevamped on war-footing basis.The construction was delayed

earlier, which was now under-taken by the State LabourDepartment amidst coron-avirus pandemic. HealthMinister, Eatala Rajender andLabour Minister, Ch MallaReddy visited the facility andreviewed the works.

Will expose My Homes: Arvind

KLIS a boon for farmers, says Prashant

HYDERABAD | SUNDAY | MAY 24, 2020 nation 05

‘EVERYTHING GONE':

‘No sporting event in near future, have to livewith new normal of sports behind closed doors’PNS n NEW DELHI

Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju onSaturday said India will not hostany international event inimmediate future and fans willhave to learn to live with the newnormal of sporting activitieshappening behind closed doorsin the post COVID-19 world.

Rijiju's statement gain greatersignificance in the context of thesuspended IPL, which the BCCIwants to host in October-November in case the ICC T20World Cup in Australia is post-poned.

"We have been working forquite some time now to resumesporting activities but before thatwe have to think about practiceand training. We are not goingto have a tournament kind of sit-uation immediately," Rijiju wasquoted as saying by India Today.

"We have to learn to live withthe situation where sportingevents will have to be carried

forward without spectators instadiums and sports venues," headded.

Talking specifically about the13th edition of IPL, which hasbeen put on hold for an indefi-nite period due to the pandem-ic, Rijiju said it is the govern-ment's prerogative to take a callon conducting any tournamentin the country.

"In India, the government hasto take a call and it will take a

call depending on the situation.We cannot put health at risk justbecause we want to have asporting event.

"Our focus is fighting Covid-19 and at the same time we willhave to work a mechanism to getback to normalcy. It is difficultto confirm dates but I am surewe will have some kind ofsporting events this year," hesaid.

Rijiju's statement came close

on the heels of Sports Authorityof India (SAI) laying out adetailed Standard OperatingProcedure for resumption ofsporting activities across thecountry in a phased manner.

"In the background their(athletes) fitness and every-thing have been tracked. Theyare in touch with the coaches,the fitness experts, the high per-formance directors. We aremonitoring each and every ath-

lete who are of the higherstature, who played for India andhigher clubs," he said.

"Now it has been laid out. SAIhas prepared a detailed SOP.These are prepared by expertsfrom different fields. This SOPhas already been issued to allsports federations and othersports bodies including govtstakeholders. So, based on thisSOP training will start."

The Sports Minister, howev-er, reiterated that resumption ofsporting activities will entirelydepend on guidelines of respec-tive states and local administra-tions. "We have been clearlyadvising that health and safetyare top priorities. Besides that wehave to keep in mind two otherthings, one is the guidelinesissued by the Home Ministry,second, is the guidelines issuedby the administrations of therespective localities or states. So,these are to be taken intoaccount," he said.

SHORT READS

Chennai returnee testspositive in Manipur;active cases now 25IMPHAL: A 26-year-old man,who returned to Manipur fromChennai recently by a specialtrain, tested positive for COVID-19, taking the total number ofactive cases in the state to 25,an official said on Saturday.The man from Imphal Westdistrict had been underquarantine since his return, andhe was admitted at theRegional Institute of MedicalSciences here, they said. He isamong 1,140 people whoreturned to the state by aShramik Special train on May13. "Samples of others in thequarantine centre, where theman was staying, were testedand they were found negative,"the officials said. Of the 25active cases, 16 are Chennaireturnees, they added.

Ambedkar statuefound damaged,tension in UP village

Minister hails SonuSood for arrangingbuses for migrantsMUMBAI: Maharashtraminister and NCP leaderJayant Patil on Saturdaypraised Bollywood actor SonuSood for arranging buses formigrant workers desirous ofreturning to their homes.Noting that Sood has played avillain in some of his films, thewater resources ministertermed the actor as an"inspiring hero" in reality."Sonu Sood is arrangingbuses for migrants who wantto go back to their homes. Heis trying to help as manymigrants as he can. The onscreen villain is an inspiringhero in reality! God bless him@SonuSood," tweeted Patil,who heads the state NCP unit.He also shared a picture ofSood standing near the busesreportedly arranged by him toferry migrant workers.

BHADOHI: A statue of Daliticon B R Ambedkar was founddamaged in Lakshmana villagein Uttar Pradesh's Bhadohidistrict on Saturday, leading totension in the area, police said.The 6-feet statue, installed inDalit Basti of the village underthe Aurai Police Station limits,was found damaged onSaturday morning, AdditionalSP Ravindra Verma said. Theincident led to tension in thearea as people startedgathering. Police were rushedto the area, the ASP said. Anew statue is being installedand a case has been registeredagainst unidentified persons,the official said, adding acomplaint has been receivedand investigations are on. Addi-tional police force has beendeployed in the village, the ASPadded.

PNS n SUNDARBANS (WB)

Pronab Biswas, a resident ofKakdwip in Sundarbans, washappy that his only son — amigrant labourer — hadreturned from Maharashtra lastweek and had planned to buy adinghy to start a fishing businessof his own. But the 50-year-old'splans were blown away onWednesday by Cyclone Amphanas their home and cattle gotswept away and they lost all theirlifelong savings.

Biswas, who had a family ofsix to feed, now plans to accom-pany his son back toMaharashtra in search of liveli-hood once the coronavirus lock-down is over.

"After (cyclone) Aila in 2009,I had moved to Nashik to workas a mason there," he said. "Butas I was getting old, my sonreplaced me and started work-

ing there for the last four years.""I had saved Rs 10,000 and

had planned to start the fishingbusiness of my own with my sononce he returns," Biswas said."But now everything is gone, myhome, my savings, my cattle."

"Two of my daughters are ofmarriageable age and I needmoney," said Biswas, sitting out-side a relief camp in the area.

Biswas is in touch with the

labour supply agency his sonused to work for and has request-ed them to ensure jobs for bothboth of them once the lockdownends. With livelihood lost andhomes washed away, observersof the Sundarbans region feel theecologically-fragile region, whichhas been under stress due to ris-ing sea levels, would witness amigration surge in the monthsto come.

PNS n NEW DELHI

With a vaccine still a long dis-tance away, efforts to repurposeold medications used for otherailments provide hope of anearly counter to COVID-19,say scientists, placing theantiviral remdesivir on top ofthe list of possible contenders.

As COVID-19 continues itsspread — crossing 5.2 millioncases and 3,38,000 fatalities onSaturday — several categoriesof drugs are under clinicaltrial. Of them, remdesivir,which initially went into trialsfor treating the deadly Ebolavirus five years ago, has shownpromise by modestly speedingrecovery from COVID-19,experts said.

More than 130 drugs areunder experimentation to treat

COVID-19, some may havethe potential to stop the viruswhile others may help calmoveractive immune responsesthat damage organs, accordingto a tracker maintained by theMilken Institute, an indepen-dent economic think tank inthe US,

"Right now, there is only oneeffective approach… which isto repurpose already approveddrugs for other diseases if theycan be used for COVID-19.One example is remdesivir,"Ram Vishwakarma, directorof the Indian Institute ofIntegrative Medicine, CSIR,

Jammu, said.Remdesivir is helping peo-

ple recover faster, and is low-ering the death rate amongcritically ill patients,Vishwakarma said, adding thatit can be life-saving.

“We do not have time todevelop new drugs. New drugdevelopment takes five-10years so we are using existingdrugs and conducting clinicaltrials to find if any of them areeffective,“ Vishwakarma said.

Some molecules availablefor treating diseases like HIVor other viral infections can bequickly checked against thenovel coronavirus, heexplained. If found effective,they can be used againstCOVID-19 with the appropri-ate approval from drug controlbodies.

PNS n RAIPUR

Two Naxals, one of them carry-ing a reward on his head, wereon Saturday gunned down in anencounter with security forces inChhattisgarh's Sukma district,police said.

The gun battle broke out ataround 12:30 pm in the forest ofMankapal village under Gadiraspolice station area when a teamof District Reserve Guard(DRG) was out on a counter-insurgency operation, InspectorGeneral of Police (Bastar range)

Sundarraj P said. The operationwas launched on a specific inputabout the presence ultras, hesaid. After a brief exchange offire, the ultras fled into thedense forest, he said. Duringsearch, police recovered bodiesof two male ultras, he added.

They are identified asGundadhur, an LGS (local guer-rilla squad) commander ofMalangir area committee ofMaoists, and Aaytu who was asecurity guard of a senior cadreVinod (a divisional committeemember), the IG said.

2 naxals killed in encounterwith police in Chhattisgarh

PNS n UNNAO (UP)

Passengers of a ShramikSpecial train on way toBihar's Darbhanga fromBengaluru, resorted to hurl-ing brickbats in the railwaystation here on Saturdaymorning while protestingscarcity of food and waterduring the travel, an officialsaid.

Unnao District MagistrateRavindra Kumar said thetrain had no stoppage atUnnao railway station. Butsince the route was not clear,the train had to stop at thestaion, he said.

The passengers com-plained that there was noarrangement for food andwater and during the the

train travel. They also allegedthat even the toilets had nowater.

As soon as the trainstopped at the station onSaturday morning, passen-gers got down and throwingstones. The RailwayProtection Force (RPF) andGovernment Railway Police(GRP) personnel pacifiedthe passengers and the trainstarted its onward journey.

Kumar said the stationmaster was directed to makeall necessary arrangementsincluding potable water atthe platforms as per norms.Later, the DM and SP alsovisited the roadways bus stopand directed the officialsconcerning to make arrange-ments for drinking water.

Protesting scarcity of food,water spl train passengershurl brickbats in Unnao

PNS n PANAJI

Considering the resumption ofdomestic flight services onMonday, Goa Health MinisterVishwajit Rane on Saturdaysaid he has requested the CivilAviation Ministry to permitcoronavirus antibody testingfor passengers upon theirarrival.

At least 15 flights are sched-uled to arrive at the GoaInternational Airport atDabolim in South Goa onMonday.

Taking to Twitter, Rane saidhe had requested the ICMRand Civil Aviation Ministry topermit coronavirus antibodytesting for passengers, whowill be issued a COVID-19negative certificate beforeentering the state.

These tests will help theauthorities identify asympto-matic patients at the airportitself to avoid communitytransmission, he said.

Speaking to PTI, Rane saidhe will discuss with ChiefMinister Pramod Sawant theissue of developing a Standard

Operating Procedure (SOP)for air travellers who arrive inthe state.

Meanwhile, Goa Airportdirector Gagan Malik said allguidelines issued by the CivilAviation Ministry for boardingand arrival would be adheredto at the airport.

Goa seeks permission forantibody testing for flyers

Sundarbans stare at bleak future

Several drugs under trial for COVID-19,remedesivir leading contender: scientists

"Our focus is fightingCovid-19 and at thesame time we will haveto work a mechanism toget back to normalcy. Itis difficult to confirmdates but I am sure wewill have some kind ofsporting events thisyear," Kiren Rijiju said

CYCLONE ‘AMPHAN'

Protests across Kolkata aspower, water crisis continuesPNS n KOLKATA

Protests continued in severalareas of Kolkata on Saturday asparts of the metropolisremained without water andpower since cyclone Amphanravaged the city.

From Behala in the south toBelgharia in the north, armedwith placards, people blockedroads with empty buckets andutensils.

Protests were also reportedfrom Sapuipara and Pallishreeareas in Jadavpur, Garfa,besides Narkeldanga andTelangabagan.

The protesters, many ofwhom were women, said theyare under extreme hardship asthere was no electricity andwater for the past three daysand repeated calls to powerutilities CESC and WBSEDCLwent unanswered.

They said that due to thepower cut they cannot pump-water from the supply lines tothe tanks of their respectivehouses, leading to a dire situ-ation amid the rising mercury.

While some of the protest-ers blamed the lack of pre-

paredness on the part of theKolkata MunicipalCorporation (KMC) despiterepeated warnings of the sever-ity of the cyclone by the weath-er office, many pointed fingersat the response of the powerutilities to the crisis.

"There has been no wordfrom CESC on when thepower will be restored. A tree,which fell on the transformerin our area, was not removed.The KMC staff said they don'thave the tools, while CESC saidthey can start work only afterthe tree is removed. We are liv-ing in inhuman conditions," a

middle-aged man fromJadavpur said.

Many others said they can-not continue with work fromhome due to the lack of powerand internet connectivity.

"We are forced to buy min-eral water cans at higher prices.Forget about working fromhome, we can't even take bathsand do other normal things,"said a woman, who is in her20s, in the Garfa area.

Police had to chase awayprotesters at Dopariya in Gholaarea off Kalyani Expressway asthe blockade continued forover an hour.

PNS n NEW DELHI

The Centre on Saturday saidaround four crore migrantlabourers are engaged in vari-ous works in different parts ofthe country and so far 75 lakhof them have returned home intrains and buses since thenationwide lockdown wasimposed.

Joint Secretary in the UnionHome Ministry, Punya SalilaSrivastava, said the railwayshave engaged over 2,600'Shramik' special trains sinceMay 1 for transportation of themigrant workers from differentparts of the country to theirdestinations.

"According to the last censusreport, there are four croremigrant workers in the coun-try," she said at a press confer-ence here.

Elaborating on the stepstaken by the central govern-ment for the convenience ofmigrant workers since March25, when the nationwide lock-down began, Srivastava said 35lakh migrant workers havereached their destinationsusing 'Shramik' special trains,

while 40 lakh have travelled inbuses to reach their destina-tions.

The joint secretary said thaton March 27, the HomeMinistry had sent an advisoryto all states and UnionTerritories (UTs) that the issueof migrant workers should behandled with sensitivity andensure that they don't moveduring the lockdown.

The states and UTs were alsotold to provide them food andshelter, she said.

On March 28, the HomeMinistry issued an orderempowering the states andUTs to use funds under the

National Disaster ResponseFund (NDRF) for providingfood and shelter to the migrantworkers.

By April 3, a total of Rs11,092 crore have been releasedby the central government tothe states and UTs under theNDRF, Srivastava said.

She said the Home Ministryhas also set up a 24x7 controlroom to monitor migrantworkers' issues across thecountry under the supervi-sion of the joint secretary levelofficers.

States and UTs were also toldto set up similar control room,she said.

The joint secretary said theHome Ministry again sent anadvisory on March 29 askingthe states to provide food andshelter to the migrant workers.

The states were also told tomake wide publicity so that themigrant workers know thefacilities available for them.

Subsequently, another advi-sory was sent banning trans-portation of migrant workersby trucks and made the SPsresponsible for any violation.

4 crore migrant workers in India; 75 lakh return home so far: MHA

The joint secretarysaid that on March27, the HomeMinistry had sentan advisory to allstates and UnionTerritories (UTs)that the issue ofmigrant workersshould be handledwith sensitivity andensure that theydon't move duringthe lockdown

PNS n NEW DELHI

The Railways has drawn up aschedule to operate 2,600Shramik Special trains over thenext 10 days across the countryto ferry around 36 lakh migrantworkers, stranded due to theCOVID-19 lockdown, to theirhome states, Chairman, RailwayBoard V K Yadav said onSaturday.

He said that the railways hasrun 2,600 Shramik Special trainsin the last 23 days carryingaround 36 lakh strandedmigrants.

He used graphics to show howrailways had increased the num-ber of trains from four on May1, when the operations started,to 279 on May 20.

"We have operated 260Shramik Special trains everyday on an average for the last fourdays, carrying three lakh passen-gers daily. In next 10 days, 2,600Shramik Special trains will carry

36 lakh migrants. We can alsorun trains within states, around10-12 lakh can travel on them,"Yadav said.

To a question on fares of thespecial trains to be operated fromJune 1, he said the railways wascharging pre-lockdown normalfares only.

He reiterated that 85 per centof the expense of ShramikSpecial trains is being borne bythe Centre and the states are only

paying 15 per cent in the formof fares. "Unreserved journey hasbeen stopped for now in theinterest of social distancing.Trains will be full only as per des-ignated capacity, Yadav said.

"It's a tough situation foreveryone in the world. Attemptis to move to normalcy gradu-ally. We have studied patterns ofdemand on routes and trainshave been introduced based onthat, he said.

Rlys to operate 2,600 ShramikSpecial trains in next 10 days

HYDERABAD | SUNDAY | MAY 24, 2020 money 06

CAPSULE

Canara Bankannounces creditsupport forborrowers

New Delhi: BayerCropScience Ltd has reporteda net profit of Rs 31.5 crore inthe fourth quarter of 2019-20fiscal on strong revenue. Thecompany had posted a netloss of Rs 57.1 crore inJanuary-March quarter of thelast fiscal, a regulatory filingsaid on Friday. Total incomerose to Rs 458.7 crore duringthe quarter under review fromRs 252.2 crore in the samequarter a year ago. Expensesalso rose to Rs 422.2 crore ascompared with Rs 356.9 crorea year ago. For fiscal year2019-20, the company's netprofit increased to Rs 474.5crore from Rs 337.1 crore in2018-19. Commenting on theperformance, BayerCropScience CEO andManaging Director D Narainsaid a good monsoon in 2019ensured sufficient waterreserves for rabi sowing. This,coupled with stablecommodity prices, favourableclimate and strong portfolioperformance in corn andhorticulture, helped inachieving the strong growth inQ4, he added. "However,COVID-19 developments inlate March and the ensuinglockdown led to short-termdisruption in consumption forcrop protection products," hesaid.

Bayer CropScienceposts Q4 net profitof Rs 31.5 crore

Bengaluru: Canara Bank hasannounced credit support forall its borrowers who havebeen affected by the COVID-19. The Canara Credit Supportis extended as a quick andhassle-free loan to overcometemporary liquiditymismatches for payment ofstatutory dues,salary/wages/electricity bill,rent etc., the bank said in astatement. The bank has sincesanctioned nearly six lakhloans amounting to Rs 4300crore under agriculture, SHGsand retail categories, it said. Ithas employed variousstrategies like SMS, callcentres, emails and personalcalls to reach out to theeligible borrowers to explainthe facility in order to sanctionthe loan. The bank said it hasalso sanctioned more than Rs60,000 crore of advances tocorporates and MSMEs fromMarch 2020 till date. CanaraBank's MD and CEO, L VPrabhakar, said: We are surethat once the lockdown iscompletely lifted, ourcustomers would be able toavail the sanctioned facilitiesto the full extent and improvetheir business.

Future policy depends onCovid-19’s trail: NirmalaPNS n NEW DELHI

After unveiling the much-reviled, amorphous Rs 20 lakhcrore stimulus package, theCentre is now reconciled totaking the criticism in itsstride. At the same time, it hasconfessed its inability to fath-om the damage inflicted to theeconomy by the virus and thelockdown.

A day after the RBI project-ed economic contraction in2020-21, Finance MinisterNirmala Sitharaman onSaturday said future fiscalpolicy actions to stimulatethe economy will depend onhow COVID-19 pandemicpans out.

The government hasalready announced a Rs 20.97lakh crore economic package,which includes Reserve Bank'sRs 8.01 lakh crore worth ofliquidity measures till May 17.

Sitharaman said making a"realistic assessment" of eco-nomic growth would be diffi-cult at this point of time asthere is no clarity on when thepandemic would retreat.

"I'm not closing the door atall. I want to keep gettinginputs from industry, imple-ment what we have

announced and depending onhow things pan out we have torespond accordingly. We areonly 2-month old in this year,we have 10 months to go,"Sitharaman said in a conver-sation with BJP leader NalinKohli.

The Reserve Bank on Fridayhad said the impact of

COVID-19 is more severethan anticipated and the GDPgrowth during 2020-21 is like-ly to remain in the negativeterritory. It projected somepick-up in growth impulsesfrom second half (October-March) of 2020-21 onwards.

Last week, the minister hadannounced an economic

packages five tranches, whichincluded a Rs 3.70 lakh croresupport for MSMEs, Rs 75,000crore for NBFCs and Rs90,000 crore for Power distri-bution companies, free food-grains to migrant workers,increased allocation for MGN-REGS, tax relief to certain sec-tions and Rs 15,000 croreallocated to the healthcaresector to deal with the pan-demic.

The package was done inconsultation with economists,academicians, ex-bankers, ex-finance ministry officials andindustry, Sitharaman said,adding the idea was to makeavailable more liquidity in theeconomy and revive demand,Sitharaman said.

"The package was designedkeeping in mind that we are fac-ing a situation which is excep-tional and therefore whether thecontraction is going to be thismuch or that much, we didn'thave the luxury of data toguess-estimating them.However, the spirit of thatthought has been kept in mindthat we have to now look atcomplete contraction and if wehave to stimulate the economykeeping that in mind what isthat we have to do," she said.

The government has already announceda Rs 20.97 lakh crore economicpackage, which includes ReserveBank's Rs 8.01 lakh crore worth ofliquidity measures till May 17

PNS n NEW DELHI

Senior Congress leader PChidambaram on Saturdayasked RBI GovernorShaktikanta Das to "bluntly"tell the government to do itsduty and take fiscal measuresif he feels that the demand hascollapsed and the GDP growthis heading towards negativeterritory.

He also asked if the primeminister or the finance minis-ter will laud themselves for thefiscal stimulus after the RBIchief 's statement.

"Governor Shaktikanta Dassays demand has collapsed,growth in 2020-21 headedtoward negative territory. Whyis he then infusing more liq-uidity? He should bluntly tellthe government 'Do your duty,take fiscal measures'," the for-mer finance minister said in atweet.

"Even after RBI's statement,is the PM or NirmalaSitharaman lauding themselvesfor a package that has fiscalstimulus of less than 1 pc ofGDP," he asked.

Chidambaram had earliersaid the fiscal stimulus pack-age announced by the govern-ment is "hopelessly inade-quate" given the gravity of theeconomic crisis.

He also trained his guns on

the RSS, BJP's ideological men-tor, on Saturday.

"RSS should be ashamed ofhow the government hasdragged the economy intonegative growth territory," hesaid on Twitter.

Painting a gloomy picture ofthe economy, the Reserve Bankof India (RBI) had on Fridaysaid the impact of COVID-19is more severe than anticipat-ed and the GDP growth dur-ing 2020-21 is likely to remainin the negative territory.

The outlook of inflationalso remains "highly uncer-tain", Das had said whileannouncing a 40-basis pointcut in the repo rate as part ofthe monetary measures to dealwith the current crisis.

It is the second sharp cut inthe key policy rate in twomonths. On March 27, theMonetary Policy Committee(MPC), the rate-setting panelof the RBI, had cut the keyshort-term lending rate by 75basis points.

He also asked if the prime minister orthe finance minister will laudthemselves for the fiscal stimulus afterthe RBI chief's statement

‘Rental agreements continue to prevail during lockdown’PNS n NEW DELHI

Rental agreements and con-tracts between the two partieswill continue to prevail duringthe lockdown period, accord-ing to law experts.

Addressing the webinar on'Assessing the Impact ofCOVID-19 on RentalContracts' organised by FICCIin association with IndianCouncil of Arbitration (ICA),Justice Arjan Kumar Sikri,Former Judge of SupremeCourt, said the "real estaterental agreements and con-tracts will continue to prevailduring the current COVID-19scenario".

The force majeure will con-tinue to be applicable as men-tioned in the contract, he wasquoted as saying in a statementissued by the FICCI.

Sikri said the real estaterental agreements and con-tracts are between two partiesand the government cannotenforce any notification.

Sanjay Dutt, joint chairman,

FICCI Real Estate Committeeand Managing Director andCEO, Tata Realty andInfrastructure Ltd, raised per-tinent queries on the impor-tance of rental agreement andforce majeure in an agree-ment.

He said global office marketslike Tokyo and Hong Konghave waived rent, which standsat USD 600 per sq ft perannum for office space. InIndia, the top office markets

stand at USD 15 per sq feet perannum.

Raj Menda, joint chairman,FICCI Real EstateCommittee and CorporateChairman of RMZ Corp saidthat commercial parks areoperational, and theyare working hardto functionseam-

lessly. He added that his organ-isation has convinced its clientsto pay the rent.

R K Sanghi, Advocate, saidthat to provide relief to bothlandlords and tenants, the gov-ernment can look at comingout with a temporary law asbeing done by some of the

countries today like the US andSingapore.

Sudip Mullick, Partner,Khaitan & Co, said the key isthe agreement and the notifi-cations of the government ondeferment or non-payment ofrent by tenants are primarilymoral obligations and not legalobligations.

He added the contractbetween the landlord and ten-ant will prevail in COVID-19situation. P V Kapur, SeniorAdvocate & Bar at Law, said thebest solution in a situationlike COVID-19 is that thelandlord and tenant find away out with mutual negotia-tions. He added that in case oftriggering force majeure in anagreement, the party will haveto give a notice.

Vinod Rohira, managingdirector and chief executiveofficer - Commercial RealEstate and REITS, K RahejaCorp, said that 60 per cent ofoffice space leasing in India isby Fortune 500 companies thatare financially robust.

The real estaterental agreementsand contracts arebetween twoparties and thegovernment

cannotenforce anynotification,said Sikriex judgeof SC

Trent Q4 net profit at Rs 321.64 crPNS n NEW DELHI

Tata group-owned retail firmTrent Ltd on Friday reported aconsolidated net profit of Rs321.64 crore for the fourthquarter ended March 2020.

The company had posted anet loss of Rs 418.99 crore inthe January-March period ayear ago, Trent said in a BSE fil-ing.

Revenue from operationswas at Rs 842.93 crore duringthe quarter under review. Itstood at Rs 694.32 crore in thecorresponding quarter last fis-cal.

Commenting on the results,Trent Chairman Noel N Tatasaid:”We are pleased to reportcontinued pursuit of ourgrowth agenda coupled with anencouraging operating perfor-mance especially in our lifestylebusinesses. Led by the ownbranded offer, Westside contin-ued to perform well and reg-istered a double digit like to likegrowth prior to the Covid-19related developments."

“The Zudio concept has alsoseen strong traction with the

opening of 41 new stores in thefinancial year. Further, the Starfood business saw strong trac-tion from customers followingtransition to a significantlysharper value proposition start-ing June 2019,” he added.

Trent's total expenses stoodat Rs 887.77 crore in Q4FY2019-20.

Meanwhile, the companysaid its result was not compa-rable as Trent and its sub-sidiaries adopted Ind AS 116norms.

Trent, which operates retailchain Westside and Zudio con-cept stores, said operations

have been “impacted by thevarious Covid-19 pandemicrelated developments.”

For the fiscal year 2019-20,Trent posted a net profit of Rs105.97 crore. It was Rs 94.83crore in the previous year.

Revenue from operations inthe fiscal was Rs 3,485.97 crore.It stood at Rs 2,630.24 crore in2018-19.

On the outlook, the compa-ny said in addition to its foodstores, certain outlets retailingfashion products underWestside, Zudio and Utsa havesince reopened over the lastfortnight. As of date, 70 stores

have commenced operations inaccordance with local regula-tions and adoption of varioussafety practices. “We are con-fident that following thisunprecedented pause, ourgrowth and profitability willcontinue to accelerate on theback of sustained focus on dif-ferentiated brands & customerexperience across our con-cepts and strong expansion ofthe store network in the yearahead,” Noel Tata added.Shares of Trent Ltd on Fridaysettled at Rs 442.70 on the BSE,down 1.93 per cent over its pre-vious close.

Revenue fromoperations was atRs 842.93 croreduring the quarterunder review. Itstood at Rs 694.32crore in thecorrespondingquarter last fiscal

PNS n WASHINGTON

The Indian-Americans havewelcomed the decision of theIndian government to ease thecoronavirus-linked global trav-el restrictions imposed on thosehaving OCI cards, describing itas a big relief for them.

Overseas Citizens of India orOCI card is issued to people ofIndian origin globally whichgives them almost all the priv-ileges of an Indian nationalexcept for the right to vote, gov-ernment service and buyingagricultural land. The OCI cardgives them a visa free travel toIndia. On Friday, the centralgovernment allowed certaincategories of OCI card holders,who are stranded abroad, tocome to the country. Earlier,according to the regulationsissued by the Indian govern-ment in April, visas of foreignnationals and OCI cards weresuspended as part of the newinternational travel restrictions

following the COVID-19 pan-demic.

This privilege of visa freetravel to India was causing dis-tress among a large number ofpeople of Indian-origin andIndian citizens in countrieslike the US whose children wereOCI card holders as they wereborn in this country.

Many Indian parents, sever-al of whom lost their jobs as aresult of the economic crisis dueto coronavirus pandemic, butwere not allowed to take the

special evacuation flights ofAir India from various UScities, took to social media andurged the Indian leaders toallow them to travel to India.

“This is a big relief for theOCI card holders. It was ahumanitarian crisis in the mak-ing. I am pleased that theIndian Government listenedto their voices,” said socialactivist Prem Bhandari, chair-man of Jaipur Foot USA, whohas been taking up the cause ofthe OCI card holders.

PNS n NEW DELHI

Cyber criminals have postedpersonal data of 2.9 crore job-seeking Indians on dark web forfree in one of the hackingforums, according to onlineintelligence firm Cyble.

The company had recentlyrevealed hacking of Facebookand Sequoia-funded Indianeducation technology firmUnacademy. "29.1 millionIndian jobseekers' personaldetails leaked in deepweb forfree. We usually see this sort ofleaks all the time, but this time,the message header got ourattention as it included a lot of

personal details – where mostof the things are generally sta-tic such as education, addressetc," Cyble said in a blog onFriday. Folders in the name ofsome of the leading job websitesin India also appeared on thescreenshot posted by Cyblebut the company was investigat-ing the source of the leak at the

time of writing this report. "Itappears to have originated froma resume aggregator given thesheer volume and detailedinformation. We will updatethis article as new informationis identified," Cyble said. Thecyber intelligence firm saidthat the breach includes sensi-tive information such as email,phone, home address, qualifi-cation, work experience etc."Cybercriminals are always onthe lookout for such personalinformation to conduct variousnefarious activities such asidentity thefts, scams, and cor-porate espionage," Cyble said ina statement.

Cyber criminals leak personal data

Indian economistappointed to keyWorld Bankposition in S.AsiaPNS n WASHINGTON

Abhas Jha, an Indian econo-mist, has been appointed bythe World Bank to a key posi-tion on climate change anddisaster management in SouthAsia, the global lender said.Jha's appointmentcomes at a timewhen CycloneAmphan hasbadly hit WestBengal, Orissain India andBangladesh.

In his capacity as WorldBank's Practice Manager forClimate Change and DisasterRisk Management for SouthAsia, one of the top prioritiesof Jha will be to encourage andhelp the South Asia region(SAR) Disaster RiskManagement and ClimateChange team to connect andcollaborate across GlobalPractice boundaries, the banksaid in a statement.

India's gas output fallsby one-fifth in April due to lockdownPNS n NEW DELHI

India's natural gas productiondropped by almost one-fifth inApril due to lower offtake byindustries during the nation-wide coronavirus lockdown,according to official datareleased on Saturday.

Gas output at 2.16 billioncubic metres in April was 18.6per cent lower than 2.65 bcmproduction in the same montha year back, data released bythe oil ministry showed.

Lower production was dueto a 15.3 per cent drop in out-put by the country's top pro-ducer ONGC at 1.72 bcm.

"The shortfall in gas pro-duction (by ONGC) is primar-ily due to less gas offtake byconsumers due to COVID-19lockdown," it said.

State-owned Oil India Ltdalso produced 10 per centless natural gas at 202.05 mil-lion cubic metres due to "lossof potential in Deohal area (inAssam) due to presence ofCO2 in production stream(and) less gas offtake by con-sumers due to COVID-19lockdown," it said.

India's crude oil production

fell 6.35 per cent to 2.5 milliontonnes in April for the samereason.

Oil and Natural Gas Corp(ONGC) output was margin-ally lower at 1.7 million tonnesin April, while fields operatedby private firms such as Cairnproduced 19.2 per cent less oilat 615,800 tonnes.

Cairn's Rajasthan fields pro-duced 19.2 per cent less oil at490,560 tonnes, the datashowed.

Crude oil production byONGC was lower due to "clo-sure of wells in WesternOffshore due to less offtake byGAIL due to COVID-19 lock-down (and) restriction ofmovements for field opera-tions in onshore fields due toCOVID-19 lockdown," it said.

Cairn's Rajasthan fields pro-duced less due to delay inhook-up of new wells, delay inworkover wells revival andnew injector due to COVID-19 impact.

Refineries produced about30 per cent less fuel in April at18.9 million tonnes as thelockdown kept most vehiclesoff the roads, evaporatingdemand.

Balesh Sharma namedMD of Vodacom S.AfricaPNS n NEW DELHI

Vodacom Group has namedBalesh Sharma as the manag-ing director and CEO of itsnewly-carved out standaloneSouth African operating com-pany -- Vodacom SouthAfrica. Vodacom, majorityowned by Vodafone (60.5 percent stake), is an African com-munications company pro-viding a range offerings,including mobile voice, mes-saging, data, financial andconverged services. It has

operations in South Africa,Tanzania, Mozambique andKenya, among others.

Sharma -- former VodafoneIdea CEO -- has been appoint-ed MD and CEO of VodacomSouth Africa with effect fromJuly 1, 2020. He will report toShameel Joosub, chief execu-tive officer, Vodacom Group.

Sharma is currently directorof special projects, VodafoneGroup, driving strategic pro-jects globally, including sup-porting the rollout of new tele-com operations in Oman.

Tell govt to take fiscal measures:Chidambaram to RBI governor

Covid-19: Indian-Americanswelcome relaxation in visa

special 07HYDERABAD | SUNDAY | MAY 24, 2020

Ramesh’s father Lalji (name changed) is adaily wage earner. But once the lockdownwas announced he lost his daily earnings.With every extension of the lockdown thestruggle for the family to eat two square

meals a day became tough. In the last week of April,when Government was yet to open sale of liquor, Laljimanaged to buy cheap liquor and returned home inan inebriated state. When his wife questioned him,he would pick a fight. When Ramesh, 12, intervenedhe was beaten black and blue. He was saved by hisneighbours who called the police.

This is not a solitary case. There are thousandsof such cases where cries of children are drownedin the silence of lockdown. They are hungry. Theyare frustrated and are confined to the four walls oftheir house with no hope in sight. They are too smallto understand the change world is going throughbecause of COVID-19. But these forced changes havemade them cranky and stressful and thus are sub-jected to more abuse.

“It is the child who has become the target of vio-lence within the family. Band darwazo ke pichcheyhinsa badhdhi hee hai lockdown mein. (Behind closeddoors cases of violence have only gone up during thislockdown,” Sangeeta Sharma, member of Child wel-fare Committee in Lucknow, says.

She tells you that a child is in lot of stress rightnow because he is not able to meet his peers. Lockedin one room he can’t expect all the things from par-ents and what he expects, he is not getting. “Beforethe lockdown was enforced a child had a lifestylewhere there was freedom. But now the life haschanged. When he yearns for the same freedom heis being scolded. Parents shout at him and sometimeseven beat him. Believe me, the agonising cry of chil-dren is emanating from every lane and colony acrossIndia but we are not in a position to help them,”Sharma tells you.

The NGOs and experts working in this field agreethat the number of child abuse cases have gone upduring the lockdown. There are measures imposedto slow the spread of Coronavirus but, however, thereis nobody to look at those who are victims in theirown home, there is no hope for them or any mea-sures in place to prevent their abuse. Factors likepoverty, domestic violence, lack of recreation facil-ities for children or a father with a vice for alcoholor drugs are the reasons behind child abuse. This isbecause in the lockdown parents and children areforced to stay indoors for days on end.

The four-walls of the house are no longer safefor the young ones because they are also a witnessto domestic violence. Additional Director Generalof Police Anju Gupta who heads the 1090 WomenPowerline, the wing of Uttar Pradesh police meantto protect women, says that before the lockdown theyused to receive approximately 7,100 calls per daywhich has gone up to 8,700 calls during lockdown.The effect of domestic violence on children has atremendous role to play on his psyche. They are like-ly to develop behavioural problems like regressionand they many start living in constant state of fear.

Sharma says situation is different in case of chil-dren. “It is true that we are not getting complaintsin large volumes. It does not mean that crime againsta child is not happening. The number is there butwe have no information and are unable to reach thosein immediate need of help,” Sharma tells you.

According to her, the number is much higherthan the normal average what they see because thisis the time when all the family members are at home.It is a ticking time bomb, essentially, for victims ofdomestic violence, children who are abused andneglected. “We have seen a large decline in the callscoming in for abuse and neglect of children, and weknow that ground reality is different,” she says.

To buttress her point, she says the Lucknow unitof Child Welfare Committee received 36 cases inJanuary 2020, 40 in February, 43 in March and just16 in April this year. This is the trend in Lucknow,and believe me this trend can be replicated for India.Everywhere the scenario is the same, she says.

Surojit Chatterjee of Save the Children tells youthat with an increase in phases of lockdown life hasbecome more restrictive making it difficult for chil-dren. “They are experiencing drastic changes in theirdaily schedules. They were used to going out andplaying with friends. Now, they are now confined totheir homes under the watchful eyes of their parentsfor longer durations thus making them irritable,cranky and stressed out,” he said.

Chatterjee opines that there are many childrenwhose suffering is going unnoticed because schoolsare closed and they are away from the “eyes, and ears,and love of teachers” and other people who arerequired to report their concerns about the treatmentof children.

“Though I do not have the numbers, the risksto children from domestic abuse have been height-ened by the Coronavirus lockdown, with victims get-ting little or no respite from their abusers,” Chatterjeesays. “People talk about domestic violence but we for-get the children who are often the forgotten victimsof domestic abuse,” he says.

Sarita (name changed) came to Lucknow forstudies and was staying in a hostel. After lockdownshe went to her aunt’s house in Lucknow where shewas beaten up. She lodged a complaint with the policewho informed the Childline and later referred herto Child Welfare Committee.

Take the case of Sushma (name changed), 9. Herfather, a daily wage earner, has lost employmentbecause of lockdown. The family was totally depen-dent on charity or community kitchen which oper-ated in their locality in Kanpur. For some reason thekitchen stopped providing food. She was hungry. Shehas not eaten for two days. Failing to bear hungerpangs, Sushma asked her mother for food. The frus-trated mother beat her daughter black and blue. Hercries drew the attention of neighbours who called anNGO that works with children.

Childline India received 4.6 lakh complaints in21 days of which intervention was carried out in 9,385cases. Of this around 20 per cent account for childprotection aspects (protection from abuse).According to a study by the NGO — Save The

Children -- there are over 20 lakh children who areliving in the streets under abject poverty. Around80 per cent of them do not have legal document deny-ing them access to social entitlements.

“It is felt that a large number of children may nothave had opportunities to report their distress as theymay not have access to mobile phones, their friends,teachers or other concerned adults. At this situation,not only we are getting less information but rescu-ing them is also a gigantic task. Because of pandemicsituation commutation is a problem. However,communities are fast quarantining themselves, andare not allowing any outsider to enter their villages;therefore, they find it difficult to rescue a child fromsuch communities,” spokesperson of Childline Indiasays.

It said: “Shelter for the child rescued is also anissue in some districts as the child care institutionsare hesitant to receive new children. The rehabilita-tion aspects are getting delayed due to lack of rail-ways and other transport.”

Child abuse in India one of the biggest social stig-mas. As per the definition given by UNICEF, vio-lence can be physical and mental abuse and injury,neglect or negligent treatment, exploitation and sex-ual abuse. The violence may take place in homes,schools, orphanages, residential care facilities, on thestreets, in the workplace, in prisons and in places ofdetention.

Two top lawyers of Supreme Court SummerSodhi and Aarzoo Aneja have written a letter to ChiefJustice of India SA Bobde requesting him to take suomotu cognizance of increase in the number of childabuse cases during the nationwide lockdown. Theletter says that though during the lockdown the over-all rate of crime had gone down, incidents of abuseand violence faced by children have risen.

“Under normal circumstances, it is not consid-ered safe for abused children to stay at home as itmight result in further suffering at the hands of theirown family members. However, during the lockdown,the danger to these children is exacerbated, as theyare unable to leave their homes. The isolation hasfurther shattered support networks, making it evenmore difficult for the victims to seek help or escape,”the letter said.

It said child abuse incidents have already risenin India due to the lockdown and will keep increas-ing if steps are not taken immediately to protect andsupport the victims of child abuse. “This Court is,therefore, requested to take cognizance of the issueof protecting the rights of children and their safetyin the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. The need ofthe hour is to issue guidelines to various authoritiesfor protecting children from violence and abuse,which is inflicted upon them by their own family

members/relatives/care takers, taking measures toensure that counselling is made available to them.The NGOs/ Organisations which work in the fieldof child welfare need to be mobilised at this time ofchild abuse pandemic. Hence the present letter peti-tion,” it said.

The letter further says that the person commit-ting the abuse is putting in danger the life of a child,and clearly violating the fundamental right of life andthe right to live with dignity of that child, which isa facet of Article 21 of the Constitution of India asheld by this court in plethora of cases.

“Violence in any form has a very deep impacton the overall development of the child. Child abuseresults in actual or potential harm to the child's health,survival, development and dignity,” Anjani Tiwari ofSalam Balak Trust (SBT), says.

The SBT works with street children in Delhi.Tiwari is witness to street fights these children under-go. Public places like stadium, railway stations andbus stations are their home. They live there, earn theirlivelihood through begging and slowly start takingdrugs. The streets fights have made them arrogantand any change in their lifestyle like the present day,lockdown has a deepening impact on their psyche.

“On the third day of the lockdown I saw chil-

dren pelting stones at the passing by vehicles nearJamuna Bazar. This was part of withdrawal symp-tom. For two days they did not get drugs they wereused to and were showing their anger by peltingstones,” Tiwari says.

These children sniff a piece of cloth soaked inWhitener which they say gives them a good sleep.“They live in a world of their own. If they do not getWhitener they sniff a solution used in puncturerepair,” Tiwari shares.

The disturbing fact, he says is that he could notsee these children anywhere now. Railway stationsand bus station which used to be their abode aredeserted. The big temples where they used to beg areclosed. “I know the children are being abused inDelhi. On the pretext of giving drugs they might becoaxed into illegal activities. They need medical helpimmediately. Their cries are deafening, but we needan ear to hear that,” Tiwari tells you.

The Chairman National Commission forProtection of Child Rights (NCPCR) PriyankKanungo says that generally these street children wereseen on roads but they can’t be seen anywhere today.Either they have left for their native places or havegone to some other place. “We do not know wherethey are,” he says.

MINORSOFISSUEMAJOR

In the first 11 days of the lockdowndue to COVID-19, the helpline forchildren in distress received 3.07 lakh calls of which 92,105 callswere about abuse and violence.BISWAJEET BANERJEE speaks withNGOs and experts to tell you more

l Child abuse or maltreatmentconstitutes all forms of physicaland/or emotional ill-treatment,sexual abuse, neglect or negligenttreatment or commercial or otherexploitation, resulting in actual orpotential harm to the child’shealth, survival, development ordignity, in the context of a rela-tionship of responsibility, trust orpower.

l Physical abuse of a child is thatwhich results in actual or poten-tial physical harm from an inter-action or lack of interaction,

which is reasonably within thecontrol of a parent or person in aposition of responsibility, power,or trust. There may be single orrepeated incidents.

l Child sexual abuse is the involve-ment of a child in sexual activitythat s/he does not fully compre-hend, is unable to give informedconsent to, or for which the childis not developmentally preparedand cannot give consent, or thatviolate the laws or social taboosof society. Child sexual abuse isevidenced by an activity between

a child and an adult or anotherchild who by age or developmentis in a relationship of responsi-bility, trust or power; the activitybeing intended to gratify or sat-isfy the needs of other person.This may include but is not lim-ited to: the inducement or coer-cion of a child to engage in anyunlawful sexual activity; theexploitative use of a child inprostitution or other unlawful sex-ual practices; and, the exploitativeuse of children in pornographicperformances and materials.

l Emotional abuse includes thefailure to provide a developmen-tally appropriate, supportive envi-ronment, including the availabil-ity of a primary attachment fig-ure, so that the child can developa stable and full range of emo-tional and social competenciescommensurate with his/her per-sonal potential, and in the contextof the society in which the childdwells. There may also be actstoward the child that cause orhave a high probability of causingharm to the child’s health or phys-

ical, mental, spiritual, moral orsocial development. These actsmust be reasonably within thecontrol of the parent or person ina relationship of responsibility,trust or power. Acts includerestriction of movement, pat-terns of belittling, denigrating,scapegoating, threatening, scaring,discriminating and ridiculing.

l Neglect is the inattention oromission on the part of the care-giver to provide for the develop-ment of the child in all spheres:health, education, emotional

development, nutrition, shelterand safe living conditions, in thecontext of resources reasonablyavailable to the family or care-takers and causes, or has a highprobability of causing harm to thechild’s health or physical, mental,spiritual, moral or social devel-opment. This includes the failureto properly supervise and protectchildren from harm as much asis feasible.

(Source: Report of theConsultation on Child Abuse

Prevention, WHO).

TERMS TO KNOW

Petty excuses for abuseThe lockdown fatigue has started setting in

resulting in increase in domestic violencewhich experts say, can lead to a bigger con-

flict if not stopped now.Suresh Mukund, a police officer says that

almost all the police stations are now gettingcomplaints about domestic violence wherehusbands are even beating up wife for notputting garlic in daal. The wife dialed 112 andpolice was forced to intervene. The violenceoften leaves behind an unknown victim that isthe child in that family.

Lenin Raghuvanshi Convener of People’sVigilance Committee on Human Rights(PVCHR) said that as people are almost lockedin their homes small fights are common. Butwith people losing their income they go intodepression lead to domestic fight. “But it is thechild who is the real victim of these violencewhich are manifestation of lockdown fatigue.The adults are vocal and in case of violence canraise their voice. But it is the child who not onlygets the beating for no fault of his but also fails

to lodge complaint because during lockdown hedoes not know where to go,” Raghuvanshi says.

Dr SK Pandey, Medical Officer of RamManohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences inLucknow said that lockdown fatigue amongpeople is because of restrictions being imposedon them. ‘It is the monotony of routine that ismaking people restive. There is no change forthem. They are now cranky and get angry at anysmall pretext,” Dr Pandey says.

He says such situation sometimes leads todepression and anxiety. “A study carried out byresearchers from the University of Sheffield andUlster University, shows rise in rates of anxietyand depression when restrictions are imposed.The increase was quite marked when announce-ment of lockdown was made in Britain. Similarcould be the case in India too where anxietyincreased after Prime Minister Narendra Modiannounced 21-day lock down. This resulted inpanic buying. And the subsequent increase inlockdown aggravated the situation further,” DrPandey says.

saysConstitutionWhat the

IT CONTAINS ANUMBER OF

PROVISIONS FOR THEPROTECTION ANDWELFARE OF THECHILDREN. IT HASEMPOWERED THE

LEGISLATURE TO MAKESPECIAL LAWS AND

POLICIES TOSAFEGUARD THERIGHTS OF THE

CHILDREN. ARTICLES14, 15, 15(3), 19(1) (A),21, 21(A), 23, 24, 39(E)

39(F) CONTAINPROVISIONS FOR THEPROTECTION, SAFETY,

SECURITY AND WELLBEING OF ALL

CITIZENS, INCLUDINGCHILDREN

This week you will be filled with enthusiasm. Youroverall health remains good. You may plan to step outfor a long drive to experience some change. It is alsopossible that you contact people from different places.Relax and have fun. On the career front, with someease in the lockdown, you will get the opportunity tokick start your career. Students need to prepare well inadvance and stay in tune with their curriculum. Youhave the skills, intelligence but need the correctguidance to improve upon yourself and prepare for abrighter future. Research related work is on the cards.You will have the ability to influence your near and dearones. Relationships may suffer if you don’t payattention to your verbal communication.

Lucky number 19Lucky colour GoldenLucky day Sunday

ARIES March 21-April 19

This week your health needs your attention. Thosesuffering from BP, heart and diabetes, are advised to getyourself checked. A strict diet is a must. You need tomaintain a positive attitude that is required for a balancedlife. Forget about all the tensions. Professionally, this willbe a busy week for you. You may find it immenselychallenging. You should be aware of your limitations andresources to be more proactive and successful in yourwork. On the personal front, you may find yourself in anetwork of old and new friends. You are likely to contactnew people, adding new friends to your network. Gettingnostalgic while talking to childhood friends is indicated.Those in a relationship, your old flame may come back toyou and enrich your life.

Lucky number 30Lucky colour YellowLucky day Tuesday

TAURUS April 20-May 20

The week is filled with fear and doubts and could leaveyou confused. You may feel tired and inactive. This isthe time to refresh and seek advice from the expert.You are constantly under a self-imposed dilemmawhich has shaped into a baseless fear. Stay positive,life will soon become exciting. On the career front, newopportunities will make you creative this week. You willhave the drive to advance your career. This is the timeto write out what you aspire for and would like toaccomplish. It is a positive time to put ideas intopractices. Success is likely. Relationships may suffer.Things may not work out as you would hope in a loverelationship. Be honest with yourself first, and then withyour beloved.

Lucky number 18Lucky colour PurpleLucky day Monday

GEMINI May 21-June 20

You feel good and may pamper yourself this week.You will experience pleasantries, sumptuous food, andentertainment activities. To rejuvenate yourself, dosome basic grooming at home. Professionally, it is agreat week. Your emotional level is creative andfocused. News of promotion or appraisal is on thecards. Self-confidence will keep your morale high. Thisweek you are in a position of power, and authority andcan handle any situation with your intelligence. Yourdreams are big and can create a world of your own.On the relationship front, you are living in illusions andimaginary world. Ensure you have a decent andmotivating friend circle. You are expecting too muchout of life and relations. Don’t keep high expectations.

Lucky number 11Lucky colour RedLucky day Thursday

CANCER June 21-July 22

This week you feel restricted, indecisive and confused.You have recently come through a very difficult time. Becareful that you don’t repeat the same mistakes whichcontributed to the problem that you just solved. Those ofyou looking for work or partnership, you may be lookingin the wrong place. This week your professional mattersneed your attention. Having a good knowledge of yourarea of interest is most desirable. But being able toexpress this knowledge is equally important. Unless youhave a command over your area of expertise, you cannotbrew new ideas. On the personal front, others may feelenvy for you. You are sharp with your mental abilities.Written communication needs attention, be gentle andsoft in your approach and expression.

Lucky number 17Lucky colour Mint GreenLucky day Sunday

VIRGO Aug 23-Sep 22

This week, a lot of movement is indicated. You may getbusy in the nitty-gritty of life. You have to make somedecisions too. By the end of the week, there will be asignificant shift in your schedule as you take out moretime for yourself. Some exercises, yoga practices andsolitude are required. On the career front, a sudden changein the circumstances may surprise you. Some unexpectedjob opportunities is on the cards. You might be offered adream project. This will make you feel positive. You haveall the reasons to feel proud and contented. In terms ofpersonal affairs, you are in a mood to confront your nearand dear one. Be careful as your anger and aggressionmight go out of limit. There is no need to be hyper, toshow your resentments.

Lucky number 9Lucky colour BlackLucky day Saturday

LIBRA Sep 23-Oct 22

This week many issues will bother you and it may be alittle difficult to retain your peace of mind. In thebeginning, you will feel restricted mentally, physically andfinancially. As the week progresses you will startbuilding. Keep a positive outlook. For perfect health, takegood care of yourself. It’s never too late to do the rightthing. You will earn good money this week.Professionally, You are careful in your approach and youmake sure that everything is planned and executed wellfor overall success. You will not leave a job half done.You must complete all assigned tasks and projects to acertain standard. On the personal front, you will findyourself in a position where you can exert your powermore productively.

Lucky number 13Lucky colour GreenLucky day Wednesday

SCORPIO Oct 23-Nov 21

This week you need to change your routine and try newthings for health. Start with the basics. Ensure you aregetting enough sleep, exercise, and eating healthy food.You don’t have to undergo any uncomfortable, anddifficult regime to feel better. Small, positive steps aremost likely the kind of change that you can live withand experience the results. For a good life, a disciplinedlifestyle is key. Professionally, this week is marked fortough and intellectual activities, and you have to getinvolved in it if needed. Those who are dancers, actorsand performing artistes may get very busy this week.Haste, anger and aggression should be avoided to getthe best results. In the matters of heart, you may feelthat your partner does not understand you.

Lucky number 18Lucky colour PeachLucky day Tuesday

AQUARIUS Jan 20-Feb 18

This week there could be some turning points in yourhealth. Sometimes things just happen and you are, by nomeans, alone in that experience. If needed, reach out forsupport. Resisting change can be bad for your health. Dowhatever it takes to keep your stress level under control.Remember that meditation and yoga is the best treatmentfor the mind. On the career front, if you are signing anydeal this week, then read the document carefully. Bondwith a colleague may become stressful. In such a case,go ahead with diplomatic approach else you find itdifficult to achieve the set targets. Stay away fromconflicts. In love, your spouse may turn little arrogant anddemand something out of your reach. This could upsetyour routine life.

Lucky number 22Lucky colour WhiteLucky day Friday

PISCES Feb 19-March 20

This week, a push and pull type of energy may make younegative. This might not be unfamiliar to you as you haveoften faced such mood swings. Get yourself examined,as the energy of the week is not very positive. Takeadvice from a healthcare professional. If something iswrong, don’t hesitate to take a second opinion and go forthe treatment before it is too late. On the career front,ensure you have updated all your financial documentsand kept an account of your income and the expenditure.A little carelessness may be upsetting. How you speakyour mind is as important as what you say. There may besome unfairness at play at your workplace. Make surethat your behaviour is impeccable. Expect the best tohappen in the relationship.

Lucky number 12Lucky colour IndigoLucky day Saturday

CAPRICORN Dec 22-Jan 19

This week your health is good. You have realised that inthe past you were too busy for spiritual practices. Nowyou may make the time for things that feed your soul. Youhave faith in yourself and the Almighty. Some religiouspractices carried out in a virtual group with different setsof people will enhance your personality. On the careerfront, this is a transition period. You are looking for achange. Be open to new ideas. This way, you can makesmooth transition. Your confusion, which had become apart of your routine, will come to an end now. You willfind yourself on the right track. Things are turningtowards positivity. You are likely to worry or lose sleepover delays in personal affairs. This is not the best time tobegin a new relationship.

Lucky number 15Lucky colour Sky BlueLucky day Wednesday

LEO July 23-Aug 22

This is a great time to consider what you are doing andwhat you should do to improve your health. It could bemore exercise or more rest. Think it through and you cando better with moderate changes in what you are doingcurrently. You are in a mood for enjoyment andcelebrations. As the week progresses, you will go intosolitude in search of spiritual awakening. On the workfront, some baseless fear has taken over you and ismaking you restless. Worrying about your job is notgoing to help the situation. Focus on what you cancontrol, and leave your anxiety behind. Your intention isright and you show care to your near and dear ones. Onthe other hand, people in your life are contributing toyour anger and aggression. Stay positive and calm.

Lucky number 20Lucky colour PinkLucky day Monday

SAGITTARIUS Nov 22-Dec 21

YOURWEEK

AHEADMADHU KOTIYA

sundaymagazine

tarot 8THERE IS SOMETHING GOOD INALL SEEMING FAILURES. YOUARE NOT TO SEE THAT NOW.

TIME WILL REVEAL IT. BE PATIENT— SWAMI SIVANANDA Hyderabad, May 24, 2020

Pursuing Dhyana, we have alreadyseen how mind becomes free fromall thought imprints, thus becom-

ing free from all limitations and precon-ditioning thereto. Full landscape of mindthen becomes accessible, offering itswholesome powers. Also, it makes onelook at options in hand with an openmind, whereby one could see things inthe right perspective due. You could thenmake right choices in life. It is importantto note here that mind is just an instru-ment, which can’t move on its own. It hasto have its defining principles to perceiveany subject matter in perspective, which,in turn, makes us take initiatives or reactand respond to external stimuli. Theparadox, however, is that a purified mindis free from any thought impression.What then would drive the mind?

Well, Dhyana process doesn’t end upby attaining its optimal level. You thenneed to explore the realities of life afresh.In the process you first turn your atten-tion to the laws of nature that holds thekey to our life cycle. Following which,you explore the living world around withall its diversity and complexities. Sincepursuing Dhyana, one’s level of intelli-gence gets sharpened enough to smartly

engage with those around with ease andcomfort.

What would one realise exploringthe realities of life? Well, pursuingDhyana, you eventually strike at the rootof our existence — the eternal element ofconsciousness, equally available to all.You then realise that all live existenceshave a common root. So, there remainsunity underlying all diverse existences. Itimplies that the world is a unified organ-ism, where no individual existence has areality independent of the whole. Waterflowing down a snow bound mountaincreates ground for live existence allthrough its run till it meets the sea.Water evaporates, turns into cloud andthen rains back to recharge our waterresources. This way, life keeps running insuccession. Trees and plants regulate ourweather cycle. The animals and otherspecies too keep discharging theirassigned role towards sustained run ofthe life cycle. And, it is the collectiveeffort of all that keeps life cycle going on.

The above concept has been beauti-fully explained in Kathopanisada andBhagavad Gita through the simile of aninverted Asvata (Banyan) tree. The rootis directed towards unseen domain in the

higher realms of the cosmos. It impliesthat life mechanism is rooted to anincomprehensible eternal primal source,but for which no existence is possible.The trunk of that huge tree, with all itsbranches, twigs, and leaves, turneddownward in perceptible domain repre-sent the living world. Leaves dry up peri-odically making way for emergence offresh leaves. Similarly, life cycle keepsrunning in succession. If ever you pluckthe leaves, break a twig or branch of thetree, they will become lifeless. Theyremain live so long as they are a part ofthe main tree.

Even modern science carries similarperception, as would the observation ofan acclaimed Australian physicist, PaulDavies mean: “For a naïve realist, theworld is a collection of objects. For aquantum physicist, it is an inseparableweb of vibrating energy patterns, whereno single component has a reality inde-pendent of the entirety, included in theentirety is the observer.” If you look atthe energy principles of creation, youmay realise that all existences with nameand form have come into being throughplay and interplay of energies sourced tothe nature. Even a human being withsolid body frame, when seen at the sub-

atomic level is nothing but a web of ener-gy patterns. Here, I wish to add anotherscientifically established fact: Energy par-ticles having a common source are inimmediate and intimate connect witheach other no matter how distant theyare. And since the energies manifestinginto the living world are all sourced to a‘Singularity’, as both the Vedic andScientific perception stand, all existencesare interconnected at the energy level.The obvious implication is that if there issome disturbance at one end of theworld, its resonance will be felt far andwide. No wonder, the coronavirus thaterupted in Wuhan in China, has beenmocking at the financial and scientificmight of the so called modern world oftoday, with no end immediately in sight.The present pandemic has shown itsrepeat pattern after 100 years to remindus once again, that we need to remainconscious about our collective obliga-tions even while pursuing our individu-alistic aspirational urges.

The wwriter iis aan aastrologer, vvastu cconsultantand sspiritual ccounsellor. WWrite tto hhim aat

G-1102, BBharat NNagar, NNew FFriends CColony,New DDelhi-1110 0025

Tel: 991-111-449848475/9818037273Email: bbharatbhushanpadmadeo@gmail.com

ASTROTURFBHARAT BHUSHAN PADMADEO

Madhu Kotiya is a tarot card reader, spiritual healer, and Founder, MShezaim Institute of Tarot and Divination. Contact details: madhu@indiatarot.com, www.indiatarot.com, M: 9873283331

Be live to collective obligation

TEAM AGENDA DESK > NAVNEET MENDIRATTA, CONSULTING EDITOR | H LAYOUT AND DESIGN > SATISH CHANDRA JAKHMOLA, SENIOR EDITOR (CREATIVE)

Now yyou ccan wwrite tto uus aat agendapioneer@gmail.com

sundaymagazine

11From Corona to karuna

There is no escaping the law of Nature.We can find comfort and peace in the

Godhead by chanting His name

F R O M T H E I N S I D E

Sometimes whenthings you love getreally commercial,you end up feeling

betrayed by it— Gwyneth Paltrow

A nutty twist

Hyderabad, May 24, 2020

It's time for Eid! Cook your favorite Eiddelicacies by adding the extra goodness ofhealth and nutrition with California walnuts!

My experience…convinced me that tea was bet-ter than brandy, and during the last six monthsin Africa I took no brandy, even when sick, tak-ing tea instead.

— Theodore Roosevelt

Tea deserves all the preference itreceives from those who relish it.The beverage not only has a highsustenance value, but has also beenproven to endow several positive

effects on health. In a world of progressive sci-entific research, the biological composition ofthe tea plant has come under study because ofthe correlation of longevity and health in manyancient tea drinking cultures like China andJapan.

In its everyday aspect, tea is considered abeneficial agent for relieving fatigue and aidingclarity of thought, besides being favourable fordigestion. Although its stimulating effects arederived from its caffeine content, unlike coffee,drinking tea in large quantities does not causehyperactivity, insomnia, or stomach irritation,as this compound is present in a ratio that ishalf the level of caffeine in coffee. A 190 mlcup of tea contains approximately 40-50 mg ofcaffeine, while full flavour coffees average 110-120 mg per cup.

Green, oolong, white and pu-erh tea infu-sions contain even less caffeine than black teas.Not only do they undergo lesser oxidation, butit is so because such teas are made with multi-ple infusions: since water is added more thanonce, and as the liquor gets poured off, itreduces the content of caffeine. Caffeine isconsidered safe when it is consumed at a doseof 400 mg or less per day which would includethe intake of soft drinks such as colas. Hence,be it black or green tea, whichever it may be, itis safer to enjoy several cups of tea rather thanmultiple cups of coffee.

AN INVALUABLE ANTIOXIDANTIn all, this exhilarating beverage ranks as a

useful component of nature’s health repository.The leaves of the Camellia Sinensis, especiallythe buds and tender shoots contain catechinsand polyphenols. These are part of the molec-ular family of flavonoids that are beneficiarycompounds made by plants.

Tea gains much of its refreshing pungencyfrom its secondary ingredient, polyphenols TFand TR which are derived from a precursormagic compound Epi-gallo-catechin-gallate(EGCG) that is found in green tea leaves.

Its content is a little higher in green tea, ascompared to the fully fermented black teas,because during the oxidation process, most ofthe catechins are converted into complexpolyphenols, thearubigins and theaflavins.Oolong tea contains a mix of catechins andpolyphenols, as it is semi-fermented. Instantand iced teas, on the other hand, do not havethe same amount of polyphenols as an equalvolume of brewed tea. Instant teas are general-ly derived from low grade source material.

All these different types of catechins andpolyphenols have great value as they serve asantioxidants that neutralise the damage causedby an excess of free radicals in the body. Thelatter, in simple terms, are the by-product ofthe normal process by which oxygen is com-bined with glucose in our body cells, to makeenergy; they are not in themselves harmful. Infact, the immune system may itself producefree radicals to neutralise viruses and bacteria.It is only when they are produced in excessthat they begin to attack the cell membranes

and tissues and pave the way for cancer,besides perpetuating blockage that plays a rolein heart disease and accelerates the ageingprocess.

Antioxidants act as vital scavengers thatmop up the damage caused by rogue free radi-cals by neutralising them and consequentlypreventing cell and tissue damage.

Although antioxidants in the form of cate-chins and flavonoids are found to some extentin red wine and in green leafy vegetables likebroccoli and spinach, and fruits such as applesand berries as well as in dark chocolate, tearemains one of the most important sources ofantioxidants.

A study at the Antioxidant ResearchCentre in London published in Free RadicalResearch in February 1999, put forth the fol-lowing formula: 2 cups of black tea = 1 glass ofred wine = 7 glasses of orange juice = 20 glassesof apple juice.

Tea, therefore, with its high content ofantioxidants, is a potential agent for fightingcancer. Similarly, biological research alsoreveals that the antioxidants in tea can counterthe artery-damaging potential of the reactivefree radicals. According to TNO, a Dutchinnovation organisation, quercetin, a valuablepolyphenol found in tea and other vegetablesand fruits, has anti-oxidative properties andprevents the formation of plaque.

In this manner, it helps the endothelial lay-ers of the arteries to remain flexible for goodcirculation and makes the blood cells lessprone to clotting and is a good preventive forheart disease and strokes. Although these dis-eases are attributed in great part to genetic andlifestyle factors, health studies do show somepositive insights into the antioxidant benefitsof this beverage.

Moreover, the catechins in tea offer theadvantage of being an aid for killing infectionas they block viruses and bacteria from hook-ing on to cell walls. Therefore they can helpprotect against diseases like influenza, foodpoisoning, dysentery and cholera. By the same

measure, they can kill mouth bacteria that areharmful for teeth and gums and lead to peri-odontal disease.

Tea also improves the functioning of theintestines by blocking the growth of bad bacte-ria and enhancing good bacteria and is there-fore a good digestive. It is said to be detoxify-ing as the catechins can scavenge harmfulheavy metals like lead, chromium, mercury,which may get ingested with food.

TEA FOR BEAUTY & RELAXATIONIn itself tea has no calories at all, and it is

merely the addition of sugar in each cup of teathat leads to weight gain. Milk however, is notobjectionable, as long as it is just a dash.

There is also the belief that green tea helps

in slimming. While it can by no means be con-strued as a miracle drink, green tea is knownto give a metabolic boost that may shed off afew extra calories by about four per cent. Byvirtue of its antioxidant qualities that help fightageing and skin damage, tea extracts with theirrefreshing aromas are also used in facialcreams, skin packs and perfumes.

The comforting qualities of the beverageare no old wives tale either. There is a naturalbioflavonoid found in tea that has been foundto significantly increase endorphin levels,which in turn reduce pain and anxiety so thatin cases of shock and stress, a cup of teasoothes the nerves.

TEA AS A SOURCE OF MINERALS The tea plant has the natural ability to

absorb fluoride from the soil and so a tea infu-sion readily releases this mineral into thewater, making it a beneficial drink for healthyteeth. It is estimated that a single cup provides0.1 mg of fluoride and can provide forty-fiveper cent of the body’s daily requirement.Studies have also shown that there are someestrogenic compounds in tea, together withelements of manganese that help in increasingbone mass by five per cent, thereby reducingfracture risk. It also contains potassium, a min-eral vital for maintaining body fluid levels. Thebeverage acts as a diuretic. This benign brew isalso known to have Vitamin C, zinc and folicacid, and is therefore regularly recommendedfor pregnant women.

Finally, it is not to be forgotten that duringthe days of its discovery in China, the beveragewas recognised at first for its remedial worth.Modern health research still continues to reit-erate this fact.

Excerpted with permission from Chai: TheExperience of Indian Tea, by Rekha Sarin &

Rajan Kapoor, Niyogi Books, `1995. The book was awarded the Best in the World

— Gourmand Cookbook Awards in theBeverages Category (2015)

Chai: The Experience of Indian Tea is a journey intothe heartlands of tea, across the length and breadth ofIndia, offering a glimpse into the making of the cupthat cheers — the locales, the people, the process —a visual treat for the tea connoisseur, the casual tea-lover, the tea industry enthusiast, the tourist, writeREKHA SARIN & RAJAN KAPOOR. May 21 was theInternational Tea Day. An edited excerpt:

THERE IS A NATURALBIOFLAVONOID FOUNDIN TEA THAT HAS BEEN

FOUND TOSIGNIFICANTLY

INCREASE ENDORPHINLEVELS, WHICH IN

TURN REDUCE PAINAND ANXIETY SO THAT

IN CASES OF SHOCKAND STRESS, A CUP OF

TEA SOOTHES THENERVE

10

sundaymagazine

spirituality 10Hyderabad, May 24, 2020

IT IS THROUGH GRATITUDEFOR THE PRESENT MOMENT

THAT THE SPIRITUALDIMENSION OF LIFE OPENS UP

— ECKHART TOLLE

HIDDENSOULSPRAMOD PATHAK

The coronavirus pandemic has changed many things inthe world most of which are going to stay. At least fora considerable period. Not only did it ensure that the

wheels of globalisation come a full circle, it also brought sev-eral realisations on the part of the humanity at large. Themost important was that conservation and not consump-tion be the model for a sustainable growth and viable econ-omy. In all this turmoil Gandhi stands vindicated. His ide-ologies, which could better be termed as practices, and alsohis economic thought. We are back to the basics and, moreimportantly, understand why it makes a lot of sense. If allthe effects of pollution that we callously inflicted on moth-er earth in the last 50 years could be undone in 50 days, wemust have become much wiser in this lockdown period.Gandhi had always been emphasising swadeshi and self-reliance. His swadeshi movement that caught the imagina-tion of the masses during the Indian National Movement wasin a way a game changer. It proved a very effective strategyaimed at weakening the British Empire and was a powerfultool in the hands of the Indian National Congress which wasspearheading the movement. A few details of the SwadeshiMovement may help in understanding what it was all about.Gandhi had given a clarion call to boycott British productswhile advocating Indian products and production process.Though Swadeshi as a slogan had been a part of the overallstrategy of the nationalists before Gandhi’s advent on thescene, it was the entry of Gandhi that gave the movementa shot in the arm and resulted in making it a mass move-ment. Incidentally, the first few Industrial Policy Resolutionsof independent India had emphasised self-reliance and importsubstitution as the major goals. How we digressed is a dif-ferent story all together, but this is a time to rethink and redo.What Gandhi exhorted and advocated some 100 years agohas once again become the mantra for India’s rise in the postCovid world. Gandhi had given a complete prescription forsustainable development of India and it included a self suf-ficient village economy and focused on local production ofgoods for local needs. As things unfold in the pandemic, wenow see reason in what Gandhi had championed then. It isa grim economic scenario. Jobs and opportunities are dwin-dling and millions of migrant workers working in differentparts of the country are forced to return to their respectivevillages. It is imperative to strengthen the village economyand start the process of revival. There cannot be a better strat-egy than making the villages self-sustaining units of Indianeconomy. As the former President of India Abdul Kalam hadsuggested in his PURA philosophy, that is, Providing UrbanFacilities in Rural Areas. That is the essential first step. Therural infrastructure must support the strategies of growthand provide a conducive atmosphere for entrepreneurshipdevelopment. Rural entrepreneurship has played a crucialrole in development of many European and Asian economies.It is India’s turn now. Gandhi said that India’s soul lived invillages. We must now try to enrich the soul.

Pathak is a professor of management, writer, and an acclaimed public speaker. He can be reached at ppathak.ism@gmail.com

This is the underlying principle ofthe creation. By our acts both, thatis, we and the world should ben-

efit. We can understand this from anexample of a head of a joint family. Whatoccupies his mind mostly? That notonly himself but the whole familyshould prosper. His all acts are direct-ed that way.

Similarly, God is the head of the cre-ation. It is His responsibility to see thatthe world runs as smoothly as possible.As we all have free will, which the Lordnever withdraws from us, He has a verytough task. But being God, the omnipo-tent, He manages till it is time for dis-solution of the creation. Fortunately, itis not that time yet. He has intervenedbecause the world was moving in thewrong direction and at great speed.More persons were getting addicted tounlimited sense gratification. In theprocess, the climate was gettingbutchered. In spite of many youngactivists like Greta Thunberg, not manyin the position of power were listening.God had to act to save the world froma certain disaster. This coronavirus —never mind how it started — is a medi-um to reset the world and this is hap-pening quite effectively at this time. Fuelguzzlers are off the roads mostly as areairplanes from air, etc. Crude price istouching rock bottom and the climatehas improved trementously. Couldanyone have imagined this scenario? Weare breathing clean air in Delhi, prob-ably the most polluted city in theworld.

God somewhat like the head oflarge joint family wishes all of us to pro-mote ourselves as well as contributewhatever we can for the betterment ofthe rest of the mankind. God desiresthat His devotees should disseminateHis instructions among His devotees.

(The Bhagavad Gita 18.67-68) They aremost dear to Him. I am citing the exam-ple of Goswami Tulsidas in this connec-tion. The next example is of personsengaged in public welfare. God assuresthat doers of welfare activities do notend up badly. (6.40) Bill Gates is a greatexample for it.

The third example is of climateactivists, who are mostly young, whowish to save the world for their future.They are clamouring for control on car-bon emission and not cutting more treesto do farming. We could eat a little lessmeat in order not to grow so muchgrains. The fourth example is of a leaderlike Mahatma Gandhi, who left such amark. The last example is of all thoseparents, who bring up children verynicely doing many sacrifices in theprocess. They benefit themselves andthe rest of world by their efforts.

Generally, God insists on surrenderto Him (18.62), because such personsare most likely to be useful to the cre-ation. They will not sin and harm selvesor the creation. This is not unfairbecause it is God’s responsibility to man-

age the creation the best way possible.We are aware how those who are busyin lustily enjoying themselves are cre-ating negative forces around them.They are using more than their share ofthe bounties of the world. Despots areworse. They cause damage to the cre-ation by their sinful acts. And those par-ents who do not fulfil their parentalduties are not great favourites of theLord. When we become narrowly self-ish, we hurt ourselves as well as theworld around us.

In the end, I must mention manysaints, who are praying for the welfareof the world. I consider myself most for-tunate to be born in India and livinghere. And I try to fulfil all my dutiesincluding towards myself, my family, myjoint family, devotees and others. Thisdoes not go unnoticed by the Master ofthe universe. He rewards me in manyways, especially by giving peace, blissand security. The best part is God’s reg-ular communications to me guiding mein my eternal journey.

Bishnoi is a spiritual writer and can be reachedat spiritual@ajitbishnoi.com

The corona phobia is spread-ing all over the world morerapidly than coronavirus. Itis the subject discussedeverywhere. Transactions

have reached an impasse. Almosteveryone has self-quarantined them-selves in their respective places. Roadsappear derelict. The future is uncer-tain. Many people all over the worldare dying due to the deadly virus. Theeerie statistics make for the newsheadlines. Scientists are racing againsttime to find the vaccine. Governmentsare implementing lockdowns in theircountry to restrict the spread of thepandemic. The atmosphere is sombreeverywhere!

Nobody wants to die. That is thefact of life. Every living entity strug-gles hard to keep himself alive in thisworld. But death is forced upon us bythe cruel nature. Why? Why Natureis so cruel? I want to live forever butI am forced to die. Why such dichoto-my? An intelligent being will under-stand something is notoriously wronghere. Actually, we don’t belong to thisworld. This is not our real home. Weare not in our natural environmentnow. When we are in exotic environ-

ment like water or air, we are afraidbut when we land on land, we feel safeas that is our natural environment.Similarly, leaving our natural environ-ment, the spiritual world we came toalien environment that is the mater-ial world thus inviting monumentalanxiety.

If you just turn back the pages ofprevious newspapers you will getspooked. Before coronavirus out-break there were other calamitieskeeping us engaged constantly. Indiaand Pakistan were on the brink of war,there was Dokhlam standoff, commu-nal violence over CAA, rising rapecases, economic slump, heavy floodsdue to torrential rains, Cyclone Fani,Cylone Bulbul, etc.

You may think this was only forIndia. But for rest of the world too, listis endless — Massive fire in Amazonforest, melting of ice caps due to glob-al warming, US Iran War, two major737 MAX flight crashes in Indonesiaand Ethiopia, bomb blasts in SriLanka, rising gun violence in the US,US-China trade war, Australian bushfire, rising cases of cancer patients,Swine flu outbreak, and many more.These are few amongst many hitting

us like the constant tides in an ocean.But Coronavirus outbreak is a

Pandemic! It is declared global emer-gency by WHO. It is not a measlyproblem of some one country! OK.Accepted the fact that it is a pandem-ic affecting the whole globe and weneed to follow proper precautions andguidelines laid by the government. ButLord Krishna has already declared inthe Gita (8.15) that this world is aplace of misery. Birth, Death, old ageand disease (Janma-måtyu-jarä-vyäd-hi) are constantly haunting and daunt-ing us. For a given individual any-where, he has some or the other prob-lem in his life making him miserable.Whether it is a small epidemic or pan-demic. He is in anxiety most of thetime.

The pain in the body is a goodnatural mechanism to alert us to takethe treatment. In COVID-19 case thepatient has flu like symptoms offever, cold, cough, and so on. Whenhe gets the symptoms, he can rush tothe hospital to take treatment intime. Many are getting cured andbeing discharged from hospitals. So,the point is pain in the body coercesus to go to doctor and take treatment.

Similarly, the constant miseries inflict-ed upon us by nature are indicationthat we need treatment. And the besttreatment recommended in this age ischanting the Holy names of God.

Hare Krishna Hare KrishnaKrishna Krishna Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama RamaRama Hare Hare

Chanting will make us peaceful inthis world and next too. That is theimmense power of Holy Name. It ismore powerful than Coronavirusalso.

Also, if one understands theteachings of Bhagavad Gita that oneis not this body but spirit soul (2.22)he will be peaceful. Just as we changeclothes daily while the person remainsthe same, the soul keeps changingbodies according to his karma. Thesoul is unaffected by the miseries ofthis world. The body is subjected tothe change but the soul is unchange-able. The moon although appearingwith the clouds is not affected by thejittery movements of the clouds, itremains steady as it exists at differentlevel than the clouds. Similarly, thesoul remains unchangeable in thischangeable world.

Bhagavad Gita also speaks aboutlaw of Karma. The laws of Karma areextremely stringent. One may escapethe laws of government but one can-not escape the laws of nature. Natureawards exactly the reactions to the liv-ing entity according to what he desiresand deserves. Nothing more or less.

Sometimes, nature divulges massKarmic reaction in form of Tsunami,earthquakes, volcanoes, massivefloods, severe drought, etc. So manypeople get affected. It may seemNature acting blindly. Material Naturemay act in mass but not blindly.

Only they will die who are sup-posed to get the Karmic reaction oth-ers won’t even though in the epicen-ter of the calamity. And we have wit-nessed many cases of people or smallchildren surviving massive earth-quakes buried under debris for dayswhile those staying in their safe andaffluent houses are killed. Nature’s lawpunishes the sinful and awards thepious without a doubt.

By chanting and reading Gitadaily we will fully get cured and goback home back to Godhead wherethere is no — birth, old age, diseaseand death and no Corona but onlyKaruna (mercy) of God. Everythingis within the plan of God although itmay not be exactly the plan of God.If we remain alive through this pan-demic, we will serve God here and ifwe die, we will go to Kingdom of Godand serve Him there. The eternalnature of Soul is to serve God always.

The writer is a spiritual guru at InternationalSociety for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON)

Back toGandhi

FROM CORONA TO KARUNA

For us and the worldJust as the head of the family, God’s actions are directed towards the largergood of the humanity. This virus is one such, says AJIT KUMAR BISHNOI

To save the planet, our mission must be to prevent global warming, the climatecrisis, close wet markets and wildlife trade, says MADAN LALL MANCHANDA

There is no escaping the law of Nature. We can find comfort and peacein the Godhead by chanting His name, writes RADHANATH SWAMI

It is after decades that great things arehappening to our environment. As aresult of the clear air, for the first time

in three decades, the snow capped peaksof Gangotri became visible from UP’sSaharanpur. It was a pleasant surprise.These are the same mountains which canotherwise be seen from Mussouri, reportsVK Jain, conservator Saharanpur district.

The spring has been markedly differ-ent. There has been rejoicing about returnof blue skies, sparkling rivers, new crop ofleaves on Cycas palms. Each of them has aglassy new foliage. The flora and faunahave been getting back to normal.Marigold, Jasmine, Lilies and roses havegrown in abundance. The nature is boun-tiful reads another report from Jind.

Noise pollution levels have completelygone down which allows you to hear birdsmore clearly. Birds, whose chirpingsounds have been heard the loudest in theNCR during the lockdown include, thebrown rack, Chat, Indian robin, orientalmagpie robin, refocus, tropic, commonhawk Cuckoo, Asian Koel, barbets rosystarlings, and even the golden orlola — abird which migrated from the hills of theHimalayas, sums up Jasjeev Gandhlok.

Gandhiji, would have been pleased tonote that consequentially surgence ofnature to reiterate that the resources ofEarth needs to be exploited minimal asthis earth has sufficient for every humansneed and that simple way of life, he advo-cated is best. To save the planet, our mis-sion must be preventing global warmingand the climate crisis, close wet marketsand wild life trade undeniably, Gandhiji’sideals are beneficial ecologically.

But Gandhiji’s ideals can be disastrouseconomically retorts Rashmi Dasguptaand raised the big question before thehumans decide to use their formidablebrains to recalibrate ‘Progress’ so that it

benefits all not just us.Notwithstanding that doubts persists

about origin of Coronavirus. BramahChallanye argues that Chinese cover up ofthe spread of the first deadly diseaseSARS, in 2002-2003 triggered in theworld of this century’s pandemic and nowthat Beijing opposes an independentinquiry leaves margin of doubt.

However WHO Emergencies DirectorMichael Ryan believes that killer virusjumped from animals to humans in amarket of China late last year, possiblyfrom a market in Wuhan selling the exoticanimals for meat.

Mahatma Gandhi’s ecological intelli-gence of making cult of materialism thatwill recoil on itself and have what we con-sume, consume us. This is staring us inthe face says Gopal Krishan Gandhi.Greed, market created, market driven,market manipulated cares little for thehygiene. The Wuhan market is where it is.

Blaming it in isolation is absured, forthere is a Wuhan market in every city,town and thoroughfare. There is a Wuhanmarket in every one of us.

We may recall, the world has wit-nessed two world wars in the 20th centu-ry in its quest for the trade markets in theEast. A poet then reminded the belliger-ent Germany:

“Geya hai bhool German Aasmanibaap ko apne; Khuda Science ko samjahahai, munkre-zat-e-khuda ho kar”

(The Germany has forgotten theHeavenly father; And believes Science theGod, in denial of the existence ofProvidence.)

Allama Dr. Mohd Iqbal’s propheticutterance hold good both for the West asalso for the East.

“Dyar-e-maghrab ke rehne walo;Khuda ki basti, Dukaan nahi hai”

(O, ye, the inhabitants of the West;God’s abode is not a trader shop).

Resurgence of Nature

THE LAWS OFKARMA AREEXTREMELY

STRINGENT. ONEMAY ESCAPE THE

LAWS OFGOVERNMENT, BUT

ONE CANNOTESCAPE THE LAW OF

NATURE. NATUREAWARDS THE

REACTIONS TO THELIVING ENTITYACCORDING TO

WHAT HE DESIRESAND DESERVES

sundaymagazine

food 11Hyderabad, May 24, 2020

WALNUTS ARE THE ONLY NUT THAT PROVIDES ASIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF PLANT-BASED OMEGA-3 FATTY ACID AND A HANDFUL (28G) OF WALNUTS

ALSO PROVIDES A CONVENIENT SOURCE OFPROTEIN (4G) AND FIBER (2G).

It's time for Eid! Cook your favorite Eid delicacies by adding the extragoodness of health and nutrition with California walnuts! Known for itsnutritional and health benefits, California walnuts are the go-to-nut forany drink, snack, main course or dessert. An extremely versatileingredient, walnuts blend perfectly with anything they are incorporatedinto. Walnuts are the only nut that provides a significant amount ofplant-based omega-3 fatty acid and a handful (28g) of walnuts alsoprovides a convenient source of protein (4g) and fiber (2g).So this Eid, add warmth and empathy to your dishes with drool worthyrecipes made exclusively by Celebrity Chef Varun Inamdar.

HOW TO MAKE:n Marinate the chops and

keep aside for 15minutes. Pressure cookfor 20 minutes or till themeat is 3/4th cooked.

n In a kadhai, heat oil.n Add onions, green chilies

and cook till the onionsare translucent.

n Add California walnutpowder, tomatoes andadd the cooked meat.

n Add the dry spaces andcook till oil startsreleasing the sides of thepan and the meat is wellcooked.

n Cook and mix well on alight flame till it is coatedconsistently.

n Serve in little plates,topped with onions,tomatoes and Californiawalnuts.

HOW TO MAKE:n Heat oil in a pressure

pan.n Add the shanks and sear

on high flame.n Add all the whole spices

and the powder spices.n Stir well and add 2 cups

of water. Cover and cookunder pressure for 20minutes on low flame.

n Meanwhile, grind the wetspices mix to a fine andsmooth paste.

n Once the meat is wellcooked, stir in the wetpaste.

n Add another cup of hotwater

n Cook on medium flamefor 10 minutes. Serve hot.

HOW TO MAKE:n Roast the khoya and

California walnut powderon low flame for 10minutes.

n Cool and mix sugar,cardamom powder. Keepaside.

n Knead refined flour andghee with little water toform a stiff dough. Makeinto orange sized balls.

n Roll each ball to a thindisc 9 inches in diameter.Smear ghee and sprinklerefined flour all over.

n Roll into a thin cylinder,twist it and spiral it up.Chill for 10 minutes.

n Roll the chilled spiral ballinto a 4 inch disc andadd in a scoop of thecooled filing. Bring theends together and rollinto a ball yet again. Giveit a smear of saffronwater and chill for 15minutes.

n Deep fry over low flame.n Garnish with powdered

sugar.

WHAT YOU NEED:n For the

marinationn 12 goat meat

chops.n 1 tablespoon

ginger garlicpaste

n 1 tablespooncurd

n Salt as requiredn For the masalan 1 cup onions,

finely choppedn 4 tablespoons

oiln 2 tablespoons

green chilies,chopped

n 1/2 cuptomatoes, finelychopped

n 1/4 cupCaliforniawalnut powder

n For the dryspice mix

n 2 tablespoonsKashmiri chilipowder

n 1 tablespooncorianderpowder

n 1 teaspooncumin powder

n 1 teaspoonblack pepperpowder

n 1 teaspoon

turmericpowder

n 1 teaspoon redchili powder

n 1 teaspoongaram masalapowder

n For thetopping

n 1/4 cuponions, finelychopped

n 1/4 cuptomatoes,finely chopped

n 1/4 cupCaliforniawalnuts,choppedroughly

WHAT YOU NEED:n 4 lamb shanksn 2 tablespoons

oiln Salt as requirednWhole spicesn 3-4 green

cardamomsn 2 black

cardamomsn 2-3 bay leavesn 1 inch

cinnamon stickn Powder spicesn 1 teaspoon red

chili powdern 1/2 teaspoon

nutmeg powdern 1/2 teaspoon

cardamompowder

n 2 teaspoonsgaram masalapowder

n 1 teaspoondried gingerpowder

n 1 teaspoonfennel powder

nWet spice mixn 8 garlic cloves,

friedn 4 tablespoons

Californiawalnuts,choppedroughly andfried till goldenbrown in colour

n 1/4 cup onionsn 3 tablespoons

curdn 1/8 cup watern 1 tablespoon

rose watern Few drops of

ittar

WHAT YOU NEED:n For coveringn 2 cups refined

flourn 2 tablespoons

gheen For layeringn 1 tablespoon

refined flourn 1 tablespoon

gheen For stuffingn 1 cup khoyan 1/2 cup

Californiawalnut powder

n 1 cup powderedsugar

n 1 teaspoongreen cardamompowder

n 1 teaspoonsaffron water

n Oil for frying

CALIFORNIA WALNUTGOSHT TAWA MASALA

CALIFORNIA WALNUTNALLI NIHARI CALIFORNIA WALNUT

BOHRI MALAI KHAJA

THIS EID RELISH YOUR FAVOURITE DELICACIES WITH

HYDERABAD | SUNDAY | MAY 24, 2020 12

Badmintondefines

SindhuBadminton is the real

me, and whatever I amtoday is because of bad-

minton. It’s not that I don’thave a personal life or any-

thing, but badminton is mypassion and I don’t regret it. If

you want to achieve anything inlife, you have to believe in yourself.

It is very important.Starting young

I started very young. I was about 8-and-a-half years old when I started play-ing badminton for fun and it became adaily routine till my Class X. It was duringthose years I started playing more andmore by exploring the art of it. After play-ing at the LB Stadium, I shifted toGachibowli but only after convincing myparents as they were hesitant. I was verycompetitive and am blessed to have thesupport of my family. My father used totake me for practice at around 4:30-5 amtill 8 and then again in the evenings from6 pm to 9 pm after school. This was adaily routine. My schooling was done inSt. Ann’s and so was my college. I was aCEC student during my intermediateand did BCom as an undergraduatecourse. I now have an MBA infinance as well. However, I couldn’tattend my classes regularly as Ineeded to focus on badminton.My teachers understood andsupported me through my stu-

dent life. I used to taketuitions weeks before the

exams to prepare. Setting goals

Winning juniorbadminton titles like

the All IndiaRanking

Championshipand the Sub-

Junior

Nationals, Sindhumade it clear she would be a

player to reckon with once she madeit to the international stage. In 2009,Sindhu won the bronze medal in the sub-junior Asian Badminton Championshipsand a year later, she bagged singles silver inthe International Badminton Challenge inIran.Her rapid improvement was evidentafter the 2012 Asian Junior Championshipswhen she won the Gold medal after bag-ging a Bronze the year prior.

Winning global, backing localAside from her international success,

Sindhu also partakes in the domesticPremier Badminton League, captainingand playing for the Hyderabad Hunters.Message for budding players

They should work hard. They shouldlove what they do. They need to befocussed. They should give their best. As Isaid, sacrifices will be there. Ups and downswill be there and that is when you need tocome back. Show strong will power andperhaps then you can achieve something.Family and friends

My mother Vijaya was a volley-ball player herself, playing for theRailways. She understands thecommitment and discipline need-ed for sportspersons to make theirmark on the national and internationalarena. Same goes for my father, PVRamana, an Arjuna Awardee. He sup-ported me really well and has been aconstant pillar of strength. My eldersister, Divya, is my 3 am friend. Ishare everything with her. She is a

doctor by profession but has playedhandball on the national level.

Later, she got married to US-based software engineer

Anurag Kumar.Apart from

family, Iam

in touchwith a couple of mychildhood friends who are pur-suing their studies abroad and we catchup with each other from time to time. Big time foodie

A typical day in my life starts with a pro-tein-rich breakfast of eggs and milk. Lunch isusually green leafy vegetables and chickenthat helps pack in the carbs. For din-ner, I usual-

ly take meat with vegetables and rice. Forquick bites, fruits, nuts and juices. However, Ilove Hyderabadi Biryani and Italian andChinese cuisines as well.

Once in a while, I need to treat myselfwith them. Otherwise I am very consciousthat I should not become fat. I need tolook fitter. Physically I need to be fit, oncourt or off it. Having said that, nothingcan top my mom’s cooking and I alwayscrave for that. Favourite badmintonmemory from childhood

Before when I started playing, when my

sisterand herfriends used toplay, I used to go andask them to give me achance. And they’d be like, ‘no,you go, you are a small kid!’ Andnow when we talk about it, it’s alwaysfunny how the tables have turned.First reaction after winningthe World Championship

It took me a while to digest the fact thatI've accomplished it. I remember I sleptvery late the night before. It was a typicalpre-match night. And mind you, it was avery big match. I was thinking about thepoints, the matches I played going into thefinal. Fortunately, everything went welland just as I hoped it would. It was a won-derful feeling, I didn’t eat anything for along time after the match ended.Film buff

I don’t have a particular genre in moviesas I watch anything whenever I get the time.But I would say I prefer inspirationalmovies as it helps a sportsperson like me. Ialso enjoy motivational and comedymovies. I’m a big fan of Mahesh Babu,Prabhas, Allu Arjun, Samantha andAnushka Shetty in Tollywood and RanveerSingh and Deepika Padukone are myfavourite Bollywood couple. Presently I’minto Netflix and Amazon Prime and watch-ing series like Money Heist and PrisonBreak. I just started watching the last dance,it;s about Micheal Jordan’s journey. He’svery inspiring.How has lockdownchanged your schedule?

I’m actually glad that I’m getting tospend so much time with my family.This is something I wanted to do butcouldn’t because of my work com-mitments and constant practice.Now, apart from my regular prac-tice time, I spend time with mymom and dad. My sister staystwo houses away in the samecolony so that’s letting mespend more time with myone-and-a-half year oldnephew, Aaryan who is mystress-buster. I love playingwith him. I’m also gettingto learn new things likecooking, stitching, sketch-ing and baking. Fitness secret

My fitness secretsinclude healthy eating,regular exercise, and a lotmore exercise! My phys-

iotherapist, KiranChallagundla,examines myblood composi-tion, body weight,heart rate, andmonitors myroutine every

day.Aftereachresult, hesets a fitnessplan accordingly.I follow an alter-nate running sessionand also go for 100push-ups and 200 sit-ups in a day. I’m muchsought-after for her morn-ing routines. These activitiesare to ensure the strength ofmy core and abdominal mus-cles.

If not ashuttler,whatwould PVSindhu havebeen?

Inever had secondthoughts about my

profession. I picked upbadminton at the age ofeight and have grownthrough the sport. Itwas always badmintonfor me. I keepimproving in it andit's a journey whereall things areinvolved. You winsome and lose some.Every tournamentwas very differentand has taught me alot of things.

326 wins, 139 lossesnForbes Under 30 Asia List

nSub-Junior Asian Badminton Championships, Colombo,2009 – Bronze

n Iran Fajr International Badminton Challenge, 2010 – Silver

nAsia Youth Under 19 Championship, 2012 – Winner

nSyed Modi India Grand Prix Gold 2012 – Runner up

nMalaysian Open – Winner

nBWF World Championships 2013 – Bronze

nMacau Open Grand Prix 2013 – Winner

nBWF World Championships 2014 – Bronze

nMacau Open Grand Prix 2015 – Winner

nMalaysia Masters Grand Prix Gold2016 – Winner

nRio Olympics 2016 – Silver

n India Open Super Series –Winner

nBWF World Championships 2014 –Silver

nKorea Open Super Series 2017, Winner

nDubai World Super Series 2017 – Runner-up

nCommonwealth Games 2018 – Silver

nBWF World Championships 2019- Gold

CAREER RECORD

QUICKBYTES

Pre-game rituals: Ido believe in Godand I do a quick prayerbefore the match that Ishould give my best.

Music preferences: I listento fast paced, upbeat musicin Hindi, English, Tamil andTelugu. Helps me with workoutand unwind both.

Proud moments: Winning my firstmatch when I was really young, the2013 first world championship andthe Olympics, which changed my life.

Hobbies: Listening to music mainlyas there is very less time foranything else apart from practice. Ireally enjoyed traveling the world andmy profession allows me to do that.

Favourite colour: Lavender andmaroon

Favourite song: Nothing thatcomes to mind, depends on mood

Lifelong dream: Winning Gold atOlympics! There is a vacant spacein my cabinet for that medal.

Favourite cars: Ferrari andMaserati

If I could go back and changesomething: I would have triedharder to win gold in the BWFWorld Championship. It was a 1.50hour match.But again,winningsilver is noless. Inretrospect,I'm happywith what Ihave.

Strengths: Asan athlete, hardsmash. As aperson, I'mconfident andbelieve in myself.

Favouritesuperhero:Wonderwoman!

Memorable sportingachievements? -Winning against Li-Xue Ruiof China.

Who would you like to see in yourbiopic? - Deepika Padukone.

What are your own traits that youlove or hate the most? - I alwayslook to be cheerful and positive.Also I'm a very social person andam friendly with everybody. Theseare two of my positive personalitytraits. On the other side, I'm verysensitive and short-tempered.

Shewon two Bronze and twoSilver medals between 2013and 2018, she finally held the

yellow metal in 2019 aftercomprehensively beating Japan's Nozomi

Okuhara 21-7, 21-7, and garnering Prime MinisterNarendra Modi's praise. Sindhu says: “It was a

pleasure meeting him. He congratulatedme and told me ‘you played very welland are inspiring anumber ofpeople. Youshould win more

medals for thecountry’.”

MeetingModi

Pusarla Venkata Sindhu is arguably the most prolific Indian badminton star of the 21st

Century who made history when she became the first Indian shuttler to clinch the coveted

World Championships crown. She opens up to THE PIONEER'S Naveen Kumar in an

offbeat interview about her journey, her love for the sport, family and about learning new

things during lockdown. Sindhu was born on July 5, 1995, in Hyderabad to parents who

were both volleyball players at the national level, with her father PV Ramana

winning the Bronze medal at the 1986 Seoul Asian Games. As a result,

sport is very much in her DNA. The 2016 Olympic silver edallist

bagged the World Championships Bronze in 2013 and 2014,

Silver in 2017 and 2018, and topped it with Gold by

routing Nozomi Okuhara of Japan 21-7, 21-7 in

a lopsided final at St Jakobshalle in Basel,

Switzerland. As the first Indian woman

to win a Silver medal at the

Olympics and Gold at the

BWF World Champion-

ships, the World

Champion is in a

class by herself

when it comes

to Indian

badmi-

nton.

With family

I celebrate my win privately or with family.The world championship I dedicated to mom

as it was her birthday. It always feels great to make the national flag proud.