EVERY 7TH DOCTOR IN US IS INDIAN-AMERICAN · American Physicians of Indian-Origin (AAPI) Presi-dent...

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EVERY 7TH DOCTOR INUS IS INDIAN-AMERICAN

CONTENTSBollywood -------------------------- 30Classifieds ------------------------ 28Community Post -------------- 17-22Edit Page --------------------------- 29Horoscope ------------------------- 26Immigration Post ---------------- 23Life Style ------------------------ 14-15Philosophy/Perspective ------- 27Punjab Post ------------------------- 9Info/Highlights ---------------------- 2Real Estate -------------------- 24-25TechBiz Post ------------------ 10-11Travel & Hospitality Post -------- 16Wellness Post ---------------- 12-13Details on page 4

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Help all withoutdiscrimination:RSS chief Bhagwat

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NEW YORK: Governments across the world willhave to lift shutdowns and re-open their economiesin a well-planned manner or else the deadlycoronavirus will return and the damage will be evenworse, the president of an Indian-origin US physi-cians' organization has said.

American Physicians of Indian-Origin (AAPI) Presi-dent Dr Suresh Reddy, applauding the hundreds ofthousands of Indian-origin medical personnel bravelyfighting against the virus, said "every 7th doctor inthe US is an Indian and they are at the frontlines, work-ing as soldiers and fighting the virus".

The entire medical fraternity has become the Army

right now, fighting the coronavirus," Reddy told PTI inan interview here.

The fight against the virus will be a long one, Reddysaid, adding that COVID-19 is not going to end in acouple of months and could last for 1-2 years until avaccine or antiviral agent is developed.

That is the only way we can control it, he said.Noting that it is understandable that people are

getting anxious, tired and exhausted with the shut-downs and restrictions, Reddy said any re-openingand lifting of lockdowns has to be done in a very care-ful and gradual manner.

Should US lockdownbe extended?

Ind-Am lawyerSeema Nanda tostep down as CEO

UK visa surchargefor overseasDrs under review

Global militaryspending largestin decade

The virus will bewith us for a longtime: WHO chief

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30HIGHLIGHTS

Bollywood:Big B's 'age of innocence'Big B on Instagram shared a collage fromphoto-shoots of early days in Bollywood,in 1969. "The age of innocence is over,"Amitabh captioned an image.

4Cover Story:Every 7th US Dr. IndianDr Suresh Reddy, applauding Indian-originmedics fighting the virus, said "every 7thdoctor in US an Indian and at the frontlines,working as soldiers, fighting the virus".

17Community:Suraj Patel & HoS TeamSuraj Patel and House of Spices teamdelivered $1000s food donations toElmhurst Hospital and Center of HopeInternational in Long Island City.

23Immigration:Order drastic & damaging"Drastic" and "damaging" is how a top USimmigration attorney is describing DonaldTrump's latest executive order, which takesa sledgehammer to the entry of immigrants

14Lifestyle:'Virtual wedding' a hitAvinash and Kirti had an online wed-ding on April 14, which was virtuallyattended by 80 of their close friendsand relatives.

10Techbiz:Zoom aims to growFor the unified communication platform thathas clocked 300 million daily users globally,India is an important market and the com-pany has long-term plans for the country.

16Travel:Bhutan as ShangrilaBhutan is continually ranked as the hap-piest country in Asia, and the eighth-happiest country in the world accordingto a survey by Business Week.

12Wellness:COVID care of uninsuredTrump administration announces plan topay hospitals and doctors who care foruninsured patients with COVID-19, butDemocrats likely to press for more.

India Post 3www.indiapost.com

May 1, 2020

India Post May 1, 20204

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Cover/Top Stories

Every 7th doctor Indian in USNEW YORK: Governments across the

world will have to lift shutdowns andre-open their economies in a well-planned manner or else the deadlycoronavirus will return and the damagewill be even worse, the president of anIndian-origin US physicians' organiza-tion has said.

American Physicians of Indian-Origin(AAPI) President Dr Suresh Reddy, ap-plauding the hundreds of thousands ofIndian-origin medical personnel bravelyfighting against the virus, said "every7th doctor in the US is an Indian andthey are at the frontlines, working assoldiers and fighting the virus".

The entire medical fraternity has be-come the Army right now, fighting thecoronavirus," Reddy told PTI in an inter-view here.

The fight against the virus will be along one, Reddy said, adding thatCOVID-19 is not going to end in acouple of months and could last for 1-2years until a vaccine or antiviral agent isdeveloped.

That is the only way we can control it,he said.

Noting that it is understandable thatpeople are getting anxious, tired andexhausted with the shutdowns and re-strictions, Reddy said any re-openingand lifting of lockdowns has to be donein a very careful and gradual manner.

It will be a very slow process. I don'tthink it will be a sudden opening orclosing of the gates. If we don't do itcarefully, in a well-planned manner,then the virus will come back and thedamage will be even worse, he said.

Reddy stressed that the battle todefeat the COVID-19 is a three-prongedattack that involved the governmentsimplementing measures to control theoutbreak, doctors and the medical fra-

cannot get prescription for medicines.Reddy said that as the US emerges

from the pandemic, a lesson that will belearnt is that America will have to setup its own manufacturing bases so thatit does not have to depend on China forsupplies.

If we had manufacturing companiesin the US making masks and other per-sonal protective equipment (PPE) forexample, we would not have had theproblem of scarcity of supplies. Every-body had to run to China to get masks,PPE, ventilators, Reddy said.

He lauded the efforts of the Indian-origin physicians, saying AAPI is ex-tremely proud of the troops on thefrontlines.

We will all prevail, he said.The US government officials have ap-

preciated the work of Indian doctorsand community members, he said.

Everybody in the US knows that weare a strong medical community andwe are contributing a lot, Reddy said.

He said AAPI is also working closelywith Indian Ambassador to the USTaranjit Singh Sandhu and the embassyin helping and reaching out to Indiansin distress.

Indian-American Al Mason, an advisorto Global Real Estate Investments Edu-cational Hospitals, said that due creditshould be given to the Indian embassyunder the guidance and leadership ofSandhu, who are doing a great job, tire-lessly reaching out to the Indian Ameri-can community in this crisis.

He lauded the efforts of Consul Gen-eral in New York Sandeep Chakravortyin ensuring assistance to those in needacross the state, which is the epicenterof the pandemic in the US.

ternity providing essential treatmentand the general population by theamount of discipline they show.

The people are the ones who spreador control the disease. It is within theirhands. As long as they follow the rulesstrictly, I think we will be able to breakthis disease, kill this Rakshas' virus andwe will have a wonderful Diwali, Reddysaid.

He said that even at some pointwhen the restrictions are relaxed, lifewill not be what people were used tobefore the pandemic.

I don't think things will ever return tobeing totally normal. We will be wash-ing hands more often, wearing masks

more often in public places. So, it willbe a new future, new normal, he said.

Reddy pointed out that both in Indiaand the US, the shutdown and peoplewearing masks are some measuresthrough which the situation is beingbrought under control.

Founded in 1982, the AAPI repre-sents a conglomeration of more than100,000 practicing physicians in the US.

It has raised USD 100,000 to buy pro-tective equipment for doctors and isalso hosting webinars and hotlines toprovide assistance to members of thecommunity, including students and par-ents visiting from India who do nothave access to health insurance and

Indian girl beats coronavirus months after surviving cancer in DubaiDUBAI: A four-year-old Indian girl in

Dubai, despite her low immune sys-tem, has become one of the youngestcoronavirus survivors in the UAE aftershe recovered from the deadly dis-ease last week, according to a mediareport.

Sivani, who is also a cancer survivor,was admitted on April 1 at the AlFuttaim Health Hub after she got in-fected with the virus passed on by hermother who is a frontline healthworker, the Gulf News reported.

Both Sivani and her dad were alsotested despite not having any symp-

toms and, unlike her father, Sivani wasfound to be positive, the report said.

Sivani and her mother were kept inthe same facility, but extra precau-tions were made for the girl who hadalso fought off a rare type of kidneycancer last year calledganglioneuroblastoma.

Sivani was discharged from thehospital on April 20, the report said.

Sivani had undergone chemo-therapy sessions only last year andhence her immune system was stillweak, said Dr Tholfkar Al Baaj, groupmedical director at Al Futtaim Health

Hub and the consultant in familymedicine who treated Sivani.

The doctors were concerned asshe was at higher risk of develop-ing a severe form of the disease andtherefore, we had put her underclose monitoring. Fortunately, shedid not develop any complicationsfrom the infection, he added.

Sivani remained under treatmentfor 20 days before two consecutivenegative swab tests rendered herall clear. She will now undergo 14-days quarantine at home, the reportadded. PTI

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PM cautionsagainstcomplacency

NEW DELHI: As India recorded the highest one-day rise of 1,975 coronavirus cases, Prime Minis-ter Narendra Modi said the country's fight againstCOVID-19 was truly "people-driven" and this wasthe "only way" to overcome the pandemic withthe road ahead expected to figure in his upcom-ing discussions with chief ministers.

Amid indications that his third round of videointeraction with the chief ministers on Mondaysince the COVID-19 outbreak could also focus on agraded exit from the 40-day lockdown, Modiasked people to shun any complacency that theywill not be infected by coronavirus because it hasso far not affected the places where they live orwork. The lockdown is due to end on May 3.

In his monthly 'Mann ki Baat' broadcast, Modisaid the country is in the middle of a 'yudh' (war)and asserted people have to continue being care-ful and take precautions.

He reiterated his advice to people to maintaina distance of two yards from each other to keephealthy.

Do gaz doori, bahut hai zaroori (Maintain a dis-tance of two yards and keep yourself healthy)."

With thecountry under alockdown sinceMarch 24 mid-night, the primeminister saidIndia's people-driven battleagainst the pan-demic will bediscussed whenthe world com-munity debates

the crisis later."India's fight against the coronavirus is people-

driven in the truest sense of the term. Along withpeople, government and administration are fight-ing it as well... This is the only way we can win overthe virus," he said.

In his 30-minute address, Modi also referred toa popular Hindi idiom 'Sawdhani hati, durghatnaghati' (accident happens when caution is low-ered) to make his point.

"I urge you not to get overconfident. You shouldin your over-enthusiasm not think that if thecoronavirus has not yet reached your city, village,street or office, it is not going to reach now. Nevermake such a mistake. The experience of the worldtells us a lot in this regard," he said.

The countrywide COVID-19 death toll rose to826 with 47 more fatalities being reported whilethe number of cases climbed to 26,917 on Sun-day, according to the Union Health Ministry. A to-tal of 5,914 people (21.96 per cent) have recov-ered from the infection, it said.

The total number of cases on Sunday went upby 1,975 since the ministry last updated its dataon Saturday evening. PTI

Help all without discrimination:RSS chief Bhagwat

NAGPUR: With the country fighting the coronaviruspandemic, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said a commu-nity cannot be held responsible for the mistakes offew as he exhorted all to help the affected peoplewithout any discrimination and cautioned againstforces inimical to India's interests taking advantage ofthe situation.

His remarks come in the backdrop of incidents in-volving Tablighi Jamaat members after it centre inDelhi emerged as a major coronavirushotspot and apprehensions about reli-gious profiling.

In his first online address to RashtriyaSwayamsevak Sangh (RSS) workers fromhere, Bhagwat also advocated 'Swadeshi'model of economics for the post COVID-19 period to make the country self-reliant.

The RSS chief slammed the recentlynching of two sadhus in Palghar,Maharashtra and questioned why the po-lice failed to prevent the incident.

"If someone does something wrong outof fear or anger, we should not hold theentire group responsible or alienate theentire community, he said in remarks seenas a reference to recent incidents involv-ing Tablighi Jamaat members.

Emphasising on the need to help others with pa-tience in this time of crisis and shun any feeling of fearor anger, Bhagwat said there are some with anti-Indiamindset who are raising doubts and provoking people

against the instructions of the lockdown to battleCOVID-19.

At times even politics comes in between, but weshould not react and continue to do our relief work byhelping everyone as all 130 crore Indians are childrenof mother India and are our own, Bhagwat said andasked the Sangh workers to stay positive and play aconstructive role.

In the aftermath of this crisis, Bhagwat said, a new

phase of rebuilding the nation will be started, and "wehave have to come up with our new model of devel-opment which makes us self-reliant".

Pitching for Swadeshi model in days ahead,Bhagwat urged the people to maximise the use of in-digenous goods and try to live without using im-ported items.

To ride over the current situation and meet futurechallenges, Bhagwat said politics that thinks about thenation first, an education system that providessamskar' (values) and the best possible behaviour ofthe citizens themselves are essential.

Family values, cleanliness, environmental concernsand organic farming will be the new horizons in thepost COVID-19 world where not only the governmentand administration but even the society will have tomake special efforts, he said.

Expressing anguish over the Palghar incident,Bhagwat said it was the responsibility of the adminis-tration to maintain law and order.

"Sanyasis (saints) who pray for the well-being ofhumanity were brutally killed in Palghar. What was thepolice doing? Such an incident should not have hap-pened," he said.

He said the RSS with join other outfits in paying trib-utes to the two sadhus on April 28.

The two sadhus and their driver were lynched onApril 16 while they were on their way to a funeral inneighbouring Silvassa

Underlining that RSS is active during lockdown inthe shape of relief activities, the Sangh chief said, "Weshould continue the relief work till the battle againstthis pandemic ends".

He said the entire world has been witnessing howRSS workers are contributing, but we are not doingthis relief work for fame, we are doing it as our duty.

Bhagwat said India handled this pandemic effec-tively as government and people respondedproactively to the crisis. PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Envoy Kapoor "appalled"after mortal remains of 3nationals sent back

ABU DHABI: Indian Ambassador to the UAEPavan Kapoor has expressed shock over the mor-

tal remains of three Indians being sent back to

Abu Dhabi after they were flown to their families

in India, according to a media report.

The deceased were not coronavirus cases but

were returned by the authorities in New Delhi,

the Gulf News reported.

"We are appalled at what has happened. We

do not know if the bodies were returned be-

cause of coronavirus-related restrictions, but we

are obviously not sending the remains of people

[who have passed away from COVID-19]," Kapoor

told the daily.

"[As we understand], it happened because of

new protocols at the airport and we are trying to

sort it out," he said.

The deceased were identified as Kamlesh

Bhatt, Sanjeev Kumar and Jagsir Singh. Bhatt died

of cardiac arrest on April 17, both Kumar and

Singh had died on April 13.

A foreign worker's employer has to usually ar-range cargo companies to repatriate bodies ofdeceased persons. PTI

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat



Indian World War I fighter pilot's movingstory emerges in rare UK archive

LONDON: The remarkable story of anairman who overcame prejudice to be-come one of only a handful of Indianfighter pilots in the First World War hasemerged in newly released archive filesby the UK's Commonwealth War GravesCommission (CWGC).

Lieutenant Shri Krishna ChandaWelinkar is one of the thousands of mov-ing stories from the war preserved infamily correspondence and beingbrought alive as part of a digitizationproject.

The never-before-published filescontain thousands of letters, picturesand other papers sent between theCommission and the next of the kin ofFirst World War dead.

Among them is the story of Welinkar,who hailed from Bombay in colonial In-dia. After much hardship and discrimi-nation, he eventually became a pilotand went missing while on patrol overthe skies above the Western Front inJune 1918.

His family had to wait nearly threeyears before they finally knew for cer-tain that he had died, and his grave waslocated.

For everyone who died in the FirstWorld War there was inevitably a part-ner, parent or child back home who hadquestions. The heart-breaking letters inCWGC's archive give us an insight into

what it was like for those families tryingto come to terms with their loss, saidAndrew Fetherston, chief archivist forCWGC.

They are stories that show desperatesearches for closure, former enemiesuniting and, on many occasions, the sadrealisation that a missing loved onewould always remain so. We are pleasedto be able to make this invaluable piece

of World War history accessible to a newgeneration and help deepen our under-standing of how the First World War im-pacted those who were left behind, hesaid.

Welinkar was one of the 1.3 millionIndians who answered the call to fightfor the British Empire. Nearly 74,000never saw their homeland again and areremembered today in cemeteries and

memorials throughout the world, in-cluding France, Belgium, the MiddleEast and Africa.

Welinkar was a well-educated manstudying at Cambridge University. Hetrained to become an aviator inMiddlesex and wished to join the RoyalFlying Corps, later known as the RoyalAir Force.PTI

Indian-American lawyer Seema Nanda tostep down as CEO of Democratic Party

WASHINGTON: Seema Nanda has an-nounced her decision to step down asthe CEO of the Democratic NationalCommittee, the top administrative po-sition in the main Opposition party,ahead of the presidential elections inNovember.

Nanda, 48, became the first Indian-American to be appointed as the CEO

of the Democratic National Committee(DNC) in June 2018. She, however, didnot give reasons for leaving the top po-sition in the party.

The Washington Post reported thatNanda's sudden exit from the DNC waspart of the effort of the former US Vice

President Joe Biden who is the pre-sumptive presidential nominee of theDemocratic Party.

She would be replaced by Mary BethCahill, who had previously managedJohn Kerry's 2004 presidential cam-paign.

"After two years, I will be steppingdown as CEO of the DNC. I couldn't be

prouder of theinfrastructurewe have built,the primaryprocess wehave run, andthe team wehave built,"

Nanda announced in a tweet."I look forward to continuing the

fight for our democracy and to electDemocrats everywhere," she said.

With the two key endorsements,decks are now clear for a direct contestbetween Biden and incumbent Presi-

dent Donald Trump, who is seeking re-election. Under US laws, an individualcan serve a maximum of two four-yearterms.

The Biden campaign and the DNCannounced the formation of the "BidenVictory Fund' which will allow donors togive USD 360,600 directly to the newoperation.

In a statement, Cahill praised the an-nouncement.

Our goal is to ensure that we put JoeBiden in the best position possible tobeat Donald Trump, and this jointfundraising agreement allows us to dojust that. Americans are hungry for newleadership in the White House and areuniting around our nominee, Cahill said.

As we gear up and build out our op-eration for the next six months, MaryBeth's experience running presidentialcampaigns and managing the kind ofcomplex operation it takes to win a gen-eral election will be invaluable and I am

Nanda, 48, became the first Indian-American tobe appointed as the CEO of the Democratic

National Committee (DNC) in June 2018. She,however, did not give reasons for leaving

Seema Nanda

thrilled to have her as a partner in thisfight, Jen O'Malley Dillon, Biden's cam-paign manager, said in a statement.

Nanda, whose parents are dentists,grew up in Connecticut. PTI




Indian Consulate inDubai opens 5 passportservice centers

DUBAI: Indian passport services resumed at a num-ber of centers in Dubai and the Northern Emiratesamid the coronavirus pandemic, the Indian Consulatein Dubai announced.

The five centers -- Al Khaleeh Centre and BLS Deirain Dubai, the Sharjah Main Centre, Fujairah ISC and BLSRas Al Khaimah -- reopened following the relaxation ofcoronavirus-related restrictions, reports Gulf News.

According to the Consulate, only passports thathave already expired or will expire by May 31 will beaccepted for renewals by these centers.

These renewal applications can only be submittedafter booking an appointment with the center.

All visitors to the centers will also have to maintainsocial safe distancing. IANS

Indian-origin mancharged with hoarding,price-gouging PPE in US

NEW YORK: A 45-year-old Indian-origin man hasbecome the first person to face criminal chargesin the US under the country's Defense ProductionAct for allegedly hoarding the scarce personalprotective equipment and selling it at huge

markups during the COVID-19 pandemic, authori-ties said.

Amardeep Singh stockpiled tons of respira-tors, surgical gowns, hand sanitizers and other

personal protective equipment (PPE) at a LongIsland warehouse and sold it online through vari-

ous websites and Nassau County storefronts atunconscionably excessive prices, Prosecutors

from the US Attorney's Office in Brooklyn said in astatement.

A criminal complaint was filed in a federalcourt in Central Islip charging Singh with violat-

ing the Defense Production Act (DPA) of 1950 byhoarding PPE at a warehouse in Brentwood, New

York, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and price-gouging customers of his retail store in Plainview,

New York, the statement said.If convicted under the DPA, which is a misde-

meanor charge, Singh faces up to one year inprison. He will self-surrender to authorities next

week, the US Attorney's Office said."As charged in the complaint, Singh's amass-

ing of critical PPE during a public health crisis and

reselling at huge markups places him squarely inthe cross-hairs of law enforcement armed with

the Defense Production Act, said Richard PDonoghue, United States Attorney for the East-

ern District of New York."This Office is working tirelessly in coordina-

tion with the COVID-19 Hoarding and Price Goug-ing Task Force to prevent a pandemic of greedby profiteers." PTI


Ind-Am woman elected to AmericanAcademy of Arts and Sciences

HOUSTON: Renu Khator, an Indian-American univer-sity chancellor, has been elected to the prestigiousAmerican Academy of Arts and Sciences for her con-tributions in the fields of education and academicleadership.

Khator, 61, joins more than 250 exceptionally ac-complished artists, scholars, scientists and leaders inthe public, nonprofit and private sectors as mem-bers of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences(AAAS) class of 2020 announced this week.

Born in Uttar Pradesh, Khator is the University ofHouston System chancellor and the varsity's presi-dent. She is the first woman chancellor and the firstIndian immigrant to head a comprehensive re-search university in the United States.

Khator, who has been at the current positionsince 2008, was elected in the field of Educationaland Academic Leadership.

"While recognition from this esteemed organi-zation is personally very gratifying, I am even morepleased with the honor it brings to the Universityof Houston and UH System, which has given mesuch a valuable opportunity to develop my leader-ship skills," Khator said.

"Being included with such an array of eminentindividuals is humbling, and I am proud to join myfellow UH Cougars in the Academy," she said.

Khator earned her bachelor's degree from the Uni-versity of Kanpur, her master's and Ph.D. degrees inpolitical science and public administration fromPurdue University in the US.

The AAAS represents innovative thinkers in everyfield, including more than 250 Nobel and Pulitzer Prizewinners. Khator joins three other faculty membersfrom Houston University in the prestigious ranks of

AAAS membership.Khator oversees a four-university organization at

Houston University that serves nearly 71,000 students.She also lends her expertise to matters of national

and international importance in areas of higher edu-cation, business and policy though appointments andmembership to various boards and advisory groups,

such as the Board of Governors of the NCAA, the In-dian Prime Minister's Empowered Expert Committeeand the Advisory Board of the Texas Medical Center.

The American Academy of Arts & Sciences wasfounded in 1780, during the American Revolution, byJohn Adams, John Hancock, and 60 other scholar-patri-ots to honor exceptionally accomplished individualsand engage them in advancing the public good. PTI

RenuKhator

India should look to convert world's 'hatred'for China into economic opportunity: Gadkari

NEW DELHI: Union minister Nitin Gadkari said Indiashould look at converting the world's "hatred" forChina amid the coronavirus pandemic into an eco-nomic opportunity for it-self by attracting largescale foreign invest-ments.

Interacting with over-seas Indian students viavideo conferencing, theminister for MSME andRoad Transport and High-ways said, "All the worldnow, they have hatred forChina. Is it possible for usto convert it into an op-portunity for India."

Referring to the eco-nomic package an-nounced by Japan for itsbusinesses exiting China,Gadkari said, "I feel that we should think on that andwe will concentrate on it. We will open the Indian sce-nario for that. We will give the clearances and every-

thing to them and attract foreign investment."Asked if India can take any action against China

incase it is found to have deliberately "suppressed"information on coronavirus,the minister said this was asensitive subject relatedwith the Ministry of Exter-nal Affairs and the primeminister, and therefore itwill not be appropriate forhim to comment on it.

Gadkari said all govern-ment departments, par-ticularly the Finance Minis-try as well as the ReserveBank of India (RBI), are for-mulating policies to winthe "economic war" postthe COVID-19 pandemicand fulfil the primeminister's dream of making

India a USD 5 trillion economy."At the same time, we can make infrastructure of Rs

100 lakh crore," he added. PTI

Nitin Gadkari



Trump may replace HealthSecretary, Seema Verma

in succession shortlist

NEW YORK: US President Donald Trump may re-place Health and Human Services Alex Azar andSeema Verma, the head of government health in-surance programs, is one of those under consid-eration to succeed him, according to media re-ports.

Quoting anonymous White House sources, sev-eral media outlets reported that top WhiteHouse officials were discussing removing Azarand that Verma and Deborah Birx, the coordina-tor of the White House Coronavirus Task Forcewere the leading candidates to replace him.

If Verma does get the job, she will be the sec-ond person of Indian descent to serve on the USfederal cabinet.

The first was also a woman, Nikki Haley whowas appointed by Trump as the Permanent Rep-resentative to the UN with a cabinet rank andserved for two years.

The White House, however, dismissed the re-ports of Azar's likely ouster as "speculation" thatwas "irresponsible and a distraction from ourwhole-of-government response to COVID-19".

Deputy Press Secretary Judd Deere said: "TheDepartment of Health and Human Services, un-der the leadership of Secretary Azar, continuesto lead on a number of the President's priorities."

Trump's new Chief of Staff Mark Meadows,who took over last month, was reported to beporing over the list of key administration posi-tion and considering suggesting changes.

A lawyer and a former pharmaceutical execu-tive, Azar hasbeen mostlysidelined inthe COVID-19 crisis ef-forts andVice Pencehas beenleading themwith twomedical sci-entists, An-thony Fauciand Birx taking the limelight.

In stories of White House intrigue, Azar is saidto have annoyed Trump by media portrayal thathis suggestions for early action against the pan-demic had been overlooked and that he hadbungled the transfer of Rick Bright, the top offi-cial overseeing vaccine development, leading toa public relations disaster.

Bright's lawyer has said that he plans to file awhistle-blower complaint alleging that he wasfired for questioning Trump's favored COVID-19treatments like the hydroxychloroquine.

Azar has also not made any headway in com-ing up with a plan to replace the universal healthinsurance program known popularly as"Obamacare" after former President BarackObama who had introduced it. IANS

Boris Johnson back atwork, says tide beingturned on Covid-19

LONDON: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson re-turned to work and declared that the tide is beingturned on the coronavirus pandemic in the country, ashe urged the public to contain their impatienceagainst the lockdown.

We are beginning to turn the tide There are realsigns we are passing through the peak, said Johnsonin an upbeat address to the nation on the steps of 10

Downing Street.I ask you to

contain your im-patience be-cause I believenow we arecoming to theend of the firstphase of thisconflict, he said,promising maxi-mum transpar-ency on the deci-

sions to be taken as the UK enters phase two of theCovid-19 fightback, which will involve "firing up theeconomic engines" of the economy gradually.

The UK prime minister is chairing a regular specialCabinet meeting on Monday as he takes back chargeof the government's response to the coronavirus pan-demic, which has claimed 20,732 lives in the UK.

Johnson, 55, had been recuperating from his inten-sive care treatment at a London hospital earlier thismonth after he contracted the deadly virus. He re-turned to 10 Downing from his prime ministerial coun-tryside retreat at Chequers, where he had been basedsince his discharge from St Thomas' Hospital on April12.

It is hard to find the words to express my debt tothe NHS [National Health Service] for saving my life, hesaid, in his message to the medical team on leavingthe hospital.

UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who has beendeputising for the UK prime minister as the First Sec-retary of State during the leave of absence, describedhis boss' return as a boost for the government and aboost for the country .

He's raring to go, Raab said.Johnson resumes work amid growing pressure

from within his own Conservative Party backbenchersas well the Opposition parties to set out a clear exitstrategy to begin lifting the strict lockdown measuresin place to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

"If there is a question over whether something isnecessary or not, I think we should err on the side ofopenness and trying to make sure that more peoplecan get on with their lives and more people can geton with getting back to their jobs," said Sir GrahamBrady, the chair of the Tory party's influentialbackbench 1922 Committee.

Opposition Labour Party's shadow cabinet ministerRachel Reeves said the UK should "potentially" be fol-lowing the example of other European countries likeBelgium, Germany and Denmark, which have alreadysignalled partial re-opening of some businesses andschools.

"We want to work with the government in bringingforward a plan and getting it right," she said.PTI


UK visa surcharge foroverseas doctors underreview, says Priti Patel

LONDON: A surcharge added on to the work visasof overseas healthcare workers, including those fromIndia, within the state-funded National Health Service,is under review as they battle against the coronaviruspandemic, UK Home Secretary Priti Patel said recently.

The Indian-origin Cabinet minister, who led the dailyDowning Street briefing, was asked about this long-standing demand within the medical community, whichhas been lobbying against the additional financial bur-den on doctors and nurses already contributing di-rectly to the NHS.

"We have a range of measures that are, like mostthings in government, under review, and we are look-ing at everything including visa surcharge, she said.

The Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS), introducedin April 2015, is imposed on anyone in the UK on a work,study or family visa for longer than six months in orderto raise additional funds for the NHS.

Earlier this year, it was further hiked from 400 poundsto 624 pounds per year.

The British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin(BAPIO) are among the bodies lobbying against whathas been branded as an unfair and discriminatory

charge on over-seas medics whopay their tax dueswhile contribut-ing to the NHS.

Now, Patel hasindicated thatshe is reviewingthis along withher Cabinet col-league, UK HealthSecretary MattHancock.

"That is some-thing that obvi-

ously I am working with my colleague Matt Hancock inthe Department of Health and Social Care because thatis a joint policy with Matt's team, and we are looking ateverything we can do to continue to support everyoneon the front line in the NHS," she said.

The minister had earlier announced a free-of-chargevisa extension for the NHS medics whose visa was setto expire by October, in order for them to have the"peace of mind" as they combat the deadly virus acrossthe country's hospitals.

In her daily briefing, Patel also urged the British pub-lic to continue to stay strong and abide by thelockdown measures in order to support the NHS in itsfight against the spread of COVID-19.

She said: We must be sure that we can continue toprotect the NHS. That there is a sustained and consis-tent fall in the daily rates of death we all have a role toplay in pulling our country out of this crisis.

So, I urge you all to stay strong and embrace thatspirit of national unity by continuing to follow the ad-vice: to stay at home, to protect the NHS and save lives.

She also issued a warning to criminals looking to ex-ploit the current lockdown situation, as she revealedthat reported losses for coronavirus fraud now standsat 2.4 million pounds.The minister said: Car crime, bur-glary and shoplifting are all lower than in the sameperiod from this time last year. PTI

Boris Johnson

Seema Verma

Boris Johnson


www.indiapost.comPunjab Post

NRIs donate CCTV cameras, sanitizers to local policeJASWANT SINGH GANDAM / RAMAN NEHRAIndia Post News Service

PHAGWARA: In a philanthropic act,three UK-based NRIs Sukhbir SinghSandhar,Surjit Singh Purewal and TirathSingh Kular donated, 15 portable CCTVcameras for surveillance at police'nakas' (check posts), immunity-increas-ing vitamin C and iron tablets for 500cops, besides a large quantity ofsanitizers, to Phagwara police.

Sandhar is MD of local Wahid-Sandhars Sugars Limited.

The NRIs said that they were highlyappreciative of cops putting up a bravefight against Covid-19 and contributedtheir bit to pat them.

Phagwara MLA Balwinder SinghDhaliwal, SP Manwinder Singh and City

SHO Onkar Singh Brar lauded the ges-ture of NRIs.

Meanwhile, a social activist GurmitSingh Thapar also handed over to

Kapurthala Deputy Commissioner SmtDeepti Uppal, 300 PPE kits for healthdepartment for their safety,an officialpress note said.

Earlier, Lok Insaaf Party leader JarnailNangal had separately distributed 51PPE kits to health staff of Hadiabad dis-pensary.

Newly wed couple feted by copsfor observing lockdown guidelines

JASWANT SINGH GANDAM / RAMAN NEHRAIndia Post News Service

PHAGWARA: A 'just married' couplehad a surprise gift for them by the localcops.

Satnampura Station HouseOfficer(SHO). Inspector Smt Usha Rani,herself a newly married officer, fetedthe couple for religiouslyobservinglockdown guidelines, during their mar-riage ceremony earlier in the day.

Both bride and groom parties per-

formed the marriage ceremony withonly five family members each, observ-ing social distancing and wearingmasks.

When Sukhwinder Singh Dhaliwal,the groom, and Khushbir Kaur, thebride, reached their local Bhagatpuramohalla after the ceremony, they werein for a pleasant surprise. TheSatnampura cops, led by SHO Usha Rani,had arranged a celebratory cake out-side the police station for the duo.

They were asked to cut the cake to

celebrate their wedding solemnized byfollowing the lockdown guidelines.

Sporting 'choora' (bridal bangles)and other bridal fineries, the 'dulhan'and the 'dulah', with red turban and aplume, both wearing masks, cut thecakes with masked cops joining andcheering them.

SHO Usha Raninewly married herself,stood by also sporting a 'choora' on herwrists. The groom Sukhwinder Dhaliwalsaid, even in his wildest dream he did

not imagine the police administrationwould give them so much honor for fol-lowing the guidelines.

The bride Khushbir Kaur opinedthehonor by the cops was beyond herimagination.

"We will remember the gesturethroughout our life", they remarked.

SHO Smt Usha Rani saidthey hadfeted the couple for their scrupulousobservation of lockdown guidelinesduring the wedding considered a one-time grand occasion in one's life.

PPE kits for cops and healthstaff donated by socialservice stalwart Thapar


PHAGWARA: Social service stalwartand Chairman Punjab Agricultural De-velopment Bank Gurmit Singh Thapardonated 100 PPE kits for police combat-ing Covid-19.

An official press note has said hehanded these kits to Kapurthala SeniorSuperintendent Police (SSP) SatinderSingh. Assistant Superintendent Police(ASP) Bholath, Dr Simrat Kaur was alsopresent.

Thapar said that he did this, as copswere frontline warriors in the ongoingwar against corona virus pandemic.

Earlier, Thapar had donated 300 PPEkits for the health staff, said the release.

Lauding Thapar's gesture, SSPSatinder Singh said that it would boostmorale of cops doing their duties inthese trying times of Covid-19.

Calling upon people of the district tofollow the lockdown in letter and spirit,SSP asked them to stay at homes fortheir own, their families' and society'ssafety.

Asking public to fully cooperate withpolice, Satinder Singh maintained thatcops were performing their tough du-ties by remaining away from theirhomes only for sake of security andsafety of people and society.

School student Vanimakes masks for free, SSPlauds her contribution


PHAGWARA: In a noble gesture, a se-nior secondary school girl student Vanihas stitched over 600 masks frombranded waste cloth for free distribu-tion among the needy, as wearing ofmasks was made mandatory by govern-ment in the ongoing war against Covid-19 pandemic.

An official press note statedthat Vaniis a Plus-2 student of Hindu PutriPathshala Senior Secondary School,Kapurthala.

She said that as educational institu-tions were closed due to lockdown, shespared some time from her studies athome for making masks of different col-ors.

"As administration, police and healthdepartment staff are leaving no stoneunturned in their fight againstcoronavirus, I thought of contributingmy bit to it, too", she says humbly.

She has distributed these masksamong the needy, given some to copsat 'nakas' (check posts so they couldhand these to those found withoutthem.

School girl Vani handing over masks toKapurthala SSP Satinder Singh

10 India Post May1, 2020www.indiapost.com

Tech News TechBizZoom aims to grow as an Indian

company, plans to hire moreNEW DELHI: In an era of

video meet apps, Zoom whichsaw its popularity skyrocketedas the world observed social

distancing is proactively iden-tify, address and enhance thesecurity and privacy capabili-ties of its platform, aiming toallay privacy and security fearsin some quarters of the govern-ment and general public in In-dia.

For the unified communica-tion platform that has clocked300 million daily users globally,India is an important marketand the company has long-term plans for the country.

"Zoom wants to grow as anIndian company. We have glo-bal customers, India compa-nies, government and individu-als as part of our user basehere. We also have employeesand two data centers - one inMumbai and other inHyderabad," Sameer Raje, In-dia Head, Zoom Video Commu-nications, told IANS in an inter-view.

"We have plans to grow ouremployee count in India andset up the right team who cancater to the market in thecountry," he informed.

The company has alreadybeen working with variousbranches of the government inIndia e both central and state.

"Given how quickly our plat-

form is adapting each day tobetter address all of thesenew users, we don't want tospeculate too much on whatthe future holds.

"For now, we're focused onhelping as many people andbusinesses as we can stay con-nected, whether hospitals,schools, financial institutions,governments or users lookingto stay in touch with col-leagues, friends and family,"

Raje elaborated.On April 12, the Cyber Coor-

dination Centre (CCC) of theMinistry of Home Affairswarned in an advisory that the"secure use of Zoom meetingplatform is for private individu-als and not for use of govern-

ment offices or official pur-poses".

The government said thatCERT-In (the Indian ComputerEmergency Response Team)had been informed on Febru-ary 6 and March 30 this year,clarifying that "Zoom is not asafe platform".

The Zoom India executiveemphasized that the videoconferencing app takes usersecurity extremely seriously.

"A large number of globalinstitutions ranging from theworld's largest financial ser-vices companies, telecommu-nications providers, non-gov-ernmental organisations andgovernment agencies, havedone exhaustive security re-

views of our user, network anddata center layers and con-tinue to use Zoom for most orall of their unified communica-tions needs," Raje told IANS.

Zoom is in talks with thegovernments globally and isfocused on providing the infor-mation they need to make in-formed decisions about theirpolicies.

"In fact, we have announcedthe availability of Zoom 5.0, a

key milestone in our 90-dayplan to enhance our platform.By adding support for eAES256-bit GCM' encryption, weare providing increased pro-tection for meeting data andresistance against tampering,"informed Raje.IANS

“We have global customers, India

companies, government and individuals as

part of our user base here. We also have

employees and two data centers - one in

Mumbai and other in Hyderabad”

Sameer Raje, India Head, ZoomVideo Communications

Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai's 2019compensation topped $280 million

SAN FRANCISCO: AlphabetInc. in a regulatory filing hasrevealed that its CEO SundarPichai's total compensationfor 2019 totaled more than$280 million, making the 47-year-old India-born businessleader one of the highestpaid executives in the world.

At the time, Pichai wasnamed CEO of Google; hiscompensation reachednearly $200 million, most ofit in vesting stock awards,MarketWatch reported.

The jump in Pichai's compen-sation is mainly due to stockawards tied to his promotion asCEO of Alphabet late last year,

said the report on Friday.Along with the promotion,

Pichai's base salary jumped to$2 million from $650,000, ac-cording to a filing with theSecurities and ExchangeCommission.

In addition to the rise in hisbase salary, Pichai was pre-sented with two stock pack-ages that vest over time. Someof these will be paid out de-pending on the performanceof Alphabet's stock in compari-son with the S&P 100. PTISundar Pichai

Gurugram firms tostick to 'work fromhome' practice

GURUGRAM: Amid thelockdown due to the Covid-19pandemic, the business pro-cess outsourcing (BPO) units,multinational companies andcall centers located here havebeen advised to stick to the'work from home' practice.

Though, there is no officialdirection, the top officials havebeen advising this to avoidcrowding to tackle the Covid-19 spread.

"The idea is to maintain so-cial distancing as much as wecan and hence it's an advice tosuch offices. We have not givenany direction or notification is-sued from state government,"said V.S. Kundu, AdditionalChief Secretary of Haryana andCovid-19 nodal officer.

"Till the time, a vaccine is in-vented, we will have to workon containment and the socialdistancing is proven formula tobreak the chain of virusspread," he said.IANS

Jewelers bet on onlinesales, offer 'goldprice protection'

KOLKATA: At a time whenbuying gold from brick-and-mortar stores is no longer pos-sible due to the lockdown,many jewelers are focusing ononline sales, and some have in-troduced "price protection"schemes to attract customersto invest in the metal on theoccasion of Akshaya Tritiya.

The scheme allows a cus-tomer to book gold online at aparticular price that is lockedfor a certain period and pro-tected from the rise of rate. Ifprice falls from the fixed rate atthe time of purchase within thespecified tenure, one can buy itat the prevailing market rate.

Some major jeweler housessuch as Kalyan Jewelers, andMalabar Gold and Diamonds havecome out with such plans to keeptraditional purchases going on theauspicious day and also to providea shield to their customers fromprice volatility of the preciousmetal, industry officials said.

Akshaya Tritiya is an annualfestival considered auspiciousin many regions for beginningnew ventures, marriages andinvestments. PTI

SAARC nations unveil stimulus packagesto tackle COVID-19 economic fallout

ISLAMABAD/DHAKA: The SAARC countries have rolled out adraft of stimulus packages to boost investments, buffer privatebusinesses and bolster growth in response to the COVID-19 pan-demic that has upended life and disrupted economic activity in aregion inhabited by over 1.8 billion people.

The World Bank recently warned that South Asia faces its worsteconomic performance in 40 years due to the deadly coronaviruspandemic, which has been wreaking havoc worldwide. PTI

11India PostTechBiz PostMay1, 2020www.indiapost.com

Tech BriefsGlobal military spending largestin decade in 2019 India in top 3

LONDON: Global military ex-penditure at 3.6 per cent sawits largest annual spike in a de-cade in 2019 with China andIndia being the second- andthird-largest spenders afterthe US, a Stockholm-basedthink-tank has said, the firsttime the two Asian giants wereamong the top three countriesspending more on armaments.

The total global military ex-penditure rose to USD 1,917billion in 2019, representing anannual growth of 3.6 per centcompared to 2018, accordingto a new report by theStockholm International PeaceResearch Institute (SIPRI).

The 3.6 per cent spike it saidwas the largest spendinggrowth since 2010.

While the US drove the glo-bal growth, China and India --the top Asian military spenders-- were respectively the sec-ond- and third-largest militaryspenders in the world, the re-port said.

China's military expenditure

reached USD 261 billion in2019, a 5.1 per cent increasecompared to 2018, while thatof India grew by 6.8 per centto USD 71.1 billion, it said.

"India's tensions and rivalrywith both Pakistan and Chinaare among the major drivers

for its increased militaryspending," said Siemon TWezeman, SIPRI Senior Re-searcher.

The total global military ex-penditure in 2019 representsan increase of 3.6 per centfrom 2018 and the largest an-nual growth in spending since2010, it said.

The five largest spenders,which accounted for 62 percent of the total expendi-ture, were the US, China, In-dia, Russia and Saudi Arabia,the report said, adding thatthis is the first time that twoAsian states have featuredamong the top three mili-tary spenders.

In addition to China andIndia, Japan (USD 47.6 bil-lion) and South Korea (USD43.9 billion) were the larg-est military spenders in Asiaand Oceania. Military ex-penditure in the region has

risen every year since at least1989.

The report said that the mili-tary spending by the US grewby 5.3 per cent to a total ofUSD 732 billion in 2019 and ac-counted for 38 per cent of glo-bal military spending.

The increase in US spendingin 2019 alone was equivalentto the entirety of Germany'smilitary expenditure for thatyear.

"The recent growth in US mili-tary spending is largely basedon a perceived return to compe-tition between the great pow-ers," said Pieter D Wezeman, Se-nior Researcher at SIPRI.

The global military spendingin 2019 represented 2.2 percent of the global gross do-mestic product (GDP), whichequates to approximately USD249 per person.

"Global military expenditurewas 7.2 per cent higher in 2019than it was in 2010, showing atrend that military spendinggrowth has accelerated in re-cent years," said Dr Nan Tian,SIPRI Researcher.

"This is the highest level ofspending since the 2008 glo-bal financial crisis and prob-ably represents a peak in ex-penditure," the researchersaid.PTI

Reliance JioMart goeslive on WhatsApp

HP Inc. to expand India manufacturingfootprint with Flex Ltd in Chennai

Tata Steel seeks GBP 500 MNgovernment bailout in UK

MUMBAI: After signing amassive $5.7 billion deal withFacebook, Reliance Indus-tries latest venture to ex-pand into the retail market,JioMart, has reportedly gonelive with its official WhatsAppnumber.

A c c o r d i n gto media re-ports, JioMartis currentlyavailable in thes u b u r b a nMumbai areasof NaviMumbai, Thaneand Kalyan currently.

However, the service isexpected to be rolled out inrest of the country soon.

To order from JioMart, onesimply need to add JioMart'sWhatsApp number 8850008000 on their phones, andthen JioMart will send a linkto the user's WhatsApp chatwindow which is valid for 30

minutes.By clicking on the link, the

user will be directed to anew page where he/she hasto fill his address and phonenumber.

After filling out the neces-sary informa-tion, JioMartwould showthe customer acatalogue of allthe availableitems.

O n c eplaced, the or-der will be re-

layed to the local kiranastore, along with the detailsof the customer.

The customer on theother end, would receive thename of the kirana store towhich the order has beendispatched, receiving thenotification with the orderand the kirana/JioMart storedetails on his number.IANS

GURUGRAM: In another fil-lip to Make in India, PC andprinting major HP Inc. has an-nounced it is expanding itsmanufacturing footprint inIndia with setting up a newfacility in Chennai with elec-tronics giant Flex Ltd that willmake HP Desktops and Work-stations.

Flex willm a n u f a c -ture HPD e s k t o p sand Work-station PCsat theplant on ac o n t r a c -tual basis.The facility is scheduled to beoperational from August thisyear.

The plant will have theflexibility to scale up manu-facturing capabilities on de-mand.

"We have a long-standingand successful relationshipwith Flex in other parts of the

world. Having a strong pres-ence in Chennai also has sev-eral geographical advan-tages, such as proximity tothe port that allows us to getraw materials from otherparts of Asia more quickly,"Vinay Awasthi, Managing Di-rector, HP Inc. India,

Bangladeshand SriLanka, toldIANS.

"It is alsonear aspare partsfacility inBengaluru.This moves u p p o r t s

HP's deep commitment to In-dia and will position us wellto continue meeting cus-tomer needs throughout thecountry," Awasthi added.

The move is crucial at atime when organisations arerevisiting their global supplychain and logistics strategiesin COVID-19 times. IANS

LONDON: Tata Steel's UK armis seeking an estimated GBP500-million government finan-cial package to survivethrough the coronaviruslockdown period, according toUK media re-ports.

Tata Steel,which ownsthe UK's larg-est steel-works in PortTalbot inWales, is hold-ing discus-sions with the Welsh govern-ment as well as the UK Treasuryas it seeks the GBP 50-millioncap set on loans being offeredunder the UK's CoronavirusLarge Business InterruptionLoan Scheme (CLBILS) to be

lifted."We continue to have ongo-

ing discussions with Tata Steelabout what support it needs tosustain a strong steel makingpresence in the UK and in

Wales," a Welshg o v e r n m e n tspokespersonsaid.

The Indiansteel majoremploys 8,385people in theUK, including

about 4,000people in Port Talbot and 2,800in other parts of Wales.

"We continue to work withboth the UK and Welsh govern-ments to identify what supportis available," a company state-ment said. PTI

Health Line

12 India Post May 1, 2020www.indiapost.com

One can be said to be perfectly healthy in body and mind only if no part of the body or mind makes itself felt. A partmakes itself felt only when there is something wrong with it. You know that you have a head only when it aches.

Sri Atmananda (1883 - 1959)

Administration offers plan to coverCOVID care for uninsured

WASHINGTON: The Trumpadministration has announceda plan to start paying hospitalsand doctors who care for unin-sured patients with COVID-19,but Democratic lawmakersand health industry groups arelikely to press for more.

Under the approach de-tailed by Health and HumanServices Secretary Alex Azar,hospitals and doctors wouldsubmit their bills directly tothe government and theywould get paid at Medicarerates.

Uninsured people wouldnot be liable for costs, andhealth care providers wouldnot have to ask any questionsabout a patient's immigrationstatus, an issue that's beencited as a barrier to care incommunities with many for-eign-born residents. This says ifyou don't have insurance, goget taken care of we have youcovered, Azar said in an inter-

view.The money will come from a

pot of 100 billion that Con-gress has approved to providerelief for the health care sys-tem, which is trying to copewith the high cost of

coronavirus care while facing acash crunch because electivesurgeries and procedures havebeen put on hold.

For COVID-19 patients whoare covered by health insur-ance, hospitals and doctors ac-

cepting money from the relieffund would have to agree tonot to send surprise bills forout-of-network services.??COVID-19 treatment for theuninsured could cost from 14billion to 48 billion, according

to a recent estimate from thenonpartisan Kaiser FamilyFoundation.

Azar said the administrationis not providing an estimate onwhat its plan will cost, but he isconfident it will fit within the

100 billion allocated by Con-gress. Lawmakers are finalizinganother coronavirus relief bill,expected to add 75 billionmore for the health care sys-tem.

Democrats and some healthindustry groups say the reliefmoney approved by Congressshould go directly to healthcare facilities, and the adminis-tration should cover the unin-sured by expanding programssuch as Medicaid and the Af-fordable Care Act.

An HHS press release de-scribing the plan for the unin-sured says payments for theircare would be made subject toavailable funding. About 28million people were uninsuredbefore the pandemic hit, andthat number is expected torise sharply.

Consultants at Health Man-agement Associates estimatethat 12 million to 35 millionpeople could lose workplacecoverage in the economicshutdown aimed at containingthe spread of the coronavirus.

The plan for the uninsuredwas part of a broader an-nouncement by the govern-ment detailing a second roundof economic relief payments tohospitals, doctors and otherhealth care service providers.

Before this latest announce-ment, 30 billion had been dis-tributed. Additional funds nowbeing released include: 20 bil-lion in payments across a rangeof health care facilities. 10 bil-lion targeted to coronavirushot spots; New York will receive4.4 billion. 10 billion for ruralhealth clinics and hospitals;400 million for Indian HealthService facilities.

Azar said additional alloca-tions would be announced fornursing homes, for hospitalsand doctors that rely on Med-icaid, and for dentists. AP

Child with heartproblem testscorona positive

CHANDIGARH: A six-monthgirl with congestive heart fail-ure was diagnosed withcoronavirus in the PGI Hospitalhere, doctors have stated. Thebaby, weighing three kg, wasdiagnosed as a case of a cyan-otic congenital heart diseasewith congestive heart failure.She was earlier hospitalized ina corporate hospital inLudhiana for 36 days and wassubsequently referred to thePGI for corrective surgery, thePGI said in a statement.

"She was admitted to Ad-vanced Pediatrics Center on April9 and was critically ill. She wasstabilized and required continu-ous ventilator support and anti-microbials. She showed gradualimprovement in her general con-dition," the statement said.

According to the PGI, afterdetailed assessment by thecardiologists andcardiothoracic surgeons, shewas due to be taken up foropen-heart surgery in the Ad-vanced Cardiac Center. How-ever, a preoperative test forCOVID-19 returned positive onApril 21. IANS

Glaucomatreated withgene therapy

LONDON: A common eyecondition, glaucoma, could besuccessfully treated with asingle injection using genetherapy, which would improvetreatment options, effective-ness and quality of life for manypatients, say researchers.

Glaucoma affects over 64million people worldwide andis a leading cause of irrevers-ible blindness. It is usuallycaused by fluid building up inthe front part of the eye, whichincreases pressure inside theeye and progressively dam-ages the nerves responsiblefor sight. Current treatmentsinclude eye drops, laser or sur-gery, all of which have limita-tions and disadvantages.

"At present, there is no curefor glaucoma, which can leadto loss of vision if the disease isnot diagnosed and treatedearly," said study researcher DrColin Chu from the Universityof Bristol in the UK. IANS

Medicos welcome ordinance to punishthose attacking healthcare workers

NEW DELHI: The IndianMedical Association (IMA) pro-fessionals' organizations andother medical professionals'have hailed the government'sdecision to make violenceagainst healthcare personnelfighting coronavirus a non-bail-able offence, with some de-manding that this law shouldapply to any such attack evenafter the crisis blows over.

The Union Cabinet has ap-proved an ordinance makingacts of violence and harass-ment against healthcare per-sonnel deployed in combatingCOVID-19 a non-bailable of-fence with maximum punish-

ment of seven years imprison-ment and Rs 5 lakh fine, meet-ing a key demand of health pro-fessionals in the wake of recentattacks on them.

The ordinance will amend

the Epidemic Diseases Act,1897, and the amended lawwill also be invoked ifhealthcare personnel face ha-rassment from their landlords

or neighbors over suspicionthat they may carry thecoronavirus infection due tothe nature of their work,Union Minister PrakashJavadekar said.

Union Health MinisterHarsh Vardhan tweeted,"The government has de-cided to promulgate an or-dinance to amend the Epi-demic Diseases Act, 1897,in the light of the pandemicsituation of #COVID? 19.

This will facilitate punishmentunder the law in cases of vio-lence against healthcare ser-vice personnel serving duringan epidemic." PTI

India PostWellness Post 13May 1, 2020

www.indiapost.com

The virus will be with us for along time: WHO chief

GENEVA: The World Health Organization (WHO) hassaid the coronavirus continues to be extremely dan-gerous and will remain for a long time.

"Make no mistake: We have a long way to go. Thisvirus will be with us for a long time," Tedros AdhanomGhebreyesus, Director General of the World HealthOrganization, said at the daily briefing on coronavirus.

Globally, almost 2.5 million Covid-19 cases havebeen reported to the WHO, whilemore than 160,000 people havesuccumbed to the dreaded virusso far.

The WHO DG said that mostcountries are still in the earlystages of the pandemic. "Andsome that were affected early bythe pandemic are now starting tosee a resurgence in cases," headded.

Ghebreyesus also said thatthere's no doubt that stay-at-homeorders and other physical distanc-ing measures have successfullysuppressed the transmission of thevirus in many countries. "But thisvirus remains extremely danger-ous. Early evidence suggests mostof the world's population remainssusceptible. That means epidemicscan easily re-ignite," he said.

"One of the greatest dangers we face now is com-placency. People in countries with stay-at-home or-ders are understandably frustrated with being con-fined to their homes for weeks on end," he said.

??Ghebreyesus said that people understandably wantto get on with their lives, because their lives and live-lihoods are at stake.

"But the world will not and cannot go back to theway things were. There must be a 'new normal' -- aworld that is healthier, safer and better prepared," heemphasized.

"The same public health measures we have been

advocating since the beginning of the pandemic mustremain the backbone of the response in all the coun-tries -- Find every case; Isolate every case; Test everycase; Care for every case; Trace and quarantine everycontact," Ghebreyesus said. IANS

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

Italy: COVID-19vaccine in humantrials in September

ROME: Potential COVID-19 vaccines being de-veloped by two private research laboratoriesoutside of Rome could enter into a testing phaseas soon as in September, according to informa-tion from the two companies.

Advent-IRBM and Takis Biotech, two biotech-nology companies based in Pomezia, a townaround 30 km south of Rome, are among a hand-ful of companies towards human testing of apotential vaccine, reported Xinhua news agency.

Advent-IRBM is set to start advanced studieson its potential vaccine in conjunction with theJenner Institute, which is part of Oxford Univer-sity in the United Kingdom. Advent-IRBM hasannounced it will send samples to the JennerInstitute very soon, where it will be developedin part with local funding.

Asked about the Advent-IRBM project, BritishHealth Secretary Matt Hancock said, "A vaccineis the best way to defeat the coronavirus," ac-cording to a ministry release. "If this vaccine oranother works, the important thing is to immu-nize as many people as possible in the shortesttime possible."

According to information from the company,research is based on the use of adenovirus, a mildvirus that infects chimpanzees, with a geneticmodification that carries part of the coronavirus.The hope is that it will create an immune re-sponse in humans. Piero Di Lorenzo, Advent-IRBM's chief executive, said the testing at Oxfordwould be aimed at assuring the vaccine is effec-tive and without unintended side effects.

Takis Biotech was among the first companiesin Europe to switch its focus to developing a vac-cine against the coronavirus. The company is-sued a press release as early as on Jan. 27, whenthe disease had not yet been named. LuigiAurisicchio, the chief executive and chief scienceofficer for the company, saw the risk for a globaloutbreak back then. "We will immediately makeavailable our skills gained for the developmentof vaccines against cancer and other infectiousdiseases to fight the spread of this coronavirus,"Aurisicchio stated in that press release.

"Our idea was to create a company quickly,and to focus on this," Aurisicchio said this week."Since our technology is versatile, it can beadapted for a virus that mutates like COVID-19... [and even] for some new diseases thatemerge." IANS

Two pet cats in New York testpositive for COVID-19

NEW YORK: Two pet cats in New York have been in-fected with the novel coronavirus, becoming the firstpets in the United States to test positive for the virus,federal agencies said.

The two cats, which live in separate areas of NewYork state, have shown mildsymptoms and are ex-pected to make a full recov-ery, according to a state-ment released by the USDepartment ofAgriculture's National Vet-erinary Services Laborato-ries and the US Centers forDisease Control and Preven-tion (CDC), reported Xinhuanews agency.

In the household of thefirst cat, no individual hastested positive for COVID-19, and experts believe thecat may have contracted the virus from an infectedperson outside its home, or from mildly ill or asymp-

tomatic household members. The second cat's ownerhad tested positive for COVID-19 before the catshowed signs of respiratory illness, according to thestatement.

There is no evidence that pets play a role in spread-ing the coronavirus in theUnited States, said thestatement. "Therefore,there is no justification intaking measures againstcompanion animals thatmay compromise their wel-fare."

As public health expertsand officials are still learningabout the virus, the CDCrecommends people tokeep cats indoors, walkdogs on a leash and avoid

crowded places like a dog park. For those who are sickwith COVID-19, experts suggest they should restrictcontact with their pets and other animals. IANS

May 1, 2020India Post14 www.indiapost.com

NEW DELHI: Avinash and Kirti had an online wed-ding on April 14, which was virtually attended by 80of their close friends and relatives. They also held anonline mehendi, and a sangeet ceremony apart fromthe marriage, which was performed according to theHindu custom wherein a 'pandit' (priest) was chantingHindu mantras while being connected on a video call.

The lockdown has bounded many couples post-pone their weddings planned in March and April. Butthose who hold their fixed wedding date close to theirheart and want to get married on the same date, amidthis national shutdown, are not hesitant to try the ideaof 'virtual wedding'.

"We had a grand weddingplanned in Satna, Madhya Pradesh,with over 8000 expected guests.But things got changed a bit. We didnot want our wedding to go be-yond April. So we thought of anonline wedding. We had a properHindu marriage but online. And weare happy about it," said Avinash.

Mumbai-based Sushen and Kirtifrom Bareily also had an arrangedmarriage online on April 19.Sushen said: "Even if the lockdowngets lifted in the next few days, Idoubt we will be allowed to orga-nize a social gathering like a mar-riage anytime soon. We did notwant to wait for our wedding. Andbeing responsible citizens, we feltthis was one way to maintain so-cial distance and at the same timemaking sure that we had all thefun like a typical wedding. So itwas like an entire party we hadonline. It was a really cool idea andbeing a part of it is much more ex-

citing for us."Their weddings were facilitated by Shaadi.com that

has introduced 'Wedding from Home' service to helpcouples tie the knot by making arrangements for all theonline ceremonies even during the time of coronaviruswhen social distancing is the need of the hour.

Adhish Zaveri, Director - Marketing, Shaadi.com,said: "There is no greater act than getting two peoplemarried. We realized that there are a lot of people whohave planned their wedding during this period andthe fact that we won't be able to do it was very dis-heartening for them. We decided that even if you can'tbe there in person, you can tie the knot virtually. Thatis something we can take very seriously and try tomake it as close to a real wedding."

It starts with sending out e-invites for guests, fol-

lowed by mehendi ceremony where we have amehendi artiste take online tutorial. We have make-upartiste who teaches the bride how you can get thebridal look in the comfort of your house. Overallgrooming tips are taught virtually. Finally, we have a'panditji' who performs the wedding rituals.

Twelve Muslim couples in Madhya Pradesh also en-tered into wedlock on April 17, despite the lockdown,through videoconference. Reformist Muslims havebeen organizing mass marriages at Guna every Aprilfor some years now. Just as the coronavirus crisisseemed to disrupt this year's schedule, the SheherQazi of Guna offered to conduct the 'nikah' online. Allthe 12 grooms and brides offered their consent to themarriage on a video call. In less than an hour, they weremarried without stepping out of their homes. IANSlife

"EVEN IF THE LOCKDOWN

GETS LIFTED IN THE NEXT

FEW DAYS, I DOUBT WE WILL

BE ALLOWED TO ORGANIZE

A SOCIAL GATHERING LIKE A

MARRIAGE ANYTIME SOON.

WE DID NOT WANT TO WAIT

FOR OUR WEDDING."

AVINASH

May 1, 2020 India Post 15

www.indiapost.com

NEW DELHI: In the world ofbeauty, the sweltering sun is notexactly one's best friend. Withoily skin, increased sweat andmakeup meltdowns, beauty insummers can be tricky.

In a conversation withIANSlife, Nykaa Brands CEOReena Chabbra spells out herguide to summer-friendlymakeup.

Prep your skinIt is always recommended

to rub some ice all over theface before you begin workingon the base.

Priyanka Chopra to donate footwearfor healthcare workers in India

NEW DELHI: Bollywood ac-tress Priyanka Chopra Jonaswill be donating 10,000 pairsof footwear to healthcareworkers in India who arefighting against the pan-demic COVID-19.

The actress, incol laborat ionwith Crocs,will give thefootwear topublic andg o v e r n -ments hospi-tals in Kerala,Maharashtra,Haryana, andKarnataka.

Global UNICEF ambassa-dor, Priyanka said:"Healthcare professionalsacross the country are ourtrue superheroes, workingeveryday to ensure oursafety and fighting for us onthe frontlines. Their courage,

commitment, and sacrificesare saving innumerable livesin this global pandemic.While we cannot even imag-ine what's it like to be intheir shoes, we can at least

help them be com-fortable in them.

Because of thenature of theirwork, it iscritical forthem to haveeasy-to-cleanshoes and ap-

parel forthemselves. . .We are soglad to be

able to offer this supportand hope this helps thesecaregivers in the fightagainst this virus."

She has also announced a10,000 pair footwear dona-tion for healthcare workers inthe US. IANSlife

Priyanka Chopra Jonas

Long-lasting makeup andhealthy skin go hand in hand.Hence it is advisable to alsowork on your skin by exfoliatingand keeping it oil-free. Based onyour skin type, you could opt forclay masks or peel-off masks asthey keep the oil secretion incontrol and also keep skin freeof dead cells.

A sheet mask is a trendy call-it-a-day product that makesyou wake up with well hy-drated and supple skin thatwon't need much nourishingfurther. You can opt the sameto keep your skin hydrated.

Use an oil-free moisturizer. Fa-cial oil is also a good option sincethey are mostly dry oils and donot leave your skin greasy.

Create a perfect baseAlways choose a gel-based

primer since it does not createany extra layer and still helpsthe makeup stay in place. Usean oil-free foundation that ishydrating enough and gives amatte finish.

Start the application bybuilding up with thin layersrather than applying every-thing at one go. For blending,use a sponge blender ratherthan a stippling brush, as thestippling brush teases thepores that lead to excessive oilsecretion.

Avoid creamy foundationsor anything too dewy in sum-mers as you might end up look-ing extra shiny due to the hu-

midity. Do not use too muchcompact/loose powder to setthe base as this might lead to ablotchy base after a few hours.It should be just enough to lockthe makeup.

Use cheek creams/cheekstains instead of pressed pow-der blushes.

Always finish off with a set-ting spray; it keeps yourmakeup intact for a longer pe-

riod. In case you don't have oneyou can make one at home. MixMoringa Carrier Oil with a RoseEssential Oil or a Lavender Es-sential Oil and dilute it in water.Your DIY Setting Spray is ready.It can be stored in the refrigera-tor and used just before youleave the house to give you apleasant 'seal-the-deal'.IANSlife For detailed story visit

www.indiapost.com

Blues Music Awards to bepresented during online showMEMPHIS, Tenn: The Blues

Music Awards will be heldonline next month, hosted bysinger Shemekia Copelandfrom her living room.

The Memphis, Tennessee-based Blues Foundation saidin a news release that theawards show will be live-streamed on thefoundation's Facebook pageand broadcast on itsYouTube channel on May 3due to the coronavirus out-break.

Copeland will host, nomi-nees will contribute perfor-mances recorded in theirhomes, and special guests willappear during the program.

Rick Estrin and his bandthe Nightcats have been

nominated for eight awards, in-cluding band of the year, songof the year and traditionalblues artist.

Estrin is also nominated forthe B.B. King Entertainer of theYear award, along with BillyBranch, SugarayRayford, Bobby

Rush and Mavis Staples.The foundation has cre-

ated the COVID-19 BluesMusician Emergency ReliefFund to help professionalblues musicians who havelost income because of tourand event cancellations. AP

Rick Estrin &The Nightcats

May 1, 2020www.indiapost.comIndia Post16

A sovereign state in South Asia, Bhutanis also popularly known as 'Land ofThunder Dragon.' It is a landlockedcountry situated in the Eastern

Himalayas, bordered along the People's Repub-lic of China to the north, having India to thesouth, east, and west. The land consists mostlyof high and steep mountains criss- crossed by anetwork of swift rivers, which form deep valleys.The country has the world's highest unclimbedpeak, Gangkhar Puensum, at 24,836 feet.

An interesting fact about Bhutan - the gen-eral prosperity of the country is measured bythe 'Gross National Happiness' index, explainedby its four pillars - sustainable development,good governance, cultural preservation and en-vironmental protection. Also, continually rankedas the happiest country in Asia and the eighth-happiest country in the world according to asurvey by Business Week.

Bhutanese have a strong reverence towardsnature and the country leads in environmentalconservation. People use cotton bags instead ofplastic bags to keep the environment free of non-biodegradable items. Also, the Tobacco ControlAct regulates tobacco, banning the cultivation,harvesting, production, and its sale in Bhutan.

Bhutanese cuisine is known for its spiciness,most Bhutanese people do not enjoy a meal if itis not spicy. Rice and chillis are the main ingredi-ents of most meals, accompanied by side dishesconsisting of vegetables or pork, beef, andchicken. Ema Datshi is the national dish ofBhutan. Rich in cultural diversity, every village inBhutan has a unique festival, Tshechu is the mostimportant and widely celebrated of all festivals.

Dwelling on its tourism industry, Bhutan at-tracts many travellers from across the globebecause of its untouched mountains, serenity,

and vibrancy. The Punakha Dzong- arguably themost beautiful Dzong in the country, TrashiChhoe Dzong, the Paro Dzong and theTaktshang Goemba also known as the Tiger'sNest Monastery are the main attractions of thecountry.

Top attractions you shouldn't miss1. Dochula Pass in Thimphu2. Mebar Tsho - Bumthang3. Taktsang Monastery, Paro4. Punakha Dzong, Punakha5. Gasa Dzong, Gasa6. The Tower of Trongsa Museum, Trongsa7. Radhi Village, Trashigang8. Gangtey Valley, Wangdue Phodrang

Off beat places in Bhutan1. Haa Valley2. The National Folk Heritage Museum3. Bumthang Valley4. Kila NunneryThe best time to visit Bhutan is during the

months of March to May and September andNovember.

How to Reach Bhutan?Bhutan can be easily reached by air, train and

road from various countries. Many countrieshave direct flights to Bhutan. By land, there aretwo entry roads through Phuentsholing andGelephu, linking with the Indian states of WestBengal and Assam respectively.

By Air: Paro International Airport is the oneand only international airport to enter intoBhutan by air. There are international flightsfrom Delhi, Kolkata, Bangkok, Bagdogra, Dhaka,Bodh Gaya, Kathmandu, Singapore, Guwahatiand Mumbai.

Courtesy: www.yatra.com

www.indiapost.com May 1, 2020

COMMUNITYACROSS AMERICA

India Post

Desi News

17

Details on page 21

Vaisakhi for farmersand for all Details on page 21

Details on page 18

Details on page 20

Suraj Patel and House of Spices donatefood to Queens Hospital

India Post News Service

NEW YORK: - Suraj Patel, can-didate for Congress in Manhat-tan, North Brooklyn, and West-ern Queens, announced a part-nership with Amrapali Soni, co-president of House of Spices,to provide $10,000 worth offood to healthcare heroes onthe front lines and our mostvulnerable communities.

Suraj and the House ofSpices team delivered thethousands of dollars worth offood donations on Tuesday,April 21, to Elmhurst Hospitaland Center of Hope Interna-tional - Bread of Life Food Pan-try in Long Island City whichserves vulnerable residents hitparticularly hard by the eco-nomic shut down. Center ofHope is run by longtime com-munity leader Bishop MitchellG. Taylor.

"The Center of Hope Interna-tional Bread of Life Food Pantrywent into relief mode 4 weeksago. Our mission was simple;provide food for families, andhelp stabilize them throughthis pandemic," said Bishop

Mitchell G. Taylor, senior Pastorof Center of Hope Int'l and Co-founder &CEO of UrbanUpbound.

Elmhurst Hospital has beenamong the hardest hit in thenation and serves much of thecity's South Asian population.

House of Spices, in Flushing,aims to spread Indian food cul-ture through quality products,family recipes, and other out-reach. The New York City re-gion is home to the largest In-dian American population inthe country. New York State hasnever sent an Indian-AmericanRepresentative in Congress. Ifelected, Suraj Patel would be

the first."It breaks my heart that

Queens has been hurt so badlyby coronavirus, because thesecommunities are our caretak-ers. It's the folks that work inhospitality, in healthcare, in ourrestaurants and in our taxicabs.

It's big, loving families gettingpunished for living so closelytogether; immigrant familieslike my own that once slept 13to a one-bedroom apartment.Queens is all about grit,Queens will rebuild, and I wantfolks to know that we neverleft their side during any ofthis. We showed up again andagain and we didn't leave any-

one alone," said Suraj Patel,candidate for Congress inAstoria and Long Island City.

Throughout this crisis, theSuraj Patel for Congress cam-paign has been there for com-munity every step of the way:Suraj has been on the streetspersonally delivering hun-dreds of meals to Seniors andraising money for Citymeals onWheels. The campaign hasmade over 80,000 wellnesscheck-in calls to neighbors, de-livering food, water, and toiletpaper at a moments notice tothose in need, creating greet-ing cards for seniors, and advo-cating for urgent, immediaterelief for Tipped Workers, Hos-pitality Workers, Small Busi-nesses, Renters, Artists, and ourHealthcare Heroes. Suraj wasthe first candidate in the coun-try to release a plan for Coordi-nated, National COVID-19 test-ing. Having had COVID himself,Suraj is consistently donatinghis blood plasma to MountSinai Hospital and encouragesyou to do the same: https://bit.ly/MSdonateplasma

Funds raised forIndia doctor byIndian teenager

GEETHA PATIL

BOSTON: A 16-year-old,Rohan Prabhu, who attendsBoston University Academy inBoston, MA, is always inspiredby his active Rotarian parentswho involve themselves in the'services above self. 'Lastweek, on Apr 21, 2020, he un-dertook a project tofundraise for Coronavirus Re-lief for Indian Doctors, de-spite social distancing afterdiscussing with a Delhibased Rotarian, Dr. SumeetNaroola about the situationof COVID-19 in India.

Chicago Indian CGshares perspectiveon COVID-19

Dear Friends,

As we all grapple with theongoing COVID-19 pan-

demic that has come to affectevery aspect of our personaland professional lives, I amwriting to share our perspec-tives on the recent initiativesthat Government of India hastaken in response to this pan-demic as well as steps taken bythe Embassy and the Consu-lates in reaching out to the In-dian community.

Stopping US willhurt IndianAmerican families

NEELA PANDYA

WASHINGTON, DC: TheHindu American FoundationHAF) expressed serious con-cern over President DonaldTrump's Executive Order seek-ing to ban for sixty days Consu-lar processing of green card("immigrant visas") applica-tions.

May 1, 2020India Post18 Community Across Americawww.indiapost.com

Funds raised for India doctor by Indian teenagerGEETHA PATIL

Rohan running marathon

BOSTON: A 16-year-old,Rohan Prabhu, who attendsBoston University Academy inBoston, MA, is always inspiredby his active Rotarian parentswho involve themselves in the'services above self. 'Last week,on Apr 21, 2020, he undertooka project to fundraise forCoronavirus Relief for IndianDoctors, despite social dis-tancing after discussing with aDelhi based Rotarian, Dr.Sumeet Naroola about thesituation of COVID-19 in India.

He decided to use an onlinefundraising website and per-sonal contacts to raise fundsto help the India doctorsthrough the Rotary Club ofDelhi South end (R. I. District

3010) during difficult times.His motivation came from

his doctor parents' discussionwith many of their classmatesand friends in India who areoperating without adequateequipment Indian doctors notonly deal with public fearabout the virus, but also theshortage of resources, testingand protective equipment.

This prompted him to starta fund-raising project. His par-ents are working at BostonChildren's Hospital and New-ton Wellesley Hospital thathave resources to get throughthe COVID-19 pandemic, butnot every hospital has theseresources, even in the UnitedStates - Mr. Rohanmentioned

reluctantly.Rohan said that the funds

raised would be used to pro-vide the personal protectiveequipment (PPE), living ac-commodations for doctors,and ensure safety ofhealthcare providers as theyfight the war everyday againstthe virus. The PPE may includeface shields, gloves, gogglesand glasses, gowns, head cov-ers, masks, respirators, andshoe covers that are criticalfor healthcare workers thatdeal with Corona virus pa-tients. Dr. Naroola and the Ro-tary club will oversee the dis-tribution and utilization of thefunds he raises and ensuresessential materials are madeavailable to healthcare work-ers in Delhi area.

Rohan is active in the com-

munity activities and sportsand wants to join thehealthcare industry. In 2015,he ran a half marathon forDana Farber research, and heis currently working with anorganization to build a com-

munity center for Siddis inYellapur, Karnataka. He be-lieves that doctors will winthe fight against COVID-19,even though, they are beingpushed beyond their emo-tional and physical l imits ,

Dr. Naroola distributing PPE in Delhi

Rohan said that the funds raised would be usedto provide the personal protective equipment(PPE), living accommodations for doctors, andensure safety of healthcare providers as they

fight the war everyday against the virus

and there is a need to fill thegaps in key resources.

He therefore is request-ing all the Indian communitymembers and others to joinhim in bringing aid to thesededicated doctors in India

and make a big difference.To learn more about his cam-paign and making dona-t ions, v is it website ath t t p s : / /w w w . g o f u n d m e . c o m / f /aidforindiandoctors

India Post 19May 1, 2020 Community Across Americawww.indiapost.com

A Cup OfNature

Bring me the sunset in a cup,Sprinkle some twinkles of stars.

Mix the moondust well,Let it heal all my scars.

This long and lone night,Hikes up the burnouts within.

Add those last golden strands,It will bring back my grin.

Darker and richer like the night,But warm as the sun that left.

That's how I want my cup to be,Happy enough to be bereft.

by Chandni Tripathi

Chicago Indian Consul General shares perspective on COVID-19Dear Friends,

As we all grapple with the ongoingCOVID-19 pandemic that has come

to affect every aspect of our personaland professional lives, I am writing toshare our perspectives on the recentinitiatives that Government of India hastaken in response to this pandemic aswell as steps taken by the Embassy andthe Consulates in reaching out to theIndian community.

A number of initial preventive mea-sures by India such as issuing advisoryon travel to early 'hotspots' of the virusin January itself, universal screening ofall passengers at international airportsfollowed by suspension of travel intoIndia from such countries includingChina and other countries in Asia inearly February, and subsequently a pan-India lockdown has led to a relativelylower number of COVID-19 cases in In-dia about 23,000 so far and ensuringthat we stayed ahead of the curve.

Given the enormity of introducing'social distancing' and 'shelter-at-home'norms in a country with 1.3 billionpeople, Prime Minister NarendraModitook the country into confidence. In a

maintained continuity of essential ser-vices - power supply, water, energy,food, banking services, delivery of es-sential goods, etc. In order to mitigatehardships of urban migrant workers,the State Governments have opened anumber of shelters, arranged food andtransportation as well as medicalscreening for COVID-19 symptoms.Such measures were inevitable for In-dia and it was a measure of the accep-

tance of this needthat all State Gov-ernments acrossIndia have en-forced thelockdown.

The lockdownis accompaniedby a nationwideeffort to enhancemedical pre-paredness at theCentral, State andlocal administra-tion levels. A net-work of 223 publicand private viralresearch and di-

Letter to editor

Amit Kumar

televised speech, the Prime Ministerurged Indians to observe a one-day,self-imposed "People's Curfew" on 19March, which received an overwhelm-ing response. This prepared the coun-try for a 21-day lockdown with effectfrom 24 March, which has since beenextended until 3May 2020. Indiaacted quickly tocontain the virus,with conviction thatsaving lives is a pri-ority, and it contin-ues to be so. Inac-tion would haveposed a risk not onlyto Indians, but alsoglobally throughthe interconnectednature of interna-tional commerceand travel.

The Govern-ment has also

agnostic laboratories are operationalacross the country to facilitate timelysample testing. A massive contact trac-ing and surveillance operation is con-tinuing on a nationwide scale to pre-empt transmission of COVID-19. PrimeMinister has constituted a Group of Min-isters to plan, monitor and review thesituation on a regular basis. Training ofdoctors and paramedical staff working atAirports/Ports, identified hospitals andRapid Response Teams in field continuesat a rapid pace, and the full strength ofthe public health system has been de-ployed to combat the pandemic.

A nationwide, grassroots level effortsto combat this pandemic are also under-way in India. The local administrationshave set up screening teams of primaryhealth workers at village/town level, es-tablished a network of hospitals to trackpossible transmission and aggressivelyscreen/test suspected cases.

With regards,Amit KumarConsul General of India Chicago


How Muslims can fight COVID-19with power of Ramadan

A.Q. SIDDIQUI

Yes, Muslims all over the world canfight COVID-19 pandemic withRamadan. Every year, the month

of Ramadan comes as the blessing fromGod Almighty. It is a common knowl-edge that Muslims fast from dawn todusk and engage themselves inprayers. But what is not commonlyknown is the fact that, this the monthwhen believers are actually rewardedby God.

This is the time when Muslims canturn to God Almighty and plead Himwhat He promised for Ramadan. ThePandemic COVID-19 is spreading like awild fire. When something is not in con-trol of mankind, it is the last resort man-kind turns to God for His mercy. TheJews, Christians, Hindus, Sikh or any be-liever in God can do so. Muslims have agreater chance with the power ofRamadan.

The Prophet of Islam, peace be uponhim, was quoted by companion AbuHuraira as saying, "Allah the Majesticand Exalted said: "Every good deed ofman will receive ten to 700 times re-ward, except Siyam (fasting), for it is forMe and I shall reward it (as I like)." So, a

fasting believer is promised a reward byGod Himself. And how the fasting mancan redeem this reward? The Prophet(pbuh) has advised methods to seekmercy of Lord in his sayings and prac-tices (sunnah).

Earlier Prophets, Moses (pbuh) andIssa (Jesus, pbuh) were direct instru-mental for their people. The people of

Moses will come and ask him what theywanted from God. Even people ofMoses would request him for food andwater and Moses prayed God for theirneeds. The same tradition continuedwith Prophet Issa (Jesus, pbuh). The fol-lowers of Jesus used to come and askfor the mercy of God. The blinds used tocome and ask for the sight. The lepersasked for cure. People would come and

confess their sins and ask for forgive-ness from God.

In early days of Islam, companions ofProphet Muhamad (pbuh) also ex-pected his intercession with God. TheProphet (pbuh) on different occasionsshowed to his followers how they coulddirectly supplicant with God withoutmaking him an intermediary. In the year628 A.D. and 6th year of his migration toMadina, he asked his followers to joinhim for Umrah. He wore the 2 pieces ofunstitched clothes, Ihram and marchedtowards Makkah. The purpose of thisUmrah was seeking the help of God.When he conquered Makkah in 632,again he asked his companion to enterinto Ihram from a nearby boundary andperform Umrah. Thus, he taught his fol-lowers that they could perform Umraheither for seeking the mercy of God orfor thanksgiving. For precaution, Umrahprayers are not allowed during thistime. But I pray, any local Arab in Makkahshould hold the threshold of Holy Kaabaand plead Almighty to send His mercyfor the mankind.

The Pandemic COVID-19 isspreading like a wild fire.

When something is not incontrol of mankind, it is thelast resort mankind turns to

God for His mercy



Stopping us will hurt Indian American familiesNEELA PANDYA

APALA blasts Trump'sExecutive Order onimmigrant workers

NEELA PANDYA

Washington, DC - The US Presi-dent Trump new Executive Orderthat impacting most new greencards, will be damaging the Ameri-can economy, asserts Asian Ameri-can Labor Alliance (APALA). The Ex-ecutive Order carves out excep-tions, without increasing health andsafety protections, for essentialworkers and seasonal H-2B farmworkers who are keeping our hos-pitals running and grocery storesstocked. Trump and his cronieshave failed to protect workingpeople during this pandemic andinstead of taking real actions, he istaking the age-old route ofscapegoating immigrant workers.

Executive Director of APALA, AFL-CIO, AlvinaYeh observed that Presi-dent, Trump is trying to pit vulner-able workers against immigrantworkers as if they are mutually ex-clusive communities. The labormovement knows this is a false di-chotomy that seeks to distract usfrom his failures. We are a commu-nity of black immigrants, Asian im-migrants, Latino immigrants, dis-abled immigrants, and we are theones caring for our communitiesand keeping America running dur-ing this pandemic.

WASHINGTON, DC: The Hindu Ameri-can Foundation HAF) expressed seriousconcern over President Donald Trump'sExecutive Order seeking to ban for sixtydays Consular processing of green card("immigrant visas") applications.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, rou-tine processing services had alreadybeen suspended as of March 20, 2020at all US embassies and consulatesaround the world.

Trump's ban will directly impact par-ents, siblings, and adult children of UScitizens, and spouses and young chil-dren of permanent residents. In manycases, families have already waitedyears, if not decades, to be reunited. Bysome estimates, close to 250,000 IndianAmericans are waiting for family spon-sored green cards, and comprise thesecond largest group to be affected bythe ban.

The President cited the move as away to combat the COVID-19 pan-demic, but no rationale is offered in thesubstance of the order to support thiscontention. Instead, the Executive Or-der argues that the ban is being im-

posed to protect American jobs fromcompetition.

"There is no evidence to supportPresident Trump's contention that agedparents of Indian American citizen spon-sors or adult children - often studentswould compete for American jobs. In-stead, this order will disproportionatelytarget hard-working Indian Americansseeking to unite their families, and theywill suffer incredible harm, HAF con-

tendsThe order's downstream effect could

impact international students whowould be applying for student visasover the summer for the fall semesterat American universities. And the stipu-

lation about a review of the temporaryvisa programs within 30 days could alsoaffect H-1B temporary workers, a largenumber of whom are from India.

All available evidence demonstratesthat immigration actually enhances em-ployment in communities seeing thelargest influx of immigrants, it is pointedout. Immigrants spur economic and la-bor market growth and innovation, cre-ating thousands of jobs, Shukla added.

A 2017 study found that a majority oflarger start-ups had at least one immi-grant co-founder, and were responsiblefor creating an average of more than1200 jobs per company.

As of now, the executive order willnot apply to:

Spouses or minor children of US citi-zens filing for green cards ("immediaterelative")

Applicants of green cards filing fromwithin the US ("adjustments of status")

Applicants of Special Immigrant Visasor EB-5 ("immigrant investor") visas

Applicants of any temporary visas(tourist, student visas, H-1B visas, etc.),whether filed from within the US or forconsular processing

A 2017 study found that a majority of larger

start-ups had at least one immigrant co-founder,

and were responsible for creating an average of

more than 1200 jobs per company

India Post 21May 1, 2020 Community Across Americawww.indiapost.com

Vaisakhi for farmers and for allTHAKAR S BASATI

I woke up at 3am, happens often,sometime I go back to sleep, sometime I don't. Sometime I plan, what

to work on, or do pathh. Today I thoughtabout Vaisakhi. Here you know Vaisakhifrom Rangla Punjab or Gurdwara bhog.Now they have added Guru NanakParkash Divas, this is the original date; itwas changed during Maharaja RanjitSingh regime to bring in more peopleto Shri Harmandir Sahib.

I have different memory of Vaisakhi.Whereas Vaisakhi is start of Vaisakhmonth, we used to celebrate on April13th, now it is April 14th as moon calen-dar keeps changing. Around 2:30/3amfarmers start to wake up. It is calledAmrit Vela (early morning). They will mixgreen fodder that we chopped in theevening for animals, mix it with dry chaffof wheat and feed the oxen, buffaloes,cows. We used to have 4 servants. 2sharecroppers (Sanjhi), 1 salaried forfarming and 1 younger one for animals.

Around 3:30/4 am a lady and a ser-vant will go milk the buffalos and cows.Make chah and if they were going tofarm, they will leave saying Wakhru (forWaheguru) or if they had to go tomandi(market) then we had to loadgadda(bull cart) in the evening. We hadto make sure cart is balanced. Few timesa year we had to do maintenance checkon cart. We had to grease the wheelswith butter/desi ghee or grease if onecould find. Make sure wheels are bal-anced and move freely. We had to makesure bulls would stay secure under theyoke.

Our parents had largest piece of landin the area and our parents lived in ajoint family. They were 3 brothers.Youngest one died shortly after a sonwas born. He was very handsome, fear-less, something happened; he had feverand passed away. So my father raisedhis younger brother, we called himChhote Taya ji. Chhote Taya ji had only 1daughter; his son didn't survive, so heraised 6 of us brothers as his own. Wehave 2 sisters too.

There was no irrigation system; so allthe crops were dependent on rain. Sothey grew daals, wheat, rice, corn, andsugar cane.

Growing wheat took some planning.You have to know how much seed tosow, plant only when soil is ready, likenot wet or too dry. Sometime peoplemixed with Channa. Now they use trac-tor, in old times it was ox hull. To keep itin rows, they will tie large oil pipe calledkuppy (funnel) and pour seeds in it oneat a time.

To get rid of weeds, they had to dogoudi (pulling weeds out). When stalks

were about a feet, sometime we wouldmake music pipes out of them. They alsosowed mustard at the same time andwhen it flowered, it was an awesomescene, yellow flowers on green base.

We used to cut mustard stalks for saag,delicacy in Punjab.

Once the wheat ripened, it was mostamazing brown color painting createdby Nature. Sometimes rains will comeand flatten the crop, sometime evenhailstorm will come and farmers coulddo nothing just watch destruction. Theywere prepared.

Sometime lightening will start fireand destroy the crops. So farmers neverknew for sure if they will be able to pro-cure the labor and be able to sell andget money. They never knew if theywould be able to pay back the moneythey owed. Farmers aren't cash richpeople, it is like long-term investment,and you can't cash it when you want. Sosometime they weren't able to pay

back their debts. They will arrange bigfunctions like weddings after sellingtheir crops. If crop destruction hap-pened few times in a row, they will fallbehind, then they will start giving theirland to bankers. Sometime they had tosell to pay back. Some struggled to gainback. Very few will take their life seeingno way out. It is still happening.

If a farmer is lucky enough to harvest,they will arrange for hired labor to cutwheat. Sometime they shared labor.

People will form groups, cut one day atone farm, others on different days.There will be competitions, songs,jokes, teasing, and lot of fun. When thecrop is harvested, they will leave a cor-

ner for the birds and for the poor. Poorpeople knew which farmer is almost fin-ished with harvesting, then they willreach that farm. When farmer will signalthey will harvest and take home what-ever they could grab. Birds will eatwhatever is left on ground.

Life for ladies at home wasn't acakewalk either. They had to makemorning chah (tea) for 30-40 people,lunch for 30-40 people then afternoonchah. Some people may stay over nightto restart in the morning, so dinner forall those and yes there will be somedrinking of alcohol in the evening to re-lax. They will ask extra help from villageladies which gave them chance to getall the scoop on others, gossip time too.

While harvesting, it gets quiet hot. So

they had people (Zeur) whose job wasto supply water to homes and topeople on farm.

They will bring water, Pakore (frit-ters) or Ber (like dry dates) and collectharvest in lieu of it. They also got paidevery 6 months from the crops. Oncepeople harvesting will leave piles be-hind, we had to role them into bales andmake sure people can carry them ontheir heads, not too heavy. Again therewas competition, who can lift by them-

selves, who can run faster with bale onhead, yes we did fall, we did cry be-cause we lost the race. Elders will laughat our sensitivity. Then it was also chal-lenge to load on cart. They had to fit sothat it can be loaded to full capacity,make sure it is balanced so that it is easyon oxen to pull. Sometimes we will rideon top of load, sometime parents willlet us chauffeur the oxen. Yes we didmake them go into ditches, later ser-vants and parents made fun of us.

Unloading the carts was also lot offun, very tiring. Once again we had tomake a pile of bales, good techniqueneeded again before they all camedown. Then slowly, we had to spreadthem on hard surface where not toomuch dirt would rise when separatingseeds from chaff. Chaff was used to feedthe animals. We would put 2 or 4 oxendepending upon your farming level.There may be plank of branches of treesbound together, we can sit on and keepoxen moving. If the ox pooed, you hadto catch it so it didn't mix with seeds.Urine was OK, that would dry. We wouldsing or elders will sing ballads to stayawake. Sometime competition pursuedwith neighbors. It went on especiallyduring moonlit nights. Sometime wewill sleep there under cool nights, awe-some fresh nippy air. Then we had toturn stuff upside down to make sure nograins are left attached to wheat plants.We had all kind of tools to lift to sepa-rate chaff from seeds. When all is bro-ken, we will make heap, when windblew, we will shake stuff to separatechaff from grains.

Yes many times we got completelycovered in dust, and man, ititched,especially if Kale Chhole gotmixed in it. Sometimes you had to bathe2-3 times to get rid of the itching.

When all grain was separated, farmerwould take it to market, if lucky enough,will pay off his debts, buy new clothesand ornaments for family, then go tocarnival announcing, "maardadamamme jatt mele aa gya." (Rejoicingthe Jatt reaches the fair/carnival.) I wasabout 14 years old in 10th grade andwe had finals in few weeks. My fathergot sick with dysentery. After 2 days, hewas admitted in hospital. His youngerbrother said he would go stay with himto make sure he got right treatment. SoI had to assign the people where to startharvest, take food to the hospital, studyfor my finals, and make sure everyonegot tea, meals. Luckily after 4 days myfather and uncle came home and tookover.

Still, Vaisakhi is very, very dear to allof us.

Once the wheat ripened, it was most amazing

brown color painting created by Nature. Sometimes

rains will come and flatten the crop, sometime even

hailstorm will come and farmers could do nothing

just watch destruction. They were prepared


Indiaspora's "ChaloGive for COVID-19"reaches $1 million goal in 10-days

India Post News Service

CHICAGO: Indiaspora has reached a$1 million milestone in contributionsfrom the diaspora community in just tendays after launching its ChaloGive forCOVID-19 online giving campaign April10 at ChaloGive.org to fight hunger. Thedonations are providing relief directlyto vulnerable populations affectedmost by the coronavirus pandemic inthe United States and India.

The contributions given are sent totwo beneficiary organizations, FeedingAmerica in the U.S. and Goonj in India.Feeding America is using the contribu-tions to bolster its nationwide networkof 200 food banks. Goonj is using thefunds to provide food, dry ration andhygiene kits to displaced migrants inparts of eighteen states in India.

Indiaspora's Executive Director,Sanjeev Joshipura observes, we need "to do everything we can to help ourcountry of birth and our countries ofcitizenship-US and India."

One of the donations that helpedIndiaspora cross the $1 million thresh-old came from Bay-area based volun-teer group Aram Sei, whose vision is to

support grassroots charities worldwidein the areas of education andhealthcare.

"Our team of twelve members isproud to support the ChaloGivefundraiser initiative that helps us makea direct impact to those in need," saidSangeethaLakshminarayanan, Presidentand Founder of Aram Sei.

Indiaspora also added new partner-ships for the ChaloGive campaign. In

addition to former Pepsico CEOIndraNooyi, noted philanthropistsRohini and NandanNilekani, former U.S.Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and ac-tor Nandita Das, all existing "ChaloGivefor COVID-19" Ambassadors, Indiaspora

is excited to announce the addition ofGiveIndia CEO AtulSatija, and Raj andAradhana (Anna) Asava, the pioneers ofthe "HungerMitao" (wipe out hunger)movement in America, who havehelped rally the diaspora community toreach the $1 million mark.

"Having enabled over 10 millionmeals to-date, HungerMitao is proud topartner with Indiaspora to raise fundsfor the food challenged in this time of

crisis," said Raj and Anna Asava, whoboth have a successful track record ofpartnering with food banks acrossNorth America. "HungerMitao is agrassroots initiative engaging the In-dian American community in the fight

against hunger through the FeedingAmerica network of food banks."

The campaign at ChaloGive.org con-tinues, with a live Facebook ChaloGiverally planned May 4 at 9 pm EST / 6 pmPST on the eve of 'Giving Tuesday' forCOVID-19.

ChaloGive for COVID-19 is the sec-ond online giving campaign byIndiaspora. Its inaugural ChaloGive cam-paign launched October 2, 2019 on thebirth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi,from October 2-8, 2019, highlightingmore than 20 organizations with suc-cessful track records in areas of povertyalleviation and empowerment, health,and education.

Indian Diaspora nonprofit organiza-tion set up to transform the success ofthe Indian diaspora into meaningful im-pact worldwide. Their members are apowerful network of diaspora leadersfrom diverse backgrounds and profes-sions that work to build stronger com-munities at home and abroad.

For more information contact MansiPatel, Senior Manager, Communicationsand Outreach [email protected]

The contributions given are sent to two

beneficiary organizations, Feeding America in the

U.S. and Goonj in India. Feeding America is using

the contributions to bolster its nationwide

network of 200 food banks

23 India Post May 1, 2020www.indiapost.com

In Brief Immigration

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Trump's immigration order 'drastic anddamaging': Top US attorney

NEW YORK: "Drastic" and"damaging" is how a top USimmigration attorney is de-scribing Donald Trump's latestexecutive order, which takes asledgehammer to the entry ofimmigrants "who present riskto the US labor market" andgoes into effect from midnighton April 23.

The executive order doesnot apply to H1B workers inthe United States.

The executive order appliesto three categories of "aliens".It bans those who are outsidethe United States on the effec-tive date of the order, whichmeans 11:59 pm on April 23,those who do not have an im-migrant visa that is valid on theeffective date and those whodo not have an official traveldocument other than a visa,such as an advance paroledocument.

With consulates closed, al-most all visa processing by theState Department has beensuspended for weeks anyway.

"If you have been sponsoredfor a green card through a fam-ily member, you're now goingto be banned for 60 days, un-less you are a spouse or minorchild of a US citizen," CyrusMehta, New York based US im-migration attorney, told IANS.

"If you are the spouse or minorchild of a green card holder,you're banned. If you are theadult son or daughter of a UScitizen or adult single son ordaughter of a green card

holder, you're banned. If youare the sibling of a US citizen,and you waited 10 plus yearsto come in and you are stillwaiting for a visa interview at aconsular post, you're nowbanned."

Called "Proclamation Sus-pending Entry of ImmigrantsWho Present Risk to the US La-bor Market During the Eco-nomic Recovery Following theCOVID-19 Outbreak," Trump's

latest executive order with a16 word headline comes witha 60 day sunset clause, for now.

Trump said his decision isessential to help Americansget back to work in aneconomy ripped apart by the

coronavirus. "This will ensurethat unemployed Americans ofall backgrounds will be first inline for jobs as our economyreopens," Trump said.

"If you read the fine print, onday 50 of the 60 day period,the President can once againmake an assessment and de-cide whether to continue withit," Mehta explained.

The few exemptions thatexist now are for spouses andminor children of US citizens,people coming on an immi-grant visa as a physician, nurseor other health care profes-sional to perform medical re-search related to COVID-19. Theorder also exempts people ap-proved under the EB5 immi-grant investor program whohave invested more than a mil-lion dollars to get a foothold inthe US. "On the other hand, thespouse of a green card holder orparent of a US citizen has beenbanned," says Mehta. IANS

Cyrus Mehta, New York based USimmigration attorney

Donald Trump

100 US citizens,72 of UAE airliftedfrom Hyderabad

HYDERABAD: One hundredUS citizens and 72 of theUnited Arab Emirates were air-lifted from Hyderabad's RajivGandhi International Airportby two different aircraft. TheUS nationals were flown by AirIndia's special flight to Delhi forthe onward journey to the USwhile UAE nationals were air-lifted to Sharjah by a specialflight of Air Arabia.

According to a spokesmanof GMR-led Airport, specialpassenger relief flight of Air In-dia arrived from Delhi and af-ter picking up the US nationalsreturned to Delhi. As per theflight itinerary, the passengersof this flight were to be furtherairlifted by the United Airlinesfrom Delhi to the US. Air Arabiaflight, which arrived fromSharjah via Cochin, departedwith 72 UAE nationals toSharjah.

The passengers of both theflights were serviced throughthe fully-sanitized Interim Inter-national Departures Terminal(IIDT ), which has been keptready for evacuation operations.

In coordination with the USand UAE Consulates,Hyderabad and the Telanganagovernment, the US and UAEcitizens reached the airportfrom different places inHyderabad. Special screeningand safety measures were inplace during the flights' han-dling to protect against theCovid-19 threat.

With these two flights,Hyderabad Airport has so farhandled 10 evacuation flightsserving over 750 foreign na-tionals who were repatriatedto countries like the UK, UAE,US and Germany. IANS

Lack of testing stokes fears inworld's refugee camps

BAGHDAD/JERUSALEM:There are over 70 millionpeople worldwide who havebeen driven from theirhomes by war and unrest, upto 10 million are packed intorefugee camps and informalsettlements, and almostnone have been tested forthe coronavirus.

While the relative isolationof many camps may haveslowed the virus' spread,none is hermetically sealed.Without testing, as the worldhas seen repeatedly, the vi-rus can spread uncheckeduntil people start showingsymptoms. That could havecatastrophic results among

the world's refugees: There willbe few if any intensive carebeds or ventilators for them.There might not even be

gloves or masks.Testing is in short supply

even in New York and Norway,but it is nonexistent in most ofthe countries in the (global)

south for the people we tryto help, Jan Egeland, the headof the Norwegian RefugeeCouncil, told The AssociatedPress.

His group recently con-ducted a review of all 30countries where it operatesand found virtually no testingbefore people became sick.Refugees have alreadytested positive in Italy, Ger-many, Iran, Australia andGreece, where authoritiessaid, 150 people living in aquarantined hotel for asylum-seekers had contracted thecoronavirus, and none dis-played symptoms of COVID-19. AP

70 million peopleworldwide who have

been driven from theirhomes by war and

unrest, up to 10 millionare packed intorefugee camps

Realty Tidbits

India Post May 1, 2020www.indiapost.com

Real Estate24

Realty sector to consolidate furtherpost COVID: Malayappan

NEW DELHI: As thecoronavirus crisis has hit theIndian real estate hard, Chair-man and Managing Director(CMD) of Shriram Properties,Murali Malayappan says mar-ket players may go throughanother phase of consolidationin the coming months as thepandemic subsides.

Speaking to IANS,Malayappan said that cases ofnon-performing assets (NPA)may rise in the real estate sec-tor. He suggested that initiallythe governmentshould bring theGST rate to zeroand state stampduties should alsobe lowered for thenext one year.

The sector wit-nessed massiveshake-ups -- merg-ers, amalgam-ations and exits byseveral developers -- post theimplementation of the Real Es-tate (Regulation and Develop-ment) Act, 2016 which wasmeant to streamline and regu-

late the largely un-regulated and un-organized market.

"Some of them(developers) willbecome NPAs nowand this will lead

to some more consolidation. AsRERA, GST and demonetizationbrought consolidation to theindustry, this will provide an-other consolidation now; this

will lead to eliminating somemore people in the industry. Sothis is not good for the indus-try," he said.

He, however, felt that the de-mand for homes may pick up bythe end of the April-June quar-ter and said that as severalother asset classes such as stockmarkets, mutual funds andbonds are subdued and volatilenow, investors are likely to turn

towards real estate."Lot of people will come

back into housing, as it is a safeinvestment. Housing is onearea there is lot of interest,with fall in stock market, gold,bond, overseas investment, lotof people will develop discom-fort in investing in all those as-sets, so there is big moneylikely to come into housing,and I expect demand to comeback into housing in a reason-ably good way, by the end offirst quarter."

On the reliefs needed bythe sector, the Shriram Proper-ties chief said that along withGST and stamp duty reduction,external commercial borrow-ing (ECB) for the sector shouldbe allowed to avail cheapercredit. He also said that InputTax Credit (ITC) should be rein-stated on GST, which will be amajor relief for the developers.

On home loans, he said that"home loan tenures can be ex-tended and rate of interestcan be further reduced to aslow as 6 per cent". Currentlyhome loans are availablemostly at over 8 per cent inter-est. IANS

Murali Malayappan

Idaho pursuing land deal with timber companyBOISE, Idaho: Idaho hasn't

given up on a three-way po-tential land swap and cashdeal involving a private tim-ber company and the U.S.Forest Service that is runninginto opposition from the NezPerce Tribe, state officialssaid.

Republican Gov. BradLittle said the potential dealcould increase Idaho's state-owned lands with timber-producing forests that makemoney mainly for publicschools.

``Land exchanges are al-ways a little dicey,'' he saidduring a teleconference meet-

ing of the Idaho Land Board.``In this particular instance,there are mature timber lands

that the state could acquire.''Little and Attorney General

Lawrence Wasden, who is also

a member of the Land Boardalong with three other state-wide office holders, have en-

gaged the tribe seeking away forward.

The tribe is concerned itcould lose access rights forfishing, hunting and otheractivities it has with the U.S.government under 1855and 1863 treaties if Idahoends up owning what isnow federal land.

``Tribal members con-tinue to rely on these Na-tional Forest lands to exer-cise Treaty-reserved rights,''the tribe said in a letter tothe state in June. AP

Republican Gov. Brad Little said the potential

deal could increase Idaho's state-owned lands

with timber-producing forests that make

money mainly for public schools

US home salesplunge 8.5% and itmay grow worse

BALTIMORE: U.S. sales of ex-isting homes cratered 8.5% inMarch with real estate activitystalled by the coronavirus out-break.

The National Association ofRealtors said 5.27 millionhomes sold last month, downfrom 5.76 million in February.The decrease was the steepestsince November 2015.

The situation will likely getworse, said Danielle Hale, chiefeconomist at realtor.com.

``Going forward, we've seenboth home buyers and sellersreport being less confidentand many are making adjust-ments to the process,'' Halesaid. ``Already, sellers are get-ting less aggressive with ask-ing price growth, and we'reseeing roughly half as manynew listings come up for salethis year versus last year. ``

Home-buying had beensteady for the first half ofMarch because of low mort-gage rates and the finalizationof contracts signed in priormonths, only to collapse in re-sponse to COVID-19 buryingthe economy in a likely reces-sion. Businesses and schoolshave closed and millions ofAmericans have lost their jobs.

Sales in March were still0.8% higher from a year ago,when mortgage rates werehigher than now.

The real estate market wasalready facing pressure from ashortage of sales listings andprices climbing faster than in-comes, a linked set of problemsthat intensified last month. AP

RICS appoints Savills India CEO AnuragMathur on management board

NEW DELHI: RICS, a global body to promote pro-fessionalism and standards in the real estate sec-tor, has appointed Savills India CEO Anurag Mathuras member of its management board. Savills is aleading global property consultant.

In a statement, the Royal Institution of CharteredSurveyors (RICS) said the role of the managementboard is to inform and oversee RICS' affairs under del-egated authority from the governing council, thehighest governing body within the organization. PTI

25India PostMay 1, 2020

www.indiapost.comReal Estate Post

How to pay home loan EMIs withjob loss due to Coronavirus?

SUNITA MISHRA

As the Coronavirus crisis assumesmassive proportions, those ser-

vicing long tenure loans like homeloans have additional reasons toworry apart from being safe duringthis human crisis. How would one payhome loan EMIs if they were to losetheir job?

Home buyers in India largely de-pend on housing finance to make ahome purchase. RBI data shows overRs 13 lakh crores of housing loansoutstanding as on January 31, 2020.This means a large number of buyersare under tremendous pressure dueto the human and economic calamitycaused by the pandemic. In somecases, the monetary blow is alreadyevident. Companies across theworld, especially inthe aviation sector,have laid-off millionsalready as the pan-demic devastatestheir businesses.

According to theInternational LaborOrganization (ILO),nearly 25 millionpeople would sufferjob loss worldwideon account of the ex-traordinary shock tothe economy in theaftermath of theCoronavirus spread.In its report, titled'COVID-19 and Worldof work: Impacts and responses', theILO estimated that the effects of thecontagion, which has made over 8.5lakh people sick around the world ason March 31, will be far-reaching,'pushing millions of people into un-employment, underemployment andworking poverty'.

So, what should a home buyer inIndia do if his income sources havebeen adversely impacted by theCoronavirus crisis?

"Ideally, a home loan borrowershould include his home loan EMI ofat least six months in his emergencyfund. Including this would allow theborrower to continue with his EMIpayments even during financialemergencies like job loss," says RatanChaudhary, head of home loans,Paisabazaar.com.

But, what if you haven't? Men-tioned are some options. Apply for EMI holiday

Take advantage of the moratoriumperiod: Announcing major relief to

home loan borrowers in the after-math of the Covid-19, the RBI onMarch 27, 2020, deferred EMI pay-ments under a three-month morato-rium period apart from bringingdown the repo rate to a record low of4.4%. The RBI has advised banks notto categorize late payment of long-term loans as non-performing for theperiod between March and May2020. As the moratorium period cov-ers time from March 1 to May 31, youget a two months grace period.

However, be mindful of the manycatches in this opportunity. First of all,it's not an EMI holiday -you will haveto pay the money later, with an inter-est. You have just got yourself twomonths' relaxation from the RBI, with-

out the late payment being catego-rized as a 'default' in your credit his-tory. Additionally, whether the benefitbe extended to you would be yourlender's call and the interest to becharged for the delayed EMI pay-ments would also be the bank's dis-cretion.

Suppose your home loan EMI is Rs40,000. Up on non-payment, thisamount will be added to the loanprincipal. In the next month, the inter-est will be computed on the loan out-standing, along with Rs 40,000.

For the borrower who has beenlaid off, not taking this option is notactually an option. "While availing ofthe moratorium will cost them addi-tional interest cost, it will give themat least a two month window to get ajob or arrange funds from othersources, without hurting their creditscore," says Chaudhary.

https://housing.com/For detailed story visit

www.indiapost.com

London Mayor calls for rentprotection during pandemic

LONDON: London Mayor Sadiq Khanhas called on the UK government to pro-tect 3 million private renters in the capi-tal during the coronavirus pandemic.

"With millions of low-paid renters inLondon now facing increased financialuncertainty, we face a ticking time

bomb of debt, arrears and widespreadevictions," Xinhua news agency quotedKhan as saying.

He said the government must ur-gently put in place measures that will

prevent private landlords from evictingtenants who go into arrears as a resultof pandemic.

Khan fears Londoners with low in-comes, who are already at a significantdisadvantage in London's rental market,could be at a greater risk of being ex-

ploited by rogue landlords andreal estate agents. He said ten-ants in the capital and across thecountry have been denied the se-curity they need in the place theycall home.

"The current crisis has broughtthese issues into stark relief," hesaid.

Khan warned failing to bring inmore support for renters in Lon-don will not only result in wide-spread financial hardship, butrisks increasing the public healthcrisis, as renters may feel forcedto return to work too soon withincreasing debt and arrearshanging over their heads.

City Hall said a third of peoplein London rent privately, morethan the number who own their

homes with mortgages. Khan has out-lined measures he wants the govern-ment to introduce to give legal protec-tion to avert them being thrown out oftheir homes by property owners. IANS

London Mayor Sadiq Khan

PE investment in real estatefalls 89 pc to USD 222 MN

NEW DELHI: Private equity (PE) in-vestment in Indian real estate plunged89 per cent to USD 222 million (Rs 1,640crore) during the January-March periodthis year on global economic slowdowncaused by the coronavirus outbreak,according to a report by Colliers Inter-national.

PE inflows in real estate had stood atUSD 2,023 million in the correspondingperiod a year ago.

The consultant projected that totalPE investment in real estate could dropto USD 3.5 billion in the calendar year2020 from USD 6.4 billion last year.

Out of USD 222 million inflow in thefirst three months of this year, the officemarket attracted an investment ofUSD 143 million while the hospital-ity sector USD 79 million.

During the January-Marchperiod of 2019, inflows in theoffice market stood at USD1,419 million, housing USD300 million, logistic USD

150 million, mixed-use projects USD102 million and retail USD 52 million,the data showed.

"The current slowdown has resultedin reduced private equity inflows intothe Indian real estate market. Overallprivate equity inflows dropped by 62per cent quarter-on-quarter and 89 percent year-on-year to stand at USD 222million (Rs 1,640 crore) in Q1 2020,"Colliers International said in a report.PTI

India Post May 1, 2020www.indiapost.comHoroscope26

Kindly read the predictions from your ascendant sign. If you do not know your ascendant sign then read thesame from Moon sign. If Moon sign is also not known then read it from the Zodiac sign. The ascendant sign which is

calculated from the birth details viz. date, month, year, time & place of birth gives 85 % accurate predictions. Theaccuracy of predictions from Moon sign get limited to only 50 %. The predictions from Zodiac sign are only 25 %

accurate. In nutshell the predictions from ascendant sign are most accurate. In getting personality analysis the traitsgiven by ascendant sign are 100 % accurate and that is the essence of Vedic Astrology.

Your Weekly Futureby VANEET SHARMA

MAR 21 to APRIL 20 JUN 21 to JULY 22 SEP 23 to OCT 22 DEC 22 to JAN 19

MAY 21 to JUN 20 AUG 23 to SEP 22 NOV 23 to DEC 21 FEB 20 to MAR 20

APRIL 21 to MAY 20 JULY 23 to AUG 22 OCT 23 to NOV 22 JAN 20 to FEB 19

MAY 1ST to MAY 7TH 2020

“Felicitated andhonored by then

President of India ShriPranab Mukherjee"

VANEETSHARMA

510-648-4899

This week shall bebringing good

luck to you from themid of it. The domes-tic happiness shall en-

hance. You shall be developing strate-gies for becoming successful in profes-sional life. 3rd and 4th May is good foryour travel, love life and progress of chil-dren. Your confidence & Immunity levelshall be excellent and you shall workwith focused approach. On 8th May acertain amount of enthusiasm & inspira-tion is indicated.

You shall be gettinggood results

in all areas of life in-cluding attainment offavor of destiny, excel-

lence in professional life with tremen-dous increase in income. This wholeweek shall be fulfilling in all aspects with-out any disturbance of any type. 4th, 5th& 6th of May are excellent dates for at-taining better favor of destiny, and bet-terment in work area with increase ingains. The last days indicate travelling andlot of fun with an increase in expenses.

Family feuds can bethere. You

would be losing yourpatience. You won't beable to control your

anger. You are advised not to get intoarguments unnecessarily. The expensesshall increase and go uncontrolled. Youwill have lot of stress. Possibility of get-ting an injury is also indicated. This weekwon't be good for your health, happi-ness, state of mind, investments anddecision making and the situation mightturn worse in the latter part of the week.

This week is excel-lent for your

progress with tremen-dous recognition inyour work and all

other areas of life. Your confidence leveland social activities shall be at its peakin this week. You would be getting ex-cellent support and appreciation fromyour boss. Your health shall also be good.You would be creating strategies for thedevelopment of your fate and personal-ity and for earning branding for yourabilities as a great professional.

In this week althoughyour expenses

shall remain uncon-trolled but your in-volvement in public

welfare activities can expand your glorysuddenly but you won't be able to savemoney means financial burdens shallcontinue to chase you. From the begin-ning of the week the work conditionsshall be fully under control. The latter halfof the week indicates tensions, argu-ments, uncontrolled expenses, un-wanted travels.

You shall be happywith your

sweet bonding withfamily members inthe beginning of the

week. There shall be a sudden boost inimmunity level. The confidence and fo-cus shall increase with the support offriends after the mid of the week. Thedomestic happiness shall remain aver-age. In the latter half of the week youshall devise solid strategies for enhanc-ing your hidden potential. You shall earnsudden financial gains in this week.

The beginning ofthe week indi-

cates travelling andmental tensions. Thisweek shall be full of

fun especially from family, friends, houseand travelling. Planetary transit indicatesactive social life with an increase in con-fidence and social influence. You wouldthink of making some property. Althoughthere might remain stress on mind how-ever your mind shall be fully focused inactivities related to work area & enter-tainment.

The beginning ofthe week indi-

cates slight disturbedstate of mind butthere shall be restora-

tion of confidence from the mid of theweek. The work area shall improve andthe inflow of money shall get enhancedalong with tremendous improvement inhealth, fitness and immunity in the midof the week especially. You shall beemerging as a very good advisor. Yourenergies shall be at the maximum in thisweek.

Initially you shall beconcentrating

on your education,personality develop-ment and meditation.

From 4th May you shall plan to visit yournative place. The success of spouse shallbring in recognition for you. You shall bespending on luxuries. Marital bliss shallremain intact. Your partnership ventureshall be successful. You would get betterfavor of destiny. On last two days of theweek you might remain slightly upset butremember it is transformation phase.

The beginning ofthis week is

not auspicious for yourhappiness and state ofmind. Do not take any

important decision during initial twodays. This time will be great to prove yourtalent as your all knifes shall be sharp thisweek so your enemies, opponents andcompetitors won't be able to competewith you. From 3rd May you shall be fo-cused about the execution of your plans.The association of artists and famouspeople shall help you go faster.

This week is excel-lent especially

for your work area.There shall be an in-crease in your gains

but saved money might get spent. Sud-den arguments in family shall disturbfamily atmosphere. You shall work withbalanced approach and in this week youshall be getting solutions for the rectifi-cation of tensions on domestic and workfront. This weak shall be lucky weak foreducation, emotional relations, studiesof children & compatibility with spouse.

The beginning of the week shall enhance

your hidden potentialand working efficiency.You would be spending

good time with family and friends in thisweek. This week is not only excellent forsocial activities but your all energies shallalso get channelized in attaining successin personality development, enhance-ment of confidence, working efficiencyand partnership ventures. Last day of theweek shall be more auspicious for com-petition, emotional relations.

May 1, 2020 India Post 27www.indiapost.com

Philosophy

Available on AMAZON, FLIPKART

50 SPIRITUAL APPETIZERSVinod Dhawan

“It’s a lovely book. It feels en-

ergetically clear and light. It’s

easy to read, dip in and out and

most importantly it offers infor-

mation without fluff! Blessings

on this project.”Jac O’Keeffe

Spirituality teacher based inUSA.

ADI SHANKARACHARYA

Sages have spoken of four meansof attainment, which alone being

present, the devotion to Brahman suc-ceeds, and in the absence of which, it fails.

First is enumerated discrimination be-tween the Real and the unreal; nextcomes aversion to the enjoyment offruits (of one's actions) here and hereaf-ter; (next is) the group of six attributes, viz.calmness and the rest; and (last) is clearlythe yearning for Liberation.

A firm conviction of the mind to theeffect that Brahman is real and the uni-verse unreal, is designated as discrimi-nation (Viveka) between the Real andthe unreal. Vairagya or renunciation isthe desire to give up all transitory en-joyments (ranging) from those of an(animate) body to those ofBrahmahood from observation, in-

struction and so forth.The resting of the mind steadfastly

on its Goal (viz. Brahman) after havingdetached itself from manifold sense-ob-jects by continually observing their de-fects, is called Shama or calmness. Turn-ing both kinds of sense-organs awayfrom sense-objects and placing them intheir respective centers, is called Damaor self-control.

The best Uparati or self-withdrawalconsists in the mind-function ceasing tobe affected by external objects. Thebearing of all afflictions without caringto redress them, being free (at the sametime) from anxiety or lament on theirscore, is called Titiksha or forbearance.

Acceptance by firm judgment as trueof what the Scriptures and the Guru in-struct, is called by sages Shraddha orfaith, by means of which the Reality isperceived. Not the mere indulgence ofthought (in curiosity) but the constantconcentration of the intellect (or the af-firming faculty) on the ever-pure Brah-man, is what is called Samadhana or self-settledness.

Mumukshuta or yearning for Free-dom is the desire to free oneself, by real-izing one's true nature, from all bond-ages from that of egoism to that of thebody - bondages superimposed by Ig-norance. Even though torpid or medio-cre, this yearning for Freedom, through

the grace of the Guru, may bear fruit (be-ing developed) by means of Vairagya (re-nunciation), Shama (calmness), and so on.

In his case, verily, whose renunciationand yearning for Freedom are intense,calmness and the other practices have(really) their meaning and bear fruit.Where (however) this renunciation andyearning for Freedom are torpid, therecalmness and the other practices are asmere appearances, like water in a desert.

Among things conducive to Libera-tion, devotion (Bhakti) holds the supremeplace. The seeking after one's real natureis designated as devotion. Others main-tain that the inquiry into the truth of one'sown self is devotion. The inquirer aboutthe truth of the Atman who is possessedof the above-mentioned means of attain-ment should approach a wise preceptor,who confers emancipation from bond-age.

Who is versed in the Vedas, sinless,unsmitten by desire and a knower of Brah-man par excellence, who has withdrawnhimself into Brahman; who is calm, like firethat has consumed its fuel, who is aboundless reservoir of mercy that knowsno reason, and a friend of all good peoplewho prostrate themselves before him.

Worshipping that Guru with devotion,and approaching him, when he is pleasedwith prostration, humility and service,(he) should ask him what he has got toknow: O Master, O friend of those that bowto thee, thou ocean of mercy, I bow to thee;save me, fallen as I am into this sea of birthand death, with a straightforward glanceof thine eye, which sheds nectar-like gracesupreme.

Excerpted from Vivekachudamani. The1232nd birth anniversary of AdiShankaracharya was observed on April 20

Devotion is the supremepath to Liberation

Adi Shankaracharya

Acceptance by firm judgment as true ofwhat the Scriptures and the Guru instruct,is called by sages Shraddha or faith

Perspective

Disclaimer: Views expressed are personal to the author

Plastics-the saviour for COVID-19D.D. KALE

The deadly coronavirus pan-demic, that originated fromChina, has so far killed over 1.35

lakh people across the world. TheCOVID-19 pandemic will leave severescars on the economies across theworld, as life has come to a standstillpost lockdown announced by most ofthe countries. As per UN estimate thepandemic has wiped $50 billion offglobal exports in February alone.

In India, the first case of thecoronavirus was reported on 30 Janu-ary 2020, originating from China. Asof April 16, 2020, the Ministry ofHealth and Family Welfare has con-firmed a total of 12,380 cases and414 deaths in the country.

As the cases of COVID-19 positivepatients are rising in India, the de-mand for Personal Protective Equip-ments (PPEs), made from Single UsePlastic (SUP), used in preventingCOVID-19 is rapidly increasing. Con-sidering the importance of gearingup to meet the pandemic of COVID-19, the government should provideincentives to the industry so that ad-equate supplies are manufactured inthe time bound manner.

Many countries globally and India,has made the use of mask, generallymade from SUP, mandatory to curtailthe spread of the deadly virus amongpeople. The SUP gears -- such as mask,gown, coat, eyewear, gloves - used bydoctors, nurses and other medical staffto avoid spread and infection fromdeadly bacteria and virus. In a few Eu-ropean countries and the US many doc-tors and medical staff fall prey toCOVID-19, while serving their duties.

The government, regulators, envi-ronmentalist and citizens should rec-ognize the immense utility of theplastic gears, that too made of SUPand should do away with thethoughts of blanket banning movesand instead the industry should beencouraged and provided with ad-equate support to meet the unprec-edented demand increase.

The use of disposable masks, gloves,gowns, goggles etc are proving to bethe big time saviours of human lives bypreventing the transmission of diseasefrom one person to another.

As per WHO modelling, an esti-mated 89 million medical masks, 76million gloves and 1.6 million goggleswill be required every month. WHOhas supplied around half a million setsof protective equipment to 47 af-

fected countries, but supplies arerapidly running out. Even the US andEuropean countries seeing acuteshortage of PPE and they are lookingoutwards to secure supply.

Even China, one of the largest pro-ducer of PPEs, witnessed shortage ofadequate Personal Protective Gears.To save lives, people in China have cre-ated makeshift alternate safety gearswhich includes; plastic water bottlejars, plastic sheets, plastic laundrybags etc to keep themselves safe.

The SUP protective gears shouldbe disposed-off systemically and in-cinerated at high temperature, toavoid any further spread of virus andit will help redeem the bad namethat SUP is generally assigned with.

Since several decades, plasticshas been the only material conve-nient and viable in medical field andhas once again come to the fore ofhuman kind in this pandemic to con-tain the virus and saving so manyhuman lives.

Plastic plays pivotal role inhealthcare industry

Protective garments used byhealth workers such as mask, caps,goggles and gowns are generallymade from plastics and are used byhealth professionals in such out-breaks to reduce the risk of infectionas it work as a barrier from bacteriaand virus.

Furthermore, IV bags and tubing,IV Canula and Disposable Syringesused for infusion of IV fluids are allmade from medical grade plastics toavoid any contamination goingthrough the blood stream. The dis-posable plastic syringes have com-pletely replaced alternative options.

So far there are no alternativematerial has proven at par with theease of utility and economics of allthese varieties of medical gradeplastics.

With increasing use of plastics inhealthcare industry, the governmentand regulators should enforce rightdisposal and recycling practices toavoid contamination and spread ofCOVID-19 infection.

Since plastics are very useful ma-terial with immense utility the futurecourse should on SUPs should be leftto technically experts.

(D.D. Kale is an ex-Professor ofPolymer Technology and Head of theDepartment of Polymer Engineering,UDCT, Mumbai.

28 May 1, 2020India Postwww.indiapost.com

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NEWSon yourdesktop

29Edit Pagewww.indiapost.com

May 1, 2020 India Post

Disclaimer: Views expressed are personal to the author

COVID-19 test for Modi'sleadership

E.D. MATHEW

With India reeling under years of botchedeconomic policies

and witnessing a rapid rise inviolence, toxicity and irratio-nality thanks to growing intol-erance, COVID-19 pandemiccouldn't have struck at a worsemoment. For Prime MinisterNarendra Modi, this"Mahamari" (epidemic) is thebiggest challenge in his careeras his legacy will largely de-pend on how, on his watch, In-dia emerges from the ravagesof the contagion.

Will this extraordinary situa-tion prompt Modi, with fourmore years left in his secondterm, to take a stab at states-manship, shedding thestraightjacket of Hindutvahyper-nationalism and reach-ing across the aisle? Or, will hetry to weaponize the virus forpolitical ends and opt for apower grab a la right-wingerslike Hungary's Viktor Orbán?

Internationally too, the newcitizenship legislation and therevocation of the special statusof Kashmir last year along witha brutal clampdown of civil lib-erties in the state had drawnflak from even friendly nationssuch as France, Germany andNorway. Regional players Iranand Malaysia were outspokenin their criticism of the"Islamophobic" law.

In the US, there has been bi-partisan concern over NewDelhi's moves undercuttingthe country's "long-standingand fundamental traditions ofsecularism, democracy andpluralism." The U.S. Commis-sion on International ReligiousFreedom called for sanctionsto be considered againstHome Minister Amit Shah, theperceived architect of the citi-zenship law. UN Human RightsCommissioner too weighed inagainst the "fundamentally dis-criminatory" legislation.

Even before the pandemic,the International MonetaryFund had slashed India'sgrowth forecast to 4.8 percent in the just-concluded fis-

cal compared to 7 per cent in2014-15 - largely due to thewhacky "demonetization" andthe botched introduction ofthe Goods and Services Tax.Unemployment rate hadreached the highest in 45 yearsin a country with more than 65per cent of its population un-der 35.

IMF has further slashedIndia's growth estimate forFY21 to 1.9 per cent warningthat the "worst recession sincethe Great Depression" willdwarf the global financial crisisa decade back. The steep de-cline in growth will hit ordinarypeople the most, especiallythe youth already reeling un-der high unemployment. Thehealth and safety implicationsof COVID-19 are the most ur-gent to deal with but soon itspolitical, economic and socialramifications will become justas consequential.

As reports of unimaginablehardships resulting from thelargest mass migration sincepartition emerged, thegovernment's response wasmoving the Supreme Court torestrict the media from pub-lishing anything about the pan-demic but the government'sversion of events at a timewhen accurate information iscrucial.

Nobody knows the scale ofthe catastrophe COVID-19 willleave in its wake but as PaulKrugman calls it, the economycould be knocked into a"coronacoma". India is poisedfor an all-out war and, like inany war, this is not the time forpartisanship. It's in this sce-nario that Modi will find him-self at a fork in the road. Onepath -- that will lay the founda-tion for a sustainable and inclu-sive recovery -- may require,among others, the followingsteps:

Reach out to the oppositionand constitute a high-poweredintra-party task force, roping ineminent persons like, for ex-ample, former prime ministerManmohan Singh and Nobel

Laureate Abhijit Banerjee,among others, to chalk out amassive economic recoveryplan mirroring the MarshallPlan launched by U.S. Presi-dent Harry Truman after WorldWar II.

Stamp out the burgeoningecosystem of pseudoscienceand promote scientific temperby heavily investing in science,technology and cutting-edgeresearch. Take a leaf from thetiny United Arab Emirates,which has an entire ministrydedicated to artificial intelli-gence.

With Namaste replacingbear hugs and hand-shakesworld over revive anothergreat Indian contribution tothe world, the currently mori-bund Hindu philosophical prin-ciple of "VasudhaivaKutumbakam" (the world isone family). This will also helpstamp out the highly toxiccommunal virus that has in-fected the body politic.'

This being the most difficultof all, reach out to and makepeace with Pakistan,recognising that a tiny virushas brought the whole worldto its knees irrespective ofcolour, caste, creed or nationalboundaries.

There are many examples tofollow, including that of Ethio-pian Prime Minister AbiyAhmed whose rapprochementwith neighbouring Eritrealanded him the 2019 NobelPeace Prize.

The other fork in the roadmay tempt Modi to go with hischaracteristic diablerie, per-haps taking a leaf from ex-treme right-wingers like Hun-garian leader Orbán, who re-cently acquired rule-by-de-cree powers to deal with thepandemic. That will only spelldoom for the world's largestdemocracy and unleash a mil-lion mutinies.

( The author is a formerspokesperson with the UnitedNations and a political ob-server. He can be reached@edmathew on Twitter)

Advantage IndiaIndia missed out the chance to develop its economy in the

eighties due to lack of leadership, a lethargic bureaucracycoupled with unskilled labor force.

By the nineties India was in deep financial crisis with hardlythree weeks of foreign Exchange left to pay for oil and essen-tials imports. It had to pawn 47 tons of gold to pay. However,after former Prime Minister Narasimha Rao took over, hebrought his Finance Minister Manmohan Singh to totally re-vamp the economy with the conditions stipulated by IMFtoliberalise the system. Unfortunately he never got the duecredit; instead Manmohan Singh took it all.

India has a large pool of 'Manmohan Singhs' tucked away inuniversities and many off shore companies. India alwayslagged behind in utilizing its talent pool.

The time is NOW or NEVER. India will not get this chance atleast for another 50 years. With its young labor force and coun-tries like Japan and America looking for alternative manufac-turing hubs, India has a golden opportunity to jump-start itseconomic revival.

In his recent statement, India's Transport Minister NitinGadkari stated that "There is great hatred against China" andurges industries to take advantage of the opportunity tomake items for which nations are dependent on China.

Trump on the other hand is busy demonizing China. Theremay be truth in how China has been handling the coronavirusissues and its long standing policy of controlling vital infor-mation but India should not be carried away by this rhetoric.Every nation is blaming each other and nobody is going toget anything from this whole issue. It will totally depend onhow the leaders will steer to rebuild their economies and takecare of their people.

Modi has another four years left in this term and he has afairly good team of Ministers to handle the economy. Heshould not base his decisions on the coronacrisis alone.Ofcourse there are issues that need to be tackled immedi-ately. Wise are those who can recognize the situation and takeadvantage of rebuilding long term goals. If Modi is smart, hewill put together the world's best brains and rebuild India. Heneeds to address global demand versus domestic issues andensure the bottom 35% of India's population is not left be-hind as it has for the last twenty years. India being an agricul-ture intensive country has never done justice to develop itsfull potential. Manufacturing is another area; he needs to takethis to states where labor is easily available like Bihar, UP andOrissa. Skill Development started by successive governmentshas failed miserably. He must bring models that will suit India'sneed by taking the best examples from developed countries.

Gadkari for one has done extremely well by building infra-structure and must continue the same with renewed vigor toaugment demand to move goods and services. Land reformsmust be done on war footing and totally liberalize the bureau-cracy and undo hurdles investors faces. Respect internationalIPRs and not look for short term gain.

If we follow these mantras for our development, nothingcan stop India becoming the next success story. The questionis who will be that 'Leader', who will be remembered for along time, for turning around the elephant. I truly believe'Modi' can, and hope he is listening. Every industry wants togo where ease of doing investment is safe and secure.

1 Dus Bahane 2.0: Baaghi 3

2 Muqabla: Street Dancer 3D

3 Illegal Weapon 2.0:Street Dancer 3D

4 Haan Mai Galat: Love Aaj Kal

5 Bhankas: Baaghi 3

6 Shayad: Love Aaj Kal

7 Mere Liye Tum Kaafi Ho:Shubh Mangal Zyaada Savdhan

8 Do You Love Me: Baaghi 3

9 Mehrama: Love Aaj Kal (2020)

10 Dheeme Dheeme: Pati Patni

Aur Who

www.indiapost.com30 India Post May 1, 2020

TOPTOPTOPTOPTOP TENTENTENTENTENHINDI SONGS

Actress Anushka Sharma gave Instagram's viral 'Guess TheGibberish' filter a shot, but she failed to come up with the

right word.Guess The Gibberish filter works by showing you seemingly

meaningless words, until you can crack it and arrive at thecorrect phrase. A user gets 10 seconds to figure out the rightwords. The filer was created by a user named@gu_christopher, and has caught on.

Her Gibberish filter read: "Stir Range Earth Inks".In the video, she is seen repeating the sentence and finally

decides the correct answer to be "Strange Things", but thereply is actually "Stranger Things".

Seeing her guess is wrong, Anushka calls herself "Bewakoofladki".

On the work front,Anushka is all set to comeup with a new web seriesas producer on AmazonPrime Video web series,bankrolled by her produc-tion house Clean SlateCompany. IANS

Actor Amitabh Bachchan has re-visited the days from "the ageof innocence" in a new social

media post.Big B took to Instagram and shared

a collage that seems to be fromphotoshoots of his early days inBollywood, in 1969. The second image

comprises photoshoots of seventies orearly eighties.

"The age of innocence is over,"Amitabh captioned the image.

In a recent post, Amitabh paid trib-ute to the care givers and first re-

sponders, whom he referred to as the"social warriors."

Big B took to Twitter, where he

shared an image of Lord Ganeshamade out of the words "Nurse", "Doc-

tor", "Safai karmchari" and "Police"."The front line workers .. the doctors

and nurses .. the Social Warriors ..Natmastak hoon mai," he captioned

the image.On the work front, Big B will next be

seen in films like "Chehre", GulaboSitabo", Brahmastra" and "Jhund". IANS

Taking to Instagram, Taapsee Pannushared a picture of her wearing a gor-

geous blue saree."This is like a BTS from a shoot I did for

Gaurang. I was concerned that my shorthair won't suit the sarees he makes Cozthey r so traditional but he said we willuse your original hair length, color, tex-ture, everything natural, everything YOU.That really made me think you just haveto embrace how you look only then theworld will embrace it. Shying away fromhow you look is never going to help yougrow in life. The day I accepted my flawswas the day I came into my true self n myflaws helped me get a unique identity#Throwback #Archive #QuarantinePost,"she wrote. IANS

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