First India-Ahmedabad Edition-07 November 2020

AHMEDABAD l SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2020 l Pages 12 l 3.00 RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/16208 l Vol 1 l Issue No. 343

SUNRISERS HYDERABAD BEAT ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE IN IPL-2020 ELIMINATOR IN DUBAI

CDS GENERAL BIPIN RAWAT WARNED THAT A ‘LARGER CONFLICT’ WITH CHINA CANNOTT BE RULED OUT OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR & AHMEDABAD 19°C - 34°C

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DREAMS CRUSHED SPEEDING LUXURY SUV HITS MAN ON AJMER ELEVATED ROAD

The mangled remains of the SUV after the accident.

MAN FLUNG 30 FEET INTO AIR, FALLS ON ROOF OF A NEARBY BUILDING, DIES 30 FEET

DECEASED, A RESIDENT OF PALI, HAD ARRIVED IN JAIPUR TO APPEAR FOR CONSTABLE RECRUITMENT EXAM

FATAL & FURIOUS AT

‘OUR TIME TO SMILE’

MAMATA’S RULE WILL END, SAYS AMIT SHAH IN BENGAL

Union Home Minister Amit Shah offers prayers at Dakshineswar Kali Temple. (Left) Shah meeting Padma Bhushan Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty, in Kolkata on Friday.

—PHOTOS BY PTI

Aditi Nagar Kolkata: Mamata Banerjee’s government will fall and it will be the BJP’s turn to smile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah declared Friday evening, as he wrapped up a two-day visit to Bengal to reshape the party’s organisational structure and boost morale ahead of state elections due early next year.

“It is our time to smile because Trinamool Congress rule will end and the BJP will come to power. This is the will of the people of

COMMUNALISM HAS NO PLACE IN BENGAL: TMC SLAMS AMIT SHAH Kolkata: The Trinamool Congress leadership on Friday slammed Union Home Minister Amit Shah over his “appeasement remark” and said communal politics has no place in Bengal.

Mocking Shah’s scheduled visit to a Matua family for lunch, the party described his refugee community outreach as a “poll gimmick” to divert attention from atrocities committed on backward communities in states ruled by the saffron party.

Bengal. We will form the government in Bengal with over 200 seats,” Amit Shah told reporters in Kolkata.

“You (the people of Bengal) have given opportunity to the Con-

gress, Left and Trinamool. Give one to us.

We promise to build ‘shonar Bangla (golden Bengal) in five years. We will stop ghuspeti (inflitration) in Bengal, secure bor-

ders,” he said.

Maintaining that Bengal is the land of luminaries such as Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda, Shah said the state once used to be the centre of spiritual awakening in the entire country.

“However, the politics of ‘tustikaran’ (appeasement) has hurt this glorious tradition of Bengal. I hereby call upon the people of Bengal to wake up and perform their responsibilities to bring back the glory of the state.”

Turn to P6

VOTING ON 78 SEATS IN 3RD PHASE BIHAR POLLS TODAY Patna: All eyes are now on the polling for third and final phase of assembly elections in Bihar scheduled Saturday in which stakes are quite high for the ruling NDA, trying to avert the anti-incumbency factor, and the opposition Grand Alliance led by an apparently resurgent RJD. About 2.34 crore voters, spread across 78 assembly segments of the 243-strong Assembly, will decide the fates of 1204 candidates, including the Speaker and 12 members of the state cabinet. Meanwhile, Jharkhand High Court on Friday deferred till November 27 RJD chief Lalu Prasad’s bail plea hearing in a fodder scam case related to Dumka treasury, after the CBI sought time to file a written reply in the matter.

Polling will also take place for Valmiki Nagar Lok Sabha seat where a byelection Turn to P6

First India Bureau Ahmedabad: The Gujarat High Court on Friday quashed the state order that permitted nomination of two government nominees on the Surat District Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union Limited (SUMUL Dairy) board. Even the General Resolution of 2014 was set aside by a single bench as that em-

powered the state to appoint ‘defeated’ candidates as nominees on the board. The state government may challenge the single bench judgment before a division bench.

This pronouncement will have an impact on Amul Dairy’s chairman and vice- chairman elections, as the state government has appointed two nominees on its board as well.

Single bench judge Sangita Vishan observed, “Two nominees were appointed before the chairman and vicechairman elections and the move was politically motivated. The ap-

pointed nominee Rakesh Solanki had lost the election and Yogesh Rajput had withdrawn his nomination. The state government should avoid making such appointments.”

She added, “The court believes that the state government must have an independent viewpoint. It is necessary for the state government to see that it gives hearing to all elected members of the cooperative society.”

With this ruling, the 2006 General Resolution will come into effect that prohibits that state from appointing nominees especially those defeated in elections.

Two elected board members of the SUMUL Dairy, Bharat Patel from

Jaipur: A 20-year-old man was killed when a speeding luxury car hit him while he was walking on Ajmer elevated road in Jaipur on Friday morning. The man’s body tossed into the air several metres after being hit by the car and was found on the roof of a neighbouring building in Sodala area.

One leg and hand were severed from his body. “The victim, MaVictim Madaram daram, a resident of Pali district, was walking on the elevated road when a speeding luxury car hit him from behind,” said Station House Officer of Accident Police Station (South-1) Sanjeev Chouhan. He said the victim was going to appear for police constable recruitment examination and his admit card has been recovered from his belongings. The car, registered under Soni Hospitals Pvt Ltd, had two women inside who were being questioned. Police has seized the car.

Will it be Biden?

GEORGIA TO HOLD VOTE RECOUNT DUE TO A RAZOR-THIN MARGIN BETWEEN BOTH Washington: Democrat Joe Biden narrowly overtook President Donald Trump in the vote count in Georgia early Friday and was steadily gaining ground in Pennsylvania, with the presidency hinging on the outcome of tight contests in key battleground states.

Neither candidate has reached the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the White House, though Biden has the advantage after eclipsing Trump in Wisconsin and Michigan, two crucial Midwestern battleground states.

That left both campaigns increasingly focused on developments in Pennsylvania and Georgia, where Biden had an advantage of more than 900 votes on Friday morning.

It could take several more days for the vote count to conclude in some states, allowing a clear winner to emerge.

Thousands of still uncounted ballots – many in counties where Democrat Joe Biden was in the lead – are what’s making the

HC quashes state’s nominations to SUMUL General Resolution 2014 that empowered state to nominate defeated candidates also revoked

Mohd Fahad

Nizar and Sunil Gamit from Jamki (both of Tapi district), through a civil petition, had challenged the state government’s decision to appoint two government nominees on the board prior to the elections of chairman and vicechairman. The petitioner’s submission was that after the results of the management committee were out, the state had issued a notice on August 21, announcing the appointment of two nominees on the board.

Turn to P6

TOO CLOSE TO CALL Georgia contest between President Donald Trump and Biden too early to call. It was unclear when a national winner would be determined after a long bitter campaign dominated by the coronavirus and its effects on Americans and the national economy.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump is testing how far he can go in using the trappings of presidential power to undermine confidence in this weeks election against Joe Biden as he gained ground in tight contests in key battleground states.

At the moment Biden has 264 Electoral College votes and Trump has 214.

The magic number is 270. If he wins Pennsylvania -- a state won by Trump in 2016 -- and its 20 electoral votes, he would pass that threshold.

US networks have said so far the race is still too close to call.

Biden is also currently in the lead in key states Arizona, Georgia and Nevada. Fox News and the Associated Press have already called Arizona in Biden’s favour, but other US media have said the race is still too close to call.

WithTrump’s path to victory narrowing. The Republican incumbent has made unsubstantiated claims of massive voter fraud.

CORONA-CHOCKED DELHI, KARNATAKA BAN CRACKERS

New Delhi: The Karnataka government Friday decided to ban the use of firecrackers during Diwali this year, saying it may badly impact the health of those who have already been infected with Covid-19. Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said, “We have taken a decision to ban firecrackers in the state, in wake of Covid pandemic. The order

regarding the ban will be issued soon.” Meanwhile, The Delhi government had imposed a blanket ban on firecrackers, including those branded ‘green’, between November 7 and 30, with city reeling under impact of hazardous air quality and a steep rise in number of Covid-19 infections.The decision was announced by the Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

NEWS AHMEDABAD | SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2020

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THREE ACCUSED SENT TO REMAND IN BLAST THAT KILLED 12 ON WEDNESDAY

Senior officials visit Piplaj site, AMC seals 6 units Gandhinagar/ Ahmedabad: On the second day after a boiler exploded at Sahil Enterprise, an illegal chemical factory in the Piplaj-Pirana area, senior officials from Gandhinagar visited the site of the fatal accident to take stock of the situation on the ground.

Wednesday’s fire that followed the blast had taken 26 fire brigade vehicles to douse and had affected nine nearby go-

downs. The roofs of four godowns, including a textile godown, had collapsed due to the explosion. Twelve--seven men and five women--of the 25 people trapped in the nine godowns died.

The Ahmedabad Police has filed a case against Nanu Bharvad, Pradip Bharvad, and the owner of Sahil Enterprise, Hetal Sutaria, and initiated an investigation. The three accused were produced in court on Friday and remanded. While Hetal Sutaria will remain in remand

until November 10, Nanu Bharwad, the owner of the estate, until November 07, and Pradeep alias Bata Bharwad until November 08.

“Instructions have been passed on to check units having inflammatory material and to check their NoObjection Certificates. Another survey has been initiated by GPCB and the municipal corporation to check illegal warehouses and godowns.

Instruction has been

given to the municipal commissioner of Ahmedabad to demolish illegal construction near the blast site,” said a government statement on Friday. It also mentioned that additional chief secretary Vipul Mitra of Labour and Employment Department and Sanjiv Kumar Gujarat Pollution Control Board had visited the site on the day of the incident.

Meanwhile, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation on Friday

CHANGE OF GUARD IS NATURAL: DHANANI The leader of opposition addressed rumours of reshuffling in the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee Gargi Raval Ahmedabad: With the polling of state legislative assembly by-elections conducted in eight constituencies over, the political parties as well as citizens await the announcement of newly elected people’s representatives.

The counting of votes has been slated for November 10 and it may introduce an upheaval in the balance of power in the state. According to the rumour mill, a change in the top post holders of the Congress party, including the leader of opposition and state president, is also imminent, post the bypoll results declaration.

On the change of guards within the par-

“I am hopeful for a positive result. One thing we noticed during campaigning was that people want things to change. Take any group women, farmers or youth - they have certain expectations from the government but they are not being heard. I am sure that they have voted for better government representation.”

—Paresh Dhanani, Leader of Opposition

ty, Leader of Opposition Paresh Dhanani told First India, “Change is the rule of nature. I believe that positions are always changeable. Someone new comes in and people get new roles to play. And such changing policies in the

party are necessary.”

Talking about the impending by-election results, he stated, “I am hopeful for a positive result.

One thing we noticed during campaigning was that people want things to change. Take any

One worker killed in fire at Himani Organic plant

—PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

Twenty-five people had been trapped under debris following the explosion.

First India Bureau

02

group - women, farmers or youth they have certain expectations from the government but they are not being heard. I am sure that they have voted for better government representation.”

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fielded five former MLAs who resigned from their positions ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections earlier this year. Many leaders faced the ire of the public while campaigning for the bypolls, which may mean that turncoats have been rejected by the people.

“Several good policies have been fractured by the current government including the wave of privatization, negligent attitude toward farmers, unemployment, among others.

People have suffered and they just wish to be heard. They chose to express their anger towards the government during campaigns of byelection candidates,” said Dhanani.

raided several illegal chemical units and sealed two chemical units and a warehouse near Ranipur Patiya.

A variety of chemicals and powders were found in the raid, including large quantities of highly hazardous chemicals such as hydrogen peroxide, potassium, sodium hexamethasone. Hundreds of drums filled with various chemicals have also been found, a total of six units was sealed by the civic body.

This is the second fatal accident at a Himani plant in less than six months.

Firsts India Bureau Bharuch: A worker was killed in an explosion at an effluent treatment plant of Himani Organic, located at the Dahej GIDC in Bharuch district, on Friday morning. It took hours for firefighters to douse the ensuing blaze.

Notably, this is the second fatal accident at Himani Organic, which produces agrochemicals, in the past few months. A similar fire at the company’s Ankleshwar plant had left three workers dead about five months ago.

Dahej GIDC Police Inspector AG Gohil told First India that the accident occurred early morning. “Primary investigation shows that the accident occurred due to some chemical process involving the solvent present in water. Ram Kumar Chaudhary, who had been working close to the processor, suffered burn injuries and died on the spot. Later, the fire spread to adjoining areas. The worker's body has been sent for a post-mortem examination,” he said.

The officer said that the case has been regis-

tered as an accidental death for now.

“However, the investigation is ongoing. If any evidence fresh evidence shows up and attracts other sections of the Indian Penal Code, those will be invoked and fresh complaints will be filed,” he added.

Factory, labour and boiler inspectors have also started inquiry into the incident at the plant.

About five months ago, the reactor at the firm’s Ankleshwar plant had malfunctioned, leaving three workers dead and six others badly burned.

Former LoP Sharma denies Cong exit First India Bureau Ahmedabad: A day after Behrampura councillor Kamla Chavda was appointed the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) Leader of Opposition, several supporters of Dinesh Sharma staged protests in wards across the city on Friday. Demonstrating against the ‘untimely’ resignation of the former leader of opposition, his backers

Cong leader Dinesh Sharma.

seem to be spoiling for a fight. On the other

hand, Sharma clarified that he will not be leaving the Congress party in the foreseeable future.

Addressing the protests being held post his resignation, Sharma assured First India that it was not a show of strength. “The support I am receiving is nothing but encouragement for me. These protests are not being held against political parties or leaders. The ground

reality must be looked at by senior leaders and the party must not bow down to anyone. Another thing that I wish to reiterate is that I am not leaving the Congress party,” he stated.

He added, “The local and regional-level leaders are aware of the ground reality, but those sitting in Delhi are not aware of it. People stationed here have successfully misled them.”

CONG GUJARAT IN-CHARGE SATAV TO REVIEW POLL PREPARATIONS First India Bureau Ahmedabad: The local civic body, panchayats and nagarpalika elections have been postponed for three months owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. And this has granted time to political parties to ramp up preparations for the upcoming polls. In view of this, Congress Gujarat incharge Rajiv Satav will be visiting the state for three days from November 7-10.

Satav’s itinerary includes meetings with local leaders to take stock of the on-ground situation for local body polls.

In a message shared by Congress spokesperson

GOHIL TESTS POSITIVE FOR NCOV

Cong state in-charge Rajiv Satav

Jayrajsinh Parmar, Satav will also meet with district-level leaders.

“He (Satav) will be here on a three-day tour starting November 7.

The party will review its preparedness for the upcoming election of municipal corporations, municipalities, district

panchayats and taluka panchayats. He will participate in marathon meetings over the course of his visit,” said Parmar.

He further stated that the party will prepare strategies for the upcoming election.

It is to be noted that the State Election Commission had announced the postponement of polls of six municipal

corporations including Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Surat, Vadodara, Bhavnagar and Jamnagar, 55 municipalities, 31 district panchayats, and 231 taluka panchayats which were scheduled to be held in November.

The terms of all civic bodies end on December 13, while the terms of other local bodies up for polls also culminate in December.

GUJARAT AHMEDABAD | SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2020

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State to release `646 crore as part of DA before Diwali

03

A’bad’s air pollution reaches dangerous levels

Govt also announces Phase I of gauge conversion on Katosan-Ranuj railway line First India Bureau Gandhinagar: The state government announced three important decisions on Friday: to pay Rs646 crore as dearness allowance to government employees and pensioners, to give bonuses to Class IV employees, to begin Phase 1 of the gauge conversion on the Katosan-Ranuj railway line.

Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel, who made the announcement during a press conference on Friday, said, “About 6.50 lakh state government employees and 4.50 lakh pensioners have been awaiting six months worth of arrears in dearness allowance.

The first three months’ difference, which amounts to about Rs646 crore,

GREEN SIGNAL

—FILE PHOTO

The smog is back in the city.

First India Bureau

Deputy CM Nitin Patel made the announcements during a press conference on Friday.

will be released next week, on the eve of Diwali.”

Patel is hopeful that—with crores of rupees in circulation—the state economy, which is recovering from the aftershocks of the pandemic and lockdown, will get a much-needed

boost. The government will also release a bonus of up to Rs3,500 to each of the state’s 30,960 Class IV employees in time for Diwali.

The government will also release a bonus of up to Rs3,500 to each of the state’s 30,960 Class IV employees in time for Diwali.

—FILE PHOTO

In addition, the state government has also given the green signal to a project to convert the 65km railway track between Katosan and Ranuj from metregauge to broad gauge.

Phase I of the project, which is a joint venture between the Western Railway and Suzuki,

will see the gauge conversion of the 27.5km track between Katosan and Becharaji.

The entire project will cost an estimated Rs787 crore and is expected to benefit commuters in North Gujarat while also facilitating the transport of industrial goods.

Ahmedabad: Air pollution is making headlines again in the nation’s capital of New Delhi, and the city’s air quality is no different either with the resumption of vehicular movement and industrial activities after lockdown was lifted, combined with the approaching winter.

According to monitoring systems across the city, Ahmedabad’s air quality has dropped

to “poor”. The System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR) reporting an overall AQI (Air Quality Index) of 232.

It has issued an advisory for people with severe health issues to reduce prolonged or heavy exertion. “Take more breaks and do less intense activities. Asthmatic patients should keep medicine ready if symptoms of coughing or shortness of breath occur. Heart patients should see a doctor if

they get palpitations, shortness of breath, or unusual fatigue,” SAFAR says on its website.

Air quality is said to be good if it is 0 to 100, moderate if it is 100 to 200, and bad if it is 200 to 300. At 232, Ahmedabad’s AQI puts it firmly in the “bad” category.

Notably, the lockdown period saw a dramatic improvement in air quality when the city’s 40 lakh vehicles were largely off the roads and its thousands of factories had halted operations.

No flattening of curve, LRD MALE ASPIRANTS DEMAND ‘MERCY KILLING’ new cases back to 4 digits First India Bureau

Junagadh: Male aspirants of the Lok Rakshak Dal (LRD) submitted a memorandum to the district Collectorate demanding mercy killing, as a protest against the states’ “injustice” to them by allocating more seats to female candidates.

The youngsters im-

People line up to get tested for COVID-19.

First India Bureau Gandhinagar: Gujarat witnessed a four-digit jump in the number of new cases of COVID-19 for the first time in almost two weeks, crushing any hopes of reprieve from the novel coronavirus.

With another 1,035 fresh cases of COVID-19 added on Friday, the state has cumulatively seen a total of 1,78,633 cases so far. Having discharged as many as 1.62 lakh patients, the state government in its daily health department bulletin has put the recovery rate at 91.16%.

1,035 cases, 4 fatalities take state tally to 1,78,633 cases, toll to 3,751 However, the state also saw four more COVID-19 fatalities on Friday, bringing the total number of deaths caused by the SarsCoV-2 virus to 3,751 since the beginning of the pandemic.

There are 12,036 active cases in the state, with 69 patients on ventilators, and 5,01,307 patients under quarantine.

While three dis-

Bar Council of Gujarat.

Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport is all lit up on Friday, a day before it is handed over to the Adani Group, five years after the process of privatizing India’s seventh busiest airport began in 2015.

—PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

BULLET TRAIN

NHSRCL invites tenders for tree transplantation First India Bureau Ahmedabad: The National High Speed Rail Corporation Ltd (NHSRCL) has floated tenders for transplanting trees that fall on the route of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project.

All bidders invited for the tenders must have prior experience of executing such projects.

Tenders will have to be submitted before November 22 and the pro-

ject estimate has been adjudged to be around Rs1,46,94,566. Once the tender is allotted to a bidder, the project will have to be completed within four months.

The company has also invited bidders to lay down the track for the bullet train project. The plan includes a multimodel traffic integration system that can accommodate buses, autos, taxis and other modes of mass transportation and even personal vehicles

The company has also invited bidders to lay down the track for the upcoming bullet train project.

—FILE PHOTO

for pick-up and drop facility at bullet train stations. According to sources, such integration systems will be developed at Anand, Nadiad and Bharuch on the 508 kilometre-long route of the project.

The NHSRCL public relation officer told the media that all bullet train stations will look similar to airports. The Bharuch station will be constructed on the Bharuch- Dahej road, close to a six-lane high-

increased seats for women in both general and reserved categories.

This led to a decrement in the number of seats for male candidates.

Notably, while criminal complaints have been lodged against aspirants for protests in Gandhinagar, no action has been taken against politicians who organize public rallies and meetings.

High Court allows provisional sanad to working mother

BEDAZZLED

—FILE PHOTO

tricts—Valsad, Botad, and Dang—did not report a single new case on Friday, Surat again reported the highest number (210) of positive cases. Cases also emerged in Ahmedabad (175), Vadodara (114), Rajkot (109), Mehsana (48), Patan, Banaskantha, and Jamnagar (38 each), Gandhinagar (35), Narmada (21), Sabarkantha and Bhavnagar (19 each), Junagadh (17), Morbi and Surendranagar (16 each), Panchmahal (15), Kutch (14), Anand, Dahod, and Kheda (11), Bharuch (9), and Gir Somnath (8), among others.

LRD aspirants at their protest outside the Junagadh Collectorate.

plied that the move was politically motivated Candidates from the general category had previously demanded the general resolution that prohibited women from reserved communities from competing in open category of any government recruitment. They were joined by candidates from the reserved category. To appease the agitators, the state had

way, so that industrialists and executives travelling in the bullet train can hail taxis for Dahej easily and do not have to go through Bharuch city.

The firm has only taken on parcels of land where farmers have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with it and land has been made available for the project. It hopes to secure the land required for the project by January next year and commence construction.

First India Bureau Ahmedabad: The Gujarat High Court quashed and set aside a norm of the Bar Council of Gujarat that was prohibiting a working mother with a law degree from practicing the law. As per regulations, an employed person who has a law degree cannot be issued a sanad (certificate legitimizing law practice). The court revoked the rule and ruled that if a person is qualified to be admitted as an advocate, he/she shall be inducted as an advocate.

A first division bench comprising Chief Justice Vikram Nath and Justice JB Pardiwala allowed the petition of a Twinkle Mangaonkar

—FILE PHOTO

and directed the Bar Council of Gujarat and the Bar Council of India to issue provisional sanad to the petitioner.

The court observed, “It is too much to say that a person desirous to get himself enrolled as advocate with the state Bar Council should be asked at its inception to give up any other vocation, business, or job and only thereafter be enrolled on the roster of the Bar Council of Gujarat.”

A working single mother, the petitioner was asked to give up her job before her enrolment with the Bar council. Although she has filed an affidavit seeking provisional sanad, once she clears the Bar Council of India’s examination, she would obtain the final sanad.

PERSPECTIVE AHMEDABAD | SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2020

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CONTENTMENT CONTAINMENT

IN-DEPTH

AMIT SHAH STARTS HIS MISSION W. BENGAL

IS

B

ihar assembly elections were not even over when Union Home Minister Amit Shah landed in West Bengal where elections are about six months away. Shah could not go for campaigning in Bihar as he was recuperating from the after-effects of Covid-19, saving his energy for Bengal which is a must-win state for the Bharatiya Janata Party. The Chanakya, as Shah is called, was scathing in his comments on the law and order situation in the state where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has been repeatedly accused of being dictatorial and appeasing minorities.

Launching a blistering attack on Mamata Banerjee, Shah said he could “sense massive public anger” against the Trinamool Congress government the days of which were now numbered. Although the election process is yet to begin in the state, Shah predicted a two-third majority in the 295-member House in which it won only three seats in 2016 but increased the tally to 15 after by-election victories.

The optimism is based on the 18 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats the party won in the 2019 general elections.

That the BJP will go all out to wangle the state from Didi’s clutches. Governor Jagdeep Dhankar has done enough groundwork for Shah who held meetings to strategise for Mission Bengal’s success.

It is worth recalling Shah telling a TV news channel that the demand for imposing President’s rule in the state was “wajib” (justified). His comments followed BJP leaders Kailash Vijayvargiya and Babul Supriyo demanding dismissal of the Mamata government. One BJP leader from the state went to the extent of claiming that West Bengal will come under Central rule by December. That’s not too far.

SADHGURU, ISHA FOUNDATION

Ranked amongst the fifty most influential people in India, Sadhguru is a yogi, mystic, visionary and a New York Times bestselling author Sadhguru has been conferred the Padma Vibhushan by the Government of India in 2017, the highest annual civilian award, accorded for exceptional and distinguished service

Q

RESULT DELAY KEEPS THE US ON TENTERHOOKS

D

emocratic nominee Joe Biden inched closer to victory in the most controversial US presidential elections yet. The hope arose as Pennsylvania emerged as the key stepping stone after the presidential hopeful Joe Biden snatched a 5,500 vote lead in the key battleground state. Even in Georgia, another crucial state, Biden took a narrow lead of 1,097 votes but election officials said that with a thin vote margin like that recounting was required to uphold the credibility of the electoral process. Recounting could delay the declaration of result in Georgia till November-end. Already the delay is not only keeping the people on tenterhooks but also adding to the tension.

President Donald Trump has claimed victory prematurely and alleging electoral fraud without any basis, he has prepared the ground for a legal battle ahead.

Republican lawyer Benjamin Ginsberg dismissed Trump’s charge of fraud saying he had an army of 50,000 monitors who had not raised the issue so far.

More importantly, the President will have executive powers till January and there’s a fear that he might anoint himself, President, like George Bush had done against Al Gore before the dispute over postal ballots gets legally settled. There’s also the US Supreme Court with six Republican justices who could throw their weight behind Trump if the situation so demands. It will be ironic if Trump steals victory in this manner. A lot will depend on Pennsylvania where a victory will give Biden 20 electoral votes which will be enough to help Biden cross the Rubicon of the 270 electoral votes required for victory.

Security is on many different levels – physical, economic, social, emotional, psychological, and so on. Even the desire to go to heaven comes because they want ultimate security. If security is the basis of everything that you are doing, insecurity will be your quality.

Insecurity means fear

uestioner: I go in search of realization but I don’t get it so I feel miserable. But without realization, I am content. Why should I seek realization?

Sadhguru: Misery is better than lethargy because there is an intensity to misery. Lethargy is death-like. In suffering there is intensity. It has found a negative expression, but still there is intensity, there is life.

But in lethargy, there is no life.

By “lethargy” I am not referring to you skipping work. I am talking about a certain lethargy that has entered your life. You have become lethargic with life itself. It is called tamas.

If you become pure life, it is very beautiful. If you become a life that is intense but enslaved to certain things, then you will be in a state where if good things happen you will laugh, if bad things happen you will cry. That is a deep state of enslavement to the situations in which you exist. The very nature of life is such that no one can control or manage the situations around them 100% the way they want.

So, if you remain in this state of enslavement, naturally you will have a dose of misery and a dose of joy. It depends on where you are placed and how life is.

Once life is like this, you fear misery. Even if misery is not there on a daily basis, you fear what will happen to you all the time. Once you have tasted pain, you know it can come to you at any time. There is no insurance against it. So, naturally, you constantly live in a state of fear about when it will happen to you. That is how the whole world is living. Just look at your life and see, almost everything that you have done is only in pursuit of security. From education to marriage, to a job, to business, and everything else you do, it is all in search of security.

Security is on many different levels – physical, economic, social, emotional, psychological, and so on. Even the desire to go to heaven comes because they want ultimate security. If security is the basis of everything that you are doing, insecurity will be your quality. Insecurity means fear.

When you live in fear, can you also claim to be joyful?

There may be moments when you forgot your fear, but as long as it is there, there is no question of joy. You neither laugh all your laughter nor will you cry all your tears. You will live a life of insipidness. When fear is the basic emotion that decides the quality and content of your life, you will never know life. Every step that you take in your life is only half a step. It will never be a full step about anything.

Please see, people cannot do anything with abandon. They cannot sing with abandon, they cannot dance with abandon, they cannot work with abandon, they cannot run with abandon. There is no sense of freedom or abandonment in them because fear rules everything. This is what you call con-

CONTENTMENT MEANS CONTAINMENT. WHY WOULD ANYBODY WANT TO CONTAIN HIS LIFE? PEOPLE TEACH PHILOSOPHIES OF CONTAINMENT BECAUSE THEY ARE AFRAID OF LIFE. THEY BELIEVE THAT YOU COULD OVERDO LIFE

tentment. The only reason people are asking for contentment is that they are scared of life.

Contentment means containment. Why would anybody want to contain his life? People teach philosophies of containment because they are afraid of life. They believe that you could overdo life. You cannot overdo life, you can only underdo it. Can you live or die too much? You can only live and die. If you have lived a life of contentment, that means you

CAN AMERICA RESTORE ITS DEMOCRACY?

Y

ou know about the five-second rule. According to conventional wisdom, food that has dropped on the floor can be safely eaten if retrieved within five seconds. Some scientists have even set up experiments to confirm this folk saying. Of course, all bets are off if your toast falls on the floor buttered side down and you haven’t mopped the kitchen in recent memory.

Today, after a contentious election and with the results of the presidential race still uncertain, we are all now looking down at the ground. It’s been four years since Donald Trump dropped the buttered toast of our democracy onto the floor. After four years face down in the dirt, can our democracy be picked up, l

04

dusted off and restored to some semblance of integrity?

THE 2020 ELECTION The polls made it look like Joe Biden would be an easy winner, maybe even in a landslide. The Democrats were expected to retake the Senate.

The huge number of early votes — nearly 100 million — suggested that the 2020 turnout would be the greatest in more than 100 years. The Democratic Party is supposed to benefit from more souls at the polls.

The polls were off. If Joe Biden wins, he will do so by a slender margin and only after considerable legal wrangling by both parties.

The Democrats are now a long shot to win control of the Senate. And the huge turnout has translated into Donald Trump getting

more votes in 2020 than he did in 2016, more in fact than any Republican candidate in history.

Texas did not go blue.

Neither did Florida or Ohio. The Republican Party went all in for Trump, and he delivered

beyond his base. But Arizona may have flipped, and Georgia might as well. If the infamous “Blue Wall” holds — at least Wisconsin and Michigan if not Pennsylvania — then Biden will become the next

president.

Still, who in their right mind would want to lead the United States at this perilous moment? The pandemic is surging. The economy hasn’t climbed out of its hole. Donald Trump has applied his scorched-earth

approach to both foreign and domestic policy. The Republican Party has demonstrated that it delights in playing dirty, refuses to compromise for the national good and embraces the most malign of Trump’s many fictions from the uselessness of masks to the myth of climate change.

Exit polls, meanwhile, reveal a country divided by more than just party affiliation. Democrats, for instance, overwhelmingly want to contain the current pandemic while Republicans want to focus on reopening the economy. This dynamic explains why so many Trump voters believe the president better handles both the economy and the pandemic, even if the evidence of his mismanagement is obvious to everyone else.

did not live, you contained your life. Does it mean to say I must be unbridled in greed? That is not the point.

The reason, why the idea of greed and contentment has come into your mind, is only because there is no strong experience of life. Greed has become a possibility in one’s life only because somehow, their experience of life is not enough.

They think their life will become fulfilled by accumulating things. You may label them as greedy, but all that they are trying to do is to enhance their life by adding a lot of things to it.

What you call greed is in pursuit of more life.

When you are stingy in your greediness, that is when you become just greedy. If you become absolutely greedy, then you become spiritual because what you call spirituality is you are not willing to settle for anything. You are not willing to settle for a piece of creation. You are looking for unlimited expansion and that is spirituality. You are seeking the infinite, that is spirituality. That is greed, isn’t it? Greed unbounded.

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

Top

TWEET Dharmendra Pradhan @dpradhanbjp In the ongoing Kharif marketing season 2020-21, GOI continues to procure Kharif crops at its MSP from farmers as per existing MSP schemes. About 21 lakh farmers have already been benefitted from the ongoing KMS procurement with #MSP value of `43620.10 crore. #MSPHaiAurRahega Piyush Goyal @PiyushGoyal India is the place to be for returns with reliability, demand with democracy, stability with sustainability, says PM @ NarendraModi ji. Modi Govt will do whatever it takes to make India the engine of global growth.

Spiritual SPEAK

Always perform your duty efficiently and without attachment to the results, because by doing work without attachment one attains the Supreme. —Bhagavad Gita

SOURCE: FAIR OBSERVER

Vol 1 l Issue No. 343 l RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/16208. Printed and published by Anita Hada Sangwan on behalf of First Express Publishers. Printed at Bhaskar Printing Planet Survey No.148P, Changodar-Bavla Highway, Tal. Sanand, Dist. Ahmedabad.

Published at D/302 3rd Floor Plot No. 35 Titanium Square, Scheme No. 2, Thaltej Taluka, Ghatlodiya, Ahmedabad. Editor-In-Chief: Jagdeesh Chandra. Editor: Anita Hada Sangwan responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act

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PM MODI TELLS GLOBAL INVESTORS

‘India is the place to be’

India’s quest to become ‘atmanirbhar’ is not just a vision, but a planned strategy Guj: PM to launch Ro-Pax terminal on November 8

New Delhi: “The Ro-Pax Ferry Vessel ‘Voyage Symphony’ is a three decks vessel with DWT 2500-2700 MT, with the displacement of 12000 to 15000 GT. It has a load capacity of 30 trucks (of 50 MT each) on the main deck, 100 passenger cars on the upper deck and 500 passengers plus 34 crew & hospitality staff on the passenger deck,” an official release said. PM Modi will be inaugurating 11 am via VC.” Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing the Virtual Global Investor Roundtable, in New Delhi .

a strategy that aims to use our strength in technology to become the global centre for in-

novations, a that aims to ute to global ment using

strategy contribdevelopour im-

India-Philippines focused on visa liberation: EAM New Delhi: India, Philippines discussed the shared interest in visa liberation during the fourth Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation, said S Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister, on Thursday. “Co-chaired the 4th India-Philippines Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation with Secretary @teddyboylocsin. Appreciate his personal warmth and sentiments for India,” said Jaishankar in a tweet. In another tweet, he said that the meeting was focused on taking for-

EAM S JAISHANKAR SPEAK

ward the cooperation in trade and investment, defence, education, information and communications technology and space.

“Our productive meeting focused on tak-

ing forward cooperation in trade and investment, defence, education, ICT and space.

Also discussed our shared interest in visa liberation,” the EAM further said.

—ANI

Piyush Goyal

The Union Railway Minister met various Members of Parliament (MPs) from Punjab on 4 November.

TERRORIST KILLED IN ENCOUNTER IN JAMMU & KASHMIR’s PULWAMA Srinagar: A terrorist was killed in an overnight encounter with security forces in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said on Friday.

Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Lalpora area of Pampore in south Kashmir district on Thursday, following information about the presence of ter-

rorists in the area, a police official said. He said as the search operation was going on, terrorists fired indiscriminately, resulting in injuries to two persons. The security forces maintained a tight cordon of the area throughout the night and in the exchange of firing on Friday morning, one terrorist was killed, he said.

Taking to Twitter on 5 November, Piyush Goyal said, “Met with MPs from Punjab regarding Railway ser-

SIT files 700-page chargesheet before court

Faridabad: A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Haryana Police filed a 700-page chargesheet in connection with the murder of a 21-year-old woman in Ballabgarh before a Faridabad court here on Friday.

According to the police, the names of 60 witnesses are included in the chargesheet, which was filed within 11 days after the registration of a case in the matter. Police said that the chargesheet was pre-

Entire incident was recorded on a CCTV camera installed in region. pared on the basis of digital, forensic and material evidence.

The chargesheet has been filed under Sections 302 (murder), 364 (kidnapping or abducting in order to murder) and 366 (kidnapping, abducting or inducing woman to compel her marriage)

of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and several relevant sections of the Arms Act. So far, three accused persons including prime accused Touseef, Rehan and Ajru, who allegedly provided the pistol used in the crime, have been arrested.

The final year commerce student named Nikita was shot dead in front of her friend on Oct 26 outside her college in Ballabgarh, where she had gone to take an exam.

—ANI

mense human resources, and their talents,” he said. VGIR 2020, organised by finance

ministry, witnessed participation of CEOs of 20 top institutional investors.

—ANI

Kerala local body elections from December 8-16

Delhi riots: HC stays suspension of Tahir Hussain from municipal body

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala SEC has announced dates for the local body elections that will be conducted in three phases on December 8, 10 and 14.

Voting for phase 1 will be held on December 8, for phase 2 on December 10, and for phase 3 on December 14. The counting of votes will be held on December 16. In phase 1, the elections will be held in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha and Idukki districts. The time of polling will be from 7 am to 6 pm.

—ANI

New Delhi: Delhi HC stayed East Delhi Municipal Corporation’s August 26 decision of terminating the membership of former AAP Councillor Tahir Hussain from the municipal body. Hussain is an accused in different cases pertaining to the Northeast Delhi violence.

The EDMC had taken the decision to terminate him after he allegedly remained absent from the meetings of the Corporation conducted in the months of January, February, June and July. The decision was taken under a

Resume train services: Goyal to Pb govt New Delhi: Amid the ongoing anti-farm laws protest, Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday met lawmakers from Punjab regarding Railway services. Goyal assured them that they are ready to resume train services if Captain Amarinder Singh-led government assured safety and security of railway property and personnel and clears the tracks.

BALLABHGARH MURDER CASE

—FILE PHOTO

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi wooed global investors by showcasing the recent agriculture and labour reforms and faster-than-anticipated reflating of the economy and asserted that the government will do whatever it takes to make India the engine of global growth resurgence.

Speaking to 20 top global investors, the Prime Minister said the “Self-Reliant India” campaign does mean the country is becoming a closed economy but rather offers opportunities to be part of the India growth story.

India’s quest to become “atmanirbhar” (self-reliant) is not just a vision, but a well planned economic strategy, he emphasised.

“It is a strategy that aims to use the capabilities of our businesses and skills of our workers to make India a global manufacturing powerhouse,

05

vices in the State. Railways are keen to start services for the benefit of farmers, industry, MSMEs, general public and passenger convenience.”

“Requested state government to clear entire Railway network from blockages so that we can run all trains, to and through Punjab, without interruption and safely,” the Minister tweeted.

—ANI

LUXURY SIT-IN: BADAL SLAMS AMARINDER ON BILL PROTEST New Delhi: SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal took a dig at Punjab CM Amarinder Singh and said his demonstration in Delhi was just a ‘’luxury sit-in’’.

Badal said that the CM should hold indefinite hunger protest in front of PM Narendra Modi’s residence, instead of staging “one-hour luxury sit-ins.” Amarinder Singh held a sit-in protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar after failing to meet President Ram Nath Kovind against the suspension of goods railway services in Punjab due to ongoing agitation by farmers against new farm laws.

Piyush Goyal@ PiyushGoyal Met with MPs from Punjab regarding Railway services in the State. Railways is keen to start services for the benefit of farmers, industry, MSMEs, general public & passenger convenience.

THE CASE SO FAR

Tahir Hussain

provision stating that if any member remains absent “during three successive months” without giving any information then the corporation can cancel the membership of the con-

‘Govt will make India automobile manufacturing hub in next 5 yrs’ New Delhi: Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways and MSME, on Friday, said that the government is working towards making India a global automobile manufacturing hub in the next five years.

The government is already making policies to support the industry, he added. According to a press state-

‘NITISH KUMAR’S LAST ELECTION REMARK IS PLEA FOR MERCY’ New Delhi: Congress leader P Chidambaram on Thursday claimed Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar has conceded defeat by declaring the ongoing state assembly polls as the last election he is contesting. The senior Congress leader also alleged that the “last election” ploy was a “plea for mercy” due to Mr Kumar’s non-performance.

cerned ward councilor and can declare the representation of the ward as vacant.

However, Hussain in his plea filed through advocate Rizwan contended that he has not

absented himself from the meeting of the Corporation for the three “successive months” as the meetings were never held successively for three months till August when the EDMC took the decision to vacate his seat. “The meetings were held in the month of January, February thereafter, the meetings were not held in the month of March, April and May thereafter, the meetings were again held in the month of June and July (successively for two months,” he argued before the court.

“When Mr Nitish Kumar declares that this will be his ‘last election’ he has effectively conceded defeat,” P Chidambaram said on Twitter. The former finance minister also said, the “Last election ploy is not an appeal for support based on his performance, but a plea for mercy on the basis of his non-performance”.

Nitin Gadkari

ment from the Ministry of Road Transport and

Highways, addressing the virtual ‘Electric Mobility Conference 2020’, organized by FICCI Karnataka State Council, Gadkari said, “The future is very bright and India has the potential to become the largest Electric Vehicle (EV) market in the world as the government continues to push for EV adoption.”

—ANI

DELHI POLLUTION: FORMER CS TO HEAD AIR QUALITY PANEL New Delhi: Considering the rise in pollution levels in Delhi, former Chief Secretary of Delhi government, M Kutty, was appointed chairperson of the Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas on 5 November. Professor Mukesh Khare, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi and Ramesh KJ, Ex-Director General, India Meteorological Department (IMD) have been appointed as the full-time technical members of the Commission, an order from the Personnel Ministry said.

INDIA AHMEDABAD | SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2020

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Covid-19 a watershed moment in history: Modi ‘We will have to adapt ourselves to the post-Corona world’ New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that the COVID-19 pandemic will remain a watershed moment in history, just like World War II (WWII).

The PM was speaking at the India-Italy Virtual Summit with his Italian counterpart Giuseppe Conte. “COVID19 pandemic will remain a watershed moment in history, just like WWII. We will have to adapt ourselves to the post-Corona world. We will have to be ready for the opportunities and challenges arising out of it,” Modi said.

The Prime Minister paid condolences on behalf of the people of India for the losses due to COVID-19 in Italy.

“I express my condolences on behalf of all

Centre plans to introduce vaccination drive PM Narendra Modi

BE READY FOR CHALLENGES

the people in India, for the losses due to COVID-19 in Italy. When other countries of the world were still getting to know of Coronavirus and trying to understand it, you were suf-

Kerala’s Travancore Devaswom Board to appoint ST priest

Thiruvananthapuram: In a historic first, the Kerala government is set to appoint a priest from Scheduled Tribes (ST) category in Travancore Devaswom Board.

As many as 18 people from Scheduled Castes (SC) and one person from the ST category will be recommended for appointment as part-time priests in the Travancore Devaswom Board. Kerala Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran said in a Facebook post that the rank list prepared as per a special notification for the SC and ST category was published on November 5 to fill the vacancies.

There were four vacancies for the Scheduled Tribes but only a single application was re-

RANK LIST

ceived. So far, 310 people have been selected for the post of part-time priests in the Travancore Devaswam Board from a rank list published on 23/8/2017. As there were not enough candidates from the SC/ST category for examination at that time, the rank list, prepared as per the special notification for the SC/ST category, was published on Thursday.

fering from it,” PM Modi said.

He said, “You swiftly and successfully brought a very difficult situation under control.

You also consolidated the entire country.”

‘Struggle against centre’s farm laws about honour, respect, dignity’ Amritsar: Cong leader Navjot Singh Sidhu on Friday said that struggle against the Centre’s farm laws is also a struggle for honour, respect and dignity.

Sidhu was addressing farmers at Vallah Sabzi Mandi in Amritsar on Friday. “The Centre owes thousands of crores of rupees to Punjab. Entire Punjab stands united in our struggle against the centre’s farm laws. It is also a struggle for our honour, respect and dignity,” Sidhu said.

The Cong leader said, “Some people are trying to divert your attention from real issues. The Centre’s agenda is clear from its black laws. The remaining agenda was fulfilled through punishment for stubble burning, Electricity Amendment Bill and no subsidies for farmers.”

Navjot Singh Sidhu

New Delhi: The Central govt, in its blueprint for the country’s biggest vaccination drive for COVID-19, has planned that the immunisation program will be extended to the lines of polling booths.

Sources in the govt said, “The National Expert Vaccine Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 is preparing the blueprint for vaccine drive to be held early next year.”

Situation tense, war with China can’t be ruled out: CDS Rawat New Delhi: Because of Indian defence forces’ firm and strong response, the Chinese Army is facing the “unanticipated consequences” of its misadventure in Ladakh, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat said on Friday even as he stressed that status quo will have to be restored as India won’t accept any shifting of the Line of Actual Control.

The strong remarks on the situation on the China border were made by the CDS on a day when the two countries are holding their eighth round of Corps Commander-level talks to address the ongoing military stand-off.

“The situation along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh remains tense.

The People’s Liberation Army is facing unanticipated consequences of its misadventure in

Mulling law against ‘love jihad’, says Vij Chandigarh: Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij on Friday told the Vidhan Sabha that the state government is considering a law against “love jihad” and has sought information from Himachal Pradesh, which had passed a bill on the issue. The Himachal Pradesh assembly had last year passed a bill against conversion by force, inducement or through marriages solemnised for the “sole purpose” of adopting a new religion.

“We are mulling to bring a law against love

jihad in Haryana,” Vij said to a calling attention notice drawing attention towards the Ballabhgarh’s murder case. He said a challan in the case will be filed soon and it will be listed before a fast track court Vij also told the House that security has been provided to the victim’s family.

POWER Gallery KAUN BANEGA ISRO CHAIRMAN ?

It is widely believed that ISRO Chairman K Sivan will get an extension in January 2021.

The grapevine in knowledgeable circles is that the ISRO chief has suddenly woken up from slumber and has started talking of manned space flight keeping an eye on extension.

WILL PRAVEEN PARDESHI BE RECALLED BY MAHARASHTRA GOVERNMENT?

Gen Bipin Rawat

Ladakh because of Indian defence force’s firm and strong response. Our posturing is unambiguous-- status quo has to be restored and we will not accept any shifting of the Line of Actual Control,” he said while addressing a webinar on 60 years of National Defence College.

He said that in the overall security calculus, a full-scale conflict with China is low on probability and that in the future the ChinaIndia relationship will be a competitive one.

Javadekar virtually launches biomass plant to curb air pollution New Delhi: Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar held a meeting to discuss “steps taken for prevention of air pollution in Delhi-NCR with emphasis on finding a permanent solution” on Friday.

He virtually launched a demonstration plant at Pune which produces compressed biogas from biomass.

The air pollution in the national capital continued to deteriorate, as the Air Quality Index (AQI) mounted to the “severe” category on Friday.

‘No political party can ever afford to restore Article 370’ New Delhi: No political party in India can ever afford to restore Article 370 in J&K, Union minister Jitendra Singh on Friday said as he alleged that the bogey of autonomy or self-rule is raised by certain opposition leaders only when they are out of power.

Taking a strong exception to utterances by some of the leaders of “so-called” mainstream Kashmir-centric politi-

cal parties like the PDP and the National Conference, he said unsubstantiated assertions made by these leaders

are only motivated by a desperate attempt to hold back the ground which is fast slipping from under their feet.

“No political party in India can ever afford to restore back Article 370 and the unsubstantiated assertions made by these leaders are only motivated by a desperate attempt to hold back the ground which is fast slipping from under their feet,” Singh told.

turned-politician.

Many of these fall in the Kosi-Seemanchal region where the contest between NDA and Grand Alliance will be held under the shadow of Owaisi factor given the fact that the AIMIM has fielded candidates in many of the Muslimdominated seats here and the Hyderabad MP also carried out a hectic campaign.

The Kosi-Seemanchal region also happens to be the main area of influence for maverick former MP Pappu Yadav, whose Jan Adhikar Party is determined to make its presence felt

and prove a point to the RJD as both draw their support from the states most populous community the Yadavs.

While the NDA looked surefooted till a few months ago, poll pundits have begun to predict “winds of change” and the ruling coalition seems to have taken note as emotional appeals to the voters have emanated from PM Modi and CM Nitish Kumar.

The CM, who seems to be bearing the brunt of the perceived antiincumbency with the public anger seemingly directed not as much

against the BJP, his alliance partner, caught the rank and file of his JD(U) unawares.

The RJD, once considered invincible, is leaving no stone unturned to make a comeback, enthused by the response its Chief Ministerial candidate Tejashwi Yadav. All of 31 years, has been receiving.

Prominent candidates include Vijay Kumar Chaudhary of JD (U),Speaker of the outgoing assembly, famed for his ability to win over hostile opponents with a disarming smile, who seeks to

Jitendra Singh

06

Grapevine has it that 1985 batch IAS officer Praveen Pardeshi is being recalled by the Maharashtra Government to take over as Chief Secretary. Present Chief Secretary Sanjay Kumar is likely to be new RERA Chief in the State.

Top Prev Next Click here for Your.

KUTTY IS NOW CHAIRMAN IN DELHI FORMER SECRETARY

Petroleum M M Kutty has been appointed Chairperson of the Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas. He is former 1985 batch IAS officer. Top Prev Next Click here for Your Feedback.

ANJANI KUMAR RETURNS TO PARENT CADRE

Anjani Kumar, Secretary, National Institute of Open Schooling, under the Department of School Education and Literacy, has been given premature repatriation to his parent cadre. He is a 1989 batch IB (E)S officer.

DWIVEDI GETS EXTENSION IN TRAI

The deputation tenure of Devender Dwivedi has been extended for one more year i.e. October 21, 2021. He is posted as Jt Advisor (B&CS) in TRAI. He is an ITS officer.

EIGHT MORE IIS OFFICERS TRANSFERRED

MIB has transferred eight more group-A IIS officers. Accordingly, M Touthanag has been posted as Director, DDK, Aizawl while Ajay Mhamia will be the Director, PIB, Gangtok.

Similarly, Ram Khilari Meena will join AIR News, Jaipur as Dy Director, Guruprasad HL joins as DD cum Curator, National Film Archives of India, Pune, Shariq Noor will join as Asstt Director, RoB, Bhopal, Pratyush Kumar Ghosh will join as Asstt Director, AIR News, Delhi, Ms Jayadeyi Pujari Swami has been posted as Asstt Director, PIB, Mumbai and Ms Bhavna A. Gokhale has been posted in AIR News, Mumbai as Asstt Director.

GAUHATI HC GETS THREE JUDGES

Three Additional Judges: Justices Manish Choudhary, Sanjay Kumar Medhi and Nani Tagia have been promoted as Judges of the Gauhati High Court.

PRABAL BASU SKIPS BOARD MEETING, UNLIKELY TO GET EXTENSION AS CMD, BLC

(UPDATED) Prabal Basu is reported to be conspicuous by his absence at Board meeting.

According to sources, he is unlikely to get an extension to the post of Chairman-cum-Managing Director, Balmer Lawrie & Co Limited (BLC).

However, the Ministry has not issued any official instructions to the company in this respect.

BMC COMMISSIONER I S CHAHAL PROMOTED TO ACS RANK IN MAHARASHTRA

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Commissioner, Iqbal Singh Chahal has been promoted to the rank of Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) in Maharashtra. He is a 1989 batch IAS officer of Maharashtra.

By arrangement with: http:// whispersinthecorridors.com

FROM PG 1 ‘Our Time...

The top BJP leader, who visited Dakshineswar temple on the second day of his two-day visit to the state, was taken to the sanctum sanctorum of the centuries-old shrine, where he offered puja to the goddess.

“I prayed for the well being of the entire state, the country and its people. We prayed that the country retains its position of glory in the world under the leadership of (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi.”

Shah was greeted at the temple by members of state BJP Mohila Morcha, including its

president Agnimitra Paul, who blew conch shells and put a ‘tilak’ on his forehead.

Taking to Twitter, he wrote, “Blessed to have offered prayers at Maa Dakshineswar Kali Temple in Kolkata...”

“May she continue to shower blessings on India. I would be leaving from here with renewed energy and consciousness,” he said.

The Union minister, after offering prayers, headed to eminent vocalist Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty’s music school-cum- residence ‘Shrutinandan’, where he met his students and

family members.

Scotching speculation that he might join the saffron camp, Chakraborty said that he was happy to have hosted Shah at his residence but harboured no such intention.

voting on... has been necessitated by the death of sitting JD(U) MP Baidyanath Mahato The JD(U)’s bid to retain the Parliamentry seat by fielding his son Sunil Kumar is facing the primary challenge from Congress candidate Pravesh Kumar Mishra, a journalist-

do a hat-trick in Sarairanjan.

JD(U) ministers in the fray are Bijendra Prasad Yadav (Supaul), Narendra Narayan Yadav (Alamnagar), Maheshwar Hazari (Kalyanpur), Ramesh Rishideo (Singheshwar), Khurshid alias Firoz Ahmed (Sikta), Lakshmeshwar Roy (Laukaha), Bima Bharti (Rupauli) and Madan Sahni (Bahadurpur).

She is contesting on a Congress ticket. Saturday will be the last leg of the voting in the current Bihar polls where elections are being conducted amid

raging COVID pandemic. Counting of votes is scheduled on November 10.

HC quashes...

Advocate Archit Jani’s submission was that the state’s action to appoint nominees on the dairy’s board was executed with malafide intention to affect the outcome of the fiercely contested elections. The proceedings initiated by the state government were termed “illegal, arbitrary and malafide”

by Jani, since it was only aimed at creating two additional votes for the election.

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TALKING THROUGH

AHMEDABAD | SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2020

07

Not just joy, puppets also bring to children a growth in their understanding of feelings and the feelings of others

C

hildren come into the world ready to communicate.

A baby cries and coos to express their feelings and respond to sounds. The ability to communicate develops quickly but uniquely in every child.

By the age of three, most children are able to understand simple requests such as, “pick up your shoes and bring them to me”. They can identify colours, shapes or food groups and use familiar names to recognise important people in their lives, like “grandma”. And they can respond to “who”, “what” or “where” questions.

At three, your child may be saying a lot of words and putting them together into simple sentences. They may ask questions (often a lot of questions) such as, “Where are we going?”

It is an exciting and wonderful time for children to learn about their world and share their discoveries. It can also be a time of anxiety, if a child is not showing the communication signs the parent expects them to at a particular age.

Children learn to speak and develop their communication through day-to-day interactions with their parents and caregivers.

In 2019 as part of my yet

unpublished research (that draws on previous work in the United States), I went to three different preschools to work with three to four year olds using puppets. I observed all the children — including kids with a disability, those learning English as an additional language or those who are very shy — communicated more often and more effectively when talking to a puppet.

Research with school-aged children shows puppets, like a favourite doll or teddy bear, can encourage learning and improve communication and behaviour. Talking to a puppet, as opposed to a person, makes the conversation feel

less personal and more pretend. It is a play-based technique sometimes used in therapy to help the child feel less self-conscious, and open up.

I noticed the joy puppets brought to the children, as well as a growth in their understanding of feelings and the feelings of others. The children showed greater confidence when speaking to puppets and engaged in positive social interactions such as taking turns and sharing.

Parents can also use puppets to support their child’s development at home.

Here are three things puppets can help with.

3

USE PUPPET PLAY TO ENCOURAGE 1 CONVERSATION

W

e introduced a range of puppets to children and quickly discovered the type of puppet used was important.

Dinosaurs were very popular as was a duckling named Mabel and a Great White Shark called Bruce.

Think about the animals, characters, colours or creatures your child likes before choosing a puppet to add to your family. You can even make a simple puppet with an old sock.

Once you have your puppet, introduce it thoughtfully to your child. For example, you may pat it softly and have your child touch it with you.

Ask your child to help you discover the sounds the puppet makes, its name and what it likes to play.

Make your child the expert in bringing your puppet to life. Through the creation of the puppet you can build your child’s vocabulary by modelling descriptive words and longer sentences.

For young children, try narrating their actions with the puppet. For example, “You are patting the puppet’s yellow beak, I think he likes it”.

Play peek-a-boo, sing songs or tell stories. The important thing to remember is to have fun.

USE A PUPPET TO TALK ABOUT FEELINGS

hree-year-olds may find it Tor identify hard to name their feelings the reason they may

be happy or upset. A puppet can act as a soothing way to have children tell you how they feel or learn the names of feelings.

For example, the puppet can use an angry voice or be crying to express emotion. Involve your child in helping the puppet by naming its feelings and coming up with possible solutions to

2

their distress.

Two puppets can act out a frustrating situation and model new approaches such as sharing a favourite toy, trying new foods or cleaning up.

Puppets are a creative way to bring about speech and communication with your child. By bringing fun and imaginative play into your day, you can help your child develop their ability to share their world with you.

USE PUPPETS TO GET YOUR CHILD TO ANSWER QUESTIONS

ry using a puppet to ask quesTpreschool, tions about your child’s day at their favourite part of

a story or about their drawings or play.

Your puppet can help your little one by offering prompts such as, “Tell me about what you ate at snack time” or “I wonder what you made in the sandbox outside”?

Children may open up more to the puppet because they are funny and create a relaxed and playful environment, which is ideal for interactions.

Other ideas may include using the puppet to make up stories together or to take the puppet on a walk and ask questions about the things you see together.

SOURCE: THECONVERSATION.COM

The least that we can do as humans is to stand by our fellow brothers in illness and time of grief, be compassionate.

2ND FRONT

—Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO & Editor, First India

AHMEDABAD | SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2020

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COVID-19 UPDATE

WORLD

INDIA

08

GUJARAT

1,244,293 4,93,60,023 1,25,519 84,55,807 3,751 1,78,633 DEATHS

MAHARASHTRA 44,965 DEATHS 17,10,314 CASES

CONFIRMED CASES

TAMIL NADU 11,299 DEATHS 7,39,147 CASES

DEATHS

CONFIRMED CASES

KARNATAKA 11,347 DEATHS 8,41,889 CASES

DEATHS

DELHI 6,833 DEATHS 4,23,831 CASES

Finally, HC allows Hardik Patel to travel outside Gujarat till Dec 2

CONFIRMED CASES

RAJASTHAN 1,966 DEATHS 2,07,597 CASES

High Court grants bail to 2 in loot of 25K kg pistachio

The Patidar leader’s plea was to modify his bail conditions & let him travel to Bihar

First India Bureau Ahmedabad: In a ‘victory’ of sorts, maverick Patidar leader Hardik Patel has been granted permission by the Gujarat High Court to travel outside the State for a limited period, overturning the government’s opposition to make any relaxation for him.

The high court on Friday granted interim relief to Patel, also Gujarat Congress working president, to travel outside the State from November 11 to December 2.

Patel’s counsel Anand Yagnik had submitted that since his client was a star campaigner for his party in the Bihar elections, he should be allowed the relief.

Surat trader spend for Parvati temple at Somnath First India Bureau Surat: A Suratbased diamond businessman Bhikhubhai Dhameliya has pledged to bear the expense for the construction of Goddess Parvati Temple in Somnath. According to the trustee of Shri Somnath Trust, PK Laheri, the plan to build the Parvati temple had been there for the last 2 years.

Now, land has been identified for the purpose and the businessman from Surat has taken total responsibility of all white marble required to build the temple as well as its construction. The total cost of the project is estimated at Rs 21 crore.

The Trust has decided to build the temple in an area of 6,000 to 7,000 square metres. Laheri said the Parvati temple will come up next to the exit door within the existing Somnath Temple campus just after Yagnashala.

BIHAR CALLING!

Hardik Patel was allowed to travel to Bihar and Delhi.

Also, for no hearing in any cases against him was expected in near future in the subordinate court.

He had also submitted that he needed to

meet his lawyers in Delhi in relation to cases pending before the Supreme Court.

The High Court had then sought Patel’s itinerary, which was sub-

—FILE PHOTO

mitted. Based on this, he was granted relief for a temporary period.

Earlier, the State Government filed an affidavit in the high court opposing the re-

laxation given to him stating that Patel had no respect for law and would deliberately abstain from the trial to delay the proceedings.

Yagnik countered this,

arguing that the Assistant Public Prosecutor was bringing up an affidavit at the eleventh hour to delay a decision in this case that was of immediate concern.

The Ahmedabad Sessions Court had rejected Hardik’s bail modification plea citing that he was trying to delay court proceedings and could not be allowed to leave Gujarat.

Patel was granted bail on January 22, after he was arrested by Ahmedabad Crime Branch for failing to appear before the court in a sedition case of 2015.

The court granted him conditional bail, which prevented him from leaving Gujarat without the court’s permission.

First India Bureau Ahmedabad: The Gujarat High Court has granted bail to 2 persons accused of theft and loot of 25,110 kg of pistachio worth Rs 1.44 crore from a truck which was loaded from Adani Port, Mundra and was heading towards Mumbai.

Police said Mayursinh Jadeja and Kuldeepsinh loaded 25,110 kg pistachio in their vehicles after the original truck driver (complainant) Lavkush Nishad, who was carrying the pistachio to Mumbai, was abducted

PARENTS ABANDON MONTH-OLD KID IN JAMNAGAR HOSPITAL

Rajkot cops detain Congress worker in fake Aadhar cards scam

First India Bureau

First India Bureau

Jamnagar: A couple abandoned their onemonth-old child at a hospital in Jamnagar after an altercation over the medical expenses. The infant was admitted at the Guru Gobind Singh Government Hospital and was on ventilator a few days ago.

Hospital authorities said the couple had an argument about medical expenses and then in a fit of anger left the baby in the hospital.

The hospital authorities are trying to trace the parents of the

abandoned child and convince them to take the baby. Hospital sources said the baby was brought to the hospital after his health had started deteriorating. The parents belong to Kalyanpur taluka in the district and work as labourers.

Doctors at the hospital said that currently an NGO has stepped in and the hospital has also decided to contribute to help fund the expenses of the baby’s treatment. The newborn is responding well to the treatment.

Rajkot: The Rajkot police on Friday detained one more person in the racket of issuing Aadhar cards to foreign and Indian nationals without authentic documents.

Gandhigram police detained Viral Santosh Bhatt, 28, a resident of Kothariya colony, who was involved in signing enrolment forms required by citizens who did not have any proof to be submitted for Aadhar card.

Gandhigram police inspector KA Vala told First India, “On the tip-

off from 2 persons arrested earlier, it was revealed that Bhatt used to forge signature of ward number 13 RMC corporator Ravji Khimji. When a person does

not have any documentary evidence, there is a facility wherein an enrolment form signed by a class I and class II officer, MP, MLA or a corporator is considered

valid to certify that the date of birth and resident address are correct. Bhatt used to sign on such forms.”

Bhatt is a Congress worker and worked for RMC opposition leader Vashram Sagathiya.

“Bhatt used to put corporator’s stamp and sign, while the 2 others would make the cards at Rs 1,500 per piece. We have sought data from the UIDAI to check how many Aadhar cards have been issued during the past 2 months since these people started operating,” Vala added.

HARASSMENT OF SORTS!

Cattle rearer’s High Court battle to get his buffaloes Yasin Pathan’s 3 buffaloes were seized by the police on charge of cruelty to them First India Bureau Ahmedabad: A cattle rearer has knocked on the doors of the Gujarat High Court to get his 3 buffaloes released from police custody. Yasinkhan Pathan, the petitioner, is the owner of the animals and he earns his livelihood from the sale of buffalo milk.

The buffaloes were impounded by the police as far back as March 4 and given to a temple trust for the upkeep. An FIR was lodged with Mahelav Police Station in Anand after the police intercepted a Bolero SUV carrying the animals with their mouths and legs tied.

The vehicle and the animals were seized, while the driver, Man-

Man moves High Court to get custody of his 3 impounded buffaloes.

sur Ali, was booked under Animal Cruelty Act. The police suspected that the buffaloes worth Rs 80,000 were being taken to a slaughterhouse.

The High Court has directed Ranchhodji Mandir Trust, Petlad, to release the 3 buffaloes and ordered the petitioner to deposit Rs 60,000 before trial as a security bond.

The court took into consideration the cattle pond’s affidavit seeking a maintenance amount of Rs 20,000 for keeping his

cattle and Pathan agreed.

The court also put a rider that the petitioner should not be cruel to the animals and maintain them properly.

The counsel for the petitioner said Pathan is a member of Kajipura Dudh Utpadak Sahkari Mandwali Limited and supplies them milk. Also, since one of the buffaloes in the care of Ranchodji Mandir Trust had already died, the animals should be immediately released.

by some people at gunpoint from Anjar.

They then took the pistachio to Ahmedabad. Advocate Utkarsh J Dave representing the petitioner submitted before the high court that the 2 men have not been named in the FIR and they were arrested based on a statement made by the other coaccused.

As far as the role of the applicants were concerned, they were drivers who had delivered the stolen goods as instructed. Hence they should be released on bail.

Gujarat ACB arrests forest official in DA case First India Bureau Ahmedabad: The Gujarat Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has arrested a range forest official (RFO) for allegedly amassing disproportionate assets worth Rs 1.68 crore over a period of 10 years, an official said on Friday.

Following a 4-yearlong probe, the ACB on Thursday arrested Nimesh Majmudar, currently posted as an RFO at Aranya Bhavan, Gujarat forest department head office in Gandhinagar, a release issued by the ACB stated.

A case of disproportionate assets under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act was registered against Majumdar in 2016 when he was serving as an RFO at Amirgadh in Banaskantha district.

According to the ACB, Majmudar’s proportionate income was Rs 40.3 lakh, while the total expenditure or investment he made between 2005 and 2015 was Rs 2.08 crore.

The investigations have revealed that the accused had disproportionate assets worth Rs 1.68 crore, around 418 per cent in excess to his legal income, the release stated.

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09

AHMEDABAD, SATURDAY NOVEMBER 7, 2020

CONNECTING VIRTUALLY

Virtual season of ‘The Fashion Connect’ by First India releases today, 7 November, with fashion designer Versha Sethi’s designs!

NEHAL NAYAR

nehal.nayar@firstindia.co.in

T

Models showcasing fashion designer Versha Sethi’s designs

he wait is now finally over, as the virtual season of The Fashion Connect (TFC)

by First India is finally being released today. As most of you might know, the sixth season of the same was supposed to take place in March but was cancelled just 5 days prior, due to the global pandemic.

But now, after a lot of execution, creativity and hard work, TFC is finally releasing virtually, and the same is happening for the first time in Rajasthan.

Rishee Miglani, the brand ambassador of TFC stated, “I’m always fond of doing something different and innovative for TFC. Going digital is the need of the hour and that’s the new normal. I’m happy that we decided to go virtual because people had been waiting for The Fashion Connect this year. It was supposed to take place in March, but couldn’t happen due to COVID, hence this.”

Versha Sethi, the fashion designer associated with the virtual season of TFC mentioned, “As I complete 18 years in this gorgeous industry, I don’t think there would have been a better way to celebrate it. Shooting for the virtual season of TFC with my designs was an absolute delight, and I hope that everyone loves the final outcome, as I’m sure it’s going to be great.”

“With every passing season of TFC, we have always aimed to set a benchmark.

Rambagh is very pleased to host the virtual season of The Fashion Connect. Considering the fact that it is happening for the first time in Rajasthan, we couldn’t have been happier.

Everything has been shot beautifully at our lovely property, Maharani Bagh, and we cannot wait to host the next season of The Fashion Connect by First India at our premises.

—Ashok Rathore, GM, Rambagh Palace Jaipur This time, we have adapted to the new normal, by going virtual. Well, as they say- the show must go on,” said Lokesh Sharma, the show director.

Any show is incomplete without a videographer and a photographer. Sahil, the videographer of the show said, “Since the time I got to know TFC was going virtual, I had been extremely excited. The idea is so fresh, that the thought of being a part of it made all of us work harder than usual. I’ve put in my best efforts, and I genuinely hope everyone enjoys it as much as we enjoyed shooting it.”

“I have been a part of TFC in the past, but this time the

experience was extraordinary. Welcoming the new normal, everything was different this time and the top models from Delhi absolutely nailed flaunting the designer outfits.

We look forward to the release of the video,” stated photographer Jiten.

Sanjay Sardana, an admirer of the event mentioned, “I had been a part of many events in the past and have always wanted to be a part of TFC. After seeing the entire shoot, my expectations have been exceeded. People say that this is the number one event of the state, and I can truly say the same, being a part of it.”

ETC AHMEDABAD | SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2020

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PROOF OF HEAVEN

10

Deepak’s Corner

“Is there an existence after death?

What do the neuroscientists have to say about such experiences?”

DEEPAK

deepaklifemusings@gmail.com

W

Eben Alexander

based illusions and yet his personal experience left him dumbstruck. On 10th Nov 2008, he has a headache, slips into coma and is diagnosed with a rare form of bacterial meningitis. E-coli attacks and literally eats away his

FA CE OF TH ED AY

e all, as mortals- are fascinated, awed and deep down, fearful of death. Is it the end of all? What is the purpose of life? We either try not to think about it or work therein around it, to make it more acceptable.

This book, by an acclaimed neurosurgeon based in US, is the actual account of a journey beyond. It enables us to finally look at death squarely, without flinching. It has the potential to break many scientific taboos.

To put the book in perspective, we need to know a little about NDEs- Near Death Experiences, a field which was first explored

by Raymond Moody (MD, PhD, author of “Life Beyond Life”).

“Dr Eben Alexander’s neardeath experience is the most astounding I have heard in more than four decades of my studying this phenomenon. In my opinion, Dr Alexander is living proof of an afterlife”.

To start with Dr Alexander is himself an eminent neurosurgeon of international repute, having published more than a hundred research papers in leading journals of medical science. His neuroscience career taught him all along that neardeath experiences are brain-

brain. He loses all memory and is not expected to survive. A miracle occurs. His brain goes from near total inactivity to awakening. A week later he wakes up, a changed man. He is certain of the infinite reach of

YOUR DAY Horoscope by

Saurabbh Sachdeva

the soul, certain of a life beyond death. “ My awareness is expanding. I am in a universe staggering in its vastness and complexity and ruled entirely by love. We are so much loved. Time is timeless. Here all human emotions are deeper, more spacious not just inside but outside too.

The weather outside is governed by your inside emotions. Tears bring rain. Joy showers sunshine. Inside-Outside do not exist.” Dr Alexander felt that heaven was with him everywhere in the form of the Creator, of Om, in the form of angels. He particularly described ‘his angel’ as the girl on the Butterfly Wings.

“I’d visited the ultra reality of ‘The Gateway’ and ‘The Core’”.

On waking up he describes the dismal earth pictures as ‘Earthworm’s Eye-View’.

In this astonishing book, Dr Alexander shares his experience, pieced together from the notes he made as soon as he was able to write again. Unlike other accounts of near-death experiences, he is able to explain in

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

You will be able to remain in saving mode despite temptations. New contracts and deals may be signed, but their implementation can take some more time. Focus on health will become your priority and will have a positive outcome on your fitness.

Love is likely to knock at your door.

Stringent cost-cutting measures may find you growing financially strong.

Not much is likely to be achieved on a business trip, but it may open new opportunities.

Devoting some time for physical fitness is indicated for some and will help keep them fit.

Financially worries are set to disappear as you are about to come into big money. Chances of winning a deal become bright through your efforts on the business front. You are likely to resolve to come back in shape and start an exercise regimen.

Some of you will resolve to come back in shape and may even join a gym.

Financially, it is advisable to remain tight fisted. A long-winded project is likely to near completion.

Family will bestow its love on you, as you continue to excel in your field.

Love and care will do all the magic.

MAR 21 - APR 20

APR 21 - MAY 20

MAY 21 - JUNE 21

JUNE 22 - JULY 23

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

Some of you are set to add to your wealth. You will find people acknowledging your skills and talents at work.

Those unwell are set to show remarkable recovery. Your plans for a new business are likely to materialise, so get ready for the new beginnings.

Praise awaits some academically.

Good bargaining will help you save a neat sum. Your performance at work is likely to be lauded. You are likely to resolve to come back in shape and start an exercise regimen.

Taking a ride with your near and dear ones will be fun. Someone is likely to become your mentor.

Take adequate precautions in this changing weather, as getting unwell is possible. You will be in a happy state as far as finances are concerned. Marketing people are likely to be at their selling best. A peaceful domestic environment will help you unwind.

A windfall is foreseen for those in business. Your confidence is likely to win the day for you on the professional front. Some of you can strike a friendship that may turn into something serious. Those pursuing sports may find themselves in excellent form.

JULY 24 - AUGUST 23

AUG 24 - SEP 23

SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22

OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

You maintain good health through your determination to continue regular workouts. Monetary condition is set to improve as money comes to you from various sources.

Your confidence is likely to win the day for you on the professional front. Life will surprise you in a beautiful way.

Good investment opportunities come your way. Superiors at work are likely to focus only on your positive traits. You will manage to remain regular in your fitness schedule. Guidance of your near and dear ones will prove a great help.

This is a good time to sell an asset.

This is an excellent time to invest in shares as you stand to gain handsomely. A happy reunion of sorts is in the offing on the family front. Regular workouts and eating right is your mantra for keeping fit. A piece of immovable property can come to you through a will or gift.

Playing the stocks promises to bring in good money. This is the time to muster all your resources for tackling something complicated on the work front. A new line of treatment for an old ailment is likely to work wonders. A family event may keep you entertained.

NOV 23 - DEC 22

MASOOM MINAWALA, Blogger

depth why his brain was incapable of fabricating the journey he experienced. His story is one of profound beauty and inspiration. “The universe is much larger than it appears to be. 96% is made up of dark matter and energy unknown to us. Each of us are intricately, irremovably connected to the larger universe.

Physical space -however vast- is limited. It is our spiritual realm, our Consciousness, the Life Force which is incomparable. We are not prisoners in this world, just voyagers through it. We don’t have to die to be aware of our magnificence. But, we have to learn to be aware, go deep into our own consciousness through prayer, meditation, & by learning The Truth. There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle.

The other is, as if everything is”.

This book is also a reminder to the scientists that modern science must acknowledge it doesn’t know everything. It must leave room for doubt and continued observation and explora-

tion. We only know what we know at this present moment.

Knowledge is continually changing with new insights. Today, as a doctor, he believes that we are actually spiritual beings living in a body and that death is not the end. Our brain purposely blocks our access to knowledge of the higher worlds. It wants us to focus on ‘here and now’, ie, our physical surroundings. If we realised the full beauty and brilliance of the spiritual realm, we would not do justice to our purpose, our focused life on earth here. Our role on earth is to grow towards the Divine. Our love and compassion only can lead us towards Divinity”.

Being a reputed member of the medical fraternity, ‘Proof of Heaven’ has indeed caused a stir in the scientific world challenging certain long held beliefs. It is a landmark in its field.

If you want to visit an actual world in a rabbit hole and not the fairytale ‘Alice in Wonderland’ then, this IS it. Later think about it and go crazy! I am still in a daze after having read it and year back.

DEC 23 - JAN 20

JAN 21 - FEB 19

FEB20 - MARCH 20

AAPONLOGNISEES

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ETC AHMEDABAD | SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2020

11

O

scar-winning actor Anne Hathaway on T hursday (local time) apolo gised to the limb difference community after her latest film ‘The Witches’ received an online backlash from the community.

“I have recently learned that many people with limb differences, especially children, are in pain because of the portrayal of the Grand High Witch in The Witches,” she wrote.

“Let me begin by saying I do my best to be sensitive to the feelings and experiences of others not out of some scrambling PC fear, but because not hurting others seems like a basic level of decency we should all be striving for,” her caption further read.

The ‘The Intern,’ actor then went on to extend her heartfelt apologies to the entire community and especially to “kids with limb differences.”

—ANI Anne Hathaway

Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma

All Loved-up

A

day after she celebrated her cricketer husband Virat Kohli’s 32nd birthday with him in Dubai, actor-producer Anushka Sharma on Friday ended the birthday celebrations by posting two loved-up pictures with him.

The ‘PK,’ actor took to Instagram to share the two love-soaked pictures

Hoping Big

‘Don’t Worry DARLING’

P

roduction work of Olivia Wilde’s upcoming film ‘Don’t Worry Darling,’ has been paused after a crew member tested positive for coronavirus. Although the studio has not yet confirmed the person who tested positive, Variety reported that it is not a main cast member.

The production for the film is expected to halt for 14 days in accordance with the standard quarantine protocols.

Set in the 1950s, ‘Don’t Worry Darling,’ stars Florence Pugh, Chris Pine, and Harry Styles. The film revolves around the story of an unhappy housewife and her discovery of a disturbing truth about her husband.

—ANI

Olivia Wilde

A

Still from ‘DDLJ’

Comeback Time

A

ccording to film critic and trade analyst Taran Adarsh, DDLJ will start playing at Mumbai’s Maratha Mandir theatre from Friday, as the theatres reopened in Maharashtra after almost eight months of being shut, following the COVID-19 outbreak. “#DDLJ BACK IN CINEMAS...

As theatres reopen in #Maharashtra, #AdityaChopra’s iconic film #DDLJ - starring #SRK and #Kajol - will start playing at #MarathaMandir [#Mumbai] *again* from TODAY,” tweeted Adarsh. “The longest-running and one of the most successful #Hindi films of all time,” his tweet further read.

—ANI

‘EYES DO THE TALKING’

RECALLS FEELING ‘UGLY’

ollywood star Kartik Aaryan on Friday treated fans to a stunning sunkissed selfie as he flaunts his new look with long hair and full-grown beard.

The ‘Pati Patni Aur Woh’ actor posted a picture Kartik Aaryan on Instagram, in which he lets ‘his eyes do the talking’. In the intriguing capture, the ‘Pyaar Ka Punchnama’ star’s luscious locks are seen covering half of his face, while he flaunts his looks. The actor is seen sporting a full-grown moustache, as he donned a white crew-neck T-shirt. Aaryan captioned the post as, “Let the eyes do the talking.”

—ANI

rie Larson recently got candid about beauty standards!

The 31-year-old Captain Marvel actress opened up in an interview where she spoke about her Brie Larson routine and self-care.

While discussing beauty during an interview, the actress said, “I don’t believe that there is a beauty standard. I struggled with feeling ugly and like an outcast for so much of my life. And so I really, really feel for that. It took me a long time to be able to be totally comfortable with myself.”

—Agency

B

B

WELCOME HOME

P

aresh Rawal is all set to debut on the digital entertainment platform with his recent psychological-thriller ‘Welcome Home’.

Taran Adarsh took to Twitter to announce that the series begins streaming on the platform from Friday. “PARESH RAWAL’S DIGITAL DEBUT AS PRODUCER... #PareshRawal and Hemal A Thakkar join hands for a psycho-thriller...

Film titled #WelcomeHome,” he tweeted.—ANI

and chose to express all of her feelings for her better half with no words and just a heart emoji.

The couple had earlier in the year announce that they are expecting their first child together. They are currently in Dubai where Kohli has been playing in the Indian Premier League.

—ANI

Ananya Panday

nanya Panday, who portrays the role of a typical Bambaiya girl in her recent film Khaali Peeli, hopes to play the lead in an action film someday, feeling empowered after doing fight sequences in the latest release.

“Doing action in this film was something very new for me and different, but I had a blast.

Parvez Bhai and his team made it feel so easy for me, so I really hope to do action in more films or maybe even an action f i l m someday,” she says. She opens up about how her role in the Maqbool Khan directorial was empowering.

“The fact that Pooja was so empowered and no damsel in distress, how she fought for herself, really drew me to her as a character.

She was a full Hindi-picture hero herself,” the 22-yearold actor adds. —ANI

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12

UTTAR PRADESH

CHALEIN? H

ome to one of the Seven Wonders of the World, Uttar Pradesh is a state with unending wonders in monuments, arts, food, cultural sights and nature. The home to diverse religious people, this state boasts of various cultural and religious fests. With massive royal influence in the fields of dance and music and arts, this state is home to one of the first classical dances of India, Kathak. The state is also known for its Nawabi style in food, can advertise fantastic street food like the samosa and kachori as well as the royal meaty feasts and kebabs. The land of Ram, Lord Krishna, the Buddha and the Taj Mahal- Uttar Pradesh, rich in diversity, transcends all boundaries of art and culture and brings together a lively mix of people from all around the nation. Watch this space for more on Uttar Pradesh in the days to come!

—Anita Hada

DOING BUSINESS WITH RAILWAYS

WHAT’S HAPPENING!

Best of Both Worlds CITY FIRST

During the session CITY FIRST

D

uring an online session organised by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on Thursday, Anand Prakash, General Manager, North Western Railway said, “North Western Railways has been working with CII to encourage industries in Rajasthan

to come on board as suppliers for various opportunities of Business encompassing various sectors.”

Prakash shared that we have lost our 9-% passengers’ earning but our trade business developed in a nice way. As far as NWR is concern grossly already surpassed last year’s achievement by almost 25 % or so.

Vishal Baid, Chairman, CII Rajasthan & President, Poly Medicure Ltd highlighted that New Online Vendor Registration System’ launched by the Research Designs & Standards Organisation (RDSO), in order to have digital and transparent systems and procedures is an excellent example of Ease of Doing Business in Railways. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

Installing Street Lights

T

he 7th edition of the Rajasthan International Film Festival (RIFF) will take place in 2021, in both virtual and physical format, with the theme being ‘Musical Cinema’.

Somendra Harsh, founder of RIFF stated that the decision to postpone the film festival has been taken keeping in mind the current COVID-19 situation. “As per the guide-

N

IAS Mugdha Sinha

and repair of roads, installing street lights, refurbish the school buildings and build community centers along with boundary walls), provide safe drinking water (installing borewells and motor, pond distillation and rainwater harvesting), improve drainage systems and conduct tree plantations in communities and villages where they operate. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

Sagar Sharma also had discussions with the workers of Kekri Assembly Constituency.

—M IMRAN TAK

Somendra Harsh

lines and protocol of the International Film Festival, it has been decided to organise the festival from 20 - 24 February 2021. It will take place in a hybrid format, that is, both virtually and physically, in Jaipur and Jodhpur.”

RAJ: Welcoming Christmas with open arms and intoxicating aroma, Holiday Inn Jaipur City Center had its Annual Cake Mixing Ceremony on Friday.

Promoting Virtual Programs

CITY FIRST

uvoco Vistas Corp.

Ltd., a leading building materials company in India installed 106 solar-powered street lights in Nimbol, Rajasthan under the aegis of its CSR pillar ‘Sanrachit Bharat’. This initiative helped in empowering the village where access to electricity is poor and intermittent and a boon for approximately 4500 villagers of Nimbol.

Through this CSR pillar the company has been able to improve the quality of life by developing community infrastructure (construction

Youth Congress leader Sagar Sharma launched a cricket competition at Bajta Village, Kekri, Ajmer on Friday.

CITY FIRST

D

epartment of Art and Culture, Jawahar Kala Kendra (JKK) and Ravindra Manch are inviting proposals from artists for virtual programmes. Proposals can be sent in categories like – exhibition- visual art or photography, music and dance performance as well as films, theatre, drama and online training workshops.

On the occasion, Secretary, Department of Art and Culture,

and Director General JKK, Mugdha Sinha said that there was a need to institutionalise the entire process of enabling interested artists to showcase their work at JKK and Ravindra Manch. So, a decision was made to structure the process by inviting artists to send their proposals via email. An evaluation committee will be set up to review the content sent for its quality and select the appropriate proposals. Ravindra Manch also has a video wall which artists can use to showcase their work.

Proposals need to be sent with the artist’s name, address, mobile number, email address and proposal details, along with a visual or performing clip of the artist.

Cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

CANCER AWARENESS DAY! National Cancer Awareness Day is celebrated in India on 7 November, today, to educate people about cancer, its treatment, and its symptoms.

National Cancer Awareness Day was first announced by the Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan in September 2014. Therefore, the first time it was celebrated in the year 2014. This day focuses on the early detection and cure of cancer.

GUJ: Floating Restaurant in Surat re-opens its valentine theatre, ‘Pirates voyage by Vicky Degdawala’.

RAJ: Sarita Beniwal daughter of Karmaveer Singh Beniwal was awarded a PhD by the University of Rajasthan’s Accountancy and Business Statistics Department on Thursday. She was conferred this degree for research on the topic ‘Performance Appraisal of Health Insurance Company in India: - A Comparative Study of Public and Private Sector Companies’.

HAPPY B’DAY!

IAS Somnath Mishra celebrated his birthday on 6 November, Friday. We wish him all the best!