First India-Ahmedabad Edition-03 October 2020

AHMEDABAD l SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2020 l Pages 12 l 3.00

THE ATAL ROHTANG TUNNEL

2.6 m

9.02 km

Leh

Main tunnel

4m

4m

Manali

STRATEGIC ROUTE

 The Tunnel is designed for traffic density of 3,000 cars and 1,500 trucks per day with max speed of 80 km/hr

Length of the tunnel

Ventilation duct

5.6 m

The world’s longest tunnel will be inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi at 10 AM today  Named after former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the 9.02 km-long tunnel will connect Manali to Lahaul-Spiti valley throughout the year. Earlier, the valley was cut off for about 6 months each year owing to heavy snowfall

RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/16208 l Vol 1 l Issue No. 308

2.25 m

3.6 m Electricity ducts Pavement drain pit

Escape tunnel 11.3 m

Work started

Original deadline for completion

2010

2015

Groundwater drain pipes

Electricity ducts

Completed in year

Tunnel breakthrough

2017

2020

PM MODI’S ITINERARY PM Modi will be accorded a grand welcome upon his arrival at four points as per the traditions of the districts. PM, who will return to New Delhi the same day, will be accompanied by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and MoS for finance Anurag Thakur

AS NO ROADS REACH HATHRAS, wearer Trump, wife Melania test +ve ALL LEAD TO JANTAR MANTAR Reluctant mask

 Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, Bhim Army chief Azad

attend protest and say “Hang The Guilty” in chorus

 UP CM Yogi Adityanath suspends Hathras SP and

four other policemen amid growing nationwide outrage

Mohd Fahad New Delhi: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad and their supporters came to Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on Friday in protest against the government for what they say not doing enough to stop crime against women. Hundreds of people including leaders from opposition parties also gathered there to demand justice in alleged gang rape and murder case of a woman in Hathras.

Meanwhile, UP government suspended Hathras SP Vikrant Vir, Circle Officer Ram Shabd, Inspector Dinesh Meena, Sub Inspector Jagveer Singh and the head constable, who were probing the alleged gangrape and death of a 19-year-old girl in the village. Shamli’s Vineet Jaiswal will soon take over the charge of SP. Turn on P6

US President was diagnosed hours after it became known that his aide Hope Hicks, who travelled with him, tested positive

WILL ENSURE JUSTICE FOR SISTER, WON’T SIT QUIETLY SAYS PRIYANKA New Delhi: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday attended a prayer meet at Delhi’s Valmiki Temple. “We will ensure justice for our sister. We won’t sit quietly till she does not get justice,” she said, addressing a crowd of Congress supporters and members of the Valmiki community who organised the event.

“The government did not help at all. Her family is feeling helpless,” said added.

OUR STRUGGLE WILL CONTINUE TILL YOGI RESIGNS, ROARS AZAD Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad and Bollywood actress Swara Bhaskar during a protest against the alleged gang-rape of a 19-year-old Dalit woman in Hathras, at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Friday.

—PHOTO BY PTI

Govt committed to safety, security and development of all mothers and sisters. Those who even think of harming mothers and daughters in UP, their destruction is assured. They will get such punishment that will set an example for the future

New Delhi: Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad today demanded answers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He also joined a protest in the evening at Jantar Mantar in central Delhi, where hundreds of people came with placards and shouted slogans; “I will visit Hathras. Our struggle will continue till CM Adityanath doesn’t resign and justice is not served. I urge the Supreme Court to take cognisance of the incident,” he said.

—Yogi Adityanath , Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister

Washington: President Donald Trump and his wife Melania have contracted the coronavirus, he announced early Friday, after months in which he has played down a pandemic that has killed more than 205,000 Americans and sickened millions more.

Even as the virus exploded around the nation, Trump has continued to hold large events featuring mostly maskless crowds of people who squeezed together to greet the president.

Trump has regularly appeared in public and in private without a

DONALD J. TRUMP @REALDONALDTRUMP Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER! mask, and has mocked Biden for wearing one and for curbing his campaign events. Many of Trump’s aides also have eschewed masks, both in the West Wing presidential offices and on trips.

‘Nation needs a movement like those in Hong Kong, Belarus’: SCBA prez First India Bureau Ahmedabad: Highlighting the need for a “big movement that will bring drastic changes to the system”, senior advocate and Supreme Court Bar Association President Dushyant Dave on Friday said that India is now primed

for anti-government movement along the lines of those that have occurred in Belarus and Hong Kong.

He was speaking on “Threats to the independence of the judiciary” during a webinar on Friday organized in the memory of senior advocate and human rights activist Girish Pa-

tel. Dave said, “This generation will have to lead such a movement or the next generation will not only criticize us but will hold us responsible.”

He further said, “People have big expectations from the judiciary but, unfortunately, in today’s times, it seems that judges are more influenced by the executive wing.

That reflects in the judgements passed by the courts,” adding that the nation needs judges who echo issues that hurt Dalits and

—FILE PHOTO

Senior advocate Dushyant Dave says Indian judiciary needs to be independent

Supreme Court Bar Association President Dushyant Dave.

other people at the bottom of the pyramid rather than pass judgements in favour of big corporate houses.

Highlighting the need to keep the judiciary independent, with judges who are “above the religious divide”, he said, “The Collegium system had hoped to get quality judges, but that hope has been shattered because those sitting on the collegium select their favourites as judges. The courts hear cases that the government wants it to hear. It does

not hear cases like those on the NRC or on the issue of pension.”

While he took care to point out that there are some good judges who have been doing a great job, Dave also said, “The standard of judges is falling and that is not a good sign for the judiciary or even society. Lower standards in society can still be forgiven, but judiciary standards should be maintained at any cost.”

He continued: “The judiciary needs to be

questioned. It is beyond belief that judges choose not to accept evaluation or criticism.

In recent times, the Supreme Court has passed some questionable orders and judgements.

How can the Supreme Court give the government a clean chit within minutes on the issue of migrant labourers’ exodus? It is the job of the Bar Association to take a stand and hold the judiciary accountable, even if the court does not like it.”

Turn on P6

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AHMEDABAD | SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2020

POLICE DETAINED CONGRESS MEMBERS BEFORE THEY STARTED THEIR PROTEST AGAINST FARM BILLS AND STATE’S DECISION TO OFFER A LIMITED DISCOUNT ON SCHOOL FEES

DHARNA, INTERRUPTED

Police detained Congress state unit chief Amit Chavda, MLA Imran Khedawala, MLA Gyasuddin Shaikh and other party workers during a protest against the new Farm Bills and the issue of school fees outside the Collector's office in Ahmedabad on Friday. LOP Paresh Dhanani was held in Amreli and party members including Praful Togadiya and Pradip Sindhav were held in Surat.

Ahmedabad/Amreli/ Surat: The police on Friday detained Congress party members across the state as they staged protests against the recently passed agriculture Bills and the Gujarat government’s decision to waive 25% of school fees for the current academic year.

In Amreli, Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, Paresh Dhanani was detained even before he could start his symbolic day-long fast at Gandhi Bagh. His shirt was torn during a scuffle that broke out between Dhanani and police personnel during which the Congress leader was heard to shout, “Under what charges are you detaining me?” He had been sitting alone.

“I sat silently for the state’s 1.5 crore students. Their parents must get relief from fees. The government’s mismanagement and indecisiveness is pushing the future of 1.5 crore youth of Gujarat into darkness. The government has surrendered to private school administrators,” Dhanani said at the police station. “We will now pursue the fee waiver

—PHOTOS BY HANIF SINDHI

First India Bureau

movement through non-violence. The police have tried to suppress the movement on the instructions of the government. Our collars have been seized and our shirts have been torn. No reason has been given as to why we were brought to the police station,” he added.

Police personnel also

detained 20 people in Surat and 30 in Ahmedabad, including Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee president Amit Chavda, for holding protests without permission.

Ahmedabad’s Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 2) Vijay Patel said, “We detained around 30 Congress workers includ-

ing Amit Chavda for holding a protest without permission and also for not maintaining social distancing during the protest. They will be released later.”

Before his detention, Chavda accused the Gujarat government of suppressing the people’s voices.

“Since schools and

colleges are shut, we want the government to waive 100% fees of all the students. We are also protesting peacefully against the anti-farmer laws enacted by the Parliament,” he told the media, adding, “The BJP government is acting like the colonial British rulers by not allowing us to raise issues concerning farmers and

02

BULLET BACKFIRES:

Irked farmers want govt to pay current mkt rates for land First India Bureau Ahmedabad: Alleging that committee formed to look into compensation for the land acquisition related to the Bullet Train and Express Highway projects are biased, farmers in Gujarat are now demanding that the government pay them compensation in keeping with the current market rate and not 2011 rates.

“The government formed a high-level committee just last week since it is under pressure with elections for around 8,000 village panchayats, 250 taluka panchayats, 33 district panchayats, and eight assembly seats are due shortly,” said Jayesh Patel of Gujarat Khedut Samaj.

“If Ganpat Vasava can intercede for farmers of his constituency and get Rs750 per square meter—far more than the decided Rs37-Rs360 per square meter— for seven villages, why can’t he do the same for all affected farmers?” Patel asked.

Ganpat Vasava, Bhupendrasinh Chudasama and Kaushik Patel are among the ministers on the newly formed committee, which is expected to submit its report in a month or two.

“The committee is inviting people who are associated

Farmer groups are also demanding that the state government rehabilitate farmers who have lost their lands to various projects, especially in the tribal belt.

with the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) or its supporters. It seems the committee has been formed for the BJP’s sake. The committee must listen to us. We will go to the high court to challenge their biased behaviour,” said the farmer leader.

“The state wants to pay us in accordance with land rates from nine years ago.

This is nothing but exploitation,” he added.

Farmer groups have long been fighting for justice and proper compensation for their land commandeered by the government for various projects across the state. Their idea is to save the land for the farmers, failing which, they want twice as much as for urban land and four times the market rate for rural land.

The group is also demanding that the government rehabilitate farmers who have lost their lands to various projects, especially in the tribal belt.

middle-class people.”

Meanwhile, in Surat, city Congress chief Babubhai Raika said, “The BJP government is anti-farmer and these new Farm Bills will turn farmers into mere labourers. We will continue to demonstrate against these Bills as they will destroy farmers.”

NAL SE JAL

Rupani govt aims to bring tap water to 13 lakh homes  Rural areas in four districts— Mehsana, Gandhinagar, Anand and Porbandar—to be covered First India Bureau Gandhinagar: After paying tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his 151st birth anniversary, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani reiterated the government’s dedication to making the state “swachh” or clean. To his end, he said his government plans to provide the entire

state with tap water and a comprehensive drainage network.

The state is initially targeting to bring 13 lakh households in four districts under the ambit of the Nal Se Jal Yojana, which aims to provide 100% of the state’s citizens with tap water connections.

Rupani—who wishes to make dependence on hand-pumps

Chief Minister Vijay Rupani paid floral tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his 151st birth anniversary.

and tankers a thing of the past—said, “Rural areas of four districts,

namely, Mehsana, Gandhinagar, Anand and Porbandar, are

being targeted currently. With this, 3.10 lakh households in

Gandhinagar, 5.11 lakh households in Mehsana, 4.01 lakh households in Anand and 67,000 households in Porbandar district will get tap water at their doorsteps.” He added that now, women will not have to stand in a queue to fetch water or keep waiting for tankers.

On Gandhi Jayanti, the chief minister also launched a hand-sanitization campaign, which was joined by about five lakh women in 3,800 places across the state.

The campaign aims to

create awareness on cleanliness and how it can protect one from COVID-19.

In a statement to the media, the government also reiterated its committed to child development.

To this end, it has developed 835 Nand Ghar centres, at a cost of Rs59.87 crore.

Rupani e-dedicated these centres, which are expected to play a vital role in childcare and ensure that nutritious food reaches disadvantaged children, on

Friday. He also honoured Anganwadi workers with certificates for their efforts on the frontline in the war on COVID-19, and the best former workers were felicitated with Mata Yashoda awards.

The state government has distributed 25 lakh masks through Anganwadi and ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) workers, and 25,000 persons have been inspired to download the Aarogya Setu mobile app, the statement also said.

GUJARAT AHMEDABAD | SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2020

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HC asks district courts to hold pending trials against MPs/MLAs

03

Car catches fire, leaving 3 of family dead, 2 injured

Of the total 92 cases, 14 are against incumbent members of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly, including MoS (Home) First India Bureau Ahmedabad: In a letter addressed to all principal district judges, the High Court Registrar General RK Desai has issued instructions to complete trial proceedings against incumbent and former MPs and MLAs by hearing them on a day-to-day basis. The registrar general said that the directives were part of the judgment given by the Supreme Court.

Seven incumbent MLAs in the state are facing trial in 14 cases, in which sections invoked may lead to a life imprisonment term, if they are convicted by the trial court. The in-

IN TROUBLE

—FILE PHOTO

High Court of Gujarat.

cumbent Minister of State for Home Pradipsinh Jadeja is facing trial under the Representation of the People Act which, if proved, would mean a one-year prison sentence for him.

Of the remaining MLAs, the highest number of cases five pending trials are against Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA from Kutiyana constituency Kandhal Jadeja. If the cases

registered with Ranavav and Kutiyana police stations are proved against him, he may be awarded a life imprisonment term under the Arms Act and three years’ prison term in two other

cases. Also, a case registered in Rajkot may earn him a seven years imprisonment.

Congress party whip Ashwin Kotwal has two pending cases against him, and he stands to

face a life-imprisonment term if proven guilty.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Parshottam Sabariya also has an anti-corruption case pending which would mean a life imprisonment term for him. With four cases yet to go to trial, Congress party’s Bhagalbhai Barad can go to jail for life, if the court finds him guilty of the charges.

District judges have been asked to give fortnightly updates on around 92 cases that involve current and former MPs and MLAs. If any trial court grants adjournment to any politician, it will have to share the reason for granting it with the apex court.

POLO FOREST TO BE SHUT ON WEEKENDS OVER NCOV First India Bureau Gandhinagar: With little else to do over the weekend, tourists have been flocking to Polo Forest in large numbers. To stem the tide, the Sabarkantha district authorities have now decided to close the popular camping site to tourists on Saturdays and Sundays until further notice. They hope the move will help control the number of COVID-19 cases both within their own district as well as areas from

1,310 new cases & 15 fatalities take state tally to 1,40,555 cases, death toll to 3,478 where tourists arrive.

The state government has conducted 56,732 tests—the largest plunge yet from the 70,000-80,000 samples tested every day in recent weeks—over the past 24 hours. Sources say the drop is an attempt to control the number of new cases being reported on a

Polo Forest is popular among those seeking a day away from the city.

daily basis. On Thursday, the state had conducted 56,738 tests, on

Rains to continue in some parts of the state First India Bureau Ahmedabad: While the monsoon officially ends on September 30, the next three days could bring rain to some parts of the state. Ahmedabad is likely to see partly cloudy skies on Saturday, while some other parts of the state can expect light to moderate rains.

According to the India Meteorological Department, light to moderate rains are expected in the Bharuch and Surat districts of the South Gujarat region, and in Amreli and Dwarka districts of

Wednesday, 61,996, on Tuesday, 62,338, and on Monday, 61,316. In stark

contrast, the state had tested 85,153 samples on September 16.

With 1,310 new cases emerging in the state, Gujarat now has 16,762 active cases, with 84 patients on ventilator support. Of the 15 patients who died in past 24 hours, four were from Rajkot, three each, from Surat and Ahmedabad and two were from Vadodara; Banaskantha, Bhavnagar, Jamnagar, Surendranagar and Gandhinagar each accounted for one death.

Surat again topped the list of single-day

jumps with 278 new cases—177 from the city and 101 from rural areas. There are now 2,495 active cases in the district. Vadodara city conducted 4,409 tests, of which 116 came back positive.

There are now 1,664 active cases in the city.

The day also saw new cases of COVID-19 emerge in Ahmedabad (198), Rajkot (151), Vadodara (158), Jamnagar (86), Gandhinagar (45), Mehsana (36), Bharuch (32), Junagadh and Kutch (31), and Amreli (28).

Police are still uncertain why the car caught fire.

First India Bureau Mehsana: Three members of a family were burned to death when the car in which they were travelling caught fire on the Gandhinagar-Ambaji highway on Friday morning. The police have registered a case of culpable homicide against the head of the family, who was also injured in the fire.

Police sources said Rakesh Patel and his family had left from Ahmedabad on their way to Ambaji, 6 am.

The car hit a tree near Kheralu in Mehsana, after which it caught fire. Patel’s mother Ambaben (70) and his daughters, Heni (17) and Lali (12), were trapped in the car and burned to death.

When people from nearby villages came to know about the incident, they rushed to the scene and pulled out Rakesh and his

The deceased include a senior citizen and two minor girls wife Varsha.

According to the Kheralu police station officer, Varsha Patel has suffered 80% burn injuries, while her husband suffered 1418% burns. Both were first rushed to a local hospital before being shifted to the Mehsana Civil Hospital.

The officer said the reason for the fire was unclear. However, locals claim that, when he was pulled out of the fire, Patel said the fire began after the car hit the tree. He said he could not rescue his family as the central locking system of the car had failed.

Kheralu Police Inspector CB Gamit will be investigating the case as a culpable homicide.

REMEMBERING BAPU

the Saurashtra region.

Dry weather is very likely in all the districts of North Gujarat, as well as the remaining districts of South Gujarat region, Saurashtra, and Kutch.

There’s been a nip in the air in some parts of Saurashtra and Kutch but daytime temperatures across most of the Gujarat region remained normal, as did nighttime temperatures.

Kandla Airport, Surendranagar, and Deesa recorded Gujarat’s highest temperatures at 36 degree Celsius, while Rajkot, Naliya, and Keshod registered the lowest at 24 degree Celsius.

The Gandhi Ashram at Sabarmati held a multi-faith prayer meeting to mark the Mahatma’s 151st birth anniversary on Friday. Unlike every other year, outsiders were not allowed to be physically present. However, many people, including Chief Minister Vijay Rupani did participate in the Sarvadharma Prathanasabha programme via the Internet.

The prayer meeting was also telecast live. To mark the occasion, Rupani also announced that Khadi outlets will extend their usually month-long discount on all products to the end of the year.

—PHOTOS BY HANIF SINDHI

STAYING CONNECTED

SABARMATI JAIL GETS ITS OWN PRISON RADIO STATION Authorities say the pilot project— which will be helmed by inmates— could soon be replicated in all 28 jails in the state

First India Bureau Ahmedabad: On the 151st birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, inmates of the Sabarmati Central Jail inmates got a gift, with the launch of Radio Prison: Sabarmati Live—a dedicated radio station that is expected to keep the 3,000 inmates entertained for seven hours a day.

On the launch of the radio station, Additional Director General of

Police, Dr KLN Rao said, “The station will be airing success stories of inmates, as well as Hindi and Gujarati songs. Programming will also include health updates, including counselling sessions, and information and news bulletins from the Gujarat government.”

The radio station came about as a result of the lockdown that followed the novel coronavirus outbreak.

“During the lockdown, we all learnt

Idea for the radio station emerged as a result of the lockdown

The radio station was inaugurated on Friday.

—PHOTOS BY HANIF SINDHI

how difficult it is to spend time at home without activities.

This made us realise how difficult it would be for jail inmates to spend their time when they are cut off from total socializing,” Rao said.

The radio station

will air programmes from 8 am to noon and again from 3 pm to 6 pm, and will reach many as 3,000 inmates.

Some 10 jail inmates are presently undergoing training to become Radio Jockeys and they are expected to run the radio station once they complete their training.

“This is a trial. If it receives a good response, jail authorities plan to replicate it in all 28 jails in the state,” Rao added.

PERSPECTIVE AHMEDABAD | SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2020

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IN-DEPTH

COVID HALTS TRUMP’S ELECTION CAMPAIGN

T

he President of the United States Donald Trump, who did not miss a chance to mock his Democratic rival, Joe Biden, for wearing a mask to stop the coronavirus from spreading, tested positive for the virus throwing the Republican presidential campaign out of gear. First Lady Melania Trump has also tested positive. In April, Trump had bluntly refused to wear masks. “I don’t think I am going to be doing it,” he said after America’s Centers for Disease Control suggested cloth face covering to keep the virus away. During the first presidential debate, Trump pooh-poohed Biden for his mask. “I don’t wear a mask like him. Every time you see he has got a mask.

You could be 200 feet away from me and he shows up with the biggest mask I have ever seen,” said Trump.

Despite strong advice from the medical and scientific community, especially from Dr Anthony Fauci, to make mask-wearing mandatory, Trump refused to order Americans to wear masks. His populist stand divided American society even as the virus continued to ravage America. Having already taken a toll of over 2.07 lakh lives, the virus is still killing about 1000 Americans daily.

Now there is concern that President Trump’s presidential campaign could be in jeopardy. So far Trump, 74, is asymptomatic but he will have to quarantine himself in the White House. Indications are that the remaining two debates before November 3 voting may also have to be abandoned.

Worse, if he develops symptoms and becomes sick his candidature itself could come under a cloud.

I HAVE NO TIME! 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

M

UP GOVT’S CASTE BIAS OUT IN THE OPEN

T

here was widespread anger over the rape and murder of a Dalit girl for another day on Friday with thousands, including students, turning up at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. After a long time, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was also at the protest site demanding that the accused be hanged. Congress general-secretary Priyanka Gandhi attended a prayer meeting for the victim at Delhi temple while Trinamool Congress MPs---Derek O’Brien, Dr Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Pratima Mondal, and Mamata Thakur--- were stopped by UP police about 1.5 km before the victim’s village. Derek O’Brien claimed that he fell after being pushed by the UP police.

A similar incident occurred with Rahul Gandhi when he and his sister Priyanka were marching towards Hathras. They were detained and a case was slapped against the Congress leaders. On Friday, Priyanka said that she and other Congress leaders were at the Valmiki temple to pay tribute to the victim and urged every woman in the country to raise their voice against the injustice. Priyanka has been at the forefront of the agitation against injustice to the victim and her family.

With condemnation mounting, the UP government has suspended the SP of Hathras and other police officers. The action is too little and too late.

The district magistrate who threatened the family has not even been shunted out.

The district administration which sealed off the victim’s Bhoolgarhi village and turned Hathras into a fortress not only kept politicians and the media out inexplicably allowed the upper caste people to openly hold a panchayat exposing the government’s caste bias.

With a simple process of yoga, your body and mind get more organized. You would see that your level of performance becomes such that whatever you are doing in eight hours, you will very easily be able to do it in three to four hours

any people are asking the question, ‘Where is the time for yoga in our hectic lives?’

You get up at six o’clock, go to the office, work, come back home, take care of the kids, eat and till whatever time you go to bed, you have a busy day. Where is the time for yoga? You have time to eat, gossip, to work, you have the time to take care of everything but you have no time to take care of yourself ?

This attitude comes about because you try to act like a martyr all the time. I have no time for myself. I am giving myself totally to everybody. What is it that you are giving? Your agitations, irritations, anxieties are being passed on to children. If you are truly concerned about your children, creating a joyful and loving atmosphere for their growth on a daily basis, moment to moment, is more important.

So what is your focus on life? If you are able to manage your work, your children, and everything else, do it. If you are unable to, do what you can do. Everybody can only do that much. Each individual has to decide how much they can do. Somebody may be able to get up at six o’clock and do all these things joyfully; somebody else may not be able to. Accordingly, they have to adjust their life.

The whole problem is people are trying to be like somebody else. You want to have what other people have. You do not know whether you really need it or not. With all this work, what you have earned, your children, your husband, your wife, or whatever, you are no longer enjoying it. Then why do you need all this?

You have created all these things because you thought, this is the source of your joy.

But right now, that has become the source of your anxiety and misery. Then shouldn’t you look at the fundamentals of your life

once again? You got educated, you found a job, you married, you had children; you did all this, why? Because you thought this is going to be the source of your happiness and wellbeing, isn’t it?

But now, that is taking your life. If it is so, you must look at it. One thing is, if you are incapable of handling it, maybe you have to scale it down or if you are capable of enhancing your capabilities, you must do that.

If you invest, let us say, even thirty minutes a day into yoga, you will enhance your capabilities and you will gain immensely, even in terms of time.

The first thing that will happen is, your sleep quota will come down. Right now if you are sleeping eight hours a day, that means you are just sleeping off one-third of your life. If your body and your mind are more energized and active, your sleep quota will naturally come down. So if you gain three, four hours a day, just in terms of wakefulness, that is a huge benefit.

EVEN THIRTY MINUTES A DAY INTO YOGA, YOU WILL ENHANCE YOUR CAPABILITIES AND YOU WILL GAIN IMMENSELY, EVEN IN TERMS OF TIME

Apart from that, with a simple process of yoga, your body and mind get more organized. You would see that your level of performance becomes such that whatever you are doing in eight hours, you will very easily be able to do it in three to four hours.

This is simply because, if you observe yourself through the day, suppose we

The perils of big COVID government in Asia

A

sia is home to many exemplars of small but effective gover nment, countries where sound policies and strong institutions underpin economic stability and robust growth. But during the COVID-19 crisis, many are pursuing expansive macroeconomic interventions and implementing measures that infringe on privacy. They are perched on the edge of a slippery slope.

To be sure, extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the deepest global recession since World War II, with the International Monetary Fund predicting a 5% economic contraction in 2020 and slow recovery after that. An “L-shaped” depression is a very real possibility.

04

Asia is no exception.

While the Asian Development Bank expects China to achieve positive GDP growth, it predicts that India’s economy will shrink by 9%. Developing Asia’s GDP will fall by 0.7% – the region’s first contraction since WWII. In response to these dire growth conditions, governments worldwide have expanded their fiscal spending considerably – with serious consequences for public balance sheets. This year, the government debt of advanced economies is expected to increase by 19 percentage points, on average, to 131% of GDP. In Asia, both China and India are forecast to record fiscal deficits exceeding 12% of GDP, leading to a significant rise in the government debt-to-GDP ratio.

In many Asian economies – such as China, Indonesia,

and South Korea – that isn’t much of a problem, because those ratios are relatively low. But in some others – such as Pakistan and Sri Lanka – debt already exceeds 85% of GDP. Just how risky such a debt burden remains the

subject of heated debate. In an influential 2009 study, Kenneth Rogoff and Carmen Reinhart argue that debt becomes risky only beyond about 90% of GDP, though the specific threshold depends on certain conditions. If, for example,

nominal GDP grows fast enough to reduce the debt ratio over time, a country would have less to worry about.

But in today’s highly uncertain context, nobody can count on prolonged growth. Even if COVID-19

were to disappear soon, many Asian economies would struggle to return to achieve sustained robust recovery, owing to structural weaknesses, such as aging populations and low productivity growth. Weak external demand – rooted in protracted stagnation in the United States and Europe, as well as a shift toward trade protectionism – further undermines their growth prospects.

A country can also tolerate a higher debt burden if its government can continue issuing bonds at low-interest rates to cover its repayments. In fact, some scholars and politicians argue that as long as central banks continue to purchase those bonds – as the Bank of Japan has done for decades – government debt will remain manageable, regardless of its share of GDP. SOURCE: PROJECT SYNDICATE

take a video of your a whole day without you being aware of it, you will notice how much unnecessary movement and unnecessary words and unnecessary activities are happening in your life.

If your mind becomes more organized, these unnecessary words and movements will disappear. Once they go away, you feel more energetic and will also have a lot of time. You have twenty-four hours to live. You don’t have to make this into twenty-six hours; twenty-four hours are enough. We can do a lot in twenty-four hours. If we are organized and focused on human beings, we can do plenty in twenty-four hours’ time.

If you are disorganized and unfocused, you think there is no time. Most people are not busy, they are just preoccupied.

It is just too much preoccupation in the mind.

So if one makes time and brings yoga into their lives, suddenly the quality of their life will be very different.

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

Top

TWEET Piyush Goyal @PiyushGoyal Making Local And Going Global: Goods exports increased to $27.4 billion in September, recording a growth of 5.27% year on year.

India is using COVID-19 crisis as an opportunity to expand domestic capacity & boost exportdriven industries.

Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank @DrRPNishank A child learns best in the mother tongue. Gandhi ji said teaching in a foreign medium deprives students of the spiritual & social heritage of the nation. Echoing his principles, #NEP promotes multilingualism & preservation of local languages.

Spiritual SPEAK

A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back. —Proverbs 29:11

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05

HATHRAS GANG-RAPE

They’re not letting us meet media, claims kin Hathras: The family member of Hathras incident victim complains that they are being stopped from speaking to media from every angle as the administration has imposed section 144 of CrPC in this village of Hathras.

On Friday morning, a minor from the victim's family was sent by the family members to reach out to the media anyhow and ask to connect with them. Moreover the minor revealed that they were asked to switch-off their mobiles have and some mobiles are being taken from them. The family member crossed farmland to reach media waiting outside the entrance of the village following Section 144.

"They have taken the phone. My family have sent me here to call the media for speaking. I ducked down and came via the field. They are not letting us come out

GARBAGE DUMPED AT HATHRAS DM’S JAIPUR HOME IN VAISHALI NAGAR

Rahul Gandhi is a national political leader.

We may have differences with Congress but nobody can support Police’s behaviour with him... His collar was caught and he was pushed to the ground, in a way it is gangrape of the country’s democracy.

neither are they allowing the media to come in. They are threatening us as well," said the minor family member.

As he was speaking to the media, soon a police officer came and he fled from the spot.

When the media

RAHUL GANDHI@RahulGandhi “The Uttar Pradesh administration has resorted to evil ways to hide the truth.

Neither we nor the media have been allowed to meet the victim’s family. The family members of the victim are being barbarically treated and abused. No Indian could support this kind of behaviour.”

asked the police officer why they are being stopped from interacting with the family, they remained silent. After which a verbal spat broke out between security and the media.

UP Chief Minister has banned the entry of

“I will not fear anyone in the world ... I will not bow down before anyone’s injustice, I will win the untruth with the truth and I can bear all the sufferings while opposing the untruth.”

PM to inaugurate global summit on AI on Oct 5 New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate a global virtual summit on Artificial Intelligence (AI), RAISE 2020 - ‘Responsible AI for Social Empowerment 2020’ on October 5, according to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

The summit is scheduled to be held from October 5 to 9, 2020 and is being organised by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and NITI Aayog. The inauguration event will take place in the presence of Minister of Electronics & IT, Communications and Law & Justice, Ravi Shankar Prasad, eminent global AI expert Professor Raj Reddy, Reliance Industries Ltd chairman Mukesh Ambani, IBM CEO Arvind Krishna among others.

According to the Ministry of Electronics & IT, Reddy will hold a session about developing voice-enabled AI that removes linguistic

NARENDRA MODI@narendramodi “Lal Bahadur Shastri Ji was humble and firm. He epitomised simplicity and lived for the welfare of our nation. We remember him on his Jayanti with a deep sense of gratitude for everything he has done for India.” barriers on October 6, the second day of the summit. Former Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai, and Brad Smith, President & Legal Head, Microsoft Global will also participate in sessions.

RAISE 2020 will have a dedicated session on building inclusive AI that empowers one billion-plus Indians. The session will have Jenny Lay Flurrie, Chief Ac-

CBSE’S ORIENTATION COURSE ON NON-VIOLENT COMMUNICATION New Delhi: The Central Board of Secondary Education has launched an orientation course on non-violent communication to mark the 151st birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi for conflict resolution based on the Gandhian values. According to the CBSE, the course is being launched

by CBSE in association

—PHOTO BY ANI

Police personnel beefed up at Hathras border, in Lucknow on Friday.

with Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti, an autonomous body under the Ministry of Culture.

“Non-violent communication is a powerful tool of effective communication and conflict resolution based on Gandhian values non-violence, mutual respect, understanding and compassion, the CBSE said in a notification.

cessibility Officer of Microsoft sharing her views.

Anita Bhatia, Assistant Secy-Gen, Deputy Executive Director, UN Women shall also deliver a keynote in this session, which will have an all-women panel and is being curated by UN Women. More than 15,000 stakeholders registered to participate in RAISE 2020.

—ANI

media inside Hathras village as media has presented some important facts from the ground in front of the whole country, said Uttar Pradesh Congress.

Hathras District Magistrate PK Laxkar denied "negative rumours" about the rift between him and the family of the gangrape victim. While talking to ANI, Laxkar said that he has been regularly interacting with the family. Victim died in Delhi’s Safdarjung hospital.

—ANI

Nirbhaya’s lawyer to fight victim’s case New Delhi: After fighting for the justice of 2012 gang-rape victim Nirbhaya, advocate Seema Kushwaha will now be seen taking the case of 19-year-old Hathras rape vicitm.As per agencies, Seema Khushwaha tried to meet the victim’s family on Thursday, but was prevented from meeting them by the Uttar Pradesh police.

Assembly polls: Shah to visit Kolkata before Puja Kolkata: Union Home Minister Amit Shah will supervise the BJP’s preparations and campaign for the West Bengal assembly polls due next year, party leaders aware of the matter said on Friday.

While BJP chief JP Nadda and other central leaders will look after other state units and supervise poll preparations in states like Bihar, Shah will concentrate only on West Bengal.

BJP leaders said Shah took special care of the Bengal BJP unit when he was party president and has selected each member of the state committee that is responsible for the party’s poll management next year.

At a meeting at Nadda’s residence in Delhi, it was decided that Shah will visit

AGRICULTURAL GVA GROWTH OF 3% LIKELY IN Q2 FY21: ICRA New Delhi: The harvest of most crops is expected to be bountiful with above-average monsoon rainfall on a pan-India basis with growth of gross value added (GVA) at basic prices in agriculture, forestry and fishing to print at 3 % in the second quarter of current financial year, investment information firm ICRA has said. The rainfall contributed to a healthy 4.8 per cent rise in kharif acreage.

“Despite episodes of heavy rainfall, and deficient precipitation in some areas, harvest of most crops is expected to be bountiful,” said ICRA.

—Sanjay Raut, Shiv Sena MP

Kolkata before Durga Puja to address state leaders and chart their course of action. Shah, Nadda, and other senior central leaders held discussions with Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh and national vice-president Mukul Roy for four hours at the meeting.

BJP’s state vicepresident Jay Prakash Majumdar said Bengal holds a special place in the country’s electoral dynamics because except for the first few years after Independence, the state has always been the face of anti-Centre politics.

—Agencies

“The family has called me to Hathras as they want me to stand as their legal counsel.

I’m not being allowed to meet them as administration says it’ll affect law & order situation,” said Seema Kushwaha, lawyer of victim in 2012 Delhi gang-rape case.

She said that she was in touch with the Hathras gang-rape victim’s brother.

Police said that information was being gathered about the incident and efforts were made to identify the miscreants.

It is not known who was present at Hathras District Magistrate Praveen Kumar’s home in Vaishali Nagar area here, police said.

The 19-year-old was allegedly raped by four men on September 14. After her condition deteriorated, she was referred to Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital where she breathed her last on Tuesday.

TMC DELEGATION STOPPED EN ROUTE HATHRAS BY UTTAR PRADESH POLICE New Delhi: A day after the Congress delegation was restrained by the UP police from visiting Hathras where a 20-year-old Dalit was allegedly raped and then succumbed to her injuries. A delegation of the Trinamool Congress-led

by Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien along with Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Pratima Mandal and Mamata Thakur made their way towards Hathras this morning

amidst tight security.

They were stopped by the administration from entering Hathras as DM has imposed Section 144 till October 31. .

The Mamata Banerjeeled party said in a statement later that the delegation was stopped by police around 1.5 kilometres from the victim’s home. Delegation included O’Brien, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Pratima Mondal & former MP Mamata Thakur.

BIRTH ANNIV OF MAHATMA GANDHI & LAL BAHADUR SHASTRI

Leaders pay tribute to Bapu and Shastri ji New Delhi: India and the rest of the world is celebrating the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on Thursday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi remembered Lal Bahadur Shastri on his 116th birth anniversary on Friday as someone who “epitomised simplicity and lived for the welfare of our nation.”

Senior leaders across party lines visited Raj Ghat and Vijay Ghat memorials to pay their tributes to Bapu and Shastriji. Born in Uttar Pradesh in 1904, Lal Bahadur Shastri shares his birthday with Mahatma Gandhi. He was the second prime minister of India and served from 1964 to 1966.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the memorial site early morning to offer prayers to Mahatma Gandhi.

“Tributes to beloved

PENTAGON OKAYS $90 MN SALE OF SPARES FOR HERCULES FLEET Washington: The Pentagon has approved India’s request to buy USD 90 million worth of equipment, spare parts and logistical support for its fleet of C-130J Super Hercules cargo aircraft. In its notification to the Congress, the Defence Security Cooperation Agency said the proposed sale will support the foreign

Jaipur: Amid protests over alleged gang-rape and death of woman in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras, some unidentified people dumped a pile of garbage in front of Hathras district magistrate’s home in Vaishali Nagar in Jaipur on Friday.

A video of the DM, Praveen Kumar, went viral on Friday in which he is seen threatening the victims’ family in Hathras. Amid rising annoyance, some people came and threw the garbage at Praveen Kumar’s Jaipur residence.

policy and national security of the US by helping to strengthen the US-India strategic relationship and improve the security of a major defence partner, which continues to be an important force for political stability, peace, and economic progress in the Indo-Pacific and South Asia region, informed some reliable sources.

President Ram Nath Kovind pays homage to Mahatma Gandhi on the occasion of his 151st birth anniversary, at Rajghat.

Bapu! On #Gandhi150 we express gratitude to Mahatma Gandhi for his everlasting contribution to humanity. We pledge to continue working hard to realise his dreams and create a better planet,” PM Modi wrote on Twitter with a video on Bapu’s life.

Congress interim

President Sonia Gandhi and former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh also paid floral tributes to ‘Father of the Nation.’

BJP working president JP Nadda Home Minister and BJP national president Amit Shah & President Kovind also paid tributes.

‘ OUR LAWS ‘STRONG ENABLERS’ OF EMPOWERING WOMEN’ New York/New Delhi: India recognises the centrality of gender equality and women’s empowerment in all aspects of our developmental agenda, Union Minister for WCD Smriti Irani said at the UN. Speaking on 25th Anniversary of 4th World Conference on Women, she said: “Women numerically constitute half of humanity but their influence transfuses all dimensions of society, polity. In India, we recognize the centrality of gender equality & women’s empowerment in all aspects of our developmental journey.”

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PM running government in atmosphere of ‘fear’: Sonia The Congress leader also accused the Centre of having weakened laws like MNREGA and Right to Information (RTI) Act Motihari: Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi on Friday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging he is running his government in an atmosphere of “fear”.

On Gandhi Jayanti, she also invoked the Father of the Nation, to assail the government which, she claimed, swears by his name but demolishes his ideals through its actions.

The Congress leader also accused the Centre of having weakened laws like MNREGA and Right to Information (RTI) Act which her party’s government had enacted to protect the interests of common people.

“Some people swear

Sonia Gandhi

by Gandhi jis name but demolish his ideals and principles through their actions. Anarchy, atrocity and mistreatment prevail everywhere. An environment of discrimination has been created in the society where atrocities are being in-

flicted on innocent people,” she said.

She was virtually addressing a ‘Gandhi Chetna Rally’ at Congress party office in Motihari, the headquarters of East Champaran district in Bihar, to mark the birth anniversary of

Mahatma Gandhi.

It was in Champaran where Gandhi had experimented with ‘Satyagraha’ for the first time in India. It would later become his most potent weapon in the fight against the British rule.

“Enough is enough.

I would like to say that some people are running the government by creating an atmosphere of emotion, confusion and fear (bhavna, bhram aur bhay).

You (people) need to remain alert and cautious and take the right decisions, she said.

The Congress leader also unveiled a life-size statue of the Mahatma, and asserted his ideals are the “soul and spirit” of her party.

‘Mahagathbandhan’ finalises seat-sharing, Cong to field 70 Patna: The seat-sharing for “Mahagathbandhan” has been finalised ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections, said sources on Friday adding that Congress will be contesting nearly 70 seats whereas the Left parties will field candidates on around 30 seats.

RJD will give 70 seats to Congress but will not let them have a seat of their choice.

Senior NDA leaders also held a meeting in Patna on Thursday regarding the finalisation of seats for the Assembly polls and are likely

Tejashwi Yadav

to announce the seatsharing formula before October 4 in Delhi.

The first phase of the nomination has already begun in Bihar for 71 seats and the Election Commission of India is busy in the preparation of state election monitoring all poll-related matters with officials.

Parl board meet tomorrow, says LJP New Delhi: Amid the discomfort over the number of seats offered to it by the NDA, LJP chief Chirag Paswan has called a meeting of the party’s parliamentary board on Saturday to decide whether to go solo or remain with the NDA. The development comes a day after Paswan met Home Minister Shah and BJP President JP Nadda here to discuss the seat-sharing formula.

Gajendra Shekhawat gives 76.62 pc of the active COVID-19 cases reported away Swachh Bharat Awards from 10 States and UTs New Delhi: At least 76.62 per cent of the active coronavirus cases have been reported from 10 states and union territories (UTs), the Union Health Ministry said on Friday.

According to the ministry, Maharashtra is leading the states’ tally with more than 2.5 lakh cases. Karnataka follows with more than 1 lakh cases. The govt informed that active cases contribute only 14.74 per cent to the positive caseload of the country.

As per the health ministry data, Maharashtra alone has contributed to about 2,59,490 new COVID-19 cases, while Andhra Pradesh has reported at least 57,858 cases. Karnataka has contributed to 1,10,431 cases, Uttar Pradesh has witnessed 50,378 cases, Tamil Nadu has reported 46,396 cases, Odisha is contributing to 31,795 cases, Kerala has seen 72,418 cases, while Assam has reported 34,163 cases. Telangana has reported 28,620 cases and Chhattisgarh has reported 30,468 cases.

So far, India has re-

Jaipur: Gujarat has won the first prize in the state category of a sixmonth-long campaign that aimed at mobilising resources to construct and maintain community toilets.

Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat gave the awards in a ceremony held online.

Top Health Body, firm develop ‘Antisera’ as COVID-19 treatment New Delhi: The ICMR in collaboration with a Hyderabadbased biopharmaceutical company has developed “highly purified antisera” prepared by injecting inactivated SARS-CoV2 in horses, which can be a potential treatment for COVID-19.

The ICMR and Biological E Limited, Hyderabad, have developed highly purified ported about 6.39 million COVID-19 cases and 99,773 deaths due to the virus. About 78,877 recoveries have been registered in the last 24 hours. This has resulted in a continuous in-

antisera (raised in animals) for prophylaxis and treatment of COVID-19. The “antisera” is yet to undergo human clinical trials to establish its safety and Drugs Controller General of India would be approached soon in this regard, Dr Samiran Panda, the head of epidemiology and communicable diseases at the ICMR said. crease in the national recovery rate.

The health ministry further said there are about 14 States or UTs in the country which have less than 5,000 active cases.

Air India cancels flights to Frankfurt till October 14 New Delhi: Air India has cancelled all 12 flights between Frankfurt and India till October 14 after Germany withdrew permission to operate them, said senior government officials. Two days ago, Lufthansa said it will have to cancel all “planned flights” between India and Germany from September 30 to October 20 because of an “unexpected rejection” of its flight schedule by the Indian authorities.

The govt officials said the airline has cancelled 10 DelhiFrankfurt flights and two Bengaluru-Frankfurt flights .

He said that now we have to go a step ahead and make our village,

RaGa’s tractor rally rescheduled Chandigarh: In a slight change in his programme, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will now hold tractor rallies in Punjab and Haryana from October 4-6 to protest against the new farm laws.

Earlier, Rahul Gandhi was scheduled to hold tractor rallies from October 3-5, the party had said. However, the rest of his itinerary will remain the same. “Change in @ Rahul Gandhi tractor rallies programme; rescheduled to October 4, 5, 6. Rest (itinerary) remains the same,” Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh’s media advisor, Raveen

‘Issues in BJP-led alliance in Bihar will be solved’ Patna: BJP chief JP has allowed “threefour people” to intervene and defuse the crisis in the NDA in Bihar ahead of the assembly election, senior party leader and Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said on Friday.

Prasad, who represents Bihar’s Patna Sahib constituency in the Lok Sabha, did not disclose whom the BJP chief has assigned that task, but asserted that everything will be settled amicably and the NDA will win a twothird majority in the assembly polls.

Prasad was replying

to questions from reporters about the belligerent stance adopted by Chirag Paswanled LJP, which seems adamant on contesting over 100 of the total 243 seats, and fielding candidates against the rul-

ing JD(U) and a recent entrant in the coalition, the Hindustani Awam Morcha of exchief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi. According to LJP leaders, the party has convened a meeting of its parlia-

mentary board for “final discussions on 143 candidates” which the party proposes to field, much to the chagrin of NDA constituents that have sought the BJPs intervention in the matter.

Opening a front against the JD(U) of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, LJP spokesman Ashraf Ansari issued a statement saying, “The next government must implement our Bihar First Bihari First vision document (of Chirag Paswan). We do not accept the saat nishchay (seven resolves of Nit-

state, city, locality, and our house completely clean. “Let us all unite to carry forward PM Modi’s mission and resolve,” he said.

The children of the states were also awarded for making wall paintings, essay writing, and paintings based on Swachh Bharat.

ish Kumar)”.

Founded and headed by jailed Lalu Prasad, the RJD is engaged in a tussle with its principal ally, the Congress, on the twin issues of how many seats which constituent should get and Tejashwi Yadav’s projection as the face of the opposition coalition.

The Grand Alliance, which comprised five parties till a few months ago, has in the recent past lost Manjhi to the NDA while RLSP chief Upendra Kushwaha has formed a parallel front with Mayawati’s BSP.

06

POWER Gallery AIR MARSHAL VIKRAM SINGH TAKES OVER AS SASO HQ WAC IAF

Air Marshal Vikram Singh has taken over the charge as Senior Air Staff Officer, Headquarters Western Air Command. He was commissioned into the fighter stream on December 21, 1984.

AIR MARSHAL RJ DUCKWORTH JOINS AS AOP AT AIR HEADQUARTERS

Air Marshal RJ Duckworth has taken over the charge as Air Officer in charge Personnel at Air Headquarters Vayu Bhawan, Indian Air Force. He was commissioned into Fighter Stream of the IAF on May 29, 1983 as a Fighter Pilot.

BHIM BAHADUR GURUNG AWARDED IFS CADRE

The Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change has awarded IFS cadre to the Sikkim Forest Service officer Bhim Bahadur Gurung.

EIGHT MADHYA PRADESH OFFICERS AWARDED IFS CADRE

As many as eight officers of Madhya Pradesh State Forest Service have been awarded IFS cadre. The officers are: Shivaji Tripathi, Prakash Kumar Verma, Prabhudas Gabrial, Rajveer Singh, Mahendra Singh Uike, Grajesh Kumar Warkade, Siyaram Singh Mehta and Kamal Singh Masram.

VINEET JAISWAL APPOINTED AS NEW SP, HATHRAS IN UP

Vineet Jaiswal has been appointed as new Superintendent of Police (SP), Hathras in Uttar Pradesh. He is a 2014 batch IPS officer of UP cadre.

HATHRAS COLLECTOR & SP SUSPENDED IN UP

Hathras Collector Pravin Kumar and SP Vikrant Vir have been placed under suspension in Uttar Pradesh K NANDINI SINGLA APPOINTED HIGH COMMISSIONER TO MAURITIUS

K Nandini Singla, currently Ambassador of India to Portugal, has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to the Republic of Mauritius. She is a 1997 batch IFS officer.

TANMAYA LAL APPOINTED AMBASSADOR TO SWEDEN

Tanmaya Lal, presently High Commissioner of India to the Republic of Mauritius, has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Kingdom of Sweden. He is a 1991 batch IFS officer.

DR. DEVYANI UTTAM KHOBRAGADE APPOINTED AMBASSADOR TO CAMBODIA

Dr. Devyani Uttam Khobragade (IFS:1999), presently Joint Secretary in the Ministry, has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Kingdom of Cambodia.

APURVA CHANDRA JOINS AS SECRETARY, LABOUR & EMPLOYMENT Thukral, tweeted.

Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar, party’s Punjab in-charge Harish Rawat, and all state ministers and party MLAs will join the protests, “to give voice to the angst and pain of the farmers, whose livelihood and future has been put at stake by the central legislations”.

Apurva Chandra has taken over the charge as Secretary, Ministry of Labour & Employment in Government of India. He is a 1988 batch IAS officer of Maharashtra cadre.

MS. S APARNA TAKES OVER AS PHARMA SECRETARY

Ms. S Aparna has assumed the charge as Secretary in the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers. She is a 1988 batch IAS officer of Gujarat cadre.

By arrangement with: http:// whispersinthecorridors.com

FROM PG 1 AS no...

“We have assembled here in grief. I pray to God that our daughter’s soul gets peace. I request the Uttar Pradesh government with my hands folded, hang the guilty as soon as possible. They should get such a punishment that no one will dare commit a crime like this again,” Kejriwal said.

“I will visit #Hathras. Our struggle will continue till the time UP CM doesn’t resign, & justice is served. I urge SC to take cognizance of the incident,” Azad tweeted.

After sunset, the

protesters lit up candles and stood holding them in the dark, as policemen watched over them.

The Delhi Police had imposed restrictions on crowds at India Gate, after which Azad said the agitation had been shifted to Jantar Mantar, 3 km away. While the police order said only 100 people would be allowed at Jantar Mantar, at least 500 tur ned up at the protest this evening.

“The UP government has no right to stay in power. Our demand is that justice should be served,”

said CPI(M).

‘Nation needs...

Citing the recent rape case in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathsar, Dave said, “Dalits are constantly facing injustice. Society and the state cannot have double standards based on social, religious and other grounds. What hasw happened to the Dalit girl… if the same thing had happened with an upper-caste girl, the nation would have reacted differently. Because the victim is a Dalit, the administration is meting out step-motherly treatment.”

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07

AS PEOPLE THE WORLD OVER ARE CHOOSING TO DITCH THE HANDSHAKES AND HUGS FOR FEAR OF CONTRACTING THE CORONAVIRUS, NAMASTE IS BECOMING THE PERFECT PANDEMIC GREETING

Why

‘NAMASTE’ has become the

PERFECT PANDEMIC GREETING

O

President Donald Trump and Ireland’s visiting Prime Minister, Leo Varadkhar.

H

ands over the heart in prayer pose.

A little bow of the head. A gesture of respect. An acknowledgment of our shared humanity.

And no touching.

As people the world over are

choosing to ditch the handshakes and hugs for fear of contracting the coronavirus, namaste is becoming the perfect pandemic greeting.

As a scholar whose research focuses on the ethics of commu-

nication and as a yoga teacher, I’m interested in how people use rituals and rhetoric to affirm their interconnectedness with one another – and with the world.

Namaste is one such ritual.

I BOW TO YOU

riginally a Sanskrit word, namaste is composed of two parts – “namas” means “bend to,” “bow to” or “honor to,” and “te” means “to you.” So namaste means “I bow to you.”

This meaning is often reinforced by a small bow of the head.

In Hindi and a number of other languages derived from Sanskrit, namaste is basically a respectful way of saying hello and also goodbye. Today, namaste has been adopted into the English language, along with other words from non-English sources. Many words, when borrowed, keep their spelling but acquire new meanings. This is the case with namaste – it has shifted from meaning “I bow to you” to “I bow to the divine in you.”

For many American yoga teachers, beginning most likely with Ram Dass in the 1960s and 1970s, namaste means some-

I BOW TO THE DIVINE LIGHT IN YOU

thing like “the divine light in me bows to the divine light within you.” This is the definition of namaste I first learned and have often repeated to my students.

In the words of the popular American yoga teacher Shiva Rea, namaste is “the consummate Indian greeting,” a “sacred hello,” that means “I bow to the divinity within you from the divinity within me.”

Deepak Chopra repeats a similar definition on his podcast “The Daily Breath with Deepak Chopra”: namaste means “the spirit in me honors the spirit in you” and “the divine in me honors the divine in you.”

Namaste has a sacred connotation. When you bow to another, you are honoring something sacred in them. When you bow to another, you are acknowledging that they are worthy of respect and dignity.

H

owever, there are critics who say that global yogis have taken namaste out of its context.

Some claim that the greeting has been infused with a religious meaning that doesn’t exist in Indian culture.

I see things differently. Many common salutations have religious roots, including adios, or “a Dios,” to God, and goodbye – a contraction of “God be with you.”

Most Indian religions agree that there is something divine in all individuals, whether it’s a soul, called the “atman” or “purusha” in Hinduism, or the capacity for awakening in Buddhism.

As I argue in my forthcoming book, “The Ethics of Oneness: Emerson, Whitman, and the Bhagavad Gita,” this idea, of bowing to the divine in others, also resonates with a deep

spiritual inclination in American culture.

Beginning in the 1830s and 1840s, the influential philosopher and essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson, in dialogue with a number of other thinkers, invented a form of spiritual practice that encouraged Americans to actively address the divine soul in others every time they spoke.

Of particular note is that Emerson often used the metaphor of light to imagine this inner divinity, likely because of his great admiration for the Quakers, whose Christian denomination holds that God lives inside of us all in the form of an “inner light.”

The definition of namaste as “the divine light in me bows to the divine light in you” is very much in the spirit of both Indian religions and 19th-century traditions of American spirituality.

Queen Letizia and King Felipe VI of Spain (right) with Brigitte Macron and husband Emmanuel Macron in Paris.

I

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Charles, Prince of Wales in London.

SOURCE: THE CONVERSATION CONCEPT: DIVYA HEMNANI DESIGN: ABHISHEK GUPTA

n today’s global yoga culture, namaste is typically said at the end of class. As I understand, for yogis, saying namaste is a moment of contemplating the virtues associated with yoga – including peacefulness, compassion, and gratitude and how to bring those into one’s daily life.

I asked Swami Tattwamayananda, the head of the Vedanta Society of Northern California in San Francisco and one of the world’s leading authorities on Hindu ritual and scripture, how he felt about

NAMASTE AS AN ETHICAL COMMITMENT

Americans like me saying namaste.

He responded: “It is perfectly appropriate for everyone, including Westerners like your-

self to say namaste at the end of your yoga classes.” He also reiterated that namaste means “I bow down to you” – in the sense that

I bow down to the divine presence in you.

One need not be a Hindu, or a Buddhist, or a yoga teacher to say namaste. Namaste can

be as religious or secular as the speaker desires.

What matters most, I believe, is the intention behind the word namaste. When you bow to another, the question to consider is this: Do you truly recognize them as a fellow human being worthy of dignity, bonded in shared suffering and a shared capacity for transcendence?

This recognition of our interconnectedness is what namaste is all about – and exactly what we need during the pandemic.

You become what you think, what you believe. Think and believe the best, most awesome and the grandest vision possible for yourself .

2ND FRONT

—Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO & Editor, First India

AHMEDABAD | SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2020

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COVID-19 UPDATE

WORLD

INDIA

DEATHS

CONFIRMED CASES

TAMIL NADU 9,653 DEATHS 6,08,885 CASES

DEATHS

KARNATAKA 9,119 DEATHS 6,20,630 CASES

CONFIRMED CASES

Study finds that if tribals’ forest rights are recognised, they can do better than the govt Shishir Awasthi

NATIVE RESILIENCE

grasses and soils allowed Maldhari pastoralists and the hundred thousand cattle species to survive during the lockdown, which coincided with a dry period.

It has cited positive outcomes when local institutions such as the gram sabha are empowered and women play a key role in managing the crisis, and communities such as returning

Guj tops Swachh Bharat Awards-2020 New Delhi: Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Friday gave away the Swachh Bharat Award2020 to the Gujarat Government under the Swachh Sundar Samudayik Shouchalaya category (clean public toilet), while Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu bagged the award for cleanliness at the district-level. The Swachh Bharat Awards2020 were given to States, districts, blocks and village panchayats. The awards were given under drinking water and clean-

—FILE PHOTO

Gram Sabhas fought Covid-19 crisis in several parts of Gujarat.

liness categories.

Khachrod block in Ujjain district in Madhya Pradesh was awarded the first position and Chinnanur Village in Tamil Nadu bagged the top slot at gram panchayat level.

Under the Samudayik Shouchalaya Abhiyan, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh were awarded as the best performing states whereas Prayagraj and Bareilly got it for being the best performing districts. Speaking on the occasion, Shekhawat said the government was committed to maintaining the status of “Zero Open Defecation in the country.”

migrant workers, pastoralists and Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) are attended to.

“In Dindori in MP, women organised a system of food distribution and water collection that made sure that physical distance was maintained in the Baiga PVTG villages.”

And in Gujarat’s Narmada district, the gram

sabhas ensured that Govaliya nomadic communities received food.

The report quotes Trupti Mehta of ARCH-Vahini as saying, “Till now, communities had chartered their ways through difficult terrain, but nobody had ever imagined that communities would have to face the situation that was totally beyond their imagination, and control Covid-19

@ahmedpatel

DEATHS

DELHI 5,438 DEATHS 2,85,672 CASES

Gram sabhas render govt redundant in Covid crisis

First India Bureau

GUJARAT

10,30,272 3,46,76,764 1,00,352 64,49,259 3,478 1,10,054

MAHARASHTRA 37,056 DEATHS 14,00,922 CASES

Ahmedabad: An empirical study released on Gandhi Jayanti has established that Adivasi communities can effectively handle a huge crisis like Covid-19, if the responses are led directly by the gram sabhas.

The study, “Community Forest Rights and the Pandemic: Gram Sabhas Lead The Way”, has shown how “the recognition of forest rights to use and manage community forests under the Forest Rights Act and Panchayat Extension to Scheduled Areas Act 1996 (PESA)” has enabled many Adivasi communities to overcome the Covid situation.

The study was conducted by independent researchers as part of Community Forest Rights (CFR) Learning and Advocacy and Vikalp Sangam initiative.

The study has documented how in Kutch in Gujarat, local knowledge of water systems,

08

pandemic in 2020.”

“Yet”, Mehta asserts, “This was the first time when the gram sabhas were actively involved and were entrusted in the management and protection of the forest resources”, though adding, “The main challenge remains that they continue to carry out their processes in a democratic and transparent way.”

No entry to visitors in Polo forests during weekends First India Bureau

Idar (North Gujarat): Sabarkantha district administration has decided to ban entry of visitors to Polo forests in North Gujarat during all weekends in the current month of October.

The decision has been taken in view of Covid-19 pandemic and needs for physical distancing. A notification in this regard has been issued by the district collector’s office.

Local Congress MLA Ashwin Kotwal had on last Sunday blocked a road to Polo forest with his supporters demanding that visitors from outside should be disallowed as they can spread Covid-19 infection in local tribal people during their visit to Polo forest.

It’s worth noting that Polo forest attracts thousands of visitors during weekends in winters. According to locals, last weekend around 25,000 visitors visited Polo forest.

CONFIRMED CASES

RAJASTHAN 1,516 DEATHS 1,39,696 CASES

Woman BJP member angry over social media remarks

—FILE PHOTO

First India Bureau Surat: A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Mahila Morcha member from the city registered a police complaint against 9 persons on Thursday and alleged that they used indecent language against her on a social networking site.

The case was registered at Sarthana police station under Section 509 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 66 A (b) of the Information Technology Act. The police have initiated further investigation into the complaint.

The accused were identified as Dipak

Ahmedabad man slapped memo for driving sans helmet in Rajkot!

First India Bureau

I bow to Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi on his 151st birth anniversary.

His lessons in truth and non-violence would continue to inspire us.

My salutations to the country’s second Prime Minister, Lal Bahadur Shastri, on his birth anniversary for giving and strengthening the slogan, “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan”.

Hadiya, Ghanshyam Bhadresiya, Alpesh Vagasiya, Ramesh Bhadani, Hadik Serva, Rajesh Umretiya, Bhavesh Thummar, Mayur Panseriya and Ayudh Harbal (Vinod).

Komal Patel, a BJP Mahila Morcha member, in her complaint, alleged that the accused had made several indecent comments and posts against her on a social networking site and tried to damage her identity.

On learning about the issue, the Congress as well as BJP workers gathered in huge numbers outside the Sarthana police station late Thursday night.

Ahmedabad: A man living in Ahmedabad for long and claims that he has never been to Rajkot on his two-wheeler for two years has been slapped with an e-challan for a fine for not wearing a helmet by the Rajkot police.

The Rajkot Police sent him a challan for Rs 500 for driving his motorbike without a helmet in the district.

The challan was sent to Amit Chavda in his village Arjunnagar in

Ahmedabad’s Amit Chavda gets memo for not wearing helmet in Rajkot.

Maliya Miyana taluka in Rajkot district.

Chavda has a motorcycle registered in his father’s name and bear-

ing a Rajkot number but he uses it in Ahmedabad for many years. He is planning to write to the Rajkot po-

lice about this since he claims he has not been to that city for at least 2 years.

Chavda received an e-challan from the police at his village address for driving a mobike without wearing a helmet in the market yard area of Rajkot on September 17, 2020.

The challan shows a picture of a man on a mobike. He says the two-wheeler is not his and the driver is someone else. But the number mentioned in the challan is of his vehicle.

LIQUOR-FREE STATE

Gujarat Govt rebuffs Vaghela’s campaign to lift ‘dry law’ Minister of State for Home Pradipsinh Jadeja has said the govt is committed to enforce prohibition

First India Bureau Godhra: Even as Shankersinh Vaghela, former chief minister and a key architect of the BJP in its initial years in Gujarat, is desperately trying to find relevance in politics at the age of 80 by a sustained campaign to lift prohibition, the State Government has refused to succumb.

Minister of State for Home Pradipsinh Jade-

ja on Friday categorically said there was no question of lifting the liquor ban in Gandhi’s Gujarat.

Jadeja, who was at a function to celebrate Gandhi Jayanti in Panchmahals district, said many people were in favour of lifting prohibition from Gujarat and were campaigning for it, but this was not possible.

Jadeja avoided any direct reference to Shankersinh Vaghela,

Minister of State for Home Pradipsinh Jadeja.

—FILE PHOTO

whose social media accounts harp on the same theme on a daily basis. Vaghela says prohibition has bred corruption and spread an illicit liquor racket across the State and “politicians are making huge money from it.”

“Many people are saying that lifting of prohibition will lead to more income for the state and economic prosperity. But we are not interested in lifting prohibition.

We are committed to

enforcing it,” said Jadeja. He said alcohol had ruined several lives and made widows of several women.

Vaghela had earlier, while batting for an end to prohibition, said neither the Congress nor the BJP was interested in removing it as both of them benefited from the illegal income from it. He says prohibition exists only in name in Gujarat and alcohol is easily available.

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09

AHMEDABAD, SATURDAY OCTOBER 3, 2020

Pulled-together

LOOK! KARISHMA GWALANI

Karishma.gwalani @firstindia.co.in

A

h, braids. Not only are they the world’s most versatile hairstyle, but they’re also perhaps the most practical at keeping hair in place and off your face. You can even sleep with them in and still look stunning in the morning.

I mean, you really can’t go wrong with this one. This hairstyle is actually an old favourite, as most of us remember wearing it when we were kids.

Whether you’re in the office, at school, in the gym or even a wedding, there’s a braided hairstyle that’s ideal for you. Even better, depending on your hair type,

braids can protect your strands from damage and help you grow your mane longer.

Once you’ve got a basic plait down, the possibilities are endless.

So, whether you’ve always wanted to master box braids, a fashionable fishtail, Queen Bey’s statement slogan braids or even just off-duty pigtails, step one is to familiarise yourself with the art of braiding itself. They can look cute and sophisticated at the same time, giving you plenty of options for how you want to play with your hair. With simple braided hairstyle still remaining the forever favourite, we’ve listed down a few more ideas to give your hair an experimenting look.

FRENCH BRAID

A timeless and feminine style, the French braid is a classic for a reason.

You can keep it super smooth for a more professional look, or pull a few face-framing pieces out for a soft and romantic vibe.

BOX BRAIDS

Classic box braids are one of the most iconic styles for Afro-textured hair. All your hair will be sectioned into squares and worked into individual plaits to get this look.

BRAIDED PONYTAIL

If you’re looking for a new way to style your braids, the simplest option is a high ponytail.

The style is popular because it draws the eye up, making your face seem longer.

FISHTAIL BRAID

A festival classic, the fishtail braid brings a touch of boho to any look.

It’s one of the simplest braids to create because it doesn’t involve a complicated pattern.

CROWN BRAID

The crown braid has become more and more popular as a hairstyle for special occasions, like proms

City First plaits down a few ideas on how to up your hair game with just braids, because life is too short to have boring hair! and weddings. That’s because crown braids bring out your inner princess!

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Nikita Srivastav

Nehal Nayar in a conversation with Nikita Srivastav, Senior State Program Manager at Population Foundation of India (PFI) about contraceptives, child marriages and pregnancies!

AHMEDABAD | SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2020

SMALL FAMILY HAPPY FAMILY 5. How can one encourage male participation in campaigns like these?

We have had good support from men in this campaign - be it politicians, media or celebrities, men have wholeheartedly backed this campaign. And it is important that men believe in this change and accept it only then will society see an honest change. In most traditional homes in Rajasthan, it is the man of the house who takes a call on every matter - be it the education of the child or the marriage. It is important to change the man’s thinking to achieve change in society, only if the man is convinced that girls getting pregnant in their teens is a health hazard, will he take the call to change.

And if men of repute talk about it explicitly, other men will take notice.

1.Why do you feel a campaign such as ‘Zero Teen Mothers’ is important for the state of Rajasthan?

The last survey indicates that 35% of girls are married off before they turn 18 in Rajasthan.

And when this survey was taken, some years ago, 6% of these were pregnant too - this easily indicates how grave the issue is and the urgency to address it. It is not just a cry against child marriage but also correct education with regards to healthy sexual practices - the idea is to educate people about the ill effects of girls getting pregnant when in their teens and the physical as well as societal and psychological complications that arise from teenage pregnancies.

6. What are the changes you are looking forward to by this campaign in the state of Rajasthan?

2. During the lockdown, children especially girls have not been attending school and are at home, will that lead to a rise in child marriages and eventually rise in teenage pregnancies?

cious occasion to solemnize marriages in India but when in Hadauti region in Rajasthan which sees most such marriages, especially in certain communities, there were none reported this year.

3. How has the support of the govt officials, local representatives and others helped in reaching the message across about this campaign to its people?

Yes, right from the Health Min-

FA CE OF TH ED AY

Marriage may not be an automatic fallout of girls being at home but there could be an increase in numbers. The girl child has undergone hardship during the lockdown - right from unavailability of sanitary napkins due to school closure to added household chores - she has been affected the most mentally too. The girl child often bears the brunt in situations like these. In fact, the lockdown may have come as a blessing in disguise in Rajasthan because a stricter check was kept for child marriages. April saw Akha Teej which is considered an auspi-

10

ister Raghu Sharma to a host of politicians, celebrities and media persons - all supported our campaign whole-heartedly and posted photos of themselves with the ‘zero teenage pregnancies’ placard in their hand. This showed that the belief that society needs a change in thinking is widespread and however old the tradition of child marriage may be, it needs to stop. We were pleasantly surprised with the support we got and realized

YOUR DAY Horoscope by Saurabbh Sachdeva

that ending teenage pregnancies is an urgent call and felt across society.

4. What are the steps that can be taken to avoid teenage pregnancy in the state?

Besides campaigns like these, the girl child needs to be educated. From thinking of the girl child as a burden to someone who can support and run the family - that thinking has to change. If girls are educat-

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

Distant trip to visit someone really close is possible. Whomever you will talk with today, you will only hear your praises. Lover’s need should be fulfilled no matter how busy you are. Some of you may be way too exited to get married.

Take out time to spend with family.

You are really good at calculations and you keep a tap on things in advance.

Stress management is your quality and you not only keep yourself calm but you also take care of others. Stop caring about ones who don’t care about you. You have a good control on your emotions.

You are on your way to success, all you need is to control your emotions. You will get the chance to express your feelings to your lover today. You may go against anyone to do what you really want to do, be wise. You are brave and your daring spirit will make you very successful.

On home front, you will really feel peaceful and calm in the presence of your family members. All your small wishes may come true today. Respect elders and don’t make them feel as if they are no more the part of your life. You may feel very desperate for your partner today.

MAR 21 - APR 20

APR 21 - MAY 20

MAY 21 - JUNE 21

JUNE 22 - JULY 23

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

Homemakers will put efforts in making your place aesthetically pleasing. Travellers may crave for more adventure but situations can prevent that from happening and anyways these are the times when life is more precious the even Gold. Be fair to your lover.

Students must make a mark in academics if you wish to enter some prestigious universities.

You should forgive people to relieve yourself from any burden. You love animals and have special place for them in your life. Opportunities are right in front of you.

A business trip can turn out to be very fortunate for you. Owning a new property is on the card.

You have to connect with your inner self and understand what is it that you really want. You should smile more often its good for health. This year has changed your life.

Your boss adores you so never disappoint him/her when it comes to work.

You may move to some other place on temporary basis. Your kids are over protective about you and they don’t let you do anything these days at the risk of your health.

Prevent you from travelling.

JULY 24 - AUGUST 23

AUG 24 - SEP 23

SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22

OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Your professional contacts can help you to an extent, don’t rely on them blindly and believe in your cpapabilities. Volunteer to some charity work today not because of any selfish motive but with the feeling of giving selflessly. Life isn’t always fair but don’t stop trying.

The burden of doing someone else’s work will be on your shoulders.

Don’t make any false commitments on professional front.

On academic front, start dedicating few hours to your studies everyday.

Your business will bloom if you add more variety of the products in it.

Value those who care about you without judging them about their past. You have to remember to always thanks God for the things that he has blessed you with. You must not rely on people to get your work done. You must leave your worries behind in emotional matters.

Overspending on things that you don’t need is a burden therefore prepare list in terms of need before buying things. You will participate in some important social initiatives. You have to learn to be happy in what you have. Loving your parents more than anything is a very special thing.

NOV 23 - DEC 22

SEJAL KUMAR, Content Creator

ed, they will secure good jobs and become independent and then marriage will not be a priority as it is today. If girls and boys are correctly educated about sexual health, care can be taken in the right direction.

It is not just child marriage that the campaign spoke about, it is teenage pregnancy as a whole and how campaigns like these and other educative measures can help stem the thinking in society.

The Rajasthan government has supported this campaign and that made a big difference to it.

The state government has always been cooperative and backed such campaigns we hope that with so many people supporting it, some changes have happened on the ground level. Surely, it has made some difference to thought processes and going forward, there could be less resistance to sending a girl child to school and her marriage will not be a top priority.

That this campaign received support from different sections across society made us realize that we have to keep at the message and continue to work towards a change of thinking in society so that not only do child marriages come to a halt but teenage pregnancies.

DEC 23 - JAN 20

JAN 21 - FEB 19

FEB20 - MARCH 20

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AHMEDABAD | SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2020

11

REMEMBERING THE LEGENDS B

O

Mahatma Gandhi

n the occasion of 151st birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, several female veteran celebrities took to social media to pay tribute to the Father of the Nation. Legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar shared a video on her Twitter to commemorate the birth.

“Namaskar. Aaj Rashtrapati Mahatma Gandhi ki Jayanti hai. Mein unhe koti koti pranam karti hun,” she wrote. Veteran actor Hema Malini wrote, “Gandhi Jayanti today. Time to recall and reflect upon the selfless sacrifices made by the Mahatma to win us our freedom from the British. Without him, there would have been no movement, no deliverance, no ‘India’. We have so much to be grateful to Gandhiji.”

Shabana Azmi tweeted, “remembering #Mahatma Gandhi on his birth anniversary. Clinging by the slender thread of Hope that his guidance will lead us out of this quagmire of darkness into the light.”

Kajol shared a quote on ‘forgiveness’ by the Father of the Nation. “The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is an attribute of the strong.

-Mahatma Gandhi... #GandhiJayanti” she wrote on Twitter.

—ANI

ollywood celebrities on Friday paid homage to second Prime Minister of India, Lal Bahadur Shastri on his birth anniversary. Senior actor turned politician, Hema Malini took to Twitter to pay tribute to the great son of the nation. “We also remember the great son of the nation - Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Ji whose Jayanti is celebrated today.” she wrote. Veteran singer, Lata Mangeshkar shared a video chant written by his wife. In the caption she wrote, “Bharat ke poorv pradhanmantri Lal Bahadur Shastri Ji ki aaj jayanti hai. Shastri Ji ek bahut acche insaan the, mein unki yaad ko shatshat pranam karti hun. Unki patni shrimati Lalita Devi Shastri Ji dwara likha gaya yeh bhajan aap sab ke liye.” She wrote in the caption. Actor Randeep also took to Twitterand wrote, “Two great leaders with a vision and path for the country that’s relevant even today.. #GandhiJayanti #LalBahadurShastri.”

—ANI

Lal Bahadur Shastri

300 million

Early Learner A Daniel Craig

NEW ‘BOND’ JAMES BOND

J

ames Bond makers have officially confirmed that Daniel Craig won’t return as agent 007 after his last Bond film No Time To Die “We consider this film to be a classic Bond film but with a modern twist,” producer Barbara Broccoli said on the new James Bond podcast.

It’s also vitally important because it is the fifth and final one that Daniel Craig is going to be doing, so it’s a culmination of everything his portrayal of the character has been through and it ties up all the storylines. It’s a pretty epic film, I have to say, she added.

Over the past few months, several names have made the headlines for the possible replacements of Craig in the franchise. —Agency

VIEWS!

ctor Bhumi Pednekar who is known for her environment protection initiative ‘Climate Warrior,’ on Friday said that awareness about climate protection came to her pretty early in her life.

“I had this fear and it started from my childhood, ‘oh what would happen to this world! What would happen to this world when the water dries up?’ That was my first question in my head,” she said. “So, I started reading up on climate change. I have always been conscious, tried to have a sustainable style of living, especially since I became an adult. But then I realized I wasn’t really doing enough and that’s when I started Climate Warrior,” she added.

The ‘Pati Patni Aur Woh’ actor who rose to stardom with her back-to-hit hits went on to say that she wants to use her stardom to educate people about climate change.

“I have become an actor. I have the power to re a ch out to so many people and I have always tried doing that through my cinema. I was like I have to use my voice, my social media platforms to make a positive change in the world and educate people about climate change!,” Bhumi said.

—ANI

‘BLACKPINK’

B

Bhumi Pednekar

Ishan Khattar and Ananya Panday

Theatrical Release

I

shaan Khatter and Ananya Panday’s upcoming flick ‘Khaali Peeli’, which is set to be released on OTT platform on Friday, will also hit the cinema halls in the selected overseas market. Besides the OTT platform, the flick will also be released in the USA, Singapore, Netherlands, Austria, Fiji, Africa and Mauritius. Film critic and movie trade analyst Taran Adarsh confirmed the same over social media.

“RELEASING IN OVERSEAS CINEMAS... #KhaaliPeeli - starring #IshaanKhatter and #AnanyaPanday - to release in *cinemas* tomorrow [2 Oct 2020] in #USA, #Singapore, #Netherlands, #Austria, #Fiji, #Africa and #Mauritius. #Overseas,” he tweeted. Helmed by debutant director Maqbool Khan and backed by filmmaker Ali Abbas Zafar, Himanshu Mehra, and Zee Studios, the film also stars ‘Paatal Lok’ actor Jaideep Ahlawat.

—ANI

POSH SPICE F or decades, Victoria Beckham has been known as “posh” based on her nickname “Posh Spice” in the Spice Girls. “I was given the name Posh in 1996 over lunch with Peter Loraine of Top of The Pops magazine and the rest of the Spice Girls,” Victoria posted on her Instagram Story. “I can’t say it would have been my first choice, but ultimately grew into it on my own terms.”

She continued, “I was young and shy, and being Posh helped me find my style and confidence, and my voice.” The message was in the promotion of her new line, Posh Lipstick. “[Posh Lipstick] is deeply personal – lipstick has always given me confidence when I needed it and extra spice when I already had it.”

—Agency

Victoria Beckham

LACKPINK’s music video for Ice Cream has hit 300 million views! Their hit song with Selena Gomez--Ice Cream, was released on August 28 and has since managed to surpass 300 million views on YouTube on October 1. The success has come after just over a month of the talented bunch releasing this song. The song Ice Cream also marks BLACKPINK’s eighth music video to reach the milestone following BOOMBAYAH, As If It’s Your Last, DDU-DU DDUDU, Playing With Fire, Whistle, Kill This Love, and How You Like That.

YG Entertainment confirmed that BLACKPINK’s official YouTube channel had surpassed 48.8 million subscribers.

Which put BLACKPINK past American DJ Marshmello as the artist with the second most subscribers on YouTube.

—Agency

FIRST CRY!

A

huge congratulations are in order as rapper Nicki Minaj has given birth!

The 37-year-old rapper and her husband Kenneth Petty welcomed their first child together.

Nicki and Kenneth first announced the pregnancy back in September amid the Coronavirus lockdowns.

They welcomed the baby on Wednesday (September 30) in Los Angeles, but at this time, the name and sex of the child are not public. in August it was reported that Nicki’s husband Kenneth Petty, who is a registered sex offender, petitioned for a judge to change his conditions so that he can attend the birth of their child if it happens outside of his curfew hours.

—Agency

Nicki Minaj

CITY BUZZ www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia

AHMEDABAD | SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2020

12

TRIBUTE TO THE MAHATMA

QUE...

QUEen Q1. I am 17 years and lately, my Mom finds fault in every little thing I do. For example, the other day I poured out the cornflakes and a few missed the plate and landed on the table.

She went mad, yelling things like: “I have to clear up after you all the time!” Now, I’m beginning to get to the state where I’m nervous to do anything.

What should I do?

Ans. What you should do is sit down and talk to her. An honest heart to heart. Maybe, this is not about you at all and is entirely something else. Could be some health issue or something else stressing her out which is resulting in this anger and such behaviour. Has your family gone through some crisis in the past few months? It could be that the lockdown and being on her toes all day with the entire family at home has taken its toll on her. Whatever it may be, it is best to sit down and talk to her.

Reach out to her and help her. Don’t be nervous, times have been difficult. Keep calm.

Q2. I am 25 and have never had a relationship that lasted more than 4-5 months.

When I first moved out of my parents’ house and into another city, I really loved being single and enjoyed dating; but slowly over the years, it’s lost its appeal, and I would really like something more serious. What do you suggest I should do?

Ans. Congratulations!

You have grown up and are now ready for a serious relationship which I hope will last a lifetime. The initial enjoyment was natural as you were independent and in a manner of speaking ‘ free’ and part of understanding yourself, your desires and needs.

It is wonderful that you are ready for a serious relationship. You don’t have to do anything.

Just be who you are!

When you find the right person you will know. Your heart and mind will know. Just take a little longer with everything, pay attention to character and behaviour… go more slowly and savour the relationship. Be open to the commitment and make promises that you will keep. That’s all! All the best!

Have any questions?

Mail them to quequeenfirstindia@gmail.com; don’t worry, your name will not be disclosed!

A tribute to Mahatma Gandhi was paid with a laser show at Albert Hall (left) and Hawa Mahal on Friday evening, on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti.

POETRY FESTIVAL

A WORKING BIRTHDAY!

Mahendra Soni, Commissioner DIPR celebrated his birthday with simplicity on 2nd October, Friday. Even though it was a government holiday, he spent the day at work and later some quality at home. He was part of the VC regarding the implementation of Jan Ghoshna Patra of the govt by the CMO, in which he interacted with senior journalists and thus played his critical role of media management even on his birthday.

His colleagues at work, Subhash Danodia, Rakesh Kumar Verma, Arun Joshi, Ravi Pareek, Kamal Kishore and Ashish Jain wished him on his birthday at the office.

FINALLY REOPENED! After a 7-month long lockdown, Kankariya Lakefront and Kankariya Zoo in Ahmedabad reopened on Thursday as per the ‘Unlock 5’ government guidelines.

Visitors are allowed inside only if they are wearing a face mask, and following all the safety protocols for COVID-19.

—PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

FESTIVE BONANZA CITY FIRST

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CICI Bank on Wednesday announced the launch of a festive bonanza that presents thousands of offers--

discounts and cashbacks-- on basic as well as luxury items from the stable of leading brands and e-commerce platforms. Called ‘Festive Bonanza’, it also offers attractive benefits to retail and business customers on various banking products and services.

CITY FIRST

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he Thar Poetry Festival 2020 was organised by Thar Sarvodaya Sansthan on Thursday, globally through social media platforms like Facebook Live, YouTube Live and Twitter Live.

Founders of Thar Sarvodaya Sanstha, Anshu Harsh and Sommendra Harsh stated, “The theme, vision and moto of National Poetry Day this year was ‘See like a

Some of the offers were available from Thursday onwards, and others at different dates of this festive season.

Speaking on the launch, Anup Bagchi, Executive Director, ICICI Bank said, “With the onset of the festive season, we

Poet’. Around 1000+ individuals, students, guests and our privileged social media members and dignitaries were present online during the poetry recital program. The Thar Sarvodaya Sansthan invited ten poetic lovers to the online open mic, in which the writer, poet young or senior poet participated as a guest.

Ten talented poets, with their poems, shared a virtual stage with each other on the occasion of National Poetry Day. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

have put together a wide range of offers for our customers to make their celebrations more special this year. We have tied up with an array of leading e-commerce players as well as popular brands across various categories to bring forth attractive offers.” cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

—PHOTOS BY SANTOSH SHARMA

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Senior BJP leader Kalicharan Sarraf spent a simple birthday on 2 October, Friday. Stalwart BJP leader and Ex-CM Vasundhara Raje called him up in the morning to greet him. He went to Shekhawati to seek the blessings of his Kuldevi and accepted the greetings of other BJP leaders and workers via telephone and social media and requested for no events in the wake of the present conditions in the state and nation.

GREAT TRIBUTE

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n the 151st birth anniversary of Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi, his idols and many of his works dedicated to the nation cannot be described in words. On 2 October, while many people from all over India remembered Mahatma Gandhi, there were many of them who showcased their skills and paid a tribute to him. Renowned fire artist Ajit Kumar, who resides in Jaipur, performed his art and paid tribute to the Father of the Nation, using his art and skills, and painted Gandhi with fire. He quoted, “My best regards to this great man and his unforgettable contribution made in the freedom movement of India.”

—City First

DURING THE DAY!

A LENS TO OUR PAST

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he department of English, St. Xavier’s College, Jaipur celebrated Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri Jayanti and International Day of Non-violence through an online event ‘Remembrances: A Lens to our Past’ on Friday. The program started with the welcome of all the dignitaries, accompanied by a song dedicated to World Peace and Unity - We are the World. Nitika Singh spoke eloquently about the life and importance of Mahatma Gandhi, while Khushbu Ramachandani shed some light on the life of Lal Bahadur Shastri.

—City First

GUJARAT: COVID-19 pandemic has hit hard on the common man’s life, but it has not impacted the contributing nature of Rojan Jardosh from Ahmedabad. On his birthday, he distributed 500 masks amongst the needy children in different areas of the city on Friday. He has been following the practice for the past so many years. It gives him immense satisfaction and joy to be at the giver’s side.

RAJASTHAN: On the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti on Friday in Jaipur, an online program P-Desh Bhagati was organised

by Producer Seema Aggarwal and Director Jayveer, in which many children took part in different getups. To encourage the children, IPS Sunita Meena also distributed gifts to them and a rally was also organised from Rajapark to Gandhi Circle by following all the Corona guidelines.

RAJASTHAN: The park of Law College of Rajasthan University has been cleaned under the aegis of the Vikas Foundation on Gandhi Jayanti. 21 beautiful plants were planted by the Development Foundation President Diwakar Sharma, Treasurer Rajni Chaudhary (Brand Ambassador-Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao Abhiyan, Sikar), Sarvesh Nehra, Mahendra Chaudhary, Law College Rajasthan University President Rajendra Gora, Rahul Mahla, KD Chaudhary, Rahul Nitharwal, Deepak Vaishnav and Ravi Kumar.

CONDOLENCES...

ML Gupta, who retired as Deputy Secretary Department of Personnel, Rajasthan Secretariat had worked with various senior IAS officers in different departments like Medical and Home. He continued giving his freelance consulting services after retirement also to various organisations like RFC, Marketing Board, JDA, Transport and Excise department etc even till date at the age of 90 years. He was an institution in himself and had a wonderful rapport with one all. All seniors and juniors would seek his guidance on various complicated issues of personnel and HR related matters.