First India-Jaipur Edition-09 January 2021

AHMEDABAD l SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 2020 l Pages 12 l 3.00 RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/16208 l Vol 2 l Issue No. 46

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KANGANA, SISTER RECORD STATEMENT WITH POLICE IN CASE PERTAINING TO OBJECTIONABLE SOCIAL MEDIA POST

BHARAT BIOTECH SEEKS DCGI NOD FOR CONDUCTING PHASE 1 TRIALS OF NASAL VACCINE AGAINST CORONAVIRUS

OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR, AHMEDABAD & LUCKNOW

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8TH ROUND OF TALKS INCONCLUSIVE

‘OUR GHAR WAPSI ONLY IF YOU DO LAW WAPSI’ Centre insisting to limit the talks to contentious clauses

Farmers sticking to demand of repealing of the farm laws

Next session of the roundtable with kisans likely on Jan 15

REPEALING OF 3 LAWS NOT THE ONLY ISSUE: KHATTAR POST MEETING SHAH

New Delhi: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar met Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday amid continuing protests by farmers against three agri laws. We’re hopeful. If there was no outcome today, maybe a solution will be reached in the next round of talks. If repealing of laws was the only issue, a solution would’ve been reached, there are several other issues to be addressed, CM Khattar told media after the meeting.

FARMER UNIONS THREATEN TO BLOCK ENTIRE DELHI

Bharatiya Kisan Union Spokesperson Rakesh Tikait and farmer leaders during talks with Centre.

Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar during talks with farmer leaders at Vigyan Bhawan.

New Delhi: The eighth round of negotiations between the protesting farmer unions and the Centre on Friday ended on an inconclusive note, with farmers sticking to their demand of repeal of the farm laws and the Centre insisting to limit the talks to contentious clauses.

Holding their ground during meeting, the

each side has to take steps to reach a solution,” he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. The seventh round of talks remained inconclusive Monday over two key demands — repeal of the newly enacted laws and provision of legal guarantee on the minimum support price.

On Thursday, Tomar met religious leader

farmers on Friday told the government their “ghar wapsi” can take place only after “law wapsi“.

However, the Centre ruled out a complete withdrawal of Acts, asserting the laws have been welcomed by a large section of farmers in other states across the country, and asked the unions to think

about the interests of the entire country.

The next round of talks is likely to be held on January 15.

Ahead of the talks, Tomar said he was hopeful a solution would be found.

“I am hopeful that talks will be held in a positive atmosphere and a solution will be found.

During discussions,

PM Modi to meet CMs on Jan 11 over covid vaccine rollout New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Monday chair a meeting with the chief ministers of all states regarding vaccination against the coronavirus.

The meeting will be held at 4 PM, sources said.

The meeting to discuss vaccine rollout comes days after the country’s drug regulator approved restricted emergency use of two vaccines against Covid - Serum Institute’s Covishield and Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin.

Covishield - devel-

trials but is “safe and provides a robust immune response,” the drug regulator had said last week.

Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan today said that the vaccines could be made available as early as the “next few days”.

The government has ensured that every detail of the vaccination programme is conveyed to the people, he added.

The minister today reviewed the second national dry run to test the country’s Turn to P6

Prime Minister Narendra Modi

oped by Oxford University and being manufactured by the Serum Institute - is over 70 percent effective. Covaxin is currently on phase 3

Baba Lakha Singh, one of the heads of the Nanaksar Sikh sect based in Punjab. Singh, who has been organising langar at the protest sites, said he wished to mediate between the government and protesting farmers.

While Tomar played down the meeting, farmer unions said the religious leader wasn’t speaking for them. A

day before the talks, thousands of farmers held a tractor march, a “dress rehearsal” for Republic Day on January 26, when they plan to hold a bigger march towards Delhi.

Farmers say over 5,000 tractors rode towards the eastern and western peripheral expressways from Singhu, Tikri, Ghazipur and Palwal.

Even as the central government struggled to reach a consensus regarding the ongoing farmer protest, a farmer on Friday said the tractor parade that took place on Thursday was just a trailer and they will block entire Delhi if there demands are not met.

“Yesterday, it was just a trailer, the whole movie is yet to play. We will block whole Delhi,” threatened another farmer Balvinder Singh Raju while speaking to ANI.

EACH SIDE MUST TAKE STEPS FORWARD: TOMAR TO MEDIA New Delhi: Each side has to take steps to reach a solution, said Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Friday, as dialogue between the Union government and representatives of farmer unions remained inconclusive.

“I am hopeful that talks will be held in a positive atmosphere and a solution will be found. During discussions, each side has to take steps to reach a solution,” the Union Minister said.

TERROR FINANCING CASE

Mumbai attack mastermind and LeT commander Lakhvi gets 15 years in jail Lahore: Mumbai attack mastermind and Lashkar-e-Taiba operations commander Zakiur-Rehman Lakhvi was sentenced to 15 years in jail on Friday by a Pakistani anti-terrorism court here in a terror financing case.

UN proscribed terrorist Lakhvi, 61, who was on bail since 2015 in the Mumbai attack case, was arrested by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) of

Punjab province on Saturday.

“The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Lahore convicted Lakhvi for commission of offences of terrorism financing in a case registered by the CTD for 15 years under different sections of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997,” a court official told PTI after the hearing.

Judge Ejaz Ahmad Buttar sentenced Lakhvi to five years of rigor-

Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi

ous imprisonment each on three counts with a fine of PKR 100,000 (approximately USD 620) each on three counts.

“In default of payment of fine, he will have to undergo an imprisonment of six months each on three counts. He has been sent to prison to serve the sentences,” the official said.

Lakhvi pleaded before the court that he was “falsely implicated” in this case.

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KAIPO CHE!

Advocating low-key festivities, the court prohibited large gatherings, music on terraces & open grounds in residential socs First India Bureau Ahmedabad: The Gujarat High Court refused to prohibit kite flying on the festival of Makar Sankranti or Uttarayan provided the COVID-19 guidelines laid down by the state government are adhered to by citizens. The court warned the state to ensure that

the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is strictly implemented and action is initiated against those who violate it.

In his submission, Advocate General Kamal Trivedi stated that the state burned its fingers during Diwali and this time it is determined not to show any

—PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

HC allows kite flying on Uttarayan but, conditions to apply

The court advised kids below the age of 10 years, pregnant women & senior citizens to stay home.

leniency towards violators.

The 14 guidelines presented by the government were accepted by the court with a few modifications. Large gatherings on terraces of buildings/flats or open grounds in residential societies has been prohibited. Use of loudspeakers, DJs and music systems has also been banned owing to the fact that it may attract people to gather at those places, which may increase the risk of infection.

The court advised

that it was prudent that the festival of Uttarayan is celebrated on a lower scale with only close family members.

People without masks will not be allowed to gather on terraces of buildings/flats for kite flying. “It is also mandatory that citizens strictly follow the norm of social distancing and keep sanitizers handy at all times. If there is a gathering on a terrace of a housing society, the chairman will be held responsible,” it stated.

No person other than the residents of apart-

ments or other residential societies shall be allowed on terraces or open grounds. People above the age of 65 years, persons with comorbid illnesses or diseases, pregnant women and children below the age of 10 years have been advised to stay home.

Effective implementation of the instructions of the court will be ensured by the deployment of adequate police bandobast, patrolling and surveillance using drones and CCTV cameras.

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AHMEDABAD | SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 2021

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Ahwa gets 1.5 inches of rainfall, more in store for state

Effects of showers in Dang and Valsad districts were evident in the colder weather prevalent in nearby regions

—FILE PHOTO

Tourists experienced colder weather in Saputara after a spell of rain

First India Bureau Ahmedabad: Following the forecast of two days of unseasonal rainfall, the weather in many parts of south Gujarat has changed since Friday morning. While Ahwa in the Dang district received 1.5 inches of unseasonal showers on Thursday, the effects of rainfall were also

evident in the Valsad district. The Umargam taluka of Valsad and its surrounding areas have also been experiencing cold weather due to the rainfall. The weatherman expects more rainfall in certain isolated places of the state in coming days.

The weather in Valsad district changed since early Friday

morning with Umargam, Vapi, Bhilad and Sarigam experiencing rainfall. Concern for winter crops has been the bone of contention for farmers in the district. Also, the sudden change of atmosphere has had an impact on the health of citizens.

Apart from Valsad and Dang districts, the weather in the Navsari

Showers hit Dang district’s Ahwa

OVERCAST SKIES

district has also undergone upheaval.

Reports indicate that the situation of farmers

in Gujarat is likely to worsen. The meteorological department has forecast thunderstorms in some parts of the state for the next three days. Unseasonal rains in the state have again raised concerns among farmers. Although, the weakening of cyclonic circulation seems to have been a relief, showers have failed to belay

NEW AGRICULTURAL REFORMS

CLAIM AHMEDABAD APMC?

worries of farmers.

The meteorological department had forecast unseasonal rains in the South and North Gujarat region from Friday to Sunday. Rainfall is also forecast in Chhota Udepur, Navsari, Bharuch, Dahod today, which are also likely to experience rains along with Narmada and Tapi districts on

Sunday.

According to the meteorological department, rains were also observed in Saputara, a hill station in the Dang district. Due to the unseasonal showers, the weather has become cooler. The unusually cold atmosphere has thrown a spanner in the plans of the visitors to the hill station.

15 Surat Youth Cong members detained at rally

SEVERAL GRAIN MERCHANTS AND MILLERS HAVE REPORTEDLY SURRENDERED THEIR LICENCES, A MOVE THAT HAS SET BACK THE MARKET YARD RS1.5 CR IN CESS COLLECTION

First India Bureau Ahmedabad: The new agriculture reforms passed by the Parliament claimed its first victim as the Ahmedabad Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) reported depletion of cess collection. This drop has been witnessed after grain merchants and commodity millers have started surrendering their licences.

According to market sources, the network of Ahmedabad APMC was spread in various talukas of the district, but now, its market area has reduced. Also, the grains and vegetable market too has been shifted to the Jetalpur market which has adversely affected the Ahmedabad APMC’s business.

Taking into consid-

least concerned about bailing out the APMC, added sources.

Moreover, as a rule, an administrator can be appointed only for a year-long period, but the current administrator of the APMC has held his position for more than 1.5 years.

Generally, it is the

eration only the surrender of trading licences by grain merchants and millers, the cess collected by the market yard has been slashed by over Rs1.5 crore per month. The market yard is already in debt that has touched Rs140 crore, but the state government is

elected body’s responsibility to take charge and hold an election but that has not happened yet. This has inevitably given birth to suspicion in the minds of the people about the state’s intentions about the health and administration of the market yard.

PENDING DUES

(Above) Traders and buyers at the Ahmedabad APMC, (Below) Grains on display at a market yard.

Police officials detaining youths at the rally in Surat.

First India Bureau Surat: City police on Friday detained 15 members of Surat Youth Congress for violating social distancing protocol. The youngsters had planned to take out a rally from MTB Arts College to the Collectorate to hand over a memorandum highlighting the unemployment issue faced by youths. But, as the youths started chanting slogans and held up banners proclaiming their concern, the rally was ambushed

—FILE PHOTO

by police officials.

Surat Youth Congress president Jayesh Desai said, “The number of educated people who have failed to secure gainful employment has increased significantly over the past few years. However, the government has not granted the issue any attention nor has it planned any contingencies for it. As a result, the numbers have multiplied and several cases of suicide have also been registered, where unemployment has led youngsters to take that extreme step.

ROAD TO DEVELOPMENT

CM Rupani dedicates developmental work in Dahod He laid foundation stones of an irrigation project, water supply scheme and a GETCO sub-station in the district First India Bureau Dahod: Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Friday laid the foundation stone and dedicated developmental projects worth Rs1,500 crore in Dahod district.

The ventures un-

dertaken by the state government include Kadana Udvahan Irrigation Scheme PartI of Rs1,054 crore, Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Bhavan- to be constructed by the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment- at a cost of

(L to R) Minister of State for Panchayats Jaydrathsinh Parmar, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and Minister of State for Home Pradipsinh Jadeja in Dahod

Rs3.28 crore, government boys hostel at Zhalod by the Tribal department at Rs7.61 crore, two health centres- to be built by the state Health department at a total cost of Rs2.4 crore and also a 66 KV sub-station of Gujarat Energy Transmission Corporation (GETCO) at an investment of Rs2.2 crore.

Similarly, foundation stones were laid for developmental projects of

Kadana Udvahan Irrigation Scheme Part-I set to be built at a cost of Rs226 crore, three Kadana-based water supply schemes worth Rs213.69 crore, two falia connectivity scheme by the water supply department at an investment of Rs14.94 crore and also a 66 KV substation to be constructed at a cost of Rs4 crore.

Taking a jibe at Congress party, CM Rupani said, “Despite being in power for 42

years, Congress failed to provide basic facilities to the citizens of Gujarat. Earlier, the state government’s budget was Rs7,000-8,000 crore, and an amount of Rs700 crores was allocated to any one department for carrying out developmental projects. But now, projects worth Rs1,500 crore are commissioned by the government in a single day.”

GUJARAT AHMEDABAD | SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 2021

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State education dept issues school reopening guidelines

Social distancing, masks to be the norm; lectures will be conducted for Grades X & XII as per schedule set by managements and class strength

First India Bureau Gandhinagar: A circular has been issued by the state education department in pursuance of reopening of school campuses for Class X and XII. It underlines the guidelines to be implemented by schools and concerned authorities owing to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Moreover, all students willing to attend classes in schools will have to submit a letter of consent from their parents to their school management.

Several other key points mentioned in the notification include resumption of academic work for students of Class X and XII in secondary and higher secondary schools of all the boards in the state.

Attendance in offline (physical) educational work will be voluntary for every student. The students who opt not to attend classes on school campuses will continue with their academic syllabus via online classes that will be arranged by schools. They have also been instructed to watch the educational programmes broadcast-

Students of Class X & XII have been granted the option to attend classes on campus or online.

NO DICE

ed by the state government on the Vande Gujarat and Doordarshan (DD) Girnar channels.

All schools have been strictly instructed to allow students of only Class X and XII to report to school for class-

es. The class schedule will be set keeping in view the number of students per class and the complexity of subjects.

As per the guidelines of the central government, seating arrangements will limit the

number of students per bench to two, due to the need for social distancing. Additionally, school principals will have the responsibility to decide what kind of arrangements should be made for the curriculum of any given subject.

Face masks have been made mandatory for students, teachers as well as other staff members. Concerned authorities have been asked to ensure that no infected or symptomatic student/teacher enters the campus through continuous monitoring.

Car looted at gunpoint near A’bad Expressway

MERA MANJHA

First India Bureau Ahmedabad: City police are looking for three people after a car was allegedly stolen at gunpoint near the Vastral Ring Road in the city on Thursday night.

Ajay Mehta, a resident of Krishnagar, has lodged a complaint with Ramol Police station. In his complaint, Mehta stated that while he was waiting to pick up his brother near a private bus stop, in his Honda BRV car, he was approached by three men on a bike.

They asked him for directions to the Expressway, but before he could respond, one of the riders opened the door and got into the backseat of his car and another took the passenger seat. He further alleged that one of the suspects pulled out a gun and demanded the keys to the vehicle.

Children await their turn to buy manjha thread, ahead of the Uttarayan festival in Khadia area of Ahmedabad on Friday.

—PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

Nominal rise in COVID-19 cases as Guj gets 685 new ones First India Bureau Gandhinagar: A nominal rise in the number of COVID-19 cases is being witnessed in the state over the past couple of days. The trend continued on Friday as Gujarat recorded a total of 685 fresh cases in the past 24 hours, taking the total infection tally to 2,50,478.

Three patients succumbed to the virus, of which, two were in Ahmedabad city, while one was in Tapi district.

The pandemic death toll of the state stands at 4,335. At least 892 pa-

A’bad reports 134 cases, two deaths; total infection tally at 2,50,478 tients were discharged from across the state on the day. So far, 2,38,114 patients have recovered from the infection in the state.

At 134 cases, Ahmedabad recorded the highest number of cases; 131 of these cases were reported from urban areas and only three from rural parts.

Among the districts

which reported more than 100 cases were Surat (126) and Vadodara, which reported 117 cases in the last 24 hours.

Diamond city Surat reported 99 cases, while its rural pockets reported 27 cases. Similarly, in Vadodara, the city recorded 90 cases and the rural areas recorded 27 cases.

Around 79 cases emerged in Rajkot followed by Kutch which reported 18 cases.

Currently, there are 8,149 active cases across the state, of which, 61 patients are on ventilator support.

10-min time limit for auto drivers at Kalupur railway station: HC First India Bureau

Ahmedabad: The Gujarat High Court on Friday decided to allow autorickshaw drivers to fetch and drop-off travellers at the Kalupur railway station. The court granted them access to the station’s parking lot for 10 minutes at a time.

After leaving the premises, they can re-enter and claim customers.

In its response to the petition, the state government said that the petitioner had not presented all facts be-

The livelihoods of autorickshaw drivers have been severely affected due to the pandemic.

fore the court. It insisted that autorickshaw drivers were being allowed to park their vehicles for 10 minutes in the station parking lot. It added that only if the time spent by them in the

lot exceeded 10 minutes, were they charged a parking fee.

In a public interest litigation (PIL) filed through advocate KR Koshti, the Jagrut Autorickshaw Drivers’ Union had asked

authorities to grant auto drivers entry into the station.

They had added that private taxi services were not barred from the premises of the station. “If they can pick up and drop passengers, auto drivers should be allowed in the parking areas too,” the PIL read.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the livelihoods of autorickshaw drivers in the state have been severely affected. They have also been hit by the recent night curfew measures.

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Kutch’s ‘Henotaro’ declared a rare breed by Govt of India First India Bureau Bhuj: A rusty-spotted cat commonly known as ‘Henotaro’ and found in the Kutch district of the state has been classed as a rare species by the Government of India’s Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

The animal, which has been spotted on numerous occasions in recent years, is also found in parts of Jammu and Kashmir, South India, and Sri Lanka.

Kutch (West) Deputy Conservator of Forest, Tushar Patel, told media persons, “You can

pat and Kalo Dungar areas.”

The cat usually lives in arid and semiarid regions with alkaline forests and grasslands, deserts or semi-desert areas including Great and Small Rann of Kutch, Banni and Narayan Sarovar Sanctuary.

Known to have a fleshy, round mouth, Preservation efforts for the rusty spotted cat will be initiated soon. ‘Henotaro’ is slightly taller than the fox only find the rusty- tion of the animal in and hunts small spotted cat in Kutch the state in the next birds and animals. district and not any- census. After that, a They can live up to where else in the entire plan of action will be 12-17 years of age, state. According to the put in place for preser- weigh 8 to 12 kilo2016 census, there were vation of the species. gram and outrun about nine in the dis- The animal has been their prey at around trict. We will deter- sighted in Nakhatrana, 80 kilometres per mine the exact popula- Narayan Lake, Lakh- hour.

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IN-DEPTH

ANOTHER ROUND OF STALEMATE IN TALKS

A

team of Union ministers and leaders of farmers unions met yet again on Friday and resolved to meet one more time on January 15 as both sides decided to dig in their heels the eighth round of talks, like all previous rounds, also ended in a logjam.

Both the sides having made the three farm Acts a prestige issue, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar reiterated that the Acts will not be repealed. Farmers also repeated their demand for scrapping of the laws. Going by the inflexible stand of both the sides, the outcome of the ninth round of talks on January 15 can be easily predicted.

On Friday the government asked farmers to give a proposal other than the repeal of the laws aimed at “reforming” the farm sector. Farmers said they had none. Government suggested formation of an informal group comprising members of both the sides, farmers turned it down. Government then advised the group representing the protesters to move court and that it would seek day-to-day hearing of the case. Farmers’ leaders said they won’t go to court.

Now in its 45th day, the protests are precariously poised. Farmers have threatened to take out a tractor rally at Delhi’s Rajpath on Republic Day. The government’s ploy to tire out the protesters having failed, it is now looking at the Supreme Court which is scheduled to hear petitions related to farmers protests on January 11. The court has already said that it “will not interfere with the protests”. Will the court look at the legality of the Acts?

ECOFEMINISM: THE WAY FORWARD TO SUSTAINABILITY GARIMA JAJOO

The author is a final year law student from OP Jindal Global Law School

E

INDIA IS READY FOR VACCINATION DRIVE

T

he second nationwide dry run covering 736 districts across 33 states and Union territories was conducted on Friday to prepare the states for the actual vaccination programme expected to begin sometime later this month. The exercise involved close to two lakh vaccinators and showed that the Centre was not leaving anything to chance. The Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan was in Chennai to personally inspect the drill. This will be followed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s video conference with chief ministers on January 11 to discuss the vaccination process.

Two vaccines---Covishield and Covaxin---have got the green signal for emergency use but the government is ready to inoculate over one crore frontline health workers. Covaxin has been cleared despite the vaccine yet completing the third phase of clinical trials. Bharat Biotech, the manufacturer of Covaxin, said recently that it has the required number of volunteers for the third phase trials. The Serum Institute of India’s Covishield has cleared all tests but it is waiting for the government’s purchase order for the vaccine. The delay in purchase was due to haggling over the price of the vaccine. A figure of Rs 200 per dose of Covishield has been doing the rounds but it may change. The government must be wanting a lower price to make the vaccine affordable for all as the government does not intend to distribute it free to all individuals.

The gains made in the fight against Covid-19 may well be lost if the vaccination process is delayed any further. The UK strain of the virus is already here.

Ecofeminism has evolved largely in the past three decades by way of various movements and protest to protect and save the environment around the world. It is still in a process of evolution and thus there is not much substantial jurisprudence on the same.

WHAT IS ECOFEMINISM? cofeminism is a relatively new way of thinking in the global era, a lens to view the delicate intersection between ecology and environment with women.

It can also be seen as a movement which draws the connection between “exploitation and degradation of the natural world and the subordination and oppression of women.”

It is believed that the suppression of women and nature share a common source of origin that is the idea of ‘patriarchy’. Patriarchy puts men before and above women and nature. In the social stage, women are exploited by men and on the ecological front, men use nature to their sole benefit disregarding the effects it might have on the entire ecology.

WHY IS ECOFEMINISM NEEDED? The laws in place today often project a very traditional human centered view, completely excluding man from the ecological cycle and placing itself above it. The basic concept of feminism advocates for men and women to be at par. The idea of ecofeminism derives itself from the point that women are directly and majorly affected by the debasement of nature as firsthand victims as they are closely connected and dependent on nature.

Law is seen as the tool to bring about social change, and this social change can be fair and just only if there is inclusion of the various diverse groups and their experiences.

Ecofeminist believe that involvement of both men and women and considering the consequences that nature might have on both the groups separately will help in delivering a better and more inclusive model for legal decision-making than the current legal standard of applying abstract and depersonalized legal rules, which are considered fair. It targets at giving a voice to the silence that has existed since a long time

due to the exploitive and dominating nature of the “patriarchal-industrialist-western society” by incorporating the “expression of the suppressed expressionlessness” into law.

Ecofeminism has evolved largely in the past three decades by way of various movements and protest to protect and save the environment around the world. It is still in a process of evolution and thus there is not much substantial jurisprudence on the same.

DISCOURSE OF ECOFEMINISM IN INDIA The emergence of ecofeminism can be traced to the shared history (between women and nature) on the grounds of a common experience of exploitation, degradation, and domination by an androcentric attitude. It is due to the advancement in technology and science and the springing up of a world model based on modernization and development that has further led to the degradation of women and nature.

The upliftment of women to being able to perform indigenous tasks such as agriculture by way of manual labour which now being replaced by modern technologies in order to compete in the race of the industrialised economy of the West.

The “third world” women are facing the repercussions of industrialization as now they are unable to work in harmony with the nature to produce

WHENEVER WOMEN HAVE RAISED THEIR VOICE AGAINST ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION IT HAS OFTEN TRACED ITS ROOTS BACK TO THE WANTING NEEDS OF MEN.

wealth. India suffers from this problem even more as it has seen a number of ideological shifts, along with numerous political, social and cultural factors which further aggravate the problem and hence give rise to an urgent need to develop concrete jurisprudence around ecofeminism.

Since the emergence of ecofeminism there has been conclusive development in policies in India. India has been fortunate to witness this comparatively new ideology in action and watch it bear fruitful results.

Whether it be the popular Chipko Movement, Narmada Bachao Aandolan or the Doon Valley movement, all were a great success and largely led by women fighting for their right and the environment. Thus, considering the outcomes of this approach it can be said that this is truly the way forward in the field of both gender equality along with sustainability of the environment.

For the US, Right Wing extremism is here to stay

O

ver the last three decades, globalization, ethnic diversity and social inclusion have become forefront issues in American political discourse. However, this spotlight has not come without consequence.

Finding historical precedents in the Civil War and civil rights eras, today’s new progressive wave has been met with backlash from conservative and reactionary sociopolitical milieus that see threats in a changing social fabric.

With echoes in Europe, Asia and Latin America, right-wing movements in the United States have organized and mobilized with great discipline. While right-wing extremism typically rises under progressive presidents, as seen during the Obama and the Clinton administrations,

04

the discourse of outgoing President Donald Trump has given these movements an unprecedented level of oxygen for the modern era.

ACTIONS AND RECRUITMENT Historically, right-wing reactionary elements spread throughout the vast geographic expanse of the United States had a harder task in communicating and coordinating than they do today.

Moreover, these groups and individuals were previously more frequently confronted with divergent points of view in their social circles and communities. In our digital age, however, heightened use of social media creates networks out of formerly atomized elements, which is a phenomenon that is not only limited to the far right. These networks, in turn, create echo chambers of misinformation and vit-

riol, which the likes of Facebook, Twitter, Parler and Gabfiscalize push back against too loosely, if at all.

Just as radical rightwing groups utilize social media to spread misinformation, these groups also work to expand membership by recruiting new members through social media platforms. For example, the Boogaloo move-

ment, an extremist antigovernment network in the US, uses Facebook groups and targeted advertisements to spread its message and recruit followers. The Boogaloo Boys use memes and digital humor tools in their targeted posts, often with links to purchase their merchandise and to generate a sense of community while increasing group

membership and funding.

What’s Next?

As the COVID-19 pandemic enters its most critical phase before we can expect to achieve herd immunity promised by mass vaccination, the threat posed by right-wing groups in the US continues to escalate while lockdowns persist and the transition to the incoming

Biden administration is imminent. With a November poll from Reuters suggesting around 68% of Republicans believe the election was rigged, President-elect Biden’s transition has been anything but smooth, and there is no reason to expect his first year in office to be any different.

Passionate support for President Trump by rightwing groups, such as the Proud Boys who vowed to “stand back and stand by,” creates the alarming prospect of continued and intensifying public safety incidents around protests and rallies. Unfortunately, we have seen this trend toward tensions and clashes accentuated by the increased oxygen provided by both elected officials as well as activism by left-wing groups, such as antifa and the Black Lives Matter movement.

CONCLUSION Ecofeminists see the domination of women and nature as woven within today’s ideology.

The only way to overcome the same is a change at the grassroot level where the deep rooted patriarchal values are reconstructed to promote the empowerment of women and respect for nature along with non-violence. It is important to pay attention to the intricate web of interconnectedness between human beings and nature. Mankind should not aim to dominate the ecology, rather approach it as a parallel relation excluding power.

Whenever women have raised their voice against environmental degradation it has often traced its roots back to the wanting needs of men.

Whether it be the benefits of the teakwood for business by the men in the Chipko movement or the profits gained from the construction of dams on Narmada, patriarchal domination along with industrialisation remain the root cause of the struggle to preserve the nature and ecology.

To ensure sustainability, it is essential that we stop following the anthropocentric approach thus bringing ecofeminism in the picture. Ecofeminism is the way forward to sustainable development and a safe future for this planet.

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

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TWEET Prakash Javadekar @PrakashJavdekar UJALA scheme by Modi Govt has been illuminating every house in the country with cleaner and greener lights. In the last 6 yrs, over 36 Cr LED bulbs have been distributed, reducing over 38 million tonnes of carbon emissions per year and saving over 45 billion kWh energy annually.

Piyush Goyal @PiyushGoyal One Train, Two Benefits: Railways attached parcel van to Doodh Duronto rake, for transporting bananas for 1st time from Tadipatri in Andhra Pradesh to Delhi Banana #MoveItLikeRailways

Spiritual SPEAK

One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. —Psalm 27:4

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FARMERS’ STIR

JOIN KISAAN KE LIYE BOLE BHARAT CAMPAIGN: RAGA TO PEOPLE New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi appealed to people to join the social media campaign ‘Kisaan Ke Liye Bole Bharat’ supporting the farmer protests. The campaign started at 10 am.

“Peaceful protests are an integral part of our democracy. Our farmer brothers & sisters are receiving support from all across the country. You should also join along in support of them so that the anti-farmer laws are repealed. #kisaan_ke_ lie_bole_bhaart” Gandhi tweeted. He also shared a video on Twitter related to the campaign asking people to share their views on farmer protests via posts and videos on social media.

The video claimed that BJP is anti-farmers while Congress works towards their betterment. He said Congress will fight with the farmers to get the three contentious farm laws repealed. —ANI

Farmers hold letters written for the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi written with their blood at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi on Friday.

—PHOTO BY ANI

RULERS IN DELHI AFRAID OF RAHUL GANDHI: SHIV SENA

If the government meets us 700 times, we are willing to go but Mumbai: Shiv Sena in an editorial in its mouthpiece Saamna, said, “Rahul Gandhi the demand of the farmers will is once again becoming the president of not change.” “The Central govCongress which is a good thing. For BJP ernment will have to withdraw without Modi & for Congress without Gandhi, there is no alternative. This truth has to the farm laws and we will talk on the same even today. There be accepted. For some time, after Gandhi went away, the party’s hold weakened from will be no other thing on which the position where it was. Now Gandhi is the talks will be held. coming back again. He has given nod to accept the post of President of Congress.”

Rakesh Tikait, BKU National Spokesperson

Mumbai: Actor Kangana Ranaut and her sister Rangoli Chandel reached Bandra police station at around 1.30pm to record their statement in connection with the case filed against them where both were booked for objectionable comments on social media aimed at spreading communal tension.

Their advocate Rizwan Siddiqui was also accompanying them, said a police officer.

Earlier, Bandra police had sent three summons to the sisters beLt Gen Tarun Kumar

male, we do not have the clause to enroll a transgender and that is what we have at present,” Lt Gen Aich said.

“But it has been given by the Supreme Court in 2014 and the apex court has said that there is a third gender also but presently our rules do not permit it,” DG NCC said. “It is a decision which I cannot comment upon. It has to be taken at the national level,” he added. —ANI

FOUNDATION STONE LAID FOR RECONSTRUCTION OF 9 TEMPLES Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy performed foundation laying ceremony in Vijayawada on Friday for the reconstruction of nine temples that were allegedly demolished by the then Telugu Desam Party government in the state.

The Chief Minister also laid the foundation stone

Rajnath launches portal for sale via CSD canteens

‘Issues can be resolved, if farmers realise govt’s stand’ New Delhi: Ahead of the ninth round of dialogue between the Union government and representatives of farmer unions, Minister of State for Agriculture Kailash Choudhary said that as per the farmers’ initial demand, the government is ready to amend the laws. To help find a solution, the farmers will also have to understand the government’s perspective.

“I’m hopeful that a solution to farmers’ issue could be found through dialogue.

When we’ll talk clause by clause then we’ll surely arrive at a solution. During initial talks, the leaders of

IN THE COURTYARD Current rules don’t permit us to have Sedition case: Kangana, sis transgenders: DG NCC record statement before cops

New Delhi: Observing that the current rules did not permit enrollment of transgenders, National Cadet Corps (NCC) head Lt Gen Tarun Kumar Aich said NCC would need “numbers” of the third gender and other “dynamics” to have them in the uniformed youth organisation.

Interestingly, while the DG NCC was addressing the annual press conference, the Kerala High Court was hearing the plea of a transwoman against the exclusion of transgender person enrollment as per section 6 of the NCC act.

“We in NCC go as per the rules which are governed by NCC Act of 1948. When we talk of genders of male or fe-

05

for other eight development works of worth Rs 77 crore in Durga temple.

He unveiled two plaques at the construction site of the Saneeswara Swamy Temple, later he visited Durga Temple at Indrakeeladri. Temples that will be reconstructed in the district are Rahu-Kethu Temple which will cost worth Rs 70 lakhs.

tween October and November last year but they did not appear.

Ranaut later approached the Bombay HC which asked her to be present at Bandra police station on January 8 along with her sister.

The Bandra police have prepared a list of questions related to the matter. All her tweets, video statements have been put on paper based on which questions will be put to her, added the official. —Agencies

APPOINTMENT IN SC/ST PANELS

SC seeks Centre’s reply on plea New Delhi: The SC sought a response from the Centre on a plea seeking direction for appointment of fullterm chairman and vice-chairman of the National Commissions for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

The plea said the role of the constitutional bodies was pivotal for tak-

ing into account the issues related to atrocities upon the oppressed communities.

AIR INDIA’S WOMEN PILOT TEAM TO FLY OVER NORTH POLE New Delhi: An all-women pilot team of Air India will fly over North Pole on the world’s longest air route and flight from San Fransico (SFO) will reach Bengaluru on January 9 covering a distance of about 16,000 kilometres.

“Flying through the North Pole is very challenging and airline companies send their best and experienced pilots on this route. This time Air India has given responsibilities to a woman captain for the journey from San Fransico to Bengaluru via polar route,” an official said.

A bench headed by Chief Justice, SA Bobde & comprising Justices AS Bopanna & V Ramasubramanian after hearing submissions from advocate Rajesh Inamdar, representing NGO People’s Charioteer Organisation, sought response from the Centre and others. —Agencies

farmer unions said they want amendments in the acts and government is ready for that.

We’ll definitely address all doubts of farmers,” said the minister.

He hoped that in today’s meeting the farmers will try to understand the government’s perspective.

“The crores of farmers who are supporting these laws are also farmers. We have understood their point (of protesting farmers’) and taken 10 steps forward if they also understand the government’s perspective and take few steps forward then we will definitely find a solution,” the minister added. —ANI

Beant case: ‘Decide on Rajoana’s PIL

by Jan 26’ New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday, asked the Centre to decide before January 26 on the plea seeking commutation of the death penalty of Balwant S Rajoana who is convicted in the assassination case of former Punjab CM Beant Singh.

A bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde said the decision should be taken before January 26 which is a “good date”. In December last year, the court had questioned the delay by the Centre in sending a proposal related to Rajoana’s death sentence to the President under Article 72 of the Constitution, which deals with the President granting pardon, suspending, sentences in certain cases.

Rajoana, a former Punjab Police constable, was convicted for his involvement in an explosion outside the Punjab civil secretariat that killed Beant Singh and 16 others in 1995.

New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday, launched the Online Portal https:// afd.csdindia.gov.in/ for purchase of items Against Firm Demand (AFD) from CSD Canteens.

“The objective of the launch of this Online Portal is to enable about 45 Lakh CSD beneficiaries including Serving and Retired persons from Armed Forces and Serving Civilian Defence employees to purchase AFD-I items (like Cars, Motorcycles, Washing machines, TVs, Fridges etc) from the comfort of their

home,” read a press statement from the Ministry of Defence.

Speaking at the launch of the portal, the Defence Minister said it conveyed the commitment of the Government towards the welfare of all jawans and officers of armed forces and the veterans.

He also complimented the entire team for the successful completion of this project.

Rajnath Singh further said that the project is in line with the vision of Digital India, enunciated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. —ANI

Javadekar unveils digital calendar & diary of GOI

Prakash Javadekar addresses during a press conference in New Delhi.

—FILE PHOTO

New Delhi: Union Minister Prakash Javadekar on Friday, launched the digital calendar & diary of the Government of India.

In a ceremony held at National Media Centre, Javadekar unveiled the Android and iOS mobile applications of the calendar and diary, as per a release by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

Speaking at the event, Javadekar said that it is a free app and will be available in 11 languages from January 15, 2021. The app will do away with the need for a new calen-

dar every year.

“Each month will carry a theme and an accompanying message and will feature one famous Indian personality. The app will also inform people about the timeline of the launch of various government programmes so far,” he said.

The diary feature makes the calendar more advanced, feature-laden and easier compared to other digital calendar apps.

According to the Ministry, the digital calendar is in line with the Prime Minister’s vision of ‘Digital India.’ —ANI

—Agencies

ARMY CHIEF GEN NARAVANE VISITS SOUTHERN COMMAND HEADQUARTERS Pune: The Chief of Army Staff, General MM Naravane visited the headquarters of Pune-based Southern Command to get an update on various operational & training related issues.The Army said in a statement that General Naravane was also given an update on the contributions of troops of Southern

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh

Command in various humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations in peninsular India this year, particularly towards assistance provided to civil administration for COVID-19 and floods.

General MM Naravane lauded the Southern Command for maintaining a high state of combat readiness and training.

RELIANCE CAPITAL’S DEBT SWELLS TO RS 20,380 CRORE Mumbai: Anil Ambani-led Reliance Capital has said its total outstanding debt rose to nearly Rs 20,380 crore by end-December 2020. In September last year, it had reported a total debt of Rs 19,806 crore. Now, the principal amount due to HDFC Ltd is Rs 523.98 crore and to Axis Bank Rs 100.63 crore, Reliance Capital said in regulatory filings at stock exchanges. “The total amount of outstanding borrowings from banks and financial institutions works out to Rs 700.76 crore, including accrued interest up to December 31,” it said.

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FAST-MOVING NEW STRAIN RAISES ALARM The tally now touches 82 after 9 more UK returnees test positive for highly infectious virus, informed Union Ministry of Health on Friday

Flights from UK resumed amid scare about new virus strain

—PHOTO BY ANI

New Delhi: A total of 82 persons were found with the new mutant variant of coronavirus so far, informed Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) on Friday.

“The total number of cases infected with the new strain of the novel coronavirus, first reported in the UK, now stands at 82,” the ministry said in a statement.

Flights from the United Kingdom resumed today in a limited capacity amid concerns about the new strain of the coronavirus that was recently detected in the UK. The first flight carrying 256 passengers arrived in Delhi today from London, airport officials informed. The ban on flights to the UK was lifted on January

The dry run (mock drill) for the second phase of the COVID-19 vaccination held, in Kochi on Friday.

6. Thirty flights will operate each week - 15 each by Indian and UK carriers. This schedule will continue till January 23, Civil Aviation

Cold wave to be back in northwest from January 22

A view of snow-covered rooftops of houses, houseboats, and frozen ice layer waters of Dal Lake, in Srinagar on Friday. —PHOTO BY ANI

New Delhi: A western disturbance is impacting the Western Himalayas, which is likely to bring light rain or snow to the hills and light rain to the north western plains on Friday.

The impact will gradually reduce on Saturday, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Minimum temperatures over northwest India are likely to fall gradually by 3 to 5 degrees Celsius during the next four or five days due to dry northwesterly winds which are bringing cold air from the snow-clad Himalayas.

“We can expect minimum temperatures to fall in Delhi from January 11. The wind speed will be around 20 to 25 kmph for the next three days in association with

RAINS BREAK OUT

Minister Hardeep Singh Puri had informed earlier. Passengers will have to take an RT-PCR test up to 72 hours before a flight and on ar-

Shah’s visit to Mizoram cancelled Aizawl: The twoday proposed visit of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to Mizoram beginning Saturday has been cancelled, state government. No reason has been cited for cancellation of the trip. During the visit, Shah was to inspect a land customs station at Zokhawthar village in Champhai district on Indo-Myanmar border.—PTI

PM Modi... vaccine delivery system before rollout.

In the first phase of vaccination, the government plans to inoculate 30 crore people from the priority groups like frontline health workers, elderly people and those with comorbidities.

take an RT-PCR test up to 72 hours before a flight and on arrival.

Rajasthan & Delhi CM’s Ashok Gehlot & Arvind Kejriwal, hit out at the Centre for partially lifting the ban & urged authorities to extend the ban.

“Cases of the new corona strain from Britain are increasing in India. The government of India should reconsider the decision to resuming flights from Britain after January 7,” the Rajasthan CM said. Kejriwal asked why the ban had been lifted and urged for it to be extended till January 31. —ANI

the present western disturbance. We are not expecting any intense western disturbance in the next 10 days so the weather is likely to be dry in most parts of northwest India,” said Kuldeep Shrivastava, head, regional weather forecasting centre. —PTI

New Delhi: The Centre on Friday said bird flu has been confirmed so far in Kerala, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Gujarat, & asked these six states to contain the disease as per the action plan. Unusual mortality of 16 birds has also been reported at DDA park Hastsal Village in the national capital, and samples have been sent to a testing lab.

'So far, the disease has been confir med from six states (Kerala, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Gujarat).

Mumbai attack...

The LeT commander was accused of running a dispensary and using funds collected for terrorism financing.

“He and others also collected funds from this dispensary and used these funds for further terrorism financing. He also used these funds for personal expenses,” the CTD said.

Interestingly, Lakhvi was presented before the Lahore ATC on Friday and was convicted the same day in the terror financing case registered against

him some time ago.

The court was told that Lakhvi, a resident of Renal Khurd Okara district of Punjab, was living in Islamabad before his arrest in this case.

Lakhvi was designated as a global terrorist by the UN in December 2008 for being associated with LeT and al-Qaeda and for “participating in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing or perpetrating of acts by, in conjunction with, under the name of, on behalf or in support of ” both the entities.

‘Vaccine production capacity can benefit all humanity’ New Delhi: Ahead of vaccines roll-out, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday said PM Narendra Modi’s announcement that India’s vaccine production and delivery capacity would be used for the benefit of all humanity in fighting this crisis needs to be noted. Asked about the issue of supply of vaccines to neighbouring countries & other nations, MEA spokesperson

Anurag Srivastava said India has been at the forefront of the global response in this common fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

“You would be aware that in our neighbourhood, we have already provided medicines and other essential supplies.

We have held training sessions for experts from these countries on vaccine-related issues,” he said. —PTI

India & China maintaining communication to avoid misunderstandings: Centre New Delhi: India and China have maintained communication at the ground level to avoid any “misunderstandings and misjudgments” even as discussions continue for achieving complete disengagement in all friction areas, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said today. Asked about the status of talks with the Chinese side over the border row, MEA Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said the latest round of the

STATUS OF TALKS

Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava.

Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC)

was held on December 18 and the two sides have agreed to hold an-

Bird flu confirmed in six states

FROM PG 1 HC allows Any person in breach of the guidelines will be liable for action under the prevailing law including the Disaster Management Act, 2005 and the Indian Penal Code, 1860.

rival. Meanwhile, India has reported 18,139 new COVID-19 cases, 20,539 recoveries and 234 deaths in the last 24 hours. —ANI

New Delhi: Flights from the United Kingdom resumed in a limited capacity amid concerns about new strain of the coronavirus that was recently detected in the UK. The first flight carrying 256 passengers arrived in Delhi yesterday (Friday) from London, airport.

The ban on flights to the UK was lifted on January 6. 30 flights will operate each week - 15 each by Indian and UK carriers.

This schedule will continue till January 23, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri had informed earlier. Passengers will have to

OVER 1.6 LAKH POULTRY BIRDS TO BE CULLED IN HARYANA

'It is learned that culling operations have been completed in both the affected districts of Kerala. The disinfection process is underway,' according to an official statement.

States that are still unaffected by Avian Influenza (AI) have been requested to keep a vigil on any unusual mor-

tality among birds and to report immediately so that necessary measures are taken in the fastest possible time, it added. Central teams have been deployed to visit the affected states of Kerala, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh for monitoring and for epidemiological investigation. —PTI

Chandigarh: Over 1.60 lakh birds of five poultry farms in Haryana's Panchkula district are set to be culled as some poultry samples there have tested positive for the avian flu, Agriculture minister J P Dalal said on Friday.

"5 poultry samples of Siddharth Poultry Farm were found positive for the H5N8 strain of avian flu," Mr Dalal said.

other round of senior commanders’ meeting.

The two countries are

in constant communication through diplomatic and military channels in this regard, he added. ”In the meantime, both sides have maintained communication at the ground level to avoid any misunderstandings and misjudgments even as discussions continue for achieving complete disengagement in all friction areas in accordance with the existing bilateral agreements to restore peace and tranquillity,” he said. —ANI

TMC more dangerous than coronavirus: Ghosh West Bengal: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) West Bengal president Dilip Ghosh on Friday said that Trinamool Congress (TMC) is “more dangerous than coronavirus” and after the next legislative assembly election, “the virus will go away” from the state. “Someone asked me, ‘Dada! when this corona will go away?’ I said that though I’m not a doctor but it will go away as the vaccine is coming. But Trinamool Congress (TMC) is more dangerous than corona and I can say when they will go away.

We invented the vaccine for them and after May 20, this virus will definitely go away from Bengal and there will be no virus named TMC,” Ghosh said at a public meeting. He further said that many leaders who were earlier part of TMC and CPI(M) are now in BJP. —ANI

MAHARASHTRA BJP LEADERS MEET JP NADDA TO REVIEW POLL BLOW New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Maharashtra unit leaders including former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, Sudhir Mungantivar and the party’s state president Chandrakant Patil on Friday met Party president JP Nadda in Delhi. The meeting was held to review the results of the recently concluded Legislative Council elections in Maharashtra.

Chandrakant Patil said, “This meeting

took place with JP Nadda as he couldn’t come to Maharashtra since he assumed office and in the meeting, forthcoming panchayat election was discussed. We also discussed the MLC election loss.”

“Any initiative taken during corona pandemic was done by the Centre only whether it was distributing masks or providing PPE. The central government will help in the future as well,” he added.

JP Nadda

Out of the six state legislative council

seats, BJP bagged only one; Maha Vikas Agha-

di (MVA) secured four and one went to an independent candidate.

The state legislative council polls for six seats -- three graduate constituencies in Nagpur, Pune and Aurangabad, two teacher constituencies in Pune and Amravati, and one local body in DhuleNandurbar, took place on December 1.

The counting was held on December 3 and results declared on December 4. —ANI

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TRUMP’S LAST STAND

07

How the dramatic endgame for the 2020 US election played out in Congress

After the storming of the Capitol building in Washington DC on Wednesday, US President Donald trump finally conceded defeat —ANDREW HARNIK/AP

JOHN HART Member of the Emeritus Faculty, Australian National University

T

his week, the US Congress put the finishing touches to the chaotic, protracted 2020 US presidential election.

A joint session of the House and Senate assembled at 1pm on January 6 (5am AEDT/7am NZDT on January 7) as the votes were cast by the 538-member Electoral College following the November election were opened, counted and certified. The president of the Senate (who also happens to be Vice President Mike Pence) then finally declared the winner.

Usually, this process generates very little public attention because it is essentially just a formal ratification of an outcome the American public has known for almost two months. But this year was different because a small group of President Donald Trump’s surrogates in the House and Senate had indicated they will challenge the certification and votes of the electors in what will be a futile attempt to delay the announcement of Democrat Joe Biden’s victory.

According to a statement by the senators leading the effort, Congress should immediately appoint an Electoral Commission, with full investigatory and fact-finding authority, to conduct an emergency 10-day audit of the election returns

in the disputed states.

Once completed, individual states would evaluate the commission’s findings and could convene a special legislative session to certify a change in their vote, if needed.

The move by this small group of Republican lawmakers was almost sure to fail since the Democratic majority in the House rejected the challenges, and a fair number of Republicans had said they would vote against them, too.

At most, this lastditch attempt to overturn the election result, based on Trump’s baseless claims of voter fraud, was only going to delay the inevitable. This was supposed to take anywhere from a few hours to a day or so, depending on how many separate challenges are made.

How the process played out

T

he procedure for dealing with these challenges is based on the Electoral Count Act of 1887.

This is how the drama unfolded. When Pence announced the electoral vote tally from each state, he called for any objections. According to federal law, the objection must be made in writing and, “Shall state clearly and concisely, and without argument, the ground thereof, and shall be signed by at least one senator and one member of the House of Representatives.”

When an objection is announced, the two houses of Congress

will retire immediately and, in separate sessions, debate the objection for a maximum of two hours with no member speaking for more than five minutes or more than once. A vote on the objection is then taken.

Under the law, Congress can only reject electoral votes that have not been “regularly given”, but both the House and Senate must agree to do so.

Congress doesn’t have the power to replace a state’s electors.

The challenges are expected to come against Biden victories in as many as five so-called “battleground” states: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan,

Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

The Republican rebels leading the charge against the election result know the numbers are not in their favour. As the senators note in their statement, “We are not naïve.

We fully expect most if not all Democrats, and perhaps more than a few Republicans, to vote otherwise.”

And despite Trump’s tweet declaring the “vice president has the power to reject fraudulently chosen electors”, the reality is, Pence doesn’t. A federal judge rejected a lawsuit last week seeking to pressure Pence to do just that.

The damage that has been done

T

he motivations behind the Republican challengers were not entirely clear, though some believe they were thinking only of their own political futures, including a potential run for the 2024 presidential nomination.

However, what is clear is this was the final legal attempt to undermine the integrity of the 2020 election — since there is still no substantial evidence of fraud, corruption, rigged voting machines or any other misconduct that Trump and his surrogates have alleged.

It may take some time, but the 306 electoral votes won by Biden on election day

US President-elect Joe Biden will finally be transferred power on Jan 20

—PATRICK SEMANSKY/AP

will eventually be deemed to be “regular” — to use the official term. And Biden and Vice Presidentelect Kamala Harris will be sworn into office at noon on January 20, regardless of whether Trump continues to object.

But the cost of these actions will be immense. The cumulative effect of over 50 misguided court cases at the state and federal level, the failed attempts to persuade Republican-controlled state legislatures to overturn their states’ electoral votes, and the latest effort to pressure the secretary of state of Georgia to conjure up 11,780 more votes for SOURCE: THECONVERSATION.COM

Trump, have damaged the electoral process and American democracy itself.

Moreover, the willingness of Republican lawmakers in Congress to continue to back Trump’s ineffectual efforts to overturn the results of an election — without any evidence of wrongdoing or hopes of succeeding — only compounds the damage further.

It is, as Republican Senator Ben Sasse said in opposing the electoral vote challenge by his own colleagues, “Designed to disenfranchise millions of Americans simply because they voted for someone in a different party.”

A friend – a person who is with you in your ‘ups and downs’ and who makes the ‘downs’ bearable and even fun!

2ND FRONT

—Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO & Editor, First India

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COVID-19 UPDATE

WORLD

INDIA

08

GUJARAT

19,13,630 8,88,93,089 1,50,800 1,04,30,330 4,335 2,50,598 DEATHS

MAHARASHTRA 49,970 DEATHS 19,61,975 CASES

CONFIRMED CASES

UTTAR PRADESH 8,469 DEATHS 5,91,610 CASES

DEATHS

KARNATAKA 12,134 DEATHS 9,25,868 CASES

CONFIRMED CASES

DEATHS

DELHI 10,654 DEATHS 6,29,282 CASES

CONFIRMED CASES

RAJASTHAN 2,727 DEATHS 3,12,091 CASES

TOUGH CALL? HC gets plea to let This time, BRTS bus rams into electric pole relatives cremate Covid victims

A PIL asks Gujarat High Court if hospital staff could cremate Covid victims, why not families —FILE PHOTO

Shishir Awasthi Ahmedabad: The Covid-19 crisis has put to test human compassion in several ways, but it has also brought out the stinging fact that some are more equal than others.

The Gujarat High Court has been faced with one such piquant situation -- the sentiments of families who wish to perform the last rites of their near and dear ones who died due to the virus and the health safety requirement of keeping them away.

This gets a little poignant when relatives of VIPs and Who’s Who get to perform the cremation of their family member who may have succumbed to Covid-19, while the common people don’t have that “luxury”.

SAFETY FIRST

A BRTS bus rammed into an electric pole in Ahmedabad on Friday.

First India Bureau

The high court has issued notices to the State Government in a PIL seeking permission to allow the kin of those who succumbed to the virus to perform their last rites. The PIL said the relatives should be allowed to perform the last rites with all safety measures, including

Premature baby gets new lease of life at Civil Hosp

PPE kits.

Appreciating the situation, Chief Justice Vikram Nath observed that it is a difficult time when safety should take precedence over emotions. The matter is likely to be heard after three weeks.

The petitioner submitted that he was not

insisting on taking the body home, but that the family be allowed to perform the last rites with all safety protocols, including the use of PPE kits. If the ground staff could perform the last rites, the relatives could also do it, the counsel argued.

The court asked the

advocate if he had any idea of the ground reality. “Do you think people will be able to follow the strict guidelines? Wearing PPE Kits, sealing it, and starting the process? The government will have to create another department to deal with this aspect,” the court said.

Ahmedabad: In yet another freak accident involving a BRTS bus, two people were injured when the vehicle crashed into a pole near the ISRO on Friday morning after one of its tyres burst.

The tyre burst almost simultaneously when four people were boarding the bus and 2 of them were injured. Officials said if there had been another bus ahead of this vehicle, it could have led to a major mishap.

The tyre of a BRTS bus exploded near ISRO around 11 am on Friday.

At the time of the incident, four people boarded the buses, in which two passengers sustained minor injuries.

There was no other bus in front of the bus, which led to a major accident. No casualties were reported.

After the tyre exploded, the bus climbed over the divider and collided with the pole. Crowds of people rushed to the spot, while the frightened passengers were

When a family refused to accept their son’s death!

First India Bureau Surat: A tragic scene was witnessed at the New Civil Hospital on Friday when a group of people were seen hold-

ing a dead body on shoulders, sobbing and running out of the hospital. They were followed by cops.

Sikandar Shabir Shah, 22, a resident of

Fulwadi area in Chowk Bazar, was electrocuted to death while repairing a washing machine in Adajan area. The current passed his body through the water

spilled on the floor.

His friend Wasif took him to the hospital where doctors declared him dead and sent the body for post mortem.

But his parents and oth-

er family members refused to accept that he was dead. They took away the body and won’t allow it to be taken for post mortem. The family members carried the

Woman pilgrim falls into Shamlaji stepwell, dies First India Bureau

Thanks to Civil Hospital doctors, Kokilaben left the hospital with her baby.

First India Bureau Ahmedabad: After remaining without a child for 18 long years when she suffered a miscarriage five times, Kokilaben of Ahmedabad, walked out all smiles from the Civil Hospital on Friday with her baby who got a veritable rebirth, thanks to the efforts of the doctors here.

A resident of Jashodanagar, Kokilaben, 42, last conceived in November and had labour pains just 6 months into her pregnancy. This was almost 6 years after she had a miscarriage.

She was rushed to the Civil Hospital

and suffered a premature rupture of the membrane. A cesarean section was performed and Kokilaben delivered a baby that weighed just 1 kg.

The baby was put in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of the Civil Hospital under the supervision of Dr. Bela Shah and Dr. Sonu Akhanena and the baby survived. The baby was in intensive care for 51 days.

On Friday, Kokilaben and her child were discharged from the hospital.

Doctors said survival of premature babies like the one delivered by Kokilaben was very difficult if not given timely medical help.

screaming.

Traffic police rushed to the spot following the incident. The police are conducting further inve s t i g a t i o n s .

Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) authorities washed their hands of the incident and said the bus belonged to a private contractor.

BRTS buses are notorious for accidents. Recently, a bus was torn apart when it rammed into the city’s Akhbarnagar underpass, injuring two people.

Himmatnagar: In a tragic incident, a woman pilgrim died on the spot after she fell into the 11th century stepwell in the Shamlaji Temple precincts on Friday.

Officials said Shilpaben Randeria and her family were visiting the Shamlaji Temple, dedicated to Lord Vishnu.

She and her daughter went to see the stepwell

body and started marching outside the hospital, to take him to a private hospital. The hospital called the police who took the body and brought it to the morgue.

NEW SCARE!

on the temple’s premises. While she took the stairs down, somehow she lost her balance and fell deep into the stepwell and died on the spot.

CCTV footage shows that her daughter and another youth there tried to give her a helping hand, but could not save Shilpaben who died of head injuries.

Shamlaji Police are looking into the incident.

Government health workers spraying disinfectants at the Govt poultry farm in Makarba in Sarkhej area of Ahmedabad as a precautionary measure against Bird Flu virus in Ahmedabad on Friday.

—PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

GLASS CEILING BROKEN

After buses & autos, women take driver’s seat on trains Lakhs of women are applying for allmen jobs in the Indian Railways and now 500 have been hired as drivers First India Bureau Vadodara: After buses and auto rickshaws, women in India have hopped on the locomotive with an all-female goods train flagging off from Maharashtra to Gujarat on January 5, 2021, becoming the first in the country to be driv-

en and crewed by women.

Three women, who steered the train, included Aakanksha Ray, Udita Verma and Kumkum Suraj Dongre in a novel move by Western Railway’s Mumbai division.

The train was driven

by Ray who served as the Goods Guard. The

Women in driver’s seat of trains in the New Year.

MBA graduate from Indore was accompanied

by Dongre as the Loco Pilot and Verma, who served as the Senior Assistant Loco Pilot.

Ray, who went down in history as the first driver of an all-women crewed goods train, felt that the move might help women break the glass ceiling by taking up jobs and roles that were traditionally reserved for men.

The fully loaded goods

train carrying a cargo of 3,686 tonnes in 43 closed wagons, departed from Vasai Railway Station in Palghar and arrived in Vadodara on Tuesday.

Last year, nearly 5 lakh women had applied for jobs in the Railways, including for the roles of drivers, welders, fitters, and machinists.

Following this, the Indian Railways has hired nearly 500 women as drivers.

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09

AHMEDABAD, SATURDAY JANUARY 9, 2021

Late Satya Paul

Satya Paul will be missed for the abstract drama he gave to the traditional saree and the range of accessories that followed in his signature style and colour.

There was an energy to him that was depicted in his designs!

SATYA PAUL A STATEMENT IN SAREES ANITA HADA

anita.hada@firstindianews.com

I

During one of

his shows

love the saree and find it the most comfortable, graceful and fashionable of attires. Over the years, the saree has been reinvented a dozen times in style but not for me. I have stuck with the traditional pleated wrap and pallu.

Though I love the lehariya chiffons and kanjeevaram silks over the modern adaptations, I could not resist the bold abstracts of Satya Paul and succumbed to the various ‘moods’ he gave the saree.

His range of western and indowestern echoed the same moods and was an instant hit.

Satya Paul threw all conventions out of the proverbial window in his saree collection.

Stripes vied with checks and polka dots on the same length and neon colours merged and flashed together with nether a clash. Many a time, for me, his sarees were poetry- they were a message that I am a modern, strong, empowered, sensual woman in traditional attire – don’t mess with me!

Be it georgette, satins and silk crepes, Satya Paul brought the fabric alive and I have always his creations with a minimum of jewellery or accessories preferring the prints/colour to do the talking.

Satya Paul’s sarees scream creativity and boldness, the strokes are of a painter who has the sky as his canvas. Satya Paul will live on in the drapes and falls of the perfect sarees he curated and created.

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

DEEPAK

deepaklifemusings@gmail.com

“There is a place that only you can fill There is a song that only you can sing There is a calling that only you can answer.”

AHMEDABAD | SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 2021

THE CALLING: Unleash Your True Self - Priya Kumar DEEPAK’S CORNER

Running, Running, Running....

Accidental living Accidental death...

Wake up, Break free, It’s an illusion- This reality.

Y

the presence of an ascetic who heals him and gives him profound life-altering lessons. “Death is not a solution because life has never been the problem.

Stop running. You are ‘in’ the mess. Rise above being a victim, stop blaming others and own up your responsibility. If you don’t like the rain, rise above the clouds. Be the master of your destiny.” The sadhu asks him to go to Hemkund Sahib, located in the Himalayas to unravel a purple thread that he’d find there. It is this journey that

FA CE OF TH ED AY

ou start to read the book with these lines. Ok. Nothing much.

You go on readingunable to put it down as the story takes a hold on you. It ends with the same lines. “Wake up. Break free...”. But NOW everything has changed.

Arjun alone has not woken up to his self-realization.

We all have been forced to be aware of our pretenses, falsities, confusion, untruths that have blinded our vision. Priya Kumar shows us the way to live, revel in life, in creation.

How we must find beauty in our own inner self and in others around us.

‘The Calling’ is a wake up alarm. It’s a spiritual adventure. An encounter with the truth, the wisdom and The Force that is innate to us all. “Don’t continue selling your life and your soul to the highest bidder”. Priya Kumar’s magic-wand touch is apparent from the preface itself. It’s a handwritten note in a most artistic, bold and open style. The message is clear. “YOU ALONE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR LIFE”. It’s a book about ‘practical spirituality’ and living life consciously.

‘The Calling’ is an amazing story set in the mystical and majestic Himalayas. The unpredictable turns and twists are symbolically aligned with the landscape of the terrain.

Arjun’s life is a total disaster. On the personal front, he is on the verge of getting divorced. Professionally, he’s disgruntled, frustrated and completely burnt out. Driving up the hills for an important office meeting, he meets with an accident. In his semiconscious stupor, he feels

10

provides Arjun with the pearls of wisdom, knowledge, truth and finally a revelation to his own inner self. It’s his Calling.

He starts on a journey accompanied by Chandu, a young boy, who is witty, lively, humorous, besides being instrumental in his spiritual awakening. He says, “These mountains are alive, they move, they speak, they share your soul”. Enroute he’s

YOUR DAY Horoscope by

Saurabbh Sachdeva

subjected to 3 tests given by another sadhu. Along with Arjun, every reader of the book, shares the awakening enlightenment.

The simplicity of the obvious answers is unnerving.

“To sit in your space, your world and do nothing in it is a disgrace to the intelligence that the divinity has blessed you with. It’s your responsibility.

Prevent your world from falling to pieces.” The 2nd test is identical to the 1st. But, the answers change.

“Every person in our world has a significant role to play. We come together for a common purpose. It’s our responsibility to bring out the best in each individual.” The 3rd lesson is most enlightening.

“World around us changes all the time. Let it. YOU are responsible for your own reaction, your positivity, stability of mind and above all your happiness, It’s your choice.”

The teachings from these tests are obvious, yet

come out so alive that each of us can associate ourselves with them. The quotes are phenomenal.

Each chapter builds up suspense and keeps you yearning for more. Inspite of being a motivational book, there is no sermonizing. Do not be taken in by the ‘only 160 pages’, because the moment you finish reading it, you want to start all over again. This time, savouring each word, each quote, exploring its

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

A family reunion is indicated and promises much enjoyment. Religious minded can go on a spiritually elevating journey. You will be able to keep up the pace on the academic front. Strenuous exercise can cause injuries or result in body ache.

Adequate health measures will keep you in a fine fettle. You are likely to remain in the saving mode for some more time. Positive developments at work can keep you in an upbeat mood. Differences with your spouse should be best avoided or they may take an ugly turn.

Health remains satisfactory, but aim for total fitness. Make any excuse, but don’t lend money to anyone today. Maintaining a working relationship with those you don’t particularly like will be a better option. Shifting into a bigger house is possible for some.

Those doing their bit to shed weight will succeed beyond their expectations!

You will be able to remain strong on the financial front.

Thinking out of the box is likely to get the spotlight on you on the professional front. A pending property issue gets completed.

MAR 21 - APR 20

APR 21 - MAY 20

MAY 21 - JUNE 21

JUNE 22 - JULY 23

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

Money comes to you from various sources to fill your coffers. Your strategy for promoting business is likely to be on the right lines and lead to good profits. A peaceful domestic environment can be expected and help you let your hair down. You can feel hurt at not being invited.

Rest and relaxation are yours as you manage to find the perfect getaway.

You may be compelled to spend more on something, but it will be worth it. Keeping a low profile on the professional front may keep you from coming into the notice of those who matter.

Dancing and doing fun things will keep some in perfect health. Timely help from someone close will be a boon for those financially tight at the moment. However, the same cannot be said about business owners, especially where profits are concerned.

Some of you will have to adopt measures to blunt the impact of a lifestyle disease. Consider betting and speculation a big no-no, if you don’t want to ruin yourself financially.

Your performance is likely to improve manifold on the professional front and get noticed.

JULY 24 - AUGUST 23

AUG 24 - SEP 23

SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22

OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Those ailing for long can expect a miraculous recovery. Keeping a check on expenses is your only hope to save for purchasing a major item. Those in a creative field will achieve much in terms of clientele.

Spouse may differ with your opinion about a social situation.

An exercise buddy can be a blessing in disguise for some. Purchasing expensive items may need to be put on hold. This is the day when you will achieve unprecedented success in your current occupation.

Some of you may not be able to devote much time to family.

Timely treatment of a minor ailment will prevent it getting aggravated. Returns from previous investments will manage to finance something you desire. Things may not be completely hunky dory on the professional front.

Resetting the house may be on the minds of homemakers.

Choosing a healthy lifestyle at this juncture becomes most essential for some.

Judicious spending and not succumbing to temptations promise to keep your financial situation intact. Market trends can tempt you into playing the stocks, which may prove to be profitable.

NOV 23 - DEC 22

KRITIKA KHURANA, Content Creator

so profound.

The meeting with the third sadhu, 100 metres beneath the ground, is a symbolic representation of going deep within and awakening to your true self.

Arjun, finally sees his own resistance and obstinacy.

Total surrender releases him. He asks the sadhu, “Who are you”? Arjun is struck dumb by his, “I am you”, reply.

Priya Kumar weaves magic. The characters

depth, absorbing its life transforming wisdom.

“Friends are not here to help you become better.

They are there to allow you to be bigger than you pretend to be, for you are.

Friendship means allowance.”

All through the journey, Chandu, riding his donkey lends the comic touch.

He plays with the mirrored lens’ ski glasses, symbolically, watching all reflections, looking and listening attentively.

When questioned, he says, “I’m Chandu, sahib. I listen to the world. I listen for unhappiness. I listen for change. I connect with the restless souls. I call them. I help them find their own selves.” When Arjun hopes that god will again call him to the mountains, Chandu says, “Gods are us. Your life was not God’s play. It was yours.” Chandu’s words confirm our interconnectedness, as well as, the presence of divinity in each of us. Our awakening is all that’s required. What started off as an opportunity to escape reality, turned out to be an opportunity to escape from the dwindling spiral of selfcreated misery. Filled with spiritual insights and sprinkled with light humour, this story will help you find your calling, your voice and who knows, even your true self.

DEC 23 - JAN 20

JAN 21 - FEB 19

FEB20 - MARCH 20

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

AHMEDABAD | SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 2021

VACCINATION RECEIVED

11

TWO NEW SONGS

A

s India is gearing up to introduce the COVID-19 vaccination in the country, Bollywood actress Shilpa Shirodkar who’s in Dubai has now become the first Indian celebrity to receive the vaccination against the deadly coronavirus.

The 47-year-old actress took to her Instagram handle to share the big news with a picture of herself from Dubai, UAE, and wrote, “Vaccinat-

Taylor Swift and Karlie Kloss

P

... her post

ed and safe !! The new normal .. here I come 2021.

Thank-you UAE.” —Agency

Shilpa Shirodkar

New found appreciation

S

inger Katy Perry says she needs to be resilient to get through the levels of life. “To get through the levels of life, you have to be resilient. I think sometimes when you say that, ‘You are resilient’, when you verbalise it,

when you give it energy, is when you actually become resilient,” Perry said during the behind-the-scenes look at a recent soft drink campaign.

Perry became a mother and has shared that she has a newfound appreciation for the hard work mothers do.

—Agency

Parineeti’s ‘producers’

B

ollywood actor Parineeti Chopra, who was holidaying in the UK for over a month, returned before the strict lockdown and took off to her hometown Ambala for a minivacation with her family. The actress, who was born and grew up there, is currently enjoying some quality time with her mom and dad.

Parineeti posed with her parents, Pawan and Reena Chopra and called them her ‘producers’.

—Agency

Parineeti’s post

A

Ajay during the programme

stressed the importance of protecting the environment.

—Agency

Poster of the film

that the film is titled, Mission Lion.

The film will be produced by Akshay Kumar’s Bell Bottom producers, Vashu and Jackky Bhagnani, and is gearing up to go on floors in the second half of 2021.

—Agency

Bipasha Basu

In-house Birthday Reviving late actor’s passion

Celebrations A

ctor Bipasha Basu celebrated her 42nd birthday at home. She took to Instagram to share pictures from the celebrations.

Sharing them, she wrote: “Thank you universe Thank you all ...

for such thoughtful and loving wishes on my birthday So grateful to everyone #blessed.”

She looked happy and cheerful, sporting a bright yellow salwar kameez as the room was decorated with balloons and flowers.

—Agency

B

Late Sushant Singh Rajput

upermodel Karlie Kloss is one of the many celebrities that has raised her voice amidst the Capitol riots that happened today in Washington DC. The 28-year-old took to Twitter today to share her thoughts about the chaos and said: “Accept- Karlie Kloss ing the results of a legitimate democratic election is patriotic. Refusing to do so and inciting violence is anti-American,” she wrote, which was then faced with a comment from a fan about how she should talk to her famous in-laws about the situation, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner. —Agency

MUSIC TEASER

Mission Lion

J

W

hile it was being speculated for quite some time that Emma Stone is pregnant, a confirmation of sorts was given recently when the 32-yearold actress was Dave and Emma spotted going out on a stroll in LA while cradling her baby bump.

This will be Emma and husband Dave McCary’s first child and according to a source, Stone is very excited about her pregnancy and what’s to come as a new mom. —Agency

S

ctor Ajay Devgn took part in the plantation programme in Hyderabad on Friday. Around 100 industrialists, 110 artistes and 300 local green lovers participated and hailed the importance of improving green cover.

Speaking after launching the programme, Ajay Devgn expressed serious concern over increasing pollution and

agan Shakti made his directorial debut in Bollywood with Mission Mangal and it proved to be the biggest hit of Akshay Kumar’s career back then, earning around Rs 200 crore at the box-office in India. Akshay Kumar is collaborating with Jagan again on a sci-fi film and soon after, we also confirmed

EXCITED EMMA

SHARED HER THOUGHTS

Plantation Program

Katy Perry

op icon Taylor Swift recently released not one, but two new songs from her album Evermore. One being her latest track It’s Time to Go and second being Right Where You Left Me, the first one is about knowing when it is time to let people go from your life. As soon as the song released, fans starting looking at clues on who Taylor could be talking about in the song.

Now, fans are convinced that a set of lyrics from the songs hints that the track could be about her inconsistent relationship with supermodel Karlie Kloss.

—Agency

ack in 2017, a film titled Chanda Mama Door Ke was announced which would showcase Sushant’s love for two things, acting and astronomy. For the ambitious project, Sushant even undertook training at NASA and interacted with astronauts to get into the character. However, the project failed to take off and was eventually put on the backburner. Almost 7 months after Sushant’s demise director Sanjay Puran Singh is keen on reviving the project.

—Agency

T

he last time we were treated with plenty of Zayn Malik music was his sophomore album Icarus Falls, which released in December 2018.

Since then, Malik has been scantily releasing his music through collaborations with a recent Zayn Malik single being the romantic tune, Better, which dropped post the arrival of his and Gigi Hadid’s daughter. Now, to get ZStans jumping with joy while also leaving them in utter chaos mode, Zayn Malik has dropped a cryptic teaser with the simple word ‘TOMORROW’ written at the center promising us brand new music to be obsessed with.

—Agency

REMOVED WEDDING RING

A

fter Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s rumoured split, eagle-eyed fans have now noticed that the SKIMS founder has removed her wedding ring. Just before Kim and Kanye the news broke of the duo’s alleged split, Kim was pictured in LA without her wedding ring, but now, Kim shared a photo of herself on Instagram stories while promoting her latest SKIMS collection drop and fans realised that the reality star isn’t wearing her ring.

—Agency

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, JANUARY 9, 2021

CITATION CEREMONY

12

GREETINGS!

CITY FIRST

J

agdeesh Chandra was the chief guest of the ‘Online Citation Ceremony’ of Delhi Public School Jaipur, which was held to bless its outgoing batch of Grade 12 students (2020-2021), on Friday.

In his address, he asked the students to stay focused and be rooted. The ceremony commenced with the welcome address by the School

Jagdeesh Chandra attending the ‘Online Citation Ceremony’

Director, Aditi Mishra.

Principal Rita Taneja in her speech asked the students to listen to their conscience

POSTER LAUNCH!

on the outgoing students by the faculty members, wishing them luck and good fortune for their bright future.

MEET & GREET: Deshraj Meena, the newly appointed Secretary, Rajasthan PCC paid a courtesy visit to Jagdeesh Chandra at his residence on Friday evening.

GOOD HABITS!

Miss Rajasthan 2020 finalists attending Sachin Sharma’s session

MANSI BACHANI

SEEKING BLESSINGS!

cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

M Where there’s a will, there’s a way!

have faith. The programme ended with a vote of thanks

by Ravi Dutt and the showering of flowers and blessings

PUBLIC SPEAKING SKILLS

A Poster launch of ‘Odha Do Zindagi’ was organised by Shri Baba Balak Nath Seva Sansthan, CREDAI Rajasthan Jaipur Youth Organisation, Sarkar Women Development Committee and several other organisations at the residence of Transport Minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas on Friday.

Radheshyam Gupta, Ghanshyam Mullani, Nisha Pareek, Rajni Dinesh Mathur, Sapna Jain, Vinita Shekhawat were present on the occasion.

iss Rajasthan 2020 organised by Fusion Group in asso-

ciation with Panghat, conducted a public speaking workshop on its fifth day on Friday at 5 by Oyo Metropolitan, Jaipur. The session was conducted by famous public speaking coach Sachin Sharma. He

shared that the grand finale of Miss Rajasthan 2020 will be held tomorrow. The look launch of royal collection by famous designers Nirmal Sarraf and Anand Sarraf will be done today. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

taught the girls how to present their thoughts fearlessly in front of others. Choreographer Geeta Singh also conducted a workshop on Catwalk and eye contact.

Organisers Yogesh and Nimisha Mishra

Riya Sain’s 100-watt smile is a testament to good habits as her shining clean teeth imply! Riya says that she is very careful about oral health and ensures regular brushing, flossing and visit her dentist while avoiding any kind of addiction which might stain her teeth.

RUN FOR FITNESS

—PHOTO BY SANTOSH SHARMA

Dr Saumya, Mayor Jaipur Greater, went to seek blessings of Moti Dungri Ganesh Ji on her birthday on Friday, seen with her are husband Rajaram Gurjar and daughter Omisha Raj.

and to follow their heart in life and wished good luck to the students. She also told them to be strong in mind and

During the ceremony

MANSI BACHANI

T

he AU Bank Jaipur Marathon has entered in its 12th Edition and has given Jaipur a new identity on an international level. Thousands of runners come from all over the world to participate in AU Bank Jaipur Marathon eve-

Mansi Bainada, Mittali Kaur, Mukesh Mishra, Suresh Mishra, Anup Bartaria, Manoj Tibbriwal, Yogesh Mishra, Yatendra Negi, Rakesh Sabarwal, Kanchan Khatana, Simran Sharma

ry year and run step by step along the streets of Jaipur, but this time looking at the current situations and the pandemic, AU Bank Jaipur Marathon will be organised in a different format following all the COVID guidelines virtually joined and run along by the runners from

across the world. Registrations for the marathon will start from 10 January. The whole country will run with Jaipur in the new format with love, hope & fitness. During the occasion, the 12th edition event calendar launch was also done. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

WHAT AN INITIATIVE! Mouthwatering delicacies

Now

A

Then

k s h i t a Ajmera who trains with coach Ajay Singh, at his fitness studio in Jaipur, lost 90 kgs in almost one year. She weighed 180 kgs when she joined.

Talking about the change, Akshita mentioned, “It was a perfect mixture of the right guidance from Coach Ajay, my

persistent determination, my changed food habits and my other trainers at the fitness studio who continuously kept motivating me. I’m loving the new me, and I have a message for the readers of First India: Please don’t give up before you try; nothing is impossible.”

—City First

T

he ‘Bird Freedom Day’ campaign for freedom of silent parishes from cages and ‘Vaani Sanyam’ launched to give strength and momentum to women was launched in the Pink City on Friday. To explain the social need and importance of this year, calendars of social awareness with motivational messages were made for New Year 2021.

Founder of the cam-

EVENTS! —PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

GUJ: Workers from different NGOs gathered inside Gandhi Ashram on Friday with a message to save birds.

During the event, they also launched a helpline number to save birds in Ahmedabad.

CS Niranjan Arya with Vipin Jain

paign, Vipin Kumar Jain informed about the campaigns to Chief Secretary of Rajasthan, Niranjan Kumar Arya at his residence. Various dignitaries re-

Vipin Kumar Jain and IAS Rajeshwar Singh

leased the copy of the calenders at various government and non government offices.

Vipin Kumar Jain, the founder of the

campaign, presented a copy of the calendar to RSRTC President and Managing Director, Rajeshwar Singh. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

—PHOTO BY SANTOSH SHARMA

RAJ: The pre-launch session of the book ‘Yes, you are the winner’ written by IITian Dr Pradeep Kumar was held on Thursday in the conference hall of Vigyan Bhavan. On the occasion, Super 30 Fame Prof. Anand Kumar and Founder Sumit Foundation, Mona Puri joined virtually as a chief guest.

—PHOTOS BY RAJ KUMAR SINGH

CITY FIRST

Chef Dominique Fieux with the guests at Bhuna’s farm CITY FIRST

A

n interesting masterclass by Michelin Star French chef, Dominique Fieux, followed by lunch, cooked as part of the tutorial was organised by Bhuna’s farm and concoctions on Friday at Bhuna’s Farm, Jaipur.

The event was set in Bhuna’s Farm where vegetables are grown organically. Dominique picked up fresh vegetables from the farm and cooked for his audience.

44 years in the hospital-

ity industry, trained in France, he has worked in several countries, in Michelin star boutique restaurants, big brands and diverse formats.

When people asked him what made him a Michelin star, he said, “I respect food, so I cook with respect for the products and I serve with respect to my guests” cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

Organic Dish