First India-Ahmedabad Edition-09 October 2020

OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR & AHMEDABAD

AHMEDABAD l FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2020 l Pages 12 l 3.00

RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/16208 l Vol 1 l Issue No. 314

Indian Air Force (IAF) Rafale fighter jet carries out a minimum radius turn within an area smaller than a hockey field forming a figure of eight.

(Inset) IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria inspects a guard of honour during the 88th Air Force Day celebrations at Hindon airbase in Ghaziabad on Thursday. —ANI PHOTO

AIR FORCE AWES INDIA

AHH! The excitement, the thrill, and of course the noise. That’s what the people of the country experienced during 88th anniversary celebrations at Hindon Airbase on Thursday. The occasion honours warriors and veterans of Indian Air Force ‘MOTIVATED’ MEDIA REPORTING ON TABLIGHI JAMAAT

Freedom of speech most abused:

SC trashes ‘brazen’ affidavit

 The grandeur and might of the various types of aircraft in the IAF were on full display on Thursday  The newly inducted Rafale fighter jet displayed its ability to carry out sharp turns during the flypast at the IAF base in Ghaziabad on the occasion. The Rafale flew in the ‘Vijay’ formation, flanked by two Jaguars and Mirage 2000 each  IAF chief Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria assured the nation that the Indian Air Force will evolve and be ever ready to safeguard India’s sovereignty and interests in all and any circumstances

TRP bombshell:

Mum cops bust scam involving Republic TV

The Secretary must tell us what he thinks of the incidents pointed out by the petitioner. We find it extremely evasive.

The affidavit does not make any response on the allegations made by the petitioners on some TV channels spreading hatred —Justice SA Bobde Chief Justice of India

WHAT CENTRE’S AFFIDAVIT SAYS...

The Centre had filed its affidavit on August 7, stating that the spread of Covid-19 among attendees of the Jamaat, attacks on health workers by some sections, etc, were all matters of fact and that “news reports based on facts… cannot be censored”.

The bench rapped Solicitor General Tushar Mehta after a junior official of Information and Broadcasting Ministry filed affidavit.

YOU CAN’T TREAT COURT LIKE THIS: CJI TO CENTRE “You cannot treat the Court how you are treating it. The affidavit is by some junior officer. The affidavit is evasive and says the petitioner shows no instance of bad reporting.

You may not agree, but how you can say there is no instance of bad reporting shown? Secretary of the department must file an affidavit and avoid any unnecessary and nonsensical averments as made now,” said CJI Bobde.

VISIONARY RAM VILAS NO MORE

U

Mohd Fahad New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday pulled up the Centre for its “evasive” and “brazen” affidavit in connection with pleas seeking action against alleged motivated media reporting on the Tablighi Jamaat.

A bench headed by CJI SA Bobde was hearing a clutch of petitions filed by Jamiat Ulama-iHind and others seeking action against media organisation allegedly giving communal colour to the Covid-19 outbreak at the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi’s Nizamuddin.

The bench rapped Solicitor General Tushar Mehta after a junior official at the Information and Broadcasting Ministry filed the affidavit which contained “unnecessary” and “nonsensical” averments with regard to media reporting on the issue.

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J U LY 1 9 4 6 — O C T O B E R 2 0 2 0

Mumbai: The Mumbai police on Thursday claimed to have busted a ‘major racket’ which was “fraudulently involved in manipulating Television Ratings Points (TRP)” of TV channels, including Republic TV. Four persons have been arrested in the case.

Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh said so far, three channels including Republic, Fakt Marathi, and Box Cinema were found to be indulging in such malpractices.

Singh said that barometers to measure TRP’s are kept at several undisclosed houses across the country, based on which the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) measures TRPs of channels.

We found that some channels were paying former Turn on P6

nion Minister for Food and Public Distribution and Lok Janshakti Party leader Ram Vilas Paswan passed away this evening. He was 74.

Paswan underwent heart surgery last week and was due to undergo another one in a few days, his son Chirag had told the media. The Union Minister was in a critical condition with multiple organ complications.

A Dalit leader from Bihar, Paswan served in many cabinets.

Narendra Modi @ narendramodi I am saddened beyond words. There is a void in our nation that will perhaps never be filled. Shri Ram Vilas Paswan Ji’s demise is a personal loss. I have lost a friend, valued colleague and someone who was extremely passionate to ensure every poor person leads a life of dignity.

Amit Shah @AmitShah The mind is extremely disturbed by the demise of Ram Vilas Paswan ji, who was always fighting for the welfare and rights of the poor and the deprived. In his political life, he always kept national interest and public welfare as paramount.

His death has created a void in Indian politics.

Nitish Kumar @NitishKumar I am personally saddened by the death of popular politician Ram Vilas Paswan ji. His death is an irreparable loss to Indian politics. May his soul rest in peace.

Ashok Gehlot @ashokgehlot51 My heartfelt condolences at the passing away of Union Minister & founder of Lok Janshakti Party, Ram Vilas Paswan ji.

May God give strength to his family members & supporters to bear this loss. May his soul rest in peace.

Rahul Gandhi @RahulGandhi The news of untimely demise of Ram Vilas Paswan ji is sad. The poor-downtrodden lost a strong political voice today. My condolences to his family.

NOT A PUSHOVER

Will ensure Surat and South Guj is not overlooked: CR Patil Speaking at a SGCCI event in Surat, the BJP state prez reiterated his new position as a ‘political heavyweight’ Haresh Jhala Surat: Being prolific public speakers, it is only fair that politicians are also adept at appealing to a larger audience in a smart manner to ensure that their voice is heard by everyone, including those in power.

This was proved by

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state unit president CR Patil while speaking at an event organized by the Southern Gujarat Chambers of Commerce and Industry (SGCCI) on Wednesday.

Patil echoed the concern of the trade industry and also sent a message to Chief Minister Vijay

(L to R) SGCCI president Dinesh Navadia, BJP state president CR Patil, former SGCCI prez Ketan Desai and Surat MP Darshana Jardosh.

Rupani about not overlooking Surat or the South Gujarat region.

The newly elected president Dinesh Navadia and vice-president

Ashish Gujarati of the SGCCI took charge of their posts at the event.

While addressing the members gathered, guest of honour Patil said, “Surat has many medical device manufacturing units and its share in the sector is also noteworthy. I remember Surat MP Darshana Jardosh trying her best to get a medical device park rolling in Navsari, but CM Rupani had announced setting up of a medical device park in Rajkot. I was not a political heavyweight then, but now

that I am one, I will see to it that no such injustice is meted out to Surat or South Gujarat from now on.”

He also assured trade and industries representatives that the BJP government will address issues hampering the sector’s growth.

“The state and central governments are committed to the development of the nation and put it on fast track for growth,” stated Patil.

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GLUCK WINS NOBEL FOR LITERATURE

The Nobel Prize for literature has been awarded to American poet Louise Glück “for her unmistakable poetic voice that with austere beauty makes individual existence universal.” The prize was announced Thursday in Stockholm

by Mats Malm, the permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy. CM Ashok Gehlot tweeted to congratulate her.

NEWS AHMEDABAD | FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2020

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02

THE PROJECT IS LIKELY TO BE COMPLETED IN 2022 WITH A TOTAL INVESTMENT OF `570 CRORE First India Bureau Rajkot: Work on the Rajkot International Greenfield Airport has begun at Hirasar village located around 25.6 kilometres off the RajkotAhmedabad Highway.

The contract of the project has been awarded to Bhopalbased Dilip Buildcon Limited with a completion time period of 30 months. According to sources, the company has already started constructing a compound wall.

In February this year, the Airport Authority of India (AAI) had issued a Letter of Acceptance (LOA) to Dilip Buildcon for the project.

The total investment in the project stands at Rs570.06 crore without including the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

In 2019, Reliance Infrastructure had bagged the contract and then the estimated cost of the project at Rs648 crore. But, when it could not deposit an earnest amount within a predetermined time period, the LOA granted was cancelled and AAI invited tenders for the project in November 2019. After project terms were finalized in February 2020, Buildcon

RAJKOT AIRPORT TO GET AN

INTERNATIONAL UPGRADE SURAT AIRPORT EXPANSION ALSO UNDERWAY

NO DIRECT CONNECTIVITY WITH US & UK FOR V’DARA

A model of the Rajkot International Greenfield Airport.

Faction-ridden Cong decides on names for polls First India Bureau Ahmedabad: The Congress party has decided to submit three names for each of the constituencies up for polls to the election examination committee for the upcoming state assembly byelections. However, the party may put down more than three names for a few seats due to rampant groupism. The bypolls for Dhari, Morbi, Limbdi, Gadhada, Karjan, Abdasa, Dang and Kaprada were announced after eight Congress MLAs tendered their resignations before the Rajya Sabha election.

Each group within the party has been lobbying for their favorite candidate to contest the

The party has been having a hard time zeroing in on optimal contenders for eight constituencies up for elections

Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee office in Ahmedabad.

by-election. Therefore, the party will, in all probability, submit at least five potential candidate names for four

PROBABLE CONGRESS CANDIDATES FOR EIGHT STATE ASSEMBLY SEATS Constituency Potential Candidates Dhari

Suresh Bagariya, Jeni Thummar, Pradip Kotadiya

Morbi

Manoj Panara, Kishor Chikhalia, Jayanti Chikhalia

Limbdi

Bhagirath Rana, Chetan Khachar, Kalpana Dholia

Gadhada

Jagdish Chavda, Mukesh Shrimali, Mohan Solanki

Abdasa

PC Gadhvi, Ramesh Patel, Navalsinh Jadeja, Visanji Panchani

Karjan

Nila Upadhyay, Chadu Dabhi

Kaprada

Vasant Patel, Haresh Patel

Dangs

Mukesh Patel, Mohan Goya, Chandar Gamit

seats to the committee, which will take the final call. As per reports, around 25 candidates have asked for a ticket

for the Gadhada seat, and 23 party members wish to contest bypolls from Dhari.

“The screening com-

mittee had faced issues regarding the nomination for the bypolls. For example, many people want Siddharth Patel to contest it from Karjan, but he does not wish to contest the bypolls. As for Dhari and Gadhada seats, a close confidant of Hardik Patel has demanded a ticket,” said a source in the party.

Meanwhile, Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leader Dinesh Bambhaniya, who worked with Patel during the Patidar movement in 2015 has announced that he will contest the election from Dhari as an independent candidate. It is a known fact that the working president of the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) Hardik Patel and the leader of oppo-

sition Paresh Dhanani have mutual differences. Since Dhari is a stronghold of Dhanani, it is clear that this development will slash the vote share of the party.

But, according to sources, there is still hope that people will vote for Congress. “We are sure that people will vote for us but internal politics may affect the result. Our senior leaders have been making rounds of all the constituencies after the resignation of MLAs from the state assembly,” said a source.

It is to be noted that October 16 is the last date for filing nomination for the by-elections.

Polls will be conducted on November 3 and the results will be declared on November 10.

ON THE ROAD TO PROGRESS

KhoobSURAT: Govt okays 2035 uplift plan  CM Rupani & DyCM Patel launch Digital Seva Setu programme; talatis granted additional power First India Bureau Surat/Gandhinagar: The state government has approved Surat City Development Plan 2035 for the diamond city which will cover 1,085 square kilometre of area under Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) and Surat Urban Development Authority (SUDA). This move will pave the way for new developments to facilitate accelerated

growth of Surat city.

With the approval, lands that were under reservation for the past 30 years have been released. Around 850 hectares of land will now be made available for construction and development. Apart from this, high-density residential and commercial development will be possible on the 1 km stretch covering an area of 50 square km between Kamrej and Palsana on both sides of the national highway (NH-

(L to R) State Chief Secretary Anil Mukim, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue) Pankaj Kumar at the launch of Digital Seva Setu programme on Thursday.

48) connecting Ahmedabad and Mumbai. This also means that the proposal of development around the Antroli station on the Ahmedabad-Mumbai

bullet train route may also receive approval.

The Kamrej-Palsana Corridor and the Antroli High Speed Corridor have already been approved for ad-

vanced bullet train, metro rail and transportation facilities.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel launched the Digital Seva Setu programme on Thursday. The objective of the new initiative is to eliminate the need for citizens to physically visit offices to be issued government documents.

In the first phase, over 2,700 villages will be covered across the state offering 27 services.

In another decision, the state also empowered talatis (administrative heads) to file affida-

vits, a move which has been opposed by the Bar Council of Gujarat as well as various district bar associations. They have claimed that by doing so, the government has committed injustice with notaries and advocates who have been practising law since long. According to the council, talatis already have been granted power under the Revenue Act. Now that they have been entrusted with additional powers, there is possibility of irregularities in the revenue department, which is why the state must rescind this decision.

grabbed the contract.

Being built on 1,025.5 hectares of land, over 35 hectares was private agricultural land that was acquired for the project. The international airport will have a standard runway length of 3,040 metres, and width of 45 metres.

A six-lane road will also be constructed to connect the international airport with the National Highway 8-A. A new location was zeroed in on for the international airport as the existing Rajkot airport was spread over 250 acres with a single runway, suitable for operating B737 types of aircrafts. Not only that, since it was surrounded by a railway line, a state highway and a residential society, there was little possibility of expansion.

Conceived in 2016, the proposal for the project was sent to AAI for approval. In October 2017, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone and in the same month, it received environmental clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forest. It was in March 2019 that the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the proposal to develop the project.

Congress to conduct a virtual ‘Jan Akrosh’ rally

Members of the party being detained by police in Ahmedabad on Wednesday. —PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

First India Bureau Ahmedabad: After members of the party were detained by the police for organizing a rally on the streets of the city on Wednesday, Congress now plans to conduct a virtual rally to express its dissent on various issues. The ‘Jan Akrosh’ rally will be held online where Congress leaders will discuss issues such as unemployment, school fees, farmers’ bills, safety of women, among others.

According to party members, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government has become autocratic and killing democratic values.

“The rally will be in protest against the BJP regime. They are not allowing their opposition as well as common citizens to speak out for their rights, so we will be using the virtual medium to put forth our grievanc-

es,” said a leader.

He added, “The intentions of the BJP government have been exposed publicly. When we wanted to conduct a rally to express our solidarity with a gang rape victim, the police detained us even before we could start the demonstration. It was unjustified and brutal but, such actions will not stop us from raising our voices.”

Meanwhile, the party seems to be in fear of getting hindered by the police and other institutions during the election campaign amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We have been witness to the modus operandi of the system under the BJP which has allowed its own leaders to conduct rallies for their benefit.

Our main concern is raising issues concerning the citizens.

We are aware that people want solutions to their problems and we are diligently working on them,” concluded the leader.

GUJARAT AHMEDABAD | FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2020

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Crackdown on rape cases of minors by state police

Bengaluru man arrested for human trafficking in Surat First India Bureau

Three apprehended for sexually abusing kids in Vadodara and Junagadh districts First India Bureau Ahmedabad: In the wake of the Jamnagar gang rape case, the narrative surrounding the crime seems to have ignited a fire in the state police, which successfully nabbed three other rape accused in two districts in less than 24 hours.

A shocking case came to light in Vadodara’s Makarpura area, when a minor reported her ordeal after breaking down in an ‘unsafe touch’ class.

The 12-year-old complained about her neighbour during a class where the teacher was educating kids about ‘good touch’ and ‘bad touch’. The minor stated that a Rajnikant Mahato had been molesting her for some time and had also raped her. On hearing their daughter’s trauma, the parents immediately

FOR JUSTICE

lodged a complaint with Makarpura police station late on Wednesday evening.

Makarpura Police Inspector RA Patel and his team swung into action and detained the accused on Thursday. After undergoing a COVID-19 test and testing negative for the virus, the accused will be officially arrested and

sent for medical examination. Furthermore, the victim’s father has claimed that the accused has also admitted to molesting two other minor girls in the same locality.

In Visavadar city of Junagadh district, two rape cases were cracked by police in a single day.

On Wednesday, officers arrested a Satish Gohel for forcing himself on a

minor girl around 15 days ago. After a complaint was lodged with the Visavadar police station on Wednesday afternoon, the accused was nabbed by police personnel within a few hours. While, the victim has been sent for medical examination, Gohel will undergo a COVID-19 test before being produced before the Protection of Chil-

03

dren from Sexual Offences (POCSO) court on Friday.

In another case, a Suresh Mathasuri was arrested by Visavadar police in connection with a rape case lodged last month. According to the complaint, the accused had kidnapped and raped a minor girl after promising to marry her.

Surat: The Surat Crime Branch arrested one more person in connection with a human trafficking racket busted last month on Wednesday. The accused, who hails from Bengaluru, has been identified as Milan Khalil. He was among four people wanted for their role in transporting flesh trade victims to the city.

On September 12, teams from the Surat Crime Branch and the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) had rescued a minor girl and a 20-year-old woman from a massage parlour in the city’s Althan locality. Three persons, including the spa’s owner, were arrested for their involvement.

According to police officials, the victims were allegedly trafficked and forced into prostitution.

BUSTED

The accused, Milan Khalil, allegedly bought the teenager from Bangladesh for a sum of Rs50,000. He then allegedly pushed her into prostitution and later sold her to another accused, Firoza, alias Nitu Almeen, of Mumbai.

Police added that

Nitu later sold the girl to the owner of a massage parlour in Althan area. After receiving a tipoff, the crime branch and AHTU raided the spa on September 12 and rescued the Bangladeshi girl and another woman from Punjab.

I-T raids office, home of ‘Popular Builders’ State COVID-19 tally drops below First India Bureau

Ahmedabad: Income Tax (I-T) department sleuths on Thursday conducted raids on 25 premises, including the office and residence reportedly belonging to Raman Patel, the owner of Popular Builders. Officials seized a few computers, laptops,

hard disks and digital data.

In addition, a sum of Rs2.5 crore in cash was recovered by police from the residence of Patel’s daughter-in law, sources said. They added that the department also uncovered the existence of three private residences, where the owners had kept their ‘secret’ documents.

I-T officials zeroed in on important documents and unearthed details regarding alleged tax evasion, sources said. As per reports, 10 lockers are also being checked by the department.

Three Patel brothers namely Dasrath, Raman and Virendra had been running their firm in partnership.

Two months ago, Raman Patel’s daughterin-law, Fizu Patel, filed a criminal complaint against her husband Maunang Patel.

According to sources, Raman allegedly paid Rs2.5 crore to Fizu to suppress the case. However, police recovered the money from her aunt’s place.

IN HER REVERENCE

With the nine-day festival of Navratri around the corner, shoppers were seen buying garments and jewellery for Goddess Jagdamba at Manek Chowk in the old city area of Ahmedabad on Thursday.

—PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

1.3K, records 1,278 new cases

—PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

First India Bureau Gandhinagar: As a steady decline in the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths has been witnessed in the state over the past few days, on Thursday, the daily total of new cases was recorded at 1,278.

The number was lower than the usual tally of cases reported in the state (1,300). The toll of patients who succumbed to the virus stood at 10.

So far, the state has recorded over 1,47,951 positive cases. In the last 24 hours, the state tested 52,465 samples with the state health department claiming that the state had achieved a rate of 807.15 tests per million.

With 16,487 active nCoV cases, the state has 81 patients on ventilator support while 16,406 are in stable condition. However, the figure is contradictory to the one mentioned in the health department’s

People look on as a man undergoes COVID-19 test at a free testing centre in Ahmedabad.

Health Dept claims Gujarat's testing rate has reached 807.15 tests per million COVID-19 bulletin as in Ahmedabad city alone, over 113 patients are currently admitted in the Intensive Care Units (ICUs) of private hospitals.

On Thursday, fresh novel coronavirus cases emerged from major places such as Surat

STINKING ISSUE

‘Govt not serious about Pirana landfill’ LoP Sharma says the mountain of stinking refuse can trigger health issues in nearby residents First India Bureau Ahmedabad: The Leader of Opposition Dinesh Sharma has alleged that Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) officers and BJP party members were playing around with the Pirana landfill site issue.

Recently, a 12-yearold girl’s body was

found by officials, a week after she went missing in the landfill.

Work on waste recycling at the landfill site came to a halt, when fresh tenders were invited from parties that wanted to work at the site. These tenders were necessitated after a scam was unearthed.

“To recycle waste, the civic body was paying Rs6.50 lakh a month per

Pirana landfill.

trommel machine. Initially, there were 10 machines being operated,

—FILE PHOTO

that number was increased to 30 without a tender bid. When the

tender was issued, the same work was demanded to be completed at half the price,” said Sharma.

Sharma alleged that AMC officials and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) do not want to solve the problem. “I have heard so many schemes and solutions for the dumpsite. But nothing has materialized so far.

The current system of bio-mining is the costliest one and money has been invested in it so that the people in-

volved can pocket a better share. Nobody is focusing on the solution to the problem,” he asserted.

Sharma further stated that those in power have paid no need to the hardships faced by people living near the landfill. “With so many underprivileged people staying around the dumpsite, they (state government) have shown no concern about health issues cropping up due to the massive amount of refuse in the landfill,” he remarked.

(176), Ahmedabad (169), Surat Rural (94), Rajkot (88), Vadodara (82) and Jamnagar (65).

The state also recorded 10 deaths, which were reported in Ahmedabad (3), and 1 each in Amreli, Banaskantha, Gir Somnath, Patan, Surat City and rural, and Tapi.

According to the state government, over 1,28,023 patients have recovered from the virus so far, while a total of 3,541 people have lost their lives to it. Further-

more, seven districts in the state have recorded less than 1,000 positive COVID-19 cases. The district of Dang at 101 cases has the lowest number recorded till now.

Despite the decrease in the number of new cases, a total of 5,99,101 people have been home quarantined across the state, of which, 5,98,694 are under home isolation, while only 407 persons have been kept at a quarantine centre.

PERSPECTIVE AHMEDABAD | FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2020

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IN-DEPTH

RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH UNDER SC SCRUTINY

C

entre’s undeclared protection to some of its favourite channels dishing out fake news and irresponsible reporting of some events has invited the Supreme Court’s annoyance. The manner in which some news channels spread hatred with their fake stories about Muslims being super spreaders of Covid-19 after the Tablighi Jamaat incident in Delhi and the Centre’s response has not gone down well with the apex court.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India SA Bobde, Justice AS Bopanna and Justice V. Ramasubramanian upbraided the Centre for its affidavit denying any instance of “bad reporting” with regard to the communalization of Tablighi Jamaat which held a congregation at its Nizamuddin markaz in Delhi in March. The mosque had become a Covid hotspot and members of the Tabligh were hounded all over the country. Some news channels persistently telecast anti-Muslim propaganda which led to the detention of foreigners who had been allowed valid visas to participate in the congregation while the government winked at the channels’ fake content.

A similar stand was taken by the Centre when a pro-BJP channel began airing its malicious “UPSC Jihad” programme against Muslims qualifying the civil services. The programme was put on hold after the matter was brought to the Supreme Court’s attention.

In the Tablighi case, the Chief Justice warned the Centre against treating the court lightly for its “brazen and evasive” reply. “How can you say there is no instance of bad reporting in the petition,” the Bench asked as it pointed out that freedom of speech was “one of the most abused right”.

HOW TOXIC MASCULINITY CAN HURT MEN’S MENTAL HEALTH NOREEN CHOUDHRI

The writer is a Clinical Psychologist, Founder of Made in Mind, Jaipur.

Licensed by Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) M.Sc., M.Phil. in Clinical Psychology

T

BENGAL KEEPS UP ITS TRADITION OF VIOLENCE

W

ith elections approaching, West Bengal is witnessing a return to its politics of agitation and violence. Earlier, the protests were by the CPI-M against the Congress, then Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Congress against the CPI-M and now it is the TMC which is bearing the brunt of agitation politics mainly by the BJP but also the CPI-M and the Congress. Mamata Banerjee drove out Tata’s small car project from Singur alleging an unfair deal to farmers whose land was acquired for the project.

On Thursday, the BJP planned a march to the state secretariat, more to demonstrate its strength than to protest against the deteriorating law and order, inept handling of the pandemic, and other issues. As more such protests are planned, the Mamata government has closed down the secretariat for two days for sanitization.

With the newly appointed BJP Yuva Morcha president Tejasvi Surya present at the protest venue along with senior party leaders Kailash Vijayvargiya and Mukul Roy, the protesters allegedly hurled bricks and bombs at the police who lobbed teargas shells and used water cannon to disperse the mob. The clash left several injured. The BJP is unlikely to release the pressure on the TMC government and more such protests are likely in the future. They have been protesting ever since losing out to Mamata in the assembly election. In 2017 also they had turned Kolkata into a war zone and the violence had leftover 70 injured.

The idea is to grab eyeballs and headlines for a sustained impact before West Bengal goes to the polls.

Masculinity norms can govern the way men seek help.

They can govern the kinds of disclosures men make when they are feeling distressed or they are exposed to stressful events.

– there are described as the rules of masculinity and may include specific ways men are told they should act – you know, be tough, stay in control, be a provider, etc

he societal expectations and traditional gender roles play a big part in why men do not talk about their mental health. This factor is a damaging stigma around mental health problems in men.

The notion of ‘manliness’ and the burden of toxic masculinity, where a man is supposed to be tough and in control, for that reason asking for help or reaching out when faced with emotional difficulties can mean it is seen as a weakness. If men feel pressure to appear strong, this can stop them from opening up about their mental health issues.

This can both cause and aggravate mental health problems.

Masculinity norms can govern the way men seek help. They can govern the kinds of disclosures men make when they are feeling distressed or they are exposed to stressful events. – there are described as the rules of masculinity and may include specific ways men are told they should act – you know, be tough, stay in control, be a provider, etc. When men adhere rigidly to the kinds of norms that encourage them to not share their emotions, to be sort of relentlessly selfreliant without seeking the help or support of others, they can have poorer mental health outcomes, particularly more depressive symptomatology because doing so cuts them off I think from the social networks and social supports that might help them get through a difficult time.

Hence, males who endorse more traditional norms (such as self-reliance i.e. prefer to solve problems themselves and not to ask others for help and the importance of emotional control) maybe less willing to discuss their health concerns. In relation to mental health, it may be the case that men with mental health problems experience considerable shame and stigma and thus feel like they are not able to openly discuss their

problems with mental health care professionals.

However, this does not mean that men are invulnerable to mental illnesses. Depression, anxiety, eating disorders, stress, and low selfesteem, as well as conditions such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, are all experienced by men too and are significantly more at risk of attempting suicide than women. Men and women can develop most of the same mental disorders and conditions but may experience different symptoms. Some symptoms include:

THE OFFENSIVE IMAGE OF A MAN BEING A “SISSY” OR “FEMININE” IF THEY ARE EMOTIONAL OR TALK ABOUT THEIR FEELINGS CAN BE SERIOUSLY DEVASTATING AND FURTHER DISCOURAGES MANY MEN FROM EXPRESSING THEMSELVES EMOTIONALLY DUE TO THEIR FEAR OF BEING JUDGED

z Anger, irritability, or

aggressiveness

z Visible changes in mood,

energy level, or appetite

z Increased or reduced sleep

patterns

z Issues with concentration or

feeling restless

z Increased levels of worry or

stress

z Misuse of alcohol and/or drugs z Prolonged periods of sadness

or hopelessness

z Suicidal thoughts z Engaging in high-risk activities z Aches, headaches, digestive

problems without a clear medical cause z Impairment in social, occupational, and other important areas of functioning.

The offensive image of a man being a “sissy” or “femi-

nine” if they are emotional or talk about their feelings can be seriously devastating and further discourages many men from expressing themselves emotionally due to their fear of being judged.

Suppressing emotions and masking distress, are often start early in life and have been linked to less willingness by boys and men to seek help which results in more risk-taking and aggression — possibly harming themselves and those with whom they interact.

The pressure of being overambitious for a man and dangerously affect their mental health to the point where stress leads to a number of mental issues such as anxiety and depression.

WHAT SHOULD CORPORATIONS DO? W

ith the COVID-19 pandemic reinforcing concerns about economic inequality, left-behind communities, discrimination, and climate change, there is increasing pressure on corporations to do more than sell a good widget at an affordable price. Responding to the changing public mood, the US Business Roundtable declared last year that, “Each of our stakeholders is essential. We commit to deliver value to all of them, for the future success of our companies, our communities, and our country.”

But this way of framing the issue is unhelpful. A corporation’s stated objectives should help guide its choices. If all stakeholders are essential, then none are. In an attempt to please everyone,

04

the Business Roundtable will probably end up pleasing no one. Recent evidence even suggests that the corporations that signed on to the group’s “stakeholder capitalism” statement have been more likely to lay off workers in response to the pandemic, and less likely to donate to relief efforts.

Nevertheless, is the shareholder-centric view propounded by Nobel laureate economist Milton Friedman wrong? Friedman’s rationale was that because managers are employed by shareholders, their duty is to maximize profits – and thus the share price – over time.

While this approach was widely embraced by corporate executives in the United States and the United Kingdom over the past 50 years, its basic logic was misunderstood.

To many observers, the idea that businesses should favor millionaire investors at the expense of long-term workers is appalling.2 Yet there is a deeper argument for Friedman’s view, based on the recognition that managers will not necessarily squeeze everyone else to favor shareholders.

Because shareholders get whatev-

er is left over after debt holders are paid their interest and workers their wages, management can maximize shareholders’ “residual claim” only if it expands the size of the corporate pie relative to these prior fixed claims on it. To the extent that management must satisfy everyone else before looking to shareholder interests, it already does maxi-

mize value for all those who contribute to the firm.

True, some would counter that the imperative to boost quarterly profits leads to cost cutting in areas like worker training.

But if companies want to maximize their shares’ value over the long term, they will train workers where needed, encourage sustainable practices from their suppliers when it reduces costs, and foster lasting relationships with customers instead of ripping them off. Put another way, even if CEOs do focus primarily on share prices, that doesn’t mean the stock market only rewards actions that boost this quarter’s earnings. Amazon showed little profit for years, but is thriving now precisely because it invested so much in its business.1

Moreover, when quarterly results do affect share prices, it is often because the short term has been interpreted as a credible reflection of the long term. By the same token, instead of trying to boost short-term profits by sacrificing the long term, corporate managers would do better to explain their strategy and encourage investor patience.

And if market analysts do not buy their argument, perhaps they have a point, and new management may be in order. It is up to good corporate boards to decide, without being swayed by meaningless short-term results. They can certainly encourage managers to take a longerterm view. Vacuous statements about serving all stakeholders need never be issued.

The stereotypes that men should struggle for ultimate financial victory and work around-theclock to get it is completely brutal for their well-being and regrettably, high rates of mental health issues come from middleaged working men, who have been overworked for most of their lives.

There are a number of solutions to challenge and shatter the beliefs of toxic masculinity factor in to break mental health stigmas for men.

Firstly, the obstacle that is created for venting emotional needs to be smashed straightaway. The best way to do this is to become the change-maker by expressing yourself and how you feel in your friend groups and circles. Crying should never be assigned to a gender, that is an outstandingly false notion. We must also bring vulnerability, as a basic principle of emotional strength, into the structure of masculinity. In fact, it is progressive for men to see each other’s resilience, as it will sanction them to relieve stress and negative feelings, rather than accumulating them up. It is also crucial to motivate them to share their feelings and emotions with you, and when they do, provide the moral support that they need instead of patronizing them.

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

Top

TWEET Jagat Prakash Nadda @JPNadda BJP’s struggle to save the rich glory of Bengal will continue. We stand with the people of Bengal despite the brazen misuse of state power

by Mamata didi. Our brave @BJYM karyakartas compelled her to close the Secretariat. This is an admission that she has lost public confidence.

KC Venugopal @kcvenugopalmp The real conspirators in the Hathras horror are none other than Yogi & the BJP. From hiding & twisting the facts of the case & lying under oath to the Supreme Court to now imposing UAPA on media personnel, they have gone to great lengths to shield the culprits & strangle justice.

Spiritual SPEAK

Like someone pointing to treasure is the wise person who sees your faults and points them out. Associate with such a sage. —Buddha

SOURCE: PROJECT SYNDICATE

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accused AMIT SHAH SHARES PM MODI’S 3 Hathras allege they were ‘MANTRAS’ FOR COVID CAUTION framed, urge probe New Delhi: As Covid-19 tally went past the 68 lakh-mark in the country, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday shared Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s three ‘mantras’ for precaution and safety.

Taking to Twitter to share his thoughts, the Minister urged people to “wear a mask, keep two yards distance and wash hands frequently” as advised by the Prime Minister earlier in the day.

Terming Modi’s call as a safety ‘mantra’, Shah stressed the need to follow the Covid message delivered by him at a time when India’s Covid-19 tally has reached 68,35,655 and 1,05,526 fatalities have occurred on Thursday with a fresh spike of 78,524 cases in the last 24 hours.

“Only three mantras for safety against Corona: wear a mask, keep a two-yard distance and wash hands frequently. My appeal to all is to consider this call of @narendramodi

22 states/UTs report positivity rate less than national average: Ministry

Amit Shah

Let us Unite to fight Corona! Let us always remember: Wear a mask, wash hands, follow social distancing, practice ‘Do Gaj Ki Doori’. Together, we will succeed and together, we will win against COVID-19.

—Narendra Modi, Prime Minister ji as a safety mantra to not only protect yourself but also your family, friends and colleagues,” Shah tweeted in Hindi.

Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister emphasised on people driven to fight against Covid-19, and appealed to people to unite to

HC to hear left plea on FIR against Thakur & Mishra New Delhi : The Delhi High Court will on November 2 hear a petition filed by CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat challenging a trial court order which had dismissed her plea seeking registration of FIR against BJP leaders Anurag Thakur and Kapil Mishra over their alleged hate speech during the riots that broke out in the national capital earlier this year. The plea, filed through advocates Tara Narula, Adit S Pujari and Aparajita Sinha, was listed before a single judge bench of Justice Yogesh Khanna who asked both parties to file the set of judgments they would rely on and posted the matters for further hearing

on November 2.

“The Complainant is effectively being asked to step into the shoes of the investigating agency and make a case for prosecution before the Sanctioning Agency.

Furthermore, any Application for Sanction by the complainant at this stage would be without the benefit of materials and evidence obtained during investigation,” the plea said further.

fight the disease. “Let us Unite to fight Corona! Let us always remember: Wear a mask, wash hands, follow social distancing, practice ‘Do Gaj Ki Doori’. Together, we will succeed and together, we will win against COVID-19,” Modi tweeted. —Agencies

RaGa flays PM over VVIP plane New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi again attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday over the acquisition of VVIP aircraft and wondered how many things could have been bought for the soldiers stationed in Siachen-Ladakh border in the amount spent.

During his campaign in Punjab against the farm reform laws, the Congress leader on Tuesday had accused the prime minister of “wasting” thousands of crores of rupees on the aircraft.

New Delhi: At least 22 states including union territories (UTs) have a Covid-19 positivity rate less than the national average which is at 8.19 per cent, informed the Union Health Ministry on Thursday.

These states include-Bihar (2.61), Gujarat (3.30), Jharkhand (3.82), Uttar Pradesh (3.92), Himachal Pradesh (4.93), Rajasthan (5.11), Madhya Pradesh (5.98), Punjab (5.99), Haryana (6.65), Odisha (6.71), Uttarakhand (7.13), Jammu and Kashmir (7.24), Telangana (7.38) and West Bengal (8.15).

While India is fulfilling the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) advise of 140 tests per day per million population, the country is testing more than 15 lakh Covid-19 samples every day, said the health ministry.

Nearly 12 lakh tests were conducted in the last 24 hours in the

country. With 11,94,321 tests conducted in the last 24 hours, the cumulative tests have crossed 8.34 crores (8,34,65,975), it said.

In another row of achievements, 35 states/UTs have exceeded the advised number of tests. The national average of tests per day per million population stands at 865.

About 83,011 single day Covid-19 recoveries were registered in last 24 hours as against 78,524 new confirmed cases. The total recovered cases stand at 58,27,704. The gap between the total number

INDIA’S TALLY CROSSES 68L

of recoveries and active cases has crossed 49 lakh (49,25,279).

taken up after two weeks.

The Jamiat Ulema-eHind had moved the apex court on April 6 seeking directions to prevent what it claimed was the communalisation of the Nizamuddin Markaz issue by certain sections of the print and electronic media.

The Centre had filed its affidavit in the matter on August 7, stating that the spread of Covid-19 among attendees of the Jamaat, attacks on health workers by some sections, etc, were all matters of fact and that “news reports based on facts… cannot be censored”.

It also said that the plea raised grievances against “certain section of media” without naming any and “certain news reports” without producing these re-

ports. Instead, it “merely relied upon ‘certain fact check news reports’ to contend that entire media is perpetrating communal disharmony and hatred towards Muslims, and is therefore required to be censured/gagged”, the government said.

TRP bombshell:... employees of agency Hansa Research Group- contracted by BARC to carry out the research. They in turn were paying certain households selected as barometers for calculating TRPs to keep certain channels like Republic switched on to show higher TRPs,” Singh said.

He further said some households were being paid as much as Rs 500 per day to keep particular channels on.

Creating a narrative that defames a woman’s character and holding her somehow responsible for crimes committed against her is revolting and regressive. A heinous crime has been committed at Hathras. SHE DESERVES JUSTICE NOT SLANDER. #BesharmBJP. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Congress leader

she received serious injuries,” the letter read.

NIA arrests two ‘Induction of Rafale, Apache, from TN, Karnataka Chinook will transform IAF’ Bengaluru: The National Investigation Agency has arrested two suspected members of the city-based ISIS module, which was allegedly involved in radicalisation of youth and funding their trip to Syria to join the terror outfit.

Ahamed Abdul Cader (40), hailing from Ramanathapuram district in Tamil Nadu and Irfan Nasir (33) from Frazer Town here were arrested by the NIA sleuths on Wednesday.

The NIA action comes weeks after the agency busted the terror module with the arrest of a doctor here.

In continuing with the investigation, the sleuths conducted searches on the premises of Cader and Nasir in Gurappana Palya

and Frazer Town and recovered incriminating material and electronic devices from their possession.

While Cader is a business analyst in a bank in Chennai, Nasir is a rice merchant here, the NIA said in a statement.

The duo was produced before Special NIA Court here, which granted 10 days custody to the agency for interrogation.

“In some cases, people who did not understand English were keeping English channels like Republic on through the day. We have recorded their statements,” the Commissioner said.

As per police, it was Hansa and BARC that first spotted “unusual trends” in TRPs following which they approached the police.

The crime branch then registered an FIR at Kandivali police station on charges of cheating and criminal breach of trust, following which they arrested a former employee of Hansa and his associate.

The Commissioner said that by manipulating TRPs, the accused caused losses to advertisers and other news channels who would

suffer from lower TRPs as compared to these channels. “The TV advertisement industry is worth 30000 – 40000 crores,” he said.

BARC, that functions under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), has installed approximately 30,000 barometers in various parts of the country based on which it awards ratings to various TV channels.

Based on these ratings, advertisers pay for their advertisement.

Republic TV soon put out a statement denying the allegations, saying it will file criminal defamation case against the Mumbai Police Commissioner. “Republic will fight back, Republic will continue its investigation into the Su-

New Delhi: On the occasion of 88th Air Force Day, President Ram Nath Kovind honoured air warriors, veterans and the families of IAF, saying that the nation remains indebted to the contribution of the IAF in securing the skies.

“On Air Force Day, we proudly honour our air warriors, veterans, and families of the Indian Air Force. The nation remains indebted to the contribution of the IAF in securing our skies and assisting civil authorities in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief,” President Kovind tweeted.

“The ongoing process of modernisation with induction of Rafale, Apache and Chinook will transform the IAF into an even more formidable strategic force.

FROM PG 1 Freedom of...

The court also sought affidavit from a secretary-level officer with details of steps taken in past to stop motivated media reporting in such cases.

Senior advocate Dushyant Dave, appearing for the Jamaat, told the court that the Centre in its affidavit has stated petitioners were trying to muzzle freedom of speech and expression.

“Freedom of speech and expression is the most abused right in recent times,” the bench, also comprising Justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian, said.

“They are free to make any averment in their affidavit, like you are free to make any argument you want,” it added.

The petitions will be

Hathras: The accused in the Hathras incident have written to the Superintendent of Police alleging they have been framed in the case and have urged for an investigation for justice to be delivered in the matter.

The letter, written on October 7, in Hindi, states that the four accused had been framed on the basis of “false claims” of indulging in sexual acts and then manhandling the girl, leading to her death.

Sandeep, an accused, further stated that he was friends with the victim, and the two also used to talk with the girl over the phone. “On the day of the incident I met her in the fields, she was accompanied by her mother and brother.

Upon her telling me I returned to my house and started giving water to the animals along with my father. Later on, I got to know from the villagers that her mother and brother have beaten her up due to her friendship with me, due to which

shant Singh Rajput case, the Palghar case and any other case,” the statement read.

Will ensure...

Giving his remarks as the new president, Navadia said, “During my tenure, the chamber will hire an agency that will conduct a study on the challenges faced by the textile, diamond and processing sectors and prepare comprehensive reports. Based on the findings, the chamber will take up the issue with the state government and pursue its resolution.”

He added that industrialists and entrepreneurs must also focus on emerging sectors such as renewable energy, food processing and waste management.

NARENDRA MODI @narendramodi Many congratulations to all the brave warriors of the Indian Air Force on Air Force Day. You not only keep the skies of the country safe but also play a leading role in the service of humanity in times of disaster. Your courage, valour and dedication to protect Maa Bharti inspire everyone.”

Confident that in the years to come, the Indian Air Force will continue to maintain its high standards of commitment and competence,” he said in another tweet.

Meanwhile, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Union Home Minister Amit Shah also extended their greetings to the IAF on the occasion.

“My felicitations and

best wishes to the air warriors and their families on the occasion of Air Force Day-2020.

Eighty-eight years of dedication, sacrifice and excellence mark the journey of the IAF which is today a lethal and formidable force to reckon with,” Singh tweeted. The IAF was established on October 8, 1932, in undivided India which was under colonial rule.

Kulbhushan case: India slams Pak New Delhi: India on Thursday once again hit out at Pakistan for failing to provide unimpeded, unconditional access to Kulbhushan Jadhav saying that Pakistan has failed to address the core issues in the case.

Earlier, Pakistan rejected India’s demand that an Indian lawyer or a Queen’s counsel be appointed for Jadhav to ensure a free and fair trial, whereas the International Court of Justice (ICJ) had in July 2019 ruled that Pakistan must undertake an “effective review and reconsideration” in the Jadhav case and also grant consular access to India Ministry of External Affairs spokes-

person Anurag Shrivastava in his weekly media briefing today said “Pakistan has failed to respond on the core issues pertaining to the (Kulbhushan Jadhav) case. The core issues are the provision of all documents related to this case and providing unimpeded, unconditional and unhindered counselor access to Kulbhushan Jadhav” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson further added “These issues have to be addressed if we have to have an effective review & reconsideration, as ordered by the International Court of Justice.

Pakistan must show its intention to deliver on these issues”. —ANI

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IN THE CONQUEST OF MOUNT EVEREST, ANYTHING LESS THAN 100% SUCCESS IS A FAILURE, BUT IN MOST COMMUNICABLE DISEASES WE ARE NOT FACED WITH THE ATTAINMENT OF SUCH ABSOLUTE GOALS, BUT RATHER WITH TRYING TO REDUCE THE PROBLEM TO TOLERABLE LEVELS, AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, WITHIN THE LIMITS OF AVAILABLE RESOURCES…

I

n 1968, at the height of the last great influenza pandemic, at least a million people worldwide died, including 100,000 Americans. That year A.M.M. Payne, a professor of epidemiology at Yale University, wrote: In the conquest of Mount Everest anything less than 100% success is failure, but in most communicable diseases we are not faced with the attainment of such absolute goals, but rather with trying to reduce the problem to tolerable levels, as quickly as possible, within the limits of available resources…

That message is worth repeating because the schism between those seeking “absolute goals” versus those seeking “tolerable levels” is very much evident in the current pandemic. On September 21, the BMJ reported that opinion among UK scientists is divided as to whether it is better to focus on protecting those most at risk of severe COVID, or imposing lockdown for all.

One group of 40 scientists wrote a letter to the chief medical officers of the UK suggesting that they should aim to “suppress the virus across the entire population”.

In another letter, a group of 28 scientists suggested that “the large variation in risk by age and health status suggests that the harm caused by uniform policies (that apply to all persons) will outweigh the benefits”. Instead, they called for a “targeted and evidencebased approach to the COVID-19 policy response”.

A week later, science writer Stephen Buranyi wrote a piece for the Guardian arguing that the positions in the letter with 28 authors represent those of a small minority of scientists. “The overwhelming scientific consensus still lies with a general lockdown,” he claimed.

A few days later, over 60 doctors wrote another letter saying: “We are concerned due to mounting data and real world experience, that the one-track response threatens more lives and livelihoods than Covidlives saved.” This back and forth will undoubtedly continue for some time yet, although those involved will hopefully begin to see opposing scientific views and opinions as a gift and an opportunity to be sceptical and learn, rather than as a “rival camp”.

IS THE CURE WORSE THAN THE DISEASE? SCIENTIFIC CONSENSUS TAKES TIME

T

here are issues, such as global warming, where there is scientific consensus. But consensuses take decades, and COVID-19 is a new disease. Uncontrolled exper-

I

s the cure worse than the disease? This is the question that currently divides us, so it is worth considering how it might be answered. We would have to know how many people would die of other causes, for example, of suicide (including child suicides) that would not have otherwise occurred, or liver disease from the increase in alcohol consumption, from cancers that were not diagnosed or treated, to determine the point at which particular policies were taking more lives than they were saving. And then what value should you put on those lost or damaged lives against the economic consequences?

We do not live in a perfect world with perfect data. For children, for whom the risk of death from COVID is almost zero and the risks of long-term effects are thought to be very low, it is easier to weigh up the

iments in lockdown are still ongoing, and the long-term costs and benefits are not yet known. I very much doubt that most scientists in the UK have a settled view on negative effects of not going to school or of being trapped in households with rising domestic abuse.

For university students, who are mostly young, a similar set of calculations could be made, including estimating the “cost” of having the infection now, versus the cost of having it later, possibly when the student is with their older relatives at Christmas. With older people, though, the calculus – even in a perfect world – would become increasingly complex. When you are very old and have very little time left, what risks would you be willing to take? One elderly man famously claimed: “No pleasure is worth giving up for the sake of two more years in a geriatric home in Weston-super-Mare.”

A recent paper, published in Nature, suggests that even in Hong Kong, where compliance

whether pub gardens or universities campuses should be closed or not.

People I talk to have a range of opinions: from those who accept that the disease is now endemic,

to those who wonder if it can still be eradicated.

Some suggest that any epidemiologist who does not toe a particular line is suspect, or has not done enough modelling and that their views should not carry much weight. They go on to dismiss the views of other scientists and non-scientist academics as irrelevant. But science is not a dogma, and views often need to be modified in the light of increasing knowledge and experience. I am a geographer, so I am used to seeing such games of academic hierarchy played above me, but I do worry when people resort to insulting their colleagues rather than admit that knowledge and circumstance have changed and reappraisal is necessary.

A GRIM CALCULUS

with mask-wearing has been over 98% since February, local elimination of COVID is not possible. If it is not possible

there, it may not be possible anywhere.

On the brighter side, elsewhere, elderly people have been protected

even when transmission rates are high and overall resources are low. In India, a recent study found that “it is plausible that stringent stayat-home orders for older Indian adults, coupled with delivery of essentials through social welfare programs and regular community health worker interactions, contributed to lower exposure to infection within this age group in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.”

However, minimising mortality is not the only goal. For those who don’t die, the outcome can still be prolonged and severe debility. That, too, must be taken into account.

But unless you are sure that a particular measure for locking down will do more good than harm, in the round, you should not do it. In 1970, shortly before he became dean of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, C.E. Gordon

SOURCE: THE CONVERSATION

Smith wrote: The essential prerequisite of all good public health measures is that careful estimates should be made of their advantages and disadvantages, for both the individual and the community, and that they should be implemented only when there is a significant balance of advantage. In general, this ethic has been a sound basis for decision in most past situations in the developed world although, as we contemplate the control of milder diseases, quite different considerations such as the convenience or productivity of industry are being brought into these assessments.

Current beliefs of where the balance of advantages and disadvantages lie are changing.

The “rival camps” rhetoric needs to end. No individual or small group represents the view of the majority.

CONCEPT: DIVYA HEMNANI

DESIGN: CP SHARMA

Adverse circumstances help us to know ourselves, our strengths and our ability to overcome . It also helps us to differentiate between friends and acquaintances.

2ND FRONT

—Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO & Editor, First India

AHMEDABAD | FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2020

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COVID-19 UPDATE

WORLD

INDIA

DEATHS

CONFIRMED CASES

TAMIL NADU 10,052 DEATHS 6,40,943 CASES

DEATHS

KARNATAKA 9,675 DEATHS 6,79,356 CASES

CONFIRMED CASES

In its affidavit before high court, the State glosses over specifics to say all honky-dory Haresh Jhala

NUMBERS GAME?

— FILE PHOTO

Gujarat High Court.

The State’s affidavit is replete with numbers without explaining their adequacy. It says Gujarat has 50,022 isolation beds and 3,410 ventilators in 723 dedicated Covid hospitals, Covid Health Centres, Covid Care Centres, in government and private facilities. Of which, 221 ICU beds are in Ahmedabad Civil Hos-

pital (Asarwa), 230 in New Civil Hospital, Surat, and 100 ICU beds with PDPU hospital Rajkot. The State has increased oxygen-supported beds to 14,860 and additional 2,559 ventilators have been made available to all hospitals.

Without giving specific details into manpower availability, the

government stated there were 183 medical faculties, 381 specialists in District Hospitals and SDHs, 305 Medical Officers, 46 class II staff, 580 paramedical staff and Class III staff of 444, adding up to 1,939.

Similarly avoiding specifics, the government has given only a ratio of staff. For instance, at the Rajkot

Five dead after tempo van falls into canal in Anand

PDPU hospital, the nurse-to-ICU bed ratio is 1:4, at Sir Takhatsinh Hospital, Bhavnagar it is 1:2 and in Shantaba Medical College and General hospital, Amreli, the ratio is 1:6.

Tacitly admitting the manpower shortage, the affidavit states that the government has deputed nursing students from nursing colleges.

@ahmedpatel

ACB gets State approval to probe Surat Deputy MC in DA case Surat: The State Government has granted approval to the AntiCorruption Bureau (ACB) to probe charges of corruption against Surat Deputy Municipal Commissioner Ketan Patel. He is accused of amassing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.

According to reports, Patel has half a dozen 4-wheelers, has a large house running into several crores while he has travelled abroad several times.

All these, official sources claim, may not be possible for a deputy municipal commissioner-level official to manage.

There are also allegations that he has bought good quantities of gold and diamonds.

He will also be probed into an alleged impact fee scam.

Anand: The toll in Tuesday night’s accident when an overloaded tempo van fell in a canal in Anand district climbed to 5 with the recovery of 3 more bodies on Wednesday, police said.

According to police, the tempo slipped into the canal while trying to avoid a motorcycle coming from the opposite side on the narrow road adjacent to the canal at Sojitra border area in Anand. The van carried 17 people. As many as 12 persons, including the driver, were rescued by the Anand police on

Rajkot: A farmer hanged himself to death in his field in Rajkot district after money-lenders threatened his family with dire consequences if he did not repay his dues. Police have registered a case for abetment of suicide and punishment for criminal intimidation.

Vinchhiya Police SubInspector N H Joshi told First India that deceased Sangav Naranbhai, a farmer from Ori village, had borrowed Rs 5 lakh from Bahadurbhai Aapa a few yea rs ago.

Sangav had borrowed at 10% market interest

for paddy pruning. They had started for Petlad around 5:30 pm.

The police have arrested the tempo driver Lalit Talpada for “overloading the vehicle and driving in a rash manner.”

Chirag, shocked to hear about the demise of your father ! Ram Vilas Paswan ji was a champion of the downtrodden and had immense faith in India’s pluralism & diversity. It’s a big loss for the nation. My condolences to you, your family and all his supporters.

GOOD SAMARITANS

Surat couple stitches, distributes free masks Hanuman Prajapati and wife Ranjanben have given away 6,000 masks made from leftover fabrics Surat: With wearing masks becoming mandatory across the country, it is still a luxury for many daily wage labourers hit hard by the Covid-19 lockdown. In order to help such people, es-

pecially underprivileged children, a Surat-based couple started stitching fourlayered masks from leftover fabrics discarded by tailors and distributing them for free.

Hanuman Prajapati and his wife Ratanben

This Surat couple stitches masks for the poor from discarded fabrics.

have stitched and distributed around 6,000 face masks in and around Surat in the last 4 months.

Prajapati said after distributing over 6,000 face masks to the needy they have now collaborated with Nishkam Karm Seva Foundation that works in rural areas of Rajasthan. The couple now makes face masks for them.

“I collect leftover fabrics from the tailoring shops in the city, use them to make face

RAJASTHAN 1,605 DEATHS 1,52,605 CASES

CBI files 400-page chargesheet against womaniser Trivedi

— FILE PHOTO

First India Bureau Ahmedabad: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a 400-page chargesheet against Dhaval Trivedi, 50, a paedophile and a womaniser, who was arrested last month long after he ducked cops of 7 States, Interpol and CBI, as he hopped States.

The CBI said Trivedi had promised a college girl in Chotila near Rajkot to put her in a good educational institution either in Nepal and Japan. He told her that her horoscope showed she had a future in a for-

eign land and he could take her there since he was a rich man and teaching was only his hobby.

It took less than 2 weeks of dulcet tones to convince the girl to leave her home with him to study.

The chargesheet reveals how Trivedi, already convicted for life for luring 2 minor school girls and raping them in March 2018, brainwashed the girl and took her to dozens of places across some north Indian states and Nepal. Trivedi allegedly raped and impregnated her.

Money-lender’s threats drive farmer to suicide in Rajkot First India Bureau

A tempo van fell into a canal in Anand district on Tuesday night.

CONFIRMED CASES

First India Bureau

First India Bureau

Tuesday. Two persons died by drowning on Tuesday night while 3 were swept away.

The victims were all daily wage workers from Petlad town of Anand who had travelled to Sojitra to work

DEATHS

DELHI 5,653 DEATHS 3,00,833 CASES

ALL’S WELL? Guj paints rosy picture of Covid governance

First India Bureau

GUJARAT

10,63,793 3,66,26,346 1,06,534 69,02,875 3,541 1,47,950

MAHARASHTRA 39,430 DEATHS 14,93,884 CASES

Ahmedabad: With its back against the wall over its handling of the Covid-19 crisis, the State Government has sought to paint a rosy picture before the Gujarat High Court about the adequacy of the health infrastructure.

Be it the state of its hospitals, infrastructure or manpower, the government’s affidavit says everything is honkydory.

Replying to the queries raised by the Principal Bench of the High Court comprising Chief Justice Vikram Nath and Justice J B Pardiwala, Principal Secretary (Health) Jayanti Ravi claimed that everything was under control and shared positive experience stories.

The court has initiated suo moto proceedings on the corona crisis and is also hearing a public interest litigation over the issue.

08

masks, and give it to the people who can’t afford them. In the last 4 months, I along with my wife have stitched and distributed around 6,000 face masks in the city,” he said.

He said recently a non-profit organisation, Nishkam Karm Seva Foundation that works in rural Rajasthan, to make masks for them. The organisation provides him with the cost of thread and elastic for the mask.

and had already repaid Rs 45 lakh with interest and principal amount.

Yet, the money-lender insisted on Rs 25 lakh more.

Aapa kept on harassing him and demanding more interest. According to the complaint, he threatened Sangav with

serious consequences if he failed to repay.

Unable to take any more pressure, he hanged himself on Tuesday and after post mortem, the complaint was lodged on Wednesday. The PSI said they were searching for the money-lender.

IIT-Gn launches Covid-19 tests for campus staff First India Bureau Gandhinagar: The Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IIT-Gn) has launched Covid-19 testing drive for its entire campus community. As a part of this, about 1,800 community members, including faculty, staff, residents, outsourced support staff and students who are currently on the campus and those who come to work, would undergo Rapid Antigen Tests over the next few days. The tests will be

administered by the medical teams of the Gujarat Government at 2 different locations on the campus. In order to ensure safety and maintain social distancing at the testing venues, the Institute authorities have assigned token numbers to each family or individuals so that they can come to the testing venue in turns.

Prof Sudhir K Jain, Director, IIT-Gn said, “IIT-Gandhinagar’s motto in this unprecedented crisis is, ‘Safety First’ for its entire community.”

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AHMEDABAD, FRIDAY OCTOBER 9, 2020

BLACK AND WHITE City First explains the beauty of ‘Black and White Photography’ and why it is the most elegant and referred way of capturing emotions, rather than colour photography!

NEHAL NAYAR

nehal.nayar@firstindia.co.in

T

he elegance and charm that black and white photography brings to a photograph, coloured photographs cannot really deliver the same thing. If you ever notice, most of the intense photographs will be in a black and white format- this helps in capturing and conveying the emotions to-the-point, and a colourful photo distracts the eye to focus on everything else, except the message that the photo is trying to convey.

Portraits, landscapes and any abstract photo can be a great idea for black and white conversions. For all the budding photographers out there, there are a few tips and tricks to attain that best shot, if you are opting for black and white photography.

Texture, shape and contrast: Keep looking for these three things everywhere you go, since they would be the point of focus in this type of photography. Since the colours are not involved, the contrast, shape and texture of the image is what going to make it look unique.

Always shoot in RAW + JPEG: This is something that helps in getting out the right tone of the image. The best thing is, it can be adjusted according to your wish, so you can set the mood according to what you want.

Capture uniqueness: If you want to be an expert in what you do, you have to think out of the box; in this case, click out of the box. Open the creative eye of your mind and start searching for angles and shots which others cannot think of easily.

Now that we are already talking about black and white photos, do you remember the ‘Black and White Challenge’ that went

viral on social media during the lockdown period?

Yes, we’re talking about the one that went extremely viral. Women all across the glove posted monochrome pictures of themselves on their social media handles to promote women empowerment, accompanied by the hashtags- #ChallengeAccepted and #WomenSupportingWomen. The main purpose of this challenge was to show solidarity and support to other women across the world. Why black and white? Well, because the emotions cannot be expressed as well in other formats, as they can be portrayed in black and white!

THE MIRACLE BABY www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia

ETC

AHMEDABAD | FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2020

10

Captain Sanjay Misra of Indigo, who has served as the Wing Commander at the Air Force Station, Hakimpet, explains his experience of a lifetime that he witnessed on Wednesday on flight 6E 122Delhi to Bangalore that he was in command of!

I

is watching her carefully.

A little later North of Bhopal, came to know that she has started bleeding followed by the shattering news that she has suffered an abortion.

Forward galley and the Lav were swiftly and efficiently converted into a makeshift ward/ labour room taking all precautions by an excellent team of cabin crew who rose to the requirements of the occasion.

They were very brilliantly supported by several Captains and Crew travelling ACM and Dead Head. I was waiting for one final update from the doctors to decide on my next course of action.

As I was mulling over this disheartening piece of news, heard and no-

FA CE OF TH ED AY

t was a surreal experience to witness a miracle in the air on Wednesday. Went through a full range of emotions as the situation kept unfolding rapidly. It started with the lead informing me that the lady on seat 1C, is an expectant mother feeling a little restless and that she had not eaten anything since morning.

She was comforted and was given fluids and something to eat. A while later her anxiety and restlessness increased. She also started complaining of stomach pain. As the situation was developing, I asked the lead to a page for a doctor.

By sheer Providence and divine destiny of this would be newborn, there were two very accomplished doctors on board.

One of them Dr Nagaraj is a plastic surgeon who works in King Fahd hospital in Riyadh and the other Dr Shailaja a Gynaecologist and an Obstetrics surgeon, heading the fetal medicine department in Cloud Nine hospital.

We were near Jaipur, cruising at FL 390.

She was initially diagnosed with Gastric pain or just Constipation and the doctors felt that she would be fine. However, her discomfort and restlessness kept getting worse. Both doctors were in constant attendance. I spoke to the lady doctor who assured me that she

ticed a sudden increase in the activity levels in the cabin- screaming, shouting, clapping, and a faint cry of what sounded like a newborn- it was a baby boy!

From a feeling of deep sadness, it turned to a feeling of intense joy- never witnessed fortunes turning so swiftly and so miraculously!

Don’t think there was a single soul on board who didn’t have goosebumps on him or her at this moment. So the youngster was born on Cloud Nine with the help of a doctor from Cloud Nine! The baby was premature and there was not much clarity on how many months pregnant she was- could have been anything- she had earlier mentioned 5

YOUR DAY Horoscope by Saurabbh Sachdeva

months?

My decision-making skills were getting tested with rapidly unfolding situations! Although the doctors confirmed to me that the mother and child are doing well, things could again worsen any moment!

Nagpur was 500m in TS, .Indore had a closure, Hyderabad was the best option to divert in case of any new contingency. At the bottom of my heart, I was hoping and praying that the youngster holds on for another hour and a bit, he did well, much better than expected at his ripe old age of 5 mins!

I didn’t want her to land up in Hyderabad in this COVID times and with a premature babyshe was travelling alone.

gloom surrounding us, people were looking for a reason to celebrate and they got one.

There were banners, chocolates, gifts- and the brave mother was given a rousing reception!

Met 007! Had a look at

his face, of course, he was unaffected by all the commotion around him, by now he was an hour and a half old.

As for me, I couldn’t have asked for a happier Air Force Day eve! cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

No matter how difficult the situation is outside but life don’t stop, today your childhood memories will come live as you may finally decide to step out of home and spend quality time with your close relative or bes friend whom you have not seen in a long time.

Not always you like intervention of your elders in your life, sometimes you like to handle your problems on your own. Being a supporting hand for your spouse will bring lot of happiness to them and they will feel grateful. You can expect a financial boost in salary.

You must sit and write your dreams and goal and in every once in a while when your spirit goes down, you should open your diary and remind yourself of the vision you have. Don’t mind those who are insensitive to you because they don’t deserve your attention.

Live life everyday like you have no tomorrow only then you will make the most of the present ( which is the most precious moment).

You must set a goal and then work hard in the direction of achieving it.

Carefully read your work documents and decide before signatures.

MAR 21 - APR 20

APR 21 - MAY 20

MAY 21 - JUNE 21

JUNE 22 - JULY 23

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

You are going to get in touch with someone you ignite fire inside you to follow your passion and to chase your dreams. To move mountains in your career all you need is dedication and lots of hard work and it all start with the willingness to do something in life.

Money isn’t everything for everyone, some people value emotions, love and family beyond anything else and you are one of them. Help yourself get adjusted if you need to, when accomplishing your target is your priority. Do not leave any stone unturned when it comes to studies.

In business it’s very important to choose the right people to work with, study people thoroughly before getting into deals with them.

Your paternal family is going to help you big time as far as your career is concerned right now. Keep smiling as everything will just turn fine.

What you need right now is someone holding your tight and telling you that everything will be alright.

All your stress will disappear if you indulge yourself in yoga. You can expect a big break in your career. You will attract money in bulk. You are quite satisfied with your life.

JULY 24 - AUGUST 23

AUG 24 - SEP 23

SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22

OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

To take guidance from someone will not make you week or any less intelligent rather it will reflect as in how mature you are. Dedication is what you need to take your career on the next level. You may find yourself being tempted to buy a lot of stuff but resist the fancy desires for a while.

You are very desperate to start your own business and all you need is some funding. You are a brave soul and you say what you have to on people’s faces and never say a word behind their back. You need to personally supervise your business to make sure there is no loophole.

You have accepted with ease that not everyone will like you and that it shouldn’t even matter. Shun all the negative thoughts today and embrace life open heartedly. You will be in the saving mode and therefore you will spend each penny judiciously. You will realise your true potential.

You are giving one thousand percent to your office work and your karma will pay back at the right time. You are very active these days and nothing can slow down your spirit. You must have faith in some people in life because not everyone can deceive the way others do.

NOV 23 - DEC 22

MEGHA PHOPHALIA, Lifestyle Influencer

In my address to the passengers, I informed them that, “We have an extra passenger on board.”

POB was also revised. plenty of congratulatory calls on air on Nagpur, Chennai and Bangalore frequencies. Nagpur gave me direct BL552 for Bangalore 27L from just south of Bhopal- enjoyed the uninterrupted high-speed run.

Post landing Birth on Board form was filled, don’t think it has ever been filled in a domestic flight in India ever- and it is most appropriately titled FFS 007.

On the ground amidst all the frenzy, I could sense a genuine sense of happiness and joy amongst all present, KIAL staff, Aster Clinic staff, in all the

DEC 23 - JAN 20

JAN 21 - FEB 19

FEB20 - MARCH 20

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AHMEDABAD | FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2020

11

BACK TO WORK! A

...her post

s shootings for entertainment programs are back on the track after the coronavirus induced hiatus, actor Katrina Kaif on Thursday resumed work.

The ‘Bang Bang’ actor took to Instagram to share a polaroid picture of herself from the sets. The picture sees her seated in a black coloured T-shirt along with a yellow coloured shorts.

Two PPE-clad people from her team are also seen standing behind her in the picture.

Without revealing much about her project, Kaif chose to only put a smiley and an alien emoji in the caption.

The 37-year-old actor will be seen in ‘Phone Booth,’ with Ishaan Khatter and Siddhant Chaturvedi.

—ANI

Katrina Kaif

PARENTS-TO-BE

AIR FORCE DAY GREETINGS

SUPPORTING

C

ongrats to Meghan Trainor and Daryl Sabara as they’re expecting a baby! “We’re pregnant!” the 26-year-old singer said during her appearance on the ‘Today Show’.

“I’m very good as you can tell — it’s all Christmas here,” the mom-to-be teased, adding, “But there’s other news that I’m dying to tell you and my heart’s pounding out of my chest.” As Trainor says, “Hit it, Daryl,” her husband proudly reveals, “We’re pregnant!”

—Agency

Kangana Ranaut’s post

PRESSURE OF DATING

K

angana Ranaut, who is all set to essay the role of an air force pilot in her upcoming film ‘Tejas,’ extended greetings to the country on the occasion of the Indian Air Force Day. The ‘Queen’ actor took to Twitter to extend the greetings on behalf of the entire team of ‘Tejas’ and also shared a poster of the upcoming film. “Team #Tejas wishing everyone #IndianAirforceDay, our film is an ode to our Air Force’s greatness, bravery and sacrifice..... Jai Hind @RonnieScrewvala @sarveshmewara1,” Kangana tweeted.

—ANI

K

TRAILER OUT TODAY Kristen Stewart

risten Stewart, who is currently in a relationship with Dylan Meyer, spoke candidly about the pressure of dating in the public eye during her interview.”The first time I ever dated a girl, I was immediately being asked if I was a lesbian. And it’s like, ‘God, I’m 21 years old,” Stewart revealed while adding she felt like maybe there were things that have hurt people she’s been with.

Kristen immediately clarified that it’s not because she felt ashamed of being “openly gay” but because she didn’t like giving herself to the public, in a way. For the 30-year-old actress, it felt like such “thievery” while she termed that particular period of time as being “sort of cagey.”

—Agency

PM MODI

Meghan Trainor & Daryl Sabara

Love is Love

D

an Levy is calling out Comedy Central India. The 37-year-old Schitt’s Creek actor spoke out after the network’s social media account removed a scene that included two men kissing. “You showed the kiss between two women, you showed the kiss between a woman and a man, then removed the kiss between two men? This is a show about the power of inclusivity. The censorship of gay intimacy is making a harmful statement against that message #loveislove,” he wrote in response. In the clip, his character David plays spin the bottle alongside Dustin Milligan‘s Ted, as well as Emily Hampshire‘s Stevie, Annie Murphy‘s Alexis and Noah Reid‘s character Patrick. A kiss between Stevie and Alexis is shown, but when Ted’s spin lands on David, the actual kiss is cut from the clip.

—Agency Dan Levy

Blessings of Goddess Lakshmi

Poster of the film

D

ropping a short teaser of his upcoming flick ‘Laxmmi Bomb,’ actor Akshay Kumar on Thursday revealed that the trailer of the film will be released on Friday. The 53-year-old actor took to Instagram to share a short video that features a bomb that is about to explode. “Hassoge, darroge aur apne ghar valo ke sath milkar kal sab se bada dhamaka dekhoge,” he wrote in the caption. “Watch #LaxmmiBomb Trailer, coming out tomorrow! #YeDiwaliLaxmmiBombWali! #FoxStarStudios #DisneyPlusHotstarMultiplex,” he added.

Earlier, Akshay dropped a spooky glimpse from ‘Laxxmi Bomb’ and announced the release date of the film on social media.

—ANI

H

ollywood star Salma Hayek has shared a picture of Goddess Lakshmi on her social media handle. The actress has mentioned in her post that whenever she wants to connect with her inner beauty she seeks the blessings of Goddess Lakshmi.

Along with the picture of the goddess, Salma has also shared a small note explaining what Lakshmi means to her. She said that the image of Lakshmi makes her joyful and that she even medi t a t e s while focus-

ing on the goddess.

Her caption read as, “When I want to connect with my inner beauty, I start my meditation focusing on the goddess Lakshmi, who in Hinduism represents wealth, fortune, love, beauty, Maya (literally meaning ‘illu-

sion’ or ‘magic’), joy and prosperity. Somehow her image makes me feel joyful, and joy is the greatest door for your inner beauty.” —Agency

Salman Khan

M

egastar Salman Khan on Thursday supported Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s campaign ‘Unite2FightCorona’ and urged countrymen to follow three mantras to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Khan took to Twitter to support the campaign and asked his fans to maintain social distancing, wear masks to keep their hands sanitised.

“Bhaiyo, beheno aur mitron In difficult times mein, only do three things: 6ft ka distance, mask peheno & wash & sanitise ur hands,” tweeted Khan.

“Let’s implement PM Modi’s - Jan andolan against covid Come on buck up india! Jai hind!! @narendramodi @ pmoindia @MIB_india #UniteToFightCorona,” his tweet further read.

—ANI

...her post

Salma Hayek

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

World Post Office Day 2020

MITALI

cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

A

mid the pandemic, World Post Office Day is a great opportunity to pay tribute to the postal operators, postal workers and everyone else involved in delivering mails.

World Post Day is observed every year on 9 October. Before the digital communication came into our lives, sending letters by post was the only option and if it was an urgent message - it was the telegraph, which revolutionized long-distance communication. World Post Day was declared by the 1969 Universal Postal Congress in Tokyo to mark the anniversary of the Universal Postal Union’s (UPU) creation in 1874.

The day is being celebrated to bring awareness about the role of people engaged in postal services. Historically posts have a big contribution to the development of businesses and economic activities globally. Universal Postal Union (UPU) paved the way

for efficient postal services and it became an agency of the United Nations in 1948.

Director-General of the Universal Postal

Union, Bishar Hussein said that we all need to recognize the incredible sacrifices made by postal operators and

their staff during the global COVID-19 pandemic. Some workers tragically lost their lives; others confronted life-changing damage to their health. He also added, “since our earliest beginnings, we have overcome wars, natural disasters and pestilence. We have always delivered. The year 2020, however, was the year that the postal industry showed the world its resilience, its determination, and the invaluable role it plays in every society. We showed we are more than a mail.”

Chief Secretary Rajeeva Swarup’s 60th birthday was on Thursday, 8 October.

He did not celebrate it as such due to the Corona pandemic, though he did prioritize spending it with his beautiful wife Isha and his family. He attended office for a couple of hours eschewing any celebration before going home.

JAIPUR’S EMERGING STAR CITY FIRST

E

has been completed at Gulabgarh Resort and other beautiful locations located in Mansarovar in Jaipur. The song is directed by Lavish Rawat, Assistant Directors Shubham Gupta and Ashish Singh Chauhan,

Singer Sagar Lalwani, and Himani Bairwa, Lyricist Jani, Editor Shubham Gupta, DOP Akshay Rajotia, and Supporting Artist Pinkesh Meena and will be released soon on their Youtube channel. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

12

Sachin Pilot with (from left) Vishvendra Singh, Hormazd Sorabjee, Renuka Kriplani and Anirudh

COLLABORATIONS

TO PROMOTE TOURISM CITY FIRST

F

ormer Deputy Chief Minister, Sachin Pilot met with the Editor, Autocar India, Hormazd Sorabjee and Executive Editor, Autocar India, Renuka Kriplani in Jaipur on Wednesday evening. The meeting was held to discuss the shooting of a promotional film across various locations in the State and future collaborations to promote tourism in eastern Rajasthan. They were accompanied by the former Tourism Minister of Rajasthan, Vishvendra Singh and

his son, Anirudh Bharatpur. The collaboration was proposed by the former Tourism Minister during his tenure.

Autocar India is the country’s leading automobile publication known for providing its readers with the latest automotive news. It also provides all domestic and international automotive and motor-sport scoops, engaging stories and features, detailed and comprehensive reviews and video reviews. Over the years ‘Autocar India’ has expanded from being a car magazine to a car-expert brand. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

EXPRESS YOURSELF

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

merging artist Yash Agarwal of Jaipur city will be seen in the upcoming cover song ‘Taaron Ka Shehar’. The first poster of the soonto-be-released upcoming cover song ‘Taaron Ka Shehar’ was launched online by Our Minute Productions in the capital Jaipur, where the song’s star cast and others participated virtually. Yash Agarwal and Nupur Sharma will be seen showcasing their acting skills in the lead artist of the song.

Yash Agarwal said,” we have completed this project by following all the shooting guidelines issued by the government along with limited resources due to Covid.”

The shooting of Song

AHMEDABAD | FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2020

Dr MA Chishti

COMPLEX SURGERY treated well

CITY FIRST

A

36-year-old father of 2 young kids, was brought to Mahatma Gandhi Hospital Heart Centre, Jaipur on 8 October 2020, in critical condition to the trained eye Dr MA Chishti, Director Heart Surgery Department. On diagnose, it was apparent that he had Marfan’s Syndrome. It is a defect in connective tissue that holds the tissues of the body together like cement does a wall. Dr Chishti said that aorta is the biggest artery in the body that arises from the heart.

It is a rare and life-threatening disease. Surgery is challenging and complex. Aortic dissection occurs in 1-3 patients per lac population in a year.

The operation aimed to replace, repair and restore circulation to all parts of the body including the heart. The operation took about 8 hours to complete and was done bloodlessly.

The patient made a quick recovery. It cost the patient a quarter of what it would cost in Delhi NCR. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

Chevron Collection 2020

by Haneet Singh CITY FIRST

T

he most elegant outfit is the one that lets you express yourself.

If you’ve been planning to upgrade your wardrobe with breezy Indian wear pieces, you’re in for a treat. Haneet Singh’s Grace Studio has dropped its Prêt Wear Collection, ‘Chevron Collection 2020’. A contemporary image of the modern silhouettes, this is the first line of prints by Haneet Singh.

The pieces come in a range of beautiful pastel colours like rose pink, mint green, aqua, champagne, whites and ivory. The line up features traditional and fusion outfits with modern aesthet-

Haneet Singh

ics. The collection focuses on light comfort dressing, subtle details and prints.

Given that masks are an essential part of our lives, the collection whipped up beautiful masks in unexpected matching styles. Couples diversely combining their outfits have been in vogue for quite a while and that is the USP of this collection.

From colour coordinating to colour contrasting to matching prints and fabrics, this one outfit trend is to completely obsess over. Whether you’re looking to attend an intimate wedding affair or small functions, Haneet Singh’s latest drop makes for a stellar deal. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

DURING THE DAY!

UTTAR PRADESH: Congressmen, led by National Secretary, AICC, Vivek Bansal reached Khair grain market, Aligarh on Thursday, to talk to the farmers regarding their difficulties in selling the crops. The farmers expressed their pain and Vivek Bansal assured them that the Congress Party is aware of the problems of the farmers and will work together side by side to protect the interests of the farmers.

GUJARAT: Members of Blind People Association (BPA) distributed smart phones to specially-abled students, under Daan Utsav, in association with International Council for Education of Visually impaired (ICEVI), along with the support of Individual donors at Vastrapur area in Ahmedabad on Thursday.

—PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

GUJARAT: Prakash Kanaiyalal Soni showcased his 30 years of collection of different Indian Post tickets, a day before World post day celebration in Ahmedabad on Thursday.

—PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI