First India-Ahmedabad Edition-17 August 2020

OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR & AHMEDABAD

CORONA

26°C - 32°C

ALERT AHMEDABAD l MONDAY, AUGUST 17, 2020 l Pages 12 l 3.00

COVID-19 UPDATE

WORLD

7,71,005 2,17,24,732 DEATHS

MAHARASHTRA 20,037 DEATHS 5,95,865 CASES

CONFIRMED CASES

TAMIL NADU 5,766 DEATHS 3,38,055 CASES

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RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/16208 l Vol 1 l Issue No. 261

INDIA

51,025 26,46,583 DEATHS

DELHI 4,196 DEATHS 1,52,580 CASES

CONFIRMED CASES

GUJARAT

2,787 DEATHS

KARNATAKA 3,956 DEATHS 2,26,966 CASES

78,783

CONFIRMED CASES

RAJASTHAN 876 DEATHS 61,296 CASES

MSD HANGS BOOTS

India remembers

ATAL

Consider me retired, says Dhoni while calls it quits New Delhi: Two-time World Cup-winning former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni retired from international cricket on Saturday, ending over one year of suspense and also an era during which his often unorthodox leadership and finishing skills became the stuff of legends.

The 39-year-old will, however, compete in this year’s IPL, which

gets underway in the UAE from September 19 after being moved out of India due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Thanks a lot for ur love and support throughout. from 1929hrs consider me as retired,” Dhoni posted on his instagram handle. The announcement came a day after he joined his Chennai Super Kings teammates at the side’s Turn to P6

Chetan Chauhan succumbs to COVID Prime Minister Narendra Modi pays tribute to former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his second death anniversary, at Sadaiv Atal in New Delhi on Sunday. —PHOTO BY PTI MORE ON P5

NARENDRA MODI @NARENDRAMODI Tributes to beloved Atal Ji on his Punya Tithi. India will always remember his outstanding service and efforts towards our nation’s progress.

AMIT SHAH @AMITSHAH Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji was the voice of patriotism and Indian culture. He was a dedicated politician as well as a skilled organiser who played an important role in the foundation and growth of the BJP and inspired millions of workers to serve the country.

Monsoon Session of Parl: Houses to function in morning & evening shifts New Delhi: Hectic preparations are underway for the Monsoon Session of Parliament with several first-time measures in view of the COVID-19 pandemic such as staggered sitting of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and use of both chambers and galleries to accommodate members while follow-

ing physical distancing norms, officials said.

The Monsoon Session is likely to begin in

the last week of August or early September.

While both Houses usually function simultaneously, this time due to extraordinary circumstances, one House will sit during morning hours and the other in evening, sources say.

Rajya Sabha will have additional installations – large display

screens, audio consoles in the galleries, ultraviolet germicidal irradiation, special cables connecting the two Houses for transmission of audio-visual signal – inside the chamber and in the galleries According to the Rajya Sabha Secretariat, members of the Upper House Turn to P6

JULY 1947 TO AUGUST 2020

New Delhi: Former India opener and UP minister Chetan Chauhan died on Sunday due to COVID-19 related complications after being put on life support for nearly 36 hours, his brother Pushpendra Chauhan said.

Chauhan, who played 40 Tests for India, was 73 and is survived by his wife and son Vinayak.

PM Narendra

Modi while expressing grief over the demise of Chauhan tweeted, “Shri Chetan Chauhan Ji distinguished himself as a wonderful cricketer and later as a diligent political leader. He made effective contributions to public service and strengthening the BJP in UP. Anguished by his passing away. Condolences to his family and supporters.

Om Shanti.

Turn to P6

WELCOME AJAY MAKEN! Aditi Nagar New Delhi: Nearly a week since the Congress high command brought rebel leader Sachin Pilot back in Congress’s fold, the high command appointed Ajay Maken as the new incharge for Rajasthan in place of Avinash Pande. Welcoming the move, Pilot tweeted on Sunday evening, “Congratula-

Ajay Maken

tions to Ajay maken ji for being appointed Rajasthan incharge. Your appointment will cer-

tainly boost the morale of Rajasthan Congress party workers. With hopes of a bright fu-

ture, I welcome Ajay Maken ji to the land of valour - Rajasthan.”

Who is Ajay Maken?

The new general secretary incharge Maken has also been an old Gandhi family trusted person, who was given key responsibilities during his 35-year-long political career in national capital. Presently, Maken is considered as one of the key figure in Rahul Gandi team. Turn to P6

Rains hit Gujarat with a vengeance, NDRF teams on stand-by IMD EXPECTS HEAVY RAINS FOR 5 MORE DAYS TILL AUGUST 21 Gargi Raval Ahmedabad: People, cattle, crops, vehicles, stray animals -- almost everything fell victim to the continuing fury of rains in Gujarat on Sunday.

As many as 18 people drowned at different places in the State with one of them reported death and two others missing. At least 20 villages were

marooned while 12 villages in the forest district of Dangs have lost all communication to the outside world.

Five people were drowned in Dhrab of Kutch, where 4 were rescued while 1 person was missing. In Gandevi in Navsari district, a boat carrying 5 people turned turtle and 3 of them were rescued. One body was found later on while another person

—PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

An autorickshaw powering through a waterlogged road in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

was still missing.

In Kaprada, 5 people were swept away when they were out with their cattle, while three others were reported missing in Mundra.

Farmers reported extensive damage to the cash crops of groundnut and cotton.

There is a flood-like situation in Kutch, Surendranagar, South Gujarat, including Surat, Vadodara, and some parts of Saurashtra.

Many crocodiles were found in low-lying areas near Vadodara and

Vishwamitri river.

According to the India Meteorological Department, there is a favourable monsoon condition in Gujarat.

“The state is very likely to experience an active wet spell from August 16 to August 21. A red warning has been issued for Anand district,” the IMD bulletin stated.

It stated that there was major damage to kutcha roads due to inundation, severe traffic disruptions and waterlogging in underpass

areas of some cities.

The bulletin also informed about road accidents because of low visibility following heavy downpour.

Mandvi and Mundra in Kutch district received the highest rainfall of 133 mm and 132 mm respectively in the last 12 hours. In all, 158 talukas received rainfall.

According to the State Emergency Operation Centre, Gujarat has received 641.76 mm rainfall, which is 77.23% of its annual average till August 16.

NEWS AHMEDABAD | MONDAY, AUGUST 17, 2020

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02

Marking India’s 74th

INDEPENDENCE DAY

The 74th Independence Day celebrations in the state this year were low-key affairs with flag hoisting ceremonies organized at the Swarnim Park in Gandhinagar, the Governor’s House, Mehsana Police Ground, Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee office in Ahmedabad, AMC’s Riverfront office and the SGVP Gurukul on Saturday. Chief Minister Vijay Rupani felicitated corona warriors at the event in the capital city accompanied by State Chief Secretary Anil Mukim and DGP Ashish Bhatia. Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel unfurled the flag in Mehsana, Governor Devvrat Acharya at Raj Bhavan and Ahmedabad mayor Bijal Patel heralded the service at AMC. Priests of the SGVP Gurukul also conducted a small ceremony to mark the nation’s independence.

—PHOTOS BY HANIF SINDHI

STATE CLAIMS OVER 11L CONTACT TRACED FOR nCOV SINCE MARCH

In reply to HC, govt says that Surat provided with all medical facilities to combat the virus First India Bureau Ahmedabad: In response to the queries posed by the state high court regarding the suo motu of novel coronavirus, the state government claimed to have stringently followed the contact testing protocol over the past five months.

The government stated that the protocol included identification and testing of people who had come in contact with COVID-19 positive patients. It claimed to have implemented the contact testing protocol on over 11,14,743 people since March till August 12. Of these, around 2,62,384 were recognized as highrisk contacts and were tested for the virus.

A principal bench comprising Chief Justice Vikram Nath and Justice JB Pardiwala, which has been hearing the suo motu and all nCov-related public interest litigations (PILs), had raised queries regarding the novel coronavirus situation in the state on July 24. The bench had asked the state to submit a response about the COVID-19 situation in Surat and also a lack of testing laboratories in 11 districts.

In its reply, the government stated, “It may be noted that as far as the RT-PCR tests are concerned, currently either RTPCR or CBNAAT/ TrueNAt (equivalent to RT-PCR) testing laboratories have been made available for every district.”

It added, “In the month of February, the state had two COVID-19

People await their turn to undergo COVID-19 testing at a camp set up near Vataman Crossroad in Ahmedabad. According to the government, over 5,393 health teams across the state have been screening nearly 5.6 lakh people every day.

MEDICAL FACILITIES FOR COVID-19 IN SURAT BED CAPACITY

BEDS WITH OXYGEN FACILITY

New Civil Hospital Surat (NCHS)

1,150 beds

NCHS

Dedicated for novel coronavirus

500 beds

Reserved for health workers

16 rooms

NCHS (New building) 525 beds with upgraded oxygen points

For non-nCov admissions

450 beds

13 kilolitre oxygen tank

AVAILABILITY OF VENTILATORS For COVID-19, 52 were dedicated out of 72 State added

420 ventilators

New Civil Hospital

492 ventilators

SMIMER

113 ventilators

Private hospitals

135 ventilators

DAILY USAGE PPE kits 2,100 N-95 masks 2,345 Surgical gloves 4,500

- 258 beds

in old building premises Super Specialty Hospital under Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) - 800 beds

NUMBER OF ICU BEDS First phase 80 beds Second phase 120 beds added Third phase 296 beds added

MANPOWER AT CIVIL HOSPITAL  One ward boy for five

beds in the ICU

 One nurse per two

beds in the ICU

 12 ECG technicians

 137 interns  Resident doctors

(376) + 45 (on deputation)

 Faculty members - 270

testing laboratories, with one each at Jamnagar and Ahmedabad.

Today, there are 59 labs across the state, of which 36 are government laboratories and 23 are private.”

The government also submitted that over 5,393 health teams across the state have been screening nearly 5.6 lakh people every day. Around 5,000 local volunteers have also been pressed into service in urban areas to help facilitate COVID-19 relief efforts.

As part of preventive measures for novel coronavirus, the state government also deployed 1,604 Dhanvantri Raths across the state that benefited over 55,46,952 people.

Over 11,625 people had been referred to hospitals for further medical care by the Raths till August 12.

In reference to the worsening nCov situation in Surat, the state claimed that all medical facilities and equipment had been deployed to the district whenever required. As per data, adequate supply of medicines and injections was provided to the New Civil Hospital Surat (NCHS) including 553 amps of 400 mg Tocilizumab, 85 amps of 80 mg Tocilizumab, 1,660 amps of Ramdesivir injections and 1,90,400 Faviparivar tablets. The state claimed that the recovery rate of nCov patients in Surat was 77.6% and till August 12, NCHS had transferred 2,917 patients and sent 200 people to stay at home under isolation.

GUIDING THE WAY

State will lead nation in National Digital Health Mission: Rupani

CM Rupani being received by State Chief Secy Anil Mukim and DGP Ashish Bhatia at the flag hoisting venue.

First India Bureau Gandhinagar: On the occasion of the 74th Independence Day, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani addressed the state after a flag hoisting ceremony in Gandhinagar on Saturday.

He said, “The state is far ahead than other states when it comes to using the digital world to its advantage. The field of telemedicine (caring for patients remotely without being physically present) and online teaching are brilliant examples of the same. The state will also lead the nation in the implementation of the National Digital Health Mission and achieve good results.”

Rupani was accompanied by State Chief Secretary Anil Mukim, Director General of Police (DGP) Ashish Bhatia and Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Sangeeta Singh. Meanwhile, K Kailashnathan, Chief Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister hoisted the flag at the Civil Hospital premises in Ahmedabad.

The chief minister

also acknowledged other benchmarks such as Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), which has increased by 240% in the state, increment in investment for manufacturing and service sectors, more job opportunities, 3.4% unemploy-

The chief minister was speaking at the 74th Independence Day flag hoisting ceremony on Saturday ment rate in the state.

CM Rupani facilitated corona warriors for their work on the frontlines including Dr Pankaj Shah, Dr Tejas Patel, Dr RK Patel, Dr Dilip Mavlankar, Dr VN Shah, Dr Atul Patel, Dr Ami Parikh, Dr Mahershi Desai and Dr Tushar Patel. Other people who were also honoured were Dr Kartikey Parmar, Bardoli’s Community Health Officer Pinky Christi, Surendranagar-based nurse Joyos Christian and Ahmedabad’s Sanitary Inspector Jaimin Barot.

GUJARAT AHMEDABAD | MONDAY, AUGUST 17, 2020

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23 inmates test positve for nCov in Rajkot Central Jail In the past 24 hours, the state tested 50,560 samples, of which 1,120 were infected with the virus First India Bureau Gandhinagar: The number of novel coronavirus cases in the Suarashtra region has seen a surge lately with more cases being reported in Rajkot, Bhavnagar and Jamnagar. But, the most worrying development has emerged in the Rajkot Central Jail, where 23 inmates have tested positive for the virus. “Rapid antigen tests were conducted on 94 inmates and 23 of them, including undertrials and convicts, tested positive on Saturday night,” said Banno Joshi, jail superintendent.

“The infected inmates are asymptomatic and have been isolated. We are in the process of getting them hospitalized,” said Joshi.

There are a total of 1,386 inmates in the Rajkot

DEATH REVIEW

A health worker collects a swab sample from a man at a COVID-19 testing centre in Ahmedabad.

—PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

Central Jail as on date.

Earlier, 11 inmates had tested positive for coronavirus on various occasions. With this, the total number of COVID-19 cases in the jail has gone up to 34, an official said. The jail authorities with the assistance of the local health team have started test-

ing other inmates in the prison.

BJP MLA Nimaben Acharya from Anjar town in Kutch district tested positive for novel coronavirus through a rapid antigen test.

In the past 24 hours, the state has tested 50,560 samples, of which 1,120 have tested posi-

HEAVY RAINFALL DROWNS STATE Keeping with the weather forecast, the state received heavy showers over the past couple of days, which left several regions inundated.

A GSRTC bus stuck in deepwater on the underbridge connecting Gondal and Umrala was pulled out by people using a rope. In Fadsar village of Morbi district, a National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team rescued villagers which turned into an island of sorts owing to heavy rainfall.

The Surat Fire Department team evacuated people from low-lying areas in the diamond city which witnessed waterlogging on Saturday. In Ahmedabad, people were seen going about their day despite continual showers.

—PHOTOS BY HANIF SINDHI

tive. As on Sunday, there are 14,500 active cases in the state, of which 82 are ventilator support and 14,418 patients are in stable condition.

The highest number of cases was reported in Surat (228), of which, 159 were from the city and 69 from rural areas.

Meanwhile, Vadodara

tested 1,119 samples and 108 people tested positive for the virus. Other cases reported in the state were from Ahmedabad (164), Rajkot (99), Jamnagar (58), Panchmahal (45), Bhavnagar (380), Junagadh (34), Kutch (31), Bharuch (30), Dahod (26) and Amreli (25).

03

Higher demand boosts import of edible oil First India Bureau Ahmedabad: After registering a lull in demand for almost four months, the edible oil sector saw an upward trend in the domestic market last month. As a result, there has been an increase in the import of edible oil in the country as well as stock in the oil pipeline.

The Solvent Extractors’ Association of India in a press statement stated, “During the period of April and May, 2020, the demand in edible oil had depleted and so the imports were down, that seems to be past and now demands are slowly improving which is the reason imports are seeing growth.”

In July, the nation imported over 15,17,350 tonne of edible oil, which is 13% higher than the import of 13,47,882 tonne in July 2019.

The imports recorded

India imported over 15 lakh tonne of edible oil last month.

in July this year have been the highest in the last 11 months.

The breakdown of the total import quantity includes the palm oil variant- which accounts for almost 60% of the total sharecrude palm oil and crude palm kernel oil. The total import quantity of the palm oil variant in the month of July was 8,24,078 tonne, which is 50% higher than the import of July 2019.

Also, the soybean imports have seen a 52% increment as compared to July last year, with

4,84,535 tonne of import quantity last month.

The sunflower oil variant saw a marginal growth of just two percent, accounting for 2,08,747 tonne in July 2020.

The sea ports too reported a good stock of edible oil, and as on August 01, the total edible oil stock at various sea ports in the country was recorded to be 7,65,000 tonne. Crude palm oil, bleached, deodorized and refined palm oil account for 4.15 lakh tonne, with the rest of the stock divided between soybean and sunflower oils.

People must act to sustain liberal democratic values of India, says retired judge AP Shah Gargi Raval Ahmedabad: The inaugural session of the virtual ‘Janta Parliament’ saw more than 2,000 participants joining it on an online platform. The forum was addressed by Justice AP Shah (retired from Delhi High Court), who expressed a strong desire that people in the country must raise voice to sustain the idea of liberal democratic values of

India. “We are systemically moving towards elected autocracy, in lieu of running of the houses,” he said.

Shah compared India to other countries where the parliaments were functioning virtually or with fewer people in attendance.

He termed the Indian parliament as a ‘ghost town’. In support of his query at the lack of parliamentary sessions being conducted, Shah stated that the Parliament had re-

The former Delhi HC justice spoke at the maiden session of the virtual ‘Janta Parliament’ mained in session even during wars and terror attacks.

“It is not that the Parliament cannot function. If the joint parliamentary committee can meet and decide to reduce the salary of MPs by 30%, then the Parlia-

ment must meet to perform its duty and provide a platform to the elected representatives of the country,” he remarked.

Shah further said that the various arms of the state had different kinds of roles to play. “The constituent assembly with their experience of colonial India had a deep mistrust of the executive’s autocracy. They believed more on the sanctity of the legislator as a protector of people’s rights. The ac-

tions are subject to scrutiny on a daily and periodic basis in Parliament,” he asserted.

It is to be noted that the Budget Session of the Parliament began on January 31, 2020 - a day after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 pandemic as a health emergency of international concern. But, the Parliament has remained sine die since March 24, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Group of 16 ‘heroic’ swimmers help trapped Surtis First India Bureau Surat: Displaying an arsenal of selfless service, courage and compassion, a group of 16 swimmers from Surat has been helping the local fire department of the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) to rescue people trapped in flood water.

Heavy rainfall lashed

the city in the last five days due to which many areas were flooded, disrupting the lives of people living in low-lying areas. With rescue operations very challenging in such conditions, the group has been assisting the fire brigade for the past two decades.

An all-men group, it is comprised of local residents aged 36 years to 65 years.

They have been helping the local fire dept with rescue operations The swimmers, who practice their swimming skills in the Tapi River, cover a distance of 10 km daily. The group has also partici-

pated in several swimming competitions across the country.

Talking to First India, one of the group members Chetan Borad said, “We are swimmers who belong to different professional backgrounds and have been active in the city for a long time. All we seek is to help the local administration

and people stuck in emergency situations. As many areas of the city have been flooded, we have made ourselves available to rescue people and take them to a safer place.”

Apart from rescue missions, the members of the group also provide assistance to save people who jump in the Tapi River.

GROUNDBREAKING DISCOVERY

3 non-infectious genes of Sars-CoV-2 found in wastewater Researchers believe the study could aid with prediction of the pandemic curve 

First India Bureau Ahmedabad: In a breakthrough towards understanding novel coronavirus, researchers claim to have found the first evidence of non-infectious COVID-19 genes in wastewater. The academicians emphasized on the need to introduce wastewater-based surveillance across the country to

detect, monitor and control the spread of COVID-19 as well as identifying potential hotspots prior to clinical diagnosis.

Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Gandhinagar, the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB), and the Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre have found evidence of COVID-19

genes in sewage, after conducting a study of samples collected on May 8 and May 27 from the Old Pirana Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) in Ahmedabad.

The plant receives effluent from the Civil Hospital which has been treating COVID-19 patients.

“All three including the ORF1ab, N and S genes of Sars-CoV-2, were found in the influent with no genes detected in the effluent collected May 8 and 27. An increase in Sars-CoV-2

Samples were collected from the Old Pirana Wastewater Treatment Plant in Ahmedabad between May 8 and 27.

genetic loading in the wastewater samples collected between that duration concurred with a corresponding increase in the number of active COVID-19 patients in the city,” stated the study, which was published in an International Journal for Scientific Research into the Environment and its Relationship with Humankind.

“However, temporal changes in Sars-CoV-2 RNA concentrations need to be substantiated

further from the perspectives of daily and short-term changes of Sars-CoV-2 in wastewater through long-term monitoring,” added the study.

The results of the study may potentially assist concerned authorities and policymakers to formulate and/or upgrade COVID-19 surveillance and have a more explicit picture of the pandemic curve. While the infectivity of Sars-CoV-2 through the excreted

viral genetic material in the aquatic environment is still being debated, the presence and detection of genes in wastewater systems make a strong case for the environmental surveillance of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our results demonstrated that a conventional treatment plant is capable of removing genetic materials of Sars-CoV-2, however, there may not be the complete elimination,” the study stated.

PERSPECTIVE AHMEDABAD | MONDAY, AUGUST 17, 2020

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AS I PLEASE

IN-DEPTH

CAPTAIN COOL WALKS INTO THE SUNSET

M

ahendra Singh Dhoni, or Mahi as we all know him, set the cricketing world abuzz with an Instagram post announcing his retirement from “1929 hours” on Saturday. His fans were disappointed. They wanted to see him lead Chennai Super Kings for his last hurrah in the UAE edition of the Indian Premier League. Till now he kept everyone guessing about his future plans. Early this year, Ravi Shastri, the head coach, had said that Dhoni could end his career in one-day internationals but could be a contender for a place in the T-20 squad provided he does well in the IPL. But Dhoni kept his plans under the wraps.

Then in January the Board of Control for Cricket in India dropped MSD from its annual contract list. The reason given was that Captain Cool had not played any competitive game after India’s loss to New Zealand in the World Cup semi-final in 2019. He was not part of the team’s series against West Indies, South Africa, Bangladesh and Australia.

Clearly, the writing was on the wall.

From a ticket collector in Ranchi to being among India’s best captains, it’s been an inspiring journey. Dhoni was an antithesis of Saurav Ganguly, who brought a lot of machismo on the field. Calm personified, Mahi brought excitement with his helicopter shots to win matches on the last ball of the game.

He is ranked among the best wicket-keepers and one of the fastest runners between the wickets. Not that one can go on playing indefinitely, but so far the team has not found his replacement.

K NATWAR SINGH The author is Former Minister of External Affairs of India

T

A YEAR WORSE THAN 2020? LET’S HOPE NOT

T

o say that the prevailing pandemic has derailed normal life is stating the obvious. It has proved to be the biggest disrupter of this century.

Social life, education, sporting activities, and festivals, all have taken a hit. On one hand, Delhi is claiming 90 per cent recoveries and on the other India is said to have become the global epicentre of the pandemic beating Brazil and the US with consistently. India’s seven-day average of daily cases has been higher than the two above-mentioned countries. According to Johns Hopkins University Centre for Systems Science and Engineering, on August 11, the weekly average of new Covid-19 cases was 60,000 daily, well ahead of US and Brazil.

Even when country was not an epicentre, the pandemic had snatched away precious lives.

Holi was played under the shadow of it. Then world’s toughest lockdown happened. The three-month long phase took a toll on Eid, Bakrid, Janmashtami and Rakshabandhan festivities in the north and Hornbill festival in the north-east. Independence Day also could not be celebrated with its usual gusto. If trend continues, then Ganesh Chaturthi, Muharram and Durga Puja celebrations will also be subdued.

By the time pandemic ends, children may forget the joys of festivals and outdoors.Indeed, can there be a year worse than this? Let’s hope not.

If I am not mistaken, Prime Minister Modi is yet to visit Sri Lanka.

If I am wrong I shall correct myself. Of all our neighbours, the strategic importance of Sri Lanka cannot be exaggerated

he Rajapaksa family dominates the thirty eight member Sri Lankan cabinet. Of the three Rajapaksa brothers, Gotabaya Rajapaksa is President and at the same time Minister of Defence. Mahinda Rajapaksa is Prime Minister. Their elder brother, Chamal Rajapaksa is Minister for Irrigation. The Prime Minister’s son, Namal Rajapaksa is minister for sports. His cousin Shasheendra son of the Irrigation minister is a junior minister for High Technical Agriculture. This is unprecedented in any democratic country. The Rajapaksas have out done the Nehru-Gandhis.

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa is a close friend of Subramanian Swami. In his earlier term the Sri Lankan Prime Minister had tilted towards The People Republic of China. Let us see what he does this time. He will, without doubt, go down in history for totally finishing of the LTTE. One thing is clear, the Anil Wickremsinghes and the Bandaranaikes are now, it seems, history.

If I am not mistaken, Prime Minister Modi is yet to visit Sri Lanka. If I am wrong I shall correct myself. Of all our neighbours, the strategic importance of Sri Lanka cannot be exaggerated.

The political farce in Rajasthan seems to be over.

Ashok Gehlot is an old and astute political war horse, with his feet firmly on the ground. He has asked his MLAs to forget and forgive.

His manner of receiving Sachin Pilot and being photographed with him displays high class public relations expertise.

The loser is the likeable Sachin Pilot. He showed poor judgement, over confidence and lack of patience. Why was he in such a hurry. He has time on his side. He should have learnt from his father how to play the political game and when to strike. Had he lived, he would have given the Gandhi

Mahinda Rajapaksa with Gotabaya Rajapaksa

trio a run for their money.

Sachin Pilot, if I may say so should now lie low, stop giving interviews. A period of silence on his part would do him no harm.

Senator Kamala Harris is an Afro-American and not an IndoAmerican. I am quoting her. Of course she has India blood from her mother. Her father was Jamaican. Hence the Indianness is diluted. All this however is neither here or there. She is the running mate of Democratic Presidential candidate Joe Biden. If he is elected she will be Vice-President.

Her electoral record is more than impressive. She was a reformist, forceful Attorney General of California-2011-2017. Her attempt to run for President in 2016 failed. She ran out of funds.

The Indian media has gone overboard. She is not an Indophile. That is clear from her observation on our Kashmir policy. She has been critical of the Modi government’s decision to do away with article 370 of the Constitution. She is fifty five years of age and photogenic.

President Trump unwise-

ly called her “nasty” and other unflattering names.

The very next day Kamala Harris responded, calling Trump incompetent and a divisive man, unfit to occupy the White House.

I read Sonia Gandhi’s article in The Hindu of Thursday 13th. The subject she chose is intricate. Did she really pen it herself or did the highly learned Jairam Ramesh held her hand. Let me, out of a sense of loyalty of days gone by give the benefit of doubt to Sonia.

F

creating money.

I’m currently working on a book chapter that examines various economic theories about government debt, including MMT. I believe this theory is now being put to the test as the U.S. and other countries spend unprecedented amounts of money to aid companies, workers and their citizens during the coronavirus pandemic.

UNPRECEDENTED SPENDING There is little doubt that the world faces enormous economic problems.

The situation in the U.S. is already worse than at any time since the Great Depression, with millions unemployed and tens of thousands of businesses filing for bankruptcy.

The U.S. government has already spent about

beleaguered airlines, keeps small businesses afloat and supports Americans who have lost jobs or incomes. The U.S. is hardly the only country throwing money at the coronavirus recession. Most developed nations are increasing government spending and debt levels to prop up their economies.

Traditionally, economists have argued that higher spending today means taxes will have to go up to pay for it

US$3 trillion seeking to mitigate the damage. As a result, the federal government deficit for this fiscal year will be far greater than any since World War II. And the government is expected to add $1 trillion to $3.5 trillion more red ink, assuming lawmakers agree to another relief bill.

All this spending helps prop up industries such as

MMT TO THE RESCUE A big concern, however, is whether countries can afford all this spending.

Traditionally, economists have argued that higher spending today means taxes will have to go up to pay for it. This outcome can be put off, for a time, by borrowing money from investors.

Both options have risks.

Higher taxes hurt consumer and business spending.

And increased borrowing

Pranab Mukerjee is fighting for his life. He is among our most respected politicians, with vast experience. He is the only member of Parliament who has been Finance Minister (aged 42), Defence Minister and External Affairs minister. The last time I saw him, he said to me, “Natwar Singhji, the greatest mistake of my life has been to become President. I am a public man, used to meeting hundreds of people every day.

The Rashtrapati Bhawan imprisoned me. I missed meeting Congress workers, Parliament and much else.”

Also, I was deeply distressed to learn of Sanju Dutt’s serious illness. I have known him since he was a teenager. His parentsSunil Dutt and Nargis Dutt were among my closest friends.

I wish Sanju all the best of luck and a rapid recovery.

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

Corona spending testing economic theory rench philosopher Voltaire f a m o u s l y quipped: “If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him.” Something similar can be said of modern monetary theory, also known as MMT, because it may be the economy’s only hope to get through the pandemic.

Coined by Australian economist Bill Mitchell and popularized recently

by Democrats like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to fund programs such as the Green New Deal, MMT holds that a country with its own currency can spend almost unlimited sums of money. While government spending is normally financed by either taxes or borrowing, MMT suggests that governments can also do this by simply

04

can lead to rising interest rates, which raises costs for consumers and businesses. Both end up hurting economic growth, which is why some are arguing the U.S. can’t afford to spend more money fighting the coronavirus recession.

MMT dismisses this reasoning and argues currency-issuing countries like the U.S. have a third option: Make money out of thin air.

In a bare-bones version of MMT, the Treasury Department borrows from investors to finance spending, as it usually does, but then the Federal Reserve buys a significant share of that debt, depositing funds in the government’s checking account and creating money in the process.

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TWEET Dharmendra Pradhan @dpradhanbjp Breaking social taboos to raise issues of health and hygiene for a healthier and empowered India is a topic close to PM Shri @narendramodi ji’s heart.

From Sauchalaya in 2015 to Sanitary Pads in 2020, PM Modi is paving a path to a salubrious future for a #NewIndia.

Piyush Goyal @PiyushGoyal Keeping Wheels of Trade Rolling: Railways makes strides towards fast & economical freight transport.

Speed of freight trains doubled, whereas Loading increased by 8% in month of August, with a phenomenal growth of 10% on 15th August, as compared to same period last year.

Spiritual SPEAK

Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you.

—Proverbs 4:24

Vol 1 Issue No. 261 RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/16208. Printed and published by Anita Hada Sangwan on behalf of First Express Publishers. Printed at Bhaskar Printing Planet Survey No.148P, Changodar-Bavla Highway, Tal. Sanand, Dist. Ahmedabad.

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

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Atalji remembered for liberal thinking: Prez President RamNath Kovind called former PM Atal Bihari Vajypayee a great hero who added many glorious chapters in the politics of India Chambal He played an important Expressway to be named after role in BJP’s growth: Shah New Delhi: Home MinVajpayee ister Amit Shah paid

Ram Nath Kovind unveils a portrait of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his second death anniversary at ICCR HQ via video conferencing from Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi.

New Delhi: President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday unveiled a portrait of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) headquarters at Azad Bhavan, ITO in New Delhi on his second death anniversary. Attending the event through video conferencing, the President called Vajypayee a

great hero who added many glorious chapters in the politics of India.

“On behalf of the grateful nation, I pay him a humble tribute and unveiling the portrait of Atalji. Fortunately, in February last year, I also got a historic opportunity to unveil Atalji’s portrait in the Central Hall of Parliament House. Today, through this ceremony,

Govt will create 5 crore jobs in next 5 years: Gadkari

Nitin Gadkari

New Delhi: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari expressed confidence that the government will increase Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) exports to 60% from 48 % in the next 5 years and will create 5 crore jobs in the next 5 years. “Our MSME sector has a huge contribution to the development of our country. Currently, 30% income of GDP growth rate comes from MSME. 48% of our exports are from MSME and till date, we have created 11 crore jobs,” Gadkari said while speaking at SWAVALAMBAN eSummit 2020 organised by ‘Lets Endorse Development’ NGO. “I believe and think that in the coming 5 years, we should increase it to at least 30 per cent to 50 %,48 % to

MINISTER SPEAK

the country,” he said.

Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan and ICCR President and MP Dr Vinay Sahasrabuddhe were also present on this occasion.

The Rajya Sabha MP, Sahasrabuddhe said that Vajpayee and the culture of India have a unique relationship and called him as the “cultural ambassador” of the country. —ANI

60% of exports and create 5 crore new jobs,” he said.

The Minister added, “Unregistered enterprises need to register themselves under the Micro industry to get the benefit of MSMEs. We are also in the process to cover small traders. We need help from NGOs to encourage such people to register,” he said. —ANI

Special on Special Fare will leave from Ahmedabad Junction at 09:30 hours on August 18 & 25.

The train will reach Kudal at 04:30 hours on next day, the Indian Railways said. Train number 09415 Kudal - Ahmedabad Junction Weekly Special on Special Fare will leave from Kudal at 05:30 hrs on August 19 & 26.

tribute to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his second death anniversary on Sunday.

Shah posted the tribute on Twitter in Hindi which roughly translates to, “Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji was the voice of patriotism and Indian culture. He was a dedicated politician as well as a skilled organiser who played an important role in the foundation and growth of the BJP and inspired millions of workers to serve the country.”

Born on December 25, 1924 in Madhya Pradesh’s Gwalior, Vajpayee was the firstever person from the BJP to become the Prime Minister. He

served as Prime Minister thrice -- briefly in 1996, from 1998 to 1999 and then for a full fiveyear term between 1999 and 2004.

Apart from politics, Vajpayee was a prominent writer and penned a number of poems. After 2004, the BJP stalwart retired from active politics owing to his feeble health.

The veteran BJP leader passed away on August 16, 2018, at the AIIMS in Delhi after a prolonged illness. —ANI

we are all remembering a brilliant nationalist, a great hero who added many glorious chapters in the politics of India,” he said.

“Atalji will always be remembered for liberal thinking and democratic ideals. Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s behaviour and popularity was beyond political boundaries. Political opponents also had affection and respect for him,” he said.

Kovind said that Vajpayee always gave paramount importance to the national interest.

“In 1977, as a Foreign Minister, he gave a speech in the United Nations in Hindi. Atal ji worked for a governance system based on ethics, sensitivity, and transparency. Therefore, from 2014 on 30 December, his birth anniversary is celebrated as Governance Day across

PM Modi greets people on Parsi New Year, Navroz

Maoism returning to Bengal: Guv Dhankhar

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday greeted people on Parsi New Year, Navroz. In a tweet, the PM prayed that the coming year is filled with happiness & prosperity.

“Navroz Mubarak!

Greetings on Parsi New Year. India cherishes the outstanding contribution of the Parsi community, which has made a mark in a wide range of fields. May the coming year bring peace and prosperity in everyone’s lives,” he tweeted.

Kolkata: In one of his most serious allegations against the ruling TMC government, West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar said that Raj Bhawan in Kolkata was under surveillance and information was being leaked out.

Alleging that the list of guests who attended the Independence Day programme at Governor’s residence was leaked out ‘electronically’ on August 14, Dhankhar said, “Raj Bhawan is under surveillance. This should not happen. How can an of-

Jagdeep Dhankar and his wife Sudesh during a prayer meeting to pay tributes to former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his second death anniversary at Governor House in Kolkata, on Sunday. —PHOTO BY PTI

fice of the Constitution be under surveillance? I will take legal steps once

2 arrested in Bulandshahr topper’s death case in UP

RLYS TO RUN GANPATI SPECIAL TRAINS BETWEEN GUJ, MAHA Mumbai: The Indian Railways will run additional Ganpati Special trains in co-ordination with Western Railway and Central Railway between Ahmedabad/Vadodara and Ratnagiri/Kudal/Sawantwadi Road stations to clear extra rush of passengers. Train number 09416 Ahmedabad Junction - Kudal Weekly

Vajpayee’s daughter Namita Kaul Bhattacharya & granddaughter Niharika pay tribute to former PM at Sadaiv Atal in New Delhi.

Bhopal: The GwaliorChambal Expressway will be named Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Chambal Progressway, Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Sunday.

While paying tribute to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his second death anniversary, Chouhan said, “Vajpayee continues to inspire us to work for the public” and also recalled few emotional moments with him.

“The Gwalior-Chambal Expressway will be named Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Chambal Progressway. He continues to inspire us to work for the public, Chouhan said while addressing a public gathering.—ANI

Greater Noida: The Bulandshahr police have arrested two people in connection with the death of US scholar Sudeeksha Bhati, 19, who died in a road accident on August 10.

The suspects were identified as Deepak Solanki, a resident of Gulaothi, and his accomplice Raju, a resident of Bulandshahr dehat. The police have recovered the Royal Enfield motorcycle used in the accident.

The police said its investigation revealed this was a case of road

accident and not of harassment.

Santosh Kumar Singh, senior superintendent of police, Bulandshahr, said on Sunday the police scanned over 350 bikes from nearby areas and questioned over 1000 persons be-

AUTHORITIES RE-OPEN RELIGIOUS PLACES IN J-K Katra: Khushvinder Singh is part of a 12-member group from Jammu who reached Katra before dawn to pay obeisance at the famous Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine atop Trikuta hills in Reasi district of J&K. The shrine along with other religious places across the Union Territory reopened for devotees on Sunday morning after remaining closed for almost five months due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The shrine reopened for the devotees around 6 am and CEO Shrine Board Ramesh Kumar reviewed the arrangements.

fore zeroing in on them.”The police scanned 12 CCTV cameras and found Sudeeksha and her cousin going on a bike at 8.25 am. The same camera captured an Enfield rider Solanki at 8.17 am on the same route. Solanki admitted that he was riding the motorcycle when the accident took place. We have seized Royal Enfield motorcycle. The suspect had also modified the motorcycle’s number plate, silencer, indicator, etc,” said police.

our inquiry is over.”

“Public servants do not get into political

13-year-old raped, brutally murdered in Lakhimpur Kheri Lucknow: A 13-year-old girl was raped and killed in UP’s Lakhimpur Kheri district and her body found in a sugarcane field, the police said on Saturday, in yet another horrific case that has emerged from the state in recent days.

Two men from her village have been arrested.

She had been strangled, her eyes were gouged out and her tongue cut, the girl’s father said. The incident took place on Friday, around 130 km from Lucknow, in a village close to the Nepal border. Her body was found

BAGHEL INVITES SONIA TO NEW ASSEMBLY FOUNDATION EVENT Chhattisgarh: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has invited Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for the foundation stone laying ceremony of the new building of state assembly in Nava Raipur.

The foundation stone laying ceremony is scheduled to be held at 12 pm

mode. Nobody is above law,” he said, during his media address at a func-

tion organised at Raj Bhawan to mark the second death anniversary of former PM Atal Behari Vajpayee. He also criticised CM Mamata Banerjee for not attending the At Home function at Raj Bhawan on Independence Day. “There is lawlessness in the state. There was a killing in Hooghly district. The dangerous head of Maoism is getting visible with support of state actors.”

The TMC reacted sharply, saying the allegations were unfounded. —Agencies

on August 28. Baghel has written a letter requesting Sonia Gandhi to grace the occasion as the chief guest and Rahul Gandhi to be the special guest of the event through video conferencing. Baghel said that since the formation of the state there was a need for a new stateof-the-art Chhattisgarh assembly building.

in the fields of one of the accused.

The UP Police said the post-mortem report that came out on Sunday night does not show her eyes were gouged out or tongue cut. The police said the autopsy mentioned rape and strangulation.

“Her eyes were not gouged and tongue was

not cut. The claim is not true,” SP of Kheri Satendra Kumar said.

“The girl’s post mortem has confirmed rape.

The two accused had been arrested already.

We will file charges for rape, murder and also under the National Security Act,”he added.

The girl had gone missing on Friday afternoon. “We went looking for her everywhere.

Found her in the sugarcane field. Her eyes had been gouged out. Her tongue was cut and strangled with a dupatta,” the father of the girl said. —Agencies

RAJNATH SINGH APPROVES PROPOSAL TO EXPAND NCC New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved the proposal to expand the National Cadet Corps (NCC) in 173 border and coastal districts from where 100,000 new cadets will be inducted, an official statement said.The expansion of NCC was announced by PM Narendra Modi in his Independence Day speech. He said NCC will be expanded in border & coastal districts so that these areas “get trained manpower for disaster management & youth will also get skill training for making their career in armed forces”.

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PM Modi’s cowardice allowed China to take our land: RaGa

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I-DAY CELEBRATIONS!

The Cong leader further said that the PM’s ‘lies will ensure’ that China keeps the land

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took another swipe at Prime Minister on Sunday, saying the the Prime Minister does not believe in the capability and valour of the Indian Army.

Taking to Twitter, Gandhi wrote, “Everybody believes in the capability and valour of the Indian army. Except the PM: Whose cowardice allowed China to take our land. Whose lies will ensure they keep it.”

Rahul Gandhi said that the Prime Minister’s ‘cowardice’ has allowed China to ‘take our land’. The Congress leader further added saying that the PM’s ‘lies will ensure’ that China keeps the land.

Rahul Gandhi has repeatedly questioned the Prime Minister over the border standoff with China, alleging that the PM has not revealed the truth about it.

Earlier this month, Rahul Gandhi said that PM Modi spoke lie on Chinese incursion, insulted soldiers.

Last month, the Con-

RAHUL GANDHI @RahulGandhi Everybody believes in the capability and valour of the Indian army. Except the PM: Whose cowardice allowed China to take our land.

Whose lies will ensure they keep it.

BJP & RSS control Facebook & Whatsapp in India. They spread fake news and hatred through it and use it to influence the electorate. Finally, the American media has come out with the truth about Facebook.

PRIYANKA GANDHI VADRA @priyankagandhi Happy Navroze to all, especially to our darling Parsi aunties, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews in Delhi and Mumbai.

gress leader and the Gandhi scion, released a video on Twitter, attacking the Modi government over its handling of the China issue.

In the video, RahulGandhi had said that China’s actions have been prompted by India’s disruption over six years. —ANI

‘Cong allied with FB to weaponise data’ New Delhi: The Congress was caught redhanded colluding with Cambridge Analytica and Facebook for using data before elections and is now falsely accusing the BJP of doing the same, said Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad slamming Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi.

Prasad’s statement came after Gandhi had accused BJP & RSS of controlling Facebook & Whatsapp in India & using it to ‘spread fake news & hatred through it & use it to influence the electorate.’ Gandhi had also shared a report, published in an American daily, in his tweet in support of his claims. Reacting to this, Prasad said, “Losers who cannot influence people even in their own party keep cribbing that the entire world is controlled by the BJP and RSS. You were caught redhanded in alliance with Cambridge Ana-

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing the Nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the occasion of 74th Independence Day in New Delhi.

—PHOTO BY ANI

SCATHING ATTACK

ITBP personnel celebrate the 74th Independence Day in Ladakh.

lytica and Facebook to weaponise data before the elections and now have the gall to question us?” —ANI

63,489 more COVID-19 cases in India, toll nears 50,000 mark ‘Mukherjee stable, under observation’ New Delhi: Former Indian President Pranab Mukherjee continued to remain on ventilatory support on Sunday, Army Research and Referral Hospital said, adding that his vitals are stable and being monitored by a team of specialists.

“There is no change in condition of Pranab Mukherjee. His vital and clinical parameters are stable and he continues to be on ventilator support. He also has multiple old co-morbidities & his condition is being closely monitored by a team of specialists,” the hospital said.

New Delhi: India registered 63,489 new coronavirus cases and 944 deaths in the last 24 hours, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

With 944 new deaths, the cumulative death toll in the country is nearing 50,000-mark.

The country’s coronavirus count touched 25,89,682 including 6,77,444 active cases, 18,62,258 discharged and 49,980 deaths on Sunday.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), 7,46,608 samples were tested on August 15 and nearly 3 crore samples have been tested so far.

2,93,09,703 samples have been tested up to August 15. Taking to Twitter on Sunday, the Union Health Ministry informed that India has one of the lowest COVID-19 mortality globally

An illuminated view of Burj Khalifa in the colours of Indian National Flag Tricolour.

Migrant workers who are coming back from their native place, going through mandatory COVID-19 test, at a testing camp organised by Delhi Government, at Anand Vihar bus terminal in New Delhi.

as the case fatality rate (CFR) in the country is below 2 per cent.

The Ministry said aggressive testing and early detection coupled with quick isolation and effective treatment protocol is the reason behind low mortality

rates are low in India.

“With sharply falling Case Fatality Rate below 2%, India has one of the lowest #COVID19 mortality globally,” MOHFW tweeted.

“USA crossed 50,000 deaths in 23 days, Brazil in 95 days and Mexico in

141 days. India took 156 days,” the ministry tweeted.

“Mortality rates are low in India because of aggressive testing and early detection coupled with quick isolation and effective treatment protocol,” it said in another tweet. —ANI

four large display screens in the House chamber, six small screens in the four galleries, audio consoles in galleries, ultraviolet germicidal irradiation, special cables connecting the two Houses for transmission of audio-visual signals and polycarbonate sheet separating the officers gallery from the chamber, Rajya Sabha Secretariat officials said.

They said the arrangements mark the first-of-its-kind session to be held in compliance with social distancing norm to check the spread of COVID-19.

Welcome Ajay...

Recently, Sonia-Rahul had assigned Maken a key responsibility of taking care of 102 Gehlotsupporting congress mlas ‘badabandi’ at Jaipur and Jaisalmer, where Gehlot had registered a record win by 123 votes in his trust vote in assembly on 14th August. Maken’s new assignment may be considered as a reward for his performance in Rajasthan during this period, which was some sort of a training or probation period for his upcoming Rajasthan job.

While expressing his gratitude to Sonia and

Rahul, a low profile, media shy and a grateful Maken tweeted, “Extremely grateful to the Hon’ble Congress President Smt. Sonia Gandhi and Shri RahulGandhi for reposing faith in me. Will leave no stone unturned to further strengthen the Congress Party in Rajasthan. Also thank my colleague Avinash Pande ji for his services & contribution.”

The Empire State Building in the US lit up on the occasion of Independence Day.

The Niagara Falls, Canada, considered one of the natural wonders of the world, was illuminated in the Indian tricolour of saffron, white and green to mark India’s 74th Independence Day. PM Justin Trudeau also wished India on the special occasion.

Home Minister Amit Shah hoists the Indian Tricolour at his residence on the occasion of the 74th Independence Day. He took to twitter to wish the people of the country a very Happy Independence Day!

FROM PG 1 Monsoon Session... will be seated in both chambers and galleries during session.

This is the first time in the history of Indian Parliament since 1952 that such an arrangement will be in place, where 60 members will be seated in the chamber and 51 in the galleries of Rajya Sabha and the remaining 132 in the chamber of Lok Sabha.

Similar seating arrangements are being worked out by the Lok Sabha Secretariat as well. For the first time, large display screens and consoles for participation from galleries,

ultraviolet germicidal irradiation, special cables between the two Houses and polycarbonate separators will be in place.

Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla at a meeting on July 17, after detailed examination of various options for holding the session, decided on using the chambers and galleries of both the Houses.

Work is in progress at fast pace for ensuring several additional installations in the prescribed time which include installation of

Chetan Chauhan...

Chetan Chauhan was a vital cog in the Indian lineup during the 1970s and he used to open the batting along with

Sunil Gavaskar. He had made his Test debut against New Zealand in 1969. The right-handed batsman went on to play 40 Tests, managing to score 2,084 runs at an average of 31.57.

The right-handed batsman also played 7 ODIs in his career, in which he scored 153 runs with the highest score being 46 against New Zealand in Sydney.

Chauhan was the first player in international cricket to finish his career with over 2000 runs but without a century.

Chauhan was admitted to Sanjay Gandhi PGI in Lucknow on July

12 after being found COVID-19 positive. Due to kidney related ailments, his health deteriorated and he was shifted to Medanta hospital in Gurugram.

Chauhan was UP Minister for Sainik Welfare, Home Guards, Civil Security and Prantiya Rakshak Dal (PRD).

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has condoled the demise of Chauhan.

MSD hangs... home base for a short training camp ahead of the players’ departure to the UAE next week.

The BCCI sent out a

statement, detailing each one of his historic achievements and lauding “a legacy that will be difficult to replicate.” Board president Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah paid rich tributes.

“It is the end of an era. What a player he has been for the country and world cricket...

He will finish with no regrets on the field,” said Ganguly.

Players and fans have urged India’s cricket board to retire Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s No. 7 jersey in a tribute to the two-time Cricket World Cup winning captain.

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HE WAS A BIT OF EVERYTHING AND STILL A BIT MORE BUT NO ONE COULD ACTUALLY COMPREHEND WHAT. EVERYONE THOUGHT THEY KNEW DHONI, BUT NO ONE KNEW HIM

MS DHONI: A LOT OF IT WILL ALWAYS REMAIN UNTOLD

W

What do they know of Dhoni who only Dhoni knows.

There seems nothing wrong in customising the most epic CLR James line from his seminal work 'Beyond a Boundary'. It fits Mahendra Singh Dhoni to the 'T'.

He could force one to throw the MCC cricket manual in the trash bin with his daredevilry in unorthodox strokeplay.

He could be a role model for all shy and reticent people on how to become an assertive leader. Two world titles meant he didn't do too badly.

And then one fine afternoon, he could stun the world by relinquishing Test captaincy with 10 short of landmark 100 games, a record Indians are so fond of.

And after another five years and seven months, he literally punches one in the gut on a balmy August 15 evening to say, "from 1929 hrs, consider me retired".

Just like that. Just like that Lieutenant Colonel Dhoni says over and out, adding to the sense of loss and chaos that 2020 has come to symbolise.

A legend in art of chasing, who became a megastar in finite cricket bringing in Sachin Tendulkar's poise and Virat Kohli's aggression in optimum proportions, one can never pinpoint what Dhoni actually was.

He was a bit of everything and still a bit more but no one could actually comprehend what.

Everyone thought they knew Dhoni, but no one knew him. There's a compartment that possibly remains shut. It's for none to see, it's where he probably computes, processes his raw thoughts and emotions while

taking a decision.

Retirement may be one such decision, it was his own but he needed to come to terms that the change room is no longer the place where he belongs and it took more than a year since that heartbreaking run out in a lost World Cup semifinal.

Dhoni, despite being a cricket star like no other, was never entirely a cricket story.

He was, still is and will always remain a social story.

A reflection of times when India's hinterland started shedding its fears and its inferiority complex while knocking on the doors of an aspirational India.

He wasn't a social reformer by any stretch of imagination but most certainly, hinterland's biggest icon after economic liberalisation.

Yet he was probably more 'khadoos' than any of his contemporaries from Mumbai.

Remember his 70 odd at Lord's in the first Test of a

2007 series. He showed doggedness and guts with limited technique on his first England tour.

With S Sreesanth at the other end, rain came to India's rescue. But then fortune favours the brave.

Just like the World T20 final in Johannesburg, where lack of bowling options turned into a great punt as Haryana Police's Joginder Sharma earned his wikipedia page with an over no one can forget.

Dhoni came from the industrial town of Ranchi where a rank in IIT JEE or AIEEE or UPSC, more often than not, defined a young mind.

But this man, who arrived with a flowing mane, insanely powerful wrists and a smile that was endearing but gave away nothing, redefined the dynamics.

He didn't display in-yourface aggression but those who have dealt with him knew he would stick to his conviction -- right or wrong,

the jury is still out.

Backing Virat Kohli, the Test batsman and Rohit Sharma, the opener destined to become a white ball legend, were fabulous foresights.

Indian cricket will remain indebted.

He shared a love-hate relationship with the media. He became inaccessible save for routine press conferences where he could rephrase his answer thousand times but still not give away anything, Dhoni became the least understood.

The conjectures, at times, were unfair and perhaps bordering on demeaning. It made him more defiant with a bit of irreverence for the fourth estate.

After the 2015 World Cup semi-final defeat, his press conference gave a hint of what he thought.

"I always tell Dr Baba (then media manager) that if they (media) are happy with you then you are not doing a good

job," he said and all present laughed.

Loyalty though was his forte. He has unflinching loyalty towards controversial BCCI President N Srinivasan, who gave him a free hand in decisions related to cricket.

Over the years, it became more of a father-son relationship that withstood the storms and the tests of time.

The pre-departure press conference at Mumbai before the 2013 Champions Trophy was a stormy one.

He was hounded with questions on Gurunath Meiyappan, Srinivasam's son-inlaw and a top official in Dhoni's IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings, which was tainted by the spot-fixing scandal.

He smiled stoically. And then the leap after winning the final at Edgbaston was more of relief than joy.

But the spot-fixing scandal and how his name was dragged in the mud made him believe the outside world even lesser.

He did have his loyal backers in Kohli and Rohit, who came to his defence at even the slightest hint of a criticism.As his reflexes became sharper behind the stumps, he became more and more circumspect in front of them.

But the brilliant mind was required as he was the ice to Kohli's fire.

But father time is cruel. So as he bids adieu to the game he gave so much, one can't help but relate to one of his favourite Bollywood songs from 'Kabhie Kabhie'.

"Main pal do pal ka shayaar hoon.

Pal do pal meri kahaani hain".

Dhoni was, however, much more than just fleeting moments.

Raina: Eternal supporting actor bids adieu to Int’l cricket

M

ichael Jordan needed a Scottie Pippen, so did Lionel Messi with an Andres Iniesta by his side and Suresh Raina is that glue that admirably stuck around with Mahendra Singh Dhoni in highs, lows, and from Saturday, in retirement.

On Saturday, following in the footsteps of his favourite captain and mentor, Raina announced his retirement from international cricket.

The 33-year-old is among the few who made centuries across formats, having played 18 Tests, 226 ODIs and 78 T20 Internationals while scoring 768, 5615 and 1605 runs respectively.

He also has 36 ODI wickets to his name and 13 each in Tests and T20Is. One will remember that 34 not out against Australia at Ahmedabad during the 2011 World Cup, an innings that was bridesmaid to Yuvraj Singh’s all-round heroics.

In the semi-final of the same tournament, the unbeaten 36 was pure gold dust but Sachin Tendulkar’s scratchy 85 still remains in our collective conscience.

Some things in life are just meant to be and Raina, the quintessential supporting actor, was probably one of them.

The 33-year-old left-hander from Ghaziabad, a mean white-ball master in his own rights, probably knows that the train called ‘Team India’ has left the station and he will not be able to add on to his 18 Tests, 226 ODIs and 78 T20 Internationals.

But he did hold his own in a significant number of matches as his seven hundreds across three formats (only one among three with KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma being the other two) and nearly 8000 (7988 to be precise) international runs would suggest.

Add to it 167 catches and a rough estimate of 1000 runs saved on the field in the point and cover region, Raina did well while having serious technical limitations, which prevented him from playing more than 18 Test matches.

But again, if Greg Chappell saw a raw talent in the boy from Lucknow Sports College, Dhoni knew how to use him.

Playing for Chennai Super Kings and becoming probably the most consistent IPL players since inception made him a better India player.

The skipper knew that if India played mostly in the sub-continent, an aggressive player like Raina would be an asset with his running be-

tween the wickets and ability to hit the spinners with ease.

There were two signature shots of Raina which fetched him plenty of runs. A whip or lofted on drive in the arc between long-on and deep mid-wicket and the inside out lofted shot over extra cover that will either be a six or a one bounce four.

One of the better players of spin bowling, on his day, he could murder the slow bowlers with precision footwork.

It helped that he batted number three at CSK for most of his career while in the Indian team, it would often be number five, where

either he came in when the top-order collapsed or for a tricky final few overs.

The understanding with Dhoni grew while batting in those tough overs and for a better part with five fielders outside the 30 yard circle in one-dayers.

But the post 2010 era was Virat Kohli’s where he did all the heavy lifting and Raina, most of the times, was left with precious little to do.

He did, at times, come out of Kohli’s shadow, once against Sri Lanka in an absolute rubbish pitch in Dhaka and against Zimbabwe in a 2015 World Cup game in

Auckland.

A game where, for a change, he played the short ball well, something that hurt his career dearly and probably led to his international retirement at a fairly young age of 33.

The international bowlers found out that Raina is susceptible when bowled short in the rib cage area, which he would fend awkwardly, and the gully or short leg will be in business. It ended his Test career prematurely and certainly cut short his whiteball run for India.

He knew the problem but for the longest time, didn’t have the solution as he started losing form after the 2015 World Cup. A failed YoYo test in 2017 added to his miseries, although he did feature in the 2018 limited overs series in England with a 46 at Lord’s in his second last match.

The irony is that his 46 off 63 balls was a decent effort but Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s 37 off 59 balls became the talking point and he lost out even there. He remains a Dhoni loyalist as Chinna Thala, for the umpteenth time, decided to follow in his Thala’s footsteps.

It was a good career but it’s Indian cricket’s misfortune that Raina’s full potential couldn’t be realised.

The many highlights of MSD’s glittering career As Mahendra Singh Dhoni bids adieu to international cricket, here is a look at the career highlights of India’s most successful captain, who led the country to two World Cup trophies.

December 2004: Dhoni makes his international debut against Bangladesh in an ODI at Chittagong.

October 2005: Promoted up the order to accelerate scoring, Dhoni smashes an unbeaten 183 off 145 balls, the then record of the highest individual score in ODI cricket in the second innings. Dhoni also wins Man of the Series award after India’s 3-0 triumph in the five-match rubber.

December 2005: Dhoni makes his Test debut against Sri Lanka in Chennai.

September 2007: Dhoni takes over the reins of ODI captaincy from Rahul Dravid.

September 2007: Dhoni equals Adam Gilchrist’s international record for most dismissals (6) in an innings in ODIs. Dhoni also becomes captain of the Indian squad for the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 in South Africa. He leads a young Indian side to victory against Pakistan in the final. He takes the risk of picking an inexperienced pacer Joginder Sharma instead of Harbhajan Singh to bowl the last over that eventually pays off.

August 2008: Dhoni leads India to its firstever bilateral ODI series victory in Sri Lanka.

August 2008: Dhoni wins the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award.

November 2008: Dhoni makes his debut as full-time Test captain of India during the fourth and final Test against Australia at Nagpur, replaces Anil Kumble who was injured in the third Test.

December 2008: Dhoni wins the ICC ODI Player of the Year honour.

March 2009: Dhoni leads India to its first bilateral ODI series victory in New Zealand.

April 2009: Dhoni honoured with the Padma Shri, India’s fourth highest civilian honour.

December 2009: Under Dhoni’s captaincy, India tops the ICC Test cricket rankings for the first time.

December 2009: Dhoni retains his ICC ODI Player of the year award, becomes the first player to win it twice.

May 2010: Dhoni leads Chennai Super Kings to their maiden Indian Premier League title. CSK beat Mumbai Indians by 22 runs in Mumbai.

April 2011: Dhoni plays his most memorable match-winning unbeaten knock -- 91 off 79 -balls against Sri Lanka in the World Cup final to help India lift the trophy after 28 years. He finishes the match with a huge six over longon off Nuwan Kulasekara and wins the Man of the Match award.

May 2011: With Dhoni as captain, Chennai Super Kings retain the IPL, beat Royal Challengers Banglore by 58 runs in the final in Bengaluru.

November 2011: The Indian Territorial Army confers the honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel on Dhoni.

March 2013: Dhoni becomes the most successful Indian Test captain, eclipses Sourav Ganguly’s record of 21 victories from 49 Tests.

June 2013: India wins the ICC Champions Trophy under Dhoni’s captaincy, beats England by five runs in the final. Dhoni becomes the first captain to win all three ICC trophies.

February 2013: Dhoni powers his way to his first double hundred in Tests. He scores 224 off 365 balls, most runs by an Indian wicketkeeper in an innings surpassing Budhi Kunderan’s 192.

March 2013: Under Dhoni’s captaincy, India beats Australia 4-0 at home for the first time in a Test series.

April 2018: Dhoni receives the Padma Bhushan, India’s third highest civillian honour.

May 2018: Under Dhoni’s captaincy, Chennai Super Kings win their third IPL title by defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad by eight wickets.

SOURCE: PTI CONCEPT: DIVYA HEMNANI DESIGN: CP SHARMA

A Big Step in the future will not define your success, a small step today will.

—Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO & Editor, First India

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2ND FRONT AHMEDABAD | MONDAY, AUGUST 17, 2020

08

Gujarat High Court says factory managers ‘were sleeping’ when a chemical blast killed 10 workers, hurt 77; denies anticipatory bail to them

‘REMEMBER BHOPAL? NO BAIL FOR NEGLIGENCE’ Darshan Desai Ahmedabad: “It shakes the human conscience since the after-shocks could be seen even today, if one visits Bhopal”, the Gujarat High Court thus referred to the 1984 Bhopal Gas Tragedy, to deliver a stinging order against anticipatory bail to the managers of a Bharuch-based chemical unit where a blast left 10 workers dead and 77 others injured on June 3.

Not only the Bhopal tragedy, the court also recalled the accident at the L.G. Polymers chemical plant at Visakhapatnam in May. The court recounted how “the gas speedily spread in the places surrounding the chemical plant” and how the “footage of people on the streets, collapsing on account of being unable to bear the gas and its pungent smell, is known to all.”

Gujarat High Court

The Gujarat High Court denied anticipatory bail to the accused employees, including the Production Incharge, Unit Head, Head of Plant and Liquid Storage, Head of Fire and Safety, of Yashasvi Rasayan Ltd in Vagra taluka of Bharuch district. The court held them prima facie guilty of the offence of criminal negligence leading to culpable homicide.

Justice Gita Gopi observed that instead of initiating immediate action, the company’s officials allowed the ac-

HC’S FAR-REACHING ORDER

cident to happen and were caught napping.

The accident occurred on account of a wrongful transfer of two different chemicals contained in tankers to

the wrong storage chambers. The court noted that the applicants were well-versed with the chemical character of the liquids involved and of the conse-

A GRATEFUL SHAH PRAISES DOCTORS AFTER RECOVERY!

Aditi Nagar New Delhi: Amit Shah was discharged from the hospital after testing negative for Corona. Upon his homecoming, many leaders including PM Narendra Modi and

the entire cabinet wished him. While there is all round happiness among Shah’s family, friends and party workers, doctors who looked after and treated Shah were elated and shared this elation on social me-

dia with the remark that Shah was the hope of 138 crore Indians. Shah could recover fast under the surveillance of the hospital staff, especially Dr Sushila Kataria who considered “It a huge responsibility for the

hospital team to treat him safely.” Notably, even when he was in the hospital, he was working remotely from there. Now, the union Home Minister has been asked to stay in home isolation for a few days.

quences of a chemical reaction arising out of a mixing of the two chemicals.

If they had taken necessary corrective measures immediately when the wrongful transfer of chemicals came to their knowledge, the tragedy could have been averted and 10 lives could have been saved, the court observed.

Going into elaborate details, Justice Gopi called it the “most glaring aspect of the case”, when on “02.06.2020, at around 1200 hrs., two tankers had arrived at the factory premises of

Spl trains to run between Guj, Maha First India Bureau Ahmedabad: To clear the extra rush of passengers, the Indian Railways will run additional Ganpati Special trains in coordination with Western Railway and Central Railway between A h m e d a b a d / Va dodara and Ratnagiri, Kudal and Sawantwadi Road stations.

Train number 09416 Ahmedabad Junction Kudal Weekly Special on Special Fare will leave from Ahmedabad Junction at 09:30 hours on August 18 and 25. The train will reach Kudal at 04:30 hours on the next day (2 Trips), the Indian Railways said in a release. Train number 09415 Kudal Ahmedabad Junction Weekly Special on Special Fare will leave from Kudal at 05:30 hrs on August 19 and 26. The train will reach Ahmedabad Junction at 00:15 hours on the next day (2 Trips), it added.

the company. One tanker was containing NA and another was containing DMS. Around 18 tonnes of NA and 25 tonnes of DMS were under the process of unloading and by mistake, the in-let pipes of the tanks were interchanged and were connected to the wrong storage chambers.

Thereafter, the chemicals got transferred to the wrong storage chambers through the hose-pipes.”

Expressing her shock, she asserted, “This factum came to the notice of the applicants, original accused, at around 1430 hrs. on 02.06.2020. At that very moment, instead of taking necessary corrective measures for neutralizing the chemical reaction, it appears that the applicants did nothing and simply slept over the entire event, as if the applicants were waiting for the tragedy to happen”.

Now, e-filing of cases at Guj HC First India Bureau Ahmedabad: The Gujarat High Court has launched e-filing of cases and an online facility to check the status of cases.

Chief Justice of the High Court Justice Vikram Nath launched the two new services on the occasion of 74th Independence Day on Saturday. He also directed five exclusive counters for physical case filing amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

The e-filing software has been developed by the eCommittee of the Supreme Court. This service will be available on the portal http://efiling. ecourts.gov.in/.

Initially, the service will be available for Criminal Miscellaneous Applications and Special Criminal Application for criminal cases and PILs, admiralty suits, first appeals, letters patent appeals and tax appeals for civil cases.

Advocates registered with the IT cell of the High Court will need to enroll themselves on the e-filing portal. The court also launched the ‘EmailMyCaseStatus’ service, which is activated after online registration. After this, anyone will be able to get automatic updates about his or her cases directly on email.

Cops rescue 26 workers from being trafficked to Gujarat First India Bureau Ganjam/Surat: The Odisha Police on Sunday rescued as many as 26 labourers allegedly being trafficked from Ganjam district to Gujarat and detained 3 middlemen for this.

They were rescued following simultaneous raids conducted by the Balipadar police and Buguda block administration. Acting on a tipoff, the police intercepted a bus carrying the labourers during the

wee hours.

It was found that most of the labourers were from Polsara and Buguda block in the Ganjam district.

When questioned, the labourers said the government had promised to provide jobs after their return from their workplaces outside Odisha amid the Covid-19 outbreak. However, the government had failed to fulfil its promise and this forced them to look for opportunities elsewhere.

“With no source of

income here, we are struggling to make ends meet and are forced to move to other states in search of work,” said a migrant labour.

With the resumption of industrial operations in Gujarat’s Surat, industries are in need of cheap manual labour. Taking advantage of the largescale unemployment in Odisha, the middlemen have again started labour trafficking from migrant-prone Ganjam district.

@ahmedpatel As I recall the immense contribution of freedom-fighters and martyrs on this Independence Day and tall leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Babasaheb Ambedkar, Sardar Patel and Lal Bahadur Shastri as well as Indira-ji, Rajiv-ji for building a modern India, I thank the social media team of INC for the video series, Dharohar, about the history of the Congress party. This will give the young generation an insight into its contributions —from freedom struggle to India’s emergence as a superpower.

Congress forms 3-member panel to oversee Rajasthan issues Aditi Nagar New Delhi: Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi on Sunday constituted a threemember committee of Ahmed Patel, KC Venugopal (AICC General Secretary, Incharge Organisantion) and Ajay Maken (AICC General Secretary, Incharge, Rajasthan) to oversee and ensure the smooth resolution of recent issues in Rajasthan.

According to sources, the stage is set for the new committee to look into Sachin Pilot’s issues and concerns.

Apart from Venugopal, Sonia Gandhi’s trusted aide Ahmed Patel, who enjoys an excellent rapport with Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, will play a key role in sorting out the issue in consultation with Gehlot and the new AICC General Secretary Ajay Maken.

“I thank Congress leadership for appoint-

Ahmed Patel

KC Venugopal

Ajay Maken

ing Ahmed Patel, KC Venugopal and Ajay

Maken in the three member committee. I

have complete faith that under the committee’s

guidance, the organization in Rajasthan will receive a new direction,” a jubilant Pilot tweeted.

With over three years left and a number of promises to be fulfilled, the party realises a course correction is critical and needs to get its house in order, sources in the Congress say. The threat of poaching by the BJP also remains very real, they add.

The new decisions taken after the truce are

expected to find a face saver for Sachin Pilot and a lasting solution to ensure the stability of the Rajasthan government. However, A change in the state’s leadership has been completely ruled out and Gehlot is all set to complete the remaining period of his five year tenure.

Interestingly, till now there is no clear indication what will be Pilot’s exact role now? According to sources, he is likely to be given some

important responsibility in AICC but will have nothing to do with Rajasthan. Still it will be interesting to watch that how a few Pilot camp MLAs, who are likely to be inducted in the Gehlot cabinet, will maintain their ‘contact’ with their leader Pilot.

On the other hand, there is a growing pressure from the Pilot camp in New Delhi to get finalised the recommendations of the committee as early as possible.

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09

AHMEDABAD, MONDAY AUGUST 17, 2020

BUST YOUR STRESS WITH

CROCHET

Crochet not only has a place in our wardrobe but also helps us to improve our mental health. City First brings to you the health benefits of knitting- the most effective way to heal!

HELPS WITH INSOMNIA: When you focus on something easy, 1repetitive and soothing, the body and

POORVIKA AGRAWAL cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

M

ost of us have encountered crochet in some or the other way, whether as apparel or as accessories like scarfs, hats, flowers, table mat and sweater, among others. The fine looplike construction and the vibrant colours of the thread is an interesting way to break the monotony of items used for everyday fashion and living. Not only the fabric name, but the process of creating it by interlocking loops of yarn and threads using a hook is also very interesting and creative.

In the early 1800s, some European communities used crochet products to identify their social status which only indicated that they can afford crochet products and other lace made items. The skill is known as haken in Holland, haekling in Denmark, hekling in Norway and virkning in Sweden.

Crochet has ample of benefits which you could not even think about; yarn heals.

Whether you prefer needles or hooks or a combination of both, crafting can soothe your body and mend your mind.

Here are some of the benefits:

mind calm down enough to let you fall asleep.

REDUCES STRESS AND ANXIETY: When you’re feeling 2stressed or anxious, take some time for yourself and allow yourself to be creative. This way you’re taking your mind off to whatever has been bothering you.

OR RELIEVES DEPRESSION: When we do something 3whichEASES we like, the brain releases

dopamine, a natural anti-depressant; knitting helps in stimulating dopamine to make us feel happier.

THE RISK OF ALZHEIMER’S: By engaging in cogni4tiveREDUCES exercises and stimulating your

mind, one can slow down or prevent memory loss.

WITH GRIEF PROCESSING: Crocheting can be one of the 5mostHELPS comforting things during the

phase where one is trying to cope up with things.

REDUCES IRRITABILITY AND RESTLESSNESS: It can help you 6through the times you feel grumpy, restless, frustrated or bored. This positive outlet preserves your relationships and keeps your mood balanced.

WAY OF CHARITY: Many people crafted crochet clothing and 7garments to donate them to soldiers

during the war. The practice continues even today while it is popularising to make hats and donate them to cancer treatment centres, for those undergoing chemotherapy.

Life isn’t easy, but knitting is!

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KRITIKA KANODIA cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

W

T

FA CE OF TH ED AY

R T E A D P E S D O E H

DEATH IS NOTHING AT ALL —By Henry Scott Holland

Death is nothing at all.

It does not count.

I have only slipped away into the next room.

Nothing has happened.

Everything remains exactly as it was.

I am I, and you are you, and the old life that we lived so fondly together is untouched, unchanged.

Whatever we were to each other, that we are still.

Call me by the old familiar name.

Speak of me in the easy way which you always used.

Put no difference into your tone.

Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.

Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes that we enjoyed together.

Play, smile, think of me, pray for me.

Let my name be ever the household word that it always was.

Let it be spoken without an effort, without the ghost of a shadow upon it.

Life means all that it ever meant.

It is the same as it ever was.

There is absolute and unbroken continuity.

What is this death but a negligible accident?

Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight?

I am but waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near, just round the corner.

All is well.

Nothing is hurt; nothing is lost.

One brief moment and all will be as it was before.

How we shall laugh at the trouble of parting when we meet again!

Source: https://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/death-is-nothing-atall-by-henry-scott-holland

YOUR DAY Horoscope by Saurabbh Sachdeva

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

You are in search of your path and the only way you can find is by truly self introspecting. You love to give guidances to other but its ok to not to sometimes, remember share your wisdom with people who value your opinions. You need to keep a check on your health.

Someone of you get enthusiastic about things at first and loose it later therefore work on being a bit consistent with the feeling.

Whatever you do just give your best and forget the rest. Support and make someone feel strong today, they will be thankful to you.

Though you are a sincere child and love your parents but you don’t agree with all their ideologies. You are perplexed with someone’s behaviour towards you, the right thing to do is to not care about it. Once you decide to do something you just do it. Hard work will take you far.

You love your family and can do anything for them.

You are on person who is always ready to help anyone. You are very excited about your kid’s future and are willing to do anything for him/her. You are a very optimistic person. Stretching any matter should be avoided.

MAR 21 - APR 20

APR 21 - MAY 20

MAY 21 - JUNE 21

JUNE 22 - JULY 23

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

Your life is beautiful not because you have everything but because of the way you live it. You are a good son/daughter to your parents and you earn many blessings every now and then because of your deeds.

You are very professional in your work and take your job seriously.

All travelling plans are cancelled so work things around as per current situation. Property possession is possible today. You boss will encourage you more than ever. You will devote much time to sports. You have many admirers around you. Respect your lover.

Its easy to drift apart in relationships and difficult to maintain, keep that in mind. You will get a good value for something that is of no use to you anymore. Today is a lucky day for the ones seeking an admission in some college or school. Sparkling personality is loved by everyone.

Take correct decisions on career front as your every move will impact your future. Luck favours you on academic front and you will clear your exams weather competitive of institution one. Your elder sibling will give you good advice so hesitate from opening up with him/her.

JULY 24 - AUGUST 23

AUG 24 - SEP 23

SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22

OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

You love to study and reading all the time is like your hobby. You are willing to go somewhere for a change but situations won’t allow. You have very good friends who never let you fall. You may face challenged from in laws but with persistent efforts you will change whats bad into good.

Your spouse will give you some kind of surprise and it will make your day. You will be involved in charity work today and you will encourage everyone around you to do the same.

You want something big from life but yet to discover what it is. False practices shall be avoided on work.

You will be whole day entertained with some or the other thing at home. Your lover is also your best friends who understands you before you say anything. You love to indulge in some or the other form of exercises.

You get bored with one thing easily therefore you like changes.

Have faith in something or someone, its very important. Don’t test your parent’s patience. Your children may feel bored and expect you to do something about it. Life is beautiful if you see it that way. Your lover is miles away and you miss his/ her physical presence.

NOV 23 - DEC 22

PRAJAKTA KOLI, Content Creator

10

UL

e should stop thinking that someone’s death is an unfortunate event. Yes, the living will miss them and feel a void in life.

However, we should stop treating it like a sad affair.

Most of us believe that we have a soul.

While some may have differing opinions, I strongly feel that every soul has a purpose. This is also because I believe in the concept of reincarnation and soulmates (souls that stay together through multiple lifetimes).

I feel every soul has a purpose in every lifetime. The end purpose is to learn a little more about goodness and desirable virtues.

This is why, maybe, the good ones die so soon and the spiteful ones live the longest. The spiteful ones simply need more time to learn.

When someone dies, I feel it’s because the soul has completely fulfilled the purpose of this lifetime. Now, it is possible that the person may have pending wishes/desires, but that should not be confused with the soul’s purpose.

Maybe those desires will be purposes of other lifetimes.

This may help you accept the death of a near and dear one. Or, this may help you get over the fear of death. That’s up to you.

But this is what I feel that we should not call anyone’s departure tragic or unfortunate. That’s what their fortune demanded and it is for an ultimate good that we do not know yet. Whatever happens, happens for good. Maybe we just don’t know it right now. (For us and for the departed soul).

AHMEDABAD | MONDAY, AUGUST 17, 2020

DEC 23 - JAN 20

JAN 21 - FEB 19

FEB20 - MARCH 20

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AHMEDABAD | MONDAY, AUGUST 17, 2020

11

THE POWER OF ACCEPTANCE KARISHMA GWALANI

Karishma.gwalani @firstindia.co.in

T

he melodious Singer of Bollywood Shilpa Rao is back with the latest song ‘Aadhe Aadhe Se’ with a Netflix movie ‘Raat Akeli Hai’, starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui

Shilpa Rao

and Radhika Apte. In an exclusive interview with City First, Shilpa talked about her latest song that is making the buzz on playlists.

“I and the composer Sneha never got along well.

Eventually, around a year ago, Anurag Kashyap made us sit together and insisted we work together on the song. That’s how we met and decided to work on this song. I really enjoyed working with her, not just work-

ing with her but the whole persona of her and hope it was likewise for her,” she said on her recent collaboration.

While talking about her recent song, she said, “Sneha has composed the song. Honestly, it was a great experience working on this song as it is a very complex song and to sing those words perfectly requires hard work. Rajshekhar has beautifully written the lyrics. To

WORKING ON

Today, Rao has hits like Javeda Zindagi from Anwar, Khuda Jaane from Bachna Ae Haseeno, Yaariyaan from Cocktail, Ghungroo from War and the title track of Kalank, to name a few, under her belt.

On her upcoming projects, the Songstress stated, “I have a few projects in the pipeline.

We are working on a video release for a collaboration I did with Anoushka Shankar.”

SURPRISE PREGNANCY

A

MARRIAGE I n an attempt to breathe new life into their marriage, American rapper Kanye West and reality TV star Kim Kardashian-West have rented out an entire 500acre resort deep in the San Juan Mountains.

The Wests left Colorado's Dunton River Camp earlier this week for the former cattle ranch along the Delores River, renting out the entire property for a whopping USD 43K per night, as per reports. The resort gave the family exclusive access to the resort's campfires, cabins, hot springs, hiking trails and everything else needed for a getaway.

This latest family vacation follows a weeklong trip to the Dominican Republic where West was reunited

say, I’ve sung so many words in this song which I have actually never sung in any song.

This song is about growth and how we all are ‘work in progress’ as a human being, as a lover, as a musician, as an artist and that I think was something me and Sneha resonated well with working on this song. This song, to me, symbolises the word ‘Acceptance’ and accepting each other as people.”

with his four kids, sevenyear-old North, four-year-old Saint, two-year-old Chicago, and 15-month-old Psalm, after being holed up for weeks at his 14 million USD Wyoming ranch, as per media reports The source also reports that the 39-year-old SKIMS founder is "exhausted."

"Between the kids, work, and dealing with Kanye's bipolar episodes, it's been hard for her to think clearly," the source said of Kardashian. —ANI

day after American model Chrissy Teigen and singer husband John Legend announced they were expecting a third child, Teigen revealed in a series of tweets how she found out about the surprise pregnancy.

According to

reports, when Twitter followers asked if she knew she was pregnant during her breast implant removal surgery in June, the 34-year-old model tweeted that "It's quite a story." The 'Cravings' author wrote, "I did the routine pregnancy test you do before surgery. It said negative. It was not negative," adding she took another test after the June 19 surgery.

The tweets came a day after Teigen and Legend

announced the pregnancy in his new music video, 'Wild.' The video includes a close-up shot on her growing baby bump, reported sources. The supermodel said she was surprised and "didn't think" she could get pregnant naturally, without the aid of fertility treatments. The couple's other children -- 4-yearold Luna and 2-year-old Miles - were conceived after undergoing IVF treatments.

—ANI

FREIDA PINTO TO CAST IN ‘THE HENNA ARTIST’

‘T

he Henna Artist’, Alka Joshi's bestselling debut novel, is based on 17-year old Lakshmi, who escapes from an abusive marriage and makes her way alone to the 1950s pink city of Jaipur. There, she becomes the most highly requested henna artist and confidante to the wealthy women of the upper class. But trusted with the secrets of the wealthy, she never can reveal her own.

'The Henna Artist' has tremendous potential to become that binge-able, high-quality, multilayered television show that hon-

ours the glory and beauty of India, its culture and its people," said Pinto. Reading the book, Pinto was drawn to Lakshmi, "the kind of character I'd been dying to sink my teeth into".

"As an actress, I cannot wait to dive back into the stories of my motherland and make my women (and my men) of all backgrounds, with all their good and their complexities, feel seen and heard," said the actress, who was born and raised in India.

—Agency

Kanye West and Kim Kardashian

SAIF TURNS 50

S

aif Ali Khan celebrated preparing to welcome their sechis milestone 50th birth- ond child. Following Kareena's day this weekend and the birthday wishes, her sister Kafamily is leaving no stone risma Kapoor also took to Instaunturned to make it memorable. gram and wish Saif.

—Agency As the celebrations unfold, Kareena Kapoor Khan took to Instagram and shared a video from the party to wish the actor on social media.

The actress posted a boomerang video and a sweet video of the two posing with the birthday cake to wish the "sparkle" of her life on his 50th birthday. While the fun video oozes love, the boomerang video also gave us a glimpse of Bebo's baby bump.

The Laal Singh Chadda star captioned the video, "Happy birthday to the sparkle of my life" adding a red heart to it. The video comes days after Kareena and Saif Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan confirmed that they were

Freida Pinto

Chrissy Teigen

SOULFUL MEANING!

K

aran Singh Grover, who is known to have a knack at painting, shared snapshots of his latest artwork on Instagram.

Describing the painting, Karan shared: “This art piece symbolises independence and also transformation. It describes how a caterpillar transforms into a butterfly. That’s where we are, trying to understand our parts and roles in developing wings and colours of the butterfly we all must become.”

Karan’s wife, actress Bipasha Basu, commented on the post: “New piece on Independence Day is soulful and beautiful.”

“First we achieved unity, then we achieved independence. First, we must unite, then we shall transform.

From 1947 to 2020, our first step remains the same.

We are all one. All cells

in the divine body, who herself is a cell in the body of this infinitely vast, canvas of divine consciousness. Unite with the Self and we shall unite with the all. Let’s lead the way. Happy Independence Day,” Karan said. —Agency

Karan Singh Grover and his post

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

INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION!

—PHOTO BY SANTOSH SHARMA

AHMEDABAD | MONDAY, AUGUST 17, 2020

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ONLINE PROPERTY EXPO 2020

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Jagdeesh Chandra unfurled the National Flag on the occasion of Independence Day at the First India News Channel office on Saturday morning. Seen here with him are Mahipal Singh, Syed Umar and other members of the First India Team.

Cycle Rally by Muskaan

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cycle rally was organised by Muskaan Foundation for Road Safety on Sunday, where the volunteers and friends of the NGO participated. The objective of the rally is to demand safe infrastructure for the cyclists of Jaipur city. The group of cyclists started at 7.30 in the morning from Jawahar Circle and cycled till Mahatma

Gandhi statue on Jawahar Lal Nehru Marg and back. The placards carried by the volunteers read, ‘We demand Safe Infrastructure for Cyclists’, ‘Safe Mobility for cyclists’ and ‘I love cycling’. The Manager Projects of Muskaan, Neha Khullar said, “Muskaan is committed to continue the demand for safe mobility for cyclists and will advocate the use of cycles.” cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

TWEETED!

Robert Vadra’s post Robert Vadra took to Twitter on 15 August, Saturday to wish everyone a very happy Independence Day with a throwback picture.

He wrote, “Happy Independence Day. Being Indian is an honour... especially being part of a family who for generations have devoted & martyred their lives for the people & the country. Our efforts and dreams for the country will be constant till we live.” —Vaishali

ransport Minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas inaugurated an online property expo organized

by CREDAI Rajasthan on Saturday.

CREDAI which boasts of membership from the leading builders of the state has taken an initiative in the ongoing corona epidemic of an online property expo.

This expo gives the facility of selecting featured properties without having to travel out of the comfort of one’s home.

Minister Khachariyawas praised the initiative and called it

(From right) Anurag Sharma, Gopal Gupta, Pratap Singh Khachariyawas, Sunil Jain, Sanjay Gupta and Manoj Mudgal

path-breaking. CREDAI President Sunil Jain said that the expo will benefit people who are

following social distancing guidelines and are hesitant in moving out to look out for properties of their choice.

Jain said the expo will save a lot of time and conveyance money to the people. It is noteworthy that the online expo organized by CREDAI involves more than

75 builders who have listed projects starting as less as Rs 5 lakh and up to Rs 3 crore. The organizers claimed that buyers will get all relevant information like location, features, distance, price, etc through audio-visuals to make their choice easy. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

HAPPENINGS IN GUJARAT!

GUJARAT: Women seen wearing Tricolour masks and taking a selfie after the flag hoisting ceremony at the Congress office in Ahmedabad on Saturday.

—PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Robert Vadra on Sunday morning uploaded a motivational quote that said, “A healthy lifestyle not only changes your body, it changes your mind, your attitude and your mood. Have a nice Sunday. Good morning.”

—Vaishali

GUJARAT: AURO University, Surat celebrated the 74th Independence Day and Sri Aurobindo’s 148th birth anniversary on its campus on Saturday. All the guidelines of social distancing were followed. The Independence Day celebration began with flag hoisting by the Hon. Vice-Chancellor Prof. Rajan Welukar and was concluded with the singing of the national anthem.

‘Bhasha Anek Bhav Ek’ CITY FIRST

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he birthday of AICC secretary and former MLA Dheeraj Gurjar was widely celebrated by party workers and officebearers across the Bhilwara district on 15 August, Saturday. Leaders and workers from PCC, Youth Congress, NSUI, Seva Dal and Mahila Congress celebrated the birthday in almost all MLA constituencies of Bhilwara. The celebrations mainly were based on raising help for the needy and poor

where tricycles were distributed to the disabled, masks were distributed to people and plantation campaigns were organized at some places. Party workers distributed sweets to express their feelings for the leader. Seva Dal workers were seen planting trees in slums while women workers were busy distributing masks along with giving hand to plantation drive. There were reports of celebrations from Jahajpur, Kotdi, Mandalgarh, Kareda, Gangapur, Raipur, Sahada and Aseend. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

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(From 1-7) IAS Dr Veena Pradhan, IAS Dr Arushi Malik and IAS Ram Chandra Dhenwal celebrated their birthdays on 15 August, Saturday while IAS Dr Prithvi Raj, IAS Ansh Deep, IAS Gaurav Agrawal and IPS Vikas Sharma celebrated their birthdays on 16 August, Sunday. We wish them all the best!

GUJARAT: Indigo completed two years of operations at the Surat Airport on Sunday. Seen here are the staff members of the same.

GUJARAT: The 74th Independence Day was celebrated at Surat Airport on Saturday.

DURING THE DAY!

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n the occasion of 74th Independence Day of India, the Department of Art, Literature, Culture and Archaeology, Government of Rajasthan saluted the martyrs and wished every one Independence Day in a very creative manner. The Department took the initiative to design attractive creatives courtesy of its 6 language academies - Rajasthani, Sanskrit, Urdu, Punjabi, Sindhi and Braj. The purpose of creating these creatives is to convey the message of ‘unity in diversity’ to the people through the slogan ‘Bhasha Anek Bhav Ek’.

It is noteworthy that the language academies are constantly working towards upgrading, promoting and preserving the literature and culture of the languages.

These academies provide scholars of the respective languages by providing financial support, research scholarships, and honouring.

RAJASTHAN: On the occasion of Independence Day, a patriotic song ‘Nirbhaya Bharat’s Daughters’ was released

by Trooper Records and Virtual Planet in collaboration with Nirbhaya Squad Rajasthan Police to promote women power in Jaipur.

RAJASTHAN: On the occasion of 74th Independence Day, a tree plantation drive was organised in the memory of late actor Sushant Singh Rajput by Raghukul Trust in Arya Engineering College to fulfil SSR’s dream of planting 1000 trees under Go Green Jaipur. The march was led by Chairperson, Arya Group of Institutions, Anuraag Aggarwal and Chairperson, Raghukul Trust, Sadhana Garg to seek justice and CBI probe for SSR.

A thriller feature film, ‘Transference’ is out on Amazon Prime USA. The film features the team from the TV shows CSI Miami and Gotham.

RAJASTHAN: Vagmi Jain from Jaipur celebrated the spirit of independence on the 74th Independence day.