First India-Ahmedabad Edition-22 November 2020

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AHMEDABAD l SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2020 l Pages 12 l 3.00 RNI NO. GUJENG/2019/16208 l Vol 1 l Issue No. 355

WELCOME AMIT SHAH, CHENNAI CHEERS ON STREETS

Union Home Minister Amit Shah waves his supporters as he arrives in Chennai on Saturday.

HOME MINISTER AMIT SHAH SPRINGS A SURPRISE, BREAKS PROTOCOL TO WALK ON CHENNAI ROAD TO GREET SUPPORTERS

Shah lays metro foundation; tie-up with BJP to continue, says AIADMK Mohd Fahad Chennai: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday sprang a surprise in Chennai when he virtually broke protocol to get out of his vehicle and walk on the busy GST Road outside the airport to greet supporters, minutes after he landed here for a twoday visit of the city.

Soon after his arrival from Delhi, Shah was received by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami, his deputy O Panneerselvam, senior cabinet members and BJP State President L Murugan.

However, after exiting the airport, Shah’s car suddenly stopped and the BJP veteran got out, before walking a short distance, waving at scores of BJP and AIADMK workers who

Amit Shah paying tribute to former Tamil Nadu chief ministers MGR and Jayalalitha on Saturday. (Right) Shah laid the foundation stone for phase-two of Chennai Metro Rail Project and virtually dedicated the new reservoir at Thervaikandigai to the people in Chennai on Saturday. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami and his deputy O Panneerselvam were present on the occasion.

Meanwhile, Suspended DMK member and former Member of Parliament, KP Ramalingam joined BJP in Chennai. “I will dedicate my life for the development of BJP. For 30 years I was in DMK... During Covid-19 situation, DMK called for all-party meeting. I released a statement against the meeting and I was suspended. Now I have taken 8 months’ time and under no pressure joined BJP,” said Ramalingam. had gathered to receive him with their respective party flags. Shah was accompanied by

BJP National General Secretary and party incharge of Tamil Nadu, CT Ravi, and Murugan,

‘GOVT WILL DECIDE’: LS SPEAKER OM BIRLA ON

HOLDING WINTER SESSION OF PARLIAMENT

Aditi Nagar

New Delhi: Amid speculation over holding the Winter Session of Parliament during corona crisis in Delhi, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, on Saturday, said that Lok Sabha Secretariat is ready to hold the session, and dates are decided by the government. At a press conference in New Delhi, he said the Monsoon session was held with all precautions amid the Covid-19 pandemic and the Parliament Standing Committees have also been meeting regularly. “The Lok Sabha Secretariat is prepared to hold the parliament session. As far as dates are concerned, it is decided by the

with his security in tow.

Meanwhile, the AIADMK’s alliance with the BJP will continue

Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs,” He also announced that a two-day all-India presiding officers’ meet will be held from November 25 in Kewadia near Vadodra with President Ram Nath Kovind and Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu gracing the occasion. PM Narendra Modi will also address the gathering, the Lok Sabha Speaker said.

—Amit Shah Union Home Minister for the Tamil Nadu elections due early next year, CM Palaniswami announced.

Turn to P6

Gandhinagar: Reliance Industries Limited Chairman Mukesh Ambani on Saturday appeared virtually in his home state of Gujarat after weeks of speculated illness.

Addressing Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University’s (PDPU) students via video conference during the convocation ceremony, Ambani said that “bold reforms” introduced under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pave the way for India’s rapid economic progress in the years to come.

He said “his (PM Modi) passionate and dynamic leadership has made the world sit up and take notice of the emergence of a new India. His confidence and conviction have inspired and galvanised the entire nation.” “I am sure that the bold reforms introduced under his leadership will

pave the way for India’s swift recovery and rapid economic progress in the years to come,” Ambani added.

Talking about days when PM Modi was Gujarat Chief Minister, he said, “...all of us know that PDPU itself is a product of Honourable Prime Minister Narendra bhai’s ‘Atma Nirbhar’ vision. It is a vision he cherished even when he was the Chief Minister of Gujarat...”

“PDPU is only fourteen years old. Yet, it already ranks among the top-25 in the Atal

Ranking of Institutions on innovation,” Ambani said.

On the country’s energy needs, the RIL Chairman said, “The future of energy is being shaped by unprecedented changes. And these changes are impacting the future of humanity -- indeed, the very future of our planet.”

“The most important question we face is this: Can we produce the growing amounts of energy we need to sustain our economies without harming the environment?” he said. Turn to P6

Will double oil refining capacity in 5 years:

PM Modi at Petroleum University convocation Naresh Sharma

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla

I can say with humility that whatever we are giving to Tamil Nadu, it was the right of the people and they were deprived of it since last 10 years of Congress-DMK rule

Mukesh Ambani hails PM’s “bold reforms”, says it will pave way for India’s growth

New Delhi: India will double its oil refining capacity in the next five years and will multiply the usage of natural gas by four-fold, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday while addressing the 8th convocation of Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University (PDPU). He also suggested that PDPU alter its name to include the word “energy”.

Telling students that

India was passing through a transitional phase, PM Modi told the students graduating during the Covid pandemic that they were entering the energy sector at the opportune time. “Today there are unlimited opportunities in the energy sector in India. You all have reached this sector at the right time. In this decade, in just the oil and gas sector, crores of investment will happen. So for you, there

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the 8th convocation of Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University, Gandhinagar via video conferencing, in New Delhi on Saturday.

are ample opportunities from research to manufacturing,” said

the prime minister during his virtual address of the convocation

where Mukesh Ambani, president of Board of Governors of PDPU and Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani had also participated.

Stating that India targets to cut down on its carbon footprint by 3035 percent, Modi told the students of this G a n d h i n a g a r- b a s e d university, “Keeping in mind our energy needs, it is our endeavor to increase the proportion of natural gas by four times in Turn to P6

NEWS AHMEDABAD | SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2020

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ARRIVALS STRANDED, 117 PUNISHED FOR VIOLATING CURFEW NORMS

The Sabarmati River Front, as seen from the historic Ellis Bridge, was deserted during curfew in Ahmedabad on Saturday.

Ahmedabad: The city came to a halt on Saturday as the sun rose on Ahmedabad’s first full day under curfew.

Most Amdavadis stayed indoors. And those who didn’t--and couldn’t show just cause for being out— faced punitive action under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, as in the case of 130 violators of the curfew which began 9 pm on Friday.

A total of 117 offences have been registered so far.

Several complements of police personnel were deputed to enforce the curfew and patrol sensitive areas including SG Highway, Ashram Road, Lal Darwaja, Kalupur, Bapunagar, Naroda, Sarkhej, Ring Road, Shahpur, Asarwa, Sabarmati and Chandkheda.

With the government announcing on Friday that bus services and autorickshaws would have to stay off the roads for the weekend, many people who arrived in Ahmedabad through the day were stranded at bus stands and the railway station. However, the authorities later arranged special AMTS buses for passengers alighting at the Kalupur Railway Station.

In addition, all entry points into the city by road are also under strict surveillance.

Passengers coming from Saurashtra were stopped near Sanathal Chokdi since the city border has effectively been sealed. The authorities have been carrying out intensive checking and turning away anyone who can-

AHMEDABAD UNDER

CURFEW

—PHOTOS BY HANIF SINDHI

First India Bureau

A man sleeps outside a shut shop in Dhalgarwad.

The deserted Chana Bazar in Ahmedabad’s Old City area turned into a venue for some gully cricket on Saturday.

not show a valid document or reason for entry. Those travelling by commercial vehicles are reportedly being charged five-to-ten times the usual fare to go back.

Further, only residents of the city and vehicles with the GJ01 passing are being admitted into the city, resulting in extreme inconvenience for the passengers from other districts.

An official statement clarified that tourists arriving and departing at Ahmedabad railway station and Ahmedabad airport will be allowed to enter and depart Ahmedabad city within two days of curfew, after showing fixed tickets and ID proofs.

Khamasa Crossroad was barricaded.

Arriving passengers were stranded at the Kalupur Station (left) and Gita Mandir Bus Depot (right).

The usually busy Teen Darwaja area became a playground.

Police personnel were seen checking personal vehicles at the corner of Eliisbridge (left) and Paldi crossroads in Ahmedabad.

A student sanitizes her hand before entering the centre for Chartered Accountancy exams on Saturday.

TALL CLAIMS

Hosps moving patients out of A’bad despite ‘having sufficient beds’ More than COVID-19 patients from the city have been admitted to a Karamsad facility in just 2 days First India Bureau Ahmedabad: With COVID-19 cases witnessing a sharp rise across the state in the recent past, the city is fast running out of hospital beds.

As a result, several patients are being transferred out of town for treatment, according to those familiar with the issue.

Interestingly, this

development comes a day after Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel said there are sufficient hospital beds available across the state and on the same day that the state added 300 beds for COVID-19 patients at the city-run Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Hospital.

First India has learnt that more than 100 patients from the city are estimated to have been

SVP hospital.

—FILE PHOTO

transferred to Karamsad’s Krishna hospital in the last two days. In addition, the state government has reserved hospitals in Kalol, Gandhinagar, and Kheda for outside patients.

With more than 1,400 fresh cases reported on Saturday, there is a high likelihood that private and government-run hospitals will be unable to accommodate all incoming patients within the next day or two.

Kamla Chavda, leader of the opposition in the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, slammed the ruling party for the mis-

management of the crisis. She said that the decision to send COVID-19 patients outside Ahmedabad has triggered panic among citizens.

“There are enough beds available for local patients and despite that, they are being referred to hospitals outside the city. There is no explanation on how they handle the crisis.

They deliberately send people out so that the city’s hospitals can be reserved for their families,” Chavda said.

As per sources, the patients who are moved to other hospitals under a government quota are asked to pay hospital charges.

GUJARAT AHMEDABAD | SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2020

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7 of family burnt to death in road accident What should have been a relatively minor incident turned fatal after victims got trapped in a burning car after being hit by a truck First India Bureau Surendranagar/ Palanpur: Seven members of a family, including three children, were burnt to death in a road accident in Surendranagar district. Another accident, this one in Banaskantha district, left one youth dead and another severely injured.

In the first incident, the Nayi family had been travelling from Chotila, when a heavy commercial vehicle (dumper) rammed into them from behind near Kherva on the Malvan

Highway. This led to a fire in their car. While the cause for the fire is as yet unclear, the family was left trapped in their vehicle, and burnt to death.

According to Mahesh Nayi, a relative who filed the complaint at the Bajana police station in the early hours of Saturday morning, the Ramesh and Haresh Nayi been returning from a trip to Chotila, where they had gone for a puja at the Chamunda temple, when the accident occurred.

The dumper driver left his truck at the

1 DEAD, 1 INJURED IN HIT & RUN

scene and is absconding.

Police have identified the victims as Ramesh Nayi (38), his wife Kailashben (35), their son Sunny (12), and their daughter Shital (8), as well as Haresh Nayi (35),

The wreckage of the Nayi family’s car.

his wife Sejalben (32) and their son Harshil (06).

The family belongs to the Korda village of Varahi Taluka of the Patan district.

Police say the bodies were so badly burnt that they had difficulty

identifying them. The remains have been sent for post-mortem.

They also said that the car was using LPG as fuel, and so they have not ruled out the possibility that the cylinder burst on impact with the dumper, triggering the fatal fire.

The Directorate of Forensic Sciences has been called in to join the investigation initiated by Bajana Police Sub Inspector VN Jadeja. Their findings will likely reveal the cause of the fire, and what caused the initial accident in the first place.

Central team visits Ahmedabad to review COVID-19 situation in city

First India Bureau

Ahmedabad: A team from the Central government, led by Dr SK Singh, Director, National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), arrived in the city on Saturday to take stock of the growing number of COVID-19 cases in Gujarat. The team visited SVP Hospital and Civil Hospital and inspected the methods being used to treat COVID-19 patients as well as the performance of the doctors.

The team reviewed the situation at the cityrun SVP Hospital and then had an extensive meeting with officers of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation at the Sabarmati River Front.

Dr Singh said told

Bharuch: Ankleshwar police have arrested Vijay Patel after he beat one Lalubhai Bihari to death for allegedly raping his five-year-old daughter on Friday.

In a separate incident, five youths were also arrested for rape in Ankleshwar.

Patel, who has been charged with murder and causing hurt to endanger life has, in turn filed a rape case against the deceased Lalubhai Bihari. In his statement to the police, Patel said that Bihari had lured his daughter to a toilet and raped her.

Witnesses to the murder told the police

—FILE PHOTO

Ankleshwar Town police station.

that Patel had beaten Bihari with a stick, all the while asking why he had raped the little girl. Bihari later succumbed to severe head injuries sustained dur-

ing the beating.

Town police inspector FK Jogel has initiated an investigation. And the child has been admitted to a local hospital for a medical check-up

and treatment.

In the other incident, five youths are facing allegations that they may have raped their victim after a birthday party that involved alcohol.

In new record, Gujarat witnesses jump of more than 1,500 new nCoV cases

The complainant told the police that she had left home two days ago after her mother scolded her and gone to a friend’s house. That evening, she and her friend went to the residence of the boyfriend, to celebrate his birthday. In all the party was attended by five youths and the two girls.

The next morning, the complainant woke up to find herself lying next to one of the youths. Apprehensive that she had fallen prey to a date rapist, the girl filed her complaint.

The police have arrested the five youths but will only charge them after medical tests show that the girl had, in fact, been raped by one of these youths.

First India Bureau

—PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

Five held in rape case, even as that man kills 5-year-old daughter’s alleged rapist

Commissioner Mukesh Kumar and the Central team at River Front.

First India, “We have come to visit SVP Hospital. We will now meet with officials and discuss the COVID-19 situation. We will stay in Gujarat for two days. In addition, we will go to Vadodara and other districts and consult with health officials about the situation there.”

He attributed the spurt in cases to “overcrowding” in the run-up to, and during, Diwali.

A special Central team had reviewed COVID-19 operations in Vadodara by video-conference in August and, back in July, had reviewed Ahmedabad and Surat. Teams led by AIIMS New Delhi Director Dr Randeep Guleria and Dr Manish Suneja had visited other hospitals, including Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, in July and consulted with doctors there.

PLANNING AHEAD

First India Bureau

Gandhinagar: The curfew instituted in the city on Friday night might be too little too late, given that Ahmedabad saw a whopping 354 new cases of COVID-19 in the 24-hour period as of 5 pm. The day brought a high number of new cases across the state, which witnessed a jump of 1,515 in the same time frame.

The dramatic rise has led to accusations that the state has been fudging data.

1,515 cases, nine fatalities take state tally to 1,95,917 cases, toll to 3,846

Testing in progress in Ahmedabad. —PHOTO BY HANIF SINDHI

With the new cases, Gujarat has now seen a total of 1,95,917 cases.

Nine new deaths were also reported--five in Ahmedabad, two in Surat, and one each in Gir

Somnath and Rajkot-taking the total death toll to 3,846, Among the districts, Ahmedabad reported the highest infection cases with 373 cases, fol-

lowed by Surat (262), Vadodara (164), Rajkot (137), Gandhinagar (89), Banaskantha (55), Mehsana (53), Patan (51) and Kutch (30), among others.

As per the health department bulletin, there are now 13,285 active cases in the state, with 95 patients on ventilator support.

State Assembly Speaker Rajendra Trivedi leads a team in planning for the 80th National Speakers Conference at Kevadia on November 25-26. He also chaired a meeting for the same, which was also attended by tourism secretary Mamta Verma.

DECLINING POPULATION

State launches project to tag vultures towards conservation effort The eight species of vultures found in Gujarat will receive solar-powered satellite tags as part of the process Masuma Bharmal Jariwala Rajkot: To conserve the declining population of vultures in the state, the Gujarat forest department has launched a project for tagging critically endangered and threatened categories of vultures with solar-powered

satellite tags.

There are nine species of vultures found in India, eight of which are found in Gujarat.

Four of the eight species are resident and four are migratory.

A report published in 2019 estimated that there are a total of 352 white-rumped vultures (WRVs) and 258 long-

The state is home to about 600 vultures, according to a report published in 2019.

billed vultures (LBVs)in Gujarat, of which about 45% of WRVs are found in Saurashtra, especially in the Mahuva region of Bhavnagar district.

About 52% of the total population of LBVs are found in Junagadh.

In the first exercise, the forest department tagged six vultures of three species, including three LBVs, two WRVs and one king vulture between October 12 and November 12 by trapping the birds in the Junagadh and Bhavnagar

districts. The exercise of tagging was carried out at the Sasan and Mahuva region.

Speaking to First India, Dr. Ram Mohan (IFS), deputy conservator of Forest wildlife division at Sasan-Gir Junagadh, said,” This is an in-house forest department project carried out with the approval of the central government.

Such a project is being undertaken in Gujarat for the first time. The tagging will help to obtain information about

local migration, territories and other habitat preferences of vultures.

“It will also enable us to obtain scientific information on feeding sites, migration routes and the general height at which they migrate, the breeding sites, their field of movement and so on. All this scientific evidence will be tracked by the Gir Hitech Monitoring Unit, which will play a major role in future conservation efforts for these critically endangered species.”

PERSPECTIVE AHMEDABAD | SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2020

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MR PRESIDENT, THIS IS UNFAIR!

IN-DEPTH

BJP GEARING TO STORM DRAVIDIAN CITADEL

L

eaving West Bengal in the hands of his experienced party colleagues Union Home Minister Amit Shah reached Chennai to prepare a strategy for the state elections due next year. The message from the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhgam (AIADMK) camp was that the ruling regional party will contest the elections in alliance with the BJP. Shah said that Chief Minister Edapaddi K. Palaniswamy, EPS in short, will lead the alliance. Tamil Nadu’s Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam, issued a statement saying that his party is ready to tango with the BJP. The BJP is aiming to breach the southern citadel at a time when Dravidian parties are in a political ferment. Panneerselvam was at loggerheads with EPS not very long ago. The party which witnessed a power struggle immediately after J. Jayalalithaa’s death is still riven with factionalism. With the legacy issue not yet settled and Sasikala, who claims to be the political (and financial) inheritor of Jayalalithaa’s mantle, is likely to be released from jail next year. That should set the AIADMK’s pot boiling again. Given the situation, the BJP-AIADMK alliance may not be the best bet but BJP has its own cadre and defectors thronging to its camp.

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), on the other hand, has its own family issues to settle as M.K. Alagiri, whose loyalist KP Ramalingam recently joined the BJP, is also expected to switch loyalty.

Besides banking on defectors, BJP is counting on the charisma of thespian Rajnikanth. It is also doing its best to whip up religious issues to win voters.

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

F

BEWARE! CORONAVIRUS EXPLOITS HUMAN LAXITY

W

hen it comes to Covid-19, there’s a visible complacency among the people not just in India but across the world. They don’t want to wear masks or maintain the required social distance. In the US and in Europe they insisted on going to beaches and parties. There have been protests against lockdowns and Covid protocols. Bravado got the better of fear of suffering and death until governments decided to impose heavy fines on those violating lockdowns and protocols.

Yet the novel coronavirus continues to play havoc, causing deaths and misery in several countries. If in India the new cases touched the 91,000 with 46, 232 new cases and 564 deaths in the last 24 hours mark, the US reported 195, 542 new cases on Friday. President Trump’s eldest son Donald Trump Jr. was among those who tested positive.

The American President was the one who took the pandemic very lightly as he mocked at doctors and scientists. With Trump stubbornly refusing to accept defeat, Joe Biden is unable to decide on a Covid related action plan.

The situation in the US is grim for lack of an effective policy and absence of leadership. In India there is a concern over high incidence of the virus in a few states like Delhi, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Kerala and MP. The silver lining is the high recovery rate in India.

That does not mean one should be lax about protection from the virus. If it does not kill, it leaves some of its victims badly affected. Those who don’t care expose others to the dangerous.

Barack Obama met Kennedy in the latter’s office, “I hear there is talk of you running for president”.

Obama told him it was unlikely but he wanted to but he wanted Kennedy’s “Counsel”.

Here’s what the younger brother of John F. Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy said to Barak Husain Obama.

ormer US President Barack Obama’s autobiography, “A Promised Land” is seven hundred and forty one pages long. I am half way through it. He belongs to the rare breed of untarnished political leaders. His place in history is assured. He is the only black American to become President of the United States of America.

Whether he was a great President or not only time will tell.

That he is a great and remarkable man is not in doubt. Within two years of being a US Senator, he became known throughout the country. His refined character, his wide reading, oratory made members of Congress, the rapacious multinationals and the media sit up. Here was the coming man. A unique phenomena was unfolding. People seriously started talking about him as a possible President. He himself gained confidence and said to himself, “Yes we can”.

He consulted hundreds of people, in many walks of life, but mainly politicos.

One of his close friends suggested to Obama that he “talk to Kennedy. He knows all the players. He run himself. He’ll give you some perspective. And at the very least he’ll tell you if he plans to support anyone else.”

Barack Obama met Kennedy in the latter’s office, “I hear there is talk of you running for president”. Obama told him it was unlikely but he wanted to but he wanted Kennedy’s “Counsel”. Here’s what the younger brother of John F. Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy said to Barak Husain Obama.

“I won’t be wading in early”, Teddy said. “Too many friends. But I can tell you this, Barack. The power to inspire is rare. Moments like this are rare. You think you may be ready, that you’ll do it at a more convenient time.

But you don’t choose the time.

The time chooses you. Either

you seize what may turn out to be your only chance you have, or you are willing to live with the knowledge that the chance has passed you by.”

On Mahatma Gandhi, the author writes at some length.

“More than anything, though my fascination with India had to do with Mahatma Gandhi.

Along with Lincoln King (Martin Luther) and Mandela, Gandhi had profoundly influenced my thinking. As a young man, I’d studied his writings and found him give voice to some of my deepest instincts. His notion of Satyagraha or devotion to truth and the power of nonviolent resistance to stir the conscience, his insistence on our common humanity and the essential oneness of all religions; and his belief in every society’s obligation, through its political, economic and social arrangements, to recognize the equal worth and dignity of all peopleeach of these idea resonated with me. Gandhi’s actions had stirred me even more than his words: he’d put his beliefs to test by risking his life…..” Gandhi according to Obama had “Set off a moral charge that pulsed around the globe.”

MR. PRESIDENT, THIS IS UNFAIR. INDIA IS A SECULAR COUNTRY, ITS CIVIL SERVICES ARE AMONG THE BEST IN THE WORLD. INDIA’S DEMOCRACY IS A FUNCTIONING ONE AND INDIA HAS NOT PRODUCED A MR. DONALD TRUMP

About Manmohan Singh he writes, “….. I would find Manmohan Singh to be wise, thoughtful and scrupulously honest. Despite its genuine economic progress, though, India remained a chaotic and impoverished place: largely divided by religion and caste, captive to the whims of corrupt local officials and power brokers, hamstrung by a parochial bureaucracy that was resisting change”.

Want to save the economy? Start by vanquishing COVID

R

ising COVID-19 numbers have placed much of Canada on the edge of seemingly inevitable lockdowns, just as winter begins. Having failed to contain the disease, with one lockdown behind us and another before us, it feels as if Canadians outside of Atlantic Canada are trapped on an unending rollercoaster of despair.

Even more demoralizing, it’s increasingly obvious that we don’t even need to be on this ride.

As the International Monetary Fund notes, Asia-Pacific countries as diverse as Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and Taiwan have crushed the curve, and their citizens are able to get on with their lives.

Cafés are full, crowds

04

cheer live sports events.

People aren’t dying.

This assumption is on full display in Ontario’s much-criticized and recently revamped colour-coded “COVID-19 response framework” that imposes restrictions based on a region’s COVID-19 prevalence.

Its tagline — “keeping Ontario safe and open” — explicitly assumes that it needs to keep the economy open for as long as possible during the pandemic. The unstated corollary is that protecting the economy requires suffering through a certain number of illnesses and deaths.

On its face, perhaps this makes some sense: we don’t want small businesses to go bankrupt or for people to lose their jobs.

But it gets the economy/ health trade-off exactly backward.

with COVID-19 hurts the economy, the economy is actually damaged by not dealing directly with the pandemic. The two are linked, but in a positivesum relationship: Address COVID-19, save the economy.

TO SAVE THE ECONOMY, STOMP THE VIRUS To put it bluntly, saving the economy requires minimizing, if not eliminating, community COVID-19 transmission. As economist Martin Eichenbaum and his coauthors note in a July

VoxEU article, community transmission itself reduces economic activity. Many people won’t risk their lives even for the most delicious restaurant sushi.

The upshot is that even with no, or limited, government intervention, we’re

going to end up in a recession and also with an overwhelmed health-care system, made worse when people living paycheque-topaycheque are forced to work while ill.

While Ontario’s government and others have assumed that dealing

READY-MADE ECONOMIC SOLUTIONS Fortunately, while this coronavirus may be novel, it presents a straightforward economic problem and response.

Our situation involves what economists refer to as “negative externalities.”

These are individually rational decisions — “I have to work to pay the bills,” or “I can’t go to the restaurant because I don’t want my parents to die” — with socially negative effects. In this case, that’s spreading the disease or reducing economic activity.

Mr. President, this is unfair.

India is a secular country, its civil services are among the best in the World. India’s democracy is a functioning one and India has not produced a Mr. Donald Trump.

I hope to finish this engrossing and absorbing book next week, but do not intend reviewing it.

The central government should without delay take action to monitor the manner in which Delhi government is handling or mishandling the Corona Virus pandemic. New Delhi and Delhi now have the dubious distinction of having the second largest number of Covid cases after New York.

With winter on us the situation is likely to get worse.

Shortage of beds and ventilators will multiply by the day.

Who knowns when the vaccine will arrive in India. The distribution problem will be acute.

We are not the most caring or efficient country in the world.

It’s time the Delhi Government paid heed to the strictures passed against it by the High Court.

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

Top

TWEET Prakash Javadekar @PrakashJavdekar Proud moment for India, as our supercomputer,”Param Siddhi” gets recognised amongst the most powerful AI supercomputer in the world. This will immensely benefit the country in various fields. Digital India under PM @ narendramodi ji’s leadership is surging ahead in AI Technology Jagat Prakash Nadda @JPNadda Today addressed a public meeting in Bilaspur of Devbhoomi Himachal Pradesh. I am overwhelmed by this immense affection and blessings of all of you. The central and state government is committed to the all-round development of Himachal.

Spiritual SPEAK

“Holding onto anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.”

—Buddha

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INDIA AHMEDABAD | SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2020

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Acceding to Punjab CM’s request, farmers agree to lift rail blockade

05

‘AIADMK-BJP alliance to continue for 2021 TN polls’

Soon after the announcement, Amarinder Singh urged the Centre to start train services in the state Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Saturday succeeded in breaking the imbroglio over the suspension of train services in the state, with the farmer unions acceding to his appeal and announcing complete lifting of the rail blockade from November 23 to pave the way for resumption of both goods and passenger train services after two months.

Soon after the announcement, the Chief Minister urged the Central government to reciprocate by restoring all train services in the state, and also to hold further talks with the farmer representatives to resolve the crisis over the farm laws.

The decision to lift the rail blockade was announced by Bharti Kissan Union (Rajewal) President Balbir Singh Rajewal at a meeting of representatives of the

Won’t allow CBI to investigate without consent: Amarinder

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh during a meeting with members and representatives of Kisan Unions in Chandigarh on Saturday.

—PHOTO BY ANI

Kisan Unions with the Chief Minister here to resolve the imbroglio over the rail blockade imposed by the farmers in protest against the Centre’s laws.

Rajewal, however, warned of resumption of blockade if the Central government fails to hold talks with the farmers’ representatives in the next 15 days

to address their concerns on the agricultural laws.

The farmer leaders urged all political parties in Punjab to get together to support them in their fight against the Central agricultural legislations instead of politicizing the issue, which was of grave concern to the state.

Thanking the farmer

J&K ‘turned into open air prison,’ alleges Mufti Srinagar: PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti said that she was stopped from visiting a site where she claimed illegal sand mining is carried out. Taking to Twitter, Mufti lashed out at the Centre, saying while J&K’s resources are being plundered, the government of India has “nothing but contempt for us”.“I was stopped from visiting Rambiara Nalla today by local admin.

This is where sand extraction through illegal tenders has been outsourced to outsiders & locals are barred from the area. Our land & resources are being plundered by GOI that has nothing but contempt for us,” the PDP leader tweeted. “Sand mafia is operating in broad daylight yet we are expected to remain quiet. As a leader, its my responsibility to articulate these grievances. But BJP is brazenly violating my rights & curbing my movements under guise of ‘security’.”

She also alleged that Jammu and Kashmir has been turned into an open air prison.

Mehbooba Mufti

Farooq writes to J&K poll panel, alleges PAGD not allowed to canvas Srinagar: PAGD President and former CM Farooq Abdullah in a letter to the state election commissioner KK Sharma alleged that ahead of the District Development Council elections PAGD candidates are being whisked away to secure locations “I am taking the liberty of writing to you about upcoming DDC elec-

AGRA DOCTOR KILLED INSIDE HOME, KIDS INJURED; 1 HELD Agra: A 38-year-old dentist was allegedly strangled to death while the perpetrator was arrested within five hours of committing the crime, police said on Saturday.The victim, Nisha Singhal’s eight-year-old daughter and four-year-old son too were injured after being attacked with a knife by the accused identified as

Shubham Pathak, they said.Pathak, who had robbed Singhal’s house, was caught following an encounter at Kalindi Vihar area. He was shot in the leg, a police officer said, adding that the stolen cash was seized from him.Pathak gained entry into Singhal’s house on the pretext of recharging a TV set top box.

tions. A strange and a unique feature has come to the fore. Candidates put up by the PAGD are immediately whisked away to “secure locations” in the name of security. They are not allowed to canvass, they are completely out of touch with those from whom they are supposed to seek votes,” the letter reads.

—Agencies

unions for accepting his request, the Chief Minister assured the farmer leaders that he would meet the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister soon to press for their demands.

“Let us together put pressure on the Centre to see our point of view and understand how these laws would ruin Punjab,” he said.

Chandigarh: Citing the agency’s poor track record in the Bargari case, which it had closed without any investigation, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Saturday said his government will not allow the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into his state without permission.

Pointing out that eight states, including Punjab, had withdrawn permission to the agency to enter without prior permission, the Chief Minister said the agency was being increasingly used to play politics, and a

New Delhi: Tamil Nadu deputy chief minister O Paneerselvam said that the alliance of his party, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) with th Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will continue for the 2021 Assembly election.

AIADMK-BJP alliance will continue for 2021 assembly elections,” Paneerselvam said at a function organised for Amit Shah in Chennai where the Union home minister inaugurated infrastructure projects. The Tamil Nadu Assembly polls are expected

fair probe could not be ensured through CBI. Dismissing the BJP as a non-entity in Punjab’s political arena, the Chief Minister told that the BJP was welcome to contest all 117 assembly seats in the state though the party would not be able to win a single seat without an alliance partner.

With elections in state still around 18 months away, it was not possible to say which issue will dominate polls, said Singh, expressing hope that BJP will resolve farmers’ grievances soon.

to take place on April-May next year.

Shah is on a twoday visit to Chennai where he is scheduled to hold crucial meeting with BJP office-bearers and party’s district-level presidents.

The alliance between AIADMK and BJP has come into strain after over the latter’s Vetrivel Yatra. The state government has denied permission citing the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, and AIADMK’s mouthpiece called it “divisive”.

BJP members have continued with yatra since November 6, courting arrests.

IN THE COURTYARD

Court asks MJ Akbar, Ramani if there is Comedian Bharti Singh scope of settlement in defamation case arrested by Anti-Drugs New Delhi: A Delhi court on Saturday asked former Union minister M J Akbar and journalist Priya Ramani whether there was a chance of settlement between them in a criminal defamation complaint filed by him against her.

Akbar had filed the complaint against Ramani for allegedly defaming him by accusing him of sexual misconduct around 20 years ago when he was a journalist.

Ramani had said the allegations against Akbar, made in the wake of #MeToo movement in 2018, were her truth

Bureau after questioning

and were made in public good.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Ravindra Kumar Pandey posed the query as he started hearing afresh the final arguments in the case since the previous judge hearing the matter was transferred to another

court on Wednesday.

Senior advocate Geeta Luthra, appearing for Akbar, said she needed time to talk to her client before making a decision on the issue. Ramani’s advocate Bhavook Chauhan, said there was less chance of any settlement since case facts were peculiar.

—PTI

Mumbai: The Narcotics Control Bureau on Saturday arrested comedian Bharti Singh after she confessed to consuming drugs, ANI reported.

The anti-drug agency said in a statement that it had found 86.5 grams of drugs during raids at Singh’s home and office. “Both Bharti and her husband Harsh Limbachiya accepted consumption of Ganja,” NCB said. “Bharti Singh [is] arrested and the examination of Harsh Limbachiya is underway.” NCB had earlier summoned Sin-

gh and Limbachiyaa for questioning. They arrived at the agency’s office soon after NCB conducted a raid at their Mumbai residence on Saturday. The agency’s widening probe into drug consumption within the film industry began with inquiry into actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s suicide in June.

—ANI

Delhi HC directs JMI University to give law graduate his degree New Delhi: The Delhi high Court has directed the Jamia Millia Islamia University to give a law graduate his degree and other documents related to his education at the educational institution within a period of three days.

With these directions, a single-judge bench of Justice Jayant Nath had on Thursday

‘WILL FIGHT ‘RAVAN RAJ’ IN MAHA WITH JAN AAKROSH YATRA’ Mumbai: Referring Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra as ‘Ravan Raj’, BJP MLA Ram Kadam said that he will continue to fight against the current regime and again take out the ‘Jan Akrosh Yatra’ on Palghar lynching case. “The state government tried to stop our ‘Jan Aakrosh Yatra’ but we will fight the Ravan Raj of the current regime. We will hold a hunger strike at Palghar and demand CBI investigation in the case,” BJP leader said. Ram Kadam and his supporters were detained by the police on November 18.

disposed of the petition filed by Mohd Munis Siddique through advo-

cates Harpreet Singh Hora and Himangi Kapoor with the grievance

PAKISTAN VIOLATES CEASEFIRE ALONG LOC IN J-K’S RAJOURI Rajouri: Pakistan has violated the ceasefire along LoC in Nowshera sector of Rajouri district on Saturday. Indian Army is retaliating befittingly.

Earlier in the day, Pakistan Army resorted to an unprovoked ceasefire violation on the LoC in the same sector. In the incident, Hav Patil Sangram Shivaji, an

Indian Army soldier from Kolhapur in Maharashtra, was critically injured and later succumbed to his injuries. “Hav Patil Sangram Shivaji was a brave, highly motivated and sincere soldier. The nation will always remain indebted to him for his supreme sacrifice and devotion to duty,” Lt Col Devender Anand said.

that the varsity has not given his marksheet, degree, etc. “If any compliance is to be done by the petitioner the same shall be communicated by the respondent to the petitioner today itself. The respondent will ensure that necessary degree along with other documents begiven to the petitioner within three

days thereafter,” the bench said.

Siddique had moved that court claiming that the varsity had not given his marksheet, degree and other documents due to which he is losing opportunities for higher education and employment despite making efforts for the same since July, 2020.

—ANI

TRS, BJP HAVEN’T DONE ANY DEVELOPMENT IN HYBD: CONG Hyderabad: Apart from blaming each other and pointing out flaws of each other, both Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have not done any development in Hyderabad, Telangana Congress leader Ponnam Prabhakar said on Saturday ahead of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) polls scheduled to be held on December 1. Ponnam Prabhakar who happens to be a former MP while speaking to ANI said, “The development that you currently see in Hyderabad is due to Congress”.

INDIA AHMEDABAD | SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2020

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On directions of Home Minister Amit Shah, ICMR has increased testing capacity from 27,000 to 37,200 per day

MHA to ICMR: Increase Delhi’s Covid-19 testing Churches to restart mass for public from Nov 29 in Mumbai

A couple from Vasai getting married at a church and donates all the marriage expenses in gifting beds and oxygen kits at quarantine centres, in Mumbai on Tuesday.

—PHOTO BY ANI

New Delhi: To ramp up Delhi's COVID-19 testing facilities, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has increased RT-PCR testing capacity from 27,000 tests per day to 37,200 RT-PCR tests per day, said the Ministry of

Home Affairs (MHA) on Saturday.

"ICMR has increased RT-PCR testing capacity from 27,000 tests/day to 37,200 RT-PCR tests per day on directions of Home Minister Amit Shah. 30,735 RT-PCR samples collected in

Delhi on 19 Nov as compared to 12,055 RT-PCR samples on 15 Nov," MHA tweeted.

The highest number of daily cases in India was reported from Delhi with 6,608 new cases registered in the last 24 hours. —ANI

Mumbai: All churches in Mumbai will resume Sunday masses and other celebrations from November 29 with strict adherence to Covid protocols, according to a circular issued by Archbishop of Bombay.

Although religious places to reopened from Nov 16, churches in Mumbai remained shut.

Father Barrett said precautions will be strictly followed. The church is fully invested in the people’s safety. There will be gaps between prayers, one-third capacity of visitors to allowed at a time. —ANI

33 trainee officers test Covid-19 positive Mussoorie: As many as 33 civil services officer trainees have tested positive for coronavirus at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) at Mussoorie, prompting authorities to close "all non-essential departments" there.

The LBSNAA has tweeted, "33 officer trainees have tested COVID positive at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration.

A total of 428 officer trainees are on campus for the 95th Foundation Course.

Academy is taking every measure to break the chain of covid spread in consonance with guidelines.

"Food and other necessities are being delivered to the officer trainees in their hostels," it said in tweet.

PARL COMMITTEE SUBMITS REPORT ON COVID TO NAIDU

CM Nitish Kumar offers ‘Arghya’ on Chhath Puja Patna: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar took part in Chhath Puja rituals on the last day of the festival by offering prayers to the Sun God at his residence.

Kumar offered 'argha' to lord A s t h a ch a l a g a m i and prayed for the peace and happiness for the state residents and countrymen," according to the press release.

He also tweeted in Hindi, "On the occasion of Mahaparva Chhath, I offered Arghya to Asthachalagami Bhagwan Bhaskar at 1 Anne Marg." —ANI

Pakistani deep state is, as is its wont, using pan-Islamist groups, JeM to target India by sending in suicide attackers across border.

New Delhi: Early Thursday morning, an encounter between a group of terrorists and security forces happened at the Ban toll plaza near Nagrota. By the end of it, four terrorists were dead, but it wasn’t just a chance encounter. This was an intelligence-based operation that was aimed at blocking what security forces believed could be a major attack, being planned from across the border.

According to initial data from a GPS device and mobile phones carried by the four terrorists shows that they were in touch with Pakistan-based group

Jaish-e-Mohammed’s (JeM) operational commanders Mufti Rauf Asghar and Qari Zarar with the objective of wreaking havoc in the Valley.

Mufti Asghar is the younger brother of JeM chief and UN designated global terrorist Masood Azhar.

Following this, the PM said in a tweet: “Neutralizing of four terrorist belonging to Pakistan based terrorist organizations JeM and the presence of large cache of explosives with them indicates that their efforts to wreak havoc and destruction have once again been thwarted.”

GS Bajpai

Criminology and Criminal Justice who is also the Registrar of National Law University.

According to Bajpai, the study will focus on the process of radicali-

New Delhi: A total of 28 projects under the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) worth Rs 320.33 crores, was approved under the Creation/Expansion of Food Processing and Preservation Capacities (CEFPPC) scheme in IMAC meeting chaired by Union the Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Saturday.

FIVE OFFICERS RESIGN FROM RAILWAY SERVICES

J K Agarwal, Mukesh Kumar Jain, Ajit Kumar Mishra and Biswajit Mitra have tendered technical resignation from Railway services to enable their permanent absorption in Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited (DFCCIL). Likewise, Sunil Kumar Singh has submitted his technical resignation from Railway services to enable his permanent absorption in Railtel Corporation of India Limited (RCIL).

Ashok Kumar has been appointed new DGP of Uttarakhand. He is 1989 batch IPS officer of Uttarakhand cadre.

MASALDAN APPOINTED JS, CBIC

Gaurav Masaldan has been appointed as JS, CBIC for a period of five years. He is a 1998 batch IRS(C&CE) officer and posted as Commissioner in Delhi.

MANISH SINGH IS BACK FROM LONDAN TO MP

Manish Singh is back from central deputation to the parent Madhya Pradesh cadre. 1997 batch IAS officer Manish Singh was posted in Indian High Commission London.

ANURADHA SINGH REPATRIATED TO PARENT CADRE

sation, its actors, target youths and will be probably conducted in four states like Maharashtra, Assam, Kerala and Jammu & Kashmir where cases of radicalisation have been reported.

On giving suggestions to amend UAPA Act, Bajpai said, "We will also critically reviewing the current legal aspects. We would study to define radicalisation, de-radicalisation." —ANI

Ms. Anuradha Singh, Director, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, has been prematurely repatriated to her parent cadre on personal grounds. She is a 1999 batch officer of Indian Railway Personnel Service.

N K SUDHANSU REPATRIATED TO PARENT CADRE

N K Sudhansu, Professor (JS level), Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie, has been prematurely repatriated to his parent cadre on personal grounds. He is a 2000 batch IAS officer of Maharashtra cadre.

RAHUL POSTED AS DEPUTY SECRETARY, NITI

Aayog Rahul has been appointed as Deputy Secretary in the NITI Aayog, Delhi, under Central deputation for four years. He is a 2011 batch Indian Railway Traffic Service officer.

H S SANDHU POSTED AS DEPUTY SECRETARY, HOME

MoFPI approves 28 food projects worth Rs 320 cr

Narendra Singh Tomar

POWER Gallery

1989 BATCH IPS OFFICER IS DGP OF UTTARAKHAND

Jaish terrorists killed MHA approves study to analyse in Nagrota had orders phenomena of radicalisation from Azhar’s brother New Delhi: The MHA has approved a study to analyse radicalisation in India, suggest practicable solutions to remedy and/or prevent the problem and also indicate how the Unlawful Activities Act can be amended.

The study 'Status of Radicalisation in India: An Exploratory Study of Prevention and Remedies' will be done under the leadership of GS Bajpai, Professor of

Harjot Singh Sandhu has been appointed Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Delhi, under Central deputation for four years.

He is a 2011 batch Indian Railway Traffic Service officer.

NCB detains Bharti, her husband in drug case Mumbai: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Saturday detained comedian Bharti Singh and her husband for questioning in connection with a drug case after a raid was conducted at their residence in Mumbai here.

“She (Bharti Singh) and her husband both have been detained for questioning by the NCB

about possession of narcotics substances,” NCB Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede told reporters here. Earlier today, a raid was conducted at the residence of Bharti Singh and her husband Harsh Limbachiyaa in connection with a drug case. Their names had reportedly surfaced during the questioning of an alleged drug peddler.

NISHTHA TIWARI APPOINTED DIRECTOR, HOME

Ms. Nishtha Tiwari has been appointed Director in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Delhi, under Central deputation for five years. She is a 2005 batch Indian Revenue Service (IT) officer.

TWO IPS OFFICERS TRANSFERRED IN ODISHA

The Odisha government has Friday night transferred two IPS officers. Accordingly, K Vishal Singh has been appointed new SP, Puri while Akhileshwar Singh has been transferred from Puri and posted at the Phq. By arrangement with: http:// whispersinthecorridors.com

FROM PG 1 Will double... this decade alone. In the next five years, efforts are already being made to double the country’s oil refining capacity. There are many opportunities for you here as well.”

Narrating his own experience of battling “pre-conceived notions” as the chief minister of Gujarat, PM Modi told the students how he had helped separate feeders supplying electricity to domestic and agricultural consumers, thus ensuring round the clock and efficient power supply in the state.

“This experiment changed the mindset of all our officers at that point in time … if I had stuck to preconceived notions, this would not have become a possibility. I had a clean slate and I used to think in a new way,” he added.

He also told the students how the Gujarat government under him had gambled with solar power and had purchased power at Rs 1213 per unit when thermal power was available at Rs 2.50 to Rs 3 per unit. “I had a clean heart. I genuinely believed that we will have

to do something to change our lifestyles.

So we finally decided to go ahead with solar energy and with honesty we decided to start solar plants in Gujarat,” Modi said adding how solar energy has now become a movement in the country and the cost of solar power has fallen below Rs 2 per unit.

Mukesh Ambani...

Continuing of the topic of climate change, Ambani added that “without failing” we need to fulfil our Climate Change obligations.

Over the future ener-

gy prospects, he said, “We need breakthroughs in new energy sources such as green and blue hydrogen. We also need great innovations in energy storage, saving and utilisation.”

“What makes it even more exciting is the synergy between the Energy Revolution and the Fourth Industrial Revolution. If we master this synergy, we will surely be able to make India one of the most prosperous nations in the world. An India that guarantees prosperity and wellbeing for all 1.3 billion Indians,” the Re-

06

liance Chairman added.

Shah lays...

“The Lok Sabha alliance will continue for the assembly elections. We have given 10 years of good governance. Our alliance will win the 2021 polls. Tamil Nadu will always support PM Narendra Modi,” Palaniswami said.

Shah also praised the Tamil Nadu government for its handling of the coronavirus pandemic and said the state was the best-governed in the country this year according to the centre’s ranking.

“India under PM

Modi has contained Covid while other nations struggle. I applaud E Palaniswami and [Deputy Chief Minister] O Panneerselvam for containing Covid. Tamil Nadu’s recovery rate is high. Covid statistics shared by Tamil Nadu are good. No other state has taken care of pregnant women like Tamil Nadu,” he said.

After a setback in the Lok Sabha elections, the AIADMK hopes to trump rival DMK once again in the state where it has been in power for more than nine years now.

The AIADMK defeat-

ed the DMK in the 2011 assembly polls when J Jayalalithaa led the party to a resounding victory. It won again in 2016 before the DMK bounced back with a strong performance in last year’s Lok Sabha elections.

An alliance led by the DMK, also including the Congress, won 38 of the 39 parliament seats in Tamil Nadu, besides the lone Puducherry seat, leaving just one to the AIADMK, in the first major election in the state held after the death of Jayalalithaa and DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi in 2016 and 2018 respectively.

Police busts online dating scam, 8 held Cyberabad: A gang of eight who cheated the public and extracted money out of them from fake dating websites were arrested on Friday by Cyber Crime Police. Police have also seized a laptop, 31 Samsung mobile phones, six documents pertaining to the crime, and 12 ATM cards.

The accused persons have been arrested and identified as Bijay Kumar Sah, Binod Kumar, Mohamad Nur Alam Ansari, Deepa, Halder.

TALKING POINT AHMEDABAD | SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2020

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07

Romance Novels and

FEMINISM? If the authors of romance novels claim to have a feminist agenda, they need to ask themselves whether the promotion of an image of a woman’s “ultimate” role as a mother still fits today’s world.

HANS-GEORG BETZ

I

am one among a relatively small number of men who for some time have been fascinated by romance novels. As is well known, romance novels are among the most popular genres in contemporary literature. The field represents a vast market, likely to have substantially grown over the past several months as a result of COVID-19. Amazon has certainly provided a major boost to romance writers, offering them a popular platform to market themselves and their creations.

Unlike in the past, the large majority of contemporary romance novels promote a very progressive view of women and their role in society. Jessica Peterson, the author of the successful Charleston Heat series, has gone as far as to claim that the romance genre is feminist: “Romance is one of the few genres that explicitly puts a woman’s dreams and desires, sexual and otherwise, front and center. It’s one of the many reasons I love reading it.”

ALL TOO HUMAN

The notion that romance novels propagate an image of women largely in tune with current-day feminism is still somewhat controversial. Yet it has found growing support. As early as 2013, an article in The Atlantic endeavoured to show “how romance novels came to embrace feminism.” A few years later, the author of an article on the genre in the online women’s magazine Bustle characterized romance novels as some of the perhaps “most rebellious books you can read right now.” Romance nov-

els, she affirmed, are “practically the only books in which women get exactly what they want, all of the time, and aren’t asked to feel bad about it.”

In some cases, romance novels can be outright subversive. Take, for instance, Aya de León, the Puerto Rican American author of the Justice Hustlers series— “erotic thrillers” with covers “featuring buxom women in tight, revealing clothes.” Yet once lured, the reader is confronted with a story that, as a review for Side Chick Nation on Goodreads explains, “explores how climate change, colonization and a lack of appropriate response on the part of the US government played a major role in the delayed recovery in Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria.”

To be sure, de León’s books are particularly aimed at raising readers’ consciousness. After all, the author is a lecturer in the African American program at UC Berkeley. Yet even more mainstream, commercially successful romance writers routinely weave uncomfortable topics into their narratives, such as violence against women, rape, sexual and occupational harassment, cheating, miscarriage — the list goes on.

In fact, on Goodreads, reviewers routinely provide “trigger warnings” to unsuspecting readers who might be offended by cheating, unprotected sex, explicit sex in general (good Christian appropriate novels without sex scenes are referred to as “clean” as if sex was something “dirty”) — again, the list goes on. In any case, it is a fact that contemporary romance novels

are a far cry from what the genre used to be in the past, one that promoted traditional gender roles, the stereotypical world of hospitals with shy, beautiful nurses waiting to be scooped up by a dishy chief surgeon.

Today’s female protagonists of romance novels tend to be strong, determined and, most important of all, refuse to take shit from men. They are strong enough to overcome hardship, excel in their chosen professions and fight hard to get what they want — including a partner for life.

Arguably most important of all, today’s rom-com heroines are in charge of their own sexuality and, equally important, deserving to get full sexual satisfaction.

WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A WOMAN

And yet. It is an indisputable fact that contemporary romance novels tend to propagate a distinctively progressive image of women—even if, on occasion, the novels’ heroines end up being rescued by their man from nasty bosses, evil exes and cruel parents. Perhaps this is a wink to the human, all too human in all of us, as Nietzsche once put it— the satisfaction we feel when the bad ones get what they deserve. There is, how-

ever, one thing that is far more troubling when it comes to the way romance novels tend to end, which is far more difficult to reconcile with the feminist contemporary romance novels project. In the vast majority of cases, at the end of story, the heroine finds out she is pregnant—to the delight of the hero. Even more annoyingly, in a minority of stories, the heroine or the hero express a strong wish for a large family, the more the merrier. In one novel, the hero wished for a whole football team of babies; in another, more than five.

Strangely enough, there is no consideration as to what this might do to a woman’s physical integrity, the issue central to feminist sensibility.

In the age of global warming, pandemics and overpopulation, one would suppose having a large family would be about the last thing a woman author should want to propagate.

Given the vast readership romance novels command, particularly among women, one would suppose that the authors have a certain moral responsibility to “enlighten” their audience not only about the delights of sexual satisfaction but also about the stark realities of today’s world and its ethical implications for

individual action.

The reality is that, when it comes down to it, contemporary romance novels continue to propagate a quite traditional notion of what it is to be a woman.

She might be sexually adventurous, even kinky, living out her libido; she might take on any challenge thrown at her; she might take the opportunity to be “free to choose,” as Milton Friedman once put it, in a fundamentally different context. Yet when it comes down to it, her ultimate destiny continues to be a mother. Without a baby to her credit, a woman falls short of what it means to be

a woman, career success notwithstanding.

This might explain why romance novels, despite all feminist aspirations, hardly ever address the question of abortion. Yet reproductive rights have been at the centre of the feminist struggle. The recent fight in the US Senate over the appointment of Amy Coney Barrett, a devout Catholic and mother of five, to the Supreme Court, was over the abortion question. In virtually all of the romance novels where the heroine is confronted with an unplanned pregnancy, she decides to keep it.

The fact that abortion is

hardly an issue in contemporary romance novels might have something to do with the fact that the vast majority of romance writers happen to be white, writing for a predominantly white audience. Against that, abortion is particularly prevalent among African American women, more and two and a half times as high as among white women. Yet African American women romance novelists are rare in the genre—Alexandria House is a notable exception—and with it the exposure of the experience of African American women to a larger audience.

A devout Catholic and mother of five Amy Coney Barrett was recently appointed as an associate justice of the US Supreme Court.

—PHOTO BY GETTY IMAGES

Like her other works, Alexandria House’s Them Boys trilogy is an exception to the trend of romance novels targeted at white readers.

C The axiom ‘Never judge a book by its cover’ is particularly suited to the writings of Puerto Rican American author Aya de León.

ontemporary romance novels, intentionally or not, do a non-negligible job in motivating their predominately female audience to empower themselves, to stand up for themselves and take charge. In this way, they make a substantial contribution to the feminist cause. Ironically enough, their promotion of a traditional understanding

of a woman’s role in society cannot but undermine the former. In today’s world, marked by climate change, environmental destruction and species extinction on an unparalleled scale, alongside the ensuing threat of a global cataclysm, the promotion of a natalist narrative by a large majority of contemporary romance novelists is somewhat counterpro-

ductive.

To be sure, the primary aim of romance novels is to distract their readers from the often depressing reality of daily life, to provide an escape mechanism similar to TV soap operas and Hallmark movies. It is easy to disparage these genres, particularly if you belong to the privileged who never had to worry about rent payments at

the end of the month, making do with instant noodles as the only affordable food and paying off horrendous college loans.

Yet if the authors of romance novels claim that they promote a feminist agenda, they need to ask themselves whether or not the promotion of an image of a woman’s “ultimate” or “essential” role as a mother still fits today’s world.

Source: fairobserver.com

2ND FRONT

Regular exercise is beneficial not just for the body, I believe it empowers the mind and soul too.

—Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO & Editor, First India

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COVID-19 UPDATE

WORLD

T

DEATHS

CONFIRMED CASES

RAJASTHAN 2,146 DEATHS 2,40,676 CASES

gress and Left despite the best efforts and opposition of Mamata Banerjee. This time the Left parties are forming an alliance with the Congress with an open heart and mind, under which both parties will have a common election manifesto, common agenda and common campaign for the battle of Bengal.

WHY DID NITISH WANT TO SIT IN THE OPPOSITION? here is an Urdu couplet ‘ Tujhse naraz bhi hun aur tere pehlu mein bhi hun. Mohabbat ka yah dastoor naya naya sa hai, ki mujhe ruthna na aaya, tujhe manana na aaya.’

Although Nitish Kumar is once again heading the NDA government in Bihar discarding all pre-poll calculations, exit poll predictions and new aspiration theory, but it seems that all is not well between the BJP and Nitish Kumar. The election results

T

Mamata Banerjee

DEATHS

KARNATAKA 11,641 DEATHS 8,71,342 CASES

CONFIRMED CASES

FIRST INDIA SUNDAY SPECIAL

Ahmedabad: One of the key engagements for Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday was the convocation of Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University (PDPU) in Gandhinagar, which Modi addressed via videoconference.

The event served as an apt opportunity for Sultan Alimuddin, a petroleum engineering alumnus from PDPU, to remember his interactions with the then chief minister during his time as a student in a series of tweets.

CONFIRMED CASES

UTTAR PRADESH 7,524 DEATHS 5,24,223 CASES

any of them.

BY TRIDIB RAMAN

NITISH FALTERS itish has experience of taking oath 7 times for the post of CM and Central minister and yet this time while taking the oath of CM he was tense, unsettled and the same was visible from his expressions too. When he reached the podium to take the oath as CM, he took the oath of the post and went towards the register to sign it. He was only stopped by the Governor and reminded that he was yet to take the oath of secrecy which means that Nitish had only read out the first page and had not even bothered to look at the second page. Normally such mistakes are committed by the first timers but it was surprising that a seasoned Nitish faulted on such an occasion.

All throughout the oath taking ceremony there was a vacant chair between A m i t

N

and trends by the evening of November 10 had made it amply clear that NDA was well on its way on the path of victory but when till late night Nitish did not issue any statement regarding forming the government in Bihar, the seniors in BJP got worried. Nitish started hinting his close ones that since JDU was reduced to mere 43 seats from the earlier 71, he would like to obey the mandate of the people and sit in the Opposition. Next day in New Delhi when PM Modi and Amit Shah left their residences for party headquarter to participate in the ‘Bihar Vijay’ function, both the top leaders called Nitish on phone and asked him to release a statement. In the evening is symbolic statement was released

by Nitish, “People of Bihar are the masters who have given majority to the NDA, I bow down in respect of the people of Bihar. I also thank PM Shri Narendra Modi ji for the cooperation which I am receiving from him.’ This was a short tweet after a long silence of Nitish Kumar.

SUSHIL MODI WAS THE WEAKNESS OF NITISH ccording to the sources, after the grand celebration of ‘Bihar Vijay’ in BJP Central headquarters, the PM himself called Nitish again and told him that he wanted t o shift

A

Sushil Modi to Delhi so Nitish had a choice of either of the three—Nityanand Rai, RK Singh and Giriraj Singh—as his deputy CM. Nitish is said to have replied sarcastically that why was PM limiting himself in suggesting the name of deputy CM, BJP could very well make its own CM. Sources say here PM Modi did not let the sarcasm of Nitish derail his line of thought because then he said anyone from our party workers is deserving of all the posts possible but right now we are only trying to build a consensus on the name of deputy CM. When t h e BJP beSushil Modi

came aware of the fact that Nitish did not want any BJP heavyweight leader as his deputy CM, immediately the names of Tarkishore Prasad and Renu Devi emerged.

Tarkishore Prasad, simply because he belongs to the same caste as of Sushil Modi which would have kept the Baniya voters of the BJP satisfied and Renu Devi, besides being a woman hailed from the region from which BJP state president Sanjay Jaiswal came. That was like killing three birds with single stone as it not only balanced the overpowering ambitions of Sushil Modi and Jaiswal at one go but the most important aspect of floating these two names was that Nitish did not have objection to

‘Modi changed my mind about Gujarat’ Alimuddin tweeted, “Today is the Convocation of my Alma Mater, PDPU, Gandhinagar where PM @narendramodi is Chief Guest. As one of the earliest alumni of PDPU, I am filled with memories of my stay in Gujarat & meetings with Modi Sir, including when I presented him the Holy Quran.”

Alimuddin claimed his first interaction with Modi happened by chance, courtesy Twitter. “My first interaction with @narendramodi sir happened by chance, after I sent him a Tweet on the

DEATHS

DELHI 8,270 DEATHS 5,23,117 CASES

SULTAN ALIMUDDIN REMINISCES ABOUT MEETING THEN-CM AS A STUDENT AT PDPU

First India Bureau

GUJARAT

1,382,851 5,82,30,549 1,33,218 90,92,177 3,846 1,95,917

MAHARASHTRA 46,573 DEATHS 17,74,455 CASES

JOINT WAR CRY BY CONGRESS AND COMMUNISTS. he Congress and the Communist parties will fight the West Bengal Assembly elections together. Not that they weren’t together in the last Assembly elections, but then only the party heads had come together while the party cadre of both the parties was not heart to heart. So, it was Mamata’s Trinamool which took the advantage of the rift between the party cadre of the Congress and the Communists. Sources say that this time the Congress and the left parties have decided to go in for the Assembly contest following the ‘Siliguri Model’. This model had made Ashok Bhattacharya Mayor with the support of Con-

INDIA

08

Author Alimuddin gifted then-CM Narendra Modi a copy of the Quran when he was a student.

functioning of his government and I was invited for a detailed meeting at CMO, Gujarat. That was the first

of my six interactions with him. It includes travelling with him to Mehsana.” Local newspapers had reported in

April 2010 about the meeting between Alimuddin and Modi.

Reportedly, the meeting between Modi and Alimuddin was scheduled for only 10 minutes but went on for another 35 minutes and Modi’s answers to Alimuddin’s queries on governance seemingly convinced the young student. It was at this meeting that Alimuddin gifted the Quran to Modi.

Alimuddin confessed that his impressions of Gujarat had been affected by the anti-Muslim riots of 2002. “I came to Gujarat in 2008 to study in

PDPU. That time, I was not happy with the idea of coming to Gujarat. In my mind, Gujarat meant riots and earthquakes. My friends told me to keep away from Gujarat. But, the state and my chats with Modi Sir changed my perception and mindset,” Alimuddin tweeted.

In September, Alimuddin released a book on Narendra Modi titled On Point: Narendra Modi—Upfront & Personal with a Common Man. The foreword for the book was written by Union Minister Kiren Rijiju.

Shah and Nitish Kumar and things didn’t stop at that. Throughout the ceremony both leaders were not seen talking to each other even once. It is worth recalling that Amit Shah had kept distance from the Bihar elections due to Corona.

When the election campaigning was at its peak in Bihar, Shah chose to go to Bankura in West Bengal rather than campaign in Bihar. As soon as the National Anthem finished during the oath taking ceremony Shah got up from his chair and started heading towards the exit. Nitish tried to catch up with Shah but he had gone ahead and did not even turn back once.

The author is a journalist and political commentator and views expressed are his personal

Nitish Kumar

Missing boy, 7, found murdered First India Bureau Surat: The body of a seven-year-old boy, was discovered in a sugarcane field on Olpad-Sayan road mere hours after he went missing on Saturday. The murderer has been apprehended by the police.

According to information revealed by the police, Kishan Paswan—who hails from Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh and works in a Surat textile mill—filed a com-

plaint after his son Akash went missing from his home in the Bhatar area.

Kishan said Akash had last been seen with a neighbour, Aditya Paswan, who moved to the city six months ago.

On being interrogated by the police, Aditya told them where to find the child’s body.

“We had no quarrel with Aditya,” Kishan later said, adding, “I don’t understand the reason for his ghastly actions.”

BJP’s Surat city VP & former Historic Lili Parikrama at Girnar cancelled I-T officer PVS Sarma arrested PANDEMIC WOES

Pilgrims customarily walk 36km in the annual 150-year-old procession around the sacred mountain First India Bureau Junagadh: The district administration has cancelled the annual Lili Parikrama (green circumambulation) around the sacred Mount Girnar in an effort to curb the rising cases of COVID-19. The 150-yearold procession traditionally takes place on Sud Agiyaras (11th) in the Kartik

month of the Hindu calendar each year.

As part of the fiveday pilgrimage, about five to eight lakh pilgrims make the fiveday walk over 36km, which begins and concludes at the Bhavnath temple on Kartiki Poornima. It is a commonly held belief that all 33 crore gods and goddesses of the Hindu pantheon live on Mount Girnar.

Pilgrims take a break on their five-day walk.

In an official statement released on Saturday, the Junagadh’s District Collector Dr

—FILE PHOTO

Pardhi Sourabh appealed to the people to not arrive for the Lili Parikrama. He also

also asked people to maintain social distancing in the city.

In addition to the actual walking pilgrimage, local residents, sadhus, police personnel and forest department officials customarily organize a fair, which includes activities like raas and bhajan mandlis, dramas and duhas.

Stalls are also set up to sell toys, idols, and tea and eatables.

About 150 community kitchens are also set up to feed the attending pilgrims along the route of the procession.

First India Bureau Surat: City Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) vice-president PVS Sarma was arrested on Saturday on charges of forgery and cheating. According to police officials, the city’s Income-Tax department lodged a case against the former I-T officer for allegedly falsifying circulation figures for his newspaper, ‘Satyam Times’.

Last month, the I-T department carried out raids at Sarma’s residence just days after

PVS Sarma.

—FILE PHOTO

the BJP leader alleged that Kalamandir Jewellers, a jewellery brand in Surat, carried out irregular transactions during the announcement of demonetisation in November 2016.

The search operations at Sarma’s residences revealed unaccounted income and Benami properties. Police officials have also said that he attempted to commit suicide by hanging himself at his home.

He was shifted to a private hospital for treatment where he was arrested upon discharge.

Surat I-T Deputy Director (Investigations) filed a complaint against PVS Sarma and his partner Sitaram Adukiya with the Umra Police station.

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09

AHMEDABAD, SUNDAY NOVEMBER 22, 2020

L-R: Shivani Jain, Nandini Soni, Mahima Choudhry, Khushi Ajwani and Faiza Sayyed

OH, SO GLAMOROUS! —PHOTOS BY SANTOSH SHARMA

Rajasthan’s oldest beauty pageant, Miss Rajasthan 2020 completed its three-day ‘Interview Round’ on Saturday in the Pink City. In the closing ceremony, the participants started a Corona Awareness campaign!

Jagdeesh Chandra with Yogesh and Nimisha Mishra along with the team of ‘Miss Rajasthan 2020’

NEHAL NAYAR

nehal.nayar@firstindia.co.in

A Clockwise: Mansi Bainada, Kanchan Khatana, Mahima Choudhry, Khushi Ajwani, Faiza Sayyed

three-daylong interview round of R a j a s t h a n ’s oldest beauty pageant, Miss Rajasthan ended on Friday at Hotel Grand Uniara in Jaipur.

During the closing ceremony of the same, the participants kick-started a Corona

Awareness campaign for the people in the state.

Organised by Yogesh and Nimisha Mishra from Fusion Group, Miss Rajasthan 2020’s interview round was held for three days, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with a total of 180 contestants- 60 contestants being interviewed every day.

Talking about hosting the interviews, Yogesh and Nimisha stated, “Organising the interview round during the Corona period was a very big task. But we made sure to follow all the necessary guidelines given by the government, to safeguard everyone present at the event.”

Jagdeesh Chandra was the chief guest on the closing

ceremony and declared that 180 girls of Miss Rajasthan will be starting a campaign, where they would be educating people across the state about how they can take care of themselves during the Corona pandemichow important it is to use a mask, and all about social distancing.

The results of the interview round will be announced soon, where a total of 26 girls will be selected to be a part of the finale. 2 more contestants will be given a golden ticket, as per who receives the maximum number of votes. The finale will be held with a total of 28 best contestants at the end.

The judging panel of the Interview Round

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ARIES

MAR 21 - APR 20 Make a big splash as the week begins! Monday is an excellent day for pioneering ideas and activities. On Tuesday and Wednesday, count on your ambition and enthusiasm to drive you ahead.

You just need to focus on getting things done.

Thursday and Friday are likewise great days for action and advancement, but that focus will shift slightly to include getting help from (giving help to) other like-minded people.

TAURUS

APR 21 - MAY 20 You might have a hard time trusting others on Monday, and you should pay heed to that hesitance. On Tuesday and Wednesday, make people plans. You’ll be energized by socializing, and you’ll learn a lot by mixing up ideas and activities with like-minded people. On Thursday and Friday, forge ahead on your own plans and don’t get distracted -- especially by anyone who’s just looking to get a rise out of you for their own entertainment.

AHMEDABAD | SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2020

WEEKLY 22 TO 28 NOVEMBER MILEY CYRUS, WHOSE BIRTHDAY FALLS ON 23 NOVEMBER, WILL HAVE A GOOD YEAR OVERALL. WORK SHE HAS DONE IN THE PAST BEGINS TO PAY OFF – NOT NECESSARILY IN DRAMATIC WAYS, BUT IN SMALL, MEASURABLE WAYS. SHE MAY BE RECOGNIZED OR REWARDED IN SOME WAY FOR THE EFFORTS SHE HAS PUT FORTH. THIS IS A YEAR IN WHICH SHE PUTS HER LIFE IN ORDER IN SOME SIGNIFICANT MANNER. IMPROVED CONCENTRATION, A MORE REALISTIC OUTLOOK, AND A PRACTICAL AWARENESS OF THE LIMITS OF TIME ALL HELP HER TO MAKE STEADY PROGRESS, PARTICULARLY IN HER CAREER. HER CONCERN FOR HER FUTURE THIS YEAR IS STRONGER THAN USUAL, AND SHE MAY FIND THAT PROJECTS SHE STARTS OR INVESTMENTS SHE MAKES, THIS YEAR WILL BENEFIT HER FOR YEARS TO COME.

10

LIBRA

SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22 You can communicate with unusual quickness and clarity as the week begins. On Tuesday and Wednesday, you’ll feel the depressing pressure of old problems and issues, but don’t give into that maudlin mood -- you’re too affable and easygoing for such self-indulgent whining. On Thursday and Friday, it’s time to take on something new. This weekend, look for beauty in life’s little things and share your perspective with someone else.

SCORPIO

OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22 Go on and get up caught up in the moment on Monday! Your week begins with an overdue surge of impulsiveness . On Tuesday and Wednesday, hit up the to get what you want.

Opportunities have finally aligned themselves to match your ambitions, and you need to strike while the iron is hot. On Thursday and Friday, harmony in your home could be threatened by unexpected outbursts. This weekend, indulge your imagination and playfulness.

GEMINI

SAGITTARIUS

You just can’t beat teamwork, at least not on Monday. You’ll get the most done (and have the most fun) if you can partner up with others and work towards a common goal. On Tuesday and Wednesday, though, those alliances could become troubled. On Thursday and Friday, expect an unusual influence -- probably from a conversation with someone charismatic. You’ll see things differently and could be inspired to take radical action.

It’s a red-letter Monday! Ah, if only all your weeks could start out this way. All your best qualities -- your playfulness, optimism and good-natured charm -- are doubled for the day.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, you might find yourself feeling a little more conservative.

Thursday and Friday are both great days for trying new things and meeting new people.

Explore with creativity and confidence. This weekend, you can accomplish a lot.

CANCER

CAPRICORN

MAY 21 - JUNE 21

JUNE 22 - JULY 23 Do something for yourself on Monday! You’ve done enough for others lately, and you deserve some healthy self-indulgence -- especially if it involves some quiet time to yourself. On Tuesday and Wednesday, expect that introverted trend to continue. Work things out on your own rather than looking for help, and strive to strike a balance between ideas competing in your head. On Thursday and Friday, your thoughts will drift to money and material possessions.

LEO

JULY 24 - AUGUST 23 Romance is on the rise on Monday! You’re full of fire and flirtatiousness as the week begins, and your energy knows no bounds. That confidence and charisma continues into Tuesday and Wednesday, and you’ll have the drive to get what you want, provided you’re willing to help others get what they want, too. On Thursday and Friday, beware of potential conflicts and clashes. On Saturday and Sunday, avoid any interaction involving money.

VIRGO

AUG 24 - SEP 23 You’ll want to rush ahead on Monday, but you can’t, and you’ll need to just go with the flow.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, all that hard work and planning you did will finally pay off. Your ambitions will be satisfied right now -- in your work and maybe even in your love life. On Thursday and Friday, you might need to take a new approach. This weekend, you’ll need to make peace with other people’s pace.

NOV 23 - DEC 22

DEC 23 - JAN 20

Anything is possible on Monday with a little perseverance. You just need to dig in and stick to your plans to make things happen as the week begins. On Tuesday and Wednesday, your amazing proficiency for planning continues to save the day. On Thursday and Friday, you might want to switch things up a little -- try some spontaneous solutions and ad hoc approaches to the problems at hand. This weekend, make close connections with others.

AQUARIUS

JAN 21 - FEB 19

Find a common cause on Monday. You’ll do your best work -- and have the most fun, too!

-- if you can connect with others who want the same things you do. On Tuesday and Wednesday, you’ll need to buckle down a little if you’re hoping to make the same progress.

On Thursday and Friday, a big boost of energy and inspiration will instigate a change. This weekend, put yourself first.

PISCES

FEB20 - MARCH 20 Luck is on your side on Monday! Fortune favors you as the week begins, provided you’re smart and attentive about how you press your advantage. On Tuesday and Wednesday, lead the way. On Thursday and Friday, you’ll want to help everyone you meet -- and you just might be able to pull it off. This weekend, indulge yourself. The more lavish the activity, the better.

ETC

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AHMEDABAD | SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2020

11

Happiest Season

Working out

K

...her post

WEEKEND IN STYLE

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c t r e s s Ananya Panday may have skipped her Dubai trip with her parents Chunky Panday and Bhavana prior to Diwali due to her film shoot in Goa, but she is certainly not in the mood to miss it again.

Her recent Instagram photos from Dubai prove that her weekend is off to a great start in the beautiful city.

The Khaali Peeli star had wrapped up a schedule of shooting for Shakun Batra’s film in Goa prior to Diwali and had returned to Mumbai. Taking to her Instagram handle, Ananya dropped stunning photos as she posed by a waterbody in Dubai.

—Agency

...her post

virtually

risten Stewart recently spoke up about her much-anticipated rom-com Happiest Season in a new interview with The Guardian. Talking about the film and its importance of showing two female leads at the centre of a love story, Kristen, 30, said it is “extremely attractive.” Speaking to The Guardian, Kristen also added: “It’s a gay Christmas movie and I know that’s an annoying thing to label it right off the bat, but, for me, that is extremely attractive, and sounds like... a huge exhale.”

Kristen went on to admit that it was important as she didn’t grow up with films that had “two female leads at the centre of a love story” and she would have loved to have seen more movies feature a LGBTQ+ couple. Not to say there hasn’t been great queer content made over the years that has been really beautiful, and really important touchstones. But at the same time, it’s not something that I grew up with, and I would have loved to.”

—Agency

I

t seems like Shraddha Kapoor is hooked to Yoga during her time at home and even on a weekend morning, the gorgeous star followed her daily routine to practice asanas at home. The Stree star has been spending time at home amid the ongoing pandemic. She has also been keeping her fans updated about shenanigans via her social media handle. And since she cannot head to her workout studio, she has been working out virtually with her trainers.

Taking to her Instagram story, Shraddha shared a photo in which she is seen performing different yoga asanas effortlessly. In the photo, she is seen sporting a light purple top with black shorts and her hair is neatly tied in a plait.

—Agency

It’s a gay Christmas movie and I know that’s an annoying thing to label it right off the bat, but, for me, that is extremely attractive, and sounds like... a huge exhale.

Aananya Panday

Kristen Strewart

SIA’S

Songwriter VAANI’S EXPERIENCE of the Year REACTION

A

T

aylor Swift recently accepted a huge award (virtually) and she was looking super chic doing it.

The 30-year-old singer-songwriter filmed an acceptance speech for the 2020 Apple Music Awards, where she was named Songwriter of the Year, which was chosen

by Apple Music’s editorial team.

In her acceptance speech, Taylor said: “Winning Songwriter of the Year in any capacity in any year would be so exciting, but I think it’s really special because this particular year was a year where I really feel like songwriting was the one thing that was able to keep me connected to fans that I wasn’t able to see in concert.”

—Agency

Vaani Kapoor and Akshay Kumar

S

ia recently reacted to criticism of her upcoming movie. The Chandelier singer responded to some social media outcry following the release of the trailer for her upcoming movie, Music, which stars Kate Hudson and Maddie Ziegler. “I want you to work every day knowing that we’re trying to show love for all of the caregivers, and for all of the people on the autism Sia spectrum, that this movie is for them. If we can keep our egos out of it, that would be great,” Sia said while making the film. She also admitted she was scared to address her diagnosis directly at first “because if I made it clear [what her diagnosis was, then I might offend somebody.” —Agency

Shraddha Kapoor

THAI GLASS NOODLES SALAD

VRTIKA JAIN

cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

Taylor Swift

film that kicked off and wrapped up shooting amid a global pandemic of COVID 19 was Akshay Kumar and Vaani Kapoor starrer Bell Bottom. While it surely became an achievement to shoot the film successfully amid a pandemic, it wasn’t an easy task. Talking about the experience of working with Akshay for the first time, Vaani Kapoor could not stop praising him. She claimed that the actor can ‘ace any genre.’ Further, she shared that on the sets, he was friendly and that he ensured that the entire crew and cast would sit together for lunch and dinner with each other like a family.

—Agency

INGREDIENTS: Glass Noodles- 250 Gm Spring Onions - 6-7 with greens Green Capsicum -One ( Medium Size ) Grated Carrot - 1 ( medium Size ) Mint leaves - 4-5 ( fresh ) and a sprig for garnishing Coriander Sprigs - 5-6 Lemon Grass Stem - 1 One medium-light green, unpeeled cucumber 5 fresh red chillies 1 TSP grated ginger

1 tsp grated ginger Salt and black pepper to taste 1 Tbsp lemon juice 2 Tbsp honey

METHOD: Boil water in a non - stick pan.

Cut spring onions with greens in diamond-shaped pieces and put it into a bowl. Quarter cucumber vertically, remove the seeds and cut again into long thin strips and put this into the same bowl and mix bowl.

Put glass noodles into the boiling water and switch off the heat and let it remain for a couple of minutes.

Drain and put into a bowl of 2 cups cold water and separate it’s layered gently, cut capsicum into long thin strips and mix with cucumber and spring

onions, add carrot and mix well.

For the dressing, finely chopped lemon grass and put it into a separate bowl finely chop red chillies and add to the same bowl add ginger, salt, lemon juice, honey, and mix well.

Add the dressing reserving some, to the bowl of vegetables and mix well.

Drain the noodles and add them to bowl and mix well.

Finely chop mint leaves and coriander sprig and add to the bowl. Drizzle the reserved dressing and mix well.

Transfer onto a serving plate and serve garnished with a sprig of mint.

Healthy Glass Noodle Salad is Ready.

CITY BUZZ AHMEDABAD | SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2020

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CITY FIRST

T

he audition of seventh season of Rajasthan’s most prestigious beauty pageant ‘Elite Miss Rajasthan’ was held in at Maheshwari Resort, Kota, on Saturday.

More than 95 girls participated in the Kota audition, out of which Shivani Pancholi, Priyanka Mathur, and Vanshika Bajaj were chosen as the finalists of Elite Miss Rajasthan 2020.

Ayush Vijay, the director of Kota Chapter, Elite Miss Rajasthan coordinated the event and encouraged all the participants. The eminent panel of judges included distinguished personalities like Face of Elite Miss Rajasthan– Shevia Gautam, Elite Miss Rajasthan 2015– Sonakshi Chanana, Elite Miss Rajasthan 2014– Surbhi Joshi, Elite Miss Rajasthan 2018– Tripti Sharma, Elite Miss Rajasthan 2019 finalist– Dr Aashi Verma, and Elite Miss Rajasthan 2019 Rising Star– Ishika Dhabhai along with Daisy Chowdhury, Jaya Meena, and Syed Almas. They graded the girls according to their talent, communication skills, selfpresentation, catwalk, attitude and confidence.

Special care was taken for safety and sanitation. Complying with all the govern-

ELITE AT

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DURING THE DAY!

KOTA

Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal druing the session RAJ: Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal attended the ongoing Digital Children’s Fair to keep the enthusiasm of the Bal Mela team and the contestants. The event is being organised with the courtesy of Future Society and LIC at the State level. Meghwal said, “Bal Mela is a good step in the interest of children. He appealed to the children of the state to come forward and participate in the Bal Mela.” During the event, the artisans participating in ten different categories of Bal Mela, through their art, presented their talent to Minister Meghwal. He also gave tips to all the contestants who attended the Bal Mela to remain stress-free.

RAJ: 17-year-old Harsh Godha from Jaipur triumphed his fear to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa.

This achievement is huge in many ways because Harsh has been suffering from Type-1 diabetes since the age of 10 and has to take 4 insulins in a day to keep himself going. This treatment made it even more difficult for Harsh to climb the highest single free-standing mountain in the world but he achieved this feat in the first go with his strong willpower and determination.

Shivani Pancholi, Priyanka Mathur, Gaurav Gaur and Vanshika Bajaj

ment orders, a biosecure bubble was installed at the audition location. Complete sanitisation and no mask, no entry policy was also fol-

lowed. All the contestants were allowed in the auditions with sanitisers and masks, on a compulsory scale. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

From top: Shivani Pancholi and Priyanka Mathur

Condolences

Book Launching CITY FIRST

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he latest book of Dr Shashi Tharoor - The Battle of Belonging was launched on Friday under the Kitaab Series.

Kitaab is an initiative of Prabha Khaitan Foundation. This was in association with Aleph Book Company. During the occasion, Hamid Ansari Former Vice

President of India, Dr. Farooq Abdullah Former Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir and Chairman of Jammu & Kashmir National Conference, Pavan Varma Author- Diplomat and Former Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha), Prof. Makrand Paranjape who is currently thr Director at the Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shim-

la David Davidar Publisher & Managing Director, Aleph Book Company, Apra Kuchhal, Convener PKF were present along. Dr Shashi Tharoor is the bestselling author of over twenty books, both fiction and nonfiction, besides being a noted critic and columnist, he is the longest-serving member of the Lok Sabha from Thiruvananthapuram. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

GUJ: Renowned singer Bhoomi Trivedi along with Osman Mir is all set to mesmerized the audience with their brand new Gujarati song ‘Utsav’ which connects with Indian tradition and culture not just in Gujarat or India but all across the globe targeting youth and all age groups.

RAJ: Actress Akanksha Singh was seen enjoying the Leopard Safari in Jhalana, Jaipur on Saturday morning.

The actress said, “It is incredible to have a beautiful forest reserve inside Jaipur”. During the Jhalana Leopard Safari, Rohit and Kunal Gangwal were present with Akanksha Singh.

—Photo by Mukesh Kiradoo

CITY FIRST

A

tribute meeting o former president of Vishwa Hindu Parishad Shiv Bhagwan Sharma was organised on Friday at Goseva Camp Adarsh Vidya Mandir, Churu.

While highlighting his life philosophy on this occasion, Principal Sharad Sharma said that Guruji retired from the post of Additional District Education Officer in the year 1989. After retirement, he devoted his entire life to social service. On this occasion, several dignitaries including Vishwanath Gotewala and Sanvarmal paid homage. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

DAND DIABETES SHORT FILMS ASSOCIATION

AWARD WINNING

CITY FIRST

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he two short films ‘Life in Lockdown’ and ‘Jaipur Activists’ of Eshan Harsh, a first-year student of Amity University, Jaipur, got selected and are in the Competition Category at the Cinemaking International Film Festival to be held in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

The festival will be held on 24 December 24, 2020.

CITY FIRST

A

mega medical camp is being organised at 100 places across the globe by Dand Diabetes Association on 22 November, today, with following all the guidelines of the corona epidemic.

Convener of the camp and Dr Sunil Dand of Dand Diabetes Association informed that keeping in mind the social distancing

and all other guidelines, they have made more than 100 volunteers Roshni Mitra for this camp. Wherever these Roshni Mitra volunteers reside, they will check people’s blood sugar, BP and pulse oximeter inside their houses. To find out the oxygen level and if any person shows a lack of oxygen, then they will send them for medical consultation immediately.

Dr Sunil added that for the first time such a diabetes camp is being organised. Volunteers have been trained for this. These volunteers will take their blood sugar test kit from 8 am and send test result of their areas. Dand Diabetes Association has also applied for the Golden Book of World Records for this camp.

District Governor Lion Alok Aggarwal informed that an online doctor panel discussion is also being organized with the medical camp at 5:00 pm in which Dr Sunil Dand, Dr Jitendra Makkar and Dr RK Surekha will give information about diabetes and complications related to it.

GUJ: Entrepreneur and Social Philanthropist Piyuus Jaiswal celebrated Chhath Puja with family on Saturday in Surat.

HAPPY B’DAY!

Eshan Harsh

Eshan’s film ‘Jaipur Activists’ is designed to bring awareness that just by putting some posts and creating awareness online to clean the city is not enough. For this, you need to take initiative to clean your city on your own. Before this, the film has been screened in more than 9+ Film Festivals across the globe and has won awards. The short film ‘Life in Lockdown’ is about a woman who is caged in her own home and thinks how life can be lived with limited resources like fishes in an aquarium.

Eshan is also a jury member of the Reel Youth Film Festival of Canada for the last 2 years.

RAJ: Pink City’s prestigious ‘Jaipur Jewellery Show’ (JJS) is not going to be held this year in view of the circumstances of the Covid epidemic. The decision was taken unanimously in the JJS Organising Committee meeting held on Saturday.

(RAJ) IAS Jitendra Kumar, IPS Dr Nitin Deep Baggal and (UP) IAS Abhishek Prakash celebrated their birthdays on 21 November, Saturday. We wish them all the best!