MUMBAI, SUNDAY, APRIL 19, 2020
MUMBAIMIRROR.com
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Starting Monday, the 1300-bed Nair Hospital
to be cleared of all non-Covid patients
City gets a Covid-19
hospital it deserves,
and so badly needs
The hospital will have a
500-bed ICU, an 800-bed
isolation facility & specialists
from every stream of
medicine available in-house
INSIDE » Airlines advised not to open
IN MMR TODAY
184
NEW CASES
DEATHS 5 current lockdown deadline. On Saturday morning, Air In-
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| Lata.Mishra
@timesgroup.com
1
TWEETS @lata_MIRROR
,300 beds, a 500-bed ICU, its own
isolation ward, state-of-the art MRI
and CT scan machines and, of
course, super-specialists from every
stream of medicine under one roof
– Mumbai is finally getting an exclusive
Covid-19 hospital it deserves.
By Monday, Nair
Hospital – one of the big-
bookings post May 4: Govt
Hours after national airline Air India opened bookings for
domestic flights from May 4, the Ministry of Civil Avia-
tion late on Saturday clarified that no decision to restart
domestic or international operations had been taken
and airlines should not open bookings after May 3, the
dia had announced on its website that bookings for select
domestic flights were open from May 4, and for interna-
tional flights from June 1. The clarification came 2 days
after the Ministry asked all airlines to offer full refund to
passengers for flights booked after April 15.
gest BMC-run hospitals – will start
transferring all its non-coronavirus
patients to its other facilities, making
way for the city’s largest Covid-19 facili-
ty, twice the size of Kasturba and
SevenHills put together.
With this, the BMC would have
taken care of the biggest handicap in its
fight against the virus – the lack of ICU
beds and top-notch super-specialists
required to treat Covid-19 patients in
need of critical care. Experts believe
Mumbai’s death rate – highest in the
CONTINUED ON PAGE 5
SevenHills staff
give 162 ex-patients
warm send-off
Man dies waiting
for ambulance
One hundred and sixty-two Covid-19
patients were discharged from
SevenHills Hospital on Friday and
Saturday, with 50 more set to leave
the facility today. Frontline medical
workers at the civic-run hospital,
who are working round the clock,
said the recovery of patients gives
them a reason to smile. On Saturday
the BMC posted a send-off video
on Twitter, under the hashtags
#SmilesInTheTimeofCorona and
#GoodbyesarealsoGood.
Stranded in
J&K, Malad
man, mother
find their
‘2nd family’
Since March 21, Sheikh
Javaid and his mother
Khadija have been living
with a family in Pampore
they had never previously
met; ‘They are like my
family now,’ he tells Mirror
| Anil.Raina
@timesgroup.com
IN PAMPORE
M
alad resident Sheikh
Javaid, 29, and his
59-year-old mother
Khadija, who have been
stuck in the Kashmir
Valley since early March, are being
hosted by a family they had never
previously met, in Patal Bagh in
south Kashmiri’s Pampore town.
They had travelled to Jammu &
Kashmir as tourists last month but
could not return once the lockdown
was imposed.
Javaid told Mirror, “We have
been living with them since March
21. I can’t explain to you how well
they have treated me and my moth-
er, who is diabetic. They even
arranged a doctor for her when she
fell ill. This family has given us so
much love. I have invited them to
Mumbai and we will show them the
same love that they have shown us.
I have never met people like them.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
With only 60 ambulances
dedicated to transporting
Covid-19 patients and bodies
of patients across the city, the
shortage is starting to have a
real impact. On Friday night,
a 55-year-old man from Kam-
athipura suspected of having
Covid-19 died after waiting for
five hours for the ambulance,
which didn’t turn up.
PAGES 2-7
City
SundayMumbaiMirror 2
CORONAVIRUS OUTBRE AK Sunday, April 19, 2020
mirrorfeedback@timesgroup.com
facebook.com/mumbaimirror
@MumbaiMirror

NATION
3,000 UP
students leave
Man awaiting ambulance
for homes
from Kota
Nearly 3,000 students stranded
in Kota due to the ongoing
dies, another waits 12 hrs
There are only 60 ambulances dedicated to ferrying Covid-19 patients and the bodies of
lockdown left for their homes
in 100 buses sent by the UP
government but another 7,000
those who died of the disease. In a city the size of Mumbai, this shortage is starting to tell
SACHIN HARALKAR
were waiting for their turn in the
| Shruti.Ganapatye
Rajasthan city on Saturday. @timesgroup.com
The UP government had sent
250 buses to Kota on Friday, TWEETS @Shruti_Mirror

estimating the total number of
students to be around 7,500, but
more students gathered at the
three boarding points in the city
after learning about the travel
arrangement.
Some of the students were
accompanied by their parents.
Officials now fear the buses
available could be inadequate to
accommodate all the students
willing to return home. But Kota
Public Relations Deputy Director
Hariom Gurjar said that the UP
government has assured them
that more buses would be ar-
ranged if there is a shortfall.
The Kota administration had
prepared the list of students
based on information received
from coaching institutes and did
not account for those studying
in the city without enrolling in
any institute, officials said.
The 100 buses with around
3,000 students left for UP early
Saturday, Additional Superin-
tendent of Police Rajesh Mill,
overseeing the exercise, said.
The process to send the re-
maining students whose names
are in the list is underway, Mill
added.
Asked about the students
who are not listed, he expressed
the inability of the Kota adminis-
tration in arranging more buses,
saying, “It would not be possible
at our level. The resources have
to come from there (UP) and we
can only cooperate and maintain
social distancing while sending
the students back home”.
He said he “cannot comment”
on what additional resources
would be needed and who would
arrange them.
The remaining 7,000 stu-
dents largely belong to the Agra
division, said Nitesh Sharma,
a member of Allen Career
Institute. “We have asked some
students enlisted for departure
to not move out of the hostels
until more buses are arranged.”
The students had started a
social media campaign #SendUs-
BackHome on Tuesday, follow-
ing which the UP government
decided to bring them back.
The move earned praise
from Rajasthan Chief Minister
Ashok Gehlot, who said other
state governments should follow
Uttar Pradesh. The buses have
been sanitised and the students
departing for hometowns are
being thermal screened before
boarding them, the officials said.
PTI
W
ith only 60 ambu-
lances dedicated to
transporting Covid-19
patients and bodies
of patients across the
city, the shortage is starting to have
a real impact. On Friday night, a
55-year-old man from Kamathipura
suspected of having Covid-19 died
after no ambulance turned up to
take him to a hospital for five hours.
In nearby Nagpada, a Covid-19 pa-
tient who needed dialysis urgently
had to wait more than 12 hours for
an ambulance on Saturday.
The 55-year-old man was diabet-
ic and had been admitted to a pri-
vate hospital with high sugar. His
neighbour told Mirror, “He was
released from the hospital but was
still not feeling well. Doctors told
him to get tested for Covid-19,
which he did on Saturday morning.
However, by afternoon he was
feeling uneasy and had difficulty
breathing.”
The neighbour said he called for
an ambulance around 6 pm but
couldn’t reach any of the help lines.
“We called a local politician for
help. He also tried to arrange for an
ambulance but [the man] died at 11
pm. When he was dying, he under-
stood that no ambulance was going
to come,” he added.
In the Nagpada case, a 41-year-
old man who had already missed
three dialysis tested positive for
Covid-19 on Friday. That night, he
managed to get an ambulance and
was taken to a municipal hospital at
Grant Road. However, the hospital
refused to admit him and sent him
back home.
With his family in quarantine
and no one to help him except for a
Global death toll touches 154,100; US accounts for maximum deaths
Pedestrians wear face masks
in Union Square in New York City. The
US is now the global epicentre of the
pandemic with 706,779 infections
A BMC official said 30 BEST buses are being turned into makeshift ambulances
lone relative, he resumed his search help. We are getting 30 small buses Sanket Surve of Ekvira Mauli
for an ambulance at 5 am on converted into ambulances.” Ambulance Services said the owners
Saturday. By then he was feeling The official added, “Sometimes of private ambulances are refusing
unwell and his legs were swollen. there are delays because shifting to transport Covid-19 patients as
His relative said, “We waited for an patients to hospitals or quarantine they do not have the required per-
ambulance from 5 am and finally centres takes time. We have sonal protective equipment (PPE) or
one arrived at 5.30 pm. But it was assigned ambulances ward-wise and the money to buy it. He added,
only after a local politician are trying to resolve the problem.” “Also, there is a protocol involved
intervened that his wait ended. He Congress MLA Amin Patel said [in transporting Covid-19
has been admitted to SevenHills the shortage of ambulances was so patients], which includes immedi-
hospital.” severe that he recently had to send ately disinfecting the ambulance.
A BMC official, who did not four Covid-19 patients to hospital For this we need the support of hos-
wish to be named, admitted there in a single ambulance. He added, “I pitals. Hence we are refusing to
had been delays in sending ambu- felt sorry for the man from transport Covid-19 patients.”
lances to patients. He said they are Kamathipura who died waiting for Samajwadi Party MLA Rais
now trying to get BEST buses con- an ambulance. I am ready to donate Sheikh said that each ward has only
verted into makeshift ambulances. 10 ambulances to the BMC and one or two ambulances. “I have
“We have 60 ambulances across have raised funds for this. But there been noticing the difficultes Covid-
Mumbai dedicated to corona are no ambulances available on the 19 patients are facing just to get
patients. market. The BMC should take pos- admitted. Ambulances do not come
But when we realised this would session of private ambulances in on time and the Nagpada case is a
not be enough, we asked BEST for this crisis.” shocking example of this,” he said.
WORLD
The worldwide death toll from of the actual number of infec- 14,576 deaths and 108,692 cases.
the novel coronavirus pandemic tions. China – excluding Hong Kong
rose to 154,188 on Saturday, Many countries are testing and Macau – has to date de-
according to a tally from official only the most serious cases. clared 4,632 deaths and 82,719
sources. In the United States, now cases.Europe has listed 1,115,555
More than 2,251,690 declared the epicentre of the pandemic, cases and 97,985 deaths to date,
cases have been registered the death toll stood at 37,079 the US and Canada together
in 193 countries and territo- with 706,779 infections. At least have 738,706 cases with 38,445
ries since the epidemic first 59,672 patients have recovered. deaths, Asia 158,764 cases with
emerged in China in December. Italy is the next most-affected 6,837 deaths, the Middle East
Of these cases, at least 497,600 country with 22,745 deaths and 119,462 cases with 5,452 deaths,
are now considered recovered. 172,434 confirmed infections. Latin America and the Carib-
The tallies, using data col- It is followed by Spain with bean 91,699 cases with 4,367
lected from national authorities 20,043 fatalities and 191,726 deaths, Africa 19,674 cases with
and information from the World confirmed infections, France 1,016 deaths and Oceania 7,835
Health Organization (WHO), with 18,681 deaths and 147,969 cases with 86 deaths.
probably reflect only a fraction infections and Britain with AFP
 City
SundayMumbaiMirror
SevenHills staff give 162
ex-patients warm sendoff
Fifty more set to leave hospital today; recovery of patients gives health workers reason to smile
| Linah.Baliga
@timesgroup.com
TWEETS @linahb_mirror
O
ne hundred and sixty-two
Covid-19 patients were
discharged from Seven-
Hills Hospital over Friday
and Saturday, with 50
more set to leave the facility today.
Medical staff at the civic-run hos-
pital, who are working tirelessly
round the clock, said the recovery of
patients gives them a reason to
smile.
On Saturday the BMC posted a
video on Twitter, under the hashtags
#SmilesInTheTimeofCorona and
#GoodbyesarealsoGood, in which
the medical staff can be seen
applauding as the patients leave the
hospital.
A 17-year-old patient gave an
account of her stay at SevenHills.
The teenager said she was “really
scared” when she was told that she
had contracted the virus, but “when
I met all the nurses and doctors and
healthcare workers who came to do
my tests and ask about my well-
being, I knew I would soon recover”.
The staff “took care of my diet,
medication… and made sure every-
thing was done on time. I developed
confidence that I was in good
hands”, she said.
“I have never felt so grateful in
my life. I felt so blessed that I was
being looked after by such amazing-
ly selfless people who were risking
their lives for me,” she said.
The dean of the hospital, Dr
Mohan Joshi, said those being dis-
charged had twice tested negative.
“We are discharging in dozens,
not one or two. We have discharged
162 patients in the last two days and
some 50 more are lined up for today,
but we have to arrange for ambu-
lance to send them home,” he said.
Joshi mentioned the case of a
50-year-old patient who was put on
Auto Chandran of ‘Lock Up’ fame
helps woman deliver baby on roadside
A NATION
utorickshaw driver and
novelist, M Chandrakumar,
popularly known as Auto
Chandran, helped a woman
deliver her baby on the roadside
in Coimbatore on Thursday. The
58-year-old, who shot to fame with
his best-selling novel ‘Lock Up’, was
on his way to distribute food packets
to migrant workers when he got an
SOS call from a friend, asking him
to rush to Thulasiammal Layout
near Singanallur as a woman was in
labour pain.
Chandran reached before the
ambulance and helped the woman,
K 3
CORONAVIRUS OUTBRE A
I felt so blessed that I
was being looked after
by such amazingly
selfless people who
were risking their
lives for me
–17-year-old former patient
ventilator and stabilised. He later
tested negative and was discharged.
“The patient is a driver. He came
with a classic Covid-19 picture –
what we call Acute Respiratory
Distress Syndrome – and was put on
ventilator. After some days he
became stable and tested negative.
That was encouraging,” the dean
said.
While those who have recovered
are being discharged from the hospi-
tal, there is a steady flow of new
patients too.
“Yesterday [Friday] 44 more
patients were admitted. So it is an
ongoing process of patients getting
discharged and admitted. But the
number of those getting discharged
is more now. We are also looking
after poor people who cannot afford
private hospitals,” added Dr Joshi.
a native of Odisha, deliver her
baby. He said she had lost lot of
amniotic fluid and blood and
hesitated but there was no other
option. “It was a normal delivery. I
did nothing but just held the baby
as it came out,” said Chandran,
whose short story ‘Azhagu (2013)’
is a first-person account of
watching a woman deliver in his
autorickshaw.
On Thursday, people gathered to
take videos on their mobile phones
Sunday, April 19, 2020
WORLD
Singapore sees
massive surge
in cases
Singapore reported 942 new
coronavirus cases on Satur-
day, a single-day high for the
tiny city-state that pushed its
total number of infections to
5,992, including 11 deaths.
The number of cases in Sin-
gapore has more than doubled
over the past week amid an
explosion of infections among
foreign workers staying in
crowded dormitories. This
group now makes up around 60
per cent of Singapore’s cases.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien
Loong said on Saturday that
it will take time to break the
chain of transmission in the
dorms. He wrote on Facebook
that the vast majority of
cases among migrant workers
were mild, as the workers
are young. Although cases in
the dorms are expected to
continue to rise amid ongo-
ing virus testing, Lee said the
government is building up its
health care and isolation facili-
ties to handle the load.
More than 200,000 migrant
workers from Bangladesh, In-
dia and other Asian countries
live in dormitories in Singapore
that house up to 20 people per
room with shared facilities.
Tens of thousands of work-
ers have been quarantined in
their dorms, while some have
been moved to safer places to
reduce crowding.
Lee said there were early
signs that Singapore’s partial
lockdown until May 4 is helping
to bring the number of new
cases down. But he said the
government is worried about
hidden cases circulating in the
population and urged citizens
to do their part.
Japan cases
hit 10,000
The number of confirmed novel
coronavirus cases in Japan
Staff applaud as patients leave the hospital after making full recovery rose to 10,000 on Saturday,
NHK public broadcaster said,
just days after a state of
emergency was extended to
the entire nation in an attempt
to slow the spread of the virus.
Japanese Prime Minister
Shinzo Abe on Friday appealed
to the nation to stay indoors
as new cases hit a record in
but no one came forward to help. the capital of Tokyo and fears
Later, the ambulance arrived and medical services could fail in
moved the mother and child to rural areas that are home
Coimbatore Medical College to many elderly prompted
Hospital and their condition is the expansion of the state of
reportedly stable. A video clip emergency from an original
showing Chandran helping the seven areas.
woman has gone viral on social Just over 200 people
media. have died from the virus in
Chandran’s novel ‘Lock Up’ is his Japan, but Tokyo remains the
own story after he was arrested by hardest-hit area, reporting 201
the police for a crime he didn’t com- new infections on Friday alone
mit. It was later adapted into a film - a new record.
titled ‘Visaranai’ by renowned film- Tokyo reported 181 new
maker Vetrimaaran. cases on Saturday, NHK
—GLADWIN EMMANUEL reported.
 City 4
CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK
SundayMumbaiMirror Sunday, April 19, 2020

Stranded in J&K,
Malad man, mother
find their ‘2nd family’
Couple booked for
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

I don’t know how to thank them for what they

are doing for my mother and I.”
Having arrived in Jammu by train on
letting househelps in
Society says it filed complaint after a member repeatedly flouted guidelines on entry of outsiders
March 5, Javaid and Khadija were on their way DEEPAK TURBHEKAR
to a hotel in Srinagar when their cab was halt-
ed at a police checkpoint at Jawahar Tunnel.
They were prevented from proceeding and for
the next two days lived out of the cab. They
were screened for signs of illness on March 7
and finally allowed to go.
Not sure where to go, Javaid decided to call
a family friend who lives in Pampore, 11 km
from Srinagar, and ask if they could stay with
him. The friend agreed, and mother and son
moved in with his family. On March 15, they
were tested for Covid-19 as they were tourists.
Their report revealed that they were not in-
fected. They had only been staying there for a
few days, however, when the friend told Ja-
vaid that they would have to move out. After
briefly staying with another family in the
neighbourhood, the two had run out of op-
tions.
On March 21, they were walking around
the neighbourhood, hungry and with no The housing society in Agripada
place to stay, when they were spotted by Nazir has 103 flats and houses
more than 400 people

| Vallabh.Ozarkar helps, vegetable or milk vendors, When all efforts to convince the tracts the deadly virus, all the mem-
@timesgroup.com would be allowed to enter the socie- couple to follow the guidelines bers would be in danger. In the
ty building. Subsequently, a notice failed, the society’s governing body eventuality of the society being
TWEETS @VallabhMIRROR was issued to all the residents in this approached the Agripada police sealed, it would be worse than the

Ahmad Sheikh, a government employee who
lives a few doors down from where they had
been staying. The looks on their faces told him
at once they were in need of help.
Nazir Ahmad told Mirror, “At the begin-
ning of March I heard about a family from
Mumbai that was staying with one of my
neighbours. On March 21, I saw them and they
both seemed very upset and worried. So I asked
them if everything was ok. They told me they
had nowhere to go as everything was closed.”
He added, “I didn’t even ask their names
and told them they could live in my house for
as long as they needed. Since then they have
been living with us like family. My wife, three
daughters and two sons are taking very good
care of them and making sure they don’t feel
like they are away from home.”
Javaid said, “We had come here for only a
few days but got stuck and I don’t know how
long we are going to be here. I hope things will
be fine soon. But we will miss this family. They
are like my family now.” He said his father Ab-
dul Rashid has been calling every day from
Malad and repeatedly thanks Nazir Ahmad
and his family for taking them in.
There are at least 314 Covid-19 cases in Jam-
mu and Kashmir, of which more than 250
were detected this month. From the time the
first case was announced in J&K on March 9, it
took about three weeks for the number of cases
to reach 50. However, it took just five days for
the number of cases to cross 100 and another
five to cross 200.
A
residential society in
Agripada has registered
an FIR against a couple
for allegedly allowing
househelps to enter
their flat during the nationwide
lockdown despite the society’s ban
on the entry of outsiders. The cou-
ple allegedly ignored several warn-
ings by the housing society and in-
sisted on allowing the househelps
to enter the society campus every
day.
According to the complaint fil-
ed by Mirza Gayasuddin Baig, sec-
retary of the Akash Society in Agri-
pada, after the outbreak of Co-
vid-19 pandemic, the society had
taken several measures and precau-
tions for the safety of its members.
The FIR says that immediately
after the lockdown was imposed on
March 24, the society decided that
no outsiders, including house-
Twenty-six Navy personnel test positive
Colaba-based INS
Angre under lockdown;
door-to-door
screening underway
Vallabh.Ozarkar
@timesgroup.com
TWEETS @VallabhMIRROR
wenty-six personnel of the In-
T dian Navy have tested posi-
tive for Covid-19 in the West-
ern Naval Command prem-
ises in Colaba. All of them are sailors
staying at a bachelors’ residential
block at the INS Angre, a shore-
regard. According to the notice, do-
mestic helps would not be able to
enter or exit the society building on
a daily basis, and if needed the resi-
dents can arrange the accommoda-
tion for them in their flats.
The complaint said that most of
the members followed the guide-
lines, but Asif Chunawala, a busi-
nessman, refused to cooperate.
His two domestic helps kept
coming to work every day. The so-
ciety warned the member several
times, but to no avail, according to
the complaint.
On April 4, the society issued a
written notice to Chunawala. He,
however, did not accept it. The so-
ciety then pasted the notice on the
front door of the couple’s flat, and
requested them to follow the mea-
sures. However, the complainant
claims, the two househelps kept
entering and exiting the building.
based logistics and support estab-
lishment, just few hundred metres
away from the main Naval dock-
yard housing a range of frontline
warships and submarines of the
force.
The sailors have been isolated
and the INS Angre premises in Cola-
ba put under lockdown.
The Indian Navy has started a
door-to- door screening for all the
personnel and their family mem-
bers. However, the Navy has de-
clared that not a single case of Co-
vid-19 has been found on any ship,
submarine or air station of the Indi-
an Navy.
According to the Navy, the de-
tection of these Covid-19 cases is a
and lodged a complaint in this re-
gard. On the basis of the complaint,
the police filed a case against the
couple.
The husband and wife have
been booked under Indian Penal
Code’s Section 270 (malignant act
likely to spread infection of disease
dangerous to life) and Section 188
(disobedience to order duly prom-
ulgated by public servant) as well as
under Sections 3 and 4 of the Epi-
demic Diseases Act and Section
51(b) of the Disaster Management
Act.
The measures were taken as per
the orders by municipal corpora-
tion and government to avoid the
contract of virus in the housing so-
ciety, Baig said. “The measures were
taken for the wellbeing of all the
members. There are 103 flats in the
society that houses more than 400
people. Even if one person con-
result of a meticulous contact trac-
ing and aggressive screening/test-
ing carried out by the Western Na-
val Command after one sailor tested
positive on April 7. All these sailors
continue to remain asymptomatic
and are being monitored at INHS
Asvini, said a press release.
Since the sailor was tested posi-
tive for Covid-19, the entire prem-
ises of the unit have been sealed off.
Containment zones and buffer ar-
eas have been designated and fre-
quent disinfection continues to be
carried out as per protocol to con-
tain spread by breaking the chain of
transmission.
All other areas within naval
premises have been under strict
restrictions that we have put on the
members right now,” said Baig.
He said many members have ar-
ranged accommodation for their
domestic helps in their house itself,
and the society has no problem
with it.
“We don’t know from where
these domestic helps are coming
and whether they have any infec-
tion or not, since they have not
been screened. How can we put the
lives of so many people in danger?”
Baig said the society ap-
proached the police only after the
member refused to cooperate de-
spite repeated requests.
Chunawala, however, denied
the allegations, and said that he did
not let the househelps in. “We had
called the househelps only once –
to give them some money. I have
no idea why this action is being tak-
en against me,” Chunawala said.
lockdown and stringent quaran-
tine and safety protocols have been
enforced for personnel and their
families, with door to door screen-
ing being undertaken for identifica-
tion of cases.
All missions for coastal and off-
shore security continue as before.
Operational units are being main-
tained in readiness by following a14
day quarantine routine to meet im-
mediate contingencies, including
assistance to civil authorities and
friendly maritime neighbours.
The Navy officials claimed that
the naval assets continue to be mis-
sion-deployed in three dimensions,
with all the networks and space as-
sets functioning optimally.
 City
SundayMumbaiMirror
WR hospital interviews nurses,
attendants on WhatsApp
Jagjivan Ram Hospital
plans to hire 126
healthcare workers
for three months
| Shashank.Rao
@timesgroup.com
TWEETS @MumbaiMirror
W
ithin 10 days of being
turned into a Covid-19
facility, the Western
Railways’ Jagjivan Ram
Hospital at Mumbai
Central has received 15 patients
who have tested positive. However,
a majority of nurses and attendants
at the hospital are either over the
age of 50 and prohibited to handle
coronavirus patients or haven’t
been able to come to work as they
live in far-flung suburbs.
Feeling ill-equipped to handle the
crisis, the hospital conducted inter-
views of nurses and other healthcare
staff on WhatsApp on April 14. In
the next few days, it plans to hire
126 new nurses and attendants for
three months. While the nurses will
be paid Rs 71,000 per month, the
attendants will be paid over Rs
33,000 per month. Confirming the
development, Ravinder Bhakar, the
Chief PRO for WR said there is a
need for additional doctors, nurses
and paramedic staff to handle the
situation efficiently.
Flamingo numbers soar as
human activity plummets
Navi Mumbai welcomes
record number of
birds as noise and air
pollution fall
| Yogesh.Naik
@timesgroup.com
TWEETS @yogeshMIRROR
W
ith the extended lock-
down forcing people to
stay indoors, the sur-
rounding areas of Mum-
bai are seeing a sharp rise in the
number of flamingos, especially in
Navi Mumbai, Uran, Thane Creek,
Panju Island and Vasai.
Range forest officer Nathuram
Kokare of Thane Creek Flamingo
Sanctuary attributed the spike in
population to fall in sound and air
pollution. “Even the water is less
polluted and the quality of algae,
which is their food, has improved.
The sightings are much better
now,” said Kokare.
CORONAVIRUS OUTBRE A
Railway staff disinfecting the hospital premises
The Western Railways had
recently issued an advertisement to
induct 75 nursing superintendents
and 51 hospital attendants. “No
one can step out for interviews dur-
ing lockdown and we also wanted
to respect the social-distancing
rule. So we used a social media plat-
form to conduct interviews. They
will all be appointed for a period of
three months,” said a WR official.
The need for additional staff has
been felt as 15 out of 51 patients at
the hospital are coronavirus posi-
tive. These include two hospital
doctors as well. “Many of our nurs-
es and ward boys are unable to
come to work as they reside in far-
off places,” said a member of the
railway union, adding that the hos-
pital divided the remaining staff
into three batches. While the first
batch worked for the first week (for
Flamingos are by nature social and tend to stay in large groups
Virendra Tiwari, additional prin-
cipal chief conservator of forests,
echoed Kokare’s observations. Even
fisherman S Nakhwa, who takes
tourists to the Vasai-Uttan Creek,
said he had never seen such a great
number of pink birds on Panju
Island.
Meet Ashar, a wildlife warden in
Thane, put things in perspective.
“Since there are hardly any humans
around, flamingos, which are by
K 5
almost 12 hours every day), they
were quarantined for 14 days there-
after at a railways’ facility in
Mumbai Central. “This is to make
sure that they don’t take back the
infection home,” said a doctor.
The second week is meant for
the second batch and the third
week for the final batch. However,
by the time the first batch is ready
to go back home, there won’t be
nurses and attendants at the hospi-
tal. The recruitment, according to
the management, will help plug
this gap.
The hospital currently has 350
beds but only 172 beds in nine
wards can be opened up to keep
social distancing. At present, five
wards comprising 100 beds have
been opened up for coronavirus
patients. Later, four additional
wards will be opened up, including
nature social and tend to stay in
large groups, are enjoying a hassle-
free stay,” he said, adding that the
forest department and fishermen
are keeping a close watch on the
pink birds and the dolphins, who
have appeared on the west coast, to
prevent hunting.
Ashar said that the lockdown
period is also a good time to study
flamingos, which can help improve
the process of conservation.
Sunday, April 19, 2020
SATISH MALAVADE
PICS: RAJU SHINDE
the ICU wards.
On April 15, the National
Nair hospital
Federation of Indian Railwaymen
wrote an eight-point letter to the
Railway Board explaining the issues
faced by the hospital. Some of
City gets a Covid-19
these points include inadequate
medical and paramedical staff,
hospital it deserved,
insufficient quarantine rooms and
a shortage of personal protective
and so badly needed
equipment (PPE).
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
In the last few days, WR officials
have also held meetings with the The emptying out of Nair Hospital of
staff and members of the union to all non-Covid-19 patients also
iron out these problems. Sources indicates that the city is digging in
said that around 4,000 PPE kits will its heels for a protracted struggle
be procured for which the process against Covid-19 that could, as this
has begun. The hospital also has paper reported in its Saturday’s
residential quarters for 80 families edition, last months and not weeks
of doctors and senior staff. The as many of us had hoped. The BMC
administration has promised that has already floated a recruitment
necessary care will be taken to pre- advertisement for hiring super-
vent them from getting infected. specialist doctors, nurses and ward
boys on three-month contracts at
SevenHills.
Additional Municipal
Commissioner Suresh Kakani said
the transformation of Nair will take
place in stages. “In first phase, we
will vacate the first building of all
non-Covid patients and create a 100-
bed facility with a 50-bed ICU.
Eventually, Nair will have a 500-bed
ICU and an 800-bed isolation ward,”
he said, adding that
fifty new ventilators have already
SACHIN HARALKAR
arrived and a supplementary order
for 80 more has been placed.
The hospital will also have a
50-bed maternity ward for Covid-19
positive expectant mothers.
Recently, the government
constituted a nine-member task
force to evolve a patient
management protocol for critically
ill Covid-19 patients. The committee
had recommended that all critical
care patients be treated at one
facility.
A senior doctor at KEM Hospital,
who did not wish to be identified,
said specialists were for long
Environmentalist D Stalin of suggesting that a big BMC hospital
NGO Vanashakti said that lots of be converted into Covid-19
flamingos can be seen in Navi speciality facility.
Mumbai and Thane Creek because Nair Hospital Dean Dr Ramesh
wetlands of Panje in Uran are dry- Bharmal said he has already
ing up as the flow of creek water discussed the conversion of hospital
keeps getting blocked. to an exclusive Covid-19 facility
The sightings are also good in with his department heads. “There
Sanjay Gandhi National Park – one are some employees who are
of the very few national parks in hesitant. But I am sure we will soon
the world in the middle of a have an understanding. This is the
metropolis. best solution,” he said.
City SundayMumbaiMirror
NATION
With eye on China,
govt revises FDI
policy regulations
The government on Saturday
made its approval mandatory for
foreign investments from coun-
tries that share land border with In-
dia to curb “opportunistic take-
overs” of domestic firms following
the COVID-19 pandemic, a move
which will restrict FDI from China.
Countries which shares land
borders with India are China, Ban-
gladesh, Pakistan, Bhutan, Nepal,
Myanmar, and Afghanistan.
“An entity of a country, which
shares land border with India or
where the beneficial owner of an
investment into India is situated in
or is a citizen of any such country,
can invest only under the govern-
ment route,” according to a press
note issued by the Department for
promotion of Industry and Inter-
nal Trade (DPIIT).
It said that the government has
amended the FDI (foreign direct in-
vestment) policy to curb “opportu-
nistic takeovers/acquisitions” of
Indian companies on account of
COVID-19 pandemic.
It also said that government ap-
proval will be mandatory for any
transfer of ownership of any exist-
ing or future FDI in a company in
India, which results in change in
beneficial ownership, falling un-
der this new restriction.
According to sources,the deci-
sion would restrict foreign invest-
ments from China amid fears that
companies in the neighbouring
country might make takeover bids
at a time when domestic firms are
battling lockdown.
Currently the norm existed on-
ly for investments coming from Pa-
kistan. A company can invest in In-
dia, subject to the FDI policy except
in those sectors/activities which
are prohibited. PTI
WORLD
Protests in US
against stay at
home orders
Demonstrators in three US states
staged public rallies this week to de-
mand an end to the restrictions,
with the largest protest in Michi-
gan attracting 3,000 people -- some
of whom were armed.
Trump has largely left decisions
on easing lockdowns to state offi-
cials even as he laid out guidelines
for a staged reopening of the na-
tional economy.
But his call to “liberate” Michi-
gan, Minnesota and Virginia in a
series of tweets Friday were quickly
rebuked by the Democratic leaders
of all three states.
The United States accounts for
nearly a third of the 2.25 million
coronavirus infections reported
globally. It has also recorded over
37,000 deaths, more than any oth-
er nation, followed by Italy, Spain
and France which have all been
ravaged by their own outbreaks.
Man held for cooking up Woman files case against killing
story of 2 men licking Rs 500 of stray in her area, gets booked
notes, leaving them on road for flouting lockdown norms
Police probe found that the notes had fallen from a
man’s pocket while he was taking out his bike keys
Somendranath.Sharma
@timesgroup.com
TWEETS @MumbaiMirror
T
he Malad police have arrest-
ed a man for allegedly mis-
leading the police and citi-
zens. The accused, who
works as a security guard in a
housing society in Malad West, had
apparently called up the police control
room to complain against two people
whom he ‘saw’ licking a couple of
notes and leaving them in the middle
of the road.
The police probe, however, found
that he was lying, and had apparently
concocted the story to ‘incite commu-
nal tension’.
Sanjay Kumar Shah has been book-
ed under IPC sections 188 (disobedi-
ence to order duly promulgated by
public servant), 505 (2) (statements
creating or promoting enmity, hatred
or ill-will between classes), and Sec-
tion 54 (punishment for false warn-
ing) of the Disaster Management Act.
According to sources, the local po-
lice station received a call at around
12:09 pm on Thursday from the main
control room informing them that
two notes of Rs 500 denomination
were lying near a medical store in Wa-
sari Hill in Malad West. A crowd had
gathered at the spot.
When the police team arrived at
the spot, Shah approached them and
identified himself as the caller. He
then went on to narrate the whole ‘in-
cident’. According to Shah, at around
11:45 am that day, while he was on du-
ty, he saw two people arriving on a
He probably wanted to
spread enmity among
citizens in the wake of
the ongoing Covid-19
threat
— Police
bike. They stopped near the medical
store, and the pillion rider took out a
few notes from his pocket. He then
wiped his mouth with them and even
allegedly licked them, before throw-
ing them on the road in such a way that
they would be easily spotted.
“Shah said that sensing something
amiss, he called the control room from
his mobile phone for help,” said a po-
lice officer.
In order to verify Shah’s story, the
police team checked the CCTV foot-
age of the building where he works.
And that was enough to expose his lie.
The footage clearly showed that the
notes had fallen from a man’s pocket
while he was taking out his bike’s keys.
The timing matched with the one giv-
en by Shah.
Further enquiries revealed that the
man lived in the same locality. The po-
lice team traced him and upon enquir-
ing with him, he told them that he had
gone to the bank to deposit money.
When Shah was confronted with
the truth, he had no explanation. He
was subsequently booked.
“He probably wanted to spread en-
mity among citizens in the wake of the
ongoing COVID-19 threat,” the officer
said.
Sunday, April 19, 2020 6
Matterhorn
lights up
with Indian
tricolour
Switzerland expressed
solidarity with India in its
fight against the
coronavirus pandemic by
projecting the tricolour on
the Matterhorn
mountain in the Swiss Alps
to give “hope and
strength” to all Indians.
Swiss light artist Gerry
Hofstetter has been light-
ing up the 4,478-meter
pyramidal peak straddling
Switzerland and Italy with
spectacular displays of
flags of different countries
and messages of hope as
part of a nightly series
supporting the nations
combating the deadly
COVID-19 pandemic. PM
Modi also shared the tweet
with a caption saying, “The
world is fighting COVID-19
together. Humanity will
surely overcome this
pandemic.”
The housing society she lives in is a containment zone
W
oman files case against killing of stray in her area, gets booked
for flouting lockdown norms
The housing society she lives in is a containment zone
A 29-year-old woman from Goregaon has been booked by
the police for allegedly flouting lockdown norms of a containment zone
after she insisted on filing a complaint over the death of a stray dog in her
area.
According to the police, the complaint against her was filed by Consta-
ble Ganesh Dabhade from Goregaon police station. Dabhade was on duty
in Motilal Nagar 2 in Goregaon West as it has been declared a containment
zone by the BMC.
As per his complaint, on Wednesday afternoon the woman (name
withheld on request) approached him with a complaint that a stray dog in
her society premises was mowed down by a car. She told him that she want-
ed to visit the police station to file a case in this regard.
“Constable Dabhade told the woman not to venture out as the area was
a containment zone, and entry and exit was restricted. Still, she defied the
lockdown orders and went ahead to visit the police station,” said a police
officer.
The woman has been booked under sections 269 (negligent act likely
to spread infectious diseases dangerous to life) and188 (disobedience to or-
der duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code.
When contacted, the woman was shocked that she was being penal-
ised while she was ‘only trying to get justice for a stray dog’.
“I had been feeding the dog ever since I have been living here. I feed
many strays from our locality. On Wednesday, my building’s watchman
told me that the dog had come under another resident’s car. I rushed down
and found the dog lying in a pool of blood. We buried it at an isolated place
near our building,” she said.
And when she confronted the woman over the incident, she told her
that she had been in a rush to get some medicines for her father and the dog
suddenly came under the car.
The woman then filed a case against the other woman under Section
429 (mischief by killing or maiming cattle, etc, of any value or any animal
of the value of Rs 50) of the Indian Penal Code.
“Can’t anyone visit the police station to lodge a case against a crime?”
she said incredulously.
When asked if the woman was offered the option to file the case with-
out breaking lockdown rules, Mumbai Police spokesperson DCP Pranaya
Ashok told Mirror, “In any case if anyone wants to lodge a complaint, they
can dial 100 or call up the local police station to seek assistance. Nobody is
stopped from registering a complaint but in the current scenario, certain
precautions need to be taken.”
SOMENDRANATH SHARMA
 City 7
CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK
SundayMumbaiMirror Sunday, April 19, 2020

State seeks Rs 50,000 crore Airlines advised not to open

bookings after May 4: Govt
from Centre to fight Covid-19 Air India had announced it will start domestic bookings from
May 3 and international bookings from June 1
Shows a shortfall of Rs 27,000 cr in March; demands pending GST dues
H
ours after Air India opened On Thursday, the ministry had
bookings for domestic asked all airlines to offer full refund
Makarand Gadgil ever, as the state government is not get- flights from May 4, the Min- to passengers for flights booked af-
@timesgroup.com ting its due share from the Centre, it is istry of Civil Aviation clarified that ter April 15. The Civil Aviation min-
finding it difficult to perform its obliga- no decision to restart domestic or istry had received several com-
TWEETS @makarandmirror1
tory duties,” he wrote. international operations had been plaints from passengers as well as

D
eputy chief minister and
state finance minister Ajit
Pawar on Friday wrote to
Prime Minister Narendra
Modi demanding that Mah-
arashtra be given Rs 10,000 crore per
month for the next five months for eco-
nomic stability in the face of Covid-19.
Pawar also said that the “Central
government should pay states their
share of goods and services tax on time”.
It may be recalled that last month he
had written a letter to Union finance
minister Nirmala Sitharaman, asking
the Centre to pay Maharashtra around
Rs 17,000 crore dues in GST, other taxes
and grants.
In his letter to PM Modi, Pawar has
said the state faced a revenue shortfall of
around Rs 27,000 crore in March alone.
This comprises an expenditure of Rs
10,000 crore on salaries, Rs 3,000 on
pension, Rs 7,000 crore on repayment
of loans and interest, Rs 3,000 crore on
various social sector schemes which are
of “utmost priority” and only Rs 3,000
crore on the Covid-19 readiness. “How-
Additionally, Pawar has also asked
for relaxation in the state fiscal deficit.
He said that under the Fiscal Responsib-
ility and Budget Management Act
(2003), states have to limit their fiscal
deficit to 3 per cent of their GDP, but this
should be relaxed to 5 per cent.
Commenting on the situation, pro-
fessor of economics from Mumbai Uni-
versity Abhay Pethe said it is unlikely
that the Centre will accept the state’s de-
mand for a special package because sim-
ilar demands have been made by other
states as well. However, he pointed out
that Maharashtra can hope to get a
higher share of taxes from the Centre “if
it makes a strong case before the finance
commission”.
taken and airlines should not open
bookings after May 3, the current
lockdown deadline.
The clarification came from the
Minister of Civil Aviation Hardeep
Singh Puri. He tweeted, “The Minis-
try of Civil Aviation clarifies that so
far no decision has been taken to
open domestic or international op-
erations. Airlines are advised to
open their bookings only after a de-
cision in this regard has been taken
by the Government.” On Saturday
morning, Air India had announced
on its website that bookings for se-
lect domestic flights were open
from May 4, and for international
flights from June 1.
other aviation organisations for al-
lowing airlines to accept bookings
for travel after April 15 when it was
clear that the government could ex-
tend the national lockdown.
Aviation think tank and adviso-
ry CAPA India had in a series of
tweets said, “Passengers who have
purchased tickets for the period
from April to May 3 will once again
only be offered credit for future trav-
el, rather than a refund.”
The Air Passengers Association
of India, and the Mumbai Grahak
Panchayat had also complained to
the ministry that it was unfair for
passengers.
SATISH NANDGAONKAR

85-year-old dies after

recovering from Covid-19
NATION
Gladwin Emmanuel under various sections of Indian

a6rzit5 xTra;TlTcTJ:r
@timesgroup.com Penal Code and Epidemic Dis-
eases Ordinance. However, the
TWEETS @MumbaiMirror
was cured of Covid-19. Hence Umrah-returnee tested negative

A
n 85-year-old former
madarassa teacher and a
‘spiritual healer’ died of
septicemia and multi-organ
dysfunction at Manjeri Medical
College Hospital in Malappu-
ram district of Kerala at 4 am on
Saturday. Septicemia is a serious
bloodstream infection.
He initially tested positive
for Covid-19, but all the subse-
quent tests of his swab samples
were negative.
Kerala Health Minister KK
his body will be handed over to
his family, she said. She said he
had been suffering from heart
and kidney-related ailments be-
sides, diabetes and blood pres-
sure for the past nearly 40 years.
The 85-year-old, a native of
Kariyamad near Keezhattur in
Malappuram district, and his
son, a madarassa teacher, in his
forties, who had returned from
Umrah (an Islamic pilgrimage to
Mecca), were in the news after
the latter violated the home
for the virus.
His father started showing
symptoms of the infection on
T9;lp# j lc%l@lj lmc4l9Cpl
.
March 26, but the family didn’t
inform the authorities. They in-
stead took him to several hospi-
tals, sources said.
He was admitted to the Man-
3TW4
jeri Medical College Hospital
with viral pneumonia on March
31. He tested positive for Co-
vid-19 on April 3. However, due 4 1Ama
COPWIFA
to the treatment given to him,
he tested negative for the disease

ardT;Plxa1F.r
Shailaja said that even the final quarantine norms and social- on April 7 and10. He again tested

GIs
swab sample tested at Kozhi- ised with people. negative for the virus on April
kode Medical College on Satur- Following this, the son was 13. But he had other complica-
day morning showed that he booked for endangering lives tions which led to his death.

In other news C1xTmrar

Three jawans killed in
Sopore militant attack
Two others injured; search operations underway
T
hree Central Reserve Po-
lice Force jawans were
killed when militants at-
tacked a naka at Ahad Sahab by-
pass in Sopore area in North
Kashmir’s Baramulla district on
Saturday evening.
Sources told Mirror that the
militants fired upon a joint par-
ty of Central Reserve Police
Force’s 179 Battalion and police
at Noorbagh near Ahad Bab’s
crossing, which led to retalia-
tion by the forces. In the attack
three jawans were killed – two
died on the spot, a third on the
way to hospital. Two others
were injured.
The jawans who died were:
head constable Rajeev Sharma
from Bihar, constable CB Bha-
kare from Maharashtra and
constable Parma Satyapal
Singh from Gujarat.
Soon after the attack, the ar-
ea was cordoned off and a
search operation was launched
to nab the attackers.
“Preliminary reports sug-
gest the militants were on a mo-
torbike and opened fire at a time
when the personnel were
boarding a mobile bulletproof
vehicle. The militants fired
ziYr-r
IqCl.tul
from automatic rifles and fled
the scene. It was a stray fire,” a
CRPF spokesman said.
The sources said the author-
ities are investigating the role of
the newly formed The Resist-
ance Front in the attack
This is the second such at-
tack in the past 24 hours. One
CRPF jawan was injured in Pul-
wama on Friday evening in an
attack on a checkpoint.
Five militants were killed in
a gunfight in the Keran Sector
on April 5 in Kupwara, in which
five troopers also died.
ANIL RAINA
 SundayMumbaiMirror
THE SUNDAY READ
Wedding season
goes viral
Eager to begin their lives
computers — Dang, at his parents’ home in Andheri
(W) and Narang in her Bareilly apartment — and get
married online, while friends and family log in from
together as wife and around the world, and a pandit recites prayers over a
husband, many couples are video call. “Given the fact that we dated online, it
seems fitting,” says the happy groom, who’s looking
refusing to let the global forward to being united with his bride in person, as
soon as the lockdown is lifted.
pandemic come in the way Earlier this month, this paper carried the news of the
virtual wedding of Preet Singh, a Mumbai-based
of their happily ever afters Merchant Navy officer, and Neet Kaur, an IT consultant,
who lives in Delhi. The nuptials were conducted via a
video call on April 4 — the same day that Aurangabad
| Anjana Vaswani and Anuka Roy resident Mohammad Minhajudd exchanged vows with
mirrorfeedback@timesgroup.com
his fiancée, who is based in Beed, also over a video call.
TWEETS @MumbaiMirror And on April 26, Sreejith Nadesan, 30, from
Changanassery in Kottayam, will wed 28-year-old P
A
few months ago when Sushen Dang, who Anjana Assary, who lives in Lucknow, over the internet.
lives in Canada, was serenading his girl- Nadesan, who is a senior officer with ESAF Small
friend Keerti Narang, a resident of Uttar Finance Bank, and Assary, an analyst with HCL
Pradesh, over the internet, the 26-year-old Technologies, were engaged in November. Having
guitarist had no idea that the online learnt that there’s no other auspicious date on the hori-
courtship would set the tone for what was zon, the couple and their families have decided to go
to come. At 5.30 pm today, the two will sit before their ahead with a video call wedding. They will connect
(L-R) Avinash Singh Bagri and Kirti Agrawal got
married in Gurgaon on April 14; Ekta Gujral’s
virtual bachelorette; Sushen Dang and Keerti
Narang will exchange vows today
Sunday, April 19, 2020
8
ILLUSTRATION: JAYANTO
over WhatsApp next Sunday and, in a symbolic gesture,
Nadesan will tie a mangalsutra around the screen when
the bride’s face is on it, while simultaneously, Assary
will tie a locket on a thread around her own neck. The
pandemic may have called a halt to the Great Indian
Wedding, but it hasn’t stopped people from tying the
knot in the most innovative ways possible.
Now and forever
“What was most important to us was to celebrate our
wedding with all our relatives and friends from around
the world. My sister lives in Canada and it might be a
year before travel restrictions are lifted everywhere,”
says Preet Singh, whose Merchant Navy job entails long
stints at sea, even though he is currently grounded.
Singh and Kaur have been dating since they met on
shaadi.com last year. Eager to get married, they were
initially disheartened when the lockdown was
announced less than a fortnight before their wedding
date. But they decided to go through with it anyway.
On April 3, Kaur had a mehendi ceremony at home,
with just her immediate family. The next day, after they
received their parents’ blessings over the net, the wed-
ding event — which had guests from different time
zones in attendance — morphed into a dance party.
“My cousin played Punjabi songs and everyone
danced in their own homes,” says Singh. Kaur and
he plan to have a small gurudwara ceremony in
Mumbai as soon as it becomes pos-
sible to organise
one. Like
them, Dang
and Narang
were keen to
begin their
married life,
having been
together since
June 2019,
when they met
over social
media. Dang says
they have a lot in
common “like our
love for dancing,
our artistic inclina-
tion and worldview,
our goals in life and
where we see our-
selves in the future”.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 9
 SundayMumbaiMirror Sunday, April 19, 2020
9
Obviously, you miss the physical presence of people. But this situation
has made me realise that the people you love are always just a phone
THE SUNDAY READ

call away — Ekta Gujral, bride-to-be

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8 wedding that took place in
early April, since it
The couple would connect online every day. “Once, we wasn’t possible for
spoke for nine hours straight,” says Dang, who visited India seven ‘suhagan’ or
in October to meet Narang. “We planned the wedding right married women to
then, because we knew we wanted to spend our lives grind wheat
together,” he says together as per
Dang, who works as a competitive intelligence analyst, tradition, the
has been in Mumbai since February as he was here on work bride’s mother
when the lockdown was announced, while Narang is in was asked to pound the
Bareilly. The two had to abandon their plans to have a wheat seven times. Her
grand wedding at Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand. daughter and the groom per-
“We felt the main thing was to get married, and it didn’t formed the pheras at their local
matter where and how, or how big an event it was,” says Lakshminarayan temple in a US
Dang. After weighing the pros and cons — primarily the city that currently has over 7,000
pandit’s declaration that the next auspicious ‘mahurat’ Covid-19 cases. “It was just the cou-
would be in December — the couple decided there’s no ple and the priest. Not a single guest
time like now. was allowed,” says the bride’s mother,
who blessed the couple from her south
Beyond apparel and appearances Mumbai home.
Anubha Hemant Joshi, a pandit with shaadi.com, who will Of the 250 guests tuned in to the cere-
solemnise the Dang-Narang wedding today (and presided mony over Zoom, only the immediate fami-
over another online wedding on April 14), believes it’s ly was dressed to the nines for it. The bride’s
important to stick to the mahurat. She does concede, how- cousins in London watched in their tees and
ever, that the lockdown poses several challenges, including jeans, while her colleagues from the medical
the unavailability of puja provisions. “We have to make do world were wearing scrubs when they logged in.
with substitutes — mango leaves instead of betel leaves, “One of my friends had her complete make-up
and flowers plucked from the family’s terrace garden,” she on, as well as the jewellery she had planned to
says. Joshi tells couples what is required for the ceremony, wear for the wedding. But from the neckpiece down,
and then guides them through she was dressed in casuals,” says the bride’s mother.
the rituals, and recites the When Avinash Singh Bagri and Kirti Agrawal, both
verses, over video calls. 31, tied the knot on April 14 with a priest from Kanpur
“Each ritual has some sig- presiding online, the groom’s brother performed the rit-
nificance. As long as the uals as per the priest’s directions. The nuptials took place
bride and groom under- at his home in Gurgaon, where Bagri and Agrawal also live
stand that, a little varia- and work. Bagri’s sister did the bride’s make-up, guided by a
tion, under the circum- professional over a video call, and she also loaned the bride
stances, is acceptable,” a red and golden lehenga and matching jewellery for the
says Acharya Vinod occasion. The outfit the bride had selected for her big day,
Bharadwaj, who has was at her parent’s home in Bareilly. With the lockdown,
been performing online neither the outfit nor the bride’s parents could make it to
Hindu ceremonies for the wedding in person. They attended it online, along with
Joshi NRIs for years. He lists some 80 others, and even had a virtual sangeet. “It was still
t
He man ver a number of essential great fun, with people dancing wherever they had logged
ha so
Anub ng verse ceremonies that are in from,” says Bagri.
ti
reci o call part of traditional
e
a vid weddings — the The music will never stop
Navagraha puja per- Restrictions on movement haven’t put a dampener on pre-
formed to propitiate the deities wedding festivities either. Although Ekta Gujral, who was
associated with the nine planets, for to get married on April 26 in Dehradun, has decided to
instance — and with no prompting at all, starts detail- postpone her wedding, her girl gang still had an online
ing the significance of each step of every ritual. It’s enough bachelorette for her. “Originally, the plan was to book an
to make one appreciate at least one big advantage of online apartment for the do,” says Swadha Singh, one of Gujral’s
weddings: That guests can, hypothetically, tune into their closest friends. When the lockdown was announced, Singh
favourite TV show between the ‘swahas’. secretly took the bride off the WhatsApp wedding-planning
Performing pujas during the pandemic may also require group, and organised a hen party with Gujral’s friends from
other adjustments. For the ‘ghari puja’ ritual of a Sindhi around the world. Vidushi Richashree, another friend of The April 4 wedding of Preet Singh and Neet Kaur
Gujral, designed an e-vite for the event and all the girl- turned into an impromptu dance party
(L-R) Anshula Verma and Parth Dawar had an friends logged in dressed in white — giving the bride-to-be
online ring ceremony on April 14 just enough notice for her to ditch her PJs for a dressy top and a touch of makeup. “I was so surprised, but very
happy,” Gujral says, adding that they still managed to play
some fun and naughty games, even though the party was
entirely online. “Obviously, you miss the physical presence
of people. But this situation has made me realise that the
people you love are always just a phone call away.”
Anshula Verma, 25, and Parth Dawar, 29, came to the
same realisation when the two-day wedding they had
planned in Goa, with some 260 guests, had to be post-
poned. With Parth stuck in Guna, near Indore, and Verma
in Navi Mumbai, the couple decided to at least get engaged
on April 14. “At the point when his mother was supposed to
put the tika on my forehead, my mother did it at our end,
and vice-versa. It was well coordinated,” says Verma, who is
an entrepreneur. Guests from Hong Kong and Australia
cheered as they watched the ceremony on screens, dressed
in their desi best. While they have yet to take a call on the
wedding ceremony, Verma and Dawar enjoyed the engage-
ment immensely. Newlyweds, Bagri and Agarwal, too, were
able to set aside the fact that their lockdown wedding was a
far cry from the grand celebration they had originally
planned, which would have seen thousands flying in to
Satna in Madhya Pradesh, the city Bagri hails from. “This
was a different kind of exciting, that’s all,” says Bagri.
So, as the sun dips in the horizon today, and Narang and
Dang are pronounced wife and husband, if your thoughts
One of my friends had her complete make-up on, should turn to how tough it is to source groceries and essen-
as well as the jewellery. But from the neckpiece tials, perhaps you will find some comfort in the knowledge
down, she was dressed in casuals — a bride’s mother that love, at least, transcends all barriers. Even a lockdown.
 SundayMumbaiMirror
THE SUNDAY READ
No distance
too great
The nationwide lockdown has thrown millions of lives into
disarray. Here are five people who went to extreme lengths
for both their loved ones as well as complete strangers
| Team Mirror
mirrorfeedback@timesgroup.com
TWEETS @MumbaiMirror
Kerala man rides 150 km
to deliver medicines to
four-year-old cancer patient
When Vishnu KP left the police force in 2019
after eight years of service to work with the
Government Medical College Hospital,
Thiruvananthapuram as a medical sergeant,
he thought his days of public service were
over. On March 29, a few days after the coun-
try went into lockdown, he got a call from his
friend Antony Ratheesh, a policeman in
Alappuzha, saying that a four-year-old child,
undergoing cancer treatment, was desperately
in need of medicines. The 31-year-old rushed
to the Regional Cancer Centre to
get medicines, and decided to
ride to the coastal district,
situated 150 km away
from his workplace, the
next day after his shift
got over. “It was my
first mission after I got
out of a cop’s uniform.
More than excitement,
I felt the weight of
responsibility of saving
a life,” he says. When he
reached the destination
four and a half hours later,
he realised how little he knew
of the family he was helping.
“The parents had been childless for 13 years,
after which they had two children. The elder
child has renal issues, and is undergoing dialy-
sis, and the youngest is battling leukaemia,”
he says. “The father, who works as a newspa-
per vendor, cannot afford the treatment.”
Vishnu did the only thing he could do at
that point, he refused to take money for the
medicines. As soon as he handed them over,
he turned back to head home. On reaching
home, he changed his clothes and headed to
work, in time for his shift. Asked about how
exhausted he was, Vishnu is quick to brush it
off: “It doesn’t matter. When health workers
all over the world are struggling 24x7 to fight
the virus, what I did is not even worth men-
tioning.” — Vandana Mohandas
Sunday, April 19, 2020 10
KAUSHIK JN
Bangalore cop makes
420 km bike trip to deliver
cancer drug in Dharwad
On April 11, at 4.30 am, S Kumara
Telangana woman rides 1,400 km across states Swamy, a head constable who’s working
on scooter to bring back her stranded son with the Central Armed Reserve in
Razia Begum, who made a 1,400 km scooter journey all on her own, riding Bangalore, took his scooter out of his
36 hours straight to help her son, seems unfazed by all the attention she is Vijayanagar home and rode over 420 km
getting. “I have been through many hardships. It’s only this chapter of my to deliver medicines to Umesh Koti, a
life that has come to light,” says the 48-year-old principal of a government cancer patient, in Dharwad by after-
school in Bodhan in Nizamabad district, Telengana. Her 19-year-old son noon. So urgent was the shipment that
Mohammed Nizamuddin, who is preparing for a medical entrance test, had the 47-year-old cop didn’t stop once to
gone to Nellore district in Andhra Pradesh on March 12, to see a friend’s ail- even have chai. Instead, he kept going,
ing father and help out the family. When the nationwide lockdown was subsisting on hot water and biscuits,
announced on March 24, Nizamuddin got stuck. He had to take shelter in which he’d packed for the journey, and
the hall of a neighbouring dargah, where many people like him were strand- broke his fast only at the patient’s home.
ed. “If he had been with a relative, or at a hostel, I wouldn’t have worried so He was also carrying with him 10
much. But he was alone there, with a lot of strangers. I was scared he would masks, five bottles of hand sanitiser
fall ill,” says Begum. She pleaded with V Jayapal Reddy, Bodhan’s assistant and a few strips of headache tablets to
commissioner of police, for over a week before he relented and gave her a distribute to the needy along the way,
written pass for the journey. “I requested him to consider my case as a moth- but found everyone to be well prepared
er,” says Begum, who set off immediately on the morning of April 6 on her for the pandemic.
scooter. She didn’t tell her family, including her children, about her plan. Koti is in the third stage of colon can-
“My older son, who’s an engineering graduate, insisted on going in my cer, and can’t do without these medi-
place, but I thought the police might detain him. And I couldn’t bear to let cines, which are available only at the DES
another son go out at such an uncertain time,” she says. Begum only called Centre in Bangalore’s Cambridge Layout.
Nizamuddin to say she was coming, and to be ready. He ran out of his stock shortly after the
Clad in a burkha, she drove through the night, stopping lockdown was announced. With no solu-
only once for 15 minutes to eat chapatis with tomato tion in sight, Koti called up a news chan-
chutney, at a petrol pump. She was stopped several nel on April 9 seeking help. To his luck,
times on the way by the police, who let her pass Swamy heard his appeal and got in touch
only when they saw Reddy’s letter. At the Telangana with him the next morning, and by after-
border, however, they were almost ready to send her noon, he had the medicines picked
back. “I told them I had come halfway. Another up from the centre. After giving
halfway, and I would either get back home or get the medicines, Swamy left
to my son. They let me go,” she shares. Begum Dharwad the very same day,
reached Nellore on Tuesday afternoon. but broke his journey in
“Nizamuddin saw me from a dis- Chitradurga and reached
tance, and came running to hug Bangalore the next morning.
me,” she says. She stopped All in all, he traversed some
only to rest for three or four 900 km in 30 hours to help
hours, and started on her Koti. The news has shot him to
return journey. Both instant fame. “Five people, most-
mother and son ly heart patients, from Hubali and
reached Bodhan Udupi have also reached out to me
safe on April 8. since, to get them medicines,”
—Suktara shares Swamy, adding that he is
Ghosh waiting for his seniors to give the go-
ahead to help these people out. On
Thursday, the commissioner of police,
Bengaluru City even tweeted a photo
of him giving Swamy a certificate
of appreciation. —Barkha Kumari
CONTINUED ON PAGE 11
 SundayMumbaiMirror
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10
THE SUNDAY READ
Mumbai watchman travels 2,100 km to Chandigarh
in five days to meet his father who had a stroke
Arif Rajouri’s legs are still aching from
cycling 418 km for three days straight,
from Mumbai to Baroda, which was
nowhere near even half the distance
(around 2,100 km) he intended to
cover on his own. When the 30-year
old watchman in a Bandra West build-
ing heard that his father had suffered
a stroke, a few days after the nation-
wide lockdown was announced, he set
off on his cycle to attend to him.
It was just his luck that the CRPF
found him in Baroda, and offered him
a ride to Chandigarh, via Jodhpur and
Ludhiana, and is even helping him
cover the cost of treatment.
The news of his father, Wazir Husain,
— a resident of Panjgrain village, situat-
ed along the Line of Control in Rajouri
district of Jammu and Kashmir — fall-
ing suddenly ill, came as no surprise to
Rajouri. He claims that the night before
het got the news, his saw his father in
his dreams. He woke up knowing some-
Artist who was
once ‘held for
singing well’
The singer on starting early, his debut English single
and appearing on a billboard in Times Square
| Anuka.Roy
@timesgroup.com
TWEETS @anuka_MIRROR
A
rmaan Malik is no stranger to
the music industry. His
grandfather Sardar Malik was
a music composer, and his
father Daboo Malik and uncle
Anu Malik are well known music direc-
tors. So, no one was surprised when
Armaan decided to become a playback
singer. And while he has already made
his mark in Bollywood, it’s only now that
a special dream of his has come true.
Armaan’s debut original English song
“Control” released last month under
Arista Records, a label that has been asso-
ciated with musicians like Whitney
Houston and Jennifer Hudson. The high-
tempo song was recorded by music pro-
ducer Wayne Wilkins, who has worked
with Beyoncé and Natasha Bedingfield.
What’s more, Armaan was also featured
thing was not right. A phone call to his
home confirmed his worst fears. For the
next two days Rajouri fretted. All he had
on him was Rs 2,000, of which he paid
Rs 500 to purchase a bicycle belonging
to another watchman. He picked up his
bag of clothes, a bottle of water and a
packet of bread, and left for home.
Rajouri had barely been in the city for
28 days when he was compelled to
return. “I didn’t know anyone here. I
didn’t know what to do. I just knew that
I had to reach home,” Rajouri tells Mirror
over the phone from Chandigarh. “It
has been several years since I last rode a
cycle. It was very difficult.” Rajouri did
not have much knowledge of the city,
nor did he know the exact route home.
The milestones on the highway, and
directions solicited from the occasional
passer-by, kept him going the right way,
but for a few mishaps. “Once, I took a
wrong turn and cycled an additional 50
km before realising my mistake. Another
time, somewhere in Maharashtra, the
police forced me to turn back. I rode 15
km back and then turned once again.”
This time nobody stopped him.
He had his first proper meal after
he reached Baroda around 2.30 am.
Some channels had got wind of his
situation and flashed the news of his
travel. The Gujarat Police provided food
and the CRPF extended a helping hand.
“I cannot thank the CRPF enough,”
says Rajouri, who now faces an
uncertain future. —Arnab Ganguly
SMALLTALK
with Armaan Malik
on the Times Square billboard last month
for the English single.
“The journey began in 2018 when I
started meeting writers and music pro-
ducers during my trips to Los Angeles,”
says the 24-year-old. David Massey of
Arista Records heard one his yet-to-be
released English songs and signed him
for the label. It was the realisation of an
ambition that Armaan had harboured
since he was 15. But he worked hard to
earn recognition in Bollywood first.
The trained Hindustani classical musi-
cian’s journey began quite early. At the
age of eight, he participated in a ghazal
show. “I came second in that competi-
tion and it gave me a lot of confidence,”
Armaan recalls. A year later, he partici-
pated in another popular kids’ singing
reality show, and started his playback
career as a child singer for movies such as
Taare Zameen Par and Bhootnath. At 18,
he released his debut album Armaan as
well as the hit “Tumko To Aana Hi Tha”
Woman travels 2,200
km with family to fulfil
husband’s dying wish
It was the desire to honour her
husband’s dying wish that compelled
32-year old Ismotara Khatun to travel
2,200 km to bury him in a West Bengal
village. The homemaker, who lived with
her late husband and three children in a
slum near the Aarey colony, risked trav-
elling all the way during the lockdown,
in an ambulance. Her husband, Jamirul
Abdul Kudos Islam, 42, a painter, suc-
cumbed to pneumonia on April 8. The
family approached the authorities,
through a social activist, to get the nec-
essary permissions, and an ambulance
to take the cadaver, kept in a coffin
loaded with ice to preserve it. “It was
my duty to fulfil his last wish,” Khatun
says. The journey that spanned over
two nights, cutting across Maharashtra,
Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and
Bihar, before reaching the town in
north Bengal, did not scare her. “I had
my family members with me so there
was nothing to be afraid of. Except that
the police may not allow us to proceed
further,” she says, adding that they had
no trouble from security forces they met
on the way.
The family started from Mumbai
during the wee hours of April 9
(Thursday) and, early on Saturday
morning, they reached Karandighi.
They did not have much to eat, apart
from a few packets of biscuits. The
nationwide lockdown meant that no
hotels or roadside dhabas were opera-
tional. “We were very hungry. The chil-
dren only had water to drink and we
for the 2014 Salman Khan-starrer
Jai Ho — his first song as an adult
playback singer.
He considers the soft romantic num-
ber “Naina” from the movie Khoobsurat,
starring Sonam Kapoor and Fawad Khan,
as one of the turning points in his career.
“It is a Sona Mohapatra song and I sang
only four or five lines,” he says. “But it
brought me a lot of recognition and I
realised that people liked my voice.”
Since 2014, he has delivered a hit song
almost every year and sung in various
regional languages such as Tamil, Telugu
and Gujarati.
Sunday, April 19, 2020 11
ran out of that, too,” she says. The tyres
of the ambulance got punctured multi-
ple times, as well.
“Thankfully we found some garages
open. Otherwise, we would not have
reached Karandighi,” she says. Khatun
got married to Jamirul in 2002. For the
next four years she stayed with her in-
laws, while her husband worked in
Mumbai. In the summer of 2006 — she
cannot remember the date — she board-
ed a train to Mumbai. “We were like any
other couple in our society,” she says.
“Though we didn’t share a lot with each
other, he cared for us.” Khatun, her
three children, and sister-in-law, broth-
er-in-law and nephew, are presently
quarantined at a place near the
Karandighi police station, a small town
close to the Bangladesh border, around
2,236 km from Mumbai. Khatun can’t
wait for the lockdown to be lifted, so
she can return home with her children.
—Shruti Ganapatye and
Arnab Ganguly
The success, however, hasn’t
spared him the nepotism jibe.
“I have never used my family contacts
to get work. I built my career on my
talent,” insists the singer, who lists
Bruno Mars, Sonu Nigam and Arijit
Singh as his inspirations.
Like most millennial artists, Armaan
has a huge online presence with more
than eight million followers on
Instagram. His fans, who call themselves
‘Armaanians’, got a rude shock last
month when he deleted all his Instagram
photos and left just one cryptic image
that read ‘I can’t take it anymore’. As it
turned out, they were actually the lyrics
of “Control”. “The intention was not to
scare people. I was starting a new jour-
ney, so it was time for the old one to
come to an end,” he says.
Having a huge fan following also
means sometimes encountering bizarre
situations. One such incident took place
nearly four years ago in Delhi when, at a
college event, the crowd literally lost
control. To ensure Armaan’s safety, the
police had to handcuff him and escort
him out. “I even asked them,
‘Mujhe accha gaane ki wajah se
arrest kar rahe ho kya?’(Are you
arresting me for singing well?),” he
says with a laugh.
Even though the Covid-19 pandemic
marred the grand launch plans of his
English single, the singer has been busy
doing live sessions and promoting the
song virtually. “My focus will be on inde-
pendent songs for both India and the
global market. I want to be a global art-
ist,” he says. “Once the situation is better,
I’ll be releasing follow-up songs to
“Control”. That’s the goal as of now.”

THE SUNDAY READ
Sultan Khan (1905-1966) was India’s first world class chess player
How India forgot
its first chess legend
Sultan Khan conquered
the British, long before
India gained independence
from colonial rule
| Vijay.Tagore
@timesgroup.com
TWEETS @MumbaiMirror
L
ong before the ideas about
artificial intelligence,
Stockfish (free and open
source chess engine) and
AlphaZero (chess programme
by Google no human can
beat) came into existence; long before
the concept of ‘infinity in chess’ was
introduced; and long before chess
Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand
appeared on the horizon, there was
Sultan Khan.
He was the first folk hero of Indian
chess — a pioneer in a way — who con-
quered the British, long before India
found liberation from its colonisers. He
played the rustic ‘Chaturanga’, the desi
chess, instead of the international ver-
sion of the game we play today — and
unfortunately, few in India know any-
thing about him.
The exploits of Sultan Khan, born to
a family from a modest background in
British India in 1905, have rarely been
told, forget being celebrated in a country
that loves to dwell on its past. The
British, however, were acutely aware of
his cerebral prowess and kept a meticu-
lous track of his feats. Today we in the
subcontinent finally know about Khan’s
life with the release of a biography about
the largely-forgotten legend by British
chess historian and Grandmaster Daniel
Sultan Khan plays 24 ‘simul games’ at the Empire Chess Club, London, in 1931
King in London last week.
“I always knew about Sultan Khan,”
King tells Mirror over the phone. “He
was a British champion and I am
English. I even knew some of Khan’s
opponents personally. They were alive
till recently. So, I started researching,
and the more I looked into his life, the
When he came to
England, he
played by the
Western rules.
Sometimes that held him
back, but sometimes it
worked to his advantage as
well –Daniel King, chess historian
and Grandmaster
PIC: NEW IN CHESS
GETTY IMAGES
more interesting it became. There is a
strong political element in the story,
too.” Khan was born in Punjab. Playing
chess — Indian chess, that is — was a
family tradition. The local landlord, Sir
Umar Hayat Khan, stumbled upon his
talent and took him under his wing. In
1928, he organised the All India
Championship, which Khan won con-
vincingly. This drew the attention of Sir
John Simon, who was head of the infa-
mous Simon Commission which, in
1928 was sent to India to study and
report back on how the Indian
Constitution was functioning. An ama-
teur chess player himself, Simon had
Umar Hayat Khan and Sultan Khan sent
to London.
“I was interested in the story, because
it was very mysterious. Khan came [to
London] in 1929 and returned to India
at the end of 1933, and I wanted to dis-
cover why,” says King. “Why did he sud-
Sunday, April 19, 2020
12
denly disappear when he was still the
British champion? I think it was this
mystery in the story that attracted me.”
Adjusting to the climate of London
was not easy for Khan. But adjusting to
the new chess rules felt even more
daunting. The Indian rules had only one
initial move, instead of two moves, for
the pawn, which means, there was no
en-passant; there was no castling. The
king would have one-time knight pow-
ers, and there was no queening of the
pawns either — the pawns would be pro-
moted to the piece of the particular
square on reaching the other end.
“This is really an extraordinary
thing. He grew up playing a different
game. So he had to adapt; [though]
Umar Hayat Khan, who brought in
experts, gave him some training…
When he came to England, he played
by the Western rules. And you can see
that sometimes that held him back.
Sometimes it worked to his advantage
as well because I think it confused some
of his opponents. His style was very,
very unusual,” King says, refraining
from calling it an ‘Oriental Mystery.’
“There are no negative undercurrents
here,” he clarifies.
Once he got the hang of the new
chess rules and the London life, Khan
was an unstoppable force. Having
arrived in April 1929, he won the British
Championship that year in August. And
won it again in 1932 and 1933. In
between, he even participated in inter-
national tournaments and other compe-
titions. One of his major exploits was a
victory over the legendary Cuban chess
player Jose Raul Capablanca, who was a
former world champion, in Hastings,
in 1930. “From what I read in the news-
papers [of the time], Khan was a very
modest man, in spite of having amazing
talent,” King says. “He was also a very
kind man and a very popular person in
London at the time. The British chess
community really liked him. He had
good friends. He was also made to feel
very welcome in the British team.”
One of the highpoints of the biogra-
phy is a foreword by Anand. “Sultan
Khan was a pioneer. He should serve as
an inspiration for chess players from all
over India, the subcontinent, and any-
one struggling as an outsider against the
odds. Coming from a modest back-
ground, he took on the greatest in the
world and proved that he could match
them,” writes the five-time world cham-
pion. King says he discovered lots of fas-
cinating details about why Sultan Khan
had to return to India. He would often
fall ill and he also contracted malaria.
After the final Round Table conference
in 1932, Khan’s mentor, Umar Hayat
Khan, thought it was time for him to
leave. “And if Sir Umar decided he was
going to go home, of course, his whole
household had to go home with him. So,
I think it was a forced move actually,”
King notes, using chess parlance.
Once he left London, Khan took on a
few top Indian players and crushed
them, before the Freedom Movement
took precedence over every other aspect
of the country at the time.
We mustn’t forget that Khan was born
in a country — British India — that no
longer exists today. He returned to
Punjab, which was still very much part of
British India. But after 1947, a portion of
it became a part of Pakistan. There is,
sadly, no records of him playing chess
from that time. King steadfastly tries to
steer clear of answering the controversial
question of whether Khan actually
belonged to India or Pakistan. “It is a sen-
sitive topic,” he says. But he is happy he
discovered the mysteries of the man who
came, saw and conquered the British.

You
ASK THE
SEXPERT
DR MAHINDER WATSA
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I have been told that I
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My partner and I have
a good sex life and we
are very happy together.
But because of the
present lockdown
scenario, my partner
has been conserving
the lubricant we
normally use while
engaging in anal sex. Can
this be dangerous?
In the absence of
sufficient lubrication,
you can injure yourself
if he is rough. You should
also insist on the use of
a condom.
SEND YOUR QUERIES TO
Ask the Sexpert, Mumbai Mirror,
Times Of India Building, Dr D N Road,
Mumbai 400001 or email at
drwatsa@timesgroup.com.
Contact Dr Watsa, send an email to
mcwatsa@hotmail.com
13
SundayMumbaiMirror
HEALTH TIP: The selenium and The Vitamin C, lycopene content, Sunday, April 19, 2020
# magnesium content in mustard seeds
lend relief from rheumatic arthritis
and other antioxidants present in
sweet corn help strengthen hair
mirrorfeedback@timesgroup.com
facebook.com/themumbaimirror
@MumbaiMirror
A plate
PICS: RUSHINA MUNSHAW-GHILDIYAL
with
wings
Missing foreign travel
already? Now you can African peanut soup with okra
TIME MAKES
whip up delicious dishes
of exotic cuisines with 45 minutes Two portions, for a family of four
Groundnut soup/ peanut butter soup is much loved in Africa, where
local ingredients peanuts are a primary source of plant protein. To make peanut butter,
dry roast a cup of peanuts and process while warm into nut butter.
| Rushina Munshaw-Ghildiyal
mirrorfeedback@timesgroup.com INGREDIENTS
z Oil, 3 tbsp z Okra (bhindi), 12-15, topped and left whole z Onion, 1,
TWEETS @MumbaiMirror
chopped z Ginger, 2 tbsp, minced z Garlic, ¼ cup, minced
z Chilli powder, 2 tbsp z Stock, 5 cups z Peanut butter, ¾ cup
Poha congee z Tomato puree, 1 cup z Salt, to taste
Swap rice with poha INGREDIENTS
z Oil, 1 tbsp z Green chillies 2-3, slit z Ginger, METHOD
— a staple in Indian
kitchens — to make 2-inch piece, bruised z Garlic 5-6 pods, peeled and Heat the oil in a pan. Meanwhile, combine
this slow-cooked smashed z Water/stock, 9 cups z Salt, to taste
z Black rice/regular poha, 1 ½ to 2 cups z Onion, 1,
1 Add okra and stir-fry 4 peanut butter and
porridge, a South 3 to 4 minutes or until tomato puree in a
East Asian treat. finely chopped bright green. Remove mixing bowl and add to
with a slotted spoon and soup, whisking
set aside. continuously till it is
METHOD
smooth. Simmer until
Heat the oil in a large pan and add the green chillies, ginger and
1 garlic. Sauté lightly, till well coated in oil and fragrant. 2 To the oil in the same
pan, add onion, ginger
the oil from the peanut
butter separates and rises
and garlic. Stir-fry this to the top.
2 Add the water/stock and salt and bring to a boil. until golden.
Add the okra, adjust
5 seasoning and simmer
3 Add the poha and onion. Cook until poha breaks down and the
dish gets a silky porridge-like consistency. (Add water or stock as 3 Add chilli powder and
sauté for 30 seconds. Stir another 5 minutes. Then
required to adjust consistency). in the stock and water transfer to soup plates
and bring to a boil. and serve hot.
4 Adjust seasoning and serve hot with your choice of
accompaniments. (Chilli and/or toasted sesame oil, fresh chillies,
herbs, spring onion greens and/or coriander and toasted sesame. Or, Savoury sesame
try a blend of crispy fried garlic, onion, or bacon bits.
cabbage pancakes
TIME MAKES
20 minutes 1 pancake
Inspired by Japanese okonomiyaki pancakes
but spiked with desi green chillies, this is one
really delicious way to use cabbage.
INGREDIENTS
z Cabbage, 1/8 or 2 generous handfuls, finely
sliced z Spring onion, white only, thinly sliced
z Green chilli, 1-2, finely chopped z Egg, 1 z Soy
sauce, ¼ tsp z Maida, ¼ cup z Water, ¼ cup
z Toasted sesame, 1 tsp z Oil, 1-2 tbsp
METHOD
For best results, multiply your round-ish pancake. Cook,
1 recipe and keep all the ensuring surfaces don’t scorch
ingredients ready in a live and the pancake cooks
counter sort of set-up. Mix and through the middle. (Cover
cook each pancake with a lid for a few minutes if
individually. required). When golden brown
on the bottom, flip and cook
Combine cabbage, onion, chilli, until golden brown on the
2 egg, soy sauce, flour, water and other side.
sesame in a bowl. Mix well.
Transfer to a plate. Spread with
Heat a frying pan on medium- 4 sauce of choice, add a little
TIME20-30 minutes 3 low flame and add the oil. mayonnaise, sprinkle the
When hot, tip batter onto pan spring onion greens and
MAKES Two portions, for a family of four
and shape into a 1-inch thick, sesame atop and serve hot.
 14
Chai-Time MINDCHOW JOKE OF THE DAY SundayMumbaiMirror
Make yourself stronger than A perfectionist walked into a Sunday, April 19, 2020
your excuses bar...apparently, the bar mirrorfeedback@timesgroup.com
wasn’t set high enough facebook.com/themumbaimirror
@MumbaiMirror

Kakuro LOOP

The numbers in the grey 15
squares refer to the
9
sums of the digits that
you must fill into the
empty spaces directly
below or to the right of the
grey square containing the
number. For instance, in the
given example, the 3 boxes
horizontally next to 15 must
contain 3 digits that add up to 15,
whereas for 9, it is the 2
boxes placed vertically
under it that must add up to
9. No zeros are used here,
only the digits 1through 9.
Note: A digit cannot appear
more than once in any
particular digit combination.
For instance, in the example,
we cannot have the
combination of 4+7+4 for 15.
Sudokuchallenge
Rules
» Connect adjacent dots with vertical
or horizontal lines, creating a single
loop (Fig A).
» Crossovers or branches are not
allowed (As shown by dotted lines in Fig
B).
» Numbers in the puzzle indicate the
number of lines that should surround
it, while empty cells may be
surrounded by any number of lines. Not allowed
» You can’t draw lines around zeros. (Fig B)
» Each puzzle has just one unique
solution. (Fig A)

How to begin:
Example (Fig A) – Begin with the zero To solve a Sudoku puzzle, every digit from one to nine
next to 3. Since no lines must appear in each of the nine vertical columns, in each
can be drawn around zero, mark of the nine horizontal rows and in each of the nine boxes.
crosses around it, as shown. Now
there is a cross in one space around 3.
So we know the three lines of 3 can only
be drawn in the remaining three
spaces. Next, these lines can only be Gofigure Easy
= 10
extended in one direction each. Place the four numbers in
Continue, using the same logic. the first, third, fifth, and 2 5 5 8
Hints: Keep eliminating possibilities by seventh boxes and
marking crosses in spaces between Medium
whatever operators you
dots where a line isn’t possible, i.e, if care to use in the second, = 23
you have already completed required fourth, and sixth boxes in
lines or where a line extension may the correct order to get 2 4 5 7
create a branch or cause a dead-end the answer. Use the Hard
(Fig B) numbers only once. = 12
The operators 1 3 4 5

Strikeout Fastfive

Hocusfocus
Quick
How long do you think it
will take you to unscram-
ble the ten words shown
below and fit them cor-
rectly into the grid in the
order given? One letter
has already been entered
to get you started. On
your marks, get set…

Across Down
This crossword has no clues and answer is there 1PP, say 1Camus
waiting for you. All you have to do is find it in each 6 Tuile 2 To all
square. You have a choice of two letters, one of which 7 Loams 3 Pauli
5. Bracelet is missing. 6. Mouth is different.
you must strike out. If you choose correctly, you will be loop is added 3. Finger is moved. 4. Hair is different.
left with a grid that contains real words. 8 A tale 4 Leapt
Differences:1. Stripes on sleeve are higher. 2. Belt
Across Down 9 Luces 5 Essey
1Speechless (4) 1Calamity (8)
3 Guarding troops (8) 2 Sonic art form (5)
9 Nuns or nurses? (7) 4 Responses abbreviation (3) Quoteuncode Mensapuzzle Bull’seye Alphatriangle
10 Unit of weight (5) 5 2016 Olympics host (3,2,7) This puzzle is a substitu- Which letter goes in the How many words of four Beginning at the top move towards the bottom
tion cipher in which one empty square? or more letters can you seven-letter word by adding a letter at each step and
11A holy vow or solemn oath or 6 West African country (7)
letter stands for anoth- make from the letters rearranging. A correct and different word must be
promise? (6,6) 7 Require (4) er. If you think that Q shown? Every word made at each step answering to the clue given.
equals C, it will equal C must contain the cen- 1Learner's plate 2 Spanish article 3 Aviv
14 Recede (3) 8 "DCC" in Roman numerals?
throughout the puzzle. tral letter. There should 4 Tennis replays 5 Waistbands 6 Act busy 7 Valets
16 Seven as a prefix (5) (5,7) Single letters, short be one seven-letter
words and words using word. British English
17 Fabrication or fib (3) 12 Visit briefly (3,2)
an apostrophe give you Dictionary is used as a
18 Take a ___ ___ in : be avid 13 Tidiness (8) clues to locating vowels. reference.
Solution is by trial and
and eager in following the 15 Inhale and exhale (7)
error.
L
progress of? (4,8) 19 Chosen few (5)
C
21Amend (5) 20 Track circuits (4) TODAY’S CLUE: L
S EQUALS G. O P
22 Set of dishes (7) 22 Former France coin (3) L
YMW RJWHLQVS CA H U
23 Accelerates (6,2)
O S L
24 Large water bodies (4) UHXW KHVVCY
T L
WPBGHQV YMW
UMCGW DWH. L

»
When you curtail a word, you remove the last letter and still 06 Average; 07 Good; L
Riddler have a valid word. You will be given clues for the two words,
longer word first. 1. To look for - To perceive 2. Use the mind - Slender, narrow
09 Outstanding

3. Enclosed army vehicle - A colour; darkening of the skin

4. A colour - Thin, pointed piece of metal
DIFFICULT TO SOLVE? FIND THESE SOLUTIONS ON THE NEXT PAGE
 ChaiTime SundayMumbaiMirror Sunday, April 19, 2020 15

comics BABY BLUES BY RICK KIRKMAN & JERRY SCOTT SIGN POST Shirley Bose

If it’s your birthday today

This is a year to stand your ground in matters both big and small. Of course maintain
alogical manner of thinking when doing so, knowing when to step back. Relation-
ships improve as you try to keep communication levels open and loving.
Professionally you are focused and willing to continue working hard,
proving yourself over and over. Health is good, but get enough sleep

Capricorn Taurus Virgo

Having a helpful You are glad to Consciously practis-
attitude creates have a fit body and ing positive visual-
positive karma. All a positive mind. A ization brings results
is actually working telephone call is un- dreamed of. An acquaint-
out in the best possible expected and the conversation ance gets in touch . Dealing
way. Meeting friends is missed very enjoyable. with more responsibility is
a lot. Lucky days: 19th, 21st, Lucky days: 19th to 22nd, 24th, something you welcome.
22nd, 24th. 25th. Lucky days: 19th, 21st, 25th.
Colours: lemon/ black Colours: turquoise/ gold Colours: grey/ green

Aquarius Gemini Libra

Regularly following By strengthening There is an upside
an exercise regime vows of love and to self-imposed
is revealed. A del- fidelity you wish with restrictions as now
icate subject should all your heart that you there is so much more
be discussed in a sensitive both live happily ever after. Life clarity. Someone offers to help.
manner. Don’t push for closure is good. This is truly surprising.
JUMPTHE PHANTOM BY LEE FALKSTART today. Lucky days: The entire Lucky days: 19th, 20th, 21st, Lucky days: 19th, 20th, 22nd,
week is lucky. 22nd. 23rd.
Colours: navy/ peach Colours: purple/ pink Colours: red/ grey

Pisces Cancer Scorpio

Using time con- Peace of mind is Dealing with
structively is re- something you try issues on a
vealed (there is just maintaining, espe- regular basis is
too much to do). Stay away cially when someone what life is all
from habits and rituals which goes out of their way to irrita- about. Rise above
are time consuming. te. Prayer is a strong motiva- your problems and just
Lucky days: 19th, 20th, 22nd, tor. Lucky days: 20th, 21st, deal with them very peacefully.
23rd, 25th. 24th, 25th. Lucky days: 21st, 24th, 25th.
Colours: pink/ red Colours: brown/ aquamarine Colours: gold/ lilac

Aries Leo Sagittarius

Work pressures Some decide to visit Don’t stress
point you to a a detoxification yourself out with
more successful camp later on when ‘what if’ situations
direction in this safe to travel. Karmic or unreasonable
karmic cycle. Health vibes advise knowing desires. This is an important
improves because of a change your mind and what is aimed karmic lesson. A siesta is very
in lifestyle. Get enough sleep. for. welcome. Lucky days: 19th,
Lucky days: 21st, 22nd, 23rd. Lucky days: 20th to 24th. 21st, 22nd, 24th, 25th.
Colours: yellow/ orange Colours: olive/ orange Colours: plum/ beige

BETTER HALF BY GLASBERGEN REDEYE BY BILL YATES & MEL CASSON

SOLUTIONS
5 + 3 + 4 x 1= 12 sea. spout
Hard explain the whole scout, soup,
wave cannot oust, pout,
2 x 7 + 4 + 5 = 23
The breaking of a OCTOPUS, opus,
Medium coup, cusp,
2 + 8 + 5 - 5 = 10 QUOTE UNCODE BULL’S EYE
Easy
GO FIGURE places.
move forward by 4 Pink - Pin
bottom right, letters Tank - Tan, 4.
Bustle, Butlers lines from top left to Think - Thin, 3.
L, El, Tel, Lets, Belts, Z. Working in diagonal 1. Seek - See, 2.
KAKURO LOOP ALPHA TRIANGLE SU DOKU MENSA PUZZLE QUICK STRIKE OUT FAST FIVE RIDDLER
Volume No 13, Issue No 52 REGD. NO. MAHENG/2008/24180
Published for the proprietors, Metropolitan Media Company Limited, by R Krishnamurthy at The Times of India Building, Dr D N Road, Mumbai 400 001and printed by him at (1) The Times of India Suburban Press, Akurli Road, Western Express Highway, Kandivli (E),
Mumbai 400 101. Tel. Nos. 66353535, 22733535 and (2) The Times of India Print City, Plot No. 4, T.T.C. Industrial Area, Thane Belapur Road, Airoli, Navi Mumbai-400 708. Tel. No. (022) 2760 9999; Fax: (022) 2760 5275, Response - 66353636, 22733636,
Email - mirrorfeedback@timesgroup.com, Fax - 22731160. Editor: Pankaj Upadhyaya (Responsible for selection of news under PRB Act). Reproduction in whole or in part without the written permission of the Publisher is prohibited.
 SundayMumbaiMirror
Has the lockdown
THE SUNDAY READ
been successful?
K Srinath Reddy, president, Public Health Foundation of India, weighs
in on government’s measure to curb the spread of the pandemic
A
s on Saturday evening, India
had 15,232 coronavirus cases,
with over 800 patients testing
positive during the day. While
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
had earlier in the week announced an
extension of the ongoing lockdown till
May 3, questions loom over the measures
adopted by the government in tackling
the pandemic, which has claimed over 1.9
lakh lives worldwide and brought almost
all economic activities to a halt.
Staring at a massive shortfall of
ventilators, personal protective equipment
(PPE) and testing kits, India’s primary
safeguard has been the countrywide
lockdown. The Union health ministry
has issued an advisory asking people to
wear homemade masks, even as there
is ambiguity about whether India has
entered the dreaded Stage 3 of
community transmission.
K Srinath Reddy, president, Public
Health Foundation of India, is part of the
21-member technical task force set up by
the Indian Council for Medical Research
(ICMR) to combat the pandemic. The
epidemiologist and public health expert
spoke to Mirror on the challenges facing
India’s medical community.
Fictional motherlands, real relationships
Some recent fictions illustrate how totalitarianism
thrives on turning on real people into mythical
enemies — and pitting an attachment to family and
friends against the love of an imaginary nation
A
third of the way through the
sadly aborted Leila, the series’
protagonist Shalini (Huma
Qureshi) finally manages to
trace her lost daughter to a school that
looks like a prison. Her fake ID gets her
past the gun-toting security men into a
cavernous grey interior, where stiffly-
dupatta-ed girls are learning the call-and-
response of new nationhood. “Hum kaun
hain?” demands the teacher. “Aryavarta
ke nanhe sipaahi!” comes the response.
As Shalini’s anxious gaze travels along the
children and finds Leila’s familiar fea-
tures, her face uncreases into a joyful
smile. Almost unconsciously, her feet
begin to move towards the child she
thought she might never see again.
But is this really the same child as the
one who was abducted from her parents’
arms, only two years before? “My name is
not Leila, my name is Vijaya,” the little
girl says to a stunned Shalini. She pro-
nounces the words carefully, like she’s
learnt them by rote. The scene’s emotion-
al kicker comes when a big car draws up,
with a woman in it that Shalini knows
well from a previous life, and Vijaya runs
We are in the fourth week of the
lockdown. How has India fared in
combatting Covid-19?
Given that the total number of serious
cases (those that require hospitalisation)
is not large, it appears that the disease
has not progressed here as much as in
some other countries. It does appear
that we have been able to contain the
disease better. There is also a possibility
that the virus here is of a milder form.
Even with an increase in the number of
tests, the doubling interval has also
increased. We will get a clear picture on
how far the lockdown has been effective
only at the end of the week in progress.
If the current trend continues, then by
May we will have a better grip over
the situation.
States that conducted more tests
are reporting more cases…
States have had very different
experiences. Kerala has been wonderful.
Andhra Pradesh has done well.
Telengana has picked up. Karnataka has
done reasonably well. Maharashtra has
faced significant challenges. North
Indian states have not shown that many
cases, which could be because of less
TRISHA GUPTA
Takes weekly stock of what’s in and out at the movies
Write to Trisha Gupta at mirrorfeedback@timesgroup.com
to embrace her — this time, with an unre-
hearsed “Mummy”. But as the finale of
Leila makes indubitably clear, that
woman is only a placeholder. The entity
that has replaced Shalini is so powerful
that there is no way a mere human can
even try to compete: The nation-state. To
quote the slightly dubious gendering cho-
sen by Leila’s makers, “Tum meri maa
nahi ho. Aryavarta meri maa hai.”
The idea of a nationalism that pits
children against their parents is one that
has appeared in another Indian web-
series, Ghoul, where the ultimate betrayal
of a parent is committed by an adult pro-
tagonist who has tragically learnt to trust
the nation-state over and above family. I
was reminded of these shows this week,
as I watched Taika Waititi’s 2019 film Jojo
Rabbit, currently free to stream, in which
a single mother (Scarlett Johannson) has
to deal with her only child being indoc-
trinated by a state she isn’t exactly
enamoured of.
Instead of a chilling dystopian future,
though, Jojo Rabbit takes us on a madcap
fantasy ride into the past. Ten-year-old
Johannes Betzler is as cuddly a protago-
exposure to international travel and
restrictions on internal travel as well.
Which stage of the pandemic is
India at? Have we reached the
community transmission stage?
The Union health ministry is collating
and evaluating data from authorised
hospitals and testing centres every day.
Only the ministry can comment on the
level of the pandemic. At this juncture,
maintaining the integrity of the lockdown
is very important. The government must
identify hotspots and take steps to protect
them accordingly. I’d say every single
country has had community transmission
at some stage or the other. The challenge
is how much we can slow it down to, and
at what stage we can flatten the curve.
Are we conducting enough tests?
Well, 1.3 billion people cannot be tested
for a virus. If someone is asymptomatic,
where is the need for a test? Optimum
utilisation of resources is also necessary.
The ICMR has gradually increased the
criteria for conducting tests. Private
diagnostic laboratories, accredited medical
colleges and research institutes with
adequate facilities have been included and
nist as you could ask for. He is also an
incipient Nazi, who spends a lot of time
talking to his imaginary best friend Adolf,
a goofball version of Hitler who’s alter-
nately sulky and encouraging. Right from
the opening sequence, which splices its
fictional boy-hero’s frenzied self-motiva-
tion for a Yungvolk training weekend
with historical black and white footage of
Hitler’s screaming youthful fans to the
Beatles iconic anthem ‘I Wanna Hold
Your Hand’, you know this film isn’t tra-
ditional fare. Jojo’s repeated ‘Heil Hitlers’,
getting louder and crazier as he bursts out
of his front door and careens in faux-aer-
oplane mode through his smalltown
streets, aren’t scary so much as ridiculous.
The same could be said of the cast of
characters that have assembled to turn
the town’s little boys into men and little
girls into women — the hipflask-swigging
Captain K, demoted from active wartime
service by the avoidable loss of an eye,
and the pudding-faced Fraulein Rahm,
who seems a little young to have had
“eighteen children for Germany”.
Waititi ups the tenor of ridiculousness
even further when it comes to Nazi
indoctrination against Jews. The descrip-
tions proffered by the camp leaders, com-
plete with chalk sketches, reminded me
of Roald Dahl’s checklist for witches in
The Witches. Jews look deceptively like
human beings, but they have horns
under their hair and scales on their bod-
Sunday, April 19, 2020
16
a protocol for antibody tests is being rolled
out. The availability of test kits is also
being scaled up.
What should be our next steps?
Ramping up tests and ensuring that
hotspots are completely sealed. We must
take advantage of our demographic divide.
Two-thirds of India’s population is rural,
and despite weak healthcare, is less
exposed to international travel. The
government has to protect the rural areas
by limiting travel and transport of goods,
while taking steps to resume farming
activities. Transmission has to be
aggressively contained in the urban areas.
There should be surveillance to identify
populations exhibiting influenza-like
symptoms, or even Covid, and
isolate them.
But, states are complaining about
a lack of PPEs, testing kits…
It is unfortunate. Some days ago, we had
reports of a shipment of rapid test kits
meant for Tamil Nadu being diverted to
the US. Now is the time for the Centre
and the states to incentivise domestic
production of PPE and test kits and
simplify clearance precedures.
ies and they smell like Brussels sprouts.
But of course, the film’s whole point is
that Jojo — like the entire brainwashed
German nation — believes in this
mythology. So when, in a nice doffing-of-
the-hat to Anne Frank, a teenaged Jewish
girl turns out to be hiding behind the
wall of his dead sister’s room, Jojo is baf-
fled when she doesn’t fit the criteria. In
return for keeping her secret, Jojo
demands of Elsa (Thomasin McKenzie) a
detailed insider’s account of Jewishness,
taking notes as she speaks. Their evolving
relationship lets us walk the tightrope
fantasy between wish-fulfilment and dan-
ger. An illustrated ‘expose’ full of ‘facts’
about Jews, fictitious letters from a boy-
friend who may or may not exist — these
are the flip side of a real world in which
Elsa can only survive if she can success-
fully parade her dead classmate’s papers.
But it is in Jojo’s relationship with his
mother Rosie that the film’s heart lies.
Johannson is pitch-perfect as the single
mum who can blacken her face and turn
into an imaginary ‘Daddy’ to indulge her
little boy’s demand for his missing father
— but who also refuses to let him avert
his eyes from the bodies of ‘traitors’
strung up in the town square. She is
happy to let him be a part of the mas-
querade of Nazi boyhood, but draws the
line at a real gun. Jojo Rabbit, like Rosie,
knows the magical power of fiction, but
also knows exactly when reality counts.