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rom spreading its tentacles
F to gaining ground in just a
few weeks, Delta variant of
Covid-19, first detected in
India, has now made deep
inroads into the UK, Germany
and the US besides a few other
developed countries.
These countries had
recently claimed to “curb” the
original virus. They are now
again on the edge as the Delta
variant cases have started spi-
ralling, keeping the authorities
on their toes.
“The Delta variant is well
on its way to becoming the
dominant variant globally
because of its increased trans-
missibility,” Soumya
Swaminathan, Chief Scientist
of World Health Organisation
(WHO), said recently. Just last
month, the WHO had termed
the Delta variant as a “variant
of concern”.
The US too has classified
the Delta variant of the coron-
avirus as a “variant of concern”
saying that it now accounts for
10 per cent of Covid-19 infec-
tions in America, fearing that
it may become the dominant
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t was the same stage where
I the first Asian Games were
held, called Ir win
Amphitheatre before it became
known as the National
Stadium. Taking over the baton
as the third runner in the 4 x
400 metres relay of the first
Indo-Pak athletic meet, an
event which was the idea of
India’s first Prime Minister
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru to
get people to forget the bitter-
ness caused by the country’s
partition, a young Sikh runner
overtook his Pakistani rival,
looked back challengingly as he
flew past to give India a win-
ning lead before passing on the
baton to the fourth and last
runner.
A new sprinting star had
emerged that day on the icon-
ic track, now an artificial grass
hockey pitch named after
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t a time when India is still
A recovering from the hor-
rors of the second wave of
Covid-19 pandemic, AIIMS
Chief Randeep Guleria has
warned that third wave is
inevitable in the next 6-8 weeks
if people do not adhere to
Covid-appropriate behaviour.
However, the AIIMS
Director was not in favour of “a
national-level lockdown, saying
that it “cannot be a solution” as
it adversely affected the econ-
omy which is still reeling under
restrictions imposed in the
past few months during various
phases of lockdown.
“Until a sizeable number of
strain if it is not contained.
So far, over 44 per cent of
the US population (146 million
people) are fully vaccinated.
The US Government has a
goal of vaccinating at least 70
per cent of its adult population
with at least one dose by July 4.
But with several studies show-
ing that a second dose of vac-
cine effectively shutting the
door on the variant, public
health officials are urging peo-
ple not to delay the second
shot.
According to health
experts, the variant is 50 per
cent more transmissible than
the original strain, engenders
four times more hospitalisation
risk, and can evade the first
dose of vaccine.
The UK too is grappling
with the vicious Delta variant.
According to reports, for the
first time in four months, the
UK recorded 11,007 Covid-19
cases in 24 hours, driven main-
ly by the Delta variant.
Continued on Page 4
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must strictly follow Covid-
appropriate behaviour such as
wearing of masks and social
distancing,” he said. Advising
the authorities that the moment
the positivity rate goes beyond
5 per cent, area-specific lock-
down and containment mea-
sures should be implemented.
His caution comes amid
easing of lockdown restric-
tions in various parts of the
country with people moving
out on streets and roads in
hoards ignoring all Covid
appropriate norms. There have
been photographs and videos
on various media showing
crowds thronging the markets
and public places with no
masks or casually tied on
mouth with no social distanc-
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egendary “Flying Sikh”
L Milkha Singh, who died at
the PGIMER late on Friday
night after a month-long bat-
tle with Covid, was cremated
with full State honours at the
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ing behaviour being followed,
all ideal conditions for the
coronavirus to spread like a fire.
“As we have started unlock-
ing, there is again a lack of
Covid-appropriate behaviour.
We don’t seem to have learnt
from what happened between
the first and the second wave.
Again crowds are building up...
people are gathering. It will take
some time for the number of
cases to start rising at the
national level. Third wave is
inevitable and it could hit the
country within the next six to
eight weeks,” Dr Guleria said.
“It all depends on how we go
ahead in terms of Covid-appro-
priate behaviour and prevent-
ing crowds,” he added.
Continued on Page 4
Sector 25 cremation ground in
Chandigarh on Saturday.
Milkha, who was 91, was
bid a tearful adieu in the pres-
ence of his family members and
several dignitaries, including
Union Sports Minister Kiren
Rijiju. “The Flying Sikh’’, as he
Dhyan Chand.
A statue of Dhyan Chand
stands outside the stadium.
But the place also deserves one
in honour of Milkha, who died
last Friday night aged 91, leav-
ing the track and field sport in
a state of shock.
Hurdler Gurbachan Singh
Randhawa, one of the Milkha’s
contemporaries, who is
remembered as a finalist in the
1964 Tokyo Olympics, is in a
state of disbelief. When last
Randhawa spoke with Milkha,
the latter had just ended his
routine jog at Chandigarh.
“I can’t believe Milkha is dead,”
said Gurbachan.
Appointed as deputy direc-
tor in Punjab Government’s
sports department by then
Chief Minister Partap Singh
Kairon, in recognition of his
numerous achievements on
the track which are history,
Milkha is remembered as a
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New Delhi: In an attempt to
counter bigoted disinforma-
tion against Covid19 vaccina-
tion, the Minority Affairs
Ministry will lauch “jaan hai to
jahan hai” awareness campaign
on June 21 in the rural areas
with the help of Muslim, Sikh,
Jain, Christian, Parsi and
Budhist community leaders.
was fondly called, died on
Friday night due to Covid-19
related complications.
His son and ace golfer Jeev
Milkha Singh lit the funeral
pyre. Punjab Governor and
Chandigarh Administrator VP
Singh Badnore, Punjab Finance
simple man, a sparse eater
who enjoyed “just a small drink
of whiskey” in evening.
“How, of all people, did I
get this virus into me?” Milkha
is said to have asked
Gurbachan. If it was a mystery
to Gurbachan, it was one also
to the rest of the country.
Posted at Secunderabad
after being rejected by Army
recruiters on three occasions,
Milkha told this writer his
instructor there recommended
a princely allowance of C1 a day
from the regimental funds to
meet his milk bill because he
would beat all others at cross-
country runs. “Ik rupaiya taan
bahut hunda si” (One rupee
was then a lot of money),
Milkha explained.
That he trained hard is
known to all who dropped in
at the National Stadium in
those days.
Continued on Page 4
- .OHDGHUVDZDLWLQYLWH
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fter telephonic invite to
attend an all-party meet
convened by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi in the nation-
al Capital on June 24, the
mainstream Kashmiri leaders,
on Saturday claimed they are
not in a position to confirm
their participation in the
absence of any formal invita-
tion and receipt of a clear
agenda from the Centre.
Majority of leaders, who
publicly opposed the Centre’s
move to Abrogate Article 370
that stripped Jammu &
Kashmir of its special status in
August 2019 and were detained
for several months, have
reportedly received an invita-
tion to join the parleys at the
highest level.
Cautiously responding to
the first such dialogue offer,
some of the Kashmir-based
leaders claimed that at present
there was no clear-cut agenda
for talks with New Delhi.
“Once we will receive a formal
invitation along with the agen-
da of the talks then only we can
take a call to join the parleys,”
he said.
The J&K units of the BJP
and the Congress are also like-
ly to be part of these discus-
sions, which are being seen as
part of efforts to strengthen
normal political processes in
the Union Territory.
The much-awaited meet-
ing is being convened to bring
?C8
Minister Manpreet Singh
Badal, Har yana’’s Sports
Minister Sandeep Singh were
among the other dignitaries
who attended the last rites.
Prof Jagat Ram, Director of
PGIMER where Milkha was
admitted, was also present.
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he speculation over the
T political future of former
IAS officer Arvind Kumar
Sharma ended on Saturday
when Uttar Pradesh BJP pres-
ident Swatantra Dev Singh
appointed him as party’s UP
unit vice-president.
Sharma, an MLC, is con-
sidered close to Prime Minister
Narendra Modi and had left the
civil service to join politics. He
joined the BJP in January this
*?064B !#C#
on board all the stakeholders
from the region to explore the
possibility of holding Assembly
polls after the completion of the
Delimitation process.
Apart from the Prime
Minister, the Union Home
Minister and some of the senior
Cabinet Ministers are sched-
uled to attend the meeting.
Reports also revealed the
Centre was preparing ground
for the said meeting for a long
time and had discussed the
contours of the political process
with some of the like-minded
leaders in advance before invit-
ing them for the talks.
Responding to the offer of
talks by the Centre several
Kashmir-based leaders claimed
they have so far received only
a verbal invite and were still
looking forward to a formal
invitation to join the parleys in
New Delhi.
National Conference pres-
ident Dr Farooq Abdullah on
Saturday said they will sit and
discuss the strategy to be fol-
lowed if they get the formal
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n the run up to the US
IAfghanistan,
troops withdrawal from
Pakistan’s covert
agency — the Inter-Services
Intelligence (ISI) — is report-
ed to be helping the Taliban to
forge an alliance with terror
groups Jaish-e-Mohammad
and Lashkar-e-Tayyeba for a
violent takeover of provinces in
the war-torn country.
The Taliban, along with the
Pakistani terror groups, is cap-
turing weapons stores of the US
Army and opening its offices in
Government infrastructure like
school and hospital buildings
reconstructed by India.
The Pakistan Army is
trained in operating the
American weapons, and the
Taliban has found the role of
JeM and LeT handy in both
capturing such stores and using
year and was elected as MLC
the next day. Since then spec-
ulation was rife that he would
be accommodated in the Yogi
Cabinet and be given an
important post.
A Gujarat cadre officer
hailing from Uttar Pradesh,
Sharma had long been one of
the trusted bureaucrats of Modi
since his tenure as Gujarat
;PcT2Xch E^[ " 8bbdT %'
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invitation from New Delhi.
Former Chief Minister and
PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti in
Srinagar said, “There is no
clear-cut agenda about the
talks with New Delhi. However,
I have asked my party’s Political
Affairs Committee (PAC) for a
meeting to discuss the same.”
Chief spokesman of the
party Syed Suhail Bukhari in a
recorded message confirmed,
“PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti
had received a call from the
Centre to attend the all party’s
meet in New Delhi next week”.
He said the party chief had
convened a meeting of the
Political Affairs Committee of
to take a final call on whether
to attend the same or not.
Meanwhile, hours after
Mehbooba received an invita-
tion from the Centre for talks
with State’s regional political
parties, her uncle and senior
leader of the party, Sartaj
Madni, was on Saturday
released from six-month-long
detention.
Continued on Page 4
them in further onslaught.
The Taliban has reported-
ly developed an understanding
with the JeM and LeT for such
attacks in Helmand and
Kandahar provinces. While the
LeT is assisting the Taliban in
Helmand, the JeM is operating
in Kandahar.
Recently, the LeT con-
ducted a mine blast in
Helmand in which three per-
sons were killed and the
Pakistani terror group had
claimed responsibility for the
attack which was later also
endorsed by the Taliban.
Continued on Page 4
Chief Minister. He also served
in key positions in the PMO
after Modi became Prime
Minister in 2014.
There was speculation that
Sharma might replace one of
the two Deputy Chief Ministers
assisting Yogi Adityanath in the
Government. At present Dr
Dinesh Sharma and Keshav
Prasad Maurya are two Deputy
Chief Ministers in the
Government.
“With Sharma being made
vice-president his immediate
elevation to Cabinet is ruled
out as BJP’s constitution calls
for one man one post. But it
does not mean he can never be
made minister. Then, he will
have to resign from the party
post,” said Sanjay Dixit, BJP
leader.
Continued on Page 4
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t is rare for Bollywood to make
I a film on animal-human
conflict. Rarer still is for it to
rope in mainstream actors to tell the
story. Therefore, Sherni directed by
Amit Masurkar is a refreshing
change even though the run-time of
130 minutes is a bit long and
appears to drag unnecessarily.
Masurkar, the man behind films like
Newton, uses the ageold conflict of
animal-human rather beautifully —
in this case it is a tigress which is
attacking the cattle and then
humans.
Reading about this conflict is
common. Newspaper headlines are
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filled with such articles where the
villagers have lynched a leopard that
habitat. What is interesting about
Sherni is that instead of telling the
story in a docu-style, Masurkar
decided to weave a story around it.
This means that there is bound to be
an instant connection in the minds
of the viewers.
Vidya Balan who plays Vidya
Vincent, a forest officer, helms this
film that shows the story from both
perspectives — the humans who
have to make a living and the
animal whose habitat is being cut
into. Not to mention the politics that
comes into play and in the end, it is
the animal that pays the price. Still
there is a silver lining — that Nature
and its creatures are resilient and
they were here before humans
settled, will be there and continue to
be here even though man would be
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long dead and gone.
Balan plays the role of the
officer well. To see her play an
understated and somewhat of a yes
sir officer is strange though. Over
the years, she has played some
powerful characters like Sulu in
Tumhari Sulu, Vidya Bagchi in
Kahaani and Begum Jaan in Begum
Jaan to name a few.
Her frustration and need to
change the system that will benefit
the animal and humans comes
across as stark and clear. So much
so that the viewers will feel it too.
Vijay Raaz as a Professor who
studies moths lends a hand that
propels Balan’s character. Neeraj
Kabi, Sharat Saxena, Brijendra Kala,
Ila Arun and Mukul Chadda do
their bit even if their presence is in
fits and starts.
Over all, it is a movie that
makes for an interesting watch.
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CReVU+&& "!
here have been movies that show how the
T Yakuza are a dreaded lot — the underworld
crime lords who run things and control
everything — from people’s lives to businesses. But
what is the reality? Do they still wield such power in
the 21th Century? A Family, Japanese drama,
through the eyes of Kenji Yamamoto aka Lil Ken
(Go Ayano) takes the viewers on a journey of a boy
who is taken in by the Yakuza and treated like family
only to find himself in a world that has changed so
much that there is no place for the Yakuza anymore
— a world that now shuns them.
But it is more than just about the criminal family,
their honour and way of life. It is about Kenji’s journey
that began as a street punk to a trusted lieutenant of
the family; his conflict and need to avenge an attack
on his boss, his need to try and adjust to the changed
world once he is out after serving 15 years behind bars
and in the end feel his sadness when he finds that he
has lost all the honour that he once stood for.
Go Ayano plays his character well. His anger, a
young street thug, his rise in the Yakuza, to finally find
a family that he wanted only to find himself without
a home, without criminal means and worst of all
without his adopted family is palpable.
At the end, A Family is a journey about a man’s need
to have a family that he can call his own and this makes
this film heartening to watch.
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QHow has your character evolved?
Bulbul’s character has really evolved; right from
the beginning — she was a hot-headed girl in college
and beating up her step-brothers — to now
becoming a Minister’s bodyguard. The character
is growing which is great for me; she has become
calmer because she is working and has a
responsibility on her shoulders. Even though she
still harbours a dream of becoming a national
champion in wrestling, she is focused on earning
for the family. She has definitely matured.
QWhat are some of the twists and turns that the
show will take in?
For those who don’t follow the show regularly,
here’s a bit of a sneak peek. Shalu is kidnapped by
Rajvir. Will Bulbul be able to save her? Rajvir is
trying to get Shalu married off. Is she is going to
get married to Rajvir’s friend? These are some of
the questions that will be answered in the coming
episodes. However, there is a lot more ahead with
plenty of twists.
QFrom a choreographer to acting, how has the
journey been?
The journey was not easy; I would say it was
tough. Choreography was in film and I was
looking for acting I was looking at daily soaps right
from the start. It was an industry shift. There were
lot of struggles initially. I don’t know how many
auditions I gave, I was young, so I was being cast
for the younger sister. I wanted to play the central
character. However, the good part the struggle was
for a short duration; I signed my first show as a lead
within eight months of quitting choreography.
QYou have been in the industry for 15 years. The
lesson you have not forgotten?
I have learnt that success and failure is a big part character was extremely stupid sort. I had to really
of this industry. A lot of people say this, but few switch off my brain to play her. I had lot of fun
actually understand that failure is a big part in the playing this role. Bulbul is another role I am
long run. If you don’t understand this, you will not enjoying.
be able to survive here and want to quit. This QWhy do some characters become popular and
industry is all about the journey, there is no others don’t despite hard work put in?
destination. Today, you may be successful, There is no thumb rule here. A lot of times,
tomorrow a failure. Life has been great since I people have loved extreme negative characters. Like
understood this lesson. Komolika was a huge hit; people loved to hate her.
QHow do you choose your projects? So, there is no formula that a particular role will
work. I feel that if an actor is enjoying playing the
being offered has to be strong in the show; this character, the audience understands that and the
is extremely important for me at least for now. It character becomes popular, that’s my
may change as I grow as an actor. Second, I don’t understanding.
want to land up working all 30-31 days which is QWhat next?
common with daily soaps. I want a healthy work- We are hoping for the second wave to ease. We
life balance. Three, we are all here for the money, have all been away from home and shooting under
that is a factor as well. harsh conditions under the blazing sun for 12 hours
QA role that you loved doing. a day. But the cast and the crew are great. It makes
It was Pari in Dill Mill Gaye back in 2009. I things a bit easy to deal with. We are looking
would like to believe that I am an intellectual. This forward to going home, that’s what is next.
DQGSULQWHGDW-DJUDQ3UDNDVKDQ/WG'6HFWRU1RLGD83(GLWRU&KDQGDQ0LWUD$,5685&+$5*(RIC (DVW&DOFXWWD1RUWK/HK:HVW0XPEDL $KPHGDEDG6RXWK%DQJDORUH &KHQQDL&HQWUDO.KDMXUDKR/XFNQRZ2IILFHWK)ORRU6DKDUD6KRSSLQJ&HQWUH)DL]DEDG5RDG
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BC055A4?>AC4A Q =4F34;78
T he Aam Aadmi Party
(AAP)-led Government
will provide an ex-gratia of C1
crore to the families of six secu-
rity forces personnel who lost
their lives in the line of duty.
Delhi Deputy Chief
Minister Manish Sisodia on
Saturday announced that of the
families of six security forces
personnel, three belonging to
the Indian Air Force (IAF)
two from Delhi Police person-
nel and one from the civil
defence, will be provided with
the monetary benefits.
“The Delhi Government
respects and honours the brav-
ery of every soldier in uniform
who risked their lives to pro-
tect people and the nation. In
order to honour the bravery of
our personnel, Chief Minister
Arvind Kejriwal initiated finan-
cial assistance for personnel in
Delhi Police, Defence,
Paramilitary forces and other
forces who risked their lives to
protect our nation,” he said.
“Although, we cannot com-
pensate for the huge loss every
family has to bear. We can at
the very least, pay our respect
and ensure the families of these
personnel live a life of dignity
that they receive an ex-gratia of
C1 crore which may aid and
support their livelihoods,” he
said.
Speaking about the recip-
ients of ex-gratia amount,
Sisodia said, “To honour our
personnel who risked their
lives to protect and serve the
nation, Delhi Government has
announced disbursal of ex-
gratia amount of C1 crore to
families of six personnel who
passed away while performing
their duties.”
“The decision to support
families with C1 crore was
>`T\UcZ]]dRe$decReVXZT]`TReZ`_d
BC055A4?>AC4A Q =4F34;78
he Delhi Police on Saturday
T conducted mock drills at
three strategic locations in the
city with other security agen-
cies.
“A coordinated multi-loca-
tion mock-drill exercise was
held at ITO, Vasant Kunj and
Dwarka on Saturday at 4 pm by
the Delhi Police in which spe-
cialized agencies like NSG took
part,” said Chinmoy Biswal, the
spokesperson of Delhi Police.
“Mock-drills are the stan-
dard mechanism where by the
efficiency and efficacy of insti-
tutional arrangements and
&RSVUHDG\WRWDFNOHSRVVLEOH&RYLGUHVXUJHQFH
BC055A4?>AC4A Q =4F34;78
InextnanyitsCovid-19
endeavour to tackle
possible resurgence of
wave in the
national Capital, the Delhi
Police Commissioner, SN
Shrivastava, directed his offi-
cials to form district and thana
(police station) level commit-
tees for public health care man-
agement.
“These committees will be
meant for providing profes-
sional response to various sit-
uations arising out of public
health emergencies, movement
of migrant labourers, care for
the destitute, elderly citizens
and women, food/ration for the
needy and hungry, maintaining
essential supplies, etc,” said
Shrivastava, while addressing
senior police officers during his
weekly review meeting.
“One of the most impor-
tant objectives of these com-
mittees will be to work towards
public acceptance of Covid
taken today.
There are six such families
who have lost their son while
they were performing their
duty to protect the nation.
Three out of the six personnel
belonged to the Indian Air
Force, two personnel belonged
to Delhi Police and 1 was a
Defence Personnel,” he said.
Sanket Kaushik was ACP
Delhi Police who lost his life
while performing duty at
Rajokri Flyover in Delhi. “A
truck hit him while he was
checking vehicles around the
area and he died on the spot.
Sanket Kaushik’s family includ-
ed his wife and three daughters
who now depend on his wife
for sustenance, he said.
“Their earning source is
ACP Sanket Kaushik’s pen-
sion. They do not have other
active earnings. To honour his
martyrdom and support his
family to live a life of dignity,
we have announced an ex-
gratia of C1 crore to his fami-
ly,” he said.
Elaborating about it further
he said, Rajesh Kumar from
Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi
was another such martyr who
lost his life while performing
duty in the Air Force.
“Rajesh ji was on an aircraft
which took off from Jorhat,
inter-agency coordination are
put to the litmus test in various
scenarios. The mock drill was
coordinated by Special Cell, the
nodal anti-terror agency of
Delhi Police,” said Biswal.
“At the old Police
Headquarters (PHQ) building,
ITO, the mock drill began
with a decoy vehicle reaching
the exit gate of old PHQ. After
a brief skirmish with security,
a group of decoy terrorists
entered the building and held
some persons on gun-point as
hostage while another group
fled from the scene in a get-
away car,” said Biswal.
“Simultaneously, a second
Appropriate Behaviour (CAB)
and placing measures for sys-
temic and voluntary adoption,
thus minimising the need for
coercive enforcement,” said
Shrivastava.
The CP also asked the field
officers to enlist the coopera-
tion of citizens in CAB imple-
mentation.
“Covid appropriate com-
pliance can be ensured only
when all citizens voluntarily
observe it out of a sense of
responsibility and duty,” said
the CP adding that police
should prosecute the viola-
tions which should be the min-
imum occurrence and not a
norm.
“The aforementioned com-
mittees will comprise of the
concerned police authorities
chaired by Deputy
Commissioner of Police (DCP)
and Assistant Commissioner of
Police (ACP), as the case may
be, for district and thana level
committee,” said Chinmoy
Assam and its wreckage was
found in Arunachal Pradesh.
He was subsequently found
dead due to the crash, while he
was performing his duty. He
had only been three months
into his marriage,” he added.
Similarly, Flight lieutenant
Sunit Mohanty was on the
same flight as Rajesh Kumar.
Mohanty was from Dwarka, he
also passed away due to the
plane crash while performing
his duty.
“We cannot compensate
for their loss but we can pay our
respect for his martyrdom. We
have announced an ex-gratia of
1 crore to support his family to
live a life of dignity,” he said.
He also talked about Meet
Kumar, a Squadron Leader in
the Indian Air Force who died
while his aircraft MIG-21
crashed in an operational fly-
ing sortie in Kangra hills (H.P.).
Talking about Vikas Kumar
who was a Delhi Police con-
stable, he said that Kumar was
performing his picket duty.
“During the picket duty, a
Swift Dezire knowingly
increased the speed when it was
asked to stop and injured Shri
Vikas Kumar ji. He was shift-
ed to AIIMS thereafter where
he was announced dead,” he
said.
terror strike scenario was ini-
tiated at Ambience Mall,
Nelson Mandela Road, Vasant
Kunj, where an improvised
explosive device (IED) was
lobbed by decoy terrorists near
its main entrance and there-
after, the decoy terrorists fled
the scene while opening indis-
criminate fire,” said Biswal.
“The third scenario was
simulated at metro station,
Sector-21, Dwarka where an
explosion was reported near
the main gate and decoy ter-
rorists were reported to have
forcibly hijacked a metro train
found stationary at the plat-
form,” said Biswal.
Biswal, the spokesperson of
Delhi Police.
“The committee may also
include the medical & para-
medic establishments (hospi-
tals, laboratories, nursing
homes, ambulance service
providers, etc.), trade associa-
tions and industrial area asso-
ciations, public lodging facili-
ties, health sector NGOs, edu-
cational institutions, RWAs
and MWAs, public spirited
individuals, creative
audio/video media profession-
als, IT professionals and
celebrities with public appeal
etc, besides civic agency offi-
cials and other Government
functionaries who may also be
invited as special invitees,” said
Biswal.
“The meetings will be held
in accordance with the preva-
lent public health emergency
norms for e.g., during the
Covid-19 phase, preferably vir-
tually,” said Biswal.
“The Covid Cell at Police
'HOKLJHWV/ !#%3_fYTSQcUcY^
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Son enior Aam Aadmi Party
(AAP) leader Atishi stated
Saturday that Delhi have
received 1.67 lakh doses of
Covishield on Friday for the 18
to 44 age group, now Delhi has
2.95 lakh vaccines available
for the youth.
“There are 2 days of
Covaxin and 14 days of
Covishield available for the
youth, therefore we appeal to
the youth of Delhi to book slots
through the CoWin app and
get themselves vaccinated,” she
added.
“8.46 lakh vaccine doses
are available for above 45 years
age category, we have 6 days
Covaxin and 58 days
Covishield stock available for
this age group. On 18th June,
77,345 people were given vac-
cine doses in Delhi, so far
64,26,302 people have been
vaccinated in total,” Atishi said
while presenting the Vaccine
bulletin.
Aam Aadmi Party senior
leader and MLA Atishi stated
that “On 18th June, 77,345
doses were administered in
Delhi out of which 62,230 were
“At all three locations, all
stakeholders local police, traf-
fic police, PCR, SWAT and
civic agencies like fire service
and health department were
rushed by the Central Police
Control Room.
Incident Command Posts
were established and defensive
evacuation drill was executed,”
said Biswal.
“The special forces of
SWAT, Special Cell and CISF
(for the metro station) formed
the inner cordon and anti-ter-
ror operations, as prescribed in
the drills, were carried out.
Hostage rescue, secondary
device check, screening and
securing of suspects etc. com-
plex operations were simulat-
ed with coordination and coop-
eration of all responding
actors,” he said.
“As special observers,
teams of NSG attended all the
three scenarios and made crit-
ical evaluation of the efforts,
response and proficiencies of
the responding agencies which
is required for constant upgra-
dation of professional skills of
a premier police force,” Biswal
added.
No untoward incident or
avoidable panic was noticed till
the conclusion of the mock
drill. Response of officers and
personnel of all concerned
districts, units and civic agen-
cies were found appropriate,
police said.
Headquarters will be upgrad-
ed to a Public Health
Emergency Management Cell
which shall function as the
PHQ Node for supervising
these District and Thana
Level Committees,” Biswal
added.
Discussing the implemen-
first doses while 15,115 were
second doses. This brings the
tally of total doses administered
in Delhi to 64, 26,302.”
She also emphasised that
“It has been observed that
whenever Delhi has enough
vaccine supply for the 18-44
age group the vaccination
process speeds up, and when
the vaccine stocks start dimin-
ishing the speed of the vacci-
nation process also slows down
rapidly.”
She also requested that,
“The youth of Delhi must
come forward and book their
vaccination slots through the
CoWin application.
While they are stepping out
to get their vaccine jab they
should also take along any
family member who is of age 45
and above and hasn’t been
vaccinated till now for their
vaccination as well.” “For now
the most important step to save
Delhi from the next possible
Covid-19 wave is vaccination.
Currently Delhi has the vaccine
stock available and therefore
everybody must step forward
and get themselves vaccinated
at the earliest possibility.” she
appealed.
?82D1<;
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tation of CAB, the CP Delhi
stressed upon enhanced police
visibility in market places and
areas which are likely to be vis-
ited in large numbers.
He again directed that
MWAs and RWAs be involved
proactively to ensure that CAB
is strictly adhered to in their
BC055A4?>AC4A Q =4F34;78
elhi reported 135 fresh
D cases of the coronavirus
disease (Covid-19) in the last
24 hours with seven more suc-
cumbing to the infection.
According to data shared
by the health department, the
positivity rate dipped to 0.18
per cent.
With 135 new cases, the
total number of active cases in
the city reached to 2,372 of
which 668 are in home isola-
tion, according to the official
data shared by the health
department.
According to the bulletin,
the city has reported more
than 14 lakh cases till now. A
total of 75687 tests, including
53942 RT-PCR tests, were con-
ducted a day ago, the bulletin
stated.
In order to deal with the
“possible” third wave of Covid-
19, the Delhi Government has
speeded up revamping several
existing hospitals to increase
the number of beds and also
building new hospitals.
?C8
?C8
respective places.
“The public announcement
systems should be used to edu-
cate the public and there should
be no margin for slackness in
implementation of Covid
guidelines in public places,” the
CP told officers.
c^f]WP[["
Delhi has received vaccine
stocks for youth two days back
and the speed of vaccination in
the city has increased, AAP
leader Atishi said while sharing
the vaccination bulletin on
Thursday.
“On 17th June, 89,962
doses were administered. Out
of which 60,393 were first
doses and 29,569 were second
doses.
The total vaccines admin-
istered in Delhi have reached
63,48,920 and 15,36,174 people
have been administered both
doses. For 45 plus, 8,65,000
doses of vaccines are current-
ly available in Delhi. At least1.5
lakh doses of Covishield for 45
plus were supplied to Delhi on
Thursday. For 18-44, stocks of
five days of Covaxin and 9 days
of Covishield are available,”
she added.
Delhi Chief Minister
Arvind Kejriwal had also
announced plans to create a
buffer stock of important med-
icines besides other initiatives
to deal with the ‘possible’ fur-
ther outbreak.
BTRdaXchVdPaSX\_Tab^]PcTb
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NEW DELHI: The Delhi
Police has arrested a 40-year-
old security guard for alleged-
ly impersonating himself as an
Army officer to impress
women on social media.
The accused has been iden-
tified as Dilip Kumar, a resident
of Sainik Enclave, Mohan
Garden. Police said that Kumar
was arrested on Friday from
south Delhi’s Greater Kailash
area when he came to meet a
woman for a date. According
to Atul Kumar Thaur, the
Deputy Commissioner of
Police (DCP), South district, on
Friday at 3 PM, police received
information regarding a per-
son, who impersonated himself
as an army officer, near
Archana Red Light, GK-1.
“Later, a team was formed
and deployed near Archana
Red Light. Accused was appre-
6dadVaP\)
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mega vaccination drive is
A being organised on
Monday to give impetus to the
vaccination campaign in
Gurugram. According to the
health officials, this mega camp
is being celebrated as “Tika
Utsav” by setting a target of
vaccinating 30,000 people by
the district Health Department.
“Gurugram ranks first
among 24 major cities of the
country in providing anti-coro-
navirus vaccine to its citizens.
In order to maintain this place
and save more and more peo-
ple from this epidemic, the
administration has decided to
celebrate June 21 as Tika
Mahotsav,” Dr Virendra Yadav,
Civil Surgeon, District
Gurugram said.
Deputy Civil Surgeon Dr.
MP Singh, who is heading the
vaccination campaign in the
district, said that a target has
been set to vaccinate 30,000 cit-
izens of the district in this mega
vaccine festival to be held on
June 21.
“In order to make this
mega camp successful by
reaching more and more peo-
ple in the district, vaccine
camps are being organized at all
37 urban and rural health cen-
ters in the district besides 152
places,” Singh said.
Dr Singh said that at all 189
places, the first and second
doses of the vaccine would be
administered to all the people
of 18-44 years and above 45
years of age. All citizens visit-
ing the camp do not require
any prior registration.
hended who was in army uni-
form. One fake army ID card in
the name of Dilip Kumar and
one mobile phone were recov-
ered from his possession,” said
the DCP. “He was also a mem-
ber of several groups and also
in contact with international
WhatsApp numbers from sev-
eral other nations. On exami-
nation of the mobile phone, it
was revealed that the accused
had done video calls with inter-
national numbers also,” said the
DCP. “Kumar disclosed that he
posed as Captain Shekhar of
Indian Army to impress women
on social media. On Friday also,
he called a woman to meet him
at GK for dating. He also dis-
closed that he has chatted with
some foreign nationals too and
shared some videos and pic-
tures with them also,” said the
DCP.
=4F34;78kBD=30H k9D=4!!! ]PcX^]#

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wo people died on Saturday
T after being hit by stones
falling from the hillside fol-
lowing landslips triggered by
heavy rain.
Dafedar Singh (65), a
labourer from Uttar Pradesh,
was killed after being hit by a
stone while he was standing
near his tin shed in Sungri
area of Gangolihat, Pithoragarh
Circle Officer (CO) RS
Rautela said.
Singh was hit in the stom-
ach and head. He died while
being carried to a Gangolihat
hospital, said the official.
In another incident, a veg-
etable trader, Khalil Ahmed
(55), died after being hit by a
boulder falling from the hillside
near the Ghat bridge. He was
standing on a stationary truck
when the incident happened,
the CO said.
Ahmed owned the truck
and was going to Pilibhit to
load vegetables for Pithoragarh
when the incident happened,
said the official.
2YHUFURUH&RYLG
80=B Q =4F34;78
Stheixfrom
days after being removed
the post of leader of
Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) in
the Lok Sabha, Chirag Paswan
met Speaker Om Birla on
Saturday and urged him to
review his decision of accept-
ing one of suspended party
MPs as the leader of LJP in the
Lower House.
Chirag Paswan, the son of
former Union Minister and LJP
founder late Ram Vilas Paswan,
met Birla at the latter’s residence
along with the party’s secretary
general Abdul Khaliq, national
vice-president AK Bajpayee and
Bihar unit chief Raju Tiwari.
Speaking to the media after
the meeting, Chirag Paswan
said, “I have conveyed to him
(Om Birla) the facts and also
urged him to review his deci-
sion of accepting one of the
suspended LJP MPs —
Pashupati Kumar Paras — as
the leader of LJP in the
Lok Sabha.”
He said Paras’ appoint-
ment as the LJP leader in the
Lower House is illegal, as the
party’s constitution does not
allows this.
“The LJP constitution
clearly states that any change
taking place in the Assembly or
in the Parliament needs to be
approved by central parlia-
mentary board of the party,”
Chirag Paswan said.
The LJP leader further said
that Birla listened to his argu-
ments and assured him of
reconsidering the decision in
the light of the new facts put
forward by the LJP delegation.
Chirag Paswan was
removed as the leader of the
LJP in the Lok Aabha on
Monday after five out of the six
MPs wrote to the Lok Sabha
Speaker. His uncle and Ram
?PaPbUPRcX^]P]]^d]RTb]PcX^]P[TgTRdcXeT
PWTPS^U\TTcX]VRP[[TSQh2WXaPVVa^d_
?C8Q =4F34;78
T he LJP faction headed by
Pashupati Kumar Paras
on Saturday disbanded all
bodies and State units affili-
ated with the party
and announced a new nation-
al executive.
The decision comes as a
counter-move to the nation-
al executive meeting called by
the group headed by Chirag
Paswan in Delhi on Sunday.
Vilas Paswan’s younger broth-
er Pashupati Kimar Paras was
elected as the leader of the LJP
in the Lower House.
Chirag Paswan was also
removed as the party chief on
Tuesday by the rebel MPs.
Following the coup, Chirag
Paswan called a virtual
national executive meeting and
sacked the five rebel MPs
from the party’s primary
membership.
While addressing a press
conference on Wednesday, he
also asserted that he is ready for
a long legal battle as he is not
the one to buckle down
under pressure.
?T^_[TfXcW^dcfTPaX]V\PbZbeXbXccWT6P]VPQPaaPVTX]:P]_da^]BPcdaSPh ?C8
tive members are with him.
Later in evening, Paswan
met Lok Sabha Speaker Om
Birla to present his case 4CA758gZdZed<RdY^Zce` $cUhRgVZ_' cinated only about 5 per cent
of its estimated 950 million eli-
hVV\dZW4`gZU
cVgZVh`aVcReZ`_d`WW`cTV
against Birla’s decision to gible population, leaving many
accept the claim of the other millions vulnerable to infec-
faction declaring Paras as the ]RiZejT`_eZ_fVd tions and deaths.
leader of the party in ?C8Q =4F34;78 the troops to come up with sug- From Page 1 The AIIMS chief also
the Lok Sabha. gestions that will augment the According to him, the virus stressed on the need for stricter
Paswan has argued that RPF director general (DG) efficiency of the force,” a senior can make a comeback within surveillance and area-specific
only the party’s parliamentary
board can take the decision on
C Kuldiep Singh on Saturday
visited the Kashmir valley and
officer said.
He also shared meals with
two months, earlier than the
trend noticed in India so far, if
lockdowns in case of a signif-
icant surge in cases.
its leader in Parliament. Five
of the six party MPs had cho-
reviewed the operations of the
paramilitary force that is
them here, he added. The DG
later visited the south Kashmir
the unlocking process is not
measured.
“There needs to be an
aggressive surveillance strate-

YDFFLQHGRVHVDGPLQLVWHUHG
With Paras as its presi- sen Paras as their leader in deployed for carrying out operations range of the CRPF “If Covid-appropriate gy in Covid hotspots and lock-
dent, all four other MPs of the place of Paswan. internal security and law and in Awantipora and reviewed behaviour is not followed, the downs in case of any significant
faction figure in the executive The battle over the party’s order duties in the region, offi- highway security, he said. third wave can happen in six to surge. The moment a signifi-

LQ,QGLD+HDOWK0LQLVWU\
?C8Q =4F34;78
ndia has administered more
Ivaccine
than 27.62 crore coronavirus
doses so far with a total
Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala,
Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra,
Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu,
Telangana, Odisha, Uttar
Pradesh and West Bengal have
while a few of those party
office-bearers who switched
loyalty to him from Paswan
have also been inducted.
Paras said in a statement
that all other party wings have
been disbanded. Chirag Paswan
has asserted that more than 90
ownership is likely to be
decided in the Election
Commission as both groups
fight for the legacy of popu-
lar Dalit leader from Bihar
Ram Vilas Paswan, who died
last year. While Chirag
Paswan is his son, Paras is his
cials said.
They said Singh first visit-
ed the camp of the 116th bat-
talion stationed in Pahalgam.
He met senior officers of
the force posted in Kashmir
and also addressed the troops
during the ‘sainik sammelan’,
The force secures a “sig-
nificant” portion of the Jammu-
Srinagar highway.
The CRPF has deployed at
least 70 regular battalions in the
Kashmir valley for undertaking
counter-terrorist operations
and rendering law
eight weeks. We need to work
aggressively to prevent anoth-
er large wave till vaccination
kicks in,” Guleria said amidst
the backdrop of poor vaccina-
tion coverage.
So far, India has fully vac-
cant surge in cases is noted in
a particular area and the pos-
itivity rate goes beyond 5 per
cent, area-specific lockdown
and containment measures
should be implemented,”
he said.

of 33,72,742 jabs being given on
Saturday, the Health Ministry
said. The ministry, in a state-
ment, said 20,49,101 vaccine
doses were administered as
the first dose and 78,394 as the
second dose in the 18-44 age
group on Saturday.
Cumulatively, 5,39,11,586
persons across 37 States/Union
Territories have received their
first dose and a total of
administered more than 10 lakh
beneficiaries of the age group 18-
44 years for the first dose of
Covid-19 vaccine, the ministry
said. A total of 27,62,55,304
Covid vaccine doses have so far
been administered across the
country, according to a provi-
sional report compiled at 7 pm.
As on Day-155 of the vac-
cination drive on Saturday,
total 33,72,742 vaccine doses
percent of the national execu- youngest brother. they said. “The DG encouraged and order duties.
8B8WT[_X]VCP[XQP]
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From Page 1 hospitals and administrative
?C8Q 17D10=4BF0A rinamool Congress MLA Jayanta Naskar, who had test- ?C8Q 0;;070103 “In Helmand province, the blocks built by India, he said.
ten-day-old boy, who was alleged-
T ed positive for Covid-19 in May, died at a hospital here
on Saturday, a health department official said.
LeT has so far attacked dis- Counter-terrorism experts

12,23,196 have received their

second dose since the start of
Phase-3 of the vaccination drive.
Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh,
Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana,
were given. A total of 29,00,953
beneficiaries were vaccinated
for the first dose and 4,71,789
beneficiaries received the sec-
ond dose of vaccine.
A ly sold by his drug-addict father
for C10,000 in Odisha, was rescued
from a woman by members of
Childline with the help of police.
The baby was rescued from a
woman in Mali Sahi area under
Kharvelnagar police station limit in the
state capital and kept at an adoption
centre, Childline director Benudhar
Senapati said. “The father of the baby
is a drug addct. Due to financial con-
straints, the newborns father forced his
wife to dump the baby in a dustbin. But,
the mother handed over the child to a
woman,” Senapati told reporters.
However, the woman who purchased
the child said, “They were about to
abandon the baby. Since I have no son,
I bought the baby for Rs 10,000.”
Senapati said, both the buyer and
seller of a baby are guilty under pro-
visions of the Juvenile Justice Act.
The police said it was inquiring
into the matter and all the facts will
become clear after the probe is over.
A case has been registered in
Kharavela Nagar police station.
The 73-year-old legislator, however, had tested neg-
ative for the disease on Friday, a doctor of the medical
Iis nAllahabad
an obser vation, the
High Court said it
not against live-in-relation-
pensaries, hospitals, adminis-
trative buildings and 16 schools
built by India. The Taliban
said the US Army is known to
leave behind war stores that
include sophisticated weapons
facility said. ship but denied protection to a has captured at least two and munitions while leaving a
The three-time MLA from Gosaba breathed his last couple recently as one of the administrative blocks and has war zone.
at 8.20 pm, he said. Naskar had tested positive for Covid- partners was married. taken hostage of the captured “Since the Pakistan Army
19 soon after the announcement of the Assembly elec- A Division Bench of hospital’s staff for treating the is trained in using those
tion results on May 2, the official said. Justices Kaushal Jayendra injured jehadis,” a senior offi- weapons, these equipment will
The Gosaba MLA was initially treated at the state- Thaker and Dinesh Pathak cial in the security establish- now be exploited by the Taliban
run MR Bangur Hospital and shifted to the private med- said this hearing a plea seeking ment said. and its Pakistani associate
ical facility a few days back, the official said, adding that protection for a couple, who The Taliban has also issued groups like JeM and LeT for
he had comorbidities. was into a live-in-relationship a statement claiming any edu- further consolidating their
“Naskar tested negative for Covid-19 on Friday. But but married during the pen- cation acquired through infra- position in Afghanistan and
prolonged illness caused damage to his lung,” the senior dency of the petition. structure built by kafirs is not dislodging the security para-
doctor of the private hospital told PTI. The High Court had earli- acceptable in Islam, implying phernalia of the elected
West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress er dismissed a plea filed by a that more such attacks against Government there,” an expert
supremo Mamata Banerjee condoled the demise of Naskar. married woman and her live- schools are likely in the com- said. According to reports, the
in partner. ing weeks, the official said. Taliban has already gained a
The court also imposed a The irony of the evolving significant hold in 26 out of 34
&RROZHDWKHUWHPSVHWWOHV cost of Rs 5,000 on them,
observing that the woman is
situation in the provinces of
Afghanistan where the Taliban
provinces in that country
where the violence being per-
DWGHJ&LQ'HOKL already married and in live-in-
relationship with another man,
is rampaging is that the cadres
of LeT and JeM will be trained
petrated by the Taliban has
witnessed a marked surge dur-
an act against the “mandate” of in the buildings for schools, ing the last few months.
?C8Q =4F34;78 the Hindu Marriage Act.
While granting protection
T he mercury in the national Capital on Saturday set-
tled at a cool 29 degrees Celsius, with winds making
to the couple in the latest case,
the court said, “We are not
86(XURSH 'HVSLWHK\SH
From Page 1
the weather even more pleasant. against live-in-relation.” 0dcW^aXcXTbbPXSUaTbWbdaVTWPb From Page 1
The relative humidity, however, was recorded at 75 Earlier, we rejected a plea _dbWTScWTUXVdaTPQ^eT U^a In fact, as per the party
per cent, according to the India Meteorological as the protection was sought cWTUXabccX\TbX]RT[PcT5TQadPah8] statute vice-president is just an
Department (IMD). during subsistence of marriage UPRcWXVW[hR^]cPVX^db3T[cPePaXP]c ornamental post where senior
Mercur y had risen by several notches in of one of the petitioners, it said. WPbcWa^f]Pb_P]]Ta^]cWTD: leaders are accommodated. At
the morning with the minimum temperature settling at The court directed police 6^eTa]\T]c³b_[P]^U[XUcX]V^U present Pankaj Singh, son of
30 degrees Celsius. to provide protection to the aT\PX]X]Vb^RXP[P]STR^]^\XR Union Defence Minister
On Friday, the minimum temperature had stood at petitioners, saying aTbcaXRcX^]bd]cX[9d[h (BTeTaP[ Rajnath Singh and Vijay
25.1 degrees Celsius, three notches below the season’s aver- they were in a live-in-relation- R^d]caXTbX]R[dSX]VAdbbXPP]S Bahadur Pathak are vice-pres-
age, according to the IMD. The maximum temperature ship but subsequently married 8]S^]TbXPPaT]^faT_^acX]VP idents of the party.
on Friday had settled at 36.6 degrees Celsius, three notch- each other. bdaVTX]2^eXSRPbTbSdTc^3T[cP The executive power in
es below the season’s average. Hence, in view of the ePaXP]caPXbX]VP__aTWT]bX^]XUcWT the party wrests with the sec-
According to the IMD website, the maximum tem- orders given by the apex court PePX[PQ[TePRRX]TbfX[[QTPQ[Tc^ retary. A highly placed source
perature in Delhi was recorded at 29 degrees Celsius in the past, they are entitled to cPRZ[TcWT]TfU^a\^U\dcPcTS in the BJP told this reporter
Saturday night. protection, the HC said. eXadbAPXbX]VR^]RTa]bBfP\X] that on Thursday evening BJP
PcWP]c^^_^X]cTS^dccWPcWXVW[h State president Swatantra Dev
caP]b\XbbXQ[TePaXP]cbQ^^bccWT Singh and state Secretary
: X`eC"W`c^Z]\SZ]]Wc`^ ]TTSU^a]TfTUUTRcXeTbW^cb
AdbbXPc^^XbUPRX]VPWdVTbdaVT
(Organisation) Sunil Bansal
were summoned to Delhi and
cVXZ^V_e+>Z]\YR X]cWT]d\QTa^UR^a^]PeXadbRPbTb
PccaXQdcTSc^3T[cPePaXP]c0b_Ta
they returned on Friday morn-
ing. “Organisational issues were
From Page 1 <^bR^f<Ph^aBTaVTXB^QhP]X] discussed and the appoint-
In fact, he was sometimes taken back, slung cWTWXVW[hcaP]b\XbbXQ[TePaXP]c ment of Sharma could be
on the shoulders of fellow athletes, to his place fPbSTcTRcTSX]'("^UP[[2^eXS linked to that meeting,” the
in the barracks near the National Stadium, so _PcXT]cbX]cWTAdbbXP]RP_XcP[ source said.
drained of energy he would be. But then there 3Tb_XcTQTX]VRaTSXcTSc^ The party also appointed
no short cuts for champion athletes. [Pd]RWcWTf^a[S³bUXabcePRRX]T Archana Mishra (Lucknow)
Training was a religion for Milkha. When °B_dc]XZE±[PbchTPaAdbbXPWPb and Amit Balmiki
the National Stadium was taken up activities b^UPaePRRX]PcTSYdbc((^UXcb (Bulandshahr) as State secre-
other than athletics, Milkha could be seen jog- _^_d[PcX^]\PX][hQTRPdbT^U_^^a taries. The party also
ging on the side of the road between India Gate cPZTabPbfT[[Pb_T^_[T³b announced State presidents of
and Tilak Bridge. ]TV[XVT]RTX]U^[[^fX]V2^eXS various frontal organistions of
Milkha’s rivalry with Pakistani sprinter ]^a\b6Ta\P]8]S^]TbXPP]S the party.
Abdul Khaliq is the stuff of story books. But it BX]VP_^aTPaTb^\T^cWTaR^d]caXTb Pranshudutt Dwivedi
was friendly rivalry. Abdul, a Pakistani POW fWXRWPaTZTT_X]VPeXVX[^]3T[cP (Farrukhabad) has been made
after the 1971 conflict, expressed a wish to meet ePaXP]cbP]SbcPacTSP\^aT president of Yuva Morcha,
Milkha. Did the meeting actually take place? PVVaTbbXeTR^]cPRccaPRX]VcTbcX]V Geeta Shakya , a Rajya Sabha
Your guess is as good as mine. P]S`dPaP]cX]TRP\_PXV]c^ZTT_ MP (Auraiya) has been made
(K Datta is a veteran sports journalist) cWTX]UTRcX^]PcQPh Mahila Morcha president ,
Kameshwar Singh (Gorakhpur)
will be the new Kisan Morcha
- .OHDGHUVDZDLWLQYLWH tionship with Delhi. Solutions to J&K’s
problems lie at New Delhi not
president , Narendra Kashyap,
former MP (Ghaziabad) has
LQGDUNDERXWWDONDJHQGD Islamabad, New York or London. Delhi’s been made Backward Morcha
invitation to J&K’s political parties is a president and Kaushal Kishore
From Page 1 welcome development. My question to ,MP from Lucknow has been
Officials said Madni, who was all the political parties is they called us made Scheduled Caste Morcha
under preventive detention at King’s party, now who is king’s party?,” president .
MLA hostel here, was released on Bukhari said in an obvious reference to Sanjay Gond (Gorakhpur)
Saturday afternoon. NC and PDP. has been made Scheduled Tribe
On the other hand, J&K Apni Party Peoples Conference Chairman Morcha president and Kunwar
chief Altaf Bukhari said the solution to Sajad Lone and CPI(M) leader Mohd Basit Ali (Meerut) has been
J&K’s problems lies in New Delhi. Yousaf Tarigami are also expected to nominated president of the
“We openly state that we have a rela- receive an invite to join the parleys. State Minority Morcha.
=4F34;78kBD=30H k9D=4!!!
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?=BQ =4F34;78
day after its strong stance
A against Twitter, the parlia-
mentary Standing Committee
on Information Technology,
headed by Congress MP Shashi
Tharoor, on Saturday, turned
down Facebook’s request for
coming for a virtual meeting
instead of physical representa-
tion citing the company’s Covid
policies. The committee, in
fact, proposed vaccinating the
social media giant’s officials
who will come for the meeting
with the panel.
The dates for the said
meeting has not been finalised
yet.
The parliamentary stand-
ing committee has also decid-
ed that all other social media
and web platforms like
YouTube, Google, etc. must
send their representations phys-
ically before the panel.
In its response to the com-
mittee, Facebook said its offi-
cers could not appear before the
committee as the company]s
rules prohibit officials to attend
any meeting in person during
the period of the second wave
1RELUWKGD\EDVKIRU
5DKXORYHUSDQGHPLF
?=BQ =4F34;78
ormer Congress president
F Rahul Gandhi on Saturday
turned 51, but he did not cel-
ebrate his birthday in view of
the Covid pandemic.
However, wishes poured in
from leaders cutting across
party lines and Congress work-
ers.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om
Birla took to Twitter to wish the
Wayanad MP good health and
happiness. Union Minister
Nitin Gadkari too tweeted
birthday greetings to Rahul
saying he be blessed with good
health and long life.
Chief ministers M K Stalin
(Tamil Nadu), Arvind Kejriwal
(Delhi), Hemant Soren
(Jharkhand), Conrad Sangma
(Meghalaya), Amarinder Singh
(Punjab), Ashok Gehlot
CTRW]^[^VhU^aaTP[cX\T
caP]b[PcX^]^UeTa]PRd[Pa
8]SXP][P]VdPVTbb^^]
?=BQ =4F34;78
technology for real-time
A translation of vernacular
Indian languages is in the works.
The Ministry of Electronics and
Information Technology
(MeitY) is working on the tech-
nology to enable exchange of
communications between two
persons not speaking the same
language.
This ambitious language
translation project, with a time-
line of 5-7 years, is being devel-
oped using artificial intelligence
and modern technologies to
end the language barrier in the
country.
“We have started working
on a very ambitious national lan-
guage translation mission. See
the magic of new technology.
For centuries we have lived
with the reality that a person
who knows only Bengali cannot
communicate with a person
who knows only Malayalam.
This will change,” MeitY
Secretary Ajay Prakash Sawhney
said while speaking at a NIXI
event. The event was held on the
occasion of National Internet
Exchange of India (NIXI) com-
pleting 18 years.
Sawhney explained with an
example that with this technol-
ogy people speaking only
Bengali will be able to commu-
nicate with those who speak
only Malayalam. “India is not
just a country but has conti-
of the Covid pandemic.
With the FB officials mak-
ing a bid to appear online, all
the members of the standing
committee made it clear that no
meeting can be held online and
the Facebook officials must be
present physically.
“Taking cognizance of
Facebook’s reply, now the chair-
man of the committee, sought
the list of Facebook officials
whom the company wants to
send before the committee.
The chairman said the com-
mittee will provide COVID
vaccination to such officials and
will also give enough time to
come before the committee,”
sources said.
On Friday, the committee
had called Twitter officials on
(Rajasthan) and Bhupesh
Baghel (Chhattisgarh) and
Shivraj Singh Chouhan
(Madhya Pradesh) wished him
on Twitter.
“Wishing my beloved
brother Rahul Gandhi on his
birthday and I join others in
praising his selfless, untiring
work to establish an egalitari-
an India in every aspect. His
commitment to the ethos of the
Congress party has been exem-
plary,” Stalin said on Twitter.
National Confrence leader
Omar Abdullah wished Rahul
good health and many years
ahead in the service of the
nation, while former prime
minister and JD(S) president H
D Devegowda tweeted, “I wish
him well, and sincerely pray
that his view of the world and
his compassion defeats the
narrowness that surrounds us.”
nental proportions. The number
of languages is more than what
Europe has to deal with,”
Sawhney said.
He said that India has been
able to take away check posts
with the help of common tax
system in a similar way language
barrier can be ended with help
of new technologies. “It might
take us 5-7 years but technolo-
gies that are coming in give us
an opportunity to aim at this
kind of ambitious level. We
have to grow content on the
internet in each of our lan-
guages,” Sawhney said.
He announced that NIXI
will provide a personalised email
with 10 GB space to every user
of the website with .in extension.
This email will be available on
demand. Sawhney said the
Indian economy is slowly mov-
ing towards a digital economy
with IT and electronics getting
deeper in each and every sector.
The MeitY secretary said
digital services have expanded in
every nook and corner of the
country with common service
centres that provide govern-
ment services to citizens in 2.51
lakh village panchayats, while
active internet user base has
grown from 23.3 crore in 2014
to 79.5 crore active internet
users. “Digital payments have
grown exponentially. There are
25.5 billion real time transac-
tions happening on an annual
basis,” Sawhney said.
similar issues and two of their
senior officials also appeared
before the committee physical-
ly. Both the officials of Twitter
told the committee that they
“give priority to the rules of
their company” following
which they were told that the
law of the land was supreme
and which had to be followed.
The committee has taken
cognizance of the fact that
social media platforms are
being run remotely from out-
side the country and the rules
made by the government are
also being ignored. The com-
mittee is also particularly con-
cerned about the misuse of
social media platforms regard-
ing the propagation of rumours
as well as women’s safety.
The Punjab chief minister
said that he was proud of the
Congress leader]s hard work
and his abiding commitment
to serve the people of the
country.
His Rajasthan counterpart
Gehlot said: “Rahul ji is gen-
uinely concerned about the
welfare of the poor and down-
trodden. I wish he succeeds in
his endeavours,”
Baghel said that it is not
easy to stand before the oppos-
ing tide and Rahul is doing so
and setting an example by
standing above politics of
compromise. Rahul respond-
ed to some of the wishes on
Twitter.
While Delhi Congress
observed the day as “Sewa
Diwas” and distributed face
masks, medicine kits and
cooked meals free of cost to the
poor in the national capital, the
National Students Union of
India (NSUI), the Congress]
students] wing, organised a
free vaccination camp to mark
the occasion and the Youth
Congress distributed free
ration to the needy in Delhi.
Some state Congress com-
mittees observed the day by
distributing ration and other
essentials at no cost to the poor
and the needy. Wishing their
leader, the Congress said on
Twitter, “We wish Shri Rahul
Gandhi health and happiness
on his birthday.”
4Pa[hcTbcX]VX]cTaeT]cX^]RP][^fTa
R^\_[XRPcX^]b^UbXRZ[T2T[[SXbTPbT
?=BQ =4F34;78
n the occasion of World
O Sickle Cell Day on Saturday,
health experts noted that while
early testing of the genetic dis-
ease can help lower complica-
tions, vulnerable groups often
face limited access to quality care
for the inherited disorder that
affects hemoglobin.
“More awareness and imple-
mentation of new therapies like
genetic therapy and Bone
Marrow Transplant is needed to
reduce these disparities,” they
said.
“Sickle cell disease (SCD),
which is the most prevalent
inherited blood disorder, is
widespread amongst many trib-
al population groups in India.
There are around 13 lakh peo-
ple affected by the disease every
year in India. While there are
several cost-effective interven-
tions which have successfully cut
down morbidity and mortality
from SCD in developed nations,
the access to care for SCD in the
tribal regions in India is limit-
ed,” said Dr Rahul Bhargava,
?=BQ =4F34;78
ith schools witnessing a
prolonged closure due
to the Covid-19 pandemic, the
Union Education Ministry on
Saturday released guidelines
for parents and caregivers on
how to provide support to
children and facilitate their
home-based learning.
The guidelines empha-
sised the need for parents to
create a safe, engaging and
positive learning environment
for children, have realistic
expectations from them, take
care of their health and ensure
a healthy diet, and also have
fun, a statement from the
ministry said.
Union Education Minister
Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank
said the Guidelines for parent
participation in home-based
learning during school closure
and beyond have been draft-
ed “for parents and caregivers
to provide information on
the ‘why’ ‘what’ and how-to of
participation in supporting
children during school clo-
sure, irrespective of literacy
levels”.
“I strongly feel that a
home is the first school and
parents are the first teachers.
In this pandemic, the role of
0a\TSU^aRTbaTPShc^UPRT
P]hRWP[[T]VT)805RWXTU
?=BQ =4F34;78
ndia is constantly monitoring
IActual
the situation at the Line of
Control (LAC) and the
armed forces are ready to meet
any challenge, IAF Chief RKS
Bhadauria said on Saturday. He
also said all the 36 Rafale fight-
er jets will be inducted into the
IAF by 2022.
Reiterating the country’s
stand on resolving the issues
through dialogue with China
regarding the stand-offs at the
LAC in Eastern Ladakh, he said
the first attempt is to carry out
disengagement at the “balance
friction points.”
He was obviously referring
to ongoing face-offs for the last
one year at the Hot Springs,
Gogra and the Depsang valley
in Eastern Ladakh. These fric-
principal director, Hematology,
Fortis Memorial Research
Institute in Gurugram.
Geographically, there is a
Sickle cell belt in India com-
prising some tribal communities
in Madhya Pradesh,
Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra,
Gujarat, Kerala, Tamil Nadu
and Odisha.
In India, an estimated three
per cent of the tribal population
suffers from sickle cell anemia
and another 23 per cent carries
and transmits the sickle cell gene
to their children.
Nearly all tribal communi-
ties living in forested terrains
across the country, have cases of
sickle cell anemia.
K Vijayakumar, director,
education, Nilgiris Adivasi
Welfare Association, who has
been working with tribals in
Tamin Nadu said that, “For bet-
ter outreach and impact, the
need of the hour is to establish
a specialty hospital with mod-
ern equipment to screen and
treat sickle cell patients.
This hospital should also be
equipped to provide community
outreach, genetic counseling
parents is pivotal in the
growth and learning of chil-
dren,” Nishank tweeted.
These guidelines are
meant not only for parents but
also for caregivers, other fam-
ily members, grandparents,
community members and
older siblings engaged in
promoting the welfare of chil-
dren.
The activities suggested in
the guidelines are in accor-
dance with the various stages
of school education under
National Education Policy
2020, the statement by the
ministry said.
Age-appropriate art activ-
ities have been categorized on
basis of 5+3+3+4 system such
as Foundation Stage (age 3 to
8years); Preparatory Stage
(age 8 to 11 years); Middle
Stage (age 11 to 14 years); and
secondar y stage: From
Adolescent to Adult (age 14-
18 years).
The activities are simple
and suggestive, which can be
adapted and adopted to local
needs and contexts. The
guidelines appreciate the role
of art as a therapy for children
under stress or trauma, the
statement said.
“They (guidelines) also
lay significance on improving
tion points erupted after the
first stand-off in the first week
of May last year at the Pangong
Tso(lake) there.
India and China have so
far held 11 rounds of military
level and seven rounds of
diplomatic level talks since
May last year to resolve the
dispute at the LAC. The armies
of China and India had dis-
engaged from the southern
and northern banks of the
Pangong lake in February.
The Air Force chief said
talks are on between the two
sides and the first attempt is to
continue with the parleys and
carry out the disengagement at
the “balance friction points.”
“The first attempt is to
continue with the talks and do
the disengagement at the bal-
ance friction points. And, of
TACKLING SICKLE
CELL DISEASE
PSickle cell anemia can-
not be cured but can be
treated.
PMarriage counseling
will help in arresting the
spread of the disease.
PScreening all age
groups is essential from
newborn to the old
PWhen screening ante-
natal women for sickle cell
diseases, husbands may also
be screened to ensure the
child will not be at risk. If a
foetus is found to have sickle
cell disease legal medical
termination of pregnancy
may be advised.
PRehabilitation of sickle
cell patients needs attention
with compensation and suit-
able employment opportuni-
ties provided.
and appropriate intervention
measures, he said as per a
report.
The only cure for SCD is
getting a bone marrow trans-
plant (BMT), which is a proce-
dure to replace damaged or
destroyed bone marrow with
healthy bone marrow stem cells.
Stem cells are easily taken from
the donor and planted in the
recipient.
After the BMT procedure,
the patient can lead a healthy
and normal life, explained Dr
Nita Radha Associate Professor
and HOD, Department of
Pediatric Hematology-
Oncology at SSPHPGTI, Noida.
children’s learning by moni-
toring and addressing their
learning gaps.”
Collaboration of parents
with teachers in documenting
and reflecting on the progress
of children in their learning is
important for both teachers
and parents, the statement by
the Education Ministry said.
course, follow it up with de-
escalation,” he said.
“However, in parallel, the
ground realities are being
monitored closely. Whatever is
the reality across, in terms of
current leftover locations,
deployments, any changes,
that is being monitored close-
ly and whatever actions are
required on our part, we are
taking,” Bhadauria said. He
made these observations after
reviewing the Combined
Graduation Parade (CGP) at
the Air Force Academy,
Dundigal, Hyderabad.
As regards the ongoing
induction of the Rafale fight-
er jets into service, he said the
process will be completed by
2022. At present, 14 jets have
arrived at the Ambala air-
base.
ATVXbcTa58AbPVPX]bc
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he Union Home Ministry
T on Saturday issued advi-
sories to all States and Union
Territories to register FIRs
against attacks on health work-
ers and implement a five-fold
strategy to prevent the resur-
gence of Covid -19 pandemic in
the coming months.
In a detailed advisory,
Union Home Secretary Ajay
Bhalla wrote to Chief Secretaries
to direct district administrations
to also invoke the stringent
provisions of the Epidemic
Diseases (Amendment) Act
2020 against the miscreants
who attack doctors and health
workers in the FIR.
The advisory directed that
the deployment of quick
response teams, help lines must
be implemented at all areas to
prevent attacks against doctors,
health professionals and insti-
tutions. In an another advisory,
the Home Secretary said that
[P]S\PaZ$
The guidelines also advise
schools to involve parents by
providing information and
ideas on helping students with
homework and other curricu-
lum-related activities, decisions,
planning and involving them in
school decisions, it said.
Resources have been made
available for children with spe-
“The target is 2022. It is
absolutely on target. I men-
tioned earlier. Except for one
or two aircraft, minor delays
because of COVID related
issues, but, in fact, some deliv-
eries have been ahead of time.
So, broadly, we are absolutely
on target on the Rafale induc-
tion plan,” he said.
In 2016, India had signed
an inter-governmental agree-
ment with France to procure
36 Rafale jets at a cost C59,000
crore. Defence Minister
Rajnath Singh had in February
said the country would have
the entire fleet of the fighter
aircraft by April 2022.
Addressing the cadets, the
IAF chief referred to unprece-
dented and rapidly evolving
security challenges and
reminded the young officers
that they were entering the
IAF at a juncture when a rapid
infusion of technologies and
combat capabilities was dri-
ving a monumental transfor-
mation in the Air Force.
He also highlighted the
change in operational method-
ologies and functioning with
development and opera-
tionalisation of major automa-
tion and networking projects.
He exhorted them to hit the
ground running and prove
their mettle once they reach
the field in order to exploit the
state of art aircraft, weapons,
sensors and technologies to
their fullest.
lockdown rustications are lifted,
the five-fold strategy of Covid
appropriate behavior, Test,
Track, Treat and Vaccination
must be carefully implemented
in a calibrated way to prevent
further surge of Covid cases.
The States were also direct-
ed to implement regular mon-
itoring of Covid-19 appropriate
behviour maintenance.
“To reiterate, Covid appro-
priate behavior includes manda-
tory use of masks, hand hygiene,
social distancing and also prop-
er ventilation of closed spaces.
However, easing of restrictions
in some
States have led to resumption of
crowding of people in markets
etc without adherence to the
norms of Covid appropriate
behavior.
It is, therefore essential to
ensure that complacency does
not set in, and there is no let-up
in adhering to Covid appropri-
ate behaviour, while opening up
activities,” said the advisory.
cial needs which may be
explored by parents. A separate
chapter has been included in
the guidelines for supporting
parents with low or no literacy.
Schools, teachers and volun-
teers may take suggestive steps
to provide support to parents
who are not quite literate, the
statement said.
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New Delhi: With the number
of new Covid cases dropping
significantly in the last few days
and several states announcing
unlock measures, the Indian
Railways is helping to bring
workers to their respective
workplaces from different parts
of the country, ferrying over 32
lakh people in the last seven
days.
A Railway Ministr y
spokesperson said that from
June 11 to June 17, the nation-
al transporter ferried approxi-
mately 32.56 lakh passengers,
including migrant workers and
other passengers travelling by
long distance trains, with an
average occupancy of 110.2
per cent from areas like Eastern
Uttar Pradesh, Bihar,
Jharkhand, West Bengal and
Odisha to various destinations,
including Delhi, Mumbai,
Pune, Surat, Ahmedabad, and
Chennai, among others.
The official said that to
facilitate the movement of the
migrant workers from Bihar,
West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh
and Odisha to Metros like
Mumbai, Delhi,
Hyderabad, Bengaluru and
Chennai, the Railways is oper-
ating mail and express specials,
holiday specials and summer
special trains.
The official said that all
these trains are being operated
as fully reserved trains, keep-
ing in view the Covid protocols.
He said that as on June 18,
983 mail, express and holiday
specials, which is 56 per cent of
the pre-Covid levels, are being
operated by the Indian
Railways.
In addition, about 1,309
summer special trains have
also been operated to facilitate
the movement of people
wanting to return to their
workplaces, he added.
The official pointed out
that these summer special
trains provide
connectivity primarily from
states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh,
West Bengal, Odisha and
Assam to major cities like
Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad,
Chennai, Pune,
Bengaluru etc.
He also said that from
June 19 to June 28, approxi-
mately 29.15 lakh passengers,
including migrant workers and
others, have
booked tickets in long-dis-
tance mail/express trains.
IANS
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aking an indirect jibe at the
T Maharashtra Congress for
its announcement about con-
testing the 2024 State
Assembly polls on its own
strength, Chief Minister
Uddhav Thackeray said here on
Saturday that if any party with-
in the ruling Maha Vikas
Aghadi (MVA) at this critical
juncture talked about going it
alone in the Assembly polls, the
people would slap the politi-
cal parties with footwear.
Speaking at the Shiv Sena’s
55 foundation day, Uddhav —
who is also the Sena president
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he memorandum listing
T 25 demands submitted by
Chief Minister Muthuvel
Karunanidhi Stalin to Prime
Minister Narendra Modi on
Thursday have evoked the first
wave of strong reaction from
neighbouring Kerala.
Stalin in his first visit to the
national capital after assuming
charge as the Chief Minister of
Tamil Nadu had come with a
“shopping list” which includes
demands like raising the water
level of the controversial
Mullaperiyar Dam in Kerala to
152 ft and denying Karnataka
the right to build Mekedattu
Dam across Cauvery River.
He has also asked the
Centre to retrieve the
Katchatheevu islet ceded by
India to Sri Lanka in 1975 dur-
ing the tenure of Indira Gandhi
as Prime Minister. Another
demand made by the Chief
Minister is the abolition of
National Eligibility cum
Entrance Test (NEET) for stu-
dents from Tamil Nadu and
also the dropping of the
Centre’s move to introduce all-
India examination for other
graduate and post graduate
courses.
Any demand by Tamil
Nadu over the Mullaperiyar
Dam is sure to create chaos in
neighboring Kerala. The 126-
year-old reservoir is a bone of
contention between the two
southern States since 1947
when India became an inde-
pendent country from the colo-
nial masters.
The Supreme Court has
allowed Tamil Nadu to raise the
water level to 142 ft though the
Dam’s Full Reservoir Level is
172 ft. The contention of Kerala
was that if the water level was
raised from the existing level of
134 ft, it would lead to a major
disaster putting a population of
more than three million spread
across the districts of Idukki,
Kottayam and Ernakulam at
the mercy of nature.
“I am sure the Centre
would not heed to the demand
made by Tamil Nadu chief
minister Stalin. The lives of
more than three million people
are at stake. The dam has out-
lived its utility and it is time we
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he Covid-19 infections
T dropped to 8,912 in
Maharashtra on Saturday, while
the daily deaths continued to be
cause of concern as the fatali-
ties climbed to 682.
A day after the State logged
9738 infections and 642 pan-
demic deaths, the infections
came down further to 8912,
while there was no let up in the
substantial deaths recorded
day after day.
On Saturday, the state
recorded 682 deaths—com-
prising 255 fatalities and 425
“old and unaccounted deaths”
which have been added to the
state Covid-19 toll as part of the
ongoing reconciliation process.
With 682 deaths reported
on Friday, the Covid-19 toll in
the state jumped from 1,16,674
to 1,17,356.
With 8912 fresh infections,
the total infections in the state
rose from 59,54,508 to
59,63,420.
— said, “Some people are talk-
ing about the State Assembly
polls on their own strength. We
should understand what
going it alone means. We
should not talk about going it
alone for the sake of elections.
The party or people concerned
talk about our strength on all
issues. If you do not have self
confidence in yourselves, we
cannot help it”.
Taking an indirect pot shot
at Maharashtra Congress pres-
ident Nana Patole who has
gone to town saying that his
party would contest the forth-
coming local body and Stare
Assembly separately, Uddhav
said, “We do not know as to
thought about a new dam,” said
P C George, seven-time mem-
ber of the Kerala Legislative
Assembly who is also a farm-
ing leader from the State’s High
Ranges. He said that the
Mullaperiyar Dam does not
have the strength to hold even
the 142 ft water in ts reservoir
and referred to the 2018 deluge
which caused widespread dam-
ages to life and property in the
State.
What makes the issue
politically sensitive would be
the approach of CPI(M)
towards the Tamil Nadu’s
demand. The Marxists, their
poor cousins the CPI and the
Congress are in alliance with
the DMK in Tamil Nadu as well
as in rest of the country. How
the CPI(M) will convince the
population in the three districts
would be of interest.
“The exemption demand-
ed by the Tamil Nadu govern-
ment from NEET as well as
other all India engineering
examinations are out of ques-
tion. There cannot be two laws
in the country on an important
issue like this. The admission
to under graduate and post
graduate courses in engineer-
ing and medical colleges should
be uniform throughout the
country,” K Ram Kumar, senior
lawyer and Constitutional
expert, told The Pioneer.
Political commentators and
former diplomats are of the
view that most of the issues list-
ed in the memorandum were
political gimmicks. The then
Attorney General Mukul
Rohatgi had told a Bench led by
the then Chief Justice of India
R M Lodha in August 2014 that
India would have to wage a war
with Sri Lanka to retrieve
Katchatheevu islet.
“Katchatheevu has gone to
Sri Lanka by an agreement in
1974. It was ceded and now acts
as a boundary. How can it be
taken back today? If you want
Katchatheevu back, you will
have to go to war to get it back,”
the AG had been quoted as
telling the then CJI.
Govindarajan Satyamurthy,
commentator based in
Coimbatore, is of the voew that
most of the demands listed in
the Memorandum were to
divert the attention of the peo-
ple from real issues.
As 10,317 patients were
discharged from the hospitals
across the state after full recov-
ery, the total number of people
discharged from the hospitals
since the second week of March
last year increased from
56,99,983 to 57,10356. The
recovery rate in the state
dropped from 95.73 per cent to
95.76 peer cent.
The total “active cases” in
the state dropped from 1,34,747
to 1,32.595. The fatality *rate in
the state went up from 1.96 per
cent to 1.97 per cent.
Mumbai recorded 13
deaths and 676infections. As a
result, the Covid-19 toll in the
metropolis increased from
15,266 to 15,279, while the
infected cases in Mumbai went
up from 7,18,590 to 7,19,266.
Mumbai with 18,788 cases
emerged as the first in the state
in terms of maximum number
of “active cases” in the state,
while Pune with 18,108 stood
second, followed by Thane
(13,523), Kolhapur (11,859),
Sangli (10,357), Satara (7211),
how long the corona crisis will
last in the State. We should
realise that in the post-Covid
19 period, we will have bigger
problems on hand. In other
words, we will have to contend
with a major financial crisis. All
of us are thinking as to what
will happen to us. Already
people have lost jobs in a big
way. This is the time when we
should rise above politics and
come together and work. That
being the case, if some people
talk about going it alone in the
polls, then people will slap
such people with footwear”
Uddhav, who heads the
ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi
(MVA) comprising the Shiv
Bengaluru: Intensifying its
efforts to gain public traction
in its fight against Covid, the
Karnataka unit of the Congress
party is now wooing children.
Karnataka Pradesh Congress
president DK Shivakumar on
Saturday launched the
“Vaccinate Karnataka” cam-
paign, a social media video
contest for children to make
videos that urge adults to get
vaccinated.
The first-of-its-kind com-
petition invites 95 lakh students
from all schools across
Karnataka to make a social
media video about Covid vac-
cination. The 100 best videos
shall be given an Android
tablet each, a party release
stated.
To participate in the con-
test, children have to post a 2-
minute video on social media
?^[XcXRP[SXbR^dabTQTcfTT]2?<2^]VPcXcbdV[XTbcX]:TaP[P
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274==08
he political discourse
T between the CPI(M) and
the Congress, the two principal
players in Kerala reached the
lowest ebb by Saturday as Chief
Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and
Kerala Pradesh Congress
Committee president K
Sudhakaran threw all laws of
civility to the winds and called
each other names in public.
It began on Friday during
the daily media briefing on
Covid-19 status in the State by
Vijayan who alleged in the
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merging from his meeting
E with Union Home Minister
Amit Shah, Bengal Governor
Jagdeep Dhankhar on Saturday
once again raised the issue of
post poll violence saying how
the State was witnessing the
worst kind of violence post
polls since the Independence.
Dhankhar who had been
camping in Delhi for the past
several days met Shah for the
Ratnagiri (6553), Sindhudurg
(5482), Nagpur (4797), Nashik
(4523) and Raigad (4361).
Of the 3,93,12,920 samples
sent to various laboratories
across the state so far, 59,63,420
have tested positive (15.17 per
cent) for COVID-19 until
Saturday.
Currently, 8,06,506 peo-
ple are in home quarantine
while 4695 people are in insti-
tutional quarantine.
0]SWaP[^Vb$Z]Tf2^eXSRPbTbcP[[hPc '"[PZW
Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh
on Saturday reported 5,647
new Covid cases, pushing the
state’s overall tally to over 18.4
lakh, even as its active caseload
dropped to 65,244.
As many as 8,014 more
persons have recovered in the
past 24 hours, raising the state’s
total number of recoveries to
over 17.6 lakh.
Sena, NCP and Congress, said:
“ My grandfather and my father
late Balasabeb used to say that
we can not do anything if we do
not have self confidence. They
would say that if we have con-
fidence we can survive in any
part of the world. It was the
confidence that my father had
resulted in the birth of the Shiv
Sena. At that time
Maharashtrians used to be
looked down upon by others.
But for the formation of the
Shiv Sena, Maharashtrians
would continue to be ridiculed
in their own state”.
Uddhav’s indirect criticism
of the Congress came two days
after the Shiv Sena—in an edi-
platforms with the hashtag
and then submit a form at
www.vaccinatekarnataka.in.
“Nobody persuades adults
like children do. When chil-
dren tell parents to get vacci-
nated, they won’t say no. That
is why we have launched this
campaign to spread awareness
in society about Covid vacci-
nation,” said Shivakumar.
To prevent damage from
the anticipated 3rd wave, at
least 80% of people above the
age of 18 need to get vaccinat-
ed. Shivakumar called upon the
students to prompt parents
and others to get vaccinated
and curb the further spread of
Covid.
“The children of Karnataka
are very creative. I want them
to find creative ways of spread-
ing a positive message for tak-
ing the vaccine. Use song,
dance, poetry, drama, art,
humour, or anything you like,
to create a video. In the video,
course of the interaction that
Sudhakaran had hatched a
conspiracy to kidnap his chil-
dren some years ago. “It was the
timely information provided by
a close associate of Sudhakaran
that saved my children,” alleged
Vijayan who even termed the
new KPCC chief as a mafia
don.
Vijayan’s ire against
Sudhakaran was the fall out of
an interview the latter had
given to a vernacular weekly in
which he had said that the for-
mer was the prime accused in
the murder of Vaadikkal
Ramakrishnan, a RSS activist
14=60;E8>;4=24
second time in a week. Earlier
he met President Ram Nath
Kovind, National Human
Rights Chairman Justice Arun
Mishra and two Union
Ministers.
Asking all concerned to
maintain peace in the State the
Governor said “I appeal to
everyone to ensure that there is
peace in West Bengal. The
worst post-poll violence in the
state continues unabated. I
Hyderabad: The Telangana
Government has decided to
totally lift the lockdown in the
State. At its meeting held on
Saturday, the State Cabinet dis-
cussed the matter and decided
on total removal of the lock-
down which was imposed to
control the spread of Covid in
the state.
With the latest instalment
of lockdown set to end on
Saturday, the Cabinet had been
convened for an emergency
meeting to decide the future
East Godavari district
reported the highest number of
cases at 1,068, followed by
Chittoor (854), West Godavari
(758), Prakasam (451),
Krishna (435), Kadapa (388),
Guntur (360), Anantapur
(326), Srikakulam (245),
Nellore (235), Visakhapatnam
(215), Kurnool (173) and
Vizianagaram (166).
torial published in its official
mouth-piece “Saamana” had
taken exception to the
Congress’ announcement of
going it alone in the State
Assembly polls. The Sena had
said that the 2024 polls were
still far away, and had sought to
know if there were any plans to
have mid-term polls.
“Since all the major polit-
ical parties have started talking
about going solo, the Sena and
the NCP will have to contest
the next polls together in the
interest of Maharashtra,” the
editorial had said.
The Sena had said that
although the Congress was an
important constituent of the
you must tell why all adults
should take the vaccine,”
Shivakumar said.
All the participants in the
campaign will get a “Covid
Heroes” certificate. “Students
from all parts of Karnataka are
free to participate in this com-
petition and they can share
their videos with us through
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter
and YouTube using the hashtag
#VaccinateKarnataka so that
we can view and examine
them,” Shivakumar said, adding
that this competition aims to
inject the positive message of
getting vaccinated in the soci-
ety.
Shivakumar said that there
is no fee or a complicated reg-
istration process as the prima-
ry objective of this campaign is
to motivate children to use
their time creatively during
the lockdown, inspire others to
get vaccinated and create a safe
Karnataka. IANS
and also in the murder of a per-
son by name Babu.
Following Vijayan’s charge
that Sudhakaran was a politi-
cal criminal and close associ-
ate of the Sangh Parivar, the
KPCC chief chose Saturday to
retaliate. The day saw
Sudhakaran holding a press
meet at Kochi and spilling
more beans. “Vijayan was the
person who murdered
Ramakrishnan. Since no wit-
nesses came forward to testify
against him, he was given the
benefit of doubt and was
acquitted,” said Sudhakaran.
But was more to follow as
have been making an appeal to
the government and to every-
one that this is an occasion for
all of us to believe in democ-
racy, the constitution and rule
of law.
Appealing “to the bureau-
cracy and the police in partic-
ular,” he said “They must con-
fine to the code of conduct and
the regulations,” complaining
how the people who would not
confirm to the ideas of the rul-
course of action. The cabinet
discussed the report prepared
by the health department,
which noted that with corona
cases and positivity rate declin-
ing significantly, the pandem-
ic is in control in the state.
While the cabinet has
instructed all departments to
withdraw all the restrictions,
there is no clarity yet on allow-
ing inter-state bus services.
Over the past few days,
corona cases have been steadi-
ly declining in the state. Apart
Except for Krishna and
Vizianagaram, all the other dis-
tricts of Andhra Pradesh have
now reported more than 1 lakh
Covid cases, though the former
is also inching closer towards
that mark, just shy of 2,000
cases. East Godavari tops the
chart with more than 2.5 lakh
cases, followed by Chittoor
2.1 lakh cases.
MVA government, it was in the
third position.
“Maharashtra Congress
chief Nana Patole has
announced that his party
would fight the next Assembly
elections on its own and install
a chief minister of the
Congress. He has also said
that if the party allows, he him-
self would be the next chief
ministerial face. Hence, it is
clear that until Patole installs a
Congress chief minister in
Maharashtra in 2024, he won’t
sit quiet,” the Sena editorial had
said.
“However, Deputy Chief
Minister (and NCP leader)
Ajit Pawar has said that those
Kolkata: A shocking incident
has come to light at Kaliachak
in West Bengals Malda district,
where a 19-year-old youth
allegedly killed his parents,
sister and grandmother and
kept the bodies buried in the
godown of the house for the
last four months.
The police recovered the
bodies on Saturday and are
questioning the accused teen,
who has been identified as
Asif Mohammed, and his elder
brother Arif to seek details
about the motive behind the
murder.
The incident came to light
after Arif, who stayed away
from his home, lodged a com-
plaint with the Kaliachak police
station on Saturday morning,
alleging that his brother had
killed four members of his
family and buried the bodies
under the floor of the godown
located adjacent to the house.
The police immediately
the Congress leader accused
Vijayan in the murder of Babu,
a personal bodyguard of the
CPI(M) leader.
“Though Babu was a close
associate of Vijayan, they fell
apart and the murder was the
fall out of the parting of ways,”
said Sudhakaran.
Sudhakaran presented a
former beedi worker Kandoth
Gopi who was a victim of an
armed assault led by Vijayan.
“During the emergency days, I
was leading an agitation against
the management of a beedi
company for its decision to
terminate the services of some
ing outfit were “killed, attacked,
tortured and their properties
looted.” He said how many peo-
ple are forced to cough up
money for even carrying on
petty businesses from their
own houses.
Dhankhar had no lost with
Bengal Chief Minister Mamata
Banerjee who led her party
Trinamool Congress to a land-
slide victory in the recently held
assembly elections. The TMC
won 213 seats while the BJP got
77 seats.
from this, the vaccination pro-
gram has gained pace in the
rural areas, leading to increased
protection for larger cross-sec-
tions of the population.
On June 8, the Telangana
government had decided to
extend the lockdown for anoth-
er 10 days but had increased
daily relaxation time by four
hours, from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The lockdown, which was to
end on June 9, had been
extended for 10 days from
June 10. IANS
Meanwhile, 45 more per-
sons succumbed to the virus in
the past 24 hours, raising the
state’s Covid death toll to
12,269.
With 1.03 lakh more tests
conducted in the past 24 hours,
the total number of tests car-
ried out in Andhra Pradesh so
far has crossed the 2.1 crore-
mark. IANS
]PcX^]%
who get the support of 145 leg-
islators (in the 288-member
Assembly), will form the next
government and the CM will
be decided by them. His state-
ment is also valid.
Parliamentary democracy is
all about majority figures.
Those who succeed in it, will be
able to occupy the throne,” it
said.
“There is nothing wrong in
harbouring political ambitions,
but numbers are required for
their fulfilment. Ahead of the
last Assembly elections, BJP
leader Devendra Fadnavis had
said he would return to power.
But he could not do so,” the edi-
torial had said.
rushed to the spot and arrest-
ed Asif. Later, in the presence
of a magistrate, the floor of the
godown was dug and the four
bodies were recovered from
there. The bodies have been
sent to the Malda Medical
College for post-mortem.
“The accused has admitted
that he had killed all the four
persons in February end. He
confessed that he had mixed
drugs in their drinks and made
them unconscious. After that,
he pushed them into a well to
confirm their death. The bod-
ies were then pulled out of the
well, taken to the godown
where they were buried one
after another. The police are
also interrogating Arif because
we don’t want to leave anything
to chance,” said Alok Rajoria,
Superintendent of Malda
Police.
The police have also recov-
ered Rs one lakh in cash from
the house.
workers. Vijayan with a group
of armed Marxist leaders
attacked me and I had a prov-
idential escape,” alleged Gopi.
The Congress leaders
including Leader of the
Opposition V D Satheesan
joined issue with Vijayan later
in the day. “The State is wit-
nessing an unprecedented ille-
gal tree felling scam. Vijayan is
trying to divert the attention
of the public by raising unnec-
essary issues,” said Satheeshan
while leaders like Oommen
Chandi and Ramesh
Chennithala bemoaned the fall
in the standards of political dis-
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a development in which the
political parties
Bengal saw BJP’s “dirty
designs” to take half of Bengal
by breaking it after failing to
win the State elections, saffron
MP from Alipurduar John
Burla on Saturday demanded
creation of a new administra-
tive unit by partitioning the
State “in order to achieve true
development of Bengal.”
Burla said that he had
asked the central Government
to create a new State or a
union territory in North Bengal
(comprising six districts of the
region).
“There is no development
in North Bengal. We have seen
how thousandsof people from
North Bengal tea estates have
to go out to other statesin
search of jobs … the quality of
life and income of the people
is very poor … this is because
no promises made by the politi-
cians have been kept in the past
… hence I have asked the
Centre either to make a sepa-
rate State or a Union Territory
so that this region can develop,”
Burla said adding “it is my view
which I have communicated to
the Centre … now it is in their
hands.”
Though the BJP State unit
- .FORFNV
IUHVK&RYLG
FDVHVGHDWKV
Srinagar: J&K on Saturday
reported 521 new Covid cases,
even as recoveries continue to
outnumber the infections in the
Union Territory.
Health officials said that
out of the 521 fresh infections,
175 are in Jammu and 346
in Kashmir divisions.
Meanwhile, 1,197 patients
were discharged from hospitals
after recovery.
Out of the four deaths, two
are in Jammu and two in
Kashmir division. The total toll
climbed to 4,238.
Two confirmed cases of
black fungus were also report-
ed on Saturday. So far, 24 such
cases have been reported in
J&K.
IANS
Sources in the police said
the gate of the godown was
close to the entrance and there
was no gate that could open
inside and so he had dug a tun-
nel to bring the bodies inside
the godown.
“The tunnel was made so
that the local people didn’t get
to know anything,” a senior
police officer said.
The police have also come
to know that the teen hardly
stepped out of his house, and
none -- not even the maid ser-
vant -- was allowed inside the
house. The teen used to order
food online.
However, the police admit-
ted there are still some grey
areas in the case. According to
senior police officers, it seems
unlikely for a 19-year-old to kill
four persons and bury them
singlehandedly, and it is possi-
ble that there was some accom-
plice in the case.
IANS
course, giving credence to
reports that all was not well
within the Congress itself.
V Muraleedharan, BJP
leader and minister of State for
parliamentary issues tried to
chip in with his assessment by
describing the CPI(M) and
Congress leaders as political
criminals.
The State administration
reacted instantly by withdraw-
ing the police security provid-
ed to him terming that the
union minister belonged to
the Y category and the State
administration was not bound
to provide him any security.
promptly dissociated itself from
Burla’s statements saying the
State party did not subscribe to
such views, Trinamool
Congress leadership saw in
Burla’s statement a hidden
agenda to carve out an “exquis-
ite saffron zone” for the party.
BJP has better organizational
stronghold in North Bengal
which the party wants to pro-
tect by dividing the State, TMC
sources said.
Earlier Chief Minister
Mamata Banerjee told the
media “We will never allow any
further partition of Bengal.
The proponents of such sepa-
rate status should know that
they will get a befitting reply
from people of the state.”
She said that such sepa-
ratist tendencies in north
Bengal could be a security
threat for the country. Sources
close to her reminded how the
region falls in the “Chicken’s
Neck” where the width of
Indian sub-continent is
thinnest (barely 60 km) flanked
by Bangladesh and Nepal.
Banerjee is also known to have
reminded of the Chinese pres-
ence barely 200 km away.
BJP State president Dilip
Ghosh however said that it was
Burla’s personal comments.
“You can see how the opposi-
tion MPs and MLAs are
stopped from reaching out to
their people … even with relief
… there is no democracy in the
State … I think he must made
those comments in that con-
text,” he said adding “in any
case the BJP does not subscribe
to his views.”
=4F34;78kBD=30H k9D=4!!!
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Itialran’s hard-line judiciary chief
won the country’s presiden-
election in a landslide vic-
tory Saturday, propelling the
supreme leader’s protege into
Tehran’s highest civilian posi-
tion in a vote that appeared to
see the lowest turnout in the
Islamic Republic’s history.
Initial results showed
Ebrahim Raisi won 17.8 million
votes in the contest, dwarfing
those of the race’s sole moder-
ate candidate. However, Raisi
dominated the election only
after a panel under the watch
of Supreme Leader Ayatollah
Ali Khamenei disqualified his
strongest competition.
His candidacy, and the sense
the election served more as a
coronation for him, sparked
widespread apathy among eligi-
ble voters in the Islamic Republic,
which has held up turnout as a
sign of support for the theocra-
cy since its 1979 Islamic
Revolution. Some, including for-
mer hard-line President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, called
for a boycott.
In initial results, former
Revolutionary Guard com-
mander Mohsen Rezaei won
3.3 million votes and moderate
Abdolnasser Hemmati got 2.4
29625@74A4¶D46?E6?2CJ
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head of China’s ruling
A Communist Party’s cente-
nary celebrations, President Xi
Jinping, who has emerged as its
leader on par with its founder
Mao Zedong, has publicly
administered loyalty pledge to
senior party leaders calling
them to follow the “leadership
core” and strive for the coun-
try’s modernisation and nation-
al rejuvenation.
Since Xi took over power
in December 2012, he has been
officially declared as the “core
leader” of the Communist
Party of China (CPC).
Standing ahead of the 25-
member Politburo of the party,
which included No.2 leader
Premier Li Keqiang, during a
visit to an exhibition at the
newly-inaugurated museum of
the CPC in Beijing on Friday,
Xi administered the pledge
which was telecast by the state-
run television channels.
With over 90 million mem-
bers, the CPC, which was
Ec`aZTR]De`c^
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New Orleans: Tropical Storm
Claudette dumped heavy rain
across the US Gulf Coast from
Louisiana to Florida as it
chugged inland Saturday, trig-
gering flash floods and torna-
do warnings along its soggy
course across the Southeast.
The National Hurricane
Center declared Claudette
organized enough to qualify as
a named storm at 4 am on
Saturday, well after the storm’s
center of circulation had come
ashore southwest of New
Orleans. It was north of the city
three hours later, with maxi-
mum sustained winds of 45
mph (72 kph) as the storm
plodded to the northeast at 12
mph (19 kph). The heaviest
rains were far from the center,
near the Mississippi-Alabama
state line.
Tornado warnings were
issued from the Mississippi
coast to the western Florida
panhandle. Residents of Pace,
Florida, called 911 to report a
possible twister that tore the
roofs off two homes and dam-
aged at least three others. AP
million, said Jamal Orf, the
head of Iran’s Interior Ministry
election headquarters. The
race’s fourth candidate,
Amirhossein Ghazizadeh
Hashemi, had around 1 million
votes, Orf said.
Hemmati offered his con-
gratulations on Instagram to
Raisi early Saturday.
“I hope your administra-
tion provides causes for pride
for the Islamic Republic of
Iran, improves the economy
and life with comfort and wel-
fare for the great nation of Iran,”
he wrote. On Twitter, Rezaei
praised Khamenei and the
Iranian people for taking part
in the vote.
“God willing, the decisive
election of my esteemed broth-
er, Ayatollah Dr. Seyyed
Ebrahim Raisi, promises the
establishment of a strong and
popular government to solve
the country’s problems,” Rezaei
wrote.
The quick concessions,
while not unusual in Iran’s
previous elections, signaled
what semiofficial news agencies
inside Iran had been hinting at
for hours: That the carefully
controlled vote had been a
blowout win for Raisi amid the
boycott calls. As night fell
Friday, turnout appeared far
2YTU^_RZUSdcd_ :_UZRRSdeRZ_dWc`^
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founded by Mao in 1921,
cVd`]feZ`_`_>jR_^Rc
remained the ruling party since
the People’s Republic of China
(PRC) was founded in 1949.
The centenary celebrations will
be held on July 1 and the party
has planned many events,
including a military parade.
The party is celebrating its
centenary year amid growing
global hostility towards China
over COVID-19 origin, allega-
tions of human rights violations
in Xinjiang, Hong Kong and
Tibet.
Xi, 67, who succeeded his
predecessor Hu Jintao in
December 2012, quickly con-
solidated his position heading
the party, the powerful military
and the presidency was con-
ferred the “core” leader title
doing away with the collective
leadership.
In his speech at the exhi-
bition, Xi called on the mem-
bers of the CPC to draw
strength from the party’s his-
tory and strive for China’s
modernisation and national
rejuvenation.
(8WKUHDWHQV
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0?Q 148ADC
he European Union’s for-
T eign policy chief Saturday
berated Lebanese politicians for
delays in forming a new
Cabinet, warning the union
could impose sanctions on
those behind the political stale-
mate in the crisis-hit country.
Josep Borrell made his
comments at the presidential
palace near the capital Beirut
after meeting with President
Michel Aoun. It was the first
meeting in a two-day visit to
Lebanon.
Borrell’s comments came
amid reports in Lebanese
media that France and the EU
are putting together proposals
for possible travel bans and
freezes on assets of some politi-
cians.
Borrell said Lebanese
politicians should quickly form
a new government, implement
reforms and reach a deal with
the International Monetary
Fund to start getting the tiny
country out of its paralyzing
economic and financial crisis.
8]cWXb_W^c^aT[TPbTSQhcWT^UUXRXP[fTQbXcT^UcWT^UUXRT^UcWT8aP]XP]?aTbXST]Rh?aTbXST]c7PbbP]A^dWP]X[TUcb_TPZbfXcWcWT\TSXPPUcTaWXb\TTcX]VfXcW?aTbXST]c tion overthrew the shah, Iran’s
T[TRc4QaPWX\APXbXaXVWcfW^XbRdaaT]cYdSXRXPahRWXTUX]CTWaP]8aP]^]BPcdaSPh
lower than in Iran’s last presi-
dential election in 2017. At one
polling place inside a mosque
in central Tehran, a Shiite cler-
ic played soccer with a young
boy as most of its workers
He said, “It is necessary for
them to strengthen their aware-
ness of the need to maintain
CWTaTb^[dcX^]fPb
political integrity, think in big-
picture terms, follow the lead-
ership core, and keep in align-
ment with the central party
leadership,” state-run Xinhua
news agency reported.
Xi is originally set to retire
like his predecessors after his
second term in 2023, but
expected to continue for life as
the top legislature National
People’s Congress (NPC)
amended the Constitution in
2018, removing two five-year
term limits, paving the way for
his lifelong tenure in power.
He also administered the
pledge, which said, “It is my
will join the Communist Party
of China, uphold the party pro-
gramme, observe the party’s
Constitution, fulfill my party
member duties, carry out party
decisions, strictly observe party
discipline, guard party secrets,
be loyal to the party , work
hard, fight for Communism
throughout my life and to be
<TcP[UP]b\^bWPc 2Wcf__Z_X`fe`W
bcD:[XeT\dbXR `ijXV_Rd4`gZU
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London: Thousands of heavy
metal fans were camping,
singing — and even moshing
— on Saturday at Britain’s first
full music festival since the start
of the coronavirus pandemic.
The three-day Download
Festival, taking place at
Donington Park in central
England, is one of a series of test
events to see whether mass gath-
erings can resume without trig-
gering outbreaks of Covid-19.
About 10,000 fans, a tenth
of the festival’s pre-pandemic
attendance, secured tickets to
watch more than 40 UK-based
bands including Frank Carter &
The Rattlesnakes, Enter Shikari
and Bullet for My Valentine. AP
napped in a courtyard. At
another, officials watched
videos on their mobile phones
as state television blared beside
them, offering only tight shots
of locations around the coun-
ready at all times to sacrifice my
all for the party and people and
never betray the party.”
The exhibition themed
“staying true to the founding
mission,” was opened on Friday
at the newly-inaugurated
Museum of the CPC in Beijing
ahead of the CPC centenary. In
his speech, Xi said the party
members should remain con-
fident in the path, theory, sys-
tem and culture of socialism
with Chinese characteristics, as
well as always closely follow the
CPC Central Committee in
terms of their thinking, polit-
ical orientation and actions.
“The party’s history is the
most vivid and convincing
textbook,” Xi stressed.
Efforts should be made to
educate and guide Party mem-
bers and officials to stay true to
the original aspiration and
founding mission of the party,
Xi noted.
More than 2,600 pictures
and 3,500 artefacts about the
party’s history are on display at
the exhibition.
Kabul: Afghanistan is racing to
ramp up supplies of oxygen as
a deadly third surge of Covid-
19 worsens, a senior health offi-
cial told The Associated Press on
Saturday.
The Government is
installing oxygen supply plants
in 10 provinces where up to 65
per cent of those tested in some
areas are Covid positive, health
ministry spokesman Ghulam
Dastigir Nazari said. AP
try — as opposed to the long,
snaking lines of past elections.
Balloting came to a close at
2.A.M. Saturday, after the gov-
ernment extended voting to
accommodate what it called
0?Q F0B78=6C>=
T he White House has made
clear that President Joe
Biden was opposed to letting
the federal gasoline tax rise at
the rate of inflation to help pay
for an infrastructure package
that a bipartisan group of 21
senators is trying to craft.
The gas tax increase was
part of an early package that
called for USD 579 billion in
new spending on roads,
bridges, rail and public transit.
It’s unclear if it will make the
final cut and the White House
seems intent on making sure it
doesn’t.
“The President has been
clear throughout these negoti-
ations: He is adamantly
opposed to raising taxes on
people making less than USD
400,000 a year,” White House
spokesman Andrew Bates said
on Friday.
“After the extraordinarily
hard times that ordinary
Americans endured in 2020 —
job losses, shrinking incomes,
squeezed budgets — he is sim-
ply not going to allow Congress
to raise taxes on those who suf-
fered the most.”
The federal gas tax stands
at 18.4 cents a gallon and has
not increased since 1993. It
helps pay for highways and
mass transit programs around
the country. Congress has tra-
ditionally relied on the user-pay
principle to pay for road and
bridge work, but is increasing-
ly relying on general funds to
accomplish that task.
Lawmakers from both parties
are wary of attack ads accusing
0?
“crowding” at several polling
places nationwide. Paper bal-
lots, stuffed into large plastic
boxes, were to be counted by
hand through the night, and
authorities said they expected
them of supporting a hike in
gas prices.
Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden,
the Democratic chairman of
the Senate Finance Committee,
said that indexing the gas tax
to inflation was a nonstarter for
him.
“It’s another hit on working
people,” Wyden said.
Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-
Ohio, said a gas tax hike is a
“Republican thing.”
“Democrats want to fund
this by taxing people (earning)
USD 400,000,” Brown said.
The White House is
expecting to hear from the sen-
ators crafting the infrastructure
package on Monday. It is scaled
back from Biden’s proposal, but
Democrats are preparing to
move other parts of Biden’s
agenda in separate legislation
that they could pass using a tool
that requires only a simple
majority for approval.
The bipartisan plan offers
about USD 579 billion in new
spending, including USD 110
billion on roads and highways,
USD 66 billion on passenger
and freight rail and USD 48 bil-
lion on public transit.
f^a[S&
to have initial results and
turnout figures Saturday morn-
ing at the earliest.
“My vote will not change
anything in this election, the
number of people who are
voting for Raisi is huge and
Hemmati does not have the
necessary skills for this,” said
Hediyeh, a 25-year-old woman
who gave only her first name
while hurrying to a taxi in
Haft-e Tir Square after avoid-
ing the polls. “I have no can-
didate here.”
Iranian state television
sought to downplay the turnout,
pointing to the Gulf Arab
sheikhdoms surrounding it ruled
by hereditary leaders, and the
lower participation in Western
democracies. After a day of
amplifying officials’ attempts to
get out the vote, state TV broad-
cast scenes of jam-packed voting
booths in several provinces
overnight, seeking to portray a
last-minute rush to the polls.
But since the 1979 revolu-
theocracy has cited voter
turnout as a sign of its legiti-
macy, beginning with its first
referendum that won 98.2%
support that simply asked
whether or not people wanted
an Islamic Republic.
The disqualifications
?C8Q D=8C43=0C8>=B
Itionndia has abstained on a UN
General Assembly resolu-
on Myanmar, saying its
views have not been reflected
in the draft resolution and a
“consultative and constructive”
approach involving Myanmar’s
neighbouring countries is
important as the international
community strives for the
peaceful resolution of the issue.
The UNGA adopted a res-
olution on Myanmar on Friday
that called “upon the Myanmar
armed forces to respect the
people’s will as freely expressed
by results of the general elec-
tion of November 8, 2020, to
end the state of emergency, to
respect all human rights of peo-
ple of Myanmar and to allow
the sustained democratic tran-
sition of Myanmar, including
the opening of the democrati-
cally elected parliament, and by
working towards bringing all
national institutions, including
the armed forces, under a fully
inclusive civilian government
that is representative of the
people’s will”.
The resolution was adopt-
ed with 119 countries voting
“yes”, Belarus voting “no” and
India along with 35 other coun-
tries abstaining, including
China and Russia.
In its explanation of vote,
India said “we find that our
views have not been reflected
in the draft being considered
affected reformists and those
backing Rouhani, whose
administration both reached
the 2015 nuclear deal with
world powers and saw it disin-
tegrate three years later with
then-President Donald Trump’s
unilateral withdrawal of
America from the accord.
Voter apathy also has been
fed by the devastated state of
the economy and subdued
campaigning amid months of
surging coronavirus cases. Poll
workers wore gloves and
masks, and some wiped down
ballot boxes with disinfectants.
If elected, Raisi would be
the first serving Iranian presi-
dent sanctioned by the U.S.
Government even before enter-
ing office over his involve-
ment in the mass execution of
political prisoners in 1988, as
well as his time as the head of
Iran’s internationally criticized
judiciary — one of the world’s
top executioners.
It also would put hard-lin-
ers firmly in control across the
government as negotiations in
Vienna continue to try to save
a tattered deal meant to limit
Iran’s nuclear program at a time
when Tehran is enriching ura-
nium at its highest levels ever,
though it still remains short of
weapons-grade levels.
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for adoption today. We would
like to reiterate that a consul-
tative and constructive
approach involving the neigh-
bouring countries and the
region, remains important as
the international community
strives for the peaceful resolu-
tion of the issue”.
“The fact that there is lack
of support from all neigh-
bouring countries as well as
several countries in the region
itself should, hopefully, serve as
an eye-opener to those who
choose to pursue a hasty course
of action,” India said, adding
that it does not believe that the
tabling of this resolution for
adoption at this juncture, is
“conducive to aiding our joint
efforts towards strengthening
democratic process in
Myanmar”.
“We are therefore con-
strained to abstain,” India said.
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ndia’s FY22 GDP is expected
IMotilal
to grow by 8.7 per cent said
Oswal Financial
Services (MOFSL) in a report.
"Due to the ferocious sec-
ond Covid wave, we have
revised down our real GDP
growth forecasts. Compared
with our Mar’21 forecast of 30
per cent YoY, we now expect
real GDP growth of 21 per cent
YoY in 1QFY22, with some
downward revision in 2QFY22
as well,"
"However, as Covid cases
have dropped sharply in Jun’21,
some pent-up demand may be
visible in 2HFY22 and
1HFY23."
Consequently, MOFSL we
now project real GDP growth
of 8.7 per cent in FY22, down
from 11.1 per cent expected
earlier.
Nonetheless, it revised
>_Y^dU^dY_^d_TU\Qi
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he Government has no
T intention to delay fixing
minimum wages and national
floor wages, the labour
Ministry said on Saturday.
The clarification comes
amid reports that forming an
expert group on the issue with
three-year term is an attempt to
delay fixing minimum wages
and national floor wages.
Earlier this month, the
ministry announced that the
Centre has constituted an
expert group under the chair-
manship of renowned econo-
mist Ajit Mishra to provide
technical inputs and recom-
mendations on fixing these
wages. The tenure of the expert
group is three years.
"It has come to the notice
that certain section of the Press
and some of the stakeholders
have opined this as an attempt
to delay the fixation of
Minimum Wages and National
Floor Wages by the govern-
ment.
?"This is clarified that the
government does not have any
such intention and the Expert
Group will submit its recom-
mendations to the Government
upwards its FY23 forecasts to
5.4 per cent now from an ear-
lier 4 per cent.
"Although we have revised
down our real growth forecasts,
it is interesting to note that our
nominal GDP growth forecast
has actually been raised mod-
erately for FY22 and FY23."
"This is primarily because
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as early as possible," the min-
istry said.
The tenure of the expert
group has been kept as three
years so that even after fixing
minimum wages and national
floor wages, the government
may seek technical
inputs/advice from the group
on related subjects, as and
when required, it further said.
The first meeting of the
group was held on June 14,
2021 and the second is sched-
uled for June 29, it added.
Minimum wage is different
for different categories of work-
ers.
National floor wage refers
to the minimum level of wage
that is applicable to all cate-
gories of workers across the
country.
the GDP deflator - linked more
with WPI over CPI - has been
revised up to 6.5 per cent or 4.5
per cent for FY22 or FY23."
Resultantly, it said that
nominal GDP growth is now
projected at 15.6 per cent for
FY22 vis-a-vis 15.1 per cent
earlier and 10 per cent for
FY23.
5dT[_aXRTbaT\PX]
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80=BQ =4F34;78
uel retailers spared con-
F sumers of any further
increase in prices by keeping
retail prices of petrol and diesel
unchanged on Saturday.
Accordingly, petrol con-
tinues to cost C96.93 per litre
and diesel C87.69 per litre in
Delhi. Across the country as
well the petrol and diesel prices
remained static on Saturday but
its actual retail prices varied
depending on the level of local
levies in respective states.
In the city of Mumbai,
where petrol prices crossed
C100 mark for the first time
ever on May 29.
The fuel price reached new
high of C103.08 per litre on
Friday.
It remained at the same
level on Saturday. Diesel is
also priced at C95.14 a litre in
the city, the highest among
metros.
Petrol price has reached
very close to hitting the centu-
ry mark all across the country
extending the scope of historic
high prices that had already
made the fuel rate cross the C
100 per litre mark in certain
cities and towns of
Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh,
Rajasthan, Telangana and
Andhra Pradesh.
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Sits tate-owned UCO
Bank on Saturday said
board will meet next
week to consider raising
up to C500 crore as tier-
II capital.
The board of direc-
tors will consider the pro-
posal for raising tier-II
capital of up to C500 crore at its
meeting scheduled to be held
on June 23, 2021, the lender
said in a regulatory filing.
Tier-II capital of a bank consists
of undisclosed reserves, reval-
uation reserves, general provi-
80=BQ =4F34;78
he Union Finance Ministry
T on Saturday said that
increase in deposits of Indians
in Swiss Banks could be on
account of increase in business
of Swiss bank branches locat-
ed in India and raised Inter-
bank transactions, rather than
due to an increase in alleged
black money held by Indians in
Switzerland.
It, however said that Swiss
Authorities have been request-
ed to provide the relevant facts
along with their view on pos-
sible reasons for increase or
decrease in deposits so that
facts could be presented in cor-
rect perspective.
Certain reports suggested
that that funds of Indians in
Swiss Banks have risen to over
C20,700 crore (CHF 2.55 bil-
lion) at the end of 2020 from
C6,625 crore (CHF 899 million)
at the end of 2019, reversing a
2 year declining trend. It has
*UHDWGHPDQGIRU
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mazon India on Saturday
A said it sees a great demand
from global customers for
items like hosiery, sports goods
and other products, manufac-
tured in Punjab and Haryana.
The company further said
its flagship e-commerce
exports programme ‘Global
Selling’ lowers the entry barri-
er for micro, small and medi-
um enterprises to expand their
business and launch their
brands globally from anywhere
in the country.
With over 70,000 exporters
from different parts of the
country, the programme has
emerged as an opportunity for
businesses to grow, Amazon
India said in a statement.
sions and loss reserves, hybrid
capital instruments, subordi-
nated debt and investment
reserve account.
The loss absorption capac-
ity of tier-II capital is lower
than tier-I capital.
also been stated that this is also
the highest figure of deposits in
the last 13 years.
"Reports allude to the fact
that the figures reported are
official figures reported by
banks to Swiss National Bank
(SNB) and do not indicate the
quantum of much debated
alleged black money held by
Indians in Switzerland. Further,
these statistics do not include
the money that Indians, NRIs
or others might have in Swiss
banks in the names of third-
country entities," the Ministry
statement said.
The statement added that
the customer deposits have
actually fallen from the end of
2019 in a Swiss Banks. The
funds held through fiduciaries
has also more than halved
from end of 2019. The biggest
increase is in "Other amounts
due from customers". These are
in form of bonds, securities and
various other financial instru-
ments, the finance min state-
The exports programme
has played a key role in help-
ing thousands of exporters
from across India sustain and
grow their business while serv-
ing people globally during the
last 18 months of the pandem-
ic, said Abhijit Kamra,
Director- Global Trade at
Amazon India. “We see a
great demand for products like
apparel, hosiery, sports goods
and others from global cus-
tomers and for products man-
ufactured across Punjab,
Haryana and Chandigarh.
"We truly believe that with
the right set of tools and tech-
nology offered by Amazon
Global Selling, exporters in
the region can create con-
sumer facing global brands
from right here,” he said.
80=BQ =4F34;78
W omen comprise 41 per
cent of the supply chain
workforce globally in 2021, up
from 39 per cent last year,
according to a new survey.
However, 54 per cent of survey
respondents said that retaining
mid-career women is an
increasing challenge.
"Lack of career opportuni-
ties is the top reason that mid-
career women left a supply
chain organisation or provider.
The second-most selected
option was development
opportunities," according to
?=175_a^_^bTSRP_XcP[ =C?2P\^]V
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80=BQ <D<108
he proposed capital infu-
T sion in PNB Housing
Finance Limited (PNBHF)
would strengthen the compa-
ny’s equity buffers to absorb
any asset-side stress, said India
Ratings and Research (Ind-
Ra).
According to the ratings
agency, it will also provide the
company with the capital need-
ed to grow the franchisee.
"PNBHF had seen height-
ened delinquencies and a
decline in asset under man-
agement in the last two years
due to a challenging operating
environment amid the Covid-
19 pandemic," Ind-Ra said in a
report.
"The company has already
increased the provision cover
for standard as well as stage 3
assets. It also plans to increase
its focus on the affordable
‘Unnati’ segment which offers
ment said.
The ministry also ascribed
various other reasons for
increase in deposits and not
possibly on account of the
increase of deposits in the
Swiss banks out of undeclared
incomes of Indian residents. It
said that that increase in
deposits may be on account if
increase in deposits owing to
the business of Swiss Bank
branches located in India or
Increase in Inter- bank trans-
actions between Swiss and
Indian Banks. Also, it could be
due to capital increase for a
subsidiary of a Swiss Company
in India or increase in the lia-
bilities connected with the out-
standing derivative financial
instruments.
The government has issued
clarifications in wake of wide-
ly held position that it has
curbed generation of black
money in the economy or
unaccounted funds of Indians
stashed abroad.
:E82aTR^aSbWXVWTbcTeTacda]^eTaX]
5H!!! STb_XcT2^eXS (_P]ST\XR
?=B Q =4F34;78
n a year ( 2020-21) marred
IKhadi
by Covid-19 pandemic,
and Village Industries
Commission (KVIC) record-
ed the highest ever turnover in
its history clocking C95, 741.74
crore, as compared to C88,887
crore in 2019-20. This trans-
lated into an increase of 7.71%.
KVIC’s record perfor-
mance in 2020-21 assumes
great significance as production
activities remained suspended
for more than three months
during the nationwide lock-
down announced on March 25
last year. During this period, all
Khadi production units and
sales outlets too remained
closed that severely affected the
production and sales.
KVI Chairman VK saxena
said that despite adverse con-
ditions, , KVIC rose to Prime
Minister’s clarion calls for
“Aatmanirbhar Bharat” and
“Vocal for Local”.
The innovative marketing
ideas of MSME Minister Nitin
Gadkari diversified KVIC’s
product range, scaled up local
production and paved the way
for Khadi’s successive growth,
he said.
Compared to the year
2015-16, the overall production
‘The Women in Supply Chain
Survey 2021’ by Gartner.
Every leadership level saw
an increase in representation,
except the executive level where
there has been a slight decline.
a higher yield on a lower tick-
et size loan."
On May 21, 2021, PNBHF
announced a capital infusion
plan of Rs 40 billion through a
preferential issue of equity and
warrants which would increase
its net worth by almost 50 per
cent to over Rs 120 billion.
"The proposed infusion is
significantly higher than earli-
er planned."
Accordingly, it would be
led by the Carlyle group which
holds 32.2 per cent in PNBHF.
"Post the transaction, the
Carlyle group would be the sin-
gle-largest shareholder of
PNBHF."
"The other players infusing
equity would be General
Atlantic Singapore and Alpha
investments. Salisbur y
Investments, family investment
vehicle of Aditya Puri, former
CEO & MD of HDFC Bank, is
also stated to invest in the cap-
ital raise."
\^]Th'
RYHUELOOLRQ
80=BQ <D<108
Ilionndia’s foreign exchange
reserves rose by $3.074 bil-
during the week ended
June 11.
According to the Reserve
Bank of India’s (RBI) weekly
statistical supplement, the
reserves increased to $608.081
billion from $605.008 billion
reported for the week ended
June 4.
India’s forex reserves com-
prise foreign currency assets
(FCAs), gold reserves, special
drawing rights (SDRs), and
the country’s reserve position
with the International
Monetary Fund (IMF).
On a weekly basis, FCAs,
the largest component of the
forex reserves, edged higher by
$2.567 billion to $563.457 bil-
in Khadi and Village Industry
sectors in 2020-21 has regis-
tered a whopping growth of
101% while the gross sales
during this period increased by
128.66%.
A host of initiatives like
launch of Khadi e-portal,
Khadi masks, Khadi footwear,
Khadi Prakritik Paint, Khadi
hand sanitizers, etc., setting up
of a record number of new
PMEGP units, new SFURTI
clusters, government’s push to
“Swadeshi” and KVIC’s historic
agreements with Paramilitary
forces for supply of provisions
increased the turnover of vil-
lage industry sector during the
pandemic.
Compared to the produc-
tion of C65,393.40 crore in
In 2021, women account
for 15 per cent of executive
level roles in supply chain,
down from 17 per cent in
2020.
"Contrary to other indus-
tries, supply chain’s mission-
criticality during the COVID-
19 pandemic has meant that
many sectors did not reduce
their workforce, but rather
continued to hire and even
faced talent shortages, espe-
cially in the product supply
chains," said Dana Stiffler, vice
president analyst with the
Gartner Supply Chain practice.
X]8]SXP
80=B Q =4F34;78
TPC has been recognised
N as a ‘Great Place to Work’
for the 15th year in a row by the
Great Place to Work Institute.
NTPC is the only PSU to
consistently feature in India’s
Top 50 Best Workplaces. This
year NTPC ranked 38th, up
from 47th position last year. It
also won its first-ever recogni-
tion of India’s Best Employers
among Nation-Builders 2021.
Figuring consistently in
GPTW’s Best Workplaces List
year on year is testimony of
company’s people, practices
and approach, NTPC said in a
statement.
The Great Place to Work
(GPTW) Institute commended
NTPC’s employees for being
the torchbearers of a high trust
culture.
lion.
Similarly, the value of the
country’s gold reserves rose by
$496 million to $38.101 billion.
However, the SDR value
slipped by $1 million at $1.512
billion.
But, the country’s reserve
position with the IMF inched
higher by $11 million to $5.011
billion.
2019-20, the production in vil-
lage industry sector increased
to C70,329.67 crore in 2020-21.
Similarly, in FY 2020-21,
the sales of village industry
products stood at C92,214.03
crore as compared to
C84,675.29 crore in 2019-20.
The production and sales
in the Khadi sector, however,
declined by a small margin as
spinning and weaving activities
across the country took a major
hit during the pandemic.
The overall production in
the Khadi sector in 2020-21
was recorded at C1904.49 crore
as compared to C2292.44 crore
in 2019-20, while the overall
Khadi sales stood at C 3527.71
crore as compared to C4211.26
crore in the previous year.
P]X]c³[RPaQ^]
_aXRTU[^^a
80=B Q F0B78=6C>=
he International
T Monetary Fund (IMF) has
proposed to set up an inter-
national carbon price floor to
help limit global warming
and achieve the transition
toward low carbon growth
over this decade.
"Gradually increasing price
on carbon encourages innova-
tion and transition to renew-
able energy, clean mobility,
and low carbon technologies,"
IMF Managing Director
Kristalina Georgieva said on
Friday.
"Limiting global warming
to 1.5 to 2 degrees will require
emissions to be cut by a quar-
ter to a half by 2030, and this
is unlikely to happen without
measures equivalent to a glob-
al carbon price of around $75
per ton by the end of this
decade," she said, noting that
the current global average
emissions price is only $3 per
ton.
Noting that there has been
progress, with over 60 nation-
al and subnational carbon pric-
ing schemes around the world,
Georgieva said "we have long
way to go", reports Xinhua
news agency.
Georgieva said IMF staff is
publishing a proposal on Friday
that sets out how an interna-
tional carbon price floor can
help achieve the goal of accel-
erating the transition to low
carbon growth over the course
of this decade.
She highlighted three cru-
cial elements of such a price
floor: it would focus on a
small number of large emitters,
such as some or all G20 coun-
tries.
=4F34;78kBD=30H k9D=4!!!
JABBLED
CWT]^eT[ch^U2^a^]PeXadbWPb_Ta_[TgTSQ^cWS^Rc^abP]ScWTR^\\^]\P]CWXbWPbaPXbTSbTeTaP[`dTbcX^]b]^c
^][haT[PcTSc^cWTeXadbQdcP[b^U^aXcbcaTPc\T]cP]SePRRX]TbFXcWbTeTaP[^_cX^]bPePX[PQ[T_T^_[TPaTfPXcX]Vc^VTc
cWTXaRW^XRT^UYPQ1dcS^Rc^abcT[[<DB1070B7<8Xc³bPQXV]^]^
icking and choosing things is
P a human trait. Be it your
favourite pair of shoes, or
shirts or even COVID vac-
cines. Yes, you read that right.
With more and more options available
in the market, choosing a vaccine has
become a task for many.
There were some people who
preferred Covishield over
Covaxin, while others were
waiting for Sputnik V. To
add to the list of choic-
es, Serum Institute
of India is all set to
bring Novavax,
which apparently
offers more than 90 per
cent efficacy, in the coun-
try by September, reportedly.
And given the current situ-
ation, when a US university, report-
edly, had asked the students who got
vaccinated with Covaxin and Sputnik V
to revaccinate themselves, choosing the
best of the lot may seem as the right
option to many.
“For the more obvious reasons that
these vaccines are not giving prevention
from the disease rather making the dis-
ease pattern less severe, we have to
choose one with a little better studies.
Following the advisories are mandato-
ry for people traveling to foreign coun-
tries, hence they may select their shot
accordingly, but for people staying in
India Covaxin is equally good or even
slightly better than Covishield in all the
studies conducted so far,” Dr Rachit
Srivastava, Consultant, General
Medicine, Apollo TeleHealth, says.
The situation is particularly chal-
lenging for students from India. It is
becoming increasingly hard to secure an
appointment for a vaccine that will be
accepted by American campuses.
Covaxin is not yet approved by the
WHO. Students who got Covaxin are
concerned about the uncertainty of its
approval.
“The safety and effectiveness of
receiving two different COVID-19 vac-
cines have not been proved yet, but some
researchers feel that it may work. The
American universities are about to start
their autumn semester and Covishield
is the only WHO approved vaccine avail-
able in India at this time. The
Government has done right in reducing
the interval for this category of popula-
tion to 28 days. Rolling out the WHO
approved vaccines like Novavax, Pfizer
and Moderna in India can make the sit-
uation easy for students travelling abroad
but this could take time,” Dr Namita
Jaggi, Chairperson — Lab services and
Infection control & Chief — Education
& Research, Artemis Hospitals,
Gurugram, tells you.
However, if you are not among the
people who are travelling abroad, doc-
tors say being fussy about vaccines is not
a wise thing to do.
“Not taking the vaccine—whichev-
er one may be available in India—is not
a smart move. Almost all existing vac-
cines drastically reduce the odds of hos-
pitalisation or death due to COVID-19.
Take whichever vaccine you can when
it’s your turn. This is currently the World
Health Organisation’s guideline, too,
which urges people to take whichever
vaccine is available in their countries.
Globally, doctors believe that barring
some side effects, a vaccine is better than
no vaccine,” Jaggi opines.
Don’t compare 95 per cent efficacy
of one vaccine with 67 per cent of anoth-
er. This only means the percentage of
people who may not get COVID. All vac-
cines are 100 per cent effective in pre-
venting COVID hospitalisations and
death. With that being said, there is no
doubt that vaccines with higher effica-
cy like the m-RNA vaccines and
Novavax will however be better.
Dr Shar wari Dabhade Dua,
Consultant Internal Medicine,
Madhukar Rainbow Hospital, Malviya
Nagar, agrees with Jaggi and says that
both Covishield and Covaxin have stud-
ies and trials favouring its effectiveness
in multiple variants of COVID-19. “The
recently launched Sputnik vaccine has
evident studies supporting its efficacy
too. On the other hand, phase 3 UK clin-
ical trials showed strong efficacy espe-
cially against UK and South African vari-
ants with Novavax. In my opinion, all the
vaccines that are readily available in
India today can be taken, because we saw
a few cases who got infected with only
mild symptoms, after the vaccination,
and waiting further for newer vaccines
can slow our process of mass vaccina-
tion and thus achieve herd immunity,”
Dua says.
Srivastava emphasise on the fact that
in the current scenario waiting for a pre-
ferred vaccine is never an option , use
the vaccines that we have and reduce the
chances of having severe infection. “We
all should understand these vaccines are
not the last doses that we are going to
take. It’s just the beginning of it, we have
to keep taking these vaccines for a long
period. Obviously, at a later stage, we will
get all other privileged vaccines in India
and probably then we can choose the
better one,” he says.
0338=6C>C74F>4B
As if multiple vaccines with differ-
ent efficacy rates, but with a single pur-
pose —that of reducing the severity of
the disease — wasn’t enough to perplex
people, the first confirmed death of a 68-
year-old man following vaccination in
the country is adding to the woes.
This has raised several concerns
among people, especially in the minds
of those who are still already apprehen-
sive about getting vaccinated. This
might give them a reason to not go for
nothing less than the best. But this inci-
dent, doctors say, shouldn’t give rise to
fear.
“This incident should not create fear
in the minds of people and there should
be no apprehension about the safety of
the vaccines approved for Indian pop-
ulation. The number of deaths report-
=>CC0:8=6C74E0228=4 ed following COVID-19 vaccination in
F78274E4A>=4<0H14 the country is only 0.0002 per cent of
23.5 crore doses administered which is
0E08;01;48=8=3808B=>C0 within the expected death rates in a pop-
B<0AC<>E40;<>BC0;; ulation. It is also important and perti-
4G8BC8=6E0228=4B nent to note that the mortality rates for
those testing positive for COVID-19 dis-
3A0BC820;;HA43D24C74 ease is more than 1 per cent and vacci-
>33B>57>B?8C0;8B0C8>= nation can prevent these deaths.
>A340C73D4C>2>E83 ( Therefore, the risk of dying following
vaccination is negligible as compared to
C0:4F78274E4AE0228=4 the known risk of dying due to COVID-
H>D20=F74=8CBH>DA 19 disease. Those getting their vaccina-
CDA=C78B8B2DAA4=C;H tion need to wait for 30 minutes at the
inoculation centre after vaccination as
C74F>A;3740;C7 most of the anaphylactic reactions occur
>A60=8B0C8>=B6D834;8=4 during this period and prompt treatment
C>>6;>10;;H3>2C>AB prevents deaths,” Jaggi says.
14;84E4C70C10AA8=6B><4 >=4<>A4B7>C
B83445542CB0E0228=48B “I have got my first shot of the vac-
14CC4AC70==>E0228=4 cine. The second is due in a few weeks.
¯3A=0<8C0906682708A?4AB>=
If this was not all, I have been told that
;01B4AE824B0=38=542C8>=2>=CA>; we may need a booster dose as well. How
2784543D20C8>=A4B40A27 many doses do we have to take and why
0AC4<8B7>B?8C0;B6DAD6A0< will we, if we will still get the infection
anyway?,” a distressed man asks.
He is not an exception, there are
many who have the same question. To
answer their queries, experts say that it’s
time we accept the reality and learn to
live with it until herd immunity is
achieved.
As for the boosters, Jaggi says, giv-
ing smaller doses in multiple shots
(boosters) is often better than a large
dose of vaccine in a single shot.
“This is because our immune system
builds on our immunity like bricks in a
wall; each level needs to be laid before
the next layer is built. Memory to some
pathogens as in Rubella, measles or
mumps is life long and in some the
immunity wanes over time as in whoop-
ing cough or tetanus where boosters
may be required. It may also be required
if the virus mutates and variants arise as
in the influenza vaccine where we
require an annual flu shot with the cur-
rently circulating strains,” she says.
Jaggi adds that for COVID, we are
learning along the way. We are not very
sure about whether our immunity will
last for six months or a year and how
impactful variants will be in the long run.
“But for now, there is a growing consen-
sus that boosters will be needed. But
whether we will need it for the next year
or not, will again depend on the way the
pandemic behaves. Moreover, the cur-
b_TRXP[(
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rent vaccines show reduced efficacy
against the variants namely the Delta,
and the South African variant. So,
boosters against the newer variants may
be needed. Some researchers are also
looking to mix vaccines for a better
immune response,” she explains.
Dua tells you that booster doses are
needed to increase the amount of anti-
bodies against the infection. In the case
of COVID-19, we have studies suggest-
ing declining antibodies and rare cases
of reinfection too. “Yet, we need some
extensive research on the development,
the longevity and the efficiency of the
antibodies produced by the vaccines to
consider the use of booster dose,” she
says.
On the other hand, Dr Deepak
Verma, Internal Medicine, Columbia
Asia Hospital, Ghaziabad, says that
booster doses are needed in all COVID-
19 vaccines that are available right now
in India and it is nothing but simply a
second dose.
“Even abroad, except for Johnson
and Johnson, all the COVID-19 vaccines
need a second dose, i.e. a booster dose.
This is because COVID-19 is a novel
virus and the booster dose increases its
efficacy against the virus,” he explains.
102:C>B@D0A4>=4
Time and again, experts are empha-
sising that the virus is relatively new and
it will take us some time to understand
it completely. Such has been the case
with COVID vaccines. There are people
who wonder if they test positive after the
first dose of vaccine, do they have to
restart the vaccination process. The
answer is no.
“No, there is no need to restart the
vaccination process again. A COVID-19
infection helps the body mount certain
protective antibodies naturally and it will
boost protection and antibody count.
People who recover from COVID-19
have been found to have all four of these
components. Specificity about how long
this natural immunity will last is not
clear but various studies show for at least
three months,” Jaggi tells you.
In a study published in The New
England Journal of Medicine, researchers
in Iceland studied 1,107 people who had
recovered from COVID-19 and tested
positive for the antibodies. Over a four-
month period, they found that those
COVID-19 antibodies did not decline.
A study published in the journal
Immunity found that people who recov-
er from even mild cases of COVID-19
produce antibodies for at least five to
seven months and could last much
longer.
“Natural infection gives you
strength for a longer time. Patients, in
such a scenario, may need to revisit their
dosage timeline but be sure not to miss
it. This is because getting a vaccine jab
will add to your immune strength, over
and above the natural antibodies and
serve additional purposes. So, wait for
90 days post infection and get your sec-
ond jab that can act like a booster for
immunity. It is not advisable to restart
the vaccination process after natural
infection in between the doses,” she sug-
gests.
Verma, too, is of the opinion that if
a person tests positive after the first dose
of the vaccine, there is no way they can
restart the vaccination process. The
person must increase the gap between
two doses and take the second dose of
vaccine after three months, as stipulat-
ed by the Government of India.
=4F34;78kBD=30H k9D=4!!!
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?C8 Q B>DC70<?C>=
irat Kohli led India’s
V resolute batting effort
against a high quality
New Zealand attack in testing
conditions before bad light
brought an anti-climatic end
to day two of the World Test
Championship final here on
Saturday.
Rohit Sharma (34 off 68)
and Shubman Gill (28 off 64),
opening for the first time in
England, showed remarkable
application against the moving
ball to share a 62-run stand
before Kohli (44 not out off
124) came into his own with
a steely knock to take India to
146 for three at stumps on a
start-stop second day.
The skipper got good sup-
port from Ajinkya Rahane (29
not out off 79) in the final ses-
sion where bad light stopped
play twice before umpires
called it a day. A total of 64.4
2?;cfTPZbbRWTSd[T
c^Pe^XS8?; R[PbW
New Delhi: The BCCI seems to have
ensured the participation of the
Caribbean players in the remainder of
the IPL as the organisers of the CPL
have revised their schedule to avoid
a clash of dates with the Indian T20
tourney.
The IPL was suspended mid-sea-
son last month after the coronavirus
breached its bio-bubble and is sched-
uled to restart in the UAE from
September 19.
According to a report in
ESPNcricinfo, the Caribbean Premier
League (CPL) will now be played in
St Kitts and Nevis between August 26
and September 15, four days before
the IPL’s resumption.
The CPL was originally scheduled
to start on August 28 and conclude on
September 19.
The development would please
the BCCI, especially when participa-
tion of the Australian players in the
IPL is under doubt.
“Both IPL and CPL are important
to CWI, to our cricketers and to fans,”
Ricky Skerritt, the Cricket West Indies
president said.
“CWI’s role was to facilitate
arrangements for a non-overlapping
and smooth transition from one
tournament to the next. Cricket
administrators must collaborate if
cricket is to survive the risks and costs
of COVID-19.”
0LONKD6LQJK7KHµ)O\LQJ6LNK
QRRQHFRXOGFDWFK
=8B7D<07090=Q
270=3860A7
he track, to me, was
“T like an open book, in
which I could read the mean-
ing and purpose of life. I
revered it like I would the
sanctum sanctorum in a tem-
ple, where the deity resided
and before whom I would
humbly prostrate myself as a
devotee... Running had thus
become my God, my religion
and my beloved.”
This famous quote from
The Race of My Life, an auto-
biography of legendary ath-
lete Milkha Singh aptly sums
up his dedication and passion
for running that made him
one of the greatest athletes of
all time.
The ace sprinter, who
was born in 1932 in undivid-
ed India, survived some hard-
fought battles on both per-
sonal and professional fronts
before his body lost the fight
against Covid-19 on Friday
after a month-long struggle.
His wife, Nirmal Kaur (85),
former India women’s volley-
ball captain had died due to
Covid-19 just five days ago.
Married for 58 years,
Chandigarh’s evergreen cou-
ple are survived by their son,
renowned professional golfer
Jeev Milkha Singh, and three
8]SXPbRP_cPX]EXaPc:^W[XaXVWcP]SQPccX]V_Pac]Ta0YX]ZhPAPWP]TfP[Z^UUcWTUXT[SU^acTPSdaX]VcWT3Ph!^UFC2 5X]P[ 0?
overs could be bowled on
Saturday including only 9.1 in
the final session. The opening
day was washed out.
As expected, Kohli was
ready for the challenge posed
by an all seam attack on an
overcast day. He played late
and close to his body, was
happy to leave balls outside the
off stump and cashed in on the
slightest of scoring opportuni-
ties.
His only boundary, a sub-
lime cover drive off Neil
Wagner, came before lunch but
kept the scoreboard ticking
with twos and threes.
Kohli’s deputy Rahane did
not start convincingly but his
feet movement and shot selec-
tion got better as his innings
progressed. Three of his four
boundaries came post tea.
India, who had reached 69
for two at lunch, was only able
0D[WDNHV)UHQFKSROH :Q`Q^Y]`_cUc´XYWX\ie^VQYb3_fYT^_b]c
05?Q ;420BC4;;4C
M
ax Verstappen claimed pole DE2CDA@CEDD6=64E# robbed him of almost certain
on Saturday for the French
Grand Prix with Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes
alongside the Red Bull driver on the front row on a track that is normally difficult for us. To
to lay the foundations for another gripping get pole position was really nice.
instalment in this season’s delicately-poised
title battle.
Valtteri Bottas in the other Mercedes lost in Baku. Great promise from our side.”
starts on the second row with Verstappen’s
teammate Sergio Perez.
Verstappen leads Hamilton by just four to narrow the gap between them to 0.258s.
points in the Formula One word
championship ahead of the seventh
race of the season at the Circuit Paul
Ricard on Sunday.
Hamilton won from pole the
last two races staged at Le Castellet
in 2018 and 2019, but Verstappen
had approached qualifying as the man
to beat after dominating the final two
practice sessions.
Verstappen, claiming his
first pole since the season-
opener in Bahrain,
daughters.
Famously known as ‘The
Flying Sikh’, Milkha Singh
had contracted the deadly
virus last month and his first
response to the media after
testing positive was “I am 91...
I will come out of it in flying
colours and beat this virus in
no time. I have been keeping
indoors except for morning
jogging and exercise. I am in
high spirits.”
Perhaps, this is how the
legend of the Flying Sikh will
reverberate for generations to
come.
Singh, who settled with
his wife in Chandigarh in the
1960s was among the most
prominent personalities of
the city. The couple worked
together in the Punjab Sports
Department till 1980s and
were a regular at the
Chandigarh Golf Course to
watch their son play there. In
fact, Milkha Singh was him-
self a golf aficionado and
used to play with many
prominent personalities
including politicians at CGC.
After the news of the
death of the legendary athlete,
many politicians and other
personalities from the region
reached his residence in
Sector 8 here to pay their trib-
ute. The same residence had
once become a hotspot, with
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to add 51 runs in the after-
noon with the loss of
Cheteshwar Pujara (8 off 54).
Compared to the morning
session, New Zealand’s all
pace attack showed much
more discipline.
With the Dukes ball mov-
ing around, Kohli paid due
respect to the bowlers includ-
ing Colin de Grandhomme,
who bowled three successive
maidens to the India skipper.
With all the fast bowlers
making the ball talk, Kohli was
patience personified but was
quick to pick up runs when
bowled into the pads.
Pujara at the other end
took 36 balls to open his
account. Like Gill earlier in the
day, Pujara too was hit on the
6bU^SX7bQ^T@bYh
<YfUVb_]&*# `]9CD into a win after a shredded tyre
“So far it’s been a really positive weekend,
“Great day for us but we have to finish it
off tomorrow and get 25 points — which we
After struggling to keep tabs with his Red
Bull rival in practice Hamilton was relieved
“We’ll keep pushing, keep fighting and
giving it everything. Their long-run pace
is a tenth or two quicker than us, but the
car’s in a much different place now,” said
the seven-time world champion.
“We’re going to fight for a
chance into turn one and there
could be some interesting strat-
people waiting outside to
catch a glimpse of him after
the release of blockbuster
biopic on his life Bhaag
Milkha Bhaag.
“He (Milkha) fought hard
but God has his ways and it
was perhaps true love and
companionship that both our
mother Nirmal ji and now
Dad have passed away in a
matter of five days,” a state-
ment from the family on
Friday said.
Milkha Singh, who
missed an Olympic medal by
a whisker in 1960, had set a
new dawn in the country
with a national record in
400m race that remained
untouched for almost 38
years. Despite finishing
fourth at the Olympic event,
Singh became a sporting icon
with many aspirants taking
up sprinting to follow their
dreams although only few
Indians came close to match
his calibre in the past sever-
al decades.
His was a rags-to-riches
story that began in the pre-
partition era and is tinged
with incidents of horror and
struggle. The most heart-
wrenching part of his life
story was when he saw his
parents being killed during
the 1947 partition.
He was lucky enough to
helmet but the blow from
Wagner did not seem to both-
er him much.
Soon after, the gritty bats-
man was trapped in front by
another left-armer Boult, who
swung it back enough sharply
to beat the batsman.
In the 41st over bowled by
Boult, Kohli wasn’t amused
when the umpire decided to
seek third umpire’s help for a
caught behind appeal even
though New Zealand did not
go for the DRS.
In the morning, Rohit and
Gill staved off the initial swing
threat posed by the opposition
pace attack before New
Zealand fought back by
removing the openers towards
the end of the session.
Cool and overcast condi-
tions at the Hampshire Bowl
on day two made it a no-brain-
er to bowl first and Kane
is anxious to translate pole
victory in Baku last time out.
egy tomorrow, and I think
there could be some rain
tomorrow, so a chance to see
a rain master,” he added.
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Southampton: The Indian
cricket team on Saturday wore
black armbands on the second
day of the World Test
Championship final against
New Zealand as a mark of
respect to ‘Flying Sikh’ Milkha
Singh, who passed away after
a month-long battle due to
Covid-19 related complica-
tions.
Top Indian players, includ-
ing skipper Virat Kohli and
coach Ravi Shastri, had already
posted their condolence mes-
sages on Twitter and the entire
Indian team on the day wore
the arm band as a mark of
respect for the departed soul.
This is one of the rare
occasions when Indian crick-
et team wore black armbands
for a legend of Olympic sports.
Williamson did just that.
India decided to stick to
the playing eleven they
announced two days ago
despite change in conditions
while New Zealand went in
with a four-prong pace attack
at the expense of a specialist
spinner with all-rounder de
Grandhomme being the fifth
seam bowling option.
Rohit and Gill came into
the middle with a clear game-
plan.
Jamieson was the one who
provided the much needed
breakthrough by having Rohit
caught at third slip with
Southee taking a terrific catch.
Wagner sent Gill back in
his very first over with the one
angling away and straight into
the hands of B J Watling, who
had a brilliant day behind the
stumps.
V_b9^TYQc?\i]`YSS_^dY^WU^d+9?1XYdc_ed
?C8Q =4F34;78
he Indian athletes and offi-
T cials travelling for the Tokyo
Olympics have been asked by
the Japanese Government to
undergo daily Covid-19 tests for
a week prior to their departure
and not interact with anyone
from another country for three
days on arrival, strictures that
have left the IOA fuming.
Stricter regulations have
been put in place for all travellers
— including athletes, coaches
and support staff — who have
resided in 11 countries, includ-
ing India, where different vari-
ants of Covid-19 have been
identified, within 14 days of their
arrival in Tokyo.
‘The unfair and discrimina-
tory’ rules have drawn sharp
criticism from the Indian
Olympic Association, which has
written to the games organising
committee requesting it to
ensure that mechanisms to pre-
vent Covid-19 do not have any
‘adverse and detrimental impact’
on performance of athletes.
Athletes have been asked to
check into the Games Village
0? ories of partition, Milkha
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ebutants Sneh Rana and
D Taniya Bhatia shared an
unbeaten 104-run stand for
the ninth wicket to secure a
memorable draw for India in
the one-off women’s Test
against England here on
Saturday.
If Deepti Sharma pro-
duced a dogged resistance
with a 168-ball 54 in the top-
order, Rana top-scored with an
unbeaten 80 off 154 balls and
frustrated the England bowlers
with two crucial partnerships
down the order with Shikha
Pandey and Bhatia (44 not out
off 88) respectively.
The 27-year-old, who had
taken four wickets in the first
innings with her off spin, had
made a national comeback
with this game.
five days before their competi-
tion begins.
IOA president Narinder
Batra and secretary general
Rajeev Mehta, in a joint state-
ment, questioned the new reg-
ulations.
“Athletes are allowed to
arrive in the Games Village
only 5 days before their event.
Now 3 days will be wasted, this
is the time the athletes need to
be moving towards their mode
to peak. Highly unfair for Indian
Athletes,” the joint statement
read. “Where and when will the
athletes have their breakfast,
lunch, dinner etc during these 3
escape the communal riots
and came to Delhi to stay
with his sister initially.
After three failed
attempts, he was finally
recruited in the India Army
in 1951 and it was when he
was introduced to the sports
and his journey to become a
legendary athlete began.
Milkha made it to Indian
camp in 1956 and booked a
berth for the Melbourne
Olympics, beginning his 400
m stint.
It was his victory at the
Commonwealth games in
1958 that catapulted him to
fame. Milkha won India’s first
individual Gold medal at
these games, a record that
stayed with him for over five
decades.
With a motto “Don’t stop
till you drop” during his
training, Milkha soon
became Asia’s best and
received several accolades
during his career as an ath-
lete.
His visit to Pakistan in
1960 remains another turn-
ing point in his life when the
Pakistan President General
Ayub Khan anointed Milkha
the ‘Flying Sikh’ after he out-
ran Pakistani Abdul Khaliq
before the Rome Olympics.
Haunted by the bitter mem-
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The two teams eventually
decided to shake hands after
121.2 overs.
Forced to follow on after
being dismissed for 231 in
their first innings, India
resumed the final day at 83 for
one but lost talented Shafali
Verma (63) early.
Sharma then joined hands
with Punam Raut (39) and
added 72 runs to take India to
171 for three at lunch.
days, as everyone has food in the
Games Village food hall where
all athletes and officals of other
NOCs are present all the time.
“If Food Packets are being
delivered outside the rooms of
the athletes then who will plan
their body requirements like
proteins, food preferences etc
and will it not affect the perfor-
mance of athletes, who will not
not get their preferred diet, just
5 days before the Olympics.”
Several athletes like
weightlifter Mirabai Chanu,
wrestler Vinesh Phogat and
Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra
are training abroad and will trav-
had initially refused to go to
Pakistan but was persuaded
by then Prime Minister
Jawaharlal Nehru to face his
demons.
Milkha’s pinnacle of glory
came when he participated in
the 400-meters race at the
1960’s Olympic Games.
Finishing the 400m final in
45.6 seconds, he had fin-
ished at fourth spot, missing
a Bronze medal by just 0.1
seconds.
Even though he could
not bring home an Olympic
medal, Singh had become
the only Indian to have bro-
ken an Olympics track record
in 1960 and the event which
made the nation glued to
their radio sets later inspired
many to take up sprinting to
become the next Milkha
Singh.
“The one medal I had
yearned for throughout my
career had just slipped
through my fingers because
of one small error of judge-
ment,” Singh had written in
his autobiography recalling
how he had lost steam short
of the finishing line.
From a bloody partition
to a lost childhood, hard
won victories to an unforget-
table heartbreak at Olympics,
the nonagenarian saw it all in
his life.

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But the visitors lost four
quick wickets for 28 runs to
stare down the barrel at one
stage before Rana and Pandey
batted for almost 17 overs to
stem the rot as India took tea
at 243 for 8 with 40 overs still
remaining in the match.
After the break, Rana con-
tinued in the same vein as she
smashed 13 fours in her 154-
ball innings to take India’s lead
across the 150-mark.
el to Tokyo from their respective
locations.
However, a major chunk of
the Indian contingent will leave
for the Games from India and
the regulations will affect their
training.
The IOA questioned the
need for the regulations given
that athletes from India will be
fully vaccinated and will be
undergoing daily tests for a
week before their departure.
“Where and when will the
athletes practice as
practice/training areas are never
empty and athletes and officials
of other NOCs are present all the
time. “While we respect any
country’s decision to keep their
country safe and secure, the ath-
letes going out of India will be
double caccinated, have RT-
PCR tests done everyday for last
7 days before leaving...
“...Then why make the ath-
letes suffer at a time when they
need to peak, once again high-
ly unfair for Indian athletes
who have worked hard for 5
years to be discriminated against
just 5 days before the Olympics,”
the IOA statement read.
Before his retirement, the
legendary athlete became a
four-time Asian Games
Gold-medallist and the 1958
C ommonwealth Games
champion.
Milkha was brief ly
imprisoned at Tihar jail, for
travelling on a train without
a ticket and was bailed out by
his sister, who sold her jew-
ellery to obtain his release.
The news of his death
brought an outpouring of
mourning and remembrance
in the countr y. From
President to Prime Minister,
Governors to Chief
Ministers, sporting personal-
ities to actors, all took to
social media platforms to
mourn the death of a sport-
ing superstar.
For many, the running
legend Milkha Singh remains
the best ever to grace the
sport and he has left behind
a legacy and influence that
will see him live forever.
The Flying Sikh, whose
inspiring story began from
the ashes of a violent parti-
tion, wanted people to derive
inspiration from the famous
quote “Destroy your entire
existence if you want to reach
the zenith. Cos a seed has to
become one with the dust to
sprout and blossom into a
flower.”
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sang ‘Oh wie ist das schön’ (Oh
how lovely this is) as they
watched their team dominate
the game from start to finish -
something they hadn’t seen in
will play Portugal in Budapest.
Germany had the ball in the
net early against Portugal when
Gosens volleyed in a cross from
Joshua Kimmich, but the goal
fully than before.
Havertz forced the equaliz-
er in the 35th minute when he
went for Gosens’ cross alongside 4]V[P]SRP_cPX]7Paah:P]T(cTP\\PcT<Pb^]<^d]c (P]SBR^c[P]S
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years of underachievement.
The 2014 World Cup cham-
pions had been looking for a
good showing at Euro 2020 to
was ruled out on video review
for one of a number of possible
infringements. Serge Gnabry
was offside and Thomas Müller
6FRWODQGLPSUHVV
far post.
Germany then took the lead
through another own-goal soon
after. Havertz failed to connect

make up for their first-round
exit at the 2018 World Cup in
Russia.
Both Portugal and Germany
now have three points in Group
F, one behind current World
Cup champion France.
Hungary has one point and
will next play Germany on
6Ta\P]hbBTaVT6]PQahRT]cTaRT[TQaPcTbPUcTabR^aX]VWXbbXSTbbTR^]SV^P[PVPX]bc?^acdVP[X]<d]XRW^]BPcdaSPh 0?
Wednesday in Munich. France
05?Q <D=827
handled the ball.
Ronaldo was the first to
strike for real. Bernardo Silva
sent a ball over Havertz for
Diogo Jota, who took the ball on
his chest and crossed for
Ronaldo’s easy tap in.
Clearly shaken, a more cau-
tious Germany resumed where
it left off, albeit a little more care-
with a cross from Müller but
Kimmich sent the ball back in
and it rebounded into the net off
the unfortunate Guerreiro.
Havertz finally got his goal
early in the second half when
Müller set him up for an easy
finish. Gosens then headed in
the fourth at the back post from
Kimmich’s cross.
LQ:HPEOH\GUDZ
05?Q ;>=3>=
ngland missed a chance to
E book their place in the last
16 at Euro 2020 as Scotland
kept their own hopes alive with
a well deserved 0-0 draw on
win their final match against
Croatia.
Ponderous England’s lack
of cutting edge was a major
issue for Southgate, who
responded to Harry Kane’s
second successive lacklustre

9f_XRcjY`]UH`c]U4YR^aZ`_d7cR_TV
Friday. effort by hauling off his captain
Gareth Southgate’s side after 75 minutes.
ermany finally clicked would have been guaranteed to There had been questions

G into gear at the Euro

Championship, with a
little help from defending cham-
pion Portugal.
The Portuguese became the
first team to score two own-goals
in one game at the continental
tournament, giving the Germans
a 4-2 victory on Saturday and
ending fears of another group-
stage exit.
Cristiano Ronaldo put
Portugal in the lead in the 15th
minute against the run of play.
It was his first goal against
Germany and his third at Euro
2020. It also extended his all-
time tournament record to 12
goals.
But defenders Rúben Dias
and Raphaël Guerreiro put
Germany ahead before half-
time by scoring into their own
net.
Kai Havertz and Robin
Gosens then scored two more
for Germany early in the second
half — becoming the first play-
ers within the squad to score at
a Euro Championship.
Diogo Jota got one back for
Portugal in the 67th after
Ronaldo acrobatically saved a
free kick from going out.
The German supporters
05?Q 1D30?4BC
ntoine Griezmann salvaged
A a 1-1 draw for France
against Hungary in Budapest as
the world champions missed
the chance to clinch a place in
the Euro 2021 last 16 on
Saturday.
Hungary threatened to
blow Group F wide open when
Attila Fiola gave the hosts a
shock lead in first-half stoppage
time after catching out the
France defence.
But Griezmann, the
Golden Boot winner at Euro
2016, equalised on 66 minutes
as an unconvincing France
avoided a first competitive
defeat since June 2019.
Didier Deschamps’ side
top the group with four points,
one above reigning champions
Portugal and Germany.
7d]VPahbV^P[ZTT_Ta?TcTa6d[PRbXfPeTbc^UP]bPccWTT]S^UVa^d_5\PcRWPVPX]bc5aP]RTPccWT?dbZPb0aT]P
Hungary earned their first
point but remain at the bottom
by the end of the day.
France stay in Budapest for
their final game against
Portugal, while Hungary trav-
el to Munich to take on
Germany, still hoping to qual-
ify for the knockout phase for
a second straight tournament.
Contending with stifling
temperatures in excess of 30 0C
and a crowd approaching
60,000 at the Puskas Arena, the
only Euro 2021 venue without
capacity restrictions due to
Covid-19, France controlled
much of the first half.
France captain Hugo Lloris
0?
had warned of over confidence
against a team expected to fin-
ish bottom of the group, and Les
Bleus were punished for a brief
lapse just before half-time.
Fiola collected Adam
Nagy’s crossfield ball and played
a one-two with Roland Sallai,
outpacing Benjamin Pavard
and holding off Raphaël
Varane to side-foot beyond
Lloris at his near post.
Deschamps introduce
Ousmane Dembélé for Adrien
Rabiot on the hour nearly
brought an immediate equalis-
er as the Barcelona forward rat-
tled the post.
France pulled level when a
long kick upfield by Lloris
sailed over the head of Nagy,
with Mbappé latching onto it
ahead of Hungary’s Paris-born
Loïc Négo.
His ball across goal was
deflected into Griezmann’s path
by Willi Orban, allowing the
forward to slam in his seventh
European Championship goal.
Gulacsi produced a fine
save to turn away a fierce shot
from Mbappé as France
pressed for a victory that
would have sent them
through to the knockout
phase. Instead, they must
wait until Wednesday’s clash
with Portugal.
advance from Group D with a
win over their old rivals at
Wembley.
But lethargic England
managed just one shot on tar-
get and Scotland’s combative
display could easily have
earned all three points.
Despite a flop that saw
them booed off at full-time,
England have four points and
will be certain of qualifying if
they avoid defeat by the Czech
Republic in their last group
game on Tuesday.
“It was a frustrating night.
We know we can play better.
We’ve got to give Scotland
credit. They defended valiant-
ly and played well,” Southgate
said.
“We didn’t do enough to
win the game. We have a
young team and some of them
won’t have experienced a night
under this intensity and pres-
sure.”
Scotland, in their first
major tournament since the
1998 World Cup, looked far
more composed than in their
opening 2-0 loss to the Czech
Republic.
They remain in with a
chance of going through if they
raised about Kane after he
failed to make an impact in
England’s 1-0 win against
Croatia on Sunday.
Kane admitted he was not
undroppable this week and
Southgate has a difficult deci-
sion to make over the
Tottenham striker, who fin-
ished as the Premier League’s
top scorer this term but has
suddenly lost his touch.
With an average age of 25
years and 31 days, England’s
starting lineup was their
youngest ever in a major tour-
nament match and as one of
the few senior players, Kane
hardly led by example.
Meeting in a major tour-
nament for the first time since
England’s win at Euro 96, this
was a redemptive performance
for Scotland, whose fans sere-
naded their team at full-time.
“We played well. We were
unfairly criticised after the
game on Monday. I have a
good group of players and they
showed that tonight,” Scotland
boss Steve Clarke said.
“I’m delighted for the play-
ers. You wouldn’t have known
which team was the favourite,
which is a credit to us.”

4aXZbT]´bbda_aXbTeXbXcVPeT
³V^^ST]TaVh´c^3T]\PaZ
Copenhagen: Christian Eriksen
surprised the Denmark team
with a visit in the middle of a
training session and then gave
them all a hug, his teammates
said on Saturday.
Eriksen was discharged
from a Copenhagen hospital on
Friday and immediately went to
see his teammates at their Euro
0aVT]cX]P´b6dXS^A^SaXVdTiRT[TQaPcTbPUcTaWTbR^aTbPVPX]bcDadVdPh 0? 2020 base camp outside the
capital.
saved,” Maehle said.
“We knew that Christian
was OK but it’s completely dif-
ferent to see him in real life.”
Denmark lost to Finland
6ZLVVIDFH7XUNH\LQPXVW
and Belgium in its first two
games at Euro 2020 but still has
ZLQJDPHIRUERWKVLGHV
a chance to advance from Group 0?Q 10:D
B with a win over Russia on
Monday at Parken Stadium. t least someone on the
A Switzerland team has a rea-
son to celebrate.
Goalkeeper Yann Sommer
went home after Wednesday’s 3-
0 loss to Italy for the birth of his
second child, and then rejoined
the team on Friday. Now for the

0aVT]cX]PQTPcDadVdPh
Midfielder Christian more difficult task of turning
Norgaard and defender Joakim around a failing European
Maehle said it came as a big sur- Championship campaign.
prise. “I didn’t know he was With both teams in a must-

X]2^_P0\TaXRPR[PbW
05?Q 1A0B8;80
uido Rodriguez scored the
G only goal of the game as
Argentina edged past fierce
local rivals Uruguay in a disap-
pointing Copa America clash on
Friday (Saturday morning IST).
The victory sent Argentina
joint top of Group A with Chile
on four points while Uruguay
remain pointless.
These two sides played the
first ever International football
match outside the United
Kingdom and have played each
cross to the back post where
Rodriguez rose above his mark-
er to head home off the far post.
Uruguay gradually
stemmed the tide and started to
get a foothold in the game, only
to see Argentina counter at
pace before Muslera parried a
fierce Nahuel Molina drive at his
near post.
Despite enjoying the lion’s
share of possession, Uruguay
were unable to test Argentina
goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.
A slew of early substitutions
in the second half disrupted the
coming, so we stopped the
training session when he
arrived,” Norgaard said.
“He seemed to be in good
spirits, and it gave a good ener-
gy to the team. We were allowed
to give him a hug, and it was
great to see him walk around
with his son. It was a good day
in many ways. It was what we
needed.”
The 29-year-old Eriksen
suffered cardiac arrest during
Denmark’s first game against
Finland last Saturday and had to
be resuscitated with a defibrilla-
tor. “It was emotional because
the last time we saw him he was
lying there on the field being
win situation, Switzerland’s game
against Turkey on Sunday might
just turn into a festival of attack-
ing football. A draw is of no use
to either as they try to advance
to the round of 16.
And the bigger the margin
of victory, the better.
A win would give
Switzerland four points in
Group A and a good chance of
qualifying as one of the four best
third-place teams — or even
overhauling second-place Wales.
However, a goal difference
52 1PaRT[^]P^]BPcdaSPhR^]UXa\TScWTbXV]X]V^U<T\_WXb3T_Ph^]PUaTT of minus three is dragging the
Ua^\>[h\_X`dT;h^]CWT3dcRWU^afPaS´bR^]caPRcfXcW;h^]Tg_XaTbPccWTT]S Swiss down. Depending on
^UcWXb\^]cWP]S1PaRPWPeT\^eTS`dXRZ[hc^T]bdaTWTQTR^\TbcWTXacWXaS results in other groups, a one-
UaTTbXV]X]V^UcWTbd\\Ta /521PaRT[^]P goal win over Turkey might not
be enough.
Turkey on the other side has
lost both of its opening games
without scoring a goal, and
coach Senol Günes has apolo-
gized to fans. A spot in the last
16 is still possible, but it would
require a big win over the Swiss
to turn around a minus five goal
difference and for results else-
where to go Turkey’s way.
Just like against Wales on
Wednesday, the match on
Sunday will feel like a Turkey
home game with traveling fans
and many locals in Azerbaijan
backing the team.
The Swiss haven’t scored
much, either, netting only one
goal in their two matches. Since
the loss to Italy, many have
turned on coach Vladimir
Petkovic for what they see as
negative tactics and a lack of cre-
ativity.
Petkovic has been in charge
since 2014 and he had never lost
a group game at a major tour-
nament before being beaten by
Italy. Before the group stage,
Switzerland had been hoping to
end its run of three consecutive
exits in the round of 16 at
major tournaments. Now even
reaching that stage would be an
achievement.

other more times than any other
local rivals.
They’ve won the Copa 29
times between them but famil-
iarity can breed caution and for
much of the encounter they can-
celed each other out.
Six time Balon d’Or winner
Lionel Messi had the first real
chance, cutting in from the
right onto his favored left foot to
force a full stretch save from
goalkeeper Fernando Muslera,
who was relieved to see Lautaro
Martinez unable to turn in the
rebound.
Moments later, Cristian
Romero rose highest in the area
to meet a Rodrigo De Paul
cross but Muslera made a com-
fortable save. The pressure was
relentless in the early stages
and Argentina took a deserved
lead on 13 minutes as Messi got
to the byline and stood up a
flow of the game and chances
were at a premium.
Despite boasting Luis
Suarez and Edinson Cavani up
front, Uruguay struggled to cre-
ate any chances of note.
ENGLISH TOUCH
Earlier, English-born Ben
Brereton was the unlikely hero
as Chile beat Bolivia 1-0.
The 22-year-old Blackburn
forward was born in Stoke-on-
Trent to an English father and
Chilean mother, and only made
his national team debut on
Monday when he came off the
bench in Chile’s 1-1 draw with
Argentina.
But Brereton, who has
played his entire career in the
English Championship, was in
the right place at the right time
to finish off a rapier counter-
attack and hand Chile victory.
4U2bei^U8QjQbTd_cdQbdQWQY^cd6Y^^c
0?Q CD18I4
den Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne will
E make their first starts at the European
Championship in Belgium’s final group
match against Finland, coach Roberto
Martinez said.
Axel Witsel will also play from the start
in the game in St Petersburg in Monday as
Martinez looks to give three of his most
important and experienced players some
extra game time after their recent injury
problems.
“Eden, Kevin and Axel will start against
Finland because we need to see how (fit)
they are and how long they can play,”
Martinez said.
“And it’s an opportunity for us to stretch
their match fitness to the maximum level.”
Belgium has already qualified for the
1T[VXP]_[PhTab4ST]7PiPaSP]S0gT[FXcbT[
knockout stage after wins over Russia and
Denmark.
De Bruyne wasn’t risked in the 3-0 vic-
tory over Russia while he recovered from
fracturing his cheek and eye socket while
playing for Manchester City in the
Champions League final on May 29.
He came off the bench to set up a goal
and then score himself in the 2-1 win over
Denmark on Thursday.
Hazard has had an injury-affected
season with Real Madrid while Witsel has
just returned to full fitness after rupturing
his Achilles tendon in January. They both >[h\_XRbW^c_dcRWP\_X^]AhP]2a^dbTabWPccTaTS^]T^UcWT^[STbcf^a[S
came on as substitutes against Denmark. aTR^aSbX]PcW[TcXRb^]5aXSPh_a^SdRX]VP\P\\^cWWTPeT^U!""&\PbcWT
Wingers Nacer Chadli and Thorgan DBcaPRZP]SUXT[ScaXP[bV^cd]STafPhX]b_TRcPRd[PaUPbWX^]CWT!'hTPa^[S
Hazard have ‘minor injuries,’ said Martinez, 2a^dbTa^Q[XcTaPcTSR^\_PcaX^cAP]Sh1Pa]Tb´f^a[SaTR^aS^U!" !bTcX]
who is also weighing up whether to start ((fXcWWXbU^dacWcWa^f^UPVaX__X]VUX]P[Pc7PhfPaS5XT[SX]4dVT]T
striker Romelu Lukaku for a third straight >aTV^]2a^dbTaWPSP[aTPShTR[X_bTS1Pa]Tb´f^a[SX]S^^aaTR^aSTPa[XTacWXb
0? game. hTPacWa^fX]V!!'!PcP\TTcX]VX]0aZP]bPb 0?
=4F34;78kBD=30H k9D=4!!! QPRZ_PRZ !

talktime
Q How did you come on board for the series, Family Motley. After many years of struggle and hard work, I
Man? got my first project Mary Kom.
Luckily, I was part of a movie A Gentleman direct-
ed by this awesome duo Raj-DK sir. Post that one Q When you got Mary Kom, did you have any appre-

DARSHAN
evening DK sir called me n narrated Major Sameer’s hensions?
character. I told him that I would love to play it. Both When you get a chance to perform as a lead oppo-

KUMAR
these directors are great and I love how they work
together so beautifully. They are a lethal combination
of heart and mind — Raj sir is the heart and DK sir
+HVKRWWRIDPHZLWK2QOHU.RP is the mind of every project. That’s why they cre-
7KHDFWRUZKRSOD\V0DMRU ate such unique projects.
6DPHHU LQ)DPLO\0DQ VSHDNV
ZLWK 6KDOLQL6DNVHQDDERXWKRZ Q What attracted you to play Major Sameer?
KHJRWWKLVUROHDQGZRUNLQJ The character is the master mind of the
ZLWK)DUKDQ$NKWDU show. He is the head of a huge organisation
and is capable of carrying out huge missions.
He is witty and has the charisma to influence
site international super star Priyanka Chopra and your
film is being produced by a living legend Sanjay Leela
Bhansali and directed by multitalented director Omung
Kumar you just feel blessed and thank the Almighty for
giving such an opportunity. Your heart fills with grat-
F74=H>D64C0270=24 itude. There was no reason for me to say no to the pro-
ject.
C>?4A5>A<0B0;403
>??>B8C48=C4A=0C8>=0; Q What’s your role in Toofan?
I’m playing Dharmesh Patil, a Maharashtrian
BD?4ABC0A?A8H0=:0 boxer who won many national gold medals and repre-

´@B1I9
people. He is flamboyant, at the same time,
he is cautious and focused. To sum the char-
27>?A00=3H>DA58;<8B sents India in international games. It’s beautifully writ-
ten and directed by one of the best directors Rakeysh
acter in a few words — he is the wolf in sheep’s 148=6?A>3D2431H0 Omprakash Mehra sir. We have put our heart and soul
skin. Who would miss out on an opportuni-
ty to play this amazing character.
;8E8=6;464=3B0=90H in this film. I am sure people are going to love it.

;44;0170=B0;80=3

75DD?
Q This is the second time you played a major,
how did this happen?
We can’t compare Major Raunak Gautam
to Major Sameer. The two are poles apart. They
Q Were you a bit intimidated when you came to know
38A42C431H there was Farhan Akhtar and Paresh Rawal?
Before signing any film I always ask who my co-
<D;C8C0;4=C4338A42C>A stars. I always pray that I get to work opposite the best
><D=6:D<0AH>D9DBC actors so that we can pull off all the scenes beautifully

G?B;
are totally different and opposite personality
and their job is different too. Major Raunak
Gautam is sensitive, caring, patriotic and a fami-
ly man who can die for his country, family and
friends. Major Sameer is cunning, ruthless. I want-
and together give the audience the best of the best pro-
544;1;4BB430=3C70=: jects. When I got an offer to play Patil and got to know
about Farhan bhaiji and Paresh Rawal sir, I was on cloud
C740;<867CH5>A68E8=6 nine. I felt on top of the world. I had a great time shoot-
BD270=>??>ACD=8CH ing with them.

G9D825CD
ed to explore these two different personalities. I really
enjoyed playing both. H>DA740AC58;;BF8C7 Q Tell us about Ashram series and your role in
Q How did acting happen?
6A0C8CD34 Aavrodh.
Aashram made history with more than a billion
Bachpan se keeda thha acting ka. I used to write views and people loved my performances as Sub-inspec-

13D?BCµ
poems, perform them and won many trophies. Having tor Ujjagar Singh. It changed my life 360 degree, which
a flair to perform, I thought of taking professional train- is also one of Singh’s favourite dialogues. Avrodh was
ing so I joined Act One theatre group in Delhi and then also loved by d audience as it was based on Uri attack.
Sahaj Group with Neena Guptaji and Rajendra Guptaji People immensely loved d series n my character Major
in Mumbai and finally Nasseruddin Shah sir’s group Raunak Gautam. I feel truly blessed.

C_e^T_V]ecYS
:RUOG0XVLF'D\LVFHOHEUDWHGHYHU\\HDURQ-XQH6+$/,1, 6$.6(1$ VSHDNV
ZLWKSHRSOHLQWKHLQGXVWU\WRWHOO\RXKRZPXVLFKDVFKDQJHGRYHUWKH\HDUVDQG
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id you know that World Music popularity of the song. Therefore, it is mance,” Abhishek says.

D Day or Fête de la musique

began its journey back in 1982
by Jack Lang, Minister of Culture of
France, as well as by Maurice Fleuret
in celebration of the Summer Solstice
that occurs on June 21. Today, four
decades down the line the festival is cel-
ebrated in 120 countries.
The purpose is simple. To pro-
mote: Amateur and professional musi-
cians to perform in the streets, under
necessary to cater to a younger audi-
ence because, in the end, everyone
should relate to the songs they listen
However, he is not open to devi-
ating, reducing the standard just so the
younger generation can appreciate it
to,” Kaur says. more. However, he does tell you that
Rohit Kaul, Head, HCL Concerts there are certain points and areas where
tells you that some of the one can appreciate. “The entire process
changes that have of music should be seen as a sound.
taken place since While it is tough for people to under-
these concerts stand ragas and taals, it is easy to
started have been understand melody. I am open to
from the audi- singing in films. I am open to explor-

the slogan make music, a homophone
of Fête de la musique and making all
genres of music accessible to the pub-
lic. In India, due to the diversity, music
has numerous genres which include
classical music, folk, Bollywood, rock,
and pop. Indian music has a history
spanning several millennia that began
as an integral part of socio-religious life.
Music was passed down in an oral
tradition — from the guru to the
shishya. Over time, music evolved to
what we hear now. According to Asees
Kaur, who has sung songs like Malang
and is at present running a challenge
on Roposo app, a short video platform,
tells you that the biggest change she
have observed is the audience’s incli-
nation towards non-commercial music.
“The last two lockdowns showed
that the audience is open to a new inde-
pendent artist releasing their songs and
appreciated it. We have also seen a rise
in short format platforms. These have
helped new talents to find themselves
a platform with a larger audience. We
have also seen how new talents have
emerged in one year through these
apps. These platforms have encouraged
budding artists to shine and rise,” Kaur
says.
She tells you that the changes that
music has seen lately, are for the bet-
ter. “I have seen music directors now
approach talents through these plat-
forms. Therefore, these platforms
become a direct connection between
the artist and the music industry. For
music to thrive, the younger genera-
tion’s choice of music is vital since they
are part of the larger audience. Their
interest and likability determine the
ences’ side.
“There have
have two-three
changes that have
been seen in the last
seven to eight years.
First, there has been a
mix in the audience, till
the time we were doing
physical concerts, the num-
ber of young people was 30-
40 per cent. Second, the
demand for artists has
evolved. The young audi-
ence has been asking for young
artists although there is still
demand for maestros,” Kaul says.
The artists too have evolved their
art. “The artists are experimenting; not
that the senior artists are not. In fact,
this is one thing that has been seen
across all artists — the need for exper-
imentation. The nature of experimen-
tation has changed as well. It is no
longer about let’s add a guitar or drums
and make a fusion. The younger
artists are thinking about what new
concept they can present to the audi-
ence. Today, it is concept-driven fusion
rather than instrument-driven fusion,”
Kaul explains.
Over the years, what has been
observed is that all forms of music have
their set of dedicated audiences. When
a maestro is performing, it will be a
packed house and there will be some
youngsters. There is no threat to clas-
sical music.
“But what is happening is experi-
mentation, what is also happening is
that a lot of fringe audiences are get-
ting converted to listening to classical
music. It
may have start-
ed from listening to fusion and grad-
ually moving to pure form of classical.
This is good since it is adding to the
eco-system of classical music; at the
same time, pure classical is something
EB?6PhPcaXBXeP]X that has sustained itself for centuries
and will continue to do so,” Kaul says.
Abhishek, a young aspiring
Carnatic musician who has been giv-
ing performances since a very young
age, tells you that his journey began
when he picked it up from his moth-
er. “Music was a constant in our
home; we went to concerts and I liked
it and got hooked to Carnatic music.I
0bTTb:PdabX]VTa
have always been interested in all kinds
of music; my favourite singer is Arijit
Singh, I listen to Bollywood and west-
ern music. My skill lies in classical. I
learnt music from my guru AS Murali
and it has been nine years. I have learnt
so much from him. Even though I
teach music to young children, I have
0QWXbWTZ2Pa]PcXR\dbXRXP] a long way to go with my own perfor-
ing music but it doesn’t mean that I will
change the traditional values. I will not
change the value just because I want
more people to come and listen to this
music. Even though change is the only
constant, I will retain the essence of
classical music. Not everyone who
comes to the concerts comes with the
purpose to analyse it. Some come to
listen to music. Music has the abili-
ty to calm the mind,” Abhishek says.
For him, music is life. “It has been
there for me, it is a friend, it has guid-
ed me; it is what is a source of bread
and butter; so many people have lost
their jobs. For me, music is what is
keeping me alive,” he tells you.
VSP Gayatri Sivani, who received
training under violinist Narmada
Gopalakrishnan, tells you that her
musical journey began with vocal
singing but later, she switched to vio-
lin.
“I started learning this instrument
at age seven. Switching was not a prob-
lem since my mother was there with
me and back then I had not taken
music seriously,” Sivani says.
She opines that fusion works pro-
vided it is something that is personal
and the musician knows the intricacies
of classical. Even though I have not
done any fusion, till now, if I get an
opportunity I would love to explore it.
But this a not something that I would
like to do permanently,” Sivani says.
She tells you that technology is
going to play an important role in the
coming years in music. Many new
instruments have been added to
Carnatic music which is good,”
Sivani says.
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Y What is the new album Mental about?
It is the title of my new album which has just released and
has already crossed two million views on YouTube. People are
loving it because it has crazy vibes. The song means a lot to me
because it is my first party number and this song has been sung
by Dev Negi, directed by Rajiv Ruiaji and choreographed by
Arvind Thakur featuring me and Preeti Goswami.
Y How did you end up doing it?
There were two reasons for saying yes. First, Rajiv sir, because
we were planning for a long time that we have to work togeth-
er but dates were not matching, then COVID happened. Second,
the icing on the cake was Dev Negi. Apart from that when I met
the producer, I liked his idea.
Y How did your acting journey begin?
While growing up I was confused about getting into crick-
et or acting and the moment I entered college I realised that act-
ing is something that excited me more. My maternal grandfa-
ther was a director at the National School of Drama and I shared
my thoughts with him. He realised I am serious and asked me
to follow five steps: Learn acting; join a theatre to brush up skills
and perform in front of an audience, get into commercial ads,
assist well-known directors and finally, he told me that when I
go for an audition, I would get something.

;>E4H>D 303 Y What is your role in Aa Bhi Ja O Piya?

I play Kaushal. He is a simple boy from the village and goes
to the city to continue his studies. He wants to implement all
the things he has learnt in the village. There is lots of drama,
>]cWT^RRPbX^]^U5PcWTa³b3PhBD=30H?8>=44A[XbcbfPhbcWPcRP]WT[_\PZTh^daSPSUTT[b_TRXP[[^eTSP]SRPaTSU^a action and good songs. I loved playing this character. This was
the first time I was playing a boy from the village, it was quite
5^acW^bTUXc]TbbUaTPZb)8bh^da 2^]bRX^d[bhh^dab)0_T]^aP 1^^bcTa1d]S[TQh2^]bRX^db challenging. I had to learn a lot of things from my character
SPSPad]]X]VT]cWdbXPbcP]SXbP R^UUTT\dVcWPcbPhb²F^a[S³b 5^^S because of the transparency and simplicity he has for things.
UXc]TbbUaTPZ.0SXSPb8]SXPWPb 1Tbc3PS³cWPch^dVXUcTSh^da ?aTbT]ch^daUPcWTaPWTP[cW Y A fond memory from your childhood days with actors like
R^\Td_fXcWcWT[PcTbc UPcWTafWT]h^dfTaTP[Xcc[TZXS Qd]S[T^UcX\TcTbcTSX\\d]Xch Smita Patil, Raj and Nadira Babbar and Paresh Rawal?
d_VaPSTX]Xcb0SXiTa^ fPb_a^QPQ[hPc^ZT]^Uh^da Q^^bcX]VX]VaTSXT]cbQh I vaguely remember things. During Diwali, Holi or any other
UaP]RWXbT8cXbYdbccWT PUUTRcX^]1dccWXb5PcWTa³b 2^]bRX^db5^^SCWXbQ^d`dTc^U festival I remember Raj Babbarji and others coming to meet nana-
aXVWccX\Tc^VTch^daWP]Sb 3PhfWh]^cVXeTWX\ V^^S]Tbbf^d[SX]R[dST0\[P ji. I remember the aura Rajji and the other actors had. When
:^WVT\U^aPcadTVT\) 5^acWT b^\TcWX]V\^aT\TP]X]VUd[ _^fSTacWT\PbcTaX\\d]Xch these people entered a room, everyone wanted to listen to them,
SPa[X]VSPSbfXcWPbdPeTcPbcT P]ScWP]ZWX\cWP]QhVXeX]VP Q^^bcTaCWXbaXRWTbcb^daRT^U that persona attracts me. It inspired me to become an actor.
fW^[^eTc^_P\_TaP]SbW^fTa VXUccWPcfX[[Q^^bcWXbfT[[QTX]V EXcP\X]2WT[_bX\_a^eT Y How did you end being an assistant director for Krrish 3?
[^eTd_^]P[[_aTbT]cX]VP H^dRP]^_cU^a8\\d]Xch SXVTbcX^]P]SaT[XTeTbPRXSXch Hrithik Roshan’s cousin, Ishan Roshan, was my batchmate
aP]VT^UTg`dXbXcTaX]VbUa^\ CWTVXUcWP\_Taf^d[SP[b^WPeT and friend in Kishore Namit Kapoor acting institute. When pre-
:^WVT\P[XVWcfTXVWc cWTf^]STab_XRTCda\TaXR production of Krrish 3 started, Ishan knew I would love to be a
SXP\^]SYTfT[[TahQaP]SQ^a] ^]b^\T^UcWTQTbcbW^TbPb ?^fSTaaPfd]WTPcTSFX[S Xc³b_aT\Xd\WXVW`dP[XchcTPb part of it. I went to meet Rakesh Roshanji; he understood my
Ua^\cWT7^dbT^U:^WX]^^a VXUcPQ[TPePX[PQ[TPc 5^aTbc7^]ThP]SU[PgbTTSbcWPc bd_TaU^^Sb\PZTbU^aP craziness for cinema and welcomed me onboard.
5X]TcPbcTWPb]^aT[PcX^] bW^_PSXSPbR^X]0_TaUTRc fX[[WT[_h^daUPcWTabcPhUXcP]S cW^dVWcUd[VXUccWPcTgdSTb Y Is there a role that you loved doing?
fXcWUPbWX^]PbXcXbTcTa]P[ R^\QX]PcX^]^Ubch[TP]S WTP[cWh;Pbc[hcWTWP\_Taf^d[S fPa\cWRPaTP]S[^eT2W^^bT I would say Neil in Yaariyan, is special. I to play different
0[fPhbRWTTZQhY^f[cWXb PcW[TXbdaTcWT0SXiTa^5aP]RWXbT P[b^WPeTh^daSPS³bUPe^daXcT Ua^\PfXSTaP]VT^UcTPbP]S shades here. . Then there is Dev Malik from Muzzafar Nagar;
5PcWTa³b3PhVXUch^daUPcWTaP XbP\dbcWPeTbW^TX]TeTah STbXV]bX]cWTXabWXacbR^[[TRcX^] 6aTT]CTPU^acWPc_TaUTRc_^bc VXUcbbTcbX]R[dSX]V>aVP]XR the lawyer from Varanasi Junction or the simple guy from
R[PbbXR_aTRX^dbVXUccWPcWTfX[[ SPS³bfPaSa^QT R^\_aXbX]V^UR^]caPbcX]VbWPSTb SX]]TabX_ Cda\TaXRFT[[]Tbb3Tc^g1^g Heropanti, all have been close to my heart.
RWTaXbWU^a[XUT1aXVWcT]d_ cWPcPSSbPeXQaP]Rhc^Q^aX]V 2WPXCTP?aXePcTATbTaeT6[^f Y What are your upcoming projects?
h^daUPcWTa³bSPhfXcW_aTRX^db 5^aPfPaSa^QTd_SPcT)0[XV]X]V P]SSd[[^dcUXcbB^PSSP[Xcc[T 6XUc^UX\\d]Xch)CWXb5PcWTab 0bb^acTSCTPb6XUcBTcCda\TaXR There is Teer Shane, my first comedy film with Mukesh
RdUU[X]ZbUa^\:^WVT\c^ c^cWT[PcTbccaT]Sb=d\Ta^D]^ Q[^^\c^h^daUPcWTabfPaSa^QT 3PhVXeTPVXUc^UV^^SWTP[cW CTPCP[TbP]S\P]h\^aT0[[ Khannaji, Rakesh Bediji, Tiku Sultania, Zarina Wahabji. Israni
R^]eThh^daeP[dPQ[T[^eTU^a cWXbbTPb^]QaX]VbU^acWP]Tf fXcWcWTbTbWXacbU^aPSdchc^ fT[[]TbbP]Sbca^]VX\\d]Xchc^ cWTbTVXUcbfX[[QT^]PU[Pc $_Ta saheb and Vijay Sherji are also there. There are also two web series
WX\ aP]VT^URWTRZbcaX_TP]SU[^aP[ ^UUSdch^RRPbX^]b h^daUPcWTaEPWSP\•8]SXPfXcW RT]c^UUcX[[9d]T!!!!  — Dilli Wala Dil, I play a Delhi boy and Inzaam, I play a cop.
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B7>170=870;0=8
SELF-ESTEEM: OUR CORE STRENGTH
ever before have we faced such a
N disruptive world. It is not sur-
prising, therefore to discover
that so much upheaval can
adversely impact how we feel
about ourselves. The pandemic and lock-
down has left many jobless or with an inse-
cure future, plus difficult home dynamics, all
of which result in battered egos and low self-
esteem. Many struggle to find the self-moti-
vation to pick up the pieces of their life and
rebuild. For most people it has become a
wellbeing issue.
It’s this struggle with the change in lifestyle
that has resulted in increasing sense of loneli-
ness. Some are looking to social media for vali-
dation or reassurance and this can have the
opposite effect on self-esteem. I don’t wish to
say that social media is all bad, one can also be
comforted by using these sites, especially if you
use the platforms to keep in touch with long
distance friends and relatives, or be in touch
with an extended social circle during the lock-
down. But, even during those testing times,
being on social media shapes the minds of mil-
lions of people.
Emotional turbulence is hardly visible.
When a person is suffering internally, no one
can see the struggle and the pain. The troubled
individual may feel useless and unworthy.
Nothing is more important than the judg-
ment we pass on ourselves: how we esteem
ourselves touches the very core of our exis-
tence. Self-esteem is considered the most rele-
vant to live a fulfilling life, it essentially refers
to the way we view our selves — good or bad.
Self-esteem is not a luxury but a vitally impor-
tant psychological strength.
If you have healthy self-esteem, your beliefs
about yourself will often be positive, you feel
good about yourself, and see yourself as deserv-
ing the respect of others. You may experience
difficult times in your life, but you will general-
ly be able to face them with resilience, without
having too much of a long-term negative
impact on you.
If you have low self-esteem, your beliefs
about yourself will often be negative, and you
put little value on your opinions and ideas. You
will tend to focus on your weaknesses or mis-
takes, and may find it hard to recognise the
positive things about yourself. You may also
blame yourself for any difficulties or failures
that you have.
A particularly interesting catchphrase was
described by Nathaniel Branden author of The
Six Pillars of Self-Esteem. He described self-
esteem as ‘immunity of consciousness.’ Now
more than ever it seems relevant in these trying
times.
 
5 A > <
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Self-esteem is a particular way of experi-
encing the self. And if that self is at war
because of outside pressure then life is full of
suffering.
As we grow up, with a certain level of edu-
cation and parental guidance, we assume that
we will be well-adjusted individuals capable of
achieving goals and facing problems with ease.
But that is not always the case. Often, when we
face certain obstacles in life, we realise a lot
about our weaknesses and inner strengths. Self-
esteem is how we operate in the face of chal-
lenges. It is not how others deal with us, but the
way we deal with ourselves and the world.
D8556653D?>D85I?E>75B75>5B1D9?>
Recent studies show that the lockdown and
restrictions has had a significant impact on the
education, well-being, and mental health of
children.
Children are vulnerable to the behaviours
of the adults around them. And the messages
children hear become internalised in their
inner talk. As a result, self-esteem issues start
from a very young age. Once an unhealthy
belief is formed, the child internalises this way
of thinking into adulthood. It has become even
more important to care for the mental well-
being of the child during the lockdown.
Parenting is difficult and takes a great toll
on families when everyone is confined at home.
The “new normal” means that the way we
interact with each other has changed. Just step-
ping out of the house can make one anxious. If
a child is already prone to anxiety, the social
distancing aspect can seem like a form of rejec-
tion. To top it off, masks can contribute to anx-
iety in different ways. Masks hide half the face,
making it difficult to read social cues, like
smiles or frowns. And when we want to find
ways to relax, breathing deeply is commonly
suggested. How to breathe deeply under a
mask? That said, masks are critical to protect-
ing against Covid-19, and most kids have
adapted well to wearing them.
While parents have to find ways to be proac-
tive and patient, plus keep a cheerful environ-
ment, it can create a strain. Therefore, parents
should first reevaluate whether their own emo-
tional and psychological needs are met.
We all have heard of the airplane safety tip
to always put on one’s own oxygen mask before
helping a child: the same applies with emotion-
al balance, according to psychologists. When
parents mindfully manage their anxiety and
stress, through activities like exercise, good
sleep, and relaxation, this enables them to cope
and to respond calmly with their children. By
behaving in this manner, this also teaches chil-
dren, who learn by example, that they too can
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cope and manage in stressful situations.
Children rely on their parents for support,
both physical and emotional. Therefore, when
parents are available fully, mentally and physi-
cally, the child feels secure.
With the pandemic lockdowns, school clo-
sures, and social distancing, many children are
deprived of the everyday experiences that nor-
mally build their sense of worth as a unique
individual. Self-esteem is a critical element of
children’s mental health. Children with higher
self-esteem tend to have happier lives, better
relationships, and fewer symptoms of anxiety
and depression. However, routine needs to be
maintained, any disruption can affect mental
and emotional health.
Recent research indicates that the increase
in social isolation and loneliness is linked to
mental health problems, such as depression
and anxiety, self-harm, and suicidal behaviours.
Children who are confined at home with their
parents due to Covid-19 may feel more stressed
and anxious.
To create a foundation for children’s self-
esteem during the pandemic, parents can still
do something about it.
According to studies in child psychology,
children’s self-esteem is built on two pillars:
Appreciation and aptitude. Children feel good
about themselves when they feel loved and sup-
ported by significant others (appreciation) and
when they master new skills to achieve their
goals (aptitude).
B4;54BC44<8B0
2A8C820;4;4<4=C>5 1@@B5391D9?>
278;3A4=³B<4=C0; Parents can build safe and supportive rela-
tionships with their children, like maintaining a
740;C7278;3A4=F8C7 comfortable home atmosphere. Children can
78674AB4;54BC44< sense tension in a household, and being home
C4=3C>70E470??84A all day can aggravate the situation. Ideally,
;8E4B14CC4A maintaining a routine as though kids are going
to school, can maintain a sense of security.
A4;0C8>=B78?B0=3 Daily routines give children a sense of stability
54F4ABH<?C><B>5 and predictability. Consistent rules help bring
0=G84CH0=3 structure to children’s lives and combat the
sense of disruption and chaos surrounding so
34?A4BB8>=7>F4E4A many of us.
A>DC8=4=443BC>14 Another way is that parents can show
<08=C08=430=H interest in their children’s activities by asking
38BAD?C8>=20=05542C questions about their day, and what they enjoy
doing. Encouraging them to journal their
<4=C0;0=3 thoughts and ideas is another way the child
4<>C8>=0;740;C7 can release some of their pent-up feelings. A
family activity, like board games or kitchen
work, anything that creates a comfortable rou-
tine, can improve and maintain the emotional
and mental health of the child. Spending time
is key so that the child feels comforted and
safe, and able to share his or her fears about
the pandemic.

No doubt, children miss their friends; their
interactions are an important source of self-
esteem. Parents can help children meet up with
friends online through games or video chat
apps. But maintain a time limit.
Although these seem like insignificant
activities, this approach may create a healthier
self-esteem in the growing child.
1@D9DE45
Children benefit from watching adults who
fail but learn from their mistakes and keep on
trying. Children are born curious and sponta-
neously want to practice new skills, encourage
them to keep trying. Avoid criticising their
mistakes or failed attempts. Let them figure it
out for themselves. Children tend to feel moti-
vated when they achieve a challenging game or
skill. It helps them test their own abilities. And
when they feel increasingly confident in their
learning process, their self-esteem rises.
Amidst school closures, children may
attend online classes, or maybe they are not
getting any education at all. In these cases, a
large burden is placed on the parents to keep
up their children’s eagerness to learn. But stuck
at home, how can parents nurture children’s
interest and joy in learning? Some ways is to
have a schedule like they have in school.
Parents can encourage children to find a topic
in science, geography, history that fascinates
them. Then they are provided with the
resources they need to learn more about it.
They can use free educational resources such as
National Geographic Kids’ YouTube channel;
create art projects also shared online; and help
children build structures with Legos, blocks, or
even household items.
In these activities, it is critical for children
to experience a sense of learning and growth.
Even small steps on the road toward self-
improvement should be celebrated. When chil-
dren know they are improving themselves, they
feel proud and eagerly seek out more activities
to hone their skills.
And finally, it may be most helpful to
remember that children do better when their
parents are doing well. Under stressful condi-
tions, it is more important than ever that we
make time for our own tried-and-true mental
wellness strategies, be it paying attention to
nutrition, meditation, turning cell phones off in
the bedroom, reaching out to a friend or if
need be, connecting with a mental health pro-
fessional.
The writer is a Life Coach and an author.
She has recently published her book, Reboot,
Reflect, Revive: Self-esteem in a Selfie World,
with SAGE Publications India
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he Covid-19 pandemic has shifted the focus to health.
Health was never an individual duty or a part of our
daily chores. It was something to be worried about
only if a disease or injury struck. Preventive health was sel-
dom focused on. Only exceptions were the childhood immu-
nization programmes. Covid-19 has taught how important
internal resilience is. And this internal resilience is a result

B_XaXcdP[_aPRcXRT\dbcWT[_aTSXaTRc^da\X]Sbc^cP_X]c^cWTfXbS^\
of psychosomatic factors which are dependent on our emo-
tional stability. Emotional quotient has been given due
importance in management literature but medical literature

fXcWX]^daX]cTa]P[R^b\^bc^^eTaR^\T:[TbWPbfaXcTb78=6>A8
still gives limited focus to the subject. Though of late there
is greater realisation about the importance of emotional well-
being on physical health. The overemphasis on invasive ther-
apy and intensive intervention of the modern medicine sys-
istractions, afflictions, hin- job. She was the life of the parties she like me. I hate myself… I am every- Our ignorance multiplies when get tem was the reason why emotion was not given due impor-

D drances and obstacles of

the mind — are some of
the words that explain
klesha and are the reason
for most of the suffering.
We are born with kleshas as these
are a part of our conditioning of past
lives. Our karmas are often influenced
by these kleshas. They act as speed-
breakers in attaining clarity of mind.
Kleshas cloud our intellect and obstruct
the evolution of our minds. The kleshas
of attraction, aversion, ego, ignorance
and fear, are reactions of the mind to
almost every situation. Attractions
and aversions induce us to react pos-
itively or negatively to most stimuli.
Sometimes these lead to guilt, which
makes us feel inferior and far removed
from divinity.
The Patanjali Yoga Sutras lists five
such kleshas:
O Avidya (Misperception)
O Asmita (Egoism)
O Raga (Attachment/Indulgence)
O Dwesa (Aversion)
O Abhinivesha (Fear/Insecurity)
The primary klesha is avidya or
belief in a delusionary reality or mis-
conception. Avidya is our individual
circle of maya. Crossing the boundary
of maya leads to vidya or enlighten-
ment. Avidya is ignorance and delu-
sion. Naturally, this gives us a jaun-
diced view of reality. It brings the level
of our pure consciousness down to a
level of body consciousness where the
triggers are the senses and the victim
our mind.
Let us understand this with the
help of example: Priya was a manager
in a multi-national firm. She loved her
attended and would often regale a cap-
tive audience with stories of how she
overcame the odds to become as suc-
cessful as she had. However, a year later,
her company’s fortunes spiralled down-
wards. Many employees lost their
jobs. She was one of them. Her perfect
world fell apart at the seams.
Priya was left without the things
that she had based her identity on —
her job and her success. She felt like a
complete failure. Her sense of self
worth was in tatters. The fractured
sense of self and the crisis of identity
filled her with self doubt. What Priya
was suffering from is a fundamental
misunderstanding of her real self — a
Klesha known as Avidya!
Often described as the obstacle of
the mind, Avidya is the sanskrit word
for the absence of knowledge and wis-
dom. Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras describe
Avidya as the act of mistaking the
impermanent for the eternal, the
impure for the pure, sorrow for hap-
piness, and the not-Self for the true Self.
This deep rooted misperception of our
real nature, keeps us disconnected from
the sacred source and stuck in a state
of self-inflicted suffering.
Within all human beings lies the
core spiritual essence known as the
Atman. When we identify with the
Atman, we experience deep content-
ment that is unshakable. Human expe-
rience buries this sacred source under
a dense fog of conditioning leading us
towards ignorance and the false iden-
tification with the ego.
I am Priya. I am a Tamilian. I am
a manager. I am successful. I am pret-
ty. I am a failure. I am ugly. People dis-
thing but divine.
Avidya is the basic failure to recog-
nise that you are the Atman and are
connected with every atom that exists;
and the identification of the self with
the ego and all things temporal is a root
of why you are unable to identify with
the divinity within.
Avidya is a fundamental blindness
about our true nature. It is the inabil-
ity to experience a deep connection
with others and to our true self. We see
this deep seated ignorance play out in
every aspect of our life — in our though
F74=F40A4BCD2: processes, our prejudices, our fears, our
8=86=>A0=24F4 needs, our insecurities and our desires.
834=C85H>DAB4;E4B That probably explains why we
seek reassurance and approval from
F8C7>DA?7HB820; others to amplify our self worth; and
1>384B>AF8C7>DA why transitory things like wealth,
5;44C8=6C7>D67CB looks, luxury and success gives us joy
and a sense of worth. Making your
¯5>A64CC8=6C74 self esteem contingent upon others is
B02A434BB4=24>5 like digging a pit that you cannot
F7>F4A40;;H0A4 crawl out of.
¯0=3C70C4BB4=24 Even though you are aware that
you alone are responsible for your
8B1DA843344?4A inner state, knowing the truth on the
0=3344?4AD=34A level of intellect doesn’t translate in
<D;C8?;4E48;B to a shift in feelings and behavior. For
there to be a relevant shift, the
understanding needs to percolate
down to a visceral level. Only then
will avidya transform into vidya or
true knowledge.
When we are stuck in ignorance,
we identify ourselves with our physi-
cal bodies, or with our fleeting thoughts
— forgetting the sacred essence of who
we really are — and that essence is
buried deeper and deeper under mul-
tiple veils.
wrapped in our worldly desires. We
become attached to not only our
desires but also our aversions. Both are
obstacles on the path of enlightenment
because they bind us the our ego. The
goal of yoga is freedom from these
things.
D85C896D9>3?>C39?EC>5CC
Avidya is a deep rooted condition
strengthened by life-times of false
identification but it is a condition that
can change with intent and practice.
Hence, dismantling it is a multi layered
process. Yoga prescribes a multi-
pronged approach for dismantling its
different aspects — Devotion for con-
necting to the higher self, Selfless action
for detachment from outcomes and
meditation for stilling the mind.
Another key to dealing with and
dismantling deeply ingrained habits
and emotions is to view yourself from
the perspective of an observer as
opposed to a doer. Through practice
and intent, you will notice a shift in
your consciousness that will, given
time, change your patterns of thought
and perception.
Any moment that causes us to
question our pre-conceived and pre-
conditioned notions about reality has
the potential to lift our veil. When the
source of your happiness shifts from
material things, validation from others
and other external triggers to the inner
you being the source of happiness, the
fog of avidya will start to lift, slowly but
surely, plugging you in to the super con-
sciousness — that is eternal and true.
CWTfaXcTaXbcWTPdcW^a^U7X]V^aXBdcaPbbTaXTb
^Ub_XaXcdP[Q^^Zb
tance. This was evident even in the approach towards coro-
na pandemic. Tweaking of treatments were done with nag-
ging regularity creating a global kerfuffle and trial and error
prevailed. But fear, stress and anxiety took a considerable
toll. Emotions and health are the two sides of the same coin
and in the Indian traditional system swabhav was consid-
ered an important determinant. Swabhav or nature denotes
the emotional type of a personality that plays a role in treat-
ment of diseases. With more knowledge on psychosomat-
ic aspects of health, let us examine common emotions and
their effect. Continuous negative emotions have always lead
to serious ailments. Even ancient philosophical schools indi-
cate the importance of swabhav in health. Some common
negative emotions are anger, fear, anxiety, curiosity, stress,
envy and hyper reactivity. While occasional outbursts do
not impact significantly, continuous experience may lead
to serious health issues. Swabhav makes one prone to these
reactions, which trigger the mind that activates the
endocrine system. This increases or decreases the flow of
certain hormones in the blood stream. In anger, for instance,
it is commonplace to experience that churning in the stom-
ach which is due to excessive secretion of the hydrochlo-
ric acid resulting from hormonal reaction. While occasion-
al bouts of anger is perfectly normal, if anger becomes swab-
hav it is dangerous. Peptic ulcers many a times are result
of excessive and continuous acid secretion in the stomach.
Fear, anxiety, curiosity and stress are emotions that affect
perception, thinking and behaviour in a big way, leading
to a number of mental and physical complications. Envy is
an irrational attitude towards someone that leads to
hatred, anger, violence and frustration. Continuously nurs-
ing anger for somebody harms the envious more than the
envied. These negative emotions are more of perceived reac-
tions that harm the perceiver in a three step process. They
affect the thought process then the internal biochemical reac-
tions and subsequently lead to a diseased body when they
persist for long. For healthy body a healthy mind is the first
requisite. Our body is an organic machine that is a collec-
tion of interdependent parts. Health is a holistic concept and
whole is always more than the sum of its parts.
?PcWPZXbP_a^UTbb^a^U\P]PVT\T]cfaXcTaP]SP]PRR[PX\TS
_dQ[XRb_TPZTa7TRP]QTaTPRWTSPc__PcWPZXb\/V\PX[R^\

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8ccPZTb[Xcc[Tc^ZTT_^dabT[eTbUd[[^UW^_TP]SSXb_T[]TVPcXeXch 3XeX]TU^aRTbPaTVT]Ta^dbc^dbXU^daSTbXaTbPaTP[XV]TS
SdaX]VcWXb_P]ST\XRbPhb0270AH0E8=>3:D<0A>970 fXcWcWT\PcTaXP[]PcdaTfaXcTb098C:D<0A18B7=>8
e are living in a stress-driven era ur bodies are made up of eight

W and with the ongoing novel

Coronavirus pandemic, every
other thing is surrounded by negativity.
Whether it is a news channel or social
media, there is not a single space that
seems positive. In such a scenario, even the
positive people turn pessimists and lose
spirit. Though, these are tough times and
getting depressed or tense is normal, but
remember that if our spirits are high and
strengthened, then we can face any unfore-
seen situation with elan. The best way to
keep ourselves full of hope and ward off
negativity during this time is to follow the
steps below:
O Repeat Positive Affirmations:
Affirmations are a few words or phrases
that are repeated to fulfill a desire. It is said
that our mind responds to signals and
starts accepting what we think. This means
that if we repeat or think about good
things, then ultimately our intellect will
respond to it.
O Chanting Om: One of the easiest and
effective ways of warding off negative
thoughts is to chant ‘Om’ whenever you
feel anxious or stressed out. Just remember
to look for a peaceful place and devote
your entire focus to chanting.
O Lemons for Positivity: Though we can’t
control what’s going on outside but can
manage the things at our home. Lemons
are the best solution to keep negativity at
bay and these are easily available in every-
one’s home. Just keep 2-3 lemons in a glass
bottle filled with water in your bedroom or
your living room to attract positivity. It is
said that lemons and water absorb any
negative vibe and helps in healing.
O Salt for Strengthening: Done with all
the bad news? Relax and add salt to the
water while cleaning. It is said that salt
cleanses the negative aura and brings posi-
tivity, focus, and prosperity to the family.
O Let the Music Play: Music is a therapy
and can help you in your direst need. Put
your headphones on and just rejuvenate
for some time.
O Recite Hanuman Chalisa: Reciting
Hanuman Chalisa will calm your mind
and gives your strength. It will help you in
overcoming nightmares.
O Light Some Sage: Burning of sage can
fill the atmosphere with alacrity and can
give you some moments of peace. Burn
sage while performing worship and let the
fragrance changes the mood.
O Shut the social media: One of the main
reasons for the restlessness and instability
of emotions is social media. When you get
away from negativity, it won’t haunt you.
So, the best trick to stay strong and don’t
lose your mind in these tough times is get-
ting away from social media.
Follow these simple remedies and keep
your spirits high. The time is crucial but
together we have to fight this together.
CWTfaXcTaXbP]Pbca^[^VTaEPPbcd2^]bd[cP]c
O elements (Bhagavad Gita 7.4),
out of which four are gross and
three are subtle. The gross elements are:
earth, water, fire/energy and air. The
subtle elements are: mind, intelligence,
self-sense/ego. The eighth element is
ether or space. Our bodies are materi-
al machines (18.61), and they are parts
of the material nature. The material
nature gives us bodies as per our kar-
mas; they are results of the karmas done
over previous lives. And our bodies are
not independent machines; they are
controlled by the material nature.
Diseases, though not desired by us,
appear according to our karmaphalas.
Death also comes as destined. Though
we can do plenty to keep our bodies fit,
the control always remains with the stays awake as required, avoids lots of is activities, i.e. what we do and how
material nature. suffering. (6.17) The Lord has special- much. Both should be proper. The last
Let us go into some details of the ly mentioned eating, recreation, activ- activity mentioned in the verse is sleep-
functioning of our bodies. People get ities and sleep. Let me start with eating. ing. This is where many go horribly
well functioning bodies, i.e. without seri- What determines what we eat? Either wrong; they feel that the quantum of
ous genetic defects, if they have been due to weakness for taste or ignorance sleep can be decided irrespective of the
good in their past lives. Divine forces about what we should be eating, most needs of the body. The human machine
are generous to us if our desires are of us harms our material bodies, which work best when properly rested, i.e. slept
aligned with the material nature. God are material machines, as pointed out the required number of hours.
uses us as His nimitta or instruments earlier. Unfortunately, some of us are One must not forget the mind and
for what pleases Him, which is to pro- more careful about what we put in our the intelligence. Both are crucial for the
mote dharma by preaching God’s mes- vehicles than what we put into our efficient functioning of the body. The
sages. Rather God is most pleased by mouths. And our material bodies are mind is forever desiring/thinking of
sincere preachers. (18.68-69) Arjuna constituted by what we put in. Not sur- something. The intelligence should be
was given all kinds of favours by Lord prisingly, we suffer many diseases, used to rein in the mind. Unfortunately,
Krishna, because he agreed to act as which could have been avoided. Those, our intelligence is mostly not aligned
Lord’s instrument. (18.73) This should who eat foods in, goodness enjoy good with the realities of life, because we
motivate us to use our bodies the best health for most of their lives extending ignore to look up our scriptures, which
way possible, maybe in God’s service. to the old age. provide the higher information of what
In order to be able to do all of the Like eating, recreation is also dharma is, who God is, what is mater-
above, we must maintain our bodies important for us, but the choice has to ial nature’s role in our lives is, etc. The
nicely. How do we do that? Lord be intelligent. When we confuse recre- whole existence is one unitary whole
Krishna has guided in The Gita, “ One ation to be watching programmers and we are all parts of the same.
whose eating and recreation are appro- made in the lower modes, we hurt our- Existence in isolation is a non-starter.
priate; of one who strives appropriate- selves, i.e. we bring suffering to our- 1XbW]^XXbPb_XaXcdP[faXcTaP]SRP]QTaTPRWTS
ly in activities; of one who sleeps and selves. The third factor to watch out for Pcb_XaXcdP[/PYXcQXbW]^XR^\
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hy are thousands march-
W ing against the right-
wing Government of Prime
Minister Viktor Orban in
Hungary? The principal reason
behind the massive demon-
strations is a proposed Fudan
University (Shanghai) campus,
a Chinese university, at the
heart of Budapest. Besides,
there is a genuine fear that the
capital city of Hungary is fast
slipping into the debt trap of
China with its murky devel-
opment projects.
Beijing’s lending and
investment ventures have
mostly led to a “quiet debt trap”
in most of the countries so far.
China’s opaque overseas poli-
cies and hidden agenda are an
open secret.
Beijing’s bosses are trying
to master the economic state-
craft and translating it into a
massive power play in various
parts of the world. China
observers advocate that by
expanding its economic might
(for example Belt and Road
Initiative), Chinese “life-time”
President Xi Jinping and his
power brokers are probably in
a mad rush to buy global good-
will and influence in many
pockets of the world.
Fudan University is plan-
ning to open an overseas cam-
pus in Budapest offering mas-
ter’s programme in liberal arts,
medicine, business and engi-
neering for about 6,000 stu-
dents with 500 faculty mem-
bers.
The Hungarian
Government signed a strategic
contract with Fudan University
on April 27 this year to accom-
plish this venture in three
years. This controversial pro-
ject is pushing Prime Minister
Victor Orban’s dealing with
Beijing into a national spotlight
ahead of parliamentary elec-
tions in the country in 2022.
In early April, a Hungarian
investigative journalism outlet
known as Direkt36 reported
that the pre-tax construction
costs of the Fudan Campus are
estimated at $1.8 billion.
Unfortunately, this cost is more
than the entire expenditure of
the education system of the
Hungarian Government in
2019. Leaked documents reveal
that the Orban Government
would take a hefty loan of
around $1.5 billion from a
Chinese bank to cover the
large part of the establishment
?a^cTbcTabW^[S_[PRPaSbaTPSX]VX]7d]VPaXP]±fTfX[[]^cQTPR^[^]h²[TUcP]S±]^5dSP]²PbcWThVPcWTaX]S^f]c^f]1dSP_Tbc7d]VPah^]9d]T$!! 
expenditure of the campus.
Further, the Hungarian
Government would engage a
number of China-based con-
struction companies to com-
plete the project by 2024.
Also, an opinion poll pub-
lished in the beginning of this
month by the liberal
Republikon Institute, a think
tank, says 66 per cent of the
Hungarians say absolute no to
the campus and hardly 27 per
cent are in favour of it.
This venture will be the
first such Chinese campus in
any European Union nation so
far and the first foreign outpost
of the Shanghai-based univer-
sity. The Orban Government
defends the deal, saying the
Fudan campus will enhance the
higher education standard in
this East European nation.
Orban has been the Prime
Minister of Hungary since
2010. But he is better known
for his authoritarian streak
that he has been demonstrat-
ing for the last more than a
decade. Also, he has been func-
tioning as the President of the
Fidesz, a national conservative
party since 1993, except a
break between 2000 and 2003.
This is his second prime min-
isterial stint, first being 1998-
2002, just for four years. An
Oxford alumnus, Orban was
once famous as a democracy
activist in his youth. Clearly,
one of his greatest contribu-
tions to post-Soviet Hungary
was no other than the estab-
lishment of the Fidesz, with
other students. And this word
“Fidesz” refers to “Alliance of
Young Democrats”.
Ironically, today Fidesz is
no longer regarded as a demo-
cratic party in Hungary. Orban,
the founder himself, has start-
ed deviating from the path of
democracy and embracing the
ethos of “illiberal democracy”.
Probably, 2020 was one year in
which he initiated many steps
to dismantle the foundations of
the rule of law, judiciary and
finally, democratic institutions
of the country. Freedom of
speech and freedom of press
were severely compromised in
the last year and the Covid-19,
the global pandemic, gave him
the right opportunity to herald
a regime of terror to Hungary.
This March, the Orban’s
Government passed a special
act, what the critics justifiably
called as “Enabling Act” that
allows the Prime Minister to
rule by decree for an indefinite
period, supposedly to contain
the Wuhan-borne Covid-19
pandemic. Critics feel that
Orban’s Enabling Act demol-
ishes the few remaining cre-
dentials of democratic account-
ability in Hungary. This Act has
emboldened him to move for
an absolute concentration of
power over the flow of infor-
mation about the pandemic
and its management system in
Hungary.
Looking at a forthcoming
parliamentary election and
high underinvestment in the
country’s public health system
in the last decade, he desper-
ately needed to control the
Covid-19 narrative across the
country. Else, the enraged
Opposition will hound him for
ignoring basic services to
Hungarians. Unlike any
European country, this new law
empowers Orban to punish a
person up to five years in
prison if he is found to spread
false information about the
virus.
Thus, a real sword is hang-
ing over both the journalists
and doctors alike at a time
when they are trying to grap-
ple with the deadly disease at
0?
the cost of their lives.
Many of Orban’s support-
ers call this entire affair a mis-
information cacophony from
the countr y’s frustrated
Opposition. But it is not so
because this deal is sympto-
matic of wider concerns to do
with transparency and cor-
ruption that is embedded with
the current government of
Hungary.
Only with the coming of
Orban to power in 2010, the
policy makers in Budapest got
a new opportunity to initiate its
famous “Eastern Opening” to
cultivate firmer relations with
both China and Russia. Even in
recent times, Orban attracted
the ire of the other EU coun-
tries by inching closer to illib-
eral regime of Vladimir Putin.
His primary motive behind
this new policy framework
was to simply attract invest-
ments, to introduce economic
opportunities and to forge rela-
tions with anti-democratic
forces in the very aftermath of
the global financial downturn.
Not only this, but Budapest also
angered more allies in the
democratic pantheon by pre-
venting critical statements from
the EU on China’s blatant vio-
lation of human rights espe-
cially in Hong Kong, Xinjiang
and Tibet.
With all these grandstand-
ing, Xi thanked Orban for
safeguarding the overall China-
Europe ties.
At the moment, Orban’s
staunch rival and Budapest
Mayor Gregely Karacsony has
renamed surrounding streets of
the proposed Fudan University
after the victims of alleged
human rights abuses by China
in recent times.
As per the plan of the
mayor, one street will be
renamed after the Dalai Lama,
the spiritual leader who has
been in political exile since
1958 in India and whom
Beijing consider as a dangerous
separatist in all its official pol-
icy documents. Another road
will be named as “Uighur
Martyrs Road”. This Uighur
Muslims are those minority
ethnic groups that are victims
of China’s genocide in its west-
ernmost province of Xinjiang.
A third street will be named as
“Free Hong Kong Road”, a
Chinese island outside the
mainland that used to be gov-
erned by the historic Basic
Law as agreed to between
Beijing and London on the
wake of its handing over to the
former on July 1, 1997.
But unfortunately, today
the Xi regime has twisted the
basic tenets of the original
agreement and set aside the
unique system of “one country,
two systems” principle on the
basis of which the island terri-
tory should have been gov-
erned till 2047.
While a fourth street will
be renamed after a jailed
Chinese Catholic bishop. This
seems to be a befitting reply to
how Orban is planning to push
his country into China’s debt-
trap diplomacy.
At this point, it is worth-
while to understand what is
China’s model of internation-
al development. The western
model of international devel-
opment is associated with gov-
ernments, multi-lateral lenders
and non-governmental organ-
isations in rich countries offer-
ing development assistance to
poor nations. However, for
China, development is not all
about aid. Its international
development narratives and
policy paradigms encompass a
wide range of often state-
backed trade from investment
to lending. Therefore, China’s
overseas engagements like the
one in Hungary hint at the
country’s growing economic
clout hidden behind a long
debt-trap.
Currently, Washington has
come out of its trajectory of
self-sabotage with Donald
Trump gone and Joe Biden
looking up to widely engaging
with the international com-
munity. He has already indi-
cated that he will not be soft on
China. His administration has
stated in recent times that
China is the “biggest geopolit-
ical test” for the US. Also,
Biden’s just concluded meetings
CWTRdaaT]c_a^cTbcb
with the G-7 leaders and the X]1dSP_TbcPaTP[[
NATO allies make it clear that
America will strengthen its PQ^dcP]PccPRZ^]
partnership with Pacific and >aQP]bST\^RaPcXR
Atlantic nations to contain
China and Russia. And this will QPRZb[XSX]V[PRZ^U
be helpful for preventing China
from encircling many parts of
caP]b_PaT]RhP]S
the world, including Hungary, WXbPdcW^aXcPaXP]
from building its future Empire
accompanied by absolute
_^[XRXTb1dc
aggression and opaque eco- 1TXYX]VbTR^]^\XR
nomic statecraft.
It’s the high time the Tg_P]bX^]P]S
Hungarian Opposition put a TeTaVa^fX]VVaTTS
full stop to Beijing’s weaponi-
sation of trade relations with its PaTYdbcPbh\_c^\
country. But the Opposition
groups and their sympathisers
^UXcbQXVVTa_^fTa
who are now making the VP\TX]4PbcTa]
Fudan University issue a rally-
ing point should not go soft 4da^_T
once it dies down.
The current protests in
Budapest are all about an attack
on Orban’s democratic back-
sliding, lack of transparency
and his authoritarian policies.
But Beijing’s economic expan-
sion and ever-growing greed
are just a symptom of a bigger
power game in Eastern Europe.
Orban, a post-Soviet right
activist, who demanded the
withdrawal of imperialist
troops from its soil in 1989,
must flash back what he and his <0:70=B
B08:80
Fidesz once stood for.
(Dr Makhan Saikia has
taught political science and
international relations for over
a decade in institutions of
national and international
repute after specialisation in
globalisation and governance
from Tata Institute of Social
Sciences, Mumbai. He is the
chief editor of the Journal of
Global Studies, an internation-
al research journal)

?4AB?42C8E4

5HPHPEHULQJ1DZDOHO6DDGDZL$IHPLQLVWLFRQ
3aBPPSPfXbUP\^db
Q^^ZCWT7XSST]5PRT
ItantnSquare
January 2011, in the Tahrir
in Egypt, an impor-
event in the history of con-
temporary social movements
^U4eT _a^eXSTSP was unfolding. Nawal el-
Qa^PSR^]RT_cdP[ Saadawi was there to partici-
cT\_[PcTX]fWXRW pate in the movement against
the Mubarak dictatorship
0aPQf^\T]bXbbdTb demanding democratic transi-
P]S0aPQf^\T]b tion. She stood with the
younger generation in their
XST]cXchXcbT[UR^d[S struggle. She was surrounded
QTSXbRdbbTSX]P by students and young women
and they hailed her as a guid-
\dRW\^aT ing force. Nawal el-Saadawi
bhbcT\PcXR\P]]Ta was a quintessential political
being who traversed the path of
D]cX[bdRWf^aZ resistance against dictatorship
\dRW^UcWTUT\X]Xbc and against the ills of contem-
porary capitalism. She left this
SXbRdbbX^]bX]cWT world on March 21, 2021, at the
0aPQf^a[SfTaT age of 89.
Her name is one that has
RT]caTS^]XbbdTb lived with me in my adult life
fXcWX]TPRW]PcX^]P[ and I was lucky enough to
teach about her contributions
Q^d]SPah in my classes in various uni-
versities. Her influence on the
issues concerning the Arab
world has been an important
part of our own understanding
of the region from a bottom-up
approach. We are remembering
her as one who stood in the
forefront of the feminist move-
ments of the global south. She
has been a feminist activist and
organiser, a physician and a
psychiatrist, a public intellec-
tual, a human rights defender,
0:AA0<0:A8B7=0= a world-famous novelist and
writer who was deeply con-
cerned with a variety of issues
that we are currently grappling
with. She described herself as
a feminist with a strong empha-
sis on a feminist perspective of
both life and work. She also
described herself as a socialist;
the usual comment that she
makes is that “I stand for
structural transformation”. She
has contributed immensely to
making Arab women’s writing
popular across the world.
Egypt has a significant his-
tory of women’s writing, a new
wave of which was started in
the 1960s with the publication
of Latifa al-Zayyat’s famous
novel The Open Door. Nawal
el-Saadawi ignited new enthu-
siasm in the field of women’s
writing through her novels
like Woman at Point Zero,
which narrated the life story of
Firdaus, a sex worker jailed for
murder.
By telling Firdaus’s story,
Nawal el-Saadawi was able to
generate discussions on issues
such as sex work, a topic that
couldn’t be a matter of public
deliberation until then. Because
of the power of her writing,
taboo themes that kept
women’s suffering under the
carpet got some prominence in
women’s writing in the Arab
world, Egypt in particular. She
also led the way for other fem-
inist writers, creative writers in
particular, to expand their
domains of interest. Nawal el-
Saadawi’s and other feminist
writers’ works not only dealt
with the life stories of ordinary
people in Egypt but also criti-
cally exposed the economic,
social and cultural effects of the
neo-liberal transformation of
Egypt from the days of Anwar
al-Sadat’s “open door policy” of
economic liberalisation.
Nawal el-Saadawi belonged
to a long tradition of Egyptian
feminist movements and
activism led by Aisha al-
Taymuriyya in the 19th centu-
ry or Huda Sha’arawi and Dr
Doria Shafiq in the 20th cen-
tury. It was in the context of
modernist reforms of
Muhammad Ali and the emer-
gence of Islamic modernism
under the leadership of
Muhammad Abduh in the 19th
century that a new thinking
about women’s modern edu-
cation was emerging. Women
leaders like Aisha al-
Taymurriya stressed on
women’s rights to education.
Early 20th century saw the
emergence of significant fem-
inist activism and the founding
of Egyptian Feminist Union
(EFU) in 1923 under the lead-
ership of Huda Sha’arawi.
Major feminist demands were
educational and legal reforms
in favour of women. In the
1940s and 1950s, feminist
organisations like Bint al-Nil
were formed under the lead-
ership of Dr Doria Shafiq.
Such organisations raised issues
of political rights and women’s
voting rights, a demand that
was met by the government in
1956.
Dr Nawal el-Saadawi’s
activism followed the above
traditions of feminist move-
ments with newer emphases
and agendas. She took the
leadership in establishing the
feminist organisation Arab
Women’s Solidarity Association
(AWSA) in 1982. Nawal el-
Saadawi tried to situate
Egyptian feminism in the
broader realm of the Arab
feminism. The Arab world and
wider global south became the
canvas for her activities and
thinking. Dr Saadawi’s famous
book The Hidden Face of Eve
provided a broad conceptual
template in which Arab
women’s issues and Arab
women’s identity itself could be
discussed in a much more sys-
tematic manner. Until such
work, much of the feminist dis-
cussions in the Arab world
were centred on issues within
each national boundary.
Discussions on Arab
women’s issues in a connected
manner across the Arab world
were envisaged by Nawal el-
Saadawi so that they could take
pride in their collective histo-
ry of struggle and act strategi-
cally in a combined manner.
The Hidden Face of Eve
became a classic work not only
in the Arab feminism but also
in international feminism and
it still retains its value as a sig-
nificant testimony to feminist
understanding from the glob-
al south. One of her early
works, Al-Mar’ah wa’l-Jins
(Woman and Sex) was
extremely significant because
she opened up a large terrain
of discussions on subjects
which required attention from
a woman’s point of view. Her
experience in women’s activism
and feminism in the Arab
world and her experience as a
doctor and her childhood trau-
ma of undergoing female gen-
ital mutation (FGM), all con-
tributed to her comment to
write on “uncomfortable”
issues. Such writings con-
tributed to giving courage to
many women activists and
writers to come up and speak
about the unspeakable of those
times. She gave voices to many
people who could not articulate
their suffering and she provid-
ed the language to many fem-
inists to put forward their con-
cerns in a politically conscious
manner. Her novels and auto-
biographical writings showed
us the beauty and the travails
of Egyptian rural life as well as
the pains of growing up in the
transformational context of
Egyptian economy and politics.
Whether it was Sadat’s regime
or Mubarak’s regime, Dr Nawal
el-Saadawi has always stood in
opposition to them. She resist-
ed many of their policies and
because of her criticism of
several government policies
and the very nature of dicta-
torship in Egypt, she was put in
jail for some time and suffered
all kinds of pressure and attacks
at several junctures. She was
also an ardent critic of the reli-
gious right in Egypt. The
Egyptian state on the one hand
and the right-wing religious
elements on the other hand
made it difficult for her to do
her feminist work. But she
fought them and survived.
I am witness to the pre-
carious nature of her life in
Egypt in the 1990s. I had fixed
an interview with Nawal el-
Saadawi in early 1993 during
my stay in Cairo, researching
on Egyptian feminism. But
when the date of meeting was
near, I came to learn from the
newspaper that there is a death
threat to Dr Saadawi. She had
to flee from her Cairo apart-
ment to the United States. She
started teaching at Duke
University in the US. Thus I
missed my interview with her
in Cairo. She came back to
Egypt in 1996. In 2011, she was
there in Tahrir Square partic-
ipating in the Arab uprising. I
am sure that her legacy will
inspire coming generations to
fight for justice.
(Professor AK
Ramakrishnan teaches at the
Centre for West Asian Studies,
School of International Studies,
Jawaharlal Nehru University,
New Delhi)
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an destiny be changed? Gautam made. That is what binds human beings karmic consequences get carried over to to checkmate carryover implications

C Buddha was once asked. “No. But

you can change your habits, atti-
tudes and mental orientation. Once you
succeed in changing them, destiny auto-
matically changes,” he replied. The para-
dox, however, is that for a large majority
of Indians, sense of ‘fatalism’ seems to be
so deeply ingrained in the psyche, that
they refuse to even explore the obvious
truth. Pandits rely on superstition and
quote shady texts to exploit human vul-
nerability for their vested interests. The
paradox, however, is that seldom are
people conscious about exploring their
true nature with the intent to make nec-
essary amend in their approach to life.
It is interesting to note that the
course of destiny applies only to human
beings. Other species such as plants and
animals are bound by their basic nature.
They follow a predefined natural cycle
and don’t have the scope of exception.
Human beings on the contrary enjoy the
exclusive prerogative of making choices.
But no sooner is option available, the
probability of its use and misuse
becomes equal. There is nothing like a
free lunch in this world. One has to own
up the consequences of the choices
to a cause-effect chain, which sets the
premise on which our destiny stands,
and which stretches on to even next
the next life? Going by ancient Indian
philosophic perception, a being’s life is
structured in three layers — Causal,
from the past, and pick up fresh leads.
Remember, mind is a very powerful
instrument, which can reflect upon itself,
birth. Astral, and Gross. and explore one’s own nature — desire
To, overcome the above vulnerability, Causal body carries the imprints of trends, habits & attitudes, likes & dis-
human beings also enjoy another exclu- the past, which sets the terms of how we likes, prejudices and obsessions as well as
sive privilege — the faculty of discrimi- are expected to come up in life. These indwelling potential. All that is needed is
nate intelligence. They can guide their imprints are picked up by the astral body, to take charge of oneself. Identify,
actions by choice and discrimination. which translates them into action acknowledge, address one’s infirmities
The discriminatory ability empowers us through the gross body platform playing and then redefine the thought process
to evaluate the choices available, make from the front. All mind functions, through fresh educative inputs. In the
right judgment, and pick up right lead. including our memory, remains the pre- process, you may get over all precondi-
But this particular faculty does not play rogative of astral body. As one meets the tioning of mind. Following which, your
out involuntarily. It has to be consciously end of life, it is just our gross body that mind power will be available in full
invoked on every occasion before taking disintegrates. The causal and astral bod- strength, which may know no limits.
any call, which remains the prerogative ies, that are just energy fields, are not With your expanded vision and
of ahamkara (Ego). lost. Carrying all memory imprints they improved sense of reasons and judgment,
The irony, however, is that our ego- move on to higher dimension, to reincar- you may and see things in the right per-
tistical mind gets carried away by seem- nate afresh with a new gross body plat- spective due. You will be able to discrim-
ing realities. They, thus, are tempted to form. The newly born has in store all inate between ‘what you want’ and ‘what
take things on their face value. More memory imprints picked up during the is right’ and pick up the right lead. Your
often than not, caught up in the usual past birth, in the form of thought-seeds. inter-personal relations will improve, and
flow of life, our egotistical mind doesn’t As and when they get congenial ground therefore, you may be able to relate well
care to invoke discriminatory faculty for they come into play. So, it is again mind with all and sundry. Evidently then, life
due diligence. Guided by their instinctive through which destiny indications play may turn into a beautiful experience.
judgment, they jump into action without out. CWTffaXcTaXXbPP]PPbca^[^VTaeePbcdRR^]bd[cP]c
applying proper forethought, and evi- Here again, since we enjoy choice P]Sbb_XaXcdP[RR^d]bT[[^a2 2^]]TRcf fXcWWWX\PPc
dently to our detriment. option, it also enjoins upon us with the CT[)((  ((' '"&!&"('& "&!&!
The question now is: how does our capability to make conscientious choices 4\PX[)QQWPaPcQWdbWP]_PS\PST^/V\PX[R^\

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