hindustantimes.

com NEW DELHI/METRO

fVOL.
n
@hindustantimes t @httweets i @hindustantimes l @hindustantimes
XX NO. 2 Sunday, January 10, 2021
NEW DELHI/METRO
Sunday, January 10, 2021
n VOL. XX NO. 2
Indonesia jet missing, feared crashed
A Sriwijaya Air passenger jet carrying 62 people
lost contact with air traffic controllers minutes
after taking off from Indonesia’s capital on a
domestic flight on Saturday
Soekarno-Hatta
International Airport
INDONESIA
l Flight SJ182, a Boeing l The 26-year-old plane
737-500, disappeared was on an estimated
from radar 4 minutes 90-minute flight from
after taking off Jakarta to Pontianak
Ghazipur’s poultry hub
shut amid bird flu scare
Sweta Goswami
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: The Delhi govern-
ment on Saturday announced
the closure of the Ghazipur
wholesale poultry market for 10
days and banned the import of
live birds in the Capital as a pre-
ventive measure to stop the
potential spread of avian influ-
enza, or bird flu, after more bird
deaths were reported, prompt-
ing the shutdown of a few recre-
ational parks and the Sanjay
Lake.
Delhi chief minister Arvind
Kejriwal said in a digital news
briefing that while no con-
firmed case had so far been reg-
istered in Delhi, the government
was taking all possible meas-
ures to prevent the spread of
bird flu.
The government’s move
came at a time when at least 64
birds were found dead in vari-
ous locations across the
national capital over the past
few days. The deaths led the
Delhi Development Authority
FORMER GUJARAT
CM MADHAVSINH
SOLANKI DEAD
Darshan Desai
letters@hindustantimes.com
GANDHINAGAR: Senior Congress
leader and four-time Gujarat
chief minister Madhavsinh
Solanki died at the age of 93 on
Saturday.
The former Union external
affairs minister breathed his
last at his residence in Gandhin-
agar. PM Narendra Modi wrote
on Twitter that Solanki would
be remembered for the key role
he played in Gujarat politics.
“Shri Madhavsinh Solanki Ji
was a formidable leader, play-
ing a key role in Gujarat politics
for decades. He will be remem-
bered for his rich service to
society. Saddened by his demise.
Spoke to his son, Bharat Solanki
Ji and expressed condolences.
Om Shanti,” he tweeted.
Congress leader Rahul Gan-
dhi said Solanki will be remem-
bered for strengthening the
party’s ideology. →P2
{ SCG TEST }
Official complaint filed as Indian
players racially abused in Sydney
Rasesh Mandani
letters@hindustantimes.com
MUMBAI: After two days of per-
sistent heckling by the SCG
crowd and racial abuse on Sat-
urday against Indian players
fielding in the deep, the team
filed an official complaint with
the ICC Match Referee.
Soon after play ended on Day
3 in the Sydney Test, skipper
Ajinkya Rahane and senior
player R Ashwin informed
on-field umpires Paul Reiffel
and Paul Wilson that fast bowl-
ers Mohammed Siraj and Jas-
prit Bumrah were subjected to
racial abuse and derogatory lan-
guage.
“Both were fielding on the
boundary on the opposite side
of the dressing room and words
Java
Sea
Jakarta Bay
JAKARTA
l A dozen vessels,
including 4 warships, were
deployed in search-and-res-
cue operations
A health department team arrives to cull poultry at a farm in
Haryana’s Panchkula district.
(DDA), which maintains most of
the big parks in the city, to shut
at least four major district parks
in Hauz Khaz, Dwarka Sector 9,
Hastsal and Sanjay Lake as a
precautionary measure until
further orders.
While experts supported the
decision as a preventive meas-
ure, traders at the Ghazipur
market and poultry retailers
Trump permanently
barred from Twitter
WASHINGTON: With only days
left in his presidency, Donald
Trump — silenced by Twitter
and shunned by a growing
number of Republican officials
— faces a renewed drive by
Democrats to remove him from
office after he incited his sup-
porters to storm the US Capitol.
House of Representatives
Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the top
congressional Democrat, threat-
ened to impeach Trump for a
historic second time unless he
resigned “immediately,” a move
the pugnacious president is
unlikely to consider.
Democratic members are cir-
culating formal charges that
could lead to impeachment and
may introduce them in the
House as soon as Monday.
Twitter permanently cut off
Trump’s personal account and
access to his nearly 90 million
followers late on Friday, citing
the risk of further incitement of
MOHAMMED SIRAJ
AND JASPRIT
BUMRAH WERE
SUBJECTED TO
RACIAL ABUSE ON
DAY 3 OF TEST, THE
COMPLAINT SAID
like “mother******” and some
racial slurs were directed
against them. It appeared cer-
tain members of the crowd
were drunk,” said a person in
the India camp.
With considerably reduced
attendance under Covid-19 pro-
tocols—approximately 10,000—
crowd noise and chants were
clearly audible to the players.
After a difficult Day 3 for India,
Indian players and officials
Pontianak
Scheduled
destination
JAKARTA
l Flightradar24 said
the jet lost more than
10,000 feet of altitude
in less than a minute
SANT ARORA /HT
said it would impact the availa-
bility of chicken and eggs in the
continued on →5
wREAD: To know
more about
avian influenza, scan the QR code
US President Donald Trump
REUTERS
violence, three days after Trump
exhorted thousands of support-
ers to march on the Capitol as
Congress met to certify Biden’s
November 3 election victory.
A Florida man who was pho-
tographed smiling as he carried
Pelosi’s lectern from the House
chambers amid the chaos was
arrested Friday. →P15
were in a huddle with venue
security officials, discussing the
issue. The matter is now being
adjudicated by the ICC and
CCTV footage from all cameras
at the ground around the stand
concerned will be made availa-
ble to match referee David
Boon.
On the 2018-19 tour too,
Indian fielders were subjected
to chants of “show us your visa”
by the Melbourne crowd during
the Boxing Day Test. Subse-
quently, those spectators were
evicted from the stands.
In the 2007-08 series, it was
Harbhajan Singh who was
accused of using a racial slur in
Sydney, after batsman Andrew
Symonds alleged he was called
“monkey” on the field. ICC
continued on →5
 NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
JANUARY 10, 2021

A TWTW THE WEEK THAT WAS

Can you look past

the coup? Rachel
Ten days into 2021, and it already seems like a whole year has Lopez
passed. How much do you remember of the past week?

Claire
Polosak
broke a
144-year
streak by
doing what
1
She’s 32. She’s Australian. Her
international career began only 2015.
But on Thursday, at a match between
Australia and India, Claire Polosak
became the first woman to do what
in the sport’s 144-year history?
6
His Kannada film KGF Chapter 2
isn’t even releasing until October.
But its teaser just set a record for
becoming the fastest promo to cross
2 million Likes on YouTube. One
victorious name. Four letters.
last week? What?
GETTY IMAGES

2
A Trump question, of course. Who
made this statement last week before
banning him indefinitely? “We
believe the risks of allowing the
President to continue to use our
service during this period are too
7
It’s not every day that you become
the world’s richest person. And yet,
when he found out that he had
overtaken Jeff Bezos’s wealth on
January 7, he tweeted “How
great” strange,” and followed it up with
“Well, back to work ...” Who?
For what
Covid-
related
reason
was 1990s
actress
3
In 1980, Satya Paul set up his first sari
boutique, hoping to modernise the
garment with polka dot, zebra print
and geometric prints and party-ready
flowing fabrics. What happy-hour
name did the fashion world give to
8
For ₹5,499, you’ll soon be able to
buy the Z1. It’s the world’s first
indigenous smartphone, designed in
India by Indian engineers. Name the
company manufacturing Z1 – its
Shilpa such a sari? name calls to mind outpourings
Shirodkar from Etna, Vesuvius, Fuji and
in the
news?
4
The Famous version of this whisky
has been the top seller in Scotland
since 1980. There’s a Black version
with peat, a Snow version
meant for chilling, even a
high-end Naked version.
Eyjafjallajökull.

And yet, when it was
launched, it had no
adjectives – just the name
of a grumbling game bird.
Name the brand that debuts
in India this week.
9
Critics are calling it the “anti-
Slumdog” film about modern India.
The drama, based on Aravind
Adiga’s Booker Prize winner,
follows the life of a chauffeur who
fights his way to the top of the social
order. There’s servitude,
resentment and love. Connect a
colour and an animal to work out
the title.

5
You may remember Shilpa
Shirodkar from her ’90
films Trinetra, Hum, Khuda
Gawah and Aankhen. Or from
her many films with Mithun
Chakraborty. But for what
10
It looks ghastly. Miley Cyrus has
one, Billie Eilish and Rihanna too.
David Bowie’s was the most famous.
Sanjay Dutt had his for much of the
’90s. Name the hairstyle that’s so
unflattering, it was even the subject
pandemic-related reason was of a documentary film in 2001.
she in the news last
week? Answers on page 5

A
l

A woman skis while crossing the Plaza Mayor in Madrid during heavy snowfall on Saturday.
An unusual and persistent blizzard has blanketed large parts of Spain with snow, freezing
traffic and leaving thousands trapped in cars or in train stations and airports. AP

MP: Woman dies by Stranded Indian

suicide, partner faces
case under new law
BHOPAL: The family
members of a woman, 26,
who recently died by suicide
in Bhopal have sought a
case against her partner
under a new law, alleging
that he was forcing the
woman to convert. The
Madhya Pradesh Dharmik
Swatantrata (Freedom of
Religion) Ordinance, 2020,
came into effect on Saturday
after the state government
issued a gazette notification.
It prescribes a punishment
of two to 10 years in prison
and a fine of ₹50,000 for
forcing women to convert
their religion. According to
the police, the woman died
on Friday and had named
the accused in a note. →P2
sailors set to return Tracking
after seven months the virus
NEW DELHI: Twenty-three
Indian sailors stranded in INDIA
Chinese waters for almost CASES DEATHS
seven months are set to
return home after a crew 10,450,928 151,054
change was arranged for (+18,392) (+205)
their vessel at a Japanese DELHI
port, a minister said on
CASES
Saturday. A total of 39 629,801 (+519)
Indian seafarers have been
stranded on the MV Jag
DEATHS 10,666 (+12)
Anand and MV Anastasia CASES LAST 5 DAYS
off two Chinese ports for 654
months, and India had been 442 486 444 519
exploring options to bring
them back. The situation is
believed to be the outcome
of the China-Australia trade
row — both vessels were Jan 5 6 7 8 9
carrying Australian coal India data compiled by covid19india.org and
cross-checked from inputs by HT’s correspondents
and weren’t allowed to and news agencies
discharge their cargo. →P4
hindustantimes.com
fVOL.
n
@hindustantimes t @httweets i @hindustantimes l @hindustantimes
XX NO. 2 PRICE ₹6.00 /WITH HINDUSTAN ₹ 10.50 (₹ 8.50 IN FARIDABAD) 60 PAGES. AREA SPECIFIC PAGES EXTRA.
n n
PREPARATION ON
FOR W.H.O. PROBE
INTO ORIGIN OF
VIRUS: CHINA
BEIJING/WASHINGTON: China
confirmed on Saturday that
preparations were still ongoing
for a WHO mission to Wuhan to
investigate the origins of Cov-
id-19, following a rare rebuke
from the UN body over a delay to
the long-planned trip.
The comments came after
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom
said on Tuesday he was “very
disappointed” that Beijing had
yet to finalise permission as the
team of experts had begun trav-
elling to China to explore the
beginnings of the coronavirus.
On Saturday, National
Health Commission vice minis-
ter Zeng Yixin said, “The spe-
cific time is being determined,
we are ready here. As long as
these experts complete the pro-
cedures and confirm their
schedule, we will go to Wuhan
together to carry out investiga-
tions,” he said. →P15
w
READ: WHO
chief expresses
disappointment over delay
10 infants die in fire at
Maharashtra hospital
Charred remains of furniture and equipment at the General
Hospital in Maharashtra’s Bhandara district on Saturday.
CHINESE SOLDIER
DETAINED AFTER
HE CROSSED OVER
TO INDIAN SIDE
NEW DELHI: The Indian Army
apprehended a Chinese soldier
near the southern bank of Pang-
ong Tso in eastern Ladakh on
Friday after he strayed across the
contested LAC, an official famil-
iar with the matter said on Sat-
urday. “The People’s Liberation
Army (PLA soldier) had trans-
gressed across the LAC and was
taken into custody by Indian
troops deployed in this area
(south of Pangong Tso),” the
army said in a statement.
This is the second time a Chi-
nese soldier has been held by the
Indian Army after straying into
Indian territory since the border
standoff between the two sides
started in last May. Heights on
both banks of the Tso have been
at the centre of the border row
between the two countries. →P2
COURT ORDERS
AZHAR’S ARREST
BY JANUARY 18
ISLAMABAD/NEW DELHI: A Paki-
stani court has given police offi-
cials time till January 18 to arrest
JeM chief Masood Azhar, days
after directing them to produce
the UN-designated terrorist on
charges of terror financing.
The anti-terrorism court
(ATC) at Gujranwala in Paki-
stan’s Punjab province had on
Thursday issued an arrest war-
rant for Azhar on the request of
the local Counter-Terrorism
Department and judge Natasha
Naseem Supra had ordered that
he should be produced in court
on Friday.
The court’s order was the first
official acknowledgement of
Azhar’s presence on Pakistani
soil in recent years. Pakistani
officials and leaders have repeat-
edly said they didn’t have infor-
mation on his whereabouts. →P2
India’s vaccine drive
to kick off on Jan 16
PM Modi terms it a
landmark step as he
chairs key meeting on
states’ preparedness
HT Correspondent
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: India’s vaccination
drive, the world’s largest immu-
nisation exercise against the
coronavirus disease (Covid-19),
will kick off on January 16 with
priority to about 30 million
health care and frontline work-
ers, the government said on Sat-
urday, as Prime Minister Naren-
dra Modi called it a “a landmark
step” in the fight against the
pandemic.
The Prime Minister chaired a
high-level meet to review the
status of the infectious disease
along with the preparedness of
PTI
states for the vaccination drive.
“The roll-out of Covid-19 vaccine
will provide priority to the
health care workers and the
frontline workers who are esti-
mated to be around 3 cr (30 mil-
lion), followed by those above
Pradip Kumar Maitra and
Faisal Malik
letters@hindustantimes.com
NAGPUR/MUMBAI: Ten infants
were killed after a fire broke out
at the neonatal care ward of the
district municipal hospital in
Maharashtra’s Bhandara on Sat-
urday morning. Only seven of 17
newborns in the ward could be
rescued, said an official.
Dr Pramod Khandate, civil
surgeon of Bhandara district,
said a fire broke out in the Sick
Newborn Care Unit around 2am
on Saturday. “The hospital nurse
first noticed smoke coming out
of the neonatal section and
informed the hospital authori-
ties. Fire brigade was also called
to the hospital immediately
NEW DELHI/METRO
Sunday, January 10, 2021
TALLY OF CASES
WITH NEW UK
STRAIN CLIMBS
TO 90 IN INDIA
NEW DELHI: The number of peo-
ple infected with the new
UK-linked variant of coronavi-
rus has gone up to 90 in India,
the Union health ministry said
on Saturday.
PedroPascal
These 90 cases include the 82
Mega exercise announced by the ministry till
Friday. All these people have The
India’s vaccination drive is touted to be the world’s
largest immunisation exercise against Covid-19
been kept in single-room isola-
tion at designated health care riseof a
FIRST BENEFICIARIES
l Health care workers,
frontline workers
(estimated at 30 million)
l Those above 50, and
VACCINES APPROVED
l Oxford-AstraZeneca’s
Covishield (for
emergency use)
l Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin
facilities by respective state gov-
ernments, the ministry said ear-
lier. Their close contacts have
also been put under quarantine.
Comprehensive contact tracing
star
From the New York
under-50 population (for restricted use in has been initiated for co-travel-
theatre to Game of
groups with co-morbidities emergency situations in lers, family contacts and others,
(estimated at 270 million) ‘clinical trial mode’) while genome sequencing on Thrones and Wonder
other specimens is going on, the Woman 1984, the
On 16th January, India takes a landmark step in
fighting COVID-19... Priority will be given to our ministry said. actor has honed
brave doctors, healthcare workers, frontline workers Regular advice is being pro- his craft, owned his
including Safai Karamcharis. vided to states for enhanced choices and emerged
NARENDRA MODI, PRIME MINISTER surveillance, containment, test- a winner →P9
ing and dispatch of samples to
designated labs. The presence of
50 years of age and the
under-50 population groups
with co-morbidities numbering
around 27 cr (270 million),” a
million of its 1.3 billion people
free of charge in the first six to
eight months of this year. The
Drug Controller General of
the new strain has already been
reported by several countries
including Denmark, the Nether-
lands, Australia, Italy, Sweden,
statement released by the Union India has approved two corona- France, Spain, Switzerland, Ger- { LIFESTYLE } { URBAN }
health ministry said. virus vaccines for emergency many, Canada, Japan, Lebanon
India plans to inoculate 300 continued on →5 and Singapore. PTI
Twist in Dream
the tale catchers
Wizards hoarding toilet An art initiative has
{ JP NADDA } BJP NATIONAL PRESIDENT
P
rolls at Hogwarts, vampires
fretting over immunity,
superheroes struggling to
keep fit — pandemic-era
transformed the village
of Khwaabgaon in West
Bengal. Vistitors flock to see
and buy works; even the
fan fiction is a wild ride →P12 children practise art
The TMC never →P14
represented true
Bengali culture.
which rescued seven babies who The BJP and Syama
have been shifted to another Prasad Mookerjee MEET THE NEW BRUNCH!
A
ward,” he added.
Shubhangi Sathavne and represent it. HT’s iconic Sunday magazine in a
younger, more fun avatar
Smita Ambilduke, the two
nurses who were on night duty,
said they heard explosion-like
sounds in the neonatal ward.
According to an official famil-
iar with the matter, at least three
of the 10 infants were charred to
death, while the rest possibly
died of asphyxiation. “The exact
cause of death would be ascer-
tained after post-mortem,”
Khandate said.
The cause of the fire in the
four-storey building is yet to be
ascertained. Preliminary investi-
gations suggested that a short
circuit caused it, a fire depart-
ment official said. →P2
02
Fire breaks out at hospital in Nadda reaches out to
farmers, defends laws
Maharashtra, 10 infants dead
The blaze erupted in
the neonatal unit of a
hospital in Bhandara,
possibly triggered
by a short circuit
Pradip Kumar Maitra and
Faisal Malik
letters@hindustantimes.com
NAGPUR/MUMBAI: Ten infants
were killed after a fire broke
out at the neonatal care ward of
the district municipal hospital
in Maharashtra’s Bhandara on
Saturday morning. Only seven
of 17 newborns in the ward
could be rescued, said an offi-
cial.
Dr Pramod Khandate, civil
surgeon of Bhandara district,
said a fire broke out in the Sick
Newborn Care Unit around
2am on Saturday. “The hospital
nurse first noticed smoke com-
ing out of the neonatal section
and informed the hospital
authorities. Fire brigade was
also called to the hospital
immediately which rescued
seven babies who have been
shifted to another ward,” he
added.
Shubhangi Sathavne and
Smita Ambilduke, the two
nurses who were on night duty,
said they heard explosion-like
sounds in the neonatal ward.
“When we rushed inside,
smoke filled our noses and
eyes. We could not see any-
thing, but heard glass shatter-
ing. We raised the alarm and
with the help of security guards
and fire brigade staff rescued
seven of the children,” they
were quoted as saying by news
agency PTI.
According to an official
familiar with the matter, at
least three of the 10 infants
were charred to death, while
the rest possibly died of
YS Jagan Mohan Reddy
ANDHRA GOVT
MOVES HC OVER
POLL BODY ORDER
TO CONDUCT
LOCAL ELECTIONS
Press Trust of India
letters@hindustantimes.com
AMARAVATI: The YS Jagan
Mohan Reddy government on
Saturday challenged the State
Election Commissions decision
to conduct elections to the gram
panchayats and hurriedly moved
a ‘House Motion petition’ in the
High Court seeking that the poll
process be stalled.
The government did not get
any relief as the high court has
not immediately taken up the
petition and may consider it on
Monday, officials familiar with
the matter said.
State Election Commissioner
Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar
announced the schedule late on
Friday, overruling the state’s
objections, saying the polls to
gram panchayats would be held
in four phases in February.
The ruling YSR Congress
alleged that the SEC is “dancing
to the tunes of Telugu Desam
Party president N Chandrababu
Naidu.” YSRC MP V Vijaya Sai
Reddy had said that the gram
panchayat elections would be
held only in May-June after com-
pletion of the impending bypolls
to the Tirupati Lok Sabha seat.
Taking exception to this, the
State Election Commissioner
wrote a letter to the Chief Secre-
tary Aditya Nath Das that such
utterances would conclusively
influence the government action
(if not already done) vis-a-vis the
local body elections. “It is also
indicative that the party (and the
government by default) is not in
favour of holding elections dur-
ing the tenure of the present
Commissioner and shall hold
elections only after my demitting
the office (on March 31, 2021),”
the letter read. The governments
official line, however, has been
that holding the elections would
be difficult in view of the invoca-
tion of the National Disaster
Management Act.
Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh inspects the Bhandara General Hospital ward where
the fire broke out on Saturday.
asphyxiation. “The exact cause
of death would be ascertained
after post-mortem,” Khandate
said.
The cause of the fire in the
four-storey building is yet to be
ascertained. Preliminary inves-
tigations suggested that a short
circuit caused it, a fire depart-
ment official said on condition
of anonymity. “It was said that
heaters were being used for the
newborn babies at the hospital.
It may be the reason for the
short circuit there,” the official
said.
Prime Minister Narendra
Modi expressed grief over the
incident on Twitter. “Heart-
wrenching tragedy in Bhan-
dara, Maharashtra, where we
have lost precious young lives.
My thoughts are with all the
bereaved families. I hope the
injured recover as early as pos-
sible,” he posted.
Chief minister Uddhav
{ TERROR FINANCING }
Arrest Masood Azhar by Jan 18: Pak court
HT Correspondents
letters@hindustantimes.com
ISLAMABAD/NEW DELHI : A terror financing and money
Pakistani court has given police
officials time till January 18 to
arrest Jaish-e-Mohammed
(JeM) chief Masood Azhar,
days after directing them to
produce the UN-designated ter-
rorist on charges of terror
financing.
The anti-terrorism court
(ATC) at Gujranwala in Paki-
stan’s Punjab province had on
Thursday issued an arrest war-
rant for Azhar on the request of
the local Counter-Terrorism
Department and judge Natasha
Naseem Supra had ordered that
he should be produced in court
on Friday.
“ATC Gujranwala judge
Natasha Naseem Supra, during
the case hearing on Friday,
directed the CTD to arrest JeM
chief Masood Azhar by January
18 and present him in the court.
In case of failure (to arrest
PLA soldier strays across
LAC, detained in Ladakh
Rahul Singh
rahul.singh@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: The Indian Army
apprehended a Chinese soldier
near the southern bank of Pang-
ong Tso in eastern Ladakh on
Friday after he strayed across the
Line of Actual Control (LAC), an
official familiar with the devel-
opments said on Saturday.
“The People’s Liberation
Army (PLA soldier) had trans-
gressed across the LAC and was
taken into custody by Indian
troops deployed in this area
(south of Pangong Tso). Troops
from either side are deployed
along the LAC since friction
erupted last year due to unprece-
dented mobilisation and forward
concentration by Chinese
troops,” the army said in a state-
ment. This is the second time a
Chinese soldier has been held by
the Indian Army after straying
into Indian territory amid the
border standoff between the two
sides since May last year.
Heights on both banks of the
Pangong Tso have been at the
centre of the border row
between the two countries.
The PLA soldier is being dealt
Thackeray called the incident
“very unfortunate”, and
announced aid of ₹5 lakh for
family members of the
deceased.
“At present, the entire health
care system and hospitals are
fighting with coronavirus pan-
demic. The state government
will not tolerate any compro-
mise with security and safety of
the hospitals. To make sure
such incidents are not repeated
I have directed to check fire
audit status of all the hospitals
in the state,” he said.
State health minister Rajesh
Tope said a six-member com-
mittee headed by director,
health, Sadhana Tayade will
conduct an inquiry into the fire
and submit a report within
three days.
Congress leader Rahul Gan-
dhi condoled the deaths. “The
unfortunate incident of fire at
Bhandara District General Hos-
Masood Azhar
him), the court may begin pro-
ceedings to declare him a pro-
claimed offender,” a court offi-
cial was quoted as saying by
news agency PTI.
The court’s order was the
first official acknowledgement
of Azhar’s presence on Paki-
stani soil in recent years. Paki-
stani officials and leaders have
repeatedly said they didn’t have
information on his where-
abouts.
Indian officials have said the
Pakistani court’s actions are
clearly linked to the Financial
AN OFFICIAL SAID
THE SOLDIER IS
LIKELY TO BE
RETURNED AFTER
COMPLETION OF
FORMALITIES
with according to procedures,
and circumstances under which
he crossed the LAC are being
investigated, the statement
added. The soldier is likely to be
returned after formalities, the
official said. In October 2020, the
Indian Army apprehended a Chi-
nese soldier in the Demchok sec-
tor after he strayed across the
LAC. The army identified the sol-
dier as Corporal Wang Ya Long.
It then said it had received a
request from the PLA about the
whereabouts of the missing sol-
dier. Corporal Wang was pro-
vided medical assistance includ-
ing oxygen, food and warm
clothes. The soldier was
returned to the Chinese side
after the investigations and for-
malities were completed.
While India has consistently
pushed for comprehensive dis-
News
PTI
pital in Maharashtra is
extremely tragic,” he wrote on
Twitter.
Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata
Party leader and former energy
minister of the state, Chan-
drashekhar Bawankule,
claimed that relatives of the
infants had complained about
power fluctuations in the ward
last week.
“The relatives had asked the
hospital staff to check electric
switches etc, but apparently no
action was taken,” Bawankule
told PTI.
He also alleged that the hos-
pital didn’t have proper fire
safety equipment, and a pro-
posal to purchase fire safety
equipment worth over Rs 1
crore sent to the health depart-
ment was pending for
approval.
Former Maharashtra chief
minister and BJP leader Deven-
dra Fadnavis, too, termed the
Action Task Force (FATF)
beginning the process to review
Islamabad’s efforts to counter
laundering during key meet-
ings this month and in Febru-
ary.
JeM was among the groups
specifically named by FATF for
terror financing in its reports
in the past two years. India has
already provided evidence on
JeM and Azhar’s role in the
2019 Pulwama attack, in which
40 Central Reserve Police Force
(CRPF) troopers were killed.
The attack had brought India
and Pakistan to the brink of
war.
The Counter-Terrorism
Department had earlier
arrested six JeM terrorists –
Muhammad Afzal, Muhammad
Amir, Allah Ditta, Muhammad
Iftikhar, Muhammad Ajmal
and Muhammad Bilal Makki –
on terror-related charges and
sought an arrest warrant for
Azhar in the same case even
engagement at all flashpoints
and restoration of status quo
ante of early April during the
ongoing military talks, the Chi-
nese side wants the Indian Army
to first pull back troops deployed
on strategic heights on the
southern bank of Pangong Tso.
The two armies have held
eight rounds of military talks so
far, with dates yet to be
announced for the delayed ninth
round of dialogue between corps
commander-ranked officers.
The Indian Army swiftly
moved and occupied a series of
key heights to prevent the PLA
from grabbing Indian territory
on the southern bank in a
stealthy midnight move on
August 29. The Army now con-
trols ridgeline positions on the
southern bank of Pangong Tso
that allow it to completely domi-
nate the sector and keep an eye
on Chinese military activity. The
Indian Army has also taken con-
trol of key heights overlooking
the PLA’s deployments on the
Finger 4 ridgeline on the north-
ern bank of Pangong Tso, where
soldiers from the two sides are
deployed barely a few hundred
metres from each other.
incident “very painful”, and
demanded a thorough probe.
Parents of the deceased chil-
dren, meanwhile, were strug-
gling to come to terms with the
tragedy. “We had not even
named our daughter and now
we have got her burnt dead
body,” said Vishwanath Behere,
a labourer.
Vandana Shedam (28) said
she lived in the hospital itself as
her seven-day-old daughter
was admitted to the neonatal
ward for being underweight.
“We came to know about the
fire around 2am but had no
idea of the condition of my
baby till 8 in the morning. Then
they put her burnt body before
me,” she said.
An RTI application has
revealed that the fire safety
audit of the Bhandara Civil
Hospital was not done since
2018. Moreover, the district
administration had sent a pro-
posal of over ₹1.52 crore for
purchasing fire safety equip-
ment for the hospital on May 12
last year to the joint director
(health services), Mumbai,
which has not been addressed
yet.
RTI activist Vikas Madankar,
who sought information from
the district health department
regarding the fire safety meas-
ures of the Bhandara Civil Hos-
pital, was informed a few
months ago that fire hydrants,
sprinklers, smoke alarm, fire
escape ladder and fire escape
routes, which are mandatory in
such institutions, are not avail-
able in the hospital.
(With PTI inputs)
vWATCH: Seven
infants rescued
after fire breaks out at hospital
though he wasn’t named in the
original chargesheet, people
familiar with developments
said.
Azhar was last believed to be
in his stronghold of Bahawal-
pur in Punjab province. There
was no information on whether
Pakistani authorities had
launched efforts to trace him.
Pakistan was placed on
FATF’s “grey list” in June 2018
for failing to counter terror
financing. The multilateral
watchdog had given it time till
February this year to imple-
ment an action plan to curb the
raising of funds by terrorists
after it missed several dead-
lines for complying with
FATF’s recommendations.
The UN had designated
Azhar a “global terrorist” in
May 2019, when China lifted its
hold on a proposal to blacklist
the Pakistan-based JeM chief, a
decade after New Delhi
approached the world body for
the first time on the issue.
{ 1927-2021 } MADHAVSINH SOLANKI
A seasoned politician who had an eye for art
Nachiketa Desai
letters@hindustantimes.com
GANDHINAGAR: Four-time
Gujarat chief minister Mad-
havsinh Solanki, who died in
his sleep at the age of 93 on
Saturday, will be remembered
as the architect of the KHAM
theory that helped the Con-
gress win 149 of 182 assembly
seats in 1985, a record that
even the subsequent ascend-
ancy of the Hindutva move-
ment failed to break.
Much before the Mandal
commission report on the sta-
tus of socially and education-
ally other backward classes
(OBCs), the Solanki govern-
ment introduced 10% reserva-
tion in jobs and educational
institutions for OBCs in 1981.
Solanki is also remembered as
the first CM to introduce a
midday meal for schoolchil-
dren.
His KHAM (Kshatriya
(OBC), Harijan, Adivasi, Mus-
lim) theory of giving a larger
share in power positions to
members from these commu-
nities helped the Congress win
elections and retain power in
Gujarat for more than a decade
{ BENGAL CAMPAIGN } POLL BATTLE
HT Correspondent
letters@hindustantimes.com
KOLKATA: Bharatiya Janata
Party (BJP) president JP Nadda
on Saturday launched a farmer
outreach drive in poll-bound
West Bengal as he defended the
newly enacted farm laws and
credited the Prime Minister Nar-
endra Modi-led central govern-
ment with working for the bene-
fit of the farmers.
The campaign comes against
the backdrop of an ongoing
farmers’ protest against the
three contentious farm laws.
Thousands of farmers, mostly
from Punjab and Haryana, have
been camping at Delhi’s borders
since November 26, demanding
a repeal of these laws.
“Ever since the BJP came to
power at the Centre, Prime Min-
ster Narendra Modi has made a
six-fold increase in the central
budget for farmers. These will
enable farmers to set the price of
their products and choose the
buyer,” Nadda said while
launching the ‘Krishok Surok-
kha’ (farmers’ protection) pro-
gramme at Jagadanandapur vil-
lage in the Katwa area of East
Burdwan district.
The BJP president announced
that the party would hold 40,000
such meetings across Bengal in
the run-up to the upcoming
assembly elections.
Saturday marked Nadda’s sec-
ond visit to the state in two
months. Last year on December
10, during a two-day visit,
Nadda’s convoy came under
attack when stones were pelted
at it. The BJP accused the state’s
ruling Trinamool Congress
Woman dies by suicide,
kin seek case under MP
religious conversion law
Shruti Tomar
letters@hindustantimes.com
BHOPAL: The family members of
a 26-year-old woman who
recently died by suicide in Mad-
hya Pradesh’s Bhopal have
sought a case against her partner
under the newly enacted Free-
dom of Religion Ordinance 2020,
alleging that he was forcing the
woman to convert.
The Madhya Pradesh Dhar-
mik Swatantrata (Freedom of
Religion) Ordinance, 2020, came
into effect on Saturday after the
state government issued a
gazette notification. The ordi-
nance, which was signed by MP
governor Anandiben Patel on
January 7, prescribes a punish-
ment of two to 10 years in prison
and a fine of ₹50,000 for forcing
women to change their religion.
The police said the woman
died by suicide on Friday and
had named the accused in a
note. Superintendent of police,
Bhopal (south), Sai Krishna
Thota, said the accused has been
booked under sections 376
(rape), 309 (abetment of suicide)
of the Indian Penal Code, and
relevant sections of the SC/ST
(prevention of atrocities) Act.
The brother of the deceased,
Then CM of Gujarat, Madhavsinh Solanki, in 1985.
and a half. He was the Gujarat
CM four times between 1976
and 1990 and was the country’s
external affairs minister under
PM PV Narasimha Rao.
Solanki’s move to introduce
reservations for OBCs resulted
in an anti-reservation agitation
across the state which led to
riots between Hindus and
Muslims and between the
upper castes and Dalits, result-
ing in deaths of over a hundred
people. Solanki resigned in
1985 only to return to power by
winning a record 149 seats.
Solanki, after resigning as
India’s external affairs minis-
JP Nadda
(TMC) of orchestrating the
attack, leading to a new flash-
point in the tussle between the
Centre and the state. The minis-
try of home affairs called the
three IPS officers who were
responsible for providing secu-
rity to the BJP chief back on cen-
tral deputation but the TMC
refused to send them, accusing
the Centre of political vendetta.
It also denied any role in the
attack on Nadda’s convoy.
Later, addressing a press con-
ference in Kolkata, Nadda hit out
at the TMC, alleging that the
party never represented the Ben-
gali culture but symbolized
“anarchy and corruption”.
Nadda alleged that the TMC
was working with a criminal
instinct and had institutionalised
corruption.“The TMC never rep-
resented true Bengali culture. It
represents anarchy, corruption
and extortion. The BJP and
Syama Prasad Mookerjee repre-
sent true Bengali culture,” Nadda
said, amid accusations by the
TMC that the BJP does not have
any idea about the culture of
Bengal.
He also reiterated that the
however, lodged a complaint
with the police on Saturday,
accusing the man of forcing his
sister to convert for marriage.
The brother also accused the
man of sexually abusing the
woman. “The man hid his reli-
gion from my sister as he intro-
duced himself as Babloo. When
she came to know about his reli-
gion, accused started harassing
her. He forced my sister for con-
version for marriage but she
refused. He left her and also har-
assed her sexually and men-
tally,” said the brother.
The accused, meanwhile, told
the police that he was in a rela-
tionship with the woman for the
past eight years. He said the rela-
tionship ended with mutual con-
sent due to opposition from their
families and after his family
fixed his marriage, said an offi-
cer familiar with the probe.
Deputy inspector general
(DIG) of police, Bhopal, Irshad
Wali said: “Police are investigat-
ing the case and taking legal
opinion on how to register the
case under sections of new MP
Freedom of Religion Act 2020,
which has a provision of impris-
onment up to 10 years and fine
up to ₹1 lakh for forcing anyone
for conversion.”
HT ARCHIVE
ter, withdrew from all political
activity and remained confined
to his home, spending time on
reading books, listening to
music and watching movies.
As a bibliophile, Solanki was
the most widely read politician
in Gujarat.
As the chief minister, he
took a special interest in pro-
moting art, literature, theatre
and cinema in Gujarat. It was
during his tenure that three
film studios came up in the
state and the government
exempted Gujarati movies
from entertainment tax.
His friends included emi-
NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
JANUARY 10, 2021
Centre was determined to imple-
ment the new citizenship law in
the country but did not set any
timeframe. “The Citizenship
(Amendment) Act will be imple-
mented in letter and spirit. We
are committed. We are framing
the rules,” said Nadda.
During the visit, Nadda also
launched “Ek Muthi Chawal” (a
fistful of rice), a programme
under which he collected rice
from farmers and briefed them
about the benefits of the new
farm laws. “The warmth you all
have shown to welcome me
shows you have decided that
Mamata Banerjee government is
going to be shown the door and
BJP will form the govt in Bengal.
Your happiness and confidence
shows the public is ready to wel-
come us to form the govern-
ment,” Nadda said.
Nadda accused the TMC lead-
ership of indulging in corruption
and misappropriating ration
sent by the Centre during the
Covid-19 pandemic.
“Smuggling of coal and sand
is all that you hear about these
days. The Calcutta high court
ordered an audit into the
expenses made towards relief
(after cyclone Amphan). But the
government challenged it in the
Supreme Court. Why? Why is
Mamata Banerjee so worried?”
said Nadda.
Reacting to Nadda’s remarks,
TMC Lok Sabha member and
party spokesperson Saugata Roy
said, “Nadda hails from Hima-
chal Pradesh. What does he
know about Bengal? Spreading
misinformation will not help the
BJP. The TMC will return to
power with absolute majority.”
NIA COURT GRANTS
BAIL TO PDP
LEADER PARRA
IN TERROR CASE
Ravi Krishnan Khajuria
letters@hindustantimes.com
JAMMU: A special court of the
National Investigation Agency
(NIA) released People’s Demo-
cratic Party youth wing presi-
dent Waheed ur Rehman Parra
on bail on Saturday, an official
familiar with the development
said.
Special judge Sunit Gupta
released Parra on a surety of ₹1
lakh. Parra was arrested by the
NIA for his alleged involvement
with the Hizbul Mujahideen on
November 25 last year, a few
days after filing nomination
papers as a People’s Alliance
for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD)
candidate. He won the district
development council elections
from south Kashmir’s Pul-
wama.
The NIA has alleged that
Parra had “closed links” with
Irfan Shafi Mir, who was ear-
lier arrested along with Naveed
Babu and suspended deputy
superintendent of police Davin-
der Singh.
The agency has claimed that
Parra conspired with the other
accused to support Hizbul
Mujahideen, a charge denied
by the PDP which had termed
his arrest as “politically moti-
vated”.
nent lawyers, artists, theatre
and movie actors, directors
and writers. Solanki was a con-
noisseur of art, literature and
movies. He had a rich library of
books and movies. A journalist
before he joined politics,
Solanki was a member of the
legislative assembly of the
Bombay state in 1957-60 and
then of the Gujarat legislative
assembly from 1960-68.
Solanki’s cabinet was
known to have many highly
educated and multifaceted
ministers who had done well
in various fields – finance,
engineering, social work, law
and trade union movement.
Outside of his cabinet too,
Solanki picked up eminent per-
sonalities from varied fields to
head various state boards and
corporations.
(The writer is a journalist based
in Ahmedabad)
v
WATCH: PM
Modi, Rahul
Gandhi condole death
NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
JANUARY 10, 2021
{ BIRD FLU SCARE }
Capital amps up precautions
as more birds are found dead
Samples of dead birds
have been sent for
testing to ascertain if
they died from avian
influenza; reports
expected by Monday
Karn Pratap Singh
karn.singh@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: At least 10 ducks
and a couple of crows were
found dead between Friday and
Saturday in the Sanjay Lake, a
popular waterbody developed by
Delhi Development Authority
(DDA) in east Delhi’s Trilokpuri
near Mayur Vihar, sparking
fears of an outbreak of bird flu
(avian influenza) in the city.
A senior DDA official said that
24 crows were found dead over a
period of four days between Jan-
uary 5 and January 8 in the dis-
trict park in Jasola Vihar in
south-east Delhi.
On Saturday, four district
parks — in Hauz Khas, Hastsal,
Dwarka sector 9 and Sanjay Lake
— were closed for public. The
district park in Jasola has not
been shut for public as of now.
“We are monitoring the situa-
tion. We have closed Hauz Khas
park as a lot of people visit it,
especially during the weekend,”
said the official.
A senior DDA official said, “At
Sanjay Lake, at least 10 ducks
were found dead. Their samples
have been sent to ascertain the
cause of death. Besides that, at
least 24 crows have died in the
last four days at the district park
in Jasola. DDA is monitoring the
situation closely and is in touch
with other government agencies.
Meanwhile, precautionary
{ FLIGHTS FROM THE UK }
No returnees test
Covid+ve on Day 2
Anvit Srivastava
anvit.srivastava@htlive.com
NEW DELHI: All 256 passengers
who arrived at Delhi’s Indira
Gandhi International Airport
from the United Kingdom (UK)
on Saturday tested negative for
Covid and were sent for a seven
days of mandatory institutional
quarantine.
The 256 passengers landed in
Delhi around 1pm on Vistara
flight UK18 that had departed
Heathrow airport late on Friday
night. As soon as they landed,
the passengers were escorted by
Central Industrial Security
Force (CISF) personnel for their
immigration clearance, baggage
collection and customs clear-
ance. They were then whisked
away to a waiting hall to get
their RT-PCR tests done.
Dr Gauri Agarwal, founder
and director of Genestrings
diagnostics that is conducting
the RT-PCR tests at the Delhi
airport, said none of the 256
passengers tested positive for
Covid-19 on Saturday.
“We gave all the reports
within 4-5 hours. We also had
our staff strength increased to
make sure the process is
smooth and quick. The tests
were completed smoothly. The
flights arriving from the UK are
under tight scrutiny given the
high alert due to the new strain
circulating there. Hence, multi-
disciplinary operational and
AURANGZEB LANE
SIGNBOARD IN
CENTRAL DELHI
DEFACED, 11 HELD
NEW DELHI: Eleven people were
arrested for allegedly defacing
an Aurangzeb Lane signboard
in central Delhi’s Tughlak Road
area on Saturday morning, the
police said.
All 11 were booked under the
charges of defacing and damag-
ing public property and an FIR
was registered at the Tughlak
Road police station. All of them
were granted bail later in the
day, the police said.
Deputy commissioner of
police (New Delhi) Eish Singhal
said a patrol team at the spot
found that 11 people had defaced
an Aurangzeb Lane signboard,
which is the property of the
New Delhi Municipal Council
(NDMC). The suspects had
pasted a poster of Guru Teg
Bahadur Lane on another sign-
board, Singhal said.
An animal husbandry department team collects crow
carcasses in a Rohini park on Saturday. SANCHIT KHANNA/HT
No confirmed cases so far
DELHI
Sector 15,
Rohini
Hastsal
Dwarka
measures like spraying of disin-
fectants is being carried out in
all DDA parks.”
The deaths of the ducks and
the crows came to fore on Satur-
Health officials register UK returnees at IGI airport.
administrative teams — com-
prising CISF, Delhi government
officials, Delhi Police personnel
and GMR-DIAL officials — have
been deputed to ensure security
and checks,” she said.
On Friday afternoon, the
Delhi government issued an
order making it mandatory for
all UK returnees to undergo a
seven-day institutional quaran-
tine, even if they tested negative.
International returnees, other
than those coming in from the
UK, can apply for exemption
from institutional quarantine
online, produce a negative Cov-
id-19 report, and can quarantine
for 14 days at home.
Officials said the flight, UK18,
was to initially supposed to
bring 291 passengers, but 35
{ KEJRIWAL APPEALS TO CENTRE }
Covid vaccine should
be free for all, says CM
HT Correspondent
htreporters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: Describing the Cov-
id-19 pandemic as the “biggest
epidemic of the century”, Delhi
chief minister Arvind Kejriwal
on Saturday urged the Centre to
provide vaccines for free to all
citizens of the country.
“The coronavirus pandemic is
the biggest epidemic of the cen-
tury. It is very important to pro-
tect our people from this. I
request the Central Government
that the vaccine should be pro-
vided free of cost to all country-
men. The expenditure on this
will be helpful in saving the lives
of many Indians,” Kejriwal
tweeted in Hindi.
Senior officials in the chief
minister’s office said Kejriwal is
Where dead
birds have
been found
Sanjay Lake,
Trilokpuri
MCD central park,
Mayur Vihar Phase 3
Jasola district
park
day, a day after the carcasses of
dozens of crows were found in a
park in east Delhi’s Mayur Vihar
Phase 3, Dwarka and Hastsal .
The deaths have triggered fear
SOURCED
cancelled their trip because of
the new quarantine rules.
On Friday, the first flight that
landed in India from the UK
after 16 days, brought 256 pas-
sengers, out of which two tested
positive for Covid at Delhi.
Deputy commissioner of
police (IGIA) Rajeev Ranjan said
all those who opted for paid
quarantine facility were taken
to Aerocity where some hotels
have been declared as Covid
quarantine facilities. “We have
adequate deployment in place at
the hotels as well as at the test-
ing centre to make sure every-
one gets tested ,” Ranjan said.
A Delhi government spokes-
person said all protocols laid
down by them are being fol-
lowed in letter and spirit.
likely to reiterate the free vacci-
nation demand during the
scheduled interaction of chief
ministers with Prime Minister
Narendra Modi on Monday. This
will be his first meeting of the
PM with CMs of all states after
the recent approval of the two
vaccines, Covishield and
Covaxin, for restricted emer-
gency use by the country’s drugs
regulator.
Delhi, like all other states, will
also start the Covid vaccination
drive from January 16.
Earlier, Delhi health minister
Satyendar Jain had said that
Covid vaccine doses will be pro-
vided free of cost to all Delhi resi-
dents and asserted that the Aam
Aadmi Party (AAP)-led govern-
ment had made all preparations
for the vaccination drive.
of an outbreak of bird flu and
has prompted authorities to col-
lect samples of dead birds and
send them to laboratories to
ascertain if the deaths were
caused by the potential spread of
the virus, similar to the one that
has affected at least six other
states. The report of the samples
collected on Friday is expected
on Monday.
The death of the birds in the
last few days has also prompted
the government to order closure
of the Ghazipur wholesale poul-
try market for 10 days and
impose a ban on the import of
live poultry in the city.
Also, on Saturday, at least
three crows were found dead in
three separate parks located
near Krishna Kunj Apartments,
a residential society in Rohini
Sector-15. The samples of the
three birds were not collected
before the carcasses being bur-
ied by the authorities, as offi-
cials believed the deaths were
not caused by avian influenza.
“Sample testing is done only
when birds die in groups of 10 or
more. As far as the carcasses of
the three crows are concerned,
they were found in three sepa-
rate parks, each at a distance of
nearly 300 metres,” said a
municipal corporation doctor,
who visited the spots but did not
want to be named.
According to the doctor, the
crows in Rohini were found
dead around 11.30 am by resi-
dents, who informed the local
resident welfare association
(RWA) and its officials in turn
alerted the authorities.
On Saturday morning, 10
ducks died one after another at
the Sanjay Lake complex, where
nearly 450 ducks are kept and
looked after by caretakers
Two apprehended
for killing 10-yr-old
boy, hiding body
HT Correspondent
htreporters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: Two boys — aged
12 and 17 years — allegedly
killed a 10-year-old in a
mosque in north-east Delhi’s
Khajuri Khas area and then hid
his body on the same premises
with a plan to extort money,
the police said on Saturday
after apprehending both the
suspects.
This was the duo’s second
attempt in 10 days to kill the
boy, said Ved Prakash Surya,
deputy commissioner of police
(north-east). “The first time,
they offered him water mixed
with sleeping pills, but it didn’t
have any impact,” said the DCP.
The victim, investigators
claimed, lived with his parents
and his father owns a footwear
manufacturing unit.The two
suspects lived in the same
neighbourhood as the victim.
“The 17-year-old had lured
the 12-year-old plan to commit
the murder and then extort
money. The boys didn’t have
any concrete plan on how to go
about the extortion or the
amount to ask. They just
thought that they would some-
how inform the boy’s father
that his child was with them
and would be released only if
the money was paid. The two
boys planned to flee from their
homes after getting the
money,” said the DCP, based on
initial details shared by the two
News
employed by the DDA.
When HT visited Sanjay Lake
on Saturday afternoon, one of
the largest green areas in east
Delhi and spread over 69 hec-
tares, several dead fish were also
found floating in the artificial
lake located within the premises.
The employees working there
said that apart from 10 ducks
that died on Saturday morning,
two more ducks had died late on
Friday evening, while two crows
were also found dead in the park
the same morning.
“Around 6am, all the ducks
were taken out of the barn and
left in the lake to swim. Around
11am, four-five of them began
swimming in circles.. Some
more ducks also showed similar
symptoms. We immediately
rushed them to the barn and
gave them medicine. But 10 of
them died,” said a caretaker.
A security guard at the prem-
ises said a medical team, along
with DDA officials, arrived after
being informed about the deaths
and collected samples of five-six
dead ducks.
Despite the death of the ducks,
the recreational area remained
open and visitors, including chil-
dren, were seen playing, walk-
ing, fishing, and boating in the
lake on Saturday.
Many visitors were unaware
of the deaths of the ducks while a
few did know about the possible
scare of the bird flu in some
states.
Farid, a resident of Trilokpuri
who claimed to be present near
the lake when the ducks died,
said “I often come here (Sanjay
Lake) to collect dry wood. Today,
some 12-14 ducks fell uncon-
scious soon after they were
taken out of the lake. They all
died and were buried.”
alleged juveniles.
After the first failed attempt,
the boys allegedly caught hold
of the victim a second time
when he was walking to the
local mosque around 6.30pm
on Thursday.
“They gave the boy some
money and asked him to buy
momos from a stall. They then
asked him to accompany them
to the first floor of the mosque
to eat together,” said the DCP.
They then lured the boy to
the terrace where the younger
of them grabbed the 10-year-old
victim’s feet while the older one
strangled him, said the police.
Thereafter, they dragged his
body to the second floor where
they hid in amid some debris
and covered it with a sack con-
taining cement.
Meanwhile, the victim’s
father approached police with
a missing persons complaint
upon which a probe was
launched and boy’s friends and
relatives questioned.
The police searched the
mosque and recovered the
boy’s body.
The DCP said CCTV footage
from the mosque was scanned,
revealing the role of the two
boys mentioned by the public.
“We spoke to the two boys
separately and there were con-
tradictions in their statements.
They finally owned up to the
crime,” the officer said, adding
that it continues to be probed if
any adults were involved.
ONLY 20 OF DELHI’S
1,644 POLLUTING
INDUSTRIES YET TO
SWITCH TO PNG AS
DEADLINE NEARS
Soumya Pillai
soumya.pillai@htlive.com
NEW DELHI: Of 1,644 polluting
industries in the national capital,
1,624 units have switched over to
piped natural gas (PNG), accord-
ing to the latest status report by
the Delhi Pollution Control Com-
mittee (DPCC) on Saturday.
The Commission for Air Qual-
ity Management (CAQM) in NCR
and adjoining areas last Decem-
ber had directed all industrial
units in Delhi to switch to PNG
by January 31 and had directed
the DPCC to inspect and identify
industries using polluting fuels
and penalise those units.
A senior DPCC official said on
Saturday, “A total of 1,624 indus-
trial units in Delhi have con-
verted to PNG, a safer and non-
polluting fuel.”
The official said a status
report of this has been submitted
to the CAQM and the Central
Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
In an air review meeting con-
ducted on December 22, che
Commission reviewed the
progress of industries switching
over to PNG. Representatives of
the Delhi government, DPCC,
Gail, and Indraprastha Gas Lim-
ited (IGL) had attended the
meeting to chalk out a plan to
switch these industrial units to
cleaner fuels as a long-term
move to cut pollution in Delhi.
“About 1,644 of the industrial
units are spread across 50 indus-
trial areas in Delhi had been
identified for the switch over to
PNG. The commission stressed
on the need to switch over to a
cleaner fuel by all identified
industries in Delhi, considering
that the sector is one of the
major contributors to air pollu-
tion in Delhi and the NCR,” the
minutes of the meeting read.
IGL and Gail have been
directed to complete the pipeline
network, metering, and associ-
ated infrastructure by
January 31.
Air quality worse,
min temperature
in city up to 10.8°C
HT Correspondent
htreporters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: Delhi’s air quality
on Saturday deteriorated to the
“very poor” category of the air
quality index (AQI), a turn that
the India Meteorological Depart-
ment (IMD) attributed to the
light rain in some parts of Delhi-
NCR on Friday.
IMD officials said wind speed
had started picking up from Sat-
urday and will remain high over
the next few days, which would
keep the pollution under control.
The Central Pollution Control
Board (CPCB)’s air quality index
for Delhi on Saturday was 301, in
the ”very poor” zone. On Friday,
the AQI of Delhi was 234, in the
”poor” category.
IMD scientists said by Satur-
day afternoon, wind speeds in
Delhi had improved to around 12
kmph. However, the pollution
spike seen was an impact of the
accumulation of pollutants over
the past 24 hours, because of the
light rain in parts of Delhi and
NCR, which led to increased
moisture content in the air.
Kuldeep Srivastava, head of
IMD’s regional weather forecast-
ing centre, said from Sunday,
wind speed will improve drasti-
cally, which will also result in
the dispersion of pollutants.
“For the next two or three
days, the wind speed will be
high. The main reason behind
03
this is the passing of two western
disturbances back to back. Usu-
ally, once a western disturbance
has passed over a region, the
wind speed picks up,” Srivastava
said.
He also said the dense fog
over the city will lift owing to the
strong wind.
Union ministry of earth sci-
ence’s air quality monitoring
centre, System of Air Quality and
Weather Forecasting and
Research (Safar), also said the
AQI is expected to remain in the
“poor” category on Sunday but
will improve to the ”moderate”
category by Monday.
“The improved ventilation
condition is likely to influence
the AQI positively for the next
few days. The AQI is likely to
improve to “moderate” category
on January 11 and January 12. No
sudden deterioration in AQI is
expected in the next few days,”
the Safar forecast said.
Meanwhile, the temperature
on Saturday remained higher
than the season’s normal. The
minimum temperature at Saf-
darjung observatory, considered
the city’s official marker, was
10.8 degrees Celsius, four above
the season’s normal. The maxi-
mum temperature was 19.7°C.
Srivastava said from Monday,
the temperatures will dip
slightly to around 8-9°C. “There
will be a dip, but it will not be a
drastic one,” he said.
04 News
NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
JANUARY 10, 2021

A
l Govt: Sailors stuck in GOAIR SACKS PILOT
FOR DEROGATORY
{ THE CROSSWORDS }
CRYPTIC CLUES PUZZLE 15815 © Gemini Crosswords 2018 All rights reserved
Guv discusses REMARKS AGAINST
Bengal law and
order with Shah
KOLKATA: West Bengal
governor Jagdeep
China to return soon PM ON TWITTER
Press Trust Of India
letters@hindustantimes.com
ACROSS

Dhankhar met Union Rezaul H Laskar
home minster Amit
Shah in Delhi on
letters@hindustantimes.com
Saturday to discuss law NEW DELHI: Twenty-three Indian
and order situation in sailors stranded in Chinese
the state. “I cannot waters for almost seven months
reveal the discussion I are set to return home after a
had with the home crew change was arranged for
minister... I have been their vessel at a Japanese port,
constantly appealing minister of state for shipping
for free and fair polls Mansukh Mandaviya said on
and asking public Saturday.
servants to shun A total of 39 Indian seafarers
politics. I hope people have been stranded on the MV
organizing the elections Jag Anand and MV Anastasia
will take note and take off two Chinese ports for
action so that Bengal months, and India had been
becomes an example exploring several options to
for the rest of the bring them back. The situation
country and the world,” is believed to be the outcome of
Dhankar told media the China-Australia trade row -
after the meeting. both vessels were carrying Aus-
tralian coal and weren’t allowed
Punjab CM acting to discharge their cargo.
The 23 Indians on MV Jag
like BJP agent: Anand are now expected to
AAP’s Chadha return next week, though there
CHANDIGARH: AAP was no official word on the sta-
leader Raghav Chadha tus of the 16 Indians on MV
here on Saturday Anastasia. “Our Seafarers stuck
accused Punjab Chief in China are coming back to
Minister Amarinder India! Ship M.V. Jag Anand,
Singh of acting like a having 23 Indian crews, stuck in
UNION MINISTER
MANSUKH
MANDAVIYA SAID 23
SAILORS WILL
REACH CHIBA PORT
ON JAN 14 AND
WILL FLY BACK TO
INDIA FROM THERE
Chiba, Japan to carry out crew
change...This could only happen
due to strong leadership of
[Prime Minister] @Narendra-
Modiji,” Mandaviya said in a
tweet. The seafarers are
expected to reach Chiba port on
January 14, and will fly back to
India after the completion of
procedures related to Covid-19
protocols, Mandaviya said.
The minister said he appreci-
ated the humanitarian
approach of Great Eastern Ship-
ping Company, the owner of MV
Jag Anand, towards the sailors
and for “standing by them in
this crucial time”. India had on
Friday said it had again taken
up with China the issue of
bringing back all 39 stranded
response from Beijing and ship-
ping companies to various
options for handling the matter.
Among these options was seek-
ing early approval from China
for a crew change, as is being
done in the case of MV Jag
Anand. Chinese authorities
have outlined detailed steps for
a crew change in view of the
country’s strict pandemic con-
trol and prevention measures,
and these have to be complied
with by the shipping compa-
nies, the external affairs minis-
try had said.
MV Jag Anand has been at
anchorage near Jingtang port in
Hebei province since June 13,
while MV Anastasia has been
on anchorage near Caofeidian
port since September 20.
In a separate development,
the Indian embassy in Beijing
said on Saturday that it has been
repeatedly advised by Chinese
authorities that Covid-19-related
restrictions in place are unlikely
to be relaxed in the coming
months and courses for Indian
students studying in China “are
likely to continue only through
online means” for the next
9
1
4
8
It’s worn for a spell of work (5)
Found the tea cold perhaps (7)
Once always included in prayers (3)
Drawn wine ready to be put out (9)
10 Put into bonds, on account of great
NEW DELHI: GoAir has sacked a
senior pilot who made deroga- 11
interest? (7)
Walk carelessly from blame (5)
tory remarks about Prime Min- 13 Notice a dog inside and tie it up (6)
ister Narendra Modi on Twitter 15 Be back in time for a parliamentary
occasion (6)
on January 7. “GoAir has termi-
nated the services of the Captain
18 Go out with a girl (5)
19 Indeed it’s 12½ cents charged to one’s
with immediate effect,” the air- account (7)
line’s spokesperson said on Sat- 21
23
Foolishly pulverise something offensive (9)
Song birds take to it (3)
urday when asked about the
objectionable tweets by pilot 24 He breaks down in the course of an
investigation (7)
Miki Malik. 25 Part of a clergyman’s estate? (5)
Captain Malik, who made the
remarks about the Prime Minis- DOWN
ter on January 7, has deleted the 1 They allow sailors to make steady progress
offensive tweets and locked his (3,4)
2 A client I’d made perfectly agreeable (9) QUICK CLUES
account on Twitter. The sacked
3 Get thinner and lighter (5)
pilot however tendered an apol- ACROSS DOWN
4 Uncommonly haughty (6)
ogy on Twitter. “I apologise for 5 Motoring investigation reveals a body (7)
1 Undamaged (5) 1 Waiting at table (7)
my tweets about the PM and 4 Formal permission (7) 2 Final statement of terms (9)
6 How to judge an effort (3) 8 Monotonous routine (3) 3 Stage setting (5)
other offensive tweets, which 7 Act evasively (5) 9 Sudden seizure of power (4,5) 4 Bay (6)
may have hurt sentiments of 12 A mainline express? (4,5) 10 Engross (7) 5 Later addition to will (7)
anyone associated. I convey that 14 Uncommon payment for an author (7) 11 Cautious (5) 6 After all deductions (3)
13 Obtain by intimidation (6) 7 Item recorded (5)
GoAir is not associated with any 16 Possibly sore after the finish, finished
15 Joyful (6) 12 Dictatorship (9)
second (7)
of my tweets directly or indi- 18 Form quick opinion of (3,2) 14 To censure (7)
rectly as they were personal
17 Loose draft I put in order (6)
19 Favouring drastic reforms (7) 16 Amplify (7)
18 First class railway return to southern
views.” A GoAir spokesperson country (5)
21
23
Spying (9)
Publicise (3)
17
18
Out-and-out (6)
Wide expanse (5)
said the airline has a zero-toler- 20 Fish looks right in the light (5) 24 Make strong objection (7) 20 Fantasy (5)
ance policy on such matters. 22 In shape and size one is very like another (3) 25 Possibly (5) 22 In favour of (3)
“The airline does not associate
itself with personal views FRIDAY’S SOLUTIONS (15814)
expressed by any individual or { SUDOKU } DIFFICULTY LEVEL
an employee,” the spokesperson

CRYPTIC
“BJP agent” and advised China, is set to sail toward sailors and was awaiting a semester. noted.
him to “officially join”
the saffron party. He
further alleged that the
RAJE ‘SUPPORTERS’
Punjab chief minister
was “helpless” and
“bound to appease” the FORM NEW OUTFIT 40-yr-old protesting farmer dies
Centre to “save” his son
who is facing the ED
investigation.
KOTA: People claiming to be sup-
porters of former chief minister
Vasundhara Raje have formed an
by suicide at Singhu border: Cops
outfit named Vasundhara Raje THE FARMER, allow farmers to sell anywhere

Ex-MP booked Samarthak Rajasthan Manch
(VRSRM), saying that they want
under SC/ST Act her to be the state’s chief minister
for attack on doc for the third time.
BAREILLY: A former The outfit, formed by Jaipur-
Rajya Sabha MP and his based lawyer and former state
11 supporters were president of the BJP’s legal cell,
booked on charges of Vijay Bhardwaj, is projecting Raje
assaulting and calling as the CM candidate for the 2023
names to a Dalit doctor state polls. “The manch is a non-
and manhandling political outfit formed to highlight
women and children of the policies of Raje’s government
his family after barging and it is not a parallel organisation
into his house, police to BJP,” said Bhardwaj.
said on Saturday. BJP state president Satish Poo-
Former MP Veer Pal nia said: “This front and its messa-
Press Trust of India
letters@hindustantimes.com
CHANDIGARH: A 40-year-old
Punjab farmer, who was taking
part in the protest at the Singhu
border against the Central farm
laws, allegedly died by suicide
after consuming a poisonous
substance on Saturday evening,
police officials familiar with
the matter said.
The farmer, Amarinder
Singh, was a resident of Pun-
jab’s Fatehgarh Sahib district.
The man was rushed to a local
hospital in Sonipat where he
A RESIDENT OF
PUNJAB,
CONSUMED A
POISONOUS
SUBSTANCE, POLICE
OFFICIALS SAID
camping at different border
points of Delhi for over a
month now demanding repeal
of the three contentious laws,
which were voted through in
Parliament in September amid
QUICK
in the country.
However, the protesting
farmers have expressed appre-
hension that the new laws
would pave the way for elimi-
nating the safety cushion of
Minimum Support Price and do
away with the mandi system, Fill in all the squares in the grid so that each row, column and
leaving them at the mercy of each of the 9X9 squares contains all the digits from 1 to 9.
big corporates.
The government has repeat-
edly asserted that the MSP and
{ WEATHER } TEMPERATURE IN
Mandi systems will stay and ALMANAC
TEMPERATURE HIGH LOW Today is FOUR METROS
has accused the opposition of
10th January 2021 Delhi
misleading the farmers. 25 Jumada Al-Awwal 1442
l
18°c I 10°c

w
l Pausha,
Krishna Paksha, 12 Mumbai
Singh Yadav, currently ges are being floated on social died, said Sonipat’s Kundli strong protests by opposition SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY l Samvat 2077
30°c I 21°c
a leader of Samajwadi media and there is nothing on the police station’s inspector Ravi parties. Shallow fog Strong surface Strong surface
Sunset: Sunday
at 05:42 p.m. Kolkata
Party, was booked ground. When asked whether Kumar. At least 50 protesting The three laws have been winds during day winds during day Sunrise: Monday
31°c I 19°c
under various sections there is patronage to the front by farmers have died so far. projected by the central gov- READ:Tomar time time at 07:15 a.m.
Moonrise: Monday
asks farmers to Chennai
of the Indian Penal Raje, he said: “So far, there is no Farmers from various parts ernment as major reforms in at 05:18 a.m.
28°c I 23°c
Code. such thing but if something hap- of the country, mostly from the agriculture sector that will offer alternative to repeal of laws 18°c I 10°c 17°c I 08°c 17°c I 08°c Moonset: Monday
at 03:50 p.m.
pens then we will discuss”. HTC Punjab and Haryana, have been remove the middlemen and

Unforgettable
NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
JANUARY 10, 2021
AIADMK COUNCIL
ENDORSES
PALANISWAMI AS
CM CANDIDATE
FOR TN ELECTIONS
Divya Chandrababu
letters@hindustantimes.com
CHENNAI: The All India Anna
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
(AIADMK) on Saturday
endorsed incumbent state chief
minister Edappadi K Palanis-
wami as its candidate for the
upcoming assembly elections in
the state.
The AIADMK general coun-
cil, the party’s top decision-
making body also authorised
Palaniswami and deputy chief
minister O Panneerselvam to
devise the party’s strategy for
the polls and endorsed the
appointment of a steering com-
mittee, which is likely to play a
key role in important matters.
The party also thanked Prime
Minister Narendra Modi for
including Tamil Nadu among
the six states under the central
lighthouse project.
The general council passed 16
resolutions, including urging
the Centre to not allow dissolv-
ing the provincial councils in Sri
Lanka that ensure devolution of
powers to Lankan Tamils.
“This general council autho-
rises O Panneerselvam and Eda-
padi K Palaniswami to devise
winning strategies to ensure a
grand win in the 2021 polls, cre-
ate an AIADMK-led victory alli-
ance and decide seat-sharing
with alliance parties,” the mem-
bers resolved.
The party has earned the
public’s praise for “good gov-
ernance,” it added.
The AIADMK had earlier led
the National Democratic Alli-
ance (NDA), its constituents
being the Bharatiya Janata
VACCINE
use – Oxford-AstraZeneca’s
Covishield, which is manufac-
tured locally by the Serum Insti-
tute of India, and Bharat Bio-
tech’s Covaxin, which has been
cleared for restricted use in
emergency situations in “clini-
cal trial mode”, leading to
experts questioning the decision
because of the shorter duration
of human trials and relatively
lower data published for the
candidate. Both vaccines, the
statement from the health min-
istry said, have established
safety and immunogenicity.
On Saturday, Modi was
briefed about the preparedness
of the Centre in collaboration
with states for the roll-out of the
vaccine. “On 16th January, India
takes a landmark step forward
in fighting COVID-19. Starting
that day, India’s nation-wide
vaccination drive begins. Prior-
ity will be given to our brave
doctors, healthcare workers,
frontline workers including
Safai Karamcharis,” he tweeted
after the meeting.
The PM is scheduled to inter-
act with chief ministers of all
states on Monday via video con-
ferencing, where they will dis-
cuss the Covid-19 situation and
the vaccination roll-out.
Three phases of dry runs
have been conducted across the
country ahead of the vaccina-
tion drive. The third round was
conducted on Friday across 615
districts in 33 states and Union
territories. More than 61,000
programme managers, 200,000
vaccinators and 370,000 other
vaccination team members
have been trained so far at state,
district and block levels, accord-
ing to the health ministry.
“After the detailed review, it
was decided that in view of the
forthcoming festivals including
Lohri, Makar Sankranti, Pongal,
Magh Bihu etc., the Covid-19
{
India’ corona vaccines,” he said,
speaking in Hindi. “Today, the
world is not only waiting for
India’s vaccine, but it is also eye-
ing how India runs the world’s
largest vaccination pro-
gramme.”
The PM was also apprised
about the Co-WIN vaccine deliv-
ery management system on Sat-
urday. The digital platform will
provide real-time information
of vaccine stocks, their storage
temperature and individualised
tracking of beneficiaries of the
Covid-19 vaccine, according to
the government. The platform
will assist programme manag-
ers across all levels through
automated session allocation
for pre-registered beneficiaries,
their verification and for gener-
ating a digital certificate upon
successful completion of the
vaccine schedule. More than 7.9
million beneficiaries have been
already registered on the plat-
form, the health ministry said.
“As the vaccinators and vac-
cine administrators comprise a
crucial pillar of the vaccination
exercise, their training process
was detailed out. 2,360 partici-
pants were trained during
national level Training of Train-
ers which comprised state
immunization officers, cold
chain officers, IEC officials,
development partners, etc.,” it
added.
At least seven other vaccines
are being developed in India,
while some others can be
imported from abroad, includ-
ing the one developed by global
pharma giant Pfizer, which has
already applied for import and
sale in India of its vaccine for
emergency use authorisation.
In December 2020, the UK
became the first country to start
vaccination, followed by several
other nations, including the US,
Belarus, Argentina, Belgium,
Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croa-
}
expressed its concerns. If there
is a health risk, the next Test
should be played in Sydney,” a
BCCI official said.
A cleaning worker in a Bris-
bane quarantine hotel tested
positive on Friday for the UK
strain of the virus after which a
three-day lockdown has been
imposed in Queensland’s capi-
tal. New South Wales, of which
Sydney is the capital, has shut
its border with Greater Bris-
bane.
The Indian team had earlier
written to CA expressing
unhappiness over the hard-
quarantine rules for its players
in Brisbane. India’s reservations
on travelling to Brisbane
remain.
The CA wasn’t available for
comment but Australian media
reports said the board was
hopeful talks with the BCCI will
be fruitful and the Test will stay
in Brisbane. Time is running out
if the series decider starting on
Jan 15 has to be moved to Syd-
ney as a fresh strip needs to be
prepared at the SCG.
RACIAL ABUSE
market. According to the gov-
ernment’s animal husbandry
department, at least 250,000
live birds (chicken) arrive in
Delhi every day and almost all
of them are sold out in retail the
same day. On Sundays, theses
arrivals and sales nearly double.
Kejriwal said that the results
of the first set of samples col-
lected from Delhi sent to the
Northern Regional Disease
Diagnostic Laboratory in Jalan-
dhar for testing and the reports
will come on Monday. “In view
of the prevailing situation and
to prevent the virus from
spreading in the city, the Delhi
government has taken two very
important decisions today.
Firstly, we have put a complete
ban on imports of live birds in
News 05
tioned above have been shut
Saturday onwards, the district
‘Robin Hood’ of village in
park in Jasola was not immedi-
ately shut.
“We are monitoring the situa-
tion. We have closed Hauz Khas
Bihar nabbed for burglary
parks as a lot of people visit it, Bihar, Irfan was popular for his
especially during the weekend,”
said the DDA official.
HT Correspondent
htreporters@hindustantimes.com
P charities. According to the DCP,
he earned a lot of local goodwill
On Friday, the government’s NEW DELHI: A 30-year-old man, He was all set to by organising health and food
animal husbandry department
found nearly 50 carcasses of
who bought expensive cars
using money he looted and
contest the Zila camps for the poor.
“He was popular back home.
crows in east Delhi’s Mayur earned the moniker of ‘Robin Parishad elections Encouraged by local youth, he
Vihar, Dwarka and Hastsal in Hood’ in his Bihar village for was all set to contest the Zila
west Delhi. donating to charity, has been
in Bihar’s Sitamarhi Parishad elections in Sitamarhi
Dr Rakesh Singh of the ani- arrested from west Delhi, Delhi this year. in March this year,” the DCP
mal husbandry department said Police said on Saturday. said.
that until Friday, a total of 104 The arrest of Mohd Irfan alias MONIKA BHARDWAJ, DCP This is not the first time Irfan
samples were sent from Delhi to Robinhood Ujaale led to the (crime branch) has been arrested by the Delhi
Jalandhar. Five more samples recovery of two cars — a Jaguar Police. After his arrest in 2017,
were sent to the National Insti- XJ L and a Nissan Teana — and chased by Irfan for ₹18 lakh and investigators had said that his
tute of High Security Animal also led to the arrest of his three the Nissan was bought by him charity included donating ₹5
Disease, ICAR, Bhopal on Satur- associates from Punjab for bur- for ₹10 lakh. Irfan allegedly also lakh to a poor family for their
day. glaries committed there, said purchased a used Mahindra daughter’s wedding.
“Of the 104 samples that have Monika Bhardwaj, deputy com- Scorpio recently using money he “He had gang members across
been sent already, 100 are faecal missioner of police (crime looted from houses. states. They would visit houses
and blood samples and four are branch). The latest crime he was on the pretext of collecting dona-
dead crows,” he said. He said Irfan and his gang allegedly arrested for was a burglary at a tions and repeatedly knock on
the first set of results will come targeted houses in Delhi, Punjab, house in Jalandhar, Punjab, in doors to gauge whether the
in by Monday. Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. August when he and his associ- house was occupied or not. If
Traders in Ghazipur, mean- Police said, the Jaguar, which ates allegedly stole ₹26 lakh cash residents were not around, Irfan
while, appealed to the chief was sold by a prominent lawyer and gold and diamond jewellery. and his men would strike and
minister to conduct sample to a dealer of used cars, was pur- Back home in Sitamarhi in steal valuables,” the DCP said.
tests at poultry farms in other
states from where live birds
arrive in Delhi.
At least 1,200 birds were
found dead across the country
on Saturday, including 900 in a
poultry farm in Maharashtra,
with the Centre saying that the
outbreak of avian influenza has
been reported in Uttar Pradesh,
taking the total number of
affected states to seven.
The Centre said the reports of
samples collected in Delhi,
Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra
were awaited.
A TWTW THE WEEK THAT WAS

Party (BJP), DMDK and PMK
among others, in the state for
the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and its
two top leaders have already
confirmed the party’s alliance
with the BJP.
More than 4,500 members
were invited to the party meet-
ing today which was held in
Chennai’s suburbs. Participants
had to submit a Covid-19 nega-
tive certificate to enter the
meeting.
The members said they
“unanimously accept the
announcement and will work
hard to ensure victory” and
bring Palaniswami back to the
post after the elections.
Targeting Dravida Munnetra
Kazhagam president MK Stalin,
the party alleged that he was
unable to bear the growing pub-
lic support for its government,
as well as Palaniswami’s admin-
istrative acumen and was there-
fore indulging in “uncultured”
criticism of the CM.
It condemned Stalin and his
DMK supporters for “personal
attacks.” In an apparent refer-
ence to its arch rival, the party
in another resolution said it
would strive to “put an end to
dynasty politics of one family”.
vaccination will start from 16th
January 2021,” the official state-
ment said.
“The vaccination exercise is
underpinned by the principles
of people’s participation (Jan
Bhagidari); utilising experience
of elections (booth strategy) and
Universal Immunization Pro-
gram (UIP); no compromise of
existing healthcare services,
especially national programs
and primary health care; no
compromise on scientific and
regulatory norms, other SOPs;
and an orderly and smooth
implementation driven by tech-
nology,” it added.
India is ready with two
“Made in India” vaccines to pro-
tect humanity from Covid-19
even as the world is watching
the roll-out of the world’s larg-
est vaccination programme in
the country, Modi said.
Addressing the virtual inau-
gural session of the Pravasi
Bharatiya Divas Convention,
Modi said India continues to
play its role as the “world’s
pharmacy” by getting essential
medicines to those most in need
around the world. “Today, India
is ready to protect humanity
with not one but two ‘Made in
tia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic,
Denmark, Finland, France, Ger-
many, Greece, Hungary, Israel,
Italy, Kuwait, Malta, Mexico,
Oman, Poland, Qatar, Romania,
Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia,
Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland
and the UAE.
SYDNEY
match referee Mike Proctor
imposed a 3-Test ban for racial
abuse. India challenged the
decision and the ICC appeals
commissioner overturned the
ban. He ruled that Harbhajan
was “not guilty of racial abuse”
and only fined him for “use of
abusive language”.
The ICC has a stringent anti-
racism code against players and
match officials, but following
many complaints against
crowds, spectators found guilty
can be ejected from the venue,
and even a life ban can be
imposed.
Meanwhile, uncertainty grew
over Brisbane staging the final
Test with BCCI in its latest talks
with Cricket Australia (CA) rais-
ing concerns over the UK strain
of the coronavirus being found
at a Brisbane hotel on Friday.
“The Indian board has
the city. Secondly, the Ghazipur
wholesale poultry market has
ANSWERS
been ordered shut for 10 days,” 1. Officiate at a men’s
he said. cricket Test match.
The government has also She’s the reserve
launched a 24-hour helpline umpire
number – 23890318 – for people 2. Mark Zuckerberg,
to report any spotting of dead who banned Trump
birds or seek assistance. from Facebook
Seven states – Uttar Pradesh, 3. The cocktail sari
Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, 4. The Famous Grouse
Gujarat, Kerala, Haryana and 5. The first Bollywood
Himachal Pradesh – have actor to get a Covid-
reported the outbreak, which 19 vaccine
began in December-end. No 6. Yash
case among the human popula- 7. Elon Musk
tion has been reported. 8. Lava
A senior DDA official said 9. The White Tiger
that at the Sanjay Lake in east 10.The mullet
Delhi’s Mayur Vihar Phase II, 10
ducks were found dead. “The
samples have been sent to
ascertain the cause of death.
Besides, 24 crows died in the
last four days at the district park
in Jasola. DDA is monitoring
the situation closely and is in
touch with other government
agencies. Meanwhile, precau-
tionary measures like spraying
of disinfectant are being carried
out in the DDA parks,” the offi-
cial said on condition of ano-
nymity.
While four major parks men-

PARAGLIDER GOES
MISSING NEAR
BIR-BILLING,
LOCAL OFFICIALS
LAUNCH SEARCH
HT Correspondent
letterschd@hindustantimes.com
All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi
D
DHARAMSHALA: A solo para- is holding its
glider pilot from Delhi has gone th
missing in the mountains over- 47 Annual Convocation
looking Kangra district’s Bir-Bill-
ing on Friday, prompting the (in hybrid virtual mode)
authorities to launch search and
rescue operation. on
Kangra authorities said the th
pilot, Rohit Bhadoria, has been Monday, 11 January 2021 at 10.00 AM
residing in Chowgan village near
Bir for the past few years.
at JJawaharlal Auditorium
Kangra deputy commissioner AIIMS, New Delhi
Rakesh Kumar Prajapati said
Bhadoria took off from Billing
around 12.30pm Friday and was
last seen flying around the Big
Face peak, which is more than
Dr. Poon
nam Khetrapal Singh
4,000 metres high. Regionaal Director, South-East Asia
“There has not been any con-
Worrld Health Organization ZE 8V
tact with him since then and it
has been reported by his wife will be the Chief Guestt and will deliver the Convocation Add
dress
that he is not carrying any global
positioning system (GPS) device
or wireless radio,” said Prajapati.
His family requisitioned a pri-
vate helicopter on Saturday for
Dr.. Harsh Vardhan
the search and rescue, but there Hon’ble Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Govt. of India
was no trace of Bhadoria till Sat-
urday evening, Prajapati said. AIIMS, will preside over the function
and President-A
The DC said the state govern-
ment has requisitioned an air
force helicopter for the search
operation after the family sought
Sh. Ash
hwini Kumar Choubey
help from the administration as Hon’ble Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare,
they were unable to bear the
expanses of the private chopper. dia, will be the Guest of Honor
Govt. of Ind
He said a police team has also
been deployed but an on-foot
search would be difficult as his
last location was at a high alti- Proff. Randeep Guleria
tude where mountains are cov-
ered in snow.
Direector, AIIMS New Delhi
Bir-Billing is a popular para- will admit the successfful candidates to their respective degrees
gliding site, and is located 2,325
metres above mean sea level,
Billing serves as the take-off site
while the landing site is in Bir
In view of the restrictio
ons due to COVID-19, you are requestted to
village, a small hamlet famous join the Convvocation online at www.aiims.edu
for its sprawling tea gardens and
Tibetan monasteries. DAVP 17112/13/0024/2021
New Delhi, Sunday, January 10, 2021
PROPERTY
DLF-SUSHANT LOK
DLF PLOTS K-200 @2.05, J-215 Park NEW FLOORS Sushant Lok-II & III,
@2.00, N-250 @1.90, P-4 215 Pair
@2.05, J-1 500 @1.80, A-23 500
@1.85, ASC-500 @1.95, DLF-IV 7500
Series 270yd @1.65. 9810112870
SOUTH CITY-I K-blk 240 yds,Brand DESIGNER FLOORS 215,300, 418,
200-500yd 3/4 BHK Lift stilt @1.3cr,
180YD G+ Basement/18mtr@2.25cr
A class Const. Near Golf Course
Road, Metro. Call 8806968000
DLF − SUSHANT LOK
New F.Flr/ S.Flr Luxurious 3 BR, D/D,
SQ, Lift, Power Bk-up, Stilt 2 Car
Park each, Prime Location. Direct
Deal Sunil Panwar 9810533505
UDYOG VIHAR Phase-1 (near
old Delhi-Gurgaon Road) 450
meter plot for sale (reasonable
price/ value for money). Kindly
contact owner 9811687247
DLF − SUSHANT LOK
500 Sushant Lok-1,DLF, S.City-1 with
stilt pkg, mod kitchen, ACs, gated
PB. Collaborations/turnkey projects
Wanted & Available. # 9990305533
PACE CITY-II (Sector-37) 250
meter transferable industrial plot
for sale (wide road, East facing).
For further details kindly Contact
owner 9811687247
TO BOOK YOUR AD CALL SEVEN DAYS A WEEK→
DLF − SUSHANT LOK
SALE : B'ful 1000yd House
Arjun Marg DLF-1/Verandas 5BHK
Aptt/Baani Square 550 + 550 sft
Shop/Vasant Vhr 800yd park fac-
ing flr.Vikas/Avenues 9811351972
WANTED / AVAILABLE
PLOTS & FLOORS
AT PRIME LOCATION
DLF PHASE -1, 2, 3, 4
SUSHANT LOK -1, 2
SOUTH CITY 1
PLOTS - 300 TO 1000 SQ.YARD
FLOORS - 3 & 4 BHK
IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO
CYBERCITY, GOLF COURSE & NH 8
AT REASONABLE PRICE
8505888666
1800 103 1800 OR
{Sunday}
FARMS
DLF − SUSHANT LOK
GADAIPUR
JONAPUR
DLF CHATTARPUR
INDUSTRIAL LAND AVAILABLE IN HARYANA
SUKHBIR SHOKEEN
SHOKEEN
REAL ESTATE PVT. LTD. (SINCE
9810108263
WE HAVE NO BRANCH.
FARMS
WESTEND GREENS
1 Acre to 5 Acres
KANGANHERI
1 Acre to 50 Acres
CHEAPEST LAND IN DELHI
DHANSA MAIN ROAD & SIDE ROAD
1 To 200 Acres Personal Property with Sale Deed Near KMP Express Highway.
SUKHBIR SHOKEEN
SHOKEEN
REAL ESTATE PVT. LTD. (SINCE
9810108263
WE HAVE NO BRANCH.
DLF − SUSHANT LOK
GOLF COURSE Road (Sushant
Lok-2) 4 bhk luxury builder floors
approx 3000ft, ready, 100%
power backup @ 2.30cr onwards.
2% comm. to brokers.9810011187
SECTOR-46 PLOT on Sale Size
500 Sq.Yds. Near Park North Facing.
Sector-55 Golf Course Road 161 &
181 Sq.Yds. Huda Plot For Sale.
Kapil Gupta: 9911577892.
ARJUN MARG DLF-I, 500yd 7 Star
Duplex House,Plot 500yd North East
12 Mtr Road, Rosewood City 525yd
Villa. Top floor with terrace 300Yd
DLF-2. Contact: 9810060315
B-16/3 DLF-I, 270yd, newly built,
2nd floor with entire Terr.+terr gdn,
3B/R,big size DD,family lounge,mod.
Kitchen, lift, A+const'n excl. gate for
2 cars in stilt Sandeep 9266600627
BRAND NEW ultra Luxury Floors
DLF-I,Gated-275yd 3 BHK lift stilt @
2.50cr/DLF II- 400yd 4 BHK A class
Const. near by NH-8, Metro, Mall,
best Price.Call/whatsapp9718511207
UDYOG VIHAR ph-1 (near
NH-8) 2100 meter plot for sale
(best for rental income/ office)
eligible for 250% FAR value for
money contact owner9811687247
SALE PLOT DLF Phase-1
Size: 270/300/500 & Sushant Lok -1
Size: 215/300/500. Sia Estate
9811467000.
DLF FLOORS Avbl Ultra Luxury
Construction Exclusive inventories
avbl with Full Automation 100% PB
Lift Stilt / Fourth with Terrace also
avbl3/4/5Bhk Saudagar9868033463
E-MAIL→ counterclassifieds@hindustantimes.com
FOR ENQUIRY CONTACT→ 011-66561389/66561161
DLF − SUSHANT LOK
SECTOR-18 (ADJ.NH-8)
450 meter building for sale built
12000 sft (wide road) basement
and Ground rented@1.75lac,first&
second vacant.Owner9811687247
ULTRA LUXURY Builder Floors,
204.51 sq.yds., 3 BHK 100% East
Facing, Corner & Green View Sector-
55, Gated Community # Owner-
8700376860, 9810653905.
PLOTS /BUILT-UP DLF - 1 150y,
DLF-2 300y, DLF - 4 270y / 360y,
S.Lok-2 160y / 180y, Suncity 161y /
276y. All Confirmed Deals.
Opaks Realty 9999406261
RENTED BANK Rent 138300/-
monthly Eros City Square sector 49
Gurgaon. Best Location Call:
9717437773
DLF GALLERIA : DLF City-IV,
Commercial Corner Ground Flr Shop
723 Sq Ft, Tenant Top Food Chain,
Rent 4.40L+GST PM, 9 years Lease
@ 9.30 Cr. call 9700800100 Amitt
DLF CREST, 4022 sq ft, 4bhk+SQ,
Tower A, Higher floor, Club /Pool
facing and Full Golf Course View,
Full Sunlight, Corner, Excellent unit.
Luxury Habitat 8800767467
FOR SALE 1600 sq.ft Shop (Rented
to top MNC brand) with Grand Front
age in DLF City Center 1st floor, MG
Road, Gurgaon. Contact 9810407121,
9871428477 Direct Owner
ANSAL SATBARI
SULTANPUR
RADHEY MOHAN
1980)
ANSAL PUSHPANJALI
1 Acre to 5 Acres
BIJWASAN MAIN RD.
1 Acre to 10 Acres
1980)
DLF − SUSHANT LOK DLF − SUSHANT LOK
BEST DEALS
Aralias
Magnolias
500 YD DLF-I Plot 18mtr wide road The Crest
good location best for making
Builder Floors or investment 2side
open@1,75,000. Call Ahluwalia
Estate Consultants 9911346454
Housing Solutions (P) Ltd.
9810090598
PIONEER PARK . 3 bedroom
apartment 1600 sft. Ground floor.
Done up flat for sale. 9811068621.
LUXURY FLOORS DLF-I/II & SL-1
200-500 yds Stilt Pkg, Lift, Park
Facing, Corner, Beautiful Terrace
Garden, Lavish Interior, at Best.
Price. Call Sanjay 9811105483
UNUSED BEAUTIFUL Two Floors
for the Price of One Plus Construc-
tion Rights on Terrace. DLF2, 300 Yd
Duplex, 4BHK, Bar & Theatre Pkg,
SQ # 9953003292
FARIDABAD
RENTED COMMERCIAL FOR SALE 253 yds Commercial/
property main golf course etxn SCO Plot Corner, N/E on 45 &
road Gurgaon 33000 monthly rental 24 mtr Rd Sec-83, M-Blk, BPTP,
excellent tenant fresh lease Faridabad @ 80K p.sq.yd. Bank
reasonable price call: 9717437773 Loan available. Cont: 7291033503
DLF CITY. Main road JCM. Basement SECTOR 15, 1011 yrds plot facing
ground 300 yards. Well maintained. green belt, main road, excellent
Commercial used. Already rented to location, nr metro & market, original
Beauty parlour. Handsome income. Huda allotee, only genuine & serious
For sale. Contact: 9811068621. buyer cont 8901331417
More Classified Ads
on Page 16
NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
JANUARY 10, 2021
{ PLEA UNDER ARTICLE 32 }
Monitoring real estate projects not our job: Apex court
Abraham Thomas
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: Day-to-day monitor-
ing of construction projects is not
the job of this court and home-
buyers should seek remedy
against unscrupulous builders
from the consumer court, the
Real Estate Regulatory Authority
or under the Insolvency and
Bankruptcy Code, the Supreme
Court has said.
The order passed on Thursday
by the top court, which in previ-
ous orders had come to the res-
cue of homebuyers left in the
lurch by major real estate firms,
is set to deal a blow to several
homebuyers contemplating to
file a direct petition in the top
court under Article 32 for com-
pletion of stalled projects or
securing refunds.
Article 32 guarantees citizens
right to move the Supreme Court
for enforcement of fundamental
rights. The bench of Justices DY
Chandrachud, Indira Banerjee
and Sanjiv Khanna said, “Manag-
ing a construction project is not
within the jurisdiction of the
court... This will inevitably draw
the court into the day-to-day
supervision of the project, includ-
ing financing, permissions and
execution, something which lies
beyond the ken of judicial review
and the competence of the court.”
Purchasers of a commercial real
estate project in Noida Sector 62
had approached the court against
COURT SAYS
HOMEBUYERS
SHOULD SEEK
REMEDY FROM
CONSUMER COURT,
RERA OR UNDER
THE IBC
builders Premia Structures Lim-
ited who promised to construct
office spaces for petitioners and
allegedly collected Rs 49 crore for
the purpose. The commercial
spaces were booked in 2014 with
the possession to be handed over
by 2018-19, the petitioners said.
“Neither the construction took
place nor the developer returned
the invested sums,” said advocate
Shikhil Suri who represented the
petitioners. A criminal case was
lodged against the developers but
the key director has remained
absconding till date, the petition
stated.
Disposing their plea under
Article 32, the bench allowed
petitioners to avail their reme-
dies under the Consumer Protec-
tion Act, Real Estate (Regulation
and Development) Act or the
Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code
(IBC). “It’s a huge burden on the
court. We are an adjudicating
body. Should the Supreme Court
begin monitoring, there will be
hundreds of projects of this
nature spread across the coun-
try. We will be bogged down by
News
these cases. Let’s not get into pol-
icy matters and start running
industries. Just because the real
estate industry is not running,
should Article 32 be the rem-
edy?” observed the court during
the hearing.
This was in contrast to the top
court entertaining writ petitions
under Article 32 filed by
aggrieved homebuyers led by
Chitra Sharma against Jaypee
group in August 2017 and
another set of homebuyers led
by Bikram Chatterji against the
Amrapali group in September
2017.
In case of Unitech, the Court
took up the petitions which
came in appeal from the
National Consumer Disputes
Redressal Commission (NCDRC)
in October 2016. Incidentally,
Justice Chandrachud is heading
the bench which is monitoring
the Unitech case where close to
25,000 homebuyers are awaiting
the court’s nod on a resolution
plan offered by Unitech’s recon-
stituted board to complete the
pending housing projects within
fixed timelines. Even the Jaypee
projects involving nearly 18,000
homebuyers are stuck as no con-
struction has begun on the pend-
ing residential projects.
The court acknowledged the
pain of the present petitioners
but clarified that the Parliament
has enacted a statutory regime to
protect the rights of purchasers
of real estate.
07
Man kills mother, her
partner in Rajasthan
Press Trust Of India
letters@hindustantimes.com
P
JAIPUR: A 20-year-old man
The accused is on
allegedly shot dead his mother the run. The bodies
and a man she was living with
following a marital dispute in will be handed over
Kotputli town of Jaipur district, to the family
police said on Saturday.
members after
Suman Chaudhary (38) had
been living with Matadeen (40)
for the past few months after a
post-mortem
dispute with her husband, and DINESH YADAV, Circle Officer
her son Pankaj was living with
them, they said. “Pankaj opened tive and informed about the
fire at Suman and Matadeen last incident, Yadav said.
night (Friday) leaving them “The accused is on the run.
dead on the spot and The bodies have been shifted to
decamped,” Circle Officer, Kot- a mortuary and will be handed
putli, Dinesh Yadav, said. over to the family members
The son later called up a rela- after post-mortem,” he added

DEATH OF VACCINE
VOLUNTEER NOT
RELATED TO DOSE:
BHARAT BIOTECH
HT Correspondent
Nitish Kumar
letters@hindustantimes.com

DELAY IN DECIDING NEW DELHI: Bharat Biotech

International Limited on Satur-
DISTRIBUTION OF day said that the death of a man
who took part in the Phase III
SEATS COST JD(U) trials of Covaxin, one of India’s
IN POLLS: NITISH indigenous coronavirus disease
(Covid-19) vaccines, was not
Vijay Swaroop related to the dose administered
to him.
vswaroop@hindustantimes.com
Deepak Marawi, 42, took part
PATNA: Bihar chief minister Nit- in the trial on December 12 in
ish Kumar on Saturday said the Bhopal, said Dr Rajesh Kapur,
delay in deciding the distribu- Vice Chancellor, People’s Medi-
tion of seats among the National cal College and Hospital, a pri-
Democratic Alliance (NDA) part- vate institute where the trial
ners cost the Janata Dal (United) was conducted. Marawi died on GOVERNMENT OF MAHARASHTRA
in the recently held state elec- December 21. Office of the Executive Engineer
tions. The JD(U) contested on “The volunteer, at the time of Public Works Division Bhokar, Dist. Nanded
115 seats in the 2020 assembly enrolment, had fulfilled all the Email:- bhokar.ee@mahapwd.com Ph. No. 02467-222658, 222602
NOTICE INVITING e-TENDER 13
elections and won 43, a drop inclusion and exclusion criteria
from the 71 seats it won five to be accepted as a participant NIT No. 13/EEPWD/BHOKAR/86/2020-21 Date: 06.01.2021
years ago. The BJP, an ally of the in the Phase III trial and was Sealed tenders in EPC format for the following works are invited by the Executive Engineer, Public Works
JD(U), bagged 74 seats and the reported to be healthy in all the Division, Bhokar, Dist. Nanded. The online Tender papers may be downloaded from the website
https://mahatenders.gov.in/nicgep/app Power to accept or reject any / all tenders is reserved with
opposition RJD emerged as the site follow-up calls post 7 days Executive Engineer, Public Works Division, Bhokar. Conditional tenders will not be accepted.
single-largest party in the 243- of his dosing and no adverse Sr. Approximate value of work Cost of Period of
member assembly with 75 seats. events were observed or No. Name of Work (Rs in crore) Document completion
“The seat distribution within reported. As per the post-mor- (in Rs)
the NDA should have been done tem report issued by the Gandhi 1 Improvement to Mudkhed Bhokar Road 97.03 Cr. Rs. 3,000/- 24 months
five months prior to the elections Medical College, Bhopal that the (NH-161-A, Km. 22/00 to 43/00, Tq. Bhokar, (Excluding GST) including
but that was not done and as a site received from the Bhopal Dist. Nanded) rainy season
result, JD(U) had to pay a big Police, the probable cause of 1) Period of Document Download (Date & :- 11/01/2021 to 27/01/2021
price. death was due to cardio respira- Time) (from 10.00 Hrs to 18.55 Hrs)
2) Pre-bid Meeting Date & Time & Place :- 19/01/2021 at 15:30 hrs, In the office of Chief Engineer,
Nitish’s comments come tory failure as a result of sus- Public Works Region, Adalat Road Behind old High Court
against the backdrop of six JD(U) pected poisoning and the case is Building, Aurangbad
legislators joining the BJP in under police investigation,” 3) Last date of Bid Submission & Time :- 27/01/2021 (upto 18:55 Hrs)
Arunachal in December, leaving read the Bharat Biotech state- 4) Place, Date & Time for Submission of bid :- 29/01/2021 (upto 12:00 Hrs)
the party with just one MLA in ment. fee, Bid security and other documents
(Hard Copy) etc
the 60-member state assembly. “We cannot confirm if the 5) Technical Bid Opening place, Date & Time:- On 29.01.2021 (at 16:00 Hrs In the office of the
Reacting to Nitish’s remark, volunteer received the study Superintending Engineer, Public Works Circle,
BJP spokesperson Nikhil Anand vaccine or a placebo as the Sneh Nagar Nanded Dist Nanded (if possible)
said: “This kind of assessment is study is blinded,” the company 6) Place, Date & Time of Financial Bid :- In the office of the Superintending Engineer, Public Works
good to strengthen the inner said. opening Circle, Sneh Nagar Nanded Dist Nanded
party system and overcome neg- To test the efficacy of a vac- z Bid documents an available on https://mahatenders.gov.in/nicgep/app.
z Bidders have to submit Technical bid as well as Price bid in electronic format only on
ative factors. Good that our NDA cine, half of the trial partici-
https://mahatenders.gov.in/nicgep/app. till the last date and time for submission.
partner JD (U) is working pants are given the actual dose z Submission of Bid fee / Bid security and other documents etc. in hard copies to the mentioned address
towards strengthening the while others are administered a by R.P.A.D. / Speed Post only. The authority shall not be responsible for any Postal delay.
party.” placebo with no benefits. z Right is reserved to reject any or all tenders without assigning any reason thereof by the authority.
z The authority to reject any or all tenders is Reserved with under signed.
z The detailed tender notice can be seen on the Notice Board in the office of the Executive Engineer, Public
Works Division, Bhokar, Dist Nanded.
HIGH COURT OF MADHYA PRADESH : JABALPUR Visit our web site www.mahapwd.com in Govt.
Sd/-
NOTICE INVITING E-TENDERS Executive Engineer
(SECOND CALL) DGIPR/2020-2021/ROC1748 Public Works Division, Bhokar Dist. Nanded
E-tenders/ online tenders are invited from Manufacturing Companies (OEM), reputed
Vendors/Dealers, registered, bonafide, experienced and eligible firms for “Comprehensive
Annual Maintenance Contract of Video Conferencing Equipments & peripherals installed at the
High Court of Madhya Pradesh and Subordinate Courts in the State of Madhya Pradesh” as per
the specifications terms and conditions mentioned in the tender document. The last date of
online tender submission is 08th February, 2021 before 06:00 P.M. The sealed tender complete
in all respect addressed to “Registrar General, High Court of Madhya Pradesh, Jabalpur” be
submitted before 05:00 P.M. on 09th February, 2021. The Technical bids of the tender shall be
opened on 10th February, 2021 at 11:00 A.M. The detailed tender document is available on
the official website of the High Court of Madhya Pradesh www.mphc.gov.in and Government
e-procurement portal www.mptenders.gov.in.
G-17542/21 Qû ¦FªF I e QcSe, ¸FFÀI W` ªF÷ Se REGISTRAR GENERAL

GOVT. OF NCT OF DELHI

GURU NANAK EYE CENTRE
MAHARAJA RANJIT SINGH MARG
NEW DELHI-110002
E-TENDER NOTICE NO. 02/2020
For and on behalf of the Lt. Governor of Delhi, E-tender (Online Bidder) are invited in three/two cover systems
only form reputed and registered contractors for the following groups for the year 2020-21.
Group Name Details Tender ID No. EMD Details
Group-C E-Tender for procurement 2021_GNEC_198336_1 Rs. 75000/- Minimum (kindly
of Equipment items refer to tender document for EMD
details per equipment)
Schedule of Tender:-
Date of release of NIT 06.01.2021 at 05.00 PM
Date of start of bid submission 09.01.2021 at 05.00 PM
Last date and Time of online submission of bid 01.02.2021 At 01.00 PM
Last date for submission of prequalification Bid and Technical Bid in physically 01.02.2021 At 01.00 PM
form (EMD to be submitted as per tender document for each group)
Pre Qualification opening date & Time 01.02.2021 At 02.30 PM
Technical/financial Bid Opening Shall be intimated Later
The Director, GNEC reserve the right to accept/reject any or all the tender without assigning any reason. The
tender received without any earnest money will out right be rejected.
Prescribed tender forms along with terms and conditions can be downloaded from http://
govtprocurement.delhi.gov.in
The participate in E tender, the agency should have digital signature (class IIb) and should be registered with
the application service Provider (ASP) of DGS&D (CI India Pvt. Ltd.) with is mandatory for an assistance
regarding e-tendering bidder may contact at Help Desk, Room No. 129, Level: Delhi Secretariat, I.P. estate
New Delhi:- 011-23392722/23
Sd/-
Dr. Ritu Arora
DIP/Shabdarth/0542/20-21 Director, GNEC
08 NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
JANUARY 10, 2021

Reflections
{ THE BIG PICTURE }

America’s democratic
decay under Trump
aged his supporters — both in the halls of take back our country with weakness. You
January 6 was a result of Congress and outside — to do whatever they have to show strength.” The president’s per-
weakened institutional could to block the official certification of the sonal attorney called on Trump supporters
election of Biden and Kamala Harris. to settle the election dispute by engaging in
norms, limited democratic So, on Wednesday morning, Trump gath- “trial by combat” — a reference to the prac-
accountability, politics based ered thousands of angry supporters at the tice during the Middle Ages of settling dis-
White House and encouraged them to take putes through an armed duel.
on personality cult and a their quixotic fight to the grounds of the US Even as the insurrection produced star-
broken information system Capitol — inciting a violent insurrection tling scenes of lawlessness and desecration
that would disrupt congressional proceed- — each one more shocking than the next
ings, debase the hallowed halls of a tower- —Trump showed no sign of remorse, simul-

T
en days ago, hundreds of mil-
lions of Americans bid farewell
to one of the darkest years in the
nation’s 243-year history. In the
year 2020, the United States (US)
sustained an unspeakable loss of
life as a series of unforced errors made it the
global epicentre of the Covid-19 pandemic.
It weathered a volatile and protracted presi-
dential election, marked by a Right-wing
fringe living in denial about its defeat. And
it experienced severe economic and psycho-
logical hardship as Covid-19 raged una-
bated, dashing any hopes of a swift return to
offices, schools, and the mundane joys of
daily life.
But the mere turning of pages on a calen-
dar could not erase the noxious forces
which have come to infect America’s body
politic. For two months, Donald Trump has
stewed in the juices of November’s electoral
defeat — spinning outlandish conspiracy
theories, recklessly tweeting allegations of
unproven electoral fraud, and riling up
crowds of supporters to fuel their collective
aggrievement. Even as Trump’s lawyers
consistently failed to muster even a shred of
credible evidence before a court of law that
former Vice-President Joe Biden won the
poll through fraud, the president encour-
ing symbol of American democracy, and taneously calling for the “peaceful” protes-
leave at least five people dead. tors to remain calm while imploring the
For the past four years, Trump mob to avenge the “stolen” elec- The democratic backsliding on display in America holds an important lesson. The past four years remind us that the greatest threat to
and his allies in the Right-wing tion. democracy comes not from foreign meddlers or external crises; rather, it emanates from within AFP
media have fed his supporters a In 10 days, come hell or high
steady diet of outrageous misinfor- water, Biden and Harris will be the obstruction of justice painstakingly doc- as the author Maya Angelou famously said: when they crop up elsewhere.
mation, dehumanising rhetoric sworn into office and Trump will umented in the Mueller report on Russian “When someone shows you who they are, But there is little reason to revel in Amer-
about the Democratic opposition, be a disgraced ex-president. But interference in the 2016 election to the pres- believe them the first time.” ica’s comeuppance. At its best, American
and grandiose delusions unteth- Milan this putsch — to call it a “coup” idential family’s myriad conflicts of interest, Finally, this week’s violence is, in part, democracy — however flawed — can be an
ered from reality. Emboldened by would dignify it with a coherence Trump’s partisan allies have enabled — the product of a broken global information ally to those fighting for freedom and liberty
his legions of followers and the Vaishnav that its protagonists lacked — has indeed, sometimes cheered — his willing- ecosystem. America’s toxic political climate in their own backyard. Furthermore, as the
fecklessness of traditional Republi- left an indelible stain on American ness to flout the rule of law at every turn. is not simply about two sides talking past historian Tanvi Madan noted, just as the US
can power brokers to rein him in, democracy, one whose ramifica- Only when Republican leaders literally each other, it is that one side is engaging is invested in the idea of a strong, prosper-
Trump shattered one democratic norm after tions will be felt for years to come and found themselves in the crosshairs of the with reality while the other is trafficking in ous, democratic India for its own reasons, a
another with impunity. Each time Trump’s whose lessons extend far beyond America’s Trump-enabled mob were some of them fantasy. Rejecting calls to placate the Trump strong, prosperous, democratic US is impor-
political allies gave him an inch, he took a shores. moved to condemn his actions. Desperate supporters who believe Biden was illegiti- tant for Indian interests. But, above all, the
mile. First, the Trump era serves as a vivid talk of the need to protect the country from mately elected, Republican Senator Mitt democratic backsliding on display in Amer-
But this time, Trump led an assault on illustration that institutions are ultimately Trump to avoid further chaos in his final Romney — a rare anti-Trump voice on the ica holds an even bigger lesson. The past
one of the most foundational norms under- only as strong as the social norms that days only underlines the series of missed Right — argued instead that “the best way four years remind us that the greatest threat
pinning any democracy worth its name — underpin them, and the individuals who opportunities to hold him to account. we can show respect for the voters who are to democracy comes not from foreign med-
the peaceful transfer of power. Make no mobilise to support them. The grotesque Third, cults of personality that place a upset is by telling them the truth”. The truth dlers or external crises; rather, it emanates
mistake, one can draw a direct causal arrow abuse of presidential pardon power, the single exalted leader above party, country, is that Trump lost fair and square. from within. For decades, Americans have
from the incendiary rhetoric espoused by politicisation of the bureaucracy, and the and constitutional office, rarely end well. There is a degree of schadenfreude easily told themselves “it cannot happen here”.
the president, his family members, and vari- repeated attempts to interfere with law Even as Republican lawmakers denounced discernible among some in India now that Until, on a blustery January afternoon in
ous enablers, to the primitive violence that enforcement, all demonstrate that formal the president as a “demagogue”, some pref- the US, quick to lecture others on their dem- Washington, it did just that.
shook the seat of American legislative laws on the books are only as resilient as the aced their remarks by clarifying that they ocratic travails, has become the poster-child
power. informal norms, habits, and customs that happily voted for him, not once but twice. for democratic decay. There’s undeniably Milan Vaishnav is a senior fellow and director,
Having riled up his supporters in the pre- buttress them. Many had foolishly hoped the presidency much truth in the idea that Americans have South Asia program at the Carnegie Endowment
ceding weeks, Trump encouraged them to Second, democratic accountability can- would tame Trump’s authoritarian tenden- a penchant for overlooking their foibles for International Peace in Washington, D.C.
march on the Capitol, saying, “You’ll never not be limited to the ballot box alone. From cies and moderate his erratic behaviour. But while harping on the very same infirmities The views expressed are personal

{ SUNDAY SENTIMENTS } pleted its Phase 3 trials and, therefore, its THE AUTHORISATION OF { ENGENDER }
efficacy data is not available, Bhargava
Karan Thapar has said the vaccine’s efficacy can be THE TWO VACCINES TO Lalita Panicker
gleaned from animal trials and Phase 1 TACKLE COVID-19 HAS
and 2 trials. Kang disagrees. She says ani- BEEN MET WITH AS
mal trials may be used in America to clear
MUCH CONSTERNATION
The uncertainty over drugs, but only when you can properly
mimic the human disease in animals. So
far that hasn’t happened for Covid-19. As
regards Covaxin’s Phase 1 and 2 trials,
AS CELEBRATION. FOR
MANY, THE DOUBTS AND Reforms must focus
vaccine authorisation they only involved 800 participants which
is far too small for reliable efficacy data.
Kang also casts doubt on the Bhargava/
Paul claim that Covaxin has been cleared
QUESTIONS THAT HAVE
ARISEN HAVE CREATED
FRESH CONCERN
on women farmers
ust when we needed clarity, we have Kang questions the emergency-use because it could be better at tackling new he ongoing farm protests have she is allowed to by moneylenders and

J ended up with controversy. When

we wanted simple, straightforward
answers, we are receiving confused
and conflicted responses. Consequently,
the authorisation of two vaccines to tackle
Covid-19 has been met with as much con-
sternation as celebration. For many, the
doubts and questions that have arisen
have created fresh concern.
To get a good grasp of the situation,
you can’t do better than listen to Prof
Gagandeep Kang. She’s considered
India’s top vaccine scientist. She’s also a
Fellow of the United Kingdom’s prestig-
ious Royal Society, and a recipient of our
own acclaimed Infosys Prize. Her views
clash with two of the government’s top
doctors, Balram Bhargava and Vinod
Paul, but her clarity is exemplary. Also,
she has no axe to grind. Bhargava is part
of the Covaxin project. That’s why it’s
worth hearing Kang before you make up
your mind.
clearance for Covaxin.
She says the precedent set by the Ebola
and Nipah vaccines, which were cleared
without completing Phase 3 trials and
obtaining efficacy data, does not apply to
Covid-19. This is both because of differen-
ces in their mortality rates as well as the
fact we have other licenced products to
tackle Covid-19. “I would ask why would
you want to give a vaccine without effi-
cacy emergency-use authorisation in
these circumstances?” she asks.
The fact the 2019 Clinical Trial Rules
permit this has not convinced Kang.
Clause 2(A)(d) of the rules refers to an
“investigational new drug”. She does not
believe that applies to a vaccine. Remem-
ber, a drug is a treatment; a vaccine is a
preventive. Only the sick are given drugs.
Vaccines are given to the healthy.
Kang also questions Bhargava’s and
Paul’s defence of Covaxin’s authorisation.
Accepting that Covaxin has not com-
strains of the virus. “I wish we had data to
establish this,” she says. “At the moment
we don’t.” The Bhargava/Paul claim is
simply a “hypothesis”.
Kang says she’s “really confused”
Covaxin has been cleared for use “in clini-
cal trial mode”. She’s “not sure what that
means”. It suggests people given this vac-
cine could end up being part of its contin-
uing clinical trials. Of course, that will
only happen with their consent but it’s
not what they intended. They want a
guaranteed vaccine. Not to be part of the
process by which that guarantee is estab-
lished.
Finally, when asked if she would be
prepared to take Covaxin, Kang said while
she was willing to participate in the clini-
cal trial of any vaccine — as her personal
contribution to science — she would not
take Covaxin until its Phase 3 trials are
complete and the required efficacy data
made public.
Now Kang’s views are not shared by the
government. Indeed her former tutor, the
eminent virologist T Jacob John, has
endorsed Covaxin. But many others have
spoken in very similar terms. They
T raised a host of issues that affect
the sector, beyond the laws which
are being sought to be rolled back.
One issue which deserves sharper focus is
the largely unseen role of women in the
include the renowned virologist Shahid farm sector. They are involved in mostly
Jameel, the Dean of KEM Hospital, non-mechanised, labour-intensive farm
Hemant Deshmukh, and the All India work, and much of it is poorly paid, if at
Drug Action Network. all. In India, according to a National
However, Kang has stolen a march by Council of Applied Economic Research
speaking out comprehensively and forth- and University of Maryland study, women
rightly. Most others have spoken in sound form at least 42% of the agricultural
bites. Now that she’s explained her posi- workforce though they own barely 2% of
tion, we can only benefit from it. Of the cultivable land.
course, it’s up to us to agree or disagree. This is because they are excluded from
Not being experts, we’re unlikely to do so land rights in a largely patriarchal social
with conviction. But her views can only milieu. Many women farmers are not
help. This is why I’ve spelt them out for even aware of the entitlements they can
you. get from the government as farmers.
Owing to their lack of collateral, they can-
Karan Thapar is author of Devil’s not access credit or navigate choppy
Advocate: The Untold Story bureaucratic waters to get support for the
The views expressed are personal right inputs for their crops.
There has to be gender-neutral institu-
tional reform in agriculture for women to
get their due. In most rural areas, men
predatory family members, but to also
provide for her family with very little by
way of resources. Since women’s work in
agriculture is underreported, many are
not even considered farmers so as to be
entitled to the benefits that the State pro-
vides. The plight of tribal and Dalit
women farmers is even more worrying.
The pandemic has left women farmers
even more economically vulnerable, and
added the burden of caring for out-of-
school children and the sick and elderly.
Covid-19 has also decreased remittances
to women farmers left at home. With
more migrants coming home, there is
also greater demand on the land, putting
the tenuous hold of women on land in
greater jeopardy.
But there can be several positive inter-
ventions to help women farmers and the
pandemic and its aftermath should be an
opportunity to address the gender
empowerment aspect of farming. Using
the grassroots worker system, women can
be provided inputs and encouraged to
invest in the right tools to enhance pro-

Cigarette butt litter: still dominate administrative processes

which tend to work against women farm-
ers. When a male farmer dies, the lack of
access to land records, the aversion to
ductivity. They can be taught the value of
nutritious crops for household consump-
tion and sustainable and lucrative crops
for sale. Mobile technology can be used to

A growing challenge take on powerful male family members,

and the lack of awareness combine to
exclude women from their right to land
and livelihood.
ellulose acetate-based cigarette fil- bunal (NGT) has directed the Central Pol- Women have been part of the agrarian
train women on appropriate agricultural
practices as well as their rights and enti-
tlements. They can also be encouraged to
innovate in the form of farm-related busi-
nesses. Investing in women farmers helps

C ter is considered the world’s most lution Control Board to lay down guide-
littered form of plastic. With close lines for the disposal of cigarette butts, in
to 4.5 trillion butts polluting the the interest of the environment, within
global environment, this form of litter three months.
accounts for close to 26,454 tonnes of Falling under the category of post-con-
crisis for a long time, though largely over-
looked. Women farmers need access to all
aspects of the sector from technical train-
ing and pricing to marketing and finan-
ces. This becomes all the more urgent
in ensuring food security for their fami-
lies and the community at a time when
there is a crisis brought on by the pan-
demic. The farm agitation ought to high-
light the importance of empowering our
waste generated annually in sumer waste, cigarette litter given the unacceptably high numbers of largely invisible women farmers.
India. One of the neglected could easily be categorised as a farm widows, left behind after their hus-
waste streams, Oceans Con- public nuisance, especially for bands have died by suicide. This leaves lalita.panicker@hindustantimes.com
servancy, an international those that have fewer resour- the woman to not only tend to the farm, if The views expressed are personal
advocacy group, categorised ces to clean it. While ignorance With close to 4.5 trillion butts polluting the global environment, this form of litter
cigarette butts as second
among the top three articles
collected during beach clean- Kaushik
has been a convenient veil,
clean-up and disposal costs of
such waste need to be borne by
accounts for close to 26,454 tonnes of waste generated annually in India SHUTTERSTOCK

less-polluting alternatives. effectively from designated places. The

A
l
ups globally. Numerous stud- Chandrasekhar the polluter. Litter clean-up The Government of India recently pro- Plastic Waste Management Rules 2016, { SUNDAY LETTERS }
ies document filters as becom- costs have risen steadily posed draft rules for EPR, which would combined with a slew of steps by states to
ing accumulated masses of around major cities in the make a manufacturer responsible for man- curb single-use plastics, has definitely seen 2020: A different year Operational independence is important
potentially toxic waste, posing world, leading to action against aging post-consumer plastic waste. There a political consensus in India. A steady I loved reading Karan I enjoyed reading Mark Tully’s India needs a public
physical harm to land and this form of pollution. is definitely more than one reason for ciga- increase in tobacco consumption is bound Thapar’s Goodbye to all broadcaster (January 3). In India, too, the British
marine life when ingested and San Francisco estimated rette litter to be covered under the EPR to exacerbate the litter associated with it. that? I’m not so sure Broadcasting Corporation has a high trust quotient.
potentially polluting ground- that clearing up tobacco waste scheme to make producers responsible Voluntary product stewardship leading to (January 3). I think, This is not just due to the quality of its journalism, but
water near landfills not con- costs $22 million annually, and assign accountability. EPR will certainly have a profound impact despite, all the trouble also its operational independence, something that is
taining leachate. Suneel while the United Kingdom esti- This would also be consistent with arti- on increasing stakeholder awareness on that each of us have gone not available to Doordarshan and All India Radio.
A recent study by the Indian mated the cost as close to 140 cle 5.3 of the World Health Organization this form of litter. The inclusion of ciga- through, 2020 has taught
Institute of Toxicology sug- Pandey million pounds annually to Framework Convention on Tobacco Con- rette butt litter under Plastic EPR will cre-
R Chaudhury, via email
us many things, and
gests that cigarette butts under clean up burnt cigarette butts. trol Treaty that India signed in 2004. This ate more resources to deal with this form enjoying one’s own
ambient conditions showed Recently, France ordered the may also mean that the final user will end of waste. NGT, flagging off a pertinent company is one of them. I II
only 37.8% degradation in two years, not- tobacco industry to take voluntary action up paying marginally more for the product issue, provides the government with a cer- have started enjoying it; The duty of a public broadcaster is not limited to
ing it may pollute long after disposal. The to help curb cigarette butts from littering and indirectly supporting environmental tain opportunity not only to improve its in fact, these days I don’t covering the news of the day. If the media is the fourth
study also went on to suggest the “recy- the streets and contaminating water, or clean-up. stand on cigarette butt litter but also allay even feel like moving out pillar of democracy, it is because it is a platform on
cling of cellulose acetate after recovery face mandatory legislation. Further, the Last-mile collection may be the most concerns related to its waste management. of the house. Am I which to hold the government accountable. It enables
from the cigarette butts” as one of the European Union issued a directive for challenging part of managing this stream. worried? Not at all! citizens to participate in democracy beyond voting.
immediate solutions to the problem until reduction of impact of plastic products on India could take cue from countries such Kaushik Chandrasekhar is an associate
further data is generated. “Concerned” environment by including cigarette butts as Japan who have set up dedicated smok- fellow and Suneel Pandey is director, J Pant, via email ST Chaube, via email
with the manner of disposal of cigarette/ under Extended Producers Responsibility ing zones in public/private spaces so that Centre for Waste Management, TERI
bidi butts in India, the National Green Tri- (EPR) and proposing incentives to develop butt waste can be collected and managed The views expressed are personal Write to us at: letters@hindustantimes.com

R. N. I. No. DELENG/2002/07317 ● Postal Reg. No. DL(ND)-11/6059/2018-19-20 ‘Licensed to post without prepayment’ LICENCE No. U(C)-249/2012-14 Air surcharge: Raipur and beyond by Rail or Road - Re 5/-, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Coimbatore, Chennai, Cochin, Goa, Hyderabad, Khajuraho, Mumbai, Trivandrum, Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada and beyond by Rail or Road - Rs. 10/

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Editor: KUNAL PRADHAN

NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
JANUARY 10, 2021 09

PedroPascal

The
riseof a
star
From the New York theatre to Game of Thrones
and Wonder Woman 1984, the actor has honed his
craft, owned his choices and emerged a winner
WHAT PASCAL ACHIEVES
ON THE DISNEY SHOW
THE MANDALORIAN IS
QUITE REMARKABLE.
THERE ARE SCENES IN
WHICH HE BARELY
MOVES, BUT IS ABLE TO
COMMUNICATE —
SOMETIMES WITH NO
MORE THAN AN ALMOST
UNNOTICEABLE TWITCH
— PAGES WORTH OF
EMOTION
Rohan Naahar
rohan.naahar@htdigital.in

P
edro Pascal seems to genuinely care. In an age
when actors are quick to distance themselves
from duds, Pascal, faced with a swathe of nega-
tive Wonder Woman 1984 reviews, declared on
Twitter: “I love movies and I love Wonder Woman
Agent,
1984.” He added a couple of dancing emojis for
good measure.
The film’s treatment of Pascal and his Trumpian
provocateur

1
villain, Max Lord, aside, it’s rare to see an actor go down with the ship
in this way. Unlike directors, who have a more intense relationship His role as Oberyn Martell in
with their movies, actors — unless they’re also producers or the lead Game of Thrones (Season 4;
— have less at stake. Pascal was neither in Wonder Woman 1984, 2014) made Pedro Pascal a
although his is the film’s most memorable performance. So in fact it household name. As the
would’ve been wiser, his agents would’ve advised, for him to weather charismatic but vengeful Red
the storm in silence and move on to his next project. Viper of Dorne, Pascal had
In praising the irredeemable superhero sequel, as the tide was turn- memorable scenes with which to
ing against it, Pascal displayed a rare quality. “I don’t care what the make his mark. And his storyline
world thinks,” the 45-year-old seemed to be saying. “I own my choi- concluded with one of the most
ces.” It is this honesty that attracts audiences to certain actors, and aids shocking moments in the show’s
their evolution into a dying breed — the movie star. famously provocative run.
Born in Chile to parents opposed to the dictatorial regime of
Augusto Pinochet, Pascal moved to the US as a child. In a 2014 Reddit

2
AMA session, he said he considers himself a New Yorker. After years
of taking on small roles in TV shows – easy rent money, perhaps, to As drug enforcement agent
sustain a career in theatre, though he only made his Broadway debut Javier Peña in Narcos (2015),
in 2019 – he broke on to the scene around 2014, as the doomed Oberyn one of the show’s three lead
Martell in Season 4 of Game of Thrones. It was a small role, but GoT characters, Pascal was the only
was the most popular show on cable TV. Millions were captivated by one who returned for all three
his performance, week after week. seasons, before the show was
That seven-episode run put Pascal on a path that would, less than spun off into Narcos: Mexico. As
a decade later, end with him being crowned the undisputed (and the show struggled to find new
unlikely) King of the Geeks. His work on GoT scored him a lead gig on ways to evolve, Pascal moved on
Netflix’s wildly popular crime drama, Narcos. to bigger things.
His performance in Narcos compelled director Matthew Vaughn,
struck by Pascal’s Burt Reynolds vibe, to cast him in his Kingsman

3
series of movies based on the comic books. “The smallest of opportuni-
ties kept me going,” Pascal told The New York Times in 2017. Before being lassoed into
He followed up his high-profile work in television with a series of submission by Diana Prince in
big-ticket films. Between 2016 and 2019, Pascal appeared in the legend- Wonder Woman 1984 (2020), the
ary Chinese director Zhang Yimou’s American debut, The Great Wall; actor played the lasso-wielding
the Denzel Washington action sequel, The Equalizer 2; and Netflix’s Jack Daniels aka Agent Whiskey
ambitious B-movie, Triple Frontier. Combined with the hefty gross of in director Matthew Vaughn’s
Kingsman: The Golden Circle, these movies made nearly a billion dol- satirical spy film Kingsman: The
lars worldwide. That’s over Rs 7,000 crore. Golden Circle (2017). It was a
But just when the world was beginning to recognise his face, Pascal brief but flashy role, and Pascal
chose to hide it. The Mandalorian is by far the biggest project of his managed to stand out alongside
career — it’s the first live-action Star Wars series, which Disney Colin Firth and Julianne Moore.
debuted as a launch title on its new streaming service in 2019 —and
Pascal is in virtually every scene. But his face, for essentially the

4
entirety of the show, is hidden behind a chrome helmet.
This isn’t a Batman situation. You can still identify George Clooney As the failing businessman
and Christian Bale behind those cowls. For Pascal, The Mandalorian Maxwell Lord, clearly modelled
was basically a voice gig — he wasn’t even present on set for all his on a young Donald Trump, Pascal
scenes; the crew, instead, relied on stunt doubles. This changed in Sea- embraced the kitschy tone of
son 2, but Pascal’s increased physical involvement brought with it new director Patty Jenkins’s Wonder
challenges. For instance, it’s difficult to convey a largely silent charac- Woman 1984. He has admitted in
ter’s emotions when your face is invisible. And for that, Pascal fell back an interview to being inspired in
on his experience on the New York stage. some scenes by the master of
“I’m not even sure if I would be able to do it if it weren’t for the hamming it up, Nicolas Cage.
amount of direct experience that I’ve had with being on stage to under-
stand how to posture yourself, how to physically frame yourself... and
to tell a story with a gesture, with a stance, or with very, very specific

v
vocal intonation,” he told Entertainment Weekly in 2020.
What Pascal achieves on the show is quite remarkable. There
are scenes in which he barely moves, but is able to communicate
— sometimes with no more than an almost unnoticeable twitch WATCH as
— pages worth of emotion, particularly in the paternal Rohan Naahar
moments involving the show’s breakout character, Grogu. revisits the highlights of Pedro
There is a scene towards the end of Season 2 in which Mando, Pascal’s career
indoctrinated his entire life to never reveal his face, finally decides to
take off his helmet. It is a powerful moment, one that symbolises the
arrival of Pascal himself. GETTY IMAGES

CULTURE MIND URBAN

inside Once upon

a time... P10
Children’s books are
taking another turn. You
can now get volumes on
art, food, heritage, travel,
and even how to run a
small business
When Covid
casts a fog P11
What is it like to live
Dream
catchers
P14
with the coronavirus
after-effect of brain fog? There’s art everywhere in the hamlet
Two women walk us of Khwaabgaon in West Bengal.
through how their lives An initiative by a group of artists is
have changed helping villagers here earn more, and
opening up the world to their children
10
Once
upon a
time...
Children’s books are taking another
turn. You can now get volumes on art,
food, heritage, travel, and even the ins
and outs of running a small business
Riddhi Doshi
letters@hindustantimes.com
I
t’s been a while since books
for children made the shift
from fairytales to stories of
divorce, diversity, loss. There
are books, often story based,
that will help your child under-
stand gender fluidity, the loss of a
grandparent, the concept of adoption.
Lately, there’s been another turn in
the road — books written by Indians to
cater to the Indian child with an evolv-
ing special interest, whether in food or
art, travel, heritage or commerce.
Here’s a look at five unusual publications
to check out:
Breakfasts of India (2019) features morn-
ing meals from 14 states across the country
— from pink noon chai, lavasa and harissa
in Kashmir to siddu in Himachal Pradesh,
misal pav in Maharashtra and luchi and
aloo tarkari in West Bengal.
“We saw a lack of inclusivity in content
for children in India and decided to create
and publish books on different aspects of
culture and heritage of the country,” said
Sneha Sundaram, founder of Bengaluru-
based Kutuki Publishers, founded in 2019.
The book, aimed at children aged three to
six, unfolds as a story, with the protagonist,
a little boy, wondering what his friends
across India are having for breakfast.
It goes on to describe the colours and fla-
vours of each dish. Siddu, it tells the reader,
is a type of bread that can be sweet or
savoury, is made with wheat and spices and
eaten with ghee. Puttu kadala are rice
dumplings eaten with a black chana gravy.
The noon chai is salted, turned pink by the
addition of baking soda.
Breakfasts of India is part of Kutuki’s heri-
tage series. A previous release, also in 2019,
explored the many New Years celebrated by
different communities in India.
From the Great Wall of China to
India’s Taj Mahal and Italy’s Lean-
ing Tower of Pisa, writer Ambica
Gulati has written a series of six travel
books, aimed at children aged three to
10. All six were published in 2019 as
cutout books made to resemble the
monument explored within.
The books are part of a series
called Monuments of the
World, published by Om Books
International.
There’s one on
America’s Statue
of Liberty,
another on the
pyramids of
Egypt, and a little
volume on the Eif-
fel Tower in France.
In each one, a family
explores an iconic
piece of built heritage
in their own country.
{ ALWAYS AT THE MOVIES }
Anupama Chopra
Let the movies transform
and transport you in 2021
Step outside your comfort zones, travel to new genres. Aim to
confound the algorithms by being as unpredictable as possible
dventure. That’s what I’m seeking
A
in 2021. But since the pandemic
continues to ravage the world,
budgets are limited and travelling
options few. So I plan to find adventure
vicariously — through films and shows. I
recommend that you also make this the year
of living dangerously (in terms of entertain-
ment only, please keep your masks on),
which means eschewing the obvious, the
comforting and the pre-packaged — mate-
rial designed to seduce you with stars and
industrial-strength PR machinery (I’m look-
ing at you, Coolie No 1).
Instead, seek out stories featuring actors
who don’t look like you, stories that are dif-
ficult or unsettling, plots that demand that
you pay attention. Thousands of hours of
narrative are available at your fingertips.
Let’s resolve to confound the algorithms in
2021 by being less predictable. Here are a
few titles you could start with:
wknd culture
P descriptions and pointers to online resour-
[A Brush with Indian
Art] is really a book for
readers of all ages,
though it’s primarily
aimed at children.
MAMTA NAINY, author
Details are offered in the form of conver-
sations between the family members,
framed in short, simple sentences.
“I think our children must be exposed
to different subjects and to content that is
both fun and educative,” said Gulati. “This
travel series with great illustrations aims to
do just that.”
A Brush with Indian Art (2018) by
Mamta Nainy offers an overview of art in
India that stretches from the ancient cave
paintings of Bhimbetka and Ajanta and
Ellora to the works of Modernist masters
such as MF Husain and SH Raza and con-
temporary artists such as Bharti Kher and
Subodh Gupta. There’s a chapter on folk
and tribal art forms as Madhubani, Gond,
Pattachitra and Kalamkari.
The content is conversational, broken
down into boxes of trivia. Reproductions of
the art works are accompanied by detailed
Mank: Based on anecdotal evidence, I
conclude that not enough people have
watched Mank since it was released on Net-
flix in mid-November. Director David
Fincher’s name generated excitement, but
this is after all a black-and-white film about
Hollywood in the ’30s, and the writing of
Citizen Kane. In other words, a film only
film nerds could excited about.
Yes, it helps if you know some of the back
story of how the legendary writer Herman
Mankiewicz aka Mank agonised over the
screenplay of Citizen Kane, still considered
among the greatest movies ever made; of his
struggle with director Orson Welles; his bat-
tle with alcoholism and his own damaged
psyche. But even if you don’t, this is a visu-
ally sumptuous, penetrating portrait of
showbiz, politics and the selling of dreams.
And Gary Oldman as Mank is superb.
Sound of Metal: I tried to get my son to
watch this film but he abandoned it in 20
NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
JANUARY 10, 2021
{ BUSINESS BIOGRAPHY } MOTORCYCLE DIARY
The Enfield journey: A
bumpy ride into history
Siddhartha Lal at the roll-out
Paramita Ghosh
of the first bike from the
paramitaghosh@htlive.com
Oragadam plant in Tamil
(Clockwise Nadu. COURTESY EICHER MOTORS
from left) he has
Ambica
Gulati’s travel
books explore
some of the
great wonders
“S m o o d
swings.
There’s
drama on a daily basis,”
says Bobbee Singh. He’s
such as Hero Honda, TVS-Suz-
uki and Escorts-Yamaha. Their
bikes were more fuel-efficient
and affordable, while the Royal
Enfield had undergone little to
of the world. talking about the motor- no technological advancement.
Breakfasts of cycles he fixes up, vin- Its then promoter, a Chennai-
India by Kutuki tage Royal Enfields that based business family, saw rev-
Publishers he scours the country to enues plummet, and the Lals of
introduces the find parts for, and then Eicher Motors picked up a 26%
child reader to rebuilds at his workshop stake in 1990, going on to fully
cuisine from in Old Delhi. own the brand by 1994.
across the Singh, who opted out Now Vikram Lal had to
country. A of school to follow his decide what this bike wanted to
Brush with passion for motorcycles, is be in a rapidly liberalising
Indian Art by an Enfield enthusiast. He and his team have nation and an increasingly crowded
Mamta Nainy restored about 200 Royal Enfields since the market.
offers simple early 1990s. It is stories like this that Amrit “Blame it on his leadership or the com-
notes on styles Raj, 34, tells in his book, Indian Icon: A Cult pany’s risk-averse attitude, Eicher was
ranging from Called Royal Enfield (2020; Westland). unsuccessful in becoming a consumer
ancient cave As the former national corporate editor brand. Lal grappled with the idea and tried
art to tribal with Mint, Raj wrote extensively on the to understand what a good consumer brand
forms to automobile sector, among other fields. could be,” Raj wrote in the book.
Modernist Those years of experience, and hundreds of The author talks of how brand manage-
masters like hours of interviews with various Royal ment veterans V Sunil and Mohit Jayal
MF Husain, Enfield stakeholders have gone into his joined the effort to revitalise the Enfield,
with sketches book. staying on the job until 2016. How RL Ravi-
such as the one Vikram Lal and his son Siddhartha Lal, chandran redesigned it, and Sachin Chavan
seen below left. who own the company that produces the masterminded the Himalayan Odyssey and
iconic bike, are featured, alongside associ- Rider Mania biker rally events that would
ces and museum and galleries where young
ates such as Subodh Bhargava, who was
CEO and chairman of Eicher Motors in the
help connect with a young, adventurous
market.
readers can seek out more works from a pivotal turn-of-the-century period. “Between 1990 and today, the company
genre or time period. The Royal Enfield was originally pro- has worked relentlessly to carefully mod-
“It’s really a book for readers of all ages, duced in England, and traces its roots in ernise its motorcycles and reposition the
though it’s primarily aimed at children,” India back to the early 20th century, when brand,” said Raj. “It has beautifully
Nainy said. FB Stewart, the famed photographer who stretched the brand known to be owned by
“Most children do not know about our filmed the Delhi Durbar for Viceroy George a policewallah or a doodhwallah to the one
rich visual arts heritage or about Indian art- Curzon in 1903, was also sole importer of that appeals to millennials.”
ists and their inspiring life stories. I felt the motorcycles. The multipronged approach worked.
there was a compelling need to liberate the After that, traces of the bike in the coun- Between 2008-09 and 2018-19, Royal Enfield
thought process of children by exposing try die down until the Indian Army places sales went from about 15,000 to over
them to these stories and offering a compre- an order for 500 units of the Enfield Bullet 820,000.
hensive and inclusive idea of art in general. with Madras Motors. This led the British The book explores the business culture of
It was also important to show them how any company to set up a factory in Chennai, grit and tenacity that enabled this, taking
art form or idea changes and evolves over then Madras, in 1956. snubs and failures in its stride. Plans to
time — thereby encouraging them to think The first made-in-India manufacture cars never got off the ground;
up ideas, explore them visually and bring Enfield rolled out of the fac- the company was snubbed by the American
their dreams, imaginations, and stories to tory in 1962. motorcycles giant Harley Davidson in the
life,” added Nainy. The book traces how the mid-1990s. “But they kept trying,” Raj
The US-based global consultancy firm bike flourished in pre-liber- said.
McKinsey & Company uploads content on alisation India’s protected The company is now at a new cross-
its website aimed at children. McKinsey for market conditions, popular roads, he writes in the book. “A lot rides
Kids: Hungry Fish, Baffled Farmers, and with the Army and police- on communication. The strategy to
What Happened Next, uploaded in October, men, and emerged as one of achieve a premium positioning would
for instance, draws on images, animation the few status symbols availa- certainly fall flat if the pitch is just
and slides to explain how a fish farming ble at the time. this — ‘a world class bike from
project changed lives in Latin America. It Then came competition, India’. In developed mar-
offers information on kinds of fish, what in the form of the Indo- kets, one cannot com-
they eat, life cycles and what it took to revive Japanese brands pare Royal Enfield
a dying fish farm project. The case study with the premium
teaches the importance of research, optimal positioning of a
use of resources and efficient management Author Harley Davidson
in running a business. Amrit Raj. or Triumph.”
{ FRAN LEBOWITZ }
minutes. Too slow, was the verdict. I know AUTHOR
that if I can’t sell it to my own family, I have
a slim chance of convincing you, but I’ll give
it a shot anyway. Sometimes it’s not about P
instant gratification. Sometimes, you just
need to wait and let the emotional under- People want
currents of a film grasp your gut. to challenge
This movie also must be seen for one of
the great performances of the year — Riz
Ahmed, electrifying in the role of a drum-
themselves. I find
mer going deaf. real life challenging
One Child Nation: One of the most thrill-
ing things about streaming platforms is that
enough.
we now have access to so many terrific doc- in Pretend It’s A City, a
umentaries. One that really hit me hard is Netflix documentary series
One Child Nation (2019), about China’s one-
directed by Martin Scorsese,
child policy, which was instituted in 1979 on life in New York City
and withdrawn in 2015. The directors,
Nanfu Wang and Jialing Zhang, trace the
far-reaching impact of the policy. With
forced sterilisations, abortions, abandoned
babies and human trafficking, this one is a
tough sit. I felt rage as I watched. But it’s an
essential lesson in what happens when the
state attempts to control women’s bodies.
Jallikattu: The jury is still out on
whether the Oscars should matter to us. I
believe that anything that helps good cin- Eeb Allay Ooo!: This is the story of a pro- Gary Oldman
ema cross borders is wonderful. But fessional monkey-repeller. Did you know in and as
whether or not you agree, watch Jallikattu, that such a job existed? I didn’t. Anjani, a Mank. “This
Lijo Jose Pellissery’s masterful take on man- migrant worker, works just outside the cor- is a visually
kind at its most primal. And I mean man- ridors of power in Lutyens’ Delhi. But he is sumptuous,
kind literally. The women stand at the frin- so marginalised that the monkeys he is try- penetrating
A
ges while the men unleash destruction on ing to scare seems more in control than he portrait of
nature and on each other. The images cre- is. Director Prateek Vats creates a deeply showbiz,”
ated in this work (a tip of the hat to DOP moving satire on the state of our nation. says Chopra.
Girish Gangadharan) are indelible. This was my favourite Hindi film of 2020.
NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
JANUARY 10, 2021
When
Covid
casts a
fog
Mild memory loss, lack of focus, a sense of
life lived in slow motion — two women who
have recovered from the coronavirus explain
how brain fog continues to take its toll
Cherylann Mollan
letters@hindustantimes.com
V
arsha Bansal, a contempo-
rary dancer and instructor
from Jaipur, used to
describe herself as confident
and optimistic. That was
before she contracted
Covid-19 in November.
“It’s almost as if there is a Before and an
After version of myself,” she said.
She now describes herself as hopeless and
insecure, largely because of the brain fog left
behind after three weeks of fighting the virus.
“I find it hard to concentrate and remember
things. My ability to grasp and process infor-
mation has diminished,” said the 25-year-old.
Unable to remember choreography as she
used to, Bansal quit a six-week virtual dance
course with the prestigious Martha Graham
Dance Company of New York, 10 days in.
She has stopped conducting classes her-
self, and no longer promotes her work on
social media. “I feel like I’m damaging my
career and this makes me sad and anxious. I
have thoughts racing through my head and
I have trouble sleeping,” Bansal said.
Difficulty concentrating and impaired
memory have shown up in study after study,
among the after-effects of Covid-19. The
umbrella term brain fog is now used to indi-
cate the range of post-Covid cognitive symp-
toms reported, which include confusion,
memory loss, dizziness, and delirium.
“There is no definitive cause for Covid-19-
related brain fog. But hypothesis suggests it
might be caused by the body’s prolonged
inflammatory response to the virus,” said Dr
Pavan Pai, a neurologist at Wockhardt Hospi-
tal, Mumbai.
Bansal first noticed something was amiss
when she couldn’t remember whether or not
she had taken her Covid-19 medication while
she was still battling the virus. Even more
worrying, she couldn’t remember what the
medications were.
While reading, she began forgetting the
names of characters and confusing plot lines.
She still forgets simple errands she’s sup-
posed to run, loses track of what she wants to
say mid-speech, and says she finds it hard to
process conversation if it is between more
than three people.
Bansal has decided to take things slow and
focus on interests other than dancing. “I’m
learning to be kind to myself. I keep remind-
{ LIFE HACKS }
Charles Assisi
Never fear. It’s just
more new tech
Our worries notwithstanding, no machine we
have created — or look likely to create — can
truly navigate the complexities of our world
have believed for a long time that the
I rise of artificial intelligence (AI) could
pose a threat to our notions of work.
Would it enable us to spend more of our
time doing what we love? I am beginning to
believe so, particularly after a recent conver-
sation with a friend.
She is returning to college to pursue a
degree in education, and sounded optimistic
about the future. This despite the fact that
she and her family will have to significantly
alter their lifestyle when she, now in her
early 40s, logs out of her full-time job in the
travel and tourism sector. But the pandemic
has already hit that sector hard. She knows
her “technological displacement” is immi-
nent, she says, and must reinvent herself.
Her optimism is echoed by the economist
Daniel Susskind in his book A World Without
Work. In the 1890s, he writes, citizens of New
York and London were witness to hundreds
of thousands of horses heaving all kinds of
vehicles through their cities. While the
horses did their job, they dumped tonnes of
manure on the streets.
There were estimates that by the middle of
the 19th century, the streets of New York City
would be nine feet deep in horseshit, if mat-
ters continued as they were. Banning horses
was not an option; the economy would col-
lapse. In policymaking circles, this was
referred to as the “Horseshit Paradox”.
While thought leaders of the time were
fretting, they did not notice the emergence of
the internal combustion engine. It could cre-
wknd mind
ing myself that even taking a nap, reading or
eating healthy are productive activities. This
tends to help me feel less flustered and dis-
traught,” she said.
Hiral Shukla, 28, a public relations execu-
tive from Nagpur, is battling something simi-
lar. After contracting the virus in November,
she says she has become forgetful, has
trouble processing information, and is una-
ble to multi-task. She has to read and re-read
emails to understand the contents, and now
handles only a single client at a time, where
she earlier juggled three or four.
“I have to ask people to speak slowly, one
at a time,” she said. “I feel less inclined to
meet people and I find it hard to make eye-
contact when talking to them. I was an out-
going, social person who was great at multi-
tasking. My job requires me to be that way. I
feel like a very different person now.”
To get through the day, Shukla makes lists,
ate cars. When those cars hit the roads, there
was an outcry. What rules ought cars to fol-
low? How many horse stations and caretak-
ers would be displaced?
By 1912, there were more cars on streets
than horses. Five years later, the last horse-
drawn tram was decommissioned in New
York. Few mourned its demise. The city had
entered the age of the automobile.
The Horseshit Paradox was held up to
describe the upside of technology until the
1980s. Then a Russian economist Wassily
Leontief put into words what many already
feared — that what cars had done to horses,
computers could do to humans. The first
time this became real for me — the first time
I felt anxious about the future of my career
and that of my children — was when chess
grandmaster Garry Kasparov was beaten by
the computer programme Deep Blue in 1997.
If an algorithm could outthink Kasparov,
how long before I was toast?
By 2012, companies such as Narrative Sci-
ence were designing algorithms that could
generate news reports more quickly than a
reporter (albeit with no scepticism and little
nuance). Algorithms are working fast and
smart in the fields of financial services, medi-
cine, law and have now begun to “create art”
as well. Perhaps Leontief was right?
On reading Susskind closely, though, my
concerns would appear to be vastly exagger-
notes and detailed schedules. She has also
been meditating, in an effort to improve and
sharpen her concentration.
Her boss and colleagues are supportive.
But she feels uncomfortable telling her boss
that she can’t do what she used to be able to
do, and she feels bad about making mistakes
like forgetting to return calls.
Her parents are encouraging her to learn
to drive and take up activities that will make
her feel good about herself.
“In my experience treating patients with
brain fog, I have found that meditation, mild
exercise, a healthy sleep-wake cycle, playing
memory games and solving puzzles can
help,” said Dr Pai. “But what’s most impor-
tant is acceptance of the condition, by the
patient and their family, friends and col-
leagues. Brain fog is a known phenomenon
and it is going to affect the productive popu-
lation of countries. So, don’t stigmatise it.”
ated. The reason a computer could beat Kas-
parov was because it could compute 100 bil-
lion to 200 billion moves in three minutes. It
was brute force. When Kasparov reflected
upon the game in his book Deep Thinking:
Where Machine Intelligence Ends and
Human Creativity Begins, he wrote: “Chess
just isn’t complex enough and even I can
admit that there is more to life than chess.”
There is also more to Kasparov than chess.
And there is more to the reporter than her
news reports. Each of these cutting-edge
computer programmes can, at least for now,
only do one task, while stationary, with strict
limits to the complexity they can handle
within that task.
That’s not how humans function. As Kas-
parov pointed out in his book: “Applying
context comes naturally to humans… Our
brain does the work in the background with-
out any noticeable effort on our part, nearly
as effortlessly as breathing.”
Simple tasks completed quickly would not
make the world go round. And so I think, yes,
we must future-proof ourselves. Expand the
horizons of what we know, do and learn
about. But all the while acknowledge that
there is no mechanical substitute, as of now,
for the human brain.
(The writer is co-founder at Founding Fuel &
co-author of The Aadhaar Effect)
11
{ INFINITY ENDGAME } THE LAST THING YOU DO
Revising for life’s final exam
“It’s almost as
if there is a
Before and an
After version Dipanjan Sinha our thoughts from death. The usual refrain
of myself,” is “Yes, yes, I know I will die but...” But the
says Varsha letters@hindustantimes.com Buddha placed great emphasis on reversing
Bansal, who this complacence. “In Buddhist monaster-
contracted uthor, journalist and economist ies, this is considered so important that
Covid-19 in
November.
“I was an A Arun Shourie’s newest book is a
meditation on death. It’s an
extension of his evolving interest
quite often skeletons are displayed in the
meditation hall,” Shourie writes. It impor-
tant to face the inevitability of our end, he
outgoing, in religion, spirituality and philosophy, adds, and plan life accordingly.
social person. which formed the themes of two earlier Accept that death is difficult: Unless we
Now I have to books — Does He Know a Mother’s Heart? die in an instant, which is rare, death neces-
ask people to (2011; a look at explanations various reli- sarily involves a tumultuous transition for
speak slowly, gions offer for the fact of human suffering) the body. A process of being less and less in
one at a time,” and Two Saints (2017; an exploration of how control of it. The only entity we retain con-
says Hiral we account for the experiences of mystics). trol over is the mind. But control over the
Shukla, 28, a In Preparing: For Death (2020), Shourie mind in the days, weeks and months leading
PR executive. examines the final days and thoughts of up to death, is only possible through years
HT ILLUSTRATION: sainted men including Gautama Buddha, and years of practice.
JAYACHANDRAN Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Mahatma Seek mindfulness not revulsion of the
Gandhi, and Acharya Vinoba Bhave. A body: The Buddha preached that one ought
thread that unites them all, he says, is that not to be repulsed by one’s body but aware
they thought a great deal about death, as of it and its frailties and limitations. “The
they did about how to live a life that was purpose of learning to be mindful of our
worthwhile. breath, of sensations, of emotions... is to
“The fact that death is certain has become weaken our identification with our body,”
all the more compelling by thinking and Shourie writes.
reading about it for two years,” Shourie told Move towards a realisation of the self
Wknd. “The lessons that we must prepare beyond the flesh: We are not the body.
for it, that the preparation is difficult, and Almost every faith preaches this, as well as
therefore we should begin early and almost every philosophy. The real
persevere throughout our lives, you is a universal self. Recognise
have been driven deeper for me.” this universal self within you and
This preparation is not easy. even death loses much of its
“Even if we have attended on threatening aspect.
many others whom we have Live the now: Despite
loved — like our parents — the abstract nature of his
when they were dying, our subject matter, Shourie’s
own death will be a first- examination is driven by
time experience. It will be a logic, his interpretations
shattering experience. For grounded in realism.
both reasons we should begin He talks about mak-
learning the necessary skills ing that call you had
early,” Shourie said. promised to make.
Here’s how he recom- Going through with
mended one go that planned meet-
about doing that: ing. Live every day
Build an aware- well and aim to
ness of death: We leave nothing unre-
avert our gaze and solved.
{ GREY MATTER }
The Weekly Puzzle
Pulling strings
A problem that’s man follows, pulling every
illuminating in more ways second string, thus leaving the
first lamp on, but switching the
than one. Figure out a second off, etc. The third man
row of lights that follows follows, pulling every third
an elegant pattern string; the fourth, every fourth
string. And so it goes, until the
25,000th man walks the room
By Dilip D’Souza and pulls only the 25,000th
string.
An eccentric Maharani’s palace has
one long, and I mean REALLY Question 1: At the end of this
LONG, room. Hanging from the bizarre exercise, which lamps
ceiling in a line down the middle are on?
are 25,000 identical lamps, the kind Actually, you’ll get a good
that are switched on or off by idea of the answer by walking
pulling on a dangling length of through the exercise with, say,
string. 20 lamps. So try this follow-up:
Every evening, with all the Question 2: Can you explain
lights off, Her Majesty calls in the why those particular lamps
palace staff for a peculiar ritual. are on?
The first man walks the length of
the room, pulling every string, thus For the solution, please turn to
turning every light on. The second page 14.
A New York { THE PLAYBOOK } DIGITAL DETOX
street in the
1920s. Just
two decades 5 steps towards ensuring your
earlier, in
the age of
horse-drawn
device doesn’t steal from you
vehicles,
people had
feared their
Madhusree Ghosh to keep it for months on your device. Clear
out your browser history and all cached
madhusree.ghosh@hindustantimes.com
cities would files at least once a month too, to minimise
be buried your digital footprint.
in manure. his year, too, your phone will Remember to disable the “Unknown
Then the
internal
combustion
engine took
horses off
T likely be attached to your palm
for much longer than it should
be. We’ve used our devices for
work and play, to binge-watch and
re-stream. What this can do to your brain,
Sources” option for app downloads in your
phone’s security settings. If your device isn’t
permitted to download apps from unknown
sources, it can only install ones available on
the Android Play Store or iOS App Store.
the streets eyes and peace of mind is one major con- This reduces the risk of malware being
altogether, a cern. Another is what it can do to your digi- installed on your device. Think hard about
shift often
used to
illustrate the
unpredict-
able fallouts
tal privacy.
“Know your device inside out. Own your
device, don’t allow it to own you,” says data
security expert Yash Kadakia, CTO of the
information security consultancy firm
app permissions carefully too, Kadakia
says. Blindly clicking Yes to every request is
dangerous. “If some game wants access to
your messages, camera, contacts, that’s a
red flag and a sign that you should avoid it.”
of new tech. Security Brigade. Back-up important files and photo-
IMAGES: Here are five steps towards ensuring you graphs on a separate device, then clear
SHUTTERSTOCK aren’t giving out more data than you need out stored data on your phone. You’ll
to when you use your device. reduce the device to its essentials — a con-
Don’t download an app unless you nectivity tool, not a photo album, doc-
have to. The tendency is to pick ease over ument holder, souvenir corner or
security. The truth is that e-commerce repository of official records.
giant’s website is as effective as its Pause before you post. A
app, and easier to log out of after big threat to digital security
each transaction. Similarly, if is, of course, the user’s
you only use two ride-hailing own activity. There are so
apps, don’t keep the apps many instances of board-
for all five that you once ing passes posted on
tried out. And always Instagram, complete
deactivate or log out with barcodes that can
before un-installing. be scanned for a wealth
Spring-clean regu- of information. Or giddy
larly. There are apps updates on extended
that you don’t use, or vacations that tell the
rarely use, or just world how long your
used once, lurking in home will be empty and
your directory, quietly unwatched.
collecting data on Remember, even secure
your location, contacts data rarely remains private
and usage habits. Un- forever, Kadakia says.
install them all. It’s “Only share data online if
safer to download an app you are comfortable with the
two or three times a year, possibility that it will be made
whenever you need it, than public at some point.”
12
{ INSPIRED BY GOOD OMENS }
The Return of Pestilence
The book by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, a comedy on the coming
of the End Times, was also turned into a popular web series on Amazon
Prime in 2019. This fan fiction take sees Pestilence, one of the Four
Horsemen of the Apocalypse, come out of retirement centuries after she
was rendered redundant in the age of penicillin
amn, she had forgotten how much
D fun this was. Within months, her
little pet project had gone from a
small little virus of little concern,
to an international pandemic. The humans
were panicking in a way that Pestilence
hadn’t seen since she had made the black
plague. It was... refreshing, to be busy again,
to be doing big work instead of spending her
time making petty little one-off diseases…
It wasn’t long before she got a call. The
gang wanted to meet up while she was still
here. Pestilence found them all waiting for
her at a truck stop in Idaho; in the absolute
middle of nowhere surrounded by dying
corn with a sign that said “HELL IS REAL”
next to the parking lot. So much for subtle.
She did have to admit, the biker thing was
fun, so much faster than the old horses. She
walked into the truck stop where the three
of them were waiting for her. They all stood
up... Famine greeted her with a hollow
smile, War with a wink, and Pollution
leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.
Death wasn’t there, he never showed up for
their little meetups even in the old days.
“Pestilence, darling,” Pollution said, tak-
ing her hand as she sat down. “Lovely to see
you again, it’s been far too long.”
“Yes well, there hadn’t been much need
{ INSPIRED BY LITTLE WOMEN }
Distances
Meg March and John Brooke are trying to hold it together. John has
handled the transition to online classes with unease but grace, moving his
high school lessons from the grubby public school to the cramped office/
craft room in their small bungalow
e tapped on the door. “Meg? You
H in there?”
Behind the door there was a
titanic sniffle, followed by the
most miserable sounding “No, I’m not.”
John took a deep breath and cracked
open the door, finding his wife wedged
behind it, sitting with her head down and
arms wrapped her knees, a little ball of
motherly despair.
She looked up with bleary eyes. “I can’t do
it anymore, John! I just can’t! Not for ten
more days! Or longer. I’ve washed every-
thing I can wash, I’ve tried every enriching
educational thing I can think of! I cannot
have my only social interaction for two
weeks be my three year old children!”
“And what am I, chopped liver?” John
asked, meaning for it to be funny and know-
ing, immediately, that it had been the wrong
thing to say. “I’m sorry. That was rude. I
have not been very helpful the last couple of
days, and I apologize… I had my classes and
my students and you had nothing but back
to back episodes of children’s TV and non-
stop sanitizing.”
wknd lifestyle
for me in a very long time. But here I am
now!” She smiled at the group, and Pollu-
tion squeezed her hand. She and Pollution
had tag-teamed the job during the industrial
revolution. The factories that the humans
were building had given Pollution a job pro-
motion, and the bad conditions that came
from them had given Pestilence the perfect
place to work. They had fun together, and
damn did they do their work well.
“Speaking of,” said Famine, taking a sip of
his chocolate shake. “What brought you
back?”
“Oh, you know how it is. I just had a Feel-
ing that it was time for me to get back to
work.”
“I understand,” said War, twirling a
strand of her hair. “I played around a bit
earlier this year, but decided to pull away at
the last minute. I had a Feeling that some-
thing bigger was coming.” She smiled and
wiggled a finger at Pestilence, “and I was
right! Here you are.”
“Well, I can’t stay very long, you know
how things are.” The horsemen nodded.
“Speaking of which, I don’t think there have
been many cases in Idaho. Well, looks like I
should change that.”
Posted by @LilithReisender
It was true — he’d been so wrapped up in
trying to put his entire curriculum online
(complete with memes and appropriate pop
culture references) that he hadn’t really
made any time for his family.
The tears looked like they were going to
start again. “But you’ve had classes to write,
and the students need you –”
Oh, Saint Meg, always thinking she had to
be all things to all people. John wedged his
way inside the bathroom and sat down next
to his wife, wrapping an arm around her
shoulder and pulling her adorably messy
head towards him.
“And my wife needs me, too,” he said, pet-
ting her hair and tucking in a few flyaways.
“Let me hose off Demi and take the kids for
a walk. We will stay,” he added, as Meg
looked about ready to protest, “six feet away
from everyone and I won’t let them touch a
thing and you can have some alone time.
You will not clean a thing until I get back. I
will take care of the floor in the front room.
The socks can wait.”
Posted by @MercuryGray
Twist
in the tale:
Pandemic-era
fan fiction
Writers of fan fiction are responding to the pandemic by taking their best-loved characters and
imagining how they would react to the crisis. Wizards start to hoard toilet paper at Hogwarts,
vampires fret over immunity, superheroes kill time by discussing their new fitness regimens
Paramita Ghosh
paramitaghosh@htlive.com
T
he world’s best-loved
heroes and superheroes
have been busy in the
pandemic, and it hasn’t
been in trying to save
the world.
Instead, Harry Potter,
holed up with Draco
Malfoy, has been trying not to argue over
toilet paper purchases. Marvel’s Avengers,
all duly masked, have been meeting at a
diner to chat, kill time and discuss their new
fitness regimens. Edward Cullen, the ageless
vampire from the Twilight series, has been
fretting over whether his child is immune.
These aren’t official story lines. They’re
fan fiction posts by @JayGwen23, @cakeis-
notpie and @ZydrateNote respectively,
posted on archiveofourown.org (Ao3). Ao3
is both lodestar and one of the world’s larg-
est repositories of fan fiction, a place where
people who have loved a story go to retell or
reshape it in their own words.
Fan fiction has historically been fuelled
by people desperate for a different ending.
The genres reflect this most clearly.
Fix-It or Alternate Universe fan fiction
pairs characters as fans think they should
have been paired or raises from the dead
someone they think should have lived —
Hermione ends up with Harry Potter, and a
new future is imagined for Han Solo’s son
Anakin in the Star Wars universe. Missing
Scenes imagines turns in the plot that fans
think should have happened — Sherlock
may finally tell Watson he fancies him.
In 2020, fan fiction was fuelled by people
desperate to re-craft their reality too. And
ILLUSTRATIONS:
MOHIT SUNEJA
so, in the retelling of the Terry Pratchett-
Neil Gaiman work Good Omens by @Lili-
thReisender, a pandemic-era Pestilence is
welcomed back by the other Horsemen of
the Apocalypse; Meg March and John
Brooke of the Louisa May Alcott classic Lit-
tle Women struggle, in fan fiction by @Mer-
curyGray, to juggle work and childcare.
Traffic has surged on fan fiction plat-
forms too, as it has on streaming platforms
around the world. In March, Ao3’s weekly
page views rose from 262 million to 298 mil-
lion over just two weeks. “Most fan fiction
writers are trying to cheer themselves up
first, and then their group of fandom
friends. And if anyone beyond that likes the
story, that’s wonderful,” Francesca Coppa,
co-founder of Ao3 and a fan fiction scholar,
told Wknd.
Genesis
You have to be a bit of a fanatic to spend
hours retelling or reading retellings of
iconic works of fiction, and indeed modern
fan fiction can perhaps be traced to the Star
Trek mania of the 1960s.
The first Star Trek fan magazine or fan-
zine, Spockanalia, began to be published in
1967. When the iconic TV show, which ran
from 1966 to 1969, was cancelled after 79
episodes, its fans — many of them women —
responded by taking the plots forward
themselves, writing impassioned stories of
emotion and transgression in a growing
number of Trekkie fanzines.
“Many women writers felt relatively
unwelcome within literary science-fiction
fandom and saw Star Trek with its stronger
female characters as a space they could call
their own,” said Henry Jenkins, author of
Textual Poachers, an early study of fan-
NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
JANUARY 10, 2021
dom’s impact on popular culture. “Because
what they cared about in Star Trek was
often pushed to the margins, they ended up
rewriting it more actively and many of
today’s fan fiction genres started to
emerge.”
In recent years, 2011 marked a turning
point. EL James’s 50 Shades of Grey, an
erotic trilogy that started out as Twilight fan
fiction, was published and became an
instant bestseller.
By 2013, Forbes named James the highest-
paid author in the world that year, with an
estimated $95 million in earnings. It was a
success story that, incidentally, was also
forced to shed its identity as fan fiction - in
order to evade copyright issues and be pub-
lished, James removed all references to Ste-
phenie Meyer’s vampire novels.
Today, Hollywood studios routinely draw
on fan fiction for plot lines. The shift from
sidelines to mainstream for fan-writers
began when producers realised that it actu-
ally increased engagement with the prod-
uct, says Jenkins. Mainstream publishing
too makes space for them but with permis-
sion from the estate and with the necessary
disclaimers.
As for the significance of fan fiction plat-
forms, in 2019, Ao3 won a prestigious Hugo
award, the highest honour for a work of sci-
ence fiction, for Best Related Work -- a cate-
gory that traditionally included books or
essays involving critical commentary, tie-in
works, or other works adjacent to specula-
tive fiction.
The India stories
The domestic boom in fan-fiction writing
online began with JK Rowling’s Harry Pot-
ter, about 15 years ago. Then writers began
{ INSPIRED BY
STRANGER THINGS }
Girl With
October In
Her Eyes
The writer takes two of the
principal characters of the popular
sci-fi Netflix thriller — teens Eleven
and Mike Wheelers — into a post-
apocalyptic time when a disease has
wiped almost all humans off the
planet. Eleven has a dog named 12.
She and Mike meet for the first
time, in a park (on the show, they
met in the woods while Mike was
looking for the missing friend at the
centre of the plot)
NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
JANUARY 10, 2021
(Extreme left) The cancellation
of Star Trek in the ’60s acted as
an early boost to fan fiction,
with plots being taken forward
in fan magazines. (Above) EL
James’s bestselling 50 Shades
of Grey books started out as
Twilight fan fiction and were
another turning point. Secret
love is a popular theme in fan
fiction, with love angles
explored between characters
such as (left) Sherlock Homes
and Dr Watson or (below)
Aziraphale and Crowley of
Good Omens. IMAGES: GETTY, BBC,
AMAZON STUDIOS, WARNER BROS
retelling our own stories — everything from
Amish Tripathi’s myth-inspired Immortals
of Meluha books, down to takes on the saas-
bahu serials churned out for Hindi televi-
sion by studios like Ekta Kapoor’s Balaji
Telefilms.
Online, one can find fan fiction from
India and around the world on platforms
such as Ao3, fanfiction.net, Wattpad,
Tumblr, Commaful. The more popular fan
fiction writers online have tens of thou-
sands of followers, earn feedback, criticism
and fans of their own.
Fansites also announce their own
awards, hold conventions. “Fan love is,
above everything else, the expression of a
sincere desire to belong,” said Nandini
Chandra, an English professor at the Uni-
versity of Hawaii who teaches fan fiction as
part of a course on popular culture.
Fan fiction remains a slow starter in the
Indian publishing market. But does it have
a future?
“Mythology is rife with potential for fan
fiction,” said Keshava Guha, an editor at
publishing house Juggernaut, and the
author of Accidental Magic, a book
set against the backdrop of
Harry Potter fandom. “You
could argue that India is the
true and original home of ‘fan-
fic’. So much of our literature
— whether prose, poetry, or
drama — consists of adapta-
tions, retellings, mash-ups and
critiques of classic texts. The
Mahabharata and Ramayana
are the most obvious exam-
ples, but there are hundreds
of others as well. This is a
tradition that continues in
every Indian language.”
welve?” El shouted.
“T “Where are you?”
“Twelve?” El was hav-
ing a hard time keeping
the tears from her voice.
I can’t lose Twelve. Not now, not after
everything we’ve been through. What will
I do? I’ll have nobody to talk to. Nobody to
keep me warm at night. She must have
left the bed just before I woke up.
El shouted until her voice was ragged.
When she couldn’t yell any more she
cried.
xxx
This is going to be a perfect shot.
Mike lay prone facing the morning sun.
He looked through the viewfinder. He’d
been waiting to take the shot since the day
started to get lighter... He wouldn’t miss
today… shit! What’s that?
There was a grey blur coming towards
him... fast. He tried to crawl backwards
fast enough to get out of its way... The
next thing he knew, there was a hot wet-
ness on his face.
It tickled. Mike laughed. He hadn’t seen
a dog in over… has to be five years
He managed to get a brief
glimpse of the dog tag, it was reg-
istered in Hawkins. On the name
part he saw “12”.
OK, that’s an odd name for a dog.
Or is this the dog’s role in a pack
that somehow survived? The dog was
prepping the next meal for the pack.
…“You found my dog! And she likes
you.”
“I think she found me.” Mike said. The
dog was practically doing backflips it was
so happy. Mike sat cross-legged on the
grass…
“I think she found me,” the guy said. He
sat cross-legged on the grass.
“You named your dog Twelve?” He
said, paused from scratching behind
Twelve’s ears and looked at her.
“Oh,” he said, and then averted his eyes.
Oh is right. He’s really good-looking.
His eyes, they are even deeper than his
voice. Twelve likes him… All kinds of
things are going to have to fall in place
before that happens.
Posted by @snowzone5
{ INSPIRED BY THE HARRY POTTER SERIES }
Top Priority
England is trying to stop the spread of an aggressive new virus affecting
both wizards and muggles. Everyone is being told to self-isolate. House
mates Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy are stuck at home, trying not to go
out of their minds
arry heard the ancient front door
H of Grimmauld Place creak open
and then slam closed. Draco was
always overzealous with his
wandless magic. Harry padded into the
entry still barefoot and in his pajamas to see
if he needed any help with the groceries...
Harry stopped short, when he came around
the corner and couldn’t see Draco behind
the wall of toilet paper he was carrying.
“Er, Draco?” Harry asked, not really sure
what to say and hoping it was in fact Draco
behind the stack of white rolls, instead of a
different psychotic wizard.
“Harry, you won’t believe the madhouse
it was out there! I made it just in time, these
were the last three packages of toilet paper
in the entire grocery aisle. Not to mention
how bare the meat department was getting.
I might have gone slightly overboard, but I
don’t want to have to go back.”…
“There are only three of us. What do we
{ INSPIRED BY THE TWILIGHT SERIES }
Wash Your Hands
for Edward Cullen
Edward’s anxieties are triggered by the new virus. He fears for his
daughter’s life and can’t shake the memories of the last pandemic
he lived through, the 1918 Spanish Flu
he’s fine, Edward. She can’t
“S catch it.”
“You don’t know that,”
Edward said quietly…
“Renesme is a vampire!” Bella tossed her
long chestnut hair over her shoulders. “She
doesn’t need to quarantine like-”
“Half-” Edward growled. “She’s only half-
vampire.” He stood up from his piano bench
and slammed the lid down on the keys…
“It’s not that big of a deal. She just wants
to visit Jacob. He’s been isolating, both him
and his dad. She’ll be-”
“Bella! This is non-negotiable She stays
inside.”
“I thought you were through with acting
like this. You’ve been a teenager for a hun-
dred years but it’s a bit too long to keep the
(All five works excerpted from posts on archiveofourown.org)
Wknd Lifestyle
need that much toilet paper for?”
Draco stepped around his purchases,
leaving them floating behind him, so that he
could scowl at Harry properly. “You never
know...”
“Sure, Malfoy.” Harry kept from rolling
his eyes, but by the look Draco shot him, he
didn’t think he was hiding the fact that he
wanted to. “Do you want me to give you a
hand with…” Harry waved at the floating
bags and array of items. “Er, all this.”
“No, you can keep your ungrateful hands
off my supplies.” He huffed and headed to
the kitchen, his items bobbing and twitch-
ing behind him...
Harry followed a few steps behind, trying
not to laugh. Draco didn’t like being
laughed at, unless he was purposely trying
to make you laugh, then he expected you to
laugh and loudly.
Posted by @JayGwen23
moodiness.”
“You don’t understand. How could you?
How could you possibly understand… She’s
not going out. I’m not letting anything hap-
pen to Renesme… It’s just- I can’t stand peo-
ple saying it’s just like the flu. I’ve had the
flu. It’s not a walk in the park. It’s a killer. It
saps your strength and your life and it
leaves you, best-case scenario, as a weak-
ened shell of yourself. She might be half-
vampire. We don’t know about that human
half. And Jacob- They’re saying dogs can’t
catch it. But I can’t risk that. If something
happened. Carlisle can’t turn her again. She
can- she can Zoom Jacob. That’s what
they’re doing nowadays, right?”
Posted by @ZydrateNote
13
{ WILD CHILD } CLASSIC RETOLD
From jungles to
MIT: Mowgli’s
story gets a
modern spin
Paramita Ghosh
paramitaghosh@htlive.com
here have been many retellings of
T Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book —
from Disney to Doordarshan to
Robert Heinlein’s Hugo Award-
winning Stranger in a Strange Land, in
which a boy named Valentine is raised by
Martians.
In Feral Dreams: Mowgli & His Mothers
(2020, Aleph), Stephen Alter (below) sets
the tale of Mowgli — the boy raised by
wolves (and a bear) in the jungles — in a
newly independent India. Mowgli is now
Daniel, reared in the jungle, adopted by mis-
sionaries and now working as a lab supervi-
sor at MIT. “It’s always interesting to rei-
magine a character that someone else has
created, because you can tease a reader’s
expectations,” says the Mussoorie-born
Alter. Excerpts from a conversation:
How have readers responded to
Feral Dreams?
So far, most of the responses I have
received have been positive, though I have a
sense that it isn’t the book that many read-
ers expected. Parts of the story are a retell-
ing of The Jungle Books, though the forests
I describe are much more limited and
hemmed in by human settlements. The ani-
mals are restricted to a wildlife sanctuary,
rather than having unlimited space to roam
in the wild. The character, Daniel, whose
adoptive mother gives him the pet name
Mowgli, is very different from the man cub
in Kipling’s tale, much more self-aware and
troubled by his past.
Why did you pick this story to retell?
The idea of a child being raised in the
wild is a very old myth that goes back to
long before Kipling’s stories. It is a fascinat-
ing idea because it touches on our “animal
nature”. Human beings like to think of
themselves as being separate from other
species but there is also a part of our psy-
ches that is linked to our origins as forest-
dwelling primates. Of course, I didn’t think
about this when I first read the Mowgli sto-
ries as a boy. I simply enjoyed the adven-
tures and the setting of the jungle, which is
a world that has always fascinated me. I
suppose Feral Dreams could be described as
a “new” Jungle Book but I pre-
fer to think of it as an ancient
tale retold in modern times. P
Would you say this book is Mowgli’s story is so
the work of a fan?
The expression “fan fiction” intriguing, because
isn’t something I was familiar
with until this book was pub-
it allows us to see a
lished, and I had to look it up to human child from
find out what it meant. Never- the perspective of
theless, I suppose Feral Dreams
fits into that category. At the other species.
same time, I wouldn’t describe
myself as a fan of Kipling. STEPHEN ALTER, AUTHOR
There are a number of ele-
ments in his work that bother
me, because of his colonial and racist per-
spectives. In some ways, this book is an
attempt to overturn those prejudices and try
to tell Mowgli’s story without all of the colo-
nial baggage.
What is one thing you definitely
wanted to rework and alter from the
original?
As best I could, I have tried to not portray
any of the animals as villains, which is the
way the tiger and a few other species are
depicted in the Kipling and Disney versions.
Imposing our sense of good and evil on
nature is common to many mythologies and
it has often led to the unfortunate demonis-
ing of certain creatures. If there are any ani-
mals that I have shown to be heroic, it is the
elephants because they deserve that recog-
nition, even if I am breaking my own rules
about anthropomorphic judgements.
I’ve always been puzzled by the name
Mowgli because it’s an unusual name,
which I’ve never heard in any other context.
Kipling suggests it means “frog”. Even my
character, Daniel / Mowgli, recognises that
it’s a made-up word. But then again, why
not? Stories like these are supposed to be
make-believe.
What about the Mowgli story reso-
nates most with you?
Most novels, either directly or indirectly,
wrestle with the question: “What makes us
human?”. Often, that question implies a
level of superiority over other creatures
(and other human beings). That’s why
Mowgli’s story is so intriguing, because it
allows us to see a human child from the per-
spective of other species. The elephant
matriarch in my story has a unique point of
view because she used to be a captive ani-
mal, who lived among human beings for
many years, before returning to the wild.
For that reason, she understands Mowgli’s
species better than he does himself.
v
WATCH
Rachel Lopez
talk about the
fan fiction she
would write
14
Dream
catchers
There’s art everywhere in
the hamlet of Khwaabgaon
in West Bengal. An initiative
by a group of artists is helping
villagers here earn more,
and opening up the world
to their children
v Madhusree Ghosh
madhusree.ghosh@hindustantimes.com
verything is an art instal-
E
lation in Laalbazar, a
tribal village of 80 people
in Jhargram district, West
WATCH artist Bengal.
Mrinal Mandal On the walls of the
talk a walk mud houses — painted in
through the
village of
dreams
bright colours — are
scenes of everyday life: goats gazing, tribal
dance forms, farmers in an orchard, chil-
dren at play.
Depicted on one wall is a wedding ritual
of this Lodha tribe, where the groom threat-
Children stand ens to jump off the roof and the bride says
before a painted he doesn’t have to take his life as she will be
sign that says
“Khwaabgaon”
or village of
dreams, a name
given to it by the
with him forever.
There are exhibition spaces where arte-
facts are sold, and a workshop where chil-
dren learn to paint, adults try their hand at
sculpture, and women at quilting.
scholar and Kolkata-based painter and sculptor
writer Shivaji Mrinal Mandal has led the transformation
Bandopadhyay of what used to be a regular mud-huts
in 2018. Lodha settlement. He first visited in 2014,
{ RUDRANEIL SENGUPTA }
The Sporting Life
The secret weapons of
a fast-bowling nation
Surprise finds are making their mark in the India bowling
line-up, but they aren’t coming up through the system
here is an odd if uplifting thread
T that binds many of India’s current
fast bowlers — they did not come
up through India’s vast domestic
cricket system in any meaningful way. They
were discovered.
Mohammed Siraj made his debut in
Melbourne in a brilliant win for India on the
tour of Australia and picked up five wickets
at an average of 15.4. On Day 1 of the third
Test in Sydney, he steamed in and led India’s
first breakthrough. Bowling alongside Jas-
prit Bumrah, one of the finest pacers in
cricket right now, he looks every bit like he
belongs there.
But the first time he held a real cricket
ball was just five years ago. He was 20. A
friend who knew his fiery reputation with
the tennis ball on dusty grounds insisted he
try the real thing, at a Hyderabad club game.
He did so well that he was immediately
inducted into the Hyderabad under-23
wknd urban
while on a visit to his home town of Jhar-
gram city.
“The village has only one entry and exit.
To the rear of it is dense forest. Entering it
gave me an enormous sense of peace and
positivity,” Mandal said.
The artist had, two years earlier,
co-founded the Chalchitra Academy with
fellow artist Jayati Banerjee, to promote the
dying arts of Bengal.
In Laalbazar, he found a village of impov-
erished daily wage earners and decided per-
haps his art and the art academy could help.
They started small, with free drawing
classes for the children. “Two artists from a
neighbouring village — painter Rameswar
Soren and sculptor Jogeswar Hansda —
began to teach.”
Mandal and fellow artists from the acad-
emy simultaneously asked if they could
paint the walls of the mud houses. “They
permitted us to paint one wall first, then
three, and then they saw that we were doing
something nice.”
By 2018, all the homes were painted.
Scholar and writer Shivaji Bandopadhyay
visited the village and rechristened it
Khwaabgaon, or village of dreams, a name
that has caught on with the residents.
Renowned artist Jogen Chowdhury
designed a logo to go with the name. On it
are the motifs of the sun, the moon and
trees.
The houses are re-made with mud every
year, so all the paintings are done over each
year too. “We didn’t stop there. We started
teaching them crafts as well,” Mandal said.
Artists have stepped up to provide free
instruction. A popular craft villagers now
earn from is the style called Katumkutum,
made famous by Abanindranath Tagore,
where figurines are made from wood, twigs,
leaves and roots collected from the forest.
Workshops on sculpting, quilting, kantha
work, the making of natural dyes are also
conducted.
team. Two years later, he was in the Indian
Premier League (IPL). Three more years,
and he is in India whites.
Bumrah has been so lethal with the ball
on the international stage that it’s easy to
forget that he is no veteran either. He is only
in his fourth year of Test cricket. For most of
his formative years, he played with a rubber
ball too, practising yorkers in the corridor
outside his Ahmedabad house, in a middle-
class apartment complex of leaking pipes
and peeling paint, where he was raised by a
single mother. He was spotted by former
India coach and Mumbai Indians chief
scout John Wright when he was 18, and had
just started playing for his state.
Navdeep Saini, who made his debut in the
Sydney Test, was spotted by then Delhi cap-
tain Gautam Gambhir in 2013 (coinciden-
tally, the same year Wright first spotted
Bumrah). Saini was toiling away as a net
bowler for Delhi’s Ranji side, and Gambhir
KHWAABGAON IS NOW A
TOURIST ATTRACTION.
THE VILLAGERS, MOST
OF WHOM ARE DAILY
WAGE EARNERS, EARN
FROM THE SALE OF
THEIR CRAFTS TOO
Khwaabgaon has become a tourist attrac-
tion and visitors invariably end up buying
the crafts as souvenirs. (Products cost
between Rs 200 and Rs 1,000.)
“I never thought I would see a time like
this,” said resident Sashthi Charan Ahir, 42,
a differently abled labourer and now
Katumkutum artist. “My children are learn-
ing to draw, the women in the family are
quilting, my brother is learning to sculpt
and I earned Rs 15,000 from my Katumku-
tum in 2019.”
Painter Saumen Khamrui visited
Khwaabgaon last month to hold a workshop
on the art of Batik printing. “The best thing
about the villagers — male, female, child or
adult — is the willingness to learn a new
form of art or craft,” he said.
A nursery is now being built to grow
Ayurvedic plants and make natural com-
post, for use and sale by the villagers. “We
are also planning to build a small studio
here so that artists can come and stay here
with the villagers and create art, do a kind of
residency,” Mandal said.
Eventually the hope is that art will
become the sole source of income for at
least some of the families here.
The initiative has been so successful that
neighbouring villages are now approaching
Mandal to do the same for them. “We are
planning to start drawing classes in a village
about 6km away, called Uranshol. It’s a tribe
of Bhil people who are eager to learn from
us,” Mandal said.
had to wage war against the state’s cricket
administration to get him onto the team.
The problem was Saini was an unknown; he
had been spotted at a tennis ball match by
another Delhi bowler and brought to the
nets as someone with promise.
There is another one like them waiting in
the wings: Thangarasu Natarajan, whose
rapid rise — from tennis ball cricketer to IPL
to the India team — I have written of here.
These are self-taught cricketers, boys
who picked up a ball and start tinkering,
with a fantasy to bowl quick and hard and
make wickets fly. In an interview a year ago,
Bumrah told me the first stint he had with
an actual coach, before he turned profes-
sional, was at a camp at school. “All my
cricket I’ve learned from the TV,” he said.
Why is it that the domestic grind does not
produce our best fast bowlers? Partly it has
to do with the dry, dusty, slow and low-
bouncing pitches that are usually on offer in
those circuits. It makes being a fast bowler
very hard. Though I am yet to wrap my head
around why a bowler such as Jaydev Unad-
kat, who habitually runs through batting
orders in the Ranji Trophy, does not make
the cut for international cricket.
Yet, that’s how it is — our fast bowlers are
fortuitous finds.
It’s what happens to them once they are
discovered that’s been key to India’s rise as
a fast-bowling nation. They find themselves
in the IPL, playing alongside and against top
cricketers from around the world and being
trained by some of the world’s best coaches.
If they are of a certain age, they get to go
through the astute under-19 system put in
{ INSTA CHECK } A STREET MARKET GOES ONLINE
Virtual gems from Janpath
Madhusree Ghosh
madhusree.ghosh@hindustantimes.com
ou can now go shopping at Jan-
Y path, wherever you are. The quin-
tessentially Delhi street market is
where you can buy thick, plush
woollen mufflers for Rs 200 or halter crop
tops for Rs 300. There are also boots, jack-
ets, and junk jewellery.
At @janpathonline on Instagram, you
can see some of the pieces you might see on
that street — many are in fact sourced there.
You can ask, just as you would on site —
“Can you get earrings like this jhumka but
not for wedding wear, but actually for work
wear?” And the answer would be the same:
theek hai, thodi der mein check karna (all
right; check back in a while).
@janpathonline founders Sheetal Munshi
and Deeksha Khanna, both Delhi women,
got just such a request, and now offer more
junk jewellery for work wear. Best of all, the
prices on their page are close to street mar-
ket rates, ranging from Rs 250 to Rs 850.
Munshi and Khanna have been friends
since college, and their favourite hang-outs
Residents and used to be Connaught Place and the nearby
visitors get Janpath street market. “Through the years,
together to we would discuss how fantastic it would be
paint the walls if we could start a venture together,” said
of the mud Munshi, 30. “The plans were always vague.”
houses, which Then, in 2017, Munshi finished a research
are rebuilt course at TISS and returned to Delhi, the
each year, in friends reconnected, visited Janpath again
this initiative and realised they could mirror the concept
led by artist of this particular street market online.
Mrinal “Most of the handcrafted Indian jewellery
Mandal. The on Instagram and Facebook is really expen-
art depicts
scenes from
villagers’ lives
and cultural
elements like
dance forms.
{ PART & PARCEL } SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING
Wrapping you can’t rip
Natasha Rego
natasha.rego@htlive.com
t’s the thought that counts. But so does
(Below) The
Second Life
makes block-
printed gift-
wrapping out
I the wrapping. And yet, the latter has
just a fleeting existence, here one
moment, ripped apart the next.
For those concerned about the amount of
waste this generates, sustainable gift-wrap-
of newspaper. ping start-ups are now offering upcycled and
(Below right) recyclable options ranging from (really
Oh Scrap pretty) scrap cloth to colourful newspaper,
Madras old posters, and bits of textile waste.
specialises Raahul Khadaliya’s The Second Life (the-
in upcycling secondlife.co) is focused on sustainable
waste fabric design. His signature product is a range of
and creates block-printed gift-wrapping made from
videos to help newspaper. He works with artisans who cre-
customers ate floral patterns in bright colours on news-
learn how to paper and movie posters. The company also
use it to wrap turns discarded paper, cardboard,
gifts prettily. cloth, and tyre tubes into plan-
place by Rahul Dravid. They go on “expo- Mohammed
sure” tours — a practice that began about Siraj led
years ago, of including promising pacers as India’s break-
net bowlers on tours. Here, they get to be through in
part of the dressing room, play in warm-up the ongoing
games. They experience better fast-bowling tour of
environments than India’s pitches. Australia.
Natarajan was part of the net bowling But he grew
unit before he was named in the squad in up playing
place of the injured Umesh Yadav. Saini was tennis ball
taken to England during the 2019 World Cup cricket and
as a net bowler. first held a
Right now, a fiery fast bowler called Kar- real cricket
tik Tyagi is in Australia to help India in the ball only five
nets. He just turned 20; it would not be sur- years ago.
prising if he made his debut for India before GETTY IMAGES
this year is out.
NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
JANUARY 10, 2021
The e-store @janpathonline, set up by
Sheetal Munshi and Deeksha Khanna
(below left), sources its pieces from Jan-
path and, now, other street markets too.
sive,” said Munshi, who now works on the
site full-time (Khanna has kept her day job
as a marketing executive). “We give the sup-
pliers their asking price and make sure the
stuff is affordable to customers too. That’s
our USP,” Khanna said.
In addition to sourcing from Janpath,
they also now feature street jewellery from
three other cities famous for it — Jaipur,
Ahmedabad and Chennai.
Himanshu Bhasin, 27, is among the Jan-
path vendors now represented online. “I did
know of Instagram but my brother and I
didn’t have the courage to start by our-
selves,” he said. “On Janpath Online, they
present the jewellery well. It has been really
beneficial, especially when the market was
closed in the lockdown.”
There were plans to add artisans and ven-
dors from more cities, and expand to
purses, dupattas and more. “But of course
we couldn’t in 2020,” Khanna said. “We now
hope to in 2021.”
ners, lanterns and stationery. “We want to
utilise waste such that it does not need to be
recycled,” Khadaliya said.
Pune-based Amruta Walvekar, a gift-
wrapping specialist and founder of Wrapis-
try, put out three videos featuring sustaina-
ble gift-wrapping ideas last May.
Her techniques involved fashioning sur-
plus toilet paper and old magazine pages into
flowers. The gifts can be covered in brown
paper, wrapped in string, with the paper
blooms pasted in a corner, along with a leaf
or two from the garden.
For rip-resistant wraps, look east. Furo-
shiki, the 17th-century Japanese method of
wrapping a gift with fabric and decorative
knots was traditionally used to pack goods
for transport. Eco-conscious Indian compa-
nies now have lines of Furoshiki gift-wrap-
ping. Aeshaane, a fashion label by Chennai-
based Neesha Amrish, offers cloth wraps in
striking block-printed cottons and silks.
Oh Scrap Madras, which specialises
in upcycling waste fabric,
launched their line of Furoshiki
products in time for Diwali,
in October.
Once you’ve placed
your order, WhatsApp
instructions follow on
how to wrap the cloth in
different styles. There are
also instructional videos on
their Instagram page, @ohscrap-
madras.
The wraps can eventually
become part of the gift, doubling as
a scarf or neckerchief until they are
needed to wrap another gift and are
passed on.
WEEKLY PUZZLE SOLUTION
Answer 1: Lamps #1, 4, 9, 16, 25, etc, will
be lit. Those are the squares (1 x 1 = 1, 2 x
2 = 4, 3 x 3 = 9, 4 x 4 = 16, 5 x 5 = 25, etc).
Answer 2: First, note that for any lamp,
an odd number of string-pulls leaves it
on, an even number switches it off.
Next, when does a given string get
pulled? Only by a walker whose serial
number is a factor of the serial number
of the string. For example, string #12
will be pulled only by walkers #1, #2,
#3, #4, #6 and #12 (all factors of 12).
#19? By walkers #1 and #19 (factors of
19).
In every case, this is an even
number of factors, an even
number of string pulls — which
means that that particular lamp
will remain off...
...except that there are some
numbers that have an odd
number of factors. Which are
those? The squares. Take 9: 1,
3, 9, or three factors. 64? 1, 2,
4, 8, 16, 32, 64, or seven
factors, etc. So these
strings will be pulled an
odd number of times.
Thus the squares are
the only lamps that will
remain on.
I told you: Eccentric!
NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
JANUARY 10, 2021
Noose tightens on Trump
Democrats threaten
US president to
resign now or face
impeachment; Joe
Biden refuses to
endorse the move
Yashwant Raj
yashwant.raj@hindustantimes.com
WASHINGTON: Democrats could
start the process to impeach
President Donald Trump for
“incitement of insurrection” by
his supporters who stormed the
US Capitol at his instigation as
soon as Monday if he doesn’t
resign “immediately”.
If the move succeeds, Trump
will become the first US presi-
dent to be impeached twice.
Democrats are undeterred by
the shortage of time available to
both impeach Trump and evict
him from office before he leaves
the White House at the end of his
term on January 20.
President-elect Joe Biden said
Trump isn’t “fit for the job”, but
he repeatedly refused to endorse
growing Democratic calls to
impeach him a second time.
“I’ve been saying for now,
well, over a year, he’s not fit to
serve,” Biden said. “He’s one of
the most incompetent presidents
in the history of the United
States of America.”
But he refused to back efforts
to remove Trump from the
White House and insisted that
impeachment was up to Con-
gress. “If we were six months
out, we should be doing every-
thing to get him out of office.
Impeaching him again, trying to
evoke the 25th amendment,
whatever it took,” Biden said.
Trump’s remaining 12 days in
the White House seemed
increasingly in jeopardy as even
Republicans have joined in the
growing calls for his removal
from office. “I want him to
resign. I want him out. He has
caused enough damage,” Lisa
Murkowski, a Republican sena-
tor, told The Anchorage Daily,
her home state news publication
in Alaska. Other Republicans
such as Senator Ben Sasse
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
CENTRAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE
Tehsil Kasauli, Distt. Solan, H.P.-173204
Tel. No. (01792) 273189 & 273105
Website: www.crikasauli.nic.in, E-mail: director-crik-hp@gov.in
No.: 1-10/2020-Admn
ABRIDGED ADVT. NOTICE
Applications are invited from the eligible candidates for appointment on
deputation basis (including short term contract) to one post of Stenographer
Grade-I Group ‘B’ Non-Gazetted in Central Research Institute, Kasauli.
A detailed advertisement notice alongwith application format can be seen on
Institute Website www.crikasauli.nic.in.
Duly completed applications through proper channel should reach to the
undersigned within 60 days of publication of this Notice in Employment News.
davp 17132/11/0014/2021
B2B
A file photo of US President Donald Trump at a rally in Florida. AFP
expressed willingness to con-
sider voting for an impeachment
motion, if introduced.
Congressional Democrats
were moving at breakneck speed
to get Trump out of office before
January 20, the day when Biden
will be sworn in as president.
A four-page draft of the
motion of impeachment that
was widely cited in US media
charges Trump with “incitement
of insurrection”. Trump was
impeached on December 18, 2019
by the Democrat-controlled
House, but his removal from
office, the second and more con-
sequential part of the punish-
ment for a president, was voted
down by the Republican-led Sen-
ate on February 5, 2020.
Dated: 07.01.2021
Director
Solutions
Pelosi calls Trump an
‘unhinged president’
In another development, Pelosi
said on Friday she has spoken to
the chairman of the Joint Chiefs
of Staff about preventing an
“unhinged” Trump from order-
ing military actions including a
possible nuclear strike in his
final days and hours at the White
House.
Pelosi said in a statement to
colleagues that she spoke with
Mark Milley “to discuss available
precautions for preventing an
unstable president from initiat-
ing military hostilities or access-
ing the launch codes” for nuclear
war. She said the situation of
“this unhinged president could
not be more dangerous”.
World
HIT BY TWITTER
BAN, PRESIDENT
PLANS TO START
OWN PLATFORM
Agencies
letters@hindustantimes.com
WASHINGTON: US President
Donald Trump said he will look
at building his own social media
platform after Twitter sus-
pended him on Friday, citing a
“risk of further incitement of vio-
lence” following the storming of
the US Capitol.
Trump sent the latest tweets
on his @POTUS account after
Twitter banned his personal
account. He had been using
@realDonaldTrump for
announcements, accusations
and misinformation. Twitter
said in a blog post, “We have per-
manently suspended the account
due to the risk of further incite-
ment of violence.”
Also, owners of the two major
app stores took action against
the Parler social networking ser-
vice because of posts inciting
violence, with Alphabet’s Google
removing it and Apple warning
it may do the same.
Trump to blame for death
of woman, says family
The brother-in-law of a woman
killed during the assault on the
US Capitol by a mob said he
blames President Trump for the
riot, and has joined calls for him
to be removed from office.
Rosanne Boyland, a 34-year-
old resident of Kennesaw, Geor-
gia, was one of four civilians who
died in the rioting. Police did not
disclose the cause of Boyland’s
death. Boyland’s brother-in-law
Justin Cave told the media that
the family was grieving for oth-
ers killed and injured in the riot-
ing, he said.
wREAD: Family
remembers
fallen Capitol Hill police officer
Man pictured sitting at
Pelosi’s desk arrested
Agencies
letters@hindustantimes.com
LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS: The
Federal Bureau of Investigation
(FBI) on Friday arrested an
Arkansas man who was photo-
graphed sitting at a desk in
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s
office following the storming of
the US Capitol by a mob of Presi-
dent Donald Trump’s support-
ers, authorities announced.
Richard Barnett turned him-
self in to FBI agents at the Ben-
ton County sheriff’s office in
Bentonville, Arkansas, said FBI
Little Rock spokesman Connor
Hagan. Barnett is jailed in the
Washington County detention
centre in nearby Fayetteville,
Arkansas, without bond pending
an initial court appearance.
Barnett is from Gravette in
northwest Arkansas. He has
identified himself on social
media as a Trump supporter and
gun rights advocate.
Barnett, 60, was charged for
entering Pelosi’s office, where he
“left a note and removed some of
the speaker’s mail”. He faces
charges for knowingly entering
{ PANDEMIC } U.S. SEES 290,000 NEW CASES
China: WHO team’s Wuhan
visit preparations underway
Agencies
letters@hindustantimes.com
BEIJING/WASHINGTON: China
confirmed on Saturday that
preparations were still ongoing
for a World Health Organization
(WHO) mission to Wuhan to
investigate the origins of Cov-
id-19, following a rare rebuke
from the UN body over a delay to
the long-planned trip.
The comments came after
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom
said on Tuesday he was “very
disappointed” that Beijing had
yet to finalise permission as the
team of experts had begun trav-
A photo of Trump fan Richard Barnett sitting inside the office of
US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, at the US Capitol.
restricted grounds without
authority; violent entry and dis-
orderly conduct; and theft of
public property or records. If
convicted, he faces up to a year
in prison.
Authorities were able to iden-
tify Barnett through photos
taken by news media. They also
used footage from inside the
Capitol and a video interview
Barnett gave to a reporter.
Separately, a laptop was sto-
len from Pelosi’s office during
elling to China to explore the
beginnings of the coronavirus.
On Saturday, National Health
Commission vice minister Zeng
Yixin said, “The specific time is
being determined, we are ready
here. As long as these experts
complete the procedures and
confirm their schedule, we will
go to Wuhan together to carry
out investigations,” he said.
In the US, a new, more infec-
tious strain of the coronavirus
has spread to at least eight US
states, official data showed on
Friday. The B.1.1.7 strain, which
emerged in Britain late last year,
has been shown to be between
15
A
l
North Korea
threatens to build
more nukes, cites
US hostility
SEOUL: North Korean
leader Kim Jong Un
threatened to expand
his nuclear arsenal as he
disclosed a list of high-
tech weapons systems
under development,
saying the fate of
relations with the US
depends on whether it
abandons its hostile
policy, as per state
media reports. AP
Imran Khan meets
AFP families of slain
Hazara miners
the storming of the Capitol on QUETTA: Pakistan Prime
Wednesday, one of her aides said Minister Imran Khan,
on Friday. Drew Hammill, an who on Saturday met
aide to Democrat Pelosi, said on bereaved families of 11
Twitter that the laptop was used Hazara coal miners
for presentations. killed in January 3
Late on Friday, a man photo- terrorist attack, talked
graphed carrying Pelosi’s lectern about his global
from the House chambers was ambitions to play a role
arrested. Adam Christian John- in issues concerning
son, 36, of Parrish, Florida, was some Muslim countries
arrested on a warrant and and said his aim is to
booked into the Pinellas County end Shia-Sunni discord
jail. No bond was allowed. in the world. He also
said his government
was trying to reduce
tensions between Saudi
Arabia and Iran. ANI
US charges three
Lankans over 2019
Easter attacks
WASHINGTON: The US
justice department
charged three Sri
40% and 70% more contagious Lankans on Friday with
than variants which have spread supporting terrorism
previously. Data from the US for their participation in
CDC showed on Friday that the the 2019 Islamic State
strain has been detected in eight Easter attack that killed
states, with California and Flor- 268 people. The
ida the worst affected. department said the
The pandemic continued to three were part of the
rage across America as the coun- “ISIS in Sri Lanka”
try logged a record new daily group behind the
virus caseload. Almost 290,000 attacks on churches and
new cases were reported in the
United Status within 24 hours on
Friday according to Johns Hop-
kins University, a day after the
hotels in three cities on
the Christian holiday on
April 21, 2019. The IS
had claimed
world’s worst-hit nation responsibility for the
recorded a daily record of nearly attacks. AFP
4,000 deaths.
NORTH CENTRAL RAILWAY, PRAYAGRAJ
E-Tender No. PUCNB-PRYJ-FTP-ABS-OD-T54
TENDER NOTICE (Two Packet)
Date : 07.01.2021
By. Chief Signal & Telecom Engineer/Project, North Central Railway
Project Unit, Kanpur for and on behalf of the President of India invites
open e-Tender from reputed contractors/JV firms with adequate
experience and financial capability, for the following work on Two Packet
System up to 12.00 hrs. on the opening date of E-tender mentioned
therein. If date of opening is declared a holiday or offer could not be
opened due to Technical issue, the offers shall be opened on the next
working day. The details of the Tender are as under:
Name of work Supply, Designing, Installation, testing and
commissioning of Outdoor Signalling gears in
connection with Provision of El based
Automatic Signalling with MSDAC in Prayagraj -
Fatehpur section of Prayagraj Division of North
Central Railway".
Estimated cost of Approx. Cost Rs. 300467848.62 ( Rupees Thirty
work Crores Four Lakhs Sixty Seven Thousand Eight
hundred Forty Eight & Sixty Two Paise only ).
Earnest Money ` 1652300/-
Tender form cost NIL.
Completion Period 24 Months.
Vailability of tender Tender forms shall be available on web site,
form www.ireps.gov.in, 21 days prior to date of opening
of the tender.
Closing Date/Time 09.02.2021 before 12:00 Hrs.
of Tender
Tender Opening 09.02.2021 at 12:00 Hrs.
Date/Time
Place of Opening Through Online E-Portal www.ireps.gov.in In the
office of DY. CSTE/Project/HQ/ NCRPU, HQ
office, Subedarganj, Prayagraj.
Validity of Offer 60 days from date of opening.
Right of Railway to Railway administration reserves the rights to
deal with tender postpone/modify or to cancel the tender without
assigning any reasons.
Tenderers who wish to participate in tenders invited on
www.ireps.gov.in have to register on the website mandatorily. Please
refer to website for more details. Tenderers can submit EMD only
through online mode, if required. Further particulars can be obtained
from Indian Railways website www.ireps.gov.in. 28/21 (SP)
North central railways www.ncr.indianrailways.gov.in @CPRONCR
New Delhi, Sunday, January 10, 2021 TO BOOK YOUR AD CALL SEVEN DAYS A WEEK→ 1800 103 1800 OR E-MAIL→ counterclassifieds@hindustantimes.com
FOR ENQUIRY CONTACT→ 011-66561389/66561161

{Sunday}
NOIDA/GREATER NOIDA NOIDA/GREATER NOIDA
PROPERTY GURUGRAM INDUSTRIAL PLOT for sale
Sector-63 size 1800 mtr.
SECTOR 15A owner selling 450-
200 mtr. Kothi North/East park
Contact-09811110185 facing, 450mtr. Plot Sector-44,
47,93B,108 corner park facing &
180mtr kothi Sec 27# 9810207945

SOUTH DELHI
SALE / lease, Ready to move 2455 sft
GF Comm. Shop nr Gaur city circle,
rd Fcg , suits Bank , Food brands,
560ft GF front fcg shop, Gaurcity 1,
Noida ext. 9312263397, 9818091768
SHED FOR sale in Greater Noida
Ecotech - 1, size 1000mtr. on 24mtr.
Wide road. Contact. Kundan -
09971831792
OWNER SELLING!! Completion
plot for Sale Sector-61, 450sqmtr
One-time lease rent paid, Green
belt facing, close to Metro station.
9999011116
GHAZIABAD
FOR SALE App.1200 Meters
industrial UPSIDC plot . 1.5 floors,
A class construction, Metro
connectivity, good choice for
office & factory. 2km from Anand
Vihar Bus/ Train station. Contact
on 8929708179
SALE/ JV approved 3000 sq.yds
Commer. plot on Main 60ft wide MG
Rd, Dhaulana, Nr. Ghaziabad. Suits
Mall, Motel, Hospital, School/Inst.,
Industry etc @ 2 CR. # 7291033503

BUY/ SELL Yamuna Exp Resi Plot in

sec 18 & 20, Gr.Noida Resi/Industrial
Plots. Alpha, Beta, Gama, Delta,
P-3, S.Nagri, Omicron, Sec-2, 3 Ghar
Sansar Prop.9873731820,9871015111
SECTOR 72 Noida 112 sq mt 2.5
Storey Simplex Kothi with Base-
ment, 6 Bedroom, 6 Bathroom, 2
Drawing Room, 3 Kitchen Sun Facing
Near Metro St. Contact- 9810186606
CHANDIGARH
TWENTY SEVEN( 27) acres
of land available on NH -21,
(Chandigarh - Kharar - Ropar rd) 13
kms from Chandigarh with 1200 ft
front. Mb.+91-98142-38924.
FARM HOUSE
6.5 ACRES urban agricultr land at
Khetawas distt Farrukhnagar,
Gurgaon, next to Guru dronacharya
college. 925 ft front, 40 ft road.
Only Genuine buyr call 8901331417

INDUSTRIAL
PROPERTY
NOIDA RESIDENTIAL Plots / FOR SALE 35 Acres Freehold land
Kothis 450mtr, 300mtr, 200mtr (Corporate Owned) at Behror, Raj,
Sector-17,19,20,26,27, 30, 31, 36, 39, ideal for Industry, commercial or
40,44,46,47,48, 50, 51, 92, 93B, 105 residential. Mr Mohindroo
SUNCITY PLOT for Sale @Gurgaon & 15A. Raj Assotech 9871146434. 073-148-55585.
Golf Course Road. 447 sqyd, Corner
& Park facing, Regular, Vastu ok,
Good location,Mandate deal. Deepak
Goel, Deepak Estate: 9811107732

FOR SALE 3 BHK, GF, C-355,

Kendriya Vihar, Gurgaon, Sector-56.
TO-LET
Contact Owner S P Mehra.
18 ACRES NH-352(formerly NH-71)
NOIDA/
# 9953060362, On Phone or
SMS bet. 6 to 8 pm. Rewari Rohtak Highway near Indos-
pace Luhari Suitable for Warehouse/

GREATER NOIDA
Investment CLU & NHAI Permission
Obtained price 1.35 Cr per acre. Ph:
BRAND NEW BUILDER FLOORS @ ATTRACTIVE PRICE 8851232389, 9810939367
PANCHSHEEL PARK VASANT VIHAR SALE PLOT 251 sq yards in Anant
850yds FF Corner @ 11 Cr 400yds B+GF, TF+terr B/New Raj Estate with 12 mtr road,
Sector-63, Gurgaon, North Facing,
HAUZ KHAS ENCLAVE GREATER KAILASH-I 2 side open, Excellent location.
1000yds Park facing B+G, 500yds p/face, B/New FF, SF Contact: 9810158383
FF, TF+Terr Bful location GREATER KAILASH-2 INDEPENDENT LUXURIOUS FOR SALE 4BHK Flrs in Gated Area
650yds P/face TF+T @ 11 Cr 1000yds N/E facing SF @ 8 Cr Floors available in Palam Vihar, Sec-57,SL3,Ggn. Best quality mate-
Gurgaon, furnished 3 & 4 BHK Floors rials & interiors(Builder is Civil
DEFENCE COLONY Duplex SF+TF+Terr, with lift and Covered Parking. Om Engg.). V.Good Ambience. Ready for
CWG VILLAGE 3 BHK
F. Flr 2 Car Prkgs, best Tower 325yds B+G, P/face, TF+T (crnr) corner, Park facing Brand New Shivam Buildtech # 7502030406 possession. Owner: 9870300968
Peaceful location, vastu perfect JORBAGH SOUTH EX-2
Close to Pool @ 3.40 CR. 375yds FF @ 13 Cr 1000yds P/face B+ GF, TF+Terr

GREATER KAILASH Luxury Floor
Bsmt + GF Duplex also F.F & Top
Flr+T.Grdn, 4 beds & 5 bath D/dining
Lobby Mod Kitchen, Sep Lift, Srvnt
Qtr, driway 3 cars, Cont: 9811654291
PANCHSHEEL PARK 800 sq yds
super luxury brand new 2nd floor 4
bedrooms Drawing and Dining, With
independent lift & driveway for site
visit Rahul KKaushik 9899215980
VASANT VIHAR 600 Exclus-
ive Basement/Ground also First
& Third terrace 4 Beds D/D also
400 Basement&Ground& First flr,
Rptd builders Rajesh 9810209711
JANGPURA EXTENSION
Brand New Basements
Residential & Commercial for
Sale. Contact: GG Estates, 1 Birbal
Road # 9971000011
SOUTH EX-II 250y SF/TF+Tr 3/4BR,
Lift,Stilt @3.60/3.95; Uday Park 217/
250y New 3 BHK@4/4.50; Hauz Khas
311y New FF/TF+Tr 4BR @5/6.50.
RV Homes 9953101010, 9811227622
NEAR JOR Bagh (BK Dutt Colony-
Ground Flr), 2 Bedrooms with Draw-
ing Dining & Park Facing Freehold
Flat for Sale, Excellent Location.
Sunny-9999002423, 9711323218
GK1, NEW 300yds GF 4bhk
Corner @5cr and 500yds FF 4bhk
N/E@7also in kailash colony,
new 500yds @7cr, Call
DEFENCE COLONY 217 Yds
Basement , Ground Floor, Third
Floor with Terrace, 3 Bed , D/D
Ready Possession. S. Kumar
98110-31558, Desraj 98110-72035
D 12, Anand Niketan, 263 sq yards
available Third Floor 3 Bedroom D/D
with Terrace, Stilt Parking. Posses-
sion April 2021. Brokers Welcome:
Salwan 9810062871, 9810063891
GOLF LINKS, 375yds SF+Terrace
Park Facing Renovated 1.5lac
Also in Anand Lok 800yds TF,
Park Facing,4BHK @2.75Lac.
Call-9999062968
EOK 3BHK TF with terrace built on
160 yds plot. Lift and stilt parking.
Park and Sun facing .Excellent/
healthy location. Owner 8383919201
KAILASH COLONY 500 Yds
top flr+terr gdn 4beds d/d lounge
qtr. 4 parkings lift park n/e facing
7 star const excellent location
Pavneet9811036030,9999926224
WESTEND 500-FF corner
made by Uppals 5 yrs old 4Beds
D/D,stilt parkings@10.75 & Anand
Nktn 200 Third + Trc garden stilt
prkg @ 4.50 Rajesh 9810209711
Sterling Realtors 98100-81588
C.R. PARK Shop for Sale 550sq.ft.
Ground Floor with Washroom Pantry
Main Road Prime Location Freehold.
Owner 8076098577
GULMOHAR PARK 300 yrds FF
park Facing lift stilts new 4 Beds
lavish interiors also Def Col 325 yrds
Bsmnt + GF park facing Resale
Atractive Price # 9810537700
BUNGALOW FOR Sale : G.K.-II,
W-Block 1000 Sq. Yds., Excellent
Location. contact Mr. Gujral
9650516999
GEETANJALI ENCL. 340yds, TF+
Terrace, 4BHK, Lift+Stilt @5.65cr
& FF @4.25cr Also in Saket 300yds,
FF, 4BHK, Lift+Stilt @4.15cr.
Call #9999297098
FOR SALE Very Well Located
3 Bedroom Flat on 1st floor in
Block D-7 Vasant Kunj Please
Contact: Arjun Kohli: 9810093636
ANAND NIKETAN E-28 First floor
3 Bedroom D/D STILT Parking
Possession April 2021. Hemender
Sharma 98110 78311
SAKET BUILDER Floor 200 Sq.
Yards 3 Bedrooms Attached Baths
DD Parking Lift Prime Location
Contact: 9811264080
OKHLA PHASE-II Distress Deal
600 sqyd Factory Building, East Fac-
ing 10,000 sqft avail for Sell Free
hold, Pvt. Ltd Comp.Tsfr @4.5 Cr.
# Anil Vij-9810058453, 8178270379
SAKET BRAND New V.Prime Loc.
4BHK DD FF Lift Stilt 2 Car Pkg
4.50cr, Chatterpur Encl New 4BHK
DD 3rd with Terrace Lift Stilt Car Pkg
1.50 cr. Gupta 9910333322.
FOR SALE Farm House in Rajokri
(on NH8) Near Nitesh Kunj/ Air
Force Station, Area 2.5 Acres.
Call 981823 0051
GREATER KAILASH-II 400yd
Bsmt & Ground Triplex & First Floor
4BHK. 250yd Bsmt Ground New sep
Prkg & First Flr. 300yd Third Floor+
Terrace 4BHK. Kanwar 9560085558
SAFDARJUNG ENCLAVE
200Yd peaceful Location Ground
&Basement 3Beds D/D,2 reserved
Parkings(Gr.flr can be given sep-
arately also) Rajesh 9810209711
PANCHSHEEL PARK, 800 sqyd,
B+GF, Sate of the art construct
Exclusive bay for parking, Power
Backup Prime Location Broker
Excuse #7838871113
SOUTH EX-II, For Sale 500sqyd
Ground + Basement, 5BHK + Servant
+ Utility, Excellent Construction,
Good Location, East Facing, Vastu
Perfect, Ample Parking 9810431374
DEFENCE COLONY 325 Yds,
Brand New Basement+Ground
Floor, First Floor, Second Floor &
Third Floor with Terrace for Sale,
Ready. Gagan Gujral 9650516999
GOLF LINKS, Bungalow 760 Sq
Yds, 2½ Storey, Park facing, Vastu
Perfect Location, Crystal Clear Title,
Confirmed Sale. For more details
contact Ajay Patel - 9891198800
VASANT VIHAR 610 yards 2nd &
3rd + terc @19 & kothi @38 & 400
yd ground, bmt @10.5 & 3rd plus
terc @7.25 & kothi @23 & 260 yd
grnd, bmt @6.5 . Tarun 9810008262
E BLOCK East Of Kailash 500sq
yard 4BHK with Bathroom living
room big lobby front back balcony
lift back portion of terrace Svt Qtr
store 9810846619, 011-41086619
DEFENCE COLONY 325 sq yd
brand new luxury 3 BHK 2nd, 3rd
floors with stilt car parking For Sale.
Purri Realtors 9811015635.
9810913153
FARMHOUSE 2.5 Acres, Top
Location Dera Mandi (South Delhi),
Contemporary,5 Bedrooms,Lounges,
Swimming Pool, Beautiful Landscap-
ing, Fully Furnished # 9899017788.
VASANT VIHAR 400 sqyd
Independent Bungalow, State of the
Art Const., Prime Loc., Vastu Perfect
Reasonable Price, Broker Excuse
#7838871113
FLRS WITH stilt-GK2 250y@4,300y
@4.5,K.col 500y@5.60,vas vhr-600y
@7.90&400y@7.5,A.nik 400y B+G
@7.75.&3rd@7.5,Vas kunj-Dup G+F
C6&9@2.5,FF D7@2.3 #9312502224
E-349 EAST of Kailash, Third floor
with Terrace Park facing 125 Yds,
3 Beds attach toilets Drawing cum
Dining with stilt parking & lift.
Varun Dhawan 9811565632
WANTED KOTHIES/ Old-Houses
at Posh South Delhi Colonies for
Confirmed Buyers Call Grover
Associates (Real Estate Services)
9810173911, 26511118
VASANT VIHAR 600y B+G @13cr,
400yds @6-8cr, 250yds @4.5-6.75cr
SDA Park Facing 200yds @4.25-5 cr,
SarvP 217y@4.5cr,Vasant Kunj 265
yds @ 5cr #9811290633,9873228675
VASANT VIHAR 1044 sq yrds orig-
inal booking bsmt +GF duplex spaci-
ous 4 bedrooms D/D with indepen-
dent lift & driveway suits professio-
nals Rahul KKaushik 9899215980
SDA BRAND New FF/SF/TF 800yd
4BHK NE facing, Sea German Kitc-
hen @4.5lac also in Maharani Bagh,
800yds,4bhk Park facing Fully Fur-
nished @3Lac Call #9999062968
GK 2, 300y New First Floor Made
by Reputed Builder at 4.50cr.
Close to Park, High Level Quality.
30 More Floor Options. Ready/Old,
All Sizes # 9810417610
BUILDER FLAT Geetanjali Enclave
3BHK, 3 Toilet, 340sq.yd plot, First
Floor, Lift, 2 car pkg., 2 SQ, 2006
const. well maintained immediate
deal @4.10Cr. Call- 9717298080
RAJPUR KHURD Extn. 200yd Plot
Size 24ft x 75ft on Semi Commercial
50ft Road, near Devine Gym behind
CNG Pump. Contact Abhinav
#9953536167, 9911414199
KALKAJI BRAND New 200yds
North Facing GF & FF 3BHK Corner,
2 Car Parking, Modular Kitchen
@Best price. Contact: 9711663353,
9582155755, 011-40501964
GULMOHAR PARK 500yds SF+
Terr, 4BHK attach bath D/D, Servant
Quater, 1 Car park in driveway with-
out lift & without basement. Brokers
welcome: 9810010967, 9999130262
VASANT VIHAR 400 /600 brand
new floors spacious 4 bedrooms
Drawing & Dining park facing locati-
ons Rich specifications Top reputed
builder Rahul KKaushik 9899215980
E.O.K (125)Y E & F block 3 BR 1.70
E.O.K (200)y FF 3 BR sq lift stilt 2.75
CRPrk 125y SF+full Trc 2br crnr 1.40
shop CRprkGF200ft 1.22;FF200ft 45L
9810017982 Bahlsons, Sale/Renting
FARM HOUSE: 1 Acre, 2.5, 5 &
Above.1000,2000Yds at Westend
Green, Vasant Kunj, Sultanpur,
Gadaipur, DLF Chattarpur, Mandi.
Ravi Bhatnagar: 9810081507.
630yds TF + Terr, park facing
SHANTI NIKETAN 350yds park face TF+Terr @ 8.5 Cr
400yds ST, TF+Terr next to Crnr MANY MORE OPTIONS!!
PPS : 9818881000, 9599808726
SAFDARJUNG ENCLAVE Most
Beautiful Builder Floors in 235
/260y with Best Space utilisation.
Ample Parking. Also 250y Triplex
Ground Stilt Basement#9810417610
GREEN PARK 700 Yds, Confirmed
Sale Bungalow, N-East facing/3-Side
Corner also 500 Yds avail,Clear Title,
Prime Locations, Reasonable Price &
Terms. Rampal 989-989-3333
WESTEND NEW 500/800 yd flr &
Anand Niketan crnr ground, bmt
@10.5 & 2nd + 3rd terc @14 & Shanti
Niketan/Vasant vhr 600/1000 yd
flr & kothi . Tarun 9810008262
LIVABLE HOUSE, GK-1, Area
500Sqyd, 9 beds, Front Lawn, Prime
Location, Also Def Col 325Sqyd,
Panchsheel Park Area 500Sqyd
Please Call 7838871114
VASANT VIHAR 258 sq yards,
North Facing, Ground Floor, 3 Bed-
room D/D,Parking in stilt, rented to
Japanese MNC for immediate sale.
Salwan 9910034566, 9810062871
BMT+ GROUND Duplex Vasant
Vihar 4BHK 400yd Brand New. Also
Bmt+Ground Duplex Green Park
500yd 5BHK New @Reasonable
Price. 9990866669, 8595076589
BROWN FORMAN Bunglow Rd & around. Desperate
3,48,565 Sale 1000yd Civil Lines. Deal family
settlement deal & do Construction.
GOBOLT
1,97,950
BISHT PROPERTIES Pvt. Ltd.
(Since 1980) Managed by Retd. Govt.
TA DIGITAL officer. Sale, Purchase, Rent & Colla-
4,90,000 boration. All Sectors in Rohini. 9811-
134984, 9650045100, 9999784468
VACANT SPACE FOR SALE
OCUS TECHNOPOLIS - 3300 SQ.FT VAISHALI/VASUNDHRA
MAGNUM TOWER - 5600 SQ.FT
SUCCESS TOWER - 2000 SQ.FT VASUNDHRA ENCLAVE (Ghazia- WANTED PLOT/ Factory/Sheds
bad) Sector 5 Plot area 304 Mtrs
CONTACT OWNER
9015555511
NITI BAGH
BUILDER FLOORS, Kothies for
Sale Hauz Khas, Gulmohar Park,
Defence Col, GK, Panchsheel, Vasant
Kunj Also Mini Farm House Avail-
able. Gurpreet Bhatia 9971757315
MANDI/ JONAPUR Estate, Shanti
Kunj, Kishangarh (Vasant Kunj) New
Floors 2 BR @ 35-40L/ 3 BR @55L +
Lift, Parking near Metro, Bank Loan.
Rajinder 9313627378, 9311227378
NEW FRIENDS Colony 300 yd FF n
TF+ terr 4 Br, DD, lounge modular
kitchen, vastu Perfect also 500 yds
Gr+ Basm't, FF, SF+terr. 4 BR New/-
used floors. Sandeep 8851220707
NORTH DELHI
RENTED
Axis Bank 2,00,000
RBL Bank 3,60,000
Axis Bank 7,00,000
Anchor Store 10,52,000
Fab India 11,50,000
Multiplex 9,00,000
Max 10,75,000
Udan Logistics 20,00,000
ANAND AGGARWAL PROP.
9810327243, 9811257394
ROHINI, SECTOR-26, Sale and
Purchase, Plots / Floors. All Sizes.
Rahul Properties 9350483000.
ROHINI- WE Provide & Ensure the
Best Offer & Rates for Your Plots in
Sectors-20 to 38. Direct Meetings on
Commission Basis. Shri Radhey
(Since 1988) - 9810118217
SALE COMMERCIAL Kothi 32mtr,
3Floors, each flr 350sqft, Rohini Sec-
7&8 Dividing rd (Central Mkt). Prime
location, good construction. 4cr.
contact genuine buyer. 9312658477
Wine Shop 60,000
Apollo Pharmacy 75,000
Kia Motors 75,000
92,000
Muthoot Finance
2,40,000
Bank
3,00,000
Burger King
Multiplex 3,00,000
Bank 3,10,000
Full Bldg.(Guest House ) 4,80,000
9810278333
9650524789
WANTED / Avlbl 160-2200yd Model
Tn/ Gujrwal/BD Estate/Civil Line/
North,Corner, Green Belt Facing, Ex-
cellent Loc. # 8851602829, 98114-
45120 E: adhikari209@gmail.com
EAST DELHI
WEST DELHI
JANKPURI 1) C4D/28A MIG 3 BHK
2Toilets, Fully loaded, Corner@1.75,
2) B1A/34B MIG FF, 2BHK 2Toilets,
Corner@1.25. Gaurav Buildwell
7295897111, 9599470190
NEW RAJINDER Nagar sale
modren built freehold second floor
with terrace 3 bedrooms 3 attach
bathrooms, Drawing/ Dining Lobby
Kitchen Call 9810298609
EAST PUNJABI Bagh Luxury Floor
1st floor 4 Bedroom Area approx
3000 sq.ft. Fully Furnished with
Covered Parking North east facing
2 side open Contact: 9811088266.
PUNJABI BAGH West, Plot Area
280 sq.yards, East Facing Double
Storey House on road no. 62,
immediate sale. D.Salwan :
9910034566
FOR SALE Park facing 2 BHK in
Capital Greens, Moti Nagar. Best
location. Very nicely done,
Furnished Apartment. Call
# 9891920400, 7011760863
BRAND NEW Premium builder
floor, 3 BHK + 1 for sale in Rajouri
Garden near Mayapuri Metro
station. Map aprvd # 7011760863,
9891920400
OLD RAJINDER Ngr duplex flat,
2flrs (88sq.y each), B+ G.F,
Corner, A1construction, Good
Rental income, broker welcome:
9810660552, 9810909159
NOIDA/GREATER NOIDA
SALE KOTHI 6 BHK 2.1/2 Story,
Plot size 162 sqmtr. in Sector 20,
North East Facing, Near Metro
Station, easy Connectivity in Delhi.
Contact: 9971768326
in Greater Noida size 4000 to
50000 mtr. only Industrial.
Contact. 08800115194
NOIDA/GREATER NOIDA
BUY /SELL Yamuna Expressway
Authority Plots Sec-18 & 20 Plot
Sizes- 300 , 500, 1000, 2000, &
4000 Sq. meters, also Deals in all
Gr. Noida Punjab Prop. 9891008515
NOIDA PH-II Indl. Plot for sale size
8000mtr. on main road also avail
Pre Lease property size 100000 to
200000 sqft. Shed & RCC.
Contact-09811113624
FOR SALE. 4BHK Flat, Size 2465
Sq.ft. JP Klassic-Noida, Possession
Offered, Middle Floor. Excellent
Location. Contact: Owner
# 9312997707 (Kanav)
SHOP FOR sale. 700 sq. ft. Facing
golf course. Best location in Alpha 1,
Commercial belt, Greater Noida.
Bhardwaj Realtors. 9810265734
FACTORY FOR sale Sector 83 size
800mtr. North facing, near Metro
station. Call -09811110185
SOCEITY SHOP available on GF
at Gulshan Botnia @ Sec 144, Noida
Expressway. 460 sqft. Located near
Embassy Oxygen SEZ. Possession
in 6 months. Price 1.15 cr. No
brokerage. Call 9810553957
VVIP SEC-44 Noida, Residential
plot for sale 450sqmtr 18mtr wide
road, North Facing, Reasonable
price, All title clear, Nr DND & Delhi
9999011116
FACTORY FOR sale very prime
location in Sector -6 size 212mtr.
Contact. Sandeep- 9818158403
MUST SELL Today, Distress Sale,
4BHK, Sagar Presidency, Sector-50
Noida. Asking 95L. Also avalb. GF
2BHK, study Mahagun Mirabella
Sec- 79.price 1.05 Cr # 9654083876.
FACTORY AVAILABLE for sale
in Sector 80 size 450mtr. On
30mtr wide road very reasonable
& prime location. Contact.
Kundan - 09971831792
SECTOR 52 200 sqmtr residential
completion plot,1-time lease paid,
NE & park facing, 12 mtr wide
road @reasonable price.
Call #7838871119
SECTOR 108 300 sqmtr residential
completion plot,1-time lease paid,
NE facing,close to noida exp. Best
deal for self-users. Call #7838871119
FURNISHED / unfurnished Office
space Available for long lease/rent WEST DELHI
in Sec-10, DND Road, Noida, Bsmt-
1250 sq.ft, GF-1250 sq.ft, SF-1550
sq.ft, TF-1550 sq.ft. Call 9811142911. 3 BEDROOM / 2Toilets DDA Flat in
D Block Janakpuri with Roof Rights
for Rent/Sale. Contact 9899268456
PRIME COMMERCIAL Spa-
ce Ground 1800, Basement 3000
avail for rent in Shivaji Enclave
(West Delhi), Near Rajouri
Garden Metro Stations (Pink &
Blue Lines). Owner 9810057795.
JANAKPURI B1-203 First Floor
NOIDA INDUSTRIAL Rent Shade/ 4 BHK, Lift and Parking, AC's in All
RCC Building 2000sq.ft. to 100000 Rooms & Geysers in all Toilets. Rent
sq.ft. in Sec-63,64,65,67,80,81,83, 75 K. Contact : Gaurav Buildwell -
85, 86, 87, 88, 90, 138, 140, 140A & 7295897111, 9599470190
Ph-II. Swayam Realty 9871196123.
BANK OR Guest house space CENTRAL DELHI
available for Rent sec 30 Noida Main
DPS Rd, 17000sq ft with basement,
stilt parking. Mixed land Approved.
FOR RENT Patel Nagar, Main Road,
Contact Owner 9810092659
Prime Location, walking distance
Metro Station- Commercial Space
COMMERCIAL OFFICE space Available - GF-2200 sq.ft, FF - 4000
for any service centre/financial
sq.ft. Basement-4000 sqft New
Construction-With MCD Completion
institutional, 1000sq.ft in prime lo-
cation, Opp. to DCB bank, floor 1st
certificate, 2 lifts , Reserved
at, C-125, Sec-18, Noida 9811488774.
Parking-Two Side Open. Contact :
Himanshu 9811969658.
WITHIN 1 km from Connaught Place
NORTH DELHI
office for lease GF 4000 Sft, FF
14000 Sft, SF 12000 Sft for Banks,
Govt/NGO. Cosmos 9810001682 /
PITAMPURA MIG Society Flat llnd cdplrealtors@yahoo.co.in
Floor adjacent to Rajasthali
Apartment Near Pitampura Metro FOR RENT 504 Sqft., Fully
Station, Delhi. Available for Rent.
furnished, Office Space at GF2,
Contact: Rajeev # 9810443823
Prakashdeep Building, 7 Tolstoy
Marg. Contact: +91-9873170350
RANI BAGH Pitampura. 4000 sq ft
Commercial Space ground floor WELL MAINTAINED Fully
partially also available, suitable for furnished Office Space for Rent
Bank's Insurance Co, Showroom &
Area 1137 Sqft. at 106-107,
Mnc's etc #9210027962,9810582924
Ambadeep Building, 14 KG Marg,
Connaught Place. # 9873170350
FOR RENT
GURUGRAM
OFFICE SPACE in Udyog Vihar
Ph-5, Upto 8000 sq.ft., & Indept.
Villa for home office, 4 B/R, in DLF
Ph-2, Prkg. inside & outside Direct
Factory / Warehouse in parties pref. # 9891859334
Sonipat Haryana
Newly constructed PEB shed
110000sq.ft. ready to use
@ 66' Road.
Total land 8.5 Acres.
(9 big shutters )
12 mtr shed height .
200 kw electricity connection
Heavy wire in complete shed.
Hi-Mast LED lightning.
Trimix Flooring,
Networking Setup With
Complete Equip. Like Epbx, 70
Camera, Wifi Tower Connectivity
Radio Link, Private Vpn
With Facility of Voltas 5 Ton Fork
READY TO MOVE
Lift, Battery operated STACKER
& Pallet Truck (bopt)
FULLY FURNISHED
Direct line from feeder
24 hour light.
POWER BACKUP
100 labour accomodation AMPLE PARKING
office block with many cabins
(Driver , Gaurd , Store &
Doctor Room) 4BHK SEMI Furnished Flat on Lease
4feet flr. height from the road for Corporate Companies in DLH Park
level of the complete shed Place, Phase-5. To see the Flat please
( Dock Height ) visit between 10am to 5pm on 8th,9th
Showroom display area & 10th Jan'2021. Contact: 9823115987
250 kw sudhir generator 1
Construction can be done
upto 3 Lac Sq Ft. FARIDABAD
NIRLESH JINDAL
9911327733, 9312744040 FOR LEASE 25000 sq. feet sector-6,
Em:-nirleshg@gmail.com SCF Sector-14 market for sale 8 Acre
agriculture land on NH-2 near
Palwal,1800 IMT, 500 Plot Sector-14
EAST DELHI U Chaudhary Estate # 9810027024
2222 SQ.FT commercial ground
floor available for showroom/
office/bank/MNC/Diagnostic lab etc.
Add-286 gagan vihar ,80 feet main
road, delhi-51, Near Preet Vihar.
(M)+ 91-9810080811, 9810098903
DWARKA
FOUR BEDROOMS Four
Bathrooms Drawing Dining Kitchen
Ground Floor Sahara Apartments
Sector 6 Plot 11 Dwarka Contact
9810874047 Or 8527605291
New Delhi, Sunday, January 10, 2021
TO-LET
SOUTH DELHI
SAKET NEAR PVR, First Floor, Two
Bedrooms attached Bath Drawing /
Dining, Kitchen & Spacious Balcony.
Contact Owner 9810106992
3RD FLOOR Lajpat Nagar-3 :
One Bedroom Set With Attached
Kitchen / Bathroom and Terrace.
Single Person Preferred.
Contact : 9811123147
GK2, M18 commercial shop for rent. PANCHSHEEL
ment Avail For Rent, Area 1800 Sqft,
1st flr 1500 sqft semi furnished. Gen
backup. Whatsapp 9899943997,
01124331013
A2/6, VASANT Vihar, New Delhi
basement, GF, 1st Floor, 2nd Floor,
2 Kitchen, 2 Dining Hall, 9 Rooms,
detach bathroom. Contact:-
9971300139, 9971859607.
FOR RENT: Defence Colony, A-222,
First Floor, 217 sq yds, 3 BHK + SQ, 2
Car Parking in Stilt, Lift. Newly Built.
Contact Sunil: 7982729895
DEFENCE COLONY, first floor,
Two bedroom att. bathroom, D/D,
semi furnished, open balcony, IGL
gas connection. Foreigners MNC PSU
Court Agreements # 9811139479
COMMERCIAL APPROVED, prime
location, Okhla Ph-1, Ground, 1st floor
& basement, 5000 sq.ft each, fully
furnished, at F-1/5, ND-20 Ph: Mr.
Harish Batra 9810154279
FOR RENT: GK-2, E Block, 2nd Floor,
250 Sq Yds, 3 BHK + SQ, Exclusive
Gate, 2 Car Parking in Stilt, Lift. Call:
9818187469, 9711307424
VASANT VIHAR, 7 Munirka Marg
600 sq yds, Bungalow 3 Bedroom,
Living cum Dining, Study, Servant
Quarter & Garage. Only Expat/
Diplomat. D.Salwan: 9910034566
EMPLOYMENT
WORK FROM HOME
EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY
Work From Home if you can write
English Language then you can earn
50,000/- to 1,00,000/- per month.
Call # 8171972517, 9873692888
MEDICAL
PAEDIATRICIAN , Physician Eye
Ent Skin Spl Surgeon Dietician Invit-
ed to Establish Practice at Running


SOUTH DELHI
GREEN PARK Extn. Commercial
Space For rent 3000sq.ft 2nd floor
uphaar complex. Cont #
9811108342.
KALKAJI 250 Yards Fully
Furnished, 2BHK 2nd Floor, Power
backup, Lavish Interior with car
parking, Security. Prefer Company
Lease. Contact: 9811155195.
SAKET J- 65 Basement 1700sq.ft.
(Commercial) fully furnished with
cabins, A/c, pantry, washroom,
parking etc. avalb on lease cont
9818860436.
NFC 500 Yds Livable Property
GF/FF 3 BR DD Lobby SQ each.
Also option of Independent Building
with 3 Flr & TF Master BR Large
Terrace # 9818713165, 9910375860
LAJPAT NAGAR-II, Prime
Location, Commercial First Floor/
Second Floor and Third Floor For
Lease. Contact Owner : 9878009321,
9810073532
ENCLAVE, Base-
Natural Light & Vent, Suits Profes-
sionals, CA, Lawyer office, Doctor,
Contact: Owner: 9810078626.
GK-III : S-E fac, Wide Rd 3rd Flr+Tr
3 BHK, SQ, Lift, Stilt @75K also Park
fac G.Flr Semi Furn 2 BHK @50K &
GK-II S.Flr 3 BHK+SQ @45K & many
more. 9910644333, 9873293169
COMMERCIAL LAJPAT Nagar,
Opp. Defence Col. Corner, Nr Metro
200 yd, L.G.F, G.F & T.F with lift, DG
set. Suitable for Office, Showroom,
Institutes. 9810184572, 9810027467
BUSINESSMAN WELCOME Exc-
ellent Location Builder floors, Green
Park, SDA, Sarvodaya Enclave, Gul-
mohar Park, SJE, 2-3-4 Beds, DD,S.Q,
Parking. Call-Thakur 9971083312
FOR RENT A big shop 1000
sq.ft. GF with Pantry &Toilet, At
K-1 /12 C R Park,Main Rd. Near
Kake Da Hotel & P.C.Chandra
Jewellers # owner 9811072870
ACCOMMODATION WANTED
for Embassy/Foreigners/MNC- Flats
/ Houses/ Bungalows in South Delhi.
Contact Anil Makhijani 9811047035
Kajal 9811647035/ 29835250
FOR RESI Panchsheel Enclave Hi
End Luxurious 3rd Floor. Fully
Furn. 4 BHK, 4 Bath, D/D with LCD,
freeze, OTG, Electric kettle and
Toaster in Kitchen, Oil Heater,
Air-purifier in all rooms, washing
machine etc. 24 Hrs Security,
Parking, S.qtr Foreigners/ CEO/
MNC. Contact- 9971577702
AVAILABLE ON RENT a new house
at Safdarjung Enclave, New Delhi29,
2000 sq.ft. built-up and 2400 sq.ft.
super area, three BHK, modular
kitchen, terrace garden, two parking
and servant room. Contact: 9717630
014, Mail sanvats@gmail.com
DLF − SUSHANT LOK
OAKWOOD ESTATE Tastefully
Furnished 4 Bedroom with all
Furniture, Gadgets, Wooden
Flooring. Company Lease, Expats
Kohli # 9811155195, 9810943939.
BRISTOL HOTEL, DLF Ph-I,
Furnished Office with Reception,
Cabin, 10 workstations, Area 800
Sq. Ft. (Double Height) for immedi-
ate lease # Cosmos: 9810001682
MEDICAL
URG. REQD Gynae, Physician Radio
/Ultrasonologist, X-ray tech., OPD
Chamber Avlb, Ortho, Eye Surgeon,
Dentist, Child Splist. # 9811929552.
Em - hospitalmarwari@yahoo.in
REQD. EYE Surgeon pref. Female
for OPD (9:30-2:00) in newly
opened Centre & optometrist
female (Exp. 3yrs) located in
East Delhi # 9313971992
COMPUTER
STENO−TYPIST/
OFFICE ASST
REQD SECRETARY/P.A at Gur-
gaon, independent correspondence,
Good English, law/legal knowledge
preferred. Immediate joining,
whatsapp resume 9811044122.
SALES & MARKETING
REQD SALES Executives to sell
Godrej Furniture in Various Govt. &
PSU's. Contact: 011-45559600,
41056560, 9810831296, Email:
rakesh@simplexfurniture.in
LADY MEDICAL Devise Executive
(Sales & Marketing) Reqd. for Delhi
/NCR, Good communication.
Send CV: medishare@gmail.com
Or call : 9810044224
URG REQD Hd wkg for NCR-Delhi:
Fast Comp Operator, Field Boy,
Tender Filler, Admin, Accountant,
Coordntr, Field Exec, Hd work,
Good-Salary. Contact: 7982313564
A LEADING banking BPO req exp.
M/F caller/Supervisor/field exctv for
recoveries on both, good salary &
handsome commission A-42, S.F Ra-
jouri Gdn#9891000465,9310756463
REQD. COMPUTER Operators for
National/International Digital Mktg
of Global Commodities. Salary+ Inc-
entive. Work from home also welco-
me. Em: agrolicorice@gmail.com
AD AGENCY in GK-1 (www.passion-
studiog.com) needs M/F Marketing
Executives with 3-4 yrs. experience
in Business Development. Good
communication and own convey-
ance is desired. Send CV with photo:
studiogcreatives@gmail.com
REQ MKTG. Manager for touring all
over India for Industrial chemicals.
Residing nearby Vikaspuri contact
Jai Earth Chemicals M: 9312257831;
Email: opverma@jai.org.in
REQUIRED SALE Merchandiser
For A Well Reputed Garments
Manufacturing firm at
Rithala, Delhi-110085
Contact: 8368424654 Email:
accounts@slindustries.org
ENGINEER/
PROD/TECHNICAL
TO BOOK YOUR AD CALL SEVEN DAYS A WEEK→
SALES & MARKETING
RAMJAS SCHOOL Anand Parbat,
New Delhi Requires Dynamic
Trained and Experienced Candi-
dates, highly competent with the
use of Technology, excellent written
and communication skills for the
following post: 1. P.G.T: English
2. T.G T: English, Hindi, Science,
Social Science. Candidates must
send their detailed resume within
ten days on the Email ID along with
a recent passport size photograph.
Ph. 011-28761457, 28762238. E-mail:
recruitment@ramjasap.edu.in
Principal
ST. CRISPIN'S Sr.Sec.School.New
Railway Road, Gurugram Required
.PGT History Essential Qualifications
& Experience as per CBSE
norms.Interested candidates may
send the CV with recent passport size
photograph at crispinschool1895
@gmail.com latest by 20th Jan'21
HOTEL/RESTAURANT
REQUIRED URGENTLY Manager,
House Keeping Staff and Chef for
Guest House in Saraswati Vihar,
Pitampura Delhi. Call : 9205325524 /
Send CV W/P at 8527296872
ACCOUNTS/FINANCE
REQD. FRESH/ Exp. Accountant
knowledge of Tally/ TDS/ GST/
Internet/ MS Excel/ MS Word in
Central Delhi, English compulsory.
Apply at: ipsakoi1947@gmail.com
REQ. EXP. Grad. Office Asst. (age 45)
and Asst. Accountant Knowledge of
Computer,-Walk in b/w 2-5 pm at Suri
International, A-69 Wazirpur Indl.
area, Delhi. 47557319, 9212730852
REQD SR. Accoutant/C.A. at
Gurgaon, Experience 10-20 yrs,
1800 103 1800 OR
ACADEMIC
ACCOUNTS/FINANCE
REQD. EXPERIENCE Female
GARMENT EXPORT House Reqd. :
REQ. EXPERIENCED Export Doc.
PART TIME JOB
REQ ONE Female Merchandiser
VERY URGENT opening for Work
from home Retired / Housewife/ Self
Emp., pref. age 24-64 yr. Loc- Noida
sec-18, Qual.-12th, Grad.+ PG, Fix +
Variables income. # 8700925527
EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY in
MNC Noida Work From Home Part/
Full Time can earn 75k pm, Prefer
FOR SALE New Unused 30KL
VRS or Retired from any field, Teac-
hers, House wife, CA #8076878523.
WONDERFUL CAREER oppor-
tunity for Rtd/ VRS/ Housewife/ Self
Emp. to work with MNC Part/Full
Time Earn Min 30k & above Fix &
Variable age 23 to 65.# 9999690727
REQ. M/F, Full/Partime for MNC, pfrd SPACE AVAILABLE for Canteen
H'wife, retired, Frsr, Qual- Grad, 30-
75 yrs for Laxmi Nagar Delhi Fix +
variable + pension + chance to win
domestic & intl. trip. # 7838306077
URGENTLY REQUIRED in
Reputed Co. HW, Retd, VRS, S.Emp,
Part/Full Time. Fix/Incen/Pension/
E-MAIL→
FOR ENQUIRY CONTACT→ 011-66561389/66561161
{Sunday}
ADMINISTRATION/
SECRETARIAL
Candidate Could Handle Online /
Govt. E Marketplate portal for
Equipment at District Centre Janak-
puri New Delhi 110058, Contact:
9811099874,accumax20@gmail.com
EXPORT HOUSE JOBS
5yrs Experienced 1) Merchandiser /
Male 2) Store Manager, 3) Junior
Accountant. Cont on Email :
ritesh@markoverseas.in
Assistant for Export House in
Gurgaon. Send Resume to:
vimaljit@stonecraft.in 01244269672
for socks Exp 5 years same Trade
Phone No. 8800113511 Mail id:
chandan@jmexportsint.com,
recru.admin@gmail.com
BUSINESS
Diesel Storage Tank. Made as
per standards for Petrol Pump/
Industrial use. Call now:
9899880911
BUSINESS OFFER
and Optical Shop at Shree Jeewan
Hospital, New Rohtak Road, N.Delhi
5. Contact Dr. Vijay Sabharwal,
# 9810082208, 011-23682780
SERVICES
counterclassifieds@hindustantimes.com CHANGE OF NAME
I, KHALID Ahmad S/o Late Ali
Ahmed R/o H.No. F-49, Lado
Sarai New Delhi-110030, have
changed my name to Khalil
Ahmed for all purposes.
LOST & FOUND
I, SUSHMA Gupta W/o Sh. Anil
Kumar R/o Flat No. 67, Shama CGHS
Ltd., Plot No. 32, Sector-10, Dwarka,
New Delhi - 110075, have lost my
original property documents i.e.,
GPA, SPA, Will, Payment Consider-
ation receipt, Agreement to sell. If
found, please contact: 9810467744
I , Dr. Devinder Gupta, S/O Late Sh.
V. P. Gupta, R/o E-567, Second
Floor, Greater Kailash-II, New
BUSINESS
Delhi - 110048 have lost my
property papers of Parsvnath
Paramount, Property No. T-4-601,
area 1942 Sq.Ft. A/c Code D0001,
full set Builders Buyer Agreement,
Allotment Letter and all receipts.
If anybody finds, please return
or contact 9810008291
I, SURBHI Mathur D/o V.B Mathur
have lost my Original Certificate and
Marksheet of Class 10th Roll No.
6113802 Year-2004 & Class 12th
Roll No. 6210880 Year-2006
passout from CBSE Delhi. Finder
may contact: 9711583501
MY ICSE Board Original Certificate
of class 10th Index No- 1146441/036
Roll No. 5781608 (2014), Fatima
Convent School and 12th, Index No-
2169709/045 Roll No. 5781608
(2016) St. Joseph's Academy has
been lost. Shiv Kumar Kushwaha S/o
Digamber Singh Kushwaha, R/o
H.No-302,Chaman Colony,Sihani,Gzb
I, NIRMALA Devi W/o Karambir
Singh, have lost my property docu-
ments of Plot No.-417, Pocket-04,
Block-C, Sector-28, Rohini, Delhi-
110085, File no.F-40 (619)2004/RHN
If found please cont: 9312881544
PUBLIC NOTICES
CHANGE OF NAME
I, SRISHTI Chaudhary D/o
Sharodhaman R/o A-116/I, Near
Sai Mandir, Dayal Bhag Lakkarpur,
Surajkund, Faridabad have changed
my name from Srishti to Srishti
Chaudhary for all future purposes.
15416428 W/NK Anil Kumar Singh
S/o Ashdeo Singh R/o Village + Post
Amdarhi, P.S Ekma Saran Bihar,
have changed my son's name Aditya
Raj Singh (Raja) to Aditya Raj Singh.
I, PRABHAT PATIL, S/o Lt. Sh
Subhash Patil, R/o RZ 107, Street No
11, East Sagar Pur, New Delhi 110046,
have changed my name to Vishal
Patil for all Future Purposes.
I, CHANDRABHAN S/O Ram Bilas
Maurya R/O H.No.-198, St.- 06,
Vashisth Enclave, Burari, Delhi have
changed my name to Chandrabhan
Maurya vide Affidavit dated 07-01-
2021 Notary O.P. Choudhary.
 
  
 

Fully Equipped Sarthak Medical Cen-
ter Malviya Nagar Delhi 9811032167
WNTD EXPND good communi-
cation skills 2 m/f dentist part/ ful
time in Rohini, mail rupavishwas401
law/legal knowledge preferred.
OPERATOR Immediate joining, whatsapp
resume 9811044122.
COMPUTER OPERATOR having
excellent English writing ability & 6 FREE JOB Requirement-
Peon/Accountant/Manager/Field
years Excel experience. Probe,


Foreign Trip. Age 23-65 Yrs. Loc
Noida. # 9990734034,7838686803
PASSPORT
URGENTLY REQUIRED Part / 

Full-time candidates for MNC Noida.
TATKAL PASSPORT/ DOB
@gmail.com, n a event mngr Ground Floor.-15, Padma Tower-II,
9811317960 Rajendra Place, New Delhi-08
INTERIOR DESIGNERS
LOOKING FOR Interior Designer
with min 2years experience,
for Office in GK 1 Email:
indesigndelhi@gmail.com
STENO−TYPIST/
OFFICE ASST
PART TIME female Clerk/Office
Assistant required for ICEL College
(Janakpuri). Candidates only from
nearby areas preferred. Contact:
9871713005, 9718585112
FEMALE OFFICIAL staff reqird
Discovery travels 338 near Ramesh
Nager metro station New Delhi
Mo 7827209286.
West Punjabi Bagh, New Delhi-26, Ph.: 40777777, 40777666
Maharaja Agrasen Hospital West Punjabi Bagh
Requires
Sr. Consultant – Obst. & Gynae
MD/MS/DNB in Obst. & Gynae, Experience at least
15 yrs. post MD/MS/DNB
Consultant - Endocrinology
DM in Endocrinology, Experience at least 5 yrs. post DM
Consultant - Neuro Surgery
MCh. in Neurosurgery, Experience at least 5 yrs. post MCh.
Consultant - Neurology
DM in Neurology, Experience at least 5 yrs post DM
Boy/Computer Operator/Graphic Age 30-65 yrs.Edu:Graduate.Retired Change / ECNR/PCC Birth/Marriage   
 
 
/HW/ VRS / Self employed prfrd.
Designer-Send Resume -On Corona certificate / Apostille International
Call & Whatsapp (Arun)-9650848674 Cont: 9990686777, 9971096664 Driving Licence-92-11-111-405
URGENTLY REQD. Exp. Strl
Designer Civil/Architect, Draftsman,
Receptionist. Contact: Shukla, C-55,
Sec-10, Noida # 9811142911, Email:
shuklapromoters@gmail.com
WANTED 2-3 yrs Experience
Candidate having Diploma in
instrumentation Engineering for
product development. Send CV
to: anand@vautomat.com
WANTED CIVIL Engineer for
construction site supervision in
DLF Phase-3 near Ambience Mall
gurugram. Freshers welcome,
Contact: 9354472270, 9871763666
WANTED 2-3 yrs Experience
Candidate having Diploma in Mech.
Engineering for Quality Control.
Send CV to: anand@vautomat.com
GENERAL MULTIPLE
VACANCIES
BACK OFFICE coordinator - Male/
Female, proficiency in Excel, Mail,
English Language. Darya Ganj
New Delhi-110002. Mail:
manoj@sunejasons.co.in
FULL /PART Time Male Computer
Operator / Tele caller, Residing Near
Lajpat Nagar, Walk-in A-43, Lajpat
Nagar-2, Near Metro Station New
Delhi- 24.
REPUTED CO Faridabad Req.
Men's Footwear Pattern Maker. Min-
10+yrs exp .For formal & Casual
Footwear M : 9999089574, 989188-
7333, takshusharma10@gmail.com
18
MATRIMONIALS
G R O O M S WA N T E D
AGARWAL
SM 4 NCR based Goel, Manglik girl
27yr/5ft., Fair, Slim, M.Sc (Chemistry)
B.Ed, CTET, Father, Mother, Brother -
Govt. officials. Contact: 9868165711
Email: deepgoyal1960@gmail.com
SM 4 beautiful Non Manglik gupta girl
(Tayal) 5'2'' 2/12/89,12:50am Delhi
M.com, B.ed (DU),seeks well settled
Professional working boy decent
marriage.#-9911161224,7042727289
PQM4 SLIM fair b'ful 25/5'4" Bisa
Aggarwal girl MS (Elec) wrkg US
big5 compny H1B Family hi'ly
edutd/ status Delhi # 9811083259
Email: sgoyanka098@gmail.com
B'FUL, FAIR, Bansal, Sep'95
/5'4" BBA (IP Uni.) doing online
Baking Business seeks tall, h'some
well qua. boy from Delhi. Email:
sanjaygupta31968@gmail.com
ARORA
SUITABLE MATCH for beautiful
Arora girl May 92. 5'2.5", B.com,
Distance MBA. Father Gazetted
officer Central Govt. Residence posh
locality Jalandhar. Upper Caste No
bar. Only WhatsApp 9780481456.
BRAHMIN
SM 4 Brahmin girl very beautiful,very
fair,smart.highly educated.5'7" D.O.B-
7.10.1993.seeks belongs to a very
well settled business family. Contact-
9810014045,9654649620
GOUR BRAHMIN Manglik Girl
2.4.87 / 8.07 PM Del / 5'3" Antya, BA
(DU), MCA, MBA, Working IT Sector
Delhi. Seeks S/M All Brahmin Boy
Delhi / NCR. Father ACP / DP Retd.
Cont: 9810214868 Sharma (Delhi)
SM 4 Fair & Beautiful,Girl 5'5" B.Tech
18/Nov/86, 9:25 AM Faridabad
Convent Education Working in MNC
Gurgaon Whatsapp no: 9899330335
QUALIFIED VEGETARIAN
match for Gaur Brahmin Doctor girl
(Dental Surgeon) 05.01.86, Jind, 5'1"
Cleared RAS Exam, online educator,
10 LPA. 9416605008, 9467656592,
Email: kumargirish461@gmail.com
SM FOR daughter pursuing PhD from
AIIMS N/Delhi, 15 June'1991, 03:44
PM, 5'4" Pref. match from Govt.
Defence Sector, Cont: 9999607631,
9911126952. harsh5kahol@gmail.com
BRAHMIN
FAIR N Beautiful Saraswat Pb
Brahmin girl 5'4" B.Tech Wkg PS
Bank Delhi Pkg 10L, 30/01/1990
(4:22 PM Delhi) seeks PureVeg Pb
Brahmin boy. Em: gulshankalia707@
gmali.com WhatsApp : 8130580111
KAYASHTHA
PQM4 SLIM fair Saxena Mglk girl
28/153 BTech Biotech wkng MNC
Gurgaon 8LPA father retd Sr
position now consultant Mob
9971200857
MATCH FOR Saxena b'ful girl, fair,
Sept 91, 5'5". Wrkig in MNC 10 LPA,
B.Tech IT, MS Warwick (UK), Caste no
bar, father rehab professional, Early
marriage 9910180885, 9810063491
KHATRI
PQM FOR 21 Dec'90 Amritsar born,
5'5", wheatish complexion, MS(eng.),
Wkg in MNC Pune, Pkg -11LPA,
Mobile No: 9781710599
SUITABLE MATCH for Punjabi
Khatri Homely Attractive girl
Jan1992, 5'3" BA(H) English, MA,
B.Ed, CTET Qlfd, School Teacher
English, Delhi Ph. 9810323663
SM 4 Punjabi Khatri,B'ful,Fair,Slim girl
5'2"/88 born, B.Com(H),MBA, Reputed
Business family in Muzaffarnagar(UP)
Seeks well educated settled boy.Cont:
9897225393, Industrialist Preferred
SM4 PUNJABI Smart, fair, 5'3",
2/5/85 girl, wkng in London, UK
citizen, never married. Parents in
South Delhi, early marriage
preferred. Contact :
groverfamily01@outlook.com
A WELL established family in the UK
inviting a proposal for their
beautiful, cultured, homely, very
simple, fair, tall, daughter, well
educated with a masters in
pharmacy (UK) aged 26, height 5'5.
UK citizen and OCI holder. Seeking a
well educated boy from established
family, Delhi. Dowry excluded.
Family must be Hindu Punjabi. Tel:
0044 7775675070.
luthra@live.co.uk
MBA/PROFESSIONALS
FOR HIMACHALI girl, wheatish
complexion 32/5'6''. MBA (Finance &
HR) Working as HR. Father Retired
from PSU & brother Engineer in US.
# 8383986900, 9560753090,
virendersingh5414@gmail.com
MANGLIK
SM4 MANGLIK Malhotra Girl H-
5'5" DOB 6-12-84, 7.10 PM Delhi BSC
(DU) PGDCA Seeks Veg, Match Early
Marriage #9911681799,7065685364
Em:ashishmalhotra2610@gmail.com
HINDU
WE ARE looking for an Alliance
for our Daughter April 86 born,
residing in Delhi, Height 155 cm.
M.s.c, B.E.d, Mehta Hindu, MIG
Khatri Family. Groom should hail
from a Decent, Educated, Business
Family. Should be around 35-37 yrs.
Contact Details-9810758484.
SIKH
PQM4 SMART Sikh Girl, Aug 88,
B.Ed, Eng(H) & M.A(Eng), Delhi
based family, contact -9999283777 /
9999988777
WANTED HOMELY, educated girl
for sikh, turbaned boy, Army ofiicer
[major rank ] 29, 5'11'', Girl willing to
live elite defence officers life respond
. Whtspp-7837173075
WANTED SINGLE gursikh doctor/
IT professional settled/ wishing to
settle in US for 27 year old 5ft 5 inch
Ahluwalia US citizen girl, settled in
Maryland, US for the past six years,
on a Managerial position in a bank.
Email: osinquiries93@gmail.com
ALLIANCE INVITED for a well -
educated working girl, fair/ 33/5'4”
from a well settled business
Arora Sikh Family in Gurgaon.
Looking for a boy from cultured
and open minded family. Contact:
9910053424
PUNJABI
SM FRM Pro/MBA from reputed
Inst/CA/orgnisd govt services wkg
in Europe/USA/India for Btfl Arora
Hindu girl 31/156 finishing PhD in
Germany in 6 months, studied in
India/USA n wrkd in MNC in
India.Open to relocate.
sh170092@gmail.com
SUITABLE MATCH for Beautiful PB
girl July 80/5'3", PGDBA/Eco.(Hons.)
Delhi MNC/15.10 LPA/ Working as a
Senior Manager.Contact: 9818705550
Email: bwalia1@ymail.com
SM4 VERY fair, b'ful, Oct 91/5'1"
M.Sc. Punjabi Khatri girl from
well settled Punjabi Khatri
family from Delhi/ NCR. Contact:
akmtm59@gmail.com
PUNJABI
PQM 4 Arora girl Mar 85/NM/
5'3"/veg/MBA/wkg MNC Ggn
/18LPA /seeks match from Delhi
NCR. Mobile 9958056747
E: matmatch2468@gmail.com
S.DELHI BASED b'ful slim Punjabi
edu girl MA 34/5'3" self employed.
Looking for well stld. qlfd. h'some
boy pref NCR. 9910335056, 79825-
45525, Email: 0227gr@gmail.com
PB. MAHAJAN B'ful Oct'85/ 5'2.5"
Ans.Mglk,wkg as Clinical Psychologist
at reputed hospital ND.Seeking a well
stld compatible match.# 9999326300
Email: guptapradep11@gmail.com
MATCH FROM USA well-settled
Hindu doctors/PhD's/MS/BS with
picture for 33/5'9" slim, fair &
pretty, US born Hindu educated girl,
Mgr. Amazon & now own business,
tannita11@gmail.com
SM4 B'FUL Slim fair girl Jan/94/
5'7” MBA from Status Business
fmily GGN Seeks Proposal from Well
Settled Business Fmly. 9810018129,
Em: surajchanana007@gmail.com
SM FOR Daughter 1989/ 5'7", MBA
Employed MNC,TL, Gurugram. Legally
Div., Prfrd Delhi + NCR Boy. Caste No
Bar. Call: 9811553720, 9818669518,
Em : jairathrajinder01@gmail.com
PB SR Br slim Fair bful Girl MSc
(Comp Sci) wkg IT MNC Chandigarh
5'3" Nov 79. Never married match
#8054426749 or
28shagun@gmail.com
VERY BEAUTIFUL 88, 5'5",
University Topper, New Zealand
citizen seeks Punjabi well settled
boy only from New Zealand or India.
No Matrimonials. 9978106855
DIVORCEE/WIDOW
WANTED A Suitable boy for an
educated girl, Dec 75, having fair
complexion and slim body,
Independent Income, whose
marriage got annulled. Father
leading Chartered Accountant in
Delhi and having properties in Delhi
& Mumbai and construction
activities. # 9811152466,
anish712002@yahoo.co.in
SM4 PUNJABI Brahmin Delhi Based
Divorcee Girl Issue Less Short
Marriage BA B.ed Private Teacher,
32/5 Feet Caste No Bar Contact:-
8826115834, 9919839667
DIVORCEE/WIDOW
SM4 ARORA i'less Punjabi Girl
5'3" 1980 Slim B'ful M.A Eng (DU)
M.Ed. Tgt Eng Teacher in Govt
School in Delhi Caste No Bar Seek
I'less cont:9811324244/9811590808.
DOCTOR
SM FOR Arora, fair, Beautiful 5'6"
Aug 88 born divorce issueless
(very short marriage) done MD
(dermatology) reqd well settled
Delhi NCR boy. Cont: 9650306699.
MEDICO MATCH for Aggarwal
Slim, Fair Girl 5-3", 06-08-90, MD
Anesthesia from Mumbai Govt
Medical Coll. Now SR in Govt
Hospital Delhi. # 9416279974
20.8.87/ 5:00AM / Delhi, 5'5" Girl
MD (Obg.), S.R. Govt. Hosp, Only child
Seeks Upper Cast, Delhi/NCR/
Uttrakhand based boy, 9818640974
Email : daulatsgusain@gmail.com
SM 4 MD Radiology PB girl 05/04/
90/5'-3" Sr. Resi. Delhi well settld
fmly seeks Civil Serv./ judicial /
Doctor/ CA, Call: 8447682434
Email: tamwed20@gmail.com
MEDICO MATCH for 29 yr/174 cm
tall beautiful girl Pb. Khatri MDS
(Oral Surg). Working in Del govt
hosp. Cont: 9319101446.
9950768051
MUSLIM
MUSLIM DOCTOR Girl good look-
ing, fair complexion, beautiful, slim
muslim Dr. girl, MBBS (pursuing MD
in Dermatology) 28/5'-8", never
married (upper caste), Seeks never
married Dr. Boy MD/MS/DM/MCH.
Contact Seikh Siddiqui, Sayed,
Pathan & Chaudhary (upper caste
Muslim only) Cont. No. 9717787653.
B R I D E S WA N T E D
AGARWAL
SM 4 NCR based NM Goel boy 31yr/5'7"
MCA, GATE, NET, HTET, IT Officer in
Nationalized Bank at Gurgaon, Father
Mother-Govt.officials. # 9868821902
Email: deepgoyal1960@gmail.com
SM 4 Garg boy 5'5'' NM, B.Tech. (IT)
MBA (HR),27/08/1986 04:39am
Chandigarh,working in Gurgaon,
Package 06Lpa.Own house in
Gurgaon and Hisar.Cont-9971101441
SM 4 Bansal Boy 26.5 years 5'8",
B.Tech (Comp) MBA, Delhi Owning
Well Managed Group of Sr. Sec.
School in Delhi Family is Financially
Well. Looking for an amiable and
well educated match from Delhi
same community. Mail Biodata
saroj.bansal.aps@gmail.com
27/5'10" GARG boy B.Tech Civil,well H'SOME GUPTA Boy MBA 26/177
settled,Handsome, upper class family
seeks extremely b'ful Educated Delhi
/ Haryana origin N/manglik girl. Em:
natrajconstructionco@hotmail.com
NRI
EDUCATED MATCH Preference in SM4 SMART H'some B.Tech MBA
france for Sikh Girl ,33 yrs,5'2",
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NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
JANUARY 10, 2021
Waiting game hurts India
Visitors in trouble as
they add just 148 runs
in 55.4 overs after
Pujara’s slowest fifty;
Pant, Jadeja injured
Abhishek Paul
abhishek.paul@htlive.com
NEW DELHI: For Cheteshwar
Pujara, it is always a battle of
attrition. His knack is to dig deep
and outlast the most relentless of
attacks. That quality was central
to India returning with the Bor-
der-Gavaskar Trophy the last
time they toured Australia two
years ago.
That team though had Virat
Kohli coming at No4, after
Pujara. To the latter’s slow-kill
approach, the India skipper
plays the enforcer. This time,
without Kohli the batsmen, fol-
lowing Pujara are stand-in skip-
per Ajinkya Rahane and
Hanuma Vihari—three batsmen
of pretty much the same mould.
Resuming 242 runs behind
Australia’s first innings 338 on
Day 3 of the third Test, against a
Pat Cummins-led attack that
constantly tested the batsmen
with short, incoming deliveries,
India thus missed one who could
complement Pujara’s ultra-cau-
tious approach. And the innings
went nowhere as India were 244
all out, conceding a 94-run lead.
Steve Smith and Marnus Labus-
chagne then shared an unbeaten
68-run stand to extend the lead
to 197 with eight wickets in hand.
With injuries to Rishabh Pant
and Ravindra Jadeja, the visitors
face an uphill task on an SCG
pitch of some uneven bounce.
Overnight batsmen Rahane
and Pujara are the most experi-
enced and are at the centre of
India’s batting approach. A lot
depended on how they would
negate the pacers in the morn-
ing. With the pitch offering vari-
able bounce, Cummins in partic-
ular cramped them for space
with rising deliveries angled into
the body.
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R Ashwin was one of three Indian batsmen to be run out on the third day of the third Test at Sydney Cricket Ground, on Saturday.
Rahane being the centurion in
the previous Test and Pujara’s
record of blunting any bowling
attack instilled the belief that
scoring only 20 runs in the first
nine overs was part of a bigger
plan. Neither attempting the
pull—openers Shubman Gill and
Rohit Sharma had used it on Day
2—also seemed a ploy to bide
time against a tight attack.
But if India’s second innings
in Adelaide, where they were
bundled out for 36, has taught
one thing it is that for all the
seemingly impenetrable tech-
nique, it takes one good ball to
end a batsman’s stay. Cummins
did that to Rahane with a short
ball that bounced lower than
expected. Rahane attempted to
cut and played it on.
Against Nathan Lyon and
Josh Hazlewood, Pujara and
live_mint
Vihari continued in the same
defensive fashion, until the fast
bowler produced a direct hit
from mid-off to catch Vihari
short attempting a non-existent
single. Was it the pressure of
scoring amid Pujara’s defensive
approach?
“You know he (Pujara) is
going to hang around, as long as
you are controlling the score-
board (it is fine). At one stage, he
had been out there for 200 or 150
balls and I looked up there think-
ing they are still 200 away from
our first-innings total,” Cum-
mins said.
For a fielding side that was
criticised for being slack at the
MCG for dropped catches, Aus-
tralia pulled off two more run
outs—R Ashwin and Jasprit
Bumrah. Before that, Pant had
the chance to silence critics of
Sport
his keeping by dominating the
bowling. The early signs were
good and a shift in scoring
momentum was evident. He cre-
ated room outside off and used
the uppercut against the short
ball as India went from 96/2 to
180/4 at lunch.
Cummins, however, left Pant
shaken after the break with a
short ball that struck his left
elbow as he missed a pull. He
was visibly in pain, and though
he continued after the physio
attended to him, Pant never
looked comfortable. Two balls
after Pujara completed his slow-
est Test fifty, off 174 balls, Pant
was caught at slip going for an
expansive drive off Hazlewood.
India’s only half-century stand of
Day 3 had been broken at 195.
“I thought losing Rishabh was
the turnaround. If we had
ANI
another partnership there, we
would have definitely put on a
decent total. Our aim was to get
330-340 but we missed out,” said
Pujara, who was out to Cummins
the next over without a run
added. It bore a striking resem-
blance to four of his five dismiss-
als by Cummins in this series—
back of length delivery with
extra bounce that tilted away
late to take the edge, this time to
wicket-keeper Tim Paine.
“I think that was the best ball
of the series,” Pujara said after
play. “I couldn’t have done any-
thing better even if I was batting
on a hundred or a double hun-
dred. I don’t think I could have
survived that particular ball,
which kicked from back of a
length. I had to play that ball.
And there was extra bounce. I
couldn’t get away with that.”
I AM VERY
DRIVEN AND
GREEDY ABOUT
GOOD WORK:
RAKUL PREET
SINGH
SCORECARD
Australia (1st innings) 338
India (1st innings/overnight
96/2)
C Pujara c Paine b Cummins 50
A Rahane b Cummins
H Vihari run out
R Pant c Warner b Hazlewood 36
R Jadeja not out
R Ashwin run out
N Saini c Wade b Starc
J Bumrah run out
M Siraj c Paine b Cummins
Extras (lb1, w5, nb2)
Total (all out, 100.4 ovs) 244
Fall of wickets: 3-117, 4-142,
5-195, 6-195, 7-206, 8-210, 9-216
Bowling: Starc 19-7-61-1,
Hazlewood 21-10-43-2,
Cummins 21.4-10-29-4,
Lyon 31-8-87-0, Labuschagne
3-0-11-0, Green 5-1-12-0
Australia (2nd innings)
D Warner lbw b Ashwin
W Pucovski c Saha b Siraj
M Labuschagne batting
S Smith batting
Extras (lb1, nb3)
Total (2 wkts, 29 ovs)
Fall of wickets: 1-16, 2-35
Bowling: Bumrah 8-1-26-0,
Siraj 8-2-20-1, Saini 7-1-28-0,
Ashwin 6-0-28-1
Pant was taken to hospital for
scans and didn’t keep wicket in
the second innings with Wrid-
dhiman Saha taking over. To
hurt India further, Ravindra
Jadeja was struck on the left
thumb by a Mitchell Starc deliv-
ery. He bravely stayed on to
bring down Australia’s lead to
less than 100, but couldn’t bowl
and also went for scans.
Their most successful bowler
in the first innings out left India
with four bowlers. Though both
Australian openers were gone by
the 10th over with only 35 runs
on board, Steve Smith and Mar-
nus Labuschagne continued in
the same vein as the first innings
to put the hosts on course for a
big lead.
City
CHECK
OUT
TODAY’S
EDITION
Runtime errors
add to India’s
woes on Day 3
N Ananthanarayanan
anantha.narayanan@htlive.com
NEW DELHI: The key to running
22 Australia close in their backyard
4 is about doing and also timing
the moves. Pitches conducive to
28 playing shots and the Kooka-
10 burra ball that loses its sting ear-
4 lier than other makes, all
0 demand specific plans and intent
6 if the home team is to be pegged
8 back. Everything must go right
for the visitors against a home
side that knows how to exploit
the conditions.
The Sydney Test turned on its
head during an eventful Day 3.
Australia executed their aggres-
sive bowling plans to perfection
as India faced defeat amid
mounting injuries. The high of a
Melbourne comeback to level
the series 1-1 already feels dis-
13 tant. It is vital to grab every
10 opportunity in Australia, be it
47 scoring runs at a good tempo or
29 showing intent. If not, one set-
back can lead to another against
4 rivals who swear by aggression
103 when they react, like they did at
the Sydney Cricket Ground.
India’s run outs though point
to that timing gone awry. It
started in the first Test at Ade-
laide when skipper Virat Kohli’s
sublime innings was cut short
after Ajinkya Rahane called for a
sharp single and left him
stranded. It was Rahane’s call,
having played to mid-off, and it
wasn’t poor. But his hesitation
after that proved costly.
Australia have often turned
around matches that seem to
slip away with brilliant fielding.
At Adelaide that run out pre-
vented India from taking a stran-
glehold on the game. Dropped
catches and an all-time low 36
then pushed India to defeat.
It didn’t hurt in Melbourne.
Rahane, the stand-in skipper’s
brilliant knock ended at 112 after
he was caught barely an inch
short, failing to beat Marnus
Labuschagne’s throw to Tim
Paine. The Australia skipper had
19
earlier got the benefit of doubt
on a similar close call earlier in
the game. Rahane responded
promptly to Ravindra Jadeja’s
call for a sharp single but a dive
or desperate stretch was needed.
Australia again showed what-
ever the match situation they are
switched on, looking for those
half chances to rein things in.
The tactic is to dry up the runs as
they know the opposition will
make a mistake trying to break
free. At the SCG, the batsmen’s
inability to counter Australia’s
world-class fast men bowling
“into the pitch” and targeting the
body with close-in fielders built
the pressure. The hosts’ quality
as the world’s best fielding side
and Indian batsmen’s poor
judgement led to three run outs.
First, Hanuma Vihari drove to
mid-off and failed to judge the
pace of his shot to the fielder as
he went for a single. He also
erred in assuming Josh Hazle-
wood, being a tall fast bowler,
would not pick up and hit the
stumps in one motion.
The run outs of R Ashwin and
Jasprit Bumrah happened
because Jadeja, in his despera-
tion to retain strike, didn’t take
into account that neither was as
quick as he is. Ashwin should
have pushed harder for the run,
but he had looked assured with
the bat and Jadeja could have
trusted him.
Pushing Bumrah for a second
run too was poor cricket. India’s
pace pack has been weakened
due to injury and Bumrah had
slipped and hurt his right leg
while fielding. His struggles later
on the field didn’t help India.
Australia were not blemish-
less. Jadeja ran out Steve Smith
with a direct hit to end Austra-
lia’s first innings when the cen-
turion was looking to add some
quick runs with the last man.
Run outs in Test cricket are
not pardoned easily. On Satur-
day, it was as much a cascading
run, after being sucked into Aus-
tralia’s bowling trap.
20 Sport
NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
JANUARY 10, 2021

Final session of Hazarika wins 10m

air rifle trials
A
l
Day 3 swings Test
NEW DELHI: Junior world
champion Hriday Hazarika
could not make the cut for
the Olympic core group
shooters who were called
for the elite national camp

away from India

Smith and Marnus
Labuschagne put up
an unbeaten stand of
68 and open up a
197-run lead for hosts
Aditya Iyer
aditya.iyer@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: Third Test. Third
day. Third session. “This is it…
this session decides the out-
come of this match,” com-
mented Shane Warne, a man
who had decided several out-
comes at the Sydney Cricket
Ground. The great leg-spinner’s
prophecy—made on air even as
the Indians retook the field after
tea to begin the second innings
of this Test—wasn’t wrong.
What made the Sydney game
hinge so heavily on its ninth ses-
sion? Here’s a quick recap of the
causal effects. On what
should’ve been India’s moving
day, the visitors simply didn’t
press on from a relatively strong
overnight position, and ended
up conceding a first innings
lead of 94. Coming into the final
session of Saturday, the game
was in no way even (Australia
were certainly ahead), but at
least there was a semblance of a
last two hours of play when
Steve Smith and Marnus Labus-
chagne—men who had built a
stand of 202 runs in the first
innings—took off from where
they had left. They added
another 68 unbeaten runs for
their new stand, this partner-
ship giving Australia a com-
manding lead of 197, with ample
wickets and time to nose ahead
in the series as well.
For Labuschagne (batting on
47) and Smith (on 29) to be
there in the first place, India
had to get rid of Australia’s
openers, which they did with
relative ease. Mohammed Siraj
put an early end to the innings
of young Will Pucovski—the
debutant not getting away with
drops behind the stumps this
time around, mainly due to the
presence of substitute keeper
Wriddhiman Saha.
But Rishabh Pant wasn’t the
only Indian to go missing on the
field after copping an injury
while batting; Ravindra Jadeja
too took a blow to his bowling
thumb that ruled him out of the
Test. And the void of a bowler
who took four first-innings
wickets would soon be felt.
Pucovski had departed in the
sixth over of the innings and in
the ninth—Ravichandran Ash-
win’s first—so did the struggling
his pad came in the way, as DRS
would later show, of the bail. It
was the 10th time Ashwin had
dismissed the Australian
opener in Test cricket. It was
also Ashwin’s 193rd wicket of a
left-hander in Tests, the most
ever.
India had the early wickets
they desperately needed, but in
walked Smith – fresh from his
century in the first innings –
and joined Labuschagne, who
had already gotten off to a brisk
start. Smith, however, would
have to start his new innings
against Ashwin, who was sin-
gle-handedly responsible for
dismissing him for two close-to-
nothing scores in this series.
The first ball was whipped
through midwicket to get off the
mark. But it was evident that the
evening’s contest had now been
distilled to a face-off between
Ashwin and Smith – the winner
would almost certainly swing
the momentum his team’s way.
Ashwin nearly did just that
with the first ball of his second
over. Both umpire and captain
Ajinkya Rahane didn’t look con-
vinced with Ashwin’s appeal for
leg-before. But when Ashwin
forced a review from Rahane,
the projection showed the ball
kissing the edge of leg stump.
Had the appeal been upheld in
Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne takes charge of proceedings during the third session of Day 3 of
the third Test against India at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday.
ing attack, Jasprit Bumrah, was
brought on and he operated in
tandem with Ashwin—a pace-
spin ploy that had worked mira-
cles for Rahane and India in the
win at Melbourne. But on Satur-
day, Labuschagne was prepared
for everything thrown at him.
He swept and cut India’s lone
spinner for seven runs in the
space of two balls after the
drinks break, before flicking
Bumrah for another boundary
in the following over.
That smatter of quick runs
took Labuschagne to 33, from
just 41 deliveries. The Aussies
further two overs only, removed
from the attack after Smith ran
down the wicket and smoked
him for a cover-driven four in
his penultimate over and then
rocked back and cut him for
three more runs in his sixth and
final over of the day.
This is perhaps where the
inexperience of India’s bowling
attack was truly exposed. Debu-
tant Navdeep Saini and one-
Test-old Siraj couldn’t be faulted
for their efforts, but it was easy
pickings for the two batsmen in
prime Sydney form. “We are
really missing Jadeja,” Chetesh-
AFP
innings. So we miss him, espe-
cially.”
What does India have to do to
pull this back, Pujara was asked.
“Pick up early wickets tomor-
row (Sunday) morning, and not
concede too many runs in the
first session,” he said, which
was precisely India’s hope and
mantra before going into the
pivotal final session of this third
day as well.
wREAD: Jadeja
out of 4th Test
seven months after
lockdown, but the teenager
more than made up for it
while training at his new
home range in
Narayanpur, Assam.
Hazarika topped the 10m
air rifle trials at Karni
Singh Range on Saturday,
with a high score of 253.2
in the final. It was more
than the current world
record of 252.8 by Chinese
Yu Haonan. Second placed
Aishwary Pratap (251.5)
kept pace with Hazarika in
the first two series, but was
soon left behind. In 10m
women’s rifle, World No. 1
Elavenil Valarivan won the
final with a score of 251.7.
FA Cup: Liverpool
beat depleted Villa
BIRMINGHAM: Liverpool
scored three goals in five
second-half minutes to
reach the FA Cup fourth
round with a 4-1 win at
Aston Villa on Friday after
the home side was forced
to field academy players
due to a Covid-19 outbreak.
Sadio Mane scored twice
for the Reds while
Georginio Wijnaldum and
Mohamed Salah added one
each to cancel out a fine
goal by Villa’s 17-year old
striker Louie Barry.
Hriday Hazarika. HT
Bundesliga loss of the
season on Friday after
throwing away a two-goal
lead and crashing to a 3-2
loss at Borussia
Monchengladbach. Bayern
were cruising at 2-0 up
after 26 minutes with goals
from Robert Lewandowski
and Leon Goretzka. But
Jonas Hofmann scored
twice to make it 2-2 at the
break, then set up Florian
Neuhaus’s winner for
Gladbach after the break.
Mohammedan beat
Sudeva in opener
KOLKATA: Ali Faisal’s
second-half strike helped
Mohammedan Sporting
beat Sudeva Delhi 1-0 as
the I-League season kicked
off on Saturday. In other
games, Punjab beat Aizawl
1-0 and Chennai City beat
Gokulam Kerala 2-1.
ISL: East Bengal beat
Bengaluru FC 1-0
FATORDA: Matti
Steinmann’s first-half

fulcrum for either team to pivot.
That already-skewed balance
was further and heavily tilted in
the direction of the hosts in the
David Warner. Ashwin’s second
ball, seemingly a slider, made
Warner employ the sweep. But
the ball jumped past his bat and
the first place, Smith would
have been dismissed for 2.
Almost immediately, the
unofficial leader of India’s bowl-
were hurtling along, dragging
India’s chances along with
them.
Ashwin’s spell would last a
war Pujara would later say into
the spider camera. “We are a
bowler short at the moment and
he got four wickets in the first
with fractured thumb; Pant likely
to bat: BCCI official.
Gladbach rally to
stun Bayern 3-2
BERLIN: Bayern Munich
suffered only their second
strike proved to be the
difference as East Bengal
continued their improved
run of form with a 1-0 win
over Bengaluru FC in an
Indian Super League (ISL)
clash here on Saturday.

INDIA’S DOMESTIC
SEASON BEGINS
IN BIO-BUBBLES
ACROSS 7 CITIES
Rasesh Mandani
rasesh.mandani@htlive.com

MUMBAI: On Friday evening,

Saurashtra skipper Jaydev
Unadkat tweeted a picture of his
team bonding over food on the
ground following their first
training session after quaran-
tine. The photograph of players
Bengal players train for the Mushtaq Ali Trophy at Eden. TWITTER eating out of paper boxes also
provided a peek into life in a

Eden’s journey bio-bubble for 38 state teams in

the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
The joy of winning their
maiden Ranji Trophy last

from quarantine March has long subsided for

Saurashtra. Whether Sau-
rashttra can defend the title will

centre to cricket hinge on the safe and successful

Dhiman Sarkar
dhiman@htlive.com
KOLKATA: On Sunday, 10 days
after it was a quarantine centre
for Covid-19, Eden Gardens will
host a T20 tournament named
after a man with whom the sta-
dium has a deep connection—
Syed Mushtaq Ali. It was at Eden
in 1945 that the flamboyant bats-
man was inducted in the India
team on popular demand. “No
Mushtaq, no Test” banners came
up at Eden forcing the selectors,
Duleepsinhji among them, to
bring Ali back for the unofficial
Test against Australian Services.
That wasn’t Ali’s only connect
with this magnificent amphithe-
atre, one of the venues for the
resumption of domestic cricket
after over 10 months. Nearly 50
in 1962, Ali had stood outside his
crease to fearsome West Indian
fast bowler Roy Gilchrist and
flicked him to the square-leg
fence. “It was a combination of
raw courage, superlative coordi-
nation of hand and eye and sense
of adventure,” was how Raju
Mukherji, the former Bengal and
East Zone captain, narrated the
first-hand experience of seeing
Ali in a 2016 blog post. Ali was
playing in a fund-raiser for the
war against China, wrote Muk-
herji. In the same post, he wrote
of Ali square-cutting an off-spin-
ner, one of Bengal’s U-16 players
being coached by Mukherji, in
the indoor training centre at
Eden. This was in 1993 when Ali
was almost 80. Ali was then a
guest for a blood donation camp
organised by Cricket Association
of Bengal (CAB). Beginning in
the 1980s, it is an annual fixture
on February 3, former West
Indies captain Frank Worrell’s
birthday, to mark his donating
blood after India’s Nari Contrac-
tor was hit by a bouncer during
the 1962 tour of West Indies.
Donors get certificates signed by
a famous sportsperson.
Through the flu pandemic in
1918, World War 2, wars against
Pakistan and natural disasters,
Eden hadn’t been used as a tem-
porary public health utility since
it was established in 1864, said
Mukherji who has written a
book on the stadium.
That changed last July when it
joined sports cathedrals such as
Rio’s Maracana, Brasilia’s Mane
Garrincha stadium, Madrid’s
Bernabeau and the Billie Jean
King National Tennis Center in
New York as a Covid-19 facility.
“Sourav Ganguly (BCCI presi-
dent) had mentioned making the
stadium available and after that,
Kolkata Police asked if they
could,” said CAB president Avis-
hek Dalmiya. Space under galler-
ies in five blocks was used to set
up a 375-bed quarantine facility
exclusively for police personnel.
It continued till December 31
with winding up operations fin-
ishing this week, said Dalmiya.
Before being repurposed for
Covid-19, Eden escaped the
wrath of Cyclone Amphan in
May that killed at least 84 people
in West Bengal and Bangladesh
and left large parts of Kolkata
waterlogged, with uprooted
trees and days-long power out-
age. Through the hard lockdown
from March to May and
Amphan, Eden had nearly 17
staff, including security, staying
on the premises. “There were
around 10 groundstaff who
ensured that the park was
tended to,” said Dalmiya.
It was regular maintenance of
the Eden turf—rated better than
Lord’s in the 1920s by former
England captain Arthur Gilligan
—that helped CAB hold a T20
club meet last month in prepara-
tion for the Syed Mushtaq Ali
Trophy. “We could do that by
segregating areas so that the
quarantine centre, CAB’s offices
and cricket did not get in each
other’s way,” said Dalmiya.
Kolkata’s experience with
organising bio-bubbles—there
are two for this meet, including
one in a hotel also hosting teams
of the I-League that began in a
sanitised environment on Satur-
day—makes it a frontrunner for
games in the Vijay Hazare Tro-
phy too, said a CAB official.
When on March 3, 2020, Ben-
gal beat Karnataka here to enter
the Ranji final, bio-bubbles and
the eerie emptiness of closed-
door games were not part of
sport. No one knows when fans
will again tailgate into Eden but
with six teams including Bengal,
national cricket’s back. In
silence.
conduct of this T20 competition
comprising 169 matches across
seven cities and 17 venues. One
which will also indicate if IPL
can be staged at home in April.
The league phase will be
played till January 19 in Mum-
bai, Indore, Baroda, Kolkata,
Bengaluru and Chennai with
teams divided into five Elite and
one Plate groups. The winners
of each group and the next best
teams from the five elite groups,
will move to Ahmedabad for the
quarters with the final sched-
uled on January 31. All knock-
out games will be played at the
newly refurbished Motera sta-
dium, a trial run before it hosts
England next month.
Pulling off a domestic compe-
tition in a bio-secure environ-
ment is a much stiffer challenge
for BCCI as opposed to staging
IPL in the UAE. All teams have
undergone six days of quaran-
tine at designated hotels and
cleared three Covid-19 tests
before entering the bio-bubble.
Use of public transport is pro-
hibited. RT–PCR tests are man-
datory every fifth day.
No crowd or media will be
allowed but IPL scouts will be in
as this is the only chance to see
non-India players ahead of next
month’s auctions.
While the likes of Hardik
Pandya, Shreyas Iyer, Manish
Pandey and KL Rahul are not
playing, others such as Bhuv-
neshwar Kumar and Ishant
Sharma, who missed the Aus-
tralia tour due to injury, will be
out to prove their fitness ahead
of the England series.
Shikhar Dhawan, Dinesh
Karthik, Suryakumar Yadav and
Krunal Pandya have been
named captains of Delhi, Tamil
Nadu, Mumbai and Baroda. The
experienced Suresh Raina, who
skipped IPL13, will be playing
under 20-year-old Priyam
Garg’s captaincy for Uttar Pra-
desh and 37-year-old S Srees-
anth, back after serving a seven-
year ban for match-fixing, will
be representing Kerala under
Sanju Samson. Also in action
will be Devdutt Paddikal (Kar-
nataka) and Ruturaj Gaikwad
(Maharashtra), the young bat-
ting attractions of IPL 13, and
India’s best T20 leg-spinner
Yuzvendra Chahal representing
Haryana.
Sunday,January 10,2021 f @HTCITY t @HTCITY i @HTCITY y /USER/HT. ENTERTAINMENT & PROMOTIONAL FEATURES

#My City #Lifestyle

{ TAAPSEE
PANNU } YOUNG DENIZENS SAY ‘HINDI EATING THE WAY GOD INTENDED:
HAIN HUM’ THE FARM TO FORK CONCEPT
P
p 08 p 04

Sometimes,
(I almost

City
feel) people #Showbiz Taurus

T
might get A DISTANT DREAM This is the time when you may need
someone’s hand on your head to get
too bored With people still ahead on the work front p 06
reluctant to go into
of me. cinema halls, is it a
On having long shot for theatres #Showbiz
five releases to run with 100%
in 2021 occupancy? p 01 HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
A
Seven times Hrithik Roshan wowed us on screen p 02

Delhi
•

•
Sunday, January 10, 2021 n 12 PAGES. f @HTCITY t @HTCITY i @HTCITY y /USER/HT. ENTERTAINMENT & PROMOTIONAL FEATURES

(From left) Stills from

‘I am very Radhe and ’83

driven and

City
greedy
about good
work’
Shreya Mukherjee
Delhi
shreya.mukherjee@htlive.com

S
he recently recovered

100%
from Covid-19, and
actor Rakul Preet Singh
believes in looking
ahead instead of dwell-
ing in the past. But she says

OCCUPANCY
that 2020 was a year of learn-
ings for her.
“2020 taught us to be grate-
ful for the smaller things in life.
The year was an eye-opener

IN THEATRES:
and an equaliser in many ways.
It made the world understand
that we can’t fight Mother
Nature. So, let’s all make 2021 a
better one,” says the actor, who
wants to “calm down a bit” as

A DISTANT
she is “otherwise very restless”.
Professionally in a happy
place with her hands full with
work, Singh admits that she’s
“never satisfied” and is “always

looking for more”. The actor,
who is now seven years old in
Bollywood, as her debut film
Yaariyan released on January
10, 2014, sums up her journey
so far as a right balance of
quantity and quality.
“I’m always on the go. For
now, I’m shooting for the first
half of 2021 and then looking
forward to signing more pro-
jects. Conversations have
already started. I hope my fans
would enjoy watching me in
different characters across
industries. I have this push but-
ton on in me. I’m very driven
and greedy for good work,”
says the actor, currently shoot-
ing for Ajay Devgn’s directorial
MayDay in Hyderabad.
Besides, she has in her kitty
an untitled project with Arjun
Kapoor, Thank God with Sid-
harth Malhotra, and Attack
with John Abraham. Her two
Telugu films — Krish Jagarla-
mudi’s untitled and Check, and
two Tamil projects — Indian 2
and Sivakarthikeyan’s next, are
also keeping her occupied.
“Four of these eight films
were supposed to release in
2020 but the pandemic post-
poned everything. Only the
films that were completed
came on digital platforms,”
says the actor, adding that she
has no qualms about not hav-
ing any release last year.
DREAM?
With people still reluctant to go into cinema halls, the Centre’s
order to revoke Tamil Nadu’s announcement of 100% occupancy
In fact, the actor shares she in theatres has raised concerns over their survival →02
was happy watching films of
her colleagues on OTT plat-
forms. “It’s not that my films
didn’t release because I didn’t PHOTO: AP
have films. I never stress about
such things,” says the actor.
Asked if competition or
comparison worry her, Singh
says, “Healthy competition
makes you do better. What’s
the point of excelling with peo-
ple not doing well around you?
I’ve always seen competition as
an opportunity to grow. We all
have our space here.”

PHOTO: RAHUL RAUT/HT

Covid-19 test a STOP PRESS

must to attend
Drashti’s
b’day party
Kavita
Awaasthi
kavita.awaasthi@htlive.com
want Covid-19 to be
I over,” wishes Drashti
Dhami, who turns 36
today. She says there are no
birthday plans this year. “I
am not having a ‘party’ or
going out with friends and
family. But, if I had a party,
I’d ensure that friends who
come, get a Covid-19 test
(laughs),” she says.
Usually, Dhami spends
New Year’s by going on a
vacation that she extends till
her birthday but this time,
she was concerned about the
crowds in other cities. “I was
scared to go out of town as
people were travelling to all
the usual haunts and also
everything was booked. More-
over, with the restaurants
shutting early in the city,
Singer Nicki
Minaj has paid
$450,000
(approx
₹3,30,20,730) to
Tracy Chapman
for copyright
what’s the point of going out infringement.
for birthdays? I feel bad for
the hospitality industry as According to
they haven’t had good busi-
ness since last year and every- PEOPLE, Minaj
one is suffering across indus-
tries,” she shares.
opted to avoid a
After the lockdown last
year, Dhami feels everyone’s
trial and offered
patience has been tested. “I
haven’t shopped for anything
or bought clothes the whole of
Chapman a
settlement
last year. But now, I am reach-
ing a saturation point. Sure, which she
things have opened up but I
am still scared to go for a cof- accepted.
fee or to the theatres. I have
been to a restaurant just once.
I want to go out freely and not
be under the pressure that
something will happen. We
are scared to meet people and
are only seeing friends who
are either getting tests done
regularly for shoots or are
working from home. 2020
was a heavy year for every-
one. People have understood
a lot about themselves and
why they need to save for a
rainy day,” she says.

’re tra c es of fa vo ur itism

There : Jon ita
in the m us ic indu s try
tainment business. And Gandhi says
Nikita Deb that it was stressful for her as well. “But
nikita.deb@htlive.com
the past year was a blessing in disguise.
I was able to take some time to re-evalu-
ith an extremely long discogra- ate many aspects of my personal life

W phy which include superhit

tracks such as Gilehriyaan
(Dangal; 2016), Sacchi Mohabbat (Man-
marziyaan; 2018) and Dil Ka Telephone
(Dream Girl; 2019), singer Jonita Gan-
dhi has made a mark for herself in the
music industry. She started her career
by singing covers of songs and gained
popularity when her versions started
going viral online. In the truest sense,
Gandhi charted her own path in this
industry and says that unfortunately,
“talent doesn’t triumph all in the main-
stream music scene”.
Last year was especially difficult for
everyone including people in the enter-
and my career and it has given my some
clarity on what truly makes me happy.
It has also given me a better sense of
direction on what I want to do, which is
what I want to spend the new year
doing more of,” she says.
Apart from the pandemic, 2020 was
difficult for Bollywood for several other
reasons with conversations about nepo-
tism and favouritism coming to the P
foreground. Gandhi agrees that there is
some truth to them. “Sometimes, there The past year was a
are traces of favouritism and nepotism blessing in disguise.
in some aspects of the industry, but I do
my best to stay focussed on myself and JONITA GANDHI, Singer
my talent,” she signs off.

NOTE TO READERS: Some of the coverage that appears on our pages is paid for by the concerned brands. No sponsored content does or shall appear in any part
of HT without it being declared as such to our valued readers.
02
With people still reluctant to visit
cinema halls, the Centre’s revocation
of the Tamil Nadu government’s order
on full occupancy of halls has raised
concerns on their survival
100% th ea tre s:
oc cu p an cy in
st an t d re a m?
Is it still a d i
Rishabh Suri
rishabh.suri@htlive.com
heatres are still strug-
T
gling to get back on
their feet across India.
Though 50% occu-
pancy is allowed, no film has
been able to lure the audien-
ces enough to forget Covid-19
and visit a movie hall.
Tamil Nadu recently tried
raising the occupancy to 100,
only for the Centre to revoke
the order and ask it to revert
to the original cap. Does this
move dishearten the trade?
Trade analyst Taran
Adarsh feels even if the occu-
pancy is raised to 75%, it will
be great. “On weekends, on an
average we have 80% occu-
pancy across India for all big
films which worked at the
box office. In today’s time,
what can happen is people
will go the week after release,
seeing houseful signs. It all
depends on big films and
when they come, like ’83,
Sooryavanshi, Bell Bottom.
Hopefully happy days should
be back again,” he says.
But how are theatres cop-
ing with the 50% cap so far?
Do they see it becoming 100%
anytime soon? Rajender
Jyala, INOX Leisure, says,
“We are very hopeful. Fortu-
nately, Covid cases are com-
ing down. All other industries
have opened up. It all
depends on the content.
Unfortunately, no big Bolly-
wood films are coming. But
whether it was Tenet or Won-
der Woman, we had houseful
shows at 50%. In regional
films, two-three Tamil films
did well. So was the case with
a Bangla film. Pongal is the
biggest festival in the south,
like Diwali in north India.
Master, starring Vijay is one
of the biggest releases. So
(cinema hall audience) capac-
ity makes a difference to a
big-budget film like that.”
From an exhibitor’s point
of view, this reluctance
towards 100% occupancy is
disheartening. Akshaye Rathi
says these are grave times for
the movie exhibition busi-
ness. “Big-ticket anticipated
films are not releasing, and
they won’t until occupancy
increases. It’s a chicken-and-
egg situation. The govern-
ment has done absolutely
nothing to help this sector till
now. Many parts of the world
have been opened for half a
year now, and nowhere has it
been reported that there was
a spread from cinema halls.
Cinemas are very controlled
environments. When public
transport, malls everything
has opened to normal capac-
ity, I don’t know why cine-
mas are being singled out,”
rues Rathi.
However, according
to trade expert Atul Singh Chaddha
Mohan, 50% occu- and (below)
pancy doesn’t matter Sooryavanshi
on weekdays because
the footfalls in theatres is
anyway lower than it is on
weekends. He explains,
“The government knows
better what is good for
whom but I think week-
ends are the main
earning for the indus-
try. The maximum rev-
enue is generated then,
because occupancy goes
up to 80% for a good film.
Even an average film
enjoys 50% occupancy on a
showbiz
PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK
weekend. On a weekday, in
any multiplex not more than
personality in this, the first one
is happy-go-lucky, sporting long
5-10% people come. Therefore
50% occupancy doesn’t affect
nonsense army officer. Roshan
much then.”
Stills
from Lal
NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
JANUARY 10, 2021
HAPPY
BIRTHDAY
KOI… MIL HRITHIK!
7 TIMES HE
GAYA
A far cry from the roles he
played after his debut in Kaho
Naa… Pyaar Hai, Roshan in 2003
WOWED US
played a specially abled man who
gets powers from an alien. His
portrayal was so convincing that
today most mimicry artists go
in for this look to resemble
ON SCREEN
the actor.
Greek God is a title that’s
reserved only for Hrithik
Roshan, who is a regular
feature on lists of best-
looking men. As the
LAKSHYA
Again in 2004, he sported
two different looks and
actor turns 46, we look at
the variety of his roles so SUPER 30
hair, and the second a no-
far in his 21-year career This film in 2019 saw him
again strip all the sexiness
won appreciation from all
Compiled by: associated with him. Playing the
quarters for his nuanced role of a mathematician from
performance. Rishabh Suri
Bihar, who helps underprivileged
children enter IIT, he wowed
critics and the audience alike
with both his accent and
underplayed role.
WAR
He flexed his muscles once
GUZAARISH again in 2019 to deliver this
Roshan went extreme in monster hit. He didn’t shy away
2010 with this role of a from sporting his natural grey hair
paralysed magician who streaks, and combined with his
wants to end his life. He put on charisma, he managed to yet
weight, grew his hair and again cement his position as
beard, a total shift from one of India’s most good-
the previous image he looking actors.
had created.
KRRISH
This franchise, that began in JODHAA
2006, became his calling card, AKBAR
establishing him as India’s first This 2008 film marked his first
superhero in film culture. Sporting outing on the big screen in a
long hair, he combined tough stunts historical, and he convinced
with his dancing skills. A fourth everyone from the word go. As
instalment is underway, which Mughal emperor Akbar, he got a
only proves the craze chance to sport a moustache
people, especially kids, and engage in battle
have. sequences.
04
Pruned to
perfection
Neharika Sharma
neharika.sharma@hindustantimes.com
runes or dehydrated plums, all
P crinkled and wrinkly are nowa-
days being used quite imagina-
tively by chefs in their creation. This
dry fruit is a storehouse of nutrients
and an excellent source of energy, and
quite versatile too, they say.
“Prunes are deliciously sweet and
juicy and impart a wonderful hint of
sweetness to savoury dishes. We enjoy
using prunes in our curries and prepa-
rations at Masala Art as the richness
of the concentrated flavour of prunes
complements North Indian cuisine
extremely well,” says chef Gagan
Sikka of Taj Palace, New Delhi, adding
that prunes give a mildly sweet fairy-
tale spin to regular dishes such as
Prune Malai Kofta and Dahi Tikki.
For chef Rishabh Anand of The
Leela Palace, New Delhi, versatility of
prunes makes it a great addition to dif-
ferent preparations. “They not just
induce enriching flavour to the dish
but also enhance its colour. We use it
in making various desserts including
muffin and puddings, and dishes such
as apricot and prunes stuffed kulcha,
among others,” he says.
{ FOOD FOR THOUGHT }
Zorawar Kalra, Restaurateur
Pinning hope
on reforms for
a happier time
ife of an entrepreneur is
L like jumping off a cliff and
building an aircraft on the
way down. This is even truer
for the restaurant industry,
which has traditionally been
one of the toughest and with
the highest failure rate in the
world. However, eternal opti-
mism is the hallmark of a good
entrepreneur and in the restau-
rant business, being optimistic
is almost necessary. It is also a
fact that 90% of all restaurants
shut within 12 months of start-
ing, the primary reason being
undercapitalisation.
But it’s not all glum, chum.
The food industry is the num-
ber one form of entertainment
for Indians. We are in business
of bringing happiness and the
size is 40 times larger than Bol-
lywood. Indians love to go out
to restaurants and enjoy with
their family and friends more
than any other form of enter-
tainment. Everything in this
world can go virtual, but res-
taurants and bars can’t ever.
Being social is in our DNA, and
same as humans, we will
always be social animals. The
PHOTO:
SHUTTERSTTOCK
Prune Malai
Kofta by
Chef Gagan
Sikka
Chef Sabyasachi Gorai prefers
the sweetness, as well as, tartness
that prunes impart to a dish and uses
it in interesting ways. “I create vari-
ous dishes with prunes, right from
putting them in custards and cup-
cakes to making prune bread. I’ve
used it in mezze as dips,” he shares.
From sweet to salty, prunes won-
derfully get along with most food
items. Hence one can make desserts
such as prune and banana muffin or
prune cheese cake, as well as quirky
dishes like prune malai kofta and
prunes stuffed kulcha.
When you add prunes to a dish,
chef Sikka advises to avoid using
additional sweeteners. “Complement
it deftly with savoury notes or even a
subtle hint of spice. One can also use
cashew and almonds to cook with
prunes for a lip smacking flavour.”
Prune Dahi Tikki
The new year
exudes
optimism, and
the restaurant
industry too, is
pumped up to
get back on its
Post surviving the ups and downs of an unpredictable 2020,
feet! restaurants hope for a great business in this new year
pandemic has merely brought survival of an industry that is
along a pause.
At this time, however, the
the second highest employer of
human capital in India, after
industry is facing an existential agriculture.
crisis. The support of our pat- We are, however, a hardy lot.
rons is imperative for our con- The courage on display shown
tinued survival. Also, we need by the frontline workers at res-
some big reforms for the taurants across India is truly
industry. Things such as input remarkable. The crew that
tax credit on GST, easier licens- works tirelessly on weekends
ing norms, access to easier when everyone else has family
working capital loans, among time is something to be appre-
others, are critical at this junc- ciated. There is a lot of sacrifice
ture. These policy changes can involved. And yet despite all
go a long way to ensure the this, it is inarguably one of the
Experiencing a
revival, this
system exist in a
way that it
doesn’t stifle the
ability of future
generations to
meet their food
needs
Swati Chaturvedi
swati.chaturvedi@hindustantimes.com
ver dreamt of growing your
E own vegetables, plucking
them and eating them – all
this while sitting in the com-
fort of your home? Go back a cen-
tury and you’ll realise life was as
simple as this, and the phrase ‘farm
to fork’ was actually the norm. Still
reeling under a pandemic, many of
us have yearned to go back to the
basics. A quick chat with your
grandparents and many of them
would fondly recall how they grew
their own veggies and ate it directly
from the source, i.e the farm. And
probably the year 2021 is time to
revive this tradition.
Chef Sanjeev Kapoor admits that
the roots of the farm
to fork trend
P Citing an example from his own
s of the
The root k trend
or
farm to f ck to time
s a
b walked across the road and
stretche ial. It broadly
r
immemo od made from
fo
refers to rced ingredients
, P
o u . Chefs believe that fresh produce not
locally-s tural or organic
often n a
Chef
APOOR, K
SANJEEV
most rewarding industries to
work in. The sheer joy of hav-
ing someone celebrate their
life’s key moments with you is
a pleasure unlike any other... It
is something that got us into
the business to begin with.
Here’s hoping for ‘stress free
nostalgia dining’, like in
December of 2019. When the
only Corona you knew was a
drink and not the virus.
Disclaimer: The views expressed here
are the author’s personal
NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
JANUARY 10, 2021
Powered by
HT Cityfoodies
The farm to
fork concept
creates an eco-
friendly food
system that
also preserves
EATING age old
culinary
culture
THE WAY
GOD
The comfort and
satisfaction, that one
drives from heirloom
recipes, is further
fueling this trend▼
INTENDED
.
stretches back to time immemo- and instead of making
rial. “It broadly refers to food made tea, I put them in paran-
from locally-sourced ingredients, thas, a great source of
often natural or organic,” says Vitamin C. In doing so,
Kapoor, adding, “Recently, when I
visited Kolhapur, a lady prepared
bakhri with locally grown ragi and
green chilli chutney with chillies
I reduced my carbon
footprint to zero, as it
eliminated the need for
outside resources.”
grown at her farm. That is what I’d
call farm to table and it has been
practised in India since ages.”
The movement is
about knowing what
you’re consuming and
Endorsing the concept, chef where the ingredients are
Kunal Kapur notes there is a being sourced from. It also
renewed sense to save the environ- entails knowing whether they are
ment and this movement fits right being grown in a wholesome and
into it. “In a pandemic struck sustainable manner.
world, there’s a need and desire to As chef Neeraj Tyagi, says, “I’ve
go back to the comfort of old always preferred to use fresh pro-
recipes and nani ma’s nuskhe. At duce and seasonal ingredients
its heart, farm-to-table means the which enhances the taste of the
food on table came directly from a dish.” And practicing the same,
specific farm, without going to a he uses freshly plucked greens
market or distributor,” he shares. from a sprawling kitchen gar-
experience, Kapur adds, “Morning
den at the hotel, that he works
in. “A high proportion of the
tea became a rage in the pandemic, produce used in the dishes is
and I had this particular tree grow- sourced directly from the hotel’s
ing in front of my house, so I just own 5000 sq. ft. kitchen garden,
local farmers, small-scale produc-
brought some drumstick leaves ers and harvest traders,” he ends.
only enhances taste but also boosts In a pandemic
nutritional value of the food struck world,
there is a nee
d
go back to the to
comfort of old
recipes and n
an
ma’s nuskhe. i
There’s a ren
ew
sense to save ed
th
environment e
and
this moveme
nt
fits right into
it.
KUNAL KAPU
R , Chef
#newsinbrief Are you
Revamp your making your
leftovers for a salad
sustainable
food habit
unhealthy?
A recent study reports that
incorporating unhealthy food into
The pandemic has taught us that
it is important to reduce waste, be
it in the kitchen or our closet. And
Do plants have intent?
an otherwise healthy diet
diminishes positive effects of the
health food. So if you are making
a salad and adding calorific
chefs too, have been actively
promoting recycling leftovers in
imaginative ways. Recently, chef
Ranveer Brar posted this photo of
Curious over the ability of climbing beans to
sense structures and grow up on them, some
researchers have studied and suggested that at
least one type of plant – the french bean – may
dressings to it, then you might
even kill the positive effects of
the salad and make it unhealthy.
an egg smeared on leftover pizza. be more sentient, which means it may possess
“What do you do with your intent. The finding however, remains debatable.
leftover pizza for breakfast ! Tell “The issue of whether or not plants choose their
me. I top it up with runny fried
eggs and basil …” he wrote on
Instagram.
actions and possess feelings is a thorny one,
with the more traditional-minded botanists
disputing any such notion,” reports Guardian.
A vegan twist
to Japanese
delicacies
English food writer and television
chef Nigella Lawson shared this
picture of Kimchi and Tofu Gyoza
by chef Tim Anderson. This
Wrapping it up, experimental recipe is a part of
Anderson’s book titled Vegan
differently! Japaneasy. In a pandemic
struck world, we see a
Social media have been the harbinger renewed will to switch
of new food trends. And the recent to vegan food. So
one to take the internet by storm while, a hearty
is a new way of making wraps. Japanese meal is
Popularised by Instagram user, synonymous with
Jamie Milne, this quick and easy, sea food and
wrap technique involves making kobe beef, such
a slit on the circular flour sheet, compilation of
adding ingredients in four corners vegan recipes
and wrapping it up with whatever showcasing the
edibles one likes. cuisine is certainly a
refreshing change.
06 relationship NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
JANUARY 10, 2021

Manisha Koushik is a renowned tarot card reader and astrologer.

{ YOUR TAROT THIS WEEK } She can be contacted at: +91-9650015920
Manisha Koushik
January 10-16, 2021 Email: support@askmanisha.com; Website: www.askmanisha.com

ARIES MAR 21-APR 20

Love: The Hanged Man Mood: Page of
CANCER
Swords Career: The Fool
This is a good week to let your hair down and
take it easy at work. You’re likely to add to
your reputation on the work front by volun-
teering for something challenging. Getting
into a better salary grade is possible for some.
You will be successful in achieving something
Shraddha Kapoor you wanted on the academic front. A trip is in Bhumi Pednekar
the offing, so pack your bags. You need to
learn to ignore malicious gossip and rumours.
Lucky Number: 6 Lucky Colour: Indigo
JUN 22-JUL 22
Love: Six of Swords Mood: Knight of Coins
LIBRA
Career: Temperance
Enjoy the week and seize the unique chances
headed your way. A daunting task will be
accomplished with ease. Professional excel-
lence is likely to keep you on the forefront at
the workplace. You are likely to get the better
of someone who is envious of your success.
Financially, you will remain comfortable. Love Ranbir Kapoor
life brings some memorable moments that
you could cherish for the rest of your life.
Lucky Number: 18 Lucky Colour: Brown
SEP 24-OCT 23
Love: The Tower Mood: Three of Wands
CAPRICORN
Career: Chariot
Businessmen will be successful in expanding
their business horizons. Your investment plans
will be in full bloom. Sudden good news early
in the week will bring happiness. People are
likely to dominate you on the social front, so
be ready to take pre-emptive action. Lagging
behind in something important may make you Vidya Balan
burn the midnight oil. Some of you might find
an unexpected travel hectic and stressful.
Lucky Number: 5 Lucky Colour: Turquoise
DEC 22-JAN 21
Love: Eight of Cups Mood: Two of Wands
Career: Knight of Swords
Efforts to keep a step ahead of rivals on the
work front will be successful. Impressing those
who matter at the workplace will not be diffi-
cult. You may be much sought after in a mar-
riage or social function. Jovial nature of family
members would lighten up the home atmos-
phere. Contrasting opinions on an issue may
confuse you. Avoid the use of state agents to
sell your house or property.
Lucky Number: 11 Lucky Colour: Light Yellow

TAURUS APR 21-MAY 20
Love: King of Wands Mood: Four of Coins
Career: The Empress
Encourage your mind to be receptive to posi-
tive emotions to enjoy sound health. Getting
deeply involved with someone on the roman-
tic front cannot be ruled out. Shifting to a
better accommodation is indicated for some.
You may not be in the right frame of mind for
completing a pending task, so take your time.
Office politics threaten to get the better of
you, so remain guarded. Keep your financial
position under wraps.
Lucky Number: 7 Lucky Colour: Lemon
LEO JUL 23-AUG 23
Love: The Lover Mood: The Sun
Career: Two of Coins
There is a good chance of getting an opportu-
nity you had been waiting for long, this week.
Engaging yourself in some humanitarian work
would bring unlimited joy. A backlog at work
will need to be cleared quickly to catch up
with the current issues on the work front. You
Anushka Sharma can make your vacation extra special by plan-
ning it with your family and friends. You’d
need to work hard to bridge the gap between
difference of opinion with your partner.
Lucky Number: 8 Lucky Colour: Light Grey
SCORPIO OCT 24-NOV 22
Love: Judgement Mood: Three of Coins
Career: The World
You’ll get a chance to tap your potential on
the work front and impress those who matter.
A better pay package is assured for those
switching jobs. Money can be expected as gift.
A social event may find you in your element.
You are certain to attract the attention of
Taapsee Pannu someone interesting on the romantic front.
There is someone who is out to upset you, but
don’t give in to him or her. Valuation is must
before you purchase a property.
Lucky Number: 2 Lucky Colour: Orange
AQUARIUS JAN 22-FEB 19
Love: Nine of Cups Mood: The Strength
Career: The Sun
You will have a reasonably good ride on the
professional front. Practical knowledge gained
by hands-on experience at work will come in
handy. Good grades can be expected by those
awaiting academic results. Financial dealings
with foreign ventures would reap good profit.
Athiya Shetty Love companions would do many interesting Abhishek Bachchan
things to keep you in a jolly mood. Avoid
reflecting your thoughts in actions, particu-
larly with the one you do not like.
Lucky Number: 1 Lucky Colour: Magenta

GEMINI MAY 21-JUN 21

Love: Strength Mood: Eight of Cups
VIRGO
Career: Hierophant
This is a lucky time for you, as things go as
planned on the social front. You will be able to
impress all and sundry on the work front. New
sources of income may be on their way. Per-
forming well on the academic front is a fore-
gone conclusion. The support of family and
Sonam K Ahuja friends contributes to your success. Disagree- Pankaj Tripathi
ments and arguments threaten to spoil the
domestic atmosphere. Make sure you main-
tain a distance from dubious characters.
Lucky Number: 17 Lucky Colour: White
AUG 24-SEP 23
Love: The Devil Mood: Two of Coins
SAGITTARIUS
Career: Six of Wands
Going the extra mile for someone will be
greatly appreciated by all. An increased com-
munication with senior management is likely
to augur well for your career prospects. Strong
indications of earning handsome profits this
week. The week is opportune to divert atten-
tion to spirituality. It’s advised to get involved Kartik Aaryan
in activities that’d help in bringing contact
with close relatives. Take some time to travel
with your spouse for romance and passion.
Lucky Number: 15 Lucky Colour: Crimson
NOV 23-DEC 21
Love: The Emperor Mood: The Fool
PISCES
Career: Wheel of Fortune
Your performance on the professional front is
likely to be appreciated. New money-making
opportunities will be lucrative. You are likely
to make your mark on the academic front.
Developing better understanding with some-
one now associated with you will be most
beneficial. Someone from the opposite sex is Alia Bhatt
likely to get enamoured by your personality.
The plot you were looking for can be profita-
ble from an investment point of view.
Lucky Number: 9 Lucky Colour: Rosy Brown
FEB 20-MAR 20
Love: The Star Mood: The Magician
Career: The Hermit
Your fertile mind is likely to throw up some
excellent ideas that promise to put you in a
special category on the professional front.
Results in a competitive exam are likely to be
better than your expectations. You may be
exempted from spending money on some-
thing you were dreading. A relationship you’re
terming as romance may only be infatuation.
Location is the key to any property you pur-
chase. You’ll have to be true to yourself.
Lucky Number: 8 Lucky Colour: Saffron

HOW TO DEAL WITH

{ DAILY HOROSCOPE }

Sunday, January 10, 2021

Dr Prem Kumar Sharma (Astrologer and Vaastu expert) can be contacted at: Delhi: 011-47033152, 40532026 (Sat

A PARTNER WHO IS
to Mon); Panchkula: 91-172-2562832, 2572874 (Tues to Thurs); Mumbai: 09716145644 (Last week of every month)

ARIES LEO SAGITTARIUS

A SPENDTHRIFT MAR 21-APR 20

A
This is an excellent day
when whatever you touch
turns to gold! An award or
promotion is likely for
JUL 23-AUG 23

L
You may need to tighten
your belt on the academic
front. Things may not be
hunky dory on the work
NOV 23-DEC 21

Here are five some. Students will succeed in crack-
ing a tough competition.
tips to help LOVE FOCUS: Love life will be most sat-
isfying as partner appears more lov-
couples tackle ing and caring.
LUCKY NUMBER: 18 LUCKY COLOUR:
front. Good returns can be expected
by those investing in property.
LOVE FOCUS: Possibility of lover leav-
ing for someone else can become a
reality for some.
LUCKY NUMBER: 6 LUCKY COLOUR:
s
Don’t forget taking a
receipt while loaning
money to someone. You
will manage to steer your-
self to a position of advantage on the
work front. There is great potential in
something you’ve tapped, go ahead.
LOVE FOCUS: Spending time with lover
is indicated, will prove most fulfilling.
LUCKY NUMBER: 18 LUCKY COLOUR:

expenditure Coffee Lavender Coffee

and money TAURUS VIRGO CAPRICORN

matters APR 21-MAY 20 AUG 24-SEP 23 DEC 22-JAN 21

T I c
This is the time when you A new colleague can give Professionally, you remain
may need someone’s hand you good advice and a on solid ground, out of
Prerna Gauba Sibbal on your head to get ahead helping hand. Those chas- reach of rivals wanting to
prerna.gauba@htlive.com
on the professional front. ing deadlines will succeed pull you down. Health
You are likely to impress whoever in submitting all assignments. You remains satisfactory.
anaging finances comes in your contact today. fare well on the academic front. LOVE FOCUS: Someone you have a soft

M after marriage can be a

tricky affair for some
couples, and this aspect only PHOTO: ISTOCK
LOVE FOCUS: Love life is likely to get
rejuvenated through your efforts.
LUCKY NUMBER: 11 LUCKY COLOUR:
LOVE FOCUS: Romance beckons some
and promises a great time.
LUCKY NUMBER: 8 LUCKY COLOUR:
corner for is likely to spend quality
time with you today.
LUCKY NUMBER: 18 LUCKY COLOUR:
gets tougher when your (FOR Lemon Forest Green Magenta
partner is a spendthrift. How- REPRESENTATIONAL
ever, it is important that you PURPOSE ONLY)
take the right steps forward,
so that finances are balanced.
GEMINI LIBRA AQUARIUS
MAY 21-JUN 21 SEP 24-OCT 23 JAN 22-FEB 19
Here’s some expert advice to is spending. Help them make a has been spent and where. investments plans. Put forth

help you nip overspending in
the bud.
DON’T JUDGE
“Being an overspender is sub-
jective, so make sure you seek
professional help. Don’t label
your partner and make it a big
deal. Instead, try to under-
stand the reasons behind it.
Maybe the spouse is fulfilling
an emotional need or some-
thing else,” says Dr Samant
Darshi, a psychiatrist.
list of necessities as well as
other expenses.
KEEP A REGULAR CHECK
Make sure you fix a day in a
week to go through how much
Plan to move in with your
better half? Here are a few
This constant reminder will
make the person more aware.
ENCOURAGE THEM TO
INVEST
Make your partner think of
G l
some good investment options An academic achievement
and have your partner put in will keep you in an upbeat
money there. This will cut mood today. Putting in
down the expenses and also extra hours at work will
help you plan and save up for be appreciated by those who matter.
the days to come. LOVE FOCUS: Time spent with lover
may prove most fulfilling.
LUCKY NUMBER: 7 LUCKY COLOUR:
Silver Grey
CANCER
JUN 22-JUL 22
This is an ideal time to
stand up and be counted,
lest you be overlooked.
Students can find things
going tough on the academic front.
LOVE FOCUS: Lack of trust threatens to
create differences with lover.
LUCKY NUMBER: 3 LUCKY COLOUR: Rosy
Brown
SCORPIO
OCT 24-NOV 22
a
You are likely to get a pat
on the back today in the
office or workplace. Some-
one’s advice may do more
harm than good, if taken blindly.
LOVE FOCUS: A date with your lover is
possible today, so look your best!
LUCKY NUMBER: 22 LUCKY COLOUR:
Violet
PISCES
FEB 20-MAR 20

C S P
The day augurs well for You are likely to come in Your strategy for promot-
TALK IT OUT those planning something full control on the profes- ing business is likely to be
Making the person aware of
the problem is the first step.
Explain to them in different
things to keep in mind new. Completing some-
thing important on the
home front will be highly appreci-
sional front. A legal issue
is likely to proceed favour-
ably. Go in for any important finan-
on the right lines and lead
to good profits. Tackling a
nagging domestic issue will not be
ways their addiction. “Make ated. Learning additional profes- cial transactions today. too difficult for you. Wealth may
them realise the importance of sional skills is on the cards. LOVE FOCUS: Lack of response from come through inheritance.
saving for rainy days. Many It is vital for LOVE FOCUS: Newlyweds are likely to the other side may put paid to your LOVE FOCUS: You can expect some
suggest 20% should be saved couples to find the day blissful. romantic aspirations. good advice from your lover.
for the long term and 20% for discuss long- LUCKY NUMBER : 5 LUCKY COLOUR: LUCKY NUMBER: 15 LUCKY COLOUR: LUCKY NUMBER: 7 LUCKY COLOUR: Silver
short term, so 40% of the total term matters Light Green Parrot Green Grey
earnings must be saved,” says before taking the
Gorav Gupta, a psychologist, big step say
adding that you can take baby experts
steps and start by pushing he day you’ve probably living together 24/7. that you are not dependant relationship to thrive.
your partner to save 20%.

SET A GOAL
T been waiting for a long
time now is here — you
have finally decided to share
Set a goal of expenditure every a home with your partner. You
month, so that the spendthrift might be feeling a little jittery
is aware of how much he/she about this decision... what if
things don’t work out between
the two of you after moving
EXPERTS FEEL in together?
THAT IT IS Many a times, after staying
together for a while under
NECESSARY TO one roof, couples begin to
DISCUSS look for some breathing space
MATTERS OF where they can be themselves
and not be bound by anything
FINANCE AND or anyone. Therefore, it is
INVESTMENTS pertinent that the two of you
AS A COUPLE mentally prepare yourselves
before deciding to share the
PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK (FOR REPRESENTATIONAL PURPOSE ONLY) space with your partner and
If you are among those
planning to take the plunge
soon, here are a few things
that experts recommend
you keep in mind before
moving in together.
TALK ABOUT SHARING
FINANCES
A lot of couples are seen
fighting over money matters.
Therefore, it is important to
clear things out in the very
beginning and divide your
expenses. No matter how
much you love your partner,
you would like to live practi-
cally and not bear all his or
her expenses. Secondly, you
would feel good about the fact
on your partner for every-
thing. While gifts and little
gestures are welcome, you
shouldn’t start expecting this
on a regular basis.
THINK ABOUT YOUR
LONG-TERM PLAN OF
BEING TOGETHER
Moving in with your partner
also gives you a chance to test
your compatibility and equa-
tion. Love may be the reason
to bring the two of you
together, but at the end of the
day, you are two different
personalities and will have to
learn to accept each other’s
minor flaws while living
together, if you want this
DISCUSS PRACTICAL
THINGS SUCH AS
HOUSEHOLD CHORES
While it may sound very unro-
mantic to talk about the divi-
sion of work while living
together, this is the most prac-
tical thing to do before you
decide to move in. Some peo-
ple tend to be lazy or have this
habit of keeping things untidy,
but if their partners are the
ones who expect everything to
be spick and span, this could
turn into a matter of conten-
tion for the couple.
With inputs from
relationship experts
Mehr Naaz and Parul Gulati
NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
JANUARY 10, 2021

Entertainment & Promotional Features

lifestyle 07
PHOTO: HTCS

PHOTOS: HTCS
National Youth
cious
Affordable, deli w Parliament
Asian cuisine noR
across Delhi-NC
erving delectable and Organisation
S pocket friendly Asian cui-

sine, Hudson Chopsticks
has taken a leap forward. With
new stores opening in Vasant
Vihar and Karkardooma in
Delhi-NCR and Shahjahanpur
in Uttar Pradesh, the brand is
ready to take over north India
with its authentic Asian dishes.
In the upcoming week, the
brand will also open in Rohini,
soon followed by outlets in
Gurugram’s DLF Phase 4 and
Dwarka. Their newly opened
store in Lucknow is also set to
start home deliveries soon.
“Our brand’s mission is to
serve delicious and affordable
Asian delights to foodies across
holds discussion
Veg Manchurian + Fried Rice +
Vegetable Spring Rolls + Coke; (left)
Chicken Wheat Momos
Delhi-NCR and north India,”
says Dev Dhingra, founder.
Recommended dishes
on budget 2021
include Winter Special Soup
and Momo Combos, Whole
Wheat Momos, Chilli Chicken
The body organises regular
and Meal Bowl Combos.
Available on Zomato and debates on issues pertaining
Swiggy; Outlets at Gurugram,
South Delhi, Karkardooma, to the interests of the youth
GTB Nagar, Rajouri Garden and Chicken American Chopsuey
Shahjahanpur (UP). HTC
howcasing a technology- Speaking at the event,

Dig into PHOTOS:

HTCS
S driven parliament, the
National Youth
Parliament Organisation
(NYPO) held an important
budget discussion session by the
youth of India from January 6 to 8.
Goel emphasised the
importance of the budget
for the year 2021. “The
budget for 2021 is
extremely crucial as it
will be presented in the
droolworthy The session, where students from
across the nation participated, was
conducted virtually. Five students
shadow of the pan-
demic. It should cater
to the needs of all 130

Mughlai treats were selected from each of the

ancy a lavish Mughlai
states and Union territories to
represent the voice of their state
menu is lip-smackingly in this youth parliament.
crore citizens of India,
particularly those facing
the brunt of hunger, pov- P
erty and unemployment.

F feast with aromatic

biryanis and delectable
kebabs? Biryani Shah, from
the house of The Spice Lab, is
the newest biryani sensation in
Gurugram that serves authen-
tic and fresh handi dum
biryanis, kebabs and rolls. The
brand is sure to take Gurugram
by storm.
Their menu boasts a variety
of preparation styles in both
vegetarian and non-vegetarian
options. It covers the widely
loved biryani varieties from
across India — from traditional
Awadhi biryani to spicy south
Indian one, offering something
for every biryani lover’s palate.
Though every dish in their
delicious, CEO Sudeep
Kapoor says, “Our
all-time favourites are
Under the banner name of NYPO,
this is a small initiative, organised in
a novel manner through the digital
As the youth forms around
one-third of the population, I
hope that at least 10% of the
As the youth
forms around
Smoked Galouti Kebabs medium, which could pave the way budget would be allocated to one-third of the
with Warqi Parathas, for effective operation/functioning departments that affect the youth,
Malabari Prawn Biryani, of the actual Parliament. with focus being on employment population, I
Hyderabadi Kathal Founded by Kartikeya Goel in generation. Only then can we There were agreements and disa- hope that at
(jackfruit ) Biryani for 2019, the NYPO is becoming a major achieve the PM’s dream of a $5 tril- greements on many views, but then
vegetarians and movement, with involvement and lion economy,” he said. this is only the identity of our least 10% of the
Hyderabadi Mutton
Dum Biryani.”
gathering of more and more volun-
teers, willing to participate in
The event was inaugurated by the
Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Om Birla.
democracy. I want to thank each
one of you for having this thought.
budget would
They are serving debates in a civilised manner on the In his address, Birla said, “Witness- Youth is everywhere, be it medical, be allocated to
across Gurugram, and
on special orders
issues of interest to the youth of the
country.
ing the discussions on budget will
give each one of you an interesting
engineering or any other field. The
youth of our nation has the capabil-
departments
across Delhi-NCR. Goel, driven by social interest, experience of the parliament. Bud- ity to lead. In every sector, the youth that affect the
Place orders at (From top) initiated other projects as well at a get is very important; it tells us is leading and this is because of
www.biryani Chicken Biryani, very young age. He laid the founda- about the revenue and what all their capabilities. I congratulate
youth.
shah.com or call Galouti Kebab tion of the NYPO much before he expenses are to be made and in everyone for taking this initiative, KARTIKEYA GOEL,
8447004008. and Paneer turned 18, and at the age of 16, he which sectors. Back then also, dur- and hope that this will motivate all Founder of National Youth
HTC Tikka Roll started another initiative by the ing assembly discussions, there from this generation.” Parliament Organisation
name of First Time Voter. were different views presented. HTC

PHOTO: HTCS

#instastyle
Coronavirus and the heart
ovid-19 may spark cardiac Medicity, Gurugram, says with heart vessel blockages. accelerate heart rate and

C trouble in multiple ways.

Lung injury and acute
respiratory distress syndrome
have taken centrestage as the
most dreaded complications of
Covid-19, the disease caused by
the novel coronavirus, SARS-
CoV-2. But heart damage has
emerged as yet another grim
outcome in the virus’s reper-
toire of possible complications.
How coronavirus stokes
cardiac damage? The ways in
which the new coronavirus
provokes cardiac injury are
neither new nor surprising.
The part that remains unclear
is whether SARS-CoV-2 is
PHOTO: INSTAGRAM/THEDEVERAKONDA somehow more virulent
There can’t be a better companion and friend than your dog! And we are totally toward the heart than other
crushing over this picture of actor Vijay Deverakonda, posing with his dog, Storm. viruses. Dr Rajneesh Kapoor,
The actor captioned it, “Should we take a quick power nap?“ vice chairman - interventional
cardiology at Medanta The
Covid-19-related heart injury
could occur in several ways.
l First, people with pre-exist-
ing heart disease are at a
greater risk of severe cardio-
vascular and respiratory
complications from Covid-19.
Similarly, infection with the
influenza virus poses a more
severe threat to people with
heart disease than those
without cardiac problems.
Heart attacks can actually be
brought on by respiratory
infections such as the flu.
l Second, in people with previ-
ously undiagnosed heart dis-
ease, the viral infection may
unmask the silent cardiac
symptoms. Infection, fever,
and inflammation can desta-
bilise previously asympto-
matic fatty plaques in people
Fever and inflammation also
render the blood more prone
to clotting, while also inter-
fering with the body’s ability
to dissolve clots — a one-two
punch akin to throwing gaso-
line on smoldering embers.
It’s like one big stress test for
the heart.
l Third, some people may
experience heart damage that
mimics heart attack injury
even if their arteries lack the
fatty, calcified flow limiting
blockages known to cause
classic heart attacks. This
scenario can occur when the
heart muscle is starved for
oxygen, which in the case of
Covid-19 may be triggered by
a mismatch between oxygen
supply and oxygen demand.
Fever and inflammation
increase metabolic demands
on many organs, including
the heart. That stress is
compounded if the lungs are
infected and are incapable
of exchanging oxygen and
carbon dioxide optimally.
This impaired gas exchange
can further diminish oxygen
supply to the heart muscle. Dr Rajneesh Kapoor
l Finally, there is a subset of
people with Covid-19 — some
of them previously healthy to pump blood optimally.
and with no underlying car- The author of this article is
diac problems — who Dr Rajneesh Kapoor, vice
develop fulminant inflamma- chairman - interventional
tion of the heart muscle as a cardiology at Medanta The
result of the virus directly Medicity, Gurugram.
infecting the heart. This type
of inflammation could lead to Disclaimer: The veracity of any
heart rhythm disturbances, health claim made in the above
cardiac muscle damage and article is the responsibility of the
interfere with heart’s ability concerned hospital/doctor.
08 my city NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
JANUARY 10, 2021

Six shots of life

PHOTOS: INSTAGRAM
There’s negativity all around
Social media pages
dedicated to Hindi
prose and poetry are
receiving a lot of love

but we will focus on the

positivity. Our editor picks
shots of life that bring a smile.

1
SHE’S SO PUNNY!
Actor Sara Ali Khan posted a cute picture with
brother Ibrahim. Posing underneath an orange-
laden tree, she captioned her post, ”Orange you
glad I’m your sister. Well you better be mister.” PHOTOS: INSTAGRAM/
Sara, we love your witty sense of humour! HINDINAMA, PARICHAY.BHASHA

COOL KIDS IN THE HOUSE!

YOUNG
Filmmaker Karan Johar took to Instagram to pages ki following lagatar badhti ja
share an adorable picture of his kids, Yash and rahi hai. Isse pata chalta hai ki aaj

2
Roohi, posing in neon coloured shades and ke yuva varg me Hindi ka mahatva
jammies. He wrote, “Not sure I am a good badh raha hai...,” adds Nimesh.
fashion influence... My baby rappers in the World Hindi Alongside podcasts and social

DENIZENS
house.” We’re waiting for a rap song by the media clips, videos of Hindi poetry
Johars now!
Day, celebrated have been going viral especially due
to their motivational content.
on January 10, “Mujhe Hindi kahaniya sunne-su-

SAY
nane mein bahut anand aata hai.
BEING FASHIONABLY Ab jaise social media par Piyush
ECO-CONSCIOUS marks the Mishra ji ki kavitaye nayi peedhi ko
As consumers, we have the power to change zabardast aakarshit karti hain,”
anniversary of
3
the world just by being careful with our says Roopika Jain, a student of a

‘HINDI
choices. Sarah Robbins-Cole of USA wore the Noida-based varsity.
same dress for 100 days as part of a challenge.
Believing in leading a life without fast fashion
1st World Hindi Agreeing to the rising popularity
of Hindi poetry on social media,
to help the planet, the 52-year-old wore the
same dress to work, events and on walks. Conference Ankush Kumar, 26-year-old
founder of Hindinama on Insta-

HAIN HUM’
gram, says, “For me, Hindi is not
PHOTO: VALERIE MA
CON/AFP held in 1975 just a language. Mere liye Hindi
MARITAL BLISS samman hai!” The description of
A happy and successful marriage requires his account reads: “Sahitya ko sam-
falling in love many times, always with the arpit ek prayas.” And he explains, “I

4
same person. Actors Ted Danson and Mary started a Facebook page
Steenburgen have been married for 25 years Aprajita Sharad and in 2006, with my friend
and are still deeply in love. Their affection and Naina Arora Ujjwal Bhadana to bring
trust in each other is a testament of true love, htcity@hindustantimes.com
to the forefront jo kavitay-
especially in an industry where relationships ein hum aaj kal likh rahe

F
often end sooner than a shooting schedule. rom tagging each hain, ya jo Hindi sahitya ki
other on memes in duniya mein ho raha hai. I
Hindi to gramming started posting my poems,
RELIVING MEMORIES Hindi poetry, young- and gradually we started
In Japan, a man found images of his late sters say they have promoting not just Hindi lit-
father on Google Earth. He was happy to found a new means to revive erature, but literature of all

5
discover that the keyhole earth viewer had their love for the language on languages, taki aur logon tak
caught his late father, who he had lost seven social media. Many have been pahuch sakein. The response
years ago, standing by the side of the road, captioning their photos has been great, too.”
walking up to him with his mother. That must online in Hindi; for some it There are many more like
have been a pleasant blast from the past for helps express better whereas Kumar, who run popular
him and his family. for others, it’s the new ‘in’ pages on social media, to pro-
thing! And some have even cre- mote the language in their
ated pages dedicated to prose own unique and distinct ways.
and poetry in Hindi. For instance, parichay.bhasha,
A MODEL IN THE MAKING “Hindi mein main khul ke founded by Delhiite Rashi

6
Our reader, Rajesh Anand from Karol Bagh, shared apne vicharo ko vyakt kar pata
with us how his grandson Ranveer has spent the hun, kabhi kavita ke roop main toh
pandemic period brushing his modelling skills. kabhi koi nibhandh ke roop main,”
The seven-year-old has an innate sense of style says Sanjay Kataria, who is pursu-
and loves posing for the camera. ing masters at Delhi University,
adding, “Aaj kal social media par
Hindi kahaniyon aur kavitaon ke
Compiled by Swati Chaturvedi pages mushhoor ho rahein hain...
Mail your six shots entries to htcity@hindustantimes.com Hindi mein memes banana bhi ek
kala hai! Mere bahut sare mitr
Hindi ke memes bana kar ek dusre
ko tag karte hain.”
Reels on Instagram have young-
sters lip syncing to Hindi music,
poetry, dialogues and dancing to
Hindi songs. And now millennials
take pride in the language. “Bach-
pan se maine Hindi medium mein
padhai ki hai. Apne social media
photos ke captions Hindi mein hi
likhti hun. Hindi sahitya aur kavita
ke social media ke pages ko bhi fol-
low karti hun. Achchha lagta hai
apni bhasha ko ek naye rang roop
me dekhna, padhna,” says Alka
Nimesh, a PhD student at DU. She
adds the popularity of Hindi reels,
on Instagram, has grown by leaps
and bounds in recent times. “In sab
pe kaafi comments aate hain. In
Sharma, posts verses on hand-
made posters.
The reason one chooses Hindi as
a language to express could be
many, but the sentiment that
almost always gives one a feeling of
pride is often the one expressed in
the popular patriotic song Sare
Jahan Se Achcha... Hindi hain hum,
watan hai Hindustan hamara!

Shops in
Kishanganj
offer a wide
variety of
winter
sweets and
snacks such
as gajak,
rewri, chikki
and peanuts
at wholesale
prices
PHOTOS: SHIVAM
SAXENA/HT

Winter delights: delights are comparatively

’Tis the season for lesser in this market, which

makes it a shopper’s haven.
One kilo of groundnuts is avail-
able for ₹120-₹200 in the local
market, depending on the qual-

gajak, rewri ity, whereas this market offers

Ruchika Garg
A visit to ruchika.garg@hindustantimes.com
onfire and peanuts go
Kishanganj,
where shops are
B hand in hand in winter –
the season of cosily snack-
ing on comfort food. Made
chikki are available in this
market. “We roast peanuts in
front of the customer... Some
prefer drum roasting, others
want it roasted in kadhai,” says
Kunal Mehra, a fourth genera-
tion seller at the market, add-
The pandemic
ing, “In gajak, we have choco-
late gajak, tilkoot gajak, dry
fruit gajak, kaju gajak, marodi,
etc. Chocolate gajak is one of
the most popular.” Khoya roll
gajjak is another popular vari-
ety. Shopkeeper Amar Singh
says, “I’ve been making this for
40 years; it’s our specialty.
They taste best when con-
a 20-30% discounted price. If
buying in bulk, the price might
be slashed further.
“There used to be around 50
shops here before the demoli-
tion in 2015, and now only 15 of
them are here. We have been
coming here for more than a
decade. Earlier my dad used to
accompany me, but due to the
pandemic, I didn’t bring him
along this time. One of the rea-
sons to buy from this market is
affordability. The price differ-
ence is huge and we get fresh

brimming with
with jaggery or sugar, peanut
chikki, rewri, and gajak varie-
ties have filled the markets
traditional ahead of Lohri and Makar
Sankranti. Here’s a peak at the
winter treats fresh stock at wholesale shops
at Kishanganj, Bara Hindu Rao,
ahead of Lohri near Aazad Market.
VARIETY ABUNDANT
More than four types of
groundnut and 10 varieties of
Gajak varieties on offer include
seviyan gajak (₹160 per kg) and
til-gud gajak (₹200 per kg)
effect sumed within a week.” products,” says Satish Kapoor,
a Dellhiite.
DISCOUNTED PRICES ARE
“As compared to last year, our A PLUS
business has reduced by 50%,” The prices of these winter
rues Mehra, informing about the
low sales due to the pandemic. He
adds, “There are almost no big
scale celebrations happening for
festivals this year. Earlier, for Lohri
celebrations in banquet halls, they
bought from us. Footfall of buyers
in market has also fallen since
people want to avoid a crowd.”
The number of helping hands
available to shopkeepers is also
lesser. “Many went back to their
home towns during lockdown...
This pandemic has posed so many
challenges; it seems difficult to
sustain,” adds Singh. Usman,
another shopkeeper in the market Many vendors making
agrees, adding, “Sardiyon mein and selling chikki, gajak,
Lohri tak hi main kaam hota hai. and other sweets in
By this time, we used to sell out Kishanganj have been in
almost the whole stock of fresh this business for
papdi (chips), but this year the generations
orders have reduced by 50%.”
10 NEW DELHI
SUNDAY, JANUARY 10, 2021
 Free with your copy of Sunday Hindustan Times | January 10, 2021

Relationships
LOVE OR
RESPECT?
Vikrant Massey Fashion Focus
picks priorities
Page 26
LACE
AGAINST
TIME
Obituary The sexy fabric
down the ages
SATYA PAUL Page 20
A son pays tribute
Digital Exclusive
Scan Below

Fame
Game
“We have stereotyped fame as the
number of Instagram likes”
The lead singer of the celebrated
Shillong Chamber Choir,
William Richmond Basaiawmoit , 32,
introduces us to a new kind of celebdom: one
that’s laced with humility and rooted in realism

#FromShillongWithLove
 PICK THE
JOURNEY UP
WHERE YOU
LEFT OFF.

   


 


 

 



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4 JANUARY 10, 2021
passions
{ SUNDAY DEBATE }
What’s age got to do with it?
It’s 2021! Is hiding one’s age even a question any more?
“In showbiz, actors
and models have a
shelf life”
By Khushboo Kankan
A I
s an actor and a model, I believe
it’s a personal choice to reveal
my age. For certain projects, it
may be imperative to look a certain age,
and if we don’t meet that requirement,
we lose out. So, to ensure we have a
proper body of work, we maintain
a screen age that fits us, which
might be a year or two below “WE MAINTAIN A
our actual age.
SCREEN AGE THAT FITS them sought-after. They create
For screen presence, we
are in the precarious position
US, WHICH MIGHT BE A screen. Lakshmi Rana, Sonalika Sahay,
of maintaining freshness. We YEAR OR TWO BELOW
are also subject to the changing OUR ACTUAL AGE”
views of the audience – today, —KHUSHBOO KANKAN
they are more concerned about
the content they are paying for than
looks. With that view, I really don’t
understand why it’s important to
give away one’s age. How is the
knowledge of my age important
“MANY OF
in the context of the content my INDIA’S REIGNING
audience is viewing me for? SUPERMODELS
It’s true that actors and
models looking a certain way
ARE IN THEIR 30s, 40s, of youth and ever so often you see a
EVEN 50s…”
influences people to achieve the
—PRASAD BIDAPA
same for themselves, but a lot of
hard work goes behind ‘looking that
certain way’.
Today, technology and the make-up
industry are growing so gloriously that
age is not something to be perturbed
about. People can look any age they like
with surgeries but the thing that matters
is how actors encash themselves at the
box office. In showbiz, actors and models
have a shelf life.
Khushboo Kankan is a Lucknow-born model,
who recently acted in her first web series as well
PRESS FORWARD
Varun Dhawan EDITORIAL
was one of the Jamal Shaikh
many stars who (National Editor – Brunch and
used FaceApp to New Media Initiatives)
picture himself as Lubna Salim
an older man Shruti Nair
Karishma Kuenzang
DESIGN
Sunil Kumar Mallik
(Art Director – Brunch)
Amit Malik
Kishore Rawat
FOR ADVERTISING AND MARKETING ENQUIRIES:
Ad Sales (North): Amit Gandotra
amit.gandotra@hindustantimes.com
“A well-maintained Ad Sales (West): Gautam Buragohain
woman will grow more gautam.buragohain@digicontent.co.in
beautiful with age” Ad Sales (South): Mockbul Haque
mockbul.haque@digicontent.co.in
Find Hindustan Times Brunch on Facebook.
By Prasad Bidapa Follow @htbrunch on Instagram and Twitter.
Drop us a line at: 18-20, Kasturba Gandhi Marg,
ndia is one of the few fashion markets New Delhi - 110001
where mature models are accepted: Email: htbrunch@hindustantimes.com
many of the reigning supermodels in
India are in their 30s, 40s and even 50s. COVER CREDITS
Cover photo shot by Baia Marbaniang
Nayanika Chatterjee is often a showstopper
for top designers. She makes an impact
P like few others can.
The wealth of the older models’
experience and confidence make
unforgettable moments on stage and
TAHIRA KASHYAP
Deepti Gujral, Candice Pinto, Rikee
KHURRANA
Author and
Chatterjee and so many others rule the thought leader
ramp with their extraordinary presence.
But in Bollywood, youth is at a premium. { Q+A }
Raveena Tandon, Twinkle Khanna, Preity
Zinta, Vidya Balan and Rani Mukerji quietly
THE SOLO QUESTION
P folded their tents and left the business
at the height of their talent and beauty. Q I love travel, my husband
doesn’t. As a compromise, I’m
What an absolute waste!
willing to travel alone (post-Covid
of course). How do I tell him?
Our ageing heroes always insist on —Ruhi C, Lucknow
girls who are in the very first flush These photos have been taken from the Instagram account of @varundvn
completely new crop of girls debuting
T o begin with, going solo isn’t
a compromise! You will have
more time to explore and do
in Bollywood. I’m sure some of them are things that you love doing. It’s a
liberating experience, if at all.
not as young as they claim to be.
But I am curious to know that
A well-maintained woman will grow
despite being homebound this
more beautiful with age. Waheeda Rehman, entire year, he still wouldn’t like
Maharani Gayatri Devi and Shobhaa De, to step out the next year when
all in their 70s and 80s, exemplify this! I things look up? Now I will know
often wonder why they don’t use mature whom to give credit to when the
number of positive cases go on a
models for jewellery and cosmetic quick decline!
advertisements. They would be so much
more believable than a teenager painted to After becoming a poster girl of
look more sophisticated. strength with her fight against cancer,
author Tahira Kashyap Khurrana’s
Prasad Bidapa is a Bengaluru-based style and straight-speaking has inspired many
fashion curator, with over four decades of experience in
the fashion industry
6 JANUARY 10, 2021

upgrades
{ GAME SHOW }

Who beat screen fatigue best?

A YouTuber whose full-time job is to shoot and edit videos, an executive who works 10 hours
a day, or a teacher who’s discovering virtual classrooms? Or you?
By Shruti Nair

Sandhya Sagar, 29 Harmeet Kaur Saini, 24 Aditi Shrestha, 26

Patent associate Teacher YouTuber
OUR PANEL
Average screen time: Average screen time: Starts a Average screen time: Seven- OF EXPERTS
10-12 hours on laptop and few hours after she wakes up eight hours on laptop and
two to three hours on until she hits the sack. four-five hours on phone.
the phone. Side effects: Harmeet has Side effects: Aditi says
Side effects: had acute headaches and she spent more time on
Sandhya has invest- irritation in her eyes, and her phone before the
ed in a pair of anti- increase in lower lockdown, whereas
glares to work the back pain due to long in 2020, she tried
long hours and uses working hours, apart to stay away from
a gel pack to relax her from fatigue. scrolling on apps
eyes. She also complains How did you beat screen relentlessly
relentlessly.
of recurring headaches fatigue? “The only step I di
How did
after staring at the have consciously taken you beat screen
screen for long hours. is to ensure short naps fatigue? “I make it a
How do you beat in between sessions. point to do two-minute
screen fatigue? “Taking I’ve also decided to stretches and close my
coffee breaks or a stroll dedicate at least an eyes for a bit whenever 1. Dr Sanjay
Dhawan, Director,
whenever I’ve the luxury of hour for myself by I get up in the middle of Ophthalmology,
doing so. Listening to songs going for an evening work. My sleep cycle has Max Healthcare
also helps me reduce stress,” walk or reading a good improved as I keep my phone 2. Dr Jyoti Batra, Dry eyes and
she says. book,” she says. away 15 minutes before Cornea Consultant, ICare
On unwinding after work: On unwinding after sleeping,” she says. 3. Stuti Agarwal, Mom
“Conversations with family, work: “Having ‘kadak On unwinding after work: Blogger (@mombae.
blogger)
helping with household adrak wali chai (strong “Skincare and listening to my
chores, watching OTT ginger tea),’ good food Harmeet favourite playlist have Which of them will
content has helped me Sandhya and sound sleep does has an hour helped significantly. Short Aditi keeps her be able to manage
unwind. Otherwise, helps with the trick for me. I avoid dedicated to drives with my friends phone away 15 screen fatigue
household chores me-time minutes before better? And would
it’s scrolling on social using social media after work also rejuvenate sleep time you? Turn to Page 8
to de-stress each day
media,” she laughs. entirely,” she shares. me,” she adds. to find out.

{ Q+A }
WHAT’S IN A NAME? STALK STORY
Q Fun, creative handle like @BeerBiceps, or just a
straightforward name like @RanveerAllahbadia. What
would you suggest I pick for me today?
QImewenton myfor Instagram.
a job interview and the HR chap had stalked
Should I have felt violated?
—Aditi J, Via Instagram Now playing!
—GuyWithNoName The HT Brunch

Bitter truth: Social media is extremely saturated. You need Nknow that most Indian gents aren’t coached on etiquette.
ah. While I understand this may have been creepy, please
D efinitely the former.

to use gimmicks and themes to break out. If you want people
RANVEER
ALLAHBADIA to remember your work, you must either have a memorable
name or a memorable ‘look’.
Social media star
If you have both, like that savvy entrepreneur Allahbadia
chap, even better.
Jokes apart, this is a social media hack. Worked wonders
for me, when my goal was to be one of India’s premier fitness
creators. But five years on, we’re creating content that’s way
beyond fitness. BeerBiceps doesn’t sound like an account
that will dish dope on business and chakras. The name was a
mistake, I should have gone with something more versatile.
But the mistake gave me a memorable, online gimmick.
Be it ‘in-person’ etiquette or be it ‘Internet-etiquette’.
Podcast.
Listen to your
The true test of creepiness always happens in person (of course, favourite stars,
columnists,
unless they’ve been sending you creepy inbox messages).
For all you know, he’s just a socially awkward dude, who is musicians…
overawed by how gorgeous you are. Scan the QR
Sheesh... who knew social media would become such an code below
integral part of the human experience.
Popularly known as BeerBiceps, Ranveer is a star YouTuber
and digital marketing entrepreneur. His videos on fitness,
grooming and wellness, and his recent podcasts, have won
him millions of fans
8 JANUARY 10, 2021

social media
{ SOCIAL MEDIA STAR OF THE WEEK }

Himanshu Sehgal
New year, old advice: Meet the star citizen who pulled up social media RAHUL KHANNA
Actor and Style Icon
influencers who seemed to have forgotten: the pandemic isn’t over yet!
YOUNG AND GREY
By Karishma Kuenzang
Q I'm 27 and fit, but have got ample
grey in my hair, and tend to look

I
older. I stand out when wearing
t’s been a stressful few weeks for food orange shorts on the golf course.
blogger Himanshu Sehgal aka Without colouring my hair, how can I
@myyellowplate, who took to Instagram dress young again?
to use the platform and his ‘influence’ to —AM, Via Instagram

urge people to stay at home. He even went

on to call out social media influencers
assuring everyone it’s safe to step outside
to also share the ground reality of the
impact the recent spike has left.
That, along with the ups and downs
of finding a plasma donor that matches,
and is healthy enough to donate – a
hurdle he also had to face.
Among many others, when the
30-year-old was looking to admit his
brother-in-law, whose oxygen levels had
dropped to 85, the Delhi Corona app said
beds were available. But when he called
the hospitals, they’d say the data was
outdated. Or, redirect him to another
number, which would go unanswered.
P is calling out
“[SOCIAL MEDIA]
INFLUENCERS DON’T
REALISE THAT ONE
STORY SHARED BY
THEM CAN HAVE AN
INCORRECT IMPACT”
—HIMANSHU SEHGAL
To those who messaged, accusing
F irst, kudos on the grey pride!
You needn’t go loud in your quest
to update your dressing, I’d say, focus
more on the “you” in “young”. Flirt with
current looks but stay true to yourself.
A trend like athleisure can be subtly
incorporated into your repertoire by
say, wearing sneakers and a T-shirt
with your favourite suits or pairing
your blazer with smart joggers rather
than chinos.
I would also recommend giving
those silver locks a fresh, new cut
and developing a relationship with a
skilled tailor who can refine the fit of
your wardrobe.
Most of all, I’d urge you to invest in a
serious and consistent fitness regimen,
so you look the very best version of
yourself in (and out of) those clothes
— because healthy is ageless and never
Himanshu Sehgal goes out of style!
If you’re adamant on dressing
social media
influencers for
even “younger” — consider a diaper and
a bonnet.
impacting young Rahul Khanna is a “boutique actor”,
minds in a negative whose sartorial statements and good looks
often send hearts aflutter. He goes by
way about Covid
precautions @mrkhanna on Instagram
With numbers comes responsibility.
“My cousins, in the first year of college,
have been fighting with their mother Continued from Page 6
because they saw some influencer
And the winner is…
partying. They don’t realise how one Aditi Shrestha
story they put up can have an incorrect “Frequent breaks from screen
impact,” he says. time will help relax”

him that he had been roaming around,
he says, “What they don’t know is that
it came via my brother-in-law, whose
office asked him to come into work even
though he wanted to work from home.
He was told that in that case, he could
stay at home permanently.”
Need for real influence
“I can at least alert people through my own
experience,” says the blogger, who made
his debut in 2015 with My Yellow Plate.
Himanshu cites the example of a
`800 Vedic thali, which influencers were
claiming can boost immunity.
“But your immunity won’t improve
with one meal!” says Himanshu.
Haters gonna hate
Of course, he got a lot of hate, with
Instagrammers saying how can he turn
against his own community. To which,
Himanshu says: “What community? No
influencer shared my story, even though
they saw it! It can’t always be about
freebies and coupons.”
karishma.kuenzang@hindustantimes.com
Follow @KKuenzang on Twitter and Instagram
2. “As a mother, I was concerned for my elder kid who wouldn’t realise
Who should be the next
HT Brunch Social Media Star Of The
Week? Nominate using the hashtag
#BrunchSocialMediaStarOTW or email
htbrunch@hindustantimes.com
“A
s a content creator, being in
front of the screen is a
full-time job for Aditi, but she wins
because she is blowing off steam by taking frequent breaks,
not Instagramming till the final hour of her day, and going on
drives rather than bingeing on shows,” says our panel unanimously,
despite being asked this question individually.
Here are their tips to help you beat screen fatigue as well:
1. “Close your eyes every minute after working for five minutes and
walk for five minutes after working for an hour,” says Dr Sanjay
Dhawan, Director, Ophthalmology, Max Healthcare.
when he peed in his pants while watching TV… but I’ve phased out
screen time. People set an alarm to wake up, I’ve set one to go to
sleep,” says Stuti Agarwal, a blogger mom.
3. “Sync blinking your eyes with the click of the mouse or
keys,” says Dr Jyoti Batra, eye specialist at iCare.
ADVERTORIAL
10 JANUARY 10, 2021

cover story

FromShillong,
WithLoveAndMusic
He’s young and single, leads India’s premier choir and hangs out with celebs.
But William Richmond Basaiawmoit keeps his feet fixed on the ground
even as he achieves new heights.
Text by Karishma Kuenzang
Photos by Baia Marbaniang

I
f you’ve heard of the Shillong
Chamber Choir, or better yet, heard
them sing, you would know William
Richmond Basaiawmoit, their lead
singer. As he gains popularity by the
day, attending celebrity weddings
and brushing shoulders with the likes of
Shah Rukh Khan, what many people don’t
know is that he has more in common with
King Khan than just parties. William was
mentored by Brother D’Souza, also SRK’s
mentor. Something they’ve discussed
whenever they’ve met.
He also didn’t pick up singing at a church
choir. But William quotes the Bible often,
calling himself a spiritual believer with a
non-religious equation with God. This is
something the 32-year-old has in common
{ WILLIAM RICHMOND } SINGER
“Young people are
chasing after the
definition
wrong defi nition
of ‘fame’. We have
stereotyped it as a
number of
Instagram or
Facebook
likes.”
likes.
with the members of the choir he leads –
though he wasn’t there when they won
India’s Got Talent, 2010. The fact that he was
not part of that winning choir was an early
reality check: chasing fame, he realised, is
a mistake. Instead, he decided, he should
embrace working with the choir as though
it were a family with a collective goal.
WELL SPOTTED!
Members of the Shillong Chamber Choir,
whose recent Christmas release is an album
called Come Home Christmas, are never
auditioned. Instead, they’re ‘spotted’ and
signed up. William was spotted by ‘Uncle
Neil’ (Neil Nongkynrih, founder of the choir),
when he was back home for the summer
break while pursuing English Honours from
Delhi University’s St Stephen’s College.
“Uncle Neil was part of the audience of
a show I did. He came up to me after that
and asked me to sing. And then I was in
the choir! This was 12 years ago and SCC
already had a name and reputation, so it
was a big thing for me,” says William, who
was 19 years old then.
A tenor, he was made the lead soloist
shortly after he joined. “Heavy hangs the
head that wears the crown,” he says when we
ask him about it. Yes, being the soloist means
you are the face of the choir, but William
knows he’s nothing without the choir. He’s
learned this modesty from his choir family.
“Uncle Neil is very particular about that, so
there’s no googling ourselves,” he smiles.
P
“HEAVY HANGS THE
HEAD THAT WEARS
THE CROWN”
—WILLIAM RICHMOND
His most humbling experience as a
member of the choir was when the choir won
India’s Got Talent while William was in Paris,
studying Western classical music and opera.
“I regret it but I also don’t regret it. I am the
frontman, doing all the stunts and moves,
but this will always be a grounding thorn in
the flesh – I need the choir, it doesn’t need
me,” he says. Funnily enough, this makes
him feel safe. “It shows that if you improve,
you will be appreciated fairly,” he shrugs.
WIN SOME, LOSE SOME
There are temptations to pursue a solo career,
complete with Bollywood projects. But, as fate
To access
would have it, one particular project involving
additional the choir fell apart because the content of the
stories, columns song’s video was inappropriate. And though
and pages in the choir does not flaunt a religious tag, they
this issue, do have morals and principles they refuse
scan below
to compromise on. “It’s like puncturing a
hole in the ark – the water will come in,”
comes another biblical reference from the
young soloist, as he reveals that they recently
released a song with Shekhar Ravjiani as a
part of a fundraiser concert for artists.
 JANUARY 10 , 2021 11

cover story

P
“I AM THE FRONTMAN,
DOING ALL THE STUNTS
AND MOVES, BUT THIS
WILL ALWAYS BE A
GROUNDING THORN
IN THE FLESH – I NEED
THE CHOIR, IT DOESN’T
NEED ME”
—WILLIAM RICHMOND

AND THE
FESTIVITIES CONTINUE…
Two questions for January
you didn’t know you had!
There’s a Christmas that’s celebrated in Goa
every year on Jan 7: True?
Around 12 per cent people, worldwide, celebrate Christmas
on January 7, including the Russian population in Goa. This
Orthodox Christmas Day is a result of some Orthodox churches’
decision to follow the Julian calendar instead of the Gregorian.

When’s a good time to take down the Xmas tree?

Many mark the end of Christmas season on the 12th
night after Christmas, also the day the Three Kings
or Wise Men visited baby Jesus. Traditionally,
this is the day (January 6 or 7), you should
take down festive decor.

JOIN IN THE
CONVERSATION USING
#FromShillongWithLove
12 JANUARY 10, 2021
cover story
Have relationships taken a hit due to
his pre-Covid hectic lifestyle? “In life,
when you make a particular decision
and let it absorb you in a good way, you
need to make sacrifices in relationships.
It’s a good test to know who’s going to
be there in life and who won’t,” William
says. It’s never been smooth sailing in any
case, even with his family. They have had
moments of doubt. “But when you
stick to something; don’t act like
a leaf blown around by every gust
of wind that comes along; respect
grows. They know your heart’s
in it and start supporting you,”
he explains.
SPIRITUAL BALANCE
Given the biblical references, I can’t help
but ask how religious he is. Not very, it
turns out. He doesn’t associate music
with religion, but with spirituality. “I do
believe in God. I don’t think love for God
is an emotion. But years of trusting and
seeing that trust go against you and yet bear
fruit if you hold onto your faith in God, is
something you realise later,” says William.
Prayer has helped him through breakups,
betrayal, anxiety and the likes. “Music will
boost you. But faith in the verse, ‘All things
happen for the very best to those who love
God’ will have a lasting impact,” he says.
The choir members posing
for a photoshoot at the
Shillong Chamber Choir
studio before the release of
their Christmas album
P ON SINGING IN HINDI...
“WHEN YOU MAKE A
DECISION AND LET
IT ABSORB YOU IN A
GOOD WAY, YOU NEED
TO MAKE SACRIFICES
IN RELATIONSHIPS”
—WILLIAM RICHMOND
William quotes Any regrets? “Abandoning my piano
the Bible often, lessons! I had a boyish restlessness and
calling himself stopped learning at Grade 3. My father
a spiritual predicted I would regret it… but it’s never
believer with a
non-religious too late,” says the self-declared ‘scatter-
equation brained student’. But doing theatre and
with God music on stage in college has made him the
outspoken and confident choir leader he is
today. Traits that come in handy when he
bumps into CEOs and celebrities at award
shows and celebrity weddings!
His fame is based on old-school word-
of-mouth, not PR or management. “Our
audience comprises people who’ve heard
about our music, not those who have seen
an ad that said we are the best choir in
the world,” he says. “Today, young people
are chasing after the wrong definition
of ‘fame’. We have stereotyped it as a
number of Instagram or Facebook likes.
That doesn’t mean you ignore the market.
You just make sure you retain your soul.”
FAN FOLLOWING
William is now used to being recognised
on the streets of Shillong, when he’s out
and about running errands or eating at his
favourite momo joints. In the pre-Covid
days, he often chatted with people along
the way, but on one occasion, the fans
were too shy to speak to him, so they
whistled the tune of a choir song! “I
William Richmond
makes a case
“I think Vande Mataram helped
us heal the language barrier
(we mostly used to sing in
English). We sang the song with
pride because it translates to
‘we are proud to be Indian’,
which we are; and it showed.
Yes, I used to think Bollywood
music was uncool, but when I
grew up, I realised that you can
make it your own, thanks to the
beautiful tunes. And honestly,
without Hindi it would be
difficult to sustain our audience!
We are getting our funds and
security from Hindi music!”
laughed and smiled… and walked slightly
faster,” he laughs!
The foodie has also taken up a new
hobby – he’s the butcher at Uncle’s Ark,
the home delivery service for groceries the
choir has started. “When people find out,
they are shocked!” But his meat dressings
are quite the talk of the town! All this as
he does online concerts to raise funds to
feed six villages and run the SCC school.
What he’s even more proud of is his
contribution to the gourmet section of
Uncle’s Ark – a South Indian fried meat
recipe he picked up when they went to
perform in Cochin, he explains, promising
a taste during my maiden trip to Shillong.
Impeccable music, amazing food, and a
fellow DU alumnus-turned-celebrity to
guide me. Post-Covid trip sorted!
karishma.kuenzang@hindustantimes.com
Follow @KKuenzang on Twitter and Instagram
 ADVERTORIAL

Pearl Academy joins hands with

‘Engendered’ as its education partner

L-R , Sharad Mehra (President, Creative Arts Education Society) Deepa Mehta (Director, Funny Boy) Nandita Abraham, (President, Pearl Pearl Academy’s School of Contemporary Media Student interviewing
Academy), Viveck Vaswani (Dean, School of Contemporary Media) Actor Swara Bhaskar

U
nique in their approach, mediums, methods,
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tions, exchange new ideas and deliberate on subjects
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I-View, in partnership with Pearl Academy,
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(Founder, Platoon One Films). They were joined
by Sharad Mehra, President, Creative Arts Educa-
tion Society and Nandita Abraham, President, Pearl
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Mukherjee, Founder, Engendered & Director, I-View
Film Festival and Viveck Vaswani, Dean, School of
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To introduce the discussion, Sharad Mehra said,
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L-R - Vivek Gomber (Actor, Sir); Onir (Director, My Brother Nikhil); Viveck Vaswani (Dean-School of Contemporary Media at Pearl Academy, Actor, Director) Prof Nandita Abraham (President, Pearl Academy) Swara Bhaskar
(Actor, Sheer Qorma); Myna Mukherjee (Founder, Engendered & Director, I-View Film Festival, Deepa Mehta (Director, Funny Boy); Faraz Arif Ansari (Director, Sheer Qorma); Shiladitya Bora (Founder, Platoon One Films)
14 JANUARY 10, 2021

columns

{ rude food }

VIR
SANGHVI
Bae of Bengal
From puchkas and rolls to biryani, Kolkata food is stealing the show
sho

I
f you have been following the Indian food scene then yo you
will know that Kolkata is having a moment. On social
media, the praises of Kolkata biryani just keep on coming.
Among young home chefs who deliver, the Kolkata puchka
is becoming trendier than the Mumbai pani puri or the
Delhi golgappa. And the Nizam’s Roll has never been more
popular nation-wide.
Vikramjit Roy, the Bengali chef who is
universally admired for his Oriental
food (most recently at Hello Panda),
has just opened a Kolkata-food
delivery service called Park Street
Rolls and Biryani in Delhi/NCR and will
soon open physical restaurants for the
brand. Anjan Chatterjee, the world’s most
successful Bengali restaurateur (Oh! Calcutta,
Mainland China etc.) has a restaurant called
Chourangi set to open in London, when the pandemic
calms down (it would have opened earlier, but for Covid)
and has also launched a new chain called Kaazi, based
around Kolkata biryani and chaaps. And among the
biryanis rolled out by ITC for its biryani-pulao delivery
deliver
project, one of the most popular is a Metiabruz biryani,
taking forward the traditions of Wajid Ali Shah, who wa was
exiled to Bengal by the British.
Kolkata is not as cosmopolitan as Mumbai. But it has always
alway
been much more cosmopolitan than many other Indian cities.
So, while the Bengalis have what they say is one of India’s great
cuisines, there is also a Kolkata cuisine, which goes well beyond
Bengali food.
The biryani is among the most famous examples. Legend has
it that when Wajid Ali Shah, the Nawab of Awadh, was in exile
FIRMLY Y ROO
in Metiabruz, his cooks continued to make the biryani of his Bengali chef Vikra
a
native Awadh. Over time, this biryani changed and the Nawab’Nawab’s Street Rolls and Biryani
cash-strapped descendants cut down on the meat and added
potatoes and boiled eggs. Anjan Chatterjee’s new chain offers biryani cooked on coal fires
These stories may or may not be true, but today’s Kolkata because, as he says, the real thing was never cooked on gas.
biryani is a common man’s biryani served at modest prices all Just as Wajid Ali Shah’s descendants popularised biryani in
over the city. Foodies in Kolkata spend a lot of time arguing Kolkata, the city’s two other signature dishes also have
over which restaurant has the best biryani (Aminia? non-Bengali origins.
Arsalan? Royal? Shiraz? And so on). But I have searched high and low for medieval references for the
wherever you go, the biryani has a kathi-kebab, but the earliest mentions I have found date back to
distinctive character of its own. the last century and to a restaurant called Nizam’s in Kolkata. It
Now, it is finally getting the was founded apparently, by a man called Nizam who may have
respect it deserves. Vikramjit well created the dish. If not, he certainly popularised it.
Roy’s restaurant offers a take These days, the idea of wrapping kebabs in a paratha may not
on an Aminia-style biryani. seem too novel, but it seems to have started with Nizam’s. The
Nizam’s Roll is a legendary dish, which relies on the quality of
DELICIOUS IMPORT the kitchen: the right kind of paratha, the right tawa (the Nizam’s
(From left) Sumeet, Rajesh and
Kabir Chugh (top) of Nizam's that's tawa is said to be decades old), the marinade used for the
served rolls (left) in Connaught kebabs, etc.
Place for over four decades While other restaurants in Kolkata now specialise in the
 JANUARY 10, 2021 15

columns

RING IN THE NEW

Anjan Chatterjee's
new chain called
Kaazi offers
Kolkata-style
chaaps (below)

RICE AND SHINE

On social media, the praises of Kolkata biryani keep pouring
and how!
dish, it has always been hard to find it in other cities. The one
exception is Delhi where a restaurant, also called Nizam’s, has
served rolls in Connaught Place for over four decades.
I spoke to Kabir Chugh from the family that runs the Delhi
Nizam’s. Kabir says that the sons of the original Nizam fell
out and that one of them landed up in Delhi where Kabir’s
grandfather AC Chugh and his friends JS Sawhney, and
IS Bawa offered to back him. Thus, was born the Delhi Nizam’s in
1978, making rolls to the same general recipe.
Time has moved on and the Delhi Nizam’s now has five
outlets, but Kabir says they have not messed with the original
recipes. They still use kathis (the bamboo skewers from which
the name ‘Kathi Kebab’ comes) even though it would be more
practical to use metal skewers and the marinade for the kebabs
still remains the restaurant’s secret.
P Some of the great dishes of Kolkata have been sustained
AMONG YOUNG HOME CHEFS
WHO DELIVER, THE KOLKATA
PUCHKA IS BECOMING TRENDIER
THAN THE MUMBAI PANI PURI OR
THE DELHI GOLGAPPA
Vikramjit Roy also makes his own rolls (as the name of his
restaurant suggests), though he has gone beyond the original
recipe from the Kolkata Nizam’s and makes interesting
variations, including the hugely popular Soya Chaap Roll
(no, I can’t figure it out, either). He also does fillings that are
largely unknown in Kolkata, but which, I suspect, draw on his
time with ITC: Kakori Kebab Roll and Kadak Seekh Kebab Roll.
Vikram is a very good chef, so the variations are excellent and
their popularity demonstrates that once you master the original
(which Vikram has), you can use your creativity to design
interesting riffs on the roll. His restaurant (owned with his old
partner Anurodh Samal and a new backer and partner, Vir
Kotak) is now getting so many orders for rolls that the kitchen is
struggling to keep up.
And then there is the puchka. I
asked Vikram what he thought
were the defining characteristics
of the Cal puchka versus the
Delhi golgappa. He said that they
never use suji puris in Kolkata.
Puchka water in Delhi can
rely on saunth or mint. But in
Kolkata, it has a distinctive khatta
taste that comes from lemon
(often Gondhoraj lemon) and the
Cal potato stuffing differs from Delhi
because it includes white peas.
The taste and mouthfeel are very different from a North
Indian golgappa. And though I grew up on the pani puri of
Mumbai, I have no hesitation in saying that the Cal puckha is
easily the best version of the genre.
Once again, the puckha is not a Bengali dish. It was brought
to Kolkata by chaat-wallahs from UP (and perhaps Bihar), and
then adapted to suit the tastes of the locals.
by the city’s Muslim minority (about 20 per cent of the total
population, according to the 2011 census), much of which does
not regard Bengali as a first language.
It is the cosmopolitan spirit of Kolkata (now in some danger)
that has allowed different cuisines to develop and migrant
communities have been encouraged to leave their mark on the
food scene.
Anjan Chatterjee says that not enough is being done to
research and promote the culinary traditions of Kolkata and
indeed, of Bengal in general. His mithai brand Sweet Bengal,
which makes mithai (Bengal’s primary contribution to Indian
cuisine) to old recipes using premium ingredients, has been
a huge success and Chatterjee feels that the great Kolkata
dishes (chaap, rezalas, biryani) will also find greater national
popularity once he expands Kaazi (which is an affordably-priced
brand) to cities all over India.
For people who still think of Kolkata in terms of Bengali
fish dishes, the current boom in the cuisines of the city has been
a revelation. For more columns by
Finally, Kolkata is taking its place as one of India’s great Vir Sanghvi, scan the
food cities. QR code. Follow Vir on
The views expressed by the columnist are personal Twitter @virsanghvi
16 JANUARY 10, 2021

columns

{ spectator }

SEEMA
It’s abrandnewyear!
GOSWAMI Here’s hoping we get to use this one…

S
o, finally, we meet in 2021,
having bid goodbye to
a roller-coaster of a
year called 2020. I don’t
know about you, but the
first few weeks of the
New Year always imbue
me with an optimistic
mood. There is the sense
of new beginnings, a
looking forward to fresh
possibilities, and the feeling
that we have embarked on a
CARRY FORWARD
brand new adventure. Covid ain’t going anywhere any time soon
Of course, some of 2020 will carry over to 2021 as well.
Covid ain’t going anywhere any time soon and doctors mask – no, not even members of my own family. But once
warn us that we will have to continue wearing masks, Covid loosens its grip on us, and after everyone has been
washing hands, and socially distancing through this year tested/vaccinated, we can finally have our Big Fat Indian
as well. Sadly, normal service is unlikely to be resumed any Family gathering. Zoom calls and video chats are all very
time soon. well, but there is nothing like the actual warm embrace
I know all this at a rational level, and yet, that ‘New Year’ of family to feel whole again.
feeling refuses to go away. And here, in no particular order of • Going on vacation abroad. Over the last few months,
importance, is what I am looking forward to: my husband and I have taken a few mini-breaks – but
• Getting the Covid vaccine. I don’t know when my turn will always within driving distance of Delhi. And
finally come, but I am hoping that my comorbidities (never it’s been great. We rediscovered the magical
have I been more grateful that I have a few!) will push me beauty of the Taj Mahal on a trip to Agra,
up the queue. And the moment my number is called, I spending the entire day sitting on our balcony,
will be there, sleeve rolled up in readiness to receive the gazing mesmerised at the ultimate monument
shot. And I sincerely hope that all of you will do the same to love. We reacquainted ourselves with
– because this vaccine thing only works if all of us get the Rajasthan, making trips to Alwar and Jaipur.
requisite two doses. And even though we didn’t venture out of our
hotels, the change still did us good. But now I am

P getting itchy feet, again. And I am hoping that in a

ZOOM CALLS AND VIDEO CHATS
ARE ALL VERY WELL, BUT THERE
IS NOTHING LIKE THE ACTUAL
WARM EMBRACE OF FAMILY TO
FEEL WHOLE AGAIN
• Releasing my new book. Ideally, the sequel to Race Course
Road should have been out in 2020. But somehow, the idea
of bringing a book out in the middle of a pandemic and doing
all my promotions on Zoom, didn’t quite appeal to me. So, I
postponed sending it off to my publisher on one pretext or
another, holding off till some semblance of normality
returned. So, the book will now be birthed in a
few months time, I will be able to visit some of my
favourite haunts abroad as well. London is number
one on that list, but if that doesn’t work, I am quite
happy to settle for Bangkok or Singapore as well.
• Venturing out to the shops. The one thing Covid
did was to introduce me to the pleasures of online
shopping. And in the initial days of lockdown, I
went a little berserk, ordering everything from
Le Creuset cookware to stationery to hair scrunchies
on the Internet. But after the initial excitement wore
off, I began to miss the experience of going out
and shopping in brick-and-mortar stores. Until
now, though, I have resisted the urge to
head out to malls or department
stores, for fear of tempting fate.
Illustration: Aparna Ram

post-vaccine world – and I am looking forward to that But, with a bit of luck, it will be
For more columns
by Seema Goswami, with a mixture of excitement and apprehension. possible to do a spot of retail therapy in 2021. And after a year of
scan the QR code. • Creating a mask-free extended family bubble. Until now, my being abstemious, I can’t wait to indulge myself.
Follow Seema on Twitter pandemic bubble has consisted of just my husband and me. In
@seemagoswami the last nine months, I have never met anyone else without a The views expressed by the columnist are personal
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18 JANUARY 10, 2021

columns

{ humour }

REHANA
A woman walks into a bar …
MUNIR A pub-hopping adventure across cities to lift the spirits

T
here are countless variations around the ‘Man walks into a
bar’ joke opening, but it’s rare to find one that begins with
‘A woman walks into a bar’ – how strange. For teenagers
like me in ’90s Mumbai, for instance, the pub was a place not just
to bang one’s head to Metallica, but also to pick up essential life
skills, like pretending to hear a dull date over blaring music, or
using the ladies restroom in a zero-contact manner that would
come in handy in the Covid era.

Pub crawl
The Ghetto near Haji Ali has long been a favourite shrine for
grunge-lovers, with its busy graffiti, retro rock and pool table. And,
of course, the UV lights that make it necessary to pay attention to
one’s wardrobe choices, especially innerwear. Ghetto takes you back
to college whenever you visit, like the original Pecos in Bengaluru
once did, with its enduring love for audio cassettes. Delhi’s 4S in
Def Col, with its passionate journalists and chatty lawyers, is still
a dive bar I’d seek out, despite the seductions of the capital’s fancy
new bistros. Kolkata’s live music hub Someplace Else, and grimy
yet charming Oly Pub, are other evergreen favourites.

P PUB POLITICS
WE NOW JUDGE HANGOUTS ON THEIR
ABILITY TO DISTANCE US FROM EACH
OTHER EFFECTIVELY; AN OUTDOOR
SPACE IS MORE ATTRACTIVE THAN
HAPPY HOURS
But there’s no place like Mumbai’s Toto’s Garage, any self-respecting
beer and rock lover will say. It has a Volkswagen Beetle suspended on
the top of the bar, and the abbreviated shell of a Maruti Omni serving
as the DJ console, where the bedraggled Colin plays the same music
every night. It never plies you with discounts or offers, has no tolerance
for raucousness or dance, and is now smaller than before, thanks to
trouble with the municipality. But it’s a safe space you can walk into
any night of the week, the moody red light from the bar making you feel
like you’re in an imaginary Wong Kar-wai film, In the Mood for Rum.
Calling an omelette an omelette
I’ve often fantasised about conducting PhD research on pub meals.
Of course, English staples like fish and chips, and bangers and mash
enjoy pride of place just for their Englishness, along with endless
varieties of draught beer. But there are treasures everywhere. Like
the appams and stew that went with the excellent music at the now
For teenagers in ’90s Mumbai, the pub was a place to pick up life
skills, like pretending to hear a dull date over blaring music
generic, if you will. The unambiguous brilliance of a chicken and
cheese omelette in a bun at Toto’s is a big crowd pleaser. Imagine if
they had called it a ‘Signature omelette in Portuguese-origin pao with
shreds of farm-bred chicken and shavings of processed cheese’! Menus
that try too hard are no poultry matter for an eggsasperated reader.
Socialising with distance
We now judge hangouts on their ability to distance us from each
other effectively; consequently, an outdoor space is infinitely more
attractive than happy hours. On a cool December evening, my friend
and I settled at one of the few outdoor tables at Bandra’s Perch,
before a couple of cigar smokers at the next table drove us to the
indoor seating. A couple of espresso martinis later, we were bold
enough to make eye contact with the pretty patrons walking in.
“My favourite public-house, the Moon Under Water, is only two
minutes from a bus stop, but it is on a side-street, and drunks and
rowdies never seem to find their way there, even on Saturday nights.”
So begins George Orwell’s 1946 essay about his ideal pub. I too
have a dream pub, free from the constraints of our anxious times.
It’s a space that stays open all day and night, and serves a variety
of unpretentious drinks and free chakna. It has a rock-dominated
Photo imaging: Parth Garg

defunct Windsor Pub in Vasanth Nagar, Bengaluru. Or the Barman’s
Pitcher at 1000 Oaks in Pune, a concoction that boasts more spirits
than the average Night Shyamalan film.
For more columns
by Rehana Munir, The Social is another welcoming space, with a pleasing menu that
scan the QR code. offers everything from blueberry pancakes to kheema ghotala. Which
Follow Rehana on brings me to my pet restaurant peeve: Cutesy menus that cram jokes
Twitter @rehana_munir and puns within complicated designs. Pro tip: Keep it simple, even
playlist, with whimsical digressions into other genres, and a vibe
that supports both midday work discussions and midnight Tinder
dates. I hereby declare myself available as a freelance dream pub
consultant, taking time off from my other fantasy job as a massage
connoisseur. Cheers to that!
rehanamunir@gmail.com
Follow @rehana_munir on Twitter and Instagram

{ sunday drive }
HORMAZD
SORABJEE
Starsandwarriors
What Mumbai’s 2020 edition of MBCCR lost in mass was made up by class
W
hen you have the legacy of being the oldest car
manufacturer in the world, the inventor of the motor
car itself, you might as well flaunt these enviable
credentials. This is what Mercedes-Benz does every year at the
annual Mercedes Benz Classic Car Rally, in Mumbai. Better known
by its abbreviation, the MBCCR, amongst classic car aficionados,
this parade of classic Mercs has grown to become by far the largest
single-make event in Asia, with entries at its peak mushrooming to
130 classic Mercs.
This year due to the Covid-19 restrictions, entries were severely
limited to under 50 cars but what the event lost in mass, it made up
in class with some incredibly rare and timeless Mercs showing
up for the 2020 edition. The MBCCR is also a showcase of the
evolution of the automobile and parked in a corner was a
replica of the 1886 Benz Patent Motorwagen. The original
can lay claim to being the first car in the world and the one
that kicked off mankind’s greatest revolution.
Out in force
Despite the limitation of numbers, a stellar selection of classic
Mercedes-Benzes gathered at the Taj Lands End seaside lawn –
each car was of legendary pedigree. Forty-six cars participated in
ONE AND ONLY the 7th edition of the MBCCR, with enthusiastic participants
This W08 Mercedes
bringing together the rarest collection of Mercedes-Benz model
Nürburg in touring
body style is the families through the years.
only one in India
P months, we have all been fighting back against the pandemic. The
FOR OWNERS, A CLASSIC CAR IS A GREAT
WAY TO DIGITALLY DETOX, TO ESCAPE
FROM TOUCHSCREENS
Supercar fanatic Gautam Singhania drove in with his impeccable
190SL, while industrialist Viveck Goenka stunned everyone with his
For more Sunday Drive
rare and immaculate assortment of Mercedes-Benzes, including
columns by Hormazd
Sorabjee, scan the icons such as the W111 Fintail cabriolet. Other noteworthy mentions
QR code. Follow include the W136 170V, belonging to Yashvardhan Ruia, and also
Hormazd on Twitter Zahir Merchant’s W191 170 S. Mr Vikram Bokey from Pune took
@hormazdsorabjee part in his immaculate 500SEL (W126), that is believed to have run
JANUARY 10, 2021 19
columns
s
FORWARD MARCH
Industrialist Viveck Goenka's W111 Fintail cabriolet leads the
line-up at the MBCCR 2020
under 48,000km since new. Every classic generation of the E-Class,
SL-Class and S-Class was represented at the event.
The MBCCR has upped the interest in old Mercs, with the classic
car market in India witnessing a sustained increase in demand for
vintage and classic Mercedes-Benz cars.
Back in time
Amar Sheth, managing director at Shaman Wheels, who runs an
authorised Mercedes-Benz service centre in Mumbai, has also seen
the demand for vintage and classic Mercedes-Benz restorations
grow. “For the owners of classic and vintage Mercedes-Benz cars,
it’s a statement to be present at MBCCR, and they want to come out
with all guns blazing, so they make sure their cars are ready and in
top shape. At any point in our workshop, we have about seven-eight
classic Mercedes cars being restored. This figure has grown over
the years,” he says.
That the event retained its timelessness and popularity even in
the face of adversity is a testimony to the resilience of the classic car
movement. Underscoring this perseverance, this edition of
the MBCCR saw the felicitation of frontline Covid-19 warriors,
especially the women in the Maharashtra Police department,
who were recognised and lauded by the event’s chief guest, home
minister of Maharashtra, Anil Deshmukh. “For the last nine to 10
Mumbai Police are not going to give up and the fight will go on for
as long as it takes. I’m extremely happy to see events such as these
recognising their service to society in this unprecedented time,”
said the home minister in his address to the participants.
It was heartening to see enthusiasts and families out on
the streets to watch these beauties gracefully roll by. There is
something about a classic car that makes you smile. They have
a special retro charm and feel delightfully analogue in a digitally
overloaded world. In fact, for owners, a classic car is a great way to
digitally detox, to escape from touchscreens and simply go back to
a time when the world was a saner, less stressful place.
The views expressed by the columnist are personal
fashion

love off llace

 JANUARY 10, 2021 21

fashion

DID YOU KNOW?

LACE WAS ONCE A FABRIC
USED ONLY BY CATHOLIC
CLERGYMEN AND
ROYALTY

KEEP IT
FORMAL IN A
HIGH-NECK
Add a little Downton Abbey
magic to your outfit
Here’s some trivia: Buttoned-up lace
blouses were even worn by Victorian
men in 17th century. This new-age
version of the classic lace blouse can
become a wardrobe staple.

STYLE IT WITH: “With broad-leg

trousers or you can even go lace-on-lace
with a skirt,” says fashion and costume
designer Neeta Lulla.

ACCESSORISE BY: “Sticking to pearls.

It gets a bit difficult as lace has the scary
chance of getting entangled in the fragile
details of this textile,” she says.

KEEP YOUR HAIR & MAKE-UP:

“Mystical and feminine. A bold
punctuation of cherry lipstick works,”
she adds.

BEST SUITED FOR: “An hourglass

figure,” Neeta says.

AVOID: Pairing colours from the same

family. “Dark-coloured lace can be paired
with nude so that the delicate details of lace
are beautifully enhanced,” she recommends.
22 JANUARY 10, 2021

fashion

IN 17TH CENTURY
NORTHERN EUROPE,
LACE WAS USED TO
ADORN EVERYTHING
FROM DRESSES
TO DOORKNOBS

PAIR A LACE DRESS WITH A SLIP INTO A WHITE LACE

BLAZER FOR ZOOM MEETINGS
Lace can now be easily styled for casual meetings
Once the fabric meant for fabulous parties during the European
Renaissance, this lace dress can easily take you from your desk
to dinner.
STYLE IT WITH: “A leather blazer,” says fashion designer
Shruti Sancheti.
ACCESSORISE BY: “Wearing dainty diamonds or pearls,”
she recommends.
KEEP YOUR HAIR & MAKE-UP: “Simple. Pink cheeks, lip tint and nude
eyes would look gorgeous,” Shruti says.
BEST SUITED FOR: “Someone petite,” she says.
AVOID: “Wearing lace with anything neon. It kills its beauty,” she warns.
DRESS FOR BRUNCH
Swap the little black dress for a white one
This playful yet sophisticated white dress is perfect for
any day (or night) event. Its silhouette skims lightly over
the body and promises enough movement if you feel like
dancing the night away.
STYLE IT WITH: “A statement belt if you want to
transition the dress from day to night,” says fashion designer
Yadvi Agarwal of Yavi.
ACCESSORISE BY: “Wearing delicate gold jewellery,”
she suggests.
KEEP YOUR HAIR & MAKE-UP: “Natural,” she says.
BEST SUITED FOR: “A slimmer structure as it is body-fitted.
However, the cut of the dress does give the illusion of length
and can make you look less bulky,” she says.

AVOID: “Overdoing your make-up,” she advises.

 fashion
n

ring stat

& MAKE-UP: “Bold. Tie

y yes,” she suggests.

t is pretty loose,” Yadvi says.

s out,” she cautions.

ONE OF REKHA’S
MEMORABLE LOOKS IN
SILSILA WAS A WHITE
SALWAR-KAMEEZ
WITH A LACE
DUPATTA
24 JANUARY 10, 2021
obituary
Satya Paul: The man who
sought the beauty of the world
A son pays heartfelt tribute to his father and a life well-lived
TRIBUTE
SATYA PAUL
FEB 1942-JAN 2021
By Puneet Nanda
W
riting about my father does
not come easy. It is also
unrealistic to encapsulate
a life so rich into a short
write-up. Whatever we may say now was
not gathered from conversation, but from
the context of witnessing his journey. We
had a silent understanding, and what we
shared did not need to be spoken.
It came across to me, he learnt about life
by living it. He was barely over five years old
when Partition happened. The family started
a tea stall at the railway station. I imagine
the meagre beginnings, being sensitive to
the pressing situations of survival and the
natural yearning of a man to transcend them,
propelled him to go beyond what is normally
required of a young child.
He had a love for poetry, music and the
arts. Maybe because of the hardships of those
early years, they were a refuge — the sheer
joy of immersion into a world of beautiful A hand-painted, scrounged up the money he needed to get
expression would have uplifted and inspired. printed and there and back, but when he got back and
He was drawn to poetry, not only of embroidered Satya related where he had been, his father gave
Paul sari with
the Indian milieu; he relished Maugham, him a thrashing. He simply did not believe
Om motif
Eliot, Frost, Hugo, and others. He related an that a concert was what he had gone to.
incident from his early years, when he had
the opportunity to attend a Ravi Shankar Explore to learn
concert in Central Delhi. Somehow, he Later, the family was allotted a plot in what we
now know as Sarojni Nagar, where they opened
P two restaurants: Punjab Watani, run by his
father, and the other, Albany Cafe, by him. He
“DAD [SATYA PAUL] created it in a way that would allow the artists of
that era to hang out and have long discussions
WAS BARELY OVER on arts, philosophy, and, of course, politics
FIVE YEARS OLD WHEN and current affairs. He speaks of the many
PARTITION HAPPENED. wonderful people he came in contact with at
BECAUSE OF THE the time, like Arjun Dev Rashk or Jagjit Singh.
I recall hearing in a conversation many years
HARDSHIPS OF THOSE later that they used to tell Jagjit, if you want us
YEARS, POETRY, MUSIC to listen to you, you bring the whiskey. It was a
AND THE ARTS WERE A rich period, when he worked really hard to keep
REFUGE [FOR HIM]” up with the long hours of the café and his love
for beauty.
—PUNEET NANDA
By the mid-1960s, the pressures of
 JANUARY 10, 2021 25

obituary

STRENGTH TO
STRENGTH
Key milestones in
Satya Paul’s life
1965: Started textile retail
franchise store, Delhi
1967: Launched first retail store
in Handloom Emporium in Delhi
1975: Started export of fine Indian
hand-woven textiles
1980: Launched first Indian sari
‘boutique’ L’affaire, Delhi
1986: Launched the first designer
label in India with four lines
per season
1987: First annual solo designer
shows across five cities in India
1989: Shows in five cities set to
live Hindustani and Carnatic
music played by stalwarts
like Hariprasad Chaurasia,
Umayalpuram K Sivaraman and
Ustad Usman Khan
1990: The first dedicated Satya
Paul store opened in Bengaluru
1993: Launched Satya Paul Ties The classic A joyful life
2001: Relaunched the brand with Satya Paul saris
came with funky
P By the mid 1970s, his innate seeking led
him to the mainstream of his life; towards
Puneet as creative director and prints like the “HE CREATED ALBANY the exploration of the inner journey of
the first show at India
Fashion week.
Bindu sari,
the God of
CAFÉ FOR THE ARTISTS consciousness. He started attending live

2001: Satya Paul continued to

Cricket theme TO HANG OUT. I talks with J. Krishnamurti and subsequently

create fine contract home textiles

sari, and (below)
the “Ooogle”sari,
REMEMBER HEARING found Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, who is

markets internationally
through the parent company,
Paul Salon
2015: Paul Salon, the parent
company that did exports, was
shut, and Satya Paul moved to
Isha Yoga Center
2020: Rajesh Pratap Singh took
on the mantle of the brand as its
creative director
running a cafe led him to seek other
avenues of trade, and he found opportunity
in textile retailing. He started in 1965,
taking on the cottage emporium franchise
from the government. By 67, he dissolved
the arrangement and made his own —
Handloom Emporium was born. Soon,
he shut the restaurant and what we now
know in hindsight, laid the foundations
of success for the entire family.
Marriage and family happened, and
an era of intense travel to all parts of
the country. This he did to learn about
various weaving centres, which led to
creative collaborations and a fine-tuning
which was part THAT THEY USED TO
of the pop art TELL JAGJIT SINGH ,
collection
IF YOU WANT US TO
LISTEN TO YOU, YOU
BRING THE WHISKEY!”
—PUNEET NANDA
of products that he would proudly offer to
his evergrowing clientele. He intuitively
explored and took risks without thinking of
them as risks. Exploration was a means of
learning; risk a means to grow the business.
He simply flowed with life as his heart
guided him, fuelled by a rare kind of trust.
A very unusual parent, he gave children
the full respect one would give to adults.
Later, when we established the brand
together, he never questioned me; we just
worked together as joyously as two children
would play with crayons and paper.
He encouraged us to pursue our interests
and passions. One of his wishes was that
we would learn some musical ability. This
came much later for me when I started
learning dhrupad from Ustad Nasir
Zahiruddin Dagar.
also known as Osho. This not only set the
tone for his own life, but that of the entire
family. It transformed him into an even
more open, generous, trusting human being,
who exuded warmth and showered his love
unconditionally. He was a charismatic
magnet that people loved to be around.
After Osho passed on in 1990, he continued
his journey, until he found Sadhguru in 2007,
and tookenthusiasticallyto explorespirituality
through the path of yoga. Eventually moving
to the Isha Yoga Center, he finally found his
home, where he left gently, joyfully embracing
his departure as totally he did his life.
His genuine seeking and the blessings
of all the masters in his life have been the
foundation of his life’s journey and his
utter fulfillment.
brunchletters@htlive.com
Follow @HTBrunch on Twitter
and Instagram
Puneet Nanda
is Satya Paul’s son.
He retired from the
business 10 years ago
and is now a volunteer
at Isha Foundation
 { Bedside stories}
in bed with… What is the first thing you do
when you wake up?
Thank the stars for another day and drink
half-litre water.
What do you wear to bed?
On most days, nothing.
On your bedside table is...
A picture of my fiancé Sheetal (Thakur) and
me, on our first ever holiday together,
{ This or that? } just before boarding the flight.

Instagram or Twitter? Instagram

Meghna Gulzar or Zoya Akhtar?
Meghna Gulzar
Mirzapur or Balika Vadhu? Mirzapur
Deepika Padukone or Ranveer Singh?
Deepika Padukone
Money or Fame? Money

T Brunch by Prabhat Shetty

uts
,
n