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n
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XX NO. 24 Sunday, June 13, 2021
NEW DELHI/METRO
Sunday, June 13, 2021
n VOL. XX NO. 24
PM makes global
health pitch at G7
HT Correspondent
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Nar-
endra Modi on Saturday urged
the G7 states to adopt a united
approach to the coronavirus
pandemic and future health
emergencies with the mantra of
“One earth, one health”, amid
support for India’s proposal for a
waiver of patent protections for
Covid-19 vaccines.
Modi made the pitch for a
coordinated global response
while virtually addressing an
outreach session of the G7 Sum-
mit in Cornwall, the theme for
which was “Building back
stronger”, people familiar with
developments said on condition
of anonymity.
He pointed to the special
responsibility of democratic and
transparent societies to prevent
future pandemics, and said there
should be “One earth, one
health” approach. This was
echoed by German Chancellor
Angela Merkel, the people said.
Modi highlighted India’s
approach to counter the pan-
demic that synergised efforts of
government, industry and civil
society. He said India is willing
to share its expertise with others.
While expressing India’s com-
mitment to collective efforts to
enhance global health govern-
Covid death count rises
as numbers reconciled
Jamie Mullick
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: Nearly one out of
every five deaths that added to
the national death toll in the past
30 days was a fatality that
occurred days ago and had gone
unreported, according to data
analysed by HT.
In the past month, at least six
states – Maharashtra, Uttara-
khand, Bihar, Goa, Punjab, Uttar
Pradesh – have been steadily rec-
onciling their death data and
have added a total of 20,741 fatal-
ities not logged earlier.
In Bihar, three out of every
four deaths in the past month
Sedition case against
filmmaker: Local BJP
leaders quit in protest
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Sev-
eral leaders of the Bharatiya
Janata Party’s Lakshadweep
unit have quit the party in pro-
test over the sedition case filed
against filmmaker Aisha Sul-
tana for her comments against
the island’s administrator Pra-
ful Khoda Patel.
The leaders have called the
charges filed against her “false,
unjustified and against the
spirit of the island”.
“…Sultana who pointed out
undemocratic actions of the
administrator. This will ruin
her family and future and this is
not in the right spirit of the
{ BIG 3 } DJOKER LEADS THE PACK?
Djoke’s on Rafa-is-GOAT camp
after epic clash of titans on clay
Novak Djokovic celebrates
after winning against Rafael
Nadal in Paris on Friday. AFP
G7 leaders on Saturday sought to counter China’s growing
influence by offering developing nations an infrastructure plan
that would rival China’s Belt and Road initiative. >page 17 REUTERS
ance, Modi sought the support of
G7 states for the proposal by
India and South Africa at the
World Trade Organization
(WTO) for a waiver of patent
protections for Covid-19 vacci-
nes. Australian Prime Minister
Scott Morrison, also a special
invitee to the session, and others
supported the proposal for pat-
ent waivers.
New Delhi’s emphasis on
keeping open supply chains to
help boost vaccine production
IN THE PAST
MONTH, 6 STATES
HAVE BEEN
RECONCILING
DATA AND HAVE
ADDED 20,741
FATALITIES NOT
LOGGED EARLIER
was added to the state’s tally in
just one day: on June 9. In Maha-
rashtra, more than half the num-
ber of deaths reported in the last
30 days was old backlog statis-
tics. In Uttarakhand, this propor-
tion was 30%.
island,” said Abdul Hameed
Mullipuzha, general secretary of
the party’s Kavaratti unit, while
resigning from the party.
Sulatana, during a TV debate
on the new rules proposed by
Patel last week, called him a
“bio-weapon” launched by the
Centre. The president of the
BJP’s unit in the Union territory
later filed a complaint against
her, saying that the comments
were in “bad taste and intended
to create hatred and aversion”.
The BJP, however, played
down the resignations, saying
the “party in the island is
intact”. →P2
Rutvick Mehta
letters@hindustantimes.com
MUMBAI: The 2021 Roland Gar-
ros was expected to see a new
chapter in modern tennis’ long-
lasting GOAT (greatest of all
time) debate. Spain’s Rafael
Nadal was to turn up in Paris, get
on a red-hot run on the red clay,
maybe, just maybe, drop a set or
two in the process but eventu-
ally—like he has done for four
consecutive years—win a 14th
title. It’s that routine. That
would have put Nadal above
Switzerland’s Roger Federer in
the Grand Slam men’s singles
record list of 20 and, statistically,
at least, given the Nadal-is-GOAT
camp something to crow (or
bleat) about.
received widespread support,
the people said. French Presi-
dent Emmanuel Macron said
countries such as India should
be provided adequate compo-
nents to ensure the mass pro-
duction of doses.
Modi was invited to the sum-
mit by UK Prime Minister Boris
Johnson but called off his visit
because of the devastating sec-
ond wave of infections in India.
He will participate in two more
outreach sessions on Sunday.
Such statistical correction has
not only pushed up the country’s
death count in the past month,
but also implies that the fatali-
ties reported during the peak of
the outbreak in India during
April and May were under-re-
ported.
On Saturday, for instance, a
total of 3,302 daily deaths were
added to the country’s tally.
However, only 1,316 deaths actu-
ally occurred that day.
The remaining 1,986 were old
deaths that were added by states
to their respective tallies – 1966
deaths were added by Maha-
rashtra, nine by Punjab and 11 by
Uttar Pradesh. →P2
KEJRIWAL WARNS
OF NEXT WAVE AS
OXYGEN PLANTS
LAUNCHED IN CITY
NEW DELHI: Chief minister Arv-
ind Kejriwal on Saturday said
the chances of a third wave of
Covid-19 (the fifth for Delhi) are
“quite real” and assured that the
Delhi government is preparing
to combat it on a “war footing”,
as he inaugurated 22 oxygen
PSA plants in nine state govern-
ment-run hospitals.
“We are now at the risk of the
third wave of Covid-19…How-
ever, initial indications suggest
that the intensity is lower this
time. So, we also have to be fully
prepared for the same,” Kejri-
wal said. The Delhi government
plans to set up 57 oxygen gener-
ation plants, data seen by HT
showed. →P3
As it turns out, there’s been a
twist in the tale, and it could
well end up being a new chapter
-- only, not what was scripted.
Blame it on the third cog of
the so-called Big Three of tennis
(58 slam titles between them
since 2003 when Federer won
his first) who decided to do a lit-
tle history writing of his own. On
a Friday evening that culminated
into the night, and across four
pulsating sets of arguably the
best tennis seen in years, Novak
Djokovic did what no other mor-
tal has ever managed to or even
come close to doing at what has
become the Spaniard’s own
patch of clay in Paris: beat Nadal
in the semi-finals; beat Nadal
after he took the first set; beat
continued on →17

A TWTW THE WEEK THAT WAS
A new week, a new
round of clues
Babies, bans, blackouts and big bites. A week of ups
and downs to think about
1 6
Auckland, What connects Auckland, Osaka,
New Zealand, Adelaide, Wellington, Tokyo,
tops which Perth, Zurich, Geneva,
list of cities Melbourne, Brisbane?
that came out Specifically, they form the top 10
this week? of which list that was released
REUTERS last week?
2
Indians marked Monday, June 7,
as Vishwa X Divas. X represents a
7
common food that shows up at
breakfast, at snack time, in
pakoras, phirni and even in
Krishna-Sudama tales. Food
enthusiasts, however, are vocal
about their love or hate for it.
Name x.
3
When Israeli forces took over
Gaza in the 1980s, they forbade
Palestinians from publicly
protesting, even flying their red-
8
black-white-green flag. Protestors
found an ingenious way to
display it – they painted slices of a
red-black-white-green summer
fruit everywhere, as they’re doing
now. Which fruit?
Prince Harry
4
and Meghan At IIT-Bombay, alumnus Amit
Markle’s Dixit, Asia head of private equity
9
daughter is at global investment firm
not called Blackstone, donated an
Elizabeth, but undisclosed sum to set up an
close. What is endowed professorship. This
her name? AP makes the university India’s first
to have a faculty chair for which
underrepresented group?
5 Prince Harry and Meghan
Markle’s daughter, born last
week, is named for her
paternal grandmother and
the Queen. Her middle
name is Diana. But her 10
first name is not
Elizabeth. It’s what the
future Queen used
when she was too
young to pronounce
her own name.
So, what’s the
name?
A
l
Passing out parade at IMA
Indian army helicopters shower flower petals as they perform a fly past during the
Passing Out Parade at the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun on Saturday.
Two cops, 2 civilians US flags concern on
killed in J&K attack Indian govt actions
SRINAGAR: Two policemen WASHINGTON: India is the
and as many civilians were world’s largest democracy
killed and at least three but some of the Indian
others were injured when government’s actions,
terrorists opened fire on the including restrictions on
security forces in the main freedom of expression, have
market of north Kashmir’s raised concerns that are
Sopore town on Saturday, inconsistent with the
police said. The terrorists democratic values, a top US
came from an interior lane at official has said. Acting
Shalpora and attacked the Assistant Secretary of State
security personnel who were for South and Central Asia
enforcing Covid-19 protocols Dean Thompson on
in the town, the officials said. Wednesday, said, “…This
Inspector General of Police, includes increasing
Kashmir Range, Vijay restrictions on freedom of
Kumar said Lashkar-e-Taiba expression and the detention
terrorists were behind the of human rights activists and
attack. →P2 journalists.”
NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
JUNE 13, 2021
Rachel
Lopez
Did Gosiame Thamara Sithole
really give birth to 10 babies at
once? Pictures of her while
pregnant went viral. She claims
she’s had seven boys and three
girls at a Pretoria hospital.
Which country has not yet
verified the world’s first case of
decuplets?
Peacocks have roamed one
California county since the 19th
century, when they were
introduced by entrepreneur
Lucky Balwin. Lately, they’ve
been spotting their reflections in
shiny cars, thinking they’ve found
a rival, and attacking the vehicles.
They’re too flashy even for this
filmi city, which has issued a ban
on feeding them. Where?
Guy Fawkes mask. Threats to
Elon Musk for making the
cryptocurrency market volatile
with his tweets. Warnings of a
digital attack. Altered voice
messages. It could only be
one incognito hacktivist group.
Who?
Last week, the government of this
African nation suspended Twitter
indefinitely after a tweet by their
president Muhammadu Buhari
was removed. The country’s
official handle, since Thursday,
has moved to the Indian
microblogging, rival Koo. Which
country?
Where did the internet go? A
global outage on Tuesday affected
the websites of the New York
Times, Amazon, The
Independent, The Guardian,
Reddit and Al Jazeera, among
others. It appeard there was a bug
in the content delivery network
that services these sites. It’s not
Slowly. It’s ______?
For answers, see page 7
PTI
Bill to curb powers of
Big Tech tabled in US
WASHINGTON: A group of
House lawmakers has put
forward a sweeping
legislative package that
could curb the market power
of Big Tech companies and
force Facebook, Google,
Amazon or Apple to sever
their dominant platforms
from their other lines of
business. The proposals put
forward on Friday are the
culmination of a 15-month
investigation by the House
Judiciary Committee’s
antitrust subcommittee
which concluded that the
four tech giants have abused
→P2 their market power. →P17
hindustantimes.com NEW DELHI/METRO
fVOL.
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@hindustantimes t @httweets i @hindustantimes l @hindustantimes
XX NO. 24 PRICE ₹6.00 /WITH HINDUSTAN ₹ 10.50 (₹ 8.50 IN FARIDABAD) 52 PAGES. AREA SPECIFIC PAGES EXTRA.
n n Sunday, June 13, 2021

GST rates slashed on Akalis tie up

essential Covid items
Rajeev Jayaswal
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: The Goods and Ser-
vices Tax (GST) Council on Sat-
urday temporarily removed GST
on two medicines, slashed tax
rates on 15 other items such as
drugs, medical grade oxygen and
Play by play: testing kits to 5%, and reduced
with BSP ahead
of Punjab polls
CHANDIGARH: The Shiromani
Akali Dal (SAD) and the Bahujan
member state assembly.
BSP and Akali Dal presented
Samaj Party (BSP) announced on themselves as an alternative to
Govt’s tax respite Saturday they will fight next the Congress and the BJP in the
Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced temporary GST year’s Punjab election together, state, saying that they will fight
relief, for around three-and-a-half months, for medical drugs and l The levy of 5% GST with the leaders of the two par- under the umbrella of shared
equipment used to treat Covid-19 patients: on Covid-19 vaccines ties calling it a “historic” move values.
to remain as it is that will usher in inclusive devel- The farmers’ agitation and the
because 75% of the opment to the state. Dalit vote appear to be key
“Today is a historic day... A big planks on which the two parties
Levy on two
medicines is now
GST charge cut from 12% to 5%
for 15 items such as:
shots produced in
the country will be turn in Punjab’s politics. This is are likely to focus their cam-

India’s
the levy on ambulances to 12% zero from the l Medicines like remdesivir, heparin procured by the not just an alliance for 2022 paign.
for a little over three-and-a-half previous 5%: central government assembly polls but for other Mishra added that:“The SAD
l Oxygen concentrators, ventilators
months to help individuals and l Amphotericin-B, and will be available coming polls as well,” Akali Dal and the BSP are pro-farmer par-
governments fight Covid-19 and l Covid-19 testing kits, chief Sukhbir Singh Badal said at ties, who have worked to uplift
used to people free of

rise as aTest
its fallout. inflammatory diagnostic cost a joint press briefing with BSP Dalits, labourers and weaker
in treatment of (marker) kits
While GST on Amphotericin mucormycosis national general secretary Satish sections (of the society).”
B (used to combat mucor) and l BiPAP machines
l In this case, the Chandra Mishra. BSP chief Mayawati, too, said

powerhouse
patients govt bears the tax
Tocilizumab has been slashed l Pulse oximeters The Mayawati-led BSP is the tie-up was a “new political
from 5% to zero, tax on remdesi- l Tocilizumab, used burden for most likely to contest from 20 seats and social initiative”, which will
vir and anti-coagulant Heparin to treat severe Taxes reduced from 28% to part of the and the SAD from the remaining bring progress and prosperity to
has been reduced from 12% to Covid-19 illness 12% on purchase of ambulances vaccination drive 97 constituencies in the 117- the state. →P2
5%. A flat GST rate of 5% has
What held us back for so long, and how did we finally
been retained on all drugs rec- “There was a lot of substance in the “This is totally an anti-people decision
hit our stride? A look back, as India get set to play New ommended by the ministry of recommendation made by GoM (on tax that is being thrust on us at the GST
Zealand in the finals of the World Test Championship
→P14-15
health and family welfare and
the department of pharmaceuti-
cals for Covid treatment.
waivers for Covid essentials). The (GST)
Council largely agreed to go with GoM's
Council… we have no way to justify
these decisions of draconian nature.”
Choksi brain behind
{
Talkin’about
} {
Shoot at site
} After the 44th meeting of the
council, its chairperson and
Union finance minister Nirmala
recommendations.”
Finance minister
Bengal finance minister,
in a letter of dissent to FM scam: CBI in Dominica
a revolution A graphic designer is
Sitharaman said the levy of 5% Neeraj Chauhan A DOMINICA COURT
See how the world has
changed in the 20 years
combining his twin loves,
Mumbai and Hindi
GST on Covid-19 vaccines will
continue as 75% vaccines are
available to people free of cost in
Govt to assess pvt centres’ vaccine letters@hindustantimes.com

NEW DELHI: Mehul Choksi is a

since the release of
Marjane Satrapi’s
Perspepolis →P13
cinema, to recreate iconic
film scenes. His only tools
stills and the city →P16
government hospitals (the tax
burden will be borne by the cen-
tral government which is paying
for all these vaccines).
“These rates will be valid till
September as against August-
end [that was] recommended by
the GoM,” she said, referring to a
June recommendation by a
MEET THE NEW BRUNCH! ministerial group. According to
the minister, the GST Council
HT’s iconic Sunday magazine in a will review the situation later
younger, more fun avatar and take a decision on extending
continued on →17
requirement for better distribution
NEW DELHI: States should col-
late the demand for coronavi-
rus vaccine doses in private
centres in their region and
either coordinate the procure-
ment of doses themselves or let
the Centre do it, according to
an advice shared by Union
health ministry officials in an
effort to ensure the allotment
of doses via the private channel
is equitable across the country.
Officials said doses through
this channel have not been allo-
cated equitably since big pri-
vate hospital chains are seen to
have been able to corner the
bulk of the quota under this
mechanism, and states such as
UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha,
West Bengal, and Assam have
lost out.
Now, the Union health min-
istry wants the states to get a
sense of the demand and come
up with an allotment mecha-
nism – or let the Centre do it.
The new mechanism does
not mean there will be a
change in the purchase mecha-
nism – private hospitals will
still need to strike direct deals
with the vaccine makers. →P2
fugitive from justice, the “chief
conspirator” and “main benefici-
ary” of the Punjab National Bank
(PNB) scam, and is yet to join
investigations despite repeated
summons, the Central Bureau of
Investigation (CBI) has said in its
affidavit filed in Dominica’s high
court of justice.
The affidavit says that Choksi
cannot be tried in absentia and it
is only after an accused is pro-
duced in court that charges can
be framed for a trial to begin.
REFUSED TO
GRANT CHOKSI
BAIL ON FRIDAY,
SAYING HE IS A
‘FLIGHT RISK’
The submissions are part of
two affidavits that India has filed
in Dominica detailing the char-
ges against Choksi and proof that
he continues to be an Indian citi-
zen. Choksi’s lawyers say he has
given up his Indian citizenship
and cannot be deported. →P4

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02
1 in 5 fatalities old: Pandemic toll
rises as states reconcile numbers
In the past 30 days, 6
states have added
20,741 fatalities
not logged earlier
Jamie Mullick
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: Nearly one out of
every five deaths that added to
the national death toll in the
past 30 days was a fatality that
occurred days ago and had
gone unreported, according to
data analysed by HT. In the
past month, at least six states –
Maharashtra, Uttarakhand,
Bihar, Goa, Punjab, Uttar Pra-
desh – have been steadily rec-
onciling their death data and
have added a total of 20,741
fatalities not logged earlier.
In Bihar, three out of every
four deaths in the past month
was added to the state’s tally in
just one day -- on June 9. In
Maharashtra, more than half
the number of deaths reported
in the last 30 days were old
backlog statistics. In Uttara-
khand, this proportion was
30%.
Such statistical correction
has not only pushed up the
country’s death count in the
past month, but also implied
that the fatalities reported dur-
ing the peak of the outbreak in
India during April and May
were under-reported.
On Saturday, for instance, a
total of 3,302 daily deaths were
added to the country’s tally.
However, only 1,316 deaths
actually occurred that day.
All figures are from HT’s
dashboard of national Covid-19
statistics, which is updated
with data released by the
authorities of each state.
The remaining 1,986 were
old deaths due to the disease
that were added by states to
their respective tallies – 1,966
deaths were added by Maha-
rashtra, nine by Punjab and 11
by Uttar Pradesh. This means
that 40% of all new deaths had
taken place days before.
Similarly on Friday, 4,000
daily deaths were added to the
country’s tally. But, on that day
Maharashtra added a backlog
of 2,213 deaths, Uttarakhand
added 10 old fatalities and UP
added four. This means that
56% were old. On Thursday,
this proportion was 45% of the
3,410 reported deaths that day –
{ JHARKHAND } SEXUAL ASSAULT CASE
Slugfest after Digvijaya says Cong
2 more girls missing will revisit Article 370 revocation
from shelter home
Debashish Sarkar
htjharkhand@hindustantimes.com
JAMSHEDPUR: Two girl inmates
have been reported missing
from a state-registered shelter
home in Jharkhand’s East
Singhbhum district, whose
director and staff have been
booked for alleged sexual assault
and torture of underage girls,
senior officials familiar with the
matter said on Saturday. The
incident came to light late on Fri-
day evening when the authori-
ties were shifting 41 inmates
from the home to another place.
“Thirty eight inmates have
been shifted to Bal Kalyan Ash-
ram in Patamda from the
MTWT in Kharanghjar under
Telco PS last evening (Friday). It
came to notice that two inmates
were missing. An investigation is
underway,” said Parameshwar
Bhagat, Jamshedpur deputy
development commissioner.
Earlier, on June 5, two other
girls were reported missing from
the shelter home, which is run
Some actions of Indian govt don’t align
with democratic values: Top US official
Press Trust of India
letters@hindustantimes.com
WASHINGTON: India remains the
world’s largest democracy with a
strong rule of law but some of the
Indian government’s actions,
including restrictions on freedom
of expression, have raised con-
cerns that are inconsistent with
the country’s democratic values, a
top US official has told lawmakers.
Acting assistant secretary of
state for south and central Asia
Dean Thompson’s remarks came
during a Congressional hearing on
Democracy in the Indo-Pacific on
Wednesday at the House Foreign
Old deaths, new data
The death reconciliation has pushed up
the country’s death count in the past
month, and in extension, it implies
that death numbers reported during
to the country’s tally
the peak of the outbreak during April
and May were under-reported
7000
Daily deaths Reconciliations
6000
5000
4000
3000
2000
1000
0 cially metros, with most of the
May 14
1,522 by Maharashtra, one in
Goa, 14 in Uttarakhand, three
in Punjab and one in UP.
This reconciliation touched
a peak on Wednesday, when
the national death tally
touched a record high of 6,141,
according to HT’s dashboard.
Of these, 71% were old deaths,
with a majority (3,951) coming
from Bihar’s reconciliation.
Other major contributors were
Maharashtra (400) and Uttara-
khand (30).
For Maharashtra and Uttara-
khand, the reconciliation proc-
ess has been a near-daily occur-
rence over the past month. The
western state has updated its
tally 25 days in the last month,
while the hill state has done so
27 times in the same period.
In absolute numbers, Maha-
rashtra has added 15,756 old
deaths to its tally in the past
month – constituting 53.5% of
all fatalities the state reported
in this time period. Uttara-
khand has reconciled 807
deaths in the same time period
– constituting 30.1% of its fatali-
ties.
In Punjab, the process is a
little more complicated as
while reconciliation is a near-
daily occurrence, the state also
reduces repeat deaths fairly
frequently. UP, which has been
updating its case as well as
death count like Punjab, has
added at least 78 old deaths to
by Mother Teresa Welfare Trust
(MTWT) NGO. The two tribal
girls were rescued by the police
from Birsanagar on June 6.
On June 7, based on the girls’
allegations, an FIR was lodged
under Posco (Protection of Chil-
dren from Sexual Offences) Act
and sections of the Indian Penal
Code against Harpal Singh Tha-
par, director of the home, his
wife Pushpa Rani Tirkey, the
chairperson of East Singhbhum
district child welfare committee
(CWC), warden Geeta Singh, her
son Aditya Singh, and another
staff member Tony Singh.
MTWT has no links with
Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of
Charity.
Meanwhile, more questions
marked the investigation after
BJP district spokesperson Ankit
Anand posted an October 2020
interview of Tirkey, where she
told a local newspaper that the
home had 55 inmates. “I have
requested the DC to probe if this
is data mismatch or where 12
inmates vanished,” he said.
Affairs Subcommittee on Asia, the
Pacific, Central Asia and Nonpro-
liferation.
“India remains the world’s
largest democracy with a strong
rule of law and independent judi-
ciary and enjoys a strong and
growing strategic partnership
with the United States,” Thomp-
son said. “However, some of the
Indian government’s actions
have raised concerns that are
inconsistent with India’s demo-
cratic values,” he said.
“This includes increasing
restrictions on freedom of
expression and the detention of
human rights activists and jour-
19%
of all deaths added
in the past month
were reconciliation
by states
Jun 12
its tally in the past month. Goa
has only done so on four days
between June 7 and June 10,
adding a total of 75 deaths
(7.7% of fatalities in the past
month).
The Union health ministry,
in response to an article in an
international magazine that
claimed India has suffered per-
haps five to seven times ‘excess
deaths’ than the official num-
ber, on Saturday said that
states and Union territories
record Covid-19 deaths as per
guidance issued by Indian
Council of Medical Research
(ICMR). It added what it
labelled as “unsound analysis”
of extrapolation of data “with-
out any epidemiological evi-
dence”.
States and UTs have been
urged through formal commu-
nications, multiple video con-
ferences and through the
deployment of Central teams
for correct recording of deaths
in accordance with laid down
guidelines, Centre said.
(With agency inputs)
w
READ: 8.7k
‘reconciliation
deaths’ push up toll in Maha
Press Trust of India
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI/BHOPAL: A row
erupted on Saturday over Con-
gress leader Digvijaya Singh’s
purported comments in an
audio chat on social media that
his party will have a “relook” at
Article 370 revocation and
Jammu and Kashmir’s lost state-
hood if it returns to power, with
the BJP accusing him of speak-
ing “the language of Pakistan”
and spewing venom against
India.
Singh’s remarks to a person,
who the BJP said was a journal-
ist of Pakistani origin, were
seized by its leaders to unleash a
torrent of criticism against the
opposition party and demand
statements from Congress presi-
dent Sonia Gandhi and her son
Rahul Gandhi on the issue.
“The decision of revoking Article
370 and reducing the statehood
of J&K is extremely, I would say,
sad decision, and the Congress
party would certainly have a rel-
ook on the issue,” Singh said,
according to excerpts of the
nalists,” he added.
Thompson said the US
regularly engages in and on
these issues, including the
important work of civil society.
There was no immediate
response from Indian officials to
the development.
India has previously rejected
criticism by foreign govern-
ments and human rights groups
on allegations that civil liberties
have eroded in the country. The
government has maintained that
India has well established demo-
cratic practices and robust
institutions to safeguard the
rights of all.
News
Govt seeks equitable
allocation of vaccine
doses at pvt centres
Rhythma Kaul
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: States should col-
late the demand for coronavirus
vaccine doses in private vaccina-
tion centres in their region and
either coordinate the procure-
ment of doses themselves or let
the Centre do it, the Union health
ministry has suggested -- a move
aimed at ensuring that the
administration of doses by pri-
vate hospitals and centres is
equitable across the country.
Currently, it is skewed in
favour of the large cities, espe-
allotment being monopolised by
large hospital chains.
Officials admitted that doses
through this channel have not
been allocated equitably since
big private hospital chains are
seen to have been able to corner
the bulk of the quota under this
mechanism, and states such as
Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand,
Odisha, West Bengal, and Assam
have lost out since they have
fewer private hospitals than oth-
ers. Now, the Union ministry
wants the states to come up with
an allotment mechanism – or let
the Centre do it.
“There are two options availa-
ble with the states and Union ter-
ritories: the first one is to aggre-
gate the demand and facilitate
procurement from companies;
the second is to aggregate the
demand and let the government
of India facilitate procurement,”
said an official aware of the mat-
ter on condition of anonymity.
Last week, the Centre changed
its vaccine policy and said it
would once again be in charge of
sourcing vaccines and allocating
them to the states (the policy
before May 1, when it allowed
states to procure directly from
suppliers). Of the total vaccines
available, 75% are to be reserved
for this, with the remaining 25%
available to the private sector
(the 25% for the sector was also a
change introduced starting May
1). The new policy is to start from
June 21, until which, the current
policy (50% sourced and allo-
Digvijaya Singh
clubhouse conversation availa-
ble on social media.
He was responding to a ques-
tion about the “way forward” on
the issue “once the Modi govern-
ment is gone”.
BJP spokesperson Sambit
Patra cited old comments of
other Congress leaders, includ-
ing Rahul Gandhi and Mani
Shankar Aiyar, to allege that
Singh’s remarks were part of a
larger pattern of the party being
“hand in glove” with Pakistan.
“The script was originally
written by Gandhis and directed
from Pakistan,” lashed out
Jammu and Kashmir BJP presi-
dent Ravinder Raina, and said
Kerala forms SIT to probe tree felling, smuggling
Activists says trees worth at
least ₹500 crore have been
plundered in Kerala misusing
government order. SHUTTERSTOCK
MINISTRY WANTS
THE STATES TO GET
A SENSE OF THE
DEMAND AND
COME UP WITH AN
ALLOTMENT
MECHANISM – OR
LET CENTRE DO IT
cated by the Centre, for 45+ age
group; 25% sourced by states, for
18-44 age group; 25% sourced by
private hospitals) will continue.
As per the Co-WIN dash-
board, of the 36,116 sites con-
ducting Covid vaccination, 1,587,
or 4% , are in the private sector.
The new mechanism does not
mean there will be a change in
the purchase mechanism – pri-
vate hospitals will still need to
strike direct deals with the vac-
cine makers.
A report in the Times of India
on Saturday said the distribution
and allocation of Covid vaccines
for private hospitals will be
divided among states in propor-
tion to their populations.
A second official, who asked
not to be named, said the com-
munication to this effect sent out
by the Centre was in the nature
of a recommendation and the
final decision rests with the state
governments. “The advice is
based on the disparity that was
seen between bigger cities and
private hospitals and tier-2/3 cit-
ies and rural areas, and smaller
hospitals...,” this person added.
According to a June 4 Union
health ministry statement, in
May, a total of 74 million (7.4
crore) doses were available for
vaccination. “Of these, about 18.5
million (1.85 crore) doses were
earmarked for procurement by
the private hospitals. The private
hospitals have been able to pro-
cure 12.9 million (1.29 crore)
doses in the month , of which
they administered 2.2 million (22
lakh) doses.”
As per Co-WIN dashboard, as
of Saturday, close to 249 million
doses have been administered
across the country.
that his party will not allow the
Congress leaders’ “conspiracy”
against India to succeed even if
they take “100 rebirths”.
In Singh’s home state Madhya
Pradesh, BJP unit chief VD
Sharma said the National Inves-
tigation Agency should check
the phone calls of Singh, a two-
time former chief minister, and
questioned the involvement of a
Pakistani journalist in this chat.
“Kashmir is the crown jewel
of India. It is an integral part of
the country. It was the Congress
which committed the sin of
imposing Article 370 in Kash-
mir…Congress speaks the lan-
guage of Pakistan,” Madhya Pra-
desh chief minister Shivraj Singh
Chouhan said.
Asked about Singh’s remarks,
Congress spokesperson Pawan
Khera said, “The Congress Party
has clearly stated its position on
Jammu and Kashmir, in its reso-
lution of August 6, 2019 of the
Congress Working Committee.
This is the only official stance of
the party. I urge and request all
senior leaders to refer to the
same.”
Ramesh Babu
letters@hindustantimes.com
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The
Kerala government on Saturday
constituted a special investigation
team (SIT) under additional
director general of police S Sreejith
to investigate the alleged illegal
cutting and smuggling of hun-
dreds of precious rosewood and
teakwood trees from Wayanad
and other districts, according to an
official order.
The SIT comprises officials
from the forest department and
the vigilance, revenue and crime
branch, an order issued by chief
secretary V P Joy said. “It (the tree
cutting) is suspected to be an out-
Cops, civilians among
4 killed in J&K attack
HT Correspondent
letters@hindustantimes.com
SRINAGAR: Two policemen and
as many civilians were killed and
at least three others were injured
when terrorists opened fire on
the security forces in the main
market of north Kashmir’s Sop-
ore town on Saturday, police
said, adding that the terrorists
have been identified.
According to police officials,
the terrorists came from an inte-
rior lane at Shalpora and
attacked the security personnel
who were enforcing Covid-19
protocols in the town.
In the shootout, two police-
men, identified as Waseem
Ahmad and Showkat Ahmad,
both posted at Sopore police sta-
tion, and two civilians were
killed while three others sus-
tained injuries. The injured
policemen were identified as
sub-inspector Mukesh Kumar,
who was in-charge of the team,
and Special Police Officer (SPO)
Danish. Both were referred to
the Army hospital in Badami
Bagh cantonment for advanced
treatment, police said.
Inspector General of Police,
Kashmir Range, Vijay Kumar
said Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists
were behind the attack on the
forces. “Two police personnel
and two civilians were killed in
the attack. Three policemen and
one civilian were also injured.
The policemen were enforcing
Covid protocols,” Kumar said.
Kumar visited Sopore and
inspected the spot where the
attack took place and held a
Aisha Sultana
BJP LEADERS RESIGN
FROM PARTY OVER
SEDITION CASE FILED
AGAINST FILMMAKER
HT Correspondent
letters@hindustantimes.com
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
least a dozen Bharatiya Janata
At
Party (BJP) leaders and workers
in Lakshadweep have resigned
from the party to protest the
sedition case filed against film-
maker Aisha Sultana for her
remarks against the Centre’s
Covid-19 management in the
Union territory.
In the resignation letter sub-
mitted to the BJP’s Lakshadweep
president, C Abdul Khader Haji,
the leaders slammed the sedition
charges. “You have filed a false
and unjustified complaint
against Sultana who pointed out
undemocratic actions of the
administrator... this is not in the
right spirit of the island,” said
one of the signatories of the let-
ter, Abdul Hameed Mullipuzha,
who is the general secretary of
the party’s Kavaratti unit.
“We can’t go ahead like this. I
am resigning from the party,”
said B C Cheriya Koya, president
of the Andrott unit.
On June 10, the Lakshadweep
police registered a sedition case
against Sultana for allegedly
calling the Union territory’s
administrator, Praful Khoda
Patel, a “bio-weapon” launched
by the Centre during a TV dis-
cussion amid anger in the region
over new rules introduced by
Patel, which many say threaten
the livelihoods of islanders.
BJP national vice-president, A
P Abdullah Kutty, underplayed
the resignations, saying: “Most
of them have quit much early.
They are raking up their resigna-
tions repeatedly to get attention.
The party is intact in the island.”
come of a conspiracy by some peo-
ple,” he said. The team was consti-
tuted considering the “seriousness,
impact and dimensions of the
offences”, the top official added.
The rampant felling of trees is
the first major political contro-
versy faced by the recently
re-elected Pinarayi Vijayan-led
LDF and the opposition plans to
move the high court seeking an
investigation by a central agency.
The smugglers were found to be
misusing a government order
from last year that allowed the
cutting of trees on revenue land
allotted to farmers before 1964.
After the Muttil (Wayanad) inci-
dent, where 101 rosewood trees
were found to have been illegally
Relatives of a slain police officer pay tributes during a wreath
laying ceremony in Srinagar on Saturday.
meeting with Army’s Sector
Commader, Deputy Inspector
General of JKP and the CRPF.
“Local LeT terrorists are
involved in today’s attack and
have been identified as Fayaz
War and Mudasir Pandit. JKP
and security forces are on the job
and these terrorists will be neu-
tralised at the earliest,” The
inspector general said.
Director General of Police Dil-
bagh Singh said that police have
identified the Lashkar terrorists
who carried out the attack on
Saturday. “The forces have
launched an operation in the
area, and we are hopeful that we
will soon bring to justice the per-
petrators of the crime... ,” the
DGP said, adding, “They (attack-
ers) won’t be spared.”
The civilians who died in the
firing were identified as Man-
zoor Ahamd Shalla of Shalimar
{ NEW ALLIANCE }
SAD, BSP join hands
to fight Punjab polls
Ravinder Vasudeva
letters@hindustantimes.com
CHANDIGARH: The Shiromani
Akali Dal (SAD) and the Bahujan
Samaj Party (BSP) announced on
Saturday they will fight next
year’s Punjab election together,
with the leaders of the two par-
ties calling it a “historic” move
that will usher in inclusive devel-
opment to the state.
“Today is a historic day... A big
turn in Punjab’s politics. This is
not just an alliance for 2022
assembly polls but for other
coming polls as well, as SAD has
the history of not betraying its
alliance partners,” Akali Dal
chief Sukhbir Singh Badal said at
a joint press briefing with BSP
national general secretary Satish
Chandra Mishra.
The Mayawati-led BSP is
likely to contest 20 seats and the
SAD the remaining 97 in the 117-
member state assembly,
Last year, SAD pulled out of
the Bharatiya Janata Party-led
National Democratic Alliance
due to differences over the new
agricultural laws that triggered
an agitation by farmers.
BSP and Akali Dal also pre-
sented themselves as an alterna-
tive to the Congress and the
BJP in the state, and said they
will fight under the umbrella of
shared values. The farmers’ agi-
tation and the Dalit vote appear
to be the key planks on which
the two parties are likely to focus
in their campaign.
BSP general secretary Mishra
on Saturday said chief minister
Amarinder Singh “lost the
trust” of his own cabinet col-
leagues. He was referring to the
infighting within the Congress
government in Punjab, which
has set up panel to resolve the
issues ahead of the election next
year.
Mishra added: “The SAD and
the BSP are pro-farmer parties,
who have worked to uplift Dalits,
labourers and weaker sections
felled and smuggled, similar
instances came to light in other
districts.
In Thrissur, officials say they
foiled an attempt late on Friday to
burn stumps of felled teakwood
trees so as to destroy evidence.
Green activists said trees worth
at least ₹500 crore were plundered
using the government order and
they suspect a nexus between poli-
ticians, officials and the timber
mafia . Chief minister Vijayan on
Saturday said his government
would not spare the guilty. The
government admitted in the high
court last week that a big tree-cut-
ting mafia was involved and that
the recovery of wood worth ₹50
crore was the tip of the iceberg.
NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
JUNE 13, 2021
WASEEM ANDRABI/HT PHOTO
Colony and Bashir Ahmad Pah-
loo of Taliyan Sopore. The
injured civilian has been identi-
fied as Tariq Ahmad Dar of Kral-
teng, Sopore, police said.
Leaders of the mainstream
political parties have con-
demned the attack. “Terrible
news coming in from Sopore.
Such attacks must be con-
demned without reservation.
Prayers for the injured & condo-
lences to the families of the
deceased,” National Conference
leader Omar Abdullah tweeted.
Peoples Democratic Party
president Mehbooba Mufti said
be it the “gun of Delhi” or youth
of Kashmir who picked the
arms, it never resolves things.
“These types of attacks defame
our Kashmir and give reasons
for using more force against
common people,” she told
reporters in Baramulla.
Sukhbir Singh Badal and
Mayawati
(of the society).”
Nearly one-third (31.94%) of
Punjab’s population are Dalits,
who are largely settled in Jalan-
dhar, Hoshiarpur, Nawanshahr
and Kapurthala districts.
The Akali Dal and the BSP are
coming together into an alliance
after 25 years. In 1996, they
fought the Lok Sabha election,
winning 11 of 13 seats in Punjab.
BSP chief Mayawati on Satur-
day tweeted that the tie-up was a
“new political and social initia-
tive”, which will bring progress
and prosperity in the state.
SAD patriarch Parkash Singh
Badal described the formation
as “the beginning of a secular,
federal democratic revolution in
the state and the country for a
total socio-economic and politi-
cal revamp of polity”, and invited
Mayawati to visit Punjab.
BSP will contest seven seats in
Malwa, five in Majha and eight
in Doaba region of Punjab, said
Sukhbir.
BJP general secretary for
Punjab, Subhash Sharma, said:
“Addition of two zeros cannot
make any difference. This alli-
ance is a desperate attempt to get
Dalit support as BJP has already
said the next chief minister of
the party will be a Dalit.”
“This opportunistic tie-up is
not going to save the sinking
ship of Akalis. BSP leaders may
have forgotten the way they were
treated after their 1996 alliance
which did not even last one year,
but Dalits and poor people have
not forgotten it,” said PPCC chief
Sunil Jakhar.
In October 2020, the state reve-
nue department issued an order
allowing the felling of protected
trees such as rosewood and teak
grown on land allotted to them
before 1964. It is believed that the
modus operandi for what could
well be one of India’s largest envi-
ronment crimes involved mem-
bers of the timber mafia misusing
this order to fell trees in forests, on
private land, or on land belonging
to poor uneducated farmers.
Meanwhile, Divisional Forest
Officer (Flying Squad) P Dhanesh
Kumar, who played a key role in
unearthing the alleged smuggling,
was reinstated in the probe team
after public outrage over his
removal.
NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
JUNE 13, 2021 News 03

‘Vista plantation to be as close

BRAWL LEADS
TO COMMUNAL
TENSION FEARS
IN BHAJANPURA

to Lutyens’ design as possible’ HT Correspondent

letters@hindustantimes.com

NEW DELHI: A brawl between

Soumya Pillai and
Dhamini Ratnam
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: While designing the
new Central Vista, the focus of
plantation will be to “keep it as
close to the original Lutyens’
Delhi” plan, designers and archi-
tects working on the project said.
Environmentalist and author
Pradip Krishen, who is advising
the designers in the Central Vista
redevelopment project, said that
the new plantation scheme has
been designed to replicate the
British design for the Capital in
1912. It will also rectify the errors
that the city’s horticulture
departments have made over the
years.
Krishen said that initially only
13 tree species were chosen to
line the avenues of Lutyens’
Delhi; the number was subse-
quently increased to 16.
“The criteria were that the
shape and the size of the trees
chosen for that particular ave-
nue should be just right in order
to frame the feature they were
facing. Three things were kept in
mind: they had to be the right
size, they had to be evergreen
and they should not be common.
That was the reason why species
that the Mughals preferred, such
as mango or shisham, did not
TWO POLICEMEN Fire at Lajpat Nagar market, none hurt
CLAIM BEATEN UP
BY PROTESTERS AT
SINGHU, FIR FILED
find space in the avenue
scheme,” Krishen explained.
Lutyens’s plan accounted for
around 450 trees in all, of which
at least 385 were rai-jamun trees.
Today, however, there are at
least 3,200 large trees (4,000 if
the smaller ones and shrubs are
included). Around 1,080 are rai-
jamun trees, a spokesperson for
HCP Design Planning and Man-
agement Private Limited (HCP),
the firm in charge of the project
design said. Of these, 21 are being
transplanted to make space for
amenities like toilets for the pub-
lic, the spokesperson added.
To be sure, trees of this size
can’t usually be successfully
replanted.
Historians said that Lutyens
initially designed this part of
Delhi with all streets crossing at
right angles. However, this was
later tweaked, taking into
account the dusty Delhi weather.
Thus, the trees, hedges, even
roundabouts were carefully
designed as barriers to seasonal
dust storms.
Krishen said as an advisor to
the Central Vista project, he has
tried to retain the original pat-
terns of Lutyens’s design as
much as possible. He said that
the new design might also rectify
the plantation done by the Cen-
tral Public Works Department
An artist’s impression of the
Central Vista revamp.
and the New Delhi Municipal
Council over the years.
For instance, there was an
original grid plan for the planta-
tion of jamun trees. The design,
which was called the “diamond
grid”, only involved around 385
jamun trees, all planted in a dia-
mond-like pattern.
“If you look at aerial images,
the pattern is very interesting.
It’s like small Xs drawn all over
and at each end of the X a jamun
tree was planted, and the rest of
the space was left empty. But the
CPWD in their course of planta-
tion completely lost track of this
pattern, mainly because they did
not understand the original
design,” Krishen said.
The spaces left empty by the
original gardeners to create that
pattern was filled in by planting
new jamun trees.
But no one wanted to go back
to that plan entirely or immedi-
ately because “that would mean
getting rid of a huge number of
jamun trees and nobody wanted
that,” he added.
Krishen said that it was finally
decided to have a “long-term
replacement strategy”.
“We decided to adopt a
scheme with a validity of at least
30 years, which means that in
the future when a tree dies, it
will not be replaced by a jamun
tree so that a khali (empty space)
remains khali and a bhara (occu-
pied space) remains bhara, or
will be replaced by a tree of
another species,” Krishen said.
Project documents shows that
26 old jamun trees will be
affected during constructions.
These nearly 100-year-old trees,
planted around 1921, are to be
transplanted and not felled, but
experts fear that they might not
survive the transplantation.
Based on documents and aer-
ial photographs dating back to
the 1920s,HCP was able to recre-
ate Lutyens’ tree plan along the
avenue: a serrated grid of trees,
comprising primarily of rai-ja-
mun trees that flanked either
side of the Central Vista Avenue
and pines, maulsari and bis-
tendu trees that were to cluster
around what is now Vijay
Chowk. The trees along the ave-
nue criss-crossed over the water-
ways providing ample sitting
space under the shade.
HCP’s proposal, based on
advice from horticultural
experts Kishen (based in Delhi)
and Dr Prabhakar Rao (based in
Bengaluru), aims to create a
“tree plan” that will be realized
over the next two to three dec-
ades as these trees reach their
natural end.
“The draft plan for the planta-
tion at Central Vista Avenue is
likely to be a more populated
criss-cross grid, similar to Luty-
ens’ pattern, which aims to pre-
serve as many of these trees as
possible without needing to
transplant them,” the HCP
spokesperson added.
“ Many of the jamun trees are
already at the end of their life
cycles and are likely to die over
the next two decades. So when
they die, what should come up in
that space? Should it be left
alone? We’re trying to come up
with a planting plan based on
Lutyens’ cross pattern,” the
spokesperson said
CAPITAL ADDS 213
COVID-19 CASES,
LEAST SINCE MAR 1
NEW DELHI : The Capital
two neighbours in northeast
Delhi’s Bhajanpura led to fears
of communal tension in the
area on Friday night, with sen-
ior police officers holding
meetings with aman commit-
tees (inter-religious peace
forums) in the area to ensure
the incident doesn’t escalate.
While claims of communal
violence were circulated on
social media, senior Delhi
Police officers dismissed the
claims and said the matter did
not escalate.
According to police, at
Sisodia seeks full tax
around midnight on Friday,
they received a distress call at
the control room about an
waiver on Covid items
alleged altercation between a NEW DELHI: The Delhi govern- oximeters and so on tax free.
security guard of C7 Block in ment reiterated its demand for Expenses related to masks, sani-
Yamuna Vihar, Bhajanpura, full tax waiver on all Covid-19 tisers, thermometers have now
and Vipin Kumar, a resident of medical items till the end of the been added into the monthly
the area, reportedly over open- pandemic at the GST Council budget of people... There should
ing the entry gate to the colony. meeting on Saturday, said dep- be no tax for such items till the
During the altercation, police uty chief minister Manish Siso- pandemic at least,” said Sisodia,
said another resident, Moham- dia after attending the meeting who is also the finance minister,
med Yasin, intervened and chaired by Union finance minis- in a statement on Saturday.
allegedly assaulted Kumar. ter Nirmala Sitharaman. He said the GST council did
“Incensed, Kumar called his “Today (Saturday), at the GST not accept the suggestions.
relatives and got into a scuffle Council meeting, I recom- He also sought clarity on
with Yasin and his family mem- mended that it is necessary for whether private hospital invest-
bers, resulting in injuries to us to make Covid-19 medical ments to improve public health
five people, from both sides. equipment such as vaccines, infra, as suggested by the Centre,
Legal action has been initiated masks, sanitisers, thermometers, will receive tax exemption. HTC
against both the parties. There
is no communal angle in the
incident,” read the statement
issued from the office of the
DCP(Northeast).
While police registered a
case of assault, they also held
peace committee meetings to
ensure the matter does not
escalate. Bhajanpura had been
one of the hot spots of violence
during the riots in northeast
Delhi last year.

NEW DELHI: Two assistant sub
inspectors (ASIs) of the Delhi
Police’s special branch alleged
they were branded as “govern-
ment agents” and assaulted by
protesters at the Singhu border
in outer Delhi, where farmers
have been protesting against the
three farm laws for the last six
months, while they were report-
edly taking pictures of the event.
Police said they have filed an
FIR, but farmer leaders dis-
missed it. “The FIR is based on
false allegations. The police bar-
ricades are around one kilome-
tre away. Police don’t come
towards the protest area and we
don’t go towards the police bar-
ricades,” said Gurmeet Singh
Mehma, a committee member of
Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM),
a coalition managing the agita-
tion.
According to the complainant
ASI, on Thursday at around 3.30
pm, he and his colleague were
taking photographs of the
SKM stage, when they were
accused of being “government
agents”. The ASI alleged that
they were beaten even after he
showed them his identity card.
In his statement, he said that he
and his colleague rushed
towards a tent and was rescued
by locals.
Police said both the officers
were taken to a nearby hospital.
Police are yet to make any
arrests in the case.
Bharatiya Kisan Union chief
Rakesh Tikait hinted at a case of
mistaken identity. “They (police-
men) must have been in civil
dress and farmers might have
mistaken them for media people
who portray their movement in
a bad light. We don’t engage in
violence,” he said. HTC
A massive fire broke out at a handloom shop on Veer Savarkar Marg in south Delhi’s Lajpat
Nagar market on Saturday morning. It spread to at least four more shops and damaged goods
worth ₹7-8 crore, said fire officials and traders. No injuries were reported. RAJ K RAJ / HT PHOTO
Pre-monsoon rain in city from today: IMD
HT Correspondent
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: Parts of Delhi are
likely to start receiving pre-mon-
soon showers from late Saturday
night and early Sunday morning,
coupled with dust storms, the
India Meteorological Depart-
ment said.
Kuldeep Srivastava, head of
IMD’s regional weather forecast-
ing centre, said the pre-monsoon
showers will intensify on Sun-
day.
“From Sunday, we have a
forecast of moderate rain across
Delhi. Delhi and the National
Capital Region (NCR) will
receive intermittent rain for the
next three to four days, while
temperatures will drop to
around 34 degrees Celsius,” said
Srivastava.
On Saturday, the maximum
temperature at the Safdarjung
observatory, which is considered
the official marker for the entire
city, was 35.8°C, four degrees
below normal, while the mini-
mum temperature was 28°C.
At the Palam weather station,
the maximum temperature was
38.6°C, two degrees below nor-
mal, the minimum was 27.3°C, a
notch below normal.
The Met department on Fri-
day said the south-west mon-
soon will reach Delhi and most
of north-west India by June 15,
almost a fortnight ahead of
schedule, due to a low pressure
system building up over the Bay
of Bengal.
The monsoon usually arrives
in the national capital by June
27-28, but this year it is set to
advance swiftly due to the pre-
vailing weather conditions in the
northern Bay of Bengal, Met offi-
cials said.
Scientists attributed the sud-
den advancement to the forma-
tion of a low-pressure system
reported 213 new Covid-19 cases
on Saturday, the lowest in 104
days, since the city added 175
cases on March 1, showed state
government data. Further, the
test positivity rate in Delhi has
now been below 1% for 13 days
straight. After the third wave
ebbed in December, the positiv-
ity rate stayed below this num-
ber for 82 days, before inching
up again as cases began to rise
and the fourth wave set in.
The number of deaths due to
the viral infection is also declin-
ing slowly, with 28 deaths
reported on Saturday. So far,
24,800 people in the Capital
have died of the infection since
the first death was reported on
March 13 last year. Active cases
also continued to drop in the
city. As on Saturday, 3,610 peo-
ple in Delhi are currently bat-
tling the viral infection. HTC
over the northern Bay of Bengal.
When a low-pressure area is
formed at the onset of monsoon,
it creates conditions that are
conducive for the advancement
of monsoon.
IMD said that except for some
parts of Rajasthan and Gujarat,
the monsoon is likely to cover all
of north-west India by June 15.
HT reported on Friday that
the monsoon was racing across
the country after arriving two
days late in Kerala, and was
likely to cover the entire country
at least a fortnight ahead of
usual July 8 date under favoura-
ble conditions.

{ ‘INDICATIONS THAT INTENSITY WILL BE LOWER’ } UNVEILS 22 O2 PLANTS

Fresh order placed to
High risk of third Covid wave, iron out gaps in free
preparing on war footing: CM food grains scheme
HT Correspondent
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: Chief minister Arv-
ind Kejriwal on Saturday said
the chances of a third wave of
Covid-19 (the fifth for Delhi) are
“quite real” and assured that the
Delhi government is preparing
to combat it on a “war-footing”,
as he inaugurated 22 oxygen
pressure swing absorption
(PSA) plants in nine state gov-
ernment-run hospitals.
“We are now at the risk of the
third wave of Covid-19 and are
receiving indications that the
United Kingdom has already
started experiencing the third
wave. Covid-19 cases are rising
rapidly, even though 45% of the
people are already vaccinated
there. However, initial indica-
tions suggest that the intensity
is lower this time... Delhi gov-
ernment is committed to pre-
paring with full conviction,”
Kejriwal said in a digital address
during the inauguration of the
oxygen plants.
These 22 small-sized oxygen
plants can, in total, produce 17.3
metric tonnes (MT) of medical
oxygen, while 17 more plants
Health minister Satyendar
Jain at the inauguration of one
of the 22 plants. ARVIND YADAV/HT
will be commissioned by July.
The Delhi government plans
to set up 57 oxygen generation
plants with a total capacity of
64MT, which will generate
35,000 litres of oxygen per min-
ute, data seen by HT showed.
“Usually, Delhi needs a lesser
share of oxygen for its hospitals,
which is obtained from other
states. But during the fourth
wave, the demand increased
manifold. Delhi needs 150-200
MT of medical oxygen for non-
Covid purposes, apart from
industrial purposes. This
demand rose to 700 MT during
the fourth wave,” Kejriwal said.
In addition to oxygen plants
and at least 6,000 oxygen cylin-
ders, the government has also
set up three storage plants of 57
MT each, and arranged oxygen
tanks of 13.5 MT each.
Roshni Nadar Malhotra,
chairperson of HCL Technolo-
gies, said the firm is contribut-
ing 21 ready-to-install oxygen
plants imported from France.
“Seventeen of these have been
installed across seven hospitals
in Delhi. The other four have
arrived and will be installed in
the next few days,” she said.
Delhi health minister Satyen-
dar Jain said of the 22 PSA
plants, 17 have been given by
HCL, and the remaining five by
Maruti Udyog.
“HCL will be supplying four
more plants, which will arrive
soon. Similarly, five such plants
have already been installed in
hospitals like Sanjay Gandhi
Memorial Hospital, Satyawadi
Raja Harishchandra, Ambedkar
Nagar hospital, Deen Dayal
Upadhyay Hospital, and Burari
Hospital. These plants have
already been commissioned,”
Jain said.
Sweta Goswami
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: The Delhi govern-
ment has placed fresh orders to
procure 5,000 metric tonnes
(MT) of wheat and rice to ensure
no more hiccups in its scheme to
provide free food grains to peo-
ple without ration cards in the
city, senior officials said on Sat-
urday.
“The demand was clearly way
more than what was expected.
But people should not panic.
Delhi government will provide
free ration to every deserving
person... We have placed orders
with the Food Corporation of
India for more food grains,
which will arrive soon,” said
Imran Hussain, Delhi food and
civil supplies minister.
Over the past two weeks, ben-
eficiaries faced a lot of problems
with the distribution centres
running out of food grains due to
huge demand.
On Saturday, Hussain said the
government has “taken note of
all the grievances”. “We assure
you that things will be further
streamlined in the coming days
to make the entire process has-
sle-free,” he said.
On May 18, Kejriwal
announced that people without
ration cards too will get free food
grains, pegging the number of
beneficiaries at 2 million over
and above those covered under
the public distribution system.
Under the scheme, which was
implemented on June 5, each
beneficiary gets 4kg wheat and
1kg rice.
Department reports showed
that from June 5 till Saturday aft-
ernoon, the Delhi government
distributed 5,000MT of food
grains to 450,000 beneficiaries
through 280 centres set up in
government schools in each
ward.
Himanshu Bisht, a resident of
East Vinod Nagar who got his
package of ration on Saturday,
said the system does not require
prior registration. “I just had to
show my Aadhaar card and got
5kg of free ration. A lot of us
have had to face pay cuts and
have even lost our jobs. This
scheme has proved to be
extremely helpful,” he said.
Officials said even those with-
out a mobile phone are being
given free ration.
04
House panel to discuss
‘misuse of social media’
with Twitter, IT officials
Deeksha Bhardwaj
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: The parliamentary
panel on information technology
has asked officials from Twitter
and the ministry of electronics and
information technology to appear
before it on June 18 to discuss “pre-
vention of misuse of social media
platforms”, with people familiar
with the matter saying that the
issue of the so-called Congress
toolkit may be raised by the panel.
The case pertains to a document
that the ruling Bharatiya Janata
Party (BJP) says demonstrates a
conspiracy by the Congress to
defame Prime Minister Narendra
Modi’s government, while the
opposition party has said the docu-
ment is fake. Twitter labelled posts
linking to the document as
“manipulated media” sparking off
a spat with the Union government.
“The issue is topical and rele-
vant to the panel’s overall discus-
sion,” one of the people said. “The
panel members may want appro-
priate explanations. There will
also be other wide ranging discus-
sion as the report of the commit-
tee shapes up. If there is quorum,
the meeting will be held.”
The schedule and agenda of the
meeting has been uploaded on the
Lok Sabha website. This is the first
time that the panel will meet since
the onset of the second Covid
wave in March. The last meeting
was held on March 16.
The topic has been particularly
Homage
THIS IS THE FIRST
TIME THAT THE
PARLIAMENTARY
PANEL WILL MEET
SINCE THE ONSET
OF COVID’S SECOND
WAVE IN MARCH
contentious with BJP MP Nishi-
kant Dubey hitting out at panel
chairperson and Congress MP
Shashi Tharoor for demanding an
explanation from the ministry
over its decision to ask Twitter to
remove the manipulated media
tag from posts made by several
BJP leaders.
The controversy began when
Twitter tagged a May 18 post by
BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra
and other senior BJP leaders,
including Rajya Sabha MP Vinay
Sahasrabuddhe and party’s social
media in-charge Priti Gandhi, as
“manipulated media”.
The BJP alleged the toolkit was
aimed at building a biased narra-
tive over the Centre’s handling of
the second wave of Covid-19, and
the Central Vista Project. Many
top BJP leaders, including its chief
JP Nadda and Union ministers
Smriti Irani, Ravi Shankar
Prasad, Hardeep Puri,Piyush
Goyal, amplified Patra’s tweet.
The Congress reached out to
Twitter to tag the tweets of the
ministers as well and even regis-
tered an FIR in the case.
MAHA PANEL TO
PROBE KILLING
OF TIGRESS AVNI
Pradip Kumar Maitra
letters@hindustantimes.com
MUMBAI: Following a rap from
the Bombay high court on the
forest department’s lack of
accountability, the Maharashtra
government has finally consti-
tuted a six-member committee
to hold those accountable in the
shooting of the ‘problematic’
tigress, Avni (T1), which wit-
nessed a national outrage a cou-
ple of years ago.
The tigress was shot by
Asghar Ali Khan, a shooter from
Hyderabad in Yavatmal district
after he was engaged by the for-
est department to eliminate the
tigress that, by then, was
believed to be responsible for the
death of 13 villagers.
Responding to a PIL, the HC’s
Nagpur bench had criticised the
forest department for negligence
in fixing accountability of offi-
cers who, prima facie, did not
perform their duty properly dur-
ing the shooting of the tigress.
The state committee will be
headed by senior IFS officer
Vikas Gupta, an additional prin-
cipal chief conservator of forests,
while DFO Shatanik Bhagwat
will be a member-secretary.
Other members include Yavat-
mal deputy SP, director of
Regional Forensic Laboratory,
Nagpur, Tushar Bawne, assistant
commissioner (animal hus-
bandry), and JP Patil, law and
judiciary department. It is the
third committee to probe tigress
Avni’s killing.
Choksi a fugitive from Centre approves
policy to declassify
justice, CBI tells court war histories, ops
Neeraj Chauhan
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: Mehul Choksi is a
fugitive from justice, the chief
conspirator and main beneficiary
of the fraud perpetrated on Pun-
jab National Bank (PNB) , and is
yet to cooperate with the investi-
gations despite repeated sum-
mons, the Central Bureau of
Investigation (CBI) has said in its
affidavit filed in Dominica’s high
court of justice. The agency called
Choksi’s “gratuitous offer” of
being interviewed at the place of
his choice outside India meaning-
less, citing the evidence, physical,
oral and documentary, with
which he needs to be confronted.
The affidavit accuses Choksi of
misleading courts in Dominica by
claiming there are no proceedings
against him in India. He is fully
aware of proceedings in India and
has even appointed lawyers in the
country, says the affidavit, a copy
of which has been reviewed by HT.
The affidavit, filed by deputy
inspector general Sharda Raut,
explains the procedures of investi-
gations and criminal trials in
India. It says Choksi, according to
the Criminal Procedure Code, can-
not be tried in absentia. It is only
after an accused is produced in
court or appears in court that
charges can be framed for a trial to
begin, the document points out.
Raut flew to Dominica on May
28 along with other officers in a
special jet with documents to back
Indian attempts for Choksi’s
deportation from Dominica.
Choksi went missing from Anti-
gua and Barbuda, where he is a cit-
izen (and fighting a case on not
having his citizenship revoked), on
May 23. He was found in Domin-
ica the next day and has since been
charged with illegal entry into the
Caribbean country.
Choksi’s lawyers, Vijay Aggar-
wal, Wayne Marsh, and his wife,
Priti Choksi, have alleged he was
abducted and taken to Dominica.
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News
Mehul Choksi is taken to a police van on a wheelchair after
attending a court hearing, in Roseau, Dominica, on Thursday.
HT on Saturday reported the
two affidavits India has filed in
the Dominica court detailing seri-
ous fraud charges against Choksi
and proof that he continues to be
an Indian citizen. That India
would argue along these lines in
the court was first reported by
HT on May 30. Choksi’s lawyers
have maintained he has given up
his Indian citizenship and hence
cannot be deported. India’s argu-
ment is that this was not
approved by the appropriate
authority as required by the rules.
The Dominica court refused to
grant Choksi bail on Friday saying
he is a flight risk, and that he has
no ties to the country. It observed
the court cannot impose any con-
ditions to ensure he will not
abscond.
The CBI affidavit has called
Choksi the “mastermind” behind
a series of shell companies used
to launder money from the fraud
on the state-owned bank. It says
there is evidence that the busi-
nessman laundered funds using
dummy companies and market
operators, round-tripped in the
guise of fraudulent export-import
transactions with entities in pla-
ces such as Dubai and Hong
Kong.
AP
The affidavit says Choksi owes
$950 million (close to ₹7,000
crore) to the bank, in which the
Indian government has an 85%
stake. It adds the CBI made
attempts to arrest Choksi after the
fraud was unearthed in 2018, but
his whereabouts were unknown.
The CBI affidavit says there is
an Interpol red notice issued
against Choksi, which is the high-
est level of notice that can be
issued in respect of a fugitive.
It also refers to other cases
under investigation against
Choksi in India. They include
fraud cases registered in Benga-
luru and Delhi in 2015 and 2016 as
well as a 2018 cheating case.
Vijay Aggarwal, Choksi’s law-
yer, said the defence team is not
bothered by the affidavit as the
facts stated therein are not rele-
vant considerations before the
court hearing his client’s bail plea.
He added they have the liberty to
reapply for bail.
“Every day in custody is a fresh
circumstance and bail can be
re-applied (for). The court has not
ruled on merits but only on the
ground that we need to satisfy the
court about my client‘s presence
in Dominica to face the trial and
prove his innocence.”
JD(U) seeks ‘respectable’
share in Union cabinet
Anirban Guha Roy
anirbanroy@htlive.com
PATNA: Bihar chief minister Nitish
Kumar’s Janata Dal (United), the
second largest constituent of the
Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA at
the Centre, on Saturday said alli-
ance partners should have a
“respectable” share in the Union
council of ministers.
JD(U) national president RCP
Singh said he was aware of a possi-
ble expansion of the Union cabinet.
“JD(U) is a constituent of the NDA
and should get preference in repre-
sentation in cabinet expansion.
Allies should get due respect in a
coalition,” he told reporters in
Patna.
At present, JD(U) has no repre-
sentation in the Union cabinet. In
the 2019 parliamentary polls,
National Democratic Alliance
(NDA) partners won 39 out of the
40 seats in Bihar. JD(U) won 16
seats, while ally BJP won 17 seats.
Six seats went to another NDA
partner, the Lok Janshakti Party
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Rahul Singh
rahul.singh@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: In a significant devel-
opment that will help set the
record straight on India’s military
history, defence minister Rajnath
Singh on Saturday approved a new
policy to declassify war histories
and records of military operations
in a time-bound manner to give
the country an accurate account of
events, provide authentic material
for research and counter
unfounded rumours, the defence
ministry said in a statement.
The policy on “archiving,
declassification and compilation
of war and operations histories”
mandates the setting up of a com-
mittee headed by a joint secretary
in the defence ministry and con-
sisting of representatives of the
armed forces, external affairs and
home ministries and prominent
military historians (if required).
The development is significant
as the military has faced uncom-
fortable questions about several
events including the sinking of an
Indian warship in the 1971 Indo-
Pak war, the 1999 Kargil war and
contentious war accounts
authored by veterans. It was not
clear if the policy would lead to the
declassification of the Henderson
Brooks-Bhagat report on the rea-
sons behind India’s defeat in the
1962 India-China war.
“The committee will take a view
on earlier wars and operations,”
an official said, speaking on the
condition of anonymity.
Australian journalist Neville
Maxwell had made portions of the
Henderson Brooks-Bhagat report
public on the internet in March
2014 triggering a debate on India’s
worst military defeat. The report
practically held the entire civilian
and military leadership responsi-
ble for driving the country into a
war it wasn’t prepared for.
The BJP then demanded that
(LJP) while Congress won only one
seat. JD(U), however, did not join
the Union cabinet, apparently
unhappy over being offered just a
“token representation”.
Currently, there are five central
ministers from Bihar, all from the
BJP. LJP patriarch Ram Vilas Pas-
wan was also a minister till his
death last year.
JD(U) insiders said the party,
which became the second largest
constituent in the NDA after the
departure of 18-member strong
Shiv Sena, could ask for three cabi-
net-rank berths and two ministers
of state.
However, a section of leaders in
JD(U) said the decision would
depend much on whether an offer
is also made to the LJP. “If LJP gets
representation... JD(U) might not
join,” said a senior leader, who
didn’t wish to be named. LJP, now
led by Jamui MP Chirag Paswan,
had fielded 100 candidates in the
Bihar Assembly elections last year
and the JD(U) blamed the party for
damaging its prospects severely.
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SUNDAY
JUNE 13, 2021
Rajnath Singh
the report, authored by Lieutenant
General Thomas Bryan Hender-
son Brookes and Brigadier PS Bha-
gat, be declassified immediately.
But in July 2014, then defence min-
ister Arun Jaitley told Parliament
that the release of the document
would not be in national interest.
The government declassified
the 1947-48 Kashmir operations in
1987. The defence ministry’s His-
tory Division has published histo-
ries of the 1962, 1965 and 1971 wars.
The responsibility for declassifica-
tion of records rests with the
respective organisations as speci-
fied in the Public Records Act 1993
and Public Record Rules 1997, the
ministry said in the statement.
“...records should ordinarily be
declassified in 25 years. Records
older than 25 years should be
appraised by archival experts and
transferred to the National
Archives of India once the war/
operations histories have been
compiled,” the statement said.
The History Division, set up in
October 1953, will be responsible
for coordination with various
departments for compiling, seek-
ing approval and publishing war
and operations histories.
“It’s good to have certain
aspects of a war or a campaign
declassified for people... But there
are certain aspects that are confi-
dential and need not come out in
the public domain...,” said Lieuten-
ant General VK Ahluwalia (retd),
director, Centre for Land Warfare
Studies.
HC GIVES BAIL TO
MAN BOOKED FOR
RAPE, FORCEFUL
CONVERSION
Jitendra Sarin
letters@hindustantimes.com
PRAYAGRAJ: The Allahabad high
court has granted bail to a man
from Mahoba district of Uttar Pra-
desh in an alleged case of abduc-
tion, rape and unlawful religious
conversion of a woman by mar-
riage.
An FIR was registered at
Kotwali Nagar police station in
Mahoba on March 4 against
Munna Khan and his sister in con-
nection with the alleged abduc-
tion, rape and conversion of the
woman by marriage under sec-
tions 3, 5(1) of the UP Prohibition
of Unlawful Conversion of Reli-
gion Ordinance, 2020.
The FIR said the alleged victim
and Khan resided in the same
locality of Mahoba. The applicant
had taken certain obscene photo-
graphs and videos of the victim
and used them for blackmail to
maintain a physical relationship
with her for the last four years,
according to the FIR.
The applicant’s counsel argued,
“The victim resides in the same
locality... as the applicant. In such
circumstances, it is unswallowable
proposition that in a small city like
Mahoba, she was not aware about
the background of the accused.”
Justice Rahul Chaturvedi on
Friday observed, “...the court is of
the view that the applicant has
made out a case for bail. The bail
application is allowed.”
FOREX RESERVES
CROSS $600BN
Press Trust of India
letters@hindustantimes.com
MUMBAI: The country’s foreign
exchange reserves crossed the
USD 600 billion mark for the first
time after increasing by USD
6.842 billion in the week ended
June 4, RBI data showed.
The reserves surged to a
record USD 605.008 billion in the
reporting week, helped by a rise
in foreign currency assets (FCA), a
major component of the overall
reserves, as per weekly data by
the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
During the monetary policy
announcement last week, RBI
governor Shaktikanta Das had
said the reserves were on the
verge of crossing USD 600 billion.
“That is something which gives us
a great amount of confidence to
deal with the challenges arising
out of global spillovers, should
they happen at a future date,” Das
had said.
In the previous week ended
May 28, 2021, the reserves had
swelled by USD 5.271 billion to
USD 598.165 billion. In the
reporting week, FCA jumped by
USD 7.362 billion to USD 560.890
billion, the data showed.
NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
JUNE 13, 2021 News 05
A
l COVID TRACKER
29,438,884 252,878,702 3,562,130
DOSES ADMINISTERED
TOTAL COVID CASES TOTAL DOSES ADMINISTERED ON SATURDAY
NEW CASES ON
80,303 SATURDAY 156,323,650 People who have
got one dose 48,277,526 People who have
got both doses
Rajib Banerjee
TOTAL COVID CASES (New cases on Saturday) TOTAL DOSES ADMINISTERED (Doses administered on Saturday)
Rajib Banerjee
meets TMC secy a

City
day after Roy exit UT Ladakh Chandigarh Himachal Sikkim THERE IS
KOLKATA : Former West 19,506 (+31) 61,056 (+58) Pradesh 18,257 (+167) NO
Bengal minister Rajib
Banerjee, who left the
191,050 (+1967) 401,378 (+5,894) 198,313 (+370) 273,122 (+8,280) POLITICS
Trinamool Congress UT J&K
2,587,899 (+11,225) IN OUR
(TMC) to join the 306,638 (+866) Delhi Assam SHOW:
Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP) ahead of the
3,650,562 (+34,679) 1,430,884 (+213)
Uttarakhand
457,330 (+3,463) MANOJ CHECK
6,079,570 4,755,791 (+84,364)
recent state elections, (+83,970) 336,616 (+463) BAJPAYEE OUT
met the general Punjab 3,285,311 TODAY’S
586,947 (+961)
Meghalaya
secretary of the state’s (+34,928)
41,601 (+501) EDITION
ruling party, Kunal 5,605,782 NA
Ghosh, at his residence 501,432 (+9,305)
on Saturday. The Haryana Uttar Pradesh
meeting took place a
765,522 (+426) Arunachal Pradesh
day after BJP’s national 1,702,172 (+504)
6,749,611 31,148 (+298)
vice president Mukul 22,975,010
(+86,080) (+477,331) 410,246 (+5,146)
Roy returned to the
TMC. Both Ghosh and
Banerjee, however, said Rajasthan Nagaland
that it was a courtesy 949,376 (+368) Bihar 23,562 (+96)
visit, and no political 19,604,231 716,728 (+432) 332,841 (+3,798)
discussions were held. (+317,342) 12,016,306
(+163,430)

2 minors found Gujarat

hanging; kin 819,866
alleges rape (+490)
KOKRAJHAR/DHUBRI 20,067,108
(ASSAM): Two minor (+298,544) Manipur
sisters were found 59,322 (+554)
hanging from a tree in a 537,413 (+2,267)
village in Kokrajhar Dadra and
district of Assam with Nagar Haveli Mizoram
their family members 10,558 (+0) 14,921 (+178)
claiming that they were 266,651(+11,887) 344,187 (+1,250)
raped and killed, police Jharkhand
said on Saturday. 343,065 NA Tripura
The incident took Maharashtra 58,518 (+428)
4,995,942
place in Abhayakuti 5,898,550 (+10,697) (+101,569) 1,659,725 (+7,594)
village, where the 25,865,632(+308,497)
bodies of the two West Bengal
siblings were recovered Goa 1,457,273 (+4,286)
late on Friday evening, 162,048 (+472) Madhya Pradesh 17,599,355 (+222,475)
a senior police officer 621,644 (+7,229) 787,909 (+337)
said. “A case has been
13,897,108 Odisha
registered. A Karnataka (+100,635) 847,313 (+4,852)
preliminary probe 2,757,324 (+9,785) 8,866,625 (+68,633)
suggested that the two Puducherry
girls suspectedly ended 16,889,719 (+311,920) Chhattisgarh
112,126 (+442) Andaman and
their lives. We will be 986,504 (+813) Nicobar
able to tell after Lakshadweep 324,710
6,325,513(+7,388)
receiving the post- 9,175 (+53) (+7,148) 7,233 (+36)
mortem reports,” the 45,815 (+1,259) 131,059 (+886)
officer said. Locals also
said the two sisters Kerala Tamil Nadu Andhra Pradesh Telangana
were missing since 2,716,655 (+13,832) 2,339,705 (+15,108) 1,803,074 (+6,952) 602,089 (+1,771)
Friday afternoon. 11,180,939 (+78,581) 10,635,984(+297,087) 11,875,954 (+181,374) 7,829,951 (+214,504)

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06 NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
JUNE 13, 2021

E-TENDER NOTICE NO, 4/2021-2022

PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT
Executive Engineer,Integrated Unit (Medical)
Public Works,Near T.B.Ward Premises, Nagpur.-440003.
email:- integratednagpur.ee@mahapwd.com
Website:- www.mahapwd.com
Online Percent Rate Tenders (e-tender) in B-1 form By the Executive Engineer,
Integrated Unit (Medical) Public Works,Nagpur. Ph.No. (0712) 2744387
INSTITUTE OF LIVER & BILIARY SCIENCES (ILBS) Email:- integratednagpur.ee@mahapwd.com for The Following Work from Experienced
Contractor. On Government of Maharashtra Electronic Tender Management System
“CAREER OPPORTUNITIES” https://maharashtra.etenders.in.
Faculty & Non Faculty posts Tender Notice No. 4 of 2021-2022 The details can be viewed and downloaded online
(ILBS/Careers/3/21) directly from the Government of Maharashtra e-Tendering Portal https://mahatenders.gov.in.
Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS) is an
Sr. Name of Work Estimated Cost Earnest Time limit for
autonomous super-specialty Institute of excellence under No. in (Rs.) Money in (Rs.) completion
GNCT of Delhi and a Deemed-to-be-University by the 1 2 3 4 5
GOI. Its vision is to be a global leader by becoming a 1 Construction of Workshop Building in 9,83,02,261/- 4,92,000/- 10 Months
beacon of patient care, teaching and research in the field the Premises of Govt. College of
of Liver, Pancreatobiliary, Renal, Oncology and Organ Engineering at MIHAN (Khapri), Nagpur.
Transplantation. All appointments shall be on “contract
basis” and will initially be for a period of “four years” and 1) Detailed tender notice can be seen on web site www.mahapwd.com and
can be extended based on performance. In its search for https://mahatenders.gov.in.
the best talent, ILBS invites applications for the following 2) Detailed tender notice can be seen on the Notice Board in the office of the undersigned.
positions: 3) In the Tender Notice, Tender downloading, Tender opening etc. information avalible on website.
(A) Applications invited for UR(Unreserved), SC, 4) Right is reserved to reject any or all tender without assigning any reasion thereof.
ST, OBC & EWS Posts (Including Backlog) for Sd/-
No. Name of Post Number of Executive Engineer,
Posts Integrated Unit (Medical)
1. Professor (Anaesthesia) 1-UR DGIPR/2021-22/ROC 795 Public Works, Nagpur
2. Professor (Nephrology) 1-UR
3. Professor (Interventional Radiology) 1-UR
SECTION “I”
4. Professor (Medical Biostatistics) 1-UR TENDER NOTICE
5. Additional Professor (Anaesthesia) 1-UR GOVERNMENT OF JAMMU & KASHMIR
6. Additional Professor (Surgical 1-UR Office of the Executive Engineer Quality Control & Procurement Division, HMT, Srinagar
Hepatology)# TENDER DOCUMENT
e-NIT No: - PHE/QC&PD/07/e-Tender/2021-22 Dated: 11.06.2021
7. Associate Professor (Radiology) 1-UR Since this office E-NIT no 08 of 2020-2021 DT:- 12.09.20 was cancelled & fresh E-NIT no 35 of 2021
DT:- 16.02.21 was then issued which has been also Cancelled, as such fresh tender is once again invited,
8. Associate Professor (Nephrology) 1-UR For and on behalf of Lt. Governor of UT of J&K, E-tenders are invited on item rate basis in two cover
9. Associate Professor (Renal 1-UR system from Govt. registered OEM’s & their Contract manufacturers having valid BIS/CM/license for
said NB of G.M.S Tubes & have Supplied Such Item’s in India and possess Satisfactory Performance
Transplant) and excellent track record in the said field, with documentary evidence from Respective Govt. /Semi
Govt. Departments /Corporations /State or National level Undertakings for the following subject item
10. Associate Professor (Medical 1-UR shall be appended.
Oncology) SUBJECT OF Supply: -
Supply of ISI marked Galvanized Mild Steel tubes confirming to IS: 1239(Part-I) 2004 Sixth Revision
11. Associate Professor (Radiation 1-UR read with up to date amendments in random length of 4 to 7 meters, screwed on both ends as per
Oncology) IS: 554/1990, socketed at one end & other end Protected with plastic protector, in the various sizes
of nominal bore and classes (light). The socket conforming to IS: 1239 (Pt.11/1992-4th revision)
12. Assistant Professor (Radiology) 1-UR, 1-OBC with amendment No: 1 to 3 and latest as on date of assorted sizes ranging from 20mm NB up-to and
including 100mm NB (Light class), 125mm NB up-to and including 150mm NB (Medium class) as
13. Assistant Professor (Transplant 2-UR, 1-OBC IYF¹FFÊ»F¹F AF¶FIYFSe AF¹Fb¢°F, SFþÀ±FF³F, CXQ¹F´FbS per specifications/details enclosed in Section “IV” to this E-NIT, from Govt. registered OEM’s & their
Hepatology) Contract manufacturers having valid BIS/CM/license for said NB of G.M.S Tubes & as required for
´FÂFFaIY: ´F.32(¶Fe)(1)AF¶F/E»F/2021-22/2859 dQ³FFÔIY: 10.06.2021 petty and maintenance/emergent nature /NRDWP/JJM works of the Department during the contract
14. Assistant Professor (Clinical 1-UR period.
Nutrition) Medical QZVFe ¸FdQSF, dUQZVFe ¸FdQSF EUÔ ¶Fe¹FS IYe IY¸´FûdþMX dSMXZ»F AFGRY QbIYF³FûÔ IZY BROAD BAND INFORMATION
General
15. Assistant Professor (Nephrology) 1-UR A³FbÄFF´FÂF WXZ°Fb AFUZQ³F EUÔ BÊ-³Fe»FF¸Fe AF¸FÔÂF¯F ¶FF¶F°F ÀFc¨F³FF RZYþ-VII Client Name Chief Engineer, Kashmir PHE, Jal Shakti Deptt. Srinagar.
16. Assistant Professor (Medical 1-UR 1. ÀFUÊÀFF²FFS¯F IYû ÀFcd¨F°F dIY¹FF þF°FF WX` dIY dUØFe¹F U¿FÊ 2021-22 IZY d»FE SFª¹F ¸FZÔ AF¶FIYFSe Circle Superintending Engineer, PHE Mechanical, Jal Shakti Department,
Oncology) Circle South, Srinagar.
¶F³Qû¶FÀ°F WXZ°Fb QZVFe ¸FdQSF, SFþÀ±FF³F d³Fd¸FÊ°F ¸FdQSF (RML), ·FFS°F d³Fd¸FÊ°F dUQZVFe ¸FdQSF Division Quality Control & Procurement Division PHE Jal Shakti Department,
17. Assistant Professor (Neurology) 1-UR (IMFL) EUÔ ¶Fe¹FS IYe dSMXZ»F AFGRY QbIYF³FûÔ (IY¸´FûdþMX QbIYF³FûÔ) IZY A³FbÄFF´FÂF þFSe IYS³FZ HMT Srinagar.
18. Assistant Professor (Pulmonary 1-UR IZY d»FE AF¶FIYFSe ³Fed°F 2021-22 IZY A³FbÀFFS ·FFS°F ÀFSIYFS IZY CX´FIiY¸F E¸F.EÀF.MXe.ÀFe. IFB No. Tender Notice No. PHE/QC&PD/07/e-Tender of 2020-21 dated:
11.06.2021.
Medicine) d»Fd¸FMXZOX IZY ¸FF²¹F¸F ÀFZ BÊ-³Fe»FF¸Fe (BÊ-¶Fû»Fe) AF¹Fûdþ°F IYe þF SWXe WX`Ü RZYþ-I ¸FZÔ ´FFÔ¨F
Bidding Type Open
19. Assistant Professor (Clinical 1-UR dQUÀFe¹F BÊ-³Fe»FF¸Fe dQ³FFÔIY 03.03.2021, 04.03.2021, 05.03.2021, 09.03.2021
Amount Details

142
Research/Epidemiology) EUÔ 10.03.2021, RZYþ-II ¸FZÔ Qû dQUÀFe¹F BÊ-³Fe»FF¸Fe dQ³FFÔIY 19.03.2021 EUÔ Estimated Cost approx 48.00 Crores
20.03.2021, RZYþ-III ¸FZÔ EIY dQUÀFe¹F BÊ-³Fe»FF¸Fe dQ³FFÔIY 24.03.2021, RZYþ-IV ¸FZÔ EIY Bid Document Fee Rs. 5000/= (five thousand) in the shape of treasury Challan/ e-transfer
20. Assistant Professor (Liver 1-UR dQUÀFe¹F BÊ-³Fe»FF¸Fe dQ³FFÔIY 01.04.2021, RZYþ-V ¸FZÔ EIY dQUÀFe¹F BÊ-³Fe»FF¸Fe dQ³FFÔIY (Non-Refundable) to J&K Bank A/c No: 0005010100005110 IFSC: JAKA0CHINAR
Transplant Surgery)
10.04.2021 EUÔ RZYþ-VI ¸FZÔ EIY dQUÀFe¹F ³Fe»FF¸Fe dQ³FFÔIY 17.04.2021 IYû ÀF¸´F³³F WXû Bid document fee payable Executive Engineer QC&PD PHE Jal Shakti HMT Srinagar.
21. Assistant Professor (Pediatric 1-UR in the shape of treasury e-mail: xenmandp@gmail.com
¨FbIYe WX`Ü Challan under major Head
Liver Transplant Surgery) MH-0215-Rev-Misc or
2. dUØF (AF¶FIYFSe) dU·FF¦F IZY ´FÂFFÔIY ´F.4(1)dUØF/AF¶F/2021 dQ³FFÔIY 10.06.2021 IZY e-transfer to J&K Bank
22. Consultant (Nephrology) Grade IV 1-UR õFSF BÊ-³Fe»FF¸Fe ÀFZ VFZ¿F SWXe ¸FdQSF QbIYF³FûÔ IZY d»FE dSþUÊ ´FiFBÊÀF °F±FF IY¸´FûdþMX RYeÀF ¸FZÔ IY¸Fe A/c No: 0005010100005110
IFSC: JAKA0CHINAR
23. Consultant (Cardiology) Grade III, 2-UR IYe ÀUeIYÈd°F ´FiQF³F dIY¹FZ þF³FZ IZY IiY¸F ¸FZÔ IY¸´FûdþMX ¸FdQSF QbIYF³FUFS ÀFÔVFûd²F°F ³¹Fc³F°F¸F dSþUÊ
Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) 96.00 lacs (rupees ninety six Lacs only), in the shape of CDR/FDR/BG
IV ´FiFBÊXÀF U ÀFÔVFûd²F°F IY¸´FûdþMX RYeÀF dU·FF¦Fe¹F ¶FZUÀFFBÊMX from nationalized banks only having a branch in Srinagar.
24. Consultant (Radiology) Grade III, IV 2-UR https://www.rajexcise.gov.in ´FS QdVFÊ°F WX`Ü QVFFÊBÊ ¦FBÊ ÀFÔVFûd²F°F kk³¹Fc³F°F¸F dSþUÊ Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) Chief Accounts Officer, Jal Shakti Kashmir PHE Department, Srinagar.
´FiFBÊÀFll UFd¿FÊIY (12 ¸FFWX IZY d»FE) WX`Ü UFÀ°FdUIY ¦FFSÔMXe SFdVF IYe ¦F¯F³FF A³FbÄFF´FÂF WXZ°Fb þFSe pledged to: (Optional as per the Guidelines of Finance Deptt.)
25. Consultant (Renal Transplant) 2-UR Tender Dates
ÀUeIYÈd°F IYe d°Fd±F ÀFZ AF³Fb´FFd°FIY AF²FFS ´FS IYe þFE¦FeÜ
Grade I & II Bid Document Downloading 12-06-2021 (01:00 P.M)
3. AFUZQ³F VFb»IY ´FcUFʳFbÀFFS kk¸Fc»F ³¹Fc³F°F¸F dSþUÊ ´FiFBÊÀFll IZY A³FbÀFFS WXe SWXZ¦FFÜ Start Date.
26. Sr. Resident (*Hepatology - 05-UR,

M I L L I O N
Bid Document Downloading 21-06-2021 (02:00 P.M)
04, Transfusion Medicine - 01, 3-OBC, 01- 4. A¸FF³F°F SFdVF- AF¶FIYFSe EUÔ ¸FôÀFÔ¹F¸F ³Fed°F 2021-22 IZY d¶F³Qb ÀFÔ£¹FF 2.7 ¸FZÔ A¸FF³F°F End Date.
Medical Oncology - 01, Radiation EWS, 01-SC, SFdVF IZY ¶FFSZ ¸FZÔ ´FiFU²FF³F dIY¹FZ ¦F¹FZ WX`Ü ´FS³°Fb dIYÀFe ·Fe RZYþ ¸FZÔ EIY ¶FFS ¹FdQ dIYÀFe IY¸´FûdþMX Clarification Start Date 12-06-2021 (01: P.M)
Oncology – 01, Cardiology – 01, 1-ST ¸FdQSF QbIYF³F IZY d»FE ¶Fû»FeQF°FF õFSF ¶FZIYAFCXMX dIY¹FF ¦F¹FF WX` °Fû EmÀFe IY¸´FûdþMX ¸FdQSF QbIYF³FûÔ Clarification End Date 20-06-2021 (04:00 PM)

Neurology – 01, Biochemistry –
01, Nephrology -01)
27. Senior Fellow (Non
Virology
28. Assistant Lab Manager
29. Casualty Medical Officer
30. Resident Medical Officer
I N D I A N S
IZY d»FE d³F¸³Fd»FdJ°F ´FiIYFS ÀFZ A¸FF³F°F SFdVF d³F²FFÊdS°F IYe þF°Fe WX`Ü VFZ¿F QbIYF³Fûa IZY d»FE Pre-Bid Consultation 16-06-2021 (01:00 PM)
A¸FF³F°F SFdVF ´FcUÊU°F SWXZ¦FeÜ Pre-Bid meeting Venue Chief Engineer Jal Shakti Kashmir PHE Deptt. Engineering
Complex, Near Silk Factory, Raj Bagh Srinagar Kashmir -190001.
Medical) 1-UR ßFZ¯Fe A¸FF³F°F SFdVF (øY.) e-mail: kmrphed@gmail.com
On Line Bid Submission Start 12-06-2021 (01:30 P.M)
U¿FÊ 2021-22 IZY d»FE 50 »FFJ øY´F¹FZ °FIY ¸Fc»F 2,00,000
Trust HT Media Group's
Date
1-UR ³¹Fc³F°F¸F dSþUÊ ´FiFBÊÀF UF»Fe QbIYF³F Bid Submission End Date 21-06-2021 (03:00 P.M)
1-OBC
digital platforms for
U¿FÊ 2021-22 IZY d»FE 50 »FFJ øY´F¹FZ ÀFZ Ad²FIY 3,00,000 Date of opening of Cover 1st. 22-06-2021 (02:00 P.M)
3-UR, EUÔ 2 IYSûOÞX øY´F¹FZ °FIY ¸Fc»F ³¹Fc³F°F¸F dSþUÊ ´FiFBÊÀF Bid Validity Period 180 days from opening of the Price Bid.

31. Head Operations (Medical)
32. Manager (Nursing)
33. Manager (Purchase)
34. Deputy Manager (Purchase)
35. Deputy Manager (Hospitality)
36. Sr. Executive (Purchase)
37. Executive (Store)
credible information.
3-OBC, 1-SC, Officer Inviting Bid Executive Engineer QC&PD PHE Jal Shakti HMT Srinagar payable at
UF»Fe QbIYF³F Srinagar. (e-mail: xenmandp@gmail.com)
1-EWS
U¿FÊ 2021-22 IZY d»FE 2 IYSûOÞX øY´F¹FZ ÀFZ Ad²FIY 5,00,000 Bid opening Authority Chief Engineer, Jal Shakti Kashmir PHE Deptt. Srinagar.
1-UR ¸Fc»F ³¹Fc³F°F¸F dSþUÊ ´FiFBÊÀF UF»Fe QbIYF³F Address Engineering Complex, Near Silk Factory, Raj Bagh Srinagar Kashmir
-190001.
1-UR 5. RZYþ-VII ¸FZÔ d³F¸³Fd»FdJ°F d°Fd±F A³FbÀFFS BÊ-³Fe»FF¸Fe (BÊ-¶Fû»Fe) AF¸FÔdÂF°F IYe þF°Fe WX` :- e-mail: kmrphed@gmail.com
The tenders of qualifying/eligibility criteria, consisting of General and Commercial terms and conditions
1-UR IiY.ÀFa. ³Fe»FF¸Fe IYe dQ³FFÔIY AFUZQ³F IYS³FZ IYe AÔd°F¸F d°Fd±F of contract and other details can be seen/downloaded from the webstore www.jktenders.gov.in.
1-UR The bids shall be submitted in electronic format on the webstore www.jktenders.gov.in. The bids
1 18.06.2021 17.06.2021 uploaded on the webstore up to due date and time, will be opened on the time and date (given in the
1-UR ³Fe»FF¸Fe IYF ÀF¸F¹F ´FcUFʳFbÀFFS ´FiF°F: 11.00 ¶FþZ ÀFZ ÀFF¹FÔ 04.00 ¶FþZ °FIY SWXZ¦FFÜ ³Fe»FF¸Fe EIY broadband information), in the office of the Chief Engineer, Jal Shakti Kashmir PHE Deptt. Srinagar, in
presence of the bidders who wish to be present. In case offices happen to be closed due to a holiday, or
1-UR, 1-OBC IYF¹FÊ dQUÀF ¸FZÔ ³¹Fc³F°F¸F ´FFÔ¨F §F¯MXZ IYe WXû¦Fe EUa CXÀFIZY ´FV¨FF°F þ¶F °FIY ¶Fû»Fe »F¦F°Fe SWXZ °F¶F any other reason/s, on the schedule date of opening - the bids will be opened on the next working day
at the scheduled time and venue or on any day convenient/feasible to the tender opening committee/
1-UR °FIY 10 d¸F³FMX IZY A³Fa°F dUÀ°FFS (indefinite extension) °FIY þFSe SWXZ¦FeÜ authority of the Department during the contract Period.

38. Floor Coordinator
39. Executive (Security & Fire)
40. Transplant Coordinator
41. Nutritionist
42. Junior Nutritionist
43. Junior Executive (Finance
Accounts)
(B) SPECIAL DRIVE FOR
DISABILITIES
44. Associate Professor (Virology)
45. Assistant Professor (Surgical
Hepatology)
46. Senior Resident (Radiology-01,
Hepatology -01, Nephrology -01)
47. Junior Resident
48. Resident Medical Officer
49. Assistant Manager Nurse
50. Nurse/Junior Nurse
51. Executive Nurse
52. Junior Executive Nurse
# Surgical Hepatology be read as HPB Surgery.
Last Date: 20th July, 2021.
For details, please visit http://www.ilbs.in
4-UR, 1-OBC 6. AFUZQ³F:- RZYþ-VII IZY d»FE AFUZQ³F IYe ´FidIiY¹FF dQ³FFÔIY 13 þc³F 2021 IYû ´FiF°F: 11:00 THE COMPLETE BIDDING SHALL BE ONLINE IN TWO COVER SYSTEM:
The Cover 1st of bids shall be opened online in the office of the Chief Engineer, Jal Shakti Kashmir PHE
¶FþZ ÀFZ ´FiFS¸·F WX` °F±FF d³F²FFÊdS°F ³Fe»FF¸Fe IYe dQ³FFÔIY ÀFZ EIY dQ³F ´FcUÊ IYû SF°F 11:59 ´Fe.E¸F. Deptt. Srinagar on the time and date given in the broadband information of tender or any other date and
1-UR °FIY ¨FF»Fc SWXZ¦FeÜ time convenient to Chief Engineer, Jal Shakti Kashmir PHE Deptt. Srinagar.
1-UR, 1-OBC The date and time of opening of 2nd cover i.e. Financial Bids shall be notified separately. The Financial
7. ¹FdQ AFUZQIY õFSF dQ³FFÔIY 12.02.2021 IZY ´FV¨FF°F bids of qualified bidders shall be opened online on same webstore in the office of Chief Engineer,
1-UR https://www.mstcecommerce.com ´FS ´FÔþeIYS¯F IYSF¹FF WX` °Fû CX³WXZaY´FȱFIY ÀFZ Kashmir PHE, Jal Shakti Deptt. Srinagar.
The bids for the work shall remain valid for a period of 180 days from opening of the Price Bid.
1-UR, 1-OBC ´FÔþeIYS¯F IYSF³FZ IYe AFUV¹FIY°FF ³FWXe SWXZ¦FeÜ ´FcUÊ ¸FZÔ AFUÔdMX°F ¹FcþS AFBÊ.OXe. U ´FFÀFUOXÊ IZY ¸FF²¹F¸F INSTRUCTION TO BIDDERS REGARDING E-TENDERING PROCESS:
ÀFZ BÊ-³Fe»FF¸Fe WXZ°Fb AFUZQ³F IYS ÀFIY°FZ WX`aÜY¹FdQ ´FcUÊ ¸FZÔ ´FÔþeIYS¯F ³FWXeÔ IYSF¹FF WX` °Fû a. The interested bidder can download the NIT/bidding document from the webstore http://jktenders.
& 1-OBC gov.in To participate in bidding process, bidders have to get (DSC) “Digital Signature Certificate”
https://www.mstcecommerce.com ´FS þFIYS d³F:VFb»IY ´FÔþeIYS¯F IYSF ÀFIY°FZ WX`aÜ
as per Information Technology Act-2000, to participate in online bidding. This certificate will be
8. ÀFRY»F ¶Fû»FeQF°FF H1 IZY dIYÀFe IYFS¯F ÀFZ ¶F`IYAFCXMX WXû³FZ ´FS dõ°Fe¹F CX©F°F¸F ¶Fû»FeQF°FF H2 required for digitally signing the bid. Bidders can get above mentioned digital certificate from any
PERSONS WITH approved vendor. The Bidders, who already possess valid (DSC) Digital Signature Certificates, need
IYû ÀFRY»F ¶Fû»FeQF°FF H1 õFSF ´FiÀ°FFdU°F UFd¿FÊIY ¦FFS³MXe SFdVF ´FS CXÀF ¸FdQSF QbIYF³F IYû »FZ³FZ not to procure new Digital Signature Certificate.
WXZ°Fb AUÀFS dQ¹FF þF¹FZ¦FF °F±FF dõ°Fe¹F CX©F°F¸F ¶Fû»FeQF°FF H2 õFSF ÀFWX¸Fd°F QZ³FZ ´FS ´FcUÊ ¸FZÔ b. The bidders have to submit their bids online in electronic format with Digital Signature. The bids
1-OH
1-OH
CX»»FZdJ°F ´FidIiY¹FF A³FbÀFFS SFdVF þ¸FF IYSF³FZ ´FS CXÀFIZY ´FÃF ¸FZÔ AÀ±FFBÊ A³FbÄFF´FÂF IYe ÀUeIYÈd°F
þFSe IYe þFE¦FeÜ
cannot be uploaded without Digital Signature. No Proposal will be accepted in physical form.
c. Bids will be opened online as per time schedule.
d. Before submission of online bids, bidders must ensure that scanned copies of all the necessary
71 Mn.
Unique Users
65 Mn.
Unique Users
33 Mn.
Unique Users
documents have been attached with bid.
H2 õFSF CX´F¹FbÊ¢°F AUÀFS IZY ¶FFQ ÀFWX¸Fd°F ³FWXea QZ³FZ ´FS CXÀFZ CXÀFIYe ÀU¹Fa õFSF ¶Fû»Fe ¦FBÊ IYe¸F°F e. The department will not be responsible for delay in online submission of bids whatsoever reasons
3-OH H2 ´FS ¸FdQSF QbIYF³F QZ³FZ IYF AUÀFS dQ¹FF þFUZ¦FFÜ ¹FdQ BÀF IYe¸F°F ´FS ·Fe H2 õFSF ¸FdQSF may be.
QbIYF³F ³FWXeÔ »Fe þF°Fe WX` °Fû CXÀFIYe A¸FF³F°F SFdVF þ¶°F IYS H3 IYû IiY¸FVF: H1 EUÔ H2 õFSF f. All the required information for bid must be filled and submitted online.
g. The details of cost of documents, EMD specified in the tender documents should be the same, as
2-OH ´FiÀ°Fb°F ´FiÀ°FFdU°F UFd¿FÊIY ¦FFS³MXe SFdVF ´FS CXÀF ¸FdQSF QbIYF³F IYû »FZ³FZ WXZ°Fb AUÀFS dQ¹FF þF¹FZ¦FFÜ submitted online (scanned copies) otherwise bid will not be accepted.
h. Bidders can contact the undersigned for any guidance for getting DSC or any other relevant details
1-OH °FÈ°Fe¹F CX©F°F¸F ¶Fû»FeQF°FF H3 õFSF ÀFWX¸Fd°F QZ³FZ ´FS ´FcUÊ ¸FZÔ CX»»FZdJ°F ´FidIiY¹FF A³FbÀFFS SFdVF in respect of e-tendering process.
1-OH þ¸FF IYSF³FZ ´FS CXÀFIZY ´FÃF ¸FZÔ AÀ±FFBÊ A³FbÄFF´FÂF IYe ÀUeIYÈd°F þFSe IYe þFUZ¦FeÜ H3 õFSF i. Bidders are advised to use “My Documents” area in their user on www.jktenders.gov.in, e-tendering
CX´F¹FbÊ¢°F AUÀFS IZY ¶FFQ ÀFWX¸Fd°F ³FWXeÔ QZ³FZ ´FS CXÀFZ CXÀFIYe ÀU¹Fa õFSF ¶Fû»Fe ¦FBÊ IYe¸F°F H3 ´FS portal to store important documents like Experience certificate, Balance sheet, VAT Certificate, sales
3-OH Tax Clearance Certificate and other related documents etc., and attach these certificates as Non-
¸FdQSF QbIYF³F QZ³FZ IYF AUÀFS dQ¹FF þFUZ¦FFÜ ¹FdQ BÀF IYe¸F°F ´FS ·Fe H3 õFSF ¸FdQSF QbIYF³F ³FWXeÔ Statutory documents while submitting their bids.
2-OH »Fe þF°Fe WX` °Fû CXÀFIYe A¸FF³F°F SFdVF þ¶°F IYS »Fe þF¹FZ¦FeÜ j. Bidders are advised not to make any change in BOQ (Bill of Quantities) contents or its name. In no
case they should attempt to create similar BOQ manually. The BOQ downloaded should be used for
3-OH 9. ÀFRY»F ¶Fû»FeQF°FF õFSF ÀF¸´Fc¯FÊ ²FSûWXS SFdVF dQ³FFÔIY 23.06.2021 °FIY þ¸FF IYSF³Fe WXû¦FeÜ filling the net item rate inclusive of all taxes and it should be saved with the same as it contains.
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10. ÀFRY»F ¶Fû»FeQF°FF IYû kkd³F²FFÊdS°F Ad¦Fi¸F UFd¿FÊIY ¦FFS³MXe SFdVFll EUÔ kkd³F²FFÊdS°F IY¸´FûdþMX White, JPEG Scan properly, convert scanned images to PDF.
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gov.in
11. E¸F.EÀF.MXe.ÀFe. WXZ»´F-OXZÀIY ´FS IYF¹FFÊ»F¹F ÀF¸F¹F ¸FZÔ ¸FF¦FÊQVFʳF d»F¹FF þF ÀFIY°FF WX`Ü (As per J&K Finance Department Order No: - A/24(2017)-651, Dated: - 07-06-2018, furnishing of

12. A³¹F VF°FZË ´FcUÊU°F SWXZa¦FeÜ

Dy. Head (HR)
“HEALTHY LIVER – HEALTHY INDIA”
24 Hr Emergency, Liver Ambulance &
Helpline: 1-800-11-5354, Ph.: 011-463 00 000
DIP/Shabdarth/0096/21-22
hard copies of bids immediately after submission of e-tenders is dispensed with. Hence hardcopies
need not to be submitted. The hardcopies along with EMD shall be obtained from the bidder who is
Scan the code to advertise
CX´F¹FbÊ¢°F IZY ÀFÔ¶FÔ²F ¸FZÔ dUÀ°FÈ°F dQVFF d³FQZÊVF, VF°FZË °F±FF A³FbÄFF´F³F WXZ°Fb CX´F»F¶²F QbIYF³FûÔ IYe d³F²FFÊdS°F ÀFc¨Fe
declared as L1(Lowest Bidder) for each of the item on tender as per BOQ evaluation after opening of
Financial bids).
with HT Media Group
¸F¹F dUUS¯F dU·FF¦Fe¹F UZ¶FÀFFBÊMX https://www.rajexcise.gov.in EUÔ E¸F.EÀF.MXe.ÀFe. a. Position of Funds:- The GMS Tubes are required for petty and maintenance/emergent nature/
NRDWP/JJM works etc, of the Department, so the funds availability shall be ensured by/ or before
d»Fd¸FMXZOX IYe UZ¶FÀFFBÊMX https://www.mstcecommerce.com ´FS CX´F»F¶²F WX`Ü
AF¶FIYFSXe AF¹Fb¢°F,
the supply orders are placed with the lowest firms.
No.: JSD/QCPD/692-723 Sd/-
Source: Comscore MMX Multi-platform
Dipr/c/5586/2021 SXFªFÀ±FF³F CXQ¹F´FbSX
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DIPK-2876-21
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Unique Users | Geo: India, March '21
NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
JUNE 13, 2021 News 07
{ DELHI UNLOCKS } LIMITED WEEKLY MARKETS MAY BE ALLOWED
SDMC STARTS
ONLINE FACILITY TO
Restaurants likely to reopen COLLECT E-WASTE
at 50% capacity from Monday HT Correspondent
htreporters@hindustantimes.com

HT Correspondent
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: The state govern-
ment is likely to allow restau-
rants with 50% capacity and a
limited number of weekly mar-
kets to open from Monday, sen-
ior government officials said on
Saturday.
An official added that open-
ing salons is also under active
consideration.
Chief minister Arvind Kejri-
wal is likely to announce the
new set of relaxations on Sun-
day afternoon, said officials.
“Once allowed, restaurants
{ MEGHALAYA MINE }
will have to follow social dis-
tancing norms like they did dur-
ing the previous unlock process.
There will be enhanced enforce-
ment in weekly markets too
which will be strictly regulated.
They will be opened on a zonal
basis, with restrictions,” said a
senior official on condition of
anonymity.
As part of the unlock process,
shops in malls, markets and
liquor shops in the Capital were
allowed to open on an odd-even
basis from 10am to 8pm from
June 7. Stand-alone and neigh-
bourhood shops were allowed
on all days from 10am to 8pm.
Government and private offices
have also been allowed to func-
tion, with up to 50% of their
staff. The Delhi Metro was also
allowed to resume its services.
Delhi on Saturday witnessed
a further drop in the daily count
of Covid-19 cases as it registered
213 new infections in the last 24
hours, according to the state
health bulletin. The active case-
load, which stood at 3,922 on
Friday, dropped to 3,610 in the
last 24 hours, the Capital’s Cov-
id-19 dashboard showed.
The test positivity rate is at
it’s lowest since February, when
it stood at 0.25%.
NEW DELHI: The South Delhi
Municipal Corporation (SDMC )
has started an online facility to
collect e-waste and ensure its
scientific disposal. The civic
agency has partnered with a pri-
vate company to dispose of old
and unserviceable IT equipment
and other electronic items from
offices, households, resident
welfare associations (RWAs) and
markets under the jurisdiction of
the SDMC.
Municipal officials said that as
per the agreement, the private
firm will purchase e-waste from
the citizens through tenders and
will ensure its safe disposal. The
e-waste will be collected on the
basis of requests received on the
online system.
“The ministry of environment,
forest and climate change has

Five trapped for 13 days, notified the E-waste Manage-

ment Rules, 2016, following
which the SDMC has engaged a
private firm, RBH E-Waste Recy-

Navy to join rescue ops

cle Hub Pvt Ltd, on the basis of
open tender... To ensure proper
disposal, the corporation has
launched an application https://

Press Trust of India ing a dynamite explosion on May

letters@hindustantimes.com
SHILLONG: The Indian Navy,
which was able to pull out three
bodies from a flooded mine in
Meghalaya using a sophisticated
machine in 2019, will be joining
operations to rescue five miners
trapped for 13 days in another
such illegal coal mine in the state,
an official said on Saturday.
The water level in the mine at
Umpleng in East Jaintia Hills dis-
trict, which was decreasing for
the past few days due to dewater-
ing exercise, has gone up again to
37.5 metre following rain affect-
ing rescue operation.
Around 60 personnel of the
National Disaster Response Force
(NDRF) and various state agen-
cies are waiting for the water
level to come down to about 10
metres in the 152-metre-deep pit,
as that is the maximum level in
which they can work. “A team of
rescuers from the Indian Navy
are on their way to (district head-
quarters) Khliehriat to assist us,”
East Jaintia Hills Deputy Com-
missioner E Kharmalki told PTI.
A magistrate posted at the site
said that the Navy team has div-
ers and is equipped with
machines. However, it is not
Rescue operations underway
at the coal mine. PTI
immediately known whether the
Navy divers will bring the
remotely operated vehicle (ROV),
with the help of which they had
managed to locate three bodies
weeks after the shaft of another
mine at Lumthari in the same
district was filled with water
from a river on December 13,
2018.
The unmanned ROV had been
sent down the flooded rat- hole
coal mine to determine visibility
inside it.
At least five people have been
identified by the district admin-
istration - four from Assam and
one from Tripura - who got stuck
somewhere inside the rat-hole
mine after it was flooded follow-
30. The rat-hole mine at
Umpleng, about 20 km from
Khliehriat, the headquarters of
East Jaintia Hills district, was
flooded after a dynamite explo-
sion on May 30. Hazardous rat-
hole coal mining is not permit-
ted in Meghalaya after the
National Green Tribunal (NGT)
banned it in 2014.
A deep vertical shaft is dug till
coal seams are found in the rat-
hole mining. Once the seams are
found, coal is taken out through
small holes along the horizontal
line of the coal seams.
Six co-workers of the trapped
miners escaped the tragedy as
they were outside the mine at the
time of the incident.
The police have arrested the
owner of the coal mine, Shining
Langstang, and charged him
with violation of the NGT order
banning unscientific mining and
transportation of coal.
The ‘Sordar’ (mine manager)
is on the run and a lookout
notice has been issued since he
was the one who brought
migrant workers from Assam
and Tripura to work in the illegal
mine, a senior police officer said.
Based on the account of the
survivors, an FIR was registered.
ewaste.mcdservices.online for
submitting the online request for
collecting e-waste. Citizens can
raise the request on this portal
and the vendor will collect the
e-waste from their doorsteps as
per approved rates of e-waste,”
said an SDMC spokesperson.
“Currently, people sell e-waste
to random scrap dealers, who
either dispose them without any
scientific procedure or sell them
to other firms,” the official said.
Officials said SDMC has fixed
rates for e-waste items and listed
them on the civic body’s website.
A TWTW
THE WEEK THAT WAS
ANSWERS
01. The world’s most
liveable cities
02. Poha
03. Watermelon
04. Women
05.Lilibet
06. South Africa
07. Los Angeles
08. Anonymous
09. Nigeria
10. Fastly
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New Delhi, Sunday, June 13, 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}

FARMS
GURUGRAM

WESTEND GREENS ANSAL PUSHPANJALI

1 Acre to 5 Acres 1 Acre to 5 Acres
KANGANHERI BIJWASAN MAIN RD.
1 Acre to 50 Acres 1 Acre to 10 Acres
SOUTH DELHI CHEAPEST LAND IN DELHI
DHANSA MAIN ROAD & SIDE ROAD
1 To 200 Acres Personal Property with Sale Deed Near KMP Express Highway.
YOUR DREAM Home Godrej
SUKHBIR SHOKEEN
SHOKEEN
Summit Sec-104 Dwarka Ex-way Ggn
1500sft. 3BHK 300 fmly Happily Stay
ing, Pool/Tennis Court, Dream Come
True, Value for Money 9873340866

FOR LEASE/ Sale Commercial

Office Space, 2950 Sq ft,
DCG-2-0509, DLF Corporate
Green Sector 74A, Gurugram.

REAL ESTATE PVT. LTD. (SINCE

Contact : 7054802447
1980)

9810108263
CR PARK New 160 Yds FF 3 BR D/D
Stilt Prkg , Near Mkt & Metro. Also
275 Yds GF New, Corner, Park
Facing, Indp Prkg. Pahwa & Co.
WE HAVE NO BRANCH.
9810888826, 9810007100

FARMS
WANTED KOTHI/ Collaborations
Vasant Vihar Anand Niketan, Shanti
Niketan, Westend & SJE, Green Park
Hauz Khas Neeti Bagh Panchsheel.
Defence Colony # 9899755500
SARITA VIHAR : want to buy 3
Bedroom, GF-Pocket-A in exchange
of 2 Bedroom,1st Floor, Pocket-B +
diff amount. Interested please

PROPERTY/DLF - SUSHANT LOK contact owner: 9050010417

SAFDARJUNG ENCLAVE 250y
first floor. Corner, near Park.

GADAIPUR ANSAL SATBARI

Part of big plot. Lot of Greenery
around the house. Ample Parking.
Call Owner 9811271317
ANAND LOK Park Facing Bsmt+GF

JONAPUR SULTANPUR
/FF in Booking 400 Sq.Yd Vastu Per-
fect, Vasant Vihar 1000 yd Indepen-
dent House for sale.Genuine Buyers
may Call Agarwal 9810000859
DEFENCE COLONY 217 sq.yds,

DLF CHATTARPUR RADHEY MOHAN

Freehold, Ground Floor 3 Bedrooms,
Drawing/Dining, Servant Quarter,
Contact: Hoshiar Singh Rawat
9811120448

MAGNOLIAS ULTRA-LUXURY
apartments for sale with great views
KOTHI FULLY furnished for sale in
Bhogal ( 85 Sq.Yds )4 B.R., attached INDUSTRIAL LAND AVAILABLE IN HARYANA
SUKHBIR SHOKEEN
Toilets,D.R, Dining room, kitchen,
at Gurugram. Contact - 9999989350 servant, Store, Terrace, parking,

SHOKEEN
Duplex. Reasonable price. 24-B,
Bhogal Lane Bhogal, N.D (Janta
book store wali gali) # 9818332430.
NFC KOTHI D-block, 300 sq.yd
3 storey prime location/Floors with
terrace 500 sq.yd, separate drive-
way, Kothi/Floors 300-500 sq.yd,
wide road. # Goel 9810062512

REAL ESTATE PVT. LTD. (SINCE

DLF BUILDER Floor 500yd old EXCLUSIVE MANDATE 316 Sq. 500 SYD + 500syd pair DLF-1 Lux-
const @ Reasonable deal First floor Yds 5 BHK Ultra Luxury Brand New ury Duplex Bungalow with Neigh-
1980)

12m Road near Market/ Brand New
Kothi also avbl with lift Swim pool
theatre @ best Price. 9868033463
NEW BASEMENT, Sec-56, 18
mtr rd. Corner 350yd 2150sft, ind.
entry. reception, kitchen & toilets.
Suits doc, Arch, agents. Brokers
welcome 2%. Owner 9810047003
PLOTS DLF A-200@2.00, P-215 @
2.25, L-16 250@2.15, M-250@2.25,
M-300@2.25, K-400 Crnr @2.25, Q-1
500@2.25, ANM-500@2.25, H-1000
@14, Suncity 250 @1.85. 9810112870
DLF I, 150 syds 3bhk livable - plot
rate Walking from Rapid metro
Priced @ 2.85cr only Contact
owner- 8076605103
TIME TOWER, MG Road,
Exclusive Units, Super Area 3200
Sqft & 3103 Sqft each with 3 Car
Parking & Signage Av'ble for MNC
Lease. 7428027309
DLF-I 500Y C11 Crnr, C2 B19 A11;
Park fc 360y D6/ 500y C6 A23; Arjun
Mg 500/1000y; Shahtoot Mg 1000y;
DLF-II 215y J4 Park fc, J3 M12 P4;
Akshnm Mg 400y; SL-I 300y Park fc
DLF CITY-II, Builder Floor Ground,
Floor, 200 yards, 3 bedroom,
No stilt One Car Park. Old Well
Maintained Building. @130/.
Deeparul Estate. 9811068621.
IMMEDIATE SALE Palatial
Bungalow on 2600 yards in Malibu
Town 4 side open. Ample car
parking, Gated complex. Rajeev
Mittal Estates Pvt. Ltd. 9811017103
DLF-I 500Y N-East fac B.New 3rd/
4th Flr 4 BHK, Lobby, SQ, Sept Gate
Stilt Parking, Ready & S.Lok-I 500y
East fac 3rd/4th Flr 4 BHK,Possessi-
on in 2 months.JS Prop 9899003326
DLF CITY 1 Confirmed Best located
Plots 500 / 1000 yards on Arjun
Marg / Shahtoot Marg / Amaltas
Marg. Rajeev Mittal Estates
Pvt. Ltd. 9811017103
TOP FLOOR with terrace,
ready builder floors 3-4 bhk
(200-500 yds) Sushant Lok-I,2,3,
DLF, Greenwood, South City. Call
NSS Realtors 9090101097
Villa, 14 Bodhi Marg, DLF 1, East Fac-
ing, 24 Mtr. Rd., Front Lawn, B'ment,
H.Theater / jacuzzi / steam / lift.
ROSEWOOD CITY Plot B, C Block
345, 584 syd @1.25 syd, Susuhant
LOk-II 300 yd old house @3.75 Cr.,
South City-II 360 yd @1.20 wide
choice Call: 9871733088
FLOORS: DLF Ph-I 502syd @
3.75Cr., DLF Ph-II 300syd @2.90Cr,
Sushant LOk-I 215 @1.65Cr, 300yd
@2.30Cr., DLF-IV 360yd @ 2.80Cr.
Call 98109-21797
DLF FLOORS K-200 GF Park@1.35,
GOLF COURSE Rd (SL-2) J-215 SF+TR@1.20, K-300 FF@1.55,
luxury 4bhk (3000ft) UGF, East,
J-300 SF+TR@1.65, M-300 GF @1.60,
ready, Daikin, Schindler, Hafele,
M-300 B+GF @1.90, N-300 FF@1.50,
Sony, Grohe fittings, 90sec from N-250 SF+TR@1.25. 9871177425
GC Rd@2.75Cr.Builder9810011187
290 SYD Sushant Lok-I (3 side
corner plot ) back park, side park,
DLF FLOOR : 316 Yds , Park, North south facing excellent location @
East facing, 4 BHK+ Servant. Power
5Cr. Ahluwalia Estate 9811346454,
backup, gated security. Mind 9911346454
blowing interiors. Owner :
9811047417
DLF BUILDER Floors 502yd 5 BHK,
Corner, East/402 yd 4 BHK 18 Mtr
Road/300YD 4 BHK, Park/250 yd 4
BHK, North/215 yd 3 BHK, Stilt Park-
ing & Lift 9811089079/9810889079
F-66 GREENWOOD City,
Park facing 3BHK 215yd new luxu-
ry builder floors gated 100% PBU
best living. 1km huda city.Brokers
welcome. Owner 9810047003
bouring park 100% Vastu Compliant
close to Sukhchain Marg & Many
More VFM options.Call 99900-01166
BRAND NEW Corner ultra Luxury
Floors DLF 2 - 680yd 4Bhk lift stilt/
booking for 1000yd 5Bhk Near by
NH-8, MG Rd, Golf Rd, Metro, Market
etc best price call/Wapp 9313556669
DLF-I PLOTS 200 Yd 12 Mtr/DLF-II
Plots 215 Yd-300 Yd-400 Yd 12 Mtr
/DLF-I Plots 500 Yd, 12 Mtr, East,
Good Location and Facing
9811089079/9810889079
DLF- AVAILABLE Plots & Kothis
316-500 Exclusive deals park facing
corner. Also 500 Plot Moulsary &
Siris North/ East facing.
9810165528/ 9810165532
NORTH DELHI
BEST DEALS Civil Line 300-3500yd.
Farms Westend/Chattarpur &
around. BD Estate / Model Town
& Kothi Hudson Line 160yds.
Neelam M.Sc, B.Ed. 9873255806
BISHT PROPERTIES Pvt. Ltd.
(Since 1980) Managed by Retd. Govt.
officer. Sale, Purchase, Rent & Colla-
boration. All Sectors in Rohini. 9811-
134984, 9650045100, 9999784468
EAST DELHI
AN OFFICE on Vikas Marg, Delhi,
Near to Laxmi Nagar Metro, 1st
floor, approved building, carpet
area 230 sq. ft. is available for sale.
Cont: 9811633035, 9810033035
FREEHOLD 100 Sqft North
facing shop for sale DDA Mkt
Yamuna Vihar Near Metro Station
# 9312389199
CENTRAL DELHI
REQUIRE 1200/ 2000yds Vasant
Vihar. Farms Westend / Chattarpur /
Golf Link / Lutyen / For Sale
1000yds GK-I Vastu Perfect Kothi.
Neelam M.Sc, B.Ed. 9873255806
RENTED PROPERTIES at CP
Bharat Petroleum 91K, Govt Com-
pany 1.42L, European Infrastructure
1.10L All rentals are reasonably low
with new long leases 9873340866
WEST DELHI
KIRTI NAGAR Super Deluxe Floors
200,300, 500, 3 side Corner. Free-
Hold Industrial Plots Kirti Nagar-
Rama Road Available. Chopra
Properties 9811031223, 41410393.
SALE/ RENT Commercial Spaces
Near Metro Station Janakpuri West/
Bus Stop, Huge Signage. Area 350 to
3600 sq.ft. Contact: 9871713005,
9718585112, 9868489996
JANAKPURI /VIKASPURI Free-
hold Kothi/ Floor 125/150/200/225/
300 /325/400/419/666/800 for Im-
mediate Sale. Heights Prop. Solution
(P) Ltd. 9811035422, 9999456789.
WANTED BANK Rented Property
Ground floor 1500-2000 Sqft & also
wanted East Patel Nagar decent
Ground floor (old/new) Ahuja 7303-
599939, 9582254980, 25886811
WEST DELHI
VASANT VIHAR, 400 sq. yds,
Third Floor 4 Bedrooms D/D,
Entire Terrace, Power Backup,
Stilt Parking, Immediate Sale.
Salwan: 9810063891, 9810062871
PNSHIL 350Y FF4br lift sq car 4.35
GK-I (300)y FF 4br lift 2stilt car4.75
Okhla-I(600/1400)y prime loc @1.25
Shop CRPark main rd GF+toilet 1.25
9810017982, 9810364472 Bahlsons
PANCHSHEEL PARK price 14 Cr
negotiable 800yd superb construc-
tion 4 beds att bath D/dining lobby
kitchen lift stilt 4 car parking ready
to shift 9811654291 Rajender
KOTHI IN GK-1, Area 208 Sqyd,
Prime Location, Ample Car Parking,
Broker Excuse, Call #7838871114
VASANT VIHAR 400 & 600 sq.yd
Park Facing First Floor & Third with
Terrace specious 4 Bedrooms D/D,
Private Lift & Elevator best Builder.
Rajesh Kathuria 9810209711
GULMOHAR ENCLAVE , DDA
SFS 3BHK Ground Floor , Freehold ,
Corner, Park Facing, SE Facing,
Gated Colony., Small Lawn
Contact : 8368987382
MINI FARM
VASANT KUNJ
½ Acre For Sale
Land of
1200 & 2400 Sq Yards,
East Facing,
Vastu Perfect,
Peaceful Location
Plot on Church Road
Contact Owner:
9870510654
VASANT VIHAR 600y B+GF new
@11.60. Hemkunt 450y E/facing SF
@ 6.40. SDA 500y SF P/F lift new
@7.80. G.K-2 1000y SF @ 7.90. PPS
9818881000, 9599808726
9810108263
WE HAVE NO BRANCH.
SOUTH DELHI
BUYERS & Investors. This is right
time to switch your investment into
Agricultural land for Capital Gain &
Fast Capital Appreciation. at
Moradabad. 9873340866
FLRS : P'Shil 1200y FF 5BR @18Cr &
800 SF 12.5;V.Vhr 800 FF 4BR@15.5;
Westend 500 all Flrs; S.Ex-II, 1000y
P/F SF 5BR @14.5; HzKhasEncl 670y
Cnr FF/SF 5BR each. 9999996796
VASANT VIHAR 600 SQ.YD.
Bsmt+GF 4beds duplex @12cr !
Def.Col 400 F.Flr Corner @ 8 cr
Amrita Shergil 3BHK duplex @12
Aman Bajaj 98100-81588
KOTHI /FLRS: Anand Lok 400yds
House ;V.Vhr 450y P/F House. V.Vhr
440y SF/TF+T; Anand Lok 800y SF/
TF+T; H.Khas Enc 630y FF P/F@10.5;
Saket 500y FF/SF New.#7982156567
D 12, Anand Niketan, 263 sq yards
available Third Floor 3 Bedroom D/D
with Terrace, Stilt Parking. Posses-
sion July 2021. Brokers Welcome:
Salwan 9810062871, 9810063891
SOUTH DELHI NOIDA/GREATER NOIDA NOIDA/GREATER NOIDA
48 LACS Only: 2 BHK, 2 bathrooms, URGENT WANTED Industrial
1 big balcony and car parking in Plots 8000 to 12000 sq.mtr. in Site
B & C, Ecotech-I, II, III & Extn.
Chirag Delhi (South Delhi) Call
urgently on: 9920252494 Greater Noida. Genuine Seller
Contact only # 9354745589
GREATER KAILASH Park facing
luxury floors G.floor +Bsmnt duplex BEST LOCATION resi plot Sec-44.
4 beds att bath with sep driveway 450, 300mtr F&G wide rd E/park
CONFIRM INDUSTRIAL Plots facing & 450mtr Sec -46,108. 24 mtr
and lift also F.F. And top floor 4 beds
1000mtr /155, 1000 mtr /63, 250mtr rd. East facing. Ank- 9810207945,
ready to move 9811654291 Rajender
/63, 1270 mtr/57, 800mtr/57, 9810061531
1350mtr /81, 3000mtr/80 & 4000
mtr in Ph-2 & more # 9810496262
GHAZIABAD
PLOTS 300/360 mt park & 18m
rd Sec 30/ 36/ 50, 300/ 450mt Cnr,
park Sec 44/938, 450mt G.Belt
Sec-48/50/51,162/ 200/ 450 Sec 105
/108/ 92. Venus 9810417663
NEB SARAI, IGNOU Road, Near
MCD School, 1100 sq.ft, 3BHK Flat,
3 toilet DD Modular kitchen,
Semi-furn., Lift, Car Parking,
Registry @ 45 Lac. # 9968246753
FOR SALE- Gf Resi Flat 1850 Sqft In
Crossing Republik With Car Pkg,
Club, Gym, First Class Condition.
SANT NAGAR 186 Sq yads,
Good Resi Society, Contact -
3 Bedrooms, D/D, Third Floor, Corner,
Adjoining Park Near Nehru Palace
RESIDENTIAL PLOTS Sector 44/ 9891327022
300 & 450 mtr 47/450 mtr corner,
Reasonable Price Immdt. Sale.
Contact- 9811612289, 9811026495 105/450 mtr corner 27 / 450 mtr
green belt, 51/350 mtr, 72/300mtr,
& 61/ 250mtr # 9560106262
JP KALYPSO 3BHK higher floor
excellent golf course view for sale.
Contact 9999989350
300 MTR, 450mtr North East Plots FARM HOUSE on Main NH-24 at
& Kothi Sec-15A,44,46,47,48,92,93B Indirapuram 1-1.5Acre with b'ful
200,300,450 Plots in Sec-105, 108, Cottage 50yrs old Trees & Registry.
VASANT VIHAR, 600 sq yds, 92Ind Plots& Factory450-8000 mtr on Elevated rd, New Meerut Ex-way,
North facing clear title Independent
Ph I,II,III #9810170178,9871392196 Near Hindon Metro 9873340866
Bungalow for immediate sale.
Contact D. Salwan: 9910034566
FARM HOUSE 2.5 & 1.5 Acres, Top
Location Dera Mandi (South Delhi),
Contemporary, 5 Bedrooms, lounges,
Swimming Pool, Beautiful Landscap-
ing, Vastu perfect.# 9899017788
NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
JUNE 13, 2021 News 09
Red alert issued for Mumbai IMA PLANS TO HOLD
PROTEST ACROSS
COUNTRY AGAINST
ATTACKS ON DOCS
NEW DELHI: The Indian Medical
Association will hold a protest on
June 18 against assaults on doc-
tors, with a slogan of “save the sav-
iours”.
In a statement, the apex medi-
cal body asked all its state and
local branches across the country
to observe the protest by wearing
black badges, masks, ribbons,
shirts and running awareness
campaign against violence target-
ing health care professionals.
The IMA said press conferences
will also be organised and they will
also meet local NGOs and volun-
tary service leaders. It termed
“extremely disturbing” a series of
violence against doctors in the last
two weeks in Assam, Bihar, West
Bengal, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Kar-
nataka and other places.
A car wades through a waterlogged road after heavy rain lashed Mumbai on Saturday. The India It demanded the implementa-
Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a ‘red alert’ for the city on Sunday and an ‘orange tion of central hospital and Health
alert’ for June 14 (Monday). PRATIK CHORGE/HT PHOTO Care Professionals Protection Act
with IPC and Code of Criminal
Procedure (CrPC), standardisation
and augmentation of security in
{ PVT HOSPITALS IN DELHI } each hospital, and declaring hospi-
tals as protected zones among oth-

‘Not viable to run jab centres ers.

“Action Committee of IMA,
after considering all the aspects

with ₹150 cap on service fee’

Anonna Dutt
anonna.dutt@htlive.com
NEW DELHI: Several private
hospitals in the Capital have
shut drive-through and out-
reach Covid-19 vaccinations in
offices and colonies, arguing
that the ₹150 cap on service
charge imposed by the Centre
does not allow them to ade-
quately recover costs involved
in the inoculation process.
One of the Capital’s first
drive-through vaccination cen-
tres, set up at a mall in Dwarka
by Akash Healthcare, which
provided free shots to the
under-privileged, shut on Fri-
day, after the hospital said it
was no longer viable to run.
“...We have decided to stop it
now, owing to the new vaccina-
tion pricing, as running it has
become non-viable now,” the
hospital said in a statement.
As he announced free vacci-
nes for Indian states on Mon-
day, Prime Minister Narendra
Modi said private hospitals will
be allowed to charge a maxi-
mum service charge of ₹150 on
the fixed price of the jabs.
Hospitals have, however,
said this fee is too low to cover
the cost of maintaining the cold
chain, transporting consuma-
bles, medical staff, ambulances,
and proper bio-medical waste
disposal.
Madhukar Rainbow hospi-
tal, which had set up outreach
vaccination points in various
colonies with the help of the
local resident welfare organisa-
tions, said the centres are all
incurring losses.
“There is the cost of the vac-
cine, and many additional costs
if we set up outreach camps.
We need to pay for the ambu-
lance, the nurse and doctors,
dispose of the biomedical waste
properly. There is a cost to all
of this. We are planning to send
a letter to the government ask-
ing them to review the prices
for these outreach camps,” said
Dinesh Vashishth, COO of the
hospital.
Earlier, Fortis Healthcare, in
a statement also said the ₹150
cap was too little to run out-
reach centres.
“Unfortunately, the cap of
service charge at ₹150 will not
cover the additional costs
incurred for such off-site vacci-
nation camps which involve
substantial costs like ambu-
lance, transport, extra staff and
doctor, plus TDS involved in
many cases. We urge the gov-
ernment to consider a higher
charge for off-site vaccination
camps to enable expanded cov-
erage,” the hospital had said in
a statement the day the
announcement was made by
the Prime Minister.
“The ₹150 charge is enough
for hospitals to carry out vacci-
nation at their premises but it
is too less if they need to set up
drive-throughs and outreach
camps... The problem was that
many hospitals started charg-
ing an overhead cost of ₹300 to
₹400, which is why the govern-
ment had to step in to regulate
the prices. We need to rational-
ise this cost; we will pick this
issue up in the next meeting,”
said Girdhar Gyani, director
general of Association of
Healthcare Providers (India) –
an organisation of over 10,000
health care providers from
across India.
and to express our concern, anger
and solidarity, has decided to
observe the 18th June 2021 as IMA
National Protest Day with demand
to stop assault on the profession
and the professionals with the slo-
gan ‘Save the Saviors’,” the medical
body said.
It further said that June 15 will
be observed as a National Demand
Day and press meets will held
across the country by branches.
On yoga exponent Ramdev’s
alleged recent disparaging
remarks against allopathy, the
IMA said the legal course is under-
way and it will be followed up.
“Ramdev has now issued the new
statement saying that ‘Doctors are
devdoots’ and he will also go for
vaccination. But the mental agony/
verbal violence inflected on us, is
unforgettable,” it said. PTI
POSTGRADUATE INSTITUTE OF
MEDICAL EDUCATION & RESEARCH
CHANDIGARH
SHORT TERM TENDER
NOTICE-2021-22/08
ALLOTMENT OF SHOPS/SITES
Sealed tenders are invited for licensing out
built up Chemist Shop at Emergency Block for
sale of medicines, drugs and surgical items at
PGIMER, Sector 12, Chandigarh. Tender form
containing all terms and conditions can be
seen and downloaded from PGI website http://
pgimer.edu.in.
Website: http://pgimer.edu.in
PGI-RC Advt. 21-HR-000399 DIRECTOR

THE MATH EXPERT

PRESENTS

JAMMU MUNICIPAL CORPORATION

TOWN HALL, JAMMU
e-NIT No. 01JCRE of 2021-22 Dated: 04.06.2021 Learn. Participate. Win.
The Joint Commissioner (R&E), Jammu Municipal Corporation, on behalf of
Commissioner, Jammu Municipal Corporation invites bids from eligible bidders of POWERED BY
appropriate class registered with the UT of Jammu & Kashmir/other UTs or State
Governments/Central Government/PSUs for the execution of the work mentioned in
the table below on PPP mode of contract.
Subject Matter of Notice inviting Online Bids to Install, operate, and
Procurement maintain the IT-based Smart Parking Management
System for Jammu city CODING FOR CAUSE PARTNER
Approx. value of the Project INR 900.00 Lakh
Bid Document Fee INR 9000/- (Rupees Nine Thousand only)
Date and time for Pre-bid Date/Time: 15.06.2021 14.00 Hrs
Meeting Place: Office of the Joint Commissioner (R&E),
Jammu Municipal Corporation, Jammu.

WINS BIG AT THE PRESTIGIOUS

Manner, Start Date for
submission of Bids
Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India End Date for submission
of Bids
Manner: Online on e-Procurement website
http://jktenders.gov.in
Start Date & Time: 04.06.2021 1000 Hrs.
Upto 22.06.2021 at 1500 Hrs.

Appointment of Chairperson
Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India,
New Delhi invites applications from Indian nationals for
the post of Chairperson in Insolvency and Bankruptcy
Board of India, a statutory body established under the
Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016.
For application format, eligibility conditions, requisite
qualifications, other details like terms and conditions
for service etc. log on to Ministry of Corporate Affairs’
website www.mca.gov.in or www.ibbi.gov.in.
davp 07101/11/0003/2122
Date and Time of opening of Date & Time: 24.06.2021 at 1400 Hrs.
Technical Bid
The online tender complete in all respects along with scanned copy of Bid declaration
Form and other documents. The cost of tender documents amounting to Rs. 9,000/-
in favour of Chief Accounts Officer, Jammu Municipal Corporation, Jammu shall
be borne by the bidder either in shape of DD or through e-challan thereby simply
uploading the copy of the necessary treasury e.-challan/receipt or online payment on
http://www.jmcjammu.org/online-payment.html.
The original instrument shall be submitted in the office of the Joint Commissioner
(Adm), Municipal Corporation, Jammu only by the Highest quoted bidder H1
within three days after opening of the financial bids. Other details and terms/
conditions are contained in the RFP document and can be downloaded from the Site
www.jktenders.gov.in or can be viewed on www.jmcjammu.org.
No. MJ/PS/JC(R&E)51-52
Sd/-
Joint Commissioner (R&E) VOTED THE BEST CAMPAIGN IN SOUTH ASIA
Dt.: 04.06.2021 Jammu Municipal Corporation
DIP-J-1011-P-21

GOLD GOLD BRONZE

Best Use of an Best Idea to Best Product

Event to Build a Grow Advertising and Tech
News Brand Sales Innovation

HONOURABLE
MENTION
Best Initiative to
Register Users

668/21(D)
North central railways www.ncr.indianrailways.gov.in @ CPRONCR
New Delhi, Sunday, June 13, 2021
TO-LET/
EAST DELHI
NORTH DELHI
ROHINI MIG society flat on
main road sector-13, saveera
appartments prime corner flat
govt. /semi govt./co. Lease only
# 9810238172 / 9868107772
SOUTH DELHI
A2/6, VASANT Vihar, New Delhi
basement, GF, 1st Floor, 2nd Floor,
2 Kitchen, 2 Dining Hall, 9 Rooms,
detach bathroom. Contact:-
9971300139, 9971859607.
P PARK-S-166 FF, East Facing,
Hill View, Studio Appt, 1 B/R,
1 Living , Pantry, Furnished,
Sunny, Airy, Security, Club, Suit
Foreigner # 9810020666
C-739, NEW Friends Colony 500yds
Ground Floor/ Second Floor 3Beds,
Car Prkg, S.Qtr, A.C's, Power Back-
Up. (Small Fmly Only) No Pets.
Owner 9811078300, 9911079300
DEFENCE COLONY park facing,
1 Room with kitchen & Bathroom,
fully furnished. Suits for working,
single/couple. Cont: Hoshiar Singh
Rawat 9811120448
GREATER KAILASH Three/
Four Bed Fooms Drawing / Dining
Lobby Lounge S.Qtr, Stilt Parking
Contact Anil Makhijani 9811047035/
Kajal 9811647035/ 29835250
PANCHSHEEL ENCLAVE, D-130,
Ground Floor, 3 Bedroom attach
bath, Drawing/ Dining, Kitchen, 2
Car parking, 265 sq yrd, Park Facing,
For Rent. Contact- 9811035001
DEFENCE COLONY 330sq.yds, GF,
3BHK, stilit 2 car parking, S.Q, 6A_C,
Fridge, Washing machine, 1 TV,
Curtains, 24 hr security, 100% PB.
Hoshiar Singh Rawat 9811120448
SALCON RASVILAS District Centre
Saket on Rent Furnished Office 3096
sq.ft Flat No-10A &11 (1st Floor),
Centrally A/C, 100% Power Backup.
# Owner 9811151888, 9810022531
DEFENCE COLONY 3 bedroom
apartment, attached baths,
2nd floor, all modern amenities.
Call 49057605, 49879152,
email: arvindchhatwal@gmail.com
AVAILABLE ON Rent 37 Rooms with
all Amenities for Nursing Home /
Hospital etc in kalkaji. Contact :
9810255525
GULMOHAR PARK 500 Yds
4 Beds, Lift, Furnished @1.7 L
Also 300 Yds 3 Beds @ 1.10L
Def.Col 325 T.Flr 3 BHK @1.35L
Aman Bajaj 98100-81588
GROOMS WANTED
BISA AGARWAL
WANTED BISA Aggarwal Delhi-NCR SM4 B'FUL khatri (kukhrain)
CA/MBA/M.Tech/Business profess-
ional handsome only never married
boy for MBA Delhi beautiful Garg Girl
Age 45/H 160. M 9810111503. Kindly
Send BHP - jagatadhar@gmail.com
ARORA
SM4 FAIR ,B'ful girl, A'Mglk, Aug87/
Varanasi/5'5",PhD, Asstt. Proff. Govt
Inst. N Delhi, 14LPA, Fthr, Brother,
Top Exec PSU M.9935534484
E- chawla761954@gmail.com
S/M FOR N/M B'ful Arora girl
25/07/90 5"5' B.ed, M.com, Convent
educated, Teacher. We're looking for
educated well settled boy from a
good family background. Delhi Res.
prefd. # 8447507125, 9968985160
SUITABLE MATCH for Punjabi
Arora Girl 25/3/85 10.50 am 5'2"
working MNC Ggm decent pkg
seeks Del/NCR match cast no bar.
Cont. 9818682286.
BRAHMIN
SUITABLE WELL Placed
Professional match for Smart
Beautiful Brahmin Doctor Girl
27 years/ 5'7" tall. Planning to run
own Cosmetology Clinic. Only Child.
Both Parents Doctors. Running own
Clinics. Contact: 9871698717, Email:
bablasharma1967@gmail.com
SUITABLE MATCH for Brahmin
36/5'2'' beautiful fair Non/Manglik
working girl Seeks well educated
settled boy Contact-8766338288,
9818210792.
KHATRI
HIGHLY QUALIFIED good looking
well established match for beautiful
Khatri girl 29, 5'-0", B.tech, 7 year
work experience in MNC. Currently
doing MBA from Singapore and part
time internship in Bausch co.
Contact - 9781484772
SOUTH DELHI
(ON RENT) Anand Niketan-300sqyd
Ground flr beautifully made 2-3 Bed-
rooms drawing dining, furnished-
unfurnished for short term & long
terms Brokers welcome9810099326
ALAKNANDA NILGIRI 3 BHK,
14 SF D/D, servant room, garage
pipegas. Only MNC Semi Govt. for
Rent. Contact Malik 9811379339,
9560789892
SAKET OFFICE West End Marg
Saidullajab, 2 Floors ie 2700 Sft each
Floor, Lift, Power Bk-up, Security &
Maintenance, Next to Metro Station,
50 Car Parking. Owner 9810040681
CENTRAL DELHI
CONNAUGHT PLACE Shops indep.
Fully Furnished Office Rent 25,000 to
45,000.00 per month area 200-400
sq ft. call:-S B ARORA 8287478317,
9810054005, 011-23351160
NOIDA/GREATER NOIDA
FARIDABAD
SECTOR 21C 600 sq ft Commercial
space available, suitable for Office,
Doctors,Tuition Centers,Yoga Center
with Toilet, Pantry, Garden. Pawan
Chutani#9810018730,0129-4041874
GURUGRAM
FOR LEASE Newly Build 115000
sq ft Industrial Space, ideal for Big
projects, Warehouses, Office Space
Sector-35, Ph-VII, Udyog Vihar,
Gurugram#9958799551,7054802447
ARAYA ULTRA-LUXURY
3BHK apartment for rent with
great views. Contact 9999989350
KHATRI
Delhi based wkg girl. 5"2" Jan, 90,
B. Ed, M.A. (edu, eng) seeks well
settled educated boy. email:
sjk42066@gmail.com
PQM4 PB Khatri MA (ECO) DSE
Fair Tall B'ful Girl 23 Nov 1989 /
7.34 PM / Delhi 5'5" Wkg In MNC
JS:ZVUV0635 M: 9899837408
E:matrimony.khanna2@gmail.com
SC/ST
SM FOR Punjabi Ad-Dharmi, B.Com,
MBA smart Girl 91,born/5'1" working
in MNC, HR Executive Gurgaon, CTC
4.5 Lacs. Family living in Delhi.
Contact 9811292037.
SOOD
AUS SETTLED Sood Bhagra fmly
seeking QM Aus citizen Sood boy for
their fair,b'ful Dec'96 born 5'4" dau-
ghter, teaching in High School Syd.
Response kumar.sood@gmail.com.
HINDU
MATCH FOR beautiful Hindu girl
29/5'3" B-Tech,MBA-United Kingdom
from affluent Family. Asst. Manager
with one of the big four consulting
firm caste no bar Cont: 9818437663
Email: rana2manju20@gmail.com
EMPLOYMENT/
ACADEMIC
CARMEL CONVENT School,
Malcha Marg, Chanakyapuri, New
Delhi- 21 requires: 1 TGT Social
Studies. Candidates fluent in English
with MA, BA (H) History/ Political
Science may apply before 26.06.2021
to vacancyatcarmel@gmail.com
ABHINAV PUBLIC School,
Recognised and affiliated to C.B.S.E.,
CU-Block, Pitampura, requires well
qualified, competent, enthusiastic,
self motivated & proficient in Eng.
with knowledge of computer. PGT-
Physics, Chemistry, English, Hindi,
History and Pol. Science, PE, TGT-
Maths, Science, Social Studies,
PRT. Send your Resume on email
ID: aps_2003@yahoo.co.in
latest by 19.06.2021.
JAIN
WANTED A match for 27 yr,
Chandigarh based, 5'9" Shwetamber
Jain girl from an affluent business
family pursuing Masters of
Engg. in Switzerland. Contact-
jain.ash2707@gmail.com
MUSLIM
BEAUTIFUL MUSLIM Sunni
Girl PSU Govt Officer 5'-4"/33 years.
Only Army / Air Force / Navy / Para
Force Officer groom required
9056683323.
SIKH
WANTED A Delhi based turbaned
or clean shaven Sikh match from
status business family for our only
daughter 32/5'4", fair and slim. We
are a business family from South
Delhi. Contact- +91- 9810385951,
Email: monkunju14@gmail.com
CLEAN SHAVEN Sikh, PQM based in
Canada /UK for a prof. wrkng girl 5'8"
, 30yrs . Father Doctor with a Defence
background. Mob 9811101866, Email-
parminder02011@gmail.com
PUNJABI
PUNJABI
PQM FOR March 83 Born V.B'ful
Consultant Neurologist Girl in USA
5’6” from Pbi Brahmin Doctors
family. Boy settled in USA preferred.
Send B/P to newmatri18@gmail.com
DLI/NCR M 4 b'ful, V.fair PB khatri
girl never married, 42/167 ( looks
younger ) NET Visiting Asstt Prof DU.
Status fmly. BHP must- 9899477131/
sachin_anand8@hotmail.com
SM FOR Punjabi Khatri Suri, Beautiful
girl 5'4", 14.10.90/ 00:05 AM/ Delhi,
Working, Graduate in Spanish &
English (Hons.) Father-Business man.
Ph: 9810823855, Whtsap: 9810523855
DIVORCEE/WIDOW
PQ MATCH for B.Tech Girl,
Delhi based well Educated Family,
Fair, B'ful, 5'3" 8.12.84, Ggn MNC,
30 LPA, Divorced amicably imme-
diately after marriage-incompat-
ible boy. Decent Marriage #
9811255041 Send BHP. Email :
drankitagupta83@gmail.com
SM4 FAIR b'ful Sikh Girl 1977, 5'4"
issueless divorce. Caste no bar. Well
sttld boy age 43-48 frm respectable
fmly & looking for early marriage
shud cont/whtsapp 8800799724.
TO BOOK YOUR AD CALL SEVEN DAYS A WEEK→
ACADEMIC
MOUNT ABU Public School, Pkt-H,
Sec-18, Rohini. Req. PGT-Eco, History,
Physical, Eng, TGT- Eng, Computer.
Send CV maisdelhi@rediffmail.com,
Walk-In Intw at 12pm on 10, 15 June
ACCOUNTS/FINANCE
REQUIRED ACCOUNTS Knowl-
edge TDS Assistant two friends, 210,
S.L House, 10 ASAF Ali road New
Delhi-110002. mail@twofriends.in,
Telephone 011-41004079.
REQ ACCOUNTANT Well Versed
+GST Tally, Accountancy, Taxation &
Billing Kwldg.Exp 5-6Yrs.B-1400,San
gam Vihar,ND-62.Good Salary #981
0646207, mbinterior74@gmail.com
ADMINISTRATION/
SECRETARIAL
ADMINISTRATOR Graduate,
2-5 years, knowledge of Tally,
Good English Communication.
Office at Vaishali, Ghaziabad
info@hrunisys.com
REQD. FEMALE Personal Secretary,
fluent in English,pleasing personality,
Broad Minded, below 30,also good
salary.freshers may apply,wapp-
8448012376,9318322421
SALES & MARKETING
REQUIRED MARKETING/
SALES Person for Delhi Based Bath
Fittings Industry Experience Pre-
ferred. Contact Mobile 9818939899.
COMPUTER/IT
ENGINEER/
PROD/TECHNICAL
A prominent engineering services
company invites suitable
candidates to apply for the
following position:
Purchase Executive
Locatio n : Central D elh i
Education : Diploma in Engineering
/ Commerce Graduate.
Experience : 3 - 5 years in Oil &
Gas / Heavy / Engineering /
Facility Management / Automobile /
Industrial / Hydraulics / Diesel Engines
/ AC Plants / Air Compressors
Interested applicant,Please email
resume on:
corporatehrd@hotmail.com



NRI
AUSTRALIAN PR, Punjabi Khatri
NM, S/W Engnr, BE, MBA, Jun 83,
5'4", seeks edu. Boy in Australia
# 9990800181 , ID:SH33202515 ,
Email: weddinglife7@gmail.com
EDUCATED MATCH Preference in MATCH
Divorcee, Non Manglik,45/ 5"4", Own
france for Sikh Girl, 33 yrs, 5'2",
working in Finance 9988661346,
0033684768126, ktn1@hotmail.fr
BRIDES WANTED
AGARWAL
HSME JAIN/GOEL boy 21.5.74
/4pm/Panipat 5’7” BE (E&C) /
60Lpa. Wkg as Engg. Manager
for a large US MNC in Noida.
Email: jain1974s@gmail.com
EXTREMELY B'FUL, tall girl for
extremely h'some, fair, tall, Agarwal
boy 28yr, Sr. Software Engr. Google
US, H-1B Visa, h'some salary, well
settled Delhi family. WhatsApp:
9910541628, rajrani9396@gmail.com
SUITABLE MATCH Aggarwal boy
BE, MBA (London),07-Sep 1989, 5'8",
Cwkg P&G Polland (Europe, reputed
DEL bsd family. Cont: 9818702961,
shashigupta442@gmail.com
BRAHMIN
SM 4 Saryuparin Brahmin boy born in
Delhi 30/5'11''/BBA, LLB. Advocate in
Delhi courts. Father B'nessman own
house in South Delhi, seeks educated
working Brahmin Girl. # 9811350951
KHATRI
PQM 4 T'Totler Khtari boy, 9.8.1986/
10 PM (Delhi) 5'11', MCA, wrkg MNC
NCR, 25 LPA, own house in Delhi.
Seeks Delhi based Punjabi girl from
respectable family. # 9310044658
Email: rituvig2017@gmail.com
ENGINEER/
PROD/TECHNICAL
AN ISO Company Required Female
Candidate for office work having Dip
in Mech. or Inst. with 1 year exp. Lo-
cation-Okhla, Delhi. M: 9310386946
CV to: pawan@vautomat.com
AN ISO Co. Req candidates for product
& vendor development having dip in
mech. or inst. with exp. min. 1 year
Location-Okhla, Delhi.M: 9311437498
CV to: chandrasen@vautomat.com
MEDICAL
REQUIRED MEDICAL Superint-
endent, Physician (MD Medicine),
Radiologist, Family Medicine, Gynae-
cologist, Quality Manager, A/c Man-
ager, R.M.O. MBBS, Physiotherapist,
Pharmacist, Medical Transcriptionist,
M.R.D. Tech., Dietician, Front Office
Executive and Staff Nurse. For Surbhi
Hospital, Sec-35, Noida, U.P. Mail
ID:- hr.surbhihospital35@gmail.com
WANTED FULL- Time Exp.
Radiologist knowing MRI/CT/ Color
Doppler (3T MRI, 194 Slice CT, 4D
USG) for City X-Ray, Tilak Nagar.
Contact: 8800297571, 9810967690
REQ ALL specialist consultants,
RMO, Nurses, PRO, Receptionist, OT
tech. Dr. Aggarwal's Wellness Multi-
speciality Hospital, Yamuna Vihar.
Dr Anuj Aggarwal #9971441117
DELHI ENT Hospital, Jasola
required Three Nursing Staff must
have DNC registration. Apply on
WhatsApp: 9811078381, 9811069625
REQD. PRO , Physician, ENT, Eye
gynae Derma S/Nurse , Pharmacist,
TPA staff, Recp. OT Tech, for 50 Beded
Hospital.in Burari Delhi # 981019-
2430,7988100964, 9312447790
RECEPTIONIST
REQ. TELECALLER (Graduate)
English Speaking, Digital Marketing,
Account Assistant, Computer Opera-
tor at Ajmeri Gate, Delhi. # 931198-
1952, drgpgargmg@gmail.com
STENO−TYPIST/
OFFICE ASST
REQD. OFFICE executive, having
Experience, knowledge of MS Office,
Salary upto Rs 20,000/-, Mobile
8882068029 , E-Mail :
chadhasudhirvp@gmail.com
EXPORT HOUSE JOBS
EXPORT HOUSE in Gurgaon
requires an Assistant Fabric
Manager & Assistant
Accountant. Email resume on:
sanjeev@ renukaexports.com
GENERAL MULTIPLE
VACANCIES
REQD. GRAPHIC Designer, Female
Telecallers & Field Boy with Bike,
office at Nangloi Delhi-41. Freshers
also apply. Call: 9990011889,
rishabhtechnosolutions@gmail.com
REQUIRED- MALE Supervisor For
Collection agency Salary 25K to 35K
or Negotiable Office-Mayur Vihar
Ph-3 Contact:- 9811070113,
011-21200666.
COSMOPOLITAN
PQM FROM upper middle cls
fmly ncr bsd/NRI/Metro cities hgt
min 5'8" for Pbi gud looking girl
12.12.84, 3.50pm Del, MBA, living
Ggn, short marriage 9810844222
REMARRIAGE
FOR Fair Beautiful, Issueless
Tax Practice, Caste No Bar, Whatsapp
: 9810107373
KHATRI
EMPLOYED MATCH 4 Mglk Sood
Boy 16.07.87/ 00:50 Chd. 5'-11"
B.Tech Wkg. MNC Noida Pkg. 10-Lac
Upper Caste Welcome
M- 9416323822,
HINDU
BENGALI BOY 29,5'8" h'som
B-tech,M.S. working at USA
no caste bar wanted b'ful
educate girl contact
binasandhya991@yahoo.com
SUITABLE MATCH for Kaya-
stha MDS from reputed college /
31/5'11"/ Rajasthan State Services
Medical Officer-Dental. Caste no
bar. Email: navshri30@gmail.com
SUITABLE MATCH for Kamboj
boy 6'1" May 1991, M.Tech & B.Tech
IIT Kharagpur. Management
Consultant at US based consultancy
firm in Gurugram, 40 lpa. Panchkula
based family, father retired as
Doctor Class-1 Officer in Chandigarh,
mother PhD. Contact 8699124252
MUSLIM
MUSLIM DEENDAR Boy, 28 yrs, 6ft,
M.Tech, Delhi based, Govt Job in
Rajya Sabha seeks Govt
Officer/Doctor/Teacher. WtsAp
biodata 79823 80456.
1800 103 1800 OR E-MAIL→ counterclassifieds@hindustantimes.com
FOR ENQUIRY CONTACT→ 011-66561389/66561161
{Sunday}
GENERAL MULTIPLE
VACANCIES
PUBLIC NOTICE
REQUIRED EXP. Executive/ Man-
ager for Account/H.R Dept/ Marketi-
ng/Operation Dept. for Facility Serv-
ices Co. Cont. 9958139569, 70119138-
04 Email: corporate@corpgroup.co.in
STOCK BROKERS
URGENT REQUIRED 2yr Experie-
nced Stock Broker/ Trader and Sales
Representative for Broking firm.
Contact: sonsdhingra@gmail.com
#011-46567375/9810468269
WORK FROM HOME
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From Home, if you can write English
Language then you can Earn 50,000/-
to 1,00,000/- per month. Call Now #
7417948717,9811730307 (Ltd. Seats)
DESIGNERS
REQ. GRAPHIC Designer / DTP
Operator having Good Knowledge of
Corel draw, Photoshop. Exp. 2-5yrs
in Netaji Subhash Place, Pitampura
# 9811236960, nssdel@gmail.com
COMPUTER
OPERATOR
A COMPANY Required Computer
Operator having graduation for
office work. Location- F-61, Okhla
Indl. Area Phase-1, M: 9312092734,
Email: bilal@vautomat.com
AUTOMOBILES
OTHERS
AMBULANCES FOR Sale Force
Brand ACLS Ambulance Model Year
2012. One Normal Ambulance Model
Year 2012. Intrested Buyers May
Contact Human Resources Depart-
ment Sant Parmanand Hospital, 18
Sham Nath Marg, Civil Lines, Delhi.
CHANGE OF NAME
IT IS for general information that I
Amandeep Singh Bamrah, S/o Avtar
Singh, R/o D-5, Dayanand Nagar,
Ghaziabad 201001, do hereby
solemnly affirm and declare that by
mistake, names of my father and
mother have been wrongly
mentioned as Avtar Singh Bamrah
and Avnish Kaur Bamrah
respectively in my educational
certificates and marksheets. The
real and correct names of my father
and mother are Avtar Singh and
Avnish Kaur respectively which may
be amended accordingly. The above
statements made by me are true
and correct to the best of my
knowledge and belief.
I, LOKPRIYE Kumar, S/O Satish
Kumar, K-336/B, Mahipalpur, New
Delhi have changed my name from
Lokprie Kumar / Lok Priye to
Lokpriye Kumar for all purpose by CHANGE OF NAME CHANGE OF NAME
affidavit sworn before NCT Public
Notary(Delhi) dated 09-06-2021.
I DHARMENDER Rajora S/o Sh. I SUBHASH Chander @ Subhash
I, SANJAY Nagpal S/o Shri Manohar Banarasi Dass Rajora r/o 362, 2nd Nautiyal s/o sh. Ansuiya Prasad r/o
Lal Nagpal R/o B-1/16, Maddi Wali Floor, Behra Enclave, Paschim Vihar,
H.No.-1, Blk-Q, Extn.-1 Uttam Vihar,
Gali No. 3, Near Sunil Dairy, Vishnu Delhi-110087 declare that my minor Uttam Nagar, Delhi-110059 Have
Garden, New Delhi - 110018, have son's name Aryan Rajora having changed my name from Subhash
changed my minor son's name from passport no. N1771986, in which my Chander to Subhash Nautiyal for all
Champs to Dev Nagpal for all future name is mentioned Dhamender purposes. My DOB is 23 April 1982.
purposes. D.O.B. (18/12/2007) Rajora whereas my correct name Subhash Chander & Subhash
is Dharmender Rajora. Nautiyal both are the same person.
I, BALBIR SRIVASTAV s/o Late Sh
Chunnu Lal, resident of KC 51C, IN MY army records, the date of
Ashok Vihar , Phase 1, Delhi 110052,
hereby declare that Balbir Srivastav,
birth of my mother Mrs. Asha is I HONEY Bhatia alias Honey Sharma
01.01.1986 is incorrectly entered the D/o Sh. Surender Kumar R/o A-205,
Balbir Singh, Balbir Singh Srivastav, correct date of birth 01.01.1980 is
BS Srivastavas, Balbir Singh Prashant Vihar, Sec. 14, Rohini,
Army No.4211601N Soldier Ajay,Add: Delhi–110085 have changed my
Srivastava and Balbir Singh Plot No. 131, Khasra No. 313, New,
Srivastva are one and same person name from Honey Bhatia to Honey
i.e., myself. No change in my Voter
Roshan Pura Extension, Najafgarh, Sharma for all future purposes.
South West Delhi, Delhi - 110043
ID DL-04-053-309564 and Adhar no.
7133 4208 0806. So, my name is
Balbir Srivastav for all purposes I, MADHU Gupta, D/O late Babu I, SYED Mohammad Miyan S/o Late
Ram Gupta, R/O JB-32A, LIG Flat, Amir Hasnain R/o A-10-C, New Slum
I, SOMI D/o Sh. Prithvi Raj Sharma Hari Enclave, hari nagar, south west Flats, Paschim Puri, New Delhi -
R/o FB-137, Mansarover Garden, delhi, -110064, declare that name of 110063, declare that my father's
New Delhi-110015 do hereby mine and DOB have been wrongly name has been wrongly written as
solemnly affirm & declare that written as Madhu Bala (03/05/1954) Raziul Hasnain in HUDA records of
Somi is my true & correct name & in passport the actual name of mine my property Plot No. 188, Sector-9,
Somi and Somi Kaushik both is Mrs. Madhu Gupta, DOB is Bahadurgarh, Haryana. My father's
are one of the same person. 03/03/1954. actual name is Amir Hasnain.
SIKH PUNJABI COSMOPOLITAN NRI
SM4 NEVER Married 33 yr/ 180 cms SM 4 NM Punjabi Delhi boy 42 years/ B'FULL MATCH status family for NRI DOCTOR ortho specialist work-
5'11'' unmarried MA Working in Pvt
T-totaller, 3rd Generation Entrepre- ing in Austria Europe 3rd Sept.81/
neur B.tech and M.B.A Live in North Bank Kidney transplanted last year. h'some Sood Khatri boy status 5'11,Clean shaven Sikh Bhatia Bride
Caste no bar # 9811466332, family, 5'10", M.A., LL.B., Ph.D, IT/ B-Tech, beautiful, homely
Delhi, Father Engineer, Industrialist,
9891814107. Dip in Film Pro. Never married, What's app/tel 0043699 19520707
Net-worth Multi Crore # 9773773183 17/7/78, 75 K/M, Adv. High Court,
Pro. house doccu, Automobiles SM4 H'SOME Pbi. Kh. 1987/6',
PUNJABI DOCTOR business, Plan News Portal, takes Canada citizen Engg. Mngr. boy,
phobia related medicine, father
Sr. IPS (Retd.), working/non-
govt job, well settle in Canada. Caste
no bar. Shortly coming to India.
LOOKING FOR a beautiful MD Rad- working. Widow, divorcee, caste/
PBI B'FUL W/NW girl below 40 for iology / Gynae / medicine match for reli./regi. no bar, JLN Marg, Jaipur,
Mob/WhatsApp #14167359744
Punjabi Khatri, Never Married my very handsome son M.S Ortho Raj, puneetsood002@yahoo.in,
44/177/50 LPA, Status Delhi Family, 29y/5'9.Owner of 2 private hospitals extvp@yahoo.in, 9358005996,
CALIFORNIA- BASED Religious,
Photo must. 9899477131 Mail: technology professional, 55,5'6",veg-
Liberal family. Contact 9255278489 9950167996
sachin_anand8@hotmail.com etarian, athletic, divorced, seeking a
professional NRI lady with the goal of
starting a family. 9896880255.
DIVORCEE/WIDOWER
NRI
DIVORCEE 72, Hindu, 5'7"
Well Settled. Caste No Bar.
Divorcee/ Widow/ Unmarried. AFFLUENT PUNJABI family in UK
Whatsap 231777711735 seeks beautiful Hindu Girl willing to
anukum4959@gmail.com settle in UK/USA for their handsome
Scientist son 22, 5' 10"from top
University pursuing cancer research
MANGLIK in UK. kohlioneplus@gmail.com
PQM4 MANGLIK Mahajan boy,
15.10.1991/1.32 A.M/chd/6'1"/wkg as
Second Officer in Merchant Navy pr-
esently residing in fbd #9711473037
Em:savitamahajan068@gmail.com
NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
JUNE 13, 2021 News 11
800 OTT platforms have shared 28-yr-old lynched on suspicion
info under new IT rules: Official of cow theft in Assam: Police
Deeksha Bhardwaj the oversight mechanism by way vices, with details of the content
letters@hindustantimes.com
of an inter-departmental commit- manager instead of the editor. The Press Trust of India ACCORDING TO spot and started beating them up.
tee and the suggestions relating to ministry had given the platforms The SP said that the police was
NEW DELHI: Over 800 over-the- the self-regulating body and its two weeks to share the details. letters@hindustantimes.com LOCAL RESIDENTS, informed of the incident at
top (OTT) platforms, which registration by the government. The News Broadcasters Federa- TINSUKIA (ASSAM): A 28-year- A VILLAGER around 4:30 am. They took the
include video streaming services The new intermediary and digi- tion, consisting of 78 news chan- old man was beaten to death at a SPOTTED THE man to Doomdooma Civil Hospi-
such as Netflix and Hotstar, and tal media guidelines require plat- nels in 14 languages, representing village in Tinsukia district of tal, where he was declared
digital news media outfits, have forms to appoint officers, griev- broadcasters from 25 states, on Assam by a mob that suspected
DECEASED AND brought dead.
shared details under the new ance redressal officers in case of Friday said that they have com- him as a cow thief, while his com- ANOTHER MAN AT “When we handed over the
intermediary and digital media OTT and digital news platforms, plied with the new rules. panion managed to escape on Sat- HIS COWSHED LATE body to the family after post-mor-
ethics rules, according to an offi- institute a three-tier grievance In a separate notification dated urday, police said. tem examination, some people
cial from the ministry of informa- redressal mechanism with an June 10, the ministry said digital The incident took place at Kor-
IN THE NIGHT AND from his village tried to create a
tion and broadcasting. inter-ministerial panel at its apex arms of traditional media houses jonga Borpathar village under RAISED THE ALARM law and order issue. However,
“Most of the top OTT players and give the I&B ministry take- would not be exempt from fur- Baghjan police station during the when they came to know that we
have done it, Netflix, Amazon, Jio,” down powers over the content. nishing details under new rules. wee hours when the two were took action and already picked up
said an official familiar with the The rules, notified in February, “The rationale for including dig- allegedly found inside the cow- The victim has been identified 12 people, the cremation hap-
matter. “More entries have been have been challenged in the court ital news portals/websites of tradi- shed of a house, Tinsukia Super- as Sarat Moran (28), who hails pened peacefully,” he added.
received from new media houses... by several digital news outfits, tional media houses under the intendent of Police Debojit Deuri from No. 1 Kordoiguri village. The Deuri said that nobody has
both big and small players.” including LiveLaw and TheWire. ambit of the digital media rules told PTI. man who escaped has not been the right to take the law into his or
HT reached out to Netflix and While there is no requirement 2021 is well reasoned,” the minis- The police have formed a Spe- traced yet, Deuri said. her hands even if someone is a
Amazon but did not receive a for the digital news media publish- try has said. “Making any excep- cial Investigation Team (SIT), According to villagers, the thief and the police will not spare
response immediately. ers to be registered with the minis- tion of the nature proposed will be headed by Additional SP (Head- owner of the house spotted the anyone involved in the lynching
The government has also issued try, information pertaining to their discriminatory to digital news quarter), to probe the case and duo at his cowshed at around 1:30 case.
a point-by-point clarification to grievance redressal officer in media publishers...” HT on Febru- have already picked up 12 sus- am and raised an alarm.
concerns regarding the new rules India, self-regulating body of ary 28 first reported that websites pects from the village, he said. People then gathered at the d½FÄFF´F³F Ii . 04
to counter what it said were “mis-
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“STOP CORONA; Wear Mask, Follow Physical Distancing, Maintain Hand Hygiene”
I e ÀFbd½F²FF Wû³Fe ¨FFdWEÜ
DELHI JAL BOARD, GOVT. OF NCT OF DELHI
OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE ENGINEER(E&M)-I ¸Fû¶FFBÊ »F EZ´F IZ d»F¹FZ
CHANDRAWAL WATER WORKS, CIVIL LINES, DELHI-110054 ½F³F A¸F»FZ õFSF ÃûÂFe¹F ¦Fd°Fd½Fd²F¹FûÔ I û EaOÑ FBO AF²FFdS°F ¸Fû¶FFB»F EZ´F IZ AF²FFS ´FS
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Rajinder Nagar - 28742340
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Inconvenience caused to the Public is regretted.
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ISSUED BY P.R.O. (WATER) (Er. Pankaj Rajvanshi) C´F ÀFa¨FF»FI
Advt. No. J.S.V. 105(2021-22) Executive Engineer(E&M)I ªFe-13229/21 Qû ¦FªF I e QcSe, ¸FFÀI W` ªF÷ Se ´FZÔ¨F MFBʦFS dSªF½FÊ, dÀF½F³Fe (¸F.´Fi.)

MEET THE
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ENTERT AINMENT &

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Frances

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McDormand

FILMS G
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PHOTO: JOE
SCARNICI/AFP

Priyanka
City Guru Randh
awa

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and Nick Jonas

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S
hooting, travel is all
Sanon’s life
again — Kriti s such as
repe
daughterfrom e.
host of biggie and
that. With a y, Bhediya Titas Chowdhury

D
irector Chloe
Bachchan Pandekitty, she is of
theirmistak
es.com
Zhao’s Noma @hindustantim
has emerged feel
mind now. I
dland
Ganpath in her
wdhury
also recently as thetitas.cho
d. And it was Prabhas
this year’s BAFTA big winner a more open
want toatkeep content being churned out Guru Randha
I
excite 2021, baggin Film Award
course she will join
announced that in Adipurush.
g
including Bestfour major trophi es, the
that
s kind of
film industry
today is revolu
- wa
and Saif Ali
Khan Actress award Film. Even the Best in the Hindi
Rituparna Sengu
pta. The is missing the
t feels
and
in Covid cases
Despite the rise reimposed,
Frances McDo was won by its actor, tionary,” says
while Zhao al Award-winning actor with Bansuri:
is all set to joy

Pulkit Samra
rmand
of celebrating
Juhi Chakr
tions self walked , aborty
several restric ng of theatres, away with Best Nation her-
Director.to the Hindi film
industry virus on a daily
The Father ng the
juhi.chakraborty@
including shuttiwould prefer theat- won return it, she is awaiti htlive.com safe and follow basis, be

H
the
Sanon says she all her films.
es for
award for Antho
gory in which ny Hopkins,The
Best Actor
Flute. Along
with
a cate-e of a couple of other
films, one of
them
Baisakhi with e wanted to
cele-
ment protoc govern-
ol,”
singer known adds the

n
want the Indian releas na Azmi. brate Baisak
rical releas

w
Gourav was actor Aadar
n actor Shaba
as an actor you OTT family in Pun hi such as Lahor for songs

do
also nomin sh
Bengali film
indus- big way this in a

ck
“Obviously, ated with vetera
role nent name in the Bollywood for

the lo
the in The White
d just Tiger. The film for his
jab year e, High Rated

Daler Mehnd ;
beyon with his family Gabru and Patola
film to reach are great duced by Priyan wasA promi bered in . Gurdaspur, in .
course, they ka Chopra Jonas, pro- she is best remem Patni Aur Woh (2005) Punjab, but He may not
audience. Of everyone is hooked on was also in try,who singer Guru have the celebrbe able to

lue
attendance in Main, Meri and meatier i wil
be at the Vais l
Randhawa
platforms, and as one of its at the cerem
her role

made him va
in the OTT space
great ony understands ation he
platforms have want it
presen
husband, singer ters, along with time to wanted, but
With the boom n, she believes now is the
that
to it and the pandemic, little given the Randhawa
has
as an actor you don’t “Back in fond memo
content. But
the ones who says
Father also Nick Jonas.
won the adapte Theroles for wome roles in Hindi projects.
conce n- hno done. can be ries
ing the festiva of celebrat-
to reach even
really go on
these platforms,” Mimi, in
play BAFTA
.
The most emotio
d screen
explor
nal moment the day,
- e varied
I was too busy.
So, I decide
was also doing
d to
films in Devi shrine “Since the pande
started, most mic
“Baisakhi is l as a child.
celebrated as

work more
film I of us have harvest festiva a
evening saw films. to

I’M NOT MIS

whose of the on Bangla want been celebr l, when
the 30-year-old, a surrogate mother, tributes being
paid trate . But I would ating festiva farmers cut
desh and Kerala film career now. A lot
Indian actors ls at And their crops.
Irrfan and Rishi to Banglalate home. Consid
which she plays a release. who passed on my Hindi
ering the cur- on this day
g for away Kapoor,
being made.
rent situation, ind Singh laid Guru Gob-
is also waitin film was BAFTA’s memo in April 2020, in concentrate nal content is
this year too

BIG BA SK
time since the the founda-

ING
riam segme ventio she says. I’ll mostly spend tion of the Panth
It’s been some Ask what’s with actors nt, along- of uncon d in Mumb ai now,” Baisak
has been shot. Sean Conne
ry and Chad- Maybe, I am neede tar says she always wants f
at home and hi kids, we’d enjoy Khalsa. As
announced and says visit
front, and Sanon
wick Bosem
an. supers se mysel wara, if possib the gurd- time with familyspending
happening on that
work on the
last The Bengali “I want to surpri f into
le,” he says,

Scan the code

The latter’s adding, “Unfor and go to
wrapped up Bottom was film Ma Rainey’s Black to do something new: mysel the gurdwara

CELEBRAISTA
she recently to reach the named a winne never slotted in Delhi and tunately, I’m We’d also go to do seva.
as a film needs acy, it’s a costume design audience. I’ve very differ- will definitely

HI
r in to the mela
scene. “Mimi and make-up the and my ular category. I’ve chosen miss being the village. in
based on surroga very enter- categories. f.” in the village It’s a festiva
masses. It is
and hair any partic during this
t and made in Riz
Boseman, had Ahmed, who along with roles for mysel “For time. But like that brings l
unique subjec It is something that will and challenging Sengupta? every day, I’m a lot of happi-
Actor as well, been nominated for Best ent (Abov
ness.”
er. OTT an option for
e) Rishi a global remember Godgoing to
g mann laugh, and didn’t So, is
Kapoor and tunity to reach Since Baisak
make you cry, should

IO
tainin his film Sound bag the award
a good oppor direct-to- Him for fulfilli and thank vest festival, hi is a har-

THIS YEANRS:
, but actors , it’sIrrfan
touch your heart,
PHOTO: TEJAS
thought. It BAFTAs in the of Metal bagged two (right) demanding ng my
food for NERURKAR editing and ce. Audiences are cers too are releas- wishes.” the
a special messa singer has
leave you with more people who are gories. sound cate- audien now. Produ “May God bless ge for them.
as they’re
PHOTOS:
BAFTA releases
TWITTER/
The 29-year-old
be watched by where OTT isn’t watched,” digital rms
on digital platfo stale if not urges the

and subscribe to
everyone to as we eat becau farme rs
rooted in areas ing their films be
protocols and safe, follow
HTC
turn May this year se of them.
films might g
worried their rms are turnin
she says. raining releas
In fact, it was ood, when the pandemic
e dates until
P to reach
you want a film e.... reach
released on
time. OTT platfo all,” she signs off.
profitable for
in grand Baisaknot indulge
tions involv
ing
hi celebra-
erings. “Covid huge gath-
and prosperity,”
adding, “May
bring growth
he says,
out to be quite
recently in Bollyw many film
As an actor
Waheguru

MEHNDI
bless everyo
again and forced“We are ienc everything, has impacted and prospe ne with growth
reared its head
postponed again. the OTT aud
beyond just who don’t really go on
not
tival. We need just this fes- sakhi rity. Happy
releases to be Mimi to release. The times to fight this to everyo Bai-
very excited
for film like that s and happy!” ne. Stay safe
important for
we are in, it’s I hope things are norma
a
l even the one s. “Hit aur flop
mein
e. e plat form hit and flop. hai. Agar hit
deke

Hindustan Times now

a releas g to
to get
are so many
films waitin thes kuch nahi rakha mein marking the
par lockdown
time of har-
soon. There does too, soon, Sugandha Rawal vest of winter
hoping Mimi I don’t know N, bhi main ghar main kya hi ukhad crops. “I betterment,
and the will
release. I am
Actor
d mid 2021. KRITI SANO toh together for feel all
sense of hope festivals give us a
others. Apne to help
baitha hoon, t observes, before
sugandha.rawal@
parties in future liye
sometime arouncers are deciding. It should karta hai, lekin to har aadmi
hindustantimes.c

M
adds. and courage.
raha hun,” Samra n his definition of
om ,” he sakhi motiva Bai-
what the produ es,” says Sanon. explai eeting friend This year, the tes us, and humko ke liye khada doosron ki madad
going on to s
ily to celebr and fam- brate the festiva singer will cele-
honsla deti hona
are things etched chahiye. These
get what it deserv ate — that’s hai
who you are jeene ka, no matter
happiness. is about l at the Vaishn in my mind,
of the day, it the essence
of Baisakhi. Devi shrine
with his family o
— a farmer, with memo
ries
“At the end ing farmer. We or
all live and yearna non- Mehndi, known of langar,” recalls
, and not attach However, singer
Mehndi isn’t
lucky that I’ll
be at the holy
. “I feel the support
you being happyto a condition ki yeh missing it this Daler

to curb Covid
Mata Vaishn of for Bolo Ta Ra Ra, for hits such as
He asserts that year. o Devi. I have cave of power,” explai the supreme Tunak Tunak
l that happiness khush ho jaunga, ya social distan forma nce at the pilgrim a per- ns the 53-year-old. Dardi Rab Rab, Tun,
Sugandha Rawa the need of
the hour, with cing is Growing up, Balle, and Na Ho Jayegi Balle

Night curfew
hoga toh main jaunga. first day of Navrat age on the
parents partici he watched his
main udas ho good the sec- Na
.com
ond wave of ri, which starts He feels the Na Na Na Re.
hindust antimes
sugandh a.rawal@ nahi hua toh a Covid-19
“Being cautio here.
on Baisakhi,”
gurdwaras for pate in kirtans at
ing of 2021, d if you have he says.
brate Baisak best place to cele-

ding plans
nce the beginn been shoot- You are blesse every morn- us today will The festival the festival has Baisakhi. For him, hi
Scan the code wake up ensure we get tant for farmeris especially impor- (if we follow is at home. “I think
t has family, you being gratefu always been about
people you know
all

ed
ulkit Samra his projects, be s, as it is a harbin properly) 2021-ethe protocols

w
ger of hope l
to read more
ing, and all the what he plans for everything. It’s

ts
for -

hi
actor, and prosperity
ing nonstop nd

surge
about how or Agra. The well,” says the while as well. “It’s on doing this year
ki beemari ko tak Covid naam
n Mumbai, Delhi found a new are alive and says the singerbhool jayenge log,”
couples and ing for the third ise. all about hope,
tor says work
has ic. who is prepp y franch love, out with his , who recently came
ent of the Fukre ion
YADAV/HT
the andem
Plagiarism ro
PHOTO: ARVIND wedding single, Ragda
.
t made his televis
Why Isabelle Kaif
vendors are
in the pop-
w:
feel insignific It made me
trying to find Lakshya ViraniBhi Kabhi
a way out in w, Kyunk i Saas
went on to
i, in 2006. He Boss (2012), STOP PRESS
is now used to an
the crisis

powerless, sa t and
as Bittoo
do films such Bangistan (2015),
PHOTO: VIRAL
BHAYANI
,
Fukrey (2013) , and Fukrey

being compared
nam Re (2016)
. ys Sudhansh
turns (2017)
Next, he will
appy go lucky
soon be seen
guy from
as a
Delhi” in u
to sister Katrina
aama-
gatam Khush
e film, Suswa other diverse roles
are
eed. “There he adds.
ec n the pipeline,”
n fact, now, pt of

de ago’
from the conce
o be detached
play on me

e a deca
Rishabh Suri too
more. About much any-
P expectations

S thday seems lik

rishabh.suri@ht Covid took off ,
that pressu some of
live.com

The date is so
he’s the sister re from my
first film, as
wood’s bigges of one of Bolly- the circum-
es yet she auditiot stars, Katrina Kaif,
stances are
ay, I might
near and venu
0th bir
so
Scan the code ned for her It has allowe different. ully, next birthdI’ll ensure
ng film. Isabelle first d me to just chats. Hopef
to and even then,

‘My 3
for his weddi Kaif recently
say they need ity acting debut enjoy the
job in Poland to read more made her moment as have a party e certif-
a venue in Suraj- be on Saqib
with
“I had auditio Time To Dance Awaa unfold sthi s,” says the it their Covid vaccin
and booked everyone gets
check availabil
Kavita
. actor.
Sanchita Kalra na, changes
will and this one ned for a few films, actor. the Rangbaaz
icates,” quips came to Mumbai from
.com
kund, Harya of Saleem’s came throug @htlive
’s no chance
kavita.awaasthiThe

for day timings.

dancer as a h. best piece of ays and
kid, and dancin I was a , who
tlive.com
sanchita.kalra@h
tough. “There birthday plans advice loves birthd Saleem he has
ng to tie the even switching is a big part g, of courseaqib Saleem Isabelle has s on his spe- ago, admits
postponing or It will be diffi-
S Delhi 10 years a typical Delhi boy who
of , ever receiv partie
ouples planni are in a for me. So I Bollywood. It’s a passio often throws bigwas

C
ons. thought it would n given to ed will be my second changed. “I was fights and rode my car
knot this month impo- to day functi
NG, herthis
AKHIL NARA who will attend lenging and be chal- cial day. “But by her by Covid-19,”
the loved to get into . Sugan
fun,” d I came to
Businessman bind following from cult for guests the way from
all
The 30-year-old,she tells us. elder sister.
ay in a row spoile
birthd advised] to turns 33 today“[She and music But since Sudhanshu
Saria and (far
with blaring
the wedding
P
curfew who just dha
has been his 2015 film left) posters
sition of night Delhi and 8pm
or Noida,” he
says. NOTE TO up the shoot
for her second wrapped says the actor, who just that he brash Delhi boy ay. I’ve
Rawal
of the upcom ActorDeepik
focus on my heartbroken Mumbai, the ing web show a
S
in Suswagatam
5am Delhi READERS: Some Khushaamad film, admitswork, a little everyd
P 10pm to s of
ated but he iskeep learning ome and (left)
Padukoneon
NG

time back I my
AKHIL NAR

ai, to stem month be it was told by my money to hire them, but

meet friends. s are replaced by one th to countr
Planners feel down the
I am a bit irrit the
e that Bollyw
to 7am in Mumb cities.
of the coverag ood has been eed, admits be able to my strengyth, that I exist, you don’t
gone that appears
on ence in her a big influ- won’thead down.
ten what partie gone from strengas a person Atwhen I got want to. You
Covid-19 in both efforts have al at the Nation,” healsays. simply want tweeted a statem
Monday
We’ve received
growin
also looking I don’t
to ai-based Aanch forgot
e who hasay party seems a
have decided ing led to acting g up years. “Danc- “I have Anyon balise other’s to
drain. Mumb Wedding Soul, our pages is or
acting ability onweeks later, at all?
Film
“My Award. Two work. That’s canni- the incident. ent apologising
While some . I watched been
My 30th birthd any his mind one of the most okay,” he asserts not “The for
announcedsh
date again, others take
paid for by the growing up, Hindi like. in the to ge I blance and simila uncanny resem-
Bagaria, of The day affairs
larger picture.
film people ay.
But I don’t want ay 33, is marria senior
queries from
films in my .
postpone the and I’ve had i everyd
has resigned e
choosing a indust
e ago. ry gives shaad industry preten On April 9, rity cannot
alternate solu- who had three- says, “Now it’s
concerned favourite. I a hard time decad toh aur birthd so she
simi- mum asks me ble
about
nothin g Iavoid
do matter thiss ques- ds as if to Saria took to written off as
a mere coinci be
are weighing any larZinda Twitter
couples for a
love Jab We advicerahe to and express his
want to take
being (2007). Lagaa ,” ways
tions, with day
weddings planned in April up in
brands. No
n (2001), I’ve Metrisks. actor, adding
. My mum
says
here with me,
isthe am finding newSudha
and insignificantHope- invisi-I’m
say never. ,” rues directo that the maker
anguish, claimi
ng
For this we apolog dence... as
“The moment
it to be wrapped But
sponsored
a rahe toh many times
as a watched so honge
What about teenager,” she shares. will starting now,
, “I’m justy biryani. We
tion. One should
never nshu s of the
des.reflecting on whatr copied the poster of web series
Saria deleted the ise... We’ve
poster from thechairpers
brunch and ofMAMI Mumon
one. going yumm
all
risks. Zind
or
touted as a ” t does somethere feltconclu
hehe all
we received with a lunch. somake are ation at home platforms,”
the statement our
conten when he
fully sometime,”
his movie
was announced, the one event Vishal Punjabi, son with her the inevitable compari- many quiet celebr obvious” simila found “ridiculously
dently, both
honge. projects tackle . Inci-
in
to have atypes
they’re trying
shall appear read.
of films calls and However, Saria,
venue to move
aur birthday bai
sister? Is she will
I want of video rities ject the
call from the day, but it Mumbai’s , any part of HT pressure of feeling the to do. I’d norma l poster of an betwee of same-s ex sub- recuperating curren tly
Wedding Filmer expect
know it. People ations already? “I with
do an the new love to upcom n the is wondering relationships. Saria from Covid- Film Festival
gs founder, The without it being action or a His Storyy, backed ing web show,
keep gatherin function to the lt,” says Sau- if the maker unconvinced 19,
things like this declared as such M, Actor years, and I’ve have been doing it for period film. Katrina by Ekta Kapoo lifted some s also by the statem is
owingto herw
might be difficu is getting says, “When SAQIB SALEE the beginning, just
It’s and his 2015 scenes from wishes the platfor ent. He
teach us to value got used to Kaif film
“I’m not lookin Loev.
r, which explor his
es the issue film, edged the author m “acknowl- ork
intimate.
to our valued
rabh Aswal,
who happen, they it. It doesn’t there’s PHOTO:
25. A weddi ng
what we have. be a big party.”
readers . everything
left to do.” money from g to recove
them, or sue r
sexual rape. of
“Those actors homo- and claimed s of the poster commitments
married on AprilPateria, who
Padukoneha .
VIRAL
A , Creative to BHAYANI
just want them
bly were shown proba- that “...this was ”
them. I decision, not
SHIVAN GUPT For Abhishek doesn’t have to pose. So, a reference an a
s off from his
NOTE TO READER nice and not to know that it’s not everyb image over, Saria wantsaccident”. More- d
director, Amaara
Farms
took two month sponsored contentS: Some of the coverag okay,” says a they were plagia ody knew that people to be
does or shall e that appears
appear in any on our pages
pointed Saria.
ture are we “What kind of a cul-
disap-
director, who rising, ” says
won the Nationthe
accountable
for
like I’m adding their actions. “I feel
held replaced
part of HT withou is paid for by
t it being declare the concerned brands. in where
marketing meetin you can have a
Film Award
for best non-fe al next time someoto the chain. The
Scan the code
to read more filmmakerKiran
d as such to No direction in ature
our valued readers body else’s idea? g and take some- March this year, will come up. ne Googles it, this on why Rao tobecom
film, Knock And eventu
You have the Knock Knock for his
thechairpers e
.
become harder ally, it will Sudhanshu
Soon after his .
post, ALTBa them to preten and harder for
laji thing,” he conclu d as if it’s not
a
Saria was
on
des.
anguished by
the incident ofthefestival
in2019.

HTcity htcity www.hindustantimes.com

12 NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
JUNE 13, 2021

Reflections
{ THE BIG PICTURE }

The Curzonian imprint

on Indian foreign policy rity depends upon its ability to exercise Indian economy and infrastructure.
Lord Curzon’s influence over a defined geopolitical space All three components of the Curzonian
conceptualisation of India’s beyond India’s own shores. He identified template are well suited to India today.
this space as extending from the Gulf of Looking at the map from New Delhi’s
neighbourhood and emphasis Aden in the West to the Strait of Malacca in perspective, the area that matters most is
on frontiers and integration is the East. Whereas the Mughals tended to see precisely the space, from Aden to Singa-
India as an extension of the geopolitics of pore, which Curzon identified as India’s nat-
still relevant and can serve as Central Asia, Curzon understood that India’s ural orbis terrarum. Should India fail to pre-
a template for both India and security and greatness were intimately tied vent China from becoming the dominant
to the maritime routes and chokepoints con- power in this space, its role as a global
India-US partnership necting it to Europe and the Far power will be curtailed; should
East. Lose control of these, and India stretch its ambitions much

H
ow should India deal with a
rising China? Some Ameri-
cans see the answer in an
eventual United States (US)-In-
dia alliance. But while India’s
leaders have jettisoned the
non-aligned tradition, they are committed
to a quest for a distinctively Indian strategy,
rooted in India’s own experiences and out-
look.
In this quest, Indians are likely to find
inspiration, not from Jawaharlal Nehru or
the writings of ancient or medieval rulers,
but from Lord Curzon of Kedleston, India’s
27th, and perhaps most prolific, viceroy.
More than any other figure from India’s
recent history, Curzon grappled with the
geopolitical complexities of the Indian sub-
continent and its neighbourhood. That he
did so as a foreigner makes these insights no
less “Indian”—for the substrate of his reflec-
tions was not nationality or ideology, but
geography and the permanent interests that
it produces for any power looking at the
gameboard from India’s position.
Three tenets of Curzon’s thinking seem
especially relevant for India as it finds itself
confronted with an aggressive China.
First, Curzon recognised that India’s secu-
India would be hostage to its beyond this region, it is likely to
strongest landward neighbour. find itself overextended.
Second, Curzon recognised that Also, as in Curzon’s time, it is the
India’s main landward attention small and often unstable States
must be directed to its frontiers — A Wess rimming this area that must be the Curzon recognised that India’s security depends upon its ability to exercise influence over a geopolitical space beyond its own shores. He
namely, to the task of maintaining focal points of Indian diplomacy. also recognised that India’s main landward attention must be directed to its frontiers. And he understood that building influence in
viable buffer states in adjacent Mitchell China is playing hardball in these neighbouring spaces required India to offer an attractive commercial and strategic alternative to the charms of its rivals GETTY IMAGES
regions. For Curzon, the frontier places, using money and pressure
was “the razor’s edge on which to pull clients into its orbit. To an would be. ington; to the contrary, US policymakers relationship to thwart China’s advance is
hang suspended the modern issues of war even greater extent than in the 19th century, Put differently, what Washington should need to devote more energy to defining the not a one-way street; it will also require
and peace”. In his time, the Russian Empire India’s security is intimately linked to its want is also the thing that is naturally desir- potential for this relationship, including India to continue taking on greater burden
bore down on Persia and Afghanistan to the ability to offer these States a viable alterna- able and attainable from the perspective of where necessary by developing novel frame- and risks than it became accustomed to in
north while France pushed westward from tive to this rival influence, anchored in eco- its strategic interests — a confident, “Curzo- works in which it can prosper. the Cold War and its immediate aftermath.
Siam into Burma. Keeping these spaces in nomic integration to India and those nian” India that devotes its energies to stabi- That could include creating a legal cate- Curzon always believed such a day would
friendly hands helped alleviate the direct favourable to it, such as the US and the Asia- lising its own surroundings in what is one of gory that would allow for technology-shar- come, when a confident, self-governing
military pressure on India’s home provinces Pacific democracies. the world’s crucible geopolitical zones. ing and deepening of defence ties without India would become a major source of sta-
and obviated the need for frontier fortifica- Curzon’s vision is also relevant for US-In- In the words of the Indian strategist C “major non-NATO ally” status (which India bility in its own region and the wider world.
tions and large standing armies. dia relations. While some in Washington Raja Mohan, himself a Curzon admirer, does not perfectly fit). It could include waiv- If anything, his vision is more relevant for
Third, Curzon understood that building pine for India to become more active in the cooperation between the US and India could ing US sanctions for certain Indian military an independent India that is motivated to
influence in these neighbouring spaces region that matters most for the US (the “reconstitute in the 21st century the ‘India and commercial activities that runs afoul of act on its own, unalloyed self-interests.
required India to offer an attractive com- Western Pacific), in reality, what would ben- Center’ that organised peace and stability in US sanctions on, say, Moscow but is neces- America and India both stand to gain from
mercial and strategic alternative to the efit America most is an India that is capable much of the Eastern Hemisphere during the sary for activating New Delhi’s resistance to India’s realisation of that vision.
charms of its rivals. While tending to of consistently projecting power and influ- 19th and early 20th centuries.” Beijing. And it could include coordinating
oppose the expansion of formal empire, ence in its own, home region. This would This suggests a very different template regional aid, investment incentives, and A Wess Mitchell is a former US assistant
Curzon nevertheless saw that India needed entail a combination of localised naval and for the strategic relationship with India political priorities in places such as Myan- secretary of state and a principal and
to compete vigorously for positive influence littoral land strength and deep politico-eco- than other American alliances — a sui mar or even deferring to India’s lead when co-founder, The Marathon Initiative,
in these regions. This required an active nomic relations with the smaller nearby generis partnership aimed at enabling India a more prominent US role would be coun- a Washington DC based think-tank dedicated
rather than passive policy aimed at the inte- States — many of which India will be much to achieve its full potential in its own envi- terproductive. to studying great power competition
gration of neighbouring states into the more effective at organising than the US rons. That doesn’t imply passivity for Wash- But making the most of the US-Indian The views expressed are personal

{ SUNDAY SENTIMENTS } fees. This will please the vaccinated but THE ORIGINAL VACCINE { ENGENDER }
not necessarily the vaccinators. Any spe-
cial arrangements, such as drive-in facili-
POLICY REQUIRED
Karan Thapar PEOPLE UNDER THE AGE Lalita Panicker
ties or doorstep vaccination, will almost
certainly end. This time, what you gain on OF 45 TO PAY FOR THEIR
the swing, you lose on the roundabout.
VACCINES. THE SUPREME
Decoding the Centre’s There is, however, one aspect of the old
policy that does seem to continue — the
requirement people under 45 must regis-
ter on CoWIN to receive a jab, unlike
COURT (SC) CALLED THIS
“ARBITRARY AND Post-Covid-19, women
IRRATIONAL”. IT WAS,
Covid vaccine U-turn those who are older. This could be a seri-
ous problem in rural India. As the apex
court asked: “Is it realistically possible to
POSSIBLY, A LOT MORE.
YOU COULD ALSO ARGUE
and the green economy
expect (people) from rural areas to regis-
wo thoughts came to my mind as I guaranteed by the Constitution — the ter on CoWIN?” Although he hasn’t
THAT IT BREACHED s we build back after Covid-19, the The government has to pitch in with

T heard the prime minister

(PM) address the nation on Mon-
day, and I’d like to start with them.
How artfully he can create a blemish-free
image of himself and how cleverly he can
dodge the blame directed at him by his
critics. I almost came to admire his per-
formance, as PM Modi weaved and
ducked, claiming credit where little is due
and avoiding blame where much is argua-
bly deserved. It was a masterful attempt
to make things look different to what we
know. It would have been pretty convin-
cing until you paused to consider the real
facts.
The truth is in three critical respects
what PM Modi announced on Monday is
a glaring U-turn. The original vaccine pol-
icy required people under the age of 45 to
pay for their vaccines. The Supreme Court
(SC) called this “arbitrary and irrational”.
It was, possibly, a lot more. You could also
argue it breached fundamental rights
right not to be unjustifiably discriminated
against (Article 14) and the more impor-
tant right to life (Article 21). So I’m not
surprised this was reversed. Otherwise,
the SC might have declared it ultra vires.
PM Modi also did away with the
requirement that states should pay more
than the Centre for the same vaccine. Just
as he never explained why he wanted peo-
ple between 18 and 45 to pay for their vac-
cines, he, similarly, offered no justifica-
tion for requiring states to pay a higher
price. More than arbitrary and irrational,
this just felt wrong. If he had not reversed
it, I have little hesitation in asserting this
too could have been struck down.
The third U-turn concerns the right of
private hospitals to charge what they
believe is an appropriate fee for the vacci-
nes they administer. Earlier, depending
upon the hospital, this could vary pretty
significantly. That will now cease because
PM Modi has placed a ₹150 cap on service
responded so far, my guess is PM Modi
will have to answer this question fairly
soon. That’s likely to prompt another
U-turn.
Now, if you ask me, PM Modi’s reversal
— akin to an acrobatic somersault — was
necessary because there was imminent
danger of the SC declaring some elements
of his policy unconstitutional. What an
embarrassment that would have been.
Which brings me to how PM Modi
explained all of this. Let me be colourful
and borrow a literary allusion from King
Arthur’s Knights of the Round Table. On
Monday, the PM presented himself as a
modern Sir Galahad riding to our rescue.
He said he was saving us from the follies
of state governments on whose insistence
a perfectly functioning vaccine policy had
been distorted and made inequitable and
inefficient. The problem is, even if you
accept that, does the PM realise what it
reveals?
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS
Quite simply that he allowed himself to
be bullied by a minority of state govern-
ments, run by non-Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP) formations, into converting a sensi-
ble and well-functioning policy into some-
thing chaotic, confused, and contradict-
ory. That doesn’t suggest strength and
steadfastness. It exposes weakness and
vacillation. Because if his explanation is
correct, he should have firmly rejected
what the states wanted. Instead, he gave
in.
The final outcome reminds me of a
well-known line from a popular Hindi
song of the 1960s, which I shall translate
with a twist: “I didn’t make a mistake, I
was made to make one”!
Karan Thapar is the author of
Devil’s Advocate: The Untold Story
The views expressed are personal
A challenge of the climate crisis and
its ecological, economic and social
impact must be prioritised. There
have been discussions on green jobs and
businesses, clean energy sources, and sus-
tainable agriculture. All of this is, of course,
needed — but it must also be more inclu-
sive.
Women are among the most affected by
the climate crisis, and face relocation and
displacement, loss of income and health
deficiencies, among other adverse effects.
But they have little voice in shaping the
response to the crisis, nor are they consid-
ered an integral component of the transi-
tion that must be made to a green economy.
Agriculture will remain a key sector in
the post-pandemic phase. As migrant work-
ers who returned home in the wake of the
second wave begin returning to cities in
search of jobs, the burden of managing the
land and sustaining farming will fall over-
whelmingly on women. But they confront
crippling disadvantages.
For a start, land deeds are usually not in
the names of women. This often prevents
resources for training and capacity-build-
ing for women. And to make it ecologically
sustainable, this training should cover
improving water conservation methods,
increasing the use of organic pesticides, and
building an agricultural ecosystem geared
to meet climate challenges.
Do remember that women farmers also
have the additional burden of managing
their homes, children’s education, and care
for the elderly. The wider community, espe-
cially men, must be sensitised to the invisi-
ble work that women put in beyond the
fields, and support structures must be cre-
ated to enable women to devote more time
to generate incomes through farming and
allied activities.
In the post-Covid-19 economy, there
must also be greater focus on encouraging
the participation of women in green indus-
tries. The renewable energy sector, which
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stead-
fastly promoted, should involve more
women. This will empower them, but also
create economic value.
There is a huge market in rural areas for

For adoption, the them from accessing benefits and schemes

meant for farmers. India must scale up pro-
grammes for women in new farming tech-
renewable energy products, and women
can play a significant role in building busi-
nesses around these. Vocational education,

centrality of due process

nologies and financial awareness. This will
also enable them to access credit easier.
At a time when the pandemic is reconfig-
uring the economic landscape, how we
he second wave of the Covid-19 trying to help without following due proc- work, where we work from, and indeed,
too, can include courses on the climate cri-
sis, sustainable agriculture and green
industries.
Across the world, gender is becoming a
significant factor in climate policies. Even

T pandemic in India has created ess.

unprecedented chaos, upended There is a lack of knowledge about legal
health systems, and claimed an adoption procedures among the public.
inordinate number of lives. The trajectory Pop culture narratives from popular media
of new infections may be ebbing, but it has vehicles erroneously suggest that one can
who works, this is an opportunity to rei-
magine the role of women in agriculture.
One way to do so is by encouraging support
groups through the still robust panchayati
raj system.
as India has done well in recognising the
climate crisis and working towards meeting
its Paris obligations, it has been relatively
slow in recognising the gender dimension
of climate. It is time to learn from global
taken a severe toll on the most go into an orphanage and pick up We also have a vibrant system of self- best practices and evolve a robust frame-
vulnerable cohort — children. a child. The proper procedure help groups and community structures that work for women and the green economy.
All children have the right to entails that these children enter can focus more effectively on women’s initi-
protection, to survive, to belong, the legal adoption pool, which is atives and involvement in agriculture and lalita.panicker@hindustantimes.com
be heard and receive care in a critical not only for the child’s agro-based industries in rural areas. The views expressed are personal
safe and healthy environment. well-being but also for the legal
Their parents are their first line
of protection. Today, thousands
of children have been orphaned
Smriti
Gupta
protection of the family unit
formed through adoption. If the
process is not completed legally,
The proper procedure entails that these children enter the legal adoption pool,
which is critical not only for their well-being but also for the legal protection of the
family unit formed through adoption REUTERS
A
l
with the virus claiming the lives the child could be separated from { SUNDAY LETTERS }
of their parents. Many of them the adoptive parents, and the par- adoptions, but as per the Juvenile Justice enough. After a child reaches an SAA, the
have no family and, therefore, no ents could even be imprisoned for Act (2015), they must necessarily facilitate child welfare committee steps in to
protection. child trafficking. these. Many child shelters do a good job of enquire if the child has any relatives will- The importance On Covid-19 vaccines, the Centre is wrong
According to figures given out There is a solid legal route for taking care of their wards but several do ing to take care of her before declaring her of islands This refers to Karan Thapar’s Address questions on
by the National Commission for adoption in India. To help a child not assess them for adoption. legally free for adoption. There are cur- This refers to Bahar Dutt’s Covid-19 vaccine policy (June 9). The Centre, in its pursuit
Protection of Child Rights, 3,621 get to an adoptive family, con- A recent study conducted by child wel- rently more than 30,000 parents willing An ode to the Megapode of atmanirbharta seems to have waived many necessary
children were orphaned and 274 Payal S cerned citizens can call Childline fare NGO, Where Are India’s Children? , and waiting to adopt children of any age, sanctuary (June 9). The procedures to approve Covaxin for public usage. This
abandoned between April 1, 2021 at 1098, or contact the local revealed that most shelters keep the chil- siblings, and children with special needs, author expressed concern has become more evident after the United States FDA
to June 5, 2021. Many among
Kapoor police to report a child who has dren indefinitely, surviving on donations who have been vetted and found suitable about a pertinent, but refused to grant the vaccine emergency clearance.
them may not have close relatives been abandoned or orphaned. from the public until they are old enough by CARA. Orphaned children must be often ignored, issue. The
Pooja R, via email
or their extended families may be They can also take the child to to fend for themselves. While this may be adopted by these approved families. Let us concerns of residents of
unwilling or incapable of taking them in. the nearest Specialised Adoption Agency better than being abandoned on the restore the right to protection for our chil- the Andaman and
Almost anyone who has a smartphone (SAA), which is a children’s shelter autho- streets, the child does not receive the same dren who have lost their caregivers to Nicobar, along with the Covid-19: The judiciary did what’s right
has received WhatsApp messages, describ- rised to carry out the adoption process. care, education, a chance for a stable Covid. Lakshadweep, islands This refers to Mark Tully’s When the Indian judiciary
ing horror stories of young children One can locate the nearest SAA by going future, and a sense of belonging that often do not feature in stands up (June 9). After retreating for a few years, it is
orphaned by Covid-19, seeking their “adop- to the website of the Central Adoption adoptive parents can give. So, it is impera- Smriti Gupta is a child rights campaigner, an mainstream discourse. refreshing to see the judiciary — especially the high
tion”. Such messages, howsoever well-in- Resource Authority (CARA). tive that children in shelters are assessed adoptive mother of two daughters and This must change now, courts — holding the state and central governments
tentioned, are both irresponsible and ille- It is a common misperception that child for legal adoption within one month of co-founder of Where Are India’s Children? before it’s too late. accountable for their failures in the current Covid crisis.
gal. These orphaned children are more shelters not linked with CARA are a better admission. Payal S Kapoor is associate professor, FORE Shekhar C, via email Manasa R, New Delhi
susceptible than ever and vulnerable to option for an orphaned child. All children Therefore, the importance of children School of Management, New Delhi
traffickers or criminals, thanks to people shelters are not authorised to carry out reaching an SAA cannot be emphasised The views expressed are personal Write to us at: letters@hindustantimes.com

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Editor: KUNAL PRADHAN

NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
JUNE 13, 2021 13

wknd
Marjane Satrapi Rock bands, regrets, little rebellions — as Satrapi’s Persepolis turns 20, with the
release of a Hindi edition, a look at ways in which the world has changed, and
not changed enough, since the beloved story set in totalitarian Iran was first told

Talkin’about a Rachel Lopez

rachel.lopez@htlive.com

I
n nearly every interview she’s given, Mar-
jane Satrapi has refused to refer to her 2000
book Persepolis as a graphic novel. Call it a
comic, she says. It sounds more fun.

revolution
She doesn’t like calling it an autobiogra-
phy either. Even if it is the intensely personal
tale of a young girl named Marji in Tehran,
living through the Islamic Revolution of the
1970s and the oppressive authoritarianism that follows.
“I use myself to tell a story that is bigger than me,” she
said, speaking at the virtual the launch of a Hindi trans-
lation of Persepolis by Vani Prakashan earlier this week.
“It’s a story of dictatorship no matter where it happens.”
The story has been a publishing phenomenon that’s
left a trail of footnotes in its wake. The book and its
2004 sequel, Persepolis 2 (about Marji adjusting to a
new life in Austria as a teen, an age at which Satrapi
moved to that country to study) were published in an
omnibus English edition in 2007. The film version of
Persepolis was nominated for an Oscar for Best Ani-
mated Feature in the same year. Over 2 million copies
of the books have sold in 29 languages since.
No matter which edition you pick, Persepolis is
funny, tragic, intimate and filled with rebellions big and
small. Marji’s grandmother, in the darkest times, fills
her bra with jasmine blooms to stay fresh. The family
stalls soldiers at the door as they run upstairs to pour all
the wine down the toilet rather than hand it over. Her
parents, on a trip to Turkey, smuggle back posters of
Iron Maiden and Kim Wilde in their lining of their over-
coats. Little Marji herself tricks authorities when they
discover her pin featuring Michael Jackson. “No, it’s
Malcolm X, the leader of Black Muslims in America!” Persepolis, in both the books and the film, offers an
Satrapi knew the story couldn’t be told without intimate look at how life in Iran changed after the
humour. Her original drafts, written in fits of rage, were authoritarian Islamic regime took over in 1979.
unusable. “With distance comes humour,” she says.
“When it’s bearable, you complain; when it’s unbeara- childhoods in conflict zones as far apart as Côte d’Ivoire
ble, you either try suicide or you laugh.” and Argentina (see box). In 2009, Iranian activists
She’s had 20 years of distance since Persepolis was replaced Satrapi’s original drawings with updated text,
originally published in French. But for the 51-year-old creating Persepolis 2.0, an online initiative that helped
who now lives in Paris, there’s still plenty to rebel amplify public despair over the re-election of President
against. Around the world, authoritarianism has stead- Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
ily intensified. More curbs are enforced online, in the “Many people found that it was part of their own life,
press, in courts, in the arts and public life. The Freedom which is magical for me because it was from the begin-
in the World report, an independent country-wise ning a very personal story,” she said in a 2008 interview
assessment of political rights and civil liberties, down- with ABC about translating the work into English. “If
graded the scores of more than 73 countries for 2021 they can understand a story like that, that means that
(including the US, Singapore and Spain). India’s score, everything is fine, that there is some hope for the future,
on a total of 100 points, slid from 75 in 2018 to 67. that we don’t necessarily need to make war.”
Satrapi’s homeland, Iran, scored 16. Instead, she’s made more books. Chicken with Plums
Persepolis, book and film, have been banned in sev- (2004) celebrates the final days of Satrapi’s great-uncle,
eral regions, including Iran, Lebanon and, for a while, a famous musician who finds one day that his instru-
Chicago’s public schools. But news of censorship invari- ment, the tar, is irreparably damaged, and plans to end
ably makes a book more popular, and Satrapi delights his life. Broderies, her 2003 comic, follows an evening
in rattling cages. “If you want to get anywhere in the of tea and gossip, and examines sexual politics in Iran
world, you’ve got to misbehave a little bit,” she says. after the revolution (the title is a colloquial term for the
Despite the bans, like a poster hidden in the sewing up of female genitalia to simulate virginity).
lining of a coat, the Persepolis story has slid It’s another little fight in a long line of rebellions.
past censors. The books ignited the very Though Satrapi, in her ABC interview, refuses again to
genre of the graphic memoir, inspiring be pigeonholed. “I don’t think of myself as a rebel. I just
writer-artists to document their own say what I think.”

Post-Persepolis: Graphic
novels to read next
Nylon Road (2006): Parsua Bashi adds magic to her
memories of Iran during the Iran-Iraq war. As an adult in
Switzerland, she imagines childhood versions of herself
through her graphic memoir, connecting past, present,
Farsi and German public history and private memory.

Aya of Yop City (2005): Written by (and loosely

inspired by the life of) Marguerite Abouet, who grew up
in Côte d’Ivoire in the 1970s, and illustrated by her
husband Clément Oubrerie, it follows the often-funny

w life of a teen. It’s a refreshing look at an African nation

that typically makes headlines for famine and civil war.

I Remember Beirut (2008): Zeina Abirached grew up

watching Christians and Muslims fighting on the streets
of Lebanon. Her collection of stories, illustrates
everyday life: Kit-Kat bars as a treat, her brother
collecting bomb shrapnel, blackouts, fuel shortages. It’s
a companion work to her award-winning graphic novel
READ our review recounting the war in Lebanon, A Game For Swallows.
of Marjane
Satrapi’s Chicken Virus Tropical (2009): Power Paola’s tale of growing
with Plums up in Ecuador sometimes feels like a tele-novela: she’s
the youngest daughter in a conservative family. Her
father, a lapsed priest, has divorced his wife and left the
family too. Her humour is often self-deprecatory, Paola
takes a critical look at herself as a young woman as well.
GETTY IMAGES

LIFESTYLE URBAN URBAN

inside Play by
play P14
What held us
Shoot at
site P16
A graphic
Do you sense a
pattern? P16
A new board
back for so long, designer is game set in
and how did we combining his Kanchipuram
finally hit our twin loves, challenges
stride? As India get set to play New Zealand in Mumbai and Hindi cinema, to recreate players to
the first-ever World Test Championship iconic film scenes. Murtaza Ametwala’s only “weave”
finals, a look at India’s Test history tools: stills and the city sari designs
14
Play by play:
India’s
rise as aTest
powerhouse
What held us back for so long, and how did we finally hit our stride? As India get set to play
New Zealand in the finals of the World Test Championship, a look at our history in Tests
Somshuvra Laha
somshuvra.laha@htlive.com
W
hy did a coun-
try with as
much cricket-
ing talent as
India spend
decades losing
on the world
stage? Part of
that initial streak for the India team can be
traced to its rather chaotic origins.
In 1926, when India was invited to join the
Imperial Cricket Conference, cricket already
had a proper following in cities and in tehsils
with English cantonments. But there was a
problem. There were world-class cricketers
from India playing in and for England (and they
wanted to continue doing so). And in a country
peppered with princely states, it was widely
believed that only a royal could lead an India
team. This led to an awkward phase in Indian
cricket.
What the game needed was a charismatic
leader who could bind the country’s first offi-
cial Test squad of seven Hindus, four Muslims,
four Parsis and two Sikhs. Either Duleepsinhji
(who had played for England) or Iftikhar Ali
Khan, then nawab of Pataudi, would have been
perfect. They were colonial India’s finest cricket
exports at the time. But Ranjitsinhji, prince of
Nawanagar and then chairman of the selection
committee, forbade his nephew Duleepsinhji
from taking part. “Duleep and I are English
cricketers,” he said. Pataudi followed suit
(though he would lead India later, in 1946).
This turn of events arguably altered India’s
Test trajectory, and instead of a strong top-rung
leadership, there was a frenzied scramble for
power. Amid palace-style intrigue and mis-
placed ambition, princes with little skill on the
field angled for and secured the tag of captain.
It was only after Independence that a com-
moner was chosen to lead India’s cricket team.
The culture of groupism and zonal favouritism
would remain, as would the leadership issue.
Between 1947 and 1962, India had 10 captains.
During the 1958-59 home series against the
West Indies alone, there were four — Vinoo
Mankad, Ghulam Ahmed, Polly Umrigar,
Hemu Adhikari.
India couldn’t rise above mediocrity. The
country’s first series win, 2-1 against Pakistan,
came in 1952, but the rest of the scoreboard was
a string of defeats, to the West Indies, to Austra-
lia, to England. What kept the team and its fans
afloat were reassuring individual performan-
ces. Players such as Mankad, Vijay Hazare and
Umrigar would grow to be giants of the game,
and long-standing world records like the 413-
run opening stand between Pankaj Roy and
Mankad kept India in the headlines.
It wasn’t until 1962 that Indian cricket would
wknd lifestyle
discover a true leader, and it happened by acci-
dent. Charlie Griffith of the West Indies sent
India captain Nari Contractor to hospital with
a fractured skull in Barbados. Mansur Ali
Khan, nawab of Pataudi, stepped in, and in
days, a united, cohesive team began to take
shape around him.
Unlike previous royals, Pataudi was unas-
suming and quickly put his team at ease. He
also demanded the best of them. The results
started to reflect on the scoreboard. At home,
England were forced to a 0-0 draw in a 5-match
series. This was followed by a 1-1 draw against
Australia before a first overseas series win, in
New Zealand, in 1968. Spin bowling rose to
prominence as Pataudi was convinced India
lacked a genuine pace bowler. By 1971, India
had finally hit their stride, winning 1-0 in the
West Indies and then in England under the cap-
taincy of Ajit Wadekar. The win in England was
especially gratifying, given that India hadn’t
won a Test in six previous tours to the country.
SUNNY DAYS
It was around this time that the world got its
first glimpse of Sunil Gavaskar. Starting with
him, and for decades to come, Indian batsmen
would dominate the game — from Gavaskar to
the young Sachin Tendulkar and now Virat
Kohli.
With batting greats such as Gundappa Vis-
wanath and Dilip Vengsarkar, and fast bowler
Kapil Dev, India’s answer to Ian Botham and
Imran Khan, the country had a great team. Vic-
tories followed in Australia and again in
England, but India were understandably more
cautious against Pakistan. Drab draws were
better than defeat. That changed in 2004. Hav-
ing derailed Australia’s world-beating run at
home in 2001 with a stunning comeback win
engineered by VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid and
Harbhajan Singh, India were prepared to take
on Pakistan in Pakistan.
This was a team led by the intense Sourav
Ganguly, who had picked talented, hungry
youngsters such as Virender Sehwag, Zaheer
Khan, Irfan Pathan and L Balaji. A polished 270
from Dravid in the third Test at Rawalpindi
clinched India’s first ever Test series win in
Pakistan.
The team has become stronger and more
combative since, first under MS Dhoni, and
now, Virat Kohli. Dravid, Tendulkar, Laxman
and now Cheteshwar Pujara have crafted fluid,
breathtaking victories, at Adelaide (2003 and
2018), Perth (2008), Mohali (2010), Melbourne
(2018), Brisbane (2021). R Ashwin has taken the
legacy of Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh
forward. And with Ishant Sharma, Mohammed
Shami and Jasprit Bumrah, India finally look
battle-ready with a pace attack for every condi-
tion. Consecutive series victories in Australia
(2018-19 and 2020-21) are proof that the game
has a new kind of royalty.
(Clockwise from top) Sunil Gavaskar, 1974.
He would be the first in India’s still-ongoing string of
world-dominant batsmen. Kapil Dev, 1979. He would inspire
generations of bowlers. Sourav Ganguly, 1996. He would lead a
young, hungry India to victory time after time. GETTY IMAGES
{ NO AGENDA }
Sanjay Manjrekar
The real change
overseas. Deep down, we players agreed with
that description. During that time we strug-
gled on most fronts, starting with tempera-
ment. The team’s confidence in itself just
for India: the rise nosedived when we set foot on foreign land.
Especially when it came to the West Indies
and Australia, we had lost the series in the
of fast bowlers head already.
India’s batting was skilled but it wasn’t
“global” in nature — most batsmen had
excellent abilities but these abilities were
hen Rahul Dravid retired in restricted to sub-continental conditions.
W 2012, there was a lot of con-
cern about who was going to
fill his big boots at that crucial
No. 3 position for India. I remember tweeting
at the time that more than finding another
When the ball moved or bounced, these bats-
men struggled, barring rare exceptions such
as Sachin Tendulkar.
Our bowling was potent too, but again,
designed to excel in Indian conditions, on
An aspiring great No. 3, if we could find three world-class turners. In overseas Tests, the opposition
cricketer can bowlers, India would win more Test matches piled on the runs and made us bat twice
now set his overseas. before beating us.
sights on Through the ’90s, when I was part of the In 1990, when Graham Gooch got 333 at
becoming the India team, we won frequently at home but, Lord’s, India had three seamers: Kapil Dev,
next Jasprit unlike Pakistan, really struggled to make a still a great bowler but no longer in his
Bumrah or mark overseas. We were labelled tigers at prime; Manoj Prabhakar, a great trier, but
Mohammed home, lambs not a match-winner; and Sanjeev
Shami. Sharma, a newbie. England declared at
653 in the first innings. I don’t think we
bowled a single bouncer in that time!
This was the period when Indian fans
looked to celebrate and take solace in
individual feats rather than team wins.
After 2000, in the era of the Fab Four
(Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Dravid
and VVS Laxman), India were blessed
to have some really top-class batsmen
— critically, they had the technique to
handle swing and bounce and the
attacking shots off rising balls to score
runs on foreign pitches. But the bowl-
ing remained the same — big names,
but mostly spinners whose potency
wasn’t adequate on overseas pitches.
India desperately needed at least
three high-quality seamers. It had
one, Zaheer Khan.
When India managed to gain
three seamers bowling well in tan-
NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
JUNE 13, 2021
dem, with some support from spinners, they
were able to win a few matches overseas, but
wins weren’t enough to get the sceptics to
regard India a great Test team.
Until India start dominating the world like
the West Indies did in the ’80s and ’90s and
like Australia has after that, they will remain
a great Test team in the making. But the
graph today may be heading in the right
direction. Because what India have now is
what I dreamt of when Dravid retired — at
least five seam bowlers who, if called upon to
bowl in an overseas Test, will get you wick-
ets. I include Mohammed Siraj and Shardul
Thakur in this, after watching them bowl in
Australia earlier this year.
Now the India team is a bit similar to the
Pakistan team of the ’90s in this respect. For
the first time in my recollection, we have a
team whose strongest suit is seam bowling.
Overseas cricket is all about pace and seam
and finally India have the ingredients that get
you overseas Test wins consistently.
What’s happening in Indian cricket that
we are seeing so many quality seamers com-
ing through, even more than spinners? Test
skills give you a sense of deep satisfaction
and pride but do not make you rich. Finger
spinners are almost redundant in the T20
format, so I don’t see too many kids today
wanting to bowl the plain old off spin,
despite R Ashwin’s success in home Tests.
Seam bowling is viable in both Tests and
T20s and so the supply of seamers will only
increase.
The other, perhaps more important, rea-
son is that excellence in fitness has become
the norm. Smart, hard work at the gym
shows instant results with pace and longev-
ity for a fast bowler.
Also, a 12-year-old aspiring cricketer can
now set his sights on becoming the next Jas-
prit Bumrah or Mohammed Shami, just like
dead pitches in Pakistan did not stop kids
from taking up fast bowling, because they
had Imran Khan, Wasim Akram and Waqar
Younis to look up to.
NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
JUNE 13, 2021 Wknd Lifestyle 15

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ATE
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79.41
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VICTORY IN CHENNAI: INDIA’S FIRST TEST WIN

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l It took almost 20 years and 24 captured 8/55 and 4/53 on a pitch not No. 7. The Donald Carr-led England, in
Tests after the 1932 debut at Lord’s, conducive to spin bowling. Mankad’s their second innings, folded for 183
lW

for India to achieve their first left-arm spin helped dismiss England with only Robertson (56) showing

32.35 59.25 victory. The Vijay Hazare-led

team beat India’s erstwhile
for 266 in the first innings, with Dick
Spooner (66) and Jack Robertson (77)
resistance. Mankad’s 4-wicket haul
was complemented by leg-spinner
IED

colonial masters England by the only batsmen to complete half- Ghulam Ahmed, who took 4/77.
an innings and 8 runs in centuries. l The India team also included Syed
lT

Chennai, in 1951/52. l India piled up 457/9 declared in Mushtaq Ali, independent India’s first
l The hero of the match reply, thanks to centuries from overseas centurion, and Lala
18.51
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was the all-rounder opener Pankaj Roy (111) and Polly Amarnath, independent India’s first
RAW

Vinoo Mankad, who Umrigar, who made 130 coming in at cricket captain.
lD

78.57
16 Turning points: A timeline
OST
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ies 19.04 1932 India make their entry into the Test
ON

7 11 tI
nd fold, in a 158-run loss to England at Lord’s, becoming
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es the sixth team to be granted Test status.

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an
lia
11 us
tra
1952
ES

After 24 Tests in almost 20 years,

11 an
,A
24 69.69 India beat England in Chennai for their first Test
TCH

t
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d,
Pa 1 win. Spinner Vinoo Mankad is the hero, taking 8
9.09
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34 5 in
En
gla
n wickets.
India clinch their first Test series win, 2-1 against
Ho
me 27 *I
ndia
9 Pakistan at home. Pakistan made their Test debut
at Delhi’s Feroz Shah Kotla ground in the series.
1 97 Aw
0-7 a 8 20
9
1968
y*

42 India register their first

10 and W
e st Indie
s overseas series win. The team led by Tiger
3 stralia Pataudi beat hosts New Zealand 3-1. The win also
198

33 land ,Pa k ist an, Au marks the rise of spin, making stars of Bishan Singh Bedi,
0-8

in Eng
* India 83.33 EAS Prasanna and Bapu Nadkarni. This remains India’s
biggest away series win.
9

8 56.66
17 5 1971
30 India achieve a historic win at Port of Spain
1 99 0 -99

in the West Indies. Sunil Gavaskar scores a record 774 runs in

his debut series, which India win 1-0.

31 14 17
The Ajit Wadekar-led side go on to clinch another historic
first series win at the home of India’s former colonial rulers,
* India England. Leg-spinner Bhagwath Chandrasekhar takes 6/38
20 0

in Aus in the Oval Test for a 1-0 series win.

tralia,
New Z
ealand
56.66
0

47 , Engla
- 09

nd, So
uth Af
rica, W
est Ind 1976 India chase down a world record fourth

10-
20
32 21 ies innings total of 403 in the Port of Spain Test, reaching
406/4, with centuries by Gavaskar and GR Viswanath
Now making the great win possible.
*I
nd
8 8
54 ia
in
Pa
kist 12 18 1999 Anil Kumble emulates England’s Jim
Laker, becoming only the second bowler in Test history to
42 an
,A
44.68
take all 10 wickets in an innings (10/74), against Pakistan at
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us the Feroz Shah Kotla ground, for a series-levelling win.

tra
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82.97 2001
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So VVS Laxman setting an India Test record of 281

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hA and Harbhajan Singh scoring the first Test hat-trick by an

fri Indian bowler help India become only the second team in the
ustr

40
WO

ca
,N world to win after being asked to follow on. That win in
alia

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Ze Kolkata against all-conquering Australia is the spark India

, En

alan
25 needs as it rallies to win the series 2-1.
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26
LOS
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2004
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India score their only series win in

Pakistan, from seven visits in a bilateral series played after
Afri

5 62.5 14 years. Virender Sehwag hits 309, the first Test triple
ca
TIED

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century by an Indian batsman.

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9
2008
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Anil Kumble’s India overcome the

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Monkeygate scandal on the Australia tour by winning at Perth’s

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famous WACA ground for the first time. Teenager Ishant Sharma

74.07 gets Ricky Ponting at the end of a 9-over spell to inspire the team.
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19.04 2018-19 India, led by Virat Kohli, beat Australia 2-1

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to achieve their first series win in that country.

90.74 2020-21
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India, in skipper Kohli’s absence

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and following a record innings low of 36, roar back to clinch the
series against Australia in Australia 2-1, shaped by great team
38.09
ATE

performances despite a spate of injuries.

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{ THE INDIA TEAM } ON THE WTC { BATTING FOR VICTORY }

P
For those who’ve been part of
Is this the best Test team
the Test side for many years,
this is like an accumulation of India has ever had?
all the hard work of not just
Somshuvra Laha widely considered one of the greatest crick-
the duration of the champion- eting sides of all time) and 22 between 2005
ship, but of the last five to six somshuvra.laha@htlive.com
and 2008. Australia played only six Tests
years. Just very happy to have away from home on each run. The tag of
f India’s 162 wins since getting Test most dazzling unbeaten run remains with
the opportunity to play in
the final.
VIRAT KOHLI, captain
O status in 1932, 101 have come since
2000. That translates into an over-
all success rate of 29.45% (out of a
total of 550 Tests played by India so far) and
45.9% (out of 220 Tests played since 2000).
the West Indies, which did not lose once in
27 Tests between 1982 and ’84, despite play-
ing 17 away from home.
The current India team is on its way to
being truly great, having won two consecu-
This is a team that has hit its stride. With 61 tive Test series in Australia, Tests in
It has a different meaning to wins and only 13 defeats, India’s home per- England and South Africa apart from an The India Test team that beat Australia in Australia earlier this year.
formance since 2000 has been command- excellent home record of 40 wins out of 54 They were led by stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane.
those who are only playing in ing. But the true change in that time has Tests since 2010. For the record, Australia,
the Test format. It’s as big as been the way India have conducted them- England and the post-apartheid South before two consecutive victories, at Lord’s The picture changes once draws are
any other World Cup final selves overseas. Series win in Australia? Africa have consistently been the teams to and Leeds, in 1986. But this was also the taken into consideration. India still have the
Check. England? Check. Pakistan? New Zea- beat away. West Indies lost their mojo after period when India drew 20 Tests in Paki- best unbeaten run at home since 2010, but
from another format, T20 land? Check and check. 1999. New Zealand started becoming a force stan, England, Australia and the West Indies when you compare it with the previous dec-
or ODI. It’s just going to be These two decades have given India its 3 at home in the ’90s. Pakistan and India have — never have India drawn more Tests in the ades, they aren’t ahead by much.
played over a period of most successful captains — in order, Virat not played each other at all since 2007. nations that matter. Surprisingly, the away figures take a

Kohli (36 won out of 60 Tests), MS Dhoni
five days. (27 of 60) and Sourav Ganguly (21 of 49).
While a team’s greatness is most easily
CHETESHWAR PUJARA, batsman measured by its wins and losses, there are,
of course, distinctions within those parame-
ters — the quality of the opposition, home or
I think to a lot of players, it away, and uniquely in Test cricket, the abil-
ity to force a draw.
means a lot. Some have not One common benchmark is longest
even played in a World Cup. unbeaten run. India recently strode onto
this list, going 19 Tests between 2015 and
I’m very happy for someone
2017 without losing. A major factor was
like Ishant Sharma, who that, barring six of those matches, all were
was selected to play the 2015 played at home. Even those six were played
in the West Indies and Sri Lanka, where
World Cup and couldn’t due
conditions are similar to those in India.
to injury. This will mean the Does that take some of the shine off the
world to someone like him. record? Not really. Consider Australia’s
longest winning streaks in the last two dec-
RAVICHANDRAN ASHWIN, all-rounder ades — 18 between 1999 and 2001 (by what is
As they prepare for the World Test Cham-
pionship final against New Zealand from
June 18, India seem worthy finalists, having
topped the two-year Test Championship
cycle where they won 12 matches, lost four
and drew one. How does that compare with
the India teams of past decades?
Going strictly by the numbers, India have
been best at home since 2010 but they also
lost more in the SENA (South Africa,
England, New Zealand and Australia) coun-
tries during this time.
Let’s start in 1970-71, when India first
made Test history by winning a series in the
West Indies. In the two decades after, India
drew more matches than they won at home.
Away, between 1971 and 1980, India won
twice in Port of Spain, once each in Melb-
ourne, Sydney and The Oval. In the follow-
ing decade, they won in Melbourne (1981)
That was an era when not losing mat-
tered almost as much as winning.
Between 1990 and 1999, India didn’t win
a single Test in top-tier nations but, for the
first time, won more than they drew at
home. The big change came in the 2000s,
when India won 8 Tests in England, Austra-
lia, Pakistan, New Zealand and South Africa
while maintaining a home win percentage
of 44.68%.
Since 2010, India have been on the ram-
page at home, winning 40 out of 54 Tests, a
win percentage of 74.07. India won 8 Tests
in England, South Africa and Australia in
this period, but since they played more
away Tests than in the previous decade, the
win percentage comes to just over 19. Going
by the overall win percentage, India have
been best at home since 2010 and best away
between 2000 and 2009.
a
proper hit. Unbeaten in 62.5% of the away
Tests played between 2000 and 2009 —
coinciding with the time they won in
England, Australia, South Africa, New Zea-
land and Pakistan — India end up with an
unbeaten percentage of 38.09 since 2010.
Why? Because India have lost an unprece-
dented 26 Tests in the top cricketing
nations, equalling the losses of the two pre-
vious decades put together.
It’s a sign of the times. Not only is this TUNE IN
as HT’s View
team playing more Tests, there’s also now a
penchant for risk-taking, IPL-style acceler- From The
ated scoring and “positive intent”, which is Stands podcast
sometimes just a euphemism for not having previews the
first-ever
the grit required in Tests.
Yet, there was that magical draw that World Test
India played out in Sydney in January; a few Championship
more of those at the right junctures could final
help make a great team greater.
16
Shoot
site
at
A graphic designer is combining his twin loves, Mumbai and Hindi cinema, to
recreate iconic film scenes. Murtaza Ametwala’s only tools: stills and the city
Riddhi Doshi
letters@hindustantimes.com
M
urtaza Ametwala
loves Mumbai
with all the fer-
vour of someone
who’s had to
leave it and live
elsewhere.
Through his 17
years growing up, studying and eventually
working as a video editor and graphic
{ THE WAY WE WERE }
Poonam Saxena
A storyteller true
to her words
Hindi writer Mannu Bhandari, who lived an
unconventional life, gave a voice to women
of the ’50s and ’60s trying to do the same
any have been introduced to the
M work of the wonderful Hindi
writer Mannu Bhandari
through a film. Rajnigandha
(1974), a surprise hit directed by the late Basu
Chatterji, starring Vidya Sinha and Amol Pal-
ekar, had the rather unorthodox story of an
independent young woman trying to decide
between two men, an old flame and her loyal
current boyfriend.
The short story it was based on, Yahi Sach
Hai (1966), was even more unconventional
for its time: Written by Bhandari in the form
of a personal diary, it chronicles the fluctuat-
ing emotions of Deepa, a research scholar
who lives alone in Kanpur, and is in a rela-
tionship with an amiable if predictable
young man, Sanjay. He visits her at home
(always arriving with a bunch of rajnigandha
flowers), they go out in the evenings. She wel-
comes his kisses and embraces, writing in
her diary: “No girl gives a man this kind of
right before marriage. But I have.” Because
she loves Sanjay. But that love is tested when
Deepa goes to Calcutta for a job interview
and runs into Nisheeth, the young man she’d
been involved with as an 18-year-old.
Yahi Sach Hai was one of dozens of short
stories that Mannu Bhandari wrote from
1955 onwards, that gave a voice to women
who came of age in those years. Bhandari
articulated their anxieties and aspirations,
their attempts to break free of confining
social mores. Sometimes her characters suc-
ceeded, sometimes they failed.
Bhandari was associated with the vibrant
wknd urban
designer in Dubai, he clung to the city of his
birth, revisiting it constantly in what became
another great love — Hindi cinema.
Now, Ametwala combines the two in a
series that has 10,000 followers and about 60
evocative posts on Instagram (@mur-
taza.ametwala). Every weekend, Ametwala
heads out with a still from one of his favour-
ite movies, printed out as a photo. He tracks
down where that scene was shot, holds up
his frame, and lets the city do the rest.
In his series, then, you have the Irani res-
taurant in Matunga, taking shape behind a
still of Irrfan Khan sitting there in The
Lunchbox (2013); a main road at Fort
and Naseeruddin Shah in A Wednes-
day! (2008); the façade of the Asiatic
library and a still of a bike-borne San-
jay Dutt and Arshad Warsi in Munna
Bhai MBBS (2003); a platform at
CSMT and Dev Patel and Freida Pinto
in Slumdog Millionaire (2008).
Finding out where a scene was shot
isn’t that hard, he says. You can google
it and often get an answer. But it’s not
always a specific answer.
In March, for instance, Ametwala
decided to visit the spot where one of
John David Washington and Dimple
Kapadia at Mumbai’s Fort area, in a
scene from Christopher Nolan’s
Tenet (2020). IMAGES: MURTAZA AMETWALA
Nayi Kahani literary movement of the 1950s
and ’60s that explored a rapidly changing
post-Independence urban India. Major Nayi
Kahani themes included lonely, conflicted
men migrating to anonymous big cities,
women beginning to assert their individual-
ity, and the shifting equations between the
two sexes. The movement was spearheaded
by three strikingly talented male writers:
Rajendra Yadav (whom Bhandari married in
1959; they eventually separated), Mohan
Rakesh, and Kamleshwar. At the time, the
Hindi literary world as a whole was a solidly
male-dominated space. But Bhandari held
her own, and her work was celebrated.
Bhandari was unusual in another respect;
she had a family, an uninterrupted career,
and made time for her writing. She was a lec-
turer, first in Calcutta and then at Delhi Uni-
versity’s Miranda House college for women
(her subject was Hindi literature). She also
kept house, raised her daughter Rachana and
wrote. She wrote about women’s lives in all
their complexity — about mothers who
wanted to raise their daughters to be inde-
pendent but recoiled when that independ-
ence became too much to handle (Tris-
hanku), of women who ultimately rejected
cheating men (Stree Subodhini; Abhineta),
women who walked out of unhappy marria-
ges, to everyone’s shock and horror (Deewar,
Bachche aur Barsaat). But she also told sto-
ries of women who ended up sacrificing their
his favourite scenes from Gully Boy (2019)
was shot.
It’s the one where Siddhant Chaturvedi
says to Ranveer Singh: “Jitne bhi cheer faad
artist huve-le na aaj tak, sab ke sab bhukke
fakkad… (All the established artists that there
have been so far, they’ve all been hungry for
content).” It’s about content creators, so he
can relate to it, says Ametwala, 25. “The dia-
logue also establishes a turning point in
Murad’s life.”
The internet told him that the scene was
shot at a defunct tobacco factory. It didn’t say
which one. So he looked up defunct tobacco
factories and found three — in distant
Mulund, central Byculla and finally the one
he was looking for, in the western suburb of
Vile Parle.
What the internet also didn’t mention was
that Farhan Akhtar’s Excel Entertainment
had bought the space and turned it into a stu-
dio. Ametwala had to explain to a very con-
fused guard what he was trying to do. After
some scrolling on Instagram by the guard
and some heartfelt pleading by Ametwala,
the latter was let in for a few minutes and got
his picture.
“So many movies are shot in Mumbai. So
many larger-than-life, magical moments
have been created on the streets. I want to
visit them all and recreate some of my
favourite moments there,” Ametwala says.
Ametwala started his series during a visit
to Mumbai in 2019, a year before he moved
back for good. “I love this city and trying to
find locations where movies were shot is one
of the best ways to explore it,” he says.
How hard is it to get the image just right?
Finding the precise spot that matches his
frame can be tricky, he says.
He sometimes has to return again and
again, on reconnaissance missions, to find
just the right spot. It took him about four
days, for instance, to find exactly where the
song Kaise Mujhe Tum Mil Gayi from Gha-
jini (2008) was filmed. “I knew that it was the
Fort area but not exactly where in Fort,” he
says.
Day after day, he walked through the nar-
row and puzzling bylanes, asking people if
they remembered an Aamir Khan shoot in
the area. And then finally, with some help
from their clues, he found his location near
Fountain Chambers and took his photo-
graph. “It always feels great to find that place
you are looking for,” he says.
careers at the altars of their husbands’ pro-
fessional success (Nayi Naukri), who were
unable to break through the social condition-
ing of their growing-up years (Ek Kamjor
Ladki ki Kahani), who were tormented by
unfulfilled marital and sexual desires (Keel
aur Kasak) or trapped in suffocating marria-
ges (Ghutan).
Bhandari doesn’t keep well so I spoke to
Rachana Yadav, an accomplished Kathak
exponent. She said that her mother always
emphasised education, the need to be finan-
cially independent, and not be subjugated by
anyone, man or woman. She remembers her
mother dressing up and driving to work at
Miranda House every morning, coming back
and slipping into the role of mother and
homemaker, going into the kitchen to see if
everything was on schedule, then in the
evening settling down on the floor on a
gadda in front of a small chowki to do her
writing.
“There would be gatherings of writers in
our home all the time,” Yadav says. “My
mother would participate in the discussions
but at the same time, she’d ensure the snacks
were circulating smoothly. She took pride in
her role as hostess.”
Bhandari turns 90 this year. This land-
mark birthday is as good a time as any to
raise a toast to a luminous writer who shone
a light on the troubled and brave women of
her time.
{ WARP & WEFT } ETTANA
(Clockwise
from left)
Weave sari patterns via a new
Nawazuddin
Siddiqui and
Irrfan Khan
board game set in Kanchipuram
in The
Lunchbox
(2013);
Kumkum
and Johnny
Walker sing
Ae Dil Hai
Mushkil at
Marine Drive
in CID (1956);
Sanjay Dutt
and Arshad
Warsi
outside the
Asiatic
library, in
Munna Bhai
MBBS (2003).
Melissa D’Costa
letters@hindustantimes.com
ith peacock hues and a gleam-
W
ing finish, it even looks like a
Kanchipuram sari. Ettana: The
Looms of Kanchi, a new board
game by entrepreneur Madhumita Mani of
Mad4Fun and illustrator Darshini Sundar,
lets players explore the life of a weaver.
The strategy game can be played by two,
three or four people. Each must use rolls of
the dice, design cards, action cards and
tokens of yarn to progress and weave their
v handloom designs. Each design card is based
on patterns from Kanchipuram saris.
Points are measured in annas; you must
win eight annas, the erstwhile equivalent of
half a rupee, to win. Ettu anna, the Tamil
term for eight annas, also gives the game its
name. “Most people today do not know what
a loom is. Through the game, we hope people
learn a little about textile design creation,”
WATCH as says Mani, 30. “It’s a classic abstract strategy
Madhumita game, which we hope will encourage people
Mani (seen to play again and again.”
below with Mani fell in love with novelty board games
illustrator
while on a trip to the US in 2015. “Friends
Darshini introduced my husband and me to Settlers of
Sundar) Catan (a board game where players trade and
demonstrates
collect resources to build settlements).” That
how to play led to Seafarers (where you explore
the game uncharted isles), Cities & Knights (where you
build settlements, trade and prosper), and
{ ISLAND SPECIAL } PRAWN COCKTAIL
Meet the new shrimp causing
quite a stir in Lakshadweep
Melissa D’Costa
Vidya Sinha letters@hindustantimes.com
and Amol
Palekar in n a beauty contest for marine life,
Rajnigandha
(1974). The
tale of a young
woman trying
to choose
I they’d make it to at least the final
rounds. Four new ornamental shrimp
species have been identified in the
Lakshadweep coral reef environment. Two
were not known of before at all, two were
between two
men, unusual
for its time,
not known to live here.
Now, they’re changing lives as women on
the islands take to a kind of aquaculture
was based on that could earn them up to Rs 1,500 per
a short story prawn. That’s how much people and com-
by Mannu mercial establishments are willing to pay to
Bhandari. have them in their aquariums.
The shrimp are unusually pretty. The
Periclimenella agatti (named after Lakshad-
weep’s Agatti Island and discovered in
December 2018) is a translucent pale green
with scattered black dots, and about 4 cm
long. The Urocaridella arabianensis (named
for the Arabian Sea and discovered in
August 2019) is also translucent, with red
and whitish splotches scattered artistically
across its 5-cm frame. These were the spe-
cies not known before. The other two are
the Thor hainanensis (brownish, with milky
blotches; first discovered in China in 2014)
and the Lysmata hochi (semi-translucent
with red bands and patches; first discovered
in Panama in 2008).
“The discovery of the new ornamental
shrimp species was a result of exploratory
surveys in the Lakshadweep coral reefs,”
says Kuldeep Kumar Lal, director of the
ICAR-NBFGR (Indian Council of Agricul-
tural Research – National Bureau of Fish
Genetic Resources).
Depending on perceived attractiveness
and rarity, ornamental fish can fetch up to
Rs 7,500 a piece. The recent discoveries
NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
JUNE 13, 2021
Traders & Barbarians (a game that combines
the aims of survival and commerce).
In lockdown, Mani, a homemaker and
Commerce graduate currently living in
Zurich, decided to tap into the growing mar-
ket in India for desi board games, and create
one of her own. For her first game, she
decided to draw on her roots and her child-
hood in Chennai, to create a game linked to
the region’s rich tradition of handloom weav-
ing. She began working on Ettana in March
2020. In June, she set up Mad4Fun.
A common friend put her in touch with
the Bengaluru-based graphic designer Sun-
dar, 31, who would be the other half of this
effort. Sundar has a degree in textile design
from the National Institute of Fashion Tech-
nology (NIFT) and studied textile design with
a focus on sustainable production at the
Chelsea College of Art and Design, London.
“I liked everything about this project — the
concept, the freedom to explore a new area,”
she says. “The theme was definitely gran-
deur. In an Indian context, grandeur and the
peacock go hand in hand. So we went with
peacock hues, motifs associated with pea-
cocks, and borrowed buta (small embellish-
ment patterns) and larger border patterns
from Kanchipuram saris.”
In Ettana, then, each player starts with
two tokens, a design card and an action card.
Cylindrical pegs in different colours placed
on the board represent yarns. These have to
be moved about, swapped and can also be
stolen, as players try to arrange their pegs to
match the designs on their design card.
Action cards enable a player to spend
fewer tokens to perform a transaction such
as buying a new design card or performing a
swap of two yarns.
Friends and family helped with feedback.
“For instance, we created a lot of colour vari-
ations for each aspect of the game, the yarns,
the tiles, the tokens. The feedback told us
that would make play easier,” Sundar says.
Other changes included the addition of theft
(enabled by specific action cards). “This
helped in overall balance of play,” says Mani,
“and brings in a different kind of fun.”
(Ettana is priced at Rs 2,900 and can be
pre-ordered on mad4fungames.com. It is due
for launch in July)
Two new shrimp species, Periclimenella
agatti and (below) Urocaridella
arabianensis, have been discovered off the
islands. They’re unusually pretty and are
netting hefty sums on the ornamental fish
market. Two other species, not known to
live in these waters, have been found too.
have made news in scientific circles and, in
Lakshadweep, work has begun to make the
most of all four finds.
In an island region where the economy
depends almost entirely on tourism, tuna
fishing and coconuts, the four new species
could boost incomes. “Our effort is to estab-
lish captive breeding of ornamental shrimp
that are indigenous to India,” says Lal.
In all, 45 women and 5 men from Agatti
have been trained, in 7 small batches, to
rear the shrimp. “Currently, the species
reared is Thor hainanensis, also known as
sexy shrimp. This species has high demand
in the ornamental trade,” says project mem-
ber Sheena Jose, a student at NBFGR.
Seven of these trainees have established
a backyard rearing unit, with help from the
ICAR-NBFGR, and their first batch of 100
shrimp netted Rs 21,000 on the domestic
market last month. (Buyers and traders tend
to be concentrated in Delhi, Mumbai, Ben-
galuru, Chennai, Kolkata and Hyderabad.)
Namshida Begum, 25, a local resident
who is helping rear the shrimp, says she is
happy to be part of the first cluster of train-
ees. “This is giving us an alternative source
of income,” she adds. Earlier she earned a
living selling pickled tuna and seashells.
ICAR-NBFGR plans to train about 500
more breeders across the Lakshadweep
islands, with an aim of 10,000 ornamental
shrimp reared and sold by end-2022. “A
module on ornamental shrimp rearing will
also be launched,” Lal says, “so it can be
adopted across our country.”
NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
JUNE 13, 2021
SNAPSHOTS FROM THE ‘OTHER’ SUMMIT
Firebrand activists from around the world have descended on Carbis Bay in the UK to draw the attention of the world
leaders as they brainstorm for a better future. The protests on display around the site of the G7 summit cover a wide
range of burning issues, including climate crisis, pandemic, vaccine distribution and environmental degradation. Here are
the highlights from some of the demonstrations taking place in Cornwall
boat.
burn a
esters
Climat
e prot
Activists
pose as b
odies at a clima
te
G7: Pact on pandemics,
pledge to contain China
World leaders unveil
plan at G7 summit to
counter China, chalk
out historic deal to
tackle future diseases
with more swiftness
Agencies
letters@hindustantimes.com
CARBIS BAY, UK: The G7 on Satur-
day unveiled US-led plans to
counter China in infrastructure
funding for poorer nations, and a
new accord to prevent future
pandemics, as the elite group
sought to showcase Western
unity at its first in-person sum-
mit since 2019.
Promising to “collectively
catalyse” hundreds of billions of
infrastructure investment for
low and middle-income coun-
tries, the G7 leaders said they
would offer a “values-driven,
high-standard and transparent”
partnership.
Their “Build Back Better
World” (B3W) project is aimed
squarely at competing with
China’s trillion-dollar Belt and
Road infrastructure initiative”.
The White House said US
President Joe Biden and fellow
leaders addressed “strategic
competition” with Beijing on the
second day of their three-day
summit in Carbis Bay.
Britain, meanwhile, hailed G7
agreement on the “Carbis Bay
Declaration” - a series of com-
mitments to curb future pan-
DJOKOVIC
Nadal a second time at the
Roland Garros after also being
the last man to do so in 2015.
The world No. 1’s titanic tri-
umph booked him a spot in the
French Open final for a second
straight year; he will take on a
first-time slam finalist, Greek
Stefanos Tsitsipas. Should the
Serb cross the line on Sunday, he
will add a 19th title to his Grand
Slam tally, one below Federer
and Nadal in the record list.
The 34-year-old Djokovic, the
youngest of the trio (Nadal is 35
and Federer, 39), could also
become the first player in the
Open Era to own will all four
Grand Slam titles at least twice, a
feat Nadal (he has won the Aus-
tralian only once, in 2009) and
Federer (French Open; 2009)
haven’t achieved so far. The Aus-
tralian Open winner could even
be looking at a slam sweep this
year, which would give him 21
S
REUTER
Climate activist
Marijka Zwozdiak
Black liquid repr
poured into an en ting crude oil is
protester’s mou
crisis pro
test.
AFP
British PM Boris Johnson (right) greets UN secretary general
Antonio Guterres ahead of a bilateral meeting in Cornwall.
demics after Covid-19 wrecked
economies and claimed millions
of lives around the world. The
steps include slashing the time
taken to develop and license vac-
cines, treatments and diagnos-
tics for future disease to under
100 days.
The G7 - Britain, Canada,
France, Germany, Italy, Japan
and the US - will publish the pact
on Sunday, alongside its final
communique containing further
details on the B3W.
“The #CarbisBayDeclaration
marks a proud and historic
moment for us all,” British PM
Boris Johnson tweeted. “The
world’s leading democracies will
commit to preventing a pan-
demic from happening again,
ensuring the devastation caused
by Covid-19 is never repeated.”
Majors and the sole ownership
at the top of the chart. Djokovic
is the defending champion at
Wimbledon and ruthless on
hard courts on which the year-
ending US Open is played, so it’s
not beyond realm of possibility.
Still, irrespective of the out-
come on Sunday, Djokovic’s tac-
tical, physical and mental dis-
mantling of the 13-time French
Open champion has shown the
world how good he really is, and
also necessitated some recalibra-
tion of all that GOAT talk.
For one, there is his superior
record against Federer (27-23)
and Nadal (30-28), or his record
stranglehold on the top spot of
the world rankings. Djokovic has
bossed over his two rivals even
on their most dominant surfa-
ces. Djokovic has beaten Nadal
twice at the French Open, double
the count of the only other
player to do so (kudos, Robin
Soderling). Against eight-time
REUTERS
in St. Ives.
esen
vironmental
th.
AFP
AP
World Health Organization
chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebrey-
esus welcomed the health pact,
saying the UN agency will exam-
ine a British proposal to create a
“Global Pandemic Radar” to
send early warnings of future
outbreaks.
Boris warns EU over
post-Brexit trade
Britain will do “whatever it
takes” to protect its territorial
integrity in a trade dispute with
the EU, Johnson said, threaten-
ing emergency measures if no
solution was found. The threat
seemed to break a temporary
truce in a war of words over part
of the Brexit deal that covers
border issues with Northern Ire-
land, the focus for tensions since
Britain left the EU last year.
champion Federer at the Wim-
bledon, Djokovic has a 3-1 win-
loss record. Contrast that to the
record of Nadal (0-2) and Fed-
erer (1-4) against Djokovic at his
most productive Slam, the Aus-
tralian Open, where he is a nine-
time champion.
Then, there is his recent form.
Since the 2015 season when a
two-way marathon became a
three-way sprint with Djokovic
winning three of the four slams,
the Serb has allowed neither the
Spaniard nor the Swiss to get
better of him on tennis’ most
important stages. Since then,
Djokovic has met Nadal four
times, and won thrice, and Fed-
erer, five times, and won all.
Of the last 10 Grand Slams,
Djokovic has won six to Nadal’s
three and Federer’s zero. Believ-
ers in the church of Nole (as
Djokovic is called by family) say
that could have been seven, had
Djokovic, on an unbeaten streak,
World
A dummy
skeleton
An envir
onmen
tal activ
ist’s me
ssage t
o G7.
UK meet sets up
climate summit
Agence France-Presse
letters@hindustantimes.com
CARBIS BAY, UK: Britain is using
its G7 summit to mobilise allies
ahead of the COP26 conference
in November in Glasgow amid
pressure from environmental
groups to make the meeting
count.
On Friday, British Prime Min-
ister Boris Johnson restated his
aim of a “green industrial revo-
lution” to meet environmental
challenges and create jobs after
the global health crisis. Both the
optics of the summit as well as
its politics are important for
Britain, which will host the UN
climate conference in Novem-
ber.
“The UK has a serious moral
responsibility to lead the way on
climate and nature both as a big
historical emitter of carbon but
also as the host of those big con-
ferences,” Greenpeace UK’s
head of politics Rebecca
Newsom told AFP. “We need to
see proper action, otherwise our
world leaders are failing us.”
Greenpeace released a strik-
ing video for the occasion,
deploying 300 drones to form
animal shapes in the sky and
urge action on biodiversity as
well as the climate.
The summit also played host
{ }
not been defaulted from the US
Open fourth round last year for
accidentally hitting a line judge
with the ball.
That was an aberration, as
was his only defeat in a slam
since the start of last year, a
straight-sets thrashing by Nadal
in the final of the 2020 French
Open. Like his turnaround
against the same opponent on
the same surface on Friday
showed, Djokovic is in no mood
to slow down as he nears the top.
“Each time you step on court
with him (Nadal), you know that
you have to climb Mount Everest
to win against this guy here,”
Djokovic summed up his victory.
On Friday, in a match that his-
tory may well remember as the
best four-setter ever played --
some passages of play in the sec-
ond and third sets were breath-
taking -- he sprinted up the
mountain. If he wins on Sunday
night, he can plant the flag.
is display
ed as a w
arning.
AP
REUTER
S
to a series of demonstrations
with protesters vying for atten-
tion. Oxfam activists wore
masks showing the faces of the
summit’s leaders while others,
urging Japan to stop burning
coal, dressed as giant Pokemon
character Pikachu.
Overwhelmingly, strict secu-
rity measures kept the demon-
strators away from the leaders’
meetings in the seaside resort of
Carbis Bay. Only Extinction
Rebellion protesters briefly
breached one police cordon.
“We’re hopeful that US Presi-
dent Biden has changed the
dynamic on climate change and
that we will see the ambitious
targets that we need from the
G7,” said Oxfam campaigner
Max Lawson.
Johnson is pushing for G7
countries to halve their emis-
sions by 2030 to limit global
warming to 1.5°C. The commit-
ment was one of the major
advances made by the US at a
climate conference in April.
w
READ: With Joe
Biden, America
is back, says Emmanuel Macron
GST COUNCIL
the exemption period further.
The GST Council is chaired by
Sitharaman and finance minis-
ters of states are its members.
The 43rd meeting of the coun-
cil on May 28 decided to form a
group of ministers (GoM) to con-
sider tax waivers on individual
Covid-19 essentials such as vacci-
nes, testing kits, drugs, medical
oxygen, oxygen concentrators,
ventilators, alcohol-based sani-
tizers and hand wash. A day
later, Sitharaman constituted an
eight-member ministerial panel
under the convenership of
Meghalaya chief minister Con-
rad K Sangma, which submitted
its recommendations to the
council on June 6.
In order to bring down costs
on oxygen, oxygen generation
equipment and related medical
devices, the council reduced GST
on medical grade oxygen, oxy-
gen concentrator, oxygen gener-
US rolls out major bills
to clip Big Tech’s wings
Agence France-Presse
letters@hindustantimes.com
WASHINGTON: US lawmakers
unveiled sweeping antitrust
measures on Friday aimed at
tempering the dominance of Big
Tech firms, including Apple and
Facebook, in what may be the
most ambitious effort to break
corporate monopolies.
A bipartisan group of House
members introduced five sepa-
rate bills that propose changes
so comprehensive that they
could reshape the largest US
tech and entertainment compa-
nies and force an overhaul of
their business practices.
In a bid to ward off corporate
consolidation, the measures
would make it harder for large
-companies such as Amazon and
A
l Boris may delay
Netanyahu era
draws to a close
JERUSALEM: The new
Israeli government set
to end Benjamin
Netanyahu’s 12-year
tenure as PM signed its
final power-sharing deal
on Friday. Netanyahu
will be replaced by a
coalition after a likely
parliamentary vote
scheduled for today.
REUTERS
Top HK activist
freed from prison
HONG KONG: Hong
Kong pro-democracy
activist Agnes Chow was
released from prison on
Saturday after serving
nearly seven months
for her role in an
unauthorised assembly
during anti-government
protests in the city in
2019. REUTERS
7 killed in twin
blasts in Kabul
KABUL: Separate bombs
hit two minivans in a
largely Shia area in
Kabul, Afghanistan on
Saturday, killing at least
seven people and
wounding six others,
the interior ministry
said. No one
immediately claimed
responsibility for the
attacks. AP
{ GENEVA BECKONS }
Ties with US are at
lowest point: Putin
Agencies
letters@hindustantimes.com
WASHINGTON: Russian Presi-
dent Vladimir Putin, in an
interview with NBC News
ahead of his meeting with US
President Joe Biden next week,
said US-Russia relations are at
their “lowest point” in years.
“We have a bilateral relation-
ship that has deteriorated to its
lowest point in recent years,”
Putin said, according to an NBC
translation of excerpts of an
interview broadcast on Friday.
Biden and Putin will meet in
Geneva on June 16, following
the US president’s meetings
with G7, NATO and EU allies.
Putin suggested that in spite
of heightened tensions with the
US over cyberattacks and treat-
ator, ventilator, ventilator mask,
canula and helmet, BiPAP
machine and high flow nasal
canula devices from 12% to 5%.
Other Covid-related equip-
ment have been also made
cheaper. While GST on pulse
oximeters (including for per-
sonal imports) has been reduced
from 12% to 5%, taxes on hand
sanitizer, temperature check
equipment, and gas, electric and
other types of furnaces for cre-
matoria, including their installa-
tion, have been slashed from 18%
to 5%. The immediate revenue
impact of these changes is not
known.
MS Mani, senior director at
Deloitte India, said the shorter
duration of exemptions will
make it difficult for businesses to
plan new investments and
expand supply chains. “Busi-
nesses engaged in their manu-
facture and trading will hope the
period is extended beyond 30th
Google to buy out smaller com-
petitors, and facilitate the
break-up of firms that use their
dominant positions in their core
business to make deep inroads
into another.
Tech monopolies “are in a
unique position to pick winners
and losers, destroy small busi-
nesses, raise prices on consum-
ers, and put folks out of work”,
the House judiciary’s antitrust
subcommittee chairman David
Cicilline, a Democrat, said while
introducing the measures.
The goal, he said, is to “level
the playing field” and ensure
that powerful tech companies
follow the same rules as other
businesses.
The bills follow a 16-month
investigation by the antitrust
subcommittee into the state of
easing of curbs
as Delta spreads
Agencies
letters@hindustantimes.com
LONDON/BEIJING: British Prime
Minister Boris Johnson on Sat-
urday expressed “serious con-
cern” about rising infections of
the Delta variant of the coronavi-
rus, reinforcing suggestions that
he may delay lifting England’s
last remaining lockdown curbs.
Johnson is due to announce
on Monday whether the planned
lifting of restrictions can go
ahead as scheduled on June 21.
“It’s clear that the... [Delta] vari-
ant is more transmissible and it’s
also true that the cases are going
up, and that the levels of hospi-
talisation are going up,” Johnson
told Sky News.
China running trials on
nasal spray vaccines
China is conducting clinical
trials on a Covid-19 vaccine that
can be inhaled - the second such
one undergoing testing in the
country, say media reports. The
inhalable vaccine is being jointly
developed by researchers from
Institute of Military Medicine
under the Academy of Military
Sciences, affiliated to the Peo-
ple’s Liberation Army, and
China’s CanSino Biologics, Xin-
ment of dissidents, he may be
able to work with Biden
because he’s more predictable
than former president Donald
Trump.
He is “a different kind of per-
son and it is my great hope
that, yes, there are some advan-
tages, some disadvantages, but
there will not be any impulse-
based movements, on behalf of
the sitting US president”, Putin
said, while he praised former
president Trump as “an
extraordinary individual, tal-
ented individual”.
Asked about Biden agreeing
that Putin was a “killer” in an
interview in March, the Rus-
sian president said he has
heard dozens of such accusa-
tions. “This is not something I
worry about,” Putin said.
September,” he said.
Abhishek Jain, tax partner at
consultancy firm EY, said that
the council’s decision to bring
down the GST rates on key Covid
relief items would “reduce the
cost of such critical Covid items
for the end users”.
The GoM was constituted
after several states demanded a
GST waiver on Covid essentials.
Other members of the GoM were
Gujarat deputy chief minister
Nitinbhai Patel, Maharashtra
deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar,
Goa transport minister Mauvin
Godinho, Kerala finance minis-
ter KN Balagopal, Odisha finance
minister Niranjan Pujari, Telan-
gana finance minister T Harish
Rao and UP finance minister
Suresh Kr Khanna.
On Saturday, some states
demanded a complete waiver on
taxes. “This is totally an anti-
people decision that is being
thrust on us at the GST Council.
17
competition in the digital mar-
ketplace, and particularly the
unregulated power wielded by
Amazon, Apple, Facebook and
Google.
Silicon Valley giants have
come under increasing fire in
Europe and the US due to con-
cerns over their monopoly-like
powers. Also, US President Joe
Biden and other G7 countries are
keen to set a global tax rate of at
least 15% on multinational firms,
in a bid to optimise tax revenue
from the tech behemoths.
The antitrust bills need to be
debated and voted favourably
out of the judiciary committee
before receiving a vote by the full
House of Representatives. They
would also need approval from
the Senate before they are signed
into law by Biden.
Dancers seen in face shields at a
festival in Bali, Indonesia. AP
hua news agency reported.
Chinese experts find new
coronaviruses in bats
Chinese researchers said they
have found a batch of new coro-
naviruses in bats. The viruses
include one that genetically may
be the second closest yet to the
Covid-19 virus, CNN reported.
In a report published in the
journal Cell, Chinese researchers
from Shandong University said,
“We assembled 24 novel corona-
virus genomes from different bat
species, including four Sars-
CoV-2 like coronaviruses.”
With inputs from
Sutirtho Patranobis
INDIAN-ORIGIN
JOURNALISTS
AMONG PULITZER
PRIZE WINNERS
WASHINGTON: Two Indian-
Americans were named among
the winners of this year’s Pulit-
zer prizes, the top American
awards for journalism
announced on Friday.
Megha Rajagopalan of Buzz-
Feed News won a Pulitzer for
international reporting, with
contributors Alison Killing, a
licensed architect, and Christo
Buschek, a programmer, for a
series exposing the scale of inter-
ment of Uighur Muslims in
China’s Xinjiang province. It was
the first Pulitzer for BuzzFeed
News.
Separately, Neil Bedi of
Tampa Bay Times won the Pulit-
zer for local reporting with Kath-
leen McGrory for their investiga-
tive series on a Florida county
police’s use of computer model-
ling to identify potential crime
suspects. YASHWANT RAJ
As representatives of the people,
we have no way to justify these
decisions of draconian nature,”
said West Bengal finance minis-
ter Amit Mitra, expressing his
dissent in a letter to Sitharaman.
He added that his voice was
muzzled at the council meeting
on Saturday. Union minister of
state for finance Anurag Thakur
denied the allegation that Mitra
was not allowed to speak during
the council meeting, and wrote
in a series of tweets that such
accusations were “unbecoming”
of a senior leader.
Uttar Pradesh deputy chief
minister Dinesh Sharma, how-
ever, welcomed the move. “The
government has been taking all
possible steps towards fighting
Covid from time to time... Cut-
ting GST on Covid related items
and services is a major step
towards fighting the pandemic
and providing people a relief in
it,” he said.
18 NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
JUNE 13, 2021

Sport

Djokovic rules: A third set IWF confirms Chanu’s

Tokyo qualification
NEW DELHI: The
A
l
Asian Championship in
Tashkent in April. The 26-
year-old from Manipur has
qualified on the basis of her
Zealand still held a first
innings lead over England of
85 runs in the second and
final Test at Edgbaston. New

that had history in balance

Nadal loses only his
third French Open
match after Djokovic
holds his nerve in the
semi-final that saw
one of the all-time
great sets in tennis
Aditya Iyer
aditya.iyer@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: They were stuck in
the middle of one of those ral-
lies that they seemingly have
been stuck in since they first
met on this very court in 2006,
which is 57 head-to-head
matches ago, when Novak
Djokovic decided to alter the
nature of his crosscourt
exchange with Rafael Nadal.
For a while in this point now
Djokovic was having his back-
hand bombarded by Nadal’s
loopy, spitting forehands.
Straddling the singles tram-
line on his backhand side,
Djokovic looked like he was
ostensibly dismembering as he
kept returning the ball to a
grunting Nadal with two fists,
until he simply had enough and
moved further into the doubles
court and took the ball inside-
out, on his forehand that is, and
flattened out his return into a
Serbia's Novak Djokovic (left) during his semi-final at The Roland Garros against Spain's 13-time
French Open winner Rafael Nadal . Djokovic won 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-2.
ovic stands on the very verge of
becoming the first man in the
form; the same great form that
saw him win his last 35
AFP
raised both the level of tennis
and Nadal’s left eyebrow for the
it 3-2. Ironically, the break
came from a drop shot into the
net—the very tactic that had
backfired on Djokovic in the
2020 final. Because Nadal never
rolls over, he broke right back
in the next game (3-3), getting
there with a ferocious body-
shot towards Djokovic at the
net. The Serb was not amused.
Perhaps that anger inspired
Djokovic to break back imme-
diately (on love, that too) and
perhaps even helped him to
finally consolidate the break
and make it 5-3. Nadal seemed
resigned to his fate when Djok-
ovic served for the set at 5-4,
30-0. But some sets turn into
great spectacles simply because
one of the players refuses to go
away, and this was one such
set. As he roared back, Nadal
curled in his running forehand
winner up-the-line and soon it
was 5-5 and then 6-6—the
Spaniard now screaming at his
box in joy and Djokovic
screaming at his for help.
Djokovic’s SOSes have
always been answered at this
French Open. Call it divine
intervention but when he
found himself two sets down to
Grand Slam debutant Lorenzo
Musetti in the fourth round,
Djokovic tapped into some-
thing deeper and won in five
sets. Even when he played Mat-
teo Berrettini, who at one stage
International Weightlifting standings on IWF’s Absolute Zealand were dismissed for
Federation (IWF) conformed Ranking list. The Indian 388 in reply to England’s 303
that Mirabai Chanu has lifter is ranked second. shortly before tea on the
qualified for the Tokyo third day, with Broad
Olympics in the women’s Broad strikes but NZ returning impressive figures
49kg category. Chanu, the of 4/48. Three Blackcaps
2017 world champion, had lead by 85 runs batsmen—Will Young,
secured her place in Tokyo BIRMINGHAM: Stuart Broad Devon Conway and Ross
by winning a bronze in the took four wickets but New Taylor—all fell in the 80s.
{ THE CROSSWORDS } PUZZLE 15946 © Gemini Crosswords 2018 All rights reserved
CRYPTIC CLUES
ACROSS
1 Scented and affected offspring (10)
8 Something growing in the wood (5)
9 Locate unpleasant smell, but this won’t
cure it (7)
10 Employment of paper folders (7)
11 There’s a moral in the thickness of thieves (5)
12 Bash in, perhaps, and drive away (6)
14 War zone is subject of many a novel article (6)
17 Mean to get drunk (5)
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DOWN
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1 Silly behaviour (10) 2 Infest (7)
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6 They meet for a bite (5) 8 Defraud (5) 3 Be sold for (5)
9 A sweet sauce (7) 4 Supernatural (6)
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more so (4,6) 12 False rumour (6) 7 Book of Nonsense author (6,4)
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20 It’s essential to a helicopter going up or 22 Group of singers (5) 18 Keyboard instrument (5)
down (5) 23 Strictly businesslike (2-8) 20 Fitting position (5)
FRIDAY’S SOLUTIONS (15945)
{ SUDOKU } DIFFICULTY LEVEL
CRYPTIC

near-impossible winner—whiz-
zing acutely in its angle and
skidding past a stunned fore-
hand attempt by Nadal.
The crowd roared (“Ser-bi-ja!
Ser-bi-ja!”), Djokovic stared at
his box, widening his unblink-
ing eyelids, Nadal towelled his
wet face and dripping arms
even as the chair umpire, Eva
Open Era to win all the Grand
Slams twice (Nadal has just one
Australian Open, same for
Roger Federer in Roland Gar-
ros). His only hurdle is a man
who has made his first ever
Grand Slam final, Stefanos Tsit-
sipas.
Not just two of each Major,
the Serb will put himself on 19
matches on this court, stretch-
ing back to 2016; the same form
that caused the destruction of
Djokovic in the final last year;
the same form that witnessed
the punishing of Diego
Schwartzman with a 6-0 final
set in the quarter-final, possibly
for having made Nadal drop his
first set in France since 2019.
rest of the contest.
That epic set
The match was already two
hours old and tied at a set
apiece when the third set
(which will in the years to
come simply be referred to as
“that third set”) started. This
set alone would last 92 min-
in the quarters managed to
upset Djokovic so much that
the Serb pantomimed flinging
his racquet at his box—where
his wife Jelena too was seated
that night.
Under the terrified gazes of
their respective loved ones,
Djokovic and Nadal dragged
their bruised bodies into the
QUICK

Asdekari, politely reminded
them to move on by announc-
ing: “zero quinze”. This was but
one of the early exchanges in a
third set that could qualify as
the best set of tennis at this
French Open, if not the best set
of tennis between two men
whose career match-ups are lit-
tered with some of the greatest
sets ever played.
That third set would not only
pivot the match firmly in Djok-
ovic’s direction, but it would
also prove pivotal to the history
of tennis itself.
The Slam double
By beating Nadal in the semi-fi-
nal of the French Open, Djok-
Slams with a win on Sunday –
one away from Nadal and Fed-
erer. If that happens, there is a
distinct possibility of Djokovic
winning all four Slams in the
same year; again, an Open Era
record. Sounds farfetched?
Well, surely not as farfetched as
beating a man with 13 French
Open titles who came into this
semi-final with a 105-2 win-loss
record on the red dirt of Paris.
Nadal’s only two previous
losses at Roland Garros had
come against Robin Soderling
in 2009 and Djokovic himself in
2015. Those losses were as
much due to his blisters (2009)
and woeful form (2015). But on
Friday, Nadal was in prime
The scoreline says that one
of the greatest takedowns in
this sport began in the second
set, which Djokovic won 6-3.
But don’t be fooled, for Djok-
ovic’s cunning plot to defeat
Nadal on a court that the Span-
iard once referred to as “my liv-
ing room” in fact began in the
first set, which was for a long
while eerily similar and one-
sided as the bagel Djokovic was
dealt with in the opening set of
last year’s final. But something
strange happened when Nadal
was 5-0 up. Djokovic fought
back, winning three games in a
row, before Nadal snuffed it
out. Still, a palpable shift of
momentum had taken place. It
utes; while it was on it felt a tiebreak, after 80 minutes of
whole lot longer—a never-end- this brutal and defining set had
ing loop of broken serves and already passed. It looked omi-
clattering racquets and nous when Nadal began with a
clenched fists and racing double fault and even more so
hearts, all set to a soundtrack of when he missed a put-away
demonic grunts. The points in volley into an empty court at
Fill in all the squares in the grid so that each row, column and
this set didn’t have the overall 3-4, after having pushed Djok-
each of the 9X9 squares contains all the digits from 1 to 9.
length of the rallies from when ovic into the cardboard mar-
these two met in the six-hour gins of the stadium.
final at the Australian Open in A timely ace put Djokovic on
2012. But what it missed in set point. It felt more like a { WEATHER } ALMANAC TEMPERATURE IN
quantity it more than made up match point, so when Nadal TEMPERATURE HIGH LOW Today is FOUR METROS
13th June 2021
for in quality. failed to get more than a frame l 2 Dhul Qadah 1442
Delhi
Djokovic had squandered a on a ripping backhand, the l Jyeshtha, Shukla 35°c I 27°c
Paksha, 3
few opportunities to break world No.1 cupped his ear to l Samvat 2078
Mumbai
Nadal’s serve in the opening the crowd and finally believed SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY Sunset: Sunday 27°c I 24°c
Thunderstorm Thunderstorm Thunderstorm at 07:19 p.m
passage of this set, but soon he was worth the ranking on a with rain with rain with rain Sunrise: Monday Kolkata
induced that final error from court where he was always at 05:22 a.m. 32°c I 26°c
Moonrise: Monday
Nadal in the fifth game to make made to feel second best. at 08:28 a.m. Chennai
Moonset: Monday 37°c I 29°c
35°c I 27°c 34°c I 27°c 35°c I 27°c at 10:40 p.m.

Krejcikova’s conviction
rewarded with crown
Rutvick Mehta
rutvick.mehta@htlive.com

MUMBAI: At some point during

the pandemic-inducted tennis
shutdown last year, Barbora
Krejcikova, a multiple-time
Grand Slam doubles winner,
toyed with the thought of giving
up playing singles. She lan-
guished outside the top 100 in
rankings, often losing in the
Paramedics attend to Denmark midfielder Christian Eriksen (not early rounds in even lower-rung
seen) after he collapsed during the Euro 2020 match against ITF tournaments. “I was just like
Finland at the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen. AFP ‘Okay, maybe I will never make
it. Maybe I’m going to be just a

Eriksen collapses,
doubles player, okay?’” Krejcik-
ova said last month.
The 25-year-old Czech won
her first singles Grand Slam title

Euro tie suspended on Saturday, beating Russia’s

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-1,
2-6, 6-4 in the final at Roland
Czech Republic's Barbora Krejcikova after winning her maiden
French Open beating Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. AP

HT Correspondent
sportsdesk@hindustantimes.com
GUWAHATI: The Group B game
between Denmark and Finland
at the European Championship
in Copenhagen’s Parken Sta-
dium was suspended on Satur-
day evening after Denmark’s
star midfielder Christian Erik-
sen collapsed on the field just
minutes before the end of the
first half.
With the scores still goalless
in the 42nd minute, referee
Anthony Taylor stopped play
and signalled for the medical
team as cameras showed a
motionless Eriksen lying on the
pitch. Eriksen had just played a
short pass from the left flank
before falling face first into the
ground.
The Danish players, many of
whom were later seen in tears,
quickly surrounded Eriksen as
the medicos tried to resuscitate
him. The stadium announcer
told the 16,000-strong crowd at
the ground that the game had
been suspended and asked
them to stay in their seats for a
further update.
“The UEFA EURO 2020
match in Copenhagen has been
suspended due to a medical
emergency,” European football
governing body UEFA tweeted
from its official account shortly
after players headed to the tun-
nel and Eriksen was taken off
on a stretcher surrounded by
his teammates and by white
sheets to shield him from pub-
lic view.
UEFA later tweeted that
Eriksen’s condition had stabi-
lised.
“The player has been trans-
ferred to the hospital and has
been stabilised.” It also added
that it was conducting a crisis
meeting with both teams and
match officials to decide on the
fate of the game.
A part of the Serie A-winning
Inter Milan side this past sea-
son, Eriksen has played for
London club Tottenham and
Dutch giants Ajax in the past.
Hailed as one of the best Dan-
ish players of his generation,
Eriksen has 108 international
caps for Denmark, prior to Sat-
urday’s match, and has scored
36 goals for his country.
Garros in what was just her fifth
main draw singles appearance in
a Major. Her previous best sin-
gles performance on this stage
was a fourth-round appearance
in Paris last year. And she hasn’t
even made the main draw of
Wimbledon or US Open in sin-
gles. “I cannot believe what just
happened. I cannot believe I
actually won a Grand Slam,”
Krejcikova said in an on-court
interview moments after victory.
She can win one more on Sun-
day as she is also in the women’s
doubles final (partnering com-
patriot Katerina Siniakova). Vic-
tory will make her the first
woman to win the French Open
double since Mary Pierce in
2000. In the lead-up to the
French Open, she beat Sofia
Kenin, the 2020 Australian Open
champion, in the Round of 32 in
Rome, carrying the confidence
to win her maiden WTA singles
title in Strasbourg last month.
At this French Open, she
stunned fifth seed Elina Svitolina
in the third round, downed ris-
ing American teen Coco Gauff in
the quarter-final and edged past
Maria Sakkari, the Greek who
beat defending champion Iga
Swiatek, keeping a cool head in a
tight semi-final. She brought the
same calm head to the final if
not the consistency overall. Pav-
lyuchenkova, also a first-time
finalist at 29, began the battle
with a service break, but that
was it for her in the first set.
Krejcikova broke right back and
then notched up five straight
games to for the first set. The
Czech was more compact with
her baseline game with quality
returns of serve, and the Rus-
sian, a touch too eager to find
winners, played into her hands.
Pavlyuchenkova held serve
for the first time in the match to
get on board in the second set,
gradually growing into the con-
test. The unforced errors count
went up for the Czech, and so did
the winners and first serve per-
centage for the Russian. Her
power-filled shots found better
shape and bite, breaking Krejcik-
ova in the second and sixth
games. Despite needing court-
side treatment—her left thigh
had to be taped—after being bro-
ken, Pavlyuchenkova closed out
the set. Two one-sided sets made
way for a tighter start to the
decider with both players raising
their game, and trading breaks,
for 2-2. Krejcikova, with compa-
triots Martina Navratilova, the
18-times Major winner, and
twice French Open champion
Jan Kodes watching from the
stands, stepped it up a few more
notches. She broke Pavlyuchen-
kova to love in the seventh game
with a well-placed forehand win-
ner. She saw two championship
points come and go on Pavlyu-
chenkova’s serve, and dished out
a double fault on the third. But
she just about kept her poise,
sealing the title when her Rus-
sian opponent sent a return long.
Like in her victory speech
after the semi-final win, Krejcik-
ova got emotional while thank-
ing Jana Novotna—the former
Wimbledon champion was her
mentor—who died of cancer at
the age of 49 in 2017. “I know
she’s looking after me,” a teary-
eyed Krejcikova said, looking
skyward. “All this (the success)
is because she is looking after
me. Her last words to me were,
‘Enjoy tennis and try and win a
Grand Slam’.”
Sunday,June 13,2021 f @HTCITY t @HTCITY i @HTCITY y /USER/HT. ENTERTAINMENT & PROMOTIONAL FEATURES

#HTAuto #Lifestyle
{ SHAH RUKH
KHAN } FIND OUT WHY ELECTRIC DISCOVER THE FOOD ITEMS THAT
VEHICLES ARE THE FUTURE OF HELP YOU TAKE CARE OF YOUR
P TRANSPORTATION p 06 HEART HEALTH POST COVID p 05

Time now
for a trim

City
and get #Showbiz Taurus

T
back to ‘NO POLITICS IN OUR Those playing the stocks are likely to
hit it big today p 02
work I SHOW’
guess... Manoj Bajpayee opens
up about the debate
On plans of
surrounding The Family #Showbiz
resuming work
Man 2, calls it a truly
pan-Indian show THE OTT BOOM
A
p 01
Aahana Kumra is in favour of the digital revolution,
Delhi feels a lot of work can now be archived p 04
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Sunday,June 13,2021 f @HTCITY t @HTCITY i @HTCITY y /USER/HT. ENTERTAINMENT & PROMOTIONAL FEATURES

#HTAuto #Lifestyle
{ SHAH RUKH
KHAN } FIND OUT WHY ELECTRIC DISCOVER THE FOOD ITEMS THAT
VEHICLES ARE THE FUTURE OF HELP YOU TAKE CARE OF YOUR
P TRANSPORTATION p 06 HEART HEALTH POST COVID p 05

Time now
for a trim

City
and get #Showbiz Taurus

T
back to ‘NO POLITICS IN OUR Those playing the stocks are likely to
hit it big today p 02
work I SHOW’
guess... Manoj Bajpayee opens
up about the debate
On plans of
surrounding The Family #Showbiz
resuming work
Man 2, calls it a truly
pan-Indian show THE OTT BOOM
A
p 01
Aahana Kumra is in favour of the digital revolution,
Delhi feels a lot of work can now be archived p 04
Sunday, June 13, 2021 n 14 PAGES. f @HTCITY t @HTCITY i @HTCITY y /USER/HT. ENTERTAINMENT & PROMOTIONAL FEATURES

Six shots of life

We’re back to spreading positivity and
chasing away the gloom. Our editor picks

City
shots of life that bring a smile
FEEDING INDIA
Realising the agony of jobless migrant workers, maids,

1
garbage collectors and rickshaw drivers, Harsh and his
mother Heena Mandavia from Mumbai started giving
free meals to these faceless humans. In the second wave
PHOTO: of Covid-19, they have distributed over 22,000 meals,
INSTAGRAM/
HARSHMANDAVIA 55,000 rotis and 6,000 homemade sweets. OK
PHOTO: FACEBO

AN INSPIRING JOURNEY
Raj, a man with modest means was unable to study
Delhi
2
after 9th grade, and took to plying an auto rickshaw in
Jaipur. Realising the importance of language in
interacting with tourists, he learnt English and fell in
love with a French woman, whom he married. He now
lives in Switzerland, where he works at a restaurant
and hopes to open his own one day.

HT PHOTO “All of us are very responsible

A THOUGHTFUL GESTURE people. We love each and every cul-
In a heartwarming gesture, Munmun Sarkar from ture of this country, that’s why it’s a

3
Siliguri, West Bengal, the first woman e-rickshaw driver in truly pan-Indian show. There’s no

IS
the state, has been ferrying Covid-19 patients in her politics here,” he asserts.

E
vehicle. Her service, which is available 24*7, has been Shedding more light on the way

E R
welcomed by patients who couldn’t afford high roles have been written in The Fam-

‘TH
transportation costs. ily Man 2 in a way to connect with

S
people, he elaborates, “My charac-

T IC
ter, Srikant, is as black as he is

4 NO POLI
NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE PHOTO: white. All other characters are com-
When people come together, we are capable of scaling FACEBOOK pletely humanised, and heroes in

’
insurmountable heights and nothing is impossible. their own story. So, that way, we

W
The parents of 3-year-old Ayaansh who suffers from a were pretty sure that people’s

O
rare disease Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), mobilised apprehensions and questions will

S H
₹16 crore through a crowd-funding initiative to buy be answered once they watch the

R
eight vials of Zolgensma, the world’s most expensive show. That’s why I feel the consen-

OU
medicine, to be administered to their child. sus is in our favour.”

IN
Currently in the mountains
DELHIPOLICE shooting for another film, the
PHOTO: TWITTER/

that his
AT YOUR SERVICE, ALWAYS 52-year-old the actor shares the
ident
f wasn’t
In a heartwarming gesture, Delhi Police process the team is following to be
Commissioner SN Srivastava helped Kuldeep,
e was con n e, able to shoot amid all the pandemic
jp aye eve ryo
5 Manoj Ba d be accepted by esponse
who pleaded for help on Twitter from Punjab. His restrictions.
father had died owing to Covid-19 and his family “The lockdown happened when
ul r
show wo he overwhelming
was finding it tough to make ends meet, the we came here, but with the help of
Delhi Police promised ₹10K to the family to ride the administration and following all
t
ready for
over the crisis on their return to Delhi. protocols, we shoot whenever we
manage to get permission. When
PHOTO: SHIVAM they ask us to stop, we immediately
SAXENA/HT
A THEME PARK IN THE OFFING do so. As soon as this film is over, I’ll
Keeping in mind adventure, mythology, education and again be back in Mumbai,” says Baj-
entertainment, the Jammu and Kashmir administration is Rishabh Suri ing that the response the series has payee, hoping that by that time, “the
planning to set up a mythological theme park near the
Vaishno Devi shrine in Reasi district. It aims to increase
6 rishabh.suri@htlive.com
been getting, is akin to that of films
in the past such as the cult Sholay
lockdown is completely lifted”.
Meanwhile, after a month-and-a-

B
economic activity and generate local employment. asking in the glory of his
STOPPRESS recently released show,
Compiled by Swati Chaturvedi The Family Man 2, actor
Mail your six shots entries to htcity@hindustantimes.com Manoj Bajpayee calls it
unprecedented.
“Yes, we knew, we had a very
good product in hand, but even
then, one can’t imagine this kind of
love, and reception. Social media
reactions are a testimony to it, so it
is not something we can be blamed
for — there’s no over hyping or
WORTH exaggeration,” says Bajpayee, add-
AM/LIAMHEMS
PHOTO: INSTAGR
(1975) and his own Satya (1998).
While the appreciation continues
to pour in, the second season of the
show was marred by a controversy
right from the time its trailer was
released. Some felt that it showed
Tamilians in a negative light, and
even demanded a ban on the show
that also stars actors Samantha
Akkineni, Sharib Hashmi and Priya-
mani. Bajpayee says he was “confi-
dent” that people will be “satisfied”
once they see their show.
half long lockdown, shoots have
been given a go ahead in Maharash-
tra with necessary restrictions.
Glad with the decision, Bajpayee
calls it “the much needed respite”.
He explains, “It’s not only about
us — the actors and directors — but
also those people who’re working
on sets on daily wages. All of us are
quite concerned about them...
they’re not known to the audience,
but we work hand in hand, in equal
capacity.”

Actor Liam

W e h a v e t o g e t s t r i c t Hemsworth made
his relationship

about vaccination
with model
Gabriella Brooks
Instagram official
Kavita Awaasthi calling me because she needed by sharing images
kavita.awaasthi@htlive.com
a job to run her house, pay hos-
pital bills and take care of her
of himself, Brooks,
ith the on-ground baby. It was heartbreaking as brother Chris
W situation getting
better, the second
wave on the verge
of ending and the country in
she wasn’t even able to mourn
him. I spoke to some friends
who are in the corporate sector
and thankfully, got a job for
Hemsworth and
wife Elsa Pataky,
unlock mode, Gurmeet Choud-
hary is happy but adds we still
her. That’s when I realised that
collaborating with corporates
from a charity gala
have a long way to go.
The actor says, “It is out-
for jobs is the way out.”
With work restarting, he
in Sydney,
standing that we have been realises that people will soon Australia.
able to overcome the second get busy with their respective
wave. Earlier, we were fighting lives. He says, “In the last
for beds, oxygen, medicines two months, my team and
and ambulances, but now peo-
ple are struggling to make ends
I have been trying and
doing our best. Now,
P
meet. I have got many requests the focus should be on Even now, there
for jobs as people don’t getting people vacci-
have money. Through my nated. Even now, are people who
foundation, we have been try-
ing to help as many people as
there are people
who think it is a
think vaccination is a
possible.” myth. There should myth. There should be
Recently, he helped a be a strict rule for a strict rule for it all
woman get a bed for her hus- vaccination all over
band in a hospital, but a few India. Our govern- over India.
days later, he heard that her ment is serious but
husband passed away. “It there are many people GURMEET
hadn’t been even four days who are not serious CHOUDHARY, Actor
since his death, and she was about being jabbed.”

Pammi aunty to Anupam Kher: Funny

that he cribbed about losing followers
Rishabh Suri social media and fame,” reasons
Pasricha.
sumier Pasricha aka Pammi The 41-year-old adds that the

S aunty recently went all out

while responding to a tweet
by Anupam Kher, when the latter
rued losing 80,000 followers in 36
hours on Twitter. Pasricha feels
this isn’t the time to crib about los-
ing followers as many faced loss of
lives in this pandemic.
“There are so many who’ve lost
their family members and friends.
I thought people must have learnt
that there’s more to life than just
Ssumier Pasricha’s tweet in
response to Anupam Kher’s
observation
PHOTO: INSTAGRAM/SSUMIEROFFICIAL
veteran actor didn’t need to do
this. “Mr Kher became a legend
before Twitter and Instagram. If
he worries about small things,
then his young followers will go
into depression that, ‘Hamare fol-
lowers nahin hain, hum kaam
kaise karein’. People call me a
social media star, but I’m not both-
ered about followers,” says the
actor. He adds that 90% of celebri- NOTE TO
ties have fake followers and urges READERS: Some
people to “evolve” and not be of the coverage
“trapped” in this whole social that appears on
media scenario. “I have noth- our pages is
ing against Mr Kher. But it paid for by the
concerned
looked funny that a person of brands. No
his stature comes and says, sponsored
‘Followers kam ho gaye’. Are content does or
you kidding me? Agar aapko shall appear in
bhi inn cheezon se farak padh any part of HT
raha hai, then you need to work without it
on it. I can’t say more than that” being declared
he ends. as such to our
valued readers.
02 relationship NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
JUNE 13, 2021

{ YOUR TAROT THIS WEEK } Manisha Koushik is a renowned tarot card reader and astrologer.
Manisha Koushik
June 13-19, 2021 She can be contacted at: +91-9650015920
Email: support@askmanisha.com; Website: www.askmanisha.com

ARIES MAR 21-APR 20 CANCER JUN 22-JUL 22 LIBRA SEP 24-OCT 23 CAPRICORN DEC 22-JAN 21

Love: The Tower Mood: Two of Swords
Career: Ace of Wands
You have the magical touch of angels by your
side this week! Good progress is indicated in
whatever you take up except that on the work
front. Some of you can expect a hectic work
schedule. Support from seniors can be
Ajay Devgn expected on the academic front. Putting
money in something after a thorough analysis
is likely to yield excellent results. It is best to
avoid someone whom you do not click with.
Lucky Number: 11 Lucky Colour: Orange
Love: Two of Coins Mood: Four of Cups
Career: Eight of Cups
Do not underestimate the skill and knowledge
that you possess on the professional front.
Trust the stars that the road ahead is safe and
sure. Meeting an old friend will revive some
good old memories. A major decision is likely
Ranveer Singh to be taken on the domestic front. A financial
advisor is likely to mentor you on managing
your savings. Extensive paper work can keep
some occupied while buying a new property.
Lucky Number: 5 Lucky Colour: Sea Green
Love: Three of Cups Mood: The World
Career: Magician
This week is all about taking initiatives and
assuring that everything moves smoothly.
Leaves are likely to be approved for those
seeking it for a long time now. You would
need to put more efforts to get certain things
Ranbir Kapoor in sync on the work front. Guests are likely
to throng upon over the weekend. Going
overboard with shopping can get you in the
bad books of a family elder.
Lucky Number: 9 Lucky Colour: Brown
Love: Two of Swords Mood: Five of Coins
Career: The High Priestess
You need a focussed approach to facilitate
what you are trying to create. You may need
to budget the renovation on the home front.
Health issues need to be addressed on priority.
Colleagues and subordinates may look up to
Deepika Padukone you for resolving something crucial. Domestic
front appears to be harmonious. Avoid being
too blunt and candid on the love front as it
may not be too okay with the lover.
Lucky Number: 18 Lucky Colour: Green

TAURUS APR 21-MAY 20 LEO JUL 23-AUG 23 SCORPIO OCT 24-NOV 22 AQUARIUS JAN 22-FEB 19

Love: Five of Coins Mood: The Moon
Career: Judgement
Anything is possible, especially what sounded
impossible earlier is likely to come true now,
on a good note. New projects that you start
with this week are likely to prove successful.
Someone may start showing more interest
and concern towards you. Your desire to help
people in need will be acknowledged. A fruit-
ful investment is on its way.
Lucky Number: 8 Lucky Colour: Lavender
Love: Four of Cups Mood: Seven of Wands
Career: The Hanged Man
You should not shy away from asking for
guidance. It will save you from making errors
and will keep mind at ease as well. Avoid
pushing lover for something that you want to
Anushka Sharma do. Respecting their thoughts has to be your
prime gesture this week. A new colleague is
likely to share your work load. Some renova-
tion is likely to take place on the home front.
Lucky Number: 6 Lucky Colour: White
Love: Temperance Mood: The Lovers
Career: Ten of Coins
You must move forward with your plans.
Avoid seeking other’s approval for it. Not
everything needs to be disclosed this week –
let success make the noise on its own. Support
Kajol from friends or colleagues may not be too
welcoming. A vacation or a celebration may
have to be postponed to a later date. Avoid
diving in the fantasy world while studying.
Lucky Number: 6 Lucky Colour: Rose
Love: Five of Wands Mood: Devil
Career: The Sun
An amazing news on the love front is likely to
brighten up your week. Parents are likely to
give a go ahead to your love relationship. Your
problem-solving skills in a challenging work
Shah Rukh Khan environment are likely to make you everyone’s Abhishek Bachchan
favourite. Pending payments may take some
more time to materialize. An old property is
likely to be sold at a good price.
Lucky Number: 7 Lucky Colour: White

GEMINI MAY 21-JUN 21 VIRGO AUG 24-SEP 23 SAGITTARIUS NOV 23-DEC 21 PISCES FEB 20-MAR 20

Love: Three of Swords Mood: The Star
Career: Nine of wands
Trust your gut! You are blessed with all the
resources you need, even if you can’t see them
at this time. Push your inner confidence a bit
more and you will start seeing things in order.
An appreciation or a reward is in store for
Sonam K Ahuja those working in IT or telecom sectors. Artists
may get an invite to participate in something
prestigious. Love life blooms as you receive an
unexpected gift from a secret admirer.
Lucky Number: 18 Lucky Colour: Rose
Love: The Hermit Mood: Seven of Cups
Career: Page of Wands
A windfall of abundance seems to magically
appear around you. Clear up your mind of
unnecessary thoughts. Some of you are likely
to be rated among the top achievers at the
work place. A family elder’s health may be a
Akshay Kumar cause of concern. Lover appears to be extra
lovey-dovey this week. Those looking for a
matrimonial alliance are likely to click with
someone like-minded.
Lucky Number: 17 Lucky Colour: Light Grey
Love: The Empress Mood: The Moon
Career: The Chariot
Confidentiality is key to what you are about to
manifest. Do not let your energies wither here
and there on the professional front. Plan,
organise and execute. Entrepreneurs are likely
to reap in good profits. Love birds may plan to
John Abraham tie a knot in a private affair. Somebody you
are not in talking terms with may turn around
to be your best supporter. Your craving for an
outing may make you explore exotic places.
Lucky Number: 1 Lucky Colour: Magenta
Love: The Strength Mood: Page of Cups
Career: The Hierophant
Creative solutions are likely to place you
above everyone else on the professional front.
Someone on the work front may start show-
ing too much interest in your personality.
Some of you may be keen at riding your own
Shahid Kapoor vehicle for a long drive. A property entangled
in a legal battle is likely to be pronounced
free. Spouse may have special plans that you
simply cannot ignore.
Lucky Number: 2 Lucky Colour: Peach

{ DAILY HOROSCOPE }

Sunday, June 13, 2021

Allyship calls Dr Prem Kumar Sharma (Astrologer and Vaastu expert) can be contacted at: Delhi: 011-47033152, 40532026 (Sat
to Mon); Panchkula: 91-172-2562832, 2572874 (Tues to Thurs); Mumbai: 09716145644 (Last week of every month)
for a lot of
responsibility ARIES LEO SAGITTARIUS
and sensitivity. MAR 21-APR 20 JUL 23-AUG 23 NOV 23-DEC 21

A L
A balanced diet and total
Experts share abstinence from junk food
is the need of the hour for
how one can some. Some of you may
need the help of a financial expert for
prove to be a proper investments. Your thorough-
ness will see a project through.
LOVE FOCUS: Handle long distant rela-
dependable tionships with utmost care today.
LUCKY NUMBER: 8 LUCKY COLOUR: Light
ally Grey
Natural cure is likely to do
wonders for those afflicted
with health problems. On
the financial front, the day
is going to be exceptionally profita-
ble. You may not get the benefit of
doubt in a workplace slip-up.
LOVE FOCUS: Expect to enjoy a
romance filled day today.
LUCKY NUMBER: 1 LUCKY COLOUR:
Magenta
s
Eating right and remain-
ing active will keep you fit.
Don’t bite more than you
can chew in your craving
to earn more. Some profit making
opportunities are likely to come your
way, but you will have to seize them.
LOVE FOCUS: Lack of confidence may
mar your chances on the love front.
LUCKY NUMBER: 8 LUCKY COLOUR: Light
Grey

TAURUS VIRGO CAPRICORN

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

I c
A new health routine may Health remains good. Ben- You will need to be more
start giving benefits right efit accrues as your gut conscious regarding your

RELATIONSHIP away. Those playing the

stocks are likely to hit it
big. You will manage a helping hand
for household chores.
feeling about an invest-
ment turns right. There is
a chance of something favourable
happening on the professional front.
health. You are likely to
win a substantial amount
in a bet. You are set to enjoy the fruits
of labour on the professional front.

OF LGBTQIA+
LOVE FOCUS: A loving gift from lover is
likely to bowl you over!
LUCKY NUMBER: 7 LUCKY COLOUR:
Orange
LOVE FOCUS: Those contemplating LOVE FOCUS: Lover will be all com-
love marriage are likely to succeed in plaints during an outing.
their mission! LUCKY NUMBER: 2 LUCKY COLOUR:
LUCKY NUMBER: 22 LUCKY COLOUR: Blue Indigo

IDENTITIES AND GEMINI

MAY 21-JUN 21
LIBRA
SEP 24-OCT 23
AQUARIUS
JAN 22-FEB 19

STRAIGHT ALLIE G Perfect health will be

retained. Monetary assist-

l
Adopting an active lifes-
tyle will help keep minor

a
It will be important to
choose the right training

S
PHOTO: ance sought from some- ailments at bay. Your initi- for achieving peak fitness.
SHUTTERSTOCK one will be forthcoming, ative is likely to bring in Steady income from sav-
but with riders. Businesspersons will good money. Rude behaviour of ings will not be enough for achieving
manage seal a lucrative deal. someone can make you see red. what you have in mind.
Digvijay ple who have faced trauma in them build a house, let them LOVE FOCUS: A blissful existence is LOVE FOCUS: An exciting time with LOVE FOCUS: A commitment made to
the past. When any person decide where the kitchen goes. foreseen for the married. spouse is indicated for those married. lover will be fulfilled.
P
digvijay.singh@hindustantimes.com
comes out to an ally, it’s You can give your inputs, but LUCKY NUMBER: 22 LUCKY COLOUR: LUCKY NUMBER: 22 LUCKY COLOUR: Sky LUCKY NUMBER: 6 LUCKY COLOUR:
hen Ram was faced because the ally has created a don’t decide for them. Don’t tell Violet Blue Parrot Green

W with homophobic
jokes at workplace,
he couldn’t stand
up for himself, for he wasn’t
out to everybody. That changed
safe space for them.
That said, Ram feels sensi-
tivity should be the first and
foremost trait of any ally. “An
ally may not know everything,
people how they are feeling;
you are there to validate their
feelings, not tell them how to
feel,” Kashyap urges.
Also, letting people come
Allies are very
important... If
parents are
CANCER
JUN 22-JUL 22
SCORPIO
OCT 24-NOV 22
PISCES
FEB 20-MAR 20
allies, they can

when a friend stood by him
and prompted him to defend
himself. “I could gather the
courage to speak up against
the bully because my friend
stood in my support. It was a
great example of an allyship,”
he adds.
An ally for the LGBTQIA+
community is a person who
supports equal rights and par-
ticipates in social movements.
Ram, the founder of Pride Cir-
cle and creator of ‘21 days ally
challenge’, feels, “Allies are
very important, right from
home to workplace and to a
society at large. If parents are
allies, they can raise confident
and aware children, instead of
scared children.”
For psychologist Deepak
Kashyap, an ally is a person
who is more privileged than
the person he is trying to help.
“That’s why most straight peo-
ple are allies,” he exerts.
Straight people are larger in
number and hence can make a
significant difference.
Being an ally calls for a lot of
responsibility, Kashyap says it
is important to keep in mind
that you are dealing with peo-
but approaching it with empa-
thy, having respect for another
person’s choice, and being
keen to learn are some good
qualities,” he explains.
There are also a few don’ts
that allies should always keep
in mind. “When you are help-
ing others, keep this analogy in
mind: You are there to help
n to h id e li k e s o n so cial media?
Optio g is ts g iv e thumbs up
Influencers , p sy ch o lo
ILLUSTRATION: SHUTTERSTOCK
out in their own time instead
of forcing people should
always be kept in mind. “Don’t
out people without their
consent, it is not encouraged.
Being an ally means that you
should support them. Assum-
ing that you know everything
about them is not right either,”
adds Ram.
C S P
Peace of mind is assured Mental tranquillity is It is important to remain
raise confident today. Your attempts at assured. A money making health conscious. Your
ensuring financial secu- scheme can get you all analytical skills are likely
and aware kids, rity may meet with partial excited and may prove to attract more money.
success. The day promises a lot of profitable too. Your performance is Your enthusiasm for work is likely to
instead of work on the domestic front. likely to get you noticed at work. keep you energetic through the day.
scared children. LOVE FOCUS: Chances of catching the LOVE FOCUS: Newlyweds are likely to LOVE FOCUS: Those jilted in love may
eye of the one you admire look bright. fly off to spend time with each other. prepare to make a fresh beginning.
RAM, Founder, Pride Circle LUCKY NUMBER: 9 LUCKY COLOUR: LUCKY NUMBER: 18 LUCKY COLOUR: LUCKY NUMBER: 22 LUCKY COLOUR:
Golden Brown Bronze Yellow Violet
Mallika Bhagat tive to external approval. If
they see dislikes on their posts,
my posts as compared to my
friends would bother me. The
today are smart to not judge
content by the number of likes
mallika.bhagat@hindustantimes.com
it may affect them negatively option to hide likes gives me a — the herd mentality has gone,
acebook and Instagram and diminish their self-worth,” sense of comfort, simply to quite an extent. I feel hiding
F have come up with the
option to allow users to
hide the number of likes on
opines Dr Mona Chaudhary, a
Delhi-based psychologist, add-
ing, “Removing likes may help
because people can just see
and appreciate a post without
worrying about how liked it is
likes will help improve the
mental health and overall
nature of business.”
their posts, keeping in mind youngsters, who have built online. This will help lessen the Agreeing with Minawala,
the potentially harmful psy- their entire reality on social negativity on social media, musician Yashraj Mukhate
chological effects of social media, realise that it is only a especially among youngsters,” says the feature won’t affect his
media engagement. The latest part of their lives.” says Ridhi Solanki, a corporate brand and adds, “It is good
feature is being touted as a pos- People can now choose to professional in the city. when the platforms offer
itive effort and psychologists hide the number of likes and And while there have been settings that give the creators
say it could help depressurise reactions for their as well as discussions around the fact more control over their profile.
the environment. others’ posts on their feeds. that it might be detrimental to Although, I won’t be using it
“Likes may look like a small And young users on the plat- the engagement that influen- for now as I am fine with peo-
part of social media, but they forms welcome the option. cers and business accounts ple seeing the number of likes
can have a powerful effect on “While initially, social media aim for, social media influen- and dislikes on my content. I
the mental health and well-be- was more about connectivity, it cer Masoom Minawala says, “I don’t think hiding likes affects
ing of young people and ado- has now become toxic. For a don’t believe hiding likes will the brand as I’ll still be able to
lescents, who are quite percep- while, having fewer likes on affect the following as users monitor them at the back-end.”
NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
JUNE 13, 2021
PHOTOS: SHIVAM SAXENA/HT AND VIPIN KUMAR/HT
GOT THE JAB?
EATERIES ALL SET
TO REWARD YOU!
To woo customers and encourage the vaccination drive, eateries in
Gurugram are offering discounts and deals to those inoculated
Sanchita Kalra
sanchita.kalra@htlive.com
oodies were in for a treat
F as recently the Haryana
government allowed
reopening of restaurants and
bars in Gurugram for dine-in
at malls and hotels from noon
to 8pm. The move comes with
restrictions of operating at
50% capacity and adhering to
safety norms. And in a bid to
entice customers and rebuild
confidence in dining out,
many restaurants are offering
freebies, discounts and deals
to those who have got their
jabs against Covid-19. For they
believe these incentives will
encourage more people to get
inoculated.
For instance, Varun Puri,
director, Imly and Duty Free
Bar, is offering a 50% discount
to vaccinated customers for
dine-in. Elaborating on the ini-
tiative, he says, “We have to
. ► A couple take
photos on a rainbow
flag-themed path
during pride month
at Samyan MRT
station in
Bangkok, Thailand
PHOTO: SOE ZEYA TUN/
REUTERS
Pride month celebrations
around the world
June is celebrated as Pride month and is marked by vibrant
revelry worldwide. While Covid-19 has forced celebrations to
go a bit low key this year, the rainbow shines everywhere
▲ The London Eye and County Hall, UK, are lit up in a
.
rainbow hue on the first day of Pride month
lifestyle 03
#instastyle
Some quality “Me Time” is
what we need. Actor and
author Sonali Bendre
posted a snap, captioning
it, “Rain & coffee... “. Actor
Janhvi Kapoor was all
hearts for this picture that
she shared as she looked
mesmerised by the setting
And Cyber Hub Social is sun and the city’s lights.
offering a free shot to those
who’ve got their first jab, and
two free shots to those who’ve
gotten both. “This is our way
of appreciating those who are
taking responsible steps to
slow the spread of Covid-19.
The incentives are being
offered in both Gurugram and
Chandigarh”, says Satyajit
Dhingra, chief regional officer
- North, Impresario Hand-
SOME EATERIES made Restaurants.
HAVE DEALS Similarly, The Beer Café is
BASED ON THE promoting the inoculation
drive with their ‘You got the
NUMBER OF jab, we got your tab’ offer.
JABS TAKEN, have stopped going out due to And if you’re still hesitant to
WHILE A FEW the situation. We [the indus- visit a restaurant, Rollery, a
try] have to collectively come delivery joint, is offering 25%
HAVE 50% OFF forward and help generate off for those who’ve got vacci-
confidence in customers.” nated, one or both doses. “The
Punjab Grill is offering customers need to send their
get customers back to our res- dine-in only discounts of 10% certificate on WhatsApp while
taurants. From last March, the for those who got their first placing the order,” says
industry is fighting to regain vaccine dose and 20% to those Debashish Yadav, CEO, PHOTOS: INSTAGRAM
the trust of customers, people who got the second dose too. Licorne Hospitality Pvt Ltd.
. ◄ A drag queen takes
part in Tel Aviv’s Pride
Parade after Israel lifted
Covid-19 restrictions
PHOTO: EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP
▲ Children
.
dance at the
Northern Ky
Pride Festival
in Covington,
Kentucky,
United States
PHOTO: NATOSHA
VIA/REUTERS
▼ People
.
wave LGBTQ
rainbow flags
during the
annual Pride
▲ Acosta Bridge in Jacksonville,
. parade in
Florida illuminated with rainbow Jerusalem
lighting in honour of Pride Month PHOTO: EMMANUEL
PHOTO: FRED ORTYL/AP DUNAND/AFP
PHOTO: AARON CHOWN/AP
04 showbiz NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
JUNE 13, 2021

Randeep Hooda
says he felt Aahana all for
‘helpless’ seeing the
plight of people
amid Covid-19
digitisation PHOTO:
INSTAGRAM/
OFFICIALAAHANA
KUMRA

in entertainment
‘BEING A industry
CELEB IS Juhi Chakraborty to go to multiplexes to watch popular

SECONDARY
juhi.chakraborty@htlive.com
ue to the pandemic, work has
cinema. But, when those popular cine-
mas released on OTT platforms, they
didn’t perform well. Smaller films with

D been sporadic in the past one

year in the entertainment
performance-oriented roles have been
lauded,” says Kumra, who’s also done

NOW, I
industry, and things have
majorly taken the digital route. Actor
Aahana Kumra sees this as a good sign,
as she feels it is allowing a lot of work
to be preserved. “It’s helping archive
digital plays such as Sar Sar Sarla.
Like last year, many films have been
picked by OTT players for web release,
but when cinemas eventually reopen,
Kumra feels some films would prefer a

WANT our work, otherwise no one will

remember what we’ve done,” she says,
adding that there are times she wants
to watch an old show, but it’s “not
big screen showcase. “I’d also like to
see a film like Sooryavanshi in the cine-
mas. I can’t watch such a film at home,
it’ll ruin the experience,” opines the

TO HELP
available anywhere”. actor, who will next be seen in Madhur
Kumra, 36, is among the few actors Bhandarkar’s India Lockdown.
who’ve consistently dabbled with the
OTT and big screen, much before the
Covid-19 crisis. Lauding the OTT boom
P

PEOPLE AS It (digitisation)
and sharing her love for the web, the
Khuda Haafiz (2020) actor says, “The
kind of actors who’ve gained promi- is helping us
nence in the past two years on OTT, is archive our work.

A HUMAN’
amazing. People are recognising talent,
not just popularity.” How will the future
Though she admits there’s a long
way to go, she’s quick to acknowledge
generations know
that the pandemic has put things in what we did?
motion. “Covid has given us massive
clarity, and to the audience who used AAHANA KUMRA,
Actor
Rishabh Suri
rishabh.suri@htlive.com
P For times like these, he
asserts, “Every small step
When you say
Jubin on
counts. We shall overcome

R
andeep Hooda is
strongly against
using the term
‘celebrity’ when it
comes to talking
about helping people during a
crisis. “Everybody is human,
trying to do what they can,”
the actor reasons, adding, “I
always believe that speaking
about it isn’t enough; you have
to put yourself in an actual
helping position.”
Seeing so much suffering
and anxiety around, Hooda,
44, admits he felt “helpless”,
and that’s when he decided to
team up with an NGO to pro-
vide oxygen concentrators to
those in need, apart from
using social media to amplify
SOS requests.
“With Khalsa Aid, we’re
celeb, you
are actually
categorising us
in a different
way.
RANDEEP HOODA, Actor
human being, I feel helpless
and want to contribute
towards easing other people’s
pain. There are hundreds like
me who’ve gone all out and
done it,” he says, asserting that
being a celebrity is a “second-
ary thing” in such a situation.
Though the second wave of
the pandemic is gradually sub-
siding, Hooda recalls how the
this. There’s help around
everywhere, so many people
have come out for the sake of
humanity. It’s heartening to
see that, but also depressing to relief wor
see the state of people under
k in P
so much stress.”
With work being stalled for
U’khand:
months due to pandemic-in-
duced restrictions, daily This I have a
wagers have been worst hit in
is somebo problem with
the statement
dy
the entertainment industry.
However, Hooda insists health
that it’s still a
and life are the most impor-
tant virtues now. “Second is else’s job new state.
obviously how you keep eating
who Bees saal ho
is not doin
healthy and taking care of
your family’s needs when
gaye...
work stops. It has been a terri-
ble situation, so one should do
g JUBIN NAUTIYAL,
as much as they can for people
around them,” says the actor,
who was recently seen in
it right Singer

travelling across the country, country went through a situa- Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai
helping people in these diffi- tion when “oxygen became alongside Salman Khan.
cult times. I do it because as a more important than food”.

Rishabh Suri
second was not, by every indi-
inger Jubin Nautiyal is vidual in India. We were

Bio- S busy with Covid-19 relief

work in his home state,
Uttarakhand. From arranging
oximeters and food to
not ready for it,” he asserts.
The Tum Hi Aana (Mar-
jaavaan, 2019) singer even ‘Absolutely safe’ for
converted his digital concert

bubble is P spreading awareness about

the virus, he’s one of the sev-
into a fundraiser, to help peo-
ple in Chamoli who were lactating mothers to get
We are in a resort eral voices, apart from actor-
choreographer Raghav Juyal,
affected by the cloudburst,
and managed to raise ₹15 the jab, says Harshdeep
the need and everybody
gets tested every
to speak up about the worri-
some condition back home.
Recalling how things went
lakh. While he continues to
help those in need, he does
not believe in blowing his
ten days. People
of the who work in the
resort also live
“out of hand” a week ago,
Nautiyal says he fails to
understand the notion of
Uttarakhand being a ‘new
own trumpet.
“I have a region of one-
and-a-half lakh people, I
want to bring a change here

hour, feels here, and they also

get tested.
state’. “It was formed in
2000... Things should be
moving here now. We celebs
first, and then move to the
next one. There’s also a
migration issue. Migrants
shouldn’t be coming out to came back to nothing, no

Narayani NARAYANI SHASTRI,

Actor
help people; it’s not our job.
It is somebody else’s job, who
is clearly not doing it right,”
food. We took help from
Anant Ambani’s foundation,
that sent 6,000 food kits,”

Shastri he rues.
Highlighting the “bad
political front” in the state,
the singer asserts that people
Sugandha Rawal stopped taking the pandemic
seriously. “The state isn’t as
t has been over a month since actor bad... The problem is with us,
Nautiyal tells us, adding,
“Then, we spread awareness
among people here; they
thought the police will take
them [in isolation] if they test
positive. Along with a team of
doctors, I myself explained to

I Narayani Shastri met her family, as she

continues to shoot in a bio-bubble away
from Mumbai. But, she’s not letting her
as a society. The first wave
was taken seriously, the
these people that getting
detected early is the key.”

spirit down, and is instead adopting a

practical approach. P
“We are far away from Mumbai, with a
very limited unit. Productivity is good and
my concentration level is great, but I do
miss my family a lot,” admits Shastri. But,
Asif Kapadia: Big shame that I I contacted my
doctor, and even
she’s quick to add, “We are working, we
should be grateful for that.”
Being a practical person and having a
have not been to India for so long Harshdeep
Kaur; (inset)
with her son,
Naina Arora
naina.arora@htdigital.in
consulted my son’s
paediatrician.
rational thought process is helping the Hunar Singh
actor get a grip of these “extraordinary” Sugandha Rawal from afar is tough. As Kapadia PHOTOS: got my first jab,” an HARSHDEEP KAUR,
work situations. “It is tough, but we
know it is not going to be there forever.
Also, we have such advanced technology
sugandha.rawal@hindustantimes.com

oundaries have become

puts it, “It’s terrible. All I can
do is read about it. We just
hope everyone is okay, and that
INSTAGRAM/
HARSHDEEPKAURM
USIC
I ecstatic Harshdeep Kaur
had said, recently, in an
Instagram post. And now, the
Singer

now. Thanks to that, we get to see and

talk to each other. Aisa nahi hai ki taar
bhejna padega,” she quips.
B tougher to cross owing to
the global health crisis,
and Academy Award winning
the country gets through this. I
hope people understand they
do need to stay home, wear
singer is encouraging other
lactating mums to follow suit.
“I had a lot of apprehensions
I am encouraging other moth-
ers to take the jab,” she says.
Recently, actor Geeta Basra,
Talking about shooting for her show director-producer Asif Kapadia masks and be careful. There before getting the vaccine, as who is expecting her second
Aapki Nazron Ne Samjha, Shastri tells is having a hard time accepting isn’t an escape from this virus.” I’m breastfeeding,” she contin- child with cricketer Harbhajan
us all protocols are being religiously the reality. “The situation is so The BAFTA and Grammy- ues, “My doctor said it’s abso- Singh, had said pregnant
followed. “It has been a month and a complicated,” he tells us from winning director-producer, lutely safe; I even consulted my women “should not risk vacci-
half. Thankfully, nobody has tested posi- London (UK), adding, “I’ve got who picked India’s supernatu- son’s paediatrician. After get- nation”. But, Kaur, 34, feels, “It
tive,” she shares. friends in Brazil and the US, ral side as a subject for his lat- ting positive responses from is best to follow what your doc-
That being said, Shastri confesses they’ve had issues. The UK had est web series, The Last Hour, both doctors, I was convinced.” tor tells you.”
nothing can beat the working style fol- one of the worst experiences is eager to visit the country, but The Dilbaro (Raazi, 2018) Having embraced mother-
lowed before the second wave of with the pandemic.” he isn’t sure when that will be singer, who gave birth to a boy, hood just over three months
Covid-19 engulfed the country. “Jaise hum The director, 49, recalls a possible, given the pandemic. Hunar, on March 2, goes on to ago, Kaur has shared glimpses
pehle kaam kar rahe the, we could go back time when people from India “It’s a really big shame. It’s urge new mothers to get the of her little one on her social
to our families. That will always be the were confident of getting a grip been a while since I have been jab, so that they stay safe. “The media, at a time when many
first choice for everybody who is working. over Covid-19. “Everyone said, there. But, I don’t know how government has allowed it, I’m celebs are choosing to keep
But, given the situation, we are shooting in ‘Oh, it hasn’t been so bad here’. easy it is going to be for us to sure safety was considered. their children away from such
a bio-bubble away from family. It is the Now, it has hit India hard. It’s just fly around as we used to Also, in other countries, it’s platforms. “I believe my fans
need of the hour,” asserts the actor, rolling around the world at dif- back in the day,” rues Kapadia, considered safe for lactating and well-wishers will only give
longing to meet her husband, Steven PHOTO: AALOK ferent speeds and different who courted global fame with mothers. After getting a blessings to my son. That is
SONI/HT
Graver, who lives in Goa. times,” he observes. his documentaries Amy (2015) go-ahead from my doctors, why I’ve shared his pictures,”
Watching his country suffer and Diego Maradona (2019). who are experts in their fields, she reasons.
NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
JUNE 13, 2021
Entertainment & Promotional Features
HERE’S HOW TO TAKE
CARE OF YOUR HEART
AFTER COVID
The battle with Covid-19 isn’t over once
negative, eat well to help your body rec
Ruchika Garg
ruchika.garg@hindustantimes.com
I
t is important to focus
on one’s health not
just while recover-
ing from Covid, but
post-Covid as well.
One can face issues
such as shortness of
breath, anxiety, chest
pain, body ache and many
others, and these are due to
the body’s immune system or
inflammatory response.
Health experts have also
talked about complications in
recovery phase that can lead
to a cardiac arrest. One should
not neglect post-Covid care
and follow a diet for healthy
heart and strong lungs.
“The presence of comorbid-
ities is highly associated with
the severity of Covid 19. Hence,
it has become of utmost
importance, especially for
people who have a history of
you test
over fully
Nuts and seeds are good for heart health
PHOTOS: SHUTTERSTOCK (PICTURES FOR REPRESENTATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY)
cardiovascular disease, to take
care of their heart health
along with their immunity,”
says nutritionist Aakriti
Arora. Several foods are scien-
tifically proven to reduce one’s
blood pressure as well as pro-
Tomatoes
and greens
are good
for health
mote lung health.
Beetroots, for instance, are
exceptionally nutritious, con-
taining compounds that pro-
mote healthy blood pressure
levels while optimising lung
function.
Flaxseeds are rich in Ome-
ga-3 fatty acids which reduce
inflammation in the lungs.
When consumed in their
whole seed form for 12 weeks
and longer, studies show
lower blood pressure levels.
Tomatoes are the richest
source of lycopene, which is
linked to lung health.
“Healthy eating habits are
way more important for peo-
ple facing heart ailments, high
blood pressure and weak
lungs. A good way to stay
healthy is by engaging in regu-
lar exercise and eating a
healthy diet. Food for a heart
patient with high BP and weak
lungs should be low in
sodium, saturated fat, trans fat
and cholesterol,” says dieti-
lifestyle
tian, Garima Goyal. She sug-
gests including the following
in your diet:
•Whole grains like brown
rice, oats, barley, rye, buck-
wheat or quinoa, for fibre.
•Fruits, berries like blue-
berry, raspberry and straw-
berry; pomegranate, grapes,
bananas, etc.
•Greens such as kale, spin-
ach and collard greens are full
of minerals, vitamins and anti-
oxidants.
•Protein can help repair
lung tissues. Choose low fat
protein sources like pulses,
low fat milk and cheese, egg
whites, skinless poultry, lean
ONE’S HEALTH DEPENDS TO A LARGE
EXTENT ON THE TYPE OF FOOD YOU
EAT AND HOW YOU EAT IT. SEVERAL
FOODS ARE SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN
TO REDUCE ONE’S BLOOD PRESSURE
AND BOOST LUNG FUNCTION
05
Double the good news
for Delhi-NCR foodies!
T
here’s good news for our
foodie tribe! Curry and
Culinary, after the
PHOTOS: HTCS
success of the brand
from their first kitchen
at MG Road, has now
opened in a second
location, this time
at Defence Colony.
“Our brand is
known for elabo-
rate and elegant
cuisine influenced Band
by Mughal and
Awadhi tradition,
Paneer Ka
Qaliya
and a culmination of
Central Asian, Kash-
miri, Punjabi and Hyder-
abadi food,” says brand
owner Yajush Khosla.
“We are very happy and
excited to launch our second
kitchen and take the custom-
ers on a culinary journey
through our menu,” says
brand owner Kamia Mulhotra.
Some of the must-try dishes
from their menu are Mahi
Surkh Qorma, Yakhni Pulao,
Band Paneer Ka Qaliya, Khade
Masale Ka Gosht and Sikan-
deri Raan.
You can order directly
through their website or order
on Zomato and Swiggy. Khade
Contact : +918130082533 Masala Ka
Locations: MG Road and Gosht
Defence Colony.
fish and meat and soybeans. HTC
•Omega-3 fatty acids from
fish (salmon, mackerel, sar-
dine, herring) and unsaturated
fats from olive or sunflower
oils are essential for the heart.
•Seeds like sunflower,
pumpkin or squash seeds.
•Nuts such as walnuts or
pistachios
•Water detoxifies the body
and plays a vital role in main-
taining health.It helps to
remove waste from the body,
keeps lungs hydrated, trans-
ports nutrients throughout the
body and regulates body tem-
perature.
06
NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
JUNE 13, 2021

@hindustantimesauto @HTAutotweets @HTautonews HT Auto

WILL ELECTRIC NEW DELHI

JUNE 13, 2021
EV sales are
expected to grow
throughout the

VEHICLE
decade and the
future looks more
electric than ever
before

.com
PUSH ICE on Sunday
VEHICLES TO Scan here
to visit
HTAuto.com

EXTINCTION?
Rapid rise in sales of electric vehicles in many markets across the world have made
many OEMs confident that EVs, not vehicles with internal combustion engines (ICE) are the future

T
he world hit a transport mile- With many consumers the world over
stone in 2017, though most choosing an EV over a conventional
people wouldn’t have noticed internal combustion engine vehicle, the
it at that time. That year, con- transition could be even bigger in times
sumers bought more than 85 to come
million automobiles — a sales volume PHOTOS: SHUTTERSTOCK
that declined in 2018, and again in
2019, and then plummeted in 2020 due
to Covid-19. Meanwhile, sales of elec-
tric vehicles (EV) rose, and rose again,
making EVs the auto industry’s only
growth market, and meaning that we
almost certainly hit peak internal com-
bustion engine (ICE) car sales four
years ago.
The future looks even more electric.
According to the annual Electric Vehi-
cle Outlook, mostly EVs will be sold by
the 2030s. In a net-zero emissions
world, EVs would comprise 100% of
passenger vehicle sales just 15 years
from now, with all other classes of
road vehicle — from two-wheelers to
heavy commercial trucks — being
either fully electric or fuel cell-pow-
ered by the early 2040s.
Electric cars get a lot of attention,
but they’re only one type of now-elec-
trified road vehicle. Last year, EVs
were more than 4% of total passenger
car sales and 1% of the commercial
vehicle market, at most. Meanwhile,
electrics were 44% of electric two- and
three-wheeler sales, and 39% of bus
sales. As efficient as modern car facto-
ries are, they won’t be able to keep
pace with an e-scooter factory target-
ing 10 million units a year. Passenger

IN A
NET-ZERO RLD,
WO
EMISSIONS COMPRISE
D
EVS WOUL ASSENGER
100% OF P JUST 15 YEARS cars have a long way to go which is already being manufactured Porsche has managed to grow its
E S A L E S E R to catch up. Total new car more than its combustion engine sedan market by introducing a new
VEHICL , W IT H ALL OTH sales value last year sports coupe namesake. model, but the competition between Vehicles having
FROM N O W E H ICLE —
FR O A D V exceeded $2 trillion, But more of the incipient EVs are its incumbent and its new entrant is an internal
CLASSES O O-WHEELERS TO even with a massive comparable to existing internal com- also crystal clear. The electric Taycan combustion
FROM TW MERCIAL TRUCKS
overall sales drop-off. bustion models. Porsche doesn’t have could push its combustion engine sib- engine (ICE)
EVs are already a $100 many models — most have been sold ling to the brink — too small a market produce
HEAVY C O M LY
ITHER FUL billion-plus annual busi- for years or decades — therefore its to be worth a model refresh. It is a emissions
— BEING E R FUEL CELL- ness, with a striking new introductions are potentially in competition, in miniature, that the through exhaust
O
ELECTRIC ED BY THE growth rate.
A raft of new models are
competition with its existing offerings.
Porsche sells two internal combustion
global auto market will soon face
across the board. All of its growth is
or tailpipe
POWER 0 4 0 S coming, many from century-old SUV models (one of which is available electric, and at a certain point, that
EAR L Y 2 automakers. Some of them are old as a hybrid), and now two sedans: growth comes at the expense of com-
branding on new vehicle types, such the combustion (and hybrid) Pana- bustion engine sales.
as Ford Motor Co’s Mustang Mach-E, mera, and the all-electric Taycan. BLOOMBERG

#inbrief
#theburningquestion
Jaguar Mercedes-Benz Ducati launches 2021 Panigale V4,
What’s in store for launches Maybach GLS Diavel 1260
new F-Pace 600 SUV arrives Ducati India rode in two bikes in
the Indian market earlier this
Indian auto market Jaguar Land Rover has
in India week — the 2021
Panigale V4 and
the 2021 Diavel

after second wave launched the new F-Pace in

the Indian market at ₹69.99
lakh (ex-showroom). The
Mercedes-Benz has launched the
Maybach GLS 600 in India as part
of its 15-launch strategy for the
1260. The former has
been priced at
₹23.50 lakh while

of Covid-19? vehicle now gets noticeable

design changes on the
outside and an all-new cabin
while being offered in petrol
country for 2021. The company’s
hyper luxury flagship SUV has
been priced at ₹2.43 crore (ex-
showroom) and 50 units have
the latter comes
at a cost of Rs
18.49 lakh (both
ex-showroom).
Upshots from slowdown before the pandemic and the and diesel engine options. already been booked. The Both bikes have
unprecedented Covid-19 outbreak last year had led to a One of the highlights is the Maybach SUV that sits at the top been made
deceleration in the auto sector. But after the restrictions Cabin Air Ionisation function of the automaker’s SUV portfolio available in two
were withdrawn, there was a clear revival driven by the pent that improves the interior in India has already been on sale in variants —
up demand and the need for personal mobility. air quality. several global markets since its Standard and S.
With the second wave too, the industry witnessed signs of official debut in 2019.
derailment. Although the scale of infections is much higher
this year, the curbs and impact on economic activity have
been comparatively less severe. We anticipate that factors
such as ‘pent up demand’ and the demand for personal
mobility will continue to be quite significant as markets
start re-opening. Vehicles in the small to mid-sized catego- Skoda launches 2021 Octavia
ries will see a spurt in demand from both rural and urban
pockets. Passenger vehicle sales are expected to fare better sedan
in FY21-22 than FY20-21. With digital interfa-
ces becoming the primary medium of Skoda India has launched the fourth-generation of Octavia sedan
reaching out to customers, sustained in the country at a starting price of ₹25.99 lakh. The price for the
economic recovery and concrete, stable top-spec trim goes up to ₹28.99 lakh. The sedan will be available
regulatory policies, the Indian auto sec- in two variants — Style and Laurin & Klement. It will be powered
tor will come out stronger after the by a 2.0-litre TSI petrol engine mated to a seven-speed DSG
pandemic. automatic gearbox with shift-by-wire technology.

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are

author’s personal.

Lamborghini brings Huracan Evo

Naveen Soni, senior Hyundai Alcazar to launch on
vice-president, Toyota RWD Spyder to India
Kirloskar Motor June 18, bookings open
Lamborghini has driven in the Huracan Evo Rear-Wheel-Drive (RWD)
Spyder in the Indian market at a price of ₹3.54 crore. The open-top Hyundai will officially launch the much-awaited Alcazar SUV in India on
model is based on the company’s popular Huracan Evo sports car. The June 18. The company has already started accepting bookings for the
RWD Spyder version is powered by a 5.2-litre naturally-aspirated V10 SUV for a token amount of ₹25,000. Based on the enormously successful
engine. It can hit a top speed of 320 kmph and can sprint from zero to Creta, Alcazar is the first three-row vehicle from the company in India.
100 kmph in just 3.5 seconds. The vehicle had made its debut globally in Hyundai states Alcazar has been tailor-made for Indian customers and
May last year. the market here is where the vehicle is entering before anywhere else.
NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
JUNE 13, 2021
UN R U LIN E S S
D : MET R O
UNLOCKE OUT RULES,
RIDERS FL IZENS SAY
D EN
YO U NG EN GE’
R
‘YE NA H IN SU DH
couns elled ab
ned,
Hundreds were fi
in the first week of Delhi Metro resu
Naina Arora
naina.arora@htdigital.in
D
elhi Metro resumed
operations on June
7, after being shut
during the recent
lockdown. On day
one, an approximate 4.5 lakh
passengers journeyed till 8pm,
out of which 84 passengers
were advised to deboard for
breaking the no-standing rule,
73 were penalised for not
wearing masks and 106 were
counselled to follow social dis-
tancing and wearing masks
properly! Even as late as Tues-
day, over 300 people were
fined and counselled for not
adhering to Covid-appropri-
ate behaviour inside Metro
premises.
Many Delhiites are miffed
at this carelessness that
seems to be sending an open
invitation to the third wave of
Covid-19. “Considering that a
vaccine shortage is always
#gramit
Aaj blue hai paani paani...
Itching for a swim in this sultry weather? Well, Delhiites have a jugaad
for everything. So, if public places don’t look safe or remain shut due to
Covid-19 protocols, bring home inflatable pools such as these, which are
available for sale by the roadside at Yamuna Pushta.
#dilse
s Dear Madhu, Wish you a very
Happy Anniversary!!! I am missing
you soooo much, badly. Get well
soon. And let’s become each
other’s support system. I love you.
Always! Your Shivam
s Hi, There are not accidental
s Dear S,
We r bound together. I’m
the Earth & U r the step.
Don’t walk behind me I ma
y s My Love Ishh, Babe you make
. Don’t wal k in front
not lead
of me I may not follow. Jus
walk beside me and be
t and taken care of. You make me
mine... Lu. Tc.
Me
DISCLAIMER: Dil Se is a compilation of fun messages from our readers. The
views expressed belong entirely to the senders and are not to be construed
as an endorsement by the publication. Send your messages to
meandmycity1@gmail.com.
out Covid safety
ming operations
round the corner and that the
second wave was so danger-
ous, we should be more care-
ful,” says Kunal Vats, a second-
year Delhi University (DU) stu-
dent, adding, “I hope the
authorities enforce the rules
more strictly. Metro operating
hours could be limited and/or
the number of people at any
given time at stations should
be restricted.”
Aayush Jain, another
DU student, says, “Looking at
P Jayani Shah, a second-year
Respect the
facility provided
for our benefit, and
not put lives in
danger.
AAYUSH JAIN, DU
student
PHOTO: SANCHIT KHANNA/HT
meetings between two souls.
Love of always. JoHn
s Hi My Friend Mimi, I am fine
and all is well. I hope you are also
safe and sound. Keep smiling... Tc.
AB
s Hi Love, It has been ages
since I saw you... at least give me a
glimpse of how u r. I’m yours, here
for years. Raj
me feel beautiful, protected loved
better person and I don’t ever
wanna leave you by my side.
Thank u for being mine... Love you
the most!! Your Mad Galaxy
my city 07
PHOTOS: RAJ K RAJ/HT AND AJAY AGGARWAL/HT
Raina
feels his
memoir
has the
potential
to be
made into
a biopic
Naina Arora
ormer Indian all-
F rounder, Suresh Raina
— who calls himself “shy
and reserved” — has bared it
all in his forthcoming mem-
oir titled Believe. And since
the cricketer boasts of hav-
ing unpeeled a lot of
layers of his life, he’s
of the opinion that:
“My book has the
potential to both
interest and inspire
people in the form of a
biopic!”
Sounding optimistic to
take up any scripts that come
his way, Raina says, “I’ve spo-
ken to people involved with
Bollywood over the years. If Suresh
I’m ever approached with a
script that interests me, I
Raina; (inset)
Cover of his
might consider it for sure.” memoir
the pictures of the crowd, I feel Ranked among one of the
ye nahin sudhrenge! We best in the T20 batsmen, he
should respect the facility pro- recalls how taking one step
vided for our benefit rather at a time helped him achieve
than putting lives in danger.” success. He says, “I don’t
Meanwhile, Ronak Singh, a think I’ve changed as a per-
Gurugram resident opines, son. Deep inside, I’m still the
“As a country, we’ve been try- same Suresh Raina who went
ing very hard to recover from to Lucknow Sports College. I den and Justin Langer (both
this crisis, and we lose months have opened up more since former Australian cricket-
of progress the moment we then. But, I think the one ers),” he reveals.
become negligent... In the end, principle I’ve stuck to is And any conversation with
it comes down to individual being in the present.” Raina is incomplete without
accountability, and showing With numerous biogra- the mention of the interest-
concern for ourselves and phies and autobiographies of ing bits about his “Mahi
those who are around us.” sportspersons having Bhai” (former Indian skipper
DU student, echoes a similar
released, a certain scepticism
on what to include comes to
MS Dhoni). “We started play-
ing for India around the
sentiment: “The main lesson mind. But Raina says he same time. Both he and I
of the second wave is that we hasn’t left anything out “con- have really grown together as
have to be extremely careful sciously”. “I have made sure was not easy, but Raina had cricketers. I’ve learnt a lot
about opening up the cities.
Scan the QR
that there is as little negativ- Steve Waugh’s (former crick- from him along the way — to
Our battle with Covid-19 has Many ity as possible. I have eter) autobiography Out of be humble and to respect the
not ended. Strict steps need have been code to read described the times in my life My Comfort Zone, to inspire game. On the field, it’s always
how Suresh
to be taken by the authorities. spotted breaking
Raina’s wife is
which I found challenging in him. “He had given it to me serious business, but off it,
An increase in the frequency Delhi Metro’s detail. There’s no hiding himself. I’ve also been there’s never a dull moment
of the trains might ensure that no-standing his support from it,” he says. inspired by other books, like between us. Always a lot of
commuters are not left crowd- rule system Donning the writer’s hat the ones about Matthew Hay- masti!”
ing the platforms.”
#adoptapet
Denizens hail These indies can’t wait to
play with you. Open your
pet positivity hearts, give them a home
in pandemic
Whiskey is a four-month-old male indie, who
Consider your daily schedule loves to have fun and teaches everyone how to
before deciding which climb out of the puppy fence! He has been
animal to bring home as pet.
Avoid getting a dog if you
vaccinated and dewormed. To adopt, please
call 8130725764.
can’t give it time
PHOTOS: SHASHI S KASHYAP/ HT AND This playful indie is in need of
SATYABRATA TRIPATHY/HT a kind-hearted family. He
was beaten again by
someone, on the
selection of a pet should be right hind leg this
made keeping in mind time, and is
PHOTOS FOR REPRESENTATIONAL PURPOSE ONLY one’s daily schedule. Dr
Naresh Upreti, chief oper-
undergoing
treatment. He
Isha Upadhyay them twice a day and clean bring home a cat during the ating officer, Animal Rahat loves hoomans
htcity@hindustantimes.com
the tank once a week. That’s pandemic, since it was diffi- says, “Animals are not toys. and deserves a
all that’s required! Once the cult for her to manage a dog Just like us, they require loving home. To
eople bringing home fish get familiarised with the while balancing her studies. love and care. While people adopt, please mail
P pets during the pan-
demic claim that it is one
of the best ways to counter
family, you will notice them
engaging with you in their
own unique ways,” he adds.
“Cats might look evil, but
they’re the most loving ani-
mals,” she says, adding, “They
bringing pets home may have
good intentions, it will be
unfair for the animals, if one
.in.
skchak_2001@yahoo.co
loneliness and stress during Cats have often been only require some food and a is not willing and capable of Mateo has spent almost 1.5 years
the current Covid-19 crisis. dragged, with claims about sandbox. There are no time- giving them a lifetime of of his life with his shelter buddies.
But youngsters in Delhi-NCR dogs being better pets than consuming tasks attached to proper care.” Having experienced love at some
are not sticking to any one them. But denizens are prov- them. In return, you can play He adds that often people foster homes, this indie wants
kind of animal (read dog). ing this wrong. Grihsha, a with them all day, provided who care about animals are to spend the rest of his life
Many have convinced their Delhi University student, you bear a few scratches!” also unable to recognise or with his forever family.
families by getting pets with shares that she preferred to Experts advise that the meet their needs. “For exam- Mateo can be a little
lower maintenance needs. ple, dogs love going outside shy initially, but will
Fish and cats are among for walks, but some people be your best buddy
these animals who will not
require all your undivided
P keep their dogs on a short
leash, yank them or hit them
once he has opened
up to you. If you’re willing
attention. Bringing fish home has brought for going astray. If you think to bring home this bundle
“Bringing fish home has you need a stick, you don’t of joy, please contact
brought positivity into my positivity to my life. They require need a dog. And it’s irrespon- 9873930409
life,” says Nihir Vats, a Delhi-
based law student, who set up
bare minimum maintenance. sible to support dog breeders
and pet stores when there are
(WhatsApp or text
only).
a small aquarium at home NIHIR VATS, Delhi-based law student millions of homeless dogs and
during the pandemic. “I feed cats who deserve love.” Inform us if you know of a pet who needs a
home, write in to htcity.pets@gmail.com
10 showstopper MJ PHOTO: DANNY
MOLOSHOK/
REUTERS Laverne Cox
NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
JUNE 13, 2021

Rodriguez Cox is the first openly transgender

Pride reaches new Rodriguez finds it invigorating to

represent her community. “We get to be
ourselves and live out loud. Intimidating,
because there are so many things that
person to be nominated for an Emmy in an
acting category and winning an Emmy for
her production Laverne Cox Presents: The
T Word. “It is revolutionary for any trans
person to choose to be seen and

heights in Hollywood
come our way... and the
visible in a world that tells us we
responsibilities that we have, [it]
should not exist,” she has
can be a little overwhelming,”
said about herself.
the Pose actor had told
Metro.
hattering the entertainment

S world’s glass ceiling, they are

symbols of empowerment. On
screen, several transgender
celebrities in Hollywood are
making an impact with important
roles and going on to win accolades.
Here are some of the big names
working today, creating ripples and
winning hearts.

Juhi Chakraborty

Valentina
Sampaio
Victoria’s Secret and Sports Illustrated
Swimsuit issue’s first-ever openly
transgender model, Sampaio had earlier
shared, “Brazil hosts the highest number
Indya
of violent crimes against the trans
community. I am one of the
Moore
fortunate ones and will As the first openly trans and non-binary
honour that.” person to grace Elle’s cover, Moore took
it as an opportunity to shed light on
activism. “I don’t know who I am
outside of someone who’s just trying
Hunter to be free and find safety for
myself and others,” the Pose
Schafer actor had shared in an
interview. PHOTOS:
SHUTTERSTOCK
Schafer told Variety in an interview,
“There need to be more roles where
trans people aren’t just dealing with
being trans, they’re being trans
while dealing with other issues.
Sex and the City revival shoot kicks
We’re so much more than
just one identity.”
off, Sarah shares pic with co-stars
he Sex and the City (SATC) ladies are back

T together in New York — three of them.

Elliot
Page
Coming out as trans in 2020, Page had
posted on Instagram, “I love that I am
trans. And I love that I am queer… To all the
trans people who deal with harassment,
self-loathing, abuse and the threat of
violence every day: I see you, I love
you and I will do everything I can
to change this world for the
PHOTO: INSTAGRAM/ELLIOTPAGE better.”
Cynthia Nixon, Sarah Jessica Parker and
Kristin Davis PHOTO: INSTAGRAM/SARAHJESSICAPARKER
Actor Sarah Jessica Parker posted a photo
on Instagram on Friday with co-stars Kristin
Davis and Cynthia Nixon for the upcoming SATC
revival, titled And Just Like That…. “Together
again,” she captioned it, adding that they just
read through the first new episodes “alongside
all the fellas and our newest cast members. Like
an ice cream sundae”.
First announced in January, the show catches
up with old pals Carrie (Parker), Charlotte
(Davis) and Miranda (Nixon) as they “navigate
the journey from the complicated reality of life
and friendship in their 30s to the even more
complicated reality of life and friendship in their
50s”. Actor Kim Cattrall, who played Samantha,
won’t return to reprise her role. HTC
 Free with your copy of Sunday Hindustan Times | June 13, 2021
Fre 021

Gender Focus
THE TOUGH
TRUTH ABOUT
MALE DANCERS
ing: Navtej Johar,
Akram Khan &
Narthaki Nataraj
Page 16

DIGITAL ISSUE
For more stories and
columns, scan below

Make no apology
“It’s taken work to get to a place
where I make no apology for who I
am, where I accept my flaws.”
But…
“Make-up can have an emotional
impact: we enjoy the emotional boost
that a great lipstick can give us.”

YEARS OF

2004-2021

The Age Of Inclusivity

How actor Kate Winslet, 45, won praise for showcasing the imperfections of ageing,
and presenting a brand new idea of beauty
An HT Brunch Exclusive

#AgeOfInclusivity
 JUNE 13, 2021 3

upgrades
{ GAME SHOW }

The banana bread bake/off

EDITORIAL One decadent loaf, one with pumpkin seeds, & a DIY dry mix:
Jamal Shaikh
(National Editor – Brunch and YEARS OF
We get three home bakers to bake for @PoojaDhingra. Who wins?
New Media Initiatives)
Shruti Nair
Karishma Kuenzang
2004-2021
By Karishma Kuenzang

DESIGN
Sunil Kumar Mallik Naimita Jagasia, 26 Yajur Khanna, 25 Maria George, 40
(Art Director – Brunch)
Amit Malik
Vegan desserts, 3 years Home baker, 6 years Cak
ke mix expert, 5 years
Kishore Rawat
First bake: Her First bake: When he First bake: A chocolate
FOR ADVERTISING AND MARKETING ENQUIRIES:
Ad Sales (North): Amit Gandotra grandmotherr’s was 12 yeears old cake with icing sugar
amit.gandotra@hindustantimes.com carrot cake in 2009, with dusted d over it when
Ad Sales (West): Gautam Buragohain when she wa as browniess, using she wa as 10.
gautam.buragohain@digicontent.co.in
10. “I made his mothher’s Banan na bread
Ad Sales (South): Mockbul Haque
mockbul.haque@digicontent.co.in cakes with recipe. debut:: A decade
Find Hindustan Times Brunch on Facebook. veggies as wee Banana ago, when
Follow @htbrunch on Instagram and Twitter. wouldn’t eat bread she got her
Drop us a line at: 18-20, Kasturba Gandhi Marg,
New Delhi - 110001
them any debut: firstt oven/
Email: htbrunch@hindustantimes.com other way,” 2019. “It miccrowave
she says. wasn’t andd had
COVER CREDITS
Cover photo courtesy Banana spectacula ar,” leftoover
Sølve Sundsbø for L’Oréal Paris bread he reminisces. banana as.
debut: Lockdown n Lockd down craze:
At 19 while craze: “I’v
ve She ha as banana
living alone in lost count of cake mix xes which
London. “It did how many y were liiteerally flying
fll
not taste goood,” banana bre eads I off thee shhelves
she confessess. made for myself during g thhe lockdown.
Lockdown and the ord ders I “Especcia ally since it’s a
SOHRAB
KHUSHRUSHAHI craze: Naimiita got,” he sayys. mix th hat even a child
Fitness trainer made two lasst Cake for can usse to make a
year and arou und Pooja: A qu uick loaf,” Maria says.
{ Q+A }
5-6 in 2021, and simple Cake for r Pooja: She
TO NEW BEGINNINGS! aiming to publish recipe, sent thhe Plattered

Q I’m someone whose workout the recipe. made with (her brand)
primarily comprised swimming Cake for Poo oja: Naimita first banana flour Yajur baked for whole--wheat Maria’ss easy-
but I haven’t had access to the pool Is vegan, so it has made banana made from the first time banana cake. All to-make
for more than a year now. How bread when she when he was banana mix
no refined sugar scratch, you need to do
can I make up for the lost time and was 19 and 12 years old has been a
what exercises do you recommend? or flour. The living in London with a layer is add three ripe hit this
—Cynthia, Via Instagram chocolate chunks of pumpkin mashed bananas past year

F act of the matter is you can’t really

make up for lost time. You can make
the most of what you have now,
are made with Khandsari
sugar. The magic ingredient: a
seeds on top to give the
cake a crunch and add to
and half a cup of
oil to the mix; bake for
jar of Old Monk Rum Caramel the texture. 30 minutes or microwave
though. Don’t beat yourself up about
what’s happened because you really poured over it. Joy of baking: “Baking for 3 minutes.
can’t change it and don’t be so afraid Joy of baking: “Vegan baking keeps me happy, not only Joy of baking: “Baking gives
to try something new. If there’s one means breaking rules of because of the smells me a sense of fulfilment. I think
thing the pandemic has taught us, it traditional pastry to create and process, which are of it as art, marrying flavours
is that we need to constantly adapt.
something unique, which is satisfying, but also because and textures. There’s a science
So make a plan: Start with running or
cycling since you seem to like cardio challenging and therapeutic,” I love eating my own behind it, but it’s also very
and build up slowly. Try your hand at she explains. desserts,” he laughs. creative,” she says
any other sport you like if that helps
you move but the point I’m trying to THE EXPERT
make is: start moving. Now playing!
Pooja Dhingra is a celebrity pastry Who bakes The HT Brunch
chef and the owner of Le15 Patisserie, the most
@Sohfit, as he is commonly known, which specialises in macarons Podcast. Listen
delicious loaf? to your favourite
chucked a seven-figure job in finance to and French desserts. All three Turn to Page 4
follow his passion for fitness. He currently participants sent their banana bread stars, columnists,
to find out musicians…
trains some of Bollywood’s biggest stars to Pooja, who picked her favourite.
Scan the QR code
4 JUNE 13, 2021
nostalgia
{ WHEN I WAS 22… }
Ananth Mahadevan, Actor
“Performing arts beckoned me through the back door”
Ananth impersonating Nonie, the music
compere in the play Yours Mine & Ours
Where were you career-wise?
I was a copywriter in a publicity
agency headed by VP Sathe, that
was the sugar bowl of the film
industry. Everyone from Raj
Kapoor to Dev Anand to Hrishikesh
Mukherjee were our clients.
Performing arts beckoned me
through the back door!
What was your bank balance?
I was never given pocket money by
my parents, so I didn’t have a bank
account. After employment, I THEN AND NOW
experienced the thrill of owning a Ananth Mahadevan
Saraswat Bank passbook. at 22 (top),
What was your mindset then? and at 67 (above)
I was battling demons within
and outside. I wanted to make it as an actor.
I wasn’t conditioned for the rituals of show
business. How does one swim with sharks
without being eaten? I’m still swimming. The
sharks just don’t pay attention anymore.
Any romance in life?
My friends used to ogle the girls in the Khalsa
College galleries from our Don Bosco School
windows. But my father’s disciplinarian
conditioning made me look at books.
What was your fashion sense like?
Zero. I didn’t strut around in fancy clothes to
impress filmmakers.
P What has changed about your attitude
“I WASN’T CONDITIONED
FOR THE RITUALS OF
SHOW BUSINESS. HOW DO
YOU SWIM WITH SHARKS
WITHOUT BEING EATEN?”
Ananth in a mythological
avatar for a play
With Pooja Bedi in Jagmohan With Rakesh Bedi in a telefilm
Mundhra’s film Vishkanya directed by Mandira Kashyap
(Inset) The actor
in Bangkok
Kishore Kumar’s autograph on
Ananth’s picture after the latter
interviewed him for The Daily
And your fitness quotient then?
I wasn’t into gymming and preferred walking.
I could live off lentils, rice and veggies.
What was your most prized possession?
A projector I had purchased from a store in
Dadar for a luxurious Rs 40. I was fascinated
by moving images.
An anecdote from those days?
Dilip Kumar was in the first row at the
Tejpal auditorium during my first stage
performance, where I played Polonius in
Hamlet. Two years later, I met Dilip saab
at a film publicity meet. and he told me ,
“I like the way you conduct yourself”.
Golden words.
towards love from then?
My definition of love remains affection
towards my family. Only nature deserves
true love at the end of the day. The human
species has, but for the rare exception,
never earned it.
—DINESH RAHEJA
RAHUL KHANNA
Actor and Style Icon
{ Q+A }
ZOOM GROOM
Q I am having a lockdown
wedding and don’t want to
spend too much on my outfit while
keeping it traditional. What would
you suggest?
—Ankush K, Delhi
O rdinarily, I would suggest
elopement. But, as you’re locked
down and have nowhere to run to,
I’d recommend keeping the look for
your special day simple but elegant.
Since budget’s a concern, find a
local darzi to tailor you a classic
bandhgala suit in a dark, lightweight
wool (navy or charcoal grey would
be my picks). It’s an outfit that’s
traditional but also incredibly smart.
You can make it more festive by
adding a colourful pocket square
(let your fiancée pick that out, to
give her some input). The beauty
of a bandhgala suit is that it’s
timeless — and you can wear the
jacket and pants as separate pieces,
down the road, which makes this
a sound, long-term investment.
If you play it right, just like your
marriage, this one too could and
should last a lifetime!
Rahul Khanna is a “boutique actor”,
whose sartorial statements and good
looks often send hearts aflutter. He
goes by @mrkhanna on Instagram
Continued from Page 3
And the winner is… from Page 6
Continued
Yajur Khanna
“Banana bread should be comforting.”
“Y
ajur’s banana bread did justice to
the recipe and the simplicity won me
over,” says chef Pooja Dhingra. “I was
apprehensive while cutting into Yajur’s loaf
as the texture seemed one-tone, but was
pleasantly surprised. It had the right flavour of
banana, the sweetness was balanced and the
pumpkin seeds added a nice crunch.”
“Maria’s version was wholesome and healthy.
The cake itself was moist, and had a good
balance of sweetness,” says Pooja. “The flipside
was the bananas turned black soon.”
“Naimita’s was the fanciest one.
It came with a caramel rum sauce that made
it feel very decadent. This cake had several
layers and textures to it but the simplicity
of banana bread was lost,” says the chef,
who has lost count of the number
of banana breads she made
last year.
 JUNE 13, 2021 5

social media
a
{ SOCIAL MEDIA STAR OF THE WEEK }

Kamakshi Khanna
For being the first Indian indie musician going the Jacob Collier way!
Her sister Akshiena, an incredible singer
By Karishma Kuenzang herself, also tried it out.
Before Kamakshi released Qareeb,

“I
completely stole Jacob Collier’s her following was 12k and today, it’s
idea for this Reels. I thought it 25k. “It’s quite crazy what we’ve been
was great that he had put out a set able to achieve,” she says, crediting her
of harmonies and you could sing over manager, Deepika Seth. Though social
him,” says Delhi musician Kamakshi media is only a workspace for Kamakshi.
Khanna, 28, whose Reels remix of her
first original Hindi composition, Qareeb, WFH
went viral recently. Her The Green Room Sessions on
YouTube have added to her popularity.
Collaboration Here she releases raw, stripped down
celebration versions of the songs she’s writing. She
Collaborating seemed the best way to (Left) Shardul recently did one with the Friends OST by
celebrate the song hitting 100k streams on and Tanuja The Rembrandts, which also went viral.
Spotify, so she provided the backing vocals tying a What’s next? She has
via harmonies, all a cappella, and left it mangalsutra collaborated with producer-
around each
for the person trying the Reels remix to OAFF,
songwriter OAFF
other’s neck, at
sing the main lines. She even went first as their wedding Urdu poet
an example. “I’m bored of making music last December and singer-
alone. You can be inspired by others and songwriter
this remix option allows that!” Sameer
Was there any self-doubt? “A part of Rahat, and
me thought ‘why would people sing your drummer Karun
song?’ Then 100 people were trying it Kannampilly, for
out! I didn’t know so many people even her next release,
a Hindi song titled
P Duur. All while sitting at
their respective homes!
“I’M BORED OF MAKING knew the song,” she says. Her Reels
Kamakshi
provided the
MUSIC ALONE. YOU CAN remix has people not just singing, but backing vocals
karishma.kuenzang@hindustantimes.com
Follow @kkuenzang on Twitter and
BE INSPIRED BY OTHERS. playing instruments. Plus, celebs like via harmonies, Instagram
REMIX REELS ALLOWS Benny Dayal sang as well. and left it for
the person Who should be the next HT Brunch Social
“I know Benny had done the Jacob
THAT VIA INSTAGRAM” trying the Reels Media Star Of The Week? Nominate using
Collier challenge. He’s a connoisseur of remix to sing the hashtag #BrunchSocialMediaStarOTW
—KAMAKSHI KHANNA
challenges on Instagram!” says Kamakshi. the main lyrics or email htbrunch@hindustantimes.com

{ Q+A } SUNDAY IN A SENTENCE

CRUSHING IT!
Q I accidentally started following my
crush but immediately unfollowed
them within a second. What are the
chances that they noticed?
RANVEER —Manas Sharma, Delhi
ALLAHBADIA
Social media star I don’t see the harm if they did! The number
one rule of modern-day dating (trust me,
I’ve grilled some Gen-Z kids about it) is
be direct. Be confident. If you’re crushing
on someone, love yourself enough to
communicate openly with your crush.
What’s the worst that could happen?
Rejection is only a path to true love.
Acceptance is a doorway to excitement!
FOR THE FAN IN ME { FREDDY BIRDY }
SOCIAL MEDIA STAR
Q I’ve been sending posts (nothing
inappropriate) to an actor I have a
crush on. He’s seen them but not replied.
Should I continue or stop?
—Guntas, Via Instagram
“Give like it’s a
competition.”
S top, if you feel you’re wasting time and
energy. Continue, if you feel you aren’t.
Dating rule 101: Either they’re quiet or @freddy_birdy
they’re into you. Sorry! But if you’re doing
this for yourself, have fun. No harm
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
6 JUNE 13, 2021
cover story
A New Idea
Of Beauty
High on the success of her new show, Mare of Easttown,
actor Kate Winslet, 45, sets the rules for a new idea of beautiful
A
mongst all the praise Kate
Winslet has received for
her performance in the new
HBO show, Mare of Easttown,
here’s one that probably
hasn’t been handed to her
enough: that as producer, she refused to let
her character “look beautiful” or conform to
the idea of beauty that most actresses her age
gravitate to.
Kate Winslet plays a police detective on the
mini-series that’s currently talk of the town;
she’s in her late 40s/early 50s and for most of
the show, wears little or no make-up, shows
her warts, has matted hair and dresses in a
plaid shirt and denim. She is also heavy around
the middle, which is most apparent when she
shares a single bed with her four-year-old
grandson. (Yes, she’s an early grandparent in
the story, and wears her physical imperfections
like badges with pride.)
In reviews, critics have called her appearance
a watershed moment in a society obsessed with
fillers and beauty upgrades. For the viewer with
{ KATE WINSLET } ACTOR
P early morning light. She’s wearing a summery
“It’s taken work to get tto
a place where I mak
make
no apology for who I
am, where I accept
flaws.”
my flaws.”
By Jamal Shaikh
P I’ll answer quickly.”
“I’M A BIG BELIEVER IN
A POSITIVE MINDSET
AND I THINK A
HOLLYWOOD MUSICAL
OR BOLLYWOOD FILM
CAN INSPIRE A PERSON
TO HAVE A SPRING IN
THEIR STEP!”
Google search at ones fingertips, “Kate Winslet
age” trended as the series gained popularity
in April/May. And, when the result it threw
up said “45 years”, one looked at Mare on the
TV screen and wondered: Can actors use their
star power to alter their age online?
INDIA ON HER MIND
This Monday afternoon, as I go over my
questions for my interview on a Zoom call,
Kate Winslet lights up my screen, as fresh as a
Rose (pun intended, think Titanic!). The actor
is seated at her kitchen counter and bathed in
dress and is perfectly made up, just like any star
who refuses to age with time. She has just been
announced the global brand ambassador of
L’Oreal Paris, and just as she did justice to her
role as Mare of Easttown, she seems determined
to play this part to perfection as well.
“I’m so glad a man is interviewing me,”
she says with a smile, trying to break the ice
instantly. And when her manager apologises
for shaving a few minutes off the promised
YEARS OF
2004-2021
interview time, Kate interjects, “Don’t worry,
I take my cue, and as it always is when
interviewing an international celebrity for
an Indian audience, my first few questions
focus on India.
“I came to India to research a role when I was
22 years old,” says Kate. “I landed in Delhi and
travelled north to Rishikesh, where I spent a
little time in an ashram. We then drove to Jaipur
and also visited Pushkar, so I’d like to believe
I’ve seen right through the centre of India.
All the beautiful landscapes, the incredible
colours, and obviously, I’ve eaten the wonderful
food. And I’ve also experienced the incredible
spirituality that is really overwhelming and
very, very powerful. It’s a unique and beautiful
country, and I’d love to come back some day.
I was there 23 years ago, I must come back!”
I instinctively do the mental math. Google
was right about her age.
What’s your impression of the over-the-top
song, dance and drama of Indian movies, I ask.
Do you enjoy it? In the last few years, we’ve seen
musicals come out of Hollywood that are as
escapist in nature as any Bollywood movie is.
“I think that musicals are wonderful because
they represent a kind of freedom and escape,
and just joy, and I think we all want to feel joy in
our lives. For some people, that doesn’t happen
automatically. So, the escape of watching a
Bollywood movie or a Hollywood musical is
a very unique, uplifting experience. I’m a big
believer in a positive mindset and in having a
good outlook in life and I think a musical can
inspire a person to have a spring in their step.
You could be walking down the street singing
those songs, that is really, really wonderful.”
 MAY 16, 2021 7

cover story
y

“Beauty comes from the

inside, from acceptance
of oneself, it comes from
acceptance of other people
and not judging!”
—Kate Winslet

JOIN IN THE
CONVERSATION USING
#AgeOfInclusivity
8 MAY
MAY16,
16,2021
2021
cover story
Would you ever want to do an Indian movie?
“I would looooove to,” exclaims Kate
with such joy, you know she means it.
EVERYWHERE
ENTERTAINMENT
How aware is a Hollywood star of her stature
among an audience from India? Titanic was
a global hit, but does she keep abreast of her
popularity in different parts of the world?
“I am very grateful to have been able to
entertain audiences and for their willingness
to watch my characters and be invested in
the stories that I have wanted to tell,” she
says. “The audience from India may not have
known who I was without Titanic, which was
a powerful story that touched the hearts of so
many people. I just feel thankful that I am still
able to do this job and continue to entertain.”
With streaming services and stories now
crossing borders, we are watching shows
in Spanish and Korean. As an artiste, Kate,
WOMEN
FOR WOMEN!
Kate Winslet on standing up
against harassment
“My views are that all forms of
harassment should be eradicated and I
think as women, we don’t know how
to stand up for one another. I think
women standing up for other
women is really what this next
decade is going to
be about!”
gives us the opportunity to celebrate different
cultures in a way that perhaps we could have
never had access to before. And that I think is
really very special. I love it. It’s terrific how
the world is really opening up because of
cinema and television, and that’s very,
very exciting!”
HELLO, BEAUTIFUL!
It doesn’t take much drawing of
parallels between the rawness of
Kate Winslet in Mare of Easttown
and as a global brand ambassador
for one of the leading beauty brands in
the world.
Kate confesses, “It’s taken work to get to a
place where I make no apology for who I am,
where I accept my flaws. I’m flattered about
the announcement, of course, especially
because L’Oreal Paris embraces women as
we age. Make-up and skincare can have an
emotional impact on women, but the brand
reinforces that being your true self is more
important than anything else. And yet,
Also see! sometimes, we enjoy the emotional
Spectator by boost that a great lipstick can give us.
Seema Goswami Or sometimes, having glowing skin and
how do you feel about this? Opposite page healthier hair can make us feel better
Does it encourage you to think from the inside out.”
differently, or does it just turn Aren’t the concepts of beauty changing,
up the competition? we ask. What was considered beautiful
“I think it’s wonderful,” says Kate. at one point is not all that’s beautiful
“Globally, we are given access to so much any more, correct?
content now from other countries. I’m a Kate Winslet throws her arms up in
huge fan of European films and television. the air and says, “That’s what I’ve always
I think the French are incredible, and what is been saying. Everyone is beautiful: beauty
SELF coming out of the Scandinavian countries is so comes from the inside, beauty comes
REFLECTION admirable. This crossing of borders shows me from acceptance of oneself, it comes from
Photo courtesy: Sølve Sundsbø for L’oréal Paris
Stills of Kate that we are more united in a creative way. It also acceptance of other people and not judging. I
Winslet’s
feel so excited that the world is finally, finally
portrayal of
Mare Sheehan
in Mare of
P realising that beauty isn’t about having
perfect skin. Beauty is in others. It’s in the
Easttown,
where she
“I THINK WOMEN world around us, it’s in acceptance, it’s in
peace, it’s in patience, it’s in kindness, it’s in
deglamourised STANDING UP FOR OTHER compassion. I feel so happy that the world
herself WOMEN IS REALLY WHAT is finally changing, and it will continue to
THIS NEXT DECADE IS change, I think.”
GOING TO BE ABOUT!” jamal.shaikh@hindustantimes.com
Follow @JamalShaikh on Twitter and Instagram
 JUNE 13, 2021 9

columns

{ spectator }

SEEMA
GOSWAMI
The middle ages
Sometimes it iss better to embrace the ageing process
ratther than fight it endlessly

I
f you have watched Mare of Easttown (and if you haven’t, well,
what are you waiting for?) you will know tha at Kate Winslet
has deglamorised herself completely to play y the detective
in the title. She barely wears any make-up, her hair looks as if
it hasn’tt seen a brush in days, her facial warts are completely
visible, and her fashion sense doesn’t seem to extend beyond
plaid shirts and hoodies (though she does clean up nicely for the
occasional date).
Winslet says she was determined to portray a middle-aged
woman as they really exist in real life – with broadening
middles, less than luminescent complexions, and wrinkles
that hint at a life lived fully. So much so that when the
director of the show offered to edit her ‘bulgy’ bits in a sex
scene, Winslet refused to let him do so. That was her body
in her mid 40s. And she wasn’t going to pretend it was
any different.
The result is an authentic portrait of a woman in middle
age: a little battered around the edges, a wee bit worse for
wear, but magnificent in her authenticity.
KEEPING G IT REAL
I couldn’t help but think of Winslet and Mare of Easttown An authe entic portrait of a woman in middle age would look a
as I sat through the Friends Reunion, laughing and crying little batttered around the edges, a wee bit worse for wear butt
in equal measure. Having grown up with Friends, I feel a magnificcent in her authenticity
sense of kinship with the leading ladies of the show. And
watching them age from season one to season ten was one Friends. And it was even harder not to wish that she had leftt her
way of making peace with my own ageing process as I went face welll alone – or, at least, known when to stop.
from my 20s to my 30s and then my 40s. Gazing g at Cox’s altered visage made me appreciate Sara ah
But the Reunion show came as a bit of jolt. Here were Jessica Parker more than I have ever done since the days
Rachel, Monica and Pheobe in their 50s, each of them of Sex Annd The City. In her latest TV series, Divorce, Parke
er
presenting a different attitude to ageing. Lisa Kudrow looks lik
ke the best version of her middle-aged self. There
appeared to have embraced the passage of time, making is no atte
empt to hide the laugh lines around her eyes and
peace with the inevitable wrinkles around her eyes, mouth mouth, her forehead crinkles up with disgust and anger
and neck. In contrast, Jennifer Aniston looked as if she had ever so often, and her neck is lined like that of any other
been frozen in her mid-30s. There were the odd signs of 50-some ething. But she still looks luminous, with sparklin ng
ageing – the cheeks were a little fuller, the jaw just a tad less eyes, sprringy hair, and a waistline that could give teenageers a
defined – but other than that she still looked like the Rachel run for their money.
we remembered from the last season of Friends. Of couurse, all these women have all the money, time,
dermatologists and cosmetic surgeons in the world a
(From top)
Courtnney Cox;
Lisa Kudrow;
P vailable to them, as they negotiate their middle ages in th
own cho
heir
osen way. But what about the rest of us, who barelly
Jennifeer Aniston;; LET THE WRINKLES DANCE ACROSS have tim
me (or frankly, the inclination) to exercise every daay,
and Kaate Winslett OUR FACES, TELLING THE STORY OF to eat he
ealthy at every meal, and spend every night rubbin ng
OUR TEARS AND LAUGHTER. LET OUR anti-wrinnkle cream into our faces and necks (never forgett
WAISTLINES EXPAND IN TRIBUTE TO the neckk!)?
Well, I guess we will just have to bid goodbye to our innner
HOW MUCH LIFE WE HAVE TASTED
Monicass and Rachels and embrace the Pheobe within eacch of
And then, there was Courtney Cox. Except that she was less us. Let th
he wrinkles dance across our faces, telling the stoory
Photo: Shutterstock

Monica Geller and more a cautionary tale of the dangers of of our tears and laughter. Let our waistlines expand in triibute
For moore columns
by Seemaa Goswami, too much Botox and way too many fillers. Her forehead was a to how much life we have tasted.
scan th
he QR code. frozen field, her cheeks were far too plump, and her lips looked And leet’s embrace our years instead of fighting to hide the
Follow Seemaa on Twitter almost unnatural in their fullness. It was hard to reconcile that marks th hey have left on us.
@seem magoswami face with the fresh-faced beauty that we had met and loved in The views expressed by the columnist are perrsonal
10 JUNE 13 , 2021

columns

{ rude food }

VIR
SANGHVI
Pizza party
The pizza boom sees
great chefs turning out
delicious artisanal pizzas

C
ontrary to what we may think,
pizza is not a single dish. It is
a family of dishes. Even within
Italy, the pizzas of Naples are far
removed from the pizzas of Rome.
And, in any case, the reason why pizza is such a big
deal today is not Italy; it is the US.
In the early part of the 20th century, Italian immigrants
to the US began making versions of the pizzas they had left
behind in their home country. At that stage, most pizzas in much
of Italy were not terribly interesting or even particularly popular
in the North of that country. But pizza took off in the US and soon
every city had its own version, the thin crust slices of New York
pizza, the deep pan pizzas of Chicago, and so on.
The popularity of pizza in the US caused Italy to rediscover its own
pizza traditions and as pizza became the best-known Italian dish in the
world, Italians began to take a new pride in it.
In the 1980s, pizza went upmarket when the Austrian chef
Wolfgang Puck started using expensive, non-traditional toppings
(smoked salmon, caviar etc.) at his Los Angeles restaurant, Spago,
and it has since become common for pizza chefs in different
countries to use fancy and/or non-Italian toppings. (Even toppings
IN FINE FORM we consider traditional are not Italian anyway. Pepperoni was
Chef Vikramjeet invented in America in the 1920s.)
Roy spent months
researching So, it is hard to generalise about pizza. There is no one ideal
pizza ingredients pizza. There are many. You can do pretty much what you like and
nobody can say that it is not authentic —
because there is no such thing as authentic.
This means that it is very hard to pick the
best pizza in Delhi or Mumbai — or New York
for that matter. (In Naples, the pizza makers
have very strict rules about what constitutes
real Neapolitan pizza but maverick chefs are
bucking this system.)
I have two personal favourites. The best
pizzas in Delhi, according to me, are made by
Ritu Dalmia at her café at the Italian Cultural
Centre. And the best pizzas in Mumbai are
HARK BACK TO
The popularity of pizza in the US caused Italy to rediscover its
own pizza traditions
made by Alex Sanchez at Americano. Neither Ritu nor Alex run
pizzerias but are restaurant chefs, which may have something to do
with the quality of their pizzas.
Of the two, Ritu’s is nearer a conventional Roman-style pizza. (The
Cultural Centre Café is meant for Italian diplomats and expats.) It is
hard to get Ritu to divulge her secrets but here are two factors. One:
she does not use maida but relies on durum (the wheat used by Italians
for pasta) which, she says, gives her the texture she wants. And two:
she uses a starter. For the last 25 years since she opened the first Diva,
she has taken a bit of the dough from one day and added it to the next
day’s batch. This is not unlike the process used to make sourdough
and the principle is that the starter contains yeasts and bacteria that
contribute to the flavour of the pizza.
Though there are so many kinds of pizza, I have always believed
that there are two main pizza philosophies: either you focus on the
pizza itself or you focus on the toppings. These days, many trendy
pizza-makers will use exotic toppings and pay too little attention to
the pizza itself. For them, the pizza is no more than a vehicle to push
unusual toppings. (I have seen fried chicken, baked potato and God
knows what else used as pizza toppings.)
I am not a great fan of toppings and neither is Ritu, who says that all
too often pizza chefs overload their pizzas to the extent that the pizza
itself becomes too limp.
Alex Sanchez is an American who fell in love with the pizzas
of Naples. But, when it was time to put pizzas on the menu at

A SLICE OF ROME BREAD OF LIFE
Chef Ritu Dalmia makes conventional Chef Alex's is a chef-intensive
Roman-style pizzas process that is artisanal
Americano, he wanted something more personal. So his pizzas owe
a lot to Naples but have thinner crusts. Alex is an accomplished
bread maker, so I guess he approached pizzas from that prism,
working through various methods till he got it right. He uses maida,
but he has it milled himself and says that because the characteristics
of the flour can vary from batch to batch, he fine-tunes the recipes
each time a new batch of flour comes in.
Alex’s Americano is a full-fledged restaurant, but pizzas have
become its most popular dish (he makes around 150 a day), which
has taken him by surprise. His pizza station is not huge and his
pizzas need massive attention to detail in the cooking. In the case of
some pizzas, he adds the fresh basil after they are cooked. In some,
he adds the basil to the dough. Some pizzas need to the pulled
out of the oven half way through for the cheese to be added. The
various toppings also go in at different times.
It is a chef-intensive process that is artisanal rather than mechanical
but it is worth it because the pizzas that emerge are easily the best I
have ever eaten in Mumbai and you can tell that they were made by a
chef at the height of his powers.
The popularity of pizza, especially during the pandemic (it is
one of the most ordered dishes), has caused other chefs to take it
seriously. Vikramjeet Roy, one of the most talented Indian chefs of
his generation, has set up the Woke Pizza brand to join his successful
Hello Panda and Park Street Rolls & Biryani brands. Vikram is geeky
about research, so he spent months researching pizza ingredients.
He got TWF Flours, a specialist Indian flour company, tto
customise unbleached flour with a coarser
grain for his pizzas. He believed that
Delhi water was often too hard, so he
reduced the PH level of the water he
used and experimented with dough
fermentation timings till he got the
pizza he wanted.
NOT ALL DRESSED
For Chef Ritu (above), it is about the
pizza flavour than the toppings
JUNE 13, 2021 11
columns
HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
Pavitra (above) is self-taught and runs a small
operation, but her pizzas (right) are wonderful
Vikram does both thin crust and thicker pizzas, but the early
response has been ecstatic mainly because of the imagination he
has demonstrated with his toppings. There is a terrific chilli chicken
topping. And along with the not-uncommon chicken tikka topping, he
offers seekh kabab. There is a North East Chicken pizza with bamboo
shoots and a bhut jolokia sauce.
Vikramjeet is a top chef but the great thing about the pizza boom is
that even beginners can get it right. I have ordered twice from Delhi’s
Soho Pizzeria and both times the Naples-inspired pizzas were good
with terrific, crusty edges.
P
THESE DAYS, MANY TRENDY
PIZZA-MAKERS WILL USE EXOTIC
TOPPINGS AND PAY LITTLE
ATTENTION TO THE PIZZA ITSELF.
The partners behind Soho Pizzeria have very little kitchen
experience. Pavitra Arora, whom I spoke to, took one or two pizza
courses, but she is basically self-taught. (Her partner is Surbhi
Chugh.) She uses Caputo pizza flour (Caputo is an Italian company
that sells flour all over the world) and as far as I can tell, has the
standard pizza oven.
Despite that, the pizzas are wonderful and satisfying. And it’s good
to see a small operation with no money to waste on PR companies (I
found them on Instagram) do something of this quality.
There have been pizzerias in India since the 1980s at least, but the
boom only began when the Delhi Hyatt Regency opened La Piazza in
1994 with a wood-fired oven and world-class pizzas.
Who could have predicted then that, a pizza craze would sweep
India and that far away from the space colonized by the global pizza For more columns by
chains, we would have our own artisanal operations run by passionate Vir Sanghvi, scan the
chefs who were driven by their obsession with excellence? QR code. Follow Vir on
The views expressed by the columnist are personal Twitter @virsanghvi
12 JUNE 13, 2021

columns

{ humour }

REHANA
That rainy day feeling
MUNIR With the monsoon at the door, seasonal associations come knocking

I
t’s one of those pre-monsoon showery days where the weather –
much like the Hogwarts ceiling charmed to reflect the sky outside
– is conducting the orchestra of thoughts and emotions within.
Temporarily erasing months of uncertainty, gloom, grief and loss,
it’s fooling me into believing it’s just another end-of-summer day in
any year of any decade. Luckily, I haven’t yet spied any rain poems
on my SM feed (mainly because I’ve resisted posting them). Before
the deluge of odes hits, I’m having a private tryst with the returning
rain, unspoilt by other people’s nostalgia.

The four seasons principle

It’s impossible to talk about certain cities without talking about the
weather, too. These fierce yet fun rivalries are often predicated on
the climate. I turn a special shade of red when I hear about Mumbai’s
unbearable humidity from Dilliwallas, alternately ensconced in an
ice box or a furnace to endure their city’s temperature extremes. I
am, however, partial to Bangalore’s siesta-worthy afternoons and
Chennai’s Decembery enchantments.
But it took an afternoon at the posh Tollygunge Club in Kolkata
to bring out the diehard Bambaiyya in me. After a placid morning of
golf, a silver-haired gentleman I had just met patronisingly told me
about how Kolkata trumps Mumbai in the city hierarchy because
it has four seasons. At which point I was pleased to inform him
that we, too, had Four Seasons now – in Worli. He laughed, we ate GET WIND OF
our sandwiches, drank our shandy, and I left feeling I had done It’s not just the purveyors of high art who use weather
something to restore the dignity of my poor city battered by perverse as inspiration
weather for most part of the year. But why allow someone from effect. I especially love the Calvin and Hobbes panels with sheeting
Kolkata to say that? rain playing spoilsport for the six-year-old boy with a memorable
sulk and imagination. And in the guilty pleasure category of

P entertainment, I enjoyed the Gilmore Girls – A Year in the Life (2016)

miniseries, following its fast-talking, coffee-glugging, love-seeking
IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO TALK ABOUT mother-and-daughter duo through a cycle of seasons at Stars
CERTAIN CITIES WITHOUT TALKING Hollow, that fictional American small town that’s equal parts cringe
ABOUT THE WEATHER, TOO. THESE and comfort.

FIERCE YET FUN RIVALRIES ARE Dear Mr. Fry

OFTEN PREDICATED ON THE CLIMATE
A perfect storm
No painter portrayed atmospheric effects better than JMW Turner.
In his canvases, the dramatic moods of the sea were captured with
such command that looking at a turbulent ocean in actual life takes
me back to his paintings, as if they were the template for nature.
The Tate Britain in London holds the largest collection of his works,
which take your breath away with their primal force and mastery of
light. I’d like to visit the gallery with a seafarer someday, just to see
what kind of impression the paintings make on someone whose life
With the rains now at the door, the triggers will be many. You’ll
likely overuse food apps. Be tempted to send beseeching messages
to holograms from your past. Drink when you shouldn’t. Overthink
what you mustn’t. Let me absolve you in anticipation: it’s not you,
it’s the weather. The most heartening weather analogy I’ve ever
encountered comes from the British actor, comedian, author and
mental health crusader, Stephen Fry. The wonderful anthology,
Letters of Note, compiled by Shaun Usher, quotes the exchange
between Fry and a woman called Crystal Nunn, struggling with a
severe bout of depression in 2006. Here’s an excerpt from his reply:
“In the same way that one has to accept the weather, so one has to
Photo imaging: Parth Garg

is governed by wind and surf. But to walk into a faraway art gallery
with a sufficiently sensitive sailor is too implausible a dream even for
a writer suffering a bad case of pre-monsoon syndrome.
For more columns
by Rehana Munir, From raag Miyan Ki Malhar to Tchaikovsky’s Winter Daydreams,
scan the QR code. art and the seasons have an intimate association. And it’s not just
Follow Rehana on the purveyors of high art who use the weather as inspiration. Bill
Twitter @rehana_munir Watterson distills both the rain and snow into his work to great
accept how one feels about life sometimes. “Today’s a crap day,” is
a perfectly realistic approach. It’s all about finding a kind of mental
umbrella. “Hey-ho, it’s raining inside: it isn’t my fault and there’s
nothing I can do about it, but sit it out. But the sun may well come out
tomorrow and when it does, I shall take full advantage.””
rehanamunir@gmail.com
Follow @rehana_munir on Twitter and Instagramww

{ sunday drive }
HORMAZD
SORABJEE
Money no object
Rolls-Royce Boat Tail, the most expensive car in the world, revealed
R
olls-Royces are very expensive. We all know that. But how
expensive is very expensive? There’s no limit to what expensive
is for the legendary British marque, which has just unveiled a
new, uber-exclusive and bespoke Rolls-Royce Boat Tail with zeroes on
the price tag that outstretch its exquisitely hand-crafted 5.9-metre long
body. Any guesses? Try a stupid ~206 crore (£20million) for starters.
And I say starters because if you were rich enough (and mad enough)
to import one, you would be slapped with near 200 per cent import
duties and taxes. It feels criminal to even calculate what the on-road
price of this extraordinary Rolls would be! The fantastic irony is that
even if you had that insane amount of money, you wouldn’t be able
to buy one because only three Boat Tails will be made and all have
customer’s names on them. The Boat Tail is completely bespoke and
painstakingly hand-crafted, and as the name suggests, is inspired
by a yacht with nautical design themes. This first of three Boat Tails
revealed, showcases the customer’s (an unnamed couple) preferences
and the level of customisation done to suit their tastes. For the company,
CLASS APART the Boat Tail is a showcase of Rolls-Royces coachbuilding division,
The interiors which the company has revived.
are similar to
other Rolls-Royce
models but the P glove box houses a hand-made aluminium and leather Montblanc pen
Boat Tail has plenty
of unique elements THE WHOLE CAR, WHICH TOOK FOUR
YEARS TO DESIGN, ENGINEER AND
BUILD, IS A SCULPTURE ON WHEELS
WITH MIND-BOGGLING DETAILING
Rolls-Royce has had a long history of coach-built cars and in fact, the
last Boat Tails were built in the 1920s-30s. Like its predecessor almost a
century ago, the current Boat Tail has a distinctive tail which imitates the
For more Sunday Drive
columns by Hormazd hull of a J-class yacht. Exquisitely finished in a dark veneer, the wooden
Sorabjee, scan the rear deck gets exquisite stainless steel pinstripe inlays that look like a work
QR code. Follow of art. In fact, the whole car, which took four years to design, engineer and
Hormazd on Twitter build, is a sculpture on wheels with mind-boggling detailing, all of which
@hormazdsorabjee was carefully curated by the car’s owners.
JUNE 13, 2021 13
columns
s
LUXE DESIGN
The rear deck's butterfly doors hinged on the centre line are
theatric in the way they operate
The rear deck’s butterfly doors hinged on the centre line are theatric
in the way they operate. They open to a precise 67 degrees and reveal
what Rolls-Royce calls the ‘hosting suite’, which rise out of the deck
and tilts to an optimum 15-degree ‘serving angle’! Such is the attention
to detail. The cases in the hosting suite hold the finest crockery and
cutlery (custom-made by Christofle), personalised serviettes and two
fridges, one of which is designed to hold and chill (to an ideal serving
temperature of 6 degrees) the owner’s favourite champagne. The deck
also sprouts fold-out picnic tables and chairs, and a parasol for an
impromptu al fresco dining experience.
The interiors are similar to other Rolls-Royce models, but this Boat Tail
has plenty of unique elements that makes it a one-off. The bespoke colour
scheme is what stands out with the front seats fashioned in the same dark
blue exterior colour whilst the rear seats have a lighter shade. The instrument
dials are again unique-crafted with a Guilloché decorative technique (used
by jewellers and watchmakers) and look more like museum pieces. The
case specially commissioned by the owners who are serious pen collectors.
Also custom-made are the BOVET 1822 timepieces that are designed to
be detachable so that they can double up as wrist watches for the couple.
How cool is that?
Move to the front of the car and you just can’t miss Rolls-Royce’s signature
Pantheon grille, which is flanked with slim and sleek daytime running
lights with traditional round fog lamps below. Another maritime feature
is the wraparound windscreen, which mimics the visor of a yacht and the
unique fixed canopy roof gives it an unmissable silhouette.
As big a small yacht and powered by Rolls-Royce familiar 6.75-litre V12,
the Boat Tail has humongous proportions. That shouldn’t be a problem for
the owners, who probably own the road (or the country) and don’t have
to worry about traffic or anything for that matter.
The views expressed by the columnist are personal
 JUNE 13, 2021

books

Noholds
barred!
His open marriage with his
wife, his relationship with
Parveen Babi and other
Actor Kabir Bedi bares unconventional life choices.
his heart in his
autobiography titled
One month after revealing
Stories I Must Tell all in his memoir, actor Kabir
Bedi finds himself exhilarated
with the response
By Shruti Nair

A
few weeks after the release of Kabir
Bedi’s autobiography, Stories I Must
Tell, the actor is on a high. The book
is painfully honest, whether about
his open relationship with his wife or being a
patient companion to Parveen Babi. He doesn’t
mince his words, neither in the book, nor in this
interview with HT Brunch.
“I’ve been overwhelmed by the response
because people have been touched by my book,”
he says. “I use ‘touched’ in a very special way
because it was an emotional experience to live
through those moments again while writing the
book. So it’s very gratifying to hear that people
could live that part of my life with me.”
Both reviewers and social media users
have praised Kabir’s writing. “[The book is]
candid and packed with great memories and
devastating portraits of Protima and Parveen
Babi. The Italy sections – where he was a big star
after Sandokan – are the most fun. I haven’t met
him in years but he writes like he talks,” wrote
columnist Vir Sanghvi.
Au t h o r Tavl e e n S i n g h w r o t e :
“Unputdownable. A brutally honest
autobiography and evocative of a time
when India as a modern nation was young. As
were [the] people of Kabir Bedi’s generation
and mine.”

Kabir has been many things to many people:
an actor with a career in three continents, an
eloquent copywriter, an ex-husband to three
women and father to two sons and a daughter.
But the one thing very few people know about
him was his career as a journalist. He did a
brief stint at the All India Radio in 1966, during
which he interviewed one of the world’s most
popular bands, The Beatles. Although it was
a breakthrough interview, he quit journalism
and Delhi to land in Mumbai, which led to his
international career, he writes in his memoir.
“It’s not just me writing about the events but
the emotions I went through while writing about
the events that I wanted my reader to experience
with me,” he says.
Everything, from growing up in Delhi with
Rajiv and Sanjay Gandhi, to reaching Mumbai in
his early 20s and meeting his first wife, Protima,
is penned beautifully. Kabir’s attention to the
minutest details keeps the reader enthralled.
P Alaya F at the
“IT’S ALMOST THE DUTY
OF EACH GENERATION
TO SHOCK THE
PREVIOUS ONE. I WAS
NEVER LOOKING FOR
THE APPROVAL OF
CONVENTIONAL PEOPLE”
–KABIR BEDI IN STORIES
I MUST TELL
“The cover photo was taken by Terry
O’Neill and it took me a lot to persuade him
to photograph me,” says Kabir. “After he took
this picture, he told me it was a special one. So
when it was time to choose a photo for the cover
of the book, my wife Parveen suggested that I
use this picture.”
The memoir, Kabir says, had been churning
within him for a long, long time. It took time
to work out the structure and the stories he
wanted to put in.
“I set about writing it with real passion. It
flowed like a river,” he says. Like
Participate in the
the man himself, the story is
culturally omnivorous, detailed #BrunchBookChallenge
and thoroughly optimistic.
As eloquent as he is in his book, Visit online: read.ht/yrz
we asked Kabir to share his raw feelings behind
a few of his treasured moments.
On interviewing one of the
world's popular bands ever
“I was young, determined and crazy about The
Beatles. Since I was an avid fan of the band, I
knew they were in trouble after what happened
in Manila and Delhi was a quick unscheduled
(Clockwise from
top left) Kabir
with his sons,
Siddharth and
baby Adam; the
actor in the 1990s;
with his
wife Parveen
Dusanj and
granddaughter
Filmfare awards
this year; Kabir
with Siddharth
on his graduation
day; Omar Shariff,
Beverly Johnson
and Kabir on the
sets of Ashanti
stop on their way back to London. I also
knew that Brian Epstein, the manager of the
group then, was highly agitated and I used his
vulnerability. My heart was pounding loudly
in my head and it was like I had met my Gods.
It was absolutely surreal trying to keep myself
calm as I spoke to them,” Kabir recounts.
On his relationships and the
era of change
“Protima and I did not start out with an open
relationship. With infidelities on
both sides, it came to a point where
we either ended the relationship
or we tried to make it work. Those
were the ’60s and ’70s; social
change was in the air, as was also freedom. We
wanted to be part of that change. But in the end, it
didn’t work, which is what led to my relationship
with Parveen Babi."
“It’s almost the duty of each generation to
shock the previous one. I didn’t mind shocking
people and we were not looking for the approval
of conventional people. At one level, you have
to be different to make the difference.”
JUNE 13, 2021 15
books
On being one of the first
crossover Indian stars
“Sandokan was totally transformative. Going
from Bollywood and becoming the biggest star
in Italy and Europe overnight was a completely
breathtaking experience. That’s how I landed the
James Bond film (Octopussy 1983) and later, The
Bold and Beautiful.
“During the shooting of the film, I was
extremely disciplined; it was like a state of
meditation in action. It was a huge learning
experience in Europe as well as in America. In
Europe, I started at the top and in America, I
started at the bottom. Part of the problem was I
fancied myself as a serious actor, but the truth
was if I had wanted a career in Bollywood, I
should have made myself fully conversant in
song and dance numbers as well.”
On five controversial
moments of his life
“Was my decision to leave Delhi, the city I
grew up in, controversial? Was my decision
to give up my fairly secure job in advertising
to do films controversial? Was my open
marriage with Protima or relationship
with Parveen Babi controversial? Was
my decision to leave Europe and move
on to Hollywood controversial? Was the
way I mishandled my money in America
controversial? So many things can be
deemed controversial. I don’t know which
should be top or bottom of the list.”
shruti.nair@hindustantimes.com
Follow @MissNairr on Twitter and Instagram
gender

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clue that I stuck out. I never even registered
this distinction in my student life or on the
professional stage. Of course, there were a
handful of prejudiced characters I came across
now and then, but to me the facts that I am male
and a dancer were never at odds. I am simply a
dancer impelled to move in extraordinary ways.”
Strength to strength
Award-winning British-Bangladeshi
dancer-choreographer Akram Khan
unfortunately had no option but to face
gender and sexuality issues head on when
he started dancing.
“I was running away all the time from the
violence I faced,” he says. “The violence in
the West is not just verbal, it is physical.”
physical.
Akram is now a Member of the Order of
the British Empire. He choreographed the
2012 London Olympics. He featured in a
Netflix series. But, as a boy he was oppressed
oppresse
because he danced.
“The more I was bullied, the more I was
convinced that dance was the path for me,”me,
he says. “But let me tell you an irony. On
the one hand,, my family and community
were pulling me down. But on the other
hand, once I became a professional, the
contemporary dance community embraced
me. Gender was not an issue. If anything,
I was championed because I was a male
dancer – a minority. The fact that I was a
minority became my strength.”
In spite of all the accolades, his family
still has not much idea of what he does,
says Akram. Recently, at the premiere
P transgender
“THE MORE I WAS
BULLIED, THE MORE I WAS
CONVINCED THAT DANCE
WAS THE PATH FOR ME.”
–AKRAM KHAN, BRITISH-
BANGLADESHI DANCER-
CHOREOGRAPHER, WHO WAS
CONFERRED THE ORDER OF THE
BRITISH EMPIRE, BUT SAYS HIS
FAMILY STILL DOESN'T KNOW
WHAT HE DOES
JUNE 13, 2021 17
“[People assume] that if
genderr
it’s a male dancer,
he’ll be femine
off-sttage too.” concern was very real and
Nartha aki Nataraj, very harsh: she was thrown
Transwoman
out of her home by her parents
Bharatana atyam dancer
because she was not only a dancer
dancer,
but transgender.
In 2019, Narthaki became the first
transgender woman to be awarded the
Padma Shri. Her journey
to that point involved all
sorts of abuse.
“In the early part of
my life, before I was accepted
as a female, I had to dress up as a
male,” she remembers. “On stage,
however, I always performed
as a female. We faced abuse,
economically, mentally, and,
physically. But my friend Sakthi
Sakth
Bhaskar and I fought our way wa
through. We kept going towards
our single set goal of becoming
successful dancers.”
For Narthaki, art cannot be gender-
specific. Dance, especially, is beyond
gender, language or race. It is
the expression of our creative
creativ
mind. “Art leads to beauty,
British- beauty leads to the female energy and
Bangladeshi IN THE RHYTHM motherhood, ultimately it all leads to God.
choreographer And God is neither male nor female,”
Akram Khan Paragons of classical
faced bullying, but dance answer quick Qs explains Narthaki.
ended up choreo-
graphing the 2012 One myth you’d like to break Go with the flow
London Olympics; about male dancers... The world of dance is a peculiar one. It is
Bharatanatyam Navtej Johar: That dance is either a realm where something called ‘reverse
practitioner masculine or feminine.
Narthaki Nataraj gender discrimination’ takes place every
Akram Khan: That all male dancers
was the first are gay. single day. Women who break subtle yet
person to be
Narthaki Natraj: That if it’s a male
dancer, he’ll be feminine off -stage too.
persistent gender-biased glass ceilings on
a daily basis are my heroes. But in a world
awarded the
Padma Shri where we often talk about women’s rights,
Three things you don’t go on
stage without...
what about men who have to deal with
oppression and derision?
NJ: Brushing my teeth, drinking
Gender stereotypes are a thing of the past!
water, a sense of a casual yet intense
encounter. It is an urgent need for us as a society to
AK: Fear, doubt, family. shed the rigid parameters of masculinity
NN: Punctuality, practice, God. and femininity. When traditions that date
Most memorable collaboration
back thousands of years were and are so
Navtej Johar, who gender fluid, why does the so-called modern
started dancing with another male dancer...
NJ: Hiroshi Miyamoto. society want to pigeonhole everything they
at age 21, was a
AK: Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui. set their eyes on?
bearded Sikh boy
and had no idea he NN- Many, can’t name one. Dance allows us the freedom to live in
stuck out this elevated multi-dimensional space. We
of a show he had choreographed, his can be men, women, heroes, heroines,
aunt came up to him and asked with demons, gods, trees, rivers and whatever
concern, “But Akram, what do you do as a we’d like to be through this genre of art.
full-time professional?” I thank my stars that I didn’t become
another ‘Sharmaji ka beta’.
Art leads to god brunchletters@htlive.com
Follow @HTBrunch on Twitter and Instagram
For veteran Bharatanatyam practitioner
Narthaki Nataraj, the gender issue was Madhur Gupta is a leading Odissi dance
exponent, an author and a columnist. He teaches
never some drawing-room conversation Odissi at Sangeet Vidya Niketan, New Delhi. Follow
conducted by polite society. The label @madhur_gupta04 on Instagram and Facebook
 ®ijÓB ˬͼǧ ΉϖΉˬ

in bed with…
{ Bedside stories }
Last person who you usually

   
   text goodnight to?
My wife, if I’m not in town.

e s a ta as s ee ear o d e
What is the first thing you do when you wake up?
Resist the temptation to look at my phone and
spend some quiet time with myself before I start

e e ti a o a t t ot or e
the day’s chores.
Which is your preferred side of the bed?
Right.

n Ɖ͍ɾʈˠˇ ƉˇǮ Ǒˠ͍ͶΒʷȜ ǮȜ͍ʈɡˇȜ̻ Ͷˠ ͶɾȜ

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ʈˇˇˠέƉͶʈέȜ Ͷ̻ƉιƺƉʢȜ͍ ˇˠΰƉǮƉι͍̎ ̵‰̸ʷ Ɖ
      !
   

!!     ##  # $!#!
# $!# %
!# # 
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What do you wear to bed?
Depending on the weather, knitted shorts or
pyjamas with a crew-neck T-shirt.
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ʪˠǑƉʪ ʈˇɡ̻ȜǮʈȜˇͶ͍ ƉˇǮ Ǒˠˠʢʈˇɡ ɾȜƉʪͶɾʈȜ̻ ʈ͍    #(
  bedside table?
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ʈˇǑˠ̻˽ˠ̻ƉͶȜ ƺˠͶɾ ʈˇͶˠ ͶɾȜ͍Ȝ Ͷ̻ƉιƺƉʢȜ͍ǧ ΰɾʈǑɾ   
  ! 
( # #  #   (
Ɖ̻Ȝ ȜƉ͍ι ƉˇǮ ʈʷƉɡʈˇƉͶʈέȜǧ̶ ͍Ɖι͍ %Ɖ̻έȜǧ Ɖ͍ ΰȜ  # % # !   !
ǑƉͶǑɾ ɾʈʷ ʷΒʪͶʈͶƉ͍ʢǧ ͶȜƉǑɾʈˇɡ ɾʈ͍ ˇȜ˽ɾȜΰ & !! % ( !$(
   { This or that? }

    
   
 
 

ɾˠΰ Ͷˠ Ǯ̻Ɖΰ ƺˠͶƉˇʈǑƉʪ͍ ƉˇǮ ƺƉƺι͍ʈͶͶʈˇɡ  

Lungi or boxers?
ɾʈ͍ ˇʈȜǑȜ ƉˇǮ ǮƉΒɡɾͶȜ̻ǧ ʈˇ ɾʈ͍ ƺȜǮ̻ˠˠʷ ˠˇ  
    
  ($ !
Boxers.
Ɖ đΒˇǮƉι̎ %Ɖ̻έȜ̸͍ ǮƉΒɡɾͶȜ̻ ɾƉ͍ ʛΒ͍Ͷ ͶΒ̻ˇȜǮ    ( #  $ Fluffy bed or coir mattress?
ˠˇȜ ƉˇǮ ǑƉˇ ƺȜ ɾȜƉ̻Ǯ ɡʈɡɡʪʈˇɡ ƉΰƉι ʈˇ ͶɾȜ ## #! !#   #  !  # ($ #  Fluffy bed.
ƺƉǑʢɡ̻ˠΒˇǮ ƉˇǮ ʈ͍ Ɖʪ͍ˠ ͶɾȜ ̻ȜƉ͍ˠˇ ɾȜ ʢȜȜ˽͍  & #  #'# %#! ( &# ($ # Cotton or satin?
ɾʈ͍ ƺȜǮ͍ʈǮȜ ͶƉƺʪȜ͍ Ǒˠʷ˽ʪȜͶȜʪι ǮȜǑʪΒͶͶȜ̻ȜǮȽ Cotton.
ĦɾȜ ƺȜǮǧ ͍Ɖι͍ %Ɖ̻έȜǧ ʈ͍ Ɖ ˽ʪƉǑȜ ˠɋ Ǒˠʷɋˠ̻Ͷ ƉˇǮ         
  !  Bed tea or breakfast
in bed?
˽ȜƉǑȜ ƉˇǮ ͶɾƉͶ ̻Ȝ͍ˠˇƉͶȜ͍ ΰʈͶɾ Β͍ Ɖ͍ ʈˇ ͶɾȜ͍Ȝ   #  (#
 $# #   !  
Bed tea.
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Ͷˠ ͍ΰʈͶǑɾ ˠɋɋ ƺȜɋˠ̻Ȝ ɾʈͶͶʈˇɡ ͶɾȜ ͍ƉǑʢ̎ ̵Ïι   &$   # 
˽̻ȜʄƺȜǮͶʈʷȜ ̻ˠΒͶʈˇȜ ʈ͍ ΰƉͶǑɾʈˇɡ ˬϖ ʷʈˇΒͶȜ͍ ˠɋ y
7ƉέʈǮ
ͶͶȜˇƺˠ̻ˠΒɡɾ̎ ‰Ͷ ɾȜʪ˽͍ ʷȜ ͍ʪȜȜ˽ ͍ˠΒˇǮȜ̻ǧ̶ 

 !   
y ,
͍ɾƉ̻Ȝ͍ ͶɾȜ ǮȜ͍ʈɡˇȜ̻ǧ ΰɾˠ ΰƉ͍ ͶɾȜ ɋʈ̻͍Ͷ Ͷˠ      y
͍ɾˠΰǑƉ͍Ȝ ɾʈ͍ ǑˠʪʪȜǑͶʈˠˇ ƉͶ %ΒȜˇˠ͍
ʈ̻Ȝ͍ nƉ͍ɾʈˠˇ  )
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řȜȜʢ ́%
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 Free with your copy of Sunday Hindustan Times | June 13, 2021
Fre 021

Gender Focus
THE TOUGH
TRUTH ABOUT
MALE DANCERS
ing: Navtej Johar,
Akram Khan &
Narthaki Nataraj
Page 16

DIGITAL ISSUE
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Free with your copy

w Column!
NEW DELHI
SUNDAY
DECEMBER
20, 2020

singer he
SANJANA
“He can get any with SANGHI
wants, I can workwant.
Pag e 18
Why restrict
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on social med
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Armaalian: they Armaan!”
both Amaal and ik, 29
—Amaal Mall

Ranveer Sin IN AN IND

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Ten years into

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it means to to redefine
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wood

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Udita Jhunjh

Sibling Rev
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anveer Singh
home to Mumb returned
2007, armed ai in
Bachelor’s with a
degree in
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from Indi-
ana Univer
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US,
movies, and tions of workin ambi-
strong self-be g in the
to stardom lief. The journe
was
Ranveer was not easy. y
Singh Bhavn born to Anju
ani, who run and Jagjit
and retail an automobile
business in

me
decided to Mumbai. Having
strike out
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on social me ir surname dif

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role,

the
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the y spe ll (2010). “I had

work hard
imagine doing
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#MillennialMus
2011, weeks
after the release magazine in
film. At the of his debut
time, stardom
the corner, was still around
revving its engine
him “like a , waiting to
truck”. hit
It’s now 10 years
is Ranveer since the
Singh thunde juggernaut that
film industr red into the
y. His filmogr Hindi
Rocks, the crafted aphy is
cent candy -under-pressu akin to Pop
that re, efferve
crackles and surprises you as it explod s-
fizzes. es,
There’s Singh
ing con artist as the intense and
charm-
Romeo known Varun in Lootera.
As
leela: Ram-L as Ram in Goliyon Ki the
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retelling of Leela Bhansa
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Exclusive
in
tha warrio Dil Dhadakne Do. The ed the folklor
e around Ranvee
r in Bajirao Mara- maker
tyrannical Mastani and r,”
the 35-year Kabir Khan, who has says film- ukone

Digital Issue
Alauddin Khilji
The corrup directed the said, “I’ve never
t cop who has in Padmaavat. out -old actor in
the cricket come across
in Simmba a change of next year. “But epic 83, due who was so comfortable
al Fea ture s
and heart set. a man
Boy. Each time the brooding rapper in On set, he is that’s not and the with my succes
an actor. He’s how he is on portive attention I was getting
Wit h Add ition
it Gully the s
“There is no was snap, crackle, pop. creative committed and encour . He was sup-
think his love question he has talent, couldn’t ask process. As a directo to wasn’t
superficial
aging of my
career and it

Sca n Bel ow
for r, one
roles,” says to dress up
just adds
but I Khan credits more.” Singh’s forthco support.”
Sujata Assom to his for Singh’s astute built on 12 ming project
author of 100 ull, his film choice s, in a career
“Costumes Iconic Bollyw journalist and balanc rising stock, on and s thus far, carefully selected leading
play such an ood Costum es the machis off screen. include playing roles
es. forman mo with nuance “He champ a Gujarati
ematic langua integral role d per- Jordaa ioning equal rights
ge.” in cin- ventionces that bypass the in Jayeshbhai
man
He dream al ‘Bollywood tropes of the r, a cop in Soorya
ed of stardo honest hero’. His effort con- ble role in vanshi
came, Singh and in a dou-
has said that m, yet when it womeny make him attract and the comed
y Cirkus
without the ive — to both endorsing brands
tools to cope. he found himself and men,” ranging from , besides
was cautiou For two years There is a dualityKhan says. instant noodle
s, high street condoms to
s,
tasted both guarded, until 2013, when he deeply comfo to Singh, ing service brands to bank-
critical and he skirt, rtable with. one that he is a countr s, underlining his
with Looter commercial bankability
a and Ram-L success heart break into impromptu He can rock a “Wheth
y of star worshi
ppers. in
Empowered eela respec on his logo-em dance, wear
tively. his has made er cringe-worthy or
fear of judgemby the validation, he shed sleeve. He blazoned you sit up and cool, his
lessly energe ent and unleashed a his his succeswalks shoulder-to-sh designer Assomull. pay attentio style
sful actress oulder “He has made n,” says
tic, whimsical, limit- ukone wife Deepik with have as much

1
and fashion individ and it okay for men
-forward self ualistic affectio is uninhibited a Pad- He fun to
uses fashion as women with fashion

2
car roofs with who jumped n and admira in expressing
ie-taking fans a wave to accommodate on stuff of fantasy tion for her. his In an indust to subvert stereotypes.” . Ranveer Singh
the co-founderis

3
, in It’s the ry that
on Mumbai and kissed his wife goodby self- archal
society
a deeply repress toxic mascul has long preser He has
“That energy
streets. e and huddle where couples meet ed, patri- tional notionsinity, Singh challenges ved
of an indepe partnered with
in dark corner on the sly of manlin conven- ndent He performed
and those inciden parks and waterf s of cinema shown ess. He
ts, that’s halls, have that the Indian movie has steadily music label the English his own hip-ho
In an intervie ronts. to operate in hero
w with Open a binary formul does not called IncInk Premier Leagu numbers in the p

inside
magazine, Pad- dwell in shades of .
in Singh’s case, grey or, as a, but can
to promote e 2019 Zoya Akhta
pink, green, is more likely
yellow and
blue. football in India. film Gully Boy. r

CULTURE MIND PHOTOS: GETTY

IMAGES

Born in the Couch URBAN

lockdown P surfing Oh come,
Music,
adore themlet us
P
paintings, a Counsellors
comic book and
gone virtual psychologists
— take a look are taking The Rasquinh
at what to social med P
it’s been like ia in an as of Mangalu
attempt to work on relig
to
independent create reach youn ious statuary ru
art in sters in need g- churches acro for
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of followers workshop as
sculptures, crucifixes,
statu
Nativity portr es, altarpieces and
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 JUNE 13, 2021 3

upgrades
{ GAME SHOW }

The banana bread bake/off

EDITORIAL One decadent loaf, one with pumpkin seeds, & a DIY dry mix:
Jamal Shaikh
(National Editor – Brunch and YEARS OF
We get three home bakers to bake for @PoojaDhingra. Who wins?
New Media Initiatives)
Shruti Nair
Karishma Kuenzang
2004-2021
By Karishma Kuenzang

DESIGN
Sunil Kumar Mallik Naimita Jagasia, 26 Yajur Khanna, 25 Maria George, 40
(Art Director – Brunch)
Amit Malik
Vegan desserts, 3 years Home baker, 6 years Cak
ke mix expert, 5 years
Kishore Rawat
First bake: Her First bake: When he First bake: A chocolate
FOR ADVERTISING AND MARKETING ENQUIRIES:
Ad Sales (North): Amit Gandotra grandmotherr’s was 12 yeears old cake with icing sugar
amit.gandotra@hindustantimes.com carrot cake in 2009, with dusted d over it when
Ad Sales (West): Gautam Buragohain when she wa as browniess, using she wa as 10.
gautam.buragohain@digicontent.co.in
10. “I made his mothher’s Banan na bread
Ad Sales (South): Mockbul Haque
mockbul.haque@digicontent.co.in cakes with recipe. debut:: A decade
Find Hindustan Times Brunch on Facebook. veggies as wee Banana ago, when
Follow @htbrunch on Instagram and Twitter. wouldn’t eat bread she got her
Drop us a line at: 18-20, Kasturba Gandhi Marg,
New Delhi - 110001
them any debut: firstt oven/
Email: htbrunch@hindustantimes.com other way,” 2019. “It miccrowave
she says. wasn’t andd had
COVER CREDITS
Cover photo courtesy Banana spectacula ar,” leftoover
Sølve Sundsbø for L’Oréal Paris bread he reminisces. banana as.
debut: Lockdown n Lockd down craze:
At 19 while craze: “I’v
ve She ha as banana
living alone in lost count of cake mix xes which
London. “It did how many y were liiteerally flying
fll
not taste goood,” banana bre eads I off thee shhelves
she confessess. made for myself during g thhe lockdown.
Lockdown and the ord ders I “Especcia ally since it’s a
SOHRAB
KHUSHRUSHAHI craze: Naimiita got,” he sayys. mix th hat even a child
Fitness trainer made two lasst Cake for can usse to make a
year and arou und Pooja: A qu uick loaf,” Maria says.
{ Q+A }
5-6 in 2021, and simple Cake for r Pooja: She
TO NEW BEGINNINGS! aiming to publish recipe, sent thhe Plattered

Q I’m someone whose workout the recipe. made with (her brand)
primarily comprised swimming Cake for Poo oja: Naimita first banana flour Yajur baked for whole--wheat Maria’ss easy-
but I haven’t had access to the pool Is vegan, so it has made banana made from the first time banana cake. All to-make
for more than a year now. How bread when she when he was banana mix
no refined sugar scratch, you need to do
can I make up for the lost time and was 19 and 12 years old has been a
what exercises do you recommend? or flour. The living in London with a layer is add three ripe hit this
—Cynthia, Via Instagram chocolate chunks of pumpkin mashed bananas past year

F act of the matter is you can’t really

make up for lost time. You can make
the most of what you have now,
are made with Khandsari
sugar. The magic ingredient: a
seeds on top to give the
cake a crunch and add to
and half a cup of
oil to the mix; bake for
jar of Old Monk Rum Caramel the texture. 30 minutes or microwave
though. Don’t beat yourself up about
what’s happened because you really poured over it. Joy of baking: “Baking for 3 minutes.
can’t change it and don’t be so afraid Joy of baking: “Vegan baking keeps me happy, not only Joy of baking: “Baking gives
to try something new. If there’s one means breaking rules of because of the smells me a sense of fulfilment. I think
thing the pandemic has taught us, it traditional pastry to create and process, which are of it as art, marrying flavours
is that we need to constantly adapt.
something unique, which is satisfying, but also because and textures. There’s a science
So make a plan: Start with running or
cycling since you seem to like cardio challenging and therapeutic,” I love eating my own behind it, but it’s also very
and build up slowly. Try your hand at she explains. desserts,” he laughs. creative,” she says
any other sport you like if that helps
you move but the point I’m trying to THE EXPERT
make is: start moving. Now playing!
Pooja Dhingra is a celebrity pastry Who bakes The HT Brunch
chef and the owner of Le15 Patisserie, the most
@Sohfit, as he is commonly known, which specialises in macarons Podcast. Listen
delicious loaf? to your favourite
chucked a seven-figure job in finance to and French desserts. All three Turn to Page 4
follow his passion for fitness. He currently participants sent their banana bread stars, columnists,
to find out musicians…
trains some of Bollywood’s biggest stars to Pooja, who picked her favourite.
Scan the QR code
4 JUNE 13, 2021
nostalgia
{ WHEN I WAS 22… }
Ananth Mahadevan, Actor
“Performing arts beckoned me through the back door”
Ananth impersonating Nonie, the music
compere in the play Yours Mine & Ours
Where were you career-wise?
I was a copywriter in a publicity
agency headed by VP Sathe, that
was the sugar bowl of the film
industry. Everyone from Raj
Kapoor to Dev Anand to Hrishikesh
Mukherjee were our clients.
Performing arts beckoned me
through the back door!
What was your bank balance?
I was never given pocket money by
my parents, so I didn’t have a bank
account. After employment, I THEN AND NOW
experienced the thrill of owning a Ananth Mahadevan
Saraswat Bank passbook. at 22 (top),
What was your mindset then? and at 67 (above)
I was battling demons within
and outside. I wanted to make it as an actor.
I wasn’t conditioned for the rituals of show
business. How does one swim with sharks
without being eaten? I’m still swimming. The
sharks just don’t pay attention anymore.
Any romance in life?
My friends used to ogle the girls in the Khalsa
College galleries from our Don Bosco School
windows. But my father’s disciplinarian
conditioning made me look at books.
What was your fashion sense like?
Zero. I didn’t strut around in fancy clothes to
impress filmmakers.
P What has changed about your attitude
“I WASN’T CONDITIONED
FOR THE RITUALS OF
SHOW BUSINESS. HOW DO
YOU SWIM WITH SHARKS
WITHOUT BEING EATEN?”
Ananth in a mythological
avatar for a play
With Pooja Bedi in Jagmohan With Rakesh Bedi in a telefilm
Mundhra’s film Vishkanya directed by Mandira Kashyap
(Inset) The actor
in Bangkok
Kishore Kumar’s autograph on
Ananth’s picture after the latter
interviewed him for The Daily
And your fitness quotient then?
I wasn’t into gymming and preferred walking.
I could live off lentils, rice and veggies.
What was your most prized possession?
A projector I had purchased from a store in
Dadar for a luxurious Rs 40. I was fascinated
by moving images.
An anecdote from those days?
Dilip Kumar was in the first row at the
Tejpal auditorium during my first stage
performance, where I played Polonius in
Hamlet. Two years later, I met Dilip saab
at a film publicity meet. and he told me ,
“I like the way you conduct yourself”.
Golden words.
towards love from then?
My definition of love remains affection
towards my family. Only nature deserves
true love at the end of the day. The human
species has, but for the rare exception,
never earned it.
—DINESH RAHEJA
RAHUL KHANNA
Actor and Style Icon
{ Q+A }
ZOOM GROOM
Q I am having a lockdown
wedding and don’t want to
spend too much on my outfit while
keeping it traditional. What would
you suggest?
—Ankush K, Delhi
O rdinarily, I would suggest
elopement. But, as you’re locked
down and have nowhere to run to,
I’d recommend keeping the look for
your special day simple but elegant.
Since budget’s a concern, find a
local darzi to tailor you a classic
bandhgala suit in a dark, lightweight
wool (navy or charcoal grey would
be my picks). It’s an outfit that’s
traditional but also incredibly smart.
You can make it more festive by
adding a colourful pocket square
(let your fiancée pick that out, to
give her some input). The beauty
of a bandhgala suit is that it’s
timeless — and you can wear the
jacket and pants as separate pieces,
down the road, which makes this
a sound, long-term investment.
If you play it right, just like your
marriage, this one too could and
should last a lifetime!
Rahul Khanna is a “boutique actor”,
whose sartorial statements and good
looks often send hearts aflutter. He
goes by @mrkhanna on Instagram
Continued from Page 3
And the winner is… from Page 6
Continued
Yajur Khanna
“Banana bread should be comforting.”
“Y
ajur’s banana bread did justice to
the recipe and the simplicity won me
over,” says chef Pooja Dhingra. “I was
apprehensive while cutting into Yajur’s loaf
as the texture seemed one-tone, but was
pleasantly surprised. It had the right flavour of
banana, the sweetness was balanced and the
pumpkin seeds added a nice crunch.”
“Maria’s version was wholesome and healthy.
The cake itself was moist, and had a good
balance of sweetness,” says Pooja. “The flipside
was the bananas turned black soon.”
“Naimita’s was the fanciest one.
It came with a caramel rum sauce that made
it feel very decadent. This cake had several
layers and textures to it but the simplicity
of banana bread was lost,” says the chef,
who has lost count of the number
of banana breads she made
last year.
 JUNE 13, 2021 5

social media
a
{ SOCIAL MEDIA STAR OF THE WEEK }

Kamakshi Khanna
For being the first Indian indie musician going the Jacob Collier way!
Her sister Akshiena, an incredible singer
By Karishma Kuenzang herself, also tried it out.
Before Kamakshi released Qareeb,

“I
completely stole Jacob Collier’s her following was 12k and today, it’s
idea for this Reels. I thought it 25k. “It’s quite crazy what we’ve been
was great that he had put out a set able to achieve,” she says, crediting her
of harmonies and you could sing over manager, Deepika Seth. Though social
him,” says Delhi musician Kamakshi media is only a workspace for Kamakshi.
Khanna, 28, whose Reels remix of her
first original Hindi composition, Qareeb, WFH
went viral recently. Her The Green Room Sessions on
YouTube have added to her popularity.
Collaboration Here she releases raw, stripped down
celebration versions of the songs she’s writing. She
Collaborating seemed the best way to (Left) Shardul recently did one with the Friends OST by
celebrate the song hitting 100k streams on and Tanuja The Rembrandts, which also went viral.
Spotify, so she provided the backing vocals tying a What’s next? She has
via harmonies, all a cappella, and left it mangalsutra collaborated with producer-
around each
for the person trying the Reels remix to OAFF,
songwriter OAFF
other’s neck, at
sing the main lines. She even went first as their wedding Urdu poet
an example. “I’m bored of making music last December and singer-
alone. You can be inspired by others and songwriter
this remix option allows that!” Sameer
Was there any self-doubt? “A part of Rahat, and
me thought ‘why would people sing your drummer Karun
song?’ Then 100 people were trying it Kannampilly, for
out! I didn’t know so many people even her next release,
a Hindi song titled
P Duur. All while sitting at
their respective homes!
“I’M BORED OF MAKING knew the song,” she says. Her Reels
Kamakshi
provided the
MUSIC ALONE. YOU CAN remix has people not just singing, but backing vocals
karishma.kuenzang@hindustantimes.com
Follow @kkuenzang on Twitter and
BE INSPIRED BY OTHERS. playing instruments. Plus, celebs like via harmonies, Instagram
REMIX REELS ALLOWS Benny Dayal sang as well. and left it for
the person Who should be the next HT Brunch Social
“I know Benny had done the Jacob
THAT VIA INSTAGRAM” trying the Reels Media Star Of The Week? Nominate using
Collier challenge. He’s a connoisseur of remix to sing the hashtag #BrunchSocialMediaStarOTW
—KAMAKSHI KHANNA
challenges on Instagram!” says Kamakshi. the main lyrics or email htbrunch@hindustantimes.com

{ Q+A } SUNDAY IN A SENTENCE

CRUSHING IT!
Q I accidentally started following my
crush but immediately unfollowed
them within a second. What are the
chances that they noticed?
RANVEER —Manas Sharma, Delhi
ALLAHBADIA
Social media star I don’t see the harm if they did! The number
one rule of modern-day dating (trust me,
I’ve grilled some Gen-Z kids about it) is
be direct. Be confident. If you’re crushing
on someone, love yourself enough to
communicate openly with your crush.
What’s the worst that could happen?
Rejection is only a path to true love.
Acceptance is a doorway to excitement!
FOR THE FAN IN ME { FREDDY BIRDY }
SOCIAL MEDIA STAR
Q I’ve been sending posts (nothing
inappropriate) to an actor I have a
crush on. He’s seen them but not replied.
Should I continue or stop?
—Guntas, Via Instagram
“Give like it’s a
competition.”
S top, if you feel you’re wasting time and
energy. Continue, if you feel you aren’t.
Dating rule 101: Either they’re quiet or @freddy_birdy
they’re into you. Sorry! But if you’re doing
this for yourself, have fun. No harm
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
6 JUNE 13, 2021
cover story
A New Idea
Of Beauty
High on the success of her new show, Mare of Easttown,
actor Kate Winslet, 45, sets the rules for a new idea of beautiful
A
mongst all the praise Kate
Winslet has received for
her performance in the new
HBO show, Mare of Easttown,
here’s one that probably
hasn’t been handed to her
enough: that as producer, she refused to let
her character “look beautiful” or conform to
the idea of beauty that most actresses her age
gravitate to.
Kate Winslet plays a police detective on the
mini-series that’s currently talk of the town;
she’s in her late 40s/early 50s and for most of
the show, wears little or no make-up, shows
her warts, has matted hair and dresses in a
plaid shirt and denim. She is also heavy around
the middle, which is most apparent when she
shares a single bed with her four-year-old
grandson. (Yes, she’s an early grandparent in
the story, and wears her physical imperfections
like badges with pride.)
In reviews, critics have called her appearance
a watershed moment in a society obsessed with
fillers and beauty upgrades. For the viewer with
{ KATE WINSLET } ACTOR
P early morning light. She’s wearing a summery
“It’s taken work to get tto
a place where I mak
make
no apology for who I
am, where I accept
flaws.”
my flaws.”
By Jamal Shaikh
P I’ll answer quickly.”
“I’M A BIG BELIEVER IN
A POSITIVE MINDSET
AND I THINK A
HOLLYWOOD MUSICAL
OR BOLLYWOOD FILM
CAN INSPIRE A PERSON
TO HAVE A SPRING IN
THEIR STEP!”
Google search at ones fingertips, “Kate Winslet
age” trended as the series gained popularity
in April/May. And, when the result it threw
up said “45 years”, one looked at Mare on the
TV screen and wondered: Can actors use their
star power to alter their age online?
INDIA ON HER MIND
This Monday afternoon, as I go over my
questions for my interview on a Zoom call,
Kate Winslet lights up my screen, as fresh as a
Rose (pun intended, think Titanic!). The actor
is seated at her kitchen counter and bathed in
dress and is perfectly made up, just like any star
who refuses to age with time. She has just been
announced the global brand ambassador of
L’Oreal Paris, and just as she did justice to her
role as Mare of Easttown, she seems determined
to play this part to perfection as well.
“I’m so glad a man is interviewing me,”
she says with a smile, trying to break the ice
instantly. And when her manager apologises
for shaving a few minutes off the promised
YEARS OF
2004-2021
interview time, Kate interjects, “Don’t worry,
I take my cue, and as it always is when
interviewing an international celebrity for
an Indian audience, my first few questions
focus on India.
“I came to India to research a role when I was
22 years old,” says Kate. “I landed in Delhi and
travelled north to Rishikesh, where I spent a
little time in an ashram. We then drove to Jaipur
and also visited Pushkar, so I’d like to believe
I’ve seen right through the centre of India.
All the beautiful landscapes, the incredible
colours, and obviously, I’ve eaten the wonderful
food. And I’ve also experienced the incredible
spirituality that is really overwhelming and
very, very powerful. It’s a unique and beautiful
country, and I’d love to come back some day.
I was there 23 years ago, I must come back!”
I instinctively do the mental math. Google
was right about her age.
What’s your impression of the over-the-top
song, dance and drama of Indian movies, I ask.
Do you enjoy it? In the last few years, we’ve seen
musicals come out of Hollywood that are as
escapist in nature as any Bollywood movie is.
“I think that musicals are wonderful because
they represent a kind of freedom and escape,
and just joy, and I think we all want to feel joy in
our lives. For some people, that doesn’t happen
automatically. So, the escape of watching a
Bollywood movie or a Hollywood musical is
a very unique, uplifting experience. I’m a big
believer in a positive mindset and in having a
good outlook in life and I think a musical can
inspire a person to have a spring in their step.
You could be walking down the street singing
those songs, that is really, really wonderful.”
 MAY 16, 2021 7

cover story
y

“Beauty comes from the

inside, from acceptance
of oneself, it comes from
acceptance of other people
and not judging!”
—Kate Winslet

JOIN IN THE
CONVERSATION USING
#AgeOfInclusivity
8 MAY
MAY16,
16,2021
2021
cover story
Would you ever want to do an Indian movie?
“I would looooove to,” exclaims Kate
with such joy, you know she means it.
EVERYWHERE
ENTERTAINMENT
How aware is a Hollywood star of her stature
among an audience from India? Titanic was
a global hit, but does she keep abreast of her
popularity in different parts of the world?
“I am very grateful to have been able to
entertain audiences and for their willingness
to watch my characters and be invested in
the stories that I have wanted to tell,” she
says. “The audience from India may not have
known who I was without Titanic, which was
a powerful story that touched the hearts of so
many people. I just feel thankful that I am still
able to do this job and continue to entertain.”
With streaming services and stories now
crossing borders, we are watching shows
in Spanish and Korean. As an artiste, Kate,
WOMEN
FOR WOMEN!
Kate Winslet on standing up
against harassment
“My views are that all forms of
harassment should be eradicated and I
think as women, we don’t know how
to stand up for one another. I think
women standing up for other
women is really what this next
decade is going to
be about!”
gives us the opportunity to celebrate different
cultures in a way that perhaps we could have
never had access to before. And that I think is
really very special. I love it. It’s terrific how
the world is really opening up because of
cinema and television, and that’s very,
very exciting!”
HELLO, BEAUTIFUL!
It doesn’t take much drawing of
parallels between the rawness of
Kate Winslet in Mare of Easttown
and as a global brand ambassador
for one of the leading beauty brands in
the world.
Kate confesses, “It’s taken work to get to a
place where I make no apology for who I am,
where I accept my flaws. I’m flattered about
the announcement, of course, especially
because L’Oreal Paris embraces women as
we age. Make-up and skincare can have an
emotional impact on women, but the brand
reinforces that being your true self is more
important than anything else. And yet,
Also see! sometimes, we enjoy the emotional
Spectator by boost that a great lipstick can give us.
Seema Goswami Or sometimes, having glowing skin and
how do you feel about this? Opposite page healthier hair can make us feel better
Does it encourage you to think from the inside out.”
differently, or does it just turn Aren’t the concepts of beauty changing,
up the competition? we ask. What was considered beautiful
“I think it’s wonderful,” says Kate. at one point is not all that’s beautiful
“Globally, we are given access to so much any more, correct?
content now from other countries. I’m a Kate Winslet throws her arms up in
huge fan of European films and television. the air and says, “That’s what I’ve always
I think the French are incredible, and what is been saying. Everyone is beautiful: beauty
SELF coming out of the Scandinavian countries is so comes from the inside, beauty comes
REFLECTION admirable. This crossing of borders shows me from acceptance of oneself, it comes from
Photo courtesy: Sølve Sundsbø for L’oréal Paris
Stills of Kate that we are more united in a creative way. It also acceptance of other people and not judging. I
Winslet’s
feel so excited that the world is finally, finally
portrayal of
Mare Sheehan
in Mare of
P realising that beauty isn’t about having
perfect skin. Beauty is in others. It’s in the
Easttown,
where she
“I THINK WOMEN world around us, it’s in acceptance, it’s in
peace, it’s in patience, it’s in kindness, it’s in
deglamourised STANDING UP FOR OTHER compassion. I feel so happy that the world
herself WOMEN IS REALLY WHAT is finally changing, and it will continue to
THIS NEXT DECADE IS change, I think.”
GOING TO BE ABOUT!” jamal.shaikh@hindustantimes.com
Follow @JamalShaikh on Twitter and Instagram
 JUNE 13, 2021 9

columns

{ spectator }

SEEMA
GOSWAMI
The middle ages
Sometimes it iss better to embrace the ageing process
ratther than fight it endlessly

I
f you have watched Mare of Easttown (and if you haven’t, well,
what are you waiting for?) you will know tha at Kate Winslet
has deglamorised herself completely to play y the detective
in the title. She barely wears any make-up, her hair looks as if
it hasn’tt seen a brush in days, her facial warts are completely
visible, and her fashion sense doesn’t seem to extend beyond
plaid shirts and hoodies (though she does clean up nicely for the
occasional date).
Winslet says she was determined to portray a middle-aged
woman as they really exist in real life – with broadening
middles, less than luminescent complexions, and wrinkles
that hint at a life lived fully. So much so that when the
director of the show offered to edit her ‘bulgy’ bits in a sex
scene, Winslet refused to let him do so. That was her body
in her mid 40s. And she wasn’t going to pretend it was
any different.
The result is an authentic portrait of a woman in middle
age: a little battered around the edges, a wee bit worse for
wear, but magnificent in her authenticity.
KEEPING G IT REAL
I couldn’t help but think of Winslet and Mare of Easttown An authe entic portrait of a woman in middle age would look a
as I sat through the Friends Reunion, laughing and crying little batttered around the edges, a wee bit worse for wear butt
in equal measure. Having grown up with Friends, I feel a magnificcent in her authenticity
sense of kinship with the leading ladies of the show. And
watching them age from season one to season ten was one Friends. And it was even harder not to wish that she had leftt her
way of making peace with my own ageing process as I went face welll alone – or, at least, known when to stop.
from my 20s to my 30s and then my 40s. Gazing g at Cox’s altered visage made me appreciate Sara ah
But the Reunion show came as a bit of jolt. Here were Jessica Parker more than I have ever done since the days
Rachel, Monica and Pheobe in their 50s, each of them of Sex Annd The City. In her latest TV series, Divorce, Parke
er
presenting a different attitude to ageing. Lisa Kudrow looks lik
ke the best version of her middle-aged self. There
appeared to have embraced the passage of time, making is no atte
empt to hide the laugh lines around her eyes and
peace with the inevitable wrinkles around her eyes, mouth mouth, her forehead crinkles up with disgust and anger
and neck. In contrast, Jennifer Aniston looked as if she had ever so often, and her neck is lined like that of any other
been frozen in her mid-30s. There were the odd signs of 50-some ething. But she still looks luminous, with sparklin ng
ageing – the cheeks were a little fuller, the jaw just a tad less eyes, sprringy hair, and a waistline that could give teenageers a
defined – but other than that she still looked like the Rachel run for their money.
we remembered from the last season of Friends. Of couurse, all these women have all the money, time,
dermatologists and cosmetic surgeons in the world a
(From top)
Courtnney Cox;
Lisa Kudrow;
P vailable to them, as they negotiate their middle ages in th
own cho
heir
osen way. But what about the rest of us, who barelly
Jennifeer Aniston;; LET THE WRINKLES DANCE ACROSS have tim
me (or frankly, the inclination) to exercise every daay,
and Kaate Winslett OUR FACES, TELLING THE STORY OF to eat he
ealthy at every meal, and spend every night rubbin ng
OUR TEARS AND LAUGHTER. LET OUR anti-wrinnkle cream into our faces and necks (never forgett
WAISTLINES EXPAND IN TRIBUTE TO the neckk!)?
Well, I guess we will just have to bid goodbye to our innner
HOW MUCH LIFE WE HAVE TASTED
Monicass and Rachels and embrace the Pheobe within eacch of
And then, there was Courtney Cox. Except that she was less us. Let th
he wrinkles dance across our faces, telling the stoory
Photo: Shutterstock

Monica Geller and more a cautionary tale of the dangers of of our tears and laughter. Let our waistlines expand in triibute
For moore columns
by Seemaa Goswami, too much Botox and way too many fillers. Her forehead was a to how much life we have tasted.
scan th
he QR code. frozen field, her cheeks were far too plump, and her lips looked And leet’s embrace our years instead of fighting to hide the
Follow Seemaa on Twitter almost unnatural in their fullness. It was hard to reconcile that marks th hey have left on us.
@seem magoswami face with the fresh-faced beauty that we had met and loved in The views expressed by the columnist are perrsonal
10 JUNE 13 , 2021

columns

{ rude food }

VIR
SANGHVI
Pizza party
The pizza boom sees
great chefs turning out
delicious artisanal pizzas

C
ontrary to what we may think,
pizza is not a single dish. It is
a family of dishes. Even within
Italy, the pizzas of Naples are far
removed from the pizzas of Rome.
And, in any case, the reason why pizza is such a big
deal today is not Italy; it is the US.
In the early part of the 20th century, Italian immigrants
to the US began making versions of the pizzas they had left
behind in their home country. At that stage, most pizzas in much
of Italy were not terribly interesting or even particularly popular
in the North of that country. But pizza took off in the US and soon
every city had its own version, the thin crust slices of New York
pizza, the deep pan pizzas of Chicago, and so on.
The popularity of pizza in the US caused Italy to rediscover its own
pizza traditions and as pizza became the best-known Italian dish in the
world, Italians began to take a new pride in it.
In the 1980s, pizza went upmarket when the Austrian chef
Wolfgang Puck started using expensive, non-traditional toppings
(smoked salmon, caviar etc.) at his Los Angeles restaurant, Spago,
and it has since become common for pizza chefs in different
countries to use fancy and/or non-Italian toppings. (Even toppings
IN FINE FORM we consider traditional are not Italian anyway. Pepperoni was
Chef Vikramjeet invented in America in the 1920s.)
Roy spent months
researching So, it is hard to generalise about pizza. There is no one ideal
pizza ingredients pizza. There are many. You can do pretty much what you like and
nobody can say that it is not authentic —
because there is no such thing as authentic.
This means that it is very hard to pick the
best pizza in Delhi or Mumbai — or New York
for that matter. (In Naples, the pizza makers
have very strict rules about what constitutes
real Neapolitan pizza but maverick chefs are
bucking this system.)
I have two personal favourites. The best
pizzas in Delhi, according to me, are made by
Ritu Dalmia at her café at the Italian Cultural
Centre. And the best pizzas in Mumbai are
HARK BACK TO
The popularity of pizza in the US caused Italy to rediscover its
own pizza traditions
made by Alex Sanchez at Americano. Neither Ritu nor Alex run
pizzerias but are restaurant chefs, which may have something to do
with the quality of their pizzas.
Of the two, Ritu’s is nearer a conventional Roman-style pizza. (The
Cultural Centre Café is meant for Italian diplomats and expats.) It is
hard to get Ritu to divulge her secrets but here are two factors. One:
she does not use maida but relies on durum (the wheat used by Italians
for pasta) which, she says, gives her the texture she wants. And two:
she uses a starter. For the last 25 years since she opened the first Diva,
she has taken a bit of the dough from one day and added it to the next
day’s batch. This is not unlike the process used to make sourdough
and the principle is that the starter contains yeasts and bacteria that
contribute to the flavour of the pizza.
Though there are so many kinds of pizza, I have always believed
that there are two main pizza philosophies: either you focus on the
pizza itself or you focus on the toppings. These days, many trendy
pizza-makers will use exotic toppings and pay too little attention to
the pizza itself. For them, the pizza is no more than a vehicle to push
unusual toppings. (I have seen fried chicken, baked potato and God
knows what else used as pizza toppings.)
I am not a great fan of toppings and neither is Ritu, who says that all
too often pizza chefs overload their pizzas to the extent that the pizza
itself becomes too limp.
Alex Sanchez is an American who fell in love with the pizzas
of Naples. But, when it was time to put pizzas on the menu at

Growth is
not just about digging in the
heels. It’s also about pivoting
in tough times.
Follow us:

Growth is...On. mint.live livemint live_mint livemint www.livemint.com

 JUNE 13, 2021 11

columns

A SLICE OF ROME BREAD OF LIFE HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

Chef Ritu Dalmia makes conventional Chef Alex's is a chef-intensive
Roman-style pizzas process that is artisanal
Americano, he wanted something more personal. So his pizzas owe
a lot to Naples but have thinner crusts. Alex is an accomplished
bread maker, so I guess he approached pizzas from that prism,
working through various methods till he got it right. He uses maida,
but he has it milled himself and says that because the characteristics
of the flour can vary from batch to batch, he fine-tunes the recipes
each time a new batch of flour comes in.
Alex’s Americano is a full-fledged restaurant, but pizzas have
become its most popular dish (he makes around 150 a day), which
has taken him by surprise. His pizza station is not huge and his
pizzas need massive attention to detail in the cooking. In the case of
some pizzas, he adds the fresh basil after they are cooked. In some,
he adds the basil to the dough. Some pizzas need to the pulled
out of the oven half way through for the cheese to be added. The
various toppings also go in at different times.
It is a chef-intensive process that is artisanal rather than mechanical
but it is worth it because the pizzas that emerge are easily the best I
have ever eaten in Mumbai and you can tell that they were made by a
chef at the height of his powers.
The popularity of pizza, especially during the pandemic (it is
one of the most ordered dishes), has caused other chefs to take it
seriously. Vikramjeet Roy, one of the most talented Indian chefs of
his generation, has set up the Woke Pizza brand to join his successful
Hello Panda and Park Street Rolls & Biryani brands. Vikram is geeky
about research, so he spent months researching pizza ingredients.
He got TWF Flours, a specialist Indian flour company, tto
customise unbleached flour with a coarser
grain for his pizzas. He believed that
Delhi water was often too hard, so he
reduced the PH level of the water he
used and experimented with dough
fermentation timings till he got the
pizza he wanted.
NOT ALL DRESSED
For Chef Ritu (above), it is about the
pizza flavour than the toppings
Pavitra (above) is self-taught and runs a small
operation, but her pizzas (right) are wonderful
Vikram does both thin crust and thicker pizzas, but the early
response has been ecstatic mainly because of the imagination he
has demonstrated with his toppings. There is a terrific chilli chicken
topping. And along with the not-uncommon chicken tikka topping, he
offers seekh kabab. There is a North East Chicken pizza with bamboo
shoots and a bhut jolokia sauce.
Vikramjeet is a top chef but the great thing about the pizza boom is
that even beginners can get it right. I have ordered twice from Delhi’s
Soho Pizzeria and both times the Naples-inspired pizzas were good
with terrific, crusty edges.
P
THESE DAYS, MANY TRENDY
PIZZA-MAKERS WILL USE EXOTIC
TOPPINGS AND PAY LITTLE
ATTENTION TO THE PIZZA ITSELF.
The partners behind Soho Pizzeria have very little kitchen
experience. Pavitra Arora, whom I spoke to, took one or two pizza
courses, but she is basically self-taught. (Her partner is Surbhi
Chugh.) She uses Caputo pizza flour (Caputo is an Italian company
that sells flour all over the world) and as far as I can tell, has the
standard pizza oven.
Despite that, the pizzas are wonderful and satisfying. And it’s good
to see a small operation with no money to waste on PR companies (I
found them on Instagram) do something of this quality.
There have been pizzerias in India since the 1980s at least, but the
boom only began when the Delhi Hyatt Regency opened La Piazza in
1994 with a wood-fired oven and world-class pizzas.
Who could have predicted then that, a pizza craze would sweep
India and that far away from the space colonized by the global pizza For more columns by
chains, we would have our own artisanal operations run by passionate Vir Sanghvi, scan the
chefs who were driven by their obsession with excellence? QR code. Follow Vir on
The views expressed by the columnist are personal Twitter @virsanghvi

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HTcity htcity www.hindustantimes.com

12 JUNE 13, 2021

columns

{ humour }

REHANA
That rainy day feeling
MUNIR With the monsoon at the door, seasonal associations come knocking

I
t’s one of those pre-monsoon showery days where the weather –
much like the Hogwarts ceiling charmed to reflect the sky outside
– is conducting the orchestra of thoughts and emotions within.
Temporarily erasing months of uncertainty, gloom, grief and loss,
it’s fooling me into believing it’s just another end-of-summer day in
any year of any decade. Luckily, I haven’t yet spied any rain poems
on my SM feed (mainly because I’ve resisted posting them). Before
the deluge of odes hits, I’m having a private tryst with the returning
rain, unspoilt by other people’s nostalgia.

The four seasons principle

It’s impossible to talk about certain cities without talking about the
weather, too. These fierce yet fun rivalries are often predicated on
the climate. I turn a special shade of red when I hear about Mumbai’s
unbearable humidity from Dilliwallas, alternately ensconced in an
ice box or a furnace to endure their city’s temperature extremes. I
am, however, partial to Bangalore’s siesta-worthy afternoons and
Chennai’s Decembery enchantments.
But it took an afternoon at the posh Tollygunge Club in Kolkata
to bring out the diehard Bambaiyya in me. After a placid morning of
golf, a silver-haired gentleman I had just met patronisingly told me
about how Kolkata trumps Mumbai in the city hierarchy because
it has four seasons. At which point I was pleased to inform him
that we, too, had Four Seasons now – in Worli. He laughed, we ate GET WIND OF
our sandwiches, drank our shandy, and I left feeling I had done It’s not just the purveyors of high art who use weather
something to restore the dignity of my poor city battered by perverse as inspiration
weather for most part of the year. But why allow someone from effect. I especially love the Calvin and Hobbes panels with sheeting
Kolkata to say that? rain playing spoilsport for the six-year-old boy with a memorable
sulk and imagination. And in the guilty pleasure category of

P entertainment, I enjoyed the Gilmore Girls – A Year in the Life (2016)

miniseries, following its fast-talking, coffee-glugging, love-seeking
IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO TALK ABOUT mother-and-daughter duo through a cycle of seasons at Stars
CERTAIN CITIES WITHOUT TALKING Hollow, that fictional American small town that’s equal parts cringe
ABOUT THE WEATHER, TOO. THESE and comfort.

FIERCE YET FUN RIVALRIES ARE Dear Mr. Fry

OFTEN PREDICATED ON THE CLIMATE
A perfect storm
No painter portrayed atmospheric effects better than JMW Turner.
In his canvases, the dramatic moods of the sea were captured with
such command that looking at a turbulent ocean in actual life takes
me back to his paintings, as if they were the template for nature.
The Tate Britain in London holds the largest collection of his works,
which take your breath away with their primal force and mastery of
light. I’d like to visit the gallery with a seafarer someday, just to see
what kind of impression the paintings make on someone whose life
With the rains now at the door, the triggers will be many. You’ll
likely overuse food apps. Be tempted to send beseeching messages
to holograms from your past. Drink when you shouldn’t. Overthink
what you mustn’t. Let me absolve you in anticipation: it’s not you,
it’s the weather. The most heartening weather analogy I’ve ever
encountered comes from the British actor, comedian, author and
mental health crusader, Stephen Fry. The wonderful anthology,
Letters of Note, compiled by Shaun Usher, quotes the exchange
between Fry and a woman called Crystal Nunn, struggling with a
severe bout of depression in 2006. Here’s an excerpt from his reply:
“In the same way that one has to accept the weather, so one has to
Photo imaging: Parth Garg

is governed by wind and surf. But to walk into a faraway art gallery
with a sufficiently sensitive sailor is too implausible a dream even for
a writer suffering a bad case of pre-monsoon syndrome.
For more columns
by Rehana Munir, From raag Miyan Ki Malhar to Tchaikovsky’s Winter Daydreams,
scan the QR code. art and the seasons have an intimate association. And it’s not just
Follow Rehana on the purveyors of high art who use the weather as inspiration. Bill
Twitter @rehana_munir Watterson distills both the rain and snow into his work to great
accept how one feels about life sometimes. “Today’s a crap day,” is
a perfectly realistic approach. It’s all about finding a kind of mental
umbrella. “Hey-ho, it’s raining inside: it isn’t my fault and there’s
nothing I can do about it, but sit it out. But the sun may well come out
tomorrow and when it does, I shall take full advantage.””
rehanamunir@gmail.com
Follow @rehana_munir on Twitter and Instagramww

{ sunday drive }
HORMAZD
SORABJEE
Money no object
Rolls-Royce Boat Tail, the most expensive car in the world, revealed
R
olls-Royces are very expensive. We all know that. But how
expensive is very expensive? There’s no limit to what expensive
is for the legendary British marque, which has just unveiled a
new, uber-exclusive and bespoke Rolls-Royce Boat Tail with zeroes on
the price tag that outstretch its exquisitely hand-crafted 5.9-metre long
body. Any guesses? Try a stupid ~206 crore (£20million) for starters.
And I say starters because if you were rich enough (and mad enough)
to import one, you would be slapped with near 200 per cent import
duties and taxes. It feels criminal to even calculate what the on-road
price of this extraordinary Rolls would be! The fantastic irony is that
even if you had that insane amount of money, you wouldn’t be able
to buy one because only three Boat Tails will be made and all have
customer’s names on them. The Boat Tail is completely bespoke and
painstakingly hand-crafted, and as the name suggests, is inspired
by a yacht with nautical design themes. This first of three Boat Tails
revealed, showcases the customer’s (an unnamed couple) preferences
and the level of customisation done to suit their tastes. For the company,
CLASS APART the Boat Tail is a showcase of Rolls-Royces coachbuilding division,
The interiors which the company has revived.
are similar to
other Rolls-Royce
models but the P glove box houses a hand-made aluminium and leather Montblanc pen
Boat Tail has plenty
of unique elements THE WHOLE CAR, WHICH TOOK FOUR
YEARS TO DESIGN, ENGINEER AND
BUILD, IS A SCULPTURE ON WHEELS
WITH MIND-BOGGLING DETAILING
Rolls-Royce has had a long history of coach-built cars and in fact, the
last Boat Tails were built in the 1920s-30s. Like its predecessor almost a
century ago, the current Boat Tail has a distinctive tail which imitates the
For more Sunday Drive
columns by Hormazd hull of a J-class yacht. Exquisitely finished in a dark veneer, the wooden
Sorabjee, scan the rear deck gets exquisite stainless steel pinstripe inlays that look like a work
QR code. Follow of art. In fact, the whole car, which took four years to design, engineer and
Hormazd on Twitter build, is a sculpture on wheels with mind-boggling detailing, all of which
@hormazdsorabjee was carefully curated by the car’s owners.
JUNE 13, 2021 13
columns
s
LUXE DESIGN
The rear deck's butterfly doors hinged on the centre line are
theatric in the way they operate
The rear deck’s butterfly doors hinged on the centre line are theatric
in the way they operate. They open to a precise 67 degrees and reveal
what Rolls-Royce calls the ‘hosting suite’, which rise out of the deck
and tilts to an optimum 15-degree ‘serving angle’! Such is the attention
to detail. The cases in the hosting suite hold the finest crockery and
cutlery (custom-made by Christofle), personalised serviettes and two
fridges, one of which is designed to hold and chill (to an ideal serving
temperature of 6 degrees) the owner’s favourite champagne. The deck
also sprouts fold-out picnic tables and chairs, and a parasol for an
impromptu al fresco dining experience.
The interiors are similar to other Rolls-Royce models, but this Boat Tail
has plenty of unique elements that makes it a one-off. The bespoke colour
scheme is what stands out with the front seats fashioned in the same dark
blue exterior colour whilst the rear seats have a lighter shade. The instrument
dials are again unique-crafted with a Guilloché decorative technique (used
by jewellers and watchmakers) and look more like museum pieces. The
case specially commissioned by the owners who are serious pen collectors.
Also custom-made are the BOVET 1822 timepieces that are designed to
be detachable so that they can double up as wrist watches for the couple.
How cool is that?
Move to the front of the car and you just can’t miss Rolls-Royce’s signature
Pantheon grille, which is flanked with slim and sleek daytime running
lights with traditional round fog lamps below. Another maritime feature
is the wraparound windscreen, which mimics the visor of a yacht and the
unique fixed canopy roof gives it an unmissable silhouette.
As big a small yacht and powered by Rolls-Royce familiar 6.75-litre V12,
the Boat Tail has humongous proportions. That shouldn’t be a problem for
the owners, who probably own the road (or the country) and don’t have
to worry about traffic or anything for that matter.
The views expressed by the columnist are personal
 JUNE 13, 2021

books

Noholds
barred!
His open marriage with his
wife, his relationship with
Parveen Babi and other
Actor Kabir Bedi bares unconventional life choices.
his heart in his
autobiography titled
One month after revealing
Stories I Must Tell all in his memoir, actor Kabir
Bedi finds himself exhilarated
with the response
By Shruti Nair

A
few weeks after the release of Kabir
Bedi’s autobiography, Stories I Must
Tell, the actor is on a high. The book
is painfully honest, whether about
his open relationship with his wife or being a
patient companion to Parveen Babi. He doesn’t
mince his words, neither in the book, nor in this
interview with HT Brunch.
“I’ve been overwhelmed by the response
because people have been touched by my book,”
he says. “I use ‘touched’ in a very special way
because it was an emotional experience to live
through those moments again while writing the
book. So it’s very gratifying to hear that people
could live that part of my life with me.”
Both reviewers and social media users
have praised Kabir’s writing. “[The book is]
candid and packed with great memories and
devastating portraits of Protima and Parveen
Babi. The Italy sections – where he was a big star
after Sandokan – are the most fun. I haven’t met
him in years but he writes like he talks,” wrote
columnist Vir Sanghvi.
Au t h o r Tavl e e n S i n g h w r o t e :
“Unputdownable. A brutally honest
autobiography and evocative of a time
when India as a modern nation was young. As
were [the] people of Kabir Bedi’s generation
and mine.”

Kabir has been many things to many people:
an actor with a career in three continents, an
eloquent copywriter, an ex-husband to three
women and father to two sons and a daughter.
But the one thing very few people know about
him was his career as a journalist. He did a
brief stint at the All India Radio in 1966, during
which he interviewed one of the world’s most
popular bands, The Beatles. Although it was
a breakthrough interview, he quit journalism
and Delhi to land in Mumbai, which led to his
international career, he writes in his memoir.
“It’s not just me writing about the events but
the emotions I went through while writing about
the events that I wanted my reader to experience
with me,” he says.
Everything, from growing up in Delhi with
Rajiv and Sanjay Gandhi, to reaching Mumbai in
his early 20s and meeting his first wife, Protima,
is penned beautifully. Kabir’s attention to the
minutest details keeps the reader enthralled.
P Alaya F at the
“IT’S ALMOST THE DUTY
OF EACH GENERATION
TO SHOCK THE
PREVIOUS ONE. I WAS
NEVER LOOKING FOR
THE APPROVAL OF
CONVENTIONAL PEOPLE”
–KABIR BEDI IN STORIES
I MUST TELL
“The cover photo was taken by Terry
O’Neill and it took me a lot to persuade him
to photograph me,” says Kabir. “After he took
this picture, he told me it was a special one. So
when it was time to choose a photo for the cover
of the book, my wife Parveen suggested that I
use this picture.”
The memoir, Kabir says, had been churning
within him for a long, long time. It took time
to work out the structure and the stories he
wanted to put in.
“I set about writing it with real passion. It
flowed like a river,” he says. Like
Participate in the
the man himself, the story is
culturally omnivorous, detailed #BrunchBookChallenge
and thoroughly optimistic.
As eloquent as he is in his book, Visit online: read.ht/yrz
we asked Kabir to share his raw feelings behind
a few of his treasured moments.
On interviewing one of the
world's popular bands ever
“I was young, determined and crazy about The
Beatles. Since I was an avid fan of the band, I
knew they were in trouble after what happened
in Manila and Delhi was a quick unscheduled
(Clockwise from
top left) Kabir
with his sons,
Siddharth and
baby Adam; the
actor in the 1990s;
with his
wife Parveen
Dusanj and
granddaughter
Filmfare awards
this year; Kabir
with Siddharth
on his graduation
day; Omar Shariff,
Beverly Johnson
and Kabir on the
sets of Ashanti
stop on their way back to London. I also
knew that Brian Epstein, the manager of the
group then, was highly agitated and I used his
vulnerability. My heart was pounding loudly
in my head and it was like I had met my Gods.
It was absolutely surreal trying to keep myself
calm as I spoke to them,” Kabir recounts.
On his relationships and the
era of change
“Protima and I did not start out with an open
relationship. With infidelities on
both sides, it came to a point where
we either ended the relationship
or we tried to make it work. Those
were the ’60s and ’70s; social
change was in the air, as was also freedom. We
wanted to be part of that change. But in the end, it
didn’t work, which is what led to my relationship
with Parveen Babi."
“It’s almost the duty of each generation to
shock the previous one. I didn’t mind shocking
people and we were not looking for the approval
of conventional people. At one level, you have
to be different to make the difference.”
JUNE 13, 2021 15
books
On being one of the first
crossover Indian stars
“Sandokan was totally transformative. Going
from Bollywood and becoming the biggest star
in Italy and Europe overnight was a completely
breathtaking experience. That’s how I landed the
James Bond film (Octopussy 1983) and later, The
Bold and Beautiful.
“During the shooting of the film, I was
extremely disciplined; it was like a state of
meditation in action. It was a huge learning
experience in Europe as well as in America. In
Europe, I started at the top and in America, I
started at the bottom. Part of the problem was I
fancied myself as a serious actor, but the truth
was if I had wanted a career in Bollywood, I
should have made myself fully conversant in
song and dance numbers as well.”
On five controversial
moments of his life
“Was my decision to leave Delhi, the city I
grew up in, controversial? Was my decision
to give up my fairly secure job in advertising
to do films controversial? Was my open
marriage with Protima or relationship
with Parveen Babi controversial? Was
my decision to leave Europe and move
on to Hollywood controversial? Was the
way I mishandled my money in America
controversial? So many things can be
deemed controversial. I don’t know which
should be top or bottom of the list.”
shruti.nair@hindustantimes.com
Follow @MissNairr on Twitter and Instagram
gender

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t t t t t
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t ttt t t y he ite f the st
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issi n e
t t
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clue that I stuck out. I never even registered
this distinction in my student life or on the
professional stage. Of course, there were a
handful of prejudiced characters I came across
now and then, but to me the facts that I am male
and a dancer were never at odds. I am simply a
dancer impelled to move in extraordinary ways.”
Strength to strength
Award-winning British-Bangladeshi
dancer-choreographer Akram Khan
unfortunately had no option but to face
gender and sexuality issues head on when
he started dancing.
“I was running away all the time from the
violence I faced,” he says. “The violence in
the West is not just verbal, it is physical.”
physical.
Akram is now a Member of the Order of
the British Empire. He choreographed the
2012 London Olympics. He featured in a
Netflix series. But, as a boy he was oppressed
oppresse
because he danced.
“The more I was bullied, the more I was
convinced that dance was the path for me,”me,
he says. “But let me tell you an irony. On
the one hand,, my family and community
were pulling me down. But on the other
hand, once I became a professional, the
contemporary dance community embraced
me. Gender was not an issue. If anything,
I was championed because I was a male
dancer – a minority. The fact that I was a
minority became my strength.”
In spite of all the accolades, his family
still has not much idea of what he does,
says Akram. Recently, at the premiere
P transgender
“THE MORE I WAS
BULLIED, THE MORE I WAS
CONVINCED THAT DANCE
WAS THE PATH FOR ME.”
–AKRAM KHAN, BRITISH-
BANGLADESHI DANCER-
CHOREOGRAPHER, WHO WAS
CONFERRED THE ORDER OF THE
BRITISH EMPIRE, BUT SAYS HIS
FAMILY STILL DOESN'T KNOW
WHAT HE DOES
JUNE 13, 2021 17
“[People assume] that if
genderr
it’s a male dancer,
he’ll be femine
off-sttage too.” concern was very real and
Nartha aki Nataraj, very harsh: she was thrown
Transwoman
out of her home by her parents
Bharatana atyam dancer
because she was not only a dancer
dancer,
but transgender.
In 2019, Narthaki became the first
transgender woman to be awarded the
Padma Shri. Her journey
to that point involved all
sorts of abuse.
“In the early part of
my life, before I was accepted
as a female, I had to dress up as a
male,” she remembers. “On stage,
however, I always performed
as a female. We faced abuse,
economically, mentally, and,
physically. But my friend Sakthi
Sakth
Bhaskar and I fought our way wa
through. We kept going towards
our single set goal of becoming
successful dancers.”
For Narthaki, art cannot be gender-
specific. Dance, especially, is beyond
gender, language or race. It is
the expression of our creative
creativ
mind. “Art leads to beauty,
British- beauty leads to the female energy and
Bangladeshi IN THE RHYTHM motherhood, ultimately it all leads to God.
choreographer And God is neither male nor female,”
Akram Khan Paragons of classical
faced bullying, but dance answer quick Qs explains Narthaki.
ended up choreo-
graphing the 2012 One myth you’d like to break Go with the flow
London Olympics; about male dancers... The world of dance is a peculiar one. It is
Bharatanatyam Navtej Johar: That dance is either a realm where something called ‘reverse
practitioner masculine or feminine.
Narthaki Nataraj gender discrimination’ takes place every
Akram Khan: That all male dancers
was the first are gay. single day. Women who break subtle yet
person to be
Narthaki Natraj: That if it’s a male
dancer, he’ll be feminine off -stage too.
persistent gender-biased glass ceilings on
a daily basis are my heroes. But in a world
awarded the
Padma Shri where we often talk about women’s rights,
Three things you don’t go on
stage without...
what about men who have to deal with
oppression and derision?
NJ: Brushing my teeth, drinking
Gender stereotypes are a thing of the past!
water, a sense of a casual yet intense
encounter. It is an urgent need for us as a society to
AK: Fear, doubt, family. shed the rigid parameters of masculinity
NN: Punctuality, practice, God. and femininity. When traditions that date
Most memorable collaboration
back thousands of years were and are so
Navtej Johar, who gender fluid, why does the so-called modern
started dancing with another male dancer...
NJ: Hiroshi Miyamoto. society want to pigeonhole everything they
at age 21, was a
AK: Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui. set their eyes on?
bearded Sikh boy
and had no idea he NN- Many, can’t name one. Dance allows us the freedom to live in
stuck out this elevated multi-dimensional space. We
of a show he had choreographed, his can be men, women, heroes, heroines,
aunt came up to him and asked with demons, gods, trees, rivers and whatever
concern, “But Akram, what do you do as a we’d like to be through this genre of art.
full-time professional?” I thank my stars that I didn’t become
another ‘Sharmaji ka beta’.
Art leads to god brunchletters@htlive.com
Follow @HTBrunch on Twitter and Instagram
For veteran Bharatanatyam practitioner
Narthaki Nataraj, the gender issue was Madhur Gupta is a leading Odissi dance
exponent, an author and a columnist. He teaches
never some drawing-room conversation Odissi at Sangeet Vidya Niketan, New Delhi. Follow
conducted by polite society. The label @madhur_gupta04 on Instagram and Facebook
 ®ijÓB ˬͼǧ ΉϖΉˬ

in bed with…
{ Bedside stories }
Last person who you usually

   
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My wife, if I’m not in town.

e s a ta as s ee ear o d e
What is the first thing you do when you wake up?
Resist the temptation to look at my phone and
spend some quiet time with myself before I start

e e ti a o a t t ot or e
the day’s chores.
Which is your preferred side of the bed?
Right.

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What do you wear to bed?
Depending on the weather, knitted shorts or
pyjamas with a crew-neck T-shirt.
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in bed?
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