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New Delhi/METRO n Vol. XIX No. 25 n Price ₹6.00 /with Hindustan ₹ 10.50 (₹ 8.50 in Faridabad) n 22 Pages. Area specific pages extra.
Order on institutional isolation
for all Covid patients scrapped
CONTROVERSIAL LG Anil Baijal revokes order after experts raise concerns over strain on city’s health infrastructure
Sweta Goswami
n letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: The Delhi Disaster
Management Authority (DDMA)
on Saturday rolled back its con-
troversial order to mandatorily
quarantine even asymptomatic
and mild coronavirus disease
(Covid-19) cases at institutional
facilities for five days, in a move
that was welcomed by the Delhi
government and experts, who
said the directive would have
overwhelmed the Capital’s
health care infrastructure.
Delhi lieutenant governor
Anil Baijal, who heads DDMA,
issued the order on Saturday,
with experts saying that thou-
sands of additional patients at
hospitals would strain the Capi-
tal’s health infrastructure,
result in a shortage of health
care workers, militate against
people getting tested, and throw
Delhi’s long-term strategy out of
gear.
“Regarding institutional iso-
lation, only those COVID posi-
tive cases which do not require
hospitalisation on clinical
assessment & do not have ade-
quate facilities for home isola-
tion would be required to
undergo institutional isolation,”
Baijal tweeted on Saturday,
about 24 hours after ordering the
change in the guidelines. The
LG, however, said that all Cov-
id-19 patients will have to be
referred to Covid Care Centres
(CCCs) for assessment of their
clinical conditions, severity of
illness and presence of co-mor-
bidities.
In another tweet, he said
DDMA approved the recommen-
CONTINUED ON P 15
India now has more than 400,000 26/11 accused a step
Covid-19 cases, over 13k fatalities closer to extradition
NEW DELHI: The number of Cov-
id-19 cases in India exceeded
400,000 on Saturday, including at
least 13,000 deaths, with the
country reporting a record num-
ber of daily new cases and
becoming only the fourth nation
after the US, Brazil and Russia to
cross the grim milestone.
On Saturday, 15,813 people
were diagnosed with Covid-19, in
the country’s highest single-day
spike so far that took the total
tally to 411,500 cases.
The latest 100,000 infections in
the country have been recorded
in just eight days. ››P4
TRACKING THE VIRUS
WORLD
DEATHS
CASES 8,835,458 464,294
United States Rest of the world
2,313,847 6,521,611
India data compiled by covid19india.org and cross-checked from inputs by HT’s correspondents and news agencies Jun 16
Satyendar Jain
stable after
plasma therapy
NEW DELHI: Delhi health minister
Satyendar Jain’s condition has
improved after receiving plasma
therapy for the coronavirus dis-
ease (Covid-19) on Friday night
at Max hospital, Saket.
The minister’s fever has sub-
sided and he is off oxygen sup-
port, according to hospital sour-
ces. He is currently stable and is
being monitored by a team of
critical care specialists in the
hospital’s intensive care unit,
the sources said. ››P3
www.twitter.com/htTweets
n A banquet hall near LNJP Hospital in Delhi is converted into a Covid-19 isolation ward.
Confusion prevails as several
patients moved out of homes
NEW DELHI: By Saturday evening,
when Delhi LG Anil Baijal
revised his Friday’s order to put
all Covid-19 patients who were
under home isolation in institu-
tional quarantine, officials in
many districts had already put
many in the quarantine centres
while others were scrambling to
arrange beds and ambulances
needed for such patients.
Officials in at least three dis-
CAPITAL ADDS 3,630 CASES
NEW DELHI: The Capital on
Saturday added its highest
number of new cases in a
single day, recording 3,630
fresh infections that took
the city’s total tally to
56,746.
The national capital also
recorded 77 more fatalities,
taking its toll from the dis-
ease to 2,112, according to
data by the official state
INDIA
DEATHS
CASES 411,500 (+15,813) 13,278 (+310)
WORST-HIT STATES
Maharashtra 128,205
Tamil Nadu 56,845
Delhi 56,746
Gujarat 26,737
UP 17,237
China looks for superspreader link in latest surge
Sutirtho Patranobis
n letters@hindustantimes.com
BEIJING: A Covid-19 super-
spreader could have contrib-
uted in the rapid spread of
more than 200 infections
linked to a food market in Bei-
jing, experts have said, as the
Chinese capital scrambles to
contain a fresh outbreak that
has raised fears of a second
wave of infections in the coun-
try, which has largely man-
aged to control the contagion.
tricts — South, Southwest and
West — confirmed to HT that
they have been sending patients
in home isolation to quarantine
centres since Friday evening. In
the Southwest district, there
were cases where asymptomatic
persons who tested positive
refused to get into an ambulance
and threatened to take legal
recourse, a senior official said.
Throughout the day, several
health bulletin. With this,
the case fatality rate (CFR)
-- defined as the proportion
of deaths to the total cases --
is 3.7%, higher than the
country’s rate of 3.2%.
Out of the total Covid-19
cases in the city, 23,340 or
41% of those infected are
active cases. About 31,294
others have recovered from
the viral illness. ››P2
DELHI
DEATHS
CASES 56,746 (+3,630) 2,112 (+77)
CASES LAST 5 DAYS
56,746
53,116
49,979
47,102
44,688
17 18 19
BEIJING OUTBREAK
New infections linked to
the Xinfadi food market in
Fengtai district of Beijing
indicate the sign of a super-
spreader, Yang Zhanqiu, dep-
uty director of the pathogen
biology department at the
Wuhan University, told the
state media on Friday.
Speculation about the pres-
ence of a superspreader — or a
Covid-19 patient who has
infected several others —
comes in the backdrop of 22
new cases being reported in
n DOWNLOAD OUR iPAD APP
>>p15
SANJEEV VERMA/HT
Covid-19 patients currently
under home isolation were
moved to Covid care centres
even as the government was
engaged in a dialogue with the
L-G for overturning the decision
of five-day mandatory home iso-
lation in such cases.
At the same time, districts
such as Shahdara and East chose
to wait until there was more clar-
ity on the matter. ››P2
Neeraj Chauhan and
Rezaul H Laskar
n letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: Tahawwur Rana, a
Pakistani-origin Canadian sent
to a US jail for his role in planning
the 2008 Mumbai attacks, has
been arrested after being freed
from prison in order to face extra-
dition to India.
Rana, 59, a close associate of
David Coleman Headley, one of
the main conspirators behind the
attacks on India’s financial hub
that killed 166 people, was serving
a 14-year sentence in a Los Ange-
les federal prison when he was
granted early release last week
because of poor health and being
infected by the coronavirus.
However, he never left the
prison as he was arrested to face
extradition to India, US prosecu-
tors told The Associated Press.
Indian officials said they learnt
Rana was rearrested on June 10.
Officials familiar with devel-
opments said a US attorney
informed the district judge in Los
Angeles about India’s standing
Jun 20
request for the extradition of
Beijing on Friday. The city
has recorded 205 new cases
since June 11. A new case
related to the outbreak in
neighbouring province Hebei
was also reported on Friday.
Michael Ryan, the World
Health Organization’s (WHO)
emergencies chief, said a
superspreading event could
have amplified the spread of
the fresh outbreak in Beijing.
“You get a few cases occurring
and it then is a superspread-
ing event or something hap-
www.hindustantimes.com/iPad n OUR EDITION ON KINDLE http://read.
PM MODI LAUNCHES JOB SCHEME FOR MIGRANT WORKERS >>p4
JUNE 21, 2020
PMO says PM’s comments
interpreted mischievously
Smriti Kak Ramachandran
n letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: The Prime Minister’s
Office (PMO) said on Saturday
that PM Narendra Modi’s
remarks at an all-party meeting
Delhi govt: Fees at the previous day that no intruder
was on Indian territory across
private hospitals the Line of Actual Control (LAC)
with China and that no Indian
military post had been captured
will be capped were being given a “mischievous
interpretation”.
NEWDELHI: The Delhi government The PMO’s statement was a
said on Saturday that beds for riposte to a Congress attack that n An army convoy moves along a highway leading to Ladakh. REUTERS
Covid-19 patients at private hos- Modi surrendered Indian terri-
pitals will be subsidised, with
treatment charges being reduced
by 60-67%. The new rates, to be
tory in the face of Chinese
aggression across the LAC and
that his comments flew in the
Freedom of action for
charged by all private hospitals
with immediate effect, will be
applicable to all Covid-19 beds at
a private hospitals for up to 60% of
face of previous claims by
defence minister Rajnath Singh
and external affairs minister S
Jaishankar.
commanders at LAC
its total capacity. “Attempts are being made in Rahul Singh commanders deployed along the
“100% COVID beds shall be some quarters to give a mischie- n letters@hindustantimes.com contested LAC to “handle situa-
subsidised up to an upper limit of vous interpretation to remarks tions at the tactical level,” two
60% of total hospital capacity,” by the Prime Minister at the all- NEW DELHI: A significant change senior officers said on Saturday.
Delhi deputy chief minister Man- party meeting yesterday. The in rules of engagement (ROE) by The commanders will no
ish Sisodia said on Saturday after Prime Minister was clear that the Indian Army following the longer be bound by restrictions
the DDMA cleared the move. ››P3 CONTINUED ON P 15 Galwan Valley skirmish that left on the use of firearms. ››P6
PM SURRENDERED VALLEY: 20 Indian soldiers dead gives INDIA IS FULLY PREPARED TO
RAHUL; SHAH HITS BACK ››P7 “complete freedom of action” to RESPOND: IAF CHIEF ››P6
City hospitals told
to cancel health US slams ‘rogue actor’ China
workers’ leave for attack on Indian soldiers
NEW DELHI: The Delhi govern-
ment’s health department has Yashwant Raj in the week.
directed all hospitals and medi- “The PLA has escalated bor-
cal institutions under it to recall
n letters@hindustantimes.com
der tensions – we see it today in INDIA JUNKS
all their employees on leave and
ask them to report for duty
WASHINGTON: US secretary of
state Michael Pompeo has
India, the world’s most popular –
populous democracy,” Pompeo
CHINA CLAIM
immediately. The special secre-
tary of the health department SM
blamed China for escalating ten-
sions along the border with India
said, referring to the People’s
Liberation Army, the Chinese
ON GALWAN
Ali issued the order on Friday. A and called it a “rogue actor” in military. “And we watch as it NEW DELHI: India again
senior health department offi- the neighbourhood, and indi- militarises the South China Sea rejected China’s claim
cial has said that leave of any cated he may have raised the dis- and illegally claims more terri- on Galwan Valley and
kind would only be granted pute and other such flashpoints tory there, threatening vital sea said the clash was trig-
under the “most compelling cir- in his meeting with his Chinese lanes, a promise they broke gered by China. ››P7
cumstances.” ››P3 counterpart, Yang Jiechi, earlier again”. ››P6
TAHAWWUR RANA, AN
AIDE OF DAVID COLEMAN
HEADLEY, WAS GRANTED
EARLY RELEASE FROM A
LOS ANGELES PRISON
LAST WEEK AFTER HE
WAS DETECTED COVID+
Rana, wanted in India for terror
charges. A senior NIA officer,
who didn’t want to be named,
said: “It’s a positive development
after over 11 years. This means
his extradition hearings will now
take place.”
Former home secretary GK
Pillai, who played a key role in the
investigation of the attacks and
coordinated with the US, said
there was a pending Indian extra-
dition request for Rana. “There is
a standing Indian extradition
request for Rana and that will still
be applicable,” he told HT. A per-
son in the government, who
spoke on condition of anonymity,
said the US authorities acted as
there was a request for Rana’s
preliminary arrest. ››P9
pening where there’s a large
amplification of the disease,”
he said in London on Friday.
Authorities have scaled up
efforts to stem the transmis-
sion of the disease in Beijing,
testing more than 2 million in
the city of 20 million since
June 13. “Currently, the city
has the ability to sample an
average of 500,000 people per
day,” Zhang Qiang, a member
of Beijing’s epidemic control
office, said at a press confer-
ence on Saturday.
02 hindustantimes
spotlight
htspotlight
Efforts on to boost health care
DISPATCH infrastructure as cases surge
Covid-19: What
you need to
know today
J
THE SPREAD
CONTINUES
Although our knowl-
edge the Sars-CoV-2
virus is increasing
every passing day and
doctors are becoming
better at saving lives,
things are getting
worse around the
world in terms of the
spread of the corona-
virus disease (Covid-19)
INDIA NO
EXCEPTION
India isn’t bucking the
trend as the spread of
the virus accelerates.
The country added
14,677 new cases on
June 19, the highest to
date in a 24-hour
period, and the
numbers are certain to
increase with more
widespread testing
OUTLASTING
THE VIRUS
Bored, tired, lonely,
and physically, men-
tally, and emotionally
weary of the post-
Covid reality, we let
things slip and the
virus wins. The really
sick and the old may
need medical care to
beat the virus; the rest
of us just need stamina
to outlast it
htweather
SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY
Generally cloudy sky Generally cloudy sky Generally cloudy sky
with light rain with light rain or with light rain
drizzle
35°c I 22°c 36°c I 23°c 35°c I 24°c
• •
87
R Sukumar
une 20. There’s no breaking it gently; things
are getting worse around the world in terms of
the spread of the coronavirus disease.
Sure, the disease isn’t the mystery it once
was; every passing day increases our knowl-
edge of the Sars-CoV-2 virus and the Covid-19
disease, and while we may still not have a cure,
we have a fairly good idea of which medicines
and lines of treatment work and which don’t
(and there’s new information almost every
other day). There’s a general agreement
around the world that doctors have become
better at saving lives.
But the disease is raging though the world.
Numbers from three different sources tell
the same story.
According to data on worldometers.info,
42% of the current cases in the world (close to
8.7 million on June 19) have been recorded in
the past month (since May 20).
According to The New York Times data-
base, 177,225 new cases (a record high) were
registered around the world on June 19.
According to the dashboard maintained by
the Johns Hopkins University, the five-day
moving average is trending upward in eight of
the 10 countries that are currently seeing the
most number of cases. These are: Brazil, US,
India, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Pakistan, and Iran.
The two where it isn’t are Russia and the UK.
Five-day moving averages even out kinks
caused by events such as countries suddenly
deciding to change the way they report cases or
spikes caused by back-dated reporting. (That’s
another thing that has changed from the past
— we have all taught ourselves how to read sci-
entific papers and renewed our acquaintance
with statistics).
India isn’t bucking the trend (as clear by its
presence among the eight countries whose
five-day moving average is trending north).
India added 14,677 new cases on June 19, the
highest to date (this column is being written on
Saturday morning) in a 24-hour period. The
country has added 72% of its total cases (till
June 19) in the month since May 20. That is
almost three of every four cases. With positiv-
ity rates continuing to rise, or, at best, staying
the same in many states, India’s numbers are
certain to increase with more widespread test-
ing (which probably explains why some states
are going slow on tests in a display of
extremely misplaced priorities).
Globally, too, the consensus is that the
number of cases will continue to rise as coun-
tries open up, or the virus shows up in hitherto
uninfected or less-infected parts. The New
York Times reports that four American states,
Arizona, Florida, Oklahoma, and South Caro-
lina touched their highest daily counts (of new
cases) this week.
This can be tiring.
For almost 68 days until June 1, India was
locked down. While many restrictions have
been eased since, suburban trains, metros, and
buses (in some states) remain off the roads;
many people continue working from home;
parks are open only for a few hours; and shop-
ping for most people involves a mask-gloves-
shower-wipe routine that is as time consuming
as it is wearying. Restaurants are open, and
going to one poses a definite risk, as does visit-
ing a mall (and these are also open), but people
are bored of eating at home (or ordering out).
And Zoom parties, once the rage — as a Delhi
resident, especially, I can understand why; it’s
easier to get people to leave — are now as inter-
esting as the weekly business review.
So, bored, tired, lonely perhaps, and physi-
cally, mentally, and emotionally weary, we let
things slip. And the virus wins.
The really sick and the old (and the infirm)
may need medical care to beat the virus; the
rest of us just need stamina to outlast it.
As John L Parker JR wrote in the best book
about running that’s ever been written: “You
don’t become a runner by winning a morning
workout.”
That fragment is from a longer paragraph
that ends with the phrases: “The Trial of Miles;
Miles of Trials.”
That’s how it feels.
ALMANAC TEMPERATURE
Today is
21st June 2020 IN FOUR METROS
l 28 Shawwal 1441
l Ashadha, Krishna
Paksha, Amavasya
l Samvat 2077
Sunset: Sunday
at 07:22 p.m.
Sunrise: Monday
at 05:24 a.m.
Moonrise: Monday
at 06:06 a.m.
Moonset: Monday
at 08:30 p.m.
56K CASES As of Saturday, Delhi had over 12k beds for Covid-19 patients across govt, pvt hospitals
Anonna Dutt
n anonna.dutt@htlive.com
NEWDELHI: The Delhi government
is focusing on ramping up hospi-
tal beds and ensuring the availa-
bility of medical workers in the
backdrop of a steady a rise in cor-
onavirus disease (Covid-19)
cases, laying stress on two crucial
aspects of the city’s health infra-
structure that could define the
fight against the infection in the
coming days.
The national capital recorded
3,630 cases on Saturday — the big-
gest single-day jump — as its tally
reached 56,746 infections.
As of Saturday, Delhi had over
12,000 hospital beds for Covid-19
patients across government and
private hospitals, according to
the data on the “Delhi Corona”
app. Authorities also plan to use
77 banquet halls and 40 hotels for
treatment of Covid-19 patients, a
move that is expected to add
about 16,000 more beds to Delhi’s
health infrastructure.
Then, using railway coaches
for treatment will translate to
8,000 additional beds. While the
Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Manage-
ment Committee will provide
another 850 beds in eight estab-
lishments run by it, the govern-
ment will also create 450 beds in
its upcoming hospital in Burari.
Of the 12,647 hospital beds
available now, 47% are already
occupied. While the occupancy
rate at government hospitals ins
43% , the beds in private hospitals
are 50% full.
When it comes to beds
equipped with ventilators, the
HOME QUARANTINE ORDER
Scramble for beds, ambulances, RWAs
confusion before order reversed of quarantine order
Sweta Goswami
n sweta.goswami@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: By Saturday evening
when Delhi L-G Anil Baijal
revised his Friday’s order to put
all Covid-19 patients who were
under home isolation in institu-
tional quarantine, officials in
many districts had already put
many in the quarantine centres
while others were scrambling to
arrange beds and ambulances
needed for such patients.
On Saturday evening, the L-G
issued a fresh order saying only
those needing hospitalisation
and not having facilities for home
isolation would have to undergo
institutional quarantine.
Officials in at least three dis-
tricts -- South, Southwest and
West -- confirmed to HT sending
patients in home isolation to
quarantine centres since Friday
evening. In the Southwest dis-
trict, there were even cases
where asymptomatic persons
who tested positive for Covid
refused to get into an ambulance
and threatened to take legal
recourse, a senior official in the
district said.
Throughout the day, several
Covid-19 patients currently
under home isolation were
moved to Covid care centres even
City adds 3,630 new Govt thanks Baijal; Oppn
cases in highest rise says decision wasn’t wrong
Anonna Dutt
n anonna.dutt@htlive.com
NEW DELHI: Delhi recorded 3,630
new cases of the coronavirus dis-
ease (Covid-19) on Saturday, tak-
ing the city’s tally to 56,746,
according to the daily health bul-
letin released by the govern-
ment.
The data shows 77 more peo-
ple died of the infection in the
city, taking the cumulative toll of
the disease to 2,112. This takes
Delhi’s case fatality rate (CFR) to
3.7%. The CFR had shot up to
4.1% on June 16, when Delhi rec-
onciled its death data adding 437
deaths, of which many were
backlogs, to the cumulative total
in a day.
The increase in the number of
cases being recorded in the city is
down to an increase in testing.
There were 17,533 Covid-19 tests
conducted in the city, in the 24
Delhi hours pertaining to Saturday’s
35°c I 22°c bulletin. This number had been
Mumbai
as low as 6,105 just five days ago.
32°c I 26°c It was ramped up to 8,093 on June
Kolkata 17 after which the number shot
33°c I 27°c up because of antigen testing.
Chennai
More than 7,000 samples were
41°c I 30°c tested using the rapid antigen
tests on the very first day –
n A health worker collects a child’s swab sample.
occupancy rate is higher. Almost
69% of all beds with ventilators –
both in private and government
hospitals – are full. Over 71% of
the 368 ventilators in private hos-
pitals are already occupied.
At present, only those with
severe symptoms such as ele-
vated respiratory rate of over 30
breaths per minute (normal is 12
to 20 breaths per minute) or oxy-
gen saturation of less than 90%
(normal is 95 to 100%) have to be
admitted to hospitals.
People with mild symptoms
can remain in home isolation if
they have no comorbidities, and
have a separate room and a bath-
room to follow proper isolation
protocols. Those with no such
facility can stay in Covid care
centres. And those with moderate
to severe symptoms are admitted
laud revision
as the government was engaged
in a dialogue with the L-G for
overturning the decision of five-
day mandatory home isolation.
“Several ambulances had been
kept ready for moving patients
from home isolation to the cen-
tres. We were getting calls from
the district authorities about the
transfer. But, the problem was
that many of the centres were
refusing to admit the patients,”
said a CATS (Centralised Acci-
dent and Trauma Services)
Ambulance employee on condi-
tion of anonymity.
At the same time districts such
as Shahdara and East chose to
wait until there is more clarity on
the matter. District magistrates,
who are responsible to arrange
such facilities and requisition
them accordingly, said had the
L-G’s order not been withdrawn
they would have had no option
but to compromise on the quality
and safety parameters.
“If we actually had to continue
keeping everyone under institu-
tional isolation, we would have
had to take over all stadiums and
even the smallest dharamshalas
apart from the banquet halls and
hotels, some of which are paid
facilities. The middle and upper
middle class residents com-
plained to us as to why they are
Thursday – when the tests were
rolled out.
The Delhi government also
gave an issued an order on Satur-
day for all medical directors of its
hospitals giving them power for
emergency procurement and
accounting as per the Disaster
Management Act.
“In view of surge of Covid-19
cases in Delhi, the health depart-
ment was authorised to carry out
emergency procurement and
accounting as per section 50 of
the Disaster Management Act,
2005,” the order said. However,
in a simultaneous order, the
medical directors were asked not
to purchase oxygen cylinder and
oxygen concentrators as peer
previous order as the central
procurement agency was doing
it.
The CPA is in the process of
procuring 21,000 oxygen cylin-
ders and 3,000 oxygen concentra-
tors — a device that selectively
removes nitrogen from the ambi-
ent air to make it 93% concer-
trated oxygen for a patient.
These would then be supplied to
the hospitals. The government
had directed the hospitals to
ensure all their beds provided
oxygen support.
RAJ K RAJ/HT PHOTO
to Covid Health Centres or Covid
hospitals as per need.
The government estimates
150,000 beds will be required by
the end of June. The projection is
based on the report of a five-mem-
ber committee set up in early
June, which said the city would
record 100,000 cases by the end of
the month and need 15,000 beds
for those with severe symptoms
of the infection.
The requirement for beds will
go up to over 40,000 by mid-June,
according to the committee mem-
bers. And the number would
translate to 80,000 beds by July-
end.
The government increased the
numbers further when it could
not restrict the services of its hos-
pitals for Delhi residents.
Makeshift hospitals such as
being asked to opt for paid and
substandard facilities when they
can get cured in their homes,”
said a South district official.
In Shahdara, the quarantine
facility in Mandoli police quar-
ters had gloomy state of affairs. In
some flats, the beds were laid out
on the floor while only a few had
cots. The toilets in these flats
were dirty. There was no hot
drinking water facility, a basic
requirement for Covid patients.
Officials in the Shahdara dis-
trict also said they reached out to
the Northern Railways on Satur-
day after the L-G’s order to ready
the railway coaches at Anand
Vihar.
When it comes to toilets, the
ratio was even worse in some of
the banquet halls, 77 of which
have been identified to create
over 11,000 beds. HT visited three
banquet halls --- two in Karol
Bagh and one opposite Lok Nayak
hospital. There were two toilets
for 50 persons and no bathrooms.
Some had three. Besides, there
were no charging points or tables
or chairs with the beds.
When asked about these prob-
lems a government spokesperson
said facilities in banquet halls
and hotels are still being readied
and that the issues highlighted
will be addressed.
HT Correspondent
n htreporters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: The five-day manda-
tory institutional quarantine
order by Delhi Lieutenant Gover-
nor Anil Baijal on Friday evoked
sharp responses from across the
political spectrum in Delhi with
the ruling Aam Aadmi Party
(AAP) calling it a “dictatorial”
decision. The order was, how-
ever, withdrawn on Saturday
evening after the government
held two meetings with Baijal.
Deputy chief minister Manish
Sisodia thanked the L-G in a tweet
following the announcement.
“We have been able to clear all the
doubts that the L-G had regarding
home isolation. Home isolation
will now continue. We thank the
L-G for this. Under the leadership
of chief minister Arvind Kejri-
wal, we will not allow any Delhi
resident to suffer,” Sisodia said in
a tweet in Hindi.
“In the same order, the L-G had
discontinued the services of a pri-
vate company which had been
providing counselling to those
under home isolation. For now,
the service will continue till Mon-
day. It will be discussed under
SUN DAY HIN DUSTA N TIMES, N EW D E LHI
J UN E 2 1 , 2 02 0
CORONAVIRUS: METRO
railway coaches, however, can-
not treat those with severe symp-
toms of the infection. The chal-
lenge for the government is to add
more ventilator and ICU beds in
its hospitals.
The city government has
received 200 ventilators from the
central government and plans to
buy 300 more. It will also ensure
that all the beds in the hospitals
have oxygen support, according
to officials from the department.
The state government has also
sought the help of central hospi-
tals such as AIIMS and Ram Man-
ohar Lohia Hospital to increase
the number of ICU beds. At Lady
Hardinge Medical College, two of
the large hospital wards are being
converted into Covid-19 beds.
Almost all the beds in the hospital
have oxygen support.
“Around 36 beds in our Cov-
id-19 area have oxygen support
along with invasive and non-in-
vasive ventilators. The other
beds are also all oxygen sup-
ported. The orange zone – where
suspected Covid-19 patients are
admitted – also have all these
facilities as several of the patients
are actually testing positive,”
said Dr NN Mathur, director of
the hospital.
At the centrally run All India
Institute of Medical Sciences
(AIIMS), 100 beds – including 30
ICU beds – have been added in the
newly constructed burns ward
for the treatment of Covid-19
patients.
“We are also planning to
increase our bed strength at the
Jhajjar centre by about 500 beds.
This will also include ICU beds. In
Vatsala Shrangi
n vatsala.shrangi@htlive.com
NEW DELHI: Residents across the
national capital on Saturday said
they were “relieved” that an
order mandating five days of
institutional quarantine for all
Covid-19 patients was rolled
back. Many citizens groups said
quarantining all Covid-19
patients, even those with mild
symptoms, would discourage
people from getting tested for the
infectious disease.
Delhi Lieutenant Governor
Anil Baijal in his capacity as head
of the Delhi Disaster Manage-
ment Authority (DDMA) had on
Friday issued an order making
five days of institutional quaran-
tine compulsory for all Covid-19
patients, a move the Delhi gov-
ernment called “arbitrary”.
However, Baijal on Saturday
evening tweeted, “Regarding
institutional isolation, only those
COVID positive cases which do
not require hospitalisation on
clinical assessment and do not
have adequate facilities for home
isolation would be required to
undergo institutional isolation.”
On Saturday, at least 50 resi-
dent welfare associations (RWA)
in the city wrote to the L-G, ask-
ing him reconsider the order, and
mandating institutional quaran-
tine for only without adequate
We have been able to
› clear all the doubts
that the L-G had... Home
isolation will now continue.
MANISH SISODIA, Delhi deputy CM
after the health department is
ready with alternatives,” the dep-
uty CM tweeted.
During the day, senior AAP
leader and Rajya Sabha member
Sanjay Singh addressed a press
conference and questioned why
the L-G was formulating “differ-
ent rules” for Delhi.
“The ICMR [Indian Council of
Medical Research] guidelines
being implemented throughout
the country state that Covid posi-
tive patients who are asympto-
matic or have mild symptoms will
be allowed to practice home isola-
tion. Why are different rules
being formulated for Delhi? This
is a dictatorial decision,” he said.
Earlier this month, the L-G
had disagreed with the state gov-
ernment’s decision allowing only
Delhi residents Covid-19 treat-
ment at Delhi government-run
hospitals and private ones. Baijal
total, AIIMS currently has about
100 ICU beds for Covid-19
patients,” said Dr DK Sharma,
medical superintendent , AIIMS.
Another challenge the govern-
ment faces is increasing the man-
power at its hospitals, as well as
the makeshift ones. For its own
hospitals, the state government
has decided to hire final-year
MD/MS/ DNB (post-graduation
medicine degree) students and
final-year UG (undergraduate)
and PG nursing students.
Another administrator of a
Delhi government Covid-19 hos-
pital said, “We have been asked to
recruit more staff, but it is not
that easy. We do not get a lot of
people for the walk-in interviews.
So the medical and nursing stu-
dent would be a great help. They
can be trained for a few days and
posted anywhere in the hospital.”
For the makeshift hospitals in
banquet halls and stadiums, the
government has tied up with var-
ious doctors’ organisations in the
city. “The government is in dis-
cussion with the doctors and it is
likely to be finalised soon. They
will have to take responsibility of
running a section of the beds, pro-
viding manpower etc. As for con-
sumables, the arrangement is
being worked out,” said Dr Arun
Gupta, the president of Delhi
Medical Council who is also a
member of the expert committee
that gave the projections on the
number of cases and beds
required.
All 40 hotels have been
attached to private hospitals,
which provide medical staff and
consumables.
space for isolation at home.
Dr Ruby Makhija, secretary,
Navjeevan Vihar RWA, Malviya
Nagar, welcomed the move and
said it was a matter of reassur-
ance for people.
“Local authorities can rope in
RWAs to help patients under
home isolation. For instance,
they can follow up on their health
and make essentials available to
them,” said Makhija, an ophthal-
mologist, whose RWA, along with
49 others, wrote to the L-G.
Later on Saturday, once the
order was revoked, the 50 RWAs
wrote another letter to the L-G,
this time lauding the decision.
Suresh Goel (61) a resident of
Vasant Vihar, said it was sensible
to have withdrawn the order.
“There are many who need their
family’s support to recover. The
government must focus on pro-
viding beds to those in need of
hospital care, which has been an
issue so far,” he said.
Members of United Residents
Joint Action (URJA), an umbrella
body of 2,500 RWAs in the city,
said it was a timely move to
revoke the order, but added that it
should not have been issued in
the first place.
“Issuing such orders creates
confusion and panic among peo-
ple, who are already battling so
many odds,” said Atul Goyal,
president, URJA.
had overruled the Delhi govern-
ment’s order and instructed hos-
pitals to accept all patients.
Referring to the 503 railway
coaches deployed as isolation
wards across nine stations in
Delhi, Singh said these coaches
were not in a good condition.
“They are like hot furnaces with-
out any air-conditioning. It is not
feasible to live there at 47 degree
celsius,” he said.
But Delhi Congress president
Anil Chaudhary said the removal
of home isolation had been a
repeated demand of his party.
“We had suggested the govern-
ment and L-G that home isolation
is not possible for marginalised
people. But the government has
to make sure there are adequate
facilities at quarantine centres so
that people don’t suffer,” he said.
During the day, BJP Delhi
President Adesh Gupta said the
L-G’s order was necessary
because there were many fami-
lies in Delhi which stay in one or
two-room houses.
“In such a scenario, home iso-
lation can be dangerous and can
put others living in that house at
risk. This is why L-G took the
decision,” he said.
SUN DAY H IN DUSTA N T IMES, N EW D E LH I
J UN E 2 1 , 2 02 0
p g
htspotlight
Covid treatments at pvt
hospitals to get cheaper
REVISION Rates apply to all Covid beds for up to 60% of total hospital capacity
Sweta Goswami
n sweta.goswami@htlive.com
NEWDELHI: The Delhi government
said on Saturday that beds for
Covid-19 patients at private hos-
pitals will be subsidised, with
treatment charges being reduced
by 60-67%. The new rates, to be
charged by all private hospitals
with immediate effect, will be
applicable to all Covid-19 beds at
a private hospital for up to 60% of
its total capacity.
“100% COVID beds shall be
subsidised up to an upper limit of
60% of total hospital capacity,”
Delhi deputy chief minister Man-
ish Sisodia said on Saturday after
the Delhi Disaster Management
Authority (DDMA), chaired by
lieutenant governor Anil Baijal,
cleared the move.
The rates now have been
capped between ₹8,000 (non-
NABH accredited hospitals) and
₹10,000 (NABH accredited hospi-
tals including entry level facili-
ties) a day for an isolation bed,
₹13,000-15,000 a day for a bed at an
intensive care unit (ICU), and
₹15,000-18,000 a day for an ICU bed
with ventilator. Until this order
was issued on Saturday evening,
the fee for an isolation bed in
Delhi was ₹24,000-25,000 a day.
For an ICU bed, it was
₹34,000-43,000 a day, while an ICU
bed with ventilator was
₹44,000-54,000 a day.
A senior government official
said the cap of up to 60% of the
total beds in private hospitals
means that hospitals such as
Moolchand, Fortis, etc., which
have been declared as 100% Cov-
id-19 hospitals will also have to
offer the new subsidised rates to
60% of the beds. A second senior
government official said that the
health department is also going to
issue an order making it manda-
tory for all private hospitals in
Delhi to reserve 40% of their beds
for Covid-19.
The decision was taken at a
meeting of DDMA on Saturday.
Like the decision on the five-day
n Medical staff interact with visitors outside the Covid-19 ward at Lok
Nayak hospital on Saturday.
mandatory institutional quaran-
tine for all Covid-19 positive
cases, this, too, was a point of dis-
agreement between the L-G and
chief minister Arvind Kejriwal
during the DDMA meetings held
on Saturday. Kejriwal is the vice-
chairperson of the DDMA.
The Covid treatment rates
were recommended by an expert
panel headed by NITI Aayog
member Dr VK Paul.
“The rates approved by the
committee would be applicable to
all Covid beds up to the upper
limit of 60% of the total bed capac-
ity of the private hospitals. The
L-G also directed that the hospi-
tals would follow the National
Guidelines on admission of COV-
ID-19 patients… The L-G directed
that best quality of clinical care
should be provided to all patients.
He advised that the health depart-
ment should ensure adherence to
quality of care by the hospitals/
Laboratories as per standards.
An efficient system for feedback
and grievance redressal should
be put in place by the Health
Department to strictly ensure
implementation of the recom-
mendations of the High Level
Expert Committee,” the LG office
said in a statement.
SANJEEV VERMA/HT PHOTO
Representatives of private
hospitals said they have been
under stress to maintain staff and
infrastructure in view of the
increased demand for beds due to
the Covid-19 pandemic.
“While we fully support the
need for transparency of pricing,
hospitals are incurring consider-
ably increased expenses on both
non-Covid and Covid patient
care. It is important to ensure
there is no compromise in the
quality of care or the safety of
health care professionals,” Fortis
hospital said in a statement.
Another representative of a
private hospital, asking not to be
named, said: “The hospital now
has to invest for at least double
the staff. Earlier, if there were 200
nursing staff needed, now we
need at least double that because
they have to undergo quarantine
after duty. Plus, when you ask
someone to risk their lives they
want a higher salary. How are the
hospitals supposed to remain via-
ble if the government imposes
such price caps?”
An order issued by the health
department on Saturday evening
read that the rates recommended
for private hospitals beds would
be inclusive of all charges. The
package rates will include bed,
food, and other amenities, moni-
toring, nursing care, doctor’s vis-
its/consultations, investigations
including imaging, treatment as
per national protocol for Covid
care and standard care for
co-morbidities, oxygen, blood
transfusion and so on.
“Since many of the Covid
patients have conditions such as
hypertension, diabetes, cardio-
vascular problems, etc, the char-
ges for medical care of such
co-morbidities will be a part of the
package. This would include
short-term haemodialysis as a
part of acute care during the cur-
rent admissions,” the order read.
The rates, the order stated,
would not cover experimental
therapies (ramdesivir, for exam-
ple). “The charges will not
include the cost of Covid-19 diag-
nostic test(s) as well as IL-6 levels.
The proposed charges wil apply
to paediatric patients as well. For
pregnant women, cost for deliv-
ery (normal/c-section) and care
of new born would be charged by
the hospital extra as per prevail-
ing PMJAY rates of relevant
packages,” the order read.
The Delhi government in a
statement said the Central gov-
ernment Committee had recom-
mended the rates, but it was lim-
ited to 60% of beds reserved for
Covid patients in private hospi-
tals.
“As the Delhi government has
asked private hospitals to reserve
40% of their beds for Covid
patients as of now, this capping
would have meant that only 24%
of beds would have been price
capped. CM Kejriwal put forward
his views on this and strongly
presented a case to price cap all
the beds reserved for Covid in pri-
vate hospitals. After delibera-
tions, it was unanimously
decided to price cap all the
reserved beds for Covid patients
which will benefit the common
man and leave no scope for arbi-
trary overcharging,” the govern-
ment said.
Satyendar Jain’s
health improves
after being given
plasma therapy
Anonna Dutt
n anonna.dutt@htlive.com
NEW DELHI: Delhi health minister
Satyendar Jain’s condition has
improved after receiving plasma
therapy for the coronavirus dis-
ease (Covid-19) on Friday night at
Max hospital, Sa`ket.
The minister’s fever has sub-
sided and he is off oxygen sup-
port, according to hospital sour-
ces. He is currently stable and is
being monitored by a team of crit-
ical care specialists in the hospi-
tal’s intensive care unit, accord-
ing to sources.
Convalescent plasma therapy
uses a component of the blood
called plasma, which is rich in
virus-fighting antibodies, from
someone who has recovered from
the infection, to boost an infected
person’s immunity.
Jain, 55, had tested positive for
the infection on Wednesday, after
testing negative a day before that.
He had been admitted to the Del-
hi-government-run Rajiv Gandhi
Super Speciality Hospital in
Tahirpur on Monday night with a
high-grade fever and low oxygen
saturation.
At the hospital, he had been on
intermittent oxygen to manage
the symptoms. He had developed
pneumonia, a known complica-
tion of Covid-19. The minister,
who has no comorbidities,
started getting breathless and
giddy on Friday morning.
The infection usually causes
severe symptoms in older people
and those with comorbid condi-
tions such as diabetes, hyperten-
sion, kidney or heart disease. A
CT scan on Friday afternoon
showed that the pneumonia
patch in his lungs had increased.
He was moved to the intensive
care unit in the morning.
As his symptoms worsened,
the minister was shifted to Max
hospital, Saket.
Union home minister Amit
Shah had on Friday tweeted,
“Praying for the speedy recovery
of Shri Satyendra Jain, Health
Minister of Delhi who is battling
with COVID-19 infection.”
hindustantimes
T O R E P O R T T O W O R K I M M E D I A T E LY
Delhi directs its hospitals to
recall all staffers from leave
HT Correspondent
letters@hindustantimes.com
n
NEW DELHI: The Delhi govern-
ment’s health department has
directed all hospitals and medi-
cal institutions under it to recall
all their employees on leave and
ask them to report for duty
immediately. The special secre-
tary of the health department
SM Ali issued the order on Fri-
day. A senior health department
official has said that leave of any
kind would only be granted
under the “most compelling cir-
cumstances.”
“…Issue directions to all staff
who are on leave of any kind to
immediately report for their
duties in their concerned hospi-
tal or medical institution with-
out fail,” the order read.
The medical directors of big-
ger Delhi government hospitals
reported the shortage of staff as
one of the chief reasons for their
Govt to expand city ambulance
fleet: 1,000 vehicles by June 31
Anonna Dutt
n anonna.dutt@htlive.com
NEW DELHI: With the number of
cases of coronavirus disease
(Covid-19) rising in the city, the
Delhi government plans to
expand its ambulance fleet to
1,000 by June-end to meet the
increasing demand.
To augment the fleet, the gov-
ernment has also requested the
police to provide 100 PCR vehi-
cles to be used as ambulance.
Four other companies have been
asked to provide more ambulan-
ces to help the government reach
the fleet strength of 1,000.
In its communication to the
companies and the police, the
government has said, “Due to
increasing number of calls in
view of Covid-19, the fleet of
ambulance is required to be aug-
mented to up to 1,000 by June 30.
Department of Health and Fam-
CORONAVIRUS: METRO
HOSPITALS HAVE SAID
STAFF SHORTAGE IS ONE
OF THE REASONS THEY
HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO
EXPAND ICU SERVICES
FOR COVID-19 PATIENTS
inability to expand intensive
care unit services for Covid
patients.
“We have asked everyone on
leave to join back duty immedi-
ately and cancelled all leaves.
With the rising number of Cov-
id-19 cases, we will need more
staff in the coming days,” said
Dr Suresh Kumar, medical
director of Lok Nayak hospital.
To combat the challenges in
the hospitals, the government
on Thursday ordered that the
final-year student pursuing
their MD/MS/ DNB (post-grad-
uate medical training) and final-
ily Welfare is striving to arrange
for this additional requirement
of ambulances at the earliest.”
Currently, the state govern-
ment through its Centralised
Accident and Trauma Services
(CATS) runs about 200 ambulan-
ces. Another 170 ambulances
have been added through con-
tracts with private ambulance
companies and the Army.
Of these, 163 are currently on
‘Corona duty’ ferrying patients
from home to hospital, transfer
between hospitals, and take peo-
ple who don’t have personal
vehicles to testing centres.
As per data provided by the
government in the daily health
bulletin, there were 243 request
calls for Covid-19 ambulances.
“The requirement for ambu-
lances has dipped a little after the
lockdown. This is because now
most people can use their own
vehicles to take patients to hospi-
03
year students of undergraduate
and post-graduate nursing will
be hired for the next six months.
“The students will help the
doctors in various areas of the
hospital. This will free up doc-
tors for ICUs and other critical
patients,” said Dr Kumar.
Earlier this week, the health
department had also issued
another order that stated that
action would be taken against
health department staff not
reporting to work. Only those
who had tested positive for Cov-
id-19 were allowed to remain in
home isolation. This came at a
time when the city’s health min-
ister tested positive for the
infection. Prior to this order, the
director general of health servi-
ces also had to undergo quaran-
tine for fever
As of Saturday, the national
capital has recorded 56,746 Cov-
id-19 cases, of whom 2,112 have
died.
tals. However, the requirement
is likely to pick up with the num-
ber of Covid-19 patients increas-
ing and several needing hospital-
isations,” said a health depart-
ment official.
So far, Delhi has 53,116 cases of
Covid-19 and 2,035 people have
died of it.
The government anticipates
that the number of cases is likely
to touch 1 lakh by the end of the
month and 5.5 lakh by the end of
July.
The government is also work-
ing to increase the number of
phone lines for ambulance servi-
ces. It has contacted WIPRO, the
company that helped the govern-
ment set up the modern control
room in Laxmi Nagar to increase
the number of telephone line to
60 from the current 30, “to mini-
mise the call-waiting time for a
citizen in need of ambulance ser-
vices.”
04 hindustantimes
p g
htspotlight
India’s Covid count crosses
4L, deaths reach 13k-mark
CRISIS Becomes the 4th nation after the US, Brazil and Russia to cross the grim milestone; 3 states account for 60% cases
HT Correspondent
n letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI : The number of Cov-
id-19 cases in India exceeded
400,000 on Saturday, including at
least 13,000 deaths, with the coun-
try reporting a record number of
daily new cases and becoming
only the fourth nation after the
US, Brazil and Russia to cross the
grim milestone.
On Saturday, 15,813 people
were diagnosed with Covid-19, in
the country’s highest single-day
spike that took the total tally to
411,500 cases.
The pandemic appears to be
accelerating in India at a time
when most lockdown restrictions
have been lifted to mitigate the
economic impact of the restric-
tions that brought to a standstill
most economic activity in the
country.
The latest 100,000 infections in
the country have been recorded
in just eight days – lower than the
10 days it took for the previous
100,000 infections and 15 days for
the 100,000 cases before that
mark.
It took the country 78 days to
cross the first 100,000 cases, a
development experts attribute to
the early imposition of the lock-
down in India, when the country
had just over 600 confirmed Cov-
id-19 cases.
About 75% of the total infec-
tions in India have been reported
between May 19 and June 20,
according to data collated by HT.
Additionally, the positivity
rate, or the average rate of sam-
ples testing positive for Covid-19
across the country, rose from
4.6% for the week ending May 17
to 7.8% for the week ending June
17. In absolute terms, 6.2% of the
over 6.6 million samples have
tested positive for the disease,
according to latest data by the
Indian Council of Medical
Research (ICMR).
Out of these, 189,869 tests were
conducted in the previous
24-hour period, ICMR said on Sat-
urday morning.
The increase in the testing
capacity, coupled with the rise in
the number of patients being
diagnosed for Covid-19, is an indi-
cation of the virus’ prevalence in
India, experts say.
“It is only natural that if you
test more, more people will test
positive... India is currently at the
ascending limb of the epidemic.
We have not reached the peak [of
infections] yet, and in this situa-
tion, this is what will happen
[more people will test posi-
tive],” said Dr Lalit Kant, the
former head of epidemiology and
communicable disease at ICMR.
The spread of the disease,
facetoface
JAIRAM THAKUR, Himachal Pradesh CM
‘Surge in cases in Himachal but
not at the pace as in other states’
H
imachal Pradesh
chief minister Jai-
ram Thakur is fac-
ing the twin chal-
lenges of battling
the Covid-19 pandemic and
bickering within the state
unit of the Bharatiya Janata
Party (BJP). In an interview
with Chetan Chauhan,
Thakur spoke about how the
state has kept the Covid-19
numbers low and his plans to
revive the economy. Edited
excerpts:
How has Himachal dealt with
Covid-19?
In Himachal, corona has
increased but not at the pace
as in other states. In Hima-
chal, we continued with cur-
few to explain to people in
simple terms that they don’t
have to go out. Strict imple-
mentation helped as it did not
allow spread of Covid till
Tablighi Jamaat attendees
returned in April first week.
Despite that, management
within the state was so good
that we didn’t allow the cases
to increase. We formed a
team of 16,000 personnel, who
went to all 70 lakh homes, and
took health details of all.
So why has the number of cases
increased to about 615?
When Himachalis from other
states start returning in May,
cases increased. On May 1, we
had one Covid positive case.
When the PM held a video
conference with all CMs, he
THE SPREAD OF COVID-19
Total confirmed cases including new cases added on June 20
UT J&K
5,834 154
Punjab
3,952 120
Haryana
10,223 480
DELHI
56,746 3,630
Rajasthan
14,537 381
Gujarat
26,737 539
Madhya Pradesh
11,724 142 8,880
Dadar & Nagar Haveli
62 4 14
Chhattisgarh
2,076 58 1,368
Maharashtra
128,205 3,874
Telangana
7,072 546
Goa
754 29 129
Karnataka
8,697 416
Kerala
3,039 127 1,566
*Data compiled by covid19india.org and cross-checked from inputs by HT’s correspondents and news agencies. 'Cases reassigned
to states' is as per data released by the MOHFW. This figure has not been included in the calculation for the daily new cases.
which originated in China late
last year, crippled economies
world over as countries put in
place strict lockdowns and
enforced social distancing norms
to slow the infection’s rampage.
The pathogen, named Sars-CoV-2
for its similarity to the Severe
Acute Respiratory Syndrome dis-
ease, has infected over 8.8 million
people and claimed 464,294 lives
globally.
Experts say the pandemic is
now in its third surge of the out-
break – the first being in China,
told all of us to ensure that
migrants are able to return
home safely. We brought
back people from across
India and students from
Kota{coaching schools} also
came back. Now there are 615
cases. We have a mechanism
to ensure every returnee is
kept in institutional quaran-
tine and is tested.
PM has spoken about unlock
norms. In Himachal, tourism
and horticulture are two impor-
tant cogs of the state’s econ-
omy. How do you plan to revive
them?
Tourism in Himachal and the
entire world is badly affected.
... Although we are getting
calls that people want to come
to Himachal, we have not
given a relaxation in unlock
norms, as Covid cases are still
high outside Himachal... Our
people have suffered as 55,000
people are directly employed
and lakhs are indirectly
employed {in tourism}. Home
stay is a big income source,
which is gone.
Horticulture sector has
been affected. Cherry season
New cases
3,336
2,678
5,128
31,294
11,274
18,702
I N D I A
64,153
3,506
5,391
Tamil Nadu
second in Europe and the US, and
the latest thriving in Latin Amer-
ican countries such as Brazil,
Peru and Chile along with India,
Mexico and Russia.
In India, the three worst-hit
states Maharashtra, Delhi and
Tamil Nadu account for nearly
60% of the total infections, with
the contagion largely establish-
ing a strong foothold in urban hot
spots such as Delhi, Mumbai and
Chennai. According to figures by
state health departments, Maha-
rashtra saw 128,205 Covid-19
went well. Apple season,
which is ₹4,000 to 4,500 crore
economy, has three impor-
tant components --- packag-
ing material, marketing and
labour. We have started fac-
tories and are arranging for
2.5 crore apple packaging
boxes. For selling, there can
be an issue if Azadpur market
(in New Delhi) is closed
because of Covid. We have
raised the issue with the PM
and are working on the alter-
natives. Third is labour, most
of which comes from Nepal.
Nepalese workers go back to
their homes in November-De-
cember... This year, many
have not come back...
Former BJP state president
Rajeev Bindal had to resign
because of the alleged scam in
purchase of personal protection
equipment kits, which is said to
be a result of internal bickering.
It is not a big scam. We are
trying to save every person
and people have suffered
because of Covid. In this, if
someone tries to steal, there
cannot be a bigger sin. Party
president (Bindal) is not
directly involved... The issue
was that the director of
health, who seemed to be
seeking money (for award of
PPE kit contracts) is consid-
ered close to him. When the
opposition raised the issue,
he (Bindal) resigned on moral
grounds...We have conducted
and inquiry and have taken
the best possible action.
Recovered cases
UT Ladakh
836 92 117
Himachal Pradesh
656 29 405
Chandigarh
390 15 316
Uttarakhand
2,301 124 1,450
Uttar Pradesh
17,237 635
10,369
Tripura
1,189
Bihar
7,503 213
Jharkhand
2,024 63
Odisha
4,856 179
Andhra Pradesh
8.452 491
Puducherry
338 51 131
56,845 2,396 31,316
patients in the state and 5,984
deaths till Saturday. At 56,845
cases, Tamil Nadu — the second
worst-hit state in the country —
has less than half of Maharash-
tra’s tally, and 704 mortalities.
New Delhi reported 56,746 pos-
itive patients and 2,112 fatalities
linked to the disease.
On Saturday, the total fatali-
ties across the country stood at
13,278, reflecting a case fatality
rate – defined as the proportion of
deaths to the total infected
patients – of 3.2%, much lower
coronadiary
DAMAN SEALS GUJ
BORDER AMID SPIKE
DAMAN: With eight new cases in
Daman district of the Union Territory
of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman
and Diu has gone up to 27, following
which the administration has sealed
the district’s border with Gujarat
border for a few days, officials said
on Saturday. Most of the 27 patients
in Daman are factory workers who
cross the border to work in industrial
units at Vapi in neighbouring Gujarat
and vice versa, the officials said.
Experts warn against phishing attacks
HT Correspondent
letters@hindustantimes.com
n
NEW DELHI: Millions of Indians
could be targeted by fake emails,
social media posts or texts messa-
ges related to Covid-19 in order to
steal their credentials or compro-
mise their computers, India’s offi-
cial cybersecurity agency
Cert-IN said in an advisory
uploaded on Friday, citing a
report from independent
researchers who said the attack is
being planned by North Korea-
based cyber criminals.
The alert is the latest in a series
of warnings from cybersecurity
firms across the world about
hackers exploiting interest in the
coronavirus disease pandemic to
lure people into clicking on fake
login pages or downloading mali-
cious files that could create a
backdoor in their computers.
“The phishing campaign is
expected to impersonate govern-
ment agencies, departments and
trade associations tasked to over-
see the disbursement of the gov-
ernment fiscal aid,” the advisory
by Cert-IN (Indian Computer
Arunachal
Pradesh
135 32 14
Sikkim
70 0 21
Assam
5,006 102
3,203
Nagaland
201 3 138
Meghalaya
43 0 32
Manipur
777 96
232
Mizoram
140 10 9 and renewable energy, border
3 657
West Bengal
13,531 441
5,367 7,865
1,404 Andaman
and Nicobar
47 0 35
3,534
4,111
411,500
Total cases in India*
13,278
Deaths due to Covid-19
Cases being
9,265 reassigned
to states
than the global rate of around
5.2%. Data also showed that
228,145 patients or 55.4% infected
so far have recovered from the
respiratory illness in India.
According to public health
experts, controlling the number
of deaths due to the disease – that
particularly affects the elderly
and those with existing medical
ailments — is key to controlling
the outbreak and will determine
if the health infrastructure in the
country will withstand the dis-
ease burden or buckle under it.
MP MEDICAL TEAM
ABUSED, ATTACKED
MHOW (MP): A medical team was
attacked on Saturday afternoon in
Mhow in Madhya Pradesh when it
arrived to collect samples of the
family of a coronavirus disease
Covid-19 victim, police said. The
incident took place in Jafrabad
village in Indore’s Mhow tehsil and
probe was underway after the
medical team filed a complaint, said
Manpur police station in charge
Hitendra Rathore.
STAY ALERT
n Always pay close attention
to addresses of email.
Spelling or URL variations
and typos are a red herring
n Do not open attachments
or click on links sent to you
by anyone you do not know
or from any service you did
not request from
n If you must open an
attachment, download and
scan it through an up-to-
date antivirus
n Do not enter important ID
numbers or financial data
such as card numbers on
unfamiliar or unknown
websites
Emergency Response Team)
said, citing a report by Singapore-
based cybersecurity firm
Cyfirma.
Such campaigns usually have
a financial motive since access to
a person’s email account or their
computers in entirety could allow
the cybercriminals to break into
PM launches ₹50k-cr jobs
scheme to help migrants
HT Correspondent
n letters@hindustantimes.com
NEWDELHI: Prime Minister Naren-
dra Modi on Saturday launched a
₹50,000 crore rural jobs pro-
gramme, the Pradhan Mantri
Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan
aimed at creating livelihoods for
thousands of jobless migrant
workers who moved back from
the cities to their home villages
during the lockdown imposed to
stop the spread of the coronavi-
rus disease (Covid-19)
The make-work scheme,
which will utilise existing rural
infrastructure programmes, will
offer 125 days of employment in
116 districts across six states that
have witnessed large-scale
reverse migration of workers
from the cities, triggering a liveli-
hood crisis. India’s jobless rate
rose to over 20% during the lock-
down in which period, according
to data from the Centre for Moni-
toring of the Indian Economy.
The new scheme will fund 25
categories of public infrastruc-
ture facilities, such as laying fibre
optic cable for rural internet, rail-
way work, sanitation, waste man-
agement, poultry and farm
ponds. Krishi Vigyan Kendras
will train the workers in horticul-
ture. Twelve ministries or
departments—rural develop-
ment, panchayati raj, transport,
mines, drinking water, environ-
ment, railways, petroleum, new
roads, telecom and agriculture—
will participate in the scheme.
“Today is historic day as a
massive campaign has kick-
started for the welfare of the poor,
for their employment,” the prime
minister said, launching the
scheme via video conference. “It
is our endeavour that through
this campaign, workers are given
work near their homes.”
The programme launched
from Telihar village of Bihar’s
S TAT E D E AT H T O L L C R O S S E S 6 K
Maha records 3,874 fresh cases
Surendra P Gangan
n letters@hindustantimes.com
MUMBAI: For the third consecutive
day, Maharashtra recorded its
highest 24-hour jump in corona-
virus cases with 3,874 more infec-
tions on Saturday, taking the
tally to 1,24,331. Mumbai, the
worst affected city, recorded its
highest single-day spike in deaths
with 136 fatalities taking the tally
to 3,561.
The state’s Covid-19 death toll
also rose by 160 pushing the fatal-
ity count to 6,053. India’s worst-af-
fected city, Mumbai, reported
1,190 new cases with case count
reaching 65,329. Of the deaths
reported on Saturday, 10 were in
Jalgaon and 6 in Aurangabad,
besides 136 in Mumbai.
J&K RECORDS 154
NEW COVID CASES
SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir on
Saturday recorded 154 fresh COV-
ID-19 cases, including a policeman
and 14 CRPF personnel, taking the
total number of infected people in
the union territory to 5,834, officials
said. They said while 40 of the cases
were from Jammu, 114 were from
the valley. The cases detected on
Saturday included 34 people who
had returned to the union territory
recently. “
people’s bank accounts.
The potential for damage “is
immeasurable”, Cyfirma’s CEO
Kumar Ritesh said in response to
questions over email. “When PII
(personally identifiable informa-
tion) is stolen, impersonation will
take place where hackers can use
your identity to commit all sort of
crimes, or infiltrate corporate
systems. For this particular
phishing campaign, hackers are
looking personal details / PAN no
/ communication address /
health conditions,” he added.
According to Cyfirma’s report,
the attack is yet to begin and
could involve two million email
addresses that the cyber actor –
identified as the well-known Laz-
arus group -- seem to have. The
hackers, in particular, plan to
capitalise on announcements of
financial aid “to lure vulnerable
individuals and companies into
falling for the phishing attacks,”
it said. Some of the other emails
may pretend to be from authori-
ties and offer people to sign-up for
free Covid-19 testing.
“As of time of reporting (18
Jun), we have not seen the phish-
SUN DAY HIN DUSTA N TIMES, N EW D E LHI
J UN E 2 1 , 2 02 0
CORONAVIRUS: NATION
n Migrant workers queue up to board a special train to their homes, at
the Old Delhi railway station on May 30.
Khagaria district will cover 116
districts across Bihar, Uttar Pra-
desh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajast-
han, Jharkhand and Odisha.
Union finance minister Nir-
mala Sitharaman had said on
Thursday that the scheme will
not involve new budgetary allo-
cation. The 25 schemes will be
“front-loaded” or funded from
current budgetary allocations,
she had said.
Although there is no official
data on the reverse migration
sparked by the pandemic shut-
downs, the finance minister had
on May 14 allocated ₹3,500 crore
for food aid to an estimated 80 mil-
lion migrant workers. This is the
only official estimate available
for the number of workers
affected by the pandemic.
According to chief minister
Nitish Kumar, nearly three mil-
lion migrant workers have
returned to Bihar alone since the
Covid-19 pandemic prompted the
Centre to order a lockdown with
effect from March 25.
During the launch, the
PM interacted with several peo-
ple who came back home to Bihar
from places including Delhi,
Gurugram (Haryana) and Rajast-
han. Union minister of rural
development Narendra Singh
Tomar, Bihar CM and UP chief
The state’s recovery rate is
50.04%, as 64,153 patients are
reported to have recovered so far,
with 1,380 patients discharged on
Saturday. The recovery rate in
the state stands at 4.67%.
The total number of dis-
charged patients in Mumbai was
32,867, with a recovery rate of
50%. Active cases in the city stood
at 28,893. The mortality rate in the
city as of Saturday was 5.45%, and
the doubling rate has reached 34
days. Dharavi, one of the critical
hotspots in Mumbai, reported its
lowest number of cases since the
first week of April. On Saturday,
only seven cases were recorded,
taking the total count of the area
to 2,158, with 80 deaths reported
so far. A makeshift 1,000-bed Cov-
id-19 hospital has been set up in
491 NEW CASES, 5
DEATHS IN ANDHRA
AMARAVATI: Coronavirus cases
went past the 8,000-mark in
Andhra Pradesh on Saturday as 491
were added anew, taking the total
to 8,452, even as the death toll rose
to 101 with five deaths. The bulletin
said 4,111 patients were discharged
in the state so far, leaving 4,240
active cases. In the last 24 hours,
390 AP locals tested positive in the
22,371 tests conducted in the state,
the bulletin said.
ing or impersonated sites defined
in the email templates. But our
research shows the hackers were
planning to set that up in the next
24 hours,” the report said.
It was unclear how the email
addresses of the Indian targets
were compromised. “But it is
fairly easy to scrape and steal
email address from social media
and other platforms...,” Ritesh
said.
The campaign was also plan-
ning to target people in US, UK,
Japan, Singapore and South
Korea, it added. The analysis car-
ried purported screenshots of
some of the phishing emails,
which showed the text appeared
to be signed by government offi-
cials. The mails could be sent
through spoofed addresses – one
of the addresses it could be from is
ncov@gov.in – and could include
links or files that can deliver
malicious code.
Some of these attacks involve
state-based actors, and cyber
threat analysts have highlighted
the risks Indian citizens face due
to inadequate data protection
safeguards.
SANJEEV VERMA/HT PHOTO
minister Yogi Adityanath were
among those who were present.
“It is of great necessity that
high speed and cheap internet be
provided in every rural house-
hold to help the youth and chil-
dren,” Modi said. “...Hence the
laying of fibre optic cable and pro-
vision of internet are also made a
part of the Abhiyan.”
“So far, you were using your
talent for the progress of the cit-
ies. Now you will help in the
development of your villages,
your neighbourhoods,” PM said.
Sitharaman had said that in
125 days, nearly 25 schemes will
be brought together to reach satu-
ration and will include the Prad-
han Mantri Awas Yojna, Jal
Jeevan Yojna and PM Gram
Sadak Yojna, among others.
Analysts say while an expan-
sion of rural make-work projects
is necessary to deal with the cri-
sis, there are challenges in creat-
ing avenues for productive work.
“I don’t think funding for such
projects will be a challenge...
However, finding useful projects
that are productive enough and
add value to the larger rural econ-
omy may be a challenge,” said
Siraj Hussain, former Union agri-
culture secretary and a current
visiting senior fellow with the
think-tank ICRIER
the premises of engineering com-
pany Richardson and Cruddas in
Byculla, according to BMC.
In a statement on Saturday, the
civic body informed that of the
1,000 beds, 300 are ICU beds with
oxygen supply and other facili-
ties. The hospital will be ready to
use by the end of June.
State authorities, however, are
wary about the rapid spread of
the virus in some parts of the
state, mainly because of the weak
health infrastructure.
“We could contain the spread
well in Mumbai, but the curve is
disturbed due to the cases in
other parts of the state. CMUd-
dhav Thackeray has asked the
district collectors and civic chiefs
to pull the socks and contain the
spread...,”an official said.
Day after RS polls,
BJP MLA, wife test
Covid +ve in MP
Ranjan
n letters@hindustantimes.com
BHOPAL: A Bharatiya Janata Party
legislator and his wife tested posi-
tive for Covid-19 on Saturday a
day after he cast his vote during
the Rajya Sabha polls held at the
assembly premises on Friday,
according to legislators from
Congress and BJP. The MLA had
also attended the BJP legislature
party meetings on Wednesday
and Thursday.
The MLA happens to be the
second legislator in the state to be
infected with Covid-19. Earlier, a
Congress MLA tested positive for
the virus. He turned up in a per-
sonal protective equipment
(PPE) kit in the state assembly on
Friday afternoon to cast his vote.
He, however, had been given the
facility of a postal ballot that he
didn’t go for, legislators said.
The state Congress has
accused the BJP MLA of putting
in peril the life of other legislators
including chief minister Shivraj
Singh Chouhan who chaired the
BJP legislature party meetings .
State Congress spokesperson
Ajay Yadav said, “We have learnt
that the BJP MLA got samples of
his wife and himself tested for
coronavirus two days back but
still he attended the BJP legisla-
ture party meetings. He has com-
mitted a grave offence by conceal-
ing the information about his
health and should be booked.”
“When my wife complained
about fever, we got our samples
tested on Friday. Now we are
going to be hospitalised,” the
MLA said over phone.
As many as 206 MLAs cast
their votes on Friday during the
Rajya Sabha polls.
SUN DAY H IN DUSTA N T IMES, N EW D E LH I
J UN E 2 1 , 2 02 0
HTSPOTLIGHT
Int’l flights to depend on demand: Puri
Anisha Dutta
n letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: A decision on the
resumption of international pas-
senger flights will depend on
demand and other countries
being open to receiving flights
amid the Covid-19 pandemic,
civil aviation minister Hardeep
Singh Puri said on Saturday, and
overseas operations to North
America where demand is
higher may be the first to restart,
according to a senior official.
At the same time, Puri was
hopeful that domestic flights
would reach full capacity by the
end of the year.
“Any suggestion that interna-
tional air traffic has opened up in
other countries and we are the
only ones not to open up needs a
reality check. The exact time we
resume international flights
depends on other countries
being open to receive flights,”
Puri said at a press conference
on Saturday.
India has suspended interna-
tional passenger flights since
March 22 in a bid to contain the
spread of Covid-19.
T’gana reimposes
restrictions in govt
offices amid spike
Srinivasa Rao Apparasu
n letters@hindustantimes.com
HYDERABAD: With the Covid-19 sit-
uation in Telangana turning from
bad to worse, affecting state gov-
ernment employees, politicians
and even bureaucrats, the state
government on Saturday issued
fresh guidelines, tightening
restrictions in workplaces.
According to a circular issued
by chief secretary Somesh
Kumar, the state secretariat and
all the other state-level govern-
ment offices will function with
reduced manpower, comprising
those who would attend to their
duties on a staggered basis.
While 50% of office subordi-
nates, data entry operators and
other Class-IV employees will
come to work every alternate
week, only 50% of the clerical staff
and their superiors, including
assistant section and section offi-
cers, will come to their respective
offices on alternate days.
THE MINISTER SAID THAT
INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT
OPERATIONS ALSO
DEPEND ON AIRSPACES
BEING OPEN AND
ACCEPTANCE BY
DESTINATIONS
International flight move-
ment in countries such as the
United States, United Kingdom,
Australia, Germany, China,
Singapore and the United Arab
Emirates now varies between 3%
and 18% of their earlier flight
capacity, Puri said.The minister
said that international flight
operations depend on airspaces
being open and acceptance by
destinations.
“Many countries decided that
they were not going to allow
nationals from other countries
except their own. We also went
with the same position,” Puri
said.
He added that entry to the US,
UK, France, China, UAE and
Singapore was conditional. “We
VA N D E B H A R AT M I S S I O N
2 China-bound flights
to bring back Indians
HT Correspondent
n letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: India has arranged
two flights to bring back Indians
stranded in China because of the
Covid-19 pandemic in the third
phase of Vande Bharat Mission,
against the backdrop of height-
ened tensions between the two
sides over a border standoff.
There will be close to 600
flights in the third phase of
Vande Bharat Mission, the coun-
try’s largest operation to repatri-
ate its nationals from around the
world.
Several hundred Indians were
evacuated from China, including
Wuhan, in special flights shortly
after the Covid-19 outbreak,
though China wasn’t included in
the first two phases of the repa-
triation programme.
The first flight to China under
the third phase was scheduled
for 10pm on June 20 from Shang-
cannot have normal civil avia-
tion operations under such con-
ditions. We are left with no
option but to continue with evac-
uation and repatriation flights
under controlled conditions. We
are constantly trying to expand
both domestic and Vande Bharat
flights {to bring back Indians
stranded abroad} and eventually
resuming flights to pre-Covid
operational capacities,” he
added.
The minister added that
nearly 275,000 stranded Indians
have been brought back so far,
adding that 109,000 Indians were
brought back via Air India alone.
During Phase 3 and Phase 4 of the
Vande Bharat mission, private
domestic airlines have been
mandated to operate 750 interna-
tional flights along with 300 Air
India flights that will be added in
the coming days, Puri said.
India may resume interna-
tional flights on routes with rela-
tively higher demand first, other
officials said.
“Both ends have to be ready
and there has to be traffic if inter-
national operations are to begin.
There is a significant amount of
hai to Delhi and the second for
10.40am on June 29 from
Guangzhou to Delhi. The flights
are expected to repatriate a total
of almost 490 Indian nationals,
according to a schedule on the
external affair ministry’s web-
site.
Tensions between and India
and China spiked after a violent
face-off between border troops of
the two sides at Galwan Valley
along the Line of Actual Control
(LAC) on June 15 left 20 Indian
soldiers dead. India has said the
violence occurred when Indian
soldiers foiled attempts by Chi-
nese troops to erect structures
after transgressing the LAC.
More than 50,000 Indians were
living and working in mainland
China as of early 2019.
The third phase of Vande Bha-
rat Mission, which started on
June 11, will cover 41 countries
and involve flights operating
from 55 international airports.
traffic between India and the
North American continent. We
may think of opening flights on a
case-to-case basis,” civil aviation
secretary Pradeep Singh Khar-
ola said.
Puri said the government was
ready to expand the capacity on
domestic routes from 33% (at
present) to 45% depending on the
states.
“At present we have allowed
only 33% flights to operate.
Flights are not operating with
full capacity even now. We will
open more routes when there is
more demand. We are ready to
take it to up to even 40-45% capac-
ity,” Puri added.
The limits on airfares imposed
on domestic flights may also be
extended beyond August 24, offi-
cials said.
“Depending on how the situa-
tion turns out, the fare band may
have to adjusted beyond that
(August 24) also. But right now, it
is only for three months,” Khar-
ola said.
The Centre capped airfares of
domestic flights that resumed
from May 25 with fixed lower and
upper limits.
Over 3,000 active
cases in K’taka,
416 new infections
BENGALURU: The total number of
active cases of Covid-19 in Kar-
nataka crossed the 3,000 mark on
Saturday, as the state reported
416 new infections and nine
related deaths, taking the tally to
8,697 and the death toll to 132.
The day also saw 181
patients getting discharged after
recovery.
After Udupi and Kalaburgi,
Bengaluru urban has become
the third district to cross the
1,000 cases mark in the number
of positive cases.
As of June 20 evening, cumu-
latively 8,697 Covid-19 positive
cases have been confirmed in the
state, which includes 132 deaths
and 5,391 discharges, the state
health department said in its
bulletin.
It said that out of 3,170 active
cases, 3,096 patients are in isola-
tion at designated hospitals and
are stable, while 74 are in ICUs.
Of the 416 new cases, 116 are
returnees from other states.PTI
hindustantimes 05
CORONAVIRUS: NATION
Glenmark plans Plea in SC against Rath Yatra order
to launch antiviral Murali Krishnan
n letters@hindustantimes.com
court’s June 18 order which had
barred the holding of the annual
as well as the faith of millions of
devotees across the world,” the
drug for Covid-19 NEWDELHI: Janardhan Pattajoshi
Mohapatra, the hereditary chief
Hindu festival of Rath Yatra this
year in view of the threat posed by
the Covid-19 pandemic. “Any
application stated.
Mohapatra, therefore, sug-
gested that instead, they could
in next few days servitor of Lord Jagannatha of
the Jagannatha Temple in Puri,
interruption in the observance of
this mandatory religious practice
hold the festival without public
participation by imposing a cur-
moved the Supreme Court on Fri- affects the very sanctity of the few in the city of Puri and closing
Rhythma Kaul day seeking the recall of the top temple and all its future rituals, its borders.
n letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI : Glenmark Pharma-
ceuticals Limited plans to
launch its antiviral drug Favi-
piravir, which produced
improvement of up to 88% in
mild to moderate coronavirus
disease cases during clinical
trials, across India by early next
week, the company said on Sat-
urday, making it the first oral
antiviral available under emer-
gency use authorisation to treat
Covid-19 patients in the coun-
try.
The drug, marketed under
the brand name FabiFlu, will be
marketed in some north Indian
states by Saturday evening.
Available in a pack of 34 oral
tables of 200mg each for ₹3,500,
the cost of the 14-day treatment
will be around ₹14,000.
The dosage regimen is 3,600
mg on day one, and 1,600 mg
from day two onwards for a
maximum 14 days.
Emergency use means every
patient must give his or her
informed consent before start-
ing treatment.
“The company has already
started production of the drug.
In some states that are closer to
our manufacturing unit in
Baddi (Himachal) the drug will
be rolled out by this (Saturday)
evening, and across India we
should be able to supply by early
next week,” said Sujesh Vasude-
van, president, India formula-
tions, Middle East and Africa, at
Glenmark.
Experts in the field find the
study results promising.
“The initial data looks prom-
ising, and we will get to see how
well it works once we start using
it,” said a senior doctor treating
Covid-19 patients in a private
hospital on condition of ano-
nymity.
EMERGENCY USE
MEANS EVERY PATIENT
MUST GIVE HIS OR HER
INFORMED CONSENT
BEFORE STARTING
TREATMENT
06 hindustantimes SUN DAY HIN DUSTA N TIMES, N EW D E LHI
J UN E 2 1 , 2 02 0

HTSPOTLIGHT LAC STANDOFF

Army amends rules to give After clash, experiment

soldiers ‘freedom of action’ in engagement will stop
n RKS Bhadauria BEYOND
AT THE LAC The commanders will no longer be bound by restrictions on the use of firearms THE NEWS

Rahul Singh
letters@hindustantimes.com
agreements between the two
countries -- a remark that came in
Fully prepared for PRAMIT PAL CHAUDHURI
any contingency,
n

response to a question from Con-

O
NEWDELHI:A significant change in gress leader Rahul Gandhi on ver the past seven years,
rules of engagement (ROE) by the
Indian Army following the Gal-
wan Valley skirmish that left 20
whether the Indian soldiers were
sent in “unarmed”.
“Let us get the facts straight.
says air force chief Xi Jinping has repeat-
edly told Indian leaders
he wants a different and
Indian soldiers dead gives “com- All troops on border duty always HT Correspondent better relationship with India.
plete freedom of action” to com- carry arms, especially when leav- n letters@hindustantimes.com New Delhi was baffled that
manders deployed along the con- ing post. Those at Galwan on 15 events on the ground seemed to
tested Line of Actual Control June did so. [It is a] longstanding HYDERABAD: India is not expecting belie the Chinese leader’s pro- n Chinese President Xi Jinping with PM Narendra Modi at the G20
(LAC) to “handle situations at the practice (as per 1996 & 2005 agree- a war with China on the border nouncements. It is assumed Gal- Summit in China on September 4, 2016. REUTERS FILE
tactical level,” two senior officers ments) not to use firearms during issue, but it is fully prepared to wan Valley marks the end of any
said on Saturday on condition of faceoffs,” external affairs minis- meet any contingency arising belief Beijing genuinely seeks a dian track two events. And then there was Xi and his
anonymity. ter S Jaishankar tweeted. out of the conflict on the Line of “new paradigm” in the bilateral However, evidence of Xi’s rhe- repeated assurances. There
The commanders will no The border agreements from Actual Control (LAC), Air Chief relationship. toric translating into action on were elements in the Chinese
longer be bound by restrictions 1996 and 2005 between India and Marshal RKS Bhadauria said in Xi first signalled his interest the ground was scanty. China system, notably the military and
on the use of firearms and will n An official at a checkpoint near Ladakh on June 17. WASEEM ANDRABI/HT China disallow the use of fire- Hyderabad on Saturday. in 2013 when he met then Prime opened the door to SCO member- intelligence services, known to
have full authority to respond to arms during face-offs. Article 6 of The Indian Air Force (IAF) Minister Manmohan Singh at ship, but blocked India joining be deeply hostile to India. Senior
“extraordinary situations” using diplomatic means. “Two violent clashes took the agreement on confidence- chief said India will always be the BRICS summit in South the Nuclear Suppliers Group. Indian officials say New Delhi
all the resources at their disposal, “With the changes in the ROE, place in Pangong Tso (May 5-6) building measures in the military prepared to defend its territo- Africa. Next year, he told the The two sparred for influence in hypothesized Xi was receiving
said an officers cited above. there’s nothing that limits the and Galwan Valley (around mid- field along the LAC, signed by ries. His remarks came against incoming Indian ambassador Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Yet, negative inputs from them. After
The ROE were amended after ability of Indian commanders to May) before the June 15 skirmish India and China in November the backdrop of the biggest con- Ashok Kantha, he saw improv- Xi kept expressing a desire for all, India had led the campaign
Indian and Chinese soldiers take whatever action they deem in eastern Ladakh. On all occa- 1996, states that both sides will frontation with China in decades ing ties as a “historic mission” what another ex-Indian ambas- against the Belt Road Initiative,
engaged in their first deadly con- necessary on the LAC. ROE have sions, they came in huge num- not open fire or “conduct blast in which 20 soldiers, including a and saw the two working sador to China, Gautam Bamba- the Quad had been revived and
flict in 45 years in Galwan Valley been amended to address the bru- bers and assaulted our troops operations or hunt with guns or colonel, were killed in the Gal- together on global issues. Says wale, called the “new paradigm” there was always Pakistan.
on June 15, resulting in 20 Indian tal tactics being employed by Chi- with iron roads and nail-studded explosives within two kilometers wan valley on June 15. Kantha, “Unusually, Xi person- in relations. Whether relations Seeking an out-of-the-box solu-
deaths and several Chinese casu- nese troops,” said the second offi- clubs. Our troops fought back from the Line of Actual Control”. “It should be very clear that ally took charge of the India pol- were half full or half empty was tion, India came up with the idea
alties. cer cited above. fearlessly but the ROE had to be “Since soldiers are allowed to we are well-prepared and suita- icy. When the foreign minister not always easy to determine of an informal summit. Don’t
In his remarks during an all- Changes in ROE were immi- revisited,” he said. carry weapons while patrolling bly deployed to respond to any visited India he was given the given the underlying rivalry seek quick fixes for the intracta-
party meeting on Friday, Prime nent after a series of violent The government said on LAC, it is inherent that they can contingency. I assure the nation additional title of Xi’s special between the two countries. The ble, like the border and trade
Minister Narendra Modi said the clashes along the border, with the Thursday that soldiers involved use firearms in unprecedented that we are determined to deliver emissary.” Doklam border crisis nearly issues. Instead, let Modi and Xi
army had been given the freedom army finally deciding not to in the June 15 clash with Chinese situations like the attack in Gal- and will never let the sacrifice of The Chinese leader asked to shuttered the attempts at rap- meet for several hours and,
to take necessary steps along the restrict the scope of response of troops were carrying weapons wan Valley,” said former North- our braves of Galwan go in vain,” become the first foreign leader to prochement. But there was room importantly, without bureau-
border and India had conveyed its soldiers after the June 15 and ammunition but did not open ern Army commander Lieuten- he said, addressing 123 newly meet the newly elected Narendra for interpretation. China’s cratic filters. There was no ques-
its position (to China) through clash, the second officer said. fire as they were following border ant General BS Jaswal (retd). graduated IAF cadets, including Modi. A military confrontation incursion was into Bhutanese tion of being friends, but at least
19 women cadets, at the Air in Ladakh took place the day the territory and not covered by an attempt could be made to
Force Academy at Dundigal. visit began. Xi told Modi he had existing Sino-Indian border build trust at the highest level.

Pompeo says China ‘rogue actor’ in region He also interacted with

reporters after reviewing the
combined graduation parade.
no knowledge of the event. Bei-
jing, through various channels,
later sent word rogue elements
agreements. Had they miscalcu-
lated? After the incident, the
local PLA commander simply
“Bonhomie at the top sends sig-
nals down the system and things
tend to go more smoothly down
Bhadauria said the air force, for in the military were to blame. disappeared. below,” said Bambawale.
Yashwant Raj “If it was, we might think differ- nam, the coercion on Australia – tactical reasons, cannot disclose This was not impossible. Xi was Why did India persist for so The blood shed in Galwan
n letters@hindustantimes.com ently about it. It impacts us all. “ when they had the audacity to where and how the deployments in the midst of a brutal purge of long? New Delhi wanted to build Valley has effectively ended this
The top US diplomat was par- demand that there would be an will be made. “We know what the People’s Liberation Army on the “peace and tranquillity” experiment in engagement. Mul-
WASHINGTON:US Secretary of State ticipating in a virtual conference investigation of how this virus their (Chinese) fields are. We officer corps. The local com- agreements that stretched back tiple intrusions ranging across
Michael Pompeo has blamed of the Copenhagen Democracy got from Wuhan to Milan, how know what their air fields are, mander in Ladakh was subse- to 1993. “We were hoping for a the entire Himalayan frontier
China for escalating tensions Summit on Friday. this virus got from Wuhan to Teh- where they are deployed, what quently removed. kind of calm in the relationship would require the PLA’s western
along the border with India and Pompeo went on to say, “What ran, how this virus got from are the operational bases,” he The honeymoon of possibility that would keep the border quiet theatre command to have been
called it a “rogue actor” in the I spent a good deal of my time Wuhan to Oklahoma City, and to said. continued through 2015. Even and allow the rest of it, econom- involved. Say Indian officials
neighbourhood, and indicated he speaking with Yang Jiechi about Belgium and to Spain, and deci- Replying to a query on his though “relations took a dip in ics, tourism and so on, to flour- these are senior officers who
may have raised the dispute and n Mike Pompeo was the fundamental idea that mating the global economy.” assessment of the LAC situation, 2016-17” says Kantha, Xi never ish,” says Bambawale. A stable would have not moved without
other such flashpoints in his we’re just watching actions. It’s The readout issued of the meet- he said the army was in full con- changed his tune about the rela- China relationship would have Xi’s okay. It may never be known
meeting with his Chinese coun- “And we watch as it militarises no longer enough to listen to what ing by the state department did trol of the situation at Galwan tionship. He spoke of changing been an enormous diplomatic whether Xi was genuine about
terpart, Yang Jiechi, earlier in the South China Sea and illegally the Chinese Communist Party is not have such granular details. valley. Bhadauria said: “You are relations in over a dozen meet- gain for India, a prize well worth changing the relationship and
the week. claims more territory there, saying. We can see their actions. But, again, it was not explicit aware of the talks that are hap- ings with Modi, ranging from the many efforts. False starts and changed tack later or whether he
“The PLA has escalated border threatening vital sea lanes, a I ticked through a few of them: from Pompeo’s remarks at the pening at the military level...but G-20 summit in Germany to the dead ends are common in diplo- simply was spinning a web of
tensions – we see it today in India, promise they broke again” Hong Kong, Tibet, Xinjiang, what virtual conference if he did we are prepared for any contin- Shanghai Cooperation Organi- macy. There was also a concern illusion from the start. Either
the world’s most popular – popu- “But the CCP isn’t just a rogue they’re doing in India, what indeed bring up the India-China gency.” sation meeting in Kazakhstan. A problems between the two coun- way, a new paradigm in Sino-In-
lous democracy,” Pompeo said actor in its own neighbourhood,” they’ve done in the economic border clashes specifically or in a At the same time, he said all message of a glorious future tries were “accumulating”, says dian relations has begun but not
referring to the People’s Libera- he added, referring this time to zones along the Philippines and general way, covering all of efforts are being made to resolve together was echoed at diplo- Kantha. “Problems were build- of the variety New Delhi had
tion Army, the Chinese military. the Chinese Communist Party. Malaysia and Indonesia and Viet- China’s aggressive actions. the situation peacefully. matic levels and even at Sino-In- ing up,” agrees Bambawale. hoped for.

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but cautions that war should be n VK Singh
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MINOR FOREST PRODUCE PROCESSING & mÙkj çns'k
the last resort.
Asked what would be an apt many means available.”
RESEARCH CENTRE (MFP-PARC) response to the Chinese aggres- Singh’s comments come in the
(An ISO 9001:2015, EMS 14001:2015 & GMP Certified Unit) sion, Singh said in an interview: backdrop of outrage over the
Van Parisar, Barkheda Pathani, Bhopal - 462021 (M.P.) Municipal Corporation, Kota (North/South) “If you’re going to tell about the June 15 skirmish, in which Chi-
UNIT OF M.P. STATE MFP CO-OPERATIVE FEDERATION LTD., BHOPAL response now, then the response nese troops attacked Indian
(An undertaking Govt. of M.P. Co-operative) Rajeev Gandhi Bhawan, Dusshera Ground, Kota-324006
Email: nnkota@gmail.com, Website: www.kotamc.org is of no use whatsoever. I am sure troops. Singh said the situation
Tel. : (0755) 2970629, 2970630, Fax : (0755) 2970629
Ph: 0744-2500197 the required people have been was in control of Indian troops.
Visit at : www.vindhyaherbals.com, E-mail : mfpparc@gmail.com
S.No.: NNK/2020/GARAGE/588-601 Date: 19.06.2020 tasked to think of what can be “There are no intrusions. There
MFP-PARC/NIT/IA/2020/638 Date : 19.06.2020
CORRIGENDUM-V done, what cannot be done and are transgressions, not intru-
NOTICE INVITING TENDER FOR APPOINTMENT OF E-Tender Notice No. 52/2019-20 and e-tender Addendum NNK/ what measures have to be taken.” sions,” he said.
ZONAL INSTITUTIONAL AGENCY (Multiple States) Garage/2020/1743-49 was issued by Municipal Corporation Kota on 03.06.2020 “In the melee where there are On the May confrontation in
on behalf of Kota Smart City Ltd. Revised E-Tender time Schedule are as over 600 people just jostling, scuf- Pangong Tso, he said: “ ... this is
The Minor Forest Produce Processing & Research Centre follows which can be kindly seen for reference on www.sppp.raj.nic.in, http:// fling, pushing and hitting each not just a yearly feature, but hap-
(MFP-PARC), Barkheda Pathani, Bhopal is a unit of M.P. State eproc.rajasthan.gov.in, kotamc.org other and in a dark night some pens in the summer and some-
MFP Co-operative Federation Ltd. Bhopal, a Govt. of M.P. S.No. Particular Before After people got separated; their people times in the winter also...the only
Co-operative undertaking, engaged in manufacturing and 1 Period of on line availability/ 17.03.2020 to 17.03.2020 to
on our side and our people on difference this time is that the
supply of Ayurvedic Medicines & Herbal Products under the receiving of bidding Documents 22.06.2020 07.07.2020 their side. But in the morning transgression has involved a cer-
brand name of Vindhya Herbals. (start/End Date) (upto 6.00 PM) (upto 6.00 PM) they were exchanged.” tain amount of stealth ...they’ve
We invite online tender bid for appointing ZONAL 2 Submission of Original Banker’s 23.06.2020 08.07.2020 Singh added: “The first thing done things which they have
Cheque/Demand Draft for Bid (upto 2.00 PM) (upto 2.00 PM) that has been given out is to boy- never done earlier.” Singh said
INSTITUTIONAL AGENCY (MULTIPLE STATES & MADHYA
Document cost, bid security, cott Chinese goods, let’s start subsequent negotiations centred
PRADESH) for Government/Institutional supply of Ayurvedic Bid Processing Fee & Other with this. Let’s hurt them eco- on wherever there have been
Medicines. documents listed herein after nomically... War and use of force transgressions such as Patrol
The tender documents will be available on https:// 3 Date & Time opening of tender 23.06.2020 08.07.2020
DISTRICT POLICE HEADQUARTERS
is the last resort always and every Point 14 where “they said LAC is
mptenders.gov.in from 25.06.2020 (1700 hrs.) The Tender Technical bid (4.00 PM) (4.00 PM) time. When all other means fail not this way but is a different
Document may also be downloaded from our website : KULGAM (J&K) KASHMIR The remaining conditions will remain the same. Sd/- then you resort to this. There are way”.
www.vindhyaherbals.com for reference purpose only. The Phone/Fax No-01931260253 Commissioner
email: dpokulgam@jkpolice.gov.in Municipal Corporation, Kota
last date of online bid submission is 10.07.2020 up to 1700
hrs.
M.P. Madhyam/97686/2020 CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
e-Tender No. 02 of 2020 Dated: 17.06.2020
Subject:- e-tendering for supply of defense material, Building
Chinese app pulls down
material and stores
For and on behalf of Lt. Governor of J&K Union Territory, Superintendent
of Police Kulgam invites e-tenders from suppliers/authorized dealers,
India’s posts on conflict
registered firms and manufactures for supply of defense material, Sutirtho Patranobis by the MEA spokesperson, the
building material and stores. n letters@hindustantimes.com pop-up message read: “Unable to
view this content because it vio-
1. The NIT consisting of qualifying information, eligibility criteria, BEIJING:Chinese social media app, lates regulations”. The regula-
specifications, bill of quantities (B.O.Q), set of terms and conditions WeChat, has removed posts of the tions included: “endangers
of contract and other details can be seen/downloaded from the Govt. Embassy of India (EoI) regarding national security, divulges state
website www.jktenders.gov.in from 19.06.2020 (1000 hrs.). the India-China border conflict. secrets, subverts state power, or
2. The bidders shall deposit their bids in electronic format on the above It has cited “endangering undermines national unity...”.
website from 19.06.2020 (1000 hrs.) to 29.06.2020 (1600 hrs.). national security” and “divulg- This has come a day after a
ing state secrets” as the reasons similar statement by the MEA
3. The bid uploaded on the web Site up to due date and time will be for the removal of the posts. spokesperson was deleted from
opened on 30.06.2020 (1100 Hrs.) or any other convenient date in the The EoI posts included Prime the Embassy’s Weibo account.
office of SP Kulgam. Minister Narendra Modi’s The Embassy had then issued a
4. The intending bidders should keep a check on bid website for any remarks on the India-China bor- clarification saying that the post
change in quantity/quality/specifications/terms and conditions, if any. der situation, details of a phone wasn’t removed by it. Weibo is a
call between the Indian and Chi- Chinese microblogging website.
5. The Tenders should be accompanied with CDR worth Rs. 100000/- nese foreign ministers held on While the statements on
(Rupees One Lac only), cost of Tender documents worth Rs. 3000/- Thursday and a statement by the WeChat were issued in English
pledged to Accounts officer District Police Kulgam. external affairs ministry (MEA) and Mandarin, the EoI’s Weibo
Sd/- spokesperson. account uploaded the MEA’s ver-
No. Acctts/E-tender/2020/23299-304 (Gurinderpal Singh-IPS) For two of the posts, a pop-up sion of the events at the border in
Dated: 17.06.2020 Superintendent of Police window said that the posts were eastern Ladakh, in Chinese.
DIPK-NB-822/20 District Kulgam “deleted by the author”. For the WeChat is yet to respond to
third post, which was a statement queries from HT on the issue.
SUN DAY H IN DUSTA N T IMES, N EW D E LH I
J UN E 2 1 , 2 02 0 hindustantimes 07
HTSPOTLIGHT LAC STANDOFF

India rejects China’s PLA commander common in standoffs

Galwan Valley claim
DISPUTE MEA says violent clash was triggered by Chinese actions
Rezaul H Laskar
letters@hindustantimes.com
n
NEWDELHI:India again rejected on
Saturday China’s claim on Gal-
wan Valley in Ladakh and reiter-
ated the violent clash of June 15
was triggered by Chinese efforts
to build structures on the Indian
side of the Line of Actual Control.
The external affairs ministry
dismissed claims made by
China’s foreign ministry in a
statement issued late on Friday
night regarding both sovereignty
over Galwan Valley and the gene-
sis of the clash on Monday night
that left 20 Indian soldiers dead.
External affairs ministry
spokesperson Anurag Srivastava
said the position with regard to
Galwan Valley was “historically
clear”. He added, “Attempts by
the Chinese side to now advance
exaggerated and untenable
claims with regard to LAC were
are not acceptable. They are not
in accordance with China’s own
position in the past.”
Srivastava further said that
n An Army convoy on its way to Ladakh, June 18.
Wang Yi on June 17, external
affairs minister S Jaishankar had
conveyed India’s strong protest
on “the events leading up to and
on the violent face-off” on June
15. “He firmly rejected the
unfounded allegations made by
the Chinese side and the misrep-
resentation of the understand-
WASEEM ANDRABI/HT PHOTO
In mid-May, the Chinese side
“attempted to transgress the LAC
in other areas of the Western Sec-
tor” of border areas and these
attempts were “invariably met
with an appropriate response”
from the Indian side. The two
sides then engaged in discussions
through diplomatic and military
BEYOND THE
NEWS
SHISHIR GUPTA
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
NEW DELHI: Some time after Presi-
dent Xi Jinping landed in Ahmed-
abad on September 17, 2014,
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
broached the intrusion by Chi-
nese troops in Ladakh’s Chumar.
Modi asked President Xi to call
back the People’s Liberation
Army (PLA) soldiers or he would
have to assume that the intrusion
was with his knowledge.
Modi broached the subject
again the next day, this time in
Delhi. There had been no change
in the ground situation in Chu-
mar, a remote corner of the dry
desert plateau of the western
Himalayas. President Xi said he
was “sad” that tensions between
the armies had “cast a shadow”
on his visit. The PLA backed
down after President Xi wrapped
up his India visit and reached Bei-
jing.
The Doklam stand-off hap-
pened three years later, when
Haryana annuls
Indian soldiers stopped the Chi-
nese from building a road into the
Doklam bowl. This would have
allowed the Chinese military to
move vehicles in South Doklam
towards the Jampheri ridge that
overlooks the Siliguri corridor.
Quite like Chumar, the
Doklam standoff had been initi-
ated by local commanders and
was escalated to top military
commanders. It ended eventually
73 days later after Modi flagged it
to Xi.
Both leaders agreed that the
standoff was not in the interests
of the two nations, setting up the
ground for thawing of the freeze
in the relationship that led to a
withdrawal from both sides.
And this is how, by all
accounts, the Ladakh standoff is
different from the ones in the
past.
There is one common denomi-
nator in the Doklam and Ladakh
standoffs, though: General Zhao
Zongqi, the PLA’s Western Thea-
tre Command’s big boss.
“Our understanding is that the
Ladakh standoff was driven from
the top, unlike the previous two
standoffs,” a senior government
official familiar with the develop-
SHAH HITS BACK
GENERAL BEHIND SKIRMISHES
Common fact: Doklam and Ladakh standoffs
General Zhao Zongqi is
the PLA’s Western
Theatre Commander.
Gen Zhao, who has cultivated the
reputation of being ruthless, joined
the military when he was 15 and has
consistently been moved up the
ladder.
The veteran of several wars has
served 20 years in the Tibet
Military District and is familiar
with the Line of Actual Control
under this district that includes the
trijunction Bhutan-India-Tibet where
the Doklam standoff took place.
ments told Hindustan Times. For
one, because the standoff was
preceded by violent scuffles in
two military districts before the
bloody face-off on June 15.
The first was a violent clash on
May 5-6 between Indian and Chi-
nese patrols on the northern
bank of Ladakh’s Pangong Tso.
Scores of soldiers -- from the
Indian side and PLA’s Xinjiang
Gen Zhao, who was stationed as
commander of the 52nd Mountain
Infantry Brigade, in 1992, focused
on strengthening Tibetan border
posts. By the time he was out of
the Tibet Military Region in 2003,
he had moved up as a Major
General.
The 2016
restructuring of the
PLA brought the
entire Indian border
under one command
and not two as
before.
military district -- were injured in
the skirmish involving 250 men.
A few days later, a second clash
took place on May 9 when a
heated confrontation between
Indian and PLA soldiers from the
Tibet military district in north
Sikkim’s Naku La area again led
to violence. Four Indian and
seven Chinese soldiers were
injured during the face-off
involving 150 soldiers.
The third, on June 15, was the
bloodiest and led to the first casu-
alties along the LAC in 45 years.
It is only at the level of the top
commander that PLA soldiers
under different military districts
-- the Tibet and Xinjiang military
districts -- would have responded
with such striking similarity, an
official said, referring to the skir-
mishes between soldiers in Sik-
kim and Ladakh in May.
Both military districts report
to Gen Zhao, who is believed to be
directing much of the action
along the Line of Actual Control.
Officials, however, indicate that
it was unlikely that Gen Zhao,
who is not part of the Central Mil-
itary Commission but has Presi-
dent Xi’s ears, would be acting on
his own.
This would explain, a diplomat
said, why the Chinese army
appeared to be taking steps to pro-
long the standoff even after the
foreign ministers of the two coun-
tries agreed to implement the
understanding reached between
top army officers on June 6 on
de-escalation of troops from both
sides. Or why the June 15 violent
scrap still took place.

the brawl of June 15 was the

result of “violent actions” by Chi-
nese troops after they were pre-
vented by Indian soldiers from
building structures on the Indian
side of the LAC. He noted senior
military commanders of the two
sides had agreed during a meet-
ing on June 6 on a process for
de-escalation and disengagement
along the LAC that “involved
reciprocal actions”.
“Both sides had agreed to
respect and abide by the LAC and
not undertake any activity to
alter the status quo. However, the
Chinese side departed from these
understandings in respect of the
LAC in the Galwan Valley area
and sought to erect structures
just across the LAC. When this
attempt was foiled, Chinese
troops took violent actions on
June 15, 2020 that directly
resulted in casualties,” he said.
People familiar with develop-
ments said the term “just across
the LAC” meant an intrusion into
the Indian side of the disputed
border but not at great depth.
During his phone conversa-
tion with his Chinese counterpart
ings reached between the senior
[military] commanders. [Jais-
hankar] also underlined that it
was for China to reassess its
actions and take corrective
steps,” Srivastava said.
“We expect that the Chinese
side will sincerely follow the
understanding reached between
the foreign ministers to ensure
peace and tranquillity in the bor-
der areas, which is so essential for
the overall development of our
bilateral relations,” he added.
The spokesperson reiterated
that Indian troops scrupulously
abide by the alignment of the LAC
in all sectors, including in Gal-
wan Valley, and the Indian side
has “never undertaken any
actions across the LAC”. He
added Indian troops “have been
patrolling” Galwan Valley for a
long time without any incident.
However, Srivastava said that
since early May, the Chinese side
had hindered India’s normal and
traditional patrolling pattern in
Galwan Valley and this resulted
in a face-off that was addressed by
ground commanders in line with
bilateral agreements.
channels to address the situation.
Late on Friday, China claimed
Galwan Valley was on the Chi-
nese side of the LAC and had been
patrolled by its troops for “many
years”.
The claim was made in what
was described as a “step by step
account of the Galwan clash” by
Chinese foreign ministry spokes-
person Zhao Lijian.
China’s People’s Liberation
Army’s (PLA) western command
had in a statement issued on
Tuesday initially claimed the
region, saying: “The sovereignty
of the Galwan River Valley has
always been ours.”
On Thursday, Srivastava had
dismissed the PLA’s claim as
“exaggerated and untenable”.
Air Vice Marshal (retired)
Manmohan Bahadur, additional
director general of the Centre for
Air Power Studies said: “There
was never any question about the
Galwan Valley and China’s claim
on this region is untenable. There
was no Chinese activity in the
area, or we would have been
briefed accordingly. It was well
inside our side of the LAC.”
tenders of two
Chinese firms
Hitender Rao
n hrao@hindustantimes.com
CHANDIGARH: The BJP-led Hary-
ana government has decided to
effect a trade ban on Chinese com-
panies by annulling two tenders
for installation of flue gas desul-
phurisation (FGD) systems, a pol-
lution controlling measure, at its
thermal power plants at Hisar
and Yamunanagar. The projects
carried a financial implication of
about ~780 crore.
Top officials familiar with the
matter said the lowest bidder for
both the tenders were Chinese
firms for the Hisar plant. The pri-
ces quoted by the Chinese bidders
were very competitive, they said.
“We are going for a fresh tender
with changed conditions. Only
companies registered in India
will be eligible to participate as
per terms and conditions of new
tender,’’ said a top official.
Rahul says PM surrendered Galwan Valley
HT Correspondent
n letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: The war of words
between the opposition and the
ruling Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP) over the border standoff
with China in the Galwan valley
in eastern Ladakh escalated on
Saturday with former Congress
chief Rahul Gandhi alleging that
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
had surrendered Indian territory
to Chinese aggression.
Union home minister Amit
Shah soon hit back at Gandhi,
advising him to rise above “petty
politics” and stand in solidarity
with national interest at a time
when the whole nation is united.
Gandhi’s remarks came a day
after the Prime Minister stated
that no intruder remained in
India’s territory nor had any of its
posts been captured.
“PM has surrendered Indian
territory to Chinese aggression. If
the land was Chinese: 1.Why
were our soldiers killed? 2. Where
were they killed?” he tweeted.
Gandhi also tagged the Prime
Minister’s remarks, made at Fri-
day’s all-party meeting called to
discuss the situation at the India-
China border following violent
clashes between troops of the two
countries on June 15 in which 20
Indian soldiers were killed.
It was the first time since 1975
that India suffered combat fatali-
ties in a skirmish with Chinese
troops. Ten Indian soldiers
detained by the Chinese side dur-
ing the violent brawl of June 15
were later released after intense
negotiations through diplomatic
and military channels.
Union home minister Amit
Shah on Saturday hit back at
former Congress president Rahul
Gandhi over his statement.
Putting a video of the father of
an injured army man on his Twit-
ter account, Shah said, “A brave
armyman’s father speaks and he
has a very clear message for Mr
Gandhi. At a time when the entire
nation is united, Mr Rahul Gan-
dhi should also rise above petty
politics and stand in solidarity
with national interest.”
Later in the day, senior Con-
gress leader and former finance
minister P Chidambaram asked
the government to clarify its posi-
tion. “The Prime Minister’s
remark that no outsider was
inside Indian territory in Ladakh
had practically left everyone baf-
fled and bewildered,” he said.
Addressing a virtual news con-
ference, Chidambaram said the
PM’s remarks contradicted the
earlier statements of army chief
General MM Naravane, defence
minister Rajnath Singh and
external affairs minister S Jais-
hankar.
He said even after the PM’s
statement on Friday, China had
blamed India for the June 15
clashes and re-asserted its claim
to the entire Galwan Valley.
“What is the government’s
answer to this claim? Now that
China is claiming the entire Gal-
wan Valley, will the government
of India reject this claim? If it does
not reject the Chinese claim
today, it can have terrible conse-
quences,” he said.
BJP chief JP Nadda also hit out
at the Congress, alleging that its
leaders were demoralising the
Indian army. “When we are fight-
ing in Galwan, a leader is damag-
ing the morale of forces with his
tweets...,” he said.
Samajwadi Party president
and former Uttar Pradesh chief
minister Akhilesh Yadav said
while the nation stands with the
government the people must be
told the truth about the clash.
“The nation stands with the
govt against Chinese incursions.
But was the incident in which our
soldiers were martyred an incur-
sion? If not then why did MEA ask
for status quo ante? Is the Galwan
Valley Indian or not? We do not
need clarifications,” he tweeted.

Government of India
Yoga for Harmony & Peace
Ministry of AYUSH

“ Yoga is good for community, immunity and unity. In the midst of

Corona crisis, Yoga has assumed even greater importance as it
helps strengthen the respiratory system.”
Narendra Modi
21st June 2020 Prime Minister

International Day of Yoga (IDY)

TToday,
oday, from your home, join this global pursuit of
health and well-being.
Stand together in solidarity with the rest of the world at 7am today
by joining the harmonious performance of Yoga from your home.

# MY
POSTGRADUATE INSTITUTE OF MEDICAL LIFE
EDUCATION & RESEARCH CHANDIGARH MY
F.4118/Advt./AO/AIIMS/EI(2)-PGI-2020 Dated: 20.06.2020
YOGA
NOTICE
It is proposed to fill up 01 post of Administrative Officer on deputation basis for AIIMS
Bathinda (Punjab) & Bilaspur (Himachal Pradesh) each in the pay scale of Level 10 as per
7th CPC at PGIMER, Chandigarh having following qualification/experience:
“Officers under the Central/State Govt./U.T. Administration of the Central Statutory/
Autonomous Bodies holding analogous posts on regular basis or with at least 3/5 years of
regular service in the post in the pay scale of Grade Pay of Rs. 4800/-/Rs. 4600 (further
revised to “Level-8/Level-7” in the 7th CPC) or equivalent respectively and having a degree
and experience in administration and establishment matters and also preferably account
matters. Officers having M.B.A or Postgraduate Diploma in Personnel Management shall
be given preference.” (The period of deputation shall not ordinarily exceed three years).
The application duly filled by the applicant on the prescribed performa may be sent to the
Director, PGIMER, Chandigarh through the Head of the Department/Institution/Organization
by 21.07.2020 along with their ACR/APARs for the last five years and a certificate that no
davp 17201/13/0004/2021

departmental/disciplinary proceedings are pending/being contemplated against the officer.

Incomplete applications and the applications received after due date will be summarily
#
rejected. JEEVAN
000405 DIRECTOR
YOGA

For guidance on harmonious performance of Yoga based on Common Yoga Protocol

tune into any of the following channels of Doordarshan at 6:15am today:
DD National, DD News, DD Bharati, DD India, DD Urdu, DD Sports, DD Kisan,
all Regional Languages Satellite Services (RLSS) Channels & all Regional Kendras
You may also join live on the Facebook handle of
the Ministry of AYUSH- facebook.com/moayush/

For more details about IDY- 2020 and CYP, check out: www.yoga.ayush.gov.in/yoga/
www.ayush.gov.in www.un.org/en/observances/yoga-day
https://www.facebook.com/moayush https://twitter.com/moayush

TO BOOK YOUR AD CALL SEVEN DAYS A WEEK
PROPERTY
GURUGRAM
DLF - SUSHANT LOK
INDUSTRIAL PLOTS /Sheds/bldg
Udyog Vihar, IMT - Manesar, Bawal,
Info/Pace City, SEC 32,34,44, Ansal
Bilaspur Also Land For Warehousing
Urban 9810010681, 9810918876.
RESIDENTIAL / Pre-Rented-DLF
Magnolias, DLF Crest, M3M Golf Est-
ate, Caitriona, Palm Springs, Veran-
das, Pinnacle. Pre-Rented - 5.5% to
8.5% Return. Call 96543-00006
CORNER 2 Side Open Kothi DLF 2-
300yd 5BHK Duplex Renovated
Nicely Located 6-7 Car Prkg, 100%
PB, Near by NH8, market, Malls, Best
Price. 9718511207,9313556669
INDEPENDENT SEMI Furnished
House with 3 Floors, Stilt parking &
B'ment, 3 bedrooms attach bath on
Each floor for sale in Sushantlok-2
prime loc. # Cosmos: 9810001682
SL2 ( Golf Crs Rd) 500 yd, ultra
luxury 4bhk approx 3000sft buil-
der floors with additional work
from home (WFH) office. 2 cr on-
wards. Comm 2%. 9810011187
SOUTH DELHI
FARM HOUSE DLF Chatarpur
Ready to Move For Sale 1 & 3 Acre
& 1900 Sq. Yard Deramandi Main
Road 2.5 Acre. Please Call
9811866076 Sai Estate
D'CENT SPACIOUS residential
properties for sale. new & resale
proper price posh colonies in
Delhi NCR easy finance.
Rajyog Realtors 9990138423
GREEN PARK (240 sq.yds) Corner,
Ready, P'ful Loc, New Super Luxury
floors, GF-3BHK, FF-3BHK, SF+TF
4Bhk Duplx, Sep. gate, stilt parking.
F'hold, Nr deer park. # 9811812355
ANAND NIKETAN, 263 sq yards
available in Original Booking Third
flr 3Bedroom d/d with exclusive Ter-
race,Stilt Parking. Salwan Real Esta-
te Pvt Ltd:9810062871,9810063891
Vasant Vihar
A Block – 400
Best Location
Wide Road
Park Facing
Third Floor
with Terrace
Original Booking
Windchimes Constructions
9810014771, 9810019279
1800 103 1800
SOUTH DELHI
PANSHEEL ENCLAVE 265
yds Entire floor 3 beds d/d lounge
qtr.2pkg.lift east park facing 7star
const with CC peaceful loc ready
Pavneet 9811036030 9999926224
C BLOCK Vasant Vihar -
600 - Ready First Floor, 4 Bed,
D/d, Immediate Sale Rajesh
9810014771, Amrit 9810019279.
OKHLA, MOHAN Coop. Lease/Sale
/Rented/ Warehouse/Service Centre
/Plot/Sale Okhla 400/600/1200yd
Reasonable Price. Manral & Associ-
ates. 9810073960, 9899424066
VASANT VIHAR 800 Basement
+GF 600 TF+T. 400 TF+T. 250 Base-
ment +GF, West End 500 FF, Anand
Niketan 1000 TF+T. Shanti Niketan
1200 TF+T. # Tara 9899755500
ANAND NIKETAN, 200 sq yards,
Park facing,Third Flr,3 Bed D/D with
Terrace also First Floor, 3 bedroom
D/D,Stilt Parking. Salwan Real Esta-
te Pvt Ltd: 9810062871,9810063891
GK-II FF new 3BR,Sq,Lift,stilt, 3.10
CR Park 160y Bas+GF Freehold 2.10
CRPrk 1125ft GF mn rd comrcil 3.50
Shop CR Prk GF200ft+toilet sell/rent
Bahl.sons:9810017982, 9810364472
JOR BAGH Ground Floor 2Bed-
rooms with Drawing Dining and Park
Facing Flat For Sale @ 5Cr. Excellent
Location. Rishabh Bajaj 9810526380
Rahul Yadav 9990866669
FARM HOUSE: 1 Acre, 2.5, 5 &
Above.1000,2000Yds at Westend
Green, Vasant Kunj, Sultanpur,
Gadaipur, DLF Chattarpur, Mandi.
Ravi Bhatnagar: 9810081507.
GREATER KAILASH 1000
Sq Yards - Basement & Ground
Floor, Five Bed, D/d Rajesh
9810014771, Amrit 9810019279.
FRIENDS COLONY 233 -
Basement & Ground Floor,
3 Bed, D/d Rajesh 9810014771,
Amrit 9810019279.
FARIDABAD
COMMER/ SCO Crnr Constructed
Plot 253y, 45 & 24 mtr Rd, Sec-83
BPTP Faridabad @1.65 Cr. Also
Commer/ Indl in Dhaulana, Gzb
@ 6000 p.sq.yd # 9968246753.
NORTH DELHI
DESPERATE DEALS Value for
Money 140-4000yd Civil Line/BD
Estate/Roop Ngr/Otrm/Hdsn/Model
Twn & around. Deals family settlem-
ent deals/collaboration 9873255806
FARMS
or e-mail : ad.booking@hindustantimes.com
APPROVED 1 TO 5 ACRES
GADAIPUR
JONAPUR
DLF CHATTARPUR
SUKHBIR SHOKEEN
SHOKEEN
REAL ESTATE PVT. LTD. (SINCE
9810108263
WE HAVE NO BRANCH.
NOIDA/GREATER NOIDA
ADJOINING PLOTS 450 Sq. Mtrs
each, 12 Mtr Wide Road, Sector-71,
Noida For Sale. Contact Owner:
8810501184.
NEWLY OWNER built 200sq mtr.
House, Sec-122 Noida. 3 floors,
3 side glass lift , moduler kitchens,
stilt parking 6 Car, 7bedrooms,
A grade const, Contact 9871186726
TO-LET
EAST DELHI
SPACE AVAILABLE 22000 sqft on
main road East Delhi suitable for
nursing home guest house paying
guest PG & Bank 9810209150,
9310008629
WEST DELHI
FACTORY / Godown/Offices/Ware-
house in Indl./Coml. & Resi. Flr at
Naraina, Mayapuri, Kirti Ngr., Rama
Rd., Shivaji Marg etc. Shivam Prop.
98100-06330, 98731-11900.
CENTRAL DELHI
BARAKHAMBA ROAD, Akash
deep Building,Furnished Office- 2
Cabins, 5 Workstations, Washroom
and Pantry for Lease Area 430 Sq.Ft
Carpet # Owner: 9810781264
SOUTH DELHI
FOR LEASE Saket Office 830 s.ft,
G.F., ABW Rectangle One. Space
for Workstns, 2 Cabin, 1 Conference,
Cent. AC) Good access Select City
Mall, Gurgaon & C.P. 9811015080
E-BLOCK EAST of Kailash, Two
Bedroom Fully Furnished, Kitchen
Loaded, 2 ACs, Lift. Near Metro. 2
Bachelor's (Girls Only) Rent @ 35K.
Contact: Owner: 8448633185
GAUTAM APTS. SFS DDA, GF,
3BHK, 3 Bath,4 AC, modular kitchen,
U/G water tank, all redone, marble
floor. Reserved parking, park facing.
Rent. Cont: Rakeshji 9810078614.
TO LET Shop/Showroom at CR Park,
Main Rd GF 1000 sqft with Pantry &
Toilet behind Desh Bhandhu College
besides Cafe Coffee Day owner +91
9811072870 & 9811051221
ACCOMODATION WANTED
for Foreigners/ Embassy/ MNC-Flats
/ Houses/ Bungalows. Contact: Kajal
9811647035 /Anil MakhiJani
9811047035/45151664/41036873.
VASANT VIHAR & Hauz Khas
furnished - equipped Full 2nd floor
Two BHK with open Terrace on
450sq yd. Plot. Call owner Narang.
# 9810032811, 9810032812
NEW FRIENDS Coly Fully Furn.
Independent Room with att. Kitchen,
Toilet & Terrace. Suitable Single
Working Executive. Owner 99107-
04290, 9810496675, 011-40153129.
TOLET P 7 Hauz Khas first floor,
3 bed attached bath servants room
in 550 sq yds adjacent to park.
9953960826 ,7982255403
FOR RENT 1000 sq. Ft. G.F in
Sunder Nagar Mkt. Delhi. Ideal for
Bank/Showroom/Restra. Cont.
9313250138, 9810055370 mail
pannahandicrafts@hotmail.com
NOIDA/GREATER NOIDA
SECTOR 53 Noida Kanchanjunga
apt lowrise NDA flat 1st floor 1500
super 3BDD, on main gate, facing
green belt elevated road
09811177483
GHAZIABAD
ADJOINING PLOTS 418.06 Sq.
Mtrs each on 120 Ft Road in Chander
Nagar, Ghaziabad. Contact Owner:
8810501184
SOUTH DELHI
FOR RENT/ Lease Vasant Kunj,
RTM, 40,000sq ft, Corner Property,
Space for restaurant & Stores.
lifts, ample parking. Contact:
9899399900, 7678151120
NEETI BAGH DDA Shop No.28,
Size: 9x6 Sq.Ft., 3 Side Corner,
Water, Electricity, Open Ample
Parking, Rent 20K, Contact:
Owner: 8448633185.
WANTED MNC Tenant for Com-
mercial Space, Fully Furnished, 3512
sq.ft, Ground Floor, Grand Frontage,
Salcon Rasvilas, Saket, New Delhi.
# Owner 9871428477, 9810407121
SDA HAUZKHS Vill.Rd.,Metro
2mins.,3Side Parks,4400sq.ft. UG.
Flr. NGO/Diagnstic Cntre/Nursng
Hme / Guest Hse / Coaching /
Vocationl Instt. Ph 9871540056
NEW DELHI, SUNDAY, JUNE 21, 2020
ANSAL SATBARI
SULTANPUR
RADHEY MOHAN
DLF − SUSHANT LOK
RENT FURNISHED New Flat No.
Q2/15 DLF- 2 Gurgaon, First Floor,
3 BHK @ 55K. Call- A K Jain
9811559966 (Pics on Request -
Broker Excuse)
GURUGRAM
OAKWOOD ESTATE Tastefully
Furnished 4 Bedroom with all
Furniture, Gadgets, Wooden
Flooring . Company Lease, Expats
Kohli 9810943939 , 9811155195
TO LET Warehouse for Rent 20000
Sq Yds Bilaspur Pataudi Road Near
Om Shanti. Contact Person- Krishan
Kumar Bhardwaj - 9813910619.
NOIDA/GREATER NOIDA
FOR RENT B 114 Sec. -63 Noida ind.
property Covered area 25 K sq.ft.
feet.Power 150 KVA ,Grnd flr frnsd.
5000 SF.Goods lift one Tons Fully
Ops. fire system,Con. - 9310198089
NOIDA SECTOR 6, Newly Built
Factory /Office Space with Lift,
8000 Sq.ft., 18 Mtr Road, Ready
to Move for Co. Lease/MNC
# 9810285675 # 9810966292
OUTSIDE DELHI
4200 SQUARE yards commercial
land and building with 300 feet
front towards NH-1 Model Town
Ambala City for lease/rent contact
9896358717.
1980)
EDUCATION
ADMISSIONS
CHANGE OF NAME
I, DIVYA, D/o Shri J. D. Prasad R/o
Flat No-59, Kamakshi Apartments,
Plot-28, Sector-6, Dwarka, New
Delhi-75 have changed my name to
Divya Prasad for all purposes.
ON SUNDAY
MATRIMONIALS
GROOMS WANTED
AGARWAL
IAS/ IRS/ Well Settled Industrialist
Match for Beautiful Convent
Educated Aggarwal Girl, 5'4", 96
Born B.Tech (PEC), MBA from
Renowned Institution. Chandigarh
based High profile Industrialist
family. Please mail at
jk.information2020@gmail.com
SM 4 V.b'ful, 39/5'3",Rich, Agwal Girl
MD Radiology, Artemis hospital, Gur-
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logy/IIM/IAS/IRS/IPS/CA. 943704-
0839 jindal_tiya@rediffmail.com
SM4 GOYAL girl M.Com, fair, slim,
Veg. 5'-3"/ 3.11.94/ 6:50 PM,
Yamunanagar, Wkg Yoga teacher,
Sister married. Younger Brother
Dip. Engr at Asian Paints Pune.
Father Non-wkg, Mother House wife.
goyalchirag93@gmail.com
9315618189, 9315312001 (Mama)
BRAHMIN
SLIM, B’FUL 27/5’ Del Based Sr. Br.
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Designing, Astrology. caste no bar .
9416429320
RAJPUT
MATCH FOR beautiful fair
complexioned, Uttarakhand
Rajput girl, 5'-3", age 26, from
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pm. Punjabi/ Khatris can also apply.
Dowry seekers excuse. Contact:
Nara Devi 8700499382,
P.J Sharma 9888283388
PQM4 B'FUL girl 23.01.81 / 5'3"
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khatriya & rajput guys. # 7624822472
SAINI
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in CS IIIT Delhi and boy 24/5'4"
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M: 9312667612, Email:
sainianil8060@gmail.com
FOR ENQUIRY CONTACT:
NRI
PUNJABI
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1987, non manglik, horoscope
match must. Send biodata
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father Business man# 9810823855
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Working as DIR. COMM. IN A Reptd.
Com. Email : shri_ganesh@yahoo.com
09910502618, NCR South Delhi prefd.
DIVORCEE/WIDOW
WANTED A Suitable boy for an
educated girl, Dec 75, having fair
complexion and slim body,
Independent Income, whose
marriage got annulled. Father
leading Chartered Accountant in
Delhi and having properties in
Delhi & Mumbai and construction
activities. # 9811152466,
skylordindia@gmail.com
IAS/ALLIED SERVICES
IAS IPS IRS General Category Match
for Beautiful Fair Bansal IRS Girl
1988/5'3" Affluent Delhi Business
Family 8130399161
MBA/PROFESSIONALS
SM FOR Fair / Beautiful/ Slim/
Punjabi Girl/Feb 88 born/ 5"4,
NCR based business family looking
educated match, high business/
professional. Email:
anjubehl2020@gmail.com
NRI
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SUN DAY H IN DUSTA N T IMES, N EW D E LH I
J UN E 2 1 , 2 02 0
NEWS
shortstories
TERRORIST
SHOT DEAD IN
J&K GUNFIGHT
SRINAGAR: A terrorist was killed
on Saturday in an encounter with
security forces in Kulgam district
of J&K, police said. The security
forces launched a cordon and
search operation at Likhdipora in
the south Kashmir district
following specific information
about the presence of terrorists in
the area. As the forces were
searching the area, the hiding
terrorists fired upon them. The
forces retaliated, killing a terror-
ist, an official said. He said the
identity and group affiliation of
the deceased terrorist is being
ascertained. The operation was on
till the last reports came in.
PINJRA TOD
ACTIVIST
PETITIONS HC
NEW DELHI: The Delhi
high court has sought
response of Tihar Jail on a
plea by a woman member
of Pinjra Tod group, who
was arrested in a case
related to the communal
violence in North-east
Delhi, seeking daily access
to her lawyer through
video conferencing and to
carry books in prison.
Justice Vibhu Bakhru
issued notice to the Tihar
Jail and Delhi government
on the plea by JNU
student Devangana
Kalitha and listed the
matter for July 1.
DELHI POLICE
CONSTABLE
KILLS HIMSELF
NEW DELHI : A 34-year-old Delhi
Police constable allegedly
committed suicide by shooting
himself with his service revolver
inside a police station in south-
west Delhi’s Vasant Vihar area,
officials said on Saturday. The
deceased has been identified as
Sandeep Kumar and the incident
took place on Friday, they said.
“He was posted with the special
staff. He shot himself with his
service revolver at around 10.30
pm on Friday,” deputy commis-
sioner of police (southwest)
Devender Arya said. They have
not recovered any suicide note.
The family does not know the
reason behind the alleged suicide.
Rana re-arrested, Drone from Pak carrying arms shot down
faces extradition
26/11 CASE Pak-origin Canadian wanted for his role in Mumbai attacks
Neeraj Chauhan and
Rezaul H Laskar
n letters@hindustantimes.com
NEWDELHI:Tahawwur Rana, a Pak-
istani-origin Canadian sent to a
US jail for his role in planning the
2008 Mumbai attacks, has been
arrested after being freed from
prison in order to face extradition
to India.
Rana, 59, a close associate of
David Coleman Headley, one of
the main conspirators behind the
attacks on India’s financial hub
that killed 166 people, was serving
a 14-year sentence in a Los Ange-
les federal prison when he was
granted early release last week
because of poor health and being
infected by the coronavirus.
However, he never left the
prison as he was arrested to face
extradition to India, US prosecu-
tors told The Associated Press.
Indian officials said they learnt
Rana was rearrested on June 10.
Officials familiar with develop-
ments said a US attorney
informed the district judge in Los
Angeles about India’s standing
request for the extradition of
Rana, wanted in India for terror
charges. A senior National Inves-
tigation Agency (NIA) officer,
who didn’t want to be named,
said: “It’s a positive development
after over 11 years. This means
his extradition hearings will now
take place.”
Former home secretary GK
Pillai, who played a key role in the
investigation of the Mumbai
attacks and coordinated with the
US, said there was a pending
Indian extradition request for
Rana.
“There is a standing Indian
extradition request for Rana and
that will still be applicable,” he
told HT. A person in the govern-
ment, who spoke on condition of
anonymity, said the US authori-
ties acted as there was a request
for Rana’s preliminary arrest.
The person noted that arrest sig-
nalled the start of the extradition
process.
An NIA team that visited the
US in late 2018 was informed by
the department of justice it was
convinced by India’s charges
n A soldier takes cover as a gun battle with terrorists rages at the Taj
Mahal hotel, Mumbai, on November 29, 2008.
against Rana. Earlier, the “dou-
ble jeopardy” clause in US law,
according to which a person can’t
be punished twice for the same
crime, was hindering efforts to
extradite Rana, but NIA made a
fresh request in 2016 .
India levelled the charges of
forgery and criminal breach of
trust as Rana used his firm for
making documents for Headley
during his surveillance missions
in Mumbai.
These charges were accepted
by US prosecutors and the FBI,
and they are inclined to honour
India’s request. FBI arrested
Rana on October 18, 2009 for pro-
viding material support for the
conspiracy to commit terrorist
acts outside the US.
The former Pakistan Army
physician-turned-business-
man, was convicted in 2011 for
providing material support to the
Lashkar-e-Taiba for the Mumbai
attacks, and for backing a
planned attack on a Danish news-
paper that printed caricatures of
Prophet Mohammed in 2005.
Headley was convicted during
the same trial.
At the time, US reports had
said American prosecutors had
failed to prove Rana supported
the Mumbai attacks and he was
cleared of this more serious
charge by the jury at the trial. His
legal team claimed he had been
misled by Headley, who was a
friend from school. Rana had
been accused of allowing Headley
to open a branch of his Chicago-
PRESS NOTE
It is brought to the notice that request for proposal (RFP) has been uploaded on
Municipal Corporation Shimla website www.shimlamc.org on dated 20.06.2020
regarding Utilization of the Ground Floor of Town Hall (Municipal Corporation
Shimla) for high end restaurant purpose. EE-Cum Project Director hereby publish
the RFP with following key dates.
Sr. Activity
No.
1 Download of RFP
2 Physical Inspection of Proposed Any working Day(s) between 23.06.2020
Premises to be Concessioned to 30.06.2020 Up to 1700 Hrs.
by potential bidders with prior
intimation to M C Shimla
3 Raising of queries by the bidders By 06.07.2020 upto 1700 hours
to M C Shimla
4 Pre-Bid Meeting of Potential 07.07.2020, 1500 Hrs at Meeting Hall MC
Bidders
5 Reply of queries by Municipal By 08.07.2020 on the Municipal
Corporation Shimla
0154
AP FILE
based immigration law firm in
Mumbai to act as a front for his
surveillance activities in Mum-
bai ahead of the attacks that also
injured hundreds. He was
accused of allowing Headley to
pose as a representative of the
same firm when he went to Den-
mark for surveillance ahead of
the planned attack.
At the time, US prosecutors
had said Rana knew Headley had
trained with the LeT and that
Headley had shared information
of his surveillance activities in
Mumbai and of the Taj Mahal Pal-
ace hotel, where LeT members
later killed dozens of people.
Headley was sentenced to 35
years in prison but can’t be extra-
dited to India under a plea deal.
Pakistani authorities had
arrested seven men, including
LeT operations commander Zak-
iur Rehman Lakhvi, for the
Mumbai attacks though their
trial in an anti-terrorism court
never made headway.
Lakhvi was released on bail
and his current whereabouts
aren’t known.
In Mumbai, Maharashtra
home minister Anil Deshmukh
said,“Rana’s role had come to the
fore during Headley’s testimony
after the latter admitted that he
was working as an agent for him.
We are discussing the develop-
ments at top level and the govern-
ment will take a decision about
Rana’s extradition. We will speak
to the Centre in this respect,”
Deshmukh said.
Scheduled Dates and Time
From 20.06.2020 to 06.07.2020 Up to
1700 Hrs.
through email to pd.smc@hp.gov.in and
mcs_shimla@yahoo.com
Queries submitted through any other
mode shall not be entertained.
Shimla
Corporation Shimla Website
EE-Cum Project Director
Municipal Corporation Shimla
Phone No.- 0177-2656576
TERROR PLOT SUSPECTED
HT Correspondent
n letters@hindustantimes.com
JAMMU: A China-made drone sent
from Pakistan with arms and
ammunition was shot down by
the Border Security Force (BSF)
along the International Border
in Jammu and Kashmir’s
Kathua district on Saturday,
officials said.
Troops were put on high alert
after the BSF intelligence
branch received inputs about the
possible use of drone for ferrying
arms and ammunition from Pak-
istan into the Indian side,
according to officials.
“At 5.10am, BSF shot down a
China-made drone from Paki-
stan near Kathua and recovered,
among others, M-4 US-made
semi-automatic rifle, 60 rounds
in two magazines and seven M67
grenades,” said NS Jamwal,
J’khand moves SC
against govt’s coal
block auction move
HT Correspondent
n letters@hindustantimes.com
RANCHI: The Jharkhand govern-
ment has moved the Supreme
Court challenging the central
government’s decision to auction
coal blocks for commercial min-
ing, chief minister Hemant Soren
said on Saturday.
Soren said the state govern-
ment has moved SC as it is a huge
policy decision and the respective
state governments needed to be
taken into confidence.
“Mining has always been a
contentious issue in the state.
..This will take us back to the old
system which we came out of. I
think the Centre took this deci-
sion in a rush...There are several
issues related to land and dis-
placement in the state,” Soren
said. “Several trade unions are
out on the street against the deci-
sion,” he added.
Prime Minister Narendra
Modi on Thursday launched the
auction of 41 coal blocks under
the new regime, under which the
private miners would be sharing
revenues with the government.
The blocks are located in Madhya
Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jhark-
hand, Odisha and Maharashtra.
hindustantimes
n The Chinese-made drone that was shot down by BSF men.
inspector general, BSF Jammu
Frontier.
The drone (8 ft × 6.2 ft) having
four batteries weighed around
17.5 kilograms and the consign-
ment around five to six kilo-
grams, Jamwal said. “Surely, it
was an attempt to deliver the
arms and ammunition to some-
Light rain likely for
next 3-4 days: IMD
HT Correspondent
n letters@hindustantimes.com
NEWDELHI: Pre-monsoon showers
brought relief from heat to many
parts of Delhi-NCR on Saturday.
It is likely to rain intermittently
for the next three to four days fol-
lowing which monsoon is likely
to arrive around June 24 or 25,
India Meteorological Depart-
ment said. The maximum tem-
perature in Delhi on Saturday
was 38 degree C compared to 41
degree C a day ago.
Conditions are becoming
favourable for advance of south-
west monsoon into many parts of
Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pra-
desh and some parts of Uttara-
khand during June 22 and 23 and
into entire Western Himalayan
region, Haryana, Chandigarh
and Delhi, most parts of Punjab,
remaining parts of Arabian Sea,
Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar
Pradesh and some parts of Rajast-
han during June 24 and 25, IMD
said in its Saturday bulletin.
The northern limit of monsoon
(northern-most boundary up to
which monsoon rains have
advanced) continues to pass
through Kandla, Ahmedabad in
Gujarat; Indore, Raisen, Khaju-
raho in Madhya Pradesh and
ANI
one here on this side. Who was
he, remains a matter of investi-
gation,” he said.
He added that the drone came
from Thakurpora post in Nar-
owal–Shakargarh sector in Paki-
stan.
A senior police officer who did
not want to be named said the
Fatehpur, Bahraich in Uttar Pra-
desh. There was a pause in mon-
soon advancement since June 16
but its likely to advance towards
west UP now.
“There is a western disturb-
ance and there is a trough of low
pressure running from central
Pakistan to east central Bay of
Bengal. There will be rain for the
next few days in Delhi due to
these two systems,” said K Sathi
Devi, head, national weather
forecasting centre, adding that
monsoon arrival in Delhi can be
announced when there is rain in
all places (spatial continuity of
rain).
Widespread rainfall with
heavy to very heavy rainfall is
likely to continue over east and
northeast India during next 4-5
days. Rainfall activity over plains
of northwest India is likely to
increase from June 23, IMD said.
“There will be rain and cloudy
skies over many parts of Delhi
NCR for next 4 to 5 days,” said
Kuldeep Shrivastava, head,
regional weather forecasting cen-
tre. Monsoon rains over the coun-
try are at 28% excess; 7% excess in
northeast; 6% excess in north-
west India; 74% excess in central
India and 11% excess in peninsu-
lar India.
09
delivery was for some “Ali Bhai”
as the payload was carrying his
name.
Jamwal said the payload was
for carrying out a big terror
attack and “we feel that the con-
tact was probably waiting on
Indian side...”
“This is the biggest achieve-
ment and averted a major inci-
dent… We are alert to the situa-
tion and keeping an eye on
‘aakash’ (sky), ‘zameen’ (land)
and ‘paataal’ (subterranean)
activities,” Jamwal, who rushed
to the Hiranagar sector, told
reporters.
“It is a big challenge, but secu-
rity forces are ready for it. We
have had inputs that such hexa-
copters can be used for dropping
arms and ammunition. Our jaw-
ans were already on alert and
that’s why they shot it down
immediately,” he said.
Odisha man beaten
to death by 2 sons;
wife also attacked
Press Trust of India
n letters@hindustantimes.com
BERHAMPUR: A 65-year-old man
was allegedly beaten to death by
his two sons at a village in Odis-
has Ganjam district, police said
on Saturday.
The incident happened in
Kalamba village in the Polasara
police station area on Friday
night, said inspector in-charge
Jeetendra Kumar Mallick.
The deceased was identified as
Abhimanyu Pradhan.
The sons also attacked their
mother when she tried to save her
husband. She was admitted to a
hospital in Polasara and her con-
dition is stated to be critical,
police said. The accused siblings,
Sushant Pradhan (30) and Man-
gulu Pradhan (27), were arrested
earlier in the day, Mallick said.
Though the exact cause behind
the murder was yet to be ascer-
tained, a family feud was sus-
pected to have led to the incident,
he said. Police said the body has
been sent for autopsy.
Mallick said an investigation is
underway and the two brothers
are being interrogated. They
would often pick a fight with their
father, he said.
10 hindustantimes
HTSPOTLIGHT
TOLL REACHES 704
TN records highest
1-day surge of 2,396
Press Trust of India
n letters@hindustantimes.com
CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu reported a
record single-day spike of 2,396
fresh Covid-19 cases on Saturday,
registering over 2,000 infections
for a fourth straight day as the
overall tally rose to 56,845 in the
state, the state health department
said.
Also, 38 people succumbed to
the virus, taking the toll in the
state to 704.
This is the fourth consecutive
day the state has recorded over
2,000 Covid-19 cases, the depart-
ment said in a bulletin.
The government which has
been increasing the number of
samples tested, said it recorded
an all-time high today by testing
33,231 taking the cumulative tally
to 8,61,211 till date.
Chennai continued to clock a
majority of the cases among dis-
tricts with 1,254 today, pushing
the overall tally to 39,641 till date.
As many as 1,045 were dis-
charged across the state on Satur-
day, taking the number of recov-
eries to 31,316 in the state.
The number of active cases
currently stands at 24,822, the
bulletin said.
Among the 2,396 fresh cases, 64
of them were returnees from
other states and countries, the
bulletin said adding 1,499 were
men while 897 women contracted
the contagion.
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While Chennai continued to
top the list of infections among
districts, neighbouring Kanchee-
puram, Tiruvallur and Chengal-
pet also reported higher number
of cases.
The number of total cases in
Chengalpet stood at 3,620 while
Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur
have so far reported 1,095 and
2,414 infections respectively.
Among the 38 fatalities
reported today, five were without
comorbidities which include a
26-year-old man from neighbour-
ing Tiruvallur, the bulletin said.
He was admitted on June 14 at
Vellore Medical College hospital
and died on June 19 due to severe
acute respiratory illness, it
added.
A 91-year old man from the city
suffering from type-II Diabetes
Mellitus was among those who
lost their lives due to comorbidi-
ties, the department said.
The state capital also leads in
the number of fatalities at 554 of
the total 704.
It may be noted that the gov-
ernment has announced a 12-day
lockdown which came into effect
from Friday as part of its meas-
ures to curb the spread of the
virus.
Of the total 56,845 virus cases
reported so far, 47,277 are people
in the age group of 13 and 60 years
while 2,804 are children below the
age of 12 and 6,764 are above the
age of 60, the bulletin said.
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SUN DAY HIN DUSTA N TIMES, N EW D E LHI
J UN E 2 1 , 2 02 0
CORONAVIRUS: NATION
U’khand, Hry, UP
decide to cancel Cancer care takes a hit during lockdown
kanwar yatra HEALTH WISE developed a small swelling on
the left side of his neck, but it
immune system. A colleague’s
father was diagnosed with lung
year, where we can analyse
data systematically to say
Cancer Consortium analysed
prospectively collected data
Press Trust of India took six hospital visits and two- cancer on March 20, but missed whether delays in treatment from 928 patients and found no
n letters@hindustantimes.com and-a-half months for him to be treatment for two-and-a-half have increased death,” said Dr increase in 30-day mortality
diagnosed with cancer. By the months. Now his lung cancer is Prashant Mathur, director, associated with anti-cancer
DEHRADUN:The chief ministers of time his treatment began at at an advanced stage,” said Dr ICMR-NCDIR. therapy.
Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh SANCHITA SHARMA Max Super Specialty Hospital Harit Chaturvedi, chairman, Children with cancer are “In the beginning of the pan-
and Haryana on Saturday at Saket in New Delhi in June, cancer care, and director and particularly vulnerable. demic, all our resources were
C
arrived at a consensus to cancel ancer treatment took his tumour was oozing blood chief surgical oncologist at “Early results suggest that of understandably directed there,
the kanwar yatra this year in a massive hit in April and he had lost 10kg, which Max Healthcare. the 10 children who would nor- but now there is an urgent need
the wake of the COVID-19 pan- and May, when brought his weight down to One out of eight men and one mally be expected to be diag- to strategise with a calm head.
demic. roughly 70% of 61kg. in nine women in India has nosed and treated for their can- The government must not just
The matter was discussed by patients could not “Most hospitals turned us probability of developing can- cer, six are no longer reaching restore all services for urgent
Uttarakhand chief minister Tri- access life-saving surgery and away saying they did not have cer in their lifetime (0-74 years), that stage and hence missing on treatments, emergency care
vendra Singh Rawat with his treatment, according to data beds free. Two hospitals said no according to the Indian Council critical treatment, which will and cancer, dialysis etc, but
Uttar Pradesh and Haryana from some of India’s largest to dressing my wound because of Medical Research-National lead to significantly increased must also strengthen policies
counterparts via video confer- super-speciality hospitals. by the end of May, I had devel- Centre for Disease Informatics loss of life,” said Dr Ramandeep and communicate its initia-
ence. “In a meeting today with Cancer surgeries in April oped fever before I was diag- and Research (ICMR-NCDIR), Singh Arora, paedicatric onco- tives to restore public confi-
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and May in the aftermath of the nosed with lymphoma,” the Bangaluru, which implements logist and principal investiga- dence. We must deploy 50% of
Yogi Adityanath and Haryana lockdown enforced from patient said after undergoing a India’s national cancer regis- tor of an ongoing national health care resources to Covid,
Chief Minister Manohar Lal March 25 to curb the spread of second round of chemotherapy try programme through 36 pop- study on the effect of Covid-19 and the rest to non-Covid
Khattar, via video conferencing, the coronavirus disease pan- at the hospital on June 18. ulation-based registries and on childhood cancers in India. {cases},” said Dr Chaturvedi.
it has been decided to postpone demic were one-fifth the sur- At least 51,100 live-saving 236 hospital-based registries Studies show that if patients “Delayed treatment is likely
Kanwar Yatra in view of #COV- geries performed in the corre- cancer surgeries were can- across states. It estimated there get timely treatment, outcomes to lead to cancer progression to
ID19 pandemic,” ANI quoted the sponding period in 2019. Cancer celled in India from the end of were 1.45 million new cases of don’t get affected even in late stages, so we need resume
Office of Chief Minister of Uttar- services declined by 50% in March to the end of May, esti- cancer diagnosed in 2016, patients who develop cancer services as much as possible
akhand as saying. April and May compared to the mated CovidSurg Collabora- which will double in the next 20 and Covid-19. A study pub- and also scale up remote access
All of them agreed that the same period last year, shows tive, a research network of sur- years. lished in The Lancet last week healthcare by using digital
annual kanwar yatra, which data from leading private hos- geons and anaesthetists in 77 Cancer killed 813,000 people that analysed data from tools and WhatsApp video-call-
sees a huge congregation of pitals for cancer across India. countries, including India, in 2016 and accounted for 8.3% patients with Covid-19 and can- ing to connect the provider and
Shiva devotees in Haridwar, Even after the lockdown was which published its findings in of total deaths in India that cer in the UK and the US found patients to decongest tertiary
should be cancelled this year. relaxed gradually, the fear of the British Journal of Surgery year, according to the ICMR- the new coronavirus infection hospitals,” said Dr Mathur.
Saints and seers are also in Covid-19 infection is keeping in May. led India State-level Disease does not affect cancer treat- Creating safe areas with no
favour of the yatra being can- some cancer patients away “Cancer patients are among Burden Initiative study on can- ment outcomes. The UK Coro- overcrowding and other safe-
celled to prevent huge gather- from hospitals. Those who seek the most vulnerable as they cer published in the journal navirus Cancer Monitoring guards will help reduce patient
ings of kanwariyas in Haridwar. treatment don’t get it because need early diagnosis and unin- The Lancet Oncology in 2018. Project prospectively collected hesitancy. “To prevent any
The chief minister said he of health systems prioritising terrupted and often hospital- “There is preliminary evi- data on 800 patients and found spread of infection have these
had also spoken to Home Minis- coronavirus disease treatment centric treatment for good out- dence that cancer surgeries “no interaction between anti- buildings, hospitals blocks
ter Amit Shah, who advised him over all else, leading to life- comes to prevent high morbid- and treatment have reduced cancer treatments within four completely segregated. My fear
to take a decision after thinking threatening delays in diagnosis ity and mortality. He arrived post lockdown, but the national weeks before testing positive is that if we do not take steps,
over it. and treatment. here with a more than 10cm registry will have mature date for Sars-CoV-2, and Covid-19 we will see many times over
Rawat will soon speak to the In February, a 52-year-old lymphoma, which is cancer in on the impact of this disruption morbidity or mortality was loss of lives due to non-Covid
chief ministers of Punjab, Delhi man who requested anonymity infection-fighting cells of the on cancer outcomes after a found”. The US Covid-19 and reasons,” said Dr Chaturvedi.
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SUN DAY H IN DUSTA N T IMES, N EW D E LH I
J UN E 2 1 , 2 02 0
world
Brazil becomes second country with 1mn cases
n Pope Francis addresses doctors and nurses from Italy’s Lombardy region, at the Vatican on Saturday.
Beijing to set up
security office in
HK under new law
BEIJING: China on Saturday
unveiled details of the controver-
sial new security law for Hong
Kong amid international criti-
cism that it will corrode the wide-
ranging freedoms enjoyed by res-
idents of the global financial hub.
Details of the new law, as listed
by news agency Xinhua, includes
setting up of a security office in
Hong Kong to handle crimes
against national security. The
local government must establish
new institutions to protect
national security and allow main-
land agencies to operate in the
city “when needed”.
Hong Kong’s chief executive,
currently the embattled Carrie
Lam, will have the power to
appoint judges to hear cases
related to national security.
According to Xinhua, “For
Hong Kong laws that are not in
line with this (national security)
law, this law’s requirements will
apply, and the right to interpret
this law lies with the National
People’s Congress Standing Com-
mittee.” National security activi-
ties would protect human rights
and freedom of speech and assem-
bly, it added, without providing
details.
SUTIRTHO PATRANOBIS
UN to commission report on racism
Agencies
n letters@hindustantimes.com
GENEVA: The UN’s top human
rights body voted unanimously
on Friday to commission a UN
report on systemic racism and
discrimination against black peo-
ple while stopping short of order-
ing a more intensive investiga-
tion singling out the US after the
death of George Floyd at the
hands of police sparked world-
wide demonstrations.
The UN Human Rights Council
British parliament to review well-known painting
LONDON:A mural painting in
the UK parliament depicting a
defining moment in early 17th
century laying the foundation
of British influence in India is
being reviewed for its contem-
porary relevance in the con-
text of the worldwide cam-
paign against colonial legacy.
The painting by William
Rothenstein, unveiled in 1927,
is one of eight depicting key
historical events as part of
“The Building of Britain”
series in St Stephen’s Hall in
the parliament.
The painting depicts the
AP
approved a consensus resolution
following days of grappling over
language after African nations
backed away from their initial
push for a commission of inquiry,
the rights council’s most intru-
sive form of scrutiny, focusing
more on the US.
Instead, the resolution calls for
a simple and more generic report
to be written by the UN human
rights chief’s office and outside
experts. The aim is “to contribute
to accountability and redress for
victims” in the US and beyond,
I M PA C T O F B L M
first British diplomatic repre-
sentative, Thomas Roe, in the
court of Mughal emperor
Jahangir in Ajmer in 1616.
The review follows
demands as part of the Black
Lives Matter campaign to
remove statues and symbols
with links to racism and slav-
ery from public places.
A parliament spokesper-
son said, “The interpretation
of the artworks is constantly
under review and we will look
at ways to contextualise the
lives of those depicted.”
PRASUN SONWALKAR
DELHI CANTONMENT BOARD
SADAR BAZAR, DELHI CANTT-10
EMPANELMENT OF STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS
In compliance to Hon’ble High Court order dated 09.06.2020 in WP(C)
4354/2015, in the matter of Arpit Bhargava & Anr U/s North DMC &
Ors, for making buildings in Delhi Cantonment seismic compliant,
Cantt Board Delhi intends to empanel qualified structural engineers.
Interested Structural Engineers may apply for their Empanelment &
submit their applications & credentials as per the format provided on
the Cantt. Board Delhi website www.cbdelhi.in w.e.f 23.06.2020.
Telephone No.: 25695450
No.: DCB/8/C-1/TN/2020-21/3
OFFICE OF THE CANTONMENT BOARD
Website: www.cbdelhi.in
RECORD SPIKE Worst-hit South American nation reports over 50,000 Covid-19 infections in 24 hours
Agencies
n letters@hindustantimes.com
SAO PAULO:The Brazilian govern-
ment on Friday confirmed that
the number of Covid-19 cases in
the country crossed 1 million, sec-
ond only to the US.
Brazil’s health ministry said
that the total stood at 1,032,913, up
by more than 50,000 from Thurs-
day. The ministry said the sharp
increase was due to corrections of
previous days’ underreported
numbers. The US has more than
2.2 million coronavirus cases.
Brazilian President Jair Bol-
sonaro still downplays the risks
the resolution says.
Iran and Palestine signed on as
co-sponsors for the resolution
that condemns “the continuing
racially discriminatory and vio-
lent practices” by law enforce-
ment against Africans and people
of African descent, it says.
The approved text asks UN
high commissioner for human
rights Michelle Bachelet to exam-
ine government responses to
anti-racism peaceful protests,
and calls on her to report back to
the council in June 2021.
n William Rothenstein’s painting in the UK parliament.
Sd/-
Chief Executive Officer
Delhi Cantonment
of the virus after nearly 50,000
deaths from Covid-19 in three
months, saying the impact of
social isolation measures on the
economy could be worse than the
disease itself.
Experts say the number of
cases could be up to seven times
higher than the official data.
Johns Hopkins University says
Brazil is performing an average
of 14 tests per 100,000 people each
day, and health experts say that
number is up to 20 times less than
needed to track the virus.
Official data show a downward
trend of the virus in Brazil’s
north, including the hard-hit
US: PROTESTERS PULL
DOWN, BURN STATUE
WASHINGTON: Protesters toppled
the statue of a Confederate gen-
eral in the nation’s capital and set
it on fire on Juneteenth, the day
marking the end of slavery in the
US, amid anti-racism demonstra-
tions following the killing of
George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Demonstrators jumped up and
down as the 11-foot statue of
Albert Pike wobbled on its pedes-
tal before falling backward, land-
ing in a pile of dust.
HT PHOTO
HINDUSTAN TIMES IS THE PREFERRED
CHOICE OF 62 MN. INDIANS
FOR CREDIBLE NEWS
Source: Comscore, MMX Multi-Platform Unique Visitors, hindustantimes.com | Geo : India, Apr’20.
hindustantimes 11
IT FEELS LIKE WE’VE PASSED A SOCIAL TIPPING POINT.
> GRETA THUNBERG, climate activist, on anti-racism protests raging across the world
region of the Amazon, a plateau in
cases and deaths in the biggest
cities near the Atlantic coast, but BRISBANE WOMAN SAYS SHE’S
a rising curve in the south.
BEEN COVID +VE FOR 100 DAYS
US EMBASSY IN KABUL NEW DELHI:In a bizarre case, tralia’s home affairs minis-
FACING RISING CASES Brisbane lawyer Debbie Kil- ter Peter Dutton on a flight.
KABUL: The US State Department roy, who was diagnosed Sunrise reported that 100
says Covid-19 infections have with Covid-19 in March, days on, although she is no
been reported at its embassy in claims she has tested posi- longer infectious, she con-
the Afghan capital and the staff tive for the coronavirus tinues to test positive while
who are affected include diplo- more than 100 days since the reeling from the effects of
mats, contractors and locally initial diagnosis, according the illness. Kilroy said doc-
employed staff. An official at the to media reports. tors explained that she’s still
embassy in Kabul said as many as In March, Kilroy was testing positive “because of
20 people were infected, many of reportedly infected after traces of the dead virus” in
whom are Nepalese Gurkhas, apparently sitting near Aus- her body. HTC
who provide embassy security.
TRUMP CLEARED VIRUS TRACKER
TO HOLD TULSA
RALLY DESPITE 8,835,458
FEARS OF COVID GLOBAL CASES
464,294
WASHINGTON: US President Donald
Trump can go ahead with plans
for a campaign rally in Tulsa,
Oklahoma, on Saturday, after the GLOBAL DEATHS
state’s supreme court rejected a
plea by residents who said hold-
ing the event at a 19,000-seat
WORST-HIT NATIONS (BY CASES)
indoor arena posed a risk of
spreading the coronavirus.
COUNTRY CASES DEATHS
The court said the residents
failed to make a legal argument
1 US 2,313,847 121,652
for the rally to be stopped. The
rally is Trump’s first major
re-election event following the
2 BRAZIL
3 RUSSIA
1,043,168
576,952
49,156
8,002
coronavirus pandemic that shut-
tered much of the country and
comes amid weeks of civil unrest. 4 INDIA* 411,500 13,278
JUDGE ALLOWS RELEASE 5 UK 303,110 42,589
OF JOHN BOLTON’S BOOK
A US judge refused on Saturday 6 SPAIN 293,018 28,322
to block the release of a tell-all
book in which John Bolton, 7 PERU 247,925 7,660
Trump’s former NSA, describes
him as corrupt and incompetent. 8 ITALY 238,275 34,610
The book, titled The Room
Where it Happened, has been 9 CHILE 236,748 4,295
widely shipped to bookstores for
publication on Tuesday and
many of its most damning allega-
10 IRAN 202,584 9,507
tions against Trump have been (AS OF 10:45 PM IST) SOURCE: WORLDOMETER * COMPILED BY HT
reported. AGENCIES
To access the ePaper, please scan the code below
epaper.hindustantimes.com
hi d i
12 hindustantimes SUN DAY HIN DUSTA N TIMES, N EW D E LHI
J UN E 2 1 , 2 02 0

sundaycomment
THE CHINA FACTOR IN INDIAN POLITICS
important, security challenge India confronts.
chanakya The Chinese willingness to assert itself abroad
under President Xi Jinping, and the power dif-
ferential with India, makes it a more serious
adversary. The calls for boycotting Chinese
goods may be populist and rooted in ignorance

T
he brutal killing of 20 personnel of
the Indian Army, including a colo-
nel-level officer, by China’s People’s
Liberation Army (PLA) in the Gal-
wan Valley on the night of June 15
will reverberate across India for a
long time to come. Indian security personnel —
from the armed forces, paramilitary forces, and
the police — have often given their lives in the
quest to defend India’s territorial integrity, sov-
ereignty and the Constitution. And as often,
their contribution is forgotten.
But Colonel Santosh Babu and the 19 other
men killed in the line of duty will stay on in pub-
lic memory for three reasons. First, this was the
first time since 1975 that Indian blood was shed
defending the border against China. Two, the
nature of the killing was brutal — PLA, in what
India has called a “pre-meditated” attack, vio-
lated norms of war. And India and China are not
even officially at war. And finally, their killing
has highlighted the place of Ladakh in general,
and Galwan Valley in particular, as essential to
India’s territorial imagination.
This, then, can make June 15 — or Ladakh
2020 — the moment when, for two generations of
Indians, the security threat from China has
become tangible and real. It can make it the
moment when discussions about the “competi-
tive-cooperative” relationship with China and
how to navigate great power politics will move
beyond the rarefied seminar circuits of elite
analysts and assume a strong place in public
consciousness. And it can make it the moment
when China becomes an issue in Indian domes-
tic politics, strongly tied to public opinion, parti-
san positions, and the idea of nationalism.
The intersection of domestic politics and for-
eign policy is old. Indeed, a lot of scholarship
suggests that foreign policy itself is the exten-
sion of domestic politics and is shaped substan-
tially by it.
In India’s case too, this has been true. But bar-
ring the 1962 war, and the criticism that the then
Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru faced, the
most critical foreign policy issue has been Paki-
stan. This is not surprising. The tragedy of Par-
tition, Pakistan’s support for Khalistan, the
Kashmir question, its sponsorship of terrorism
in India which has cost thousands of lives, four
wars (1948, 1965, 1971 and 1999), and the manner
in which the external enemy (Pakistan) is often
used in political discourse to demonise an inter-
nal constituency (Indian Muslims) lends the
India-Pakistan relationship particular political
salience. Indeed, as the saying in South Block
goes, the real joint secretary in charge of the
Pakistan desk at the ministry of external affairs
is the Prime Minister of India. And that is
because each decision on Pakistan is a political,
not a bureaucratic, one.
The Indian strategic community has long rec-
ognised China as a threat. The border dispute
and Beijing’s efforts to change the facts on the
ground by its consistent incursions; its claim
over Arunachal Pradesh, particularly Tawang;
the large trade deficit; China’s firm support to
its “all-weather friend”, Pakistan, now but-
tressed by the China-Pakistan economic corri-
dor; its efforts to box in India by encouraging
regimes hostile to New Delhi in the neighbour-
hood; its moves to thwart India’s legitimate
n The killing of 20 Indian Army personnel on June 15 has made the threat of China real and tangible for
two generations of Indians and placed the relationship at the centre of public consciousness. It will
shape the politics of nationalism
ambitions (such as permanent membership of
the Security Council or entry into the Nuclear
Suppliers Group); and its ambitions to establish
new style imperialism through the Belt and
Road Initiative have all been closely noted and
are a part of the institutional memory of the gov-
ernment of India.
But along with this, there is also a recognition
of the power asymmetry between the two coun-
tries. India’s economy is much weaker; its mili-
tary and technological capabilities don’t match
up to China; its State capacity is more limited;
and in the maze that is international politics,
China is a more significant player and India
cannot rely on partnerships and external band-
wagoning. Along with it, India — at this stage of
REUTERS
its economic development — needs foreign capi-
tal and investment, and deepening economic
interdependence with China has been seen as a
way to both neutralise the competitive elements
and aid Indian development.
This measured policy approach worked
because China was not an issue that animated
public opinion. But it will now face a challenge.
This is both because of China’s aggression (not
unique to India — just ask Vietnam, Japan, Aus-
tralia and others in its neighbourhood) and
because in Indian democracy, policies cannot be
completely out of sync with popular sentiment.
The killings of June 15 have suddenly woken
a large number of citizens to the fact that Paki-
stan is an important, but perhaps not the most
of economic realities but they reflect the emerg-
ing mood about China, which is going beyond
suspicion to a degree of loathing.
The evolution of public opinion is bound to
have an impact on political discourse. And that
is why even a prime minister such as Narendra
Modi — who has proudly worn the badge of
nationalism and presented himself as a security
hawk — had to face tough questions, not just
from critics but also more independent observ-
ers, about his claim on Friday night that there is
no external presence in Indian territory. The
Prime Minister’s Office, on Saturday, came up
with a clarification. But the response to his ini-
tial statement is instructive. Indian public opin-
ion is not in the mood to tolerate even the hint of
a territorial concession to China anymore.
This, then, will have an impact on the politics
of nationalism in India. The Bharatiya Janata
Party (BJP) — by disengaging with Pakistan till
it acts on terror and through the surgical and air
strikes under its term in office — has projected
itself as a staunchly nationalist force. But now,
it will have to be accountable for its actions on
China too. The well-meaning advice to the
Opposition not to “politicise” the national secu-
rity issue may go unheeded, for if the ruling dis-
pensation has benefited from weaponising
national security for electoral ends, the Opposi-
tion will seek to emulate the same. Expect the
BJP to talk about Pakistan, and expect the
Opposition to counter it with China from now
on. Ladakh 2020 has introduced the China factor
into Indian politics. Its consequences will be
long-lasting.
n letters@hindustantimes.com

sundaysentiments tive. Neither their incomes nor the

size of their homes will permit it.
They bear the risk they face in the
COVID: WHY HOME ISOLATION
KARAN THAPAR
hope it won’t happen to them. That’s
another term for God.
Unfortunately, epidemiological
IS A CRITICAL PILLAR
COVID-19 WILL DEEPEN projections will only reinforce the
paralysing fear or the desperate
hope that determines the response to
ATISHI
governance the Aam Aadmi Party
(AAP) has learnt is — do not fix some-
thing that is not broken. The roll back of

DIVISIONS IN SOCIETY the virus. India is already third larg-

est in term of daily increases, fourth
largest both in terms of total cases
AKSHAY
MARATHE
the order is good because it would have
otherwise created new problems for the
city and its government, dealing a dead-

W
hat does learning to live permit domestic staff. At the very and the number of registered daily ly blow to containment efforts in Delhi.
with the virus actually least this is ironic. The well-off, who deaths, and ninth-largest in terms of The thought of being dragged into a
amount to? Until a vac- travel abroad, brought the virus to total fatalities. There are even railway coach parked at the Anand

cine protects us, that’s
the unavoidable challenge we face.
Now that we’ve entered Unlock 1.0,
it’s an interesting question primarily
because I detect two broad and differ-
ent answers. Let’s see if you agree.
There are those who have the luxu-
ry to stay put at home. They seques-
tered behind closed doors at the end
of March and that’s how they’ve con-
tinued to remain. Unlock permits
them to venture outdoors wearing a
mask and maintaining the required
two-metre distance but they’ve cho-
sen not to.
They’re safe. Of that I have only a
niggling doubt. But is this learning to
“live” with the virus? Frankly, if you
convert your home into your jail, it’s
a very different life that you lead.
Actually, you could say they’re living
with the fear of the world outside
their closed front doors.
It’s that fear that explains calls by
resident welfare associations not to
India but, now that it’s spread, they
view the poor and disadvantaged
compatriots as threats to their safety.
So, for them, it’s become two Indias —
the supposedly special one at home,
where no one is permitted, and the
wider one outdoors, where everyone
is feared and the poor are avoided.
The other answer to living with the
virus is illustrated by those who are
attempting a normal life. With masks
and even face shields and a conscious
attempt to maintain the advised two-
metre distance, they’re confronting
the virus in the hope it won’t attack
them. But is that hope realistic?
Masks and face shields are rela-
tively easy to enforce but the two-me-
tre distance is not. Once life resumes,
keeping a distance, though impor-
tant, is often impossible. Whether in
office or at bus stops, at the grocery or
in a taxi, buying vegetables from a
street vendor or picking up the news-
paper, we’re often just a foot apart.
n Citizens are torn between paralysing
fear and desperate hope. This will
only get reinforced BIPLOV BHUYAN/HT
So, to use a beloved colloquial phrase,
these people are learning to live Ram
bharose or Allah rakha.
Now, pause and consider if you’ve
spotted the obvious link between the
two answers? Fear is the other side of
God. They’re two faces of the same
coin. In the first case, fear ensures
some refuse to venture out. Of course,
they can only do this because they
can afford to stay home and not suffer
a crippling loss of income. Economic
good fortune undoubtedly reinforces
their sense of fear. The second lot has
no alternative but to go back to work.
Remaining at home is not an alterna-
experts who say we could have 200
million infections by September
and the peak will only be reached
in mid-November.
So, I ask myself, could we end up
divided between those who live with
fear and those who live in hope? I
know the vast majority is in the latter
category — probably over 90% — but,
even so, could we end up two different
countries?
We’re already divided by religion,
region, caste, cuisine, ethnicity and
colour. Now, will the coronavirus
virus divide us by the way we choose
to live with it? Between the rich who
bolt their doors and keep the rest of
the country outside and those who
have no choice but to mingle and
adjust, praying all the while God will
protect them?
Karan Thapar is the author of Devil’s
Advocate: The Untold Story
The views expressed are personal
A
s mildly symptomatic Covid-19
patients under home isolation,
the Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP)-led central govern-
ment’s initial decision to end home iso-
lation on Friday was puzzling, and its
roll back of the order on Saturday is
welcome. A mandatory five-day insti-
tutional quarantine for all new Covid-
19 patients, as originally ordered,
would have been unprecedented.
Nowhere in the world do governments
force every coronavirus patient into
public isolation facilities. Even the
Indian Council of Medical Research
guidelines recommend home isolation
for most cases, given that 80% of the
patients are either asymptomatic or
mildly symptomatic.
It is important to understand the sys-
tem in place now. Our experience of
home isolation has been beneficial for
our health and well-being. Our samples
were collected on Tuesday and we test-
ed positive for coronavirus on Wednes-
day. Fortunately, we had no severe
symptoms and did not need hospitalisa-
tion. That same day we received a
phone call from a government telemed-
Vihar station upon testing positive
would have driven away people from
voluntarily coming forward to test
themselves. And if asymptomatic and
mildly symptomatic patients refuse test-
ing and carry on with their lives, they
would have ended up infecting others.
Compulsory quarantine would have
also needed additional resources,
diverting medical staff, ambulances,
and personal protective equipment
kits away from hospitals that are treat-
ing critical patients.
An already stretched medical sys-
tem would have been forced to look aft-
er thousands of patients who may have
never needed medical attention. The
cost of providing hygienic quarantine
facilities, food, water and sanitation to
thousands of patients would have
proved debilitating to the cash-
strapped state government. Delhi is
expected to have hundreds of thou-
sands of cases over the next few weeks.
The state should focus its efforts and
resources on treating the sick, not pro-
viding shelter and food to asymptomat-
ic and mildly symptomatic patients.
The data on Delhi’s home isolation

THE DIPLOMATIC DANCE FOR

too, we were the only candidate from his president rode in a Mercedes. icine service that offered medical programme shows why it is highly rec-
Asia and obtained a record 187 votes Elected members head Security advice. An ASHA worker visited our ommended around the world. Only 6%
from 192 members. We had previous- Council committees. The P-5 refer to homes, confirmed we were mildly of all positive patients under home iso-

THE HORSESHOE TABLE ly been on UNSC in 1991-1992 and

from WEOG that includes the United
MANJEEV States (US), Canada, Australia, New
SINGH PURI Zealand and Israel.
Most regional groups, other than
WEOG, usually endorse their candi-
dates ahead of the election. This time,
we were the candidate for the Asian
seat and obtained 182 out of 193 votes
in the UN General Assembly. From
were seeking to return after a gap of
19 years and a bruising defeat at the
hands of Japan in 1996. India’s effort
was to marshal the maximum num-
ber of votes.
The widely publicised story after
the election was of the Pakistani
ambassador, Abdullah Hussain
Haroon, having shown around his
ballot apparently marked in favour of
India. There were others who took
these as “goodies”. For us, obtaining
the Chair of the Counter Terrorism
Committee (CTC) was important.
Strangely, the British opposed this
saying that we were invested in the
matter. But, playing the diplomatic
game in New York, Delhi and London,
India prevailed. During India’s chair-
manship, we established the concept
of “zero tolerance” for terrorism.
Counter-terrorism will rightly be a
focus for India during our forthcom-
symptomatic patients and pasted a
sticker next to our main doors, giving
neighbours fair warning.
From the second day onwards, our
health and symptoms were being moni-
tored daily through the Delhi govern-
ment’s tele-monitoring service that
also provided guidance on the isolation
process. An emergency phone number
was also given to us to be called if our
symptoms were to escalate. An ambu-
lance would take us to a hospital if we
lation have been required to be shifted
to a hospital or quarantine facility dur-
ing their home isolation period. Of
more than 27,000 patients who have
been under home isolation thus far,
only 1,618 reported a deterioration in
their symptoms and had to be shifted to
hospitals. This is 6% of all home isola-
tion patients. We are happy with the
roll back of the order because better
sense has prevailed. Otherwise, Delhi-
ites would have paid a huge cost.

I
ndia will serve a two-year term
on the United Nations Security
Council (UNSC) from January
2021. This will be the nation’s
eighth time at UNSC.
Other than the Permanent 5 (P-5),
UNSC has 10 elected members, five
from Asia and Africa, two each from
Latin America and Western Europe &
Others (WEOG) and one from East
Europe. Five of these elected mem-
bers retire every year.
There are five regional groups at
UNSC, representing Asia, Africa, Lat-
in America and in a hark-back to the
Cold War, Eastern Europe, apart
thisweekthatera
WEOG, Norway and Ireland knocked
out Canada for the group’s two seats.
While the election is hotly contest-
ed, the election process is fascinating.
The ballot is a blank sheet. You are
supposed to know who is running,
and write in the name of the country
of your choice on the ballot. Of
course, you can vote for your own
country.
India last served on the UNSC dur-
ing 2011-12. The team was led by
ambassador Hardeep Singh Puri,
now minister in the Narendra Modi
government (full disclosure: He is
also a cousin). I was his deputy. Then,
photos on their phones and showed
them to us, signalling their support.
We missed five votes. Obviously,
some were political. But strange
things also happen. One African
country received a vote on the Asian
slate. Unbelievable, but the Ambassa-
dor wrote his own country’s name on
the ballot, thinking that he had signed
his support for India. Then, too, Cana-
da was bested in the WEOG by Portu-
gal and a late-entrant Germany.
A diplomat from a small country
told me that while he was awaiting
instruction on his two votes, he was
sure one would be Germany; after all,
JUNE 21-27, 1971 >>FROM THE ARCHIVES OF THE HINDUSTAN TIMES
ing term on UNSC.
With multilateralism under pres-
sure, particularly as a result of Covid-
19, UNSC, too, has its challenge set.
India’s term on UNSC will also coin-
cide with India hosting Brics (Brazil,
Russia, India, China and South Afri-
ca) and G-20 summits. India should
use the opportunity to push its case
on Security Council reform to open
up the horseshoe table that seats the
UNSC.
Manjeev S Puri is a former ambassador and
former deputy permanent representative of
India to the United Nations
The views expressed are personal
were to report any escalation in symp- Atishi is a senior leader
toms. and MLA, AAP
In one go, on Friday, the Centre shut Akshay Marathe is spokesperson, AAP
down the most smoothly functioning (They are both Covid-19-positive patients,
piece of the coronavirus puzzle that is currently under home isolation)
home isolation. One of the lessons of The views expressed are personal
sundayletters
INDIA LACKS LEADERS WITH MORAL COURAGE
This is with reference to Karan Thapar’s Why India today needs a George Fernan-
des (Sunday Sentiments, June 14). I enjoyed reading the lovely tribute to the late
leader, and I wholeheartedly agree with the argument that India today lacks
leaders with moral courage and empathy for the marginalised.
R CHATURVEDI, VIA EMAIL

PICTURE OF NEWS OF THE WEEK ONLINE VOTING DON’T STIGMATISE

With reference to Chanakya’s The This is with reference to Upendra
THE WEEK BENGAL ASSEMBLY UK SUSPENDS centrality of the Bihar election (June Kaul’s I had Covid-19. And society
INDIA DISSOLVED WORLD AID TO PAK 14), it will certainly be interesting to decided to stigmatise me (June 14). I
JUNE 24: Leaders of JUNE 26: West Bengal Governor JUNE 24: Britain would not see how Covid-19 alters the pre-poll know people are scared about the
opposition groups in S. Dhavan dissolved the resume aid to Pakistan until campaigning and the voting process. coronavirus, but this kind of behav-
Parliament returning from Assembly on the advice of Chief there was firm evidence of It is probably time now for the iour is inhuman and unacceptable.
the U.S. Embassy after Minister Ajoy Mukherji. The progress towards a political Election Commission to start thinking SUNITA GUPTA, VIA EMAIL
protesting against announcement came after solution in East Bengal, the
shipment of American about an online voting system, along
Mukherji and the Deputy CM Foreign Secretary, Sir Alec
arms to Pakistan. Bijoy Singh Nahar conferred Douglas-Home, told with the traditional one.
with the Governor at Raj Bhavan. Parliament today. JAY GUPTA, VIA EMAIL

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

Printed & Published by DINESH MITTAL (Interim) for and on behalf of HT Media Ltd. 18-20, Kasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi-110001 and printed at HT Media Ltd. Presses at Plot No.-8, Udyog Vihar, Greater Noida, Distt. Gautam Budh Nagar. (UP). Pin-201306,
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Editor: KUNAL PRADHAN

SUN DAY H IN DUSTA N T IMES, N EW D E LH I
J UN E 2 1 , 2 02 0
htweekend
VITAL HOME OFFICE HACKS
Most of us will be working from home for a while. Are you doing it right?
Connectivity Adequate lighting
If you’re not using a Poor lighting will worsen the strain on your eyes, so try and set your
landline, a Bluetooth or workstation up near a window. If that’s not possible, consider a good lamp
wireless handsfree with softer, yellow tones. A clamp-on lamp can be a good choice for a
headset will make things
easier. Check your
internet connectivity too.
There’s nothing more
temporary workspace. Since your laptop also emits light, use a dimmer bulb
— in the range of 20 to 30 watts.
disruptive and stressful
than a Net connection
that blinks in and out.
3 In his well-researched, illuminating book,
4 cyclists,
Seating plan
The right chair makes all the
difference. The more time you spend at
your desk, the more carefully you need to think
about the chair. Features to look out for are
adjustable height so that your feet can touch the ground
firmly; adequate arm width to support the elbows and keep
them in line with the desk and keyboard; lumbar and upper-back
support; a chair back that is slightly tilted rather than ramrod straight,
for better tension control.
Recharge
RACHEL LOPEZ
Her, in your ear
Women make up barely a third of most best-podcast lists. Don’t miss out. Here
are some riveting casts by women on food, science, history, birding and more
hy a column about women podcasters?
W Because most coverage of podcasts
leaves them out almost entirely. On
best-cast roundups, women make up
barely a third of the entries. Actively seeking
them out is worse — most lists of podcasts by
women are focused on fashion, relationships,
motherhood or various kinds of agony-aunt
advice. Plug into these shows below to find out
how women tell it differently.
GASTROPOD
Every two weeks, Cynthia Graber and Nicola
Twilley put together an episode that starts out
about food, but ends up weaving in science
and history. How come a lemon is related to a
grapefruit? What did now-extinct plants taste
like? Both hosts draw excellent lines from
their guests, taking food journalism a notch
above the usual chef-and-menu chatter. Epi-
sodes go back to September 2014, so there’s
plenty to listen to.
OLOGIES
Alie Ward’s premise is simple. Find academic
disciplines that end with ‘ology’, bring in spe-
cialists, and ask them how they do what they
do. The result — an archive of close to 150 pas-
sionate people revealing the world’s complex-
ities and our attempts to understand them —
is available on her website, alieward.com.
Yes, penguinology is a legitimate stream, and
an expert knows why penguins give pebble
gifts. Four experts joined in to explain virol-
ogy last month. There’s even an episode on
genealogy — including why the word is an
‘alogy’ and not an ‘ology’.
NATURE’S VOICE
The UK’s Royal Society for the Protection of
the Birds has its own chirpy podcast, on
rspb.org.uk.
Host Jane Markham has the kind of tone
that sounds trustworthy and interested, even
when she’s asking questions to orinthologists,
birdwatchers, ecologists and those who track
2 the world, as
DESK ESSENTIALS
1 Napkins: A quick fix for the
inevitable spill
2 Pen and paper: You know you
need them; keep them handy
3 A bottle of water: Regular
hydration is important
4 Coasters: Keep the desk clean
and dry
5 Clock: To make sure you’re
tracking and using, not
losing, time
n Yes, there are podcasts by women focused on fashion, motherhood and agony-aunt advice.
But there are others discussing ISIS, philosophy, future worlds and the nature of truth. ISTOCK
winged migration. There’s music too, song-
bird tunes, caw studies and much, much
clucking over climate change.
THE LAST ARCHIVE
Historian Jill Lepore — she teaches at Har-
vard and writes in the New Yorker — explores
how truth is shaped by societies, and how we
end up ‘knowing’ the things we do. Each epi-
sode starts with a mystery, and opens with a
re-enactment. From there, it blows up to cover
the history of knowledge, the lifecycle of a fact,
and what we consider evidence. Fitting for a
time when far too many people don’t even
believe the pandemic is real.
FLASHFORWARD
No one knows what tomorrow will bring, but
futurist Rose Eveleth knows more than most.
Her job covers material that doesn’t make it to
your company’s quarterly projections. The
podcast uses existing science and real-world
hindustantimes
The Way We Were
The right POONAM SAXENA
furniture
Cycling: From freedom
Variable desks are
popular for at-home
workers because they
fit on a table, allowing
you to sit or stand
while you use them.
to fitness to distancing
Ideally, keep the
As Atlas shuts its last manufacturing plant, a look at all that
bicycles have meant to India, from the Raj era to the pandemic
computer screen 20
inches away from your oon after Partition, a group of Hindi
S
wrists, and make sure writers — Bhisham Sahni, Nirmal
the centre of the screen Verma, Krishna Baldev Vaid, Manohar
is at eye level. Shyam Joshi and others — set up the
Cultural Forum in Delhi. For four
years, writes Sahni in his memoir,
Today’s Pasts (2015), they met regularly and
read their works out to each other. And then
cheerfully went home on their bicycles (or on
foot). That many of them cycled back was not
a reflection of their finances (or lack thereof).
5 It was proof of the popularity and ubiquitous-
ness of this revolutionary mode of transport,
invented in early-19th-century Europe.
Earlier this month, Atlas’s last cycle fac-
tory (located in Sahibabad, Uttar Pradesh)
shut down, ending a nostalgic journey dating
back to 1951, when the company first started
manufacturing bicycles.
Everyday Technology – Machines and the
n A group of Making of India’s Modernity (2013), the his-
torian David Arnold describes how bicycles,
masked and initially the preserve of Europeans in India,
distancing,in gradually percolated down to well-off Indi-
Chandigarh. ans and then, as they became less expensive,
More people to ordinary citizens as well.
1 are turning to The bicycle offered Indians many new
cycles around freedoms, including the ability to get around
(public transport was erratic or non-exis-
an alternative tent) and to ferry objects, people and occa-
to the more sionally animals (lunchboxes, family,
risky public squawking chickens) from place to place. By
transport, the 1950s, says Arnold, the nation had
amid the entered the ‘cycle age’; by the middle of that
Covid-19 decade, Hind Cycles and Atlas were together
pandemic. making 400,000 machines a year (and there
KESHAV SINGH / were bicycles still being imported).
HT PHOTO Writer Chitra Mudgal’s moving Hindi
Powering
up
Getting the position of
your plug points right
is essential if you want
to avoid tripping all
over your wires or
spilling coffee on your
gear. If one plug point
is not enough, invest in
a good extension cord.
With Love
SIMRAN MANGHARAM
Do you love
yourself?
Most of us don’t think about our relationship with ourselves, yet that is
a defining element in any relationship we set out to have with others
e crave unconditional love, but do we
W love ourselves unconditionally? In my
coaching sessions on dating, I ask peo-
ple to name five things they love about
themselves. More than half respond by say-
ing, ‘I’ve never really thought about that’.
Self-neglect seems to be among the few uni-
versal trappings of modern-day living. But the
foundation of a strong relationship begins
with self-love. Self-love means that you
acknowledge and accept the importance of
your own happiness and well-being. It implies
that you are taking care of your own needs and
not sacrificing your well-being in an
unhealthy quest to please others.
It also means you know yourself, and are
comfortable with who you are, warts and all.
That you are kind to yourself, and forgiving of
mistakes.
One of the most iconic expressions of self-
love is the line said by Kareena Kapoor as the
developments to imagine futures in which character Geet, in Jab We Met: “Main apni
humans might be able to see in the dark, when favourite hoon”. It may seem ditzy, but there’s
satellites might track crime, or we may beat a reason that line became so popular. Deep
death by continuing as simulations. Through down, we all want to feel like that.
it all, Eveleth talks superfast, almost like she’s It isn’t easy. Two things we are exposed to
racing towards tomorrow. very early in life come in the way of our loving
ourselves. The first is comparisons. We’re
CALIPHATE urged to be the best in class, the best at sports,
At just 12 episodes, Rukmini Callimachi’s the best at extracurricular activities. Most
account of the rise of the Islamic State is rivet- parents act like they can’t even see — let alone
ing, disturbing and complex. Callimachi, who make peace with — the truth: That there can
covers terrorism for The New York Times, only be one ‘best’ in each class. Rather than
has none of the bravado or hero complex typi- identifying the specific gifts and talents of
cal of war journalists. In the podcast available
on radiopublic.com, she explains the condi- SELF-LOVE INDICATES THAT YOU KNOW
tions that allowed ISIS to flourish, weaves in
heartbreaking interviews with victims, defec-
YOURSELF, AND ARE COMFORTABLE
tors and community leaders, and offers nuan- WITH WHO YOU ARE; THAT YOU CAN
ces to the good-Muslim-bad-Muslim binary TAKE CARE OF YOUR OWN NEEDS. IT
that dominates so much reportage worldwide. ALSO IMPLIES THAT YOU CAN BE KIND,
Over the moon about something that’s still under the AND FORGIVING OF MISTAKES
radar? Tell me at rachel.lopez@htlive.com
13
short story, Dashrath ka Vanvas, conveys a
sense of how desirable the bicycle was, and
how it could be invested with deep emotion:
the protagonist Ramanath has longed for a
bicycle since he was a boy. But his stern,
unyielding father never offered a sliver of
love, forget a bicycle. Estranged from his
father for years, Ramanath refuses to visit
him on his deathbed and does not perform his
last rites. Then, a few days later, a huge pack-
age is delivered to Ramanath’s home. It is a
brand new bicycle that his father had bought
and kept for him.
Dharamvir Bharati’s iconic 1949 Hindi
novel, Gunahon ka Devta, is a passionate
love story and has nothing to do with bicy-
cles. But it shows us how the cycle imparted
freedom and mobility. The book’s hero, the
brilliant young research scholar Chander, is
often found pedalling down Allahabad’s
tranquil, tree-lined roads to go to university,
to meet his friends or to run important
errands.
But it is as a means of romance and pleas-
ure that the humble bicycle lives on in the
popular imagination, because that’s how it
was immortalised on the big screen. The two-
wheel contraption came to symbolise a new
generation of modern young men and women
who cycled for recreation. Romance blos-
somed when cycles collided in a tangle of
wheels and handlebars.
A familiar trope in Hindi films was the gag-
gle of stylish young women on their bicycles
— Nutan and her ‘haseenon ki toli’ (or group
of beauties) in Anari (1959); Asha Parekh and
friends in Mere Sanam (1965); Saira Banu
with her gang of girls in Padosan (1968).
Often, daringly, the cyclists were mixed
groups of men and women. In the song Jab
Din Haseen Dil Ho Jawan (Adalat, 1958), a
bunch of exuberant youngsters in hats and
dark glasses head out for a picnic on their
bicycles and spend the day dancing and going
on boat rides.
But the most interesting — and probably
one of the earliest — associations of bicycles
and fashionable young people is in the splen-
did 1941 film, Khazanchi, recommended to
me by Yasir Abbasi, a devoted chronicler of
Hindi film history and trivia. The movie
opens with two groups of cyclists (led by the
hero and heroine) singing and riding on the
streets of Lahore. They end up, yes, colliding
with each other; later the hero’s father
expresses concern for his son’s safety, as
though he were riding a particularly fast,
dashing vehicle. But our heroine’s father
proudly declares of his daughter, “Yeh toh
cycle chalaane mein ustad hai!”
Today, the bicycle has probably had its
middle-class moment. Perhaps it’s time to
celebrate it in its new avatar — as an eco-
friendly, cool, fitness machine that is also the
best socially distanced means of transport in
these coronavirus times.
each child, we set them all off on an impossible
trajectory right there.
The second factor then piles on to the first
— the idea of ‘log kya kahenge’. As a society,
we continue to be preoccupied by what others
think or may think of us. Many major life deci-
sions are made based on what the collective
‘others’ might say.
The truth is, no one lives your life on a daily
basis. So forget the comparisons. Replace the
voice in your head that says you have to ‘be the
best’, with one that reminds you to ‘do your
best’. Set your own standards for success and
happiness. Define what you desire.
This is true especially when it comes to
finding a partner. The flawed idea that you
may only marry a person with a specific
resume, limits your own chances at happi-
ness.
One way to expand your chances at happi-
ness is to know and love yourself. Set aside
time, money and mindspace to take care of
yourself. If for some reason you end up feeling
selfish, remind yourself of those flight-safety
videos that instruct you to “put your oxygen
mask on first, before helping others”.
Many years ago, I had the fortune of being
mentored by the motivational guru Jim Rohn.
He famously said that you are the average of
the five people you spend most time with. So
surround yourself with positive people. It is
common for people to seek validation from
those least likely to provide it. Break that pat-
tern. Spend time with those who love you and
want to be with you.
Remember, you cannot be in a loving, last-
ing relationship unless you’re able to love
yourself first. Make a list of the things you love
about yourself, and keep adding to it. Look at
it every day. Own yourself with pride and let
the world see you in that happy state.
Simran Mangharam is a dating coach and founder
of floh.in. She can be reached at simran@floh.in
14 hindustantimes
COVID 19
COVID HAS CLAIMED ABOUT 13,000 LIVES IN INDIA, WITH CASES AND FATALITIES RISING IN RECENT WEEKS. HT EXPLORES HOW THE PANDEMIC HAS SHAPED
NATIONAL ISSUES SINCE MARCH 2, SEEN AS THE BEGINNING OF THE INFECTION’S FIRST WAVE IN INDIA, AND CHANGED PERSONAL LIVES AND HABITS
5 changes we hope will stay
GREATER GENDER
NEUTRALITY
For every family without full-time
help, the lockdown meant you did
something new that needed to be
done, and would have been ‘out-
sourced’ in the past. In many
homes, this meant traditional
gender roles were dismantled in
the first 10 days. “Children who see
their parents working together
cheerfully become open to per-
forming such tasks themselves,”
says psychiatrist Sharita Shah.
n As everyone pitches in to take on new chores, children have benefited from seeing gender roles ease in the household.
DEMOCRACY AND TALKING
THINGS THROUGH
Locked in together turned most
families into a kind of United Na-
tions. Not every vote was equal,
but everyone got a seat at the
Learning to parent
through a pandemic
table. Resources like laptops and
TVs were allocated based on need
as well as mood. “Having to con-
sider the other is one of the big
changes we’ll see,” says family
counsellor Gouri Dange. “In many
families, frank talk has brought the The contours of parenting have changed: family time is back, but amid heightened anxiety and
unit closer together.” uncertainty, especially for low-income parents and those having children with special needs
Zara Murao
n letters@hindustantimes.com
ore alcohol’. That
M
was the most suc-
cinct response we
got to the question,
how have you
changed as a par-
ent in the lock-
down. It was a joke.
But humour’s been
one of the things
that have helped families stay
sane through the past 100 days.
Much of the humour is dark
A HANDPRINTED OWL BY AADRITI KHAN, 3 and / or rooted in the ongoing
tragedy. Like the viral tweet
THE IDEA OF PERSONAL /
about the little boy who wouldn’t
UNSTRUCTURED TIME stop crying because he’d been
promised a treat that hadn’t
In lockdown, in many ways, the day materialised. When did we
opened up for kids. After chores promise this, his dad asked. Try-
ing to say ‘in the morning’, but
and school work, there was time
confused by his now-garbled
left deliciously vacant. Many par- sense of time, all he could man-
ents realised the value of allowing age was ‘A long time ago today’.
their kids to use this personal time In Mumbai, the parents of six-
to be by themselves, de-stress, year-old Lyra recently asked
what she was building with her
doodle or journal or paint. There Lego blocks and were told, very
was less ‘What are you doing!’ seriously, that they were hospi-
‘When are you going to do xyz’ and tals. It’s all she builds now.
“That’s when we realised
a greater sense of easing up. what a toll this was taking,” says
her mother. To try and help take
her mind off things, they’ve been
LESS CONSUMERISM letting her go to the pet store in
AND MATERIALISM their building, to pet the dogs.
Innovation, empathy and
No new things meant you took patience are key tools parents
greater care of what you had. We have been deploying in the lock-
made chips at home, had the kids down, to make it work for the
make pen stands for our work-at- family, amid constraints of
space, money, privacy and peer
home desks. To replace needless company.
buying with innovation has been a “Living the idea that parent-
hallmark of the lockdown in mid- ing is not just expecting your
kids to step up, but also walking
dle- and upper-middle-class India. a mile in their shoes… that’s
“It’s not a philosophical change, so been a lesson for me,” says Dhan-
it may not last,” says Dange. ashri Bhosale, 43, an architect
and mother of two teens. “I’ve
also realised that I need to
upgrade myself if I want to
understand their world. So I’m
spending a bit more time online.
I have let my guard down a lot
more. I want them to know they
can communicate with me.”
***
As a byproduct of the lockdown,
the performative element of par-
enting in middle- and upper-mid-
dle-class urban India has
HT PHOTO declined. There’s less pressure
THE SURPRISE ELEMENT on children, because there are
just fewer goals available. This
Pallavi and Udit Singh (above) means parents are seeing their
created a ‘fairy land’ for daughter children differently; seeing them
for who they are, as one put it,
Kimaya’s fifth birthday party on rather than as an amalgam of the
Zoom. The lockdown has been various children they’ve been.
marked by all kinds of surprises. “At this point, I feel I need not
focus only on career and
Birthday videos with footage sent
achievements. The humanitar-
in from across the globe. Special ian aspects have taken prece-
events marked with personalised dence,” adds Bhosale. “For
Zoom quiz nights. Here’s hoping instance, I was pleasantly sur-
prised when I was worrying
that kind of effort doesn’t die out. about my son’s school not yet
100 DAYS OF
PARENTING
starting online classes, and he
said, ‘Not everyone might have
the facility at home. It’s okay to
wait, ma’.”
There’s a back-to-the-basics
clarity about the role of the par-
ent. Keep the child safe, keep
them fed, keep them occupied
and calm, and talk, talk, talk. In
most cases, parents have seen
children reciprocate in kind,
whether they’re 6 or 16.
“We’ve discovered a capacity
for working as a team and man-
aging with limited resources —
whether for recreation or
recipes or company,” says Ekta
Pillai, 41, homemaker and
mother of Aahiel, 12.
***
Family time has made a roaring
comeback. All meals are eaten
together; chores are done
together. In some cases the TV
and laptop are shared. This has
placed a certain amount of pres-
sure on sibling relationships, but
even more on the marriage — as
one mother put it, it’s hard to
parent, and especially hard to
discipline, under the constant
watch of someone who would
typically take a different
approach (and was usually away
at work for this bit).
“Juggling parenting styles
while also having to juggle the
roles of teacher, guide, counsel-
lor, friend and parent, plus work
and housework, has been a com-
mon pain point,” says Kamna
Chhibber, head of mental health
and behavioural sciences at For-
tis Healthcare, Gurugram,
which has been offering counsel-
ling through the lockdown via
voice and video calls.
It’s been a double adaptation
for some. The generation gap
was large to begin with, between
some of today’s parents and chil-
dren. “The way society and com-
munity were changing, conver-
sations around gender and sexu-
ality, religion, tech, politics, all
of it had been a challenge. There
was near-constant adapting.
Covid-19 has made this even
more daunting,” Chhibber says.
The lockdown has also been
n Parents say the lockdown has taught them to give their children
space. When her day is done, for instance, Rhianna Majumder, 12,
from Kolkata retreats to the secret world of her diary. ‘I pour out all
my thoughts and feelings there,’ she says.
particularly hard on parents of
children with special needs, and
parents of toddlers. Vaccine
cycles have been disrupted, rou-
tine checks have become nerve-
wracking, and there’s the added
burden of childcare with no help.
The loss of the offline social
network has been very keenly
felt. “These parents are having to
work doubly hard in the absence
of their network,” says develop-
mental paediatrician Samir Dal-
wai, founder of the New Hori-
zons Health and Research Foun-
dation. “For certain kinds of
special-needs children, online
learning can also be harder. For
some, outdoor activity is almost
a prescription. Here, parents
have been resorting to staircase
space, a therapy ball, even an old
truck tyre. And all these are good
ideas, and have been working.”
***
In addition to age — teens tend to
get restless more easily; younger
children are more able to enter-
tain themselves for longer peri-
ods, and suffer less anxiety about
what comes next — type of
schooling has proved pivotal.
The more rigidly structured
courses have instituted virtual
attendance, tests and work-
sheets. One dad had to rush
around trying to buy a printer,
the day the lockdown was
enforced. Juggling work, house-
work, classes and homework has
pushed others to the brink.
One mom was so exhausted by
the sheets and sheets of algebra
fractions that she said she felt
like pulling her hair out, at
which point her daughter
responded curtly, ‘Keep your
hair on, mom’ — which has since
become the lockdown anthem in
their home.
“Younger children are typi-
cally more resilient by design.
Their lack of knowledge and
understanding of the scale of
things, helps,” Chhibber says.
What happens next is a ques-
tion that’s plaguing children,
and parents too — not just with
regard to the courses / exams /
jobs situation, but also, what is
SHORMI ROYCHOUDHURY
SUN DAY HIN DUSTA N TIMES, N EW D E LHI
GETTY IMAGES / ISTOCK
the likely long-term impact of
this lockdown on my child?
Counsellors say they can’t
answer that one; it’s too soon to
know. But the fact that everyone
has been stuck in the same situa-
tion should alleviate some of the
long-term effects.
In terms of being stuck in the
same situation, parents say it’s
also been helpful to discover that
there is no correct number of
children for a lockdown. One is
too few; any more is an endless
roundabout of cooking, washing
up, arguing over space / toys /
rules / chores, and elaborate dis-
putes redressal systems.
***
For some children, this has been
the first time in their lives that
they’ve gone this long with noth-
ing new, no special outings, par-
ties or vacations.
“Parents are learning to spend
less money. What was, for many,
a cycle of heedless consumerism
has been broken. There is no
hankering for the next big
thing,” says family counsellor
Gouri Dange. “Children are
being taught to manage with
what they have.”
Instead of things, innovation
and effort have reclaimed their
place at the heart of special occa-
sions. Like the ‘flight experience’
that Rachana Adalja created for
her six-year-old daughter and a
friend, in their living room. She
put luggage tags on two suit-
cases, fixed screens to the backs
of chairs and offered an ‘in-flight’
meal of Maggi and soup.
Pallavi Singh, 38, a home-
maker from Indore, celebrated
her daughter Kimaya’s fifth
birthday by transforming part of
their living room into a ‘fairy-
land’, with the help of some toys,
Barbie props and balloons. “She
had a Zoom party with friends
and cousins. They played games
and laughed a lot,” Pallavi says.
Rec time and celebrations
have also encompassed joint
cooking or baking projects, ques-
tion hour and quiz games,
dress-up and dance parties.
***
So, will lockdown change how
we parent for good? How much of
the old styles of parenting will
return — less democracy, less
conversation, less quality time,
fewer family meals?
“The ability to have more con-
versations will remain, I hope,”
says Chhibber.
“In the long term, parents will
learn to depend on themselves,”
Dalwai adds. “They will have
greater trust in their child’s abil-
ity to cope. And will realise,
hopefully, that children don’t
need that many things and lists.
Sometimes all they need is time
and patience and a say in how
things are done.”
(With input from Vanessa Viegas)
J UN E 2 1 , 2 02 0
5 things we’ll be glad to lose
NEAR-CONSTANT ANXIETY
OVER WHAT COMES NEXT
Will I keep my job? What will be-
come of the kids’ exams? When do
we let the domestic help return?
The daily scanning of numbers,
assessing of threats, discussing of
options and risk is something most
families can’t wait to be done with.
HAVING NO IDEA WHERE
THE KIDS ARE
A degree of freedom will be lost,
especially in the short term, says
family counsellor Gouri Dange.
Much of the socialising will have to
be done online, something parents
are already preparing for. “I also
feel ‘safety’ will become a different
kind of priority,” adds Sasmita Sah-
ani, who works with an NGO and is
mother to five-year-old Reyansh.
“Hand washing, social distancing,
masks are things we will focus on
for an awfully long time.”
SEEMINGLY ENDLESS
SCREEN TIME
“Pulling back from the long hours
spent online will likely be a chal-
lenge, as will the return to physical
activity,” says counsellor Dange. At
least the tussle over who gets the
laptop can end. “I can’t wait,” says a
mom of three boys, 12, 14 and 17, all
sharing one laptop while she works
on the other. A quick hack in the
meanwhile, says Dr Samir Dalwai, is
to connect the device to the TV so
they know you can see and hear
what they’re watching too.
ISTOCK
THE COOKING
A mother of three boys in Mumbai
was tired of her children pining for
burgers, so she agreed to make
some from scratch if they would
help. “After we had made just the
buns, they said they wouldn’t be
wanting burgers again,” she says,
laughing. It has been hard work
keeping the family fed with little
to no outside help and that is what
most families put right on top of
the list of ‘things they won’t miss’.
ABSENCE OF ‘ME-TIME’
FOR PARENTS
The lockdown has meant juggling
home, work, childcare and school-
ing. “We’ve opted for an alterna-
tive school and it’s great, but I
never thought I’d be playing co-
teacher,” says Anupama Vijayara-
ghavan, mother of nine-year-old
Laya. “I am so enjoying our time
together as a family. It is a gift to
treasure. But I do miss my me time.”
(Text by Madhusree Ghosh, Natasha
Rego, Darielle Britto, Dipanjan Sinha,
Cherylann Mollan and Aishwarya Iyer)
SUN DAY H IN DUSTA N T IMES, N EW D E LH I
J UN E 2 1 , 2 02 0 hindustantimes 15
NEWS
frompageone

DU admissions begin, over LG order

rates for Covid-19 treatment at
private hospitals of Delhi. Delhi
also be offered either a stay at
CCCs or at paid isolation facilities
such as hotels.
“Those who are in home isola-
case of any escalation of symp-
toms. If the patients’ symptoms
were severe, they were immedi-
ately shifted to a hospital. The LG
comed by residents and experts.
Iqbal Singh Chahal, commis-
sioner of the Brihanmumbai
Municipal Corporation (BMC),
truth”. “First of all, PMO and the
Government need to clearly
state their position on the Gal-
wan Valley. Is Galwan Valley not

19k register online on Day 1 deputy chief minister Manish

Kainat Sarfaraz
n letters@hindustantimes.com
NEWDELHI: Over 19,500 applicants
have registered for admissions to
Delhi University’s various
undergraduate courses in just
about four hours as the admis-
sions began on Saturday. While
19,543 applicants had registered
online for the undergraduate
courses, 5,889 registered for post-
graduate courses and 457 regis-
tered for PhD, university officials
said.
DU on Saturday started the
online registration process for
admission to its various under-
graduate, postgraduate, Mphil,
and PhD courses. Applicants will
get a two-week window ending on
July 4 to register for the courses.
The Bulletin of Information,
which contains guidelines on uni-
versity’s admission procedure,
was uploaded on the DU website
at around 5pm and the registra-
tion portal was also made opera-
tional for applicants.
In 2019, applicants got an over
three-week window from May 30
to June 22 to register for admis-
sions and the first cut-off list was
announced on June 28. This year,
however, the Covid-19 pandemic
has delayed the admission sched-
ule. The dates of the first cut-off
are yet to be decided as the Cen-
tral Board of Secondary Educa-
REGISTRATION
FEE STRUCTURE
~250 Merit-based courses
for UR/OBC
~100 For SC/ST/PwBD/
EWS
~100 Additional fee for
ECA/sports
~750 Additional fee for
each entrance-based course
for UR/OBC
~300 Additional fee for
each entrance-based course
for SC/ST/PwBD/EWS
~1,000 Admission
cancellation fee
tion (CBSE) is yet to conduct its
twelve main class 12 papers. The
exams are due to be held between
July 1 and 15.
Dean (admissions) Shobha
Bagai said the admission process
will be “contact-less” and com-
pletely online. “We have a link
with the CBSE portal to verify the
marksheets . We have written to
all educational boards to share
the link where their results will
be announced so that colleges can
verify the marksheets,” she said
at a press conference. “DU had
been planning the complete
online admission for some time
but the Covid-19 pandemic cata-
lyzed the process,” she added. DU
will conduct webinars to clear
any doubts applicants have. “We
will also have dedicated helpline
numbers where students can post
in their queries,” Bagai said.
This is also the first time that
trials for sports and extracurricu-
lar activities(ECA) will not be
held. While students will get
admission under the sports cate-
gory on the basis of their certifi-
cates, for ECA, only NSS and NCC
certificates will be considered.
While the bulletin mentions
that there will be five cut-offs for
students, the admissions commit-
tee is yet to release the tentative
schedule for the first cut-off.
Bagai explained that this is due to
the uncertainty over CBSE
results. The National Testing
Agency will be conducting the
entrance tests to undergraduate
and postgraduate courses in DU
in 20 cities.
Meanwhile, some students
faced issues in accessing the web-
site. “DU is planning on holding
its first ever online open book
examination after 10 days. But it
has failed in making an efficient
online infrastructure for filling
admission forms,” said Akshay
Lakra, president of the Delhi unit
of National Students’ Union of
India (NSUI).
Sisodia said 100% Covid-19 beds
in private hospitals will be subsi-
dised up to an upper limit of 60%
of the total hospital capacity.
Asymptomatic and mild Cov-
id-19 cases in Delhi are lodged in
home isolation after surveillance
officers assess the homes of such
patients and institute a monitor-
ing mechanism. As of Saturday
night, 12,611 Covid-19 patients
were in home isolation, accord-
ing to the official bulletin.
On Saturday morning, Delhi’s
ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)
said that a move to scrap home
isolation for all cases would mean
that the Capital needed 90,000
Covid-19-designated beds by
June 30. The previous prediction
was that Delhi needed 15,000 beds
by June 30, the AAP’s national
spokesperson Raghav Chadha
said. “People in my assembly
called me and told me that we will
not get tested now. People are that
scared… From where will we get
these (additional) beds?” he said,
hours before the order was rolled
back. Later in the day, Delhi chief
minister Arvind Kejriwal
opposed Baijal’s order, asking
why a separate rule was being
applied for the city, according to
people aware of the develop-
ments.
A senior government official
present at the meeting said the
chief minister, through video-
conferencing, told the LG that if
institutional quarantine was
made mandatory for all, there
would be chaos in the city and the
focus would shift from treating
tion should follow home isolation
guidelines laid down by the Min-
istry of Health and Family Wel-
fare and should stay in touch with
health care providers so that if
their condition deteriorates, they
can be moved to the COVID hospi-
tals. The earlier orders would be
amended accordingly,” the LG
office said.
“To prevent this from happen-
ing, all individuals who are posi-
tive will be referred to the Covid
Care Centers for assessment of
clinical conditions, severity of ill-
ness and presence of co-morbidi-
ties. Simultaneously, physical
assessment will also be done
whether adequate facilities for
home isolation like minimum two
rooms and separate toilet exists
so that the family members and
neighbors are protected and a
cluster of cases does not develop
in that locality,” a statement by
the LG’s office said.
According to the modified
home isolation guidelines issued
late on Saturday, the houses of
Covid-19 patients will be assessed
to check whether they have ade-
quate facilities for isolation such
as two rooms and separate toilet.
After that, if the assessment team
finds that the person has no
underlying health conditions and
does not require hospitalization,
the patient can continue to
remain in home isolation or move
to paid isolation facilities such as
hotels.
After the evening meeting,
Sisodia tweeted: “The reserva-
tions of LG over home isolation
were resolved in the SDMA meet-
has now asked the health depart-
ment to make a detailed presenta-
tion and submit a concrete pro-
posal to the DDMA on managing
the entire process in-house or any
other plans for the same before
12pm on Monday. Till then, the
service of the said agency has
been restored.” The DDMA order
on Friday discontinued the servi-
ces of the company hired to man-
age the home quarantine, Portea
Medical, which contacted indi-
viduals through phone calls.
According to the government’s
June 20 bulletin, 6,285 of its 12,208
Covid-19 hospital beds were
vacant, and 4,965 beds were avail-
able (out of 6,249) in Covid care
and health centres.
While issuing the original
order, which was called arbitrary
by the Delhi government, DDMA
said that it feared “home isolation
without physical contact to moni-
tor the patients may be a reason
for the increase in the spread of
Covid-19 infections in Delhi”.
Total infections reached 56,746 on
Saturday.
Home quarantine for patients
has been approved by the Union
government as an effective way to
preserve health care infrastruc-
ture for future challenges, under
certain guidelines. The Delhi gov-
ernment’s home isolation man-
agement system was launched on
May 8. The first 5,000 patients
were onboarded in the system on
May 26.
According to experts, hospital
beds should be kept aside only for
serious patients needing special-
ised care. Most countries in the
said: “A rollback was expected
because in cities such as Mumbai
and Delhi you need to have solu-
tions that are localised… For the
middle and upper middle class
people, we give them choices of
either opting for paid quarantine
or observing home isolation. So, a
one-size-fits-all rule cannot be
enforced on the ground in real-
ity.” Rajiv Kakria, member of the
GK-I Residents’ Welfare Associa-
tion, said that it was a welcome
step. “I would still say that instead
of mass open quarantine centres,
the government must use facili-
ties like hostels, dharamshalas or
state guest houses, which have
separate rooms and toilets for
people to help them keep safe
from exposure to severe infec-
tion… We have also written to the
government regarding this,” said
Kakria, also convener of the Save
City Group, a collective of Delhi-
NCR RWAs.
Modi remarks
India would respond firmly to
any attempts to transgress the
LAC,” the statement said.
The PMO said that PM Modi
specifically emphasised that in
contrast to the past neglect of
such challenges, Indian forces
now decisively counter any vio-
lations of the LAC (“unhe rokte
hain, unhe tokte hain”).
“Because of the improved
patrolling, our vigilance has
gone up and the military gets to
know what is happening on the
borders at the right time,” Modi
said at the all-party meeting,
part of Indian territory? Why is
Government not coming for-
ward and strongly rebutting the
Chinese claim over Galwan Val-
ley? If Chinese troops are present
there, does it not amount to
intrusion into and occupation of
Indian territory? Also, why is the
Government silent on intrusions
in the Pangong Tso area?” the
Congress party said in a state-
ment. Former Congress chief
Rahul Gandhi alleged that the
Prime Minister had surrendered
Indian territory to Chinese
aggression. “If the land was Chi-
nese: 1.Why were our soldiers
killed? 2. Where were they
killed?” he tweeted.
The opposition party said that
the PM’s statement belittled the
gravity of the situation on the
LAC.The government rebutted
the claims and said that the all-
party meeting was informed that
this time “Chinese forces have
come in much larger strength to
the LAC” and that the Indian
response was commensurate.
“As regards transgression at
the LAC, it was clearly stated
that the violence in Galwan on
June 15 arose because Chinese
side was seeking to erect struc-
tures just across the LAC and
refused to desist from such
actions,” the PMO said in the
statement. It also went on to add
that the PM’s observation that
there was no Chinese presence
on the Indian side of the LAC per-
tained to the situation conse-
quent to the bravery of the
armed forces. “The sacrifices of
the soldiers of the 16 Bihar Regi-

School principal arrested in serious Covid-19 patients to find-

ing additional facilities for
asymptomatic ones, since they
ing and the home isolation sys-
tem will continue. We thank LG
for this. Under the leadership of
world recommend home isola-
tion for mild cases. Experts also
point to the risks of infections
pointing out that Indian soldiers
were able to intercept the Chi-
nese forces who earlier had a free
ment foiled the attempt of the
Chinese side to erect structures
and also cleared the attempted

Delhi violence case gets bail make up a high number.

HT Correspondent
n letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Sat-
urday granted bail to Faisal
Farooq, principal of Rajdhani
Public School, who was earlier
charged with hatching a conspir-
acy to precipitate and aggravate
riots in and around his school.
The court observed that the
CCTV footage did not show his
presence at the place where the
riots had broken out.
Duty Judge Vinod Yadav said
that the statement of one of the
witnesses, Roop Singh, on March
8 had claimed that he had seen
Farooq on the spot . He had also
claimed to have heard Farooq
asking the school guard to per-
mit some persons inside the
school.
However, later in his state-
ment recorded before the magis-
trate on March 11, he did not say
a word about having seen the
accused or having heard him
speak to the guard.
The court, while granting bail,
said, “It is clearly apparent that
there are contradictions in the
various statements of this wit-
ness about applicant,” the court
said. It also noted that Farooq
kept calling the police to report
the damage to his school from
February 24, but his FIR was
recorded on March 5. The court
said “except bald allegation,”
there is nothing to substantiate
that Farooq had spoken to people
connected with the riots.
Despite HT’s many calls and
test messages, there was no
response from police crime
branch chief Praveer Ranjan or
police spokesperson Mandeep
Randhawa. Confirming the
order, Farooq’s lawyer Gaurav
Kochar said he had contended
that there was no material on
record about the presence of the
applicant at the spot at the time
of riots. He said the 11-day delay
in filing of the FIR also pointed
towards false implication.
While a meeting of DDMA
could not arrive at a consensus on
the fate of the order earlier in the
day, another round of discussions
in the evening resulted in the
home isolation strategy being
restored. At the second meeting,
the LG stated that since the gov-
ernment began intensive com-
munity-based rapid antigen test-
ing, it was possible that individu-
als who were positive may have
moderate to severe illness, neces-
sitating hospitalisation, which
can be missed if they remain
under home isolation.
Baijal said that if adequate
facility for home isolation is
found available with Covid-19
patients, and the people on clini-
cal assessment do not require
hospitalisation, then they would
our Chief Minister Arvind Kejri-
wal, we will not let Delhi people
have any inconvenience.”
In a statement, the Delhi gov-
ernment said: “CM Kejriwal
explained the Delhi govern-
ment’s position to the LG and
clarified all the doubts which the
LG had about home isolation. We
are thankful to the LG for amend-
ing his earlier order after consid-
ering all our points. A private
agency was managing the home
isolation programme of the Delhi
government via tele-consultation
in a professional manner. They
were taking care of on-boarding
the patient followed by their
home-isolation training, medical
counselling of patient and family
and day-to-day tracking of symp-
toms. An emergency phone num-
ber was given to all patients in
from crowded facilities. Experts
also said that if all cases were to be
admitted to institutional facili-
ties, the authorities would have to
find additional doctors, nurses
and health workers. HT reported
on Wednesday that the plan to
add 23,800 beds this month for
Covid-19 patients will require
roughly 2,000 doctors and 3,000
nursing staff.
On Friday, the announcement
by the central government was
criticised as “arbitrary” by the
state government, which pointed
out its success in running a home
quarantine programme and the
challenges that will come with
adding “thousands of quarantine
rooms and finding additional doc-
tors and nurses and health work-
ers” to manage these facilities.
Saturday’s move was wel-
run. “If you keep on intercepting
them, it is obvious that tensions
will rise,” he said. The all-party
meeting on Friday was called to
discuss the situation along the
LAC following the brutal June 15
brawl between Indian and Chi-
nese troops in the Galwan valley
in eastern Ladakh, in which 20
Indian personnel were killed. It
was the first time since 1975 that
India suffered combat fatalities
in a skirmish with Chinese
troops. Ten Indian soldiers
detained by the Chinese side
were later released after intense
negotiations through diplomatic
and military channels. China
has so far not acknowledged any
casualties among its troops.
Following the PMO’s state-
ments, the Congress termed it “a
lame attempt to obfuscate the
transgression at this point of the
LAC on that day,” it said. “Those
who tried to transgress our land
were taught a befitting lesson by
our brave sons of soil,” the PM
said. The government said an
unnecessary controversy was
being created to lower the
morale of the soldiers. “What is
Indian territory is clear from the
map of India. This government is
strongly and resolutely commit-
ted to that,” it added. Any unilat-
eral change of the LAC will not
be allowed, the government
added. The government said all
parties extended support to the
government and the armed for-
ces. “The predominant senti-
ment... was of unequivocal sup-
port to the government and the
armed forces at a time of national
crisis,” said the government.

NORTH EASTERN RAILWAY

Opened E-tender based on two Packet
system (Technical & financial bid)
(Tender notice No. M/C&W/09/2020-21
dt. 19-06-2020) are invited by
Divisional Rail Manager/Mech./ C&W/
Varanasi/N E Railway for and on behalf
of President of India for following work:
Description of works: Out Sourcing of

Dy. Chief Elect. Engg. (Construction) I TELL MY KIDS IT’S Comprehensive Housekeeping &
Mechanized cleaning at Chhapra

OKAY TO FAIL:
CPR/10/134 S.E.C. Railway, Bilaspur Jn.(CPR) Station including platforms,
South East Central Railway @secrail yard, washable aprons, Tracks,
office buildings, reservation office,

RONIT BOSE ROY Check out today’s HT City concourse area, circulating area,
waiting halls, drains cleaning, Garbage
collection & disposal and Rag picking

SANJAY GANDHI POST GRADUATE Deals etc. and mechanized cleaning

(interior Clg.), watering, Padlocking in
INSTITUTE OF MEDICAL SCIENCES platform Return/RBPC trains(M/Exp. &
RAEBARELI ROAD, LUCKNOW-226014. Passenger Trains) at CPR & CI
Tele: +91(522)2494009, 2494820, FAX: +91-522-2668017, 2668129 platform along with Rodent Control
Website: www.sgpgi.ac.in
treatment of Chhapra Jn. Station
FACULTY APPOINTMENTS
premises for the period of four years.
The Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Approx. Value `: 8,49,70,106.33,
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Government of India, Ministry of Defence

Defence Research & Development Organization (DRDO)
SF Complex, Airport Terminal Building, Jagdalpur-494001
Tel: 07867-289461/62/63/64/65, Fax: 07867-289466
Email: mmgsfc@asl.drdo.in
Notice Inviting Bid (NIB)
The General Manager, SF Complex, Jagdalpur- 494001, invites separate sealed bids in the prescribed format from
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SI. Bid Reference Name of the Work EMD Bid Bid Opening Dahod Smart City Development Limited (DSCDL) invites online E-Tenders for
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16 hindustantimes
Is taking a knee a sign of change?
NO TO RACISM By showing solidarity on Black Lives Matter, federations, leagues have recognised athletes’ right to protest
Bhargab Sarmah
n bhargab.sarmah@htlive.com
NEW DELHI: Football resumed in
some of Europe’s biggest leagues
in the time of sickness, death and
a significant pushback against
racism. Deaths from the novel
coronavirus reached 4.6 lakh on
Saturday which had 16 games
across the Premiership, La Liga
and Bundesliga. In many of those
games health workers were
lauded, virus victims remem-
bered along with a 46-year-old
black man, George Floyd, 26 days
after his sudden death in USA
from police brutality.
Like playing during a pan-
demic, the widespread call for
racial justice across football’s
firmament—or at least in its
most watched competitions—is
a first. Such has been the global
solidarity for the Black Lives
Matter (BLM) movement after
Floyd’s death that even powerful
sports bodies have changed
stance. So far, they had said
sport and politics don’t mix. It
didn’t matter that politicians
have long been part of sports
administrations—look no fur-
ther than India’s Praful Patel
and Pakistan’s Faisal Saleh
Hayat helming national football
federations. Political protests by
shortpasses
n Leroy Sane REUTERS
SANE REJECTS
CITY CONTRACT
MANCHESTER: Manchester
City forward Leroy Sane could
leave the club after rejecting
offers of a contract extension.
The 24-year-old Sane, a
German international and
target for Bayern Munich, has
one year left on his contract
at City. “Leroy has rejected to
extend his contract. Everyone
knows. If at the end of the
season two clubs agree, he
can leave. If not he will leave
at the end of his contract,”
City coach Pep Guardiola said.
France to allow up to
5,000 fans in stadiums
PARIS: Up to 5,000 spectators
will be allowed to attend
sports events in stadiums in
France when they re-open on
July 11, the French govern-
ment announced on Saturday.
The limit applies to “big
events, stadiums and concert
halls”, the government said.
“A review of the national
epidemiological situation will
be carried out in mid-July to
decide if it is possible to relax
(the rules) in the second half
of August,” it added.
US Open’s wheelchair
event rethink
NEW YORK: The organisers of
the US Open said on Friday
they could have better
communicated with wheel-
chair athletes before an-
nouncing they would not be
part of this year’s scaled-
down event in New York and
are now rethinking their
decision. The United States
Tennis Association (USTA) held
a call on Friday with wheel-
chair tennis leadership during
which they stated they
should have worked in a
“collaborative manner” with
wheelchair athletes.
players though were no-go areas.
That changed over the past
month. Acknowledging BLM,
the International Olympics
Committee (IOC) has said it will
soften rules and the United
States Soccer Federation has
done a U-turn on its three-year
rule prohibiting athletes from
kneeling during the national
anthem. Fifa president Gianni
Infantino has even praised the
BLM movement.
In the Premier League, play-
ers took a knee and wore shirts
that had ‘Black Lives Matter’
where their names would be.
Through campaigns such as
‘Kick It Out’ there have been
attempts to deal with racism in
football in Britain since 1993 but
this was unprecedented. Here
was Fifa, UEFA and the Premier
League encouraging players
supportive of the movement. In
the US, gridiron footballer Colin
Kaepernick’s career may be
revived four years after he took a
political stand and leagues are
saying they are okay with ath-
letes keen on similar protests.
SHIFT IN PERCEPTION
So are these steps populist or
symbolic? They could be either
or both but even then it needs to
be noted that public pressure can
Klopp’s Liverpool ready to hit the ground
running; Barcelona stumble against Sevilla
Agencies
n sportsdesk@hindustantimes.com
LONDON: Premier League strug-
glers Watford rescued a dramatic
1-1 draw against Leicester thanks
to Craig Dawson’s last-gasp over-
head kick at the start of a week-
end which could see Liverpool
move within one win of the title.
In the first full weekend of
English top-flight matches since
the Covid-19 shutdown in March,
Watford’s hopes of avoiding rele-
gation looked set to be dented by
Ben Chilwell’s superb 90th min-
ute strike. But in a remarkable
conclusion, Hornets centre-back
Dawson launched himself into an
acrobatic effort moments later to
claim his first goal for the club.
On Sunday, Liverpool will play
for the first time since the top-
flight hiatus when the title chas-
ers make the short trip to Mersey-
side rivals Everton. Jurgen
Klopp’s side, 22 points clear of sec-
ond-placed Manchester City,
need two wins from their remain-
ing nine games to end their
30-year wait to be crowned
English champions. If the Reds
beat Everton, they can wrap up
the title with another victory
against Palace on Wednesday.
Klopp’s men have not been in
action for 106 days and the Liver-
pool boss is relieved to return
after talk the season might be
declared null and void, which
would have deprived his team of
the title their superb season
deserves. Liverpool had been on
Fans will be allowed during T20 World Cup
Press Trust of India
sportsdesk@hindustantimes.com
n
MELBOURNE: If 15 teams can be
allowed to enter Australia for the
T20 World Cup then fans will not
be stopped from watching live
action in the stadiums, Cricket
Australia’s interim CEO Nick
Hockley said on Saturday.
Hockley replaced under-fire
Kevin Roberts, who recently got
the boot from Cricket Australia,
which is grappling with financial
woes. Different possibilities are
being worked out for the T20
BLM PROTESTS BY ATHLETES
n Young tennis sensation Coco
Gauff joins protests in Florida.
n UFC fighter Israel Adesanya
joins protests in New Zealand.
n Many NBA and WNBA players,
including Malcolm Brogdon,
Bradley Beal, John Wall, Rui
Hachimura and Natasha Cloud,
join nationwide protests in the
US.
n Tyrone Mings, Memphis Depay
among footballers to join
bring meaningful change to the
discourse. As Manchester
United’s Marcus Rashford
showed when he forced an about-
turn on food vouchers for poor
children from the Boris John-
son-led Conservative govern-
ment in the UK, athletes and fans
can get together to hold an estab-
lishment accountable.
For football, and many other
sports, this is an opportunity to
improve the conversation
around racism and bigotry.
When Turkish-origin Mesut
Oezil said he was a victim of
racism in Germany, there was
little support from the national
federation, current and former
n Lionel Messi is challenged by Sevilla players during their La Liga
match in Seville on Friday. Barcelona were held 0-0.
course to become the first English
champions to be crowned in
March after recording 27 wins
from 29 matches.
However, Liverpool’s inevita-
ble title will now come with an
asterisk according to some pun-
dits, who claim the Premier
League’s new normal of matches
behind closed doors with more
substitutes allowed has taken the
shine off the leaders’ achieve-
ments. Klopp doesn’t care about
those critics and, on the eve of
Liverpool’s return, the German
hit back. “Now I have had a lot of
time to read. I had to Google the
word ‘asterisk’. I only knew the
word from a comic!” Klopp said.
“This is the most difficult year
and season to become champions,
100 percent. It is an interrupted
season, like has never happened
World Cup to go ahead as sched-
uled later this year and one of
them is to host the tournament
before empty stands.
However, Hockley said crowds
will be allowed, though, hosting
15 teams with players, officials
and support staff is “complex” as
of now, hinting that probably the
ICC event could be pushed back.
“The reality is, and we’ve got
much more understanding about
this in recent weeks, is crowds
are most likely to come back
before international travel. Our
biggest challenge is getting 15
protests across Europe.
n Jadon Sancho, Achraf Hakimi,
Marcus Thuram among players
in Bundesliga to offer solidarity
to BLM after scoring goals.
n Real Madrid’s Marcelo kneels in
support of BLM during a La Liga
game.
n Premier League players take a
knee before kickoff and wear
shirts carrying the slogan ‘Black
Lives Matter’.
players, or the public. Oezil was
targeted ahead of the 2018 World
Cup for posing with Turkish
president Recep Tayyip Erdogan
when diplomatic relations
between Germany and Turkey
had frayed. When Bundesliga
resumed last month, Germany
embraced public support for
BLM by players.
In England, Liverpool posted
a picture on June 1 where the
club’s players were seen taking a
knee around the Anfield centre-
circle during training. The ges-
ture was soon adopted by other
clubs and introduced on match-
days. Even though Liverpool
have a different manager and
GETTY
before. Whoever will be champi-
ons, it will be historic because it is
a year that we will never forget.
Give us an asterisk, yest. We can-
not do a lot of things that we usu-
ally can do but in this specific case
at least we can say this is really
special. That’s why we enjoy the
little asterisk there.”
Brighton, two points above the
bottom three, return to action at
the Amex Stadium against Arse-
nal, who are reeling from their 3-0
defeat at Manchester City on
Wednesday. Arsenal are eight
points adrift of the top four and
another loss would effectively
extinguish their faint hopes of
qualifying for the Champions
League. West Ham, level on
points with Brighton, host
Wolves, who are bidding for an
unexpected European berth,
teams into the country,” Hockley
said. “If I compare it with the
prospect of a bilateral tour,
you’re talking about bringing one
team in and then playing individ-
ual matches. But the prospect of
bringing 15 teams in and having
six or seven teams in one city at
the same time, it’s a much more
complex exercise.” When specifi-
cally asked whether crowds
would be permitted by the time
borders have opened to the point
that 15 teams will be allowed to
travel to Australia, Hockley
replied in an affirmative.
THEY ARE AN AMAZING SIDE AND CAN’T WAIT TO PLAY THEM WHEN THEY COME
OUT TO AUSTRALIA THIS YEAR, WILL BE SOMETHING INCREDIBLY SPECIAL.
n Leicester and Watford players take a knee ahead
of their Premier League match at Vicarage Road
in Watford on Saturday.
almost an entirely different first
team from 2011-12, it is worth
remembering that during that
season, the club threw its weight
behind Luis Suarez when he was
found guilty of racially abusing
Manchester United’s Patrice
Evra.
The Liverpool players even
wore shirts in support of Suarez
at the time. Liverpool have never
publicly apologised for that
although Evra did reveal that he
recently received an email from
club chairman Tom Werner who
acknowledged the Reds’ mistake
and apologised.
English football has also seen
little progress in terms of black
representation in managerial
positions or in boardrooms and it
is perhaps time to go a few steps
ahead of just symbolic support
for an anti-racism campaign. As
Manchester City’s Raheem Ster-
ling recently said: “There’s
something like 500 players in the
Premier League and a third of
them are black and we have no
representation of us in the hier-
archy, no representation of us in
the coaching staffs. There’s not a
lot of faces that we can relate to
and have conversations with.”
For allegations of racism foot-
ball bodies in Europe, including
UEFA, have been notorious in
while Bournemouth face Crystal
Palace. Chelsea play for the first
time since the lockdown on Sun-
day when Frank Lampard’s men
head to struggling Aston Villa.
BARCA HELD
SEVILLE: Barcelona defender Ger-
ard Pique said his side has every-
thing to do if they are to retain
their Spanish title this season
after being held to a 0-0 draw at
Sevilla, handing Real Madrid the
chance to top the standings. “See-
ing how the matches have gone so
far, it’s going to be very difficult
for us to win this league,” Pique
said. “The draw leaves us in a
position where we no longer
depend on ourselves and looking
at the fixtures it’s difficult to
imagine Real Madrid are going to
drop points but we’ll still give
everything to try and win it.”
Real trail Barca by three points
and if they beat Real Sociedad on
Sunday they will overtake the
Catalans due to their superior
head-to-head record. Zinedine
Zidane’s side beat Valencia 3-0 on
Thursday with a superb second-
half display and won 3-1 against
Eibar in their first game back.
Barca coach Quique Setien
said he was optimistic Real would
also slip up and said Pique had
made his downbeat prediction in
the heat of the moment. “I think
Pique’s words came from frustra-
tion. I’m sure he’ll think different
tomorrow, I’m certain that Real
Madrid are not going to win every
game,” he said.
“That’s the current thinking,
yes.” Hockley said it came as a
shock when he was asked by
Cricket Australia to replace Rob-
erts.
“I’ve had very mixed emotions.
I was very shocked to be asked. I
didn’t see it coming at all, so I
probably haven’t had time yet to
process it. I feel very sad for Kev
(Roberts). On the other hand, I
feel this is a massive privilege to
be asked, it’s a massive responsi-
bility and a massive opportunity
even if it’s only for the next few
months,” he said.
> STEVE SMITH, on India’s series in Australia scheduled in October and December
TWITTER
letting many stakeholders get
away with a tap on the wrist.
Racist chanting from the stands
remains prevalent even in top
leagues like Italy’s Serie A. Per-
haps, this is European football’s
chance to course-correct. BLM is
changing the rules of the game
and the conversation around
racism and political protests.
It can also be a lesson for coun-
tries where dissent by athletes is
frowned upon. In India, where
nothing stops athletes from jin-
goism or bigotry –military caps
by the India cricket team in an
international match, Islamopho-
bic tweets by a famous wrestler
or a tweet by an Olympic medal-
winning wrestler threatening
‘terrible consequences’ on those
consuming beef are but a few
examples – there is little toler-
ance for those speaking out
against injustice.
When former India cricketer
Irfan Pathan recently expressed
his views on social injustice in
India, it was met with radio
silence from colleagues and the
cricket fraternity at large.
Former West Indies captain Dar-
ren Sammy’s allegations of
teammates in the Indian Pre-
mier League using a racial slur
received somewhat similar
treatment.
thecrosswords
CRYPTIC CLUES
ACROSS
1 Fifty cubs around, but only thirteen in the
pack (5)
4 Meeting to study diplomacy (7)
8 The refuse has been turned into wood (3)
9 Very bad actor gets involved with debts (9)
10 Bearing out what one would be rude to do
(5,2)
11 Put in a claim for prize money (5)
13 The sailor goes back to the girl more
willingly (6)
15 Bold prosecutor takes on a cartel (6)
18 What could be finer than a riddle? (5)
19 Arrange a star part in a Western (7)
21 Produced, as it proved (6,3)
23 One again shows anger (3)
24 Comes into line for clothes (7)
25 Legend written by northern French writer
DOWN
1 Music room (7)
2 She carries the torch for others (9)
3 Alec’s fresh mount (5)
4 Bill comes up to telephone, showing
concern (6)
5 Despoiled icon is restored to a city of
Cyprus (7)
6 An occasion for trouble (3)
7 Concoct a test to discern flavour (5)
12 An illumination for the landing (9)
14 Teams of seven put out by the Spanish (7)
16 Bitterness associated with an age old craft (7)
17 Raise with some relief (6)
18 Fed up with dates having to be rearranged
(5)
20 The pay for judges? (5)
22 One type of corn spirit (3)
FRIDAY’S SOLUTIONS (15634)
CRYPTIC
QUICK
SUN DAY HIN DUSTA N TIMES, N EW D E LHI
J UN E 2 1 , 2 02 0
‘Most corruptors
in fixing cases
linked to India’
Rasesh Mandani
n sportsdesk@hindustantimes.com
MUMBAI:Did the wide-ranging fall-
out of the 2013 IPL spot-fixing
scandal work as a deterrent
against corruption in Indian
cricket? Not so, say anti-corrup-
tion (ACU) officials in the sport.
These officials say the corrup-
tors now look to target the state
leagues as well as lesser known
live competitions—smaller in
scale and involving more vulner-
able players. “We have 50 investi-
gations that we are undertaking
and majority have links to cor-
ruptors in India,” Steve Richard-
son, coordinator of investiga-
tions, International Cricket
Council ACU said in a webinar on
Sports Law and Policy on Satur-
day.
Of late, no high-profile Indian
cricketer may have come under
the lens, but the player-bookie
nexus goes unabated, he said.
“Players are the final link in the
chain. Problem is with people
who organise corruption, who
pay the players; who sit outside
the sport. I can deliver eight
names to Indian governing agen-
cies who are serial offenders and
constantly approach the play-
ers,” Richardson added.
But for Covid 19 applying the
brake on all state leagues, many
of them would have been on by
now. The Karnataka Premier
League (KPL) remains sus-
pended and police investigations
are on after some players and a
team owner were charged with
fixing. “The police has filed par-
tial charge-sheets in KPL matter.
We are in the process of examina-
tion of that evidence,” BCCI ACU
head Ajit Singh said.
“The entire malice emanates
from (illegal) betting. Just to
make windfall gains illegally
through betting, they approach
participants (players, support
staff, officials, franchise owners)
and the amount of money
involved is unimaginable—an
annual turnover of ~30,000-40,000
crore; including sports and other
activities. In state leagues, we got
betting examined on certain
matches and we discovered it
comes to the tune of more than 2
million pounds per match,” said
Singh.
ACU officials say nothing will
PUZZLE 15635 © Gemini Crosswords 2012 All rights reserved
QUICK CLUES
ACROSS
1 Heavy blow (5)
4 Depose from priesthood (7)
8 Generation (3)
9 Not joking (2,7)
10 To refrain (7)
11 Cornered with no escape (2,3)
13 Stick together (6)
15 Urgent need (6)
18 Bottomless gulf (5)
19 Surround entirely (7)
21 Produce useful result (4,5)
23 Fuss (3)
24 Without exception (7)
25 A cotton fabric (5)
htsudoku
Fill in all the squares in
the grid so that each
row, column and each of
the 9X9 squares
contains all the digits
from 1 to 9.
change until match-fixing is
made a criminal offence in India.
“Sri Lanka was the first nation
that brought a match-fixing law.
For that reason, Sri Lanka cricket
is better protected now. In Aus-
tralia’s case, we are very proact-
ive. At the moment, with no legis-
lation in place in India, they are
operating with one hand tied up,”
said Richardson.
A robust law would also help
protect ICC events better. “In
Australia, they can stop someone
coming to their country before
the tournament. India too has
ICC events coming up with the
T20 World Cup (2021) and the 2023
ODI World Cup. Legislation
would be a game changer.”
Singh said there would be a
strong deterrent if the pending
Prevention of Sports Fraud bill
became law. “Fans put in a huge
amount of emotion and this (fix-
ing) happens… It starts at an
early stage; those who are in
sports betting nurture these play-
ers and start using them later for
fixing. It needs to be curbed. For
that you need a strong law. Cur-
rently it is archaic, and some of
the conditions are laughable.”
MASHRAFE, TWO
OTHERS TEST POSITIVE
PTI ADDS: Former captain Mash-
rafe Mortaza and two other Bang-
ladesh cricketers, Nazmul Islam
and Nafees Iqbal have tested posi-
tive for Covid-19. The 36-year-old
Mortaza was unwell for the last
couple of days and tested positive
on Saturday. He is currently in
self-isolation. Mortaza plays only
ODIs and had stepped down from
captaincy earlier this year. Last
week, former Pakistan captain
Shahid Afridi had tested positive.
Meanwhile, Cricket Associa-
tion of Bengal secretary Sneha-
sish Ganguly, Sourav Ganguly’s
elder brother said he’s perfectly
healthy, rubbishing reports that
he was infected. According to the
West Bengal health department,
the family members of Snehasish
-- wife, father-in-law and mother-
in-law—have tested positive.
Snehasish has tested negative. “I
am perfectly healthy and am
doing office everyday. The news
doing the rounds about my illness
is baseless and is not expected in
these trying times,” Snehasish
said in a CAB media statement.
DOWN
1 Illegal trading (7)
2 Ghostly (9)
3 Group of lions (5)
4 Cheerless (6)
5 To desert (7)
6 Be indebted for (3)
7 Pool of stakes (5)
12 Listen very attentively (2,3,4)
14 Tranquil (7)
16 Strongly disapprove of (7)
17 Utter poverty (6)
18 Compass (5)
20 Extremely important (5)
22 An exploit (3)
DIFFICULTY
LEVEL

INTERNATIONAL YOGA DAY: YOGA SE HI HOGA >>P4
NEW DELHI, SUNDAY, JUNE 21, 2020, 6 PAGES I Entertainment & Promotional Features
Ronit Bose
Roy; (inset)
with wife and
kids PHOTOS:
PRAMOD THAKUR/HT
AND INSTAGRAM/
RONITBOSEROY
Ronit Bose Roy says no topic is taboo in his house
Kavita Awaasthi
eing a father is the core of
B my existence. I have been
through good, bad and
worse times in life, but
since my kids were born, all my
decisions have been taken
keeping them in mind,” says
actor Ronit Bose Roy, father of
two. He believes being a parent
is not just about loving, guiding
and educating your child but
also means “to take the pain
and spare them any”. This
Father’s Day, Roy tells us that
he talks to his children about
positivity and being strong
amid hardships.
“I am teaching my kids to be
kind, compassionate and be
good humans. I tell them it is
okay to fail, and that you may
win or lose, but keep on
moving. I tell them every fight
is not theirs to fight and the
NOTE TO READERS: Some of the coverage that appears on our pages is paid for by the concerned brands. No
sponsored content does or shall appear in any part of HT without it being declared as such to our valued readers.
result isn’t important, but the
reason to fight has to be right. It
can’t be due to ego or anger... It
should be a positive reason
instead, such as standing up for
someone or correcting
something,” the Hostages actor
says, adding, “My daughter,
Aador, is 15 and my son,
Agastya, is 12, and they have
impressionable minds. As
every stage of life brings a
different set of issues, parental
guidance is crucial in a
child’s life.”
Roy also teaches his kids
about “entitlement, money,
poverty, compassion, anxiety,
and being kind”. The 54-year-
old reveals that he had a frank
chat with them about mental
health after the death of actor
Sushant Singh Rajput.
Revealing that a couple of years
ago, his daughter “went
through anxiety for six
www.hindustantimes.com
www.facebook.com/HTcity
twitter.com/htshowbiz
instagram.com/htcity
www.youtube.com/user/ht
ANSEL
Ansel Elgort ELGORT
PHOTO: INSTAGRAM/
ANSEL
ACCUSED OF
SEXUAL ASSAULT
A ctor Ansel Elgort of The
Fault In Our Stars (2014)
fame has been accused of
sexually assaulting an
FATHER’SIAL
underage girl in 2014.
According to a Dailymail
DAY SPEC
report, a woman claimed on
Twitter, on Friday, that she
messaged Elgort on social
media before her 17th
birthday, and he responded.
She wrote in her statement
that she was “sobbing and
in pain” during the alleged
assault. “...the only words
that came out of his mouth
were ‘we need to break you
in’. I WASNT there in that
moment mentally, (sic)”
she wrote.
months”, Roy shares, “We
discuss issues such as mental
health, goodness of the soul,
greed, and the fear people feel.
Thankfully, they are intelligent
and understand the evils of
social media. We also talk
about money and how much is
spent on them. They know that
not many are blessed like them.
No topic is taboo in our house
and we talk about all current
events... I need to know what
they think as their take might
be different from mine. I have
learnt a lot in life, but they are WORLD Y
MUSIC DA
in a different space, so we learn
from each other.”
He adds that there is no
pressure on his children to be
“a doctor or an engineer”; they
will be what they want to be.
“They aren’t sure what they
RAJA KUMARI
want in life, and that’s perfectly Indian-American rapper musician Raja Kumari, has her first ever
fine by me,” Roy says. pay cheque fixed right on her “vision board”. However, she did
not encash the cheque! “It was for $343 for a song that was
n kavita.awaasthi@htlive.com
meant to be featured on a video game, NBA2k13 but the song
was later not used!” she says.
WE ARE
Taking Indian FIGHTING
crafts to new heights BACK
Sanchita Kalra
s the spirit to encourage
A local, home-grown
products strengthens,
architect and design expert
Seetu Kohli, head of Seetu
Kohli Home — one of India’s
leading design, furniture and
lifestyle firms — has extended
support to local arts, crafts
and artisans to fight back
amid the current crisis. The
eponymous brand has
previously brought to India
several international luxury
home decor and interior
brands, such as Fendi Casa,
Roberto Cavalli Home, and
Ralph Lauren Home.
However, in the current
scenario, Kohli feels that one
needs to step up and
contribute for the country’s
benefit. “We will soon launch
an affordable made in India
label — Mallika’s Edit — on
From humble beginnings
to musical icons
There’s quite a
long journey for a
musician, before
one gains the tag
of a ‘best-selling’
artiste. Popular
musicians share
how they struck
the right notes in
their careers
an e-commerce platform,” she
says, adding, “All craftsmen
will be from India — from art
and crafts, crockery to bed
and baths, fabric, furniture
and accessories. We have
collaborated with an Italian
company for technology, but
the products are 100% Indian.
And with an e-commerce
platform, the reach is
limitless.” Kohli feels that
Indian art and crafts have
immense potential, so, she
wants to create a global brand
out of them. She says, “While
‘vocal for local’ is a good
concept, the next step is to
take local to global.”
Meanwhile, Kohli recently
designed showrooms for
designers Manish Malhotra
and Falguni and Shane
Peacock, featuring
metalwork, stonework,
wooden panelling and walls,
all from products made in
PHOTO:
AMAL
KS/HT
GURU RANDHAWA
The popular singer who
has given hits such as
Lahore, Ban Meri Rani and
many more, reveals he
was paid ₹500 for his first
professional performance
as singer, at a “Bengali
festival”, in Delhi in 2011. “I
recall it was during my
college days around 2011.
Before that, I used to
perform in my village, as a
kid, at weddings and small
gatherings for fun,” he
shares.
PHOTO: HTCS
India. From luxurious
We will soon launch
international homes to
celebrating Indian arts and an affordable made in
crafts and artisans now, she
says, “This is expanding
India label for art and
horizons on a different line. crafts, crockery,
I’ve received a phenomenal
response from my real estate
furniture and more.
clients in India. All of them While ‘vocal for local’
happy to support me in this is a good concept,
initiative.”
For more information, visit the next step is to
www.seetukohlihome.com or take local to global.
contact on Instagram:
SEETU KOHLI HEAD OF
@seetukohliconcepts
SEETU KOHLI HOME
n sanchita.kalra@htlive.com
AMIT TRIVEDI
It started “some 20 years
ago”, when he was picked
to play the keyboard, at a
10-day long navratri
festival in Mumbai, paid
“₹1,500 daily”. By the
seventh day, Chandresh
Shah, a theatre producer,
approached the then 20-
year-old to compose for a
Gujarati play Ek Phool NEHA KAKKAR
Khilyani Vaat. She started by singing
bhajans in Delhi, as a four-
year-old, going on later to
participate in a singing
reality TV show and, from
ARMAAN MALIK
there, to a playback
He started singing since
career. “It was a Mata ka
jagran in Delhi when I was
he was four and decided four and I got ₹100 for it.
by the time he was seven It was a neighbourhood/
that music was “going to community function,” she
be my career.” And next
year, the then eight-year-
says, adding her first
professional gig was
old got a chance to sing a recording the title song of
TV jingle, paid ₹25,000 for a TV show. “I didn’t get
it. “I never got a hold of paid for it,” she recalls.
that money as my mom
saved it all up,” he laughs.
Text: Samarth Goyal
02 htcity TIME OUT
STAGRAM/
PHOTOS: IN A
HINDU STA N T IM ES , NEW DE LHI
SUNDAY, J UNE 21, 2020

DATTAATINA

My son should be
she. We don’t know what the

‘Let music heal your soul’ YOGA HELPED

ME CONTROL
baby really wants when he
cries.”
The actor also feels that his
father, writer BM Vyas, had

Shreya Mukherjee

hen the going gets

select few’, Mahadevan
shares that they have always
intended to encourage new
creations” he urges.
He also feels independent
artistes need to reinvent
ANGER AND ambitious, but grateful ‘balanced’ parenting skills and
he would definitely takes cues
from him.“My father was very
open, he never interfered with

W tough, let music heal

your soul,” says
talent. “We have given
opportunities. But, what
themselves. “Times are
changing. There’s a whole lot ANXIETY, what I did. He let me explore a
bunch of things I wanted to do.
singer-composer Shankar
Mahadevan, who has been
making melodies for over
Sonu is saying is right. The
only solution is to let
independent music shine.
of artistes who have come
along, extremely talented and
can change the game,” he
SAYS TINAA Juhi Chakraborty

olding his 18-day-old child

That’s most important— to let
people explore their own
possibilities and come to their
three decades now and has
quite a few things up his
sleeve on the occasion of
Promote, respect and
encourage independent
asserts.

Shreya Mukherjee
For Tinaa
Dattaa,
H in his hands, Sumeet Vyas
has all the reasons to be
the happiest on Father’s Day
own conclusions,” he shares.
Vyas, 36, wants to have an
“easy bond” with his son and
World Music Day today. (Clockwise from yoga has today. Celebrating the day with hopes to be well equipped to
“I’m doing two online left) Shankar t a time when many become a his new born son Ved, the first- help him out with everything
concerts. I plan to post a song
from my album with John
McLaughlin. Then there’s a
Mahadevan with
his sons Siddharth
and Shivam
A are worried about the
future, Tinaa Dattaa
has found solace in yoga.
way of life
now
time father seems to be
enjoying both perks and
challenges of fatherhood.
he desires for, be it emotional
or financial. “Also, one thing
that I’d like him to learn
new song that we’re working And on International Yoga “So far, it has been good from me is to never give up,”
on. At home, I have these two Day, the actor admits that and lovely,” he shares, he explains.
wonderful musicians (his it has now become a way adding, “My wife Ekta The actor, who experienced
children Siddharth and of life for her. (Kaul) and I are fatherhood during the
Shivam); all three of us “Given the kind of discovering something lockdown, feels that it’s going
would compose and profession we are in, new every day. I’m still to be an interesting story for
record a new single,” he staying fit is very quite clueless his son to know as he grows
says. important. So, I’d hit the and so is up. He adds, “I want to give a
Calling it a “happy gym daily. But there were philosophical point
song”, Mahadevan days when after a of view. He should have
reveals that it’s rigourous training, my Sumeet gratitude for what he has. I will
penned by lyricist- body would get tired and answer is inner peace. I had Vyas’ son, Ved, teach him that no matter what,
poet Javed Akhtar. “It the soreness would take a lot of stress, anger and was born on never take anything for
is about freedom from time to heal,” she recalls, anxiety within, which is in June 3 granted, be it family, success,
all worries and while confessing how control now. Yoga made me relationships or money.
spreads positivity. We reluctant she was to try happier,” shares Dattaa, 27. He should be ambitious but
want to tell people to stay yoga, until she practised n shreya.mukherjee@htlive.com most importantly grateful.”
strong,” he adds. it for the first time in n juhi.chakraborty@htlive.com
Reacting to singer Sonu January this year.
Nigam’s claims of “My friend Aashka PHOTO: INSTAGRAM/MOHANSHAKTI
Bollywood’s music industry (Goradia Goble; actor)
‘functioning in the hands of
PHOTO: INSTAGRAM/SHANKAR.MAHADEVAN
would always tell me to
take up yoga, but I never
liked this form of fitness.
STAYING APART Prerna Gauba Sibbal

arricaded by the
home in Mumbai, shares,
“Every morning, I go up to my
dad and bow my head, he
However, I decided to give
it a shot,” says the Uttaran
BROUGHT B lockdown, we’ve learnt to
value the things we
kisses me and I say ‘Namaste
papa’. This is what I love the

A musical tribute to frontline warriors actor, who had, in March,

visited her friend’s yoga
centre in Goa and has been
stuck there since due to the
lockdown.
THESE CELEBS
CLOSER TO
earlier took for granted. On
the occasion of Father’s Day,
people share what they
missed the most about their
dads when they were away.
most about my day. I missed
this daily gesture.”
Delhi-based Dr Mahima
Bakshi had to isolate herself,
given the coronavirus scare.
Etti Bali

oday is World Music Day,

student, Prithiviraj Singh
Sisodiya, wrote this song last
year. My students recorded
professional Mridula Sharma
feels honoured to have sung
the song, adding, “It gives the
Dattaa, who spends two
to three hours doing yoga
every day, says her body
THEIR DADS “My father got ill while we
were away. He was the one
who used to take care of me.
“My father is 74. I had to be
away from him as chances of
me carrying infection are

T and there couldn’t be a

more opportune time to
release Dharm Hindustan, a
musical tribute to frontline
workers battling Covid-19. A
collaborative effort by Arpan,
an NGO, and Purani Dilli
Walo ki Baatein, a not-for-
profit collective, the song has
been made possible by
individuals across India,
including Indore-based
musician Gautam Kale. “My
father Kishore Kale and a
it from their homes and we
a made video using clips,”
he shares.
Playback singer Ami
Mishra, staying at his home in
Mandla, Madhya Pradesh, has
rendered this song with a
message of oneness. “When I
heard this song, I thought we
should rise above the lines
that divide us. Inn sabse upar
uth ke duniya dekhni
chahiye,” says Mishra.
Gurugram-based HR
message to love each other. I
have huge respect for all
frontline workers giving their
has reacted to it well.
“I can now do difficult
binding postures, too. I
Shakti Mohan with
her father, Brij
Mohan Sharma;
Everyday, he would make
sure I have almonds, walnuts
and juice. He also used to
high. I missed having chai and
samosa with him. He makes
the best chai in the world!”
best to save this world.” never imagined that (inset) Mannara recite everything he read in she adds.
Kashmir-based BBA doing yoga would be so Chopra with the paper. I’ll now make sure I Businesswoman Ruchita
student Nargis Khatoon liberating,” she muses. her father, take care of his health, like he Bansal, who hadn’t been away
sees it as a ray of hope which She also confesses to Raman does for me,” says actor from her father for so long,
transcends across boundaries. have rediscovered Rai Handa Mannara Chopra, who was in missed his teaching. “He gave
She adds, “Everyone has a herself through yoga. Mumbai with her mother me the best business advice.
different religion, but this “I’m often asked what I while her father was in Delhi. In crisis, he was my source of
song does not stereotype. It have gained by doing yoga Dancer Shakti Mohan, who encouragement,” she says.
appeals to all of humanity.” and meditation. The was in Gujarat, far from her n prerna.gauba@htlive.com
n etti.bali@htlive.com

SCRAMBLE - 3494 CALVIN AND HOBBES Bill Watterson

Solve the four anagrams and move one letter to each square to
form four ordinary words

KWAAE
CFU RS
EI RTBT
CEI LF K
Now arrange the letters marked with an asterisk (*) to form the
answer to the riddle or to fill in the missing words as indicated.
Only dull people are brilliant at ____. -Oscar Wilde (9)

Dharm Hindustan has been sung and recorded by artistes from ANSWER: Only dull people are brilliant at breakfast. -Oscar Wilde
all across the country, as a tribute to India’s Covid-19 warriors
SCRAMBLE SOLUTION: Awake, scurf, bitter, fickle

TAROT ARIES You are emotionally reflective, dreamy, poetic and

tranquil this week as personal relationships are loving LEO You have the courage to face personal difficulties and
take up professional challenges this week. Your hard SAGITTARIUS You can expect teamwork and synergy to move
business projects towards success and completion.
(MAR 21 - APR 20) and satisfying. You can be laid back and a bit lazy (JUL 23 - AUG 23) work makes victory possible. There might be (NOV 23 - DEC 23) Your personal charisma and power take you through

POWER about starting new personal ventures and business

projects. You are likely to be the central figure in an
important happening or family event. Redecorating
JUNE 21-27, 2020 home or office space rejuvenates energy and
ambiance. You can be deluded about certain situations
when viewing them through a curtain of emotions;
look with the head as well as the heart to get a true
picture. You are socially in demand online, and find it
hard to cope with all your commitments and interests.
Reese Witherspoon Lucky Number: 5 Good Colour: Turquoise
infighting at work; you will have to be the mediator.
Relationships could be strained if you are not clear
about intentions. Don’t allow people to take
advantage of your good nature, or you find yourself in
a depleted state. Health and finances need to be
balanced. Some myths are shattered as you look at
the truth, realise your true position. You keep up with
family and key people at work, despite disagreements
outside. Don’t allow old fears to get you.
Jennifer Lawrence Lucky Number: 7 Good Colour: Lemon yellow
difficult situations and to important people. You
retain a position of authority in a business set up and
prove your mettle, despite competition and rivalry.
You enjoy love and support in personal relationships
as romance is in the air and there is a lightness to your
step. A sound investment in land, home or property is
likely. You focus on fitness and diet programs. You
stand by friends and stick your neck out for justice,
values and priorities at this point.
Janelle Monae Lucky Number: 3 Good Colour: Cherry red

TAURUS This is the start of another cycle in your life as an

MA PREM
RITAMBHARA
SPIRITUAL MESSAGE
To me, only that person is a
saint who has accepted
himself, and in his
acceptance has accepted
the whole world. And that is
healing, therapeutic. Just
being with somebody who
accepts you totally is
therapeutic. You will be
healed, says Osho, the Zen
master.
Ma Prem Ritambhara has
been reading Tarot cards
professionally in Mumbai,
Pune, Zurich and New Delhi,
for the last 15 years and
continues to do so from her
studio at home in New
Delhi. Her clientele is from
all over the world, from all
walks of life, and she reads
cards, predicts, counsels and
heals professionals, business
people, men, women,
children, students and
couples. She conducts
individual as well as group
readings. Contact her at
ritambhara7@gmail.com
exciting business venture gets off the ground. You
(APR 21 - MAY 21) relate in a more caring and supportive manner with
family, staff, friends and loved ones, which makes you
popular among them all. You connect again with
people you haven’t seen for a long time, as life brings
you full circle to the same point. It’s a magical time
for romantic relationships and feelings. Health needs
care. Outer balance and inner centering stabilise
work structures and family situations. You are released
from restrictions and limitations as old fears don’t get
you anymore.
Gal Gadot Lucky Number: 18 Good Colours: Creams, whites
GEMINI You realise goals and targets through hard work and
concentration. A journey away from the city is in the
(MAY 22 - JUN 21) planning stage! Avoid a selfish person in the family
who tends to take advantage of your good nature.
Conceit and intellectual pride can be your downfall, so
be aware. Centering within and witnessing inner and
outer reflection and truth is the best meditation this
week. Old friends and close family communicate good
news and remain in touch when you need to share
views and feelings with them. Personal relationships
cannot be resolved through discussion and analysis,
but through love, acceptance and freedom.
Nicole Kidman Lucky Number: 6 Good Colour: Pure white
CANCER You tend to waste energy in details causing neglect of
more important things at work this week. A lack of
(JUN 22 - JUL 22) persistence can be disastrous at this point. Sheer,
unforeseen bad luck may look negative at this point,
but it leads to fortunate changes at the end of the
week. Restrictions at work or limitations in personal
relationships may not be acceptable to you, express
your feelings. It’s best to get a clear perspective and
balance your energy before acting and making
decisions in important matters. Don’t allow others to
interfere in business or personal partnerships. Yoga or
walking is good for you.
Selena Gomez Lucky Number: 8 Good Colour: Lavender
VIRGO You invoke power and energy to complete an
important professional project. You are a whirling
(AUG 24 - SEP 23) force of activity as you storm through blocks and
difficulties in close relationships and work situations.
Focus brings success in any area of activity this week.
Your social life is limited to close friends and family.
You become stronger through trouble and evolve
spiritually. A clear, singular approach to an objective
takes you towards great success and financial gain.
Stick to budgets and plans despite temptations, in
order to complete an important assignment.
Meditation lifts you to higher levels of consciousness.
Ava DuVernay Lucky Number: 1 Good Colour: Emerald green
LIBRA Earthy or material benefits bring their own
responsibility. It’s best to be careful when dealing
(SEP 24 - OCT 23) with finances or legalities this week. It’s best to be
prudent, wise and careful in all aspects to gain success
and goodwill. Intelligent handling of resources,
management of forces can be beneficial. Beware of
penny wise and pound foolish attitudes in business.
Building a business or professional foundation can be
challenging. Don’t expose all your investments and
future plans just yet, but work on them in detail.
Personal relationships should be treated with tender,
loving care. Children bring joy.
Lana Headey Lucky Number: 8 Good Colour: Cherry red
SCORPIO Inner transformation leads to new values, priorities and
attitudes that rejuvenate your energy, outlook. You are
(OCT 24 - NOV 22) able to let past relationships go, accept new feelings
and emotions with receptivity. Personal relationships
have a tender, loving quality that helps you through
difficult changes. Professional opportunities can be
multifarious and diverse, adding to your career and
reputation. Don’t hesitate to make changes, get rid of
dead weight in business partnerships or collaborations.
You have drive and dynamism that inspires others to
put out their best when working with you. Meditate to
get in touch with higher levels of consciousness.
Julia Roberts Lucky number: 13 Good colour: Deep crimson
CAPRICORN It’s best to go around blocks and keep doing what you
want to rather than indulge in direct encounters and
(DEC 24 - JAN 20) confrontations. You may feel frustrated in
relationships as there is a lack of communication and it
is hard for you to express your true feelings. However,
personal partners and close family remain supportive
and understanding. End of the week brings a
breakthrough in old patterns of behaviour as you drop
dead weight and restricting associations. A change of
energy, pace, focus and scene is needed and is made
possible. Health improves as you change your diet and
take to yoga, spiritual healing and happy pastimes.
Diane Keaton Lucky Number: 10 Good Colours: Reds
AQUARIUS You are energetic and enduring in professional
ventures that are demanding this week. You manage
(JAN 21 - FEB 19) finances, staff and schedules in a capable and efficient
manner. You are ingenious and creative when faced
with challenging situations. Your social life is a bit dull
for a change as you need time by yourself to
rejuvenate your energy. You are slow to anger but if
driven, can be implacable. A young man or son is
independent, yet counting on your support most of
the time. You may find mixed reactions from others as
it all depends on their own temperaments, so don’t
take things personally.
Jennifer Aniston Lucky Number: 17 Good Colours: Sandy browns
PISCES You are left with mixed feelings of success and failure
as situations change and there is a feeling of
(FEB 20 - MAR 20) uncertainty at work. You may abandon labour in a
project as it seems unprofitable at the moment. Some
promises are unfulfilled and you feel let down by
friends and associates. As the week progresses, things
change in a positive direction and financial gain can be
expected. There is delay, but growth and success are
assured. Honorary work taken up for love or charity is
satisfying. Be total and positive in the moment to
change focus and energy! Minor health problems
need to be attended to.
Ellen Page Lucky Number: 7 Good Colour: Silver gray
HIN DU STA N T IM ES , N EW DE LHI
SUN DAY, J UN E 21, 2020 htcity 03
 04 htcity LIFESTYLE
PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK
YOGA SE HI HOGA
On International Yoga Day, experts
emphasise that yoga is the key to a
calm mind and healthy body
Srinidhi Gopalakrishnan
T
he spread of Covid-19 and
the subsequent lockdown
across the country has
affected all aspects of life, with
a marked increase in mental
health issues. In fact, many
people, especially celebs, have
Celebrate Yoga Day fervour virtually
Ruchika Garg
O
ver the last few years,
International Yoga Day
(June 21) had become a
much sought-after affair, with
denizens thronging iconic
places such as India Gate or
Lodhi Gardens to practise an
asana or two. Not to lose the
charm of this day due to
social-distancing norms amid
the pandemic, most of the
ministries, non-profit
organisations and even
individuals have decided to
celebrate the day virtually.
Ministry of Ayush,
Government of India, has
started a campaign called
‘Yoga at Home, Yoga with
Family’ to encourage the
practice. Their official handle
recently tweeted, “Share your
pictures of practising Yoga as
per common Yoga Protocol on
21st June with
“#IdoYogaAtHome.” The
handle also posts useful links
to promote yoga.
Manoj Shrivastava, a
Delhi-based businessman,
says, “I used to attend the
event at India Gate every year
with my family, but this year,
we will stay at home. We will
wake up at 5am and do Surya
Namaskar.”
BOUNWITH MBHIR
GAUTHTER INDUSTR
AND O
turned to yoga for relief. And if
all those celeb pictures, too,
haven’t yet inspired you to take
up yoga, today’s the day!
Not only is yoga widely
practised as a form of workout,
it also helps keep stress levels
in check. “Yoga, meditation
and other stress-relieving
Public service departments
such as Delhi Police are also
putting up virtual sessions for
their staff. RP Meena, DCP,
South, says, “We are planning
to do yoga in each of the police
stations and the district
headquarter. There will be a
bigger programme at the
district park in Jasola, and all
the police stations will be
connected through video
conferencing.”
Practising yoga isn’t just
beneficial for the body but
has also been proven to
help deal with mental
stress and anxiety.
Constable Omprakash,
who tested Covid-19
positive and
recovered, shares,
“While recuperating,
I used to do yoga
every day. It didn’t
just help me heal
from the virus
but also helped
Turn to virtual
yoga to enjoy
the collective
yoga
experience
PHOTO: ISTOCK
A C K
CE B
G A TALWARTS
A M
YS
practices have long been studied
as complementary treatments
for mental-health problems.
Practising yoga can reduce the
impact of stress responses, and
can be helpful for both anxiety
and mild depression. By
reducing the degree of perceived
stress and anxiety, yoga helps
maintain my sanity.”
Mumbai-based Gauri
Singh, who has been
conducting yoga sessions with
differently abled kids at NGO
Gharkul for over a year now,
says, “For these kids, yoga
helps coordinate the activities
of the mind, body and
emotions, and even helps
build their focus and
concentration.”
n ruchika.garg@hindustantimes.com
HINDU STA N T IM ES , NEW DE LHI
SUNDAY, J UNE 21, 2020
SCAN THIS
CODE FOR
SIXSHOTSOFLIFE MORE
POSITIVE
SHOTS OF LIFE
There’s negativity all around but we will focus on the
A WAY OF LI
positivity. Our editor picks shots of life that bring a smile
An ardent
FE
bel
Shilpa Shet iever in yoga,
BEAT LOCKDOWN GLOOM
PHOTO:
INSTAGRAM/
IRATRIVEDI years ago
ty
started pra Kundra
ctising it 18
Ira Trivedi, a yoga acharya, wrote to cure cerv
about her personal yoga
mantra on Instagram that
spondylosi
become a
s. But now
way of life has
ical
it
helped her stay calm in and helps for her
her stay fi
the lockdown. Trivedi look her b t and
lower the heart rate, blood est. On Yo
she will sh ga D
pressure, and improves
swears by Pranayama. are insights ay,
fans throu w
She is holding a virtual gh Instagra ith
respiration,” says Dr on how to m
yogathon today, on the maintain
Rajeev Rajesh, chief yoga
occasion of Yoga Day – psycholog
officer at a Bengaluru- ical
a 12-hour yoga with any ill balance, cope
based naturopathy ness and
workshop that will help enhance o
institute. verall well
calm your body and mind PHOTO: VA Atta girl! being.
When stressed out, we RINDER CH
and keep negativity at bay. AWLA
are often advised to take a
long, deep breath. This
thought originates from the
fact that mindful breathing
helps tackle stress.
THE FOOD WORLD’S SWEETEST SALON
“Practising breathing
exercises regularly helps
stimulate the lymphatic
system, improves blood
flow and calms down the
IF MUSIC BE
OF LOVE , PLA
Today, on W
Papon will
Y ON!
le
Day,
orld Music
nd his voice
Soum yo jit ’s
to
Karanvir Bohra had a special
appointment at a salon, run by
guess who? His daughters,
Bella and Vienna! In a video
Sourendro- ’,
posted on social media by
mind,” says Dr Pankaj e For Bengal
Gupta, expert in initiative ‘B ra is er
the actor, his daughters
fu nd are seen combing his
a Facebook
mindfulness at a
survivors of hair lovingly and
university in Jaipur. concert for
phan. “I encouraging him to get a
Prakriti Poddar, a Cyclone Am
h fo r Be ng al to get braid, which he refuses.
mental health expert, wis and be Doting father that Bohra
it s fe et
recommends, “Uttanasana back on it has is, he carries them for a
at e
or standing forward-bend the joyous st joyride on his shoulders. No
pose, Anjaneyasana or the s be en . It has
alway
nd home,” doubt, the father-daughter
high lunge, Garudasana or been my seco bond is a precious one!
the eagle pose, Shavasana Papon says.
or corpse pose, Viparita
karani or legs up the wall L VS/HT PHOTO: INSTAGRAM/KARANVIRBOHRA
PHOTO: GOKU
pose, Natarajasana or the
dancer pose, and
Virabhadrasana or the LUCKY LOCKDOWN DAD
warrior pose are beneficial A GREAT UNIFIER Becoming a parent is a
to stay calm and positive.” In a first of its kind, special feeling indeed. Our
“Start your day with Twitter will celebrate reader, Vaibhav Mittal, an
Surya Namaskar. If you World Music Day with
feel tired and sluggish entrepreneur from
voice tweets, featuring
during the day, Bhiwadi, Rajasthan,
singers like Shilpa Rao,
Sarvangasana (shoulder became a dad a week ago.
Armaan Malik, Jonita
stand), Ustrasana (camel Gandhi, Guru Randhawa The pregnancy wasn’t easy,
pose), Bhujangasana and Jassie Gill. Rao says, with the Covid-19 scare.
(snake pose), Ardha “Music can be the most “I’m so glad the nightmare
Matsyendrasana (half-fish simple and fundamental is over. I’m learning to
pose) and Natarajasana are way to connect, even in change his nappies and
ideal for an energy boost. the lockdown. A written feed him,” he says, urging
Pranayamas relieve text message is always all to be kind towards those
anxiety and build stamina incomplete.” in similar situations.
in the lungs. Inverted yoga
poses can help circulate
fluid through the
lymphatic system and filter Send your Six Shots entry to htcity@hindustantimes.com
out the toxins from your Compiled by Swati Chaturvedi
body,” suggests Dr Rajesh.
n srinidhi.gopalakrishnan@hindustantimes.com
Abhishek
Th is is the tim e Banerjee
PHOTO:
RAAJESSH
KASHYAP/HT
for m e to ta ke
acti n g w o rk sh ops
Baraat Shaadi
.com
Rishabh Suri is that we start going from one
project to another.... And
O
ne thing that actor- somewhere in between, the
The World’s Best Match Maker casting director entire process takes a back
FIND YOUR BEST LIFE PARTNER Abhishek Banerjee
realised while he was stuck
seat. There’s no chance to work
on the craft,” he says.
With Us at home for the last three “After people started talking
EK KAMYAB RISHTA SHAADI GUARANTEED
HUM SE ACHHA KAHIN NAHIN
months is that he needs to
undertake acting workshops.
about Hathoda Tyagi (my
character in web series Paatal
“I haven’t done any, and Lok), I thought it’s good that I
1144/11, 1ST FLOOR, GOVINDPURI, KALKAJI, NEW DELHI-19 that’s something I believe is got this time. Otherwise, I’d
MOB: 9897489456, TOLL FREE: 18001801220 very important for actors. have moved on to another
The problem with the project immediately. This is
Website : baraatshaadi.com / in | Email: info@baraatshaadi.com industry, Mumbai and actors exactly the time when I should
leave Mumbai, and do my
workshops with gurus in
Kerala and Assam,” he adds.
Ecstatic with the response
his web series received,
Banerjee, 32, says that the
biggest compliment was people
loving his negative character.
“I think it’s a compliment when
the audience comes and tells
me how they could understand
what’s going on inside me
without me having to say a
word. That’s what was
expected from the character.
I’d have failed if people only
hated him,” he shares.
The times are such that
despite several entertainment
options at hand, the stress of
the uncertainty can get to
anyone. Banerjee agrees and
says a similar situation arose in
his life, too. “If you’re locked
down, it’s not just physical, but
mental, too. It’s impossible to
be cheerful for all this period.
What we can do is to look
forward to one activity; that
can be gardening, cooking food
or listening to music. That
beats everything,” he says.
n rishabh.suri@htlive.com

H INDUSTA N T IMES , N EW D EL H I
SUN DAY, J UNE 21, 2 0 2 0
Help keep you and your family as infection-free as possible by taking
appropriate steps to ensure your clothes are clean and free of pathogens.
Nitasha Chawla writes
G
erms and viruses are
everywhere! Today, it is more
important than ever to
maintain hygiene at home, in
offices, and in every personal and
public space to keep it virus-free. One
of the effective ways to do so is through
dry-cleaning. Not just clothes but
curtains, carpets, sofas, all these things
need regular cleaning to get rid of
germs. Kaushal Aggarwal, owner of a
dry-cleaning store says, “Laundering
and dry-cleaning sector is instrumental
in tackling viruses effectively. Especially
in the current scenario, one cannot
overlook the need to disinfect
everything.” Let’s take a look at how
dry-cleaning and laundry assist in
killing pathogens in your clothing and
household items:
HOT WATER: According to the World
Health Organisation (WHO),
temperatures of 60 to 65 degrees
Celsius kill most viruses. And dry-
cleaning requires loads treated up to
temperatures of 70 degrees Celsius.
SOAP AND MECHANICAL ACTION:
Just like you kill the virus by washing
your hands with soap for 20 seconds,
dry-cleaning machines wash your
clothes with soap and mechanical
action that breaks down viruses. In
THE LAUNDRY AND DRY-
CLEANING INDUSTRY
HAS SIGNIFICANTLY
EVOLVED OVER THE
YEARS. TODAY, WE HAVE
A RANGE OF MACHINES
EQUIPPED WITH THE
BEST TECHNOLOGY FOR
WATER SAVING AND
FULLY AUTOMATED DRY-
CLEANING MACHINES
WITH ALMOST 99.9 PER
CENT SOLVENT
RECOVERY.
addition, the surfactants in the soap
remove viruses and bacteria, which
then rinse down the drain. Washing
your hands and washing your clothes
achieve the same goal; to remove
germs and pathogens!
DISINFECTANTS: For cold water
washes, to make up for lack of hot
water temperatures, supplementary
organic disinfectants like hydrogen
peroxide kills viruses and bacteria. A
cold wash still means viruses and
bacteria are destroyed during the
process as long as the right detergents
are used.
DRYING WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES:
Dry cleaning is heat dried and/or heat
pressed at temperatures up to 104
degrees Celsius, hot enough to kill any
known virus. If the hot water, soap, and
disinfectants didn’t get rid of the germs,
the final drying process surely will.
HYGIENE IS THE NEW NORM
Every day, our body loses around
30,000 to 40,000 dead cells per minute
which stay on our garments, beds and
upholstery which is why regular
cleaning of the same needs to done to
ensure basic personal hygiene. Raghav
Arora, President, Dry Cleaner’s &
Launderers Association of India (DLAI)
says, “Over the last three months, our
industry focus has been on reinventing
SPECIAL SAFETY MEASURES
with innovation and preparing for the
difficult times ahead. I feel proud in
sharing that the new systems set up
with international collaborations are so
highly efficient in managing the current
crisis with viral disinfection and
controlling the spread ensuring our
community is safe. The chemicals we
use are eco-friendly and we can reduce ce
the consumption of water by over
30,000 litres per year per family of four
with the latest machinery and chemicals
available to us, helping the nation
address major water crisis in coming
years.”
The cleaning industry impacts
sectors like railways, aviation,
healthcare, hospitality, institutions,
fashion and retail, and many others. In
view of the current situation, the
industry has implemented several
measures for a better and safe
functioning. Dry cleaners and
launderers are following a framework to
be safe and keep their customers safe
while they disinfect their garments.
Stores have implemented regular
cleaning measures such as sanitising
their premises and machines, sanitisinging
their employees, pick-up boys to be
equipped with gloves, mask and
sanitiser, special chemicals to disinfect
garments which are hygienically
05
Hindustan Times Media Marketing Initiative
AUT
AUTOMATED MACHINES:
The machines are now washed, packed and delivered.
automated to carry out
aut The DLA has partnered with several
process without variation and
pro International associations such as
give the same results every CINET(Netherlands), TSA(UK),
tim
time garments are processed. multinational companies specialising in
biotechnology and chemicals, industry
USE OF SOFTWARE : Most of
leaders from across the globe and
the industry stakeholders
practising doctors from India and
hav
have used this lockdown
abroad to host sessions and help
per
period to innovate and create
develop a concrete system to operating
better systems to ensure
in these difficult times. It has also been
customers can use services
conducting tests to ensure the new
wit
without personal interaction.
SOPs are disinfecting the garments
CON
CONTACTLESS
with the use of right chemical and
FUN
FUNCTIONING: There are
thermal disinfection systems.
gui
guidelines in place for
The industry is also shifting towards
con
contactless operations which
eco-friendly substitutes. Zehen Arora,
ensure minimum social
Director – Sales of a company which
distancing is maintained as
manufactures industrial laundry
no cash transaction or receipt
machines says, “The laundry and dry-
of bill needs to be physically
cleaning industry has significantly
del
delivered.
evolved over the years. From
DIG
DIGITAL PAYMENTS: Most petroleum-based solvents to silicon to
dry cleaners and launderers
now liquid CO2 coming into picture, the
hav made digital payments
have
R&D here doesn’t seem to slow down.
as a primary mode of
We focus on improving the ecological
pay
payment.
footprint when it comes to the discharge
PIC
PICK-UP AND DELIVERY of water, solvent, chemicals. Today, we
SUP
SUPPORT: From the comfort have a range of machines equipped
of your home, you can use with the best technology for water
the services with minimum saving and fully automated dry-cleaning
interaction with the outside machines with almost 99.9 per cent
environment. solvent recovery.”
 YEARS OF
2004-2020

TRIBUTE

RISHI
KAPOOR’S
SUPERHERO
AVATAR

+
BY RIDDHIMA
KA
KAPOOR SAHNI
PAGE 9

MEET THE
88-YEAR-OLD
ACTRESS WHO
OUTSHONE
BIG B!
PAGE 19

[ HAPPY FATHER’S DAY! ]

KJO & HIS TWO

TWOODLES!
HOW KARAN JOHAR’S INSTAGRAM VIDEOS STARRING HIS ADORABLE
TODDLERS HAVE BECOME THE TOAST OF B-TOWN
PLUS! DADDY JO DECODED BY FREDDY BIRDY PAGE 4
AN HT BRUNCH EXCLUSIVE

#Twoodles
 “[ON KOFFEE WITH KARAN], WE always be a song and dance number with one English or Punjabi
catchphrase [It’s the time to disco! Say shava shava! That’s the way,
WATCH PEOPLE WHO EARN YEARLY mahi ve!]. There will be laughter, tears, great costumes, helicopters,
INCOMES SIX TIMES THE GDP OF grand mansions and silver thalis.
All this always, always ends in big, big bucks at the box office. In
POLAND, FIGHT OVER A HAMPER!”
that sense he is the Sindhi Zubin Mehta, orchestrating a dream cast
“[AS A REALTIY SHOW JUDGE], WE SEE A to make the kind of film Bollywood dreams about.
MORE ‘REGULAR’ KARAN. THE CLOTHES I know Karan Johar like I know Donald Trump, Yehudi
Menuhin, Neil Armstrong or Rekha. Which is to say, not at all. But
GET CHEAPER: UNGARO VS COMME can anyone truly say that they don’t know Karan Johar? If you
DES GARÇONS. HE MOCK-FLIRTS WITH have ever been to the movies or owned a television set
or a smartphone or have ever trolled someone, chances
MALAIKA ARORA AND INTRODUCES US are you would know of Karan Johar. I got to know him
TO NEW WORDS LIKE ‘TOODLES’…” closer during the recent lockdown.
“THIS CALCULATED SILLINESS MAKES And I got to know him through the eyes of his little
children on Instagram.
US FORGET THAT KARAN JOHAR IS One gets the sense that if anyone can walk all over
A SHREWD PREDICTOR OF WHAT WE TO DAD, WITH LOVE Karan Johar’s heart, and send it into somersaults,
In each of his films, back flips, lunges and a few surya namaskars, it’s his kids Roohi
WANT TO SEE ON A HINDI FILM SCREEN” Karan pays tribute and Yash. And so, in between baking banana bread and watching
When a contestant will faint mid-way between a dance step, to his father, producer countless Netflix reruns in lockdown, we got to see yet another
Mr Johar, in the spirit that the show must go on, will rush to the Yash Johar avatar of Karan Johar. The father. Or dadda. On his Insta stories.
stage and perform his soul-stirring rendition of Dafliwale Dafli Yash and Roohi both have inherited his sense of scale, drama,
Baja. Here Karan could be one of us, baring his insecurities, his emotion, nuance, dialogue, spectacle and theatre. But luckily and all
private traumas and beautiful vulnerabilities. Of course, that would fingers crossed, not his dress sense.
make perfect sense, if we got paid a crore upwards an episode, So we see the kids frolicking through bedrooms and brunches
pretend-chatted with Barack Obama during off takes, mock-flirted and inside TV cabinets, bouncing off walls and dadda’s bed,
with Malaika Arora, real-ignored Kirron Kher and introduced us performing impromptu dance numbers, jumping into closets and
to new words like ‘Toodles’ and wondered how we ever said normal mistaking vaults for washing machines. Few kids have Karan Johar
goodbyes before this? as their cinematographer and Yash and Roohi know this only too
One gets the sense that Karan will do anything, even sit well, and they strut their stuff for dadda’s iPhone. And if I were to
through one of his own home productions in the cheap rexine seats
of a regular movie theatre, if the price were right. “IF ANYONE CAN WALK
This calculated silliness might make us forget that Karan
Johar is also one of Bollywood’s mega power brokers. A role in ALL OVER KARAN JOHAR’S
a Dharma Production isn’t just a role, it’s a career on a platter in HEART, AND SEND IT INTO
Bollywood. Karan has gifted Indian film-going audiences with a
whole new generation of stars. Start counting. Alia Bhatt, Janhvi
SOMERSAULTS, BACK FLIPS
Kapoor, Ananya Panday, Varun Dhawan, Sid Malhotra and Ishaan AND A FEW SURYA NAMASKARS,
Khatter. And a young new breed of directors like Ayan Mukherjee, IT’S HIS KIDS, ROOHI AND YASH”
Shakun Batra, Tarun Mansukhani and Puneet Malhotra. MODERN FAMILY
He is a shrewd predictor of what we want to see on a The twins call Karan guess whether Karan enjoys directing Bollywood’s biggest stars on
Hindi film screen, before we even know it ourselves. Perhaps his “Dadda”, but refer to the screen more or his newest superstars Yash and Roohi, I think I
greatest contribution to cinema might be the reduction of film titles their grandmother Hiroo know the answer.
to their crispest, barest essence. SSo “K bhi Kh
“Kabhi Khushihi Kabhie
K bhi Johhar as “Mumma””. There is Karan’s mother, the lovely Hiroo Johar eating sevpuri
Gham’’ is a cooler K3G. And “Stu udent of the Year’’ is a “I wanted them to feel happpily with her three loves, diamonds sparkling softly all around
succinct SOTY. like any other family,” herr, almost as dazzling as her smile.
A Karan Johar film is virtua ally a Yellow Pages Johar says on Page 8 There are no London or New York locations or Scottish castles,
of the Who’s Who of Bollywood. Very V often there is a butt there are romps through Gucci-lined closets and whoopy rides
script. Often written by Karan himself through large on LLV steamer trunks. There are screen tests and there is dancing
Tom Ford glasses, on cocktail nap pkins, in first class andd singing, not around trees but piles of the latest Balenciaga
airplane suites on the way to posee with Natasha colllections. There are high teas and brunches, khandvi and dhoklas.
Poonawalla on the slopes of Davo os. And d family chats over hamburgers. But above all this is the sound
Script or no script, there is a
always high of Karan
K Johar laughing contentedly, having a ball. Over the years,
drama, grand emotion, a chubby y child if K
Karan Johar has been in love, it has been in private, as all love
actor, superb song numbers, a ha aunting shoould be. And one gets the sense that he has squandered all his
background score and some grea at lovee, all his films, on his stars, on his life and on the world around
dancing. There are certain given ns. himm at large.
The locations will be spectacularr. Jaya But finally, after all these years, Karan Johar, the real KJo, not
aunty will be there. And Amit un ncle. thee director, not the producer, not the starmaker, not the talk show
Best friend Gauri Khan’s husban nd hosst, not the serial selfie taker, is spoiling himself silly for a change.
will have the leading role. Happy Father’s Day, Karan Johar.
Farida Jalal will play the role
Freddy Birdy is India’s most-awarded Copywriter of the Year, winning
of the household help. And the title 13 times. He is also featured in the AD100, a collection of the best
Kareena Kapoor will play interior designers and architects in India. He is also an artist, and a recent
the part of Kareena Kapoor. Instagram superstar @freddy_birdy, whose witty quotes have found fans
The background dancers will amongst millennials and Bollywood superstars alike.
The remarks expressed in this column are personal and made in good
always be blonde. And there will humour by the author.
 3

THE DAWN CHORUS

Birdsong has been the soundtrack to the quiet days of the pandemic
By Rehana Munir

. ’
, Z .
s. i s - t c l

i
t

THE CROW
CHRONICLES h

CLOUD CUCKOO
LAND

. WHAT A HOOT
rehanamunir@gmail.com
Follow @rehana_munir on Twitter and Instagram

JUNE 21, 2020

4 COVER STORY
Happy
Father’s
Day!
THE YASH AND
ROOHI SHOW
DECODING DOTING DAD KARAN JOHAR THROUGH THE
EYES OF HIS NEWEST LITTLE SUPERSTARS
By Freddy Birdy
N
obody in modern India, nobody alive, at least, has been
untouched by Karan Johar [I speak metaphorically, of
course, but then again...].
Will the real Karan Johar please stand up? Is he
the 3am confidant to the superstars? Box office mogul? Starmaker?
Pop icon? Twilight dancer? Influencer? Fashion iconoclast? iPhone
reflection lover? All of the above? Brand Johar is fourth only to
Coke, McDonald’s and Haldiram’s in its universality, spreading
across Ludhiana to NRI London. His chat shows are so intimate in
their references, even the guests look slightly bewildered.
What an episode of Koffee With Karan is telling you, dear
viewer, is this: I am Karan Johar. I have a lot of money. I am a
genius. But I will disguise it all brilliantly in frivolity, meaningless
banter and endless names dropping. I will have you glued to your
television set, because your best friend is not Gauri Khan, because
Katrina Kaif doesn’t ‘consult’ you about her love-life at 2:30am, and
just try air-kissing Mrs. Joglekar in your building society B block,
the way I do Janhvi Kapoor or Sid Malhotra.
We want to wear all those clothes he is wearing, Spanish
designers with 10-word names, but on our five-figure incomes. We
want to schmooze on WhatsApp with film stars, but only intimately
so, with their pet name personas: Kadso and Bebo and Sha [a
certain Mr. Khan, but no prizes for guessing]. We want to watch
people who earn average yearly incomes about six times the annual
TWINS ‘R R US!
Karan Johaar’s twins are named after his
parents: hiss son is called Yash after his late
father, and his daughter’ss name is Roohi,
which is a reearrangementt of the letters of his
mother’s naame, Hiroo
GDP of Poland fight over the hamper like us normal real life folk
trying to snatch a seat on the Virar local, next to the lady slicing
bhindi for her dinner when she gets home.
We want, for one full hour, to be painfully thin, gossip about
everyone and everything outside our immediate presence, pretend-
sip cups of coffee, be asked ‘rapid fire‘ questions and wish we had
Zoya Akhtar or Stella McCartney on speed dial [Zo, can you say,
“Hello Karan it’s me?”].
To show that he is “one of us’’, that is the average Mumbaikar who
travels through two-and-a-half hours of traffic to reach work, Karan will
plod to a far-flung suburban studio where he judges
ordinary people on superhit reality shows. Now
this is a humbler, more ‘regular’ Karan, the clothes
get cheaper [Ungaro, prêt-à-porter vs Comme des
Garçons, haute couture], one who cries remembering
some traumatic childhood incident [My best friends
Adi and Duggu got Toblerones in their school tiffin
boxes, but my father was a struggling producer, so I
only got, [wipes away a tear], KitKats.].
ALL ABOUT LOVING HIS CHILDREN
After becoming a father in 2017, Karan Johar gave his first
interview to HT Brunch. Since he wasn’t comfortable sharing
pictures of his infant babies then, the magazine used an artists’
impression and called the filmmaker ‘Daddy Jo!’”
 “[ON KOFFEE WITH KARAN], WE always be a song and dance number with one English or Punjabi
catchphrase [It’s the time to disco! Say shava shava! That’s the way,
WATCH PEOPLE WHO EARN YEARLY mahi ve!]. There will be laughter, tears, great costumes, helicopters,
INCOMES SIX TIMES THE GDP OF grand mansions and silver thalis.
All this always, always ends in big, big bucks at the box office. In
POLAND, FIGHT OVER A HAMPER!”
that sense he is the Sindhi Zubin Mehta, orchestrating a dream cast
“[AS A REALTIY SHOW JUDGE], WE SEE A to make the kind of film Bollywood dreams about.
MORE ‘REGULAR’ KARAN. THE CLOTHES I know Karan Johar like I know Donald Trump, Yehudi
Menuhin, Neil Armstrong or Rekha. Which is to say, not at all. But
GET CHEAPER: UNGARO VS COMME can anyone truly say that they don’t know Karan Johar? If you
DES GARÇONS. HE MOCK-FLIRTS WITH have ever been to the movies or owned a television set
or a smartphone or have ever trolled someone, chances
MALAIKA ARORA AND INTRODUCES US are you would know of Karan Johar. I got to know him
TO NEW WORDS LIKE ‘TOODLES’…” closer during the recent lockdown.
“THIS CALCULATED SILLINESS MAKES And I got to know him through the eyes of his little
children on Instagram.
US FORGET THAT KARAN JOHAR IS One gets the sense that if anyone can walk all over
A SHREWD PREDICTOR OF WHAT WE TO DAD, WITH LOVE Karan Johar’s heart, and send it into somersaults,
In each of his films, back flips, lunges and a few surya namaskars, it’s his kids Roohi
WANT TO SEE ON A HINDI FILM SCREEN” Karan pays tribute and Yash. And so, in between baking banana bread and watching
When a contestant will faint mid-way between a dance step, to his father, producer countless Netflix reruns in lockdown, we got to see yet another
Mr Johar, in the spirit that the show must go on, will rush to the Yash Johar avatar of Karan Johar. The father. Or dadda. On his Insta stories.
stage and perform his soul-stirring rendition of Dafliwale Dafli Yash and Roohi both have inherited his sense of scale, drama,
Baja. Here Karan could be one of us, baring his insecurities, his emotion, nuance, dialogue, spectacle and theatre. But luckily and all
private traumas and beautiful vulnerabilities. Of course, that would fingers crossed, not his dress sense.
make perfect sense, if we got paid a crore upwards an episode, So we see the kids frolicking through bedrooms and brunches
pretend-chatted with Barack Obama during off takes, mock-flirted and inside TV cabinets, bouncing off walls and dadda’s bed,
with Malaika Arora, real-ignored Kirron Kher and introduced us performing impromptu dance numbers, jumping into closets and
to new words like ‘Toodles’ and wondered how we ever said normal mistaking vaults for washing machines. Few kids have Karan Johar
goodbyes before this? as their cinematographer and Yash and Roohi know this only too
One gets the sense that Karan will do anything, even sit well, and they strut their stuff for dadda’s iPhone. And if I were to
through one of his own home productions in the cheap rexine seats
of a regular movie theatre, if the price were right. “IF ANYONE CAN WALK
This calculated silliness might make us forget that Karan
Johar is also one of Bollywood’s mega power brokers. A role in ALL OVER KARAN JOHAR’S
a Dharma Production isn’t just a role, it’s a career on a platter in HEART, AND SEND IT INTO
Bollywood. Karan has gifted Indian film-going audiences with a
whole new generation of stars. Start counting. Alia Bhatt, Janhvi
SOMERSAULTS, BACK FLIPS
Kapoor, Ananya Panday, Varun Dhawan, Sid Malhotra and Ishaan AND A FEW SURYA NAMASKARS,
Khatter. And a young new breed of directors like Ayan Mukherjee, IT’S HIS KIDS, ROOHI AND YASH”
Shakun Batra, Tarun Mansukhani and Puneet Malhotra. MODERN FAMILY
He is a shrewd predictor of what we want to see on a The twins call Karan guess whether Karan enjoys directing Bollywood’s biggest stars on
Hindi film screen, before we even know it ourselves. Perhaps his “Dadda”, but refer to the screen more or his newest superstars Yash and Roohi, I think I
greatest contribution to cinema might be the reduction of film titles their grandmother Hiroo know the answer.
to their crispest, barest essence. SSo “K bhi Kh
“Kabhi Khushihi Kabhie
K bhi Johhar as “Mumma””. There is Karan’s mother, the lovely Hiroo Johar eating sevpuri
Gham’’ is a cooler K3G. And “Stu udent of the Year’’ is a “I wanted them to feel happpily with her three loves, diamonds sparkling softly all around
succinct SOTY. like any other family,” herr, almost as dazzling as her smile.
A Karan Johar film is virtua ally a Yellow Pages Johar says on Page 8 There are no London or New York locations or Scottish castles,
of the Who’s Who of Bollywood. Very V often there is a butt there are romps through Gucci-lined closets and whoopy rides
script. Often written by Karan himself through large on LLV steamer trunks. There are screen tests and there is dancing
Tom Ford glasses, on cocktail nap pkins, in first class andd singing, not around trees but piles of the latest Balenciaga
airplane suites on the way to posee with Natasha colllections. There are high teas and brunches, khandvi and dhoklas.
Poonawalla on the slopes of Davo os. And d family chats over hamburgers. But above all this is the sound
Script or no script, there is a
always high of Karan
K Johar laughing contentedly, having a ball. Over the years,
drama, grand emotion, a chubby y child if K
Karan Johar has been in love, it has been in private, as all love
actor, superb song numbers, a ha aunting shoould be. And one gets the sense that he has squandered all his
background score and some grea at lovee, all his films, on his stars, on his life and on the world around
dancing. There are certain given ns. himm at large.
The locations will be spectacularr. Jaya But finally, after all these years, Karan Johar, the real KJo, not
aunty will be there. And Amit un ncle. thee director, not the producer, not the starmaker, not the talk show
Best friend Gauri Khan’s husban nd hosst, not the serial selfie taker, is spoiling himself silly for a change.
will have the leading role. Happy Father’s Day, Karan Johar.
Farida Jalal will play the role
Freddy Birdy is India’s most-awarded Copywriter of the Year, winning
of the household help. And the title 13 times. He is also featured in the AD100, a collection of the best
Kareena Kapoor will play interior designers and architects in India. He is also an artist, and a recent
the part of Kareena Kapoor. Instagram superstar @freddy_birdy, whose witty quotes have found fans
The background dancers will amongst millennials and Bollywood superstars alike.
The remarks expressed in this column are personal and made in good
always be blonde. And there will humour by the author.
6 COVER STORY
Happy
Father’s
THE KIDS
Day!
ARE ALL RIGHT!
WHAT’S MADE KARAN JOHAR’S SMARTPHONE-SHOT
HOME VIDEOS WITH HIS THREE-YEAR-OLD TWINS
ROOHI AND YASH A BIGGER HIT THAN ANY BOLLYWOOD
BLOCKBUSTER THIS YEAR?
I
nstagram has a new set of
‘influencers’ in a pair of very
sassy and very opinionated
three-year-olds. From calling
out Gucci for being ‘so shiny’, to
appearing utterly unimpressed with
Manish Malhotra, to pointing out that
tie and dye print is just a fancy name
for holi clothes, these golden-haired
pint-size fashion police are giving Diet
Sabya tough competition these days.
But they are kind too. The
twins have been trying their best
to keep the people around them in
shape, even volunteering to eat their
fattening birthday cakes on their
behalf. So selfless. Meet Yash and
Roohi, the Karan Johar creations
who are proving to be his biggest
hits to date!
CHHOTA PACKET,
BADA DHAMAKA!
“We were all locked down and
it was rather depressing, so I
decided to share some of my cheer
with the world,” says Karan. “It
started off as a one-off thing, but
people loved it and requests for
more videos of the twins started
pouring in.”
The videos that often see the
kids hilariously castigating their
dad indeed crack the lockdown
gloom every morning. But wasn’t
Karan afraid they’d get trolled?
Especially since he is a favourite
trolling target?
“These videos have not got a
single negative comment so far. I
think my children are taking away
AN HT BRUNCH EXCLUSIVE!
By Ananya Ghosh
the negativity. People had created
a notion about me in their heads,
but I think that slowly is changing,”
Karan says.
TIMES THEY
ARE CHANGING
The twins, born to Karan through
surrogacy in 2017, have brought
significant changes to Karan’s life.
The first was being getting used to
the idea of being a dad! “Initially
it was weird to introduce them as
my kids. But I guess that is the
case with all new parents. It slowly
grows on you and it comes with
the realisation that you are really
responsible for these tiny humans.”
In fact, Karan is now a dreaded
‘paranoid mother.’ “I have never
been the hyper kind. But once, both
Yash and Roohi had fallen seriously
ill and I was not in India. I will
never forget that flight back home. I
had my heart in my throat. I never
thought I had that in me! And I
think I have started to understand
my mother better now.”
He is also the kind of parent
who always gushes about his kids.
“I always used to find it damn
irritating when parents randomly
“ROOHI AND YASH DON’T KNOW
WHAT FILM STARS ARE. THEY KNOW
SRK AS ABRAM’S FATHER. BUT HE IS
NEVER SHAH RUKH UNCLE, UNLIKE
THEIR OTHER FRIENDS’ DADS.
HE IS ALWAYS SHAH RUKH KHAN!”
showered people with baby updates,
anecdotes and pictures. Now I do
the same thing! I am almost always
looking for excuses to talk about
my children, and if someone just
happens to ask about them, by
some reflex action I bring out my
phone and start showing them
their pictures.”
However, one of the most
beautiful changes that happened
after the arrival of the kids is
that friends who Karan always
considered as family, have really
become family. “From my cousins
to the friends in the industry,
everyone has rallied behind me and
happily become Yash and Roohi’s
didi, bua, chachu.” And the toddlers
also have friends in Adira (daughter
of Rani Mukerji and Aditya
Chopra ), Inaaya (daughter of Soha
Ali Khan and Kunal Kemmu), Mehr
(daughter of Neha Dhupia and
Angad Bedi) and of course, Roohi’s
favourite, Taimur (son of Kareena
Kapoor Khan and Saif Ali Khan).
“Also there is AbRam, who is a little
older, and Yash and Roohi really
look up to him as a big brother!
Another person they absolutely
adore is Alia didi, she has been
tying rakhis on them so she is
extra special.”
But they also love Amitabh
Bachchan. “Yash recognises
Amitabh Bachchan from the
Cry advertisement where he is
surrounded by kids. So they think
he will come and play with them
also,” laughs Karan. Another
person they seem to be especially
fond of is Shah Rukh Khan. “They
don’t know what film stars and
celebrities are. They just know him
as AbRam’s father. But somehow
he is never Shah Rukh uncle, unlike
their other friends’ dads, but always
Shah Rukh Khan! In fact, there is
a Mick Jagger poster in my room,
and the other day they called him
Shah Rukh Khan,” says Karan. “It
THE TWINNING TRIO
During lockdown, Karan Johar put up fun, often
self-deprecating videos with his kids on Instagram
and called it #LockdownWithTheJohars
 YEARS OF
2004-2020

JOIN IN THE
CONVERSATION
USING #Twoodles
8 COVER STORY
“I’VE REALISED THAT THE KIDS NEED
A MOTHER’S ENERGY AS MUCH AS
THEY NEED A FATHER’S, AND I AM
LUCKY TO HAVE MY MOM AROUND”
is interesting that among all the
people they have met, Amitabh
Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan
have struck a chord with them. That
goes on to show the kind of X-factor
these people have even outside their
screen persona, something that
even children recognise.”
SAME SAME,
BUT DIFFERENT
Although they are twins, they are
very different from each other. “Yash
has taken after me and my dad. He is a
dilfek, always ready to greet you with
a hug. Roohi’s is tough love. You have
to earn her affection. She is like my
mother,” says the doting dad. Though
he consciously attempts to give them
a gender neutral upbringing, Roohi
is already a very girlie girl who
absolutely loves everything pink
and Yash is a very boyish boy with
his love for everything blue and his
Spiderman mask. “But I have made it
a point to not associate any games or
colours with a particular gender and
that is a standing instruction to all my
house staff as well.”
So far, the twins only squabble,
they never actually fight. “They take
each other’s toys and run and the
other runs behind, and a little bit of
bawling happens, but that’s about it!”
‘MUMMA’ IS
THE WORD
Karan’s mother Hiroo Johar often
makes guest appearances in his
JUNE 21, 2020
“I’ve made it a point
to not associate any
games or colours with a
particular gender and
that’s also a standing
instruction to all my
house staff”
videos with the twins. “My mother
is a big part of this. I have realised
that the kids need a mother’s
energy as much as they need a
father’s and I am lucky to have
my mom around,” he says. Yash
and Roohi call Hiroo ‘mumma’.
“I wanted them to feel like any
other family. There is a mumma
and there is a dadda. Grand is just
more mother!” he smiles. When the
time is right, he will explain the
situation to them, but till then he
doesn’t want the kids to feel they
are any different from their friends.
“I would never lie to them or
withhold the truth. I am extremely
proud of my decision to have
them through surrogacy; in
fact I often wonder what took me
45 years to take this decision! Still,
every parent like me would have
some apprehension about
the ramifications.”
Is Hiroo as strict with the kids?
“Well, once a mother, always a
mother! Just like you don’t forget
how to ride a bicycle, you
don’t forget how to
be a mother. It
is like the
MAMA MIA!
Karan’s
mother Hiroo
is “Mumma”
to the twins.
“Grand is just
more mother,”
he says
DADDY JO ON ROOHI &
YASH’S FAVOURITES
Joke: “They are not into jokes yet,
but if I want to make them laugh,
Yash is very ticklish and Roohi
gets some evil pleasure when I’m
teasing mumma!”
Colour: “Roohi’s is pink and
Yash’s is blue.”
Activity: “Yash is obsessed with
his new cycle and for Roohi it is
currently making puzzles.”
Corner of the house: “They still
love their cots and think of them
as playhouses!”
Toy at this moment: “Yash has
a Spiderman mask that he loves.
Roohi’s is a doll that has now
become all tattered, like someone
has mauled it.”
Activity with daddy: “They love
to be in my room. To them it is kind
of a Disneyland! Just tell them,
‘Let’s go to dadda’s room’ and they
will run for it with excitement.”
Way to cheer them up when
they are sulking: “Peppa Pig
always comes to the rescue! For
Roohi, it is also showing her
images of herself. So vanity has
already become part of her!”
Nursery rhyme: “Old
MacDonald had a farm.”
Word at present: “‘Wow!’
Both of them have picked
up this word in the last week
and are now using
it indiscriminately!”
mummy returns! My own upbringing
happening, 2.0,” Karan laughs.
TOUGH LOVE
Karan is well aware of the fact
that his kids are born to privilege
and is very conscious about
not raising spoilt brats. But he
points out that austerity might
not always be the key to keep
kids grounded. “While growing
up, I almost always got what I
wanted. But I never took things
for granted or disrespected it or
used my privilege to leverage
my situation. I was always good
at studies, a class topper, I was
a disciplined kid, bad behaviour
was never tolerated in my family,
my dad was very particular about
being gracious with everyone,”
he says. “I truly believe that the
upbringing matters more than
anything else. You can teach your
kids to have a large heart, teach
them to be humble and to give and
share. As a father, that would be
my aim.”
His status as a celebrity will
have some side-effects on the kids,
but it is his duty to neutralise it, he
says. “I don’t want them to grow up
feeling superior to other kids just
because they are photographed by the
media unlike their friends. It is my
responsibility to combat that,” he says.
brunchletters@htlive.com
Follow @htbrunch on Twitter
Note: The lead photographs were shot
exclusively for this HT Brunch feature by
Karan Johar at his home in May 2020. A few
additional pictures have been taken off
Karan Johar’s public Instagram account.
 “Growing up in what they
call the first family of
Indian cinema, my father
was just the way any father
would be: besides mom,
Ranbir and me, it was TRIBUTE
sacrosanct for him to spend RISHI KAPOOR
time with my grandparents, 1952-2020
uncles and aunts”

The writer of this tribute,

Riddhima Kapoor Sahni with
her dad, actor Rishi Kapoor
Happy
Father’s
Day!

MY FATHER, MY FRIEND, MY SUPERHERO

THEY SAY DAUGHTERS SOFTEN THEIR FATHER’S HEART.
RISHI KAPOOR HAD THE GENTLEST HEART EVER
By Riddhima Kapoor Sahni

W
illiam Shakespeare back-to-back shoots, my father was Jones film series, we would work our Among the many things we
said, “It is a wise father never the parent who escorted us schedules around it and ensure all of learnt from our superhero, dad
that knows his own from activity to activity, but his spirit, us were together for each other. taught us to be fair, humble, kind
child.” Believe me, my his influence, his character and the and independent. My father
father knew his children in and out. value system of our household that FOOD FOR THOUGHT professed that besides being a
Growing up in what they call he and my mother nurtured in us, People who knew him are well warm-hearted, caring, loving and
the first family of Indian cinema, my were invaluable to my brother Ranbir aware of how much he loved nurturing human being, one must
father, despite being Rishi Kapoor and me. his food. My father, like me, know how to express oneself and
the actor, was just the way any father My father’s world revolved was an ardent foodie. We loved speak one’s mind fearlessly.
would be to his kids. In the Kapoor around his family. He shared a Chinese cuisine. Whenever I
household, I saw my father play fabulous bond with his siblings visited Bombay, dad would ensure THE SHOW WILL
myriad roles. He was a dutiful son, and he averred that family ties are there was Chinese food from my GO ON
a caring brother, a doting husband the most precious ones and should favourite restaurant every day. And He isn’t around anymore, but his
and above all a selflessly loving and always be cherished. we would keep up the tradition of spirit and teachings will forever
dedicated father. Besides spending time with my playing rapid-fire word games at dwell in my heart. We were literally
mother, Ranbir and myself, it was the dinner table, the way we did identical people and shared the same
THE FAMILY MAN sacrosanct for him to spend time with when Ranbir and I were children. sun sign, so my connection with my
When I was born, the family says my grandparents, uncles and aunts. Dad would keep Ranbir and I on father was undeniably a very special
he vowed that he would not only be Whether it was the mandatory family our toes right through the games one for me. Besides being my dad and
the perfect father to me, but also be lunches or dinners, the Sunday and then announce the winner in my superhero, he was my best friend,
a friend to his kids. Owing to movie dates or watching the Indiana his particular dramatic style. my greatest mentor, my motivation
his extremely busy and my deepest roots. His unshaken
schedule and and perpetual belief in me and
“[EVEN UNTIL RECENTLY], my limitless potential always
PRECIOUS MOMENTS
(Clockwise) Rishi
WE PLAYED RAPID-FIRE empowered me.
Kapoor’s firstborn, WORD GAMES AT THE DINING They say daughters soften their
father’s heart. Dad, you had the
Riddhima, with her
parents and brother TABLE. DAD WOULD KEEP gentlest heart ever. My love and
as a kid, during her
wedding and after the
RANBIR AND I ON OUR TOES, gratitude for you is endless. The
demise of her father AND ANNOUNCE THE WINNER IN knowledge and the experiences you
lived with are the irreplaceable life
HIS DRAMATIC STYLE…” lessons I live by.
Chasing my wildest dreams and
striving to always make you proud,
I promise you, Papa, the show must
and will go on.
Happy Father’s Day! I love you!
brunchletters@htlive.com
Follow @htbrunch on Twitter

Riddhima Kapoor Sahni is the eldest child of actors

Rishi and Neetu Kapoor. She is a jewellery designer and
is based in New Delhi with her husband Bharat Sahni and
their nine-year old daughter, Samara.
 indulge
10

rude ffood ir sanghvi

Making Each Dish Count

More variety with lockdown eating: the
best patties in India, Ghost kitchens,
eat-at-home Chicken Milanese and more

M
y favourite George W Bush joke is about the
time when Bush and few other leaders take a
break from a global summit in Paris and retreat
to the cafeteria to have a quick snack.
Some order sandwiches and some stick to little cakes
but when it is Bush’s turn, he looks straight at the waitress
and says, “I’ll have a quickie.”
The waitress looks shocked and the other leaders are
nonplussed. Only Tony Blair who knows that Bush is not
much of a globalist understands what’s going on.
“It’s pronounced quiche, George,” he tells him.
I have been thinking of quiches (though not so much
of Bush) as I have been compiling my monthly round up
of things to eat at home during the lockdown. Last month
I wrote about an outstanding quiche from Sahil Mehta and
this month, I have been delighted by the quiches made by
Yummies, a home bakery operation run out of Maharani
Bagh by two very gifted sisters, Lalita and Geetika.
Their specialties are said to be their New York style
cheesecake and a wonderful apple crumble. The quiche was
also very nice but my favourite were the patties.
You don’t actually get great patties anywhere in India
these days because a) most people don’t know how to make
a tasty filling or are able to work out the right proportion of
dough to filling and b) it is really tough to get a pastry that
is flaky and yet firm. I certainly have never found anyone
who makes them as well as Yummies.
A class act.
Beyond Designs Bistro is a relatively new restaurant on
MG Road on the outskirts of Delhi. It serves
casual Oriental food with a stylish bistro type
presentation. Unfortunately with the lockdown
in effect the restaurant has not had the
opportunity to show off its skills.
So, like all sensible restaurateurs, they
MADE TO PERFECTION
The patties from Yummies, a home bakery run by
sisters Lalita and Geetika (right), are a delight
FROZEN TREATS
You can shallow fry these chicken nuggets straight from the freezer
have switched to home delivery for the duration of the
lockdown. Not only will they deliver full meals but they
are also sending out DIY kits where you can finish the food
at home. And of course, they sanitise their kitchen every
morning, follow the most stringent hygiene SOPs etc.
I ordered a full meal and was quite taken with the way
in which the restaurant merges East Asian flavours with
healthy/trendy foods. There was a spicy quinoa bowl and
the menu includes a Turkish immunity-building bowl
(which I did not try) and various healthy options like a
curried cauliflower bowl and a roasted pumpkin glory bowl.
Of the dishes I did eat, the Thai fish was delicate and
outstanding and there was also what looked like an Asian
chicken roulade. The noodles were very good and all of it
came with excellent sauces.
There is something for everyone including a paneer
gassi and pasta made to your taste. They delivered (all the
way from MG Road) to South Extension on the dot so I
guess you can order the food no matter where you live.
Many journalists will remember Nicole Juneja from
her days in PR. For the last three years, she has worked
with her mother in the food space with a venture called
MOOD. Before the lockdown, Mood would organise pop-ups
and special experiences. But in the present situation, they
have had to switch to doing delivery.
The food is all home-cooked by Kusuma Juneja who (if
I remember correctly) is a Nepali from Darjeeling district.
So the food she makes is not typically Nepali (and Nepal
boasts of many great cuisines) but captures the flavours
of Darjeeling with its mix of people and lack of ethnic

JUNE 21, 2020

BISTRO BINGE EAST MEETS WEST Karan Tanna (right), a pioneer of the food
Beyond Designs Bistro offers Oriental cuisine bistro-style and home delivers meals as well business in Gujarat, combines Western concepts like New York Waffles
as DIY kits. Its noodles (right) are very good. and Dinges with others called Biryani Hazir Ho

exclusivity. You will find Bhutanese and Tibetan and

Lepcha flavours.
In normal times, Kusuma and Nicole would host
dinners at their home in Delhi’s Vasant Vihar but these
days it is all delivery. It is worth trying because even if you
were to go to Darjeeling you won’t get this kind of food at
local restaurants.
Some of you may recall that I have been writing
about cloud kitchens and virtual brands long before the
lockdown. A cloud kitchen is one that is not attached to a
restaurant but makes restaurant-quality food. As nobody
actually visits it, the kitchen can be located in any low-
rent area. (Restaurant kitchens on the other hand have to
be attached to restaurants in relatively expensive areas.)
A good cloud kitchen runs on a delivery model and so the
food can be one third the price of restaurant food – no air
conditioning, no server salaries, no décor, and none of the
other expenses that restaurants incur.
People who Karan started young, partnering with the owners of a
successful bakery business and then linking up with a fast
don’t want to food chain dedicated to the dabeli (the Kutchi ancestor of
order in and vada-pav) before deciding that cloud kitchens were the future.
His company Ghost Kitchens has a mixture of
find it tiring franchised brands (from abroad) and local creations. Many
to cook food of his operations are in what used to be called B and C class
from scratch centres, which is where the growth for the F&B industry
will come from in this decade.
can try He manages to combine Western concepts such as
frozen meals New York Waffles and Dinges (no, I don’t know what a
dinge is, either) and Starboy Pizza and Shakes with others
called Biryani Hazir Ho, Badmash Biryani (great name!)
and Arey O Sambhar.
There are more launches planned including the
tastefully named Indian-Chinese chain Ching Chong.
It’s people like Karan who, I suspect, will hold the key
to the future of the F&B industry in India because they
go beyond set notions of how things work and, coming

T
he one advantage restaurants have over cloud
kitchens is branding. Most restaurants have spent
years creating their brands. If you order from say
Mamagoto you can be sure of getting the sort of high
quality food that the brand is associated with.
So cloud kitchen operations have been working to
create their own brands. I wrote several weeks ago about
Biryani by Kilo. And a fortnight ago, I profiled Cross
Border Kitchens, which runs many successful brands, all
of them dedicated to making their food in different sections
of the same cloud kitchen.
I have always maintained that this model represents
a real threat to the restaurant sector though many
restaurateurs used to dismiss my view. Well, the lockdown
has changed everything. While cloud kitchen sales are down
(contrary to the impression you may get, there is no real
post-lockdown boom in delivery – sales are actually down
from the pre-lockdown phase), their existence has made it
much more difficult for restaurants to enter this space. Cloud
kitchen food is as good as restaurant food and it is cheaper.
One of the early pioneers of the food business (and later
of cloud kitchens) in Gujarat is Karan Tanna. Though he
has got all the usual awards that magazines give to people
under 30 who show promise, he is not yet as well-known as
India’s top restaurateurs are. I reckon that will change.
Though his CV sounds impressive (he even had a
stint at McKinsey) he is a small town boy from Veraval
in Gujarat. His family was, he says, progressive by the
standards of Veraval (his father ran a textile business
and his mother ran a beauty salon) but they moved to
Ahmedabad largely because his father thought there would
be more educational opportunities for Karan.
ON THE
web
For more columns by
Vir Sanghvi, log on to
hindustantimes.com/
brunch. Follow Vir on
Twitter at twitter.com/
virsanghvi
The views expressed by
the columnist are personal
from small towns themselves, understand the India that
lives outside the big cities. In any case, he is also planning
a more upmarket operation, along with some of India’s
better known chefs.
And finally, here’s a little tip for people who don’t want
to order in for whatever reason but find it too tiring to cook
food from scratch every day. You can do what I do: try some
of the new frozen meals that have hit the market.
I know ITC Foods because of the high quality of its
frozen prawns (which I wrote about a couple of years ago)
and their version of Dal Bukhara, which tastes like the real
thing once you empty a pint of dairy products into it.
What I did not realise is that they have introduced a
new range of chicken and vegetarian frozen foods. Some
of them work best as cocktail snacks: there are crispy
chicken nuggets, little falafels and (my favourite) vada-pav
pops. But there are also things you can eat at meal times.
They have chicken fingers (like fish fingers), which will be
devoured by kids and fried chicken strips which are aimed
at a similar market.
The one I eat the most of is the one that sounds
the worst. Chicken Burger Patties are usually made by
breading a chicken keema patty. You are supposed to put it
in a bun and pretend it’s a burger. That’s not something I
am prepared to do.
However, I have taken to having the patties on their
own at dinner (two patties is usually enough) with a little
lemon sprayed on them. Okay, it is not quite Chicken
Milanese. But for a dish that takes only a few minutes, it
comes pretty damn close!
And finally: if you have a product or a delivery service
you want me to try, do get in touch!

JUNE 21, 2020

 indulge
12
techilicious
8 Things About The
OnePlus 8 Twins
Everything you wanted to know about the much
awaited (and delayed) phone launch is here!
T
his column is being written purely on demand. And
when I say demand, I mean serious stuff (including
some threats). The OnePlus 8 phones were announced
on April 14, 2020. And after creating quite a sensation
with them, lockdowns and Covid 19 made sure that they didn’t
show up on Indian shores. Since April 14, I’ve been inundated
with more questions about these two phones than anything else.
But I decided I wouldn’t write this column until I had both phones
physically in my hand. That time is now.
1. So are they finally available in India?
Yes.
2. Is the OnePlus 8 Pro actually as good as people say?
I don’t know about ‘people,’ but I can tell you what I think. The
8 Pro is the phone that OnePlus has got just right in the flagship
market. Great design, a mind bending 6.78-in 120Hz Quad
HD+display (3,168 x 1,440 and the only phone where you can go
full resolution and keep 120Hz), Corning Gorilla Glass, HDR10+,
an in-display fingerprint reader, big 4,510mAh battery with 30
Watt fast charging (and the fast charger comes in the box), 30W
wireless charging (very unusual to get 30W wireless) and an
official IP Rating IP68, water and dust resistance rating. Now
let’s talk about the cameras because I really liked the results. In
its quad camera setup (including a 3X telephoto) at the back, it
has two 48MP lens. But the one I really like is the Sony IMX689
as its main sensor. The sensor on this is huge at 1/1.43-inches
and gives great images, including low light and night mode stuff.
Great front camera too. It also has 4K video and optical image
stabilisation. Rounds it off with a Snapdragon 865 processor
with 5G and up to 12GB RAM. Also, Oxygen OS 10 is pretty
clean, minimal with no bloatware. If some of this flew over your
head, suffice to say this is a major flagship phone at the top of
its game at ~54,999.
3. What about the OnePlus 8?
Also a good phone. The
predominant differences are in
screen (slightly lower resolution
and refresh rate), camera (triple
OVER AND ABOVE
This is a better phone than more
expensive flagships like the Samsung
S20 Ultra
JUNE 21, 2020
rajiv makhni
TRUTH BE TOLD camera), no IP rating, a slightly smaller battery and a lower price
The screen resolution at ~41,999 for the base model.
and refresh rate of
4. Which one should I buy?
the OnePlus8 is
How much money do you have? Okay, jokes apart, both phones are
slightly lower
great, built like a tank and have serious specs. As you can see from
the number of words I’ve dedicated to each, the One Plus 8 Pro is my
favourite and is a serious bang for buck machine. At 55K, it’s better
than phones almost twice its price. If you have the extra 10K, the Pro
is the way to go.
5. What about other flagship phones? Is the OnePlus 8 Pro
Compared better than anything else?
to Pro, the Two ways to answer this. Is the OP8 Pro better than similarly-priced
phones? Short answer, yes it is. But is it better than any other phone
OnePlus 8 right now? That’s a tough one, as so many other things come into play
has a lower like operating system and other features. I have partly answered that
resolution though, by saying the Pro 8 is great and better value for money than
more expensive phones.
screen and a
smaller battery 6. What about the global statement OnePlus made about
getting into lower priced categories? Should I wait for an
economy OnePlus phone?
An economy OnePlus phone would be a bit of stretch as that isn’t
the market OnePlus wants. The term OnePlus uses is ‘Premium
Accessible.’ Thus there will now be phones from OnePlus that are
still premium, but playing in categories that are a little lower priced.
The much rumoured OnePlus Z phone is slated for release. Think of
it as OnePlus’s answer to the iPhone SE.
7. I’ve also heard that there will be more OnePlus TVs that
aren’t as expensive as the previous ones. Is that true?
Yes, as you’re reading this, those TVs should be about to be released.
8. Anything else?
No, that pretty much sums up almost all the questions I’ve been
ON THE flooded with since the last two months.
So the much-awaited OnePlus 8 twins are here. One Plus has done
web a good job to bring out two phones, with each aiming to dominate in
For more TECHILICIOUS
columns by Rajiv Makhni, its price category. The interesting thing to look out for will be how the
log on to hindustantimes. competition reacts. Maybe I’ll cover that in another column called ‘8
com/brunch. Follow Rajiv
on Twitter at twitter.com/ Things the Competition Did to Take on the OnePlus 8.’
RajivMakhni
Rajiv Makhni is managing editor, Technology, NDTV,
and the anchor of Gadget Guru, Cell Guru and Newsnet 3
The views expressed by
the columnist are personal Techilicious appears every fortnight

THE FILMMAKER WHO
WAS AN ARTIST FIRST
A glance at the illustrations done by Satyajit Ray can make it
clear how his movies came about
T
he filmmaker in Satyajit
Ray was stronger indebted
to the illustrator in him.
Ray became a great
filmmaker, and made films from
1955 onwards, because he was a
great artist first.
THE BEGINNING
I will not call him a 100 per
cent modernist, but you can
see modernist influence in his
works, seamlessly blended with
the decorative Oriental style of
painting. You can also see the
influences of the Ajanta and Ellora
SOME OF THE SCENES OF
SPIELBERG’S ET ARE EERILY
SIMILAR TO THE SKETCHES RAY
HAD DONE FOR HIS UNPRODUCED
SCI-FI FILM, THE ALIEN!
style. Ray was well informed about
the various Indian folk styles and
in his drawings you see a lot of
traditional day-to-day rangolis,
known as the alpana or the
patachtira style of painting.
His family background
also helped. Both his father
(Sukumar Ray) and grandfather
(Upendrakishore Ray) were
pioneers and authors and they even
owned a printing press named
U Ray and Sons. That must have
given the young Satyajit the
By Bose Krishnamachari
opportunity to get acquainted with
the process of making printing
blocks, block printing and block
carving techniques. It is an
important and integral part of art
making, and you usually get to
learn these techniques when you
study in an art college.
SEEING THE WORLD
In 1940, he joined Rabindranath
Tagore’s Vishva Bharati University
at Shantiniketan, where he studied
art under Nandalal Bose and Binode
Behari Mukherjee. This stint
also gave Ray the opportunity to
experience the rural life of Bengal
that would go on to play a major
role in his movies. Ray’s life in
Shantiniketan and its surroundings
find a strong reflection in films like
Pather Panchali (1955) and Apur
Sansar (1959).
In fact, Ray started his career
as a junior visualiser at D J
Keymer, a British-run advertising
agency. Later, he moved to D K
Gupta’s newly-opened publishing
house, the Signet Press. His stint
at Signet Press, which resulted in
Celebrating
SATYAJIT RAY
Centenary Year
some of his best book covers, was
the place where seeds of Pather
Panchali were sown when he
illustrated a children’s version
of the classic Bengali novel by
Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay.
In fact, when he made the film, he
sketched all the sequences, instead
of writing them!
Reading transforms into
words which then transform
into imageries which lead to the
creation of a movie. As a block
printer and sketching artist, he
would often first draw those images
on paper before turning them
into a movie. That made him an
illustrator in the truest sense. His
daily practices as an artist made
him the great filmmaker he was.
You can see that also from the way
he framed his shots.
THE MAN, HIS ART
Then there are his film posters,
which have influences of Russian
poster making, and are great
examples of his mastery over
typography and calligraphy. He
was a real reader of typography; he
created four of his own types which
won him awards. And he was an
excellent calligrapher. Calligraphy
is a kind of real drawing and great
painting starts from great drawing.
For example, look at the poster of
Devi or even the portrait of Karl
Marx. Also, if you see his self-
JUNE 21, 2020
CINEMA 13
2020
Part II
portraits you will realise that he
was constantly experimenting and
using his pen and pencil in different
stylisations. Even his sketches of
Feluda are kind of self-portraits.
It is amazing how he created a
persona of himself and became
part of the stories he wrote.
Then there were his sci-fi books
and their illustrations. I don’t
want to get into the controversy
surrounding the issue, but some
of the scenes of Spielberg’s ET are
eerily similar to the sketches Ray
had done for his unproduced sci-fi
film, The Alien!
ALL FOR ART
From illustrating book
covers and film posters to
creating typography, Ray
was an artist in the true
sense of the word
Ray initiated the first film
society in Kolkata in 1948. He
was interested in introducing
new cinema to the community.
More than two decades of Ray’s
carved and sculpted exceptionally
attractive looks and life have been
captured by Nemai Ghosh who
visited my studio a decade ago and
discussed his photography on Ray.
Ray was a naturalist and poetic
artist-film maker.
(As told to Ananya Ghosh)
brunchletters@htlive.com
Follow @htbrunch on Twitter
Bose Krishnamachari is an
artist and founder of the
Kochi Biennale
This is Part Two
of a series of essays
celebrating the
legendary filmmaker,
Satyajit Ray. Next week’s tribute
is by Gulzar.

14 RELATIONSHIPS
THE VIRUS VS. THE BIG,
FAT INDIAN WEDDING
Meet four couples who got married despite the lockdown
T
he lockdown has left its
mark on relationships:
while singles are resorting
to virtual dates, separated
couples are hooked to different
video apps.
But still others did the
unthinkable – got married during
the lockdown! For instance,
27-year-old Payal Pandey, business
development manager in Dubai,
refused to let a virus get in her way.
She scaled down her wedding plans
“CORONAVIRUS HAS BROUGHT
THE NEED TO SANITISE INTO OUR
LIVES. THUS BRIDAL MAKE-UP GETS
A WHOLE OTHER LAYER.”
-PARUL GARG, MAKE-UP ARTIST
JUNE 21, 2020
PAYAL PANDEY, 27,
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
MANAGER + VIJAY REDDY,
GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL
“After two building
managements refused me
entry, I found a hotel room
and married her”
-Vijay
By Shruti Nair
and got married in an intimate
ceremony in a hotel room with her
parents in attendance.
“Our families had been
planning a big destination wedding
at Lonavala since January 2020 and
when the coronavirus hit, things
started looking hazy. Fortunately,
my fiancé had returned to India
from Australia just before the
travel ban came into effect, so
our families decided to make it
happen!” she recounts.
MAKESHIFT ARRANGEMENTS
Payal Pandey’s mehendi ceremony
took place in a car!; (Left) Bridal
make-up artists wear face shields
and brushes are sanitised

PRERNA MENON, 24
+ SAM AYN URETSKY, 27,
MENTAL HEALTH
CLINICIANS
“When the pandemic
happened, we got engaged
again instead”
-Prerna
The groom, Vijay Reddy, who
works with Australian government,
drove to Mumbai from Hyderabad
and was ousted by two building
managements before he could
find a room at a hotel where he
married Payal. The newlyweds
went to Australia as soon as they
could. Payal’s mehendi ceremony
happened in a car in India!
Meanwhile, advertising agency
owner Pratik Doshi, 35, also insisted
on going ahead with his wedding,
which was held at home with most
guests attending via Zoom.
“There was no mahurat
(auspicious day) after June so
we saw no point in delaying the
wedding,” he says. “Our
wedding was scheduled for
April, so we postponed it for a
while, hoping the lockdown would
ease. But finally we decided to
just marry.”
THE LEGAL ROUTE
Part of the difficulty
of holding even a small
marriage ceremony during the
lockdown was the fact that most
government offices were closed.
This was tough on 25-year-old
Sephra Abraham, a consultant,
and her then fiancé, 26-year-old
Yash Joshi. The two of them live
and work in separate continents
and had decided to marry
in India this April – but the
lockdown tried their patience.
“The registrar’s office only
opened on May 20, and finally
Yash and I were legally married,””
says Sephra. “Coordinating our
“There was no mahurat
after June, so we saw no
point in delaying the
dates of arrival and getting our
families together was the main
reason why we decided to get
married as soon as we got a date.”
When the registrar’s office
finally opened, Sephra and Yash,
who were located in different
parts of Mumbai, were given only
an hour-and-a-half to get to the
court before the senior officer was
scheduled to leave for the day.
Meanwhile in New York,
Prerna Menon, a mental health
clinician, and her partner Sam Ayn In the recent Netflix hit Axone, a “long-
Uretsky, married in reverse during distance wedding” is shown with the bride in carried out often.
the pandemic. They had already Delhi and her sister standing in for her with
been married at New York’s City her groom in her hometown
Hall in 2019, but were planning a big
Jewish-Indian (J-Indian) wedding in “We wanted something to celebrate
2020. Then the pandemic happened, and Sam, my wife, proposed to me
so they got engaged again instead. wearing a T-shirt that read ‘Will you
ma arry me again?’” laughs Prerna.
SHAADI BUSINESS
Whhile the lockdown has impacted
thee wedding business, Neelam
Maadnani, one of the co-founders
d of The Vow Weavers by N & N,
a wedding planning agency,
is hoping for the best. “We
were working on a wedding
scheduled for April but due
to the lockdown it had to be
postponed because the families
SEPHRA ABRAHAM, 26,
CONSULTANT YASH JOSHI, 27
“When the registrar’s
office opened we were given
only an hour-and-a-half to
get to the court before the
officer left for the day!”
-Yash
JUNE 21, 2020
PRATIK DOSHI, 35,
ADMAN + PRIYANKA
UDASI, 29, BANKER
wedding”
-Pratik
didn’t want to cut down their
guest lists,” she says. “Luckily the
vendors and properties have been
very accommodating in terms of
refunds and the change of date.”
Unfortunately, most wedding
planners and others involved
in the business of weddings are
suffering. “Most couples have
postponed their weddings, but a lot
of them have cancelled outright,
either choosing to hold a
small ceremony at home
or shifting the wedding to
another town,” says Neelam.
Coronavirus has brought
a new discipline into our
lives: the need to sanitise.
Thus bridal make-up gets
a whole other layer, says
Parul Garg, a make-up artist.
All make-up brushes are
sanitised, the artist wears
a face shield, the premises
are frequently fogged and
temperature checks are
“We have some brides
booked for June and are
hoping business will pick
AFTER THE COVID
WEDDING
Sephra Abraham: “Yash
has gone back to the US,
so I honestly feel the same
as I did before getting
‘legally married’.”
Prerna Menon:
“Quarantine forces you
to spend every breathing
minute with each other.
And honestly, I can’t
complain.”
Payal Pandey: “We were
quarantined in a hotel in
Melbourne for 14 days,
where we couldn’t even
open our doors!”
up from there, but with positive
cases rising every day, no one is
quite sure how this will play out,”
says Parul. “Our hope is that
before the peak season arrives
in November, we will have this
under control.”
brunchletters@htlive.com
Follow @htbrunch on Twitter
16 FASHION

HOW FASHION
MAGAZINES ARE
EMBRACING THE
COVID ERA
Glamour magazines have stood up in times of crisis, right from the times of the World War II.
Here’s how they are making strong, stylish statements of substance yet again.
By Sujata Assomoull

CREATIVE CALL IN SOLIDARITY

British Grazia paid homage to the National Health System (NHS) in it’s Somalian model Iman has shown support for Vogue Arabia’s
April 2020 issue, with split covers featuring real-life NHS workers #stayathome campaign

JUNE 21, 2020


IN TUNE WITH THE TIMES
British Vogue’s September 1943 issue, during Word War II, came with a
pattern book showing women how to make the most of fabric rationing
W
hen most countries
completed their first
month of complete
lockdown in April,
The New York Times asked,
“What is the point of a fashion
magazine now?”
Look at British Vogue’s covers
during World War II for the
answer. You will see how fashion
magazines have always been
first responders in time of crisis.
With cover lines like Wardrobe
Planning: Coupons, Fabrics,
Renovations, the September 1943
issue came with a pattern book
showing women how to make the
most of fabric rationing. Harper’s
Bazaar and Vogue go back well
over a century; Italy’s Grazia pre-
dates World War II and France’s
Elle had its first issue just after
the war ended. As Nonita Kalra,
editor of Harper’s Bazaar India
(and former editor-in-chief of
Elle India) says, “Magazines have
always been chroniclers of how
“IN INDIA, 45-60 MILLION PEOPLE ARE
EMPLOYED IN THE TEXTILE SECTOR,
AND THE FASHION INDUSTRY HAS
NURTURED CENTURIES-OLD CRAFTS”
—GAYATRI RANGACHARI SHAH,
FASHION JOURNALIST AND AUTHOR
we feel and think. Fashion is
driven by political, economic and
social change.”
The reader,
too, expects this.
Aishwarya Nair,
hotelier and fashion
director of Aligne,
is a self-confessed
glossy lover. “Through their
pages, you connect with what’s
contemporary; they fuel the
thought of our times,” she says.
DO JUDGE
A MAGAZINE
BY ITS COVER
The April 2020 issue of Vogue
Italia, with its blank white cover,
made it clear that covers were
about to change. Italy was then
reporting more coronavirus
cases than most other countries.
A colour of hope, surrender
and rebirth, white is also the
colour of the uniforms of medical
staff. Meanwhile, British Grazia
FASHION 17
THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE
Vanity Fair’s November 2001 issue was themed around the 9/11 terror attacks
that shook the US and the world
“WHY DO WE BELIEVE THAT BEAUTIFUL
IMAGERY IS NOT IMPACTFUL OR
RELEVANT? IN DIFFICULT TIMES, WE
NEED ART TO ELEVATE US.”
—NONITA KALRA, EDITOR, HARPER’S BAZAAR INDIA
paid homage to the National
Health System (NHS) with
split covers featuring real-life
NHS workers. Grazia India’s
21 illustration-based digital
covers paid homage to fashion’s
community spirit. Both Vogue
India and Grazia India were first
movers in making digital issues
downloadable for free when
concerns were raised about print
distribution in the time of corona.
Every magazine now has
seen a surge in digital activity
and subscriptions. Mehernaaz
Dhondy, editor of Grazia India,
says, “Our content goals have
constantly been evolving to keep NO CHILD’S PLAY
pace with digital media, and now (Above) The June
that these unprecedented times covers of Vogue Italia’s
June issue this year
have pivoted all attention towards
have been drawn by
this medium, it’s a matter of
keeping all content relevant.”
kids aged between two
Vogue Arabia reimagined
and 10; In 1992, the
year of economic crisis
some of their most memorable Harper’s Bazaar came
covers with a digitally-added up with this modern
mask and Vogue Taiwan created a and paired down cover
fully computer-driven CGI cover. for its September issue
JUNE 21, 2020
 YEARS OF

18 FASHION
2004-2020

“NO, I’M NOT

BRASH OR
IMPULSIVE…
MOST OF THE TIME!”

+
KANGANA RANAUT
GETS PERSONAL
PAGE 15
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Harper’s Bazaar India’s one of the
three covers for April-May 2020
featuring Janhvi Kapoor, was shot at
home by Janhvi’s sister Khushi, sans
make-up and filters
In May, Elle India had Dr Jane Goodall
DBE, founder of the Jane Goodall
Institute and UN Messenger of Peace,
on the cover
Grazia India’s April 2020 digital cover
explores the Six Degrees of Separation theme
Vogue India’s June issue features
its first-ever illustrated cover by
Japanese artist Takashi Murakami
As far as digital innovations go,
the May issue of Vogue India
really set the bar with a type
and audio cover with words
of hope written and voiced by
Pulitzer prize-winning author
Jhumpa Lahiri.
BEING A
CONVERSATION
STARTER
The fashion industry has been
hit hard by the pandemic.
For instance, J. Crew and
Neiman Marcus have declared
bankruptcy. A three-billion dollar
industry, fashion’s survival is
a matter of global economic
concern, and nowhere is this
more apparent than in India. The
textile industry is the country’s
second largest employer, and
“designer fashion,” a young
industry, is vulnerable. As
fashion journalist and author
Gayatri Rangachari Shah notes,
“In India, 45-60 million people
are employed in the textile sector
and the fashion industry has
done so much to nurture and
create new markets, both at home
and abroad, for our incredibly
talented centuries-old crafts
tradition. Fashion magazines
play a vital role in spreading the
message that clothes matter.”
Harper’s Bazaar India’s ‘The
Runway Project’ is a digital
showcase of local talent,
while Vogue India asked
creative minds to talk about
what they are dealing with
in their #InThisTogether
series on Instagram. As Priya
Tanna, editor of Vogue India,
says, “The need of the hour is to
be sensitive, show our support to
local and home-grown talent and
keep engaging with readers.”
Vogue Arabia’s June issue is
themed “Love Letter to Lebanon,”
and on the cover is singer and UN
Goodwill Ambassador Majida El
Roumi, her first cover in a career
that has spanned 45 years. Lebanon
was in the midst of a political
struggle prior to the pandemic.
The pandemic seems to have
further enabled fashion magazines
to address issues through their
covers. Judi Dench became British
Vogue’s cover girl at 85 this May.
Also in May, Elle India had
Dr Jane Goodall DBE, founder of
the Jane Goodall Institute and UN
Messenger of Peace, on the cover.
This period has also coincided
with the killing of George Floyd
ZOOMIN’ IN
Both, the June cover of Vanity Fair US, and the HT Brunch cover dated May 31,
2020, were shot remotely during lockdown using Zoom
igniting anti-racism protests
globally. With the United States
being the epicentre, many ethical
issues within the fashion media
have come to light there, including
American Vogue’s lack of covers
with “Non-White” talent.
Of course, a glossy must
also provide its readers with an
escape. As Kalra says, “Why do
we believe that beautiful imagery
is not impactful or relevant? In
difficult times, we need art; we
need inspiration to elevate us.” Her
magazine invited 12 global female
artists to create digital covers
about the need to build connections
“WE DO ABOUT FIVE MAGAZINE
COVERS A YEAR. AS THINGS GO BACK
TO NORMAL, WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE
OUR CLOTHES ON COVERS.”
—GAURAV GUPTA, FASHION DESIGNER
while we practice social
distancing. Vogue India’s
June cover is an animated
illustration by Takashi Murakmi;
the coverline simple reads, “In
This Together.”
THE FUTURE OF
FASHION MAGAZINES
Digital kept fashion media alive
during lockdown. Now will
fashion media go back to the way
it was? Another reality seems
likely. Vanity Fair’s June cover,
featuring Janelle Monae, was
shot on Zoom while some of the
clothes she wore came from her
own wardrobe. Harper’s Bazaar
India’s Instagram cover featuring
Janhvi Kapoor was shot at home
by Janhvi’s sister Khushi, sans
make-up and filters.
But the fact is, magazines will
need to go back to supporting the
brands that are advertisers; this
is a business after all. Fashion
designer Gaurav Gupta says in a
FEATURE SCAN BELOW )  '

' + # (
50 WAVES OF GREY
WHEN SUPERMODEL MILIND SOMAN MARRIED ANKITA KONWAR, 26 YEARS HIS JUNIOR, EYES ROLLED.
TWO YEARS ON, THEY HAVE THE CHEMISTRY OF A COUPLE THAT MET ON TINDER TWO DAYS AGO. HERE’S HOW
[ PICTURES SHOT ON ZOOM EXCLUSIVELY FOR HT BRUNCH ]
#Minkita
regular year, his clothes would
be on the cover of a glossy about
five times. “As things go back to
normal, we would want to see our
clothes on covers.”
SURVIVAL OF
THE FITTEST
The feeling of fantasy brought by
the beautifully-produced shoots
for print cannot be brushed aside.
As Shah says, “The paper versus
digital conversation has been
going on ever since the birth of
the Internet. Do we need books in
the age of the Kindle? Yes, we do.
During the lockdown, I was getting
my magazines and papers on my
phone. It was a drag to read them
that way. To feel and touch, is that
not human?”
But there is no question
that digital is the future. Major
publishing houses have been
aspiring to become more than
magazines for a while now, with
digital platforms, wedding shows,
award-based events and so on.
Covid-19 has been, in many ways,
a wake-up call for the industry.
With all the magazines now
working on their biggest issue
of the year, the September
issue, perhaps the covers will
show what the new normal will
be for fashion magazines in a
post-pandemic world.
brunchletters@htlive.com
Follow @htbrunch on Twitter
Dubai-based fashiion
journalist Sujata Assomulll is
also an author and an advocatee of
mindful fashioon.

MOVIE DATE WITH MA
Writer Mehru Jaffer watches her 88-year-old mum Farrukh Jaffar’s
newest movie with her: notes how she lights up when her character
appears, and steals a wink or two during scenes that crawl
“W
hen the camera
starts whirring,
I forget who the
other actors are,
who the director is. I talk only to
the camera. I love the camera,”
says 88-year-old actor Farrukh
Jaffar who thoroughly enjoyed
watching herself in Gulabo
Sitabo, Shoojit Sircar’s latest film
premiered online last week.
BY PRAISING HER TO THE
SKIES, FARRUKH JAFFAR FEELS
THE MEDIA MADE HER THE
PROVERBIAL KEBAB MEIN HADDI
BETWEEN THE PERFORMANCES OF
BACHCHAN AND KHURRANA
Watching the film at home
with the octogenarian actress was
a treat. Farrukh lit up every time
her character, Fatima Begum,
appeared on screen and she did
not think twice about stealing a
wink or two during scenes that
may have crawled a bit.
LIGHTS, CAMERA, FARRUKH
Farrukh with Shoojit Sircar, the
director of Gulabo Sitabo
By Mehru Jaffer
Her response to the media
comments the morning after the
release of the film was no less
entertaining. She feels that before
its release, there was a plan to trick
the audience into believing that the
film was an Amitabh Bachchan and
Ayushmann Khurrana-starrer. The
promos showed the two stars of
Indian cinema squabbling on screen
like the famous string puppets,
Gulabo Sitabo, the competitive
sisters-in-law of the popular
traditional puppet shows performed
on the streets of Lucknow.
Now Farrukh is amused that
by singling out her performance
COME CLEAN
A still from Gulabo Sitabo where
Farrukh Jaffar, 88, shares the
screen with Amitabh Bachchan
and praising it sky high, the media
has made her the proverbial kebab
mein haddi in the performances of
Bachchan and Khurrana.
CINEMA’S PUKAR
At no point in her life has
Farrukh Jaffar not had fun. At
some stage, she realised that
looking the camera in the eye was
the most fun thing to do in life.
So, she went for it and has not
looked back since. At first, the
thrill was just in watching films.
Then when she was offered a role
in a film without looking for one,
she decided not to turn down that
offer just because nobody from
her conservative family had ever
dared to be so bold.
Her affair with films started in
1939 when she saw her first movie,
Pukar. She was about seven years
old and had travelled with the
family elders from her village in
Jaunpur district to visit relatives
in Lucknow.
JUNE 21, 2020
CINEMA 19
She watched Pukar with the
entire family at a local cinema hall.
The silver screen took her breath
away. She could not stop dreaming
of Naseem Bano who had played
the lead in Pukar. Back home, she
waited impatiently to get out of the
village and visit the cinema halls of
Lucknow again.
Farrukh did not have to wait
too long. At 16 years, she was
married. She had no idea what her
responsibilities would be as a wife,
but she looked forward to living
in Lucknow so she could go to
the cinema.
Every time she heard music
playing on the main road, she would
abandon her household duties to
hurry to the terrace. From there she
would look down on the street below,
where a loudspeaker fitted to an
open jeep announced the release of
the latest film. In those days, the film
often starred Nargis and Raj Kapoor.
Her journalist husband spent
most of his time at the newspaper
office or at the Coffee House in the
company of poets, politicians and
writers. He had no time to watch
films with her. So she used his
indifference as a good excuse to
watch even more cinema, and to
continue to dream of Dilip Kumar.
She was clearly waiting for her time
to come.
THE FUN ONE
To have shared screen space with
Amitabh Bachchan in Gulabo
Sitabo now is a matter of having
arrived. Farrukh feels this is the
culmination of her career. She has
been working in films for over half
a century, in the company of some
of the best names in Indian cinema
from Rekha to Shah Rukh Khan
to Aamir Khan to Salman Khan
to Nawazuddin Siddiqui. She did
all this without leaving Lucknow
for Mumbai and without the
promotion of a manager or agent.
“Just imagine! Once upon
a time I was a fan of Amitabh
Bachchan and today I have shared
screen space with the actor,”
Farrukh says wonderingly.
The secret of her routine success
on the silver screen is simple. She
has so much fun once the lights
and camera are focused on her, that
action is seldom far behind.
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Follow @htbrunch on Twitter
Mehru Jaffer is an
accomplished author and Farrukh
Jaffer’s daughter
20 PERSONAL AGENDA

Singer

Jasleen Royal
DATE OF BIRTH SUN SIGN PLACE OF BIRTH
July 8 Cancer Ludhiana
SCHOOL/COLLEGE FIRST BREAK
Hindu College, Delhi Panchi ho javaa and Preet
from Khoobsurat
HIGH POINT OF YOUR LIFE
Winning the MTV VMA for Panchi ho javaa, my debut single
LOW POINT OF YOUR LIFE
Figuring out everything alone

Describe yourself in a hashtag.

#Fall7GetUp8

Name your favourite Hindi word to

use in a song.
Rooh (soul).

And a song’s lyrics that you

misheard?
Aap jaisa koi meri zindagi mein aaye, toh
“baap” ban jaye instead of “baat”!

List three things nobody knows

about you.
I love munching while creating music, I
don’t enter my home studio without
having taken a shower, and that I wanted
to be a cricketer at one point.

What’s the best and the worst

thing about being an independent
musician today?
That you can put your stuff out there
on your own without anyone’s approval
and the worst is the obsession with the
number of views.

Fe
Feminism according to you is...?
Eq
Equality ve sense…
in every
equ roles in profes-
equal
si
sional and personal
lives, and freedom
ON MY PHONE
from any gender MOST USED APP: WhatsApp
defining roles. ON SPEED DIAL: My manager
What would LAST APP I CHECK
the title of your BEFORE GOING TO BED:
biography be? Instagram
She Keeps MOST USED FILTER ON INSTAGRAM:
Moving On. Paris
Interv
Interviewed by LEAST USED APP:
ya Ghosh
Ananya Reminder to drink water!

Photo: Avinash Jai Singh; Styling and outfit:

Shafiq Khatib; Assisted by: Vruddhi Rachh

JUNE 21, 2020

INDIA’S BIGGEST MUSICAL
LEGENDS IN BRUNCH
NOVEMBER 18, 2018
APRIL 14, 2019 Free with your copy of Sunday Hi
Hindustan
d t Times
Ti
Free with your copy of Sunday Hindustan Times

“I have been
TRAVEL FOCUS
3 SINGLE GUYS
GO PLAYING
YS
S +
learning from him AND PRAYING
since I was . “I took the
I’m now!” engine from IN ISRAEL
—Hariharan him, and that PAGE 18
is pulling my
entire train”
—Sonu Nigam

+
“He’s my
spiritual guru, AR
RAHMAN
but has a
wicked sense
of humour!”
—Shaan
TRAVEL FOCUS
PARIS FOR THE
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TRAVELLER AWKWARDNESS
PAGE 18

In an exclusive shoot
for HT Brunch, singers
Shaan, Hariharan
TURNING
and Sonu Nigam
come together to pay
FILMMAKER
a tribute to Ustad
Ghulam Mustafa Khan

[ THE MUSIC SPECIAL ]

USTADON KE USTAD!
WHY HE
EMBRACED ISLAM
IN A RARE OUTING, USTAD GHULAM MUSTAFA KHAN, GURU TO “A lot of people have come up to me and
said, ‘Hey AR, if I convert to Islam will
INDIAN MUSIC’S CURRENT GREATS, TELLS US SOME HEARTWARMING TALES I be successful too? I’m ready!’
AN HT BRUNCH EXCLUSIVE! I keep quiet. It’s a trick question!”
[ AN HT BRUNCH EXCLUSIVE ]

#ARInTalkMode

#T eLe endMaker

MARCH 17, 2019

Free with your copy of Sunday Hindustan Times
FEBRUARY 11, 2018
Free with your copy of Sunday Hindustan Times

YEARS OF
2004-2019

[ THE MUSIC SPECIAL! ]

BRINGING COOL
“WE NO LONGER
LONGE
SEE A SWELL OF
LISTENERS AT
CONCERTS IN INDIA”
SELVAGANESH

“BUT THE
E APPEAL
HE APP
AP
OF PURE RHYTHM
WILL NEVER
DIMINISH!”
VIKKU VINAYAKRAM
TO CLASSICAL
MULTIPLE GRAMMY-WINNING GUITARIST SHARON ISBIN
ON HOW HER FIRST BRUSH WITH INDIAN CLASSICAL MUSIC
HAS CHANGED HER LIFE FOREVER!
SHOT EXCLUSIVELY FOR HT BRUNCH AT THE ROYAL OPERA HOUSE, MUMBAI

“Indian classical
music has long
pieces, whereas
a Bach or a
Beethoven has a
defined sense of
enclosure”
— Sharon Isbin

CLASSICAL
CONUNDRUM
IN A RARE
RARE CHAT,
CHAT THE GRAMMY
CHAT GRAMMY AWAR
AWARD-WINNING
WARDD WINN
WINN
PERCUSSIONIST AND HIS SON VOICE OPINIONS
AND STRIKE HIGH NOTES
[ AN HT BRUNCH EXCLUSIVE ]

#ClassicalConundrum

PLUS! AMAAN AND AYAAN ALI BANGASH ON STRADDLING TRADITION WITH TODAY
#ClassicalCool

EVERY SUNDAY WITH HT!

For all stories, visit www.hindustantimes.com/brunch
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