Many housing societies across the city resumed the Ganeshotsav celebrations with gusto this time, after a pause of two years because of the Covid-induced restrictions.
Mangesh Patil, the secretary of a housing society in Erandwane, said, “This year, residents are excited to celebrate together again. Members of different housing units are performing the aarti in the morning and in the evening at the common area, where the idol has been installed. Everyone is invited to attend it. Residents have loosened their purse strings to contribute to the grand celebrations. ”
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday shared the information about the devastating floods and said that as many as 400 children have died due to the natural calamity.
Taking to Twitter, Shehbaz Sharif urged UNICEF and other international organizations to deal with the risks associated with children in the floods, reported by agencies.
“As a result of climate change, children are affected the most by flood disasters. Unfortunately, 400 children died, which is one-third of the total number of deaths. I appeal for help from UNICEF and other international organizations to save the lives of these children who are victims of water-borne diseases,” he said in a tweet.
According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) report, which was published on Saturday, the death toll had climbed to 1,290 as 26 more deaths were reported.
Meanwhile, Pakistan government agencies and private NGOs continue with their relief operations described as a “humanitarian disaster of epic proportions”. Large parts of the country remain submerged – particularly the provinces of Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh in the south.
At least 180 people have died in Sindh followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (138) and Balochistan (125), reported by agencies. At least, 1,468,019 houses have been partially or totally damaged, while 736,459 livestock have been killed due to the floods.
Aid has flowed in from a number of countries, with the first humanitarian assistance flight from France landing on Saturday morning in Islamabad, reported by agencies.
Initial estimates of the damage have been put at USD 10 billion, but surveys are still being conducted along with international organizations. Federal Minister of Poverty alleviation and Social Safety Shazia Marri said 723,919 families have received Rs 25,000 cash relief (per family) and an amount of Rs 18.25 billion has been disbursed.
Earlier, United Nation said that 6.4 plus million people are in dire need of humanitarian aid. Taking to Twitter, WHO Pakistan said that due to the ongoing severe floods in Pakistan, over 1,460 health facilities have been affected of which 432 were fully damaged.
Meanwhile, Pakistan State Finance Minister Aisha Ghous Pasha said that global lenders will be approached to rehabilitate flood-affected areas.
“We will complete estimates of damages from floods in two days,” she said.
The cash-strapped country is mulling another emergency loan days after it managed to secure the much-needed bailout package from IMF to avert an imminent default. Estimates suggest that devastating floods in Pakistan might have caused nearly Rs 2.5 trillion (Pakistani rupees) in losses, reported by agencies.
The initial assessment says the economic growth rate could slow down to just 2 per cent in the current fiscal year.
“Our team is also helping to assess the damage caused by floods to draw up plans to support longer-term rehabilitation efforts and strengthen communities’ climate resilience,” Asian Development Bank (ADB) Country Director for Pakistan Yong Ye said.
One of the most worshipped gods in the country, Lord Ganesha is well represented in various forms in the UNESCO world heritage site of Ellora Caves in Maharashtra’s Aurangabad district.
Ellora, which is home to artworks dating back to the 5th to 10th centuries, showcases the one of most important gods in Hinduism either dancing among yakshas (nature spirits) or imitating his father Shiva’s dancing form Nataraja.
Located 30 km from Aurangabad city, Ellora is a complex of 34 caves comprising artworks from Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.
Ganesha cannot be seen as an independent deity in the early carvings in the caves and is represented as a part of a group of deities.
A maestro of Kathak dance, she is a well-known name that appears on the top in the list of eminent classical dancers of India. Her wonderful performances have left the people awestruck. Her teacher was none other than the famous Late Pandit Birju Maharaj. Well, I am talking about the great Indian Kathak dancer Shovana Narayan.
Shovana Narayan has given an entirely new dimension to dancing. She is an accomplished dancer, whose facial expressions complements her dance and makes her performance simply outstanding. Her choreographic works have not only been well acclaimed in India, but are also highly praised overseas.
Recently in the capital she organised ‘Lalit Arpan’ a festival with a wonderful theme and message, evoking people to think the true meaning of freedom, independence, liberation and sovereignty. Post the show I spoke to the creative dancer and choreographer and this is what she said, excerpts from the interview:
How did the concept of Lalit Arpan festival come about?
When we were discussing the theme of this year’s Festival, I mentioned that the term ‘swatantrata’ had several dimensions. Besides political freedom it also includes freedom of expression, of thought, word, action, choice. But in the exercise of freedom, there is an associated cautionary note namely of knowing one’s boundaries, of accountability, of keeping values intact, of self-dignity, etc. The idea was approved by all our Committee members and thus “Swatantrata aur Swabhiman” came about.
Lalit Arpan had a brilliant mix of poetry, storytelling along with you dance, please tell me more about this amalgamation?
The genre of dance enactment first came about in 1990 when late philosopher, Prof Ramchandra Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi wrote and himself narrated the script. This was “Mohan and Rambha” based on an autobiographical incident recorded by Mahatma Gandhi in his autobiography. Thus choosing the same format, Roop Vidroop’ was enacted. In such dance enactments, the clarity of a story line or inner thoughts as well as the abhinaya and pure dance and classical music elements get equal treatment, each complimenting the other. The common thread is dance abhinaya. Thus the text is enacted through dance gestures with bhavas and rasas, and where needed, certain pieces are elaborated with pure dance patterns, Roop Vidroop was heart wrenching performance on the trauma of an acid attack survivor.
Why you chose this theme particular for your performance
Too many such instances were happening all round. How many of us realize that face or a body, in a way, is a window to the identity of a being. And if that is suddenly disfigured, there is the victim’s inner trauma as to who she is; for she is not what she used to be or was she was born with. The perpetrator had wanted either her death or to make life a living hell. The latter is true in case she survives for she now becomes a social outcaste by all – her family, her children – her neighbours- by society at large. Shunned by all, she is forced into social isolation. She faces social discrimination because of her disfigured face and body. Life becomes a living hell. Traumatised, pained, and anguished, in a state of depression she questions herself as to whether death was better than the living tortuous hell that she has been forced into.
In other words, are we, as society allowing her to live with self-respect and dignity and not pushing her further curtailing her freedom of expression, movement, living, etc? It is not political freedom but it is freedom from prejudices and biases and freedom to live with head held high that such victims are asking for.
You had other artists like Prabal Gupta and Ratnav Theatre Artists to dance for the festival too, what made you include them in the show?
Some of us had seen this most evocatively powerful production of Prabal’s at Bangalore and therefore we also wanted to introduce audiences of Delhi to it. He performed Kshaatra Baalaa, a tribute to those great women of our country who had lost their husbands during protecting our nation and its boarders. Similarly, keeping the spirit of the Festival, dance drama ‘Lallan Miss’ by Ratnav Theatre Artists was selected, story of a transgender fighting to live a life in dignity and with social acceptance, inclusion and understanding. This play brought out several features and rituals in the lives of transgenders that the so-called normal society are not even aware of. Some of these rituals makes one realise their own inner turmoil and dilemma as such a body had been foisted on them by birth (and not by choice). And for no fault of theirs, they were punished first by their own families and then by society. Why are they denied the ‘freedom’ to live like anyone else?
You always come up with interesting concepts, what next after Lalit Arpan?
Well, I usually do not plan things in advance, I trust and follow my heart all the time, let us see what the heart says and where does it lead me! For now, I am thrilled that our show Lalit Arpan was received beautifully and the message Swatantrata aur Swabhiman reached out as expected. At a very young age of four, Shovana Narayan who has been dancing since she was four years old, is also known as the Kathak queen, she is so involved in her art of dance that she cannot imagine her life without it. It is not just a hobby for her, but the motive of her life itself, looking forward to more exceptional shows from the ever so elegant dance maestro.
It was very shocking to know that the former chairman of Tata Sons Cyrus Mistry has died in a road accident while en route from Ahmedabad to Mumbai. Mistry’s car hit a divider in Palghar district neighbouring Mumbai. The car was speeding and the driver lost his control. Mistry was travelling from Ahmedabad to Mumbai in a Mercedes car. He was travelling to Mumbai when the accident took place. The accident took place on a bridge over the Surya River. The accident occurred near the Gujarat-Maharashtra border. The other two people travelling with him, including the car driver, were injured. Others injured have been shifted to a hospital in Gujarat.
Cyrus Pallonji Mistry was an Indian-born Irish businessman. He was the chairman of Tata Group, an Indian business corporation, from 2012 to 2016. He was the sixth chairman of the group, and only the second (after Nowroji Saklatwala) to not bear the surname Tata. In mid-2012, he was chosen by a selection panel to head the Tata Group and took charge in December that year. In October 2016, the board of Tata Group’s holding company, Tata Sons, voted to remove Mistry from the post of chairman after offering him an opportunity to resign voluntarily. Former chairman Ratan Tata then returned as interim chairman, and Natarajan Chandrasekaran was named as the new chairman a few months later.
However, in December 2019, the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) declared the appointment of Chandrasekaran as executive chairman illegal, and restored Mistry. However, the Supreme Court stayed NCLAT’s order on 10 January 2020. Mistry has filed a cross appeal in the court, seeking explanations for anomalies in the NCLAT. However, the Supreme Court upheld his dismissal.
He owned an 18.4% stake in Tata Sons, through his company, Cyrus Investments Pvt. Ltd. In 2018, his net worth was approximately $10 billion. He was a member of the National Integration Council. Mistry was born to a Parsi family in Bombay, the younger son of Indian billionaire and construction magnate Pallonji Mistry by his wife Patsy Perin Dubash. Both his parents belong to the Zoroastrian faith and have roots in India. However, Mistry’s mother was born in Ireland, and his father chose to take up Irish citizenship. Mistry has an elder brother, Shapoor Mistry, who is also an Irish citizen, and is married to Behroze Sethna, the daughter of Parsi lawyer Rusi Sethna. Mistry also has two sisters, Laila and Aloo. Laila is married to Rustom Jehangir, a London-based portfolio fund manager. Aloo is married to Noel Tata, the half-Indian-Parsi, half-French-Catholic half-brother of Ratan Tata.
The Pallonji family have been active in business for over a century, and it was in the 1930s that Mistry’s grandfather, Shapoorji Mistry, first gained a stake in Tata Sons. The stake, which now stands at 18.5%, was held by Mistry’s father, and comprises the largest block of shares held by a single party; charitable trusts set up by the family controlled some 66% stake in Tata Sons. Mistry grew up in affluent circumstances. He studied at the prestigious Cathedral & John Connon School in South Mumbai.
Mistry was married to Rohiqa Chagla, the daughter of lawyer Iqbal Chagla and granddaughter of jurist M.C. Chagla. Iqbal Chagla has strategized the course of action for Cyrus Mistry in the legal battle against Tata Sons. The couple have two sons, Firoz Mistry and Zahan Mistry. Mistry was an Irish citizen and a permanent resident of India (having acquired Overseas Citizenship of India). According to a news report in an Irish newspaper, The Independent, Mistry views himself as a global citizen.
Mistry joined the family construction company, Shapoorji Pallonji & Co. Ltd as a director in 1991. Mistry has been managing director of Shapoorji Pallonji & Company, which is part of the Shapoorji Pallonji Group, and also chairman of Tata Sons and of the Tata Group. In a 2013 article, The Economist categorized him as “the most important industrialist in both India and Britain.
Mistry joined the board of Tata Sons on 1 September 2006, a year after his father retired from it. He served as a Director of Tata Elxsi Limited, from 24 September 1990 to 26 October 2009 and was a Director of Tata Power Co. Ltd until 18 September 2006.
In 2013, Mistry was appointed the chairman of Tata Sons. In addition, he was also chairman of all major Tata companies including Tata Industries, Tata Steel, Tata Motors, Tata Consultancy Services, Tata Power, Tata Teleservices, Indian Hotels, Tata Global Beverages and Tata Chemicals. The Tata Sons Board voted to remove Mistry from the Chairmanship of Tata Sons on 24 October 2016.
More than 47,000 pregnant women affected by the floods in Pakistan are in shelter camps across Sindh province, local media citing the provincial health minister reported on Sunday.
Sindh Health Minister Azra Pechuho has shared statistics of women affected by the flood. She said hundreds of thousands of people have contracted various diseases after the floods.
“More than 134,000 cases of diarrhoea and 44,000 cases of malaria have been reported in the province,” she added, as reported local media.
On August 30, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), a sexual and reproductive health agency, said that at least 650,000 pregnant women, of whom 73,000 were expected to deliver this month across the country, in the flood-affected areas were in dire need of maternal health service.
Pechuho further said over 100,000 skin-related, 101 snake bites and 500 dog bites have been reported so far among flood affected, reported by local media.
The UN agency had also warned that many women and girls were at an increased risk of gender-based violence (GBV) as almost one million houses were damaged in the floods that spelled suffering for millions across Pakistan.
“Up to 73,000 women expected to deliver in September will need skilled birth attendants, newborn care, and support,” the agency had said as reported by local media.
It added that pregnancies and childbirth cannot wait for emergencies or natural disasters to be over as this is when a woman and baby are vulnerable and need the most care.
Pakistan, this year has faced unprecedented floods, which have affected nearly 33 million people in the country and left tens of thousands of people displaced. Due to internal displacement, more than 500,000 people are currently living in relief camps across Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, and Punjab.
According to a report released by the health officials on Saturday, more than 134,000 diarrhea cases were reported from Sindh in the past two months.
Similarly, the official stats show that 44,832 malaria cases were found during monsoon rains since June this year. It added that 101 snake-bite cases have also been reported.
Business Tycoon and Former Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry was on Sunday killed in a road accident after his car hit a divider in Maharashtra’s Palghar district neighbouring Mumbai, a police official said.
Mistry was travelling from Ahmedabad to Mumbai in a Mercedes car, he said.
“The accident took place around 3.15 pm, when Mistry was travelling to Mumbai from Ahmedabad. The accident took place on a bridge over the Surya River. It seems an accident,” the police official said.
The other two persons travelling with him, including the car driver, were injured. All the injured persons have been shifted to a hospital in Gujarat.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday came down heavily on the Narendra Modi-led Central government and said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) are dividing the country and a sense of fear has engulfed the minds of people about ” their future, inflation and unemployment and that’s turning them towards hate.”
“Hatred is rising in India. Fear of inflation and unemployment is increasing in India, and due to this hatred is rising. BJP and RSS dividing the country and creating fear in the country. Who gets the benefit of this fear? Is it poor, farmer, or small traders who are getting any benefit from the Narendra Modi government? Only two industrialists in the country benefitting from this fear and hatred,” said Congress MP.
He further said that the Modi government’s policies are benefitting only two big industrialists. “BJP giving all the benefits to two people. Now see Narendra Modi did demonetization. Did it help the poor? The three farm laws that were withdrawn later by the govt were not for farmers but it was for those two industrialists only. But the farmers came on the road and showed their power to Narendra Modi and when PM Modi saw this, he had to take back the three farm laws,” he said.
The Congress leader further said that the Modi government broke the backbone of small and medium enterprises.
“In one way, you are being affected by unemployment and secondly, you are hit by the price rise. Narendra Modi asks what has Congress done in seventy years. I will say this, that in seventy years, Congress has not shown such price rise to the country and when the Opposition wants to raise the issue in Parliament then Narendra Modi’s government doesn’t allow it. Whether it is farmers’ issue or China,” he added.
Making the attack more aggressive, the Congress MP said, “The media is also of these two industrialists, the whole of media is under those two businessmen. People know whose TV it is and whom they are working for. TV and papers are of these two industrialists. Narendra Modi ji works for those two industrialists and those two industrialists work for Narendra Modi ji.”
He further said, “Narendra Modi could not be the Prime Minister without the support of the media and two industrialists.”
Speaking on the misuse of Central probe agencies, Rahul Gandhi said that he is not afraid of Enforcement Directorate (ED) and their questioning.
“The ED asked me to sit for 55 hours but I am not afraid of your ED. Whether it is 55 hours or five months or five years,” he said.
Rahul Gandhi said, “PM Modi ji’s ideology says that country should be divided and the profits from it should be shared among a few industrialists.”
“Congress gave India the historical MGNREGA, but Narendra Modi’s government said in the Parliament that it’s an insult to the poor. Today, if there would not have been MGNREGA, there would have been fires in the country. Our party took 27 crore people out of poverty but the BJP government has pushed 23 crore people into poverty in just ten years. Narendra Modi is taking the country backwards. This will help Pakistan and China and not India. The more there will be hatred and fear, the more the country would weaken,” he said.
Rahul Gandhi said that the Congress’ ideology can bring the country on the path of progress. “I want to ask you whether price rise and hatred strengthen the country. Narendra Modi and BJP are weakening the country. Congress party unites the country. We erase hatred and when hatred is erased, the country moves faster. Congress ideology can bring the country on the path of progress,” he said.
He also said that all Opposition parties will come together and defeat the BJP and RSS. “We want to talk on China attack, unemployment, price rise, but BJP stopped our party. The institutions, whether it is the media, the judiciary, or the Election Commission, are all under pressure. So the only way that is left is to go to people. And that is why Congress will start the Bharat Jodo Yatra. This is a fight of ideology and all the Opposition parties will come together to defeat BJP and RSS,” Rahul Gandhi told to people while addressing a massive rally.
Congress is holding a mega rally ‘Mehangai Par Halla Bol’ today against inflation in the country, unemployment and Goods and Services Tax hike at Ramlila Maidan in the national capital.
Former Kerala Health Minister K K Shailaja has rejected Ramon Magsaysay award for her contributions to preventing COVID-19 and Nipah virus.
KK Shailaja stated that she will not be accepting the Ramon Magsaysay award as it is always given to an individual and not any politician.
“We discussed this together as a party and decided not to accept this. The Kerala government’s intervention in the health sector were discussed. Also, they said they considered intervention to prevent covid and Nipah.” further said.
“With all the respect to the award I wrote saying that I cannot accept this award due to some political reasons and also because it is a collective work. As an individual I am not accepting this award,” she added.
“The decision is because they never give a politician such an award. I am a communist party central member because of that we decided not to accept, ” Shailaja stated.
“As an individual and party core committee member, I thought not to accept this with all due respect to the award. When asked about comparing this to another historic blunder by CPI-M like when Jyoti Basu was not made pm, she said there was no need for a comparison like that. It’s not right,” she added.
Bangladesh wicketkeeper-batter and former captain Mushfiqur Rahim announced his retirement from T20I cricket on Sunday. The former Bangladesh skipper took to Twitter to make the announcement. “I would like to announce my retirement from T20 INTERNATIONALS and focus on Test and ODI formats of the game. I will be available to play franchise leagues when the opportunity arrives. Looking forward to proudly represent my nation in the two formats-MR15,” Rahim tweeted.
I would like to announce my retirement from T20 INTERNATIONALS and focus on Test and ODI formats of the game. I will be available to play franchise leagues when the opportunity arrives. Looking forward to proudly represent my nation in the two formats-MR15
He will, however, continue representing the nation in ODIs and Tests. In the shortest format of the game, he represented Bangladesh in 102 matches ever since his debut in the format in 2006.
Across 93 innings, he has scored 1,500 runs at an average of 19.48.
His best individual score in the format is 72*.
Six half-centuries have come out of his bat in this format.
Besides this, he also captained the national side in the T20I format from 2011 to 2014 in 23 matches. Out of these, his side won right matches, lost 14 and one ended in no result. His win percentage in this format is 36.36.
Notably, Bangladesh has also been knocked out of the ongoing Asia Cup 2022.
Bangladesh could not qualify for the Super Four phase as they lost both of their Group B matches.
They lost their first match to Afghanistan by seven wickets. It was followed by a two-wicket loss to Sri Lanka, which knocked them out of the competition. Rahim was underwhelming in both the matches, scoring 1 and 4 respectively.
