Clean comedy vs Stand-up comedy

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December 1, 2021

We all must have seen thousands of comedy shows and series on television. Satire and sarcasm are tools through which one can criticise institutions, government authorities or entities in a funny way. TV shows like ‘Flop Show’ by Jaspal Bhatti that started in 1989 used the same tools to criticise those then in power. The new age stand-up comics take inspiration from all the senior artists like Bhatti.

At this point, it is important to make it clear that it is unnecessary to do clean content if you are a stand-up comic, in my view. As a stand-up comic, your job should only be making the audience laugh and think. Nothing matters after that.

From the Jaspal Bhatti show to the Kapil Sharma comedy show, Sarabhai vs Sarabhai – each episode is funny with the best jokes and acting, Bhabhi Ji Ghar Par Hain, Tarak Mehta Ka Oolta Chasmah. These comedy shows are for pure laughter. You can sit with your entire family and watch them. The great Indian laughter challenge has brought the stand-up comedy culture to India. The show was based on a format where stand-up comedians perform and entertain judges and the studio audience with their comedy skills.

In the first season, Sunil Pal was the winner, Ahsaan Qureshi was runner up and Raju Srivastava was the second runner up. The next season was won by Kapil Sharma and the first runner up was Chandan Prabhakar. This show has given us many other talented comedians like Siraj Khan, Sudesh Lehari, Rajiv Thakur, Bharti Singh, Navin Prabhakar, Jassi Kochar, Khayaali, Dipoo Srivastava, Ahsaan Qureshi. These people appeared in various comedy shows and entertained us for years.

One fine day AIB (All India Bakchod) was started in 2015 by a bunch of comedians, and from this moment comedy turned into a travesty. In a way, these shows were almost soft porn, the language, slang and discussion about women’s bodies and men’s organs. And many thought this was freedom of expression and they started enjoying this show. It ended after the epic AIB roast but what it did begin, in the process, is the reintroduction of satire and sarcasm in its raw state without any censorship.

It should be the conscience of the audience that should decide whether to laugh or not to laugh at a dirty joke. This will inspire the comic to make changes in his content. Before blaming the artist for doing his job we should ask ourselves if we can take a joke as a joke or not. And what should be the joke in a real sense. There are also regional standup comedians who are quite popular in their niche audience. These are akin to different ‘gharanas’ of comedy like Gujarati, Bengali or Chennai- and Bengaluru-based comics.

Some great Bengali comedians like Sourav Ghosh, Anirban Dasgupta, Dipangshu Acharya. Language is just a medium that does not restrict anyone and there have been many regional activists whose voices were heard in the Parliament. But it’s still a long way to go for the Indian stand-up comedy scene. In the recent past, you will see many stand-up performers in studios with an audience of 50 to 100. These artists make fun of each and everything having no filter on their language and expressions. Most of them use outrageous and obnoxious language. Some even make fun of religious beliefs.

In recent times comedian Munawar Faruqui has been hitting the headlines. Faruqui is a young and upcoming, moderately successful Indian comedian. He has been banned by the police and administration of Madhya Pradesh on grave charges of hate crime. This comedian has a history of making jokes about Hindu gods. Ironically we never heard a joke about the Prophet of Allah. He compared the making of Ram Mandir with the making of Bombs.

Here lies the problem. How do we decide what is more offensive when there are different groups of people getting offended? For some, drawing a cartoon is the ultimate level of getting offended and for some, it can be using some slang for God and for some even mentioning names would be offending.

Has democracy and appeasement of the minorities been of any use for the majority? Spitting filth against Hinduism in the name of freedom of speech is not secularism. Do crack jokes but crack jokes on the Prophet also and if you do not have the guts to crack jokes on the Prophet then do not crack jokes on Hindu gods also.

He is a Muslim; he knew that dragging Hindus in his acts will reiterate to the masses is not a good way which finally happened. I am a Hindu but I never mock any Gods, I am sure I can do a good comedy or be a good writer without putting down any God or religion.

Munawar is not only a comedian but he is an activist for a case that has been solved by the Supreme court, which means he has political inclinations which is fine as everyone in India has a right to have an opinion. But that does not permit you to provoke religious sentiments. In the recent past, he was frequently arrested and his shows were banned. Some think-tank believes that the arrest is to create anger in Congressmen against BJP. This is election time and Munawar like jokers became tools in political hands.

Munawar Faruqui is not banned for his faith but for his jokes

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Afternoon Voice

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December 1, 2021

Munawar Faruqui planned shows in Mumbai, Goa and Gujarat over the last two months were also cancelled over threats of vandalism. In the light of recent developments, Faruqui has found some support on social media while many are not happy with his content and they straightly demand the ban.

“We must accept the fact that Munawar Faruqui, a comedian, is condemned by the majority because of his jokes on Hindu religion and religious deities. This ban is not because he is Muslim. These narratives are coming from left-liberals and those media houses who have always advocated minority against the majority,” said Imran Mulla, a social activist from Mumbai.

“We have many Muslim comedians in India, why no one called for a ban? Because religion is not part of their comedy, I am Muslim tomorrow if someone makes fun of Islam I might demand bad and stricter punishment,” Mulla said further.

Deepak Saini a stand-up comedian said, “First of all, a very small section is treating abuses as comedy. One hundred and fifty people come to listen in clubs, bars; they are not there in mainstream shows because no one listens to abuses in the mainstream. It is the fashion of these English showmen to abuse only one religion. Comedy actors Umar Sharif, Johnny Lever also do comedy but it used to be a clean show. It is good to have abusive shows cancelled when PM and CM rallies get cancelled, why not these kinds of typical shows? My fight is for clean comedy.”

Rupal Mistry, an animation director said, “Why should we point out Munawar Faruqui? There have been many before him and there will be many after that. Hinduism has been a punching bag for centuries. India is a failed democracy and that is the reason why some people are daring to take on Hindu beliefs and mocking the practices. In their efforts to defend the comedian, liberandus are now dragging Charlie Hebdo and France in order to defend Faruqui. Comedy needs balance and it’s high time Faruqui needs to mend his ways.”

Nishant Varma a political analyst said, “Laughter is the best medicine is a therapy for hearty living. Comedy is one of the most appreciated aspects of life. To ban a comedian for allegedly insulting religion is not acceptable. In the case of Munawar Faruqui, the alleged insult to Hindu Gods is a Sub-Judice Matter in the court of law and he hasn’t been held guilty of any charges made, yet. Additionally, he was Granted Bail by the Hon’ble Supreme Court, after considering all the aspects alleged at him.”

Moreover, the Supreme Court did not levy any restrictions on his future shows while granting him bail. This speaks a thousand words itself as he is Free to do shows as per Hon’ble SC, the apex Law adjudicator in India. It has been observed that certain groups of people are fanatically opposed to his shows and are not allowing the shows to happen, even when he is free to do so. Primarily he is cancelling shows for the safety of audiences. Even the Law empowering agencies are worried about the threats given by some groups for obstructing his shows and even carrying out mass revolt.”

Navin Prabhakar a comedian said, “I have been doing comedy for decades but never touched any sensitive topics. We are here to bring laughter to public life but not stress or communal violence. Munawar Faruqui has achieved a height of success. Sometimes artist’s content and the personal view gets clashed. People mistake his views as personal opinions and mistake him as his performing views. In Faruqui’s case, his comedy looks selective attack. And when people are saying they are not amused but hurt, he is playing religion as a victim card.”

Mohan Gowda, Spokesperson Hindu Jan Jagruti (Karnataka) said, “In every program, he is continuously insulting Hinduism and Hindu Gods. He is not apologetic after hurting Hindu sentiments; more in it he is advocating his statements. I urge the Central government to ban him permanently and take stern action against him. We want a revisionary law to be enacted that can be implied on hurting religious sentiments. He is targeting Hindus because Hindus do not retaliate suddenly. First, they insult us then after the complaint an FIR is registered after giving a statement he is again free to hurt Hindu Religion? How long should we tolerate this?”

Adv. Minal Mittal said, “Nowadays controversy gets viral very fast. Propaganda is then created internationally or Geo politically if we raise a voice against cultural blasphemy. In spite of being the majority, we are treated as a minority in our own country? There have been several instances when such entities have insulted Hindu Religion and yet have not been opposed. There has to be widespread condemnation of these comedians who are hell-bent on insulting our religious sentiments. Nowadays, criticising the Hindu religion has become famous, our religious practices and tradition are made fun of because globally Hindu is less in population. It’s high time we have to unite for our rights and religion.”

Kishori Pednekar – Nurse to Mumbai mayor a remarkable journey

By

Vaidehi Taman

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November 30, 2021

A 58-year-old Kishori Pednekar is Mumbai’s 77th Mayor; she is Shiv Sena leader and three-time corporator from Lower Parel in South Mumbai. She is known for her bunt talks and most of the time she attracts controversies because of her verbal spats. Her childhood has gone in the mills of Worli, struggling to survive, being a nurse and now the mayor, Kishori Pednekar is one of the most stubborn women out there. She takes chances and risks when trying to achieve her goals.

During COVID she was out and out visiting various hospitals and personally monitoring every development there. She is also one of the laud moths or one can call it a loose canon of Shiv Sena, attacking opposition or Shiv Sena critics is her favourite time pass.

Born in a mill worker’s house at Worli Naka, Kishori had started her career as a nurse. She worked at the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust hospital as she required the money to support her family income. However, after getting married, she moved to Lower Parel with her husband Kishor Pednekar, and the couple suffered financial struggles. It was then that she took up a job as a full-time nurse in 1992 and was also given charge of her area by the Sena.

While she did not have too much support from her husband’s family, she does credit him with making it into the city of dreams. She had to literally multitask from one task to another while taking care of the patients in hospital and her husband’s ailing old grandmother, besides her two children. While doing all this she never ignored her political and social aspirations.

She joined Shiv Sena women’s wing in 1992. She was assigned to work in Raigad and Sindhudurg districts in Western Maharashtra. Soon after that she became a corporator in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in 2002 and was re-elected in 2012 and 2017. During the three terms, she held all key positions and one of them is serving as a member of the standing committee.

Pednekar’s safe water campaign was very famous and that brought her close to Mumbaikar. With a safe water appeal, she took her officials to task and ordered them to focus on roads without potholes. Her office doors were always kept open; probably she is the one such mayor who was always available for public and BMC officials.

She gave priority to Mumbai’s overall development. One of her initiatives is to demolish dangerous and dilapidated buildings. She has recently announced that there are 443 high-risk buildings in Mumbai. Out of these, 56 are owned by the municipality, 27 by the government, and 360 by the private sector. These isolated structures, often became a shelter for anti-social elements, not to mention crime such as rape. She is currently working on the list, gathering the building’s current status, reaching to work with their owners to get them demolished and securing them. The vacated structures need to be identified primarily at the administrative ward level. Therefore, Mayor Kishori started the programme from her own ward in the G-South ward (Worli and Lower Parel) and took it further to other wards.

During COVID when City came to halt and people were struggling to survive, Mayor Kishori was active on all fronts to ensure medical assistance and medicine supply. There were allegations that the major COVID centre tenders were given to her family and friends. There were also allegations that she indulged in huge corruption during COVID time, be it with medicine supply or infrastructural arrangements.

Besides these accusations, she was seen visiting hospitals and greeting health workers. As a former nurse herself, she donated her uniform to show her solidarity and volunteered to serve as a nurse.

Her hard work helped control the casualties during the COVID-19 pandemic in Mumbai. While monitoring the COVID situation, she made sure the vaccine drives went smoothly with an adequate supply of vaccinations. She planned a vaccine distribution strategy for around 40 per cent of the population in the ‘vulnerable groups.’ She made the real-time monitoring COVID-19 mobile application to regulate the vaccination process.

Establishing the first-ever Biodiversity Management Committee goes to her credit. This Committee regulates the admittance to natural resources and helps in the conservation and preservation of diversity. She is also often stressing on the need for green cover in the city to protect the environment. She urges the Mumbaikars to plant at least two trees on their birthday or any important day to add to the green cover and increase BEST (Bombay Electric Supply & Transport) use buses to reduce road congestion and pollution.

The issues of health, water and sanitation have been given personal special attention with the help of the ‘shakha pramukh’ and her subordinates. She promised good roads for the citizens but somewhere this promise of hers is yet to be fulfilled. But her efforts can’t be ignored; she was the most connected corporator on grounds and now the most available Mayor in Mumbai’s history.

Kishori Pednekar – Two-year tenure as Mumbai Mayor has come to an end

By

Vaidehi Taman

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November 30, 2021

Kishori Pednekar the Mayor of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation which is India’s richest municipal corporation. She was elected as Mayor without any opposition. She is a nurse by profession and that is the reason during the COVID pandemic she motivated many healthcare workers to deal with the situation. However, now that her term is coming to an end and when we asked various politicians about Kishori Pednekar’s performance most of them expressed their disappointment.

Ram Kadam, BJP MLA (Ghatkoper) said, “We rate her (Kishori Pednekar) performance a zero. Kishori Pednekar is the leader of Shiv Sena, has been in Mumbai for 30 years as a ruling party member. After spending 21,000 crore rupees, see the apathy of roads, the apathy of hospitals and every sector comes under her jurisdiction. Instead of spending money on hospitals, she has been trying to indulge in corruption. She bought medicines at double the price available. There are various examples. Even the hospitals built during the Covid pandemic were given to some builders. The said builder has no experience in supplying medical equipment. This is all evident that, according to me, her performance was zero.”

“Showing some sympathy as a woman social worker, I shall not rate her negatively. Otherwise, she will get minus points from me. As a Mayor, she has not done anything worthwhile which was useful to the Mumbai people. She has not used her Mayor powers and funds for the enhancement for Mumbai. But her son and other aides are openly involved in corruption and scams. During the Covid period, she had indulged in straightening the political front instead of genuinely helping people. So, at every count, her performance is below zero level,” said Madhav Bhandari, BJP Chief Spokesperson.

Krishna Hegde, Shiv Sena (Vile Parle) leader said, “Kishori Pednekar’s performance is excellent. She has been a nurse herself; she knows the requirements of patients. I have seen whenever there was some problem in some hospitals; she had always gone there and taken care of the needs. Secondly, Mumbai is a huge city. It is a vast metropolis, with a 1.53 crore of population. And, to be the Mayor of this city and to understand and solve the problems and also take care of the pandemic together at the same time is not very easy. She has done a good job.”

“Corporators’ funds are different when doing day to day jobs. Corporators’ funds you can use anytime, before or after the elections, now or after. And, being a senior corporator and a Mayor, she knows her responsibility and I am sure she will utilize her funds to complete some good projects in the constituency,” Hegde stated further.

Gopal Shetty, BJP MP (Borivali) told Afternoon Voice, “As a corporator, she is very much active, but as a Mayor, she has always ignored the dignity of that post. After becoming a Mayor, one shouldn’t be partial. There should be some clarity that was always missing.”

Sanjay Potnis, Shiv Sena MLA (Kalina) said, “I thank her for the way she focused on the health services of the municipal corporation during Covid times by taking care of Mumbaikars. The ones who were in contact with her know how praiseworthy it is. Being a woman, visiting hospitals late at night, focusing on personal matters as well as standing firmly for the Party, she’s done all three of them. In tough times she worked well and that’s why I thank her from my side.”

Bhaskar Khursange, Shiv Sena Corporator (Borivali) said, “I give her a hundred per cent marks on her performance as Mayor. Whenever we contacted her for some work, she never said no. Immediately the work is directed in the appropriate direction. She has provided sufficient funds to us from time to time. BJP’s job is to blame us, which hardly makes any difference. Every corporator is given funds accordingly. It is obvious that their party’s corporators will get more funds. When Devendra Fadnavis was the Chief Minister, his MLAs were given more funds. I rate her as a 100 per cent able Mayor.”

BJP MLA Manisha Chaudhary (Dahisar) said, “Keep aside the Fund Matter, it’s her concern and issue. Let me know why the Mayor worked as I am a Spokesperson for any party. The Mayor is the first citizen of the city. Tell me why is the Parel bridge still incomplete, why hasn’t the work completed as yet. All the time she is on a trip saying we did this and we did that! Nothing done and credit taken for crediting, isn’t she? As a Mayor, her first priority should have been for Mumbai and not her political party.”

Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi (Mankhurd) said, “It is very sad but true that she has not utilized her Corporation Fund for the Welfare of public in the past 2 years. The Fund is always to use as it gets implied for progressive work and development creation. A Mayor is a Constitutional post; it is like an authority of Governance and Administration of the Civil Metro region. How is it that she can belong to a political party when in Chair?”

BJP MLA Mihir Kotecha (Mulund) said, “Mayor is a very honoured and prestigious as well as respectable position. Is it right for her to only give preference for the Corporator of her Own Political Party? Why so? Aren’t the others elected Members of the Municipal Commission. If she is not using the Mayor Fund for Brihanmumbai then she can be given only 3 marks out of 10 for her tenure as the First Citizen of Greater Mumbai. ”

Anil Galgali, RTI activist said, “Mayor Kishori Pednekar is one of the senior elected corporators, so she knows the ground reality. Mumbai is the capital of tragedy and as a Mayor, she has fulfilled the duty as a first citizen of Mumbai. She is aware of Mumbai’s problems and her actions show that she is trying her best. The Mayor needs more powers So that they can work more responsibly and efficiently.”

“Corruption in the BMC is at an all-time high; performance is at an all-time low. Kishori Pednekar deserves a Gold Medal for being the worst performing Mayor,” said Preeti Sharma Menon, AAP Spokesperson.

The Farm Laws Repeal Bill passed in Parliament

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Afternoon Voice

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November 29, 2021

farmers bill, farm laws, protest, farmers protest, farm bills, parliament, singhu border, sindu border, border, farmers bill in india — Image: AP

The bill to cancel farm laws was repealed in Lok Sabha within four minutes – the discussion started at 12:06 pm and the bill was passed by 12:10 pm even as the opposition demanded a discussion. The government, critics claimed, evaded a discussion on the minimum support price for farmers’ produce, which has been a key demand during their year-long agitation. They also seek a law on this.

In the 19 sittings of the Winter Session, the government is expected to introduce over 30 legislative Bills and one Finance Bill. The Farm Laws Repeal Bill was introduced by the Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar. The ruling BJP and the opposition Congress had issued whips to their MPs to be present on the first day. The other bills to be passed in the session include the crucial Cryptocurrency and Regulation of Official Digital Currency Bill, the Insolvency and Bankruptcy (Second Amendment) Bill, 2021, and the Electricity (Amendment) Bill.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking outside the Parliament ahead of the commencement of the Winter Session, said the government was ready to discuss and reply to queries about all issues. “The government is ready to debate any issue and answer any question. We should debate in Parliament and maintain the decorum of the proceedings,” Modi said.

The 25-day Winter Session of parliament, during which 36 bills are expected to be passed including one to cancel the farm laws, is likely to begin on a stormy note today. Many Opposition parties as well as some of those friendly to the Bharatiya Janata Party, have demanded a statutory backing to the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of crops for farmers at an all-party meeting Sunday. Joining the Congress in seeking legal guarantees on the MSP were Trinamool Congress, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, YSR Congress Party, Biju Janata Dal, Telangana Rashtra Samithi, Aam Admi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, and the Left parties.

The Bill, according to sources, was circulated to Rajya Sabha members on Friday for consideration as passed by Lok Sabha. The government, they said, was likely to move it in the Rajya Sabha too on Monday itself after it was passed by Lok Sabha.

The other bills to be passed in the session include the crucial Cryptocurrency and Regulation of Official Digital Currency Bill, the Insolvency and Bankruptcy (Second Amendment) Bill, 2021, and the Electricity (Amendment) Bill.

Ahead of elections farmers should extract as much as they can

By

Vaidehi Taman

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November 29, 2021

Hundreds of farmers gave away their lives, nonstop media trials on farmers, social media outrage calling them terrorists and after unstoppable atrocities, when BJP realised they have nothing to gain but may lose in upcoming elections, Modi rolled back on farmer laws. More than 700 farmers have died and disparaging remarks were made against them by the PM, his cabinet colleagues and members of his party.

The laws meant for causing pain to farmers called for an unparalleled firestorm of protest in the states of Punjab and Uttar Pradesh and posed a real challenge to Modi. They had mobilised farmers and civil society in Sikh-majority Punjab and spread quickly to parts of Uttar Pradesh, states which will see key elections early next year. While Punjab may have been the epicentre of the turmoil, the political salience of the movement in UP made the government collapse. What got the BJP government into the muddle in the first place? And what is the way out, given the agitation is not yet called off?

The BJP, which had not imagined such a blowback, has been trying hard to mollify the Sikhs. Much of its executive meeting earlier this month was devoted to assuaging the community’s sentiments: increasing farm budget and crop prices, reopening a historic corridor to one of Sikhism’s holiest shrines in Pakistan, a fresh probe to punish the guilty in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in Delhi. Also, the government was clearly getting jittery about the growing alienation of the Sikh community over the laws.

They tried their level best not to withdraw the Bill right away and then enter into discussions with the farmers. Modi and BJP were all about politics and winning elections. In contrast, pure executive action like demonetisation or corona handling has been done far better by the govt. Some may say it’s because of the upcoming elections. Some may say farmers didn’t have the knowledge or literacy to comprehend them. Some may say farmers were made to believe and misdirected, whatever it is the government had to take back the legislation.

Post the approval of the cabinet, a Repeal Bill will be drafted in Krishi Bhawan and vetted by the Ministry of Law, once again following a straight-jacketed approach. The passage in the parliament is a certainty whatever noises the opposition may make. The farmers have done well to have placed their remaining demands on the table right away as conditional to calling off the agitation. Putting ego and technical advice of economists and agricultural experts aside, the Modi government will do well to broker a political solution.

The farmers have, however, not withdrawn their protest. They have been asking for a law to ensure minimum support price or MSP. The opposition parties and some farmer leaders have criticised the move as coming a bit too late. They see the assembly election in Uttar Pradesh early next year as having given an effect on PM Modi’s climb-down on the farm laws. A large section of farmers in UP has been protesting against the laws too.

The Farm Laws Repeal bill was passed in Lok Sabha within four minutes – it was tabled at 12:06 pm and passed by 12:10 pm amid opposition demands for a discussion. In Rajya Sabha, it was passed after a short discussion. Congress’s leader in the house Mallikarjun Kharge said all parties agreed on the bill and no one was opposed to it. The opposition claimed the government evaded a discussion to avoid the issue of minimum support price for farmers’ produce, which has been a key demand during their year-long agitation.

Farm union leaders may have deferred their “Sansad Chalo” call on 29 November, but the issue doesn’t seem to be getting over anytime soon, despite the Modi government’s big climb-down to repeal the three contentious farm laws. For, the statements coming from these union leaders suggest that they have already shifted their goalposts and now MSP can be the next big flashpoint. It’s hardly a surprise. For, the agitation has always been political.

The three agricultural laws would have eased rules around the sale, pricing and storage of farm crops, which have protected farmers from the free market for decades. The legislation would have allowed them to sell privately to big agricultural businesses and supermarkets although many farmers have small landholdings and would have found it difficult to negotiate for fair prices. PM Modi initially stuck to his guns in pushing through the laws, but as the yearlong protests threatened to shake his party ahead of five state assembly elections, particularly in the most populous state of Uttar Pradesh, due next year, he finally caved. On Nov. 19, as India marked the birth anniversary of the founder of the Sikh faith, he vowed to repeal the laws, marking his biggest policy reversal since assuming power in 2014.

Sikhs make up a significant vote bloc in the Punjab, which is one of the provinces headed to polls. However, the farmers are pushing on with the rest of their demands, and the protests look set to continue. The administration has previously said it will find it difficult to adopt a minimum support price as it involves huge budgetary expenditure. The government currently has set minimum rates for about two dozen crops and buys mainly rice and wheat, at predetermined prices for its welfare programs.

NDA floor leaders meeting concludes, National People’s Party demands repealing of CAA

By

Afternoon Voice

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November 28, 2021

In the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) floor leaders meeting held on Sunday at Parliament, alliance partner National People’s Party demanded the Centre to repeal the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019.

In the meeting held ahead of the winter session of the Parliament, scheduled to start from Monday, National People’s Party MP Agatha Sangma told media, “In the floor leaders’ meeting of NDA parties, I demanded the Centre to repeal the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, keeping in mind sentiments of the people.”

Another alliance partner AIADMK assured the BJP-led Central government to support the party in the passing of bills. Earlier today, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Parliamentary executive meeting also took place in the Parliament.

These meetings came ahead of the winter session of Parliament which is beginning on November 29. The BJP-led government has a heavy agenda for the winter session beginning November 29 with its legislative business including 26 new bills.

The government has indicated that the bill to repeal three farm laws will be taken up on priority. The agenda also includes the Cryptocurrency and Regulation of Official Digital Currency Bill, 2021. The winter session is scheduled to conclude on December 23.

Omicron: Do not panic & trust social media rumours on a new variant

By

Vaidehi Taman

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November 28, 2021

As the news of the new variant broke, social media and WhatsApp forwards had gone bizarre. There are thousands of circulations with horrific video edits and all sorts of fake stories to scare the people. Right now, what people need to do is to stop trusting such posts and stop circularising them further.

Cases of the new variant of Omicron detected in some countries and there is no need to panic and instead, everyone should take a complete dose of vaccination.

The structural changes detected in the virus may not necessarily give rise to a functional change of concern. It may not necessarily be lethal or result in a severe form of the disease. There is no such data, as of now. People need to wait and see. The structural changes or mutations found in SARS-CoV-2 through genome sequencing in the lab are indicative but do not necessarily mean the new variant is highly transmissible. However, active vigilance and preventive measures are important. People should not take the COVID relaxation norms for granted.

Using masks, sensitization, social distancing, and keeping hygiene are the compulsory norms of keeping safe. We need to ramp up vaccination immediately, if any of your family members have yet not taken vaccinations, should be asked to take them as early as possible. If a larger proportion of people will be covered with two doses of vaccine, that will be a great public health move.

Besides, there is a need to strengthen genome sequencing among international travellers. If not urgent or needed avoid travelling abroad. Follow self-lockdown rules as much as possible. Many countries have already imposed travel restrictions on flights from southern Africa amid fears the omicron variant has the potential to be more resistant to the protection offered by available vaccines. However, experts have said such restrictions may be too late to stop omicron from circulating globally. Countries are on high alert even as the coronavirus pandemic has claimed the lives of more than 5 million people around the world.

PM Modi asked officials to review the plans to ease international travel restrictions. The Prime Minister highlighted the need to monitor and test international arrivals, with a specific focus on countries identified as ‘at at risk’. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot urged the government to take prompt action and underlined the need to ensure that people are fully vaccinated. The centre should take prompt action in view of the new variant of coronavirus, Omicron. Many people across the country have not taken the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. A booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine should also be administered.

Kerala Health Minister Veena George said that the state will monitor the arrival of passengers at airports. India is set to resume scheduled international flights from December 15 after 20 months of coronavirus-induced suspension. The civil aviation ministry’s decision came at a time when several countries have restricted air travel from southern Africa.

The Karnataka government is also focusing on testing passengers with travel history to South Africa, Botswana and Hong Kong. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal urged PM Modi to stop international flights. Jharkhand, State Health Minister Banna Gupta also appealed to the government to ban international travel. Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar told the media all passengers coming to the city from South Africa will be quarantined. Similar restrictions might come into force for the passengers coming from other countries affected by the new variant of coronavirus.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has convened a high-level meeting at his residence at noon on Sunday over the new coronavirus variant. In Gujarat, Passengers from countries categorised as ‘at at risk’ by the Union Health Ministry will have to undergo COVID-19 tests upon arrival if they are not fully vaccinated. Tamil Nadu has intensified precautionary measures at all the four international airports and appointed four health department officials to personally monitor the situation. These officials would be stationed at Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai and Tiruchirapalli airports. Goa is focusing on medical preparedness to tackle the new threat. Two wards in the Goa health facility will be dedicated to the management of cases amid the rising concern over new variants of coronavirus.

The United Kingdom, Germany, Mauritius, and Bangladesh on Saturday suspended travel from South Africa, joining a growing list of countries banning travel to and from the country amid concerns over the new coronavirus variant, first detected in Botswana. The US, EU, Canada, Saudi Arabia had announced a travel ban from southern Africa on Friday. Saudi Arabia has suspended flights from seven southern African countries.

The United States will restrict travel from South Africa and seven other countries in the region from Monday onwards. US President Joe Biden clarified that this means “no travel” to or from the designated countries except for returning US citizens and permanent residents who test negative. The European Union has imposed a ban on travel from southern Africa. The EU presidency, currently held by Slovenia, also called on all member states “to test and quarantine all incoming passengers”.

Canada announced it is banning the entry of foreign nationals with travel history to southern Africa in the last 14 days. Testing will be mandatory for all Canadians who have travelled to South Africa in the last 14 days. They will be tested on arrival and must quarantine until they get a negative test result.

Saudi Arabia has also suspended flights from seven southern African countries – South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Botswana. The UK had applied travel restrictions on arrivals from South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, Zimbabwe and Namibia on Friday. On Saturday, four more countries– Angola, Mozambique, Malawi and Zambia– have been added to the “red list” after two cases of the Omicron variant were found in the UK.

Meanwhile, Australia imposed new restrictions on people who have been to any of nine southern African countries listed by authorities. Effective immediately, the government has banned non-citizens from said countries from entering Australia and will require 14-day quarantine for Australian citizens and their dependents returning from any of the eight countries, said Health Minister Greg Hunt. Brazil will also shut its borders to travellers from six southern African countries– South Africa, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe—according to the chief of staff to President Bolsonaro. Nepal has also announced a seven-day mandatory quarantine for all air-bound passengers travelling to the country from or via South Africa.

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Omicron Highly contagious – Qualms over the new coronavirus variant triggered an international travel ban

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Afternoon Voice

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November 28, 2021

covid-19, covid, Omicron, travel ban, international travel, WHO, World Health Organization, B.1.1529 — Image: Reuters

There are differences of opinions on the new variant; some believe that there is no threat to India and some doctors pose it as a danger. In the midst of rising concern over the B.1.1529 variant of coronavirus, categorized as a ‘variant of concern’ by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

India’s top microbiologist and virologist, Professor Dr Gagandeep Kang said, “The new variant is infectious and could break away from immunity. The B.1.1529 variant of SARS-CoV-2 was first detected in Africa’s Botswana.”

“This is a strain that has mutations, unlike the constellations that have been seen previously. So, there are chances that it will spread more easily, and some chances that it may be able to evade the immune response,” Dr Kang further said.

The ‘Omicron’ variant, which scientists say has a high number of mutations, was first detected in South Africa last week. A World Health Organisation (WHO) panel has classified it as a highly transmissible variant of concern, the same category that includes the Delta variant.

Prasad Neelaya, a medical representative said, “The media is unnecessarily trying to scare people. Such news is a boon for corporate hospitals. The corporate hospital mafia will be happy. Doctors are ready for sacrifice and CEOs are ready for profit. Now some vaccines will be introduced in foreign courtiers whom they will sell or maybe in India god knows when it is going to stop.”

Dr Abhilash Issac said, “First of all people should get vaccinated without any delay. Even today, there are nearly 16-17 crore people in India who haven’t got a single dose of the vaccine. This is dangerous.”

Former dean of AIIMS Dr N K Mehra, said, that Covid vaccines might not ensure 100% protection against infection, but there were credible data to show it did protect against the infection turning severe. Mehra said the elderly and immune-compromised persons, such as cancer patients and organ transplant recipients, should be prioritised for vaccination. “Some of these people have received two doses of the vaccine. They may require an additional dose because studies suggest they have a suboptimal response to the vaccines,” he said.

Countries like the US, UK and Israel have already allowed booster doses to high-risk groups.

The immune-compromised act as hosts for mutations of the coronavirus because of prolonged infection, apart from providing additional protection to the immune-compromised patients, a third dose could help prevent mutations, announced health experts. Omicron, according to initial reports, was first detected in a patient suffering from HIV/AIDS in South Africa.

Dr Chandrakant Lahariya, epidemiologist and public health systems expert said, “It is important for us to know how our indigenous or locally administered vaccines will protect against this variant because this variant has mainly shown breakthrough infections in Johnson and Johnson and Pfizer vaccines. Let us hope our vaccines protect us better. The Omicron variant is a new one and it wasn’t much known about its ability to escape immunity generated by vaccination or natural infection.”

Many doctors warned that the pandemic isn’t over yet and people need to follow the norms of social distance, wearing masks and getting vaccinated.

Women exceeded men in India – National Family Health Survey confirmed signs of a demographic shift

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Afternoon Voice

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November 26, 2021

The fifth edition of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) confirmed signs of a demographic shift in India. For the first time since the NFHS began in 1992, the proportion of women exceeded men: there were 1,020 women for 1,000 men. In the last edition of the survey in 2015-16, there were 991 women for every 1,000 men.

India is still poised to be the most populous country in the world with the current projection by the United Nations population division forecasting that India’s population will peak around 1.6 to 1.8 billion from 2040-2050. A Government report last year projected that India would overtake China as the world’s most populous country around 2031 — almost a decade later than the United Nations projection of 2022. A notable exception is Kerala, a state with among the highest ratios of women to men at 1,121 and an improvement of over 1,049 recorded in the NFHS-4. However, the TFR in Kerala has increased to 1.8 from 1.6. The State has also reported a decline in the sex ratio of children born in the last five years. There are 1,047 females per 1,000 males in 2015-16 that has now declined to 951 per 1,000 males.

The NFHS surveys are smaller but are conducted at the district level and are a pointer to the future. However, the sex ratio at birth for children born in the last five years only improved from 919 per 1,000 males in 2015-16 to 929 per 1,000, underscoring that boys, on average, continued to have better odds of survival than girls.

Most states and Union Territories (UTs) had more women than men, the NFHS-5 shows. States that had fewer women than men included Gujarat, Maharashtra, Arunachal Pradesh, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Union territories such as Jammu & Kashmir, Chandigarh, Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Ladakh. All of these States and UTs, however, showed improvements in the population increase of women.

AAP leader Preeti Sharma Menon said, “It is heartening to note that after years of awareness campaigns, finally, the gender ratio in India has tilted towards women. Sadly this has not in any way reduced the crimes against women – 20 women are murdered daily for dowry, 77 are raped every day. Half the reason for the increase in women is that people keep producing a string of girls till finally the coveted son is born. We are nowhere close to changing the patriarchal mindset.”

Sujit Patker a Mumbai based Businessman said, “Both central and state governments have created awareness combined with incentives motivation and governance and empowerment by launching schemes like Manjhi Kanya Bhagyashree, Sukanya Samruddhi, Beto Bachao Beti Padhao, Sabla, Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, Swader Greh, Balika Saridhhi Yojana, Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana, Ladli Scheme and the Kanya Kosh Scheme. National Scheme of Incentive for the Girls of Secondary Education. Ladli Laxmi Yojana, etc. The improved sex ratio and sex ratio at birth is also a significant achievement; even though the real picture will emerge from the census. However, incoming times balancing and equal empowerment within both genders will be the key to preserving values and culture in India.”

Zenobia Khodaiji, an astrologer said, “Let female population rise or fall, atrocities can not be controlled because there will be a lot of frustration in your guys reached to marriage age. This gap may invite more social anger towards girls. We need education and implementation of the law.”

The complete results of the National Family Health Survey-5 were made public on November 24, 2021. A State-wise breakup of the NFHS data also shows that India is on its way to stabilising its population, with most States and UTs having a Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of less than two. A TFR of less than 2.1, or a woman on average bearing two children over a lifetime, suggests that an existing generation of people will be exactly replaced. Anything less than two suggests an eventual decline in population over time. Only six states: Bihar, Meghalaya, Manipur, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh have a TFR above two. Bihar has a TFR of three which, however, is an improvement from the 3.4 of the NFHS-4. Again, much like the broader trend towards feminisation, the TFR in all States has improved in the last five years.

The findings of NFHS-5 from 22 States & UTs covered in Phase-I were released in December 2020 and the remaining comprising Arunachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, NCT of Delhi, Odisha, Puducherry, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand were made public on Wednesday.

The NFHS-5 survey work has been conducted in around 6.1 lakh sample households from 707 districts (as of March 2017) of the country; covering 724,115 women and 101,839 men to provide disaggregated estimates up to district level.