Pawan Sharma appointed as in-charge of the AAP Mumbai Youth Wing 2
The Aam Aadmi Party on Wednesday announced the appointment of Pawan Sharma, as the ‘Prabhari’ – in-charge of the AAP Mumbai Youth Wing. The party is building its organization brick by brick in Mumbai, in the run-up to the upcoming BMC polls.
“Pawan Sharma is a diligent, experienced and well-accomplished leader from Delhi and holds several important responsibilities in the party. He has extensively built the party ground up, at the grassroots. The party’s organization in Mumbai, will benefit greatly from his leadership and he is appointed with immediate effect.” said Durgesh Pathak, AAP Maharashtra Prabhari.
Pawan Sharma told Afternoon Voice, “I used to work as Joint secretary of Delhi and closely managing and building party organisation across Delhi. Working with the party since Anna Andolan. Today the has Party appointed me as a Prabhari, my role will be like an observer and building organisation. Aam Aadmi Party always appoints Prabhari’s from other states. I with along with the team will focus on organization building and core issues of people.”
“The Aam Aadmi Party is a party of young people. We have always nurtured youth leadership and provided an opportunity to youth leaders to use the AAP as a vehicle for transformative social change. We believe young people are best placed to get elected as municipal councillors and give the much-needed dynamic leadership to BMC. Unlike traditional parties which indulge in tokenism and are limited to local dynasties, money power and divisive agenda, the AAP will empower the youth as changemakers. We welcome Pawan’s appointment and look forward to working with him to strengthen AAP in Mumbai.”, said Preeti Sharma Menon, AAP Mumbai Prabhari.
Navneet Kaur Rana in Parliament | Image Courtesy: PTI
The Bombay High Court on Tuesday cancelled the caste certificate issued to Amravati Lok Sabha member Navneet Kaur Rana, saying it was obtained fraudulently using fabricated documents, and directed her to surrender it within six weeks.
A division bench of Justices R D Dhanuka and V G Bisht also imposed a cost of Rs 2 lakh, which she needs to pay to the Maharashtra Legal Services Authority within a period of two weeks.
The HC noted that the claim of belonging to ‘Mochi’ caste made by Rana for obtaining the Scheduled Caste certificate itself was fraudulent and made with an intention to obtain various benefits available to a candidate from such category, despite knowing she does not belong to that caste.
Rana was elected from Maharashtra’s Amravati Lok Sabha constituency in 2019.
35 IPS officers ready to pay money if they owe to the government 5
When the news published about thirty-five Indian Police Service (IPS) officers, in-service and retired officers tentatively owe the Maharashtra government at least Rs 3.82 crore in fines for staying on in government accommodation after they had been transferred from those posts.
We had word with many of the officers and they said they are ready to pay the dues if they really owe anything to the government. So, none of these officers received any notice from the government.
Meanwhile, the RTI filled has a lot of misinformation too. The former Director-General of Police-rank officer told Afternoon Voice, under the condition of anonymity that “The RTI itself is misleading, the calculation of stay needs more specification and none of these officers overstayed without government sanctions, even then if the government asks us to pay, we will pay the dues but so far we have not received any such notice.”
There are four serving Commissioners of Police on the list, and two Additional Directors-General and a former Director-General of Police-rank officer. Under the rules, IPS officers who are transferred out of a post must vacate their official accommodation for their successor in the post within a specified time, failing which they are liable to pay a fine. The list of these officers includes two former Commissioners of Mumbai Police, one of whom is also a two-time BJP MP.
The fines are payable by many officers, as per the information obtained by Indian Express under the RTI Act, most of these officers stayed in homes that were allotted to them when they were posted in Mumbai, the Maharashtra Home Department’s replies to the RTI application show.
The top seven defaulters in the list owe the government more than Rs 20 lakh each; the RTI replies show. The biggest sum is owed by Sanjay Kumar Baviskar, DIG, and State Reserve Police Force in Pune. He has been fined Rs 75.77 lakh for continuing to occupy a 1,046-sq-foot apartment in Mumbai until October 2020, even though he had been transferred in mid-2011.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Dr Mahesh Patil, posted with Crime Branch, Mira Bhayandar Vasai Virar Commissionerate, owes the government Rs 33.77 lakh for staying on in a 1,000-sq-foot apartment in Mumbai until June 2019, even though he had been transferred from the post of DCP (Zone V), Mumbai, as Superintendent of Police, Thane (Rural), in May 2016.
Retired IPS officers Surinder Kumar and Dhananjay Kamlakar owe Rs 25.78 lakh and Rs 22.82 lakh respectively to the government.
SP (Anti-Corruption Bureau) Punjabrao Ugale owes Rs 20.77 lakh, and retired IPS officer Bipin Bihari, Rs 20.29 lakh, information obtained under the RTI Act shows.
Former Mumbai Police Commissioner Dhananjay Jadhav owed the government Rs 20.16 lakh up to March 31. Jadhav, who was suffering from a heart ailment, passed away on March 30.
Another former Mumbai Police Commissioner, Dr Satya Pal Singh, has been fined Rs 12.94 lakh. Singh won the Lok Sabha election from Baghpat on a BJP ticket in 2014 and 2019.
Special Inspector General of Police, Nanded range, Nisar Tamboli, Government Railway Force (GRP) Commissioner Quaiser Khalid, Solapur Police Commissioner Ankush Shinde, and Palghar Superintendent of Police Dattatrey Shinde are yet to pay accumulated fines of Rs 16.91 lakh, Rs 15.05 lakh, Rs 11.56 lakh, and Rs 8.03 lakh, according to replies to the RTI application.
Among the other officers who owe the government, according to the reply to the RTI application, are Additional Director General (Rail) Dr Pradnya Saravade (Rs 8.26 lakh), Special Inspector General of Police (Admin) Brijesh Singh (Rs 6.48 lakh), and Additional Director General (Anti-Corruption Bureau) Vinaykumar Choubey (Rs 5.05 lakh).
Pimpri Chinchwad Police Commissioner Krishna Prakash and Thane Police Commissioner Jaijeet Singh are yet to pay accumulated fines of Rs 2.43 lakh and Rs 1.51 lakh respectively. Retired IPS officers Sunil Paraskar and Pratap Dighavkar owe the government Rs 16.71 lakh and Rs 3.93 lakh respectively.
The licence fee varies from Rs 120 to Rs 1,400 per month, depending on the size of the accommodation. The penal rent is much higher — for 1,000-sq-foot government accommodation, for example, the penal rent is Rs 1, 50,000 per month, charged at the rate of Rs 150 per sq. foot.
Journalists in India doing good enough for fraternity and their welfare 7
We lost many journalists during the pandemic, there was no special provision or arrangement by the government for them, and no one was given any aid or relief. PIB issues a circular that the needy accredited journalist can seek help but 75 per cent of good working journalists are not accredited and have no say. Finally, different press clubs, unions, press trusts have started free vaccination drives for journalists and also helped them with some provisions.
From 2020 March to 2021 April hundreds of journalists succumbed to the coronavirus pandemic. Every day an average one journalist loses a life which is not only shocking but heartbreaking. The total number of verified COVID-19 positive journalist’s deaths from 1 April 2020 to 30 April 2021 amounted to 103.
The state of Uttar Pradesh has the highest recorded death of media persons with 19 deaths, followed by Telangana at 17, and Maharashtra at 15. These are the number of those journalists who were known and had identity due to their banner, but freelance writers who actually did ground reporting and who no less than mainstream journalists reported about pandemic passed away without any mentions.
Covid has infected over 3.86 lakh more people in India is yet another disturbing daily high and killed 3,498 in the last 24 hours. The record number comes even as a huge international aid operation has been launched with many countries promising help. Maharashtra reported 66,159 new cases and 771 deaths as of now. The Mumbai civic body has cited vaccine shortage and said it is stopping vaccination for three days.
The politics is heated up; India with such a high number of COVID cases has exposed the medical infrastructure. Political blame games and diverting tactics could not erase the fact that there is no preparedness in the central government to battle the pandemic. After Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Delhi have the highest number of infections.
April 2021 which has seen the unabated rise of cases in what is being termed India’s ‘Second Wave’ has also been the worst for journalists, cops, medical staff, front line warriors in India. On average, two journalists have died every day this month.
Whichever newspaper or news channel one sees the horrible coverage of a pandemic taking people’s peace away. Even if mainstream media is trying to hide something, social media is doing its job of post circulations and spamming quite aggressively. There is panic in people, a second wave of the pandemic has made people hopeless.
Social media, on the other hand, is an unfolding drapery of calamity. People beg for help finding hospital beds and life-saving medicines. Friends and acquaintances call and text asking if you know where they can get an oxygen concentrator for the home. In one way or another, everyone is battling the virus.
Everyone, it seems, except the Indian state. Once again, ordinary citizens feel as if we’ve been abandoned by our administrations. Even in the face of an unparalleled emergency, state and federal officials seem more interested in point-scoring and blame-shifting than in cooperation.
No one ever imagined such fragile Indian states. There’s no escaping the essential incongruity of 21st century India. It is one of the world’s largest economies, determined and ambitious, and its government has vast resources. But it is also, still, a poor country, with a per capita income of one-fifth China’s. The state’s capabilities are spread truly thinly across India’s billion-plus people.
Huge money got deposited to the welfare funds of the Prime Minister and Chief Ministers, but the tragedy is that the government preferred to spend all its money on election campaigns by making people vulnerable to COVID infection but they did not give a thought to people’s safety. The crowd was in pain to attend the rallies.
Previous lockdowns really shrunk the pockets of people. Many remained penniless, jobless. They preferred the threat of infection and death by being part of election rallies. Government spending on health, in particular, has always been shockingly low. In the villages of Uttar Pradesh, the needs of hundreds of thousands of people might be filled by just five health centres — and not a single qualified doctor.
And citizens need more than the basics. In Delhi, the local government often talks up its expenditure on primary health centres, which are indeed vital. But that hasn’t made up for the lack of tertiary care, which is what most Covid-19 patients need. Delhi has only 5,000 usable ICU beds for its roughly 20 million citizens; less than a dozen were free on April 30, according to the official dashboard. India has a younger population than most other countries, and there was a discussion of preexisting immunity among the population. The government gave importance to Kumbh Mela, stadium inaugurations, public gatherings and they miserably failed to protect people.
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After the Maharashtra government announced a detailed five-level plan to initiate the unlock process, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in Mumbai has issued new guidelines to control the spread of COVID-19 in the city. Level 3 areas are those where the positivity rate is between 5% and 10% or more than 40% of beds with oxygen are occupied. The latest figures have marked the positivity rate in Mumbai at 5.3%.
Meanwhile Dharavi records two new COVID-19 cases; active cases stand at 20. The slum sprawl of Dharavi reported two new cases of coronavirus on Sunday. According to data received from Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Dharavi has recorded a cumulative total of 6,835 COVID-19 cases and 6,456 recoveries.
According to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal, Mumbai will be categorised under Level 3 when the new rules are imposed today, Monday. Level 3 areas are those where the positivity rate is between 5% and 10% or more than 40% of beds with oxygen are occupied. The latest figures have marked the positivity rate in Mumbai at 5.3%. Based on this the following restrictions will be in place in Mumbai from Monday.
As per the fresh guidelines issued by the BMC, local trains will remain available only for specific categories.
In a notification issued on Friday night, the Maharashtra government had stated local trains will remain available for ”medical, few essentials and women”, but authorized the civic administrations to put additional restrictions they deem fit.
The reference of ”women” was deleted by the BMC in its latest order which stated that entry in suburban trains will be restricted only for ”medical and few essentials.
All the shops and establishments dealing with essential items will be allowed to function till 4 pm on all days.
The establishments selling non-essential items will stay open till 4 pm on weekdays only.
All malls, theatres and multiplexes will remain shut.
The restaurants will be allowed to open with 50% seating capacity till 4 pm only on weekdays. Afterwards, only parcel and takeaway services will remain functional.
Gyms, salons, beauty centres, spas and wellness centres will be allowed to operate at 50% capacity and only till 4 pm. The establishments have been directed not to make use of air-conditioners and entertain only customers with prior appointments.
Private offices can stay open at 50% capacity till 4 pm on working days, excluding the exempted category.
Government offices can also function with 50% of the capacity.
Movie/television shoots and gatherings such as funerals and weddings will also be allowed till 4 pm on weekdays at 50% capacity.
For marriages, only 50 people are allowed to congregate and only 20 people can attend funerals.
Construction activity has been allowed but all labourers are required to leave the site by 4 pm.
E-commerce deliveries will continue as regular.
Public transport has also been allowed with 100% of the seating capacity. No queueing or travelling while standing in the buses etc will be permitted.
Parks and gardens will open from 5 am to 9 am.
The movement of cargo will be regular.
Inter-district travel for passengers by private cars, taxis, buses, and long-distance trains will be regular. Except if moving or passing through any stoppage in level 5 wherein passenger e-pass is a must.
For all other manufacturing units which aren’t covered under essential, continuous process or export-oriented units will operate at 50% staff-movement with a transport bubble.
Medical Students tried their level best to convince the government that they are not mentally prepared for offline exams but putting an end to the ambiguity regarding the pending second and third-year undergraduate as well as first-year postgraduate medical and dental exams, state minister of medical education Amit Deshmukh reluctantly said that exams will be conducted between June 10 and 30 in physical mode.
Although the examinations are almost there, the second and third-year MBBS, dental, and paramedical students pursuing medical education under the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS) are enduring their appeals before the concerned authorities to hold the exam on online mode. However, ignoring the objections of the students, MUHS is firm in its decision to hold the exams, scheduled to commence from June 10, via offline mode.
Some students shared their miserable conditions, some even posted pictures of their hospital admissions, some expressed their financial inability to reach the exam centre and many expressed their agony of not being mentally normal. When medical lectures and practicals can be taken virtually than the online exam can also be possible? You made students learn everything online; you slapped them with one after another exam date when they lost all the enthusiasm and that zeal you are asking them to return to centres.
Moreover, it is the duty of a minister and authorities to give an ear to students, listen to their problems, if they are not convinced, at least take them in confidence and convince them why their demands can’t be met. Or why the government is reluctant on office exams. There should be dialogue; lack of communication cannot be the solution. Government should take responsibility for the panic created among students.
The students have already submitted their letter to MUHS pointing out the situation where more than 3,000 students pursuing their medical education under the University have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, or have a family member affected with it. Apart from this, the students also brought to the notice how this decision to hold an offline exam would compel them to fly back to Mumbai amidst the pandemic. Some are financially well off but most of them are not in that position.
The students who are signing online petitions also approached the authorities of Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS) and stated that conducting online examinations amidst the recent surge in the number of COVID cases in the state can prove grave to the medical students. However, regardless of resistance from medicos, Education Minister Amit Deshmukh did not even bother to at least have a dialogue with them.
He just clarified to the media that conducting an online examination will not be possible especially because the Central Regulatory Board will not permit it. Moreover, the court also did not permit cancellation or to conduct the written and the practical exams of medical students in an online mode. Medical Dialogues had reported that UG exams for MBBS, BDS, BAMS, BUMS, and other health science courses were postponed till June 10. These exams, scheduled for June 2, would be held between June 10 and 30. Originally the exams usually take place during December January but the exams got deferred due to the pandemic scheduled for April 19.
Most of the students are at present in their hometowns, away from the college campus, because all lectures were being held online this academic year. To appear for exams in the physical form, they will all have to travel to their college, share hostel rooms with at least three other students and share a lavatory as well. What guarantee does the state or university give us that we will not contract the virus? Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray has himself announced that we should not let our guard down. But on the other hand, medical students are being pushed to take several risks and appear for exams amidst such a crisis.
Hope they all gather the courage and appear for exams, they are the future of the Indian medical system, going through such hardship may add a lot to their experiences. All the best, nothing more to express.
Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS) students took to social media to make their voice reach Minister Amit Deshmukh. These students were opposing offline exams due to their personal safety amid the ongoing COVID pandemic.
Meanwhile, putting an end to the uncertainty regarding the pending second and third-year undergraduate as well as first-year postgraduate medical and dental exams, State Minister of Medical Education Amit Deshmukh confirmed that Maharashtra would ultimately hold the exams of MBBS students from 10th June to 30 June in offline mode and it would not be deferred any further. Deshmukh has urged the students to do their studies and prepare for exams.
Meanwhile, MUHS students are emphasizing either online examination or promotion based on internal assessments. The exams were scheduled between 10 to 30th June, but prolonged lockdown and the assumed third wave of COVID has put these students in unrest and the unavailability of vaccines for students is another major drawback. Despite the government’s assurance about their safety during exams, they don’t want to buy any threat to their health.
Alisha Shaikh, a second-year MBBS student says, “There is a lot of unrest in medical students mainly because their exams have been postponed 5 times. It’s really taking a toll on my mental health. Secondly, due to the increase in complications like Mucormycosis, this has just added to the unrest and the students are extremely worried, and to add to that, students with mild COVID symptoms are also allowed to give the exams with other students. In exam halls separation can be maintained but what about hostels?”
Aditya Gite, Joint Secretary of ASMI UG WING said, “Right now looking at the current scenario it is clearly not justifiable to conduct exams, most of the students are not vaccinated even with the first dose, it’s a high-risk situation and an invitation for the third wave. Also, black fungus is the new hurdle, which is deadly with 54% of the death rate! If the exams get postponed, for now, universities will get time to vaccinate students and also time to consult higher authorities for the conduction of online examinations, which is the safest way of protecting us from such high-risk pandemics. Lockdown has been implemented in the state making it almost impossible for many students to travel to their respective colleges. Considering these exams should be postponed at the earliest.”
Ayush Bang, a student of third-year MBBS said, “I believe that virtual exams can be conducted and it’ll be convenient & safer for all. We have been having our lectures online for at least the last 15 months. We’ve given our internal assessment exams virtually and in a similar pattern, final exams can be conducted too. It’ll be very risky for students as well as examiners to conduct offline exams. Invigilators can keep watch on student’s activities through a camera and it’ll be similar to giving offline exams and with no risk. Also, the software is available for conduction of exams in proper manner and is handy & enables invigilator for strict invigilation.”
Om Mangrulkar, Joint Secretary (Marathwada region) of ASMI UG WING said, “The biggest inconvenience at the moment is we can’t travel to our hostel as the state is in lockdown and for e-pass, we need a hall ticket which should be collected from the college. There’s still a huge chance of infection during the journey and also the public transport is unavailable in most places and not everyone can afford private transport.”
Aditya Thorat, a third-year medical student and member of the ASMI UG wing said, “Students are firm on their demand for conducting exams online and challenging the NMC norms for this pandemic period. More than 75% of students aren’t completely vaccinated and if the virtual exams aren’t possible at least vaccinate us completely with both doses before the exams which must be accepted under Article 21. It will take at least 3 months for complete vaccination so exams should be postponed for an indefinite period. Conducting exams in present circumstances will not only provoke 3rd wave but could lead to mass genocide.”
Shubhadeep Turkane, Regional Representative (ROM region) ASMI UG WING said, “We have sent letters to the minister, student association and other political leaders where we were assured that the minister has your problems in mind and will take decisions favourable to the students. University officials denied any postponement and stated the exams will be as per schedule and university and institutions are prepared for exams. NSUI approached Amit Deshmukh with our demands on Thursday and is expecting a positive response but ministers haven’t made any decision yet.”
Sachchidanand Vasistha, a third-year MBBS student said, “In this condition of pandemic social media is the only safest protest means left for us, to make university and government listen about our situation, as they are so eager to conduct the exam in offline mode without taking proper measures for our safety, our parents worried for us, I can’t assume that university is not well aware of our condition but still they are not taking steps in student safety is an absolute reason to grieve, and so we are obliged to protest against unfair means and social media is our only option right now, hope MUHS take necessary steps before this takes a huge toll on us.”
“This question is related to both my life and the future. Only when life is there will I be able to think of the future. By pleading with everyone every day, I now feel as if I am begging for my own life,” Vasistha added.
Saurav Yadav, student of third-year MBBS. I think the easiest way to get COVID is to conduct physical exams at this time.
Following points are the reasons as to why:
1. Aerosol transmission up to 10m from a mild carrier also can infect a healthy individual. And MUHS has allowed mild symptomatic students as well.
2. Physical exams need students to be physically present at their hostels. In a 10ft*10ft room with 2-3 students residing in it, social distancing is the last thing we can do.
3. Government has cancelled the boards of even the 12th CBSE + ICSE let alone the 10th ones. The reason being that maintaining physical distance in an exam hall isn’t a practical approach; it’s far from reality. It can just be appreciated on paper.
4. Starting from the hostel, to the transport buses we’d be taking to the exam centre, and then getting in contact with the students of that college our centre is in, none of the aforementioned scenarios is feasible for social distancing.
5. Seven exams would repeat this dangerous cycle 7 times. At the time when no one is leaving their homes, we’d be contacting potential carriers of COVID among these 7 cycles. What are the chances that one can get out of this cycle without catching the disease?
6. More than 70% of students are not vaccinated. Their lives would be in danger for an exam.
If apt decision isn’t taken soon, MUHS exams would be remembered as something which created a hotspot of its own due to stubbornness of their own.
Atharva Shinde regional representative (Vidarbha region) of ASMI UG WING said, “We appeal to the Education Minister of Maharashtra, to intervene in this serious issue of about 50,000 medical students from Maharashtra. We, students, are requesting and appealing for so many days towards the welfare of medical students but neither central nor state government is taking our responsibility. Just a blame game is going on and we are bluntly hammered down between all these demands either online examination or indefinite postponement till every exam going student gets vaccinated. When online lectures and online practical’s were considered valid then why not online exams?”
COVID-19 – People took to the streets due to survival challenges 12
A few days back transgender community took to the roads at Dadar market by stripping their clothes in Protest, as they are not allowed to beg on the roads, they are not allowed to do sex word above all no one has reached them with aids or help, survival has become very challenging for this community. Street vendors, small-time business, Pundits, beauticians, cobblers, barber, and everyone’s life is at stake. There is no opportunity to earn two-time meals. No one is happy, there is unrest in people and the government is hardly bothered.
LinkedIn to other social media platforms, many jobless people ask for help. Some are so helpless that they ask for grocery and two-time meal support for a few days. The inbox is full of requests; somehow most of them are genuinely lost jobs and finding no career options. One placement and there are millions of applicants. Well educated people apply for office clerk jobs, and many graduates don’t mint to do peon’s job.
When people are going through difficult times and it is their life at stake, they rarely listen to any advice, whether sane or not. Thus, it is very difficult to say anything to them at this time that will make much sense. However, some help for someone out there is needed at this moment. Just like all others in this country, even my own life has been affected to a great extent.
I have no clients in one business and my newspaper is struggling to survive, being self-funded organization paying office rent to make salaries is a big challenge. Asking staff to quit their job is easy but again who will take responsibility for their living after this sudden market crash? My work has been dependent mostly on travelling outside and attending seminars, getting clientele, has literally come down to zero. It means, I do not know what is going to come next my way and how I am going to take care of my future.
But I have worked on calming myself down and looking at the current situation without becoming very emotional. Because becoming emotional will create fear for me and I will hardly be able to find solutions. Instead of crying out loud and complaining again and again, I am focusing on finding new ways to survive in my present and thrive in my future. I am working continuously up-skilling myself and trying to find ways to stabilize myself. I am contacting my friends and clients asking them if I can be of any help to them.
However, I would certainly like to advise the employers who are trying to get rid of employees that — this is the real time for you to show your humanity and stand by the needy. This is not the time for you to get rid of them. If you, as an employer, are facing financial issues, work it out with your employees. Ask them to accept a lower salary for the next few months until the market stabilizes again. If you do this, your employees will begin to trust you even more and will actually be willing to give their life for you in the future.
The biggest loss of employment in 2020-21 was suffered by the salaried employees as against the popular belief that they were safest in terms of employment and source of earning during the COVID-19 lockdown and subsequent restrictions. The situation is most likely to deteriorate in absence of any comprehensive job retention programme as is evident from the data since the beginning of the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic since February this year.
The latest CMIE report reveals that the salaried jobs registered a sharp decline during 2020-21 to the tune of 9.8 million. The total salaried jobs in 2019-20 were 85.9 million which by the end of March 2021 reduced to 76.2 million. It clearly indicates that all the initiatives of the Modi government for retention of jobs failed. It may be due to the ad hoc nature of the initiatives, and therefore the government clearly needs to learn from its failure to make some better strategy now.
The protection of the existing jobs is of paramount importance in the present surge of COVID-19 which may continue to make us suffer for some months from now. We may be forced to impose stricter restrictions on movements of the people than that has already been imposed, impacting around 57 per cent of India.
The national unemployment rate touched 7.97 per cent as per the centre’s proprietary data, with urban areas witnessing higher stress at 9.78 per cent and rural joblessness at 7.13 per cent. The national unemployment rate stood at 6.50 per cent in March, and the number on both the rural and urban front was lower. The second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a slew of pockets going under lockdown-like situation with only essential activities being allowed, which result in a chill in a bulk of economic activities and a resultant impact on jobs.
The country is reporting around 4 lakh new infections a day and over 3,000 deaths. In an address to the nation last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had advised states to look at lockdowns as a last resort, because of its impact on economic activity. Let’s see how much Modi or his ministers take him seriously and improvise economic conditions in India, at least they should render support to small businesses and unemployed youth.
Vaccination camps a new political tool; BJP has put up banners in Juhu for vaccine drive 14
In Juhu, BJP has put up banners of MP Poonam Mahajan, MLA Ameet Satam and corporator Anees Makwaaney stating BJP and BMC’s K-West Ward have together started a vaccination centre in Rotary Club.
Dr Ajit Pampatwar, the medical officer in K-West, BMC said, “BMC has not tied up with any political party. BMC is setting up a vaccination centre in each corporator’s ward. Ward number 71 is Makwaaney’s ward. We have not tied up with the BJP.”
BMC commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal said, “We will issue show cause notice to the corporator. BMC cannot be pulled into such activities; we do not have a tie-up with any political party or politician for vaccination.”
In a letter to all states on May 29, Manohar Agnani, additional secretary in Union ministry of health and family welfare, had said that as per Covid guidelines only four options are available for carrying out vaccination — government centre, private vaccination centre, government office to be run by a government hospital, private office to be run by private hospitals, along with “near to home” vaccination centre for the elderly and differently-abled person, to be organised at group housing societies, RWA offices, community centres, panchayat bhawans, schools/colleges and old age homes on a temporary basis. Aiming at municipal corporation elections next year, the political vaccination camps have become a new attraction. Some leaders have started organizing vaccination camps (both free and paid) for citizens by directly tying up with private hospitals, or simplifying with the tie-ups between hospitals and housing societies even as the government scuffles with the scarcity of Remdesivir vials, the anti-viral drug used in Covid-19 treatment, now it is vaccination camps.
In Borivali, BJP leaders Darekar brothers helped people to get vaccinated, paid and free both ways, by helping people to get appointments at various centres.
In Thane, BJP MLC Niranjan Davkhare has organised a vaccination drive for 1,000 people in Hiranandani Park, Ghodbunder Road, in a tie-up with Apollo Hospital.
The BJP leader Davkhare said, “I am trying my level best to reduce rates by talking to the hospital and through the CSR (corporate social responsibility) scheme. Right now, citizens have to pay for the vaccines.”
BJP MLA, Ameet Satam, tied up with Apollo Hospital, which is charging each person Rs 1,000 for a dose, higher than the Rs 850 it charges on the hospital premises. So far, Satam has got 16,000 people vaccinated in Walkeshwar, Bandra and Andheri.
Satam told Afternoon Voice, “We have arranged a camp at Shree Ram Welfare School in Andheri, very soon I will be arranging camps at Borivali and Kandivali. My intention is to serve people keeping all political differences aside. We are not at all aiming for municipal corporation elections through this drive. There is still one year time, I don’t think we need to rush.”
With Central government rules not providing scope for political parties or leaders to tie up with private hospitals directly, these drives are being registered under an MoU between hospitals and housing societies.
A BJP member Nilesh Bhojane in Navi Mumbai, announced free vaccines exclusively for 18–44-year-olds at a camp at Marathi Sahita Mandir, Vashi, on Thursday.
A pamphlet and registration form he widely distributed has his photo along with that of senior BJP leader Ganesh Naik and the party logo.
Bhojane has tied up with Reliance Hospital, and will only provide vaccines to residents of ward 64, from where he is likely to fight the upcoming corporation election. “A lot of 18–44-year-olds are unable to book a slot on CoWIN”
N Ramaswamy, director, National Health Mission, said government guidelines are clear and allow vaccination in housing societies only to facilitate easy accessibility for the elderly and specially-abled people.
“Private camps are not allowed unless this requirement is fulfilled, especially not for just the 18-44 age group,” he said.
Dr Satish Pawar, Directorate of Health Services, said “Municipal corporations have to take action if private drives are organised for people who are neither elderly nor specially-abled.”
BJP Parliamentarian Manoj Kotak has facilitated vaccination drives for more than 20 housing societies in Mulund. Party banners carrying Kotak’s name can be seen in housing societies where the camps were held.
BJP MLA Mihir Kotecha recently arranged a vaccination drive for over 250 people slated to travel abroad for studies.
In the last week of May, BJP leader Ashish Shelar organised a three-day vaccination drive with Apollo Hospital, with each person who registered asked to pay Rs 1,000 per dose. The camp was organised at Bandra Hindu Association, Linking Road, for 1,000 people.
Indian Journalist turned politicians - some lost in time, some left with nothing, few made it to peak 16
Politicians and Media are known for friends with benefits. There are two extreme sides of journalism and media houses these days, they are totally anti of some political party or pro to some but barely any neutral journalists. Political ambitions of media house owners and editors are not new to Indian politics. The relationship between some media owners and the Rajya Sabha has stretched over longer time spans. Hindustan Times proprietor KK Birla was a Rajya Sabha MP for 18 years while his daughter Shobhana Bhartia was also an MP more recently. Narendra Mohan Gupta and Mahendra Mohan Gupta of Jagran Prakashan, which publishes Dainik Jagran, managed nominations from the BJP and the Samajwadi Party.
Sanjay Raut to Sanjay Nirupam, both the editors of Saamana, Shiv Sena Mouthpiece are active in state politics. Sanjay Nirupam is with Samna and Shiv Sena, whereas Nirupam is with Congress and he quit Dopahar Ka Saamana long back. Somewhere being in politics, their journalism makes them bonded.
Vijay Darda was Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of Lokmat while serving three terms in the Rajya Sabha. Subhash Chandra of Zee also played his innings and given how entrenched his media house is with the ruling BJP, it could be a long one. Media houses think their empires can benefit from closeness to those in power. Political parties think a friendly media realm is useful for their kingdom. It’s all barter, give and take at the end of the day.
Pramod Navalkar began his career as a journalist and commentator while he was still a college student. In 1955, he began writing a weekly column titled Bhatkyaachee Bhramanti (“Man About Town”) in the Marathi daily Navshakti. The column, which dealt with political, social and cultural issues, ran continuously for 52 years without a break and ended only with his death. This consistency earned him a mention in the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest-running op-ed column in the world. Navalkar came into politics and became a prominent face of Shiv Sena and his writing too changed its direction.
Every time a journalist or a media owner is nominated to the Rajya Sabha, it evokes a passing stretch of hand-wringing over journalistic independence. But look closer and you find that it is more a case of confirming an ideological or political affiliation that was already there or of a professional journalist who for her/his own reasons is ready to move into politics for their higher aspirations.
Loksatta editor Kumar Ketkar had to serve Congress for 15 years with his editorials. His journalism was mortgaged for his political craving, and finally, he became an MP but today neither he remained a notable politician nor a journalist. Businessman and media owner and Member of Parliament Rajeev Chandrasekhar, the former was offered a nomination from Maharashtra by Congress.
Swapan Dasgupta, now a BJP member of the Rajya Sabha, journalists like him have long had identifiable political leanings, so a party nomination does not change that much. Harivansh, was the Editor-in-Chief of Prabhat Khabar when the Janata Dal (United) in Bihar surprised him with an offer in 2014. He was working in Jharkhand at the time but was nominated for a seat in Bihar. He decided he was ready to make the switch to politics. It took the paper’s owners close to two years to hire a replacement, so there was a period when Harivansh was both editor and MP. But his name was removed as chief editor from the print line of the paper two months after he took oath as MP.
Whatever great journalism you do, the system does not change. Arun Shourie, editor of the Indian Express and The Times of India joined BJP and became Minister of Communications and Information Technology in the Vajpayee Ministry. Later on, he lost credibility and relevance in politics.
The exchange between journalists and politics has a long and vibrant history. Pritish Nandy was given a Rajya Sabha nomination by Thackeray’s Shiv Sena, Rajiv Gandhi persuaded MJ Akbar to fight a Lok Sabha election on a Congress ticket, recently he joined BJP and he had to resign on a humiliating note. Cho Ramaswamy was a Rajya Sabha MP nominated by the BJP, as was Ranchi Express owner-editor Ajay Maroo.
Rajeev Shukla, the Congress leader had been a veteran Hindi journalist and a TV anchor. Shukla was nominated to the Rajya Sabha in 2000 and joined the Congress later. He worked for Jansatta, the Hindi daily of the Express group, and Raviwar Magazine. Shukla hosted the popular TV interview show Rubaru from the mid-90s to early 2000s. Clips of his interview with Narendra Modi in 2001 went viral in 2016 when Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal filed an RTI query seeking information about the PM’s educational qualification. Chandan Mitra started as an assistant editor of The Statesman in Kolkata. He later moved to the Times of India in Delhi and then The Sunday Observer, which he left as its editor. He then joined the Hindustan Times as executive editor. He was nominated to the Rajya Sabha in 2003 and got another term as a BJP MP from Madhya Pradesh in June 2010.
Shazia Ilmi, a television journalist and anchor with Star News, Ilmi spent 15 years in the field of television news and documentary production joined the Aam Aadmi Party. However, she lost the assembly as well as the Lok Sabha election she fought on the AAP ticket. She resigned from the AAP after a tussle with the party’s leadership in 2014. She joined the BJP on January 16, 2015. Now she has become irrelevant to both politics and journalism.
Ashutosh, TV news anchor first on Aaj Tak and later on IBN7, joined the AAP in 2014, contested the Lok Sabha polls but lost. And gradually he left politics and switched to journalism with his own news portal. Manish Sisodia, now Delhi’s deputy chief minister started his career as a journalist from Pilkhuwa near Delhi after completing a diploma in journalism from Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. He worked as a documentary filmmaker and a TV newsreader from 1997 to 2005.
Ashish Khetan is known for his investigative journalism as a Tehelka journalist. In 2007, he published his report on the 2002 Gujarat riots The Truth: Gujarat 2002, based on sting operations. Khetan later established his own investigative journalism portal called Gulail. In 2014, he joined the Aam Aadmi Party and left.
There is an endless list, thousands of journalists pursuing their career in Politics but very few made it to peak, and most of them got lost in time. Some of them saw a very humiliating phase in politics, perhaps they must have realised, politics is good for news subjects or editorial but when you become part of the game you become toothless.
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