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What The Health!

By
Dr Anshuman Manaswi
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doctors, covid-19, medical, doctors on strike, emergency, ppe kits, attack on doctors, coronavirus
Doctors and medical staff of Narayan Swaroop Hospital hold placards to protest against the recent assaults on health workers in different parts of the country during a nationwide lockdown imposed as a preventive measure against the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus in Allahabad on April 16, 2020. (Photo by Sanjay KANOJIA / AFP)

Hara-kiri is not a new word. The great Kalidas is infamous for cutting the same branch of the tree on which he was sitting. Society has not learned its lessons, cutting the same lifeline on which its life is dependent. Ironical as it may seem, it is not astonishing! If as a society we had the wisdom, we would not have had a “Nirbhaya” every day in some corner of our house.

COVID-19 Pandemic has shown the importance of the health sector in general and Health care workers in particular. If we remember the initial commotion where there were no protocols ready, shortage of PPEs, sanitizers, Hospital beds, and higher mortality rates in Mumbai and Delhi, where the disease stuck first, we can decipher that healthcare was not in the agenda. Then there were stories about the doctors being forced to attend COVID-19 patients without adequate gears. Doctors being coerced to open their clinics without even considering whether they and their staffs had a PPE and proper sanitization provisions required to treat COVID-19. As I write it today, many doctors never received any single PPE for them and their clinic staff when the news was that doctors should open the clinic and PPEs will be provided to them. Even today, the doctor’s staff coming to the clinics are not given the local train pass in Mumbai despite the identity card. How are the doctors supposed to see patients? One-man Show!

So, when we talk about Health care, Infrastructure is only one part of it. The other most important parts are the healthcare workers. And they need to be preserved. Doctors, among all of them, are the most valuable yet most vulnerable lot.  Care for them, Get the best out of them. Some important points which need attention and deliberation about the pros and cons of the governments and the medical governing bodies are:

  1. Violence against Doctors or any healthcare Personnel: It should be considered a heinous crime and a central Law should be formulated. The protests against the violence on doctors led various governments to backfoot for some time. But I guess, no government is actually serious in addressing the issues which are pertinent to safeguard the physical and mental health of the doctors and health care workers. Additionally, the Government should provide police forces/ CRPF Forces to protect the doctors if required, and also run TV and media campaigns to inform the public. The most important thing apart from this is that any public figure should not speak any derogatory word about the professionals in general. Any malpractice/ bad conduct of any doctor should be dealt with as an individual. There are incidences when the whole community has been shown in a bad light by using casual words by the people in prominence. Can we Imagine, Doctors, are being beaten today for the death of a serious patient dying because of COVID!
  2. Consumer protection act: Are patients’ clients or are patients’ “patients”. Bringing the doctors in the ambit of the consumer protection act has been the single most backward step our country has taken. It has eroded the good relationships of “faith” between the doctors and the patients. There were provisions of addressing medical negligence in the Medical Council of India rule book and the same is sufficient. This additional sword hanging on the top of the head of the doctors has made the doctors defensive and has increased the cost of treatment. Medical science is not an exact science. 2 and 2 rarely make 4. Sixth sense, gut feeling, experience, everything forms a part of the treatment. You just need to create good doctors; the rest will be taken care of. Today, we treat the investigations, and every time a patient comes, a battery of investigations is prescribed. Nothing should be missed! Well in that case, every single patient with a sore throat should be tested for COVID-19, because not testing may miss the disease and thus the doctor would be negligent! And since the guidelines have come from the ICMR and the Governments, these bodies are also guilty of negligence.  Does it ever stop? NO.  When the government makes the public as consumers, they react like a consumer. This is the root cause of the commercialization of the medical profession.

A good doctor applies his/ her mind and wisdom to prescribe relevant tests, waits for their result, and if required orders more tests. There are no miracles and patience is required on the patients’ part also. Today it is estimated that more than 50% of the tests which are prescribed are not useful but are prescribed to complete the spectrum and for the fear of missing a “rare” finding. Who bears the cost? The patient. Result: we have various wellness programs and complete body check-ups with 100 tests, 200 tests, etc promoted by laboratory chains.  From treating patients, we have come to treating lab values. As a Doctor, I can emphatically say that there is nothing called a complete body check-up. Relevant investigations after consultation by a doctor are the best way to go about.

There are many cases of threatening a doctor overtly or subtly to reduce the professional charge or to extort money in the name of consumer court. Ask any doctor and they will tell their story. Yes, after a successful lifesaving appendicitis operation, which a patient survives, he can theoretically sue the surgeon for a poor looking scar which impedes his/ her marriage and erodes the self-confidence!

On the Doctors’ front, they spend about INR. 20000 or more amount (on average) per year of their savings to protect themselves through medical indemnity.

Putting doctors in consumer court ambit is a western concept, and in a poor country like India where the ethos of medical practice has been very high, it is time that is should be abolished. “Doctors be treated with respect and patient with compassion and empathy”, is what we should be demanding as a society. Also, no other professional comes under this preview, then why only a doctor? If anyone has any issue, he or she can use the existing laws to address their problems.

  1. Registration renewal: Doctors are required to renew their registration every 5 years in most of the Indian states. It requires attending seminars and conferences to get CME points. Yes, the logic is good that the doctors need to be updated and with the latest advancement to be able to treat the patients better. But the lack of application of mind by the authorities has made it a joke.  Only Modern medicine (ALLOPATHY) stream doctors are required to do so!  AYUSH doctors don’t need to update! The number of CMEs required vary from state to state. And on top of it, the doctors have to pay for these seminars. The most illogical thing is that THERE ARE NO FREE SEMINARS/ CONFERENCES ARRANGED BY THE GOVERNMENTS OR MEDICAL BODIES.  ON TOP OF IT, THE DOCTORS HAVE TO PAY FOR RENEWING THEIR LICENCES! This is a soft exploitation of the community. And lastly, why only for doctors!  Is it not Discriminatory?

There are many more aspects that need to change if we want to take our healthcare to a better level and to make healthcare affordable. Will discuss some other aspects of this challenge in our next article.

Hottest DJ of India Living a Blissful life

By
Sandip Soparkarr
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julia bliss, julia, dj, disc jockey, russian, sandip soparkarr, dj in india, female dj, hot dj, hot model

For us humans socialising, attending various get-togethers, going for parties, festivals, celebrations, events etc play a very important role. It not only helps us connect to the right people but also help us bond with our dear ones at the same time allow us to unwind and relax our heart, mind and soul. I am sure you all will agree with me that this feeling of social fulfilment can only happen with superb music, uninhibited dancing and yummy food.

Music and dance is said to be the soul of any kind of merrymaking, no celebration is complete without it, ofcourse live music is something most people love but today recorded music has become very popular. When I talk of recorded music it is not just about playing one track after another on a soft or blaring speakers but it is a complete art.

An art of mixing the right songs and music, along with the durations of each tune and most importantly feeling the pulse of the celebration and playing only that kind of music that makes people go back with a relaxed mind and a memorable smile on the faces. Mind you it is no easy task to make hundreds and thousands of people have a great time at any gala event. But today let me make you meet one dazzling personality who literally has people eating out of hands at a party, she generates a blissful feeling at the top most party events world over, I am talking about one of the hottest Disk Jockey (DJ) of India, Julia Bliss.

Meeting Julia is an experience, not only because she is drop dead gorgeous but because she is funny, intelligent, full of life and laughter. The best part comes when this Russian beauty in her heavy accent speaks in Hindi mixed with Marathi, Punjabi and Gujarati words, and people around cannot stop the riot she creates off the DJ console too.

I met this stunning girl in 2012 when I choreographed a song for her in her Bollywood film ‘Ghost’ and there after what followed was a friendship that I will cherish for life. I totally agree with the people who call her, one of the sexiest DJ’s today, with her charisma and style along with her incredible knowledge and intellect she is ruling the party scene not only in India but world over. At a recent high voltage party where she had just shown her enigmatic art of DJing, I caught her at a silent spot and bombarded her with my question which she calmly answered;

1. Tell us about your beautiful country, Russia and the love affair it has with music and dance?

I am proud to say that I come from the largest country in the world, which covers the one-eighth of the earth’s inhabited land area and which spans 11 time zones and is indeed a fascinating place. Russian culture is considered one of the richest and most influential around the world.

The world of dance can never ever neglect the famous Russian Ballet and the incredible Ballerinas who are cultural symbols of my country and who have ruled the world of dance for decades. We are also well known for our unbelievable classical music, having produced some of the world’s best pianists, violinists, and opera singers not just that Russian literature is famous all over the world with writers like Tolstoy and Fyodor Dostoevsky. For all the party lovers our Russian Vodka is the best in the world. So when all of it mixed and brought on to one platform what you get is the best experience of life.

2. What dance and music forms have you learnt and how did it influence you?

I spent 6 years of my life learning ballet practicing daily for 4 to 5 hours and more and then moved on to lean jazz, modern and Russian traditional dance professionally. Later I also developed love for street and hip-hop and trained in that too. In addition to that I have taken training in piano and have studied ‘history of choreography’ that helped me to keep in balance a theory and a practice. Music was and is an important part of my life, since the time I was born my parents kept listening to all kind of music genres and my house was my favourite place filled with happy tunes and positive vibes, until now I live in my music world

3. What brought you to India and tell me your love for this country?

LF16 Julia Bliss 125 2

Being an Artist was always and is my passion, but work wise I had to try something else to

realize the value of my passion. 2008 in Russian, I was working as a sales person in the automobile industry, I like cars but it is not what I dreamed of. Daily at office I would imagine a huge stage and thousands of people watching my show. I would be dancing, playing music and acting, I saw myself up there and this thought has never left me. This dream made me leave my job and I came to the land of dreams Mumbai.

I made my Bollywood debut with Bharat Shah produced film ‘Ghost’ by Puja Bedi, the film scored ok at the box office but my song ‘Aaja Khatam Sabr Kar le’ which you choreographed Sandip, became a huge success and it got me many stage shows and performances. Later I went on to appear in many films such as ‘Don 2’ by Farhan Aktar, ‘Tezz’ by Priyadarshan, ‘Agent Vinod’ by Sriram Raghavan, ‘Rock in Love’ by Deepka Tijori and even a south film ‘Maattrraan’.

At the same time I started playing music and my stage performances got more and more into demand. I was able to follow my dreams and I felt I found myself in India, today India is my second home.

4. Why this transition from being a dancer, to an actor to a DJ?

In today’s world multitalented people get the most of recognition. I decided to use all my skills for building up my artist profile. I had to learn Hindi as I am good with languages, my dance performances were going on, my first movie got released, but in all this I was somewhere missing my music. I wanted to become a DJ from the age of 15 and I had a great opportunity to make my dream come true, today I called top EMD DJ of India and it makes me feel complete. It took me 10 hard working years, in a stranger’s country, yes, it was and is very difficult to compete with local talents who know the vibe and culture and the language, but I believe nothing is impossible! Where is wish, there is a will

5. What is the common connect you feel is there between dance, films and DJ ing?

Music is one from of art that unites us al, be it a Bollywood song or an EDM track at a festival. Music allows us to express ourselves, dancing on the film set or the festival grounds, music is it’s complete and bang on answer

6. Acting, dancing and DJ ing, now what, what are you future plans?

My agency, Elements inc, has always been supporting me with dance events and shows and now that my artist profile is complete, I wish to balance my opportunities to perform in every way. DJ-wise, I will be performing at the biggest music festival in Asia – Sunburn 2018, main stage, on the 29th December and many such mega events next year too. In the acting front I am currently shooting with Mr Jainendra Baxi for his next film which will see me in a sensational role

It won’t be wrong if I say that Julia Bliss is one person who actually makes people dance to her tunes, in her impeccable style she ended her talk about her incredible journey from the streets of Russian to the lanes of India saying ‘If Russia is my Janam Bhoomi (the land where one is born) then India is my Karma Bhoomi (the land where one works). Today with this story I wish my dear friend all the love and happiness and pray that may this bliss never fade.

Sandip Soparrkar is a World Book of Record holder, a well known Ballroom dancer and a Bollywood choreographer who has been honoured with three National Excellence awards and one National Achievement Award by the Government of India. He can be contacted on sandipsoparrkar06@gmail.com

Author Lal Bhatia Was Falsely Convicted On Fabricated And Trumped-Up Charges In US, Court Document Reveals

By
Afternoon Voice
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Lal Bhatia, Indicting Goliath, US

• To Stifle Lal Bhatia’s efforts of exposing large scale criminality, facts were fabricated, and Lal Bhatia was framed to protect individuals, including a number of senior officials within the United States Government. Court Documents reveal.

• Court Documents also reveal that corrupt Government Officials Within the United States Department of Justice accepted bribes to falsely charge, falsely convict and falsely incarcerate Lal Bhatia.

• Numerous questions pointing to crimes conducted by senior officials within the United States Government remain unanswered. Court Documents also reveal.

In his critically acclaimed book, Indicting Goliath, Lal Bhatia, author, relying on court documents, conclusively establishes, that, for favors and bribes, United States Department of Justices’ prosecutor Stephen G. Corrigan; Federal Bureau of Investigation, Special Agent Janet Berry and others fabricated facts to falsely charge, falsely convict and falsely incarcerated him to conceal Seattle based Mon Wig, Managing Member, Wig Properties LLC’s crimes.

In numerous court filings, as demonstrated throughout Indicting Goliath, for example, on December 28, 2010 in U.S. v. Lal Bhatia, U.S. District Court, Northern California, Court Case No.: CR-04-40071-CW, Document Nos. 392-394; Court Case No.: CR-05-00334-SBA, Document No.: 545; Lal Bhatia v. United States Attorney’s Office, Northern California, Case No.: CV-09-05581-SBA, Document No.: 45; and Lal Bhatia v. Mon Wig, Case No.: CV-10-00072-SBA, Document No.: 78, it was deemed admitted and conclusively established that:

• Individuals including, Assistant United States Attorney, Stephen G. Corrigan, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Janet Berry, and others engineered and fabricated facts to falsely indict, falsely convict and falsely incarcerate Lal Bhatia, in order to conceal and protect Mon Wig’s crimes, including Wig’s bulk cash currency that was transferred and deposited in safe-deposit boxes at Bank of Credit and Commerce Limited, in London, England (BCCI); and transported in armored vehicles or flown from Mexico into the United States, through Wachovia Bank.

• Individuals including, prosecutor Stephen G. Corrigan, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Janet Berry, and others engineered and fabricated facts to falsely indict, falsely convict and falsely incarcerate Lal Bhatia, in order to conceal and protect Mon Wig’s crimes, including, Wig’s bulk cash currency laundered through Barclays, the British Bank; Credit Suisse Group; and ABN Amro Bank.

Indicting Goliath, Appendix 2, pgs. 245-256.

This is a call on all people who believe in dignity, human rights and due process of law to raise their voices with the following message:

“I am deeply disappointed that the United States Department of Justice continues to protect corrupt government officials even after court documents reveal Lal Bhatia, on numerous occasions, identified, specified and detailed, dates Mon Wig’s millions were laundered; amounts, methods used, bank account numbers, conduits used by Mon Wig to launder the millions. Why are they continuing to protect Wig and others for over a decade?”

Indian hospitals are large and multifaceted entities with lots of challenges

By
Vaidehi Taman
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covid-19, hospitals, government, covid-19 hospitals, medical, government hospitals
A medic takes samples from an Indian national arriving from Myanmar at Anna International Airport during the ongoing COVID-19 nationwide lockdown in Chennai. / Image Courtesy: PTI

Medical practices are very much efficient, recorded and always under control. If there is any negligence then the guilty is always brought to justice, be it some doctors, nurses or para-medical support. During COVID-19, some political leaders of the opposition party were vigilante for 24/7 because they had to demine and destabilise the ruling government. There were many stories in the media circulated by one particular leader about the negligence of doctors and hospitals. The facts are that the media was prompt enough in showing these reports and above all the social media was hell-bent on attacking such hospitals. Doctors anywhere even the remotest part of India is probably the best as compared to anywhere else. But the rising number in COVID-19 cases had multiple challenges. Most of the time negligence is an assumption, dealing with the lives of human beings are not a cake walk, it is a huge responsibility and most of the doctors of Mumbai have handled it extremely well. Saying this I do not deny that there might be a few cases of negligence and that it needs an investigation procedure like they have in other countries. The judiciary is not entirely equipped to make a ruling on medical scenarios.

There are a lot of good doctors, but most hospitals are just commerce. There are laws to punish the guilty but medicine is very complex for courts to verify negligence and testifying doctors often take a pro collaborator stand. And most patients are just uninformed. Now that we are moving to the digital age there could be personal dockets for every patient and there could be CCTV cameras which will go a long way. Mostly because that would be a gross overreaction and would be highly problematic- shutting down an entire hospital would leave the surrounding community without medical care and lead to major pressure on nearby hospitals. Meanwhile, attacking government hospitals and their staff is too much to control already unstable conditions. Opposition does its job to topple the ruling government but to some extent they forget the similar cases happening during their tenure too. In a pandemic situation what hospitals need is support and silent vigilance. It would be very uncommon for every hospital department, or even most of it, to be involved in an error- indeed, a case of “gross neglect” might be the responsibility of as little as one member of staff out of thousands, depending on exactly what happened.

Attacking an entire hospital or government when almost all of it is performing up to standard and one or two bad apples have been identified is nothing short of extreme overkill and counterproductive. If there’s a major incident, usually the hospital or health department will undertake a review and put in procedures to rectify the issue. Under-performing staff may be removed or re-trained, bad policies corrected, or whatever is required. There are many, many steps to take to rectify a major incident beyond closing down the hospital! A hospital, like any complex organization, is a group of people, practices, facilities, and skills working together (or not). However, numerous hospitals, clinics, and doctor practices have been shut down for systemic failures of standards which have been proven to surpass mere individual employee/doctor failure. During the Pandemic there was a gross shortage of medical staff. The available doctors and medical fraternity people were rendering services determinedly. But too much attack on the government and doctors created panic in people to which even the court had to get involved.

The Bombay High Court had asked the Maharashtra government to make its stand clear on the issue of compensation to the family of Covid-19 victims for alleged culpable negligence by the state government and civic hospitals. The court took up the plea highlighting 11 incidents of negligence by the hospitals. The plea was filed by BJP MLA Ashish Shelar. The court also recommended that the state should implement guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in respect of body management and further guidelines prescribed by the Calcutta High Court in its judgment in September. The court also gave Shelar the liberty to suggest additional guidelines for body management in the state of Maharashtra. Amongst 10 other cases, Shelar’s affidavit in the case pointed out to a case of May 2020 when a woman had desperately tried to get an ambulance but got it only after 10 hours to take the body to a burial ground. Another example is the Jalgaon case where a woman was untraceable for eight days but was later found dead in the washroom. The dean and two other doctors of the hospital were suspended in the case.

In yet another case highlighted by Shelar from media reports was of a 62-year-old patient who lost life while waiting on a wheelchair at a hospital. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader on Tuesday hit out at the Maharashtra government over coronavirus treatment in Mumbai. BJP leader Nitish Rane posted a viral video on Twitter claiming that a patient died after 30 minutes he was admitted in Cooper Hospital in Mumbai. The state consumer commission in Maharashtra has directed a civic-run hospital in Navi Mumbai and a Chembur-based hospital to pay over Rs 15 lakh compensation to a woman whose husband died nine years ago due to “medical negligence”. The victim, Datta Sherkhane (40), an employee of BPCL, was treated for malaria instead of myocarditis (a heart ailment) at the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation Hospital in 2010, his wife alleged. She later shifted her husband to Chembur-based Sushrut Hospital, where the woman claimed that there was a delay in treatment, leading to her husband’s death. In another case the medical negligence of a doctor has led to the quarantine of as many as 40 people. Allegedly, a hospital located in Vasai, Mumbai discharged a patient without waiting for his COVID-19 test results. The hospital allegedly handed over the patient’s body before the arrival of his coronavirus tests. Over 40 people who attended the deceased’s funeral were quarantined after the hospital’s negligence came to the fore.

Two days back, a young man Suryabhan Yadav was suffering from Tuberculosis (TB) and he was undergoing treatment at Sewri Hospital, was admitted on September 30, all of sudden he disappeared on October 4th, later on his body was found on October 18 in the hospital toilet. Later on, Police handed over the body to his family. It is unfortunate that there have been dozens of such incidents in Maharashtra but that does not mean the government is not doing anything or doctors are bad. Some hospitals have some incidents gone wrong and they have been penalized for the same.

‘Let’s destroy the Ravana like corona’: CM Thackeray

By
Afternoon Voice
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uddhav thackeray, thackeray, cm, maharashtra

Vijayadashami is the motivation to overcome adversity and evil tendencies. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has appealed to the people of the state on the eve of Dussehra, urging them to unite and destroy the corona-poisoned Ravana. The Chief Minister has also expressed confidence that Maharashtra will move towards prosperity and prosperity with new vigor by overcoming the Corona crisis.

In his congratulatory message, the Chief Minister said, “We are known as a militant Maharashtra.” We have often successfully dealt with adversity. Therefore, we are united in the fight against the coronavirus, putting aside all differences. Nature’s humiliation was in the corona crisis. But we are facing all these crises without hesitation. We are running a ‘My Family My Responsibility’ campaign to defeat the coronavirus. Our Corona Warriors are trying to stop the virus by reaching its doorsteps and chasing it. Everyone has shown a lot of patience to stop Corona. All religions have celebrated their festivals at home.

Today we are celebrating Vijayadashami i.e. Dussehra. Dussehra inspires us to overcome adversity, to overcome evil tendencies and to pull victory by transgression. So, while celebrating Dussehra with enthusiasm, you have to follow the instructions of not rushing for health eradication of the virus – maintaining physical distance, using masks, washing hands frequently. The Chief Minister has also expressed the belief that only through such efforts will we destroy the corona-like Ravana and move towards prosperity and prosperity with new vigor.

Balutedars demand reservation, call to revoke amendment of Article 366

By
Vaidehi Taman
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Haribhau Rathod, Bara Balutedars, Balutedars, OBCLeader of OBC Bhatakya Vimukta and ex-Congress MLC, Haribhau Rathod has called for the cancellation of the amendment in the constitution that deprives the states of reservation rights. “The Central Government has made a mistake while amending a constitution. While amending Article 366 of the Constitution, the Centre has deprived the state of the right to grant reservation by deleting Article 26C. Therefore, Prime Minister Narendra Modi should immediately remove Article 26C by an ordinance,” said the senior leader who has worked extensively for the betterment of Dalits. His grouse is that the amendment takes away the state government’s authority to give reservation to the Maratha community.

“The reservation of the Maratha community has been completely threatened as the state has been deprived of the right to give reservation to a caste as per the Constitution Amendment Act 102. Although we have repeatedly brought this issue to the notice of the people, the government, expert lawyers, as well as the leaders of the Maratha community, this matter has been completely ignored. We need to put this on priority, otherwise the reservation of the Maratha community will be permanently deprived in the coming 27th hearing,” said the OBC Bhatakya Vimukta leader at a press conference where he demanded reservation for the Bara Balutedars.

Prakash Sonawane, State President of Bhatke Vimukta Backward Classes Federation, Appasaheb Bhalerao, Thane President Ramdas Rathod were also present at the meet. With the insertion of Article 342 (a) and Article 366 (26C) of the Constitution, the powers of the State have been automatically revoked. All reservations will now need the sanction of the Parliament. This means the law has to be passed by passing the bill. Many are asking for the powerto be given back to the states. The issue will come up at the Supreme Court on October 27 while discussing the lifting of moratorium on Maratha reservation.

The country is made up of only Bara Balutedars and 18 Talutedars. Currently, however, these Bara Balutedars have been thrown out of the perimeter of the stream. The members of the community are demanding reservations to get back into the mainstream. “The Bara Balutedars should be given a separate 4 per cent reservation. Also, the three parties in the Mahavikas Aghadi should give representation to the Balutdars. The Governor-appointed MLAs will be selected soon. In it, these three parties should give one candidate each to Balutedar,” said Rathod.

To this, Arvind Sawant, Shiv Sena leader and member of the Lok Sabha said, “We ask people to cast their vote but not to vote for the caste, Mahavikas Aghadi is here to serve commoners and all the people of Maharashtra irrespective of any particular caste. All the people of Maharashtra are equally important for Shiv Sena. Each community wants their representation in the legislature. Common man’s welfare and state development is our priority.”

BJP’s Girish Bapat, Member of Parliament said, “In Vanchit and OBC Bhatakya Vimukta there are many castes, there should be one united representation. How can each caste and community make demands, and those be addressed individually? Instead of making such unreasonable demands they should ask for the overall development of some welfare schemes. Already all the sects have there is huge representation in the legislature, these caste and creed issues should be settled within themselves.

Madhav Bhandari, Chief Spokesperson of Bhartiya Janata Party, said, “The twelve Balutedars is not some different community, they are part and parcel of entire society such as Maratha, Shipmi,Sonar, Kunbi, and they cover each and every part of society. There is no different category as twelve Balutedars in particular; this demand itself is very illogical and absurd.”

Happy Dussehra Dear Readers – Celebrate The End Of Evil By The Good

By
Vaidehi Taman
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dussehra-dahan, dussehra, dahan

Many people of the Hindu faith observe Dussehra through special prayer meetings and food offerings to the gods at home or in temples throughout India. They also hold outdoor fairs (melas) and large parades with effigies of Ravana .The effigies are burnt on bonfires in the evening. Dussehra is the conclusion of the Navratri festival. Many Hindus also believe that it is lucky to start a new venture, project or journey on Dussehra. They may also exchange gifts of leaves from the Shami tree (Prosopis Spicigera) as a symbol of the Pandavas brothers’ exile in the Mahabharata stories. Dussehra celebrates the Hindu god Rama’s victory over the demon king Ravana and the triumph of good over evil. The epic Ramayana tells the story of the Lord Rama who wins the lovely Sita for his wife, only to have her carried off by Ravana, the demon king of Lanka.

Ravana plays an important role in the Ramayana. Ravana had a sister known as Shoorpanakha. She fell in love with the brothers Rama and Lakshamana and wanted to marry one of them. Lakshamana refused to marry her and Rama could not as he was already married to Sita. Shoorpanakha threatened to kill Sita, so that she could marry Rama. This angered Lakshamana who cut off Shoorpanakha’s nose and ears. Ravana then kidnapped Sita to avenge his sister’s injuries. Rama and Lakshamana later fought a battle to rescue Sita. The monkey god Hanuman and a huge army of monkeys helped them.

The Mahabharata is another series of Hindu stories that play a role in the Dussehra festival. The Pandavas were five brothers who fought evil forces with a set of distinctive weapons. They abandoned their weapons and went into exile for one year. They hid their weapons in a Shami tree and found them at the same place when they returned from exile. They then worshipped the tree before going to a battle, which they won.

It is observed on the tenth day in the month of Ashwin or Kartik, according to the Hindu calendar. The festival is known by different names in various parts of the country and is celebrated in a unique way everywhere. In south, east and northeast India, it is called as Durga Puja and remembers goddess Durga’s victory over the buffalo demon, Mahishasura. It is the path that goddess Durga took to restore and protect dharma. In the northern and western states of the subcontinent, the festival is known as Dussehra. In these regions, it marks the end of Ramlila and celebrates lord Rama’s victory over the demon king, Ravana. On the same day or occasion, Arjuna single-handedly annihilated the whole of Kuru clan that included warriors like Bhishma, Drona, Ashwathama and Karna. The victory of the good (Dharma) over the evil (Adharma) is common to all stories behind the festival.

The festival is celebrated differently across all the states in India. In most of northern and western India, it is celebrated in honour of Lord Rama. Drama, dance and music plays called Ramlila, based on the tale as described in the Ramcharitramanas are performed at fairs (mela). Large effigies of Ravana, Kumbhakarna and Meganatha (his accomplices) are burnt signifying their end and the restoration of dharma. This traditional practice was even recognized as one of the “Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity” by UNESCO in 2008. It describes the festival as being celebrated through songs, narration, recital and dialogue based on the text Ramcharitramanas by Tulsidas, particularly in historically important Hindu cities of Ayodhya, Varanasi, Vrindavan, Almora, Satna and Madhubani. In many regions of Southern India, the festival is dedicated to Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of knowledge, learning and arts. People maintain, clean and worship their instruments and tools of their livelihood and worship goddess Saraswati. In west India, both god Rama and goddess Durga are revered for their victory over the evil. Celebrations include fasting and prayers at temples and Dandiya and Garba being played while wearing traditional dresses. In Maharashtra, the deities that were installed on the first day of Navratri are immersed in water and sweets are exchanged. On the other hand, the Gondi people, an Adivasi community spread over Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and many parts of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar celebrate Ravana by carrying an image of him riding an elephant and singing praises about him, as they consider the demon king as their ancestor and one of their gods. In east India, the festival is observed as Bijoy Dashomi. It is marked by clay statues being carried towards a water body for a farewell to goddess Durga. Bengali women mark their faces with vermilion (sindoor) on this day and wear some red clothing. The statue is immersed in water and the goddess is believed to have returned to Mount Kailasha with lord Shiva.

The festival, whether it is called Vijayadashami, Dussehra, Ram Navami, or Durga Puja, celebrates the end of evil by the good. Wherever it is celebrated or the manner it is celebrated in definitely signifies the establishment of Dharma and the abolishment of Adharma. It marks new beginnings, establishment of new and fresh ideas in the society and freedom from negativity and evil that resides inside us. Through all the different stories, celebrations and enactments, the message that is propagated is liberation and emancipation from the present day evils and taboos that are not in front of us personified in the form of a human or demon, but inside us in the form of biases, stereotypes and prejudices.

Black Market Of Controlled Essential Commodities On Rise, Strict Action Against The Perpetrators

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Afternoon Voice
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ration, transport, essential commodities, ration card

Government to ensure that there is no irregularity in the supply and distribution of food grains, gas cylinders and petrol-diesel to non-beneficiary ration card holders who are not covered under the National Food Security Scheme (NFSA), Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, Atmanirbhar Bharat Yojana and Rashtriya Annasuraksha Yojana. Also, a total of 44 vigilance teams have been formed under the Ration Office.

The vigilance team has taken action under the Essential Commodities Act 1955 during the lockdown period. 158.48 quintals of wheat and 26.25 quintals of rice were seized from truck number MH04 GR4696 in case of illegal transportation of controlled food grains in Andheri division. Crime record no. An offense has been registered under 132 / 2020 dated 10.09.2020. A total of Rs.17, 22,388.87 /- has been seized in the case. In Dahisar division, truck number MH10CR4197, rice 163.50 quintals, wheat 424.50 quintals and other items were seized from MHB. A case has been registered at Police, Thane, Borivali under G.No. No. 17/2020 dated 23.09.2020. A total of Rs. 35, 80,723 /- has been seized in the case.

A total of 60 cylinders of domestic use and tempo number MH04FP7182 have been seized in Byculla division for illegally filling gas in a second cylinder through a steel pipe from a domestic gas cylinder has been done. A total of Rs. 1,46,670 /- has been seized in the case.

Unlicensed storage and transportation of controlled rations in Kanjurmarg division, Bolero pickup no MH 06 BW 0523 and truck MH 03 VC 1233, 103.50 quintals of wheat has been seized and a case has been registered at Kanjurmarg Police Thane, Mumbai under VSTGNO No. 46/2020 dated 17.10.2020. A total of Rs. 16, 79,794 /- has been seized in the case. A case has been registered at Kanjurmarg Police Station under Crime Record No. 49/2020 dated 20.10.2020. A total embezzlement of Rs. 1, 02,103 /- has been found in the case.

Centre Imposes Stock Limit On Onion Traders To Check Prices

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Afternoon Voice
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onion, wholesale, piyush goyal, goyal

To contain onion prices, the Centre on Friday imposed stock holding limit on retail and wholesale traders till December 31 to improve the domestic availability of the commodity and provide relief to consumers.

Retailers can stock onion only up to 2 tonne, whereas wholesale traders are allowed to keep up to 25 tonne, Consumer Affairs Secretary Leena Nandan said in a press conference.

She said the government had to invoke the Essential Commodities (Amendment) law — which was passed last month in Parliament — that allows it to regulate perishable commodities in the extraordinary price rise situation.

Later, Consumer Affairs Minister Piyush Goyal tweeted: “To control rising onion prices and curb hoarding, PM @NarendraModi government has taken the third step. Imposed stock limit of 2 tonne on retailers and 25 tonne on wholesalers”.

Onion prices have shot up sharply to over Rs 75 per kg in the last few weeks in the wake of damage to standing Kharif crop in producing areas due to heavy rainfall.

Cannabis Reduces OCD Symptoms By Half In The Short-Term, Finds Study

By
Afternoon Voice
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Cannabis, OCD Symptoms, Science

People with obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD, report that the severity of their symptoms was reduced by about half within four hours of smoking cannabis, according to a Washington State University study. The researchers analyzed data inputted into the Strainprint app by people who self-identified as having OCD, a condition characterized by intrusive, persistent thoughts, and repetitive behaviors such as compulsively checking if a door is locked. After smoking cannabis, users with OCD reported it reduced their compulsions by 60%, intrusions, or unwanted thoughts, by 49%, and anxiety by 52%.

The study, recently published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, also found that higher doses and cannabis with higher concentrations of CBD, or cannabidiol, were associated with larger reductions in compulsions. “The results overall indicate that cannabis may have some beneficial short-term but not really long-term effects on obsessive-compulsive disorder,” said Carrie Cuttler, the study’s corresponding author and WSU assistant professor of psychology. “To me, the CBD findings are really promising because it is not intoxicating. This is an area of research that would really benefit from clinical trials looking at changes in compulsions, intrusions, and anxiety with pure CBD.”

The WSU study drew from data of more than 1,800 cannabis sessions that 87 individuals logged into the Strainprint app over 31 months. The long time period allowed the researchers to assess whether users developed tolerance to cannabis, but those effects were mixed. As people continued to use cannabis, sometimes through a percolator bong, the associated reductions in intrusions became slightly smaller suggesting they were building tolerance, but the relationship between cannabis and reductions in compulsions and anxiety remained fairly constant. Traditional treatments for obsessive-compulsive disorder include exposure and response prevention therapy where people’s irrational thoughts around their behaviors are directly challenged, and prescribing antidepressants called serotonin reuptake inhibitors to reduce symptoms. While these treatments have positive effects for many patients, they do not cure the disorder nor do they work well for every person with OCD.

“We’re trying to build knowledge about the relationship of cannabis use and OCD because it’s an area that is really understudied,” said Dakota Mauzay, a doctoral student in Cuttler’s lab and first author on the paper. Aside from their own research, the researchers found only one other human study on the topic: a small clinical trial with 12 participants that revealed that there were reductions in OCD symptoms after cannabis use, but these were not much larger than the reductions associated with the placebo.

The WSU researchers noted that one of the limitations of their study was the inability to use a placebo control and an “expectancy effect” may play a role in the results, meaning when people expect to feel better from something they generally do. The data was also from a self-selected sample of cannabis users, and there was variability in the results which means that not everyone experienced the same reductions in symptoms after using cannabis. However, Cuttler said this analysis of user-provided information via the Strainprint app was especially valuable because it provides a large data set and the participants were using market cannabis in their home environment, as opposed to federally grown cannabis in a lab which may affect their responses. Strainprint’s app is intended to help users determine which types of cannabis work the best for them, but the company provided the WSU researchers free access to users’ anonymized data for research purposes.

Cuttler said this study points out that further research, particularly clinical trials on the cannabis constituent CBD, may reveal a therapeutic potential for people with OCD. This is the fourth study Cuttler and her colleagues have conducted examining the effects of cannabis on various mental health conditions using the data provided by the app created by the Canadian company Strainprint. Others include studies on how cannabis impacts PTSD symptoms, reduces headache pain and affects emotional well-being.

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