State government should do Justice to Gosavi Community

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April 20, 2020

More than hundred people have been arrested after three men were beaten to death in Maharashtra’s Palghar, over rumours that they were kidnappers out to get children. The adult accused have been remanded in police custody till April 30 and the juveniles have been sent to a children’s home. The killing in Maharashtra follows a disturbing pattern of attacks triggered by rumours in many states. Those killed were from the Gosavi tribe, a nomadic community that goes from door to door begging for food. Or some of them remain in temples as priests. The men generally seen in saffron robes.

Most arrested accused belong to Gadchinchale village in Dahanu Taluka of Palghar district. According to the 2011 census, the village has around 248 households, all belonging to the Scheduled Tribe. The literacy rate of the village is only around 30% and most of them are marginal farmers or labourers working in industrial units nearby. This incident suddenly took a political and even communal colour when video footage of the incident emerged and BJP leaders highlighted the fact that the men who were lynched were wearing saffron robes. They might make this incidence look like injustice to Saints and Sadhus, they might depict it as threat to Hindu religion under Maha Vikas Aghadi government, but they cannot ignore the fact that this Gosavi community is under attack on several occasions, and none of the government ever thought of doing roughly for their stable living.

There are two major cases of “mistaken suspicion as robbers” & suppressed that they were in Hindu religious robes. But Several BJP and right-wing leaders expressed their shock and dismay over the incident. Many Hindutva oriented social media handles sought to insinuate a ‘Muslim’ angle, prompting Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh to tweet that the attackers and the attacked, in fact, did not belong to different religions. As of now, the Uddhav Thackeray government – a coalition comprising the Shiv Sena, Congress and Nationalist Congress Party – has given no assurance of a probe into the incident, notwithstanding the evident dereliction of duty of the local police.

Kalpavruksh Giri, the 70-year old victim, had worn a saffron gamcha around his shoulders and Twitter was quick to identify him as a “Hindu” and “Sadhu”. However, the two of the deceased belonged to the nomadic tribal community called Gosavi. There are at least 16 subsects among the Gosavi community. Giris are one of them. Most of them are associated with the Akharas across different states. Most persons among Gosavis wear saffron robes and lead a mobile life. Not much is known about these men but it is usual to find people from the community leading a wandering life. Public harassment is a common experience of most persons travelling from one village to another. They get looked at with suspicion. They are attacked, humiliated and most of the abused but the people due to their appearance and style of speaking. Some of them carry God’s on wheel, some of them beg, some of them sing devotional songs to collect living. Where ever they go they go with their whole world. They keep traveling one place to another that is the reason people don’t trust them. The Nath Panthi Davari Gosavi community is one of over 40 nomadic tribes in Maharashtra, with an estimated population of 6-7 lakh.

In Dhule, a group had arrived from Solapur in a state transport bus and set up their tents at Pimpalner. Seven of the men then walked to the Rainpada village, about 140 km from Dhule town, to beg for food. Mob thrashed these people over suspicion of them being thieves. Today they are scared to venture anywhere in Maharashtra. Panthi Davari Gosavi nomadic tribe whose members have been living in fear since the attack.

This fear is rooted in a history of living on the margins — community members say they have often been the first suspects when a crime occurs in their vicinity. If any offence takes place in a village where they have set up their palas, first police come to question them They come in the middle of the night or multiple times in the day. Police throw around their belongings or ask them to relocate. Most of the community members have no single criminal case against them. Biggest irony is that state government has never recognized them as artistes, leaving them out of any welfare schemes. Over 60 palas are set up in Dehu currently, with natives of Ahmednagar and Satara having settled for the time on land owned by a temple trust. Most members have not ventured out since July 1. Women, working in nearby fields or collecting scrap, are the only source of income currently, making barely enough only for two meals a day, or sometimes one.

The Nath Panthi Davari Gosavi community are also known by other names like Davari Jogi, Nath Jogi with multiple sub-groups. They are bound by their worship of the Kal Bhairavnath deity. Community members wandering ancestors kept alive an oral tradition of narration and singing of ballads, stories, songs, katha, bhajans, gondhals. Many gave up all worldly comforts and adopted a nomadic lifestyle, surviving on alms wherever they travelled. Members also have their contribution during the period of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, when their ancestors wore disguises to help collect information on enemies. The still-nomadic community has even today only a small percentage of homeowners, and those few usually have temporary huts on available land. Most continue to move from place to place throughout the year, returning to their villages once or twice a year. While on the go, the community sets up their palas, sewn together by women over a week. Before they set up their settlement, they seek the permission of the gram sabha or the land owner. Sometimes, after they have set up the pala, they are asked to leave, either by the village authorities or the police. If there is money to hire a tempo again, they do that if no money they are again subjected to humiliation. Many times, if there is no money left, they walk to the next village, walking long kilometers with their belongings till they find a place.

Palghar, is not the first time someone from the Gosavi community was attacked by a mob. The semi-nomadic Gosavi community has for long faced ostracization, discrimination and violence. The people of Nath Panthi Davari Gosavi community have been categorized as nomadic tribes since members of the community are constantly migrating. Independence hasn’t reached them, and they’ve been roaming around the country even after 70 years of Independence. Since, they travel continuously with no fixed place to stay, education always takes a back seat and this is how the vicious cycle of poverty continues.

After Dhule its Palghar Mob lynching: Nath Panthi Davari Gosavi community in fear

By

Afternoon Voice

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April 20, 2020

Similar to Dhule incidence, in Palghar district nearly 200 people gathered on Dabhadi-Khanvel Road despite lockdown restrictions and brutally thrashed three people to death. The victims included two Gosavi community people who are also of the Juna Akhada were killed besides their vehicle driver. They were travelling from Nashik in an Eco van. They were going from Mumbai to Surat with their driver for the funeral of their accomplice. The lock down was imposed in Maharashtra due to the threat of COVID-19. These travellers had no passes or permissions to travel inside or out of Mumbai. When their automobile reached the Maharashtra-Gujarat border, the police stopped them and dispatched them again. After this, the three determined to proceed by the interior forested path.

Meanwhile, rumours unfold in lots of villages of Palghar district that by profiting from the lockdown, legal components are committing a theft by stealing them. Kidnapping folks and taking out their kidneys. Due to this rumour, the villagers attacked them without enthusiastic about something, and overturned the automobile. The incident was reported to the police, by the time police reached there and put these three of their automobiles however the variety of policemen was very much less in entrance of the large crowd of the villagers, so the policemen ran away leaving all three injured. After this, an offended mob beat them to dying. Later on, three were rushed to the hospital the place they have been declared dead.

Further investigation is being accomplished. About 110 villagers have been delivered to police stations for questioning. The opposition party has asked the government to conduct a high-level inquiry and ensure that the accused are brought to justice at the earliest. The incident took place within the territorial jurisdiction of Kasa Police Station, just about 100 km away from Mumbai. The three victims were allegedly dragged out of the vehicle and brutally lynched by the mob. The opposition parties have raised the issue saying that there have been several shocking incidents of violence in the area in recent times.

Palghar district magistrate Kailash Shinde said that the police rushed to the spot after receiving the information but the aggressive mob attacked them as well. The police vehicle was also damaged by the irate mob. Later more police force was called for dispersing the mob. He urged the people of Palghar to not pay attention to rumours of outsiders entering their villages to commit crimes.

Similarly, when Devendra Fadanvis was Chief Minister of Maharashtra, in 2018 the mob lynched five Nomads over suspicion that they were part of a gang of “child lifters” in Dhule wanted to burn the bodies on the spot. The mob was not satisfied by just killing them. They wanted the bodies to be burnt there only. The police said, there was so much of anger in the mob that they tried to prevent the police physically from taking custody of the bodies. The villagers saw the men, who were dressed in strange saffron attires, offering biscuits to small children. This aroused suspicion that they wanted to kidnap the children. The messages were spread on WhatsApp about children being kidnapped and killed by outsiders and their kidneys sold. But so far no one made any noise about Dhule mob lynching but present politics is heated on Palghar.

A mason from Nilagoti and key eyewitness Vishwas Gangurde told AV that, “Palghar incidence has not surprised me because I have seen similar incidence in our village Dhule, five people were being chased by a crowd of local people, they were begging for life but villagers were mad at them, because they misunderstood them as child pickers”. They tried to hide in a nallah but they were dragged out, beaten and chased all the way to another village Rainpada.”

Maharashtra to allow industries in green, orange zones to resume: CM Thackeray

By

Afternoon Voice

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April 19, 2020

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday said industries based in green and orange coronavirus zones of the state will be allowed to resume operations from April 20, but in a restricted manner.

In a video message, he also said that industries which are ready to provide accommodation to their workers during the lockdown will be given food grain supply and permission for raw material from the state.

“We have to turn this Artha Chakra (stuck wheel of the chariot of economy) from April 20,” Thackeray said.

“The state government is allowing the industries from green and orange zones to start production and processing activities in a restricted manner. The industries will have to arrange the accommodation for their workers. They would not travel long distance for work, he said.

Green zones are the areas which have not reported any coronavirus case, while orange zones are the ones where only a few such cases have been reported.

Thackeray said borders of all districts would remain sealed and only essential services movement will be allowed.

“There are no restrictions on movement of agriculture produce and farm equipment. All the essential items will remain exempted from the lockdown restrictions, he said.

The chief minister also said his government will take care of all migrant labourers in the state.

“I urge them to stay here till the lockdown is in force. I will take care of their food. Once the lockdown is over, I will ensure they reach their homes safely,” he said.

Till Saturday, the state reported 3,648 coronavirus cases and 211 deaths.

Thackeray also urged people not hide any coronavirus- like symptoms.

“Almost 75 per cent of COVID-19 patients are asymptomatic, which is a good sign. There are dedicated fever, cough and cold clinics in the state. People should go there for check-ups without any hesitation,” he said.

The chief minister said he has spoken to doctors in Mumbai and they are ready to open their clinics to provide medical help to patients not having the coronavirus disease.

“I think doctors elsewhere in the state could also follow suit,” he said.

On people donating to the PM-CARES Fund instead of the chief minister’s relief fund, Thackeray said, there are people who wish to help the state in various ways. I am not at all interested in the politics of it.”

He said almost 80 per cent of the poor in the state have received the subsidised food grains.

“The Centre is only providing rice for free. We have demanded wheat and pulses also from the Centre. Once we get it, we will supply it to all the needy people, he said.

Thackeray said the state government has started a separate bank account for those who wish to contribute CSR funds to fight coronavirus.

The Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM-CARES Fund) was set up on March 28 to raise money for combating the COVID-19 crisis and to provide relief to the affected.

COVID-19: Hindu priests of Mumbai gone unemployed

By

Afternoon Voice

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April 19, 2020

Lockdown, Coronavirus, hindu priest, hindu, priest in mumbai, guruji, pandit in mumbai, mumbai temples, lockdown in mumbai, maharashtra — A Hindu priest looks out from a temple during lockdown to prevent the spread of new coronavirus in Hyderabad, India, Tuesday, April 14, 2020. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday extended the world’s largest coronavirus lockdown to head off the epidemic’s peak, with officials racing to make up for lost time. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

Thousands of Hindu priests from Maharashtra have become unemployed as various social functions, rituals and religious festivities have either been cancelled or suspended to maintain social distancing during lock down. Amid lockdown there were two major events, one being Rama Navami and other being Gudi Padva, this is business season for Hindu priests. In wake of the coronavirus outbreak, they are in distress with no earnings as rituals usually organized at home have been cancelled while weddings and other social programmes postponed, several temples are closed so the devotees are not visiting temples during the ongoing lockdown.

Mumbai based Priest Prasad Guruji told Afternoon Voice, “We are depending on the earning in the form of Dakshina (donations) by the guests. If there are no pujas and other religious functions in the next few months to prevent gatherings, how the priests like us will survive? We have families and responsibilities; we cannot go and stand in queue for food. Our conditions are not much exposed to people.”

Nitin Guruji from Thane said, “I had several bookings for Navratri, Ram Navmi was biggest event. The coronavirus triggered lockdown has left over many priests across districts jobless. Maintain social distance and following lockdown, we are forced to stay home. But this is high time that government should do something for the priests like us”. He further stated that, “many priests don’t have any other steady income and their families solely depend on their earnings from rituals like pujas, and weddings.”

Another Priest Vivek Guruji told AV, “Our priest fraternity has lost many other contracts in this season,” all the poojas have been cancelled at the last moment in March-end, and that was the beginning. Many families, temples, shopkeepers, traders and businessmen, who usually observe the Ram Navami and Gudi Padva (Hindu New Year) have cancelled their programmes to avoid gatherings and we all gone out of earnings”.

“We struggled to pay a house rent to get the basic provisions. There was neither money nor people’s willingness to conduct festivals”, he added.

Maharashtra state government and BMC has done a commendable job to protect people from COVID-19

By

Vaidehi Taman

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April 17, 2020

It’s been more than twenty days people are forced to stay inside their home for their own good, but this is all possible feel good factor if your pocket is full to sustain no work loses. There are many in Mumbai who keep their tummy on hand, earn for a day and live. If they don’t work for single day the fire in their kitchen is turned off. Well! These challenges are deadlier than the coronavirus. When it comes to survival, people want to depart living satisfied life than remain hungry and poverty stricken to keep oneself safe. The time is passing, economy has crashed, survival became challenge, many lost their jobs, some returned to their states and their lives became disastrous. Just two meals a day is not enough to solace oneself when you have many dependents looking at your face with expectations. Life has its own challenges so the nation and state and the society.

In spite of all this the Maharashtra state government and BMC has really done a commendable job to protect people from COVID-19, the numbers of casualties and infections have been under control, unlike other advanced countries such as USA, China, Italy, Spain, Iran, etc. A lockdown alone has ensured fifty percent safety from COVID-19, it has definitely reduced the spread of the virus. By practicing social distancing and curbing industrial/educational/social activity, the possible multiplication of the virus has definitely been controlled. The best way to combat the unprecedented outbreak of deadly corona virus for all countries is to ramp up their testing programs. Find those who are sick, those who have the virus, and isolate them, find their contacts and isolate them. Test, Test and Test that is what is needed on urgent priority, state government is going door to door and doing exactly the same, by tracking people’s travel history. Lockdown has slowdown the rate of spread and prevent the health care system from being utterly overwhelmed. And we all are aware that lockdown phase is extremely costly socially, politically and economically.

Life may feel very hard and very stressful over the next several months. But know: This pandemic will end eventually. What we don’t yet know is when and how the lockdown will be eased depends on the common exit strategy between the central government, states and UTs. The states have been asked to send their suggestions. Now many state govts are looking ready to fight finish battle with corona, they are making screenings and tests on larger scale. Once the lockdown ends, it will be hard for the states to contain the spread of coronavirus as people will once again be able to come in close contact with friends, neighbors, colleagues and other people. It will now depend on people, how they are able to maintain physical distance from one-another and how they are able to protect themselves from coronavirus. Awareness needs to be spread among masses about this pandemic and what steps people can take to keep themselves safe from getting infected. In India, the government is formulating some phase wise easing of the lockdown of the states and UTs. It will be dividing states into 4 categories and on that basis various services will be resumed in them.

States where more than 50 cases of COVID-19 have been reported will be put under some specific category. Such states will remain under complete lockdown and all services will remain suspended, other than the essential ones. States and UTs will be put in the category if they have two or more cases per 10 lakh population or if more than 40 per cent of the districts are affected from the virus.

States with more than 20 cases, 30 per cent affected districts and 1-2 cases per 10 lakh population will be put in the third category. In these states, lockdown will continue, but some restrictions might be eased along with essential services. Some states will include those states which have reported less than 20 cases of coronavirus and less than 30 per cent of the districts are affected from the deadly virus. Also, these states must have one or less than one cases per 10 lakh population. In some category will include those states which have reported less than five cases so far and no fresh cases have been reported in the last seven days.

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(Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@www.afternoonvoice.com)

Maharashtra is anticipating easing of restrictions amid lockdown

By

Afternoon Voice

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April 17, 2020

Maharashtra, Mumbai, Transport, Check Point, Industries, Subhash Desai, Uddhav Thackeray, Uddhav, Thackeray, MIDC — Photo: Akshay Redij / Afternoon Voice

BMC reports stated that the 113 new Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases were added in the past 48 hours. The city also witnessed 3 deaths taking the city’s death rate to 116. Mumbai tops the state with 2043 cases – amounting to Maharashtra’s tally of 2919 cases and 187 deaths. BMC has set up 438 containment zones throughout Mumbai since the rise in the number of cases. With over 1 million people living in five square kilometre area, Dharavi is Mumbai’s most densely populated area and has been under severe scrutiny. As Dharavi’s case tally touches 89 with nine deaths, BMC has started screening all 7.5 lakh residents of Asia’s biggest slum. On March 14, the Thackeray government Maha Vikas Aghadi, invoked the Epidemic Diseases Act declaring the Coronavirus as an epidemic – declaring all gyms, swimming pools, malls, theatres, pubs shut in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane, Nagpur, Pimpri-Chinchwad till March 31 amid the rising cases of Coronavirus. The government also shut all educational institutions and postponed all exams, except the 10 & 12th board exams. With the railways shutting down its services on March 22 marking ‘Janta Curfew’, the Maharashtra government extended a state-wide curfew, stopping all transport services across districts. Uddhav Thackeray, also expressed the possibility for the government to lift the lockdown in certain places, lockdown in major areas like Mumbai will continue and on a stricter level. Maharashtra is contemplating easing of restrictions selectively in certain industrial areas with stringent safety conditions from Monday, April 20, Industry Minister Subhash Desai indicated here on Thursday.

Maharashtra industries minister Subhash Desai indicated that the state government may allow resumption of industrial activities from April 20 in the areas where no COVID-19 patient has been found so far. The most industrialized state has recorded the maximum number of coronavirus cases so far and the lockdown in force since March 25 to check the COVID-19 spread has brought most of the industrial and commercial units to a grinding halt. In an official statement, Desai said, “In the areas where no COVID-19 cases have been found, the industrial activities are likely to resume from April 20 onwards.”

“We will give the permissions within the framework set by the Union government,” he said. Desai made the announcement after holding a special meeting with a group of senior bureaucrats from the industries and health department. The Shiv Sena minister said agriculture will remain a focused area for the government. “Within the plan of resuming industrial activities, our priority would be to agriculture-allied industries.
Farmers need support in a such situation as well, he said.”

The Centre on Wednesday permitted states to undertake some activities that would set the wheels of economy moving. A review meeting in this regard was held today along with the stakeholders, Desai said. Industries wanting to start operations will have to take certain measures like in-house accommodation for workers, he said.

“If an industry can arrange accommodation for its workers within its premises, it will be given priority by the state to resume work. This measure will ensure no infection from outside comes to the industrial unit,” said the minister. Some factories can even arrange transportation for their employees. If small and medium scale companies in the MIDC areas come together, some accommodation for workers can be provided and these units can resume production and processing, he said.

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Dy CM Ajit Pawar asks ministers to ensure smooth supply of food grains

By

Afternoon Voice

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April 17, 2020

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Friday asked all guardian ministers to ensure smooth distribution of food grains to the poor during the COVID-19 lockdown so that the government is not defamed unnecessarily.

According to an official statement issued on Friday, Pawar, who is also the state’s Finance Minister, wrote to the guardian ministers asking them to immediately address complaints raised by beneficiaries of the public distribution system (PDS).

In a letter to the ministers, Pawar informed that the PDS food stock had been increased from 3.87 lakh metric tonnes to 7.74 lakh metric tonnes.

As many as 1.52 lakh metric tonnes of grains were made available for the needy, he stated.

“There is a need to ensure that the poor get adequate food grains and they are distributed in a streamlined manner so that no one goes hungry (during the lockdown period),” Pawar said in the letter.

There should be no irregularity in the distribution of food grains and if there is any complaint, it has to be addressed immediately, Pawar directed.

“See that the government is not defamed unnecessarily. Guardian ministers should personally pay attention to this,” he added.

He praised the state administration for doing a “good job” at all levels during the health crisis.

The state’s food and civil supplies department was providing wheat and rice at Rs 2 and Rs 3 per kg respectively for three months to 7 crore people through fair price shops, he said.

The 5 kg free rice announced by the Centre for ration card holders is also being distributed, he said, adding that wheat and rice at Rs 8 and Rs 12 per kg respectively will be distributed to the poor, he added.

RBI to use all instruments to deal with COVID-19 challenges

By

Afternoon Voice

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April 17, 2020

Reserve Bank of India Governor Shaktikanta Das on Friday assured that the central bank will use all instruments to deal with the challenges posed by the outbreak of COVID-19.

He also said that this is not the last of the announcements on financial support during the crisis, stating that the central bank will come up with responses in the future in the interest of the economy based on evolving situations.

Pointing out that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is monitoring all macro parameters on a continuous basis, he said, economic activity has come to standstill during lockdown.

The impact of Covid-19 is not captured in index of industrial production (IIP) data for February, he said, adding that contraction in exports in March at 34.6 per cent was much more severe than global financial crisis of 2008-09.

He said vehicle production and sales declined sharply in March and so did electricity consumption.

Appreciating the effort of banks and other institutions in keeping the financial market operational, Das said, there was no downtime of internet or mobile banking during lockdown and banking operations were normal.

Banks, financial institutions have risen to the occasion to ensure normal functioning during the outbreak of this pandemic, he said.

Announcing other measures, he said, liquidity coverage ratio (LCR) of banks have been brought down to 80 per cent from 100 per cent, and will be restored in phases by April next year.

Loans given by non-bank financial companies (NBFCs) to real estate companies will hold similar benefit as given by scheduled commercial banks, he said.

To improve liquidity for states, he said, ways and means limit has been raised to help them.

Quoting IMF an report, Das said India is expected to post a sharp turnround in 2021-22 itself.

Migrants’ unrest: Marathi journalist held for misleading report gets bail

By

Afternoon Voice

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April 16, 2020

A Mumbai court on Thursday granted bail to a television journalist arrested for ‘spreading misinformation’ with his report that the government was thinking of starting Jan Sadharan train services for migrants, which allegedly led to a crowd gathering in Bandra.

Rahul Kulkarni, journalist with a Marathi news channel, was arrested by Mumbai Police on Wednesday, a day after several migrant workers gathered near Bandra station here demanding that they be sent back to their home towns.

Kulkarni was produced before a magistrate in Bandra on Thursday where the police sought his custody.

The court, however, refused the police’s plea and remanded Kulkarni in judicial custody, following which his advocate Subodh Desai filed a bail application.

After hearing brief arguments, the court granted him bail on a surety of Rs 15,000.

The Mumbai Press Club voices against the illegal termination of Journalists

By

Afternoon Voice

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April 16, 2020

The Mumbai Press Club writes I&B Ministry to act against Media companies to stop illegal terminations. Club is dismayed and shocked at the announcement of several media houses shutting operations, firing staff and announcing mid-stream and unilateral cuts in salaries of journalists and other employees. Almost acting on cue, several of these media groups, citing restricted business operations and falling revenue, have put hundreds of journalists and other employees on the streets in the middle of the curfew period. At a time when media employees are going through challenging times and braving the coronavirus to go onto the field, and risking their lives to keep operations going, they have been ‘rewarded’ for their loyalty by the handing out of pink slips. These firings and closure of departments are both contrary to the due process of law, as well as violation of the advisories put out by the central government. It may be recalled that the Union ministry of Labour and Employment had issued a circular on 20 March 2020 advising both public and private employers not to terminate employees or reduce wages. In his address to the nation on 14 April, Prime Minister Narendra Modi again reiterated in his ‘Appeal No.6’ to businessmen and companies not to terminate their employees at the time of crisis.

It is in flagrant violation of the government’s directions that media houses have gone ahead and sacked personal and closed operations. These actions are also in breach of the law which requires government permission for closure and notice pay and other compensation under Sections 25 (O) and (F) as well as other provisions of the Industrial Disputes Act before terminating employees.

There is no doubt that business operations during the current lockdown are facing a crisis. However, it is expected that these companies should stand by their employees in this time of extreme crisis; and review their operations only when the situation eases. It is also not the case that all the media companies are in bad shape. The bigger groups like the Bennett, Coleman & Company (BCCL) or the Times Group, HT Media, the Bhaskar and Jagran Group and ABP Ltd are profitable and doing well. The few months of losses cannot be held against their employees, especially when for years these are the very journos and employees who have slaved for them to turn in a profit.

It has also come to our notice that despite this flouting of the law and killing of jobs by the media companies, they have on the other hand been appealing to government for aid. The Indian Newspaper Society (INS) has written to the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on 9 April seeking waiver of 5 percent customs duty on newsprint, two-year tax holiday for newspaper establishments, 50 percent increase in advertisement rate of Bureau of Outreach and Communication and a 100 percent increase in budget spend for the print media.

Some of the closures and job losses in recent days that has been documented are as follows:

– Hamara Mahanagar shuts operations on 18 March citing poor business viability.

– Outlook and Forbes India suspend print operations on 30 March and 27 March 2020, respectively.

– 15 journalists of the Sakal Group are asked to resign on 31 March

– Indian Express and Business Standard announce salary cuts ranging from 30 to 50 percent.

– India Ahead News announces salary cuts on 4 April 2020

– A section of journalists at The Quint are asked to go on leave without pay, others are asked to take a salary cut on 9th and 10th April.

– News Nation lays off its entire English digital team of 15 journalists and Star of Mysore suspends print operations on 12 April.

– Nai Duniya owned by Dainik Jagran suspends print operations on 13 April.

– Some of the big groups including Times Group, HT Media, Network18 Group and India Today Group have cutback or abolished some emoluments and are planning the shutdown of some departments and supplements and retrenching staff to save revenue. If these go through, huge job losses are on the cards.

In these circumstances, our urgent appeal is:

1. Media groups and employers agree to a moratorium on firings, and closure of departments during the current challenging period of the Coronavirus shutdown.

2. The Union Ministries of Labour and Information & Broadcasting urgently intervene to stop these illegal practices of closures and sackings which are contrary to the policy defined by Prime Minister Modi.

3. The Union government blacklist all media groups that have carried out illegal terminations of employees and closures, and bar them from benefiting in any way from the government’s rescue package /tax waiver schemes, as well exclude these companies from being recipients of government advertising.