The Curious Case of West Bengal Exclusive Interview Sukumar Mukherjee Chief Minister’S Health Adviser the Worst Is in Store for Us Vol
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
EXCLUSIVE FROM BRAZIL MIGRANTS’ EXODUS COMMUNAL TENSION PANDEMIC EXPOSES RACIAL DISCRIMINATION A HUMANITARIAN CRISIS FOLLOWS SECOND COVID JOURNALISM WITH A HUMAN TOUCH www.theweek.in TheWeekMag TheWeekLive $ 50 WAVE IN BHATKAL ACTOR JYOTHIKA CHALLENGES MALE DOMINANCE ON RETURN AAROGYA SETU MAY 24, 2020 MAY THE BUGS THAT NEED FIXING COVID-19 THE CURIOUS CASE OF WEST BENGAL EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW SUKUMAR MUKHERJEE CHIEF MINISTER’S HEALTH ADVISER THE WORST IS IN STORE FOR US VOL. 38 NO. 21 THE WEEK MAY 24 2020 FOR THE WEEK MAY 18 - MAY 24 26 54 67 AP JAIN ARVIND WORLD MIGRANTS CRISIS @LEISURE The pandemic has thrown Brazil After the trauma of forced Jyothika’s successful comeback into a chasm that is its social, displacement, urban workers are formula is making waves in economic and racial divide unlikely to return soon Tamil cinema 12 MILITANCY Pakistan does not COLUMNS 38 COVER STORY want international 9 POWER POINT attention turned away Sachidananda Murthy from Kashmir 15 MANIFESTO 16 CONTROVERSY Mani Shankar Aiyar A second Covid-19 wave has reignited 23 PMO BEAT communal tensions in R. Prasannan Bhatkal 37 IVORY TOWER Sanjaya Baru 18 ARMY The blame game over 66 BITTER CHOCOLATE the mass failure of Swara Bhasker women cadets at OTA Chennai 74 LAST WORD Bibek Debroy 20 AAROGYA SETU Questions raised about the future of 52 INTERVIEW privacy and civil rights Need to revive growth SALIL BERA SALIL HANDS ON in Covid-struck India as early as feasible: Medics Bimal Jalan, former RBI TICKING COVID BOMB prepare 24 MAHARASHTRA to collect The mounting trou- governor Low testing, a delayed reaction to the outbreak samples for bles have not affected 58 PHOTO FEATURE and attempts to cover up mismanagement swab tests Uddhav Thackeray’s Glimpses of a damaged could spell disaster for West Bengal, which has in Kolkata popularity economy the highest Covid-19 death rate in the country COVER ILLUSTRATION BINESH SREEDHARAN Plus Printed at Malayala Manorama Press, Kottayam, Print House India Pvt Ltd, Mumbai, M P Printers, Noida, and Rajhans Enterprises, Bengaluru, ◆ I fear the worst is in store for us: Dr Sukumar and published from Manorama Buildings, Panampilly Nagar, Kochi-682 Mukherjee, chairman, state health advisory committee 036, by Jacob Mathew, on behalf of the Malayala Manorama Co.Ltd., ◆ The Covid crisis is a subplot in the war between the BJP Kottayam-686 001. Editor Philip Mathew and Trinamool Congress • Focus/Infocus features are paid marketing/PR initiatives MAY 24, 2020 • THE WEEK 3 LETTERS to hide things and will the skewed funding judiciary in the country But, it is wrong to show Editor Philip Mathew Chief Associate Editor & Director Riyad Mathew EXCLUSIVE SHARJAH PRINCESS AL QASSEMI EXCLUSIVE BANGLADESH FM not cooperate with any system of the WHO, turning digital, but the same emotions for ON ISLAMOPHOBIA: I SEE HOPE, BECAUSE IT IS INDIA OUR PEOPLE WILL NOT STARVE M.K. STALIN V.S. Jayaschandran JOURNALISM WITH A HUMAN TOUCH www.theweek.in TheWeekMag TheWeekLive $ 50 CENTRE MADE COVID-19 Editor-in-Charge A LIGHT & SOUND SHOW international body, and the need for urgent security concerns have both pets and family Senior News Editor Stanley Thomas VIRTUAL COURTS: TECHNOLOGY ON TRIAL and that is a dilemma strengthening of the remained a cause for members. News Editor Lukose Mathew WHAT’S BEHIND THE AMBANI- ZUCKERBERG MEGA DEAL MAY 10, 2020 MAY that the world faces. It body. Had the WHO concern (‘Order online’, Anuja Deputy News Editors Mathew T. George, Maijo Abraham, is time India and other informed and sounded May 10). The Supreme Chandrasekharan, Ajish P. Joy WHO Resident Editor, Delhi K.S. Sachidananda Murthy STOLE MY superpowers of the an early alarm, the Court and the high On email. Chief of Bureau, Delhi R. Prasannan PEACE! Chief of Bureau, Mumbai Dnyanesh V. Jathar The World Health Organization world intervened and course of the crisis courts should have is caught in a Covid storm. THE WEEK puts the Deputy Chief of Bureau, Delhi Neeru Bhatia global body under cornered China. The would have been quite online hearing more A poignant read a microscope Chief Subeditors Susamma Kurian, government of India’s different. often, and the judges and Last Word by Barkha Dutt Navin J. Antony decision to make prior Owing to the influence lawyers should get used was straightforward (May Senior Subeditors Anirudha Karindalam, Anirudh Madhavan clearance mandatory for of developed countries to it. 10). The truth is there Subeditors Diya Mathew, Karthik Ravindranath, foreign investments from and undue political More virtual courts for all to see. Migrant Reuben Joe Joseph, Nirmal Jovial countries like China is a pressure, platforms like should be set up in the workers were left to fend SENIOR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENTS PRINCIPAL CORRESPONDENTS step in the right direction. the WHO are found days to come as that will for themselves, until Delhi: Rekha Dixit, Mandira Nayar, Hyderabad: Rahul Devulapalli WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Tit-for-tat, isn’t it? wanting in delivering the help in bringing greater they decided to rally in Namrata Biji Ahuja, Soni Mishra, Kochi: Anjuly Mathai with Chinese President Xi Jinping Tapesh Nagpal, results expected of them. professionalism into different places in the K. Sunil Thomas Srinagar: Tariq Ahmad Bhat SENIOR CORRESPONDENTS On email. Vijay Singh Adhikari, the proceedings. It is country. Lucknow: Puja Awasthi Bengaluru: Mini P. Thomas, Kolkata: Rabi Banerjee Stop supporting China On email. important to open up On numerous Abhinav Singh Delhi: Sneha Bhura The World Health Organization could have done At the time when the such hearings for the occasions, these people SPECIAL CORRESPONDENTS Mumbai: Priyanka Bhadani, Delhi: Pratul Sharma, Namita Kohli, Pooja Biraia Jaiswal a lot more to contain the virus in the initial stages, WHO has been dragged I went through your public as they can keep were treated as second- Pradip R. Sagar when it was spreading in China. Why is it so scared into an avoidable cover story on the WHO a track of all important class citizens, which Bengaluru: Prathima Nandakumar Thiruvananthapuram: Cithara Paul CHIEF REPORTER of China? The WHO’s biased attitude towards controversy by in one go. If not for your hearings. was unacceptable. Mumbai: Nachiket Kelkar UAE: Raju Mathew, Dubai China is completely unacceptable, and it should supercilious member- cover story, a person Vrinda Gopi, The employers, agents Chennai Lakshmi Subramanian Bhopal: Sravani Sarkar stop parroting China’s stands once and for all (‘All countries like the US and like me who comes On email. and sponsors of these Ahmedabad: Nandini Gunavantrai Oza ill, no will’, May 10). China, it is appropriate from a tier-two city can marginalised people Photo Editor: Sanjoy Ghosh Art Editor: Jayakrishnan M.T. There should be an independent, international that your cover story never judge the working Enjoyable read reacted as if they did not Deputy Photo Editors Assistant Art Editor: Binesh Sreedharan inquiry on the handling of the Covid-19 crisis by brought out a calibrated of such a big name I enjoyed reading the exit. What a pity! Bhanu Prakash Chandra, Salil Bera Senior Infographic the WHO. Like everyone else, the members of the story of what’s what institution. I feel people column by Venugopal, Chief Photographers Designer: Sreemanikandan S. Delhi: Arvind Jain, Sanjay Ahlawat Illustrator: B. Bhaskaran WHO have to be concerned about China and the and who’s who of the should continue to ask Swara Bhasker where Kollam, Kerala. Mumbai: Janak Bhat, Amey Suhas Mansabdar Layout Artist: B. Manojkumar reckless manner in which it has handled Covid-19. WHO. When the whole questions to the WHO. she mentioned about Photographer Designers: Deni Lal, Job P.K. T.K. Krishnan, world is reeling under an I must thank your team her pets. I could relate Just hype Delhi: Aayush Goel Graphic Designer: Syam Krishnan Chief Picture Coordinator Artists: Rajesh A.S., Sumesh C.N., On email. unprecedented health for bringing clear facts to her (‘Bitter chocolate’, Your story on online Bimal Nath C. Sujesh K., Ajeesh Kumar M., Jairaj T.G. hazard, the blame-game in such a grave situation. May 10). There are so classrooms emphasised Research: Jomy M. Joseph Senior Researcher: Rani G.S. against the world health I look forward to more many people that I the need for the Photo Archivist: Deepak Joy T. We cannot believe trusted all that came from body is suicidal. such fantastic cover know who are enjoying technology and its THEWEEK.IN everything that Donald China in the beginning Raveendranath A., stories. the lockdown in the reach, but I feel schools New Media Coordinator Neeraj Krishnan Trump says, but there is of the year. Yes, the WHO On email. Bhanwar Purohit, company of their are hyping up virtual Deputy New Media Coordinator Sarath Ramesh Kuniyl no denying the fact that needs a comprehensive Raipur, Chhattisgarh. pets. Pets definitely classrooms (‘Screen Senior Subeditors Hazeeda Vijayakumar, Sumitra Nair, Vaisakh E. Hari, Ancy K. Sunny, the WHO should have makeover, and at the Your cover story has, keep you engaged, and taught’, May 3). Virtual Jose K. George, Justin Paul George intervened at the right earliest. rightly, underlined you will never feel bored. classrooms are okay for Subeditors Vinod V.K., Anita Babu, Varun Ramesh Open to the public Balan time. It should not have China will continue the lack of autonomy, It is good to see higher For some, pets are like high-school and college Senior Researcher Saju C. Daniel their children and they students, but it does not Multimedia Rahul J. Mohan, Vipin Das P. take care of them so suit small children, who Executive Director George Jacob much.